It would be easy to focus on having a flat tire on the trailer, a trip to an emergency room to treat Dick's chigger bites, multiple intense rain/hail storms, a leak in a fan frame, a detour to avoid fires in Oregon and the nine days the Durango spent in a body shop recovering from a Portland accident. But those memories would dim many glorious memories.
The southwest is packed with adventure and many wonderful sights. We were able to experience many of both.
Travel Trivia
We drove 8,348 miles (7,341 miles towing) and got 14.0 mpg on this trip.
The total for the past 10 years is 102,558 miles driven (83,921 miles of towing) and 395 trailer set-ups.
Expectations
We had hoped to re-visit places of past delight and travel new, out-of-the way routes ... and did.
Special Sights & Experiences
* Traveled the Natchez Trace Parkway
* Traveled the Gulf Coast from Houston to Corpus Christi
* Stayed in Seminole Canyon State Park near the Texas/Mexico border
* Lake Amistad
* Fort Davis National Historic Site
* McDonald Observatory
* Bandelier National Monument near Los Alamos, NM
* Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, NM
* Hovenweep National Monument
* Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam
* Traveled the Trail of the Ancients (US-160)
* Vermilion Cliffs
* Grand Staircase-Escalante
* Traveled the Scenic Byway 12 (including the "no berm" Hogsback)
* Capitol Reef National Park
* Bend and Sisters, OR
* Stayed in a number of exceptional campgrounds
Disappointments
We had hoped to wander around in southeastern Arizona (in the Tombstone and Bisbee area) and get a closeup view of the Wave in the Vermilion Cliffs area near Page, Arizona.
We missed the first because we avoided the sweltering 110° temperatures in the area and the second because of poor planning.
Close Calls
* Came within 13 miles of running out of gas when we filled-up at Sydney, NE.
* Came within 0.3 gallons of running out of propane when we got home.
Problems
* Fresh water tank has a slow leak (we knew of it before we left, have to fix it).
* Fantastic Fan frame leaked after a heavy rain (Airstream dealer's repair didn't work).
* Trailer tire flat caused by a screw.
* Durango front end damage caused by a street barrier.
Our Next Trip
We're considering a new approach ... drive fewer miles and see more sights. For example: go to a state (Kentucky?) and explore as much as we can.
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