Collie's Bestiary

TGSRT

Here's where I'm listing all the wonderfully cool potential things to do on The Great Summer Road Trip, which will run through CA, NV, UT, AZ, NM, TX, LA, MI, AL, & finally into FL:

Locations

• CA: Yosemite, Death Valley, Joshua Tree State Park, & Blythe, CA.
• NV: Hoover Dam, the temple to Sekhmet, Las Vegas (open to suggestions on what's fun there!).
• UT: Duck Creek cave lava tubes
• AZ: Soleri's Arcosanti, the AZ Shakespeare Festival, the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Kaibab National Park & Petrified Forest National Park, Meteor Crater.
• NM: Roswell; Carlsbad Caverns.
• TX: night sky in W. TX, Austin (any suggestions on here too?).
• LA: New Orleans (ditto!).
• FL: Florida State Caverns Park.

Traveling suggestions

• Get off the interstates; they were designed for long haul truckers, so they stick to ridge lines, are full of large trucks, and avoid small towns. Make time on the I's, make life in the states.
• The serendipity of local areas is amazing… check out roadside attractions, food stands (Oakdale Cheese!), and asking locals what's best, what's to do. BONUS Have some quests. "I'm looking for the best chicken fried steak in Texas," "Where's the historical _____?" and John's all time favorite, "What place makes the best burger here?" (done in Australia, OMG, what a quest!)
• Keep a journal! Experiences had, thoughts on the road, things I skipped, the best chicken fried steak in Texas — whatever strikes my fancy. :)