Pick up the kids (our two chihuahuas) and head for home. Back to our own bed! Up early, down for one final breakfast at the hotel, checked out ...

It was almost 7 pm when we rolled into Visalia, and our home.  Worn and tired from three weeks on the road and away from our home, we were hap...

At the eastern edge of Yosemite, on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada range is one of the oldest lakes in the western hemisphere. Mono Lake fil...

Taking pictures of the sites in Yosemite is so easy. Point and click and you have a winner. Whether it’s a waterfall, meadow, stream, the trees, ...

The last day to win money, eat restaurant food, sleep in a hotel/motel, and buy souvenirs. Another day to rest, stretch our muscles, take it easy...

One more day of rest before driving that last 350 miles home. Okay, so we didn’t win very many dollars today, but we got one whole bunch of rel...

This Hotel and Casino has been a mainstay in Reno for many years. It is the farthest north on the downtown row of casinos on Virginia Street, the m...

Back to an area we are familiar with. To pick up the dogs, say hi to my sons and relax while we win a few more dollars in the casinos. The drive ...

Growing up I remember stories of the Bonneville Salt Flats and people who went out there to set the land speed records.  This was a legendary ...

The Country Hearth Inn of Elko Nevada is a 109 room facility, located off I-80 Exit 303. Our goal is to make your stay feel like home. Enjoy our fr...

The northern route home. Well, part way.  If you have never taken the highway from Salt Lake City west to Elko, Nevada you have missed just ...

As many Hotel & Casinos in Nevada, the Red Lion has a very nice Buffet. It's not the largest buffet, but is well stocked with a good selection of v...

Into one Big City for a change. Today’s trip south will be in the neighborhood of 300 miles, and we tried to make it as painless as possible.&n...

About 60 miles farther south is Paris, Idaho where we stopped shortly to get a couple of pictures of the some old buildings.   Actually we h...

Very centrally located in Salt Lake City’s business, historic, cultural and entertainment center, Little America is just 10 minutes from the inte...

Salt Lake City is the center location of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And whether you know very much about this religion or no...

Today we are headed south for Salt Lake City.  We have decided to stay off the major highways today and do as much sightseeing as possible. No...

This is a chain restaurant begun back in early 1969 in Portland, Oregon. They have locations now across the country, most of which are in Californi...

When I looked at the AAA tour books to find possible places to stay this one was rated only 2 stars, and having stayed in a few of those over the y...

Okay, it was the name that popped off the page at me. But I picked two others to look at if this wasn't what we wanted. So we hopped in the car and...

The Grand Tetons were today’s major views.  We took the more scenic route and drove as slow as traffic would allow, pulling off to let cars ...

Back through Yellowstone one more time today.  We get to travel from the northern most area all the way to the southern edge and on south to s...

We end the day today in Jackson, Wyoming.  This has nice slow driving day of only maybe 160 miles.  We moseyed, took several stops, and r...

In a very small town, like Gardiner, there are not very many options. There was a restaurant and Casino in front of the motel but their menu didn...

Tonight we are staying at another Best Western.  Pretty good luck so far with this chain. But tonight we are not so lucky.  Noisy is a go...

Mammoth Hot Springs is at the northern most area of Yellowstone National Park and its main attraction is the terraces. The white rock created by t...

Another full day of great sites and pictures.   Back into Yellowstone for another day, but with the road in under construction we couldn�...

Another of those mega-normal, super-nothing, two story motels with kids running everywhere and bikers making sure their bikes are louder than the o...

Old Faithful is about the most well known geyser in the world. It is not the biggest or the most regular but it is the biggest regular geyser. But...

Magnificent mountains ranges, swift moving rivers, huge waterfalls, herds of bison and elk, gushing geysers sprinkle the landscape of natures most ...

Yellowstone National Park, where we will be for two days.  We will be taking the east entrance from Cody in order to get more great sites al...

Dragon’s Mouth Spring has changed over the years. Years ago it used to spit mud along with the noise that could be heard for a mile. Now, its r...

