Getaways
We had been putting off a trip to the nation's capitol since 1992 and when the air finally cleared in the Spring of 2001, the time seemed right. Last minute planning meant it was a road trip, but we did manage to secure reservations at a hotel with some history. Click the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers for the trip report.

It had been six years since we had seen the Glitter Gulch. Time was spent throughout the American West, but Las Vegas failed to make the itenerary for six straight years. The only way to put Vegas into the plan was a dedicated trip, and Labor Day 2001 became a whirlwind tour of The Strip. Click on the photo of New York, New York for the story.

Adventures
The tradition of our western journeys began in 1995 with what at the time seemed like a very sophisticated plan to tour the Four Corners area. There would be two centerpieces to this trip: first, a second crack at Angels Landing in Zion and second, a hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. We are proud to say that we accomplished both goals. Enjoy the ride.

Undaunted by the territory packed into last year's trip, our 1996 journey began and ended in Salt Lake City with stops in the Tetons, Yellowstone, Little Bighorn, Rocky Mountain National Park, Moab and Arches. Inexplicably, this is the last trip to have a webpage. Check back now and then; I'm working on it. Thanks for your patience.

We decided that it was possible to drive the entire Pacific Coast Highway (PCH as the native-geeks call it) from Port Angeles, Oregon to San Diego, California in nine days. After looking at the fabulous things just east of the coast, we compromised and included a lot of the PCH, plus some very cool excursions to Olympic National Park, Mount Ranier and Mount Saint Helens. After that, it was coastal all the way. Get started by clicking on the image of the signpost near the beginning of our journey.

The PCH trip involved a lot of driving. For 1998, we decided to focus on two National Parks we had loved from past trips: Grand Teton and Rocky Mountain. We had gotten more serious about our hiking and had set a goal to summit a 12er. Thinking back, that was a very attainable goal. Click on the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in Jackson Hole to get started.

Yosemite was one of the National Parks I had never been to. Amazingly, the heart of the Sierra Nevada and site of famous works from Ansel Adams and Galen Rowell evaded my childhood travels. Using the model from 1998's Rocky Mountain trip where miles were minimized, this trip focused on eastern mountains of California including Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. The trip included the cable route on Half Dome and a new altitude record of 13,058' on Mt. Dana. We were better outfitted with real boots, real packs, real gear, and real attitude. The whole story unfolds with a click on Half Dome.

The year 2000 began a new age of adventure travel for us. We were confident after several successes in the Sierra Nevada on our 1999 trip. Angie had always wanted to take a pack trip on horseback. I was ready for a fourteener. The two concepts seemed to come together like fingers in a glove. The pack animals allowed us to camp in the wilderness, specifically Chicago Basin in the Weminuche Wilderness, and that put us at the foot of Windom Peak. It also gave us four outstanding days in the most beautiful mountain range the lower 48 has to offer, the San Juans. The trip began with a step back in time on the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. You can begin by clicking on the photo of the train leaving Durango. Enjoy.

Certain biological influences moved our traditional Spring vacation on the Mexican Riviera north and west into Arizona and Utah. This year we would explore the canyon country of our desert southwest including two nights in the wilderness, miles from any other humans, unsupported and carrying everything we would need in backpacks. We would follow the travels of Edward Abbey's Monkey Wrench Gang. It was a wonderful adventure. Enjoy the trip.

Angie had strict orders from our OB not to exceed 8000 feet. Given the low ceiling, it seemed like a opportunity to meet the east coast. We had toured the entire Pacific Coast in 1997, for 2001 we would confine the miles to the coastal New England states including Cape Cod and Mt. Katahdin. Baby Resor and Mother Nature cooperated to produce an excellent balance of miles and experience. Click on the photo of us on Isle au Haut to get started.

Sedona offers an excellent blend of distractions for 16 month old Reagan and hiking and scenery for Vince and Angie. We shopped and explored from our home base at Sedona Cedars Resort in March 2003. While Rea is quick and agile, she's not ready for the trail yet and confined her free time mostly to sorting toys in our motel room and playing at Sunset Park. Click on the photo of the saguaro for the full story.