For those of you unfamiliar with our recent exploits, last summer/fall Orestes and I took a three and a half month road trip across this beautiful country. In July we quit our jobs, sold our house and headed out of Chicago in search of the next adventure God has for us. We traveled around in a 27' trailer through national parks and beautiful scenery. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Feel free to check out the beautiful photos from the places we visited, read the below trip journal and check out the map of our route.
| Mon 10/12 |
Travel Home | Monday was a LONG travel day as we drove the entire distance from Tulsa to Champaign in one day. But, we're back home now, at least as "home" as we can be at the moment. Stay tuned for our next adventure. |
| Fri-Sun 10/9-10/11 |
Tulsa, Oklahoma | We arrived late in Tulsa on Friday to spend some time with Orestes' aunt and cousins. We had a great time playing volleyball and board games with the kids, catching up on the lives of Orestes cousins and just being together with family. |
| Wed-Fri 10/7-10/9 |
Waco, Texas | Wednesday after lunch, we left for Waco to visit another friend. We toured the campus of Baylor University and then headed out for a nice steak dinner with our friend. Thursday was a relaxing day for us catching up on reading and watching some of Bruce's extensive DVD library. It was great to spend some more time with our good friend, Bruce. Friday after lunch we hit the road again |
| Fri-Tue 10/3-10/6 |
San Antonio, Texas | On Friday we started our treck back home. We drove all day Friday and Saturday and arrived late Saturday night at a friends in San Antonio, Texas. We've had a great time relaxing, hanging out together and getting to know their two kids, Mitch (3) and Brett (7 mo). On Sunday, our friends took us to see the Alamo and have dinner on the famous river walk downtown. Monday was a "catch up" day for us, doing laundry, washing the truck, checking email, etc... But on Tuesday we took a trip to Corpus Cristi and went to the South Texas Aquarium then to Mustang Island beach to swim in the Gulf of Mexico. |
| Mon-Thur 9/29-10/2 |
Grand Canyon | On Monday, we drove to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately a fire was threatening to cross the entrance road and could've stranded us in the canyon for several weeks. So, after taking a quick look at the view, we headed out and around to the South Rim...bummer!!! Tuesday we explored the South Rim and watched sunset from the famous Hopi Point. Wednesday we went white-water rafting in the canyon on motorized boats through class 2-4 rapids. That was a thrill! To top it off, we got to go for a short helicopter ride from the bottom of the canyon to the top for some spectacular views. Christy got to sit in the front next to the pilot with a glass floor at her feet and O got a window seat in the back. Very fun! On Thursday we relaxed at Mather Campground then went on one more tour of the park. All the hiking and exploring is beginning to wear on us! |
| Fri-Sun 9/26-9/28 |
Zion Nat'l Park | Drove to Zion on Friday and took in all the sights from off the road. Saturday we took the free shuttle up the scenic drive hiking Weeping Wall trail and Emerald Pool trails. On Sunday, we spent over 5 hours walking/hiking "The Narrows", a trail mostly through the waters of theVirgin River. Hard on the feet but a one-of-a-kind experience. |
| Wed-Fri 9/24-9/26 |
Bryce Canyon Nat'l Park | Drove to all the Bryce overlooks Wednesday afternoon/evening. Hiked the Navajo, Peekaboo & Queen's Garden trail (6.8 mi) on Thursday. Hot but incredible sights! Had our first campfire Thursday night. We've carried the wood all the way from Illinois but due to fire bans haven't had much opportunity to use it. Friday finished out our touring of Bryce and we headed to Zion National Park. |
| Tue 9/23 |
Capitol Reef National Park | Orestes explored Capitol Reef National Park on Tuesday while Christy relaxed back at the trailer. Too much desert for her! O on the other hand, explored the park in the car and by foot (3.5 mile hike with a 900' elevation gain...ouch!) |
| Mon 9/22 |
Natural Bridges Monument | Left Arches area on Monday and drove through Natural Bridges Monument on our way to Capital Reef Park. It was a nice side trip but it was sure hot that day! We didn't go for any long hikes, that's for sure. |
| Wed-Sun 9/17-9/21 |