The restaurant at the Elephant Head Lodge certainly deserves a four star rating.  Remember, this place is miles and miles from Cody, the closest...

This is one of those things you do for a real change. Setting up the trip and having AAA make the reservations had been a challenge, especially whe...

Tonight we are staying at the Elephant Head Lodge, just outside the eastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park.  What can I say, when I was...

Located just a short few miles east of Shell, Wyoming, approximately 15 miles east of Greybull, this impressive one hundred twenty foot falls is ea...

About an hour and a half, 75 miles, out of Sheridan, Wyoming on highway US-14 we arrived at Shell Falls and Shell Canyon.   Sitting right of...

The Mill Inn had its beginning in the early 1890s when Capt. Scott K. Snively built a single grain elevator. Over the years it has seen many owners...

Today was our “Close Encounter” day.  It actually started less than perfect. I ended up making a wrong turn and instead of heading north, ...

Devils Tower rises 1267 feet above the Belle Fourche River and is one the worlds’ most recognized formations. A small part of the recognition was...

Perkins is a chain restaurant with locations all over the country, 34 states, except not in California. So it was our first time. Prices were mode...

We pulled into Sheridan after another 165 miles from Devil’s Tower, which is about three hours.  Not a whole lot to see across the vastnes...

On to the Crazy Horse Memorial.  This is a privately funded, rather than a State or Federally funded site.  The Indians asked the sculpto...

Just up the street from our hotel was this really nice place with a very attractive restaurant and gift shop. We saw the buffet sign outside but wh...

Mount Rushmore National Memorial hosts about three million visitors a year from across the nation and around the world. They come to marvel at the ...

Tonight we had a light dinner at one of the local Hotel restaurants.  We had seen a sign about a buffet at the Hotel just up the street from...

This is a fairly new hotel adjacent to an 1880 train station. The lobby is large and nicely decorated and there is a very nice eating area where t...

Two things to do today and Mount Rushmore is the first.  Only a half hour or less from our hotel so driving is slow and fun. We’ll spend as ...

Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear officially began this project in 1948 to honor the culture, tradition and living h...

Register Cliff, located just under 5 miles south of Guernsey Wyoming and just 8 miles west of Fort Laramie, is one of the more famous landmarks of ...

When you are in South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore or the Crazy Horse Memorial you have to eat at this place.  I'm sure some day it will be more i...

Another 185 miles or so north is Hill City, South Dakota, our ending point for day eleven.  It made for a long day’s ride but those nice sto...

Our journey today starts with about a two hour ride due north.  140 miles up highway 25, past Cheyenne and a little town named Chugwater (I lo...

In the south-eastern corner of Wyoming, a short hop of thirty miles as you follow the Oregon Trail out of Nebraska, lands you at Fort Laramie Natio...

Now on to a National Park Service Site, Fort Laramie is a few more miles down the road.  All three of these sites are right along the Platte R...

Just a short distance away from the Oregon Trail Ruts site is another of the historic sites.  This one is a cliff face.  The fairly soft ...

Located about three miles south of Guernsey, Wyoming is this State Historical Site. A dirt road leads you to a place where early settlers traveling...

Do you like a GOOD hand-cut Steak? Do you like to shuck peanuts while you wait for a table? Do you like a noisy, fun atmosphere? Do you like a cold...

This nicely remodeled hotel has a south-western look and feel and a huge lobby. Parking both in front and rear makes entry easier, and extra entry ...

Farther north and east. Today was really just a driving day. About three hundred miles from Grand Junction to Fort Collins, Colorado.  We di...

Today we get to drive through an area of Colorado where a special highway was constructed in a manner that would make it as friendly to the environ...

Looking back on today and our trip from Durango, through Silverton, Ouray, Montrose, and Delta, and ending up here in Grand Junction, I would hav...

This relatively little known scenic area of the Colorado plateau is well worth the time to see, even if you only drive the approximately 20 miles R...

