Bryce CanyonTeo climbed out on lots of cliffsWe hiked down in a little bitGlen Canyon DamHiked down over these cool rocks to the overlookJust caught the end of the sunset before I had to go pick up dinner in PageSaw the Grand Canyon from various viewpoints along the South RimTeo requested the Grand Canyon specifically as the destination for our road tripListened to good music and played the category game all the way back to PageWe have a photograph of Horseshoe Bend so it was cool to finally see it in person Teo pretty well freaked me out looking for the perfect shotThis was freaking scary!There were swarms of gnats that we had to contend with, so we took this shot really fast Overlooking Lake PowellTeo opted out of the 15 minute trek to the water’s edge……but I really wanted to put my feet in so I carried on 🙂Short stop at Pipe Spring National Monument (last time it has just closed when I got there)Beautiful with cool native dwellingsAda, Alex, and Steve joined us at Coral Pink Sand DunesSand AngelTeo and I stopped at Cedar Breaks for quick photos on our way to the condo we rented at Brian Head. The others went to Cedar City to get Ada’s stuff. The next day, Ada graduated!Ada and friends pose in the fountain Teri and Anne made a huge poster with photos of family members on it since they couldn’t come down. Super cute!Graduated Magna Cum Laude 🙂Went to the museum of art to check out the senior collectionWe were all on our laptops at one point. Had a good time looking at old photos and reminiscingPlayed ConceptWe had to leave the condo early Sunday morning so we went to a park in Ephraim and played our new fun game, Wavelength. The we went back to Cedar City and ate Chili’s takeout at a different park. I made myself a carrot cake for my birthday (Alex grated all the carrots and also made me dinner) 🙂
Crystal Cove State Park…my new favorite beachVisited the Nixon presidential library…I had no idea that he did so much for the environment!Boysenberry festival at Knotts…decent food but not much else. I didn’t stay long. Yummy veggie meatball sandwich Boysenberry crisp 🙂Key lime pie with boysenberriesDowntown Disney had better fare…impossible burger, mint julep, beignets 🙂Dippin tots, calamari, and a Nola Spritzer…coming back for these!Searched for (and found!) all of the hidden character eggs 🙂Yay finally!Cone quesoCharacter greetings a la COVIDDole whip/lemon twist and a pineapple cookie. Dunked the cookie in the ice cream…yum. Made a float with some pomegranate limeade…double yum. Chip and Dale were very funnyWent back to the campsite for a rest and a swimHad a great time getting artistic shots around the park 🙂Posing with Sadness……and then MinnieAmazing plant-based chili waffle fries!This was my very favorite…plant-based cheeseburger MacThey did the awesome turning on the lights thing at sunset…it was the biggest crowd I saw all day 🙂Bye California Adventure! See you when I can actually ride your rides again!Stopped at Elmers Bottle Tree Ranch on the way home
Bridal veil is looking sad right now Vernal temple…a conversion from their tabernacle just like the one in ProvoFlaming Gorge from the top (at Red canyon)……and from the surface without any shoes 🙂Camped at Green River campground…beautiful!The geese were in rare form Rocky Mountain NP Trail Ridge RdSo much fire damage 😦Grand LakeStayed at a Hampton Friday and Saturday nights. Visited the Denver temple the first night and got Chili’s takeout. Rocky Mountain NP Fall River Road. Too crowded to hike but I did manage to get out on a rock by myself. Beaver meadows Colorado State CapitolSitting in Washington ParkHad fish and chips, walked around the lake, and had Winchells donuts with DaveSloan’s Lake at sunset…so lovelyDid my Sunday school zoom class from the grounds of the beautiful Fort Collins temple 🙂Wyoming State CapitolRandom Lincoln Statue along the Lincoln Highway. Giant Pez dispenser?Stopped briefly at the Old Pen…neat old prison building Bear River State Park…nice little stopHad the Taylor call just as I hit a little bit of storm coming back into Utah around Echo Lake. Whew, just made it!