Arches National Park & Canyonlands National Park, Utah | Arrived late Wednesday and visited a few of the arches at Arches National Park. Returned Thursday for a 7.3 mile hike through Devil's Garden. Then, drove around to other areas in the park. Beautiful scenery but much different than the mountains we've been immersed in the past couple months! Friday we drove to Canyonlands National Park and drove around the "Island in the Sun" area. Took the somewhat painful (2 1/2 hours) but stunning 4X4 route home to our trailer in Moab. Check out the road grade in our pictures! Returned to Arches on Saturday and went on a 2 mile / 3 hour guided hike through the "Fiery Furnace" area - lots of tight spots to get through. Finished out our tour of Arches by hiking a couple miles around Windows and Double Arches and then 3 miles up to the famous Delicate Arch. Tough hiking but beautiful views! Sunday was more of a relaxation day, catching up on emails, updating the web site, etc... but we also visited a couple areas where Indian Art could be found on the rocks. |
| Tue 9/16 |
Travel Day | Left Helena and headed south. Drove all day through some incredibly powerful winds. I must say, though I complained of the cost, I was very relieved we bought the Hensley Arrow Hitch. Other trailers were struggling with the side winds. Other than incredibly poor gas mileage, we were spared. Spent the night at a Walmart just north of Salt Lake City. Then traveled the rest of the way to Moab, Utah on Wednesday. |
| Fri-Mon 9/12-9/15 |
Helena, Montana | Arrived in Helena on Friday afternoon and met some friends of friends from Chicago living here in town. Visited the Helena Vineyard on Sunday and had lunch with the pastors there, reconnecting from our visit last February. On Monday, spent some time driving around town looking at homes and property values. It's definitely a place we could call home. Now, we have to decide if we should! |
| Fri-Thur 9/5-9/11 |
Missoula, Montana | Continued on to Missoula to celebrate Christy's 31st birthday which was on Saturday. Enjoyed a nice dinner out and a movie. (Yes, Orestes actually went to see a movie with me!) Hung around town visiting the library, coffee shops, internet cafes, hunting and outfitter shops, malls and enjoying the local trap shooting range until Friday morning Stayed a little longer than anticipated waiting to receive our forwarded mail. |
| Tue-Thur 9/2-9/4 |
Kalispel, Montana | Drove to Kalispel, Montana on Tuesday and set out to explore the town and see what it would be like living here. Visited the library, coffee shops, book stores, hunting stores, etc... Also explored Columbia Falls and Whitefish - all very livable though somewhat expensive. Went to an antique gun show on Friday just before leaving town. |
| Mon-Mon 8/25-9/1 |
Glacier National Park (Montana) & Waterton National Park (Canada) | Went to Glacier National Park on Monday. The entire west side of Glacier was smoke-covered as over 400,000 acres have been burned so far this summer. Drove Going to the Sun Road and reached clearer skies in East Glacier. Went for a boat cruise on St Mary's Lake. Moved the trailer over to St Mary on Tuesday and continued exploring the park. On Wednesday, drove up to Waterton (the sister park of Glacier in Canada) and had lunch at the famous Prince of Wales Hotel. After that, hiked up to Goat Lake (8 miles & 1300' elevation gain). Thursday involved more hiking in Glacier, completing the Swiftcurrent Pass (12 miles, 1500' gain). Saw large moose from the trail and 5 grizzlies along the road (1 sow with 2 cubs chasing another sow with her cub). Went for a 7 hour horseback riding trip in Waterton on Friday and enjoyed the first absolutely clear day in the park. However Saturday was a day to recover from the sore bottoms and knees...ouch!!! On Sunday the smoke returned but we drove up Logan Pass anyway & hiked to Hidden Lake (6 miles, 1300' loss/gain). Were rewarded with many goats along the trail and 8 ramming big horn sheep along the road. Then took a jaunt over to Two Medicine where O caught a trout in Two Medicine Lake. Monday concluded our touring of the parks with a drive up to the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump north of Waterton, followed by a drive through the Buffalo Paddock where live buffalo roam (no comparison to Yellowstone). |
| Wed-Sun 8/20-8/24 | Exploring Northwest Montana | Left Missoula on Wednesday due to the incredible amount of smoke blanketing the town. You couldn't even see the mountains due to the thousands of acres on fire right outside of town. Drove to Kalispel. O went to a two hour elk hunting seminar on Thursday while Christy did some more reading and watched a movie. On Friday, O found an archery course in the state park near Kalispel where he could practice his shooting. Then we left for Hungry Horse and explored the town of Columbia Falls. Saturday was spent at the Lincoln County Fair in Eureka, Montana, just 8 miles south of the Canadian border. Highlight of the fair was "The Bull Thing", a bull riding event with 30 riders and 70 bull rides. The bulls won! On Sunday we went exploring the town of Whitefish (gorgeous) and checked out some of the property for sale in the area (expensive but beautiful with lots of wildlife) |
