So, by now you all know that I’m no longer on the road trip. In fact I’ve been back for more than a week, but still haven’t finished updating the blog. Blogging on the road turned out to be more difficult and time consuming than I realized. Regardless, I want to give this final post on my trip so we can get to the bigger reason for this blog - My Ridgeline!

After leaving Rocky Mountain National Park I had planned on going to Moab for some mountain biking. I tried to find a guide to help out as I heard the safest and best way to experience Moab is someone with experience on the local trails. Finding a guide turned out to be pretty difficult and then it was 110 degrees when I drove in to town. These two factors combined to convince me that mountain biking in Moab this summer might not be a good idea so after getting some gas, I just kept on driving.

What I didn’t realize after leaving Moab is that there is damn near nothing between Moab and the Grand Canyon. Towns were scarce and the ones that did exist were too small to support a restaurant. By 6pm I was a little concerned about dinner. I had plenty of food in the truck, but I was really hoping for a decent dinner. About that time, I was driving in to Mexican Hat, Utah. Mexican Hat is a town of approximately 32 people (it was hotly debated and could be anywhere between 30 and 34 people). I nearly drove right by The Swinging Steak, but it somehow caught my eye and I swung the truck around to the parking lot to see if I could get some dinner here. The Swinging Steak turned out to be the best place to get a steak for miles and miles! It also turned out to be an international hot spot. As crazy as it may sound, at least 5 different groups from 4 different European countries were represented in this far out of the way restaurant and hotel. I decided to stay the night and just happened to get the last open room. Who would have thought in the middle of now where I’d stop at such an international destination. I met two different Dutch groups and hung out with them all night. There was a family of four and another, separate couple from Holland. We had a great time talking about Europe, the US and the road trips we were all taking. In the middle of this, I also witnessed my first sand storm. The sand surrounded us (did I mention the restaurant and bar were outside?) as it blew through the patio. I’ve never seen so much sand - it was impossible to see even a few feet in front of you. Luckily it lasted only a few minutes and after wiping down the bar and clearing the dust from everything, we all got back to our drinks and conversations. To perfect the night even more, our entertainment was a local singer who sang nothing but Willie songs all night - it was awesome!

The next day I drove on to the Grand Canyon. I didn’t plan to stay more than a day but I really wanted to find a good hike in to the canyon while I was here. I drove the southern rim to the visitor’s center and stopped at the scenic overlooks along the way. I decided the hike I was most interested in would be the South Kaibab Trail. The South Kaibab Trail is about 6 miles to the Colorado River, but that was too far to go in and out in one day. I decided to go just 3 miles down and then come back up. After my 8 mile hike in the Rockies, I thought this would be a good distance - little did I know how hard this hike would be. The first three miles were great. Of course it was all downhill. As I turned around and started on my way back up, I realized just how much I underestimated the climb back out. The first mile back was ok, but it wasn’t long before I was hiking only 100 yards at a time before having to rest again. It was a brutal hike out, but I did make it and I got lots of really great pics along the way.

After the Grand Canyon visit, I decided that I was pretty much done with the road trip and ready to head home. I had just a few more places to visit in Arizona before hitting the road home. I spent the first night in Flagstaff and enjoy a casual dinner and evening in town. Had I gotten here earlier I could’ve enjoyed the beer festival going on at the same time but I apparently made it a little late. The next day I drove to Jerome, AZ. This is a really neat little town situated on the side of a mountain so that houses are all on one sithat is somewhat of a cross between a very artsy community and lots of bikers, but somehow it just works here. So, if you are looking for some great handmade artwork and lots of good little restaurants and twisty roads to challenge the best of drivers, then you really need to check out Jerome.

After spending the night in Sedona, Arizona, I hit the road back to Dallas. It took about 15 hours from Sedona, but I made the drive straight though (small nap on the way). I can’t tell you how nice it was to get back home! I even had a few extra days in my vacation to relax at home, get my gear cleaned up and take care of a few things around the house before starting back to work on Monday.

To officially launch this blog I’ve been in the process of planning a road trip – well sort of. I have identified major areas of interest and mapped out the basic loop, but I haven’t gotten any more detailed than that. The problem is that in trying to get more detailed, I end up putting too much into the trip and realize there is no way to do it all.

So, my dilemma is whether or not to plan it all out and try to stick to the plan or keep it as is and wing the rest. Let me outline where I’m headed so far and you guys can help me fill in the blanks.

First leg is straight north from Dallas to Mt. Rushmore. I’ll then head to Yellowstone National Park for a few days before heading on to Moab, Utah do some mountain biking. I’ll then head to Vegas for a day or so, followed by the Grand Canyon for several days and an undetermined stop in Arizona before heading home. The trip will take 14 to 17 days to complete.

The biggest problem that I’m having with this trip is that there is absolutely no way to do any of these stops justice by spending only a day or two at each. I want to see as much as I can, but I also want time to relax and enjoy the sights. If you have recommendations or tips to make this road trip an enjoyable and memorable experience, please leave a comment and I’ll do what I can to add it in to the trip.

Of course, I will be blogging the entire way as well so you can check back periodically to see where I’m at and what I’m doing. The trip starts early on July 4th. So, let me know what you think!