Gearing up for another trip

Here we are, just starting into June and I am already counting down to the next road trip I am taking and it isn't until the beginning of August. I have so much to do between now and then and yet, I can't help but think about all the great adventures I'm going to take once I leave here. I have plans to see three national parks on this trip. I have plans to see a natural geyser in a small town close to the Idaho/Utah border. I have plans to see a working farm, where I might actually get to milk a cow!

So many wonderful adventures await me on my trip. I wonder how much of Bryce Canyon's Hoodoos I'll get to see. I think about Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park and wonder if I'll be able to see both of those places. I think about the last time I went through Four Corners and wonder just how much it has changed since my last visit about three decades ago. I wonder if I'll enjoy my drives seeing unique scenery I don't normally see in my day-to-day life.

In past trips, I've seen the massive mountains of Colorado and Yosemite. I've seen impressive features of Yellowstone and the beauty of the Grand Canyon. I've seen the high plains of Montana and the gorgeous shoreline of North Carolina. I've seen marshes, mountains, valleys, plains, and so much. There is so much this upcoming road trip has to offer and nature views that I've never experienced. Just what will I see this time?  I can't wait!

It's the Journey

We often hear it's not the destination that counts, it's the journey but I have to wonder just how many people this advise to heart. So many people are preoccupied with getting to their destination they spend time worrying about the quickest most convenient way to get from point A to point B. I realized that I can fall into this trap easily when planning my trips as well and quickly fell into that mindset when I initially planned to take time to visit family in Logan, UT. I was browsing a travel site looking for a flight that would be convenient for me to make the flight without missing too much work and giving myself optimal vacation time for the week I was taking from work.

Then it hit me. There is so much I haven't seen in Utah, and parts of northern Arizona for that matter. My reality suddenly changed and it stopped becoming about how quickly I could get from Phoenix to Logan and it became about, what can I see on my trip there and home. From this line of thought, Epic Road Trip #3 was born. Now I have plans to see Bryce Canyon, stay in a little cabin on my drive to Logan, and will see Four-Corners, Arches National Park, and Monument Valley on my drive back home.

In addition to the drive to and from Logan, I've sniffed out other fun things to do around Logan including the Natural History Museum of Utah, Wheeler Historic Farm (where you can milk a cow!), and Geyser Park, ID (which apparently has a geyser right in their town).

I can tell you, I'm excited about the destination as I will have fun while I'm in Logan but there is so much that I'm looking forward to experiencing on the journey too. My daily drives are mostly short and I have time to get lost (so-to-speak) along the way. If I see something that snags my attention I can stop and explore it. In the end, some of the people I've met and experiences I've had on my treks from one place to another have been some of my favorite memories. I can't wait to find out what this next trip has in store for me.

Finding the Unique with Google Maps

In my travels, I use Google Maps to help me design my destination spots. I've used maps for the usual uses like finding great hotels and restaurant and also to get directions to those locations. I've also, in large part used Google Maps to explore and find the interesting or unusual. Something that might have a little something special to offer a visitor.

In Seattle, WA I made plans to go check out the ever-popular Fremont Troll and, in exploring Google Maps in advance, I also found a couple of unique sights to check out, like the Center of the Universe Sign and a fantastic bookshop where I was able to indulge my love of books with three new stories! Little did I  know, there was more to discover on this side journey on my exploration of Seattle. A short distance from the sign was a grouping of Google Office buildings and an awesome draw bridge, the Fremont Bridge.

Other trips I found, using Google Maps, an awesome Riverboat converted into a hotel and restaurant right in the heart of Old Town Sacramento! Imagine having a fantastic meal while floating on the water and watching tall ships sail past the window. That was my experience. After my tasty breakfast, I was able to explore Old Town Sacramento which boasted many unusual shops, a museum, and other unique rustic features that one would only find in this place. If it weren't for maps, I'd never have made Sacramento a stop on my trip through California and would never have seen the neat things I did.

On another journey through Montana, I was lucky enough to find a unique bed and breakfast, Toad Hall Manor. This place was fantastic with owners who were lovely, friendly, and welcoming people. They invited those of us who were staying in their B&B to join them for a dinner of homemade jambalaya. Breakfast was started with a small scone and tea or coffee brought right to your room on a tray that guests could enjoy while getting ready for their day. This place reminded me so much of many of the places I had stayed at when I was traveling through Ireland. It was gorgeous and so comfortable.

Speaking of Ireland, an experience in itself. I used Google Maps so much to explore the country. I used it many times in advance to gauge directions and familiarize myself with the lay of the land as we would be driving around the country. One find we had that stood out was our visit to Kilmokea Tea Garden. We were lucky enough to make it just before they closed. We had intended just to stop long enough to use the bathrooms and maybe snag a cup of tea before heading out not wanting to impose too much on the owner. Instead, we found ourselves invited to stay, have a snack and a cup of tea while chatting with the owner who sat down to converse with us. He told us that when we finished our tea we were welcome to wander the gardens and gave us a map saying the only thing he requested was that we be on our way before dark. Since we began our garden exploration after the place closed we had the garden entirely to ourselves. The experience was like a cross between Alice in Wonderland, a fairyland, and The Secret Garden. The visit left us breathless and with a desire to come back and see more.

In all, Google Maps has afforded me so many unusual and wonderful experiences and I love using the site to look for more. Even now I'm planning a new road trip and I'm using Google Maps to dig out fun and unique places to visit. (Guess what? I found a hotel, where each guest gets their own cabin! Bet you know where I'm going to be staying!)