Just got back

[Diplomat]

from ouir first trip since Thanksgiving!  We left on Monday, spent the night at Moabi Regional Park on the Colorado River.  (Opt for the dry sites, the hook ups are in a parking lot).  Tuesday to Thursday we were at the Grand Canyon in Mather Campground.  Great trip!  We got a all kinds of weather, sun, snow, AND rain!

It was great to be back out again.  DW and I are both going to school full time so spare time is few and far between, only 5 more weeks to go, I'll graduate with my BS and her with an Associates.  DW will be the first one in her family with any kind of degree beyond High School!

[OC Campers]

Hi Jeff, I am so glad you finally got out for a trip.  Our neighbors are headed out to the Grand Canyon tomorrow morning and will be gone for a weeki.  I would love to take the PU there and stay for a few days.  How are the campgrounds?

Congratulations on getting through school.  Are you planning on staying in the Armed Forces or move on?
 
 Have you thought any more about putting a rally together at Joshua Tree?  We are ready whenever you are.
 
Jacqui

[griffsmom]

Whew!  For a minute there, Jeff, I thought your "Just got back" thread was going to be a "just got back from Iraq and am leaving again" thread.  I'm glad and (relieved!) to hear that it's from camping!!     I hope that we'll all get to camp together again soon!
 
Big congrats to you and Kathy on your degrees.  I always think they mean a bit more when you achieve them while working full time and raising children.  You should be proud of yourselves and your achievements!:#

[Diplomat]

I keep thinking about getting something going at Joshua Tree but that seems to be as far as I get when I start looking at the calander!

I will be retiring from the Marine Corps in July and will return to Kentucky to be near family.  We are about 75% done planning our trip accross the country.  We will start in Zion, camp several places in Utah, and stay for several days in Yellowstone before seriously driving east.  DD's only requirement is that we go to Mall of America, any suggestions for places to see/stay between Yellowstone and Mall of America besides Badlands/Rushmore?

The Mather Campground in CG is heavily wooded with nice private sites.  The Mather Campground is dry, there is also an RV campground with hookups that we did not look at.  We were in the Aspen loop which is near the bath house that serves the entire park, showers were $1.25/5 min and very clean.  The bathrooms are currently being totally reconstructed and should be done for the summer.   When you make your reservations I recommend you tell them you have a 23' camper and not a tent camper.  Our site was a little tough to get into; there were many sites that would have been easier from both the parking and set up point of view.  

BTW, we made our reservations in February, I suspect that the summer months are beginning to fill up.  You can tell by our lack of presence at SCCampers Rally's that our ability to make reservations/plans more than a few weeks out has been very limited.  We hope after the Service that will change!

[gsm x2]

I will be retiring from the Marine Corps in July and will return to Kentucky to be near family. We are about 75% done planning our trip accross the country. We will start in Zion, camp several places in Utah, and stay for several days in Yellowstone before seriously driving east. DD's only requirement is that we go to Mall of America, any suggestions for places to see/stay between Yellowstone and Mall of America besides Badlands/Rushmore?

In fact I do have a suggestion.  http://www.crazyhorse.org/  This is the American Indians dedication to their heritage ... essentially in response to Mt. Rushmore (which originally was to include an Indian)  The contrasts between the two of them in remarkable.  Government funded vs. private and donation funding.  The Crazy Horse Memorial is HUGE.  The entire Mount Rushmore monument could fit into the face of Crazy Horse.  It's a MUST SEE.  We spent HOURS at Crazy Horse then went to Mount Rushmore--where we spent about 45 minutes INCLUDING the movie.
 
Scott

[NightOwl]

Hi Jeff, it sounds like you had a wonderful trip!  (Sun, rain, snow?  Sounds like  what we experienced camping in The Tetons only when we went it was in mid-summer )


On your way back, if  you are near enough and it fits into your schedule, Capital Reef in Utah is a marvelous "oasis" in the desert--a green and fertile place created by Mormon farmers/orchardists long ago.   A friend and I camped there some years ago for 4 days to climb rocks and hike  the nearby canyons and loved it. (Fruit trees were still there) It's fun to see even if you just stop long enough for a picnic lunch.

I second the idea of seeing the magnificent CrazyHorse Monument no matter what else you see or dont see!


And  congratulations to both of you on the degrees.  It's a lot harder to do as an adult because of scheduling problems and the demands of "grown-up life," but adult college students are MUCH better motivated, I think.    I know I sure was!   DH and I were also the first to go to college in our families and it is a very special feeling, isnt it--you kind of feel like the family honor is on your shoulders.

Best of luck as you begin your new lives in the green land  of Kentucky!