From September 7 to October 10 of this year, a friend and I completed a road trip that some have qualified as “lifetime”.
Over 33 days, I drove 9,714 miles (15,633 km) through 21 states. We successively visited the following places, and I’ve added links to the posts related to each so that you can click on them to view the photos taken at each location.
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water house in Mill Run, PA.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/07/falling-water/
- Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/08/brickhead/
- Shirley Welden Butterfly House (Calkins Nature Area) in Iowa Falls, IA.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/09/shirley-welden-butterfly-house/
- Badlands National Park in South Dakota.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/11/badlands/
- Mt Rushmore National Monument in South Dakota.
- Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming.
- Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument in Crow Agency, Montana.https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/12/a-full-day/
- Glacier National Park in Montana.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/14/two-medicine/
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/14/many-glacier-and-going-to-the-sun-road/
- Kootenai Falls, in Libby, Montana.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/15/bear-kootenai-falls/
- Mt Rainier National Park in Washington.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/16/crossing-washington-state/
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/17/mt-rainier-in-the-rain/
- Crater Lake National Park in Oregon.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/18/on-the-way-to-crater-lake/
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/19/crater-lake-14-of-it/
- Bodie in California.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/20/bodie/
- Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in California.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/21/ancient-bristlecone-pine-forest/
- Great Basin National Park in Nevada.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/22/horses-and-baker-sunset/
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/23/great-basin-national-park/
- Red Canyon and Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/24/bryce-canyon-and-highway-12/
- Capitol Reef National Park in Utah.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/25/capitol-reef-national-park/
- Goblin Valley State Park in Utah.
- Arches National Park in Utah.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/27/castles-goblins-arches/
- Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah.
- Canyonlands National Park in Utah.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/27/dead-horse-canyonlands/
- Canyon De Chelly National Monument in Arizona.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/28/canyon-de-chelly-national-monument/
- Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/painted-desert/
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/09/30/painted-desert-petrified-forest-national-park/
- Four Corners Monument in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/four-corners-fall-colors/
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/10/02/black-canyon-of-the-gunnison/
- Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/10/03/scenic-drive/
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/10/04/mesa-verde-national-park/
- Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado.
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/10/05/to-great-sand-dunes-national-park/
https://neihtn.wordpress.com/2015/10/06/great-sand-dunes-sunrise-to-sunset/
I took 3,021 photos and my friend probably took about the same number. Now that we are safely back home, I will go back through my files and comb through them for the more interesting shots worthy of being posted on this blog.
On our last day at Great Sand Dunes, a Bluebird flew and perched on an electric wire near where I stood. I had never seen one before, either back in New Jersey or out West, so I promptly pulled out my camera and took the following shot.
Bart Van Herck said:
Incredible trip Hien, even more incredible pictures! Keep up the good work 😉
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you very much Bart!
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dianaed2013 said:
Thank you – I will certainly look at some of the links.
I did a similar trip from the Twin cities to Arizona
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dawnkinster said:
What a great trip!!!! Something I would love to do. I see you missed Michigan though, so you have to come back out here. I am going to keep this email so I can go look at the blog posts little by little. Meanwhile, I love the bluebird. It was sad that you had to go home.
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neihtn2012 said:
All great trips have to end sooner or later, and only the memories then remain. Thank you for stopping by and commenting, Dawn. I will indeed go to Michigan one of these days.
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Anonymous said:
awesome trip
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Jet Eliot said:
Wow — what a fantastic road trip Hien! I’ve been enjoying your photos and look forward to returning again for more entertainment. How great that you got to see the western bluebird too!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Jet! The trip was very worthwhile, giving me a chance to learn more about the West, including that Bluebird which flew in at the end.
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Anonymous said:
Welcome home & thanks for sharing your travels – very inspiring!
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you!
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Sukanya Ramanujan said:
Epic and monumental trip! Truly inspiring!
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neihtn2012 said:
It was, as you said, epic and monumental. Thank you Sukanya for your kind comments.
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milfordstreet said:
What an amazing journey. I’m truly envious and hope my wife and I can do the same or similar someday. It was fun to follow on the days I was around. Of course, while you were out there, we spent a few days in Princeton, NJ. Go figure!
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neihtn2012 said:
Too bad I missed your coming to Princeton! I hope you will go on a similar trip some day, and take the time to see the fabulous West.
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DG MARYOGA said:
Welcome back Hien!Great the photos from your road trip.I followed you each day and enjoyed all your travel experiences.Beautiful the blue bird,it perched there for you,for a friendly farewell 🙂
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Doda. About the bird, that’s what I thought. That it came to say goodbye to the weary traveler.:-)
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Tiny said:
That is such a beautiful bird! I’ve only seen it in pictures. I wonder if it was sad the summer is ending.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thanks Tiny! We have Bluebirds in the East also, but I haven’t seen one yet. Have you?
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Tiny said:
No I haven’t. Waiting for it to appear one day 🙂
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katelon said:
Wow, that’s a lot of driving. Sounds like you had a good time though.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thanks Katelon. The driving was not too bad, just very long once in a while.
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Amy said:
It looks I have been following you, Hien. Over 21 states, over 3000 photos, how exciting. Hope to do the same in the future. Looking forward to seeing your beautiful photos. Love this bird capture! 🙂
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neihtn2012 said:
Thanks Amy. I too hope you will do such a road trip. You’ll like it!
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Tom Heuerman said:
A wonderful road trip and I hope it is life-changing. I’ve taken many such trips and they are always filled with surprises.
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neihtn2012 said:
It is life-changing indeed, and you are so lucky to have taken so many trips. I wish more would take the time and go see their own country before booking tours to foreign nations.
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Emilio Pasquale said:
We plan to do the same sometime in the near future. There is so much to see in the U.S. that we want to do that before traveling abroad! I will need time to view the images you have posted here and I can’t wait to see more!
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neihtn2012 said:
Excellent idea, and you will like it. Go West, young man!
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