| Mon-Tue, 8/18-8/19 | Relax / Catch Up Days | On Monday, caught up with the normal tasks of life and explored Spokane some more. Tuesday drove to Missoula, stayed in their Super Walmart parking lot that evening. |
| Tue-Sun, 8/12-8/17 | Backpacking & Hanging with the Jerabeks in Washington & Idaho | Left for an 18 mile backpacking trip along the Salmo River Trail in the Salmo Priest Wilderness Area which starts in Washington, crosses over into Idaho and returns to Washington. Climbed more than 2,800 feet over 3 days and probably much more with the many ups & downs. But, the views and fellowship were worth it! Returned late Friday evening and took a dip in Sullivan Lake (very refreshing & necessary!). Moved on to Spokane, Washington Saturday afternoon and spent some time walking around a wood boat show in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho on Sunday. One of God's many blessings was a free ride (and coincidentally? the last ride of the day) in a beautiful wood speedboat around Coeur d'Alene Lake. |
| Mon, 8/11 | Travel / Prep Day | Finally, back in the states!!! Arrived Metaline Falls, Washington, met up with some good friends, Ed & Andrea Jerabek, and prepared for our 4 day backpacking trip. |
| Sun, 8/10 | Travel Day | Left early Sunday to head back toward the USA. Christy couldn't wait to be back in the States! "Nationwide" services aren't available in Canada and it's been a bit of a challenge, not to mention converting all the km into miles (speed limit signs say 100 km/hr, sounds fast, right? That's only 56 mph.) and Canadian $$ into US $$ (at least we got the better end of that conversion...$1 Canadian ~ 73¢ US. Too much math for being on vacation! Arrived late to a Walmart in Cranbrook, British Columbia. |
| Thur, 8/8 | Columbia Icefields, Canada | On Thursday, drove to the Columbia Icefields which covers an area of over 200 square miles. Trecked up the toe of Athabasca Glacier at the foot of the Icefields. Also took a couple short hikes up to Parker Ridge (overlooking Saskachawan Glacier...800' elevation gain over 3.2 mi) and Beauty Creek Canyon & Falls (3.2 mi, fortunately much less elevation gain!). |
| Tue-Sat, 8/5-8/9 | Jasper National Park and Mt Robson Provincial Park, Canada | Left Banff and arrived in Jasper on Tuesday afternoon. Went to Mt Robson Provincial Park on Wednesday & hiked up to Kinney Lake (4.5 mi.). On Thursday, drove to Columbia Icefields (see description above) and visited Athabasca Falls on the way home. On Friday, spent most of the day exploring Jasper and hanging around the house. Saturday was a day of reflection...O started working on his "What Color is your Parachute" workbook! Then, we went for a couple short hikes around Jasper. First to Maligne Canyon (3 mi) then to the Valley of Five Lakes (another 3 mi). |
| Mon, 8/4 | Banff & Yoho, Canada | Did some more exploring of Banff & Yoho National Parks. Saw bull elk, Rocky Mountain big horn sheep & osprey. Also, relaxed a bit at home working on a puzzle and reading. |
| Sun, 8/3 | Chore Day | Back to real life for a day, caught up on finances, pictures, website, laundry and all the other fun stuff...at least we did it all in the incredible backdrop of our campsite in Banff or in the quaint little town itself! |
| Sat, 8/2 | Banff National Park - Glacier Lake Canada | With renewed energy, went for another long hike, 12 miles with an elevation gain of 1,400 feet up to Glacier Lake. The views were very nice but not quite as stunning as the Iceline trail from Thursday. Saw a black bear with her 3 little cubs on the drive up to the trail. Also, enjoyed some of the small but beautiful flowers along the path. Check out some of God's creation in the pictures of Glacier Lake. |
| Fri, 8/1 | Kananaskis Country, Canada | After the long, intense hike on Thursday, took Friday to drive down to Kananaskis Country and Peter Lougheed Park to take in some more beautiful views. Saw a herd of Rocky Mountain sheep up close, just grazing on the side of the road. Watched the sunset over the mountains on the drive back to the campsite...absolutely gorgeous! |
| Wed-Thur, 7/30-7/31 |
Yoho National Park, Canada | Wednesday morning drove to Yoho National Park, stopping first at Takakkaw Falls. Then, headed to the town of Banff for touring, shopping & dining...nice place to visit, wouldn't want to live there. Thursday morning took off on a 13.5 mile hike with a 2,700 foot elevation gain (longest and toughest hike ever for both O and I) along Iceline Trail in Yoho. It was definitely worth the effort. Check out the pics for the proof! |
