National Parks Trip Proposal

Come one, come all! Here's an invitation to all the members of our extended family, including friends, to peruse the itinerary following and see if it sounds like something you'd like to do.

Overview

This trip is intended to be taken by motorhome. It covers 2,014 miles (from our house) and will take 9 full days. We'll be leaving Friday, May 9^th, 2008, and returning Sunday, May 18^th for a motorhome return on Monday the 19^th. If more people wish to travel than can fit in one motor home (7) then additional groups will need to rent additional motor homes. The trip is planned so that most days don't require excessive driving, and plenty of time can be spent enjoying the best that Nature has to offer. Nevertheless, we'll be visiting no less than 7 National Parks!

Here's an overview of the whole route:

Motorhome

We'll be renting our motorhome from the Mesa, Arizona outlet of CruiseAmerica. Click here to monitor availability for that date. The base rate for renting a 7-passenger motorhome for these dates is $1250. There will also be an estimated mileage charge of $640. These vehicles get something like 7-9 miles a gallon, so at $3 a gallon, estimate $671.

Here's the per-vehicle cost summarized:

Our itinerary calls for a few meals in restaurants, but most will be prepared "at home" (in the motorhome kitchen). And, of course, there will be no "motel bills". There will be campground costs, which average $20 a night.

If you will be flying into Phoenix to rent your own motorhome, you might consider renting a "kitchen kit" for $100 rather than trying to fly out your own cookware and dinnerware.

Itinerary

Friday, May 9, 2008

11:00 am

Pack what's needed in cars, drive to motor home place, load motor home, leave cars there.

2:00 pm

Leave for Zion National Park, East Entrance.

411 miles = 8 hours 13 minutes driving time (at 50 mph).

Dinner prepared and served en route.

Arrive at 10:13 pm.

Campground: East Zion RV Park. $15 for full hookup.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Up and ready to go by 9 AM.

Drive through Zion National Park. Park at entrance to Virgin River Gorge, hike into river (about a mile), have picnic lunch, float back to motor home. More exploring as desired.

By 6 PM:

Leave for Great Basin National Park. (Probably have dinner before we leave?)

212 miles = 4 hours 14 minutes drive time (at 50 mph).

Arrive at 10:14 pm.

Campground: Whispering Elms Campground, Baker, Nevada. $25 for full service RV (up to 30 amps power).

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Day spent at Great Basin National Park.

Tour Lehman Caves, hike, relax.

Night: Look at stars (Great Basin has the least light pollution of any place in the USA.)

Campground: Upper Lehman Creek Campground, in the park. $12 night, water hookup only. Evening campfire program.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Leave by 9:00 am for Lee Vining, CA (Mono Lake).

362 miles = 7 hours 14 minutes drive time (at 50 mph).

Arrive at 4:14 pm.

Campground: Mono Vista RV Park. Price TBA.

Dinner at a restaurant.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Day spent enjoying Mono Lake (kayaking). Mono Lake is a alkali lake, which caused it to create the unique formations within it.

Lunch and Dinner at restaurants.

Leave at 7 PM for

Tuolumne Meadows (in Yosemite National Park's high country).

It's only 19 miles, about a half-hour drive up a steep, scenic road.

Arrive about 7:30 pm.

Campground: Hodgdon Meadow Campground. $20 per site; water but no electrical hookup. Dump station.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Breakfast in motor home.

Up by 10 PM

to take day hike in backcountry. Small packs with water and picnic lunch. Back by 3 PM.

Leave at 3 PM for tour of the Grand Canyon of Yosemite.

56 miles = 2 hours at 25 mph.

Campground: North Pines Campground. $20. No hookups. Dump station. 2 nights.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Day spent in Yosemite National Park.

See: America's tallest waterfall, Bridalveil Fall. Picnic on banks of Tuolumne River, swim, relax. Maybe short hike to Dickey Point (stupendous view).

Friday, May 16, 2008

Ready to leave by 10 PM.

10 PM

Leave for Sequoia National Park.

Lunch at restaurant in Fresno.

171 miles = 3 hours 25 minutes drive time (at 50 mph).

Arrive at park early afternoon.

Tour giant sequoias.

Campground: Potwisha Campground. $18, no hookups, flush toilets, RV dump station.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

9 AM

Leave for Beatty, NV.

Along the way: Giant Sequoia National Monument, Death Valley. Lunch at a restaurant.

320 miles = 6 hours 55 minutes drive time.

Arrive about 4 PM.

Campground: Burro Inn Casino and RV Park, Nevada. Price TBA.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

9 AM

Leave for home.

Along the way: Las Vegas (lunch in a casino). Dairy Queen in Kingman. Joshua Tree National Forest, Wikieup.

468 miles = 9 hours 21 minutes drive time at 50 mph.

We should arrive back home by 7 PM

(if we don't spend too much time eating).

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Return motor homes, settle accounts.