No Place Like Home

In a few hours we will pull into the driveway of our home and this trip will officially be only a memory. We're already planning our next adventure, but for now...here is our trip by the #s and some lessons learned along the way: 

By the #s:

# of days on the road: 24 

# of miles travelled: 6531

# of campsites: 18

# of hotels: 1

Most $ spent for one night at campsite: $26

Least $ spent for one night at campsite: FREE (5 nights, in fact!)

# of National Parks/Monuments visited: 7

# of State Parks visited: 8 (in 5 different states)

# of Chain Restaurants visited: 1 (Chipotle)

# of Rainy Days: 3 

# of States Travelled Through: 14 

# of States Camped In: 9

Most Nights Spent in One Place: 2

# of Nights without a Campfire: 1

# of Bear Enounters: 0

# of likes Scout's picture with the Scamp in WY got on BeOhioProud's Instagram Page: 164

# of books Lisa read: 9.5

Lessons Learned:

-Never walk backwards on a dock. You are bound to get wet.

-Never walk around in a hotel room without the lights on. You are bound to break something.

-The unplanned stops are often the best ones--like Capitol Reef, Four Corners, and Mesa Verde.

-If you think there is a spider in your shirt, take it off. Immediately. Even if you are in the car on the freeway. 

-Follow the directions on campground signs for registering your site. Otherwise you just make more work for yourself. 

-If a mule deer charges you, move "swiftly away." 

-If caught in a mountain storm and all the hairs on your arms and legs stand up, you are probably about to be struck by lightning. Make a choice. Quickly. Either run. Or crouch down on the balls of your toes. 

-Wave at people who drive by in the campground. It's the nice thing to do. Don't be weird and just stare as they drive by. Wave and smile.

-Strike up conversations. You just might learn something or find out something interesting to do in the area. 

-Rain doesn't always mean a lost day. Sometimes it works in your favor.

-Try to leave each campsite better than you found it. 

-as Kevin says, "Picking a campsite is a lot like picking a urinal. Don't camp right next to someone if you don't have to." I guess what he means is--give each other some space. 

-This planet...this nation...is spectacular. It is massive and grand and powerful. And it doesn't care about the chaos and stress that humans care about. While we focus on the minutiae of our daily lives, the sand dunes keep shifting, the rivers keep flowing, the canyons keep getting deeper. It doesn't care what you look like. How much money you make. What labels are on your clothes. It only cares that you take a few minutes to stop and take it all in and do what you can to preserve and protect it. 

And last but not least...

-Home is where the heart is. 

Until our next adventure...there's no place like home.