A tentative itinerary for the Southwest Trip.
Day 1 (Saturday, May 9):
Fly from Boston to San Francisco. Get in moderately early, spend time with family.
Day 2 (Sunday, May 10):
Mother's Day! More time with mom and sis.
Day 3 (Monday, May 11):
Fly from San Jose to Phoenix, AZ. Get in early afternoon, rent car, drive north to Mather Campground at south rim of Grand Canyon (230 miles). Set up tent, camp, kick back, take tons of pictures.
Day 4 (Tuesday, May 12):
Hike down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, then back up again. Camp the night and rest weary legs there.
Day 5 (Wednesday, May 13):
Up with the sunrise. Drive north to Capitol Reef National Park (391 miles). Find a motel in the vicinity. Try to hike the full trail (about 15 miles) in the latter part of the day, come back sweaty and exhausted, and collapse after a long hot shower.
Day 6 (Thursday, May 14):
Drive north and make it to Moab (142 miles). Possibly have lunch with agilebrit or bigsciencybrain if they're up to meeting me there. Check out Arches National Park. Drive south to Mesa Verde National Park (141 miles), take cabin there and sleeeeeep.
Day 7 (Friday, May 15):
Drive south, check out Four Corners Monument and brunch in Shiprock, NM (93 miles). Marathon-drive south back to Phoenix (420 miles), take a motel room there and catch a movie.
Day 8 (Saturday, May 16):
Take relatively early Southwest flight from Phoenix to Providence, RI (as Southwest is least pricy, I think, but doesn't fly into Boston Logan Airport). Arrive around 5:30 pm. Take commuter rail from Providence north to Boston. Pick up car, drive home, arrive around 9 pm-ish? Collapse.
Day 9 (Sunday, May 17):
Do cancer walk with co-worker.
Google Map route of the proposed Southwest Tour.
... it's a bit of a whirlwind tour, I admit. There were going to be more stops in the Southwest, but sadly I just don't think I have the time to do them all credit. *grin* I still need to buy my tickets to and from Phoenix; I was debating my specific itinerary and had put it off a little. Naturally, the ticket price from SF to Phoenix jumped $9 while I was debating. Clearly I'll need to buy 'em soon.
Fly from Boston to San Francisco. Get in moderately early, spend time with family.
Day 2 (Sunday, May 10):
Mother's Day! More time with mom and sis.
Day 3 (Monday, May 11):
Fly from San Jose to Phoenix, AZ. Get in early afternoon, rent car, drive north to Mather Campground at south rim of Grand Canyon (230 miles). Set up tent, camp, kick back, take tons of pictures.
Day 4 (Tuesday, May 12):
Hike down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, then back up again. Camp the night and rest weary legs there.
Day 5 (Wednesday, May 13):
Up with the sunrise. Drive north to Capitol Reef National Park (391 miles). Find a motel in the vicinity. Try to hike the full trail (about 15 miles) in the latter part of the day, come back sweaty and exhausted, and collapse after a long hot shower.
Day 6 (Thursday, May 14):
Drive north and make it to Moab (142 miles). Possibly have lunch with agilebrit or bigsciencybrain if they're up to meeting me there. Check out Arches National Park. Drive south to Mesa Verde National Park (141 miles), take cabin there and sleeeeeep.
Day 7 (Friday, May 15):
Drive south, check out Four Corners Monument and brunch in Shiprock, NM (93 miles). Marathon-drive south back to Phoenix (420 miles), take a motel room there and catch a movie.
Day 8 (Saturday, May 16):
Take relatively early Southwest flight from Phoenix to Providence, RI (as Southwest is least pricy, I think, but doesn't fly into Boston Logan Airport). Arrive around 5:30 pm. Take commuter rail from Providence north to Boston. Pick up car, drive home, arrive around 9 pm-ish? Collapse.
Day 9 (Sunday, May 17):
Do cancer walk with co-worker.
Google Map route of the proposed Southwest Tour.
... it's a bit of a whirlwind tour, I admit. There were going to be more stops in the Southwest, but sadly I just don't think I have the time to do them all credit. *grin* I still need to buy my tickets to and from Phoenix; I was debating my specific itinerary and had put it off a little. Naturally, the ticket price from SF to Phoenix jumped $9 while I was debating. Clearly I'll need to buy 'em soon.