Our Cross-Country Trip
Dash to Vancouver
- Wednesday, August 1: From Arlington, Massachusetts, to Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Stayed overnight at Hollyhock House Bed and Breakfast in the Berkshires.
- August 2: From Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to London, Ontario, via Interlaken (Finger Lakes) and Niagara Falls, New York.
- August 3: From London, Ontario, to Newberry, Michigan (Upper Pennisula), via Lower Michigan and the Mackinac Bridge.
- August 4: From Newberry, Michigan, to Cloquet, Minnesota, west of Duluth.
- August 5: From Cloquet, Minnesota, to Devils Lake, North Dakota, following US Route 2 west.
- August 6: From Devils Lake, North Dakota, to Havre, Montana, following US Route 2 west.
- August 7: From Havre, Montana, to Kalispell, Montana. Across the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park.
- August 8: In Kalispell, Montana. Day hike in Glacier National Park.
- August 9: From Kalispell, Montana to Wenatchee, Washington, via Lake Coeur d’Alene and Grand Coulee Dam.
- August 10: From Wenatchee, Washington to Vancouver, British Columbia.
Alaskan Cruise
- August 11: Picked up Arjan’s Dad and stepmother at Vancouver Airport. Cruise departure.
- August 12: Sail to Alaska.
- August 13: Juneau, Alaska. Mt. Roberts tram ride.
- August 14: Skagway, Alaska. White Pass Train ride.
- August 15: Glacier Bay.
- August 16: Ketchikan, Alaska.
- August 17: Return sail.
- August 18: Arrival in Vancouver. Took Arjan’s Dad and stepmother to the Vancouver airport.
Down the West Coast
- August 18: From Vancouver, British Columbia, to Seattle, Washington.
- August 19: In Seattle, Washington. Visit with friends in Redmond, Washington.
- August 20: From Seattle, Washington, to Mount Rainier National Park, via Olympia, Washington.
- August 21: In Mount Rainier National Park. Day hike to Paradise!
- August 22: From Mount Rainier National Park to Stevenson, Washington, via Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.
- August 23: From Stevenson, Washington, to Ocean Park, Washington, via the Columbia River Gorge and Historic Route 30.
- August 24: In Ocean Park, Washington. Explored the entire Long Beach Peninsula, including Cape Disappointment and the 2012 Annual Long Beach Kite Festival.
- August 25: In Ocean Park, Washington. Hiked in Leadbetter Point State Park.
- August 26: In Ocean Park, Washington. Visited the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center near Cape Disappointment.
- August 27: In Ocean Park, Washington. Walked on the beach and relaxed.
- August 28: From Ocean Park, Washington, to Newport, Oregon, following the North Oregon Coast.
- August 29: From Newport, Oregon, to Gold Beach, Oregon— on the Central and Southern Oregon coast.
- August 30: From Gold Beach, Oregon, to Prospect, Oregon (near Crater Lake), via Redwoods National Park, in Northern California.
- August 31: In Crater Lake National Park.
- September 1: From Prospect, Oregon, to Redding, California. Visited Lassen Volcanic National Park, in Northern California.
- September 2: From Redding, California, to San Francisco, via Santa Rosa.
- September 3: In San Francisco.
- September 4: From San Francisco to Carmel, California. Visited Stanford and San Jose.
- September 5: From Carmel, California, to Los Angeles, via California coastal highway. Visited Santa Barbara.
- September 6 – 7: In Los Angeles, California. Visiting Arjan’s Dad and stepmother.
- September 8: From Los Angeles, California, to Alpine, California. Dinner with a friend in San Diego.
- September 9: From Alpine, California, to Barstow, California. Visited a friend in Mira Loma.
Exploring the West
- September 10: From Barstow, California, to Williams, Arizona. Side trip on Historic Route 66.
- September 11: From Williams, Arizona, to Tusayan, Arizona, outside Grand Canyon National Park. Spent the day at Meteor Crater, near Winslow, Arizona.
- September 12: From Tusayan, Arizona, back to Williams, Arizona. Spent the day in Grand Canyon National Park.
- September 13: From Williams, Arizona, to Page, Arizona. Spent most of the day in Grand Canyon National Park.
- September 14: From Page, Arizona, to Cortez, Colorado. Morning: Toured Antelope Canyon; Afternoon: Drove towards Colorado, via Monument Valley.
- September 15: From Cortez, Colorado, to Del Norte, Colorado. Visited Mesa Verde National Park.
- September 16: From Del Norte, Colorado, to Colorado Springs, Colorado.
- September 17 – 20 In Colorado Springs, Colorado, visiting P.J.’s brother David and family.
- September 21: From Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Rawlins, Wyoming.
- September 22 From Rawlins, Wyoming, to Moran, Wyoming. Visited Grand Teton National Park.
- September 23: In Moran, Wyoming. Visited geysers in Yellowstone National Park.
- September 24: In Moran, Wyoming. Visited more sights in Yellowstone National Park.
- September 25: From Moran, Wyoming, to Cody, Wyoming, through Yellowstone National Park.
- September 26: From Cody, Wyoming, to Sundance, Wyoming.
- September 27: From Sundance, Wyoming, to Wall, South Dakota. Visited Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, and the Badlands.
Heading Home
- September 28: From Wall, South Dakota, to Waterloo, Iowa.
- September 29: From Waterloo, Iowa, to Fremont, Indiana.
- September 30: From Fremont, Indiana, to Austin, Pennsylvania.
- October 1: Day in Austin, Pennsylvania, for a visit with P.J.’s sister Wendy and her husband. Explored Kinzua Bridge and Dam in the Pennsylvania Wilds.
- Tuesday, October 2: From Austin, Pennsylvania, to Arlington, Massachusetts. Home again.
Aftermath
Here is what we did after our trip:
- October 6 – 13: The official trip over, we spent a week in Greensboro, Vermont. Visit by P.J.’s youngest sister, Barbara.
- October 17 – 24: We flew to California to celebrate Arjan’s father’s 98th birthday. Spent two days at the Lawrence Welk Resort in Escondido.