Even though we were here yesterday we stopped by again today.  We saw most everything and had almost enough time to say “Been there, done th...

This large two story exterior corridor style motel although 3-star rated seemed to have lost many of the things I feel brings the stars. The room w...

In late afternoon we get to the Colorado National Monument, which a very close friend of ours had told us about before we left home. “You just go...

I was in the mood for Chinese that night so finding a nice Chinese Buffet nearly directly across from our motel was a good sign. The first bad si...

This looked like a sleepy little town from a hundred years ago, tucked into a deep river canyon at the 7,700 foot level with high mountains on both...

The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad route is  through the canyons in the wilderness of the San Juan National Forest. Enjoy the fun of ...

Today is the day for the big train ride.   We were up early, which wasn’t easy due to a stomach problem I once in a while suffer from.&nb...

Featuring traditional Italian - American cooking from "da Bronx".  Family recipes made from scratch. Antipasto * Bruschetta *  Ensalade *  S...

Shiprock Peak is a solidified lava core or “neck” of a dormant 40 million year old volcanic pinnacle. It’s shape reminded early visitors to t...

Four Corners National Monument is the one and only place in the United States where four states meet. Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado meet a...

Just south of the Town of Mexican Hat, Utah is a rock formation that gave the town its name. This is in an area just north of the “Valley of the...

From Mexican Hat we headed back south-east and aimed our car towards the Four Corners Monument.  This is the only place in the United States w...

It was later than usual when we pulled into Durango.  It had been a full day.  We barely made it in time to pick up our tickets for tomor...

Today is a day in Navajo lands.  We started on the road north-east to another of the Navajo National Monuments.  This one is famous for i...

This unique area of south-eastern Utah is home to some of the most amazing sandstones formations in the world. Located on the Navajo reservation in...

A very nice three story exterior corridor style 48 room motel. Not the highest rating but three stars all the way. It looks from the front like a t...

Mexican Hat, Utah derived its name from the strange rock balance a couple of miles outside of town.  About a half mile off the highway on a di...

Shiprock, New Mexico has legendary status in Indian lore.  In fact almost everyday at dusk the giant mountain seems to float away from the g...

In doing some revisions of my original blog I ran across information about a place we missed by only a few miles (maybe ten or so).  It is sit...

October 1956 began the building of the dam and bridge. It took three years to complete the bridge, but that permitted trucks to deliver materials a...

We ended the sixth day of our journey in Kayenta, Arizona.  Only about 200 miles today, which is much nicer than the 350 miles of the first co...

Can you believe we nearly slept in?  Our latest start of the day so far, almost 9 a.m.  Shows how tired we were from yesterday.  But...

This is a very new hotel. Included in this 73 room adobe-style three story hotel with inside corridors and elevators are a very large lobby area, g...

The Navajo National Monument, Betatakin Ruins provides another good stop.  These homes of the early Navajo, were built into the cliff overha...

The Betatakin ruins built by the Hopi and Zuni Indians and now on Navajo land are not a long distance off Highway 160 in as it runs across the Utah...

East of Page, Arizona we are back into the desert of the southwest.  Mile after mile of open sagebrush land, blue skies, fluffy clouds, and pr...

This little town south of Kanab, Utah on the way to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon has missed out on the tourist crowds because of the lack of ...

Back to Kanab for another evening.  Tonight we get to visit a place recommended highly by the staff at the motel.  Escobar’s Mexican re...

Bring an extra set of car keys; it could be a long wait for a locksmith. There are no automobile mechanics in places like the North Rim of the Gran...

This is a fairly well maintained two story motel that has probably been there for at least ten years. The rooms are good-sized and well equipped w...

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon is an amazingly beautiful placed to visit, whether it is for a half day (which I would think should be the absolu...

Again, not a long ride today, but we should see some great sites. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon was today’s trek. It’s only eighty miles ...

Brown vinyl booths line the turquoise-and-pink walls of this family-owned diner, which hums with the conversation of locals who flock here for the ...

