Sabbatical in Review

Total miles: 8,948

Total days:  57

Pictures taken:  2, 684 (after editing)

Stops

1. Santa Rosa Beach, FL (7 nights)
2. Lafayette, LA (1 night)
3. San Antonio, TX (6 nights)
4. Amarillo, TX (1 night)
5. Buena Vista, CO (6 nights)
6. Moab, UT (1 night)
7. Cannonville, UT (1 night)
8. Springdale, UT (2 nights)
9. Grand Canyon, AZ (2 nights)
10. Las Vegas, NV (3 nights)
11. Sequoia National Park, CA (2 nights)
12. Yosemite National Park, CA (3 nights)
13. Baker, NV (3 nights)
14. Salt Lake City, UT (2 nights)
15. Teton Village, WY (4 nights)
16. Yellowstone National Park, WY (4 nights)
17. Rapid City, SD (1 night)
18. Badlands National Park, SD (2 nights)
19. De Smet, SD (1 night)
20. Decorah, IA (4 nights)
21. Caravelle, TN (1 night)

National Parks

1. Capulin Volcano National Monument
2. Arches
3. Capitol Reef
4. Bryce Canyon
5. Zion
6. Grand Canyon
7. Sequoia 
8. Yosemite
9. Great Basin
10. Teton
11. Yellowstone
12. Mount Rushmore
13. Badlands

States

1. Georgia
2. Florida
3. Alabama
4. Mississippi
5. Louisiana
6. Texas
7. New Mexico
8. Colorado
9. Utah
10. Arizona
11. Nevada
12. California
13. Idaho
14. Wyoming
15. Montana
16. South Dakota
17. Iowa
18. Illinois
19. Indiana
20. Kentucky
21. Tennessee
22. North Carolina
23. South Carolina

Animals seen

• llama
• fox
• deer
• jack rabbits
• bison
• dragonflys
• baby cliff swallows
• kittens
• wild turkeys
• fish
• chipmunks
• black bears
• grizzly bears
• squirrels
• snakes
• ducks
• geese
• tadpoles
• prairie dogs
• cows
• sheep
• woodpecker
• coyote
• lizards
• moose
• elk
• horses
• mules
• antelopes
• yellow bellied marmot
• big horn sheep
• porcupine
• bald eagles
• long horn steer

Favorite National Park

• Sarah Ellen:
• Badlands
• Yellowstone
• Sequoia
• Lily:
• Capitol Reef
• Teton
• Arches
• James
• Yellowstone
• Yosemite
• Teton
• Taryn
• Yellowstone
• Bryce Canyon
• Teton

Favorite Lodging

• Sarah Ellen:  Teton Village 
• Lily:  Teton Village
• James:  Yosemite cabin
• Taryn:  Trail West

This was the trip of a lifetime, made especially sweet because we could do it with the girls at 7 and 9 years old.  Our hope was that they would have a trip to remember forever.  I think we accomplished that, and it was the result of Taryn's time, patience, persistence, and dedication to the task.  She literally spent a year (hundreds of hours) researching, picking our stops, planning our route, arranging lodging, getting the girls set up with junior ranger materials, packing us for all possible scenarios (yet squeezing everything into one expertly-packed minivan), and arranging fun events along the way.  It was like a puzzle.  Surprisingly, the girls were exceptionally good travelers, largely because Taryn kept them busy with workbooks, flash cards, books (both in print and on tape), games, coloring books, movies, their journals, and more.  Thanks to an amazing wife and mother who crafted this trip with love.  What a gift!