​This was my last leg of a two-month trip, I was on my way home.  I made the point of diverting from a direct drive home to stop at the Flt 93 National Memorial site.  It was worth the stop.  An amazing job was done to honor the citizens that sacrificed for us all and make it a historical site for history.  At the entry there is a Tower of Voices with 40 bells to honor the 40 people on the plane.  The visitor center and outdoor memorial walkways are designed to showcase the path Flt 93 took as it came down.  The fields and woods beyond the boulder and debris field is the final resting place of the passengers and crew.  Inside the visitor center there was a museum with video and artifacts that told the story of 9/11 and events that happened in Shanksville, PA.  It was so worth the visit. 
I arrived home to a welcome from friends and neighbors in midafternoon. Up to the moment I drove into the driveway I was not sure I wanted to be home.  There was not a part of the trip I could have left out.  It was amazing to see friends throughout the country after 2 years of Covid, and the experiences and people I met I would not want to change for anything.  Thank you one and all for supporting me, and making this a trip I will never forget.    

​I left Zanesville, OH in the early morning and arrived at friends in Brookville for a 2-day visit.  Upon arrival we talked a bit and then took their grandson out for lunch and miniature golf.  I held my own, but I am out of practice with miniature golf, LOL.  That evening we had a fire in the firepit in the yard while enjoying dinner together.  This was the first fire I had during the entire trip.  The next day we had a lazy morning, and in the afternoon went for a drive in the area culminating in lunch at the local Irish pub along the river in the area.  When we got home hung out and had a light dinner outside by the firepit before calling it for the evening.  

​I left Springfield, IL for Zanesville, OH and drove straight through to the Wolfie’s Campground just on the edge of town.  The owners took possession in January of 2023 and were so welcoming and accommodating.  The grounds were well kept, clean, and with many amenities.  After setting up, I set out for gas and to explore Zanesville.  The next morning, I went to the Genealogy Society in the second floor of the Zanesville Library.  The wonderful lady on staff that day really tried to help me, but the records only went back to 1863, whereas I needed to validate that a relative was born in Zanesville, OH in 1853.  The records did not exist.  Disappointing, but not completely unexpected.  I hung out at the campground, relaxed, and had a nice dinner at the campground.  

​After Breakfast in Souix Falls, SD drive to Des Moines, IA and the Walnut Woods State Park right near West Des Moines.  It had been a few days since I had a decent shower, and the state park did not have a full bath house.  I found and went to the Walnut Creek YMCA to do a short workout, and have a shower.  The timing was perfect; it was the hottest part of the day, and the YMCA was not crowded given it was a Sunday afternoon.  I then drove around to explore Des Moines and found HyVee grocery store for a few supplies before meeting the group from Arches National Park; Mike, Kim, Patrick from Des Moines, for dinner at Eatery A, a Mediterranean inspired menu.  We were able to share the rest of our travel experiences and learn a bit more about each other.  Kim shared that she worked in the school district and had the summer off.  She offered to be my tour guide the next day. 
I had a lazy morning, cooked for the week, and organized the next stops.  Kim and I then met up late in the morning for the tour of Des Moines.  She was so generous to drive me around Des Moines stopping at the PapaJohn Sculpture Garden in downtown area surrounded by the buildings and Arts center.  We moved on to the State house and was able to slide into a free tour of the building.  The State House of IA seemed to be built at the same time as the PA State House in Harrisburg, PA with similar ideals.  The building was very ornate and had clearly been adapted for modern times as well. 
We stopped for lunch in downtown Des Moines, IA at Kildare’s Cafe and then drove through Valley Junction, a historic portion of West Des Moine with cute shops and restaurants.  It had gotten really hot, so we went over to a friend’s (Jeff & Joe’s) house to swim.  Jeff & Joe had also been on the Arches National Park trip, but had left before I met Mike, Kim, and Patrick.  Jeff and Joe came home first and hung out at the pool with us.  Then Mike and Patrick showed up after work as well.  We all went out for a Mexican dinner before going back to camp for the evening.  The visit to Des Moines, IA was completely unexpected and tons of fun.  

