About two weeks ago my husband (Jason) and I sat down. I had all the office supplies one would need to start planning a vacation. I had a trusty pen, pencil, highlighter, scrap paper, a very large desktop calender, laptop, and phone, plus a couple of refreshments for good measure. We were in for the long haul. Ok, maybe not the LONG haul, since I had to leave in a manner of hours to join a friend at the casino, but there were many hours in which we could do nothing but plan away. I hate to say it, but we even gave the dog a rawhide so he would fully occupied and not bother us. Sorry Jackson.
First things first, we needed a hotel in Vegas for night number one. I'm still not sure why I didn't think a flight in to the city that never sleeps would be the most important thing to reserve, but that was just the way the thought process came out of my head. As Jay and I looked through dozens of hotel listings we couldn't believe our eyes. There we sat in amazement, staring at the laptop screen at the prices for a night in a hotel on the strip. Sure you may think you are smart and be thinking they were OUTRAGEOUS!!!! Well I can tell you, you would be wrong. It only cost us, get this, $27. If this was the way the prices were going to go on this trip we were in luck. It's just too bad that not the way they went.
I always thought that Las Vegas would be expensive. Maybe its because I always think of the electric bills with all that neon. But the flight one-way down to Vegas was really reasonable as well (~$243 per seat). It then took us about 6 hours to find and book 6 nights of campgrounds from Vegas to the north rim on the Canyon and up to the four corners. (averaging ~ $18 a night for a tent site with no hookups) We decided we would have more of an adventure if we ruffed it! We were almost halfway done with our reservations, but sadly I had no more time left. We still needed to book the other half of our trip, rent a car, and book a flight from Rapid City, SD back to Boston. There was much more to do, but we were having as much fun planning the trip as we thought we'd have on it!
Next Step......Maps!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The tour begins!
This all started when I declared to my husband that I wanted to find out where my ancestors came from. I suggested that we go on vacation to the island my grandparents came forth from (Sao Miguel, Azores) and explore there. My husband was not as excited about the prospect as I was and told me that he needed to do more research before we made any plans. So after some debate, I decided I would for go the idea for one year to allow him the time he needed to do all the researching he could handle. One year later (this past December-ish 2010) I approached the subject again, carefully reminding my husband that he had agreed to revisit the idea after a year's time. Well this time I had expected him to jump for joy. I expected him to gather the binder of info he had collected in the past 365 days, give or take a few, and look at me with excitement. Imagine my surprise when, again, he told me he needed to do more research. He actually muttered those dreaded words I desperately wanted to avoid. He said, "We'll see." That only means one thing in my book, NO!
I'm sure my face said it all, disappointment, anger, confusion. I had given him the time he needed and he was still hesitant? He said something about not knowing anything about the place or not understanding the language. At that point I wasn't listening. His voice was drowned out by the blood thumping in my ears. Well I tried, yet again, to appease the situation. I, being the perfect wife and all, suggested an alternative vacation idea.
In late 2007 my husband and I talked about flying out to California and driving part-way across the country to Colorado, where we would fly back home to Massachusetts from Denver. It sounded like a nice idea, but I wanted to see more exotic places before we had kids. The idea didn't go must past that discussion. My best friend and I both got engaged and would be married within two months of each other in 2008 and between her one week wedding cruise to Bermuda and our two week honeymoon to Hawaii there was no money or vacation time to support a cross country trip. It was dropped then and there, or maybe not.
Now that you had a tid bit of background, you know where this is going. If my husband wouldn't go to the Azores for yet another year then I suggested we revisit the idea of a mini cross country trip. This time I did get the jumping for joy and the vacation planning begun.
I recently got into Letterboxing. For those of you who don't know what this is look it up. No, no I'm kidding. AtlasQuest.com or Letterboxing.org can give you more info. but here is what AtlasQuest defines letterboxing as :
Letterboxing is an intriguing pastime combining artistic ability with "treasure-hunts" in parks, forests, and cities around the world. Participants seek out hidden letterboxes by cracking codes and following clues. The prize: an image from a miniature piece of art known as a rubber stamp—usually a unique, hand-carved creation.