Went snowshoeing at Craters of the Moon…so much fun!Great food at this small cafe…no one inside wore masks so I’m glad as ever to be rockin takeout Windy and cold day at Minidoka Relication CampWhat an experience. I can’t image how the Japanese who lived here must have felt. I’m glad I was totally alone. The Meridian temple is so beautiful even in the winterThe Boise temple…incredible. I walked around the grounds for awhile and unfortunately got locked in! I actually had to climb the fence to get OUT! 🙂I stayed in downtown Boise so I saw the Capitol at nightAnd again in the morning. Grabbed some delicious Spanish food in the Basque quarter and then headed back home. Quick stop at the Twin Falls templeWinter means a pathetic Shoshone Falls that I couldn’t get to and impassible roads to City of Rocks. Because of the storm, I skipped Golden Spike and the Spiral Jetty so I went back for the day a couple of weeks later. Cool old maps 🙂The level of the Great Salt Lake made a trip to the spiral jetty a bit muddy. Antelope Island at sunset…gorgeousOrdered some fish and chips takeout from a pub in Layton on the way home. Yummy!Cross-country skiing at Soldier HollowTubing at Soldier Hollow with Weston, Spencer, and Teo was supposed to be a fun way to get out of the house but the lines were incredibly long and only one really slow conveyer belt so we left early. The runs were really fun even though we only got 3
Aftermath. Silly string battle…We built this cool Super Mario lego all morning. It’s interactive. 🙂The only way we got to see extended family is through Teri’s cool barrier Hugs included 🙂Cool thermal photos complements of Steve’s present to meTeo had sweatshirts made of Ada’s awesome adaptation of our family photo Recreation of said photoWe built lots of puzzlesI asked my family to send photos since we weren’t able to be together. Here are the darling Sage kidsChristensensDay-Nance FamNew Years was beyond weird. Played games at home with just us. Fake champagne. We still did go out and rang bells and made lots of noise at midnight.
After the insanity of the Capitol riot, I needed out. So I hit the road without much warning
Pipe Springs National Monument. Didn’t get to really see it…closed Coral Pink Sand DunesThe cold doesn’t keep my shoes onCozy CampfireAlso cool in the daylightToadstool hoodoos hike at Grand Staircase-Escalante National MonumentSteve got me a thermal camera attachment for my phoneWahweap Bay at Lake PowellGlen Canyon DamPainted Desert Inn at Petrified Forest National ParkPart of the historic Route 66So much awesome petrified woodLog bridgeThe temperature of the log is the same as the surrounding rocks and much cooler than wood Phoenix templeYay! A pool! I stayed at this rental so that I could swim lapsBoo! the “heated” pool is 11 degrees Celsius. I was lied too 😦Mesa temple The breathtaking Gilbert templeArizona state Capitol. All barricaded up after the Capitol riot aftermath. I had dinner with Davon and Mikaylee (cherish didn’t feel well) which was fun. Didn’t take a photo 😦Saguaro National Park. Amazingly monotonous Mission San Xavier del BacGila Valley templeDipped down into Texas to see Big Bend National ParkI was a little underwhelmed by the “mighty” Rio GrandeGuadelupe Mountains National ParkCarlsbad Caverns National ParkCould never have had this experience outside a pandemicSaw exactly 2 other visitors in the whole huge cavern Delicious fudge and apple pieAlso has a fun kitschy store. Found this alarmingly timely 🙂White Sands National ParkLove these dunes!Albuquerque templeNew Mexico State Capitol. Also fenced off. But besides the closed streets and the alert police all was normal. No insanityLos Alamos National Historic ParkThe artifacts are scattered around this beautiful parkBandelier National Monument Such cool cliff dwellings!Great Sand Dunes National Park. If I can’t go to the beach at least I can have sand 🙂Black Canyon of the Gunnison National ParkThe drive through Colorado National Monument was terrifying, dizzying heights abound Welcome Home Sunset on highway 6
Manti templeMy beloved Capitol ReefNever seen a half-frozen river at Capitol ReefGoblin Valley State ParkSo cool at sunset!Woke up to this stunning skyline after a cold night in my car at a completely empty campground at Hite (Lake Powell)Bridge over the Colorado River at Glen Canyon National Recreation AreaEnjoyed sitting solo at the edge of the river Natural Bridges National Monument Couldn’t drive up to Bears Ears because of impassible roadsStupendous San Juan RiverMonument Valley was closed along with all other Navajo nation territory so I took a few photos from a distance Hovenweep National Monument Silent, cold, solitary. Sacred really. Crazy drive through an intense storm getting to Mesa Verde. The statue at the closed visitor center is all I got to see because of snowy roads 😦Monticello templeStorms make for cool visual effects Arches National ParkDidn’t hike out to Delicate Arch. Parking lot was crammed. 😦Hiked to the lesser-known arches insteadLove the fins!Canyonlands National ParkDead Horse Point State Park
When the fires were no longer a danger I decided to visit Northern California and then continue on south.
