Alison and John's unoriginally entitled pre-trip report to SW USA!

[jubileegirl]

I'm feeling like the luckiest girl in the world at the moment as 2016 is turning into the mega trip year! To put it into context, we haven't had a holiday for some years as we've been caring for my dad, who sadly died last November. We miss him dreadfully but at 96 he'd had a good life and his health was rapidly declining, both physically and mentally. My one regret was that I knew his wish was to stay at home, which we were very keen to support him in, but when the inevitable happened he was actually in hospital and on his own as we'd been told to go home to sleep as he was stable. But a very wise friend told me that, although he may have died in hospital alone, he LIVED at home and with us there, which is true and helpful (but it still makes me feel sad )

However now that we have our lives to ourselves again we have decided to do some of the things which our inevitable declining health might prevent us from doing if we leave things as neither of us are spring chickens!
Anyway, enough of being gloomy!

My husband and I are setting off in 2 weeks time for a 6 week roadtrip around the south west of the USA. I've just returned from 2 weeks at WDW with my youngest daughter, my sister and her son. That was a fabulous holiday (my husband had no desire to come at all, so he stayed home decorating without me under his feet. Wonder who got the better deal?!) I've just started a trip report in the WDW forum here about that trip, which has motivated me to do a pre-trippie for the road trip actually before the holiday...

So down to the plans! Quick intros...

I'm Alison, retired teacher and the planner! I'm a bit of a day dreamer, love reading, musical theatre, going to live gigs (saw both Carole King and Stevie Wonder this summer!) and seeing our 2 grandsons as much as possible as well as our own 3 children, all grown up now!

My husband of nearly 35 years is John, an Australian although he's lived in the UK for nearly 30 years and until retirement was a community policeman. He's the practical one, the level headed, money managing, motorbike and car maintaining, DIY expert one. He likes to get on with things and as I'm..well, a bit of an airhead at times, we've got an understanding that it's best if I just lie on the sofa reading/watching TV and let him get on with stuff. Not bad, eh?! I do say, from time to time 'can I lend a hand?' but if he said 'OK, here's a paintbrush, screwdriver, hammer etc' I'd faint with the shock of it

Here we both are at our older grandson's 2nd birthday (he's nearly 4 now) We have very few photos of us together but have got ourselves a selfie stick for the trip which is a source of great merriment to our children Cheeky so and so's!

So the trip itself...

We go to London on Sept 10th to see Billy Joel at Wembley Stadium, then stay overnight at Heathrow before flying out the next morning BA PE to LAX. First time we've not flown economy so looking forward to a few luxuries.
I think I'll just list the itinerary now and then elaborate as I write up the actual report which I hope to do as it happens. I've bought quite a few Groupons for meals, tours and so on. We have all our accommodation booked, partly independently and partly via a travel agent who was happy for us to do that and got us some good deals at hotels we wouldn't have booked ourselves due to the cost. Oh and we have a car booked, wouldn't be much of a road trip without one (unless we're Forrest Gump )

Sorry to keep waffling and getting off itinerary topic - but probably not sorry enough as I know I'll keep doing it!

Back to the pre-trippie... here is the list!
3 nights in West Hollywood
1 night Santa Barbara
1 night Monterey
5 nights San Francisco
3 nights Yosemite NP
1 night Death Valley
3 nights Las Vegas
1 night Zion NP
1 night Bryce Canyon
2 nights Page/Lake Powell
1 night Monument Valley
3 nights Grand Canyon
1 night Albuquerque
2 nights Santa Fe
4 nights Durango, CO
4 nights Ouray UT
1 night Chinle AZ
1 night Kingsman
1 night Joshua Tree NP
3 nights Palm Springs
Back to LA and home!

Phew makes me tired just looking at that! John will do all the driving - he says after growing up in the Aussie bush he's no stranger to long distances. I did a quick tally on Google maps and an approx grand total (excluding miles travelled when actually staying somewhere!) will be 3500 miles. Longest journey in time will be 7 hours if we don't stop, but most will be between 2 and 4 hours. We will have numb bums for sure

So that is it for now - John just needs to pack whereas i have a zillion things to do like haircut, eyebrow threading, packing too much and unpacking - the usual!

Bye for now

love Alison

[Guest]

Wow, how exciting. Have an amazing time 😀

[tocpe321]

Wow looks fantastic

Was looking at western USA a year or 2 ago and many of these were places I was interested in.

Great start with concert as well!

Look forward to any updates.

Have a great time.

[MHM]

Sounds like an amazing holiday and well deserved. I hope you will do a trip report as it would be great to hear about, especially as you are going to visit some areas not much seen in other reports. Have an amazing time! x