By the numbers

California gas $$$.  No, we didn't get any at this price.

ORMOND BEACH, FL - - Here's the final tally for our working vacation:
14,921 miles traveled
149 days away
136 nights camping
8 nights staying with/at (Lydia's) relatives
5 nights in lodging...mainly due to weather or no viable campgrounds nearby
9 U.S. National Parks visited:  Rocky Mountain; Glacier; North Cascades; Olympic; Yosemite; Zion; Bryce; Escalante Staircase; Capitol Reef
4 Canadian National Parks visited:  Kootenay; Yoho; Banff; Jasper
See Lydia's blog for more info. 

St. Louis

Our friends in Zion NP were sad to see us leave.

ST. LOUIS, MO - - We haven't crossed the Mississippi River yet, but we're close.  We've been taking it "relative"-ly easy.  As in visiting some of Lydia's relatives in St. Louis.  We haven't camped out for two nights...a record on this year's trip.  The schedule puts us back home in Ormond Beach on Sunday.

Sky shots

Sunset in Hanksville, UT

'Moon set' in Zion NP

A pine tree, much older than it looks, trying to survive - - Bryce Canyon NP

Clouds, Aspen in Fall color and an empty (Utah) Rt. 12

SHAMROCK, TX - - Along the way to Texas...

VERY SAFE

ESCALANTE, UT- - About a week ago we spent some time exploring Bodie, a 'gold and silver mining ghost town' now in a state of 'arrested decay.' The precious metal was kept in the bank's safe in between shipments elsewhere.  The mine's stamp mill culled the precious metals bu did not possess the equipment to separate the gold and silver alloy extracted.  The quite fancy safe still resides in the ruins of the bank.