The Motherlode Iconic Road Trip (Without the Mom for Part of It)

We've been planning a road trip from Georgia to California for a few months.  Actually we were planning it last year for June of 2010 but decided not to after rising gasoline prices.  It was a good choice because Hubs ended up getting appendicitis while at home on July 1st and he would have been in Utah or somewhere at that time.  So last summer the guys ended up being on the beach for 40 days over two trips.

So now that gasoline costs even higher (!!) we decided that a road trip was in order.  Crazy, I know, but with our oldest son turning 15 next week and getting his learner's permit that day (hopefully) we decided several months back that no matter we needed to go on a big road trip this year.  This fall the boys will be in 10th, 8th and 5th grades and Oldest won't be a fan of 3-week summer trips much longer.

We will pay a lot for gas; we will pay little for lodging....there'll be lots of camping and campground meals.

Every night for the past 8 weeks we have planned and researched and planned and googled and visited Trip Advisor between 10:30 p.m. and midnight--totally not joking.  We have purchased a huge Coleman tent that can pop up in 3 minutes.  We've bought a 25 gallon Coleman cooler.  We bought a cargo hitch by Valley that attaches to the back of the Suburban.  A waterproof bag by Highland to keep our containers dry.  We bought a portable propane grill to go with our campstove. A canopy to go over the picnic table, a new queen blowup mattress to go with the other queen and a twin.  It is just about all in our living room right now.

Our Chevy Suburban has taken the family to the Southern most point of the U.S. in Key West three years ago, and to Colorado and South Dakota and back two years ago.  For more U.S. extremes, it will take us to the lowest elevation in Death Valley (can't believe this biggest U.S. park is just 80 miles from the highest mountain in the lower 48)!

The Plan: On June 1st Hubs and the boys will drive from Georgia to near Little Rock, Arkansas.  This is after we take Oldest to the DMV to take his driver's test for his learner's permit.  School may have ended two days ago for the summer, but he has some traffic signs and road rules to learn this weekend!  This way he can tell his kids one day he drove on Route 66 when he was just 15! 

Sadly, I will be left behind for the first week. I'm not a teacher!  Fortunately I have vacation days, but not that many.  I will join them via a flight to Las Vegas on their Day 8 and I will leave them on their Day 19 on another flight back home.  I will be missing out on New Mexico and Four Corners and Monument Valley in AZ and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  However, I will join them for Hoover Dam, Death Valley, Highway 395 east of the Sierra Nevadas, San Francisco to Big Sur, maybe Sequoia Nat'l Forest, back into Arizona and South Rim Grand Canyon, Flagstaff and Sedona, AZ.  The goal is for the boys to see the Pacific (I lived in West L.A. for 16 years and also Hubs and I honeymooned on Calif coast 24 years ago) and then choose to spend more time somewhere next year.

The road trip will be over 5,000 miles and in 11 states and take 23 days.  Not enough time, and it'll be crazy, but there is a reunion that has been years in the making that we have to attend in FL on June 24th.  We like road trips in June because many schools are still in session, even though the weather in some places/elevations is still cool.

Our huge family road trip 2011 is just a few days away.  There'll be photos and updates along the way.  Oldest kicks off the road trip on his birthday, the next full moon will be seen on the beach in Big Sur, and my birthday will be in Arizona near Flagstaff.  Even though I have read and read and accumulated huge library fines, I welcome your not-to-miss suggestions.