We enjoyed last year's road trip so much, that we decided to drive west again this year! And just to make things interesting, we left the day after returning from a Caribbean cruise. We don't necessarily recommend back-to-back vacations, but we've done it before and we'll probably do it again.
We started by driving to St. George, Utah. Our journeys between scheduled destinations were quick and no-nonsense, but we did enjoy being tourists in Amarillo, Texas, enjoying our dinner at the Big Texan Steakhouse.
Our first stop in St. George was the temple open house, where we met up with Wayne's cousin for the tour; our bishop, who also happened to be in town, joined us. While staying at the Red Rock Resort, we were able to play a round at the Black Desert Golf Course in addition to some other activities. It was a beautiful time of year to visit the area.
We then drove to Mesa, Arizona to spend some time with Steven's family. Dinner at
Organ Stop Pizza was a lot of fun.
In addition to playing with grandchildren and just visiting, we also did some electrical work - replacing switches and hanging a couple of fans (and pulling another one out of the ceiling - oops!) - and helped hang a set of curtains. We were grateful that completing those chores allowed them to actually move in the weekend after we left. Their new house will be a beautiful home.
On our way to Texas, we learned Alicia's mom had passed away. Such heartbreaking news! She had been battling cancer for a few years, and we knew the end was getting closer, but we were looking forward to visiting with her once again. However, we were grateful for the miracle of timing that allowed us to be there to mourn in person with Jeff's family, and to participate in the funeral. We'll miss Kara.
Our decision to stay for the funeral meant our time in St. Louis was cut by a day, but we still managed to thoroughly explore Gateway Arch National Park, and even had time for a visit to the St. Louis Zoo.
Then it was off to Virginia for Thanksgiving with my dad. We also got to visit my sisters and take our
annual hike at Grayson Highlands State Park before heading home.
Final tally - 6,720 miles in 28 days! Now, on to the Christmas celebrating!!
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