| Mon-Tue, 7/28-7/29 |
Banff National Park - Lake Louis, Canada | Arrived in Banff Monday afternoon. Visited Lake Louise area and took pictures. On Tuesday (Orestes' 40th Birthday), went for long hike from Lake Louise up to Lake Agnus then on to the top of Big Beehive Mountain (overlooking the lake). Celebrated O's birthday with a very nice dinner at the Victoria Dining Room at the Lake Louise Chateau. Drove around that evening in search of wildlife (saw bull elk & herd of cow elk). |
| Wed-Sun, 7/23-7/27 |
Calgary, Canada | Arrived in Calgary Wednesday and stayed with good friend, Bruce Gordon and his step-mother, Catherine. Went to Calgary Olympic Park where the 1988 Winter Olympics were held. Had a wonderful lunch at River Cafe downtown followed by dinner in the rotating restaurant on top of Calgary Tower. Visited University of Calgary then took a day trip to Royal Tyrrell Museum, home of the dinosaurs. Spent time with Bruce, his family including his great aunt and uncle and good friends, the Reeds. |
| Sun-Wed, 7/20-7/23 |
Travel Days | Left Apostle Islands Sunday and headed west through Minnesota, arriving in Grand Forks, North Dakota late evening. Spent our first night in a Walmart parking lot. Fun, fun! On Monday, headed northwest to Canada, arriving in Estevan (Saskatchewan Province). Spent 2nd night at Walmart...yes, they have them in Canada, too. Left Tuesday driving through Saskatchewan and arriving in Medicine Hat (Alberta province). Spent 3rd night at Walmart (with 8 other campers...now that was fun!). Left for Calgary. |
| Thu-Sat, 7/17-7/19 | Apostle Islands, Wisconsin | Arrived at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Thursday evening. Spent Friday walking around the town and docks of Bayfield, Wisconsin. Took evening sail boat cruise out for a closer view of the islands. On Saturday, went on a full day kayak trip to the sea caves of Lake Superior (and of course, worked on communication skills!) |
| Mon-Wed, 7/14-7/16 | Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan | Arrived at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Monday evening. Spent Tuesday & Wednesday hiking (over 16 miles) around the park. The hike to Chapel Rock and Chapel Beach was outstanding. Enjoyed beautiful views of Lake Superior and the unique rock formations along the shore. Cooled off in Lake Superior at Mosquito Beach (more appropriate name would have been bighting fly beach - OUCH!) Hiked up to Au Sable Lighthouse for a more scenic view of the Lake. |
| Sat-Sun, 7/12-7/13 | Interlochen Music Camp, Michigan | Arrived at Interlochen Music Camp Saturday. Had dinner with friend, Susan Osborn who teaches piano for the summer camp. Sunday listened to rehearsal with Itzhak Perlman (world famous violist), David Livingston (guest conductor) and very talented Interlochen High School Orchestra (very professional!) O enjoyed front row seat for the performance of Concerto in D Major, Op 61 that evening. This was one of the highlights for Orestes, a big Itzhak Perlman fan. |
| Thur-Sat, 7/10-12 | Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan | Arrived in Sleeping Bear Dunes Thursday evening. Spent Friday & Saturday hiking (over 10 miles) around the Dunes. Spotted wild porcupine along the trail (see pics). Watched a hang-glider jump off a 400 foot cliff over the dunes. Avoided a flat-headed snake along the dunes. Enjoyed the beautiful weather and even took a dip in the freezing cold lake! |
| Wed, 7/9/03 |
Taking Off | Leaving from Champaign, IL (Mom & Dad Vincent's) in the morning. First stop...Warren Dunes, Michigan |
| 7/4/03 weekend | Celebrate Gma's Bday | Ventured down to the river cabin (across the Mississippi from Hannibal, MO) to celebrate Grandmother's 83rd with fireworks. |
| Sun, 6/29/03 |
Send Off Party with Friends | Thanks to everyone who came! It was great to see and catch up with all of you. Special thanks to Jennifer & Dave for hosting, to Jim for grilling and to those of you who stuck around for praying. We will miss all of you tremendously. We love you! |
| Thurs, 6/26/03 |
Work Goodbye Parties | O & I both want to thank all the people we've worked with for such an enjoyable work experience. It has been a pleasure! Best wishes and take care! |
| May-June | Travel Preparation | Sold house. Bought & took test run with trailer
& hitch. Moved belongings to Mom & Dad's basement (Thanks, Mom & Dad Ruffin for the free storage. And, thanks to the friends who came and helped us move!) Dropped dog off at Christy's sister's house (Thanks, Jenny, Chris & crew!) Arranged for mail-forwarding service (Thanks, Mom & Dad Vincent!) |