Road Trip: Phase 3 AAR

MEMORANDUM

TO: You

FROM: the PEAS

RE: After-Action Report (AAR), Road Trip 2008 (Phase 3)

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MONDAY:

Drive East

Idaho panhandle

Montana

Deer in the headlights

Sleep in Gardiner, MT

TUESDAY:

Yellowstone, Round II (75 degrees!)

Mammoth Hot Springs

Roaring Mountain fumaroles

Norris Geyser Basin

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Upper and Lower Falls

No Artist’s Paint Pots – road closed :-(

Lower Geyser Basin

Bison

Firehole River and waterfall

Upper Geyser Basin

Old Faithful

Dinner at Old Faithful Inn

Gift Shop

West Thumb Basin

Lake Yellowstone

Canada Geese

Ducks

Otter

Snow flurries (no, seriously!)

Grand Tetons at dusk

Brilliant sky full of stars

Arrive at motel in Dubois, WY

No room in the inn

Keep on driving

WEDNESDAY:

Still driving

Water bucket and a squeegee

Drive some more; start to get a little droopy

Open convenience store

Large cappuccino

Keep on driving

Moonrise

Dodge nocturnal animals

Rawlins, WY, 3:10AM

No convenience stores open = no bathrooms

Nice hotel night manager = bathrooms

Light in the eastern sky, 4:30AM

Sunrise, 5:30AM

McDonald’s breakfast, Cheyenne, WY

Arrive Estes Park, 8:15AM

Grancy and Granddad

My Aunt and Uncle

Rusty and Corky

Sleep until 3:30PM

Kids' Aunt and Uncle, three cousins

Late night

THURSDAY:

Depart for home

Road construction in CO

New Mexico

Safety Corridors??

Capulin Volcano National Monument

Texas

FRIDAY:

Arrive home @ 3:05AM

Reunite with the cat

Put cat in garage

Collapse

PHASE 3 SUMMARY = 2309 miles driving, 9 family

members, 1 damaged car, 1 all-nighter

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COMPLETE ROAD TRIP SUMMARY = 22 days, 5854 miles driven

VISITS = 26 family members, 13 friends, 3 National Parks, 4 National Monuments, 2 State Parks

LICENSE PLATES SPOTTED = 46 states (all except NH, RI, VT, WV), 3 Canadian Provinces (BC, Alberta, Manitoba)

TRAGEDIES OF THE OPEN ROAD = 3 birds, 1 mouse, 1 deer, 13,482 insects

GRATEFUL PEAS: 4

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