Bonneville salt flatsMade good use of my loungy chair when I needed a break from driving Reno Nevada templeCalifornia State CapitolSacramento temple…incredibly beautiful on the most amazing wild grounds. I went early in the morning and it was so peaceful 🙂I love my car. I love sleeping in my car. I love relaxing and putting my feet up in the middle of a long stretch in the back of my carLassen Volcanic National ParkCool bubbly mud pots So much amazing volcanic rock!This huge rock came from the mountain in the distance!Manzanita Lake…cool and refreshing Whiskeytown NRA Yay! The beach! woke up early to this amazing sight. The long drive down a bumpy dirt road in the total darkness the night before did not give me a sneak peakCamped at Gold Beach so named for the soil colorHiking through the Redwoods 🙂The early morning gave me a peaceful grove almost to myselfThe drive that morning was misty and surrealFound the Bill Cipher statue!Visited some of the crazy exhibits while at Confusion HillThe Gravity House…queasy and strange. I made videos of the things I saw there for my nephews who love Gravity Falls and wanted me to visit for them Westport HeadlandsGlass Beach…collected some sea glass to take back. It was much sparser and smaller than the last time I was here. Oakland temple…closed grounds 😦Camped at Pinnacles National ParkMorro Bay. Where are my sunglasses?!?Pismo Beach. There they are!Solvang, fun Danish town that my family visited when I was little. Mmm, Danish pastries 🙂Driving down through Los Padres National Forest at sunset. GorgeousYay! windy boat ride out to the Channel Islands National ParkWent kayaking which was so much fun!The dry bag I bought was pretty terrible so this is the best photo I got. Rowing through that arch with the waves swelling took timing and courage. Chillin’ on the beach afterward. I opted not to go hiking because I was wet and sticky from the kayaking abs there is no fresh water on the island in which to clean offBack to civilization and showers 🙂Saw pods of dolphins in the ship’s wake on the way back! Loved it 🙂Los Angeles templeCute vacation rental in Long Beach was home sweet home for a few nightsSo happy to be back at my happy place!Disney did a great job with distancing and requiring everyone to wear a maskThey also kept the numbers low and stopped people who were walking and eating. Downtown Disney is fine and I got to shop and eat good food but it was really sad being right here and not being able to go inside the park 😦Belmont Shore Beach plus new Mickey mask 🙂The Newport Beach temple is so cool Drive down the coast to San Diego and back for the day. Black’s Beach. Humidity plus my already curly hair…yikes!San Diego Castle, I mean temple. I still remember how awed I was the first time I ever saw this temple. Dreamed of getting married there for most of my young lifeLa Jolla Cove was so neat! so many sea lions!Carrillo National Monument It’s on the very tip of the peninsula affording the most striking views of the pacificBye bye ocean! It rained the morning I left Long Beach Redlands templeJoshua Tree National Park…still stormy!Cool random Route 66 historic hotel that I didn’t even know was there!Mojave National PreserveJust missed the sunset. Dam. Hoover Dam in the dark…freaking scary. Would not recommend Las Vegas temple in the dark. Not scary. Extra cool. 🙂Visited Ada in Cedar City and then home again, home again. What an amazing trip!
