Dover, DE, was our next stop. We spent the night with my brother Ed and his wife Kathy, than headed home via the Bay Bridge and Tunnel. That route takes somewhat longer, but sure beats Washington, DC.
We arrived home on Sept. 11th, not without some mixed feelings on my part. This was a trip that Dale and I had talked about and planned for years. Now, it was in our rear view mirror. It had moved from the "someday" column of life to the "remember when". However, life took over, and the following week was hectic. The Sun City Regatta for EC 12 model sailboats was the next weekend, and we needed to get the house in shape for the kick-off social the night before. Dale needed to prepare for his first-time role as Race Director. This was the largest sign-up of sailors the club had ever sponsored, and we wanted to get it right. It turned out to be a great weekend on all accounts.
With the regatta over, it is now time to reflect back on our trip. We have had many questions since our return- "how many miles?" "how many parks?" - as well as questions on hotels, gas, etc. So, for all of you "stats" aficionados, here it is.
We drove a total of 18,552 miles, plus 2000 nautical miles on the trip to Alaska. We averaged $2.55 per gallon of gas with the lowest in Dillon, SC at $2.30 and the highest in Willow Creek, CA, a whopping $3.30. In planning the trip, we had hoped to average $80 per night for lodging. We actually did better than that at $64 per night. That includes, of course, nights with friends and relatives. It also includes 8 free nights using points earned for stays at hotels (Choice Privileges program) and 4 nights in Sedona using our Wyndham timeshare points. We visited 18 US National Parks plus one in Canada. In addition, we visited several cities and numerous non-park sites.
The most frequent question is also the most difficult to answer- "What was your favorite park?" We saw so many wonderful places, each with its own character, its own special beauty. We would definitely list Yosemite and Yellowstone near the top, but we also loved Theodore Roosevelt. Grand Tetons was spectacular and Mesa Verde fascinating. Can we say we loved them all?
Some thoughts- we met a number of rangers and Visitor Center people who deserve kudos for the job they do. We also met those who were very vocal in their love of the parks and of special places in general- the ranger at the locks in Seattle who told the story of the important role the salmon plays in the Northwest, and its connection with the animals, the forest and the people; the ranger who gave us the tour at Mesa Verde, pointing out the role of the individual in saving many of the special places in this country. He encouraged us all to identify those places special to us, -those that we want to be there, unchanged, for our children and grandchildren,- and to work to make sure they stay that way.
Speaking of individuals, we learned of many individuals in the past who worked to make sure these parks were here for us- John Muir, Audubon, and, of course, Teddy Roosevelt. Both Dale and I certainly gained additional respect for TR for his role in protecting the parks. Roosevelt's feelings on this subject were evident, never more so than in this quote seen on a plaque at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon:
"Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it. What you can do is to keep it for your children, your children's children, and for all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American ...should see."
A great way to end a spectacular trip.
No comments:
Post a Comment