Letterboxers stamp their discoveries in a personal journal, then use their own rubber stamp, called a signature stamp, by stamping it into the logbook found with the letterbox, perhaps writing a note about the weather or their adventures in finding the letterbox.
Since I have been on this crazy letterboxing kick, my husband and I decided to make this a letterboxing tour of the western states we might not other wise see. There won't be enough time to get them all, not unless we take a year or two off from work. We will be doing mostly drive-bys and some longer hikes here and there where the time allows. We also love beer, so we have mixed in all the microbreweries we could find along the way. I plan to blog the vacation along the way. That way people can suggest boxes and breweries to visit.
The Plan:
The plan is to leave MA and fly to Las Vegas. From Vegas we are driving to the Grand Canyon (North Rim). Then off to the 4 corners. From there cut up (northeast) across Colorado, hitting Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins amongst others. From that point cut up the other way (northwest) and see the great state of Wyoming. With Old Faithful and Gran Teton out the way its back across the state to finally end up in Rapid City, South Dakota. (Better details to come)
I am really excited. For now we are in the planning stage. Let me know if you have suggestions or comments! That's all for now.
Laura
(EverAfter83 to the Letterboxing world)
I'm sure my face said it all, disappointment, anger, confusion. I had given him the time he needed and he was still hesitant? He said something about not knowing anything about the place or not understanding the language. At that point I wasn't listening. His voice was drowned out by the blood thumping in my ears. Well I tried, yet again, to appease the situation. I, being the perfect wife and all, suggested an alternative vacation idea.
In late 2007 my husband and I talked about flying out to California and driving part-way across the country to Colorado, where we would fly back home to Massachusetts from Denver. It sounded like a nice idea, but I wanted to see more exotic places before we had kids. The idea didn't go must past that discussion. My best friend and I both got engaged and would be married within two months of each other in 2008 and between her one week wedding cruise to Bermuda and our two week honeymoon to Hawaii there was no money or vacation time to support a cross country trip. It was dropped then and there, or maybe not.
Now that you had a tid bit of background, you know where this is going. If my husband wouldn't go to the Azores for yet another year then I suggested we revisit the idea of a mini cross country trip. This time I did get the jumping for joy and the vacation planning begun.
I recently got into Letterboxing. For those of you who don't know what this is look it up. No, no I'm kidding. AtlasQuest.com or Letterboxing.org can give you more info. but here is what AtlasQuest defines letterboxing as :
Letterboxing is an intriguing pastime combining artistic ability with "treasure-hunts" in parks, forests, and cities around the world. Participants seek out hidden letterboxes by cracking codes and following clues. The prize: an image from a miniature piece of art known as a rubber stamp—usually a unique, hand-carved creation.
Letterboxers stamp their discoveries in a personal journal, then use their own rubber stamp, called a signature stamp, by stamping it into the logbook found with the letterbox, perhaps writing a note about the weather or their adventures in finding the letterbox.
Since I have been on this crazy letterboxing kick, my husband and I decided to make this a letterboxing tour of the western states we might not other wise see. There won't be enough time to get them all, not unless we take a year or two off from work. We will be doing mostly drive-bys and some longer hikes here and there where the time allows. We also love beer, so we have mixed in all the microbreweries we could find along the way. I plan to blog the vacation along the way. That way people can suggest boxes and breweries to visit.
The Plan:
The plan is to leave MA and fly to Las Vegas. From Vegas we are driving to the Grand Canyon (North Rim). Then off to the 4 corners. From there cut up (northeast) across Colorado, hitting Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins amongst others. From that point cut up the other way (northwest) and see the great state of Wyoming. With Old Faithful and Gran Teton out the way its back across the state to finally end up in Rapid City, South Dakota. (Better details to come)
I am really excited. For now we are in the planning stage. Let me know if you have suggestions or comments! That's all for now.
Laura
(EverAfter83 to the Letterboxing world)
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