​The second month of this trip was supposed to be about visiting friends which guided the locations I was visiting.  All that changed overnight when plans got canceled.  Within 2 days I replanned the second month of the trip. 
I left Monument, CO and drove through Wyoming to Custer, SD; arriving in Big Pine Campground on the edge of the city of Custer about 5pm.  The drive was through spectacular scenery of rolling green hills, ranches, plenty of cows, and even some cowboys in trucks and on horseback.  I arrived at the campground in 56-degree weather then during the night hours went down to 45 degrees.  The campground owner could not have been nicer or more accommodating. 
I used the GuideAlong app for the three tours of national parks in the Black Hills area.  The first day was the Devils Tower Loop.  On the way to Devils Tower the first stop was the Black Hills Visitor center to gather information from the Rangers.  Then I turned on the GuideAlong app.  It took me past Crazy Horse – I chose not to stop based on recommendation from my sister.  The drive then took me through Hill City, a cute touristy town with shops and restaurants.  There was also a giant carved Smokey the Bear right in town.  The next stop was Deadwood, an historic town of the west with old world charm that is now a casino and tourist trap.  I drove above the town to the cemetery to look down on the view.     
It was on to Lead, an artist town with mining on the fringe of town.  I continued to Spearfish Canyon.  The scenic drive was winding and beautiful with waterfalls; The Bridel Veil Falls, and souring rock walls with trees growing out of the rocks.  Exiting the Spearfish Canyon put me in the town of Spearfish.  I continued to travel west toward Wyoming toward Devil’s Tower.  I found the Wyoming Visitor Center on the state border with amazing views and wide-open spaces.  Devil’s Tower was just a bit further. 
Devil’s Tower is a Native American historic and sacred location.  Along the over 1-mile trail around the base of the tower were prayer rags tied to trees left by the Native Americans who came for sacred ceremonies.  We were told to not take pictures or touch the prayer rags.  It was a bit spin chilling to observe a number of prayer rags left that looked just like my Dad’s handkerchiefs.  The stormy weather predicted in the afternoon at Devil’s Tower did not manifest itself, so maybe there is something to the prayer rags?!?
I was sorry I did not drive directly to Devil’s Tower first thing in the morning and work my way back.  I arrived mid-day and it was extremely crowded.  This caused me to make other decisions about where to start the next day.
The second day was the loop that covered Mt Rushmore, Custer State Park, Wildlife Loop, and Wind Cave National Park.  To beat the crowds, I started at Mt Rushmore.  Mt Rushmore was originally designed as a means of bringing tourists to this area of South Dakota.  The museum was full of pictures, information, and artifacts from the people that designed and carved the mountain. The workmanship was amazing.  But the overall presentation and layout of the park was very commercialized, much more than any other national park. 
I continued following the GuideAlong app as it took me to Custer State Park.  The scenic drive: Needles Road, took me through three tunnels through the mountains, the most noteworthy, narrow, and awesome being “The Needles Tunnel”.  The vistas were souring, and the Rock structures allowed for amazing pictures.  Although the roads were narrow and busy, people were respectful and accommodating.  The scenic drive continued to the Wildlife loop.  It was still part of the Custer State Park, so having the park ticket in view was necessary.  As I was entering the Wildlife loop there was a herd of Big Horned Sheep who looked a bit under nourished and were licking the salt on the roads which held up traffic.  Along the scenic drive through the Wildlife loop, I saw Prairie Dogs, Antelope, and Bison.  This area of Custer State Park was green rolling hills and open prairie, rather than mountainous along the Needles Road. 
I moved on to Wind Cave National Park.  Unfortunately, the elevators into the cave system were broken, so I had to learn about the national park through the museum installation and the Ranger nature walk talk to the Natural Entrance of the cave.  The Ranger talk covered the geology of the cave and the Lakota Emergence Story passed down through the generations. 
Before driving back to camp, I drove to Hot Springs, SD and attended the farmer’s market (evening market) and met a lovely lady (a reformed accountant, LOL) selling delicious baked goods.  

