Road trip plans continue

We have 7 days to explore everything we can between Denver and San Diego (in an awesome RV mind you), but even with this somewhat narrowed itinerary, it won't be easy choosing only a handful of sights and locales to visit. I definitely want to hit up odd spots like the "world's largest ball of lint" (who doesn't want to see that?!), but I'd say that 98% of what I want to do or see is in the great outoors, and since those are the places most threatened by change - due to man, climate change, natural erosion - it puts a bit more urgency in my desire to experience them.

Here a few top picks from my Bucket-List so far:

Havasu Falls, Arizona

Unbelievable, right?  I think I must have fantasized about having a romantic rendezvous in this lagoon like a million times growing up. The breathtaking Havasu Falls is found at the bottom of the Grand Canyon in the remote "city" of Supai (soup-eye), home to the Havasupai (which means "people of the blue green water"). It takes a bit of effort (take your pick: an 8 mile arduous hike, a bumpy mule ride, or a pricey helicopter) and money (like $60 pp/night) to get there, but it has to be worth it, right?

Havasu is a prime example of the urgency I mentioned before. In August 2008 (4 days after our wedding to be exact!), the Redlands Dam broke from heavy rain and flash floods ravaged the village - and falls.

I honestly cried a little when I saw this. This is the same Havasu Falls as the previous picture, but all signs of that gorgeous oasis are obliterated by debris and mud. Despite the inexplicable sense of loss I felt for a place I'd never been, I was reminded in powerful way that no life is exempt from tumultuous circumstances. Whether it be a person or a waterfall, each are guaranteed to undergo seasons of change that reshape and redefine them.

The new Havasu Falls are smaller and pour from the right now, but they are just as beautiful and fantasy-inspiring. Of the 4 original Supai waterfalls, only 3 remain - but in the wake of that loss, 2 brand new falls were created.  "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." Job 1:21



Grand Canyon, Arizona

Photo courtesy US National Park Service via National Geographic

*Technically, I've already been here, but that was in a different time, when I was a different person and I didn't savor it as much as I should have. It's rare that we ever get second chances in life, so I'm extremely thankful for this one.

Stopping at the Grand Canyon is a no brainer. Is it really possible to drive through Arizona and not stop at this mammoth gorge named by the UN as a World Heritage Site?  Riiight. Since we'll be in an RV, we can probably camp near the canyon and spend extra time breathing in all of its wonder: the expansive sky, the golden cliffs, and the winding Colorado River below (rafting that is another bucket list adventure, but it'll have to wait till next time).


Four Corners Monument, AZ/CO/NM/UT


This isn't so much a desire, but more of a "well we're passing by it so why not stop" kind of thing. I think the notion of physically touching four states at once is nifty (I mean, it's the only place in the world where you can do that), but that fun was seriously spoiled when I learned the monument is actually built in the wrong spot, haha!  If you don't believe me, Google Earth it like I did - the cross section is the state boundary lines and that red blip is the monument. I'm no cartographer, but I'm pretty sure those two should overlap.


Death Valley, California

From left: here & NASA/GSFC/Cynthia Cheung 

There's a lot more to Death Valley than its hardcore name. For starters, it has the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below sea level (oddly enough the highest elevation on the continental US is only 85 miles east at Mount Whitney). It just so happens to also be the driest and hottest locale in North America. In 1913, the temperature reached a scorching 134 degrees F - only 2 degrees short of the world record (held by Al 'Aziziyah in Libya in 1922, if anyone was wondering). If those two tidbits weren't reason enough, it's also home to one of the strangest phenomenons: roaming rocks. The desert landscape is littered with boulders that physically move across the ground all by themselves - and science still hasn't discovered why or how. No one has ever seen them move, but they leave behind long trails in the earth as proof of their mysterious wanderings. So far, scientists have ruled out animals, gravity, hoaxes and earthquakes as causes. I LOVE IT!

*Funny Side Note:
Our RV rental agreement restricts travel to only 5 places due to their "inhospitable environments": Alaska, Yukon & Newfoundland (northern Canada), Death Valley, and Manhattan. Hahahaha!


Joshua Tree National Park, California

From left: Doug Dolde & unknown

Weird trees and awesome climbing. Those are literally the only reasons I want to visit this place, and that's enough to earn a spot on my Bucket List.  I'll have to start doing door frame pull ups again to whip me and my weakened fingers into shape!

*To give you some perspective, there's a person climbing inside that red circle.


Sequoia National Park, California

From left: Whitney Tucker/Stockxhng & Ken Biggs of Getty Images 

Frickin HUGE trees - 'nough said. (If you haven't noticed, the qualifying factors for my Bucket List adventures aren't very stringent).

"So it towered higher than all the trees of the field; its boughs increased and its branches grew long..." Ezekial 31:5 



Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

Trekking these sand dunes (the tallest in North America!) will be the closest I'm going to get to my Saharan Camel Caravan dream trip for a while. Plus, it'll be my first national park experience in my new home state of Colorado! There's sandboarding, sledding, and even a creek at the foot of the dunes, which I hear is perfect for skimboarding and swimming.  Do I even need to mention the amazing backdrop to all of this? 

There it is folks... a few of the contenders so far, and I'm sure more will begin to surface and vie for attention as I continue to flip through the glossy pages of my National Geographic, Backpacker and Adventure magazines.

I'd love to hear from all you seasoned road trippers. If you have any advice or suggestions, I'm all ears!