It all started in Nashville, TN about a year and a half ago. Jeff was visiting me for the weekend and I wanted to surprise him. I packed a lunch, found a hike, and told him we’d be spending the day doing something he liked to do. As it turns out, hiking, being outside, and exploring are things I enjoy too!
Jeff and I met in 2014 at The Gorge in Washington. While camping next to each other, we spent the weekend sharing laughs and creating memories. We stayed in touch, began dating long distance and eventually, I moved to Raleigh, NC. Jeff and I hiked almost every Sunday in the spring of 2016. We hiked trails at Eno River and Umstead State Park and started itching for something more. Jeff started planning a trip to Black Mountain where we would hike to the top of Mount Mitchelle. It rained. We didn’t go (this time).
A few weeks later, we played hooky and went to see National Parks Adventures 3D at Marbles, a children’s museum in downtown Raleigh. Yes, we were surrounded by middle school field trips and probably some nursing home field trips, but as soon as the lights dimmed, the music started, and Robert Redford’s voice came through the speakers, we were hooked. Jeff decided right then that we needed to take a trip out west.
His original National Parks must-see list consisted of sixteen parks. We obviously had to scale down, but Jeff is a planner and loves to research, so he figured out a way for us to see 10 National Parks in 10 days. He had created an entire itinerary that included a trip cost estimate, a trip mileage estimate, and detailed campsite information (including where we would and wouldn’t be able to shower). Check it out you guys, he did some serious work!
National Parks Trip – September 2016
Wednesday, August 31
FLIGHT: Southwest #2975/2705 (RDU-DEN-PDX)
$206 or 12,282 points
Depart RDU 9:30am
Arrive PDX 1:25pm
DRIVE: 5.5 hours to Crater Lake National Park
SLEEP: Camp – Mazama Village Campground
Thursday, September 1
EXPLORE: Crater Lake National Park
DRIVE: 3 hours to Redwood National Park
SLEEP: Camp – Backcountry (free with permit)
Friday, September 2
EXPLORE: Redwood National Park
DRIVE: 5 hours 30 minutes to San Francisco
SLEEP: Hotel – Hyatt Centric Fishermen’s Wharf
Saturday, September 3
DRIVE: 3 hours to Yosemite National Park
EXPLORE: Yosemite National Park
SLEEP: Camp – Half Dome Village Tents ($142.68)
Sunday, September 4
EXPLORE: Yosemite National Park
DRIVE: 4 hours to Death Valley National Park
DRIVE: 2 hours 30 minutes to Las Vegas
SLEEP: Hotel – Residence Inn Las Vegas South (points)
Monday, September 5
DRIVE: 4 hours to Grand Canyon National Park
EXPLORE: Grand Canyon National Park
DRIVE: 2 hours to Zion National Park
SLEEP: Camp – Watchman Campground (Reservation)
Tuesday, September 6
EXPLORE: Zion National Park
DRIVE: 1 hour 30 minutes to Bryce Canyon National Park
EXPLORE: Bryce Canyon National Park
DRIVE: 4 hours 30 minutes to Moab
SLEEP: Camp – BLM
Wednesday, September 7
EXPLORE: Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park / Corona Arch
DRIVE: 4 hours to Salt Lake City, UT
SLEEP: Hotel – Residence Inn Salt Lake City Downtown (points)
Thursday, September 8
DRIVE: 5 hours to Grand Teton National Park
EXPLORE: Grand Teton National Park
SLEEP: Camp – FCFS (Jenny Lake, Signal Mountain, or Colter Bay Campgrounds – $25)
Friday, September 9
DRIVE: 45 minutes to Yellowstone National Park
EXPLORE: Yellowstone National Park
SLEEP: Camp – Canyon Campground (Reservation $28)
Saturday, September 10
DRIVE: 6 hours to Salt Lake City, UT
FLIGHT: Southwest #1265/1557 (SLC-DEN-RDU)
$199 or 11,813 points
Depart SLC 3:25pm
Arrive RDU 10:45pm
Once we had everything planned, it was time to start shopping for all the necessities: a bear box, headlamps, backpacks (like the kind Reese Witherspoon carries in Wild (except not that big)), and even little things like camp towels, a lighter, etc. You can see the full list of gear we took here.
Jeff made all the flight and campsite reservations and before we knew it, we were in Oregon on a cold and rainy day trying to get to our first stop: Crater Lake National Park. Want to know what happens next?
Follow along!
~Adventure is out there!
Julia
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