A trip of extremes

We have made it full circle and are back at home in Eagle. 29 days, 5005.7 miles, 5 states, 16 national parks, and more amazing memories! 16 nights of camping and days without a shower. The truck is unpacked and clean (it took Jim a full day to get all the mud and grime out of every crevice), and the gear is stored. When we started out 29 days ago it felt like we had all the time in the world. A month goes by fast on the road!

It was a trip of extremes:
Temperatures from a low of 47 to a high of 119.
Elevations from -235 to over 10,000.
Desolate landscape where nothing grows to the largest tree in the world.
Dry desert heat to so much water that it breeds kid-eating mosquitos.
Tiny trees to some of the oldest Bristlecone pines in the world.

We explored environments that were totally new to us and learned about animals we had no idea existed. The girls were captivated by the Ocelot at the desert museum in Tuscon. They would like one for a pet. They will have to settle for King Hume, our Giant Sequoia. He made it home and is looking forward to being planted in a large pot.

This was also a trip of trees. We saw fields of Saguaro cacti, Agave that looks like a Dr. Seuss tree, Joshua trees, enormous Giant Sequoias, very old Bristlecone pines, and everything in between. Each time the girls do a Junior Ranger we learn more about the plants and trees and how to identify them. It's fun to look around and see what we can figure out with our very limited knowledge.

We visited so many national parks! From the deserted Organ Pipe to the city in the woods of Yosemite. Each is beautiful in it's own way. Bryce and Sequoia/ Kings Canyon were highlights. While it is one of the most beautiful spots, Yosemite was a challenge. Too many people, limited services, very crowded parking. Sadly, this is a theme in the bigger parks, especially when they are so close to as many big cities as Yosemite. While it's nice to see these amazing places, we enjoyed some of the remote places on this trip as much, if not more.

It's hard to believe that we have been on three month-long family road trips. That's a lot of time together and a lot of time in Big Red. Samantha and Ali are growing into their roles as part of the system that makes it all work. They love to camp and have gotten very good at helping to set up and take down camp. They also love to help in the "kitchen" and work with me to prepare meals and clean up. They continue to amaze us in so many ways. The word "bored" rarely comes from the back seat. They make up games with cards, pencil and paper, their stuffies, or sometimes nothing at all. They read and do workbooks. At a campsite or a lunch stop the game might be with a stick, their scooters, or some rocks. They entertain themselves so well. It's a gift that I hope sticks with them forever.

There were many highlights of the 2016 trip. For the girls most of them had to do with water and ice cream. The mist trail, the swinging bridge swimming hole, and top of the list- Hume Lake. For Jim and I the highlights are more about the travel together and the adventure of finding a spot on the map and going there. It won't be long before the girls start to choose those spots too. We look forward to that and the future Maule Family Adventures!