Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Back on the road for Year 7! Wow! Where have the years gone?

We leave early this year, right after Labour Day. The plan is to get to the Oregon Coast before the weather turns bad (ha ha! After all, it IS the Pacific Northwest where the weather is notoriously wet!) But our first destination will be in Wyoming at Grand Teton National Park for two reasons. First, to visit with friends Nancy and Dave who are temporarily working in Jackson Hole at the south end of the park; second, because the last time we were here (after visiting Yellowstone NP in 2012), we just drove through since we couldn't see the mountains thanks to the numerous forest fires.

Brad thinks he's a cowboy! Probably the MOST photographed barn in the park, in Wyoming, and probably in all of the U.S. Sitting alongside Mormon Row, this barn attracts crowds every day thanks to its perfect location.

A glorious view of the Tetons reached by a short hike to a beaver pond off Schwabacher Road.

Catching the last rays of sun from Signal Mountain.

Our longest hike in the park - 4 miles to Taggart Lake.

And this year proves to be no different from our last visit. Small fires have been burning and thanks to a very windy day close the highway to Yellowstone NP north of us. Our route will take us south and west, so this closure doesn't affect us.

After a great dinner with Dave and Nancy on our last night, we walk around the town of Jackson Hole. Here is Nancy and me in the town square where an elk antler arch adorns each corner. Don't worry, the elk aren't killed for their antlers. The males shed their antlers every fall and are collected.

Many thanks to Dave for touring us around the park this year while poor Nancy had to work. We're so glad we had the opportunity to squeeze this beautiful park and such wonderful friends into our schedule.

From Birthday Parties in Lake Havasu City, Arizona to Home in Ontario

First, this post is greatly delayed as we drove home immediately following our visit and within 24 hours of arriving safely, both of us came down with a very bad flu virus. Once I recovered, there was mounds of laundry, housework, grocery shopping, trailer unpacking to do and a trip to the vet with kitty. But anyway, here is the final blog post for the 2015-2016 season.

Our last weekend in the southwest is spent partying back in Lake Havasu City. Along the drive between I-10 in California and Parker, Arizona is this strange "shoe fence". We often see wacky stuff like this driving through the desert, and this day we make time to stop and take a few pictures. It's crazy - shoes and clothing just stuck in this fence. Need a shoe, take a shoe. Have a shoe, leave a shoe.

We arrive at Paul and Sue's on my birthday, and this beloved group of friends surprises me with a delightful chocolate cake after a dinner out for dollar tacos. How did you know chocolate was my favourite? I guess the t-shirt is a dead giveaway (it says "Give me chocolate and nobody gets hurt").

We're really here to celebrate Paul's 60th birthday. To party with friends is why Paul and Sue built this house in Lake Havasu City, and we thank them. Brad and I enjoy an afternoon with the group in the pool the day before the celebration.

Patron Silver Tequila Sue's blog already has the best party photos. We played volleyball in the pool, had a great Mexican feast for dinner, complete with margaritas and tequila shots. And Sue put together a groovy 2-hour playlist for evening dancing. What a party! One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor!

Camped in the one of three full hookup sites in the Porters' driveway with an almost full moon rising. Our last night in the southwest.

The day after the party and we make a run for the border - 2,400 miles (3,860 Km) in 3 days! Normally, we would take 4-5 days to do that kind of drive, but bad weather in the form of rain and gusting winds is expected on day 4, so it's a mad dash. Luckily, the weather is great all the way home, and we arrive on day 3 around 10:30 pm, unpack the entire trailer, and tumble into bed around 2am. But by bedtime the next night, we are both sick with the flu and spend almost a week in bed. But enough of that. Here's the 2015-2016 trip's numbers:

Total distance driven:	11,700 miles (18,830 km) in 5 months
Total amount spent on diesel (truck fuel)	$ 2,233 USD of which $910 USD was spent driving out and home (fuel was VERY cheap this year)
Total amount spent on propane (heating and cooking)	$ 293 USD which isn't bad considering it was a cooler, wetter season than in past years
Total trip-related expenses:	$ 3,740 (excludes groceries since we would buy food at home)
Average trip-related cost:	$ 25 per day for the two of us
States Visited:	Utah, Arizona and California
Number of different camping spots:	14 (2 were repeated during this year - Lake Havasu City and Yuma)
Amount spent on camping:	$24 - 2 nights paid for in 5 months; all the rest of the trip was free camping - a new record! And - on that second day after paying, we learned where the free camping is in the area, so we could have spent $0,000.00 on camping this year with that little extra smidge of knowledge!

Now to begin planning the next trip, hopefully to the Oregon coast starting in early September 2016. Safe and happy travels everyone. Thanks for following us for another year.

Favourite photo of the trip