​I left Durango when my friends left for work. The drive to Monument, CO took me through Pagosa Springs, past ranches and farms as well as The Continental Divide at over 11K+ feet.  The scenery was amazing, and the temps rather cold, LOL!  I arrived in Monument to meet up with my friends and their parents to try to catch up on 7+ years of time that had gone by. 
While staying in Monument, CO my friends and I spent a day driving the Gold Belt Scenic Byway (CO Rt 67) through Victor and Cripple Creek.  It was a dirt road through switchbacks, and narrow roads with overhangs.  We had a picnic lunch in Victor, a gold mining town still in operation.  We made our way towards home by driving down the shelf road, then stopped at Royal Gorge – America’s Bridge.  Royal Gorge was a very deep canyon that many a rafting trip traversed as we could see from the bridge.  People also climbed the gorge walls – scary, I would never do it!  Then it was home for dinner. 
The next day the entire family set off for Mt Evans in the Arapaho National Forest, one of the 14teeners (14K+ feet high).  We stopped first for breakfast and then arrived at Mt Evans for our timed ticket entry.  The drive up wound round the mountain with switchbacks, narrow roads, and cliff drop offs that freaked me out.  (I discovered if I am driving, I do not have the same problem).  Along the way we saw wildlife, and amazing scenic vistas.  At the top we all got out to go exploring.  After 2 minutes I realized I was experiencing vertigo.  At first, we thought it might be altitude sickness but if I did not move it went away, so I expect it was an inner ear problem.  So, they went hiking to the summit, while I stayed below and took pictures of the white Billy goats, Marmots and Pikas, and took in the view.  On our way down the mountain and back home we went through Iowa Springs, a cute Colorado town with restaurants and artsy shops.  We had Linner and then headed home. 
The last day I was in Monument, CO was July 4th, a day for family celebrations; Parents siblings, and nieces came for the afternoon BBQ.  It was fun, and relaxing.  

​I visited close family friends that live in Durango, CO but they work all day, so I had to find something to do before meeting up with them around 4:30PM.  I took the 2-hour drive from Moab, UT to Mesa Verde National Park, arriving just as the visitor center opened.  Many of the National Parks have parking areas to leave trailers before entering the parks, mesa Verde NP was one of them.  Using the GuideAlong app I drove the Scenic drive and learned about the geology, Pueblo People, and the history.  About 550AD the Pueblo People (Anasazi) lived in the four corners region on the Mesa Verde lands for approximately 700 years.  The Pueblo people lived in cliff dwellings, and you could see how these dwellings changed over time.  Historians also speculate that water issues in the 1200’s had the Pueblo people abandoning the region and migrating south to become part of the Hopi and Navajo tribes.
I had a picnic lunch on the patio of the Sunset Point Café.  While packing up I ran into 2 of the 3 Des Moines, IA friends I met at Arches.  They were getting a very late start and just started exploring the park.  It was such a happy coincidence to see them. 
I headed to Durango downtown to meet up with my friend who I had not seen for close to 7 years.  We headed home and had a wonderful home cooked meal of salmon, hung out and talked and caught up on those 7 years. 
The next day was a lazy morning, then afternoon wandering around downtown Durango searching for gifts.  My friends showed me the Victorian house as we walked the downtown area before setting up to listen to the Thursday summer free concert in Buckley Park.  We went out to dinner then headed home to finish off the evening by watching the comedy of Michele Wolf.  Fun was had by all.  