If you have seen my other blogs you know that I like to photograph old barns and buildings.  Well today I had the chance to shoot a few shots ...

Zion National Park is a 229 square mile landscape of deep canyons and soaring cliffs. From cool pine covered plateaus to scorching deserts. There a...

We awoke early today, perhaps in anticipation of all the sights ahead.  We went up and got our free breakfast, checked out and were on the roa...

If you are into the old 1950's look, Coca-Cola escpecially, and like good food, this will make you feel really comfortable.  Turn the clock back, ...

After leaving Zion National Park, Highway 9 leads across the plateau and the wonderful open land of Utah for about 25 miles to Mount Carmel Junctio...

Sixty miles north is the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park.  Bryce is different.   We drove all the way from the northern entra...

All National Parks are not the same. Bryce Canyon National Park is not like any other National Park. If you are young, in shape, and able to hike...

Kanab is a good spot to end the day today and tomorrow as well. Tomorrow we will drive south to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to spend the day ...

This is the largest motel and RV Park I have ever seen. The front area has many large two-story buildings with inside corridors, and the back area ...

The Lincoln County Courthouse in Pioche, Nevada was originally built in 1871 and pre-estimated to cost $16,400.00 to handle the needs of this wild ...

Just a few minutes on south from Pioche, we find the northern entrance to Cathedral Gorge State Park.  At this northern entrance we drive into...

Today we head south for a change. We will end up in Springdale just outside of Zion National Park by the end of the day, but our first stop today i...

At the southern edge of Zion National Park is this little tourist town there for only one reason and that is to serve the people who come to visit ...

Many people completely miss this wonderful part of Zion National Park. Only about twenty miles north of the heavily traveled main section of Zion, ...

Not far east of Cedar City, Utah you will find Cedar Breaks National Monument. This is a great summertime visit but closed in winter due to the hig...

About two hours and 105 miles east we go, crossing into Utah. We pass right through Cedar City and up the mountains we go. Resting on top...

Along Highway 93 just a couple of miles north of Panaca, Nevada is Cathedral Gorge. This is a long, narrow valley where erosion has carved dramatic...

It’s a pretty short run from Cedar Breaks to Upper Zion National Park, Kolob Canyons.  Only about 40 miles back out to Cedar City and then s...

Eating while on vacation is usually one of the hardest things to do.  You are not familiar with the area, who has the good food, and in an area wh...

Usually, when you find a good place to stay you still need to search for a good place to eat. But this one was totally different. When asked, all t...

When you are hungry for lunch, in a very small town, and ask at the gas station where to eat, you just have to go with what they tell you. So when ...

On east we go for another 75 miles, where we run across an area that looked different to me.  Off to the side of the road was a small communit...

Our stay tonight is in Ely, Nevada.  This is a mining, railroad, and hub town.    Our hotel is the historic old Hotel Nevada an...

Headed east again from Austin we encounter a migration of Mormon beetles or crickets.  These huge (up to about three inch long) creepy crawlie...

If you like to do something different when you go on vacation, staying at a historic old Hotel and Casino will make your stay more fun and differen...

We have a straight through run today from Reno to Ely, Nevada.  Well, almost a straight through run.  Who do you know can do 325 miles wi...

We pull in late afternoon and are glad the first section is done.  Somehow planning, packing, and getting everything ready for an anal person ...

We finish our long ride on State Highway 99 from Visalia all the way to Sacramento and turn onto Highway 80 which takes us up over the Sierra Nevad...

Although this buffet has changed names several times over the years you will still find the same good food, both in choices and tastes. The look is...

After getting a very late start we made a smooth and easy run up the valley towards Sacramento and then over the Sierra Nevada mountains to Reno. ...

We have already spent a while getting this trip planned and setup. Health issues have delayed it twice.  Nothing major, just want to be totall...

Prior to going on our three week summer trip, covering 5,000 miles of territory where I was unfamiliar, I purchased this software. Full price was...