Back to the Great Outdoors!Bountiful templeDelicious food from The Celt Pub & Grill in Idaho FallsIdaho Falls templeMontana State CapitolGlacier National ParkGoing-to-the-sun roadSo crowded! I circled the parking lot for like 20 minutes. Hanging by Saint Mary lakeAvalanche CreekBeautiful beach at SandpointInexplicable miniature Lady Liberty on a short pier at the beach. I was amazed at how many people were at the park and I think I saw only 2 people in masks. Spokane temple. The temple president was there working on the grounds and he let me wander them even though they were closedCoolest slide ever!The wind kicked up as I was at the falls in Spokane on the morning I left. Just got worse and worse as I drive through Eastern Washington. Plus the smoke from the fires burning all over the western states. Leavenworth was smoke-free and gorgeous!The shops were fun. Fudge for Teri (and of course some for me as well!)……and incredible chocolates including fresh mint that actually tastes like the plant. Amazing! I ordered some a month later when I was stuck at home in face painI sat here next to the river and ate veggie brats, San pelligrino, fudge, and yummy gelatoNorth Cascades National ParkThis place is incredible!Got in the water, even took a spin on the paddle board I borrowed from AnneThe campground was so peaceful that I stayed for hours in my comfy chair watching Gravity FallsHiked up and around a random little waterfall near Ross LakeScary scary Deception Pass bridgeSeattle templeDarling bookstore named for Ada Lovela…I mean Taylor 🙂Emptiest Pike Place market you ever did see…but still scored crack berries, some of those yummy mini donuts, and the amazing chowder. Took the ferry across to Poulsbo where I visited Jim, Julia, and Anneke before continuing on to OlympicDrove through this cute little town on the Olympic peninsula. A lady at the general store gave me a free “I 💚 Joyce” bumper sticker when I told her it was my mom’s name and that she had diedStayed at this cute little loft for a couple of nightsThis is what runs right past the backyard 🙂Hurricane Ridge…the mountainous part of Olympic National ParkSol Duc Rainforestand Hoh Rainforest…the lush green partsKalaloch Beach…the beach part of the parkOcean…I sure love youWashington State Capitol building through the haze. I couldn’t go on to Mount Rainier because of fire danger 😦The beach house ended up being a huge disappointment Zero visibility and smoke inhalation danger can sure put a damper on a trip to the beach I felt extra bad because Alex drove all the way out to spend a few days with me at the beachWe made the best of our beach house quarantine. Baked cookies, got Tillamook ice cream, built a puzzle, and streamed Timpanogos Storytelling events. Devil’s PunchbowlYaquina Head lighthouse. From your nightmares. Newport. Went to Oregon Coast Aquarium for an otter stuffed animal for Spencer and Westinand some incredible cobbler at Georgie’s for JulRockaway BeachDecided to brave more possible fire issues and continue down through Oregon into California instead of going home through the Columbia River gorge and Idaho. First stop…my favorite temple. Portland. Oregon State Capitol Crescent LakeCrater Lake. You may have to take my word for it. 🙂Medford temple. Hey maybe the mask helps with particulates too! 🙂
Here is where the extremely disappointing and abrupt end to this trip occurs. I drove 2 hours from Medford toward the redwoods only to be turned around by closed roads. Had to drive all the way back to Medford and then back to Utah and cancel all of my Northern California plans. I was so bummed.
Red Canyon State ParkPayson templeGreat Basin National ParkCedar City templeDeath Valley National ParkSequoia National ParkMoro RockYosemite National ParkLove this park!We just hung out in the valley since all the parking lots at trailheads were packedCamped at Tuttletown Recreation AreaNevada’s state Capitol building is really cool!
TaylorHaps 
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