​The drive to Moab, UT was down Rt 24 and the eastern part of the park.  I stopped often for glamour photos of the VistaKat #201.  The further east I drove the scenery looked more like a moonscape – barren and colorless.  The closer I got to Moab, UT the scenery became greener and more forest like.  Upon arrival at Sundoor Resort Campground in downtown Moab, UT, I settled and proceeded to do errands and explore downtown Moab.  I found the city park, Swarmee Community Park where I had my picnic lunch and the Food Truck Park for future reference.  I decided to treat myself and went out to dinner managing to find the one restaurant in Moab owned by a couple previously from Philadelphia.  On the menu was a vegan cheesesteak with an Amarosa roll. While at dinner the Moab community bike rally passed the restaurant.  It was clear after talking to people all day and at dinner that were transplants, of the younger generation, and an outdoor lifestyle. 
The first full day in Moab, UT I drove out to Canyonlands National Park a 45-minute drive.  Canyonlands is 337,598 acres of colorful canyons, mesas, buttes, arches, and spires in the heart of Utah’s high desert.  Canyonlands has four districts with the most popular being “Island of the Sky” that I visited.  A wonderful resource I found in a Moab UT guidebook was an app “GuideAlong” – I refer it as “ranger in the car”.  When you enter the park if you turn it on as you drive past specific gps location the app will talk to you and share the history, geography, and helpful park information including hiking trails as you drive.  The first park I used the app was Canyonlands National Park.  This is where I learned that I am an east coast girl who can find my way out of a forest using trail markings, but in the desert, I cannot find the Carnes and the trails without getting lost.  After three times missing trails and backtracking, I had to stop any of the longer hikes until I met up with other hikers I could follow. The park was picturesque and interesting, but after so many western national parks, it started to look like a pile of rocks with a hole in the ground. I completed the 34 mile scenic drive through Island of the Sky.  It was beautiful and unique as compared to other national parks.  I went back to Moab Food Truck Park for lunch and shared a table with other visitors with shade and misters.  After relaxing through the afternoon (with electrical hookup I was able to use the air conditioning in the very hot days), I took a picnic dinner with me back to Canyonlands National Park Green River Overlook for the Ranger Program and sunset.  Ranger Lauren taught us about bats while the sun set over the canyonlands vista. 
My timed ticket into Arches National Park was 2pm on Monday June 25th, the hottest part of the day.  I decided to work around this by entering Arches National Park after 4pm on Sunday June 24th to drive the scenic drive and take some short walks in the heat.  And returned Monday June 25th at 5:30am to take the hikes in the park while it was still cool.  I avoided the heat and crowds between 7am & 4pm when timed tickets were needed. 
Sunday Morning June 24th, I walked into downtown Moab for breakfast at Gloria’s and wandered around town.  Found a coffee shop to hang out, read, do some work, and generally relax.  Having a partially lazy day helped me rejuvenate.  At 4:20pm I entered Arches National Park.  It was a very winding and narrow road as I drove into the park using the GuideAlong app.  A lot of the rock formations have names as do the arches.  I stopped at the overlooks and took the short walks, and pullouts to take pictures – Balanced Rock, Delicate Arch overlooks, and Fiery Furnace Viewpoint, and Devil’s Garden.  Along the way I marked the longer hikes I would take the next morning. 
Monday morning, I drove out to Arches National Park arriving at Devil’s Garden, the furthest point in the park at 6am.  I hiked Devil Garden out to Landscape Arch just as the sun had risen and the temperatures were cooler.  As I completed the hike, I moved on to the next one I selected moving toward the visitor center – Tapestry Arch, Broken Arch, & Sand Dune arch, then it was Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint for a closer look at the Delicate Arch. The last hike was to North & South Window arches as well as Double Arch before going back to the visitor center.  I met very friendly people along the way, specifically three friends from Des Moines, IA who seemed to be hiking to the same places I had selected so we started hiking together.  By 9am the heat started noticeably increasing, and by 10:30am we had finished and arrived at the visitor center.  We met back in Moab at the Moab Garage for lunch together.  It was a fun lunch learning about each other, what our travel experiences had been and what the future was – they were going back to the Airbnb for a nap.  It was over 100 degrees and I had already clocked 17K+ steps for the day.  I had electricity so hanging in the air-conditioned trailer for a nap sounded like a good idea.   
My last day in Moab was about realigning plans.  I organized the trailer, food and plans for my next leg in Colorado.  I also spent the hottest part of the day at the library getting work done and catching up on the business of life.  While at the library I received another curveball and had to realign my plans for Colorado and find something to do for the entire next day.