Tuesday, January 25, 2022

2021 Family Road Trip

 Phoebe's birth was the first time that Seth got an actual paternity leave (as opposed to taking a week's worth of vacation time).  He split it into two parts, and had 6 weeks off in September/October.

With so much time off, we decided to embark on an epic family road trip!  We traveled from western Washington all the way down to Waco, Texas, to see the sights and visit friends.  We were gone for about 2 1/2 weeks, drove thousands of miles, and logged dozens of hours in the car.  It was such an amazing experience!  We saw several national parks and amazing sights, including the Great Salt Lake, Bryce Canyon, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Four Corners, Mesa Verde, and Arches.  We spent time with friends we hadn't seen for years and came home so energized and refreshed.  We came home already talking about what our next adventure might be!  =)

 

Salt Lake

Salt Lake

Since driving always took longer than expected, we frequently pulled into campsites after dark.  It only took a couple times to decide that it just worked better to eat dinner in the car!

 

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

This girl was fussy if we were driving past her bedtime, but otherwise was such a good traveler!

So thrilling to see cacti in their native habitat!


The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon

After several days of camping, a hotel was a fun treat!

In-N-Out Burger became a family favorite!

These girls are the best of friends!

Monument Valley


Mesa Verde - see the cliff dwellings in the background?

Arches


Arches


This was a trip we will never forget!  We are so blessed that we were able to do this and make such amazing family memories!