Southwest! 8 weeks with the family, Denver-to-Denver loop, 1st part...

Hey there, VoyageForum!!!

I’ve combed through this site up, down, and sideways to plan our two-month road trip across the American Southwest during the summer of 2022, so it only feels right to give back and revive the USA travel journal section—helping others prep, travel, or relive their own memories! 😏

A quick intro to the stars of this trip is coming soon... in an upcoming post!

Table of Contents:

Road trip introduction Day 1 & 2: the days we double-checked all our papers... Day 3 & 3 bis: The day we discovered Denver... Day 4: The day of the race, the carriage, and the little one’s cough... Day 5: the day the road trip truly began... Day 6 & 6 bis: the day of Nature’s first wonders... Day 7: the day the sky fell on our heads... Day 8 & 8 bis: the day we saw ghosts... Day 9: the day we climbed the mountain... Day 10: the day the theme song from "The Last Picture Show" played on loop in my head... Day 11: the day we lived like Native Americans... Day 12: the day we left civilization behind... Day 13 & 13 bis: the day we explored another planet... Day 14 & 14 bis: the day Caro reunited with HER rocks... Day 15 & 15 bis: the day of the fantastic ride... Day 16: the day we cooled off in Lake Powell... Day 17: the day the Colorado River’s meanders were all ours... Day 18: the day we dipped our feet in the Colorado... Day 19: the day the guys discovered true vastness... Day 20 & 20 bis: the day we covered a few acres of Route 66 before sunset... Day 21: the day the credit card said stop... right before the STRIP... Day 22: the day we finally discovered Cirque du Soleil... Day 23: the day we returned to calm... well, almost... Day 24: the day we reached our home base for 6 nights: Saint George Day 25: the day we should’ve explored Yant Flat... Day 26: the day it was 13°C at Cedar Breaks... Day 27: the day we explored The Narrows in Zion NP... Day 28: the day we discovered Snow Canyon... Day 29: the day we hiked to the "SUBWAY"... Day 30: the day we encountered the abyss—from the north this time... Day 31: the day we arrived in a place where dreams begin... Kanab... Day 32: the day we discovered the first treasures along House Rock Valley... 2nd part: the second part of the journey... Day 33: the day we discovered a magical place... Edmaier's Secret... Day 34: the day Cottonwood Road didn’t open up to us... Day 35: the day of the classic Queen’s Garden + Navajo Loop—and another event that became a classic... Day 36: the second day in Bryce... pure bliss!!! Day 37: the day we swam at the foot of Calf Creek Falls... Day 38: the day we took the Burr Trail, even with storms lurking... Day 39: The day of the goblins... Day 40: the day we enjoyed the peaceful Capitol Reef NP... Day 41: the day of the Rim Overlook and another letdown... Day 42: the day we arrived in... Moab... Day 43: the first day in Arches National Park... Day 44: the day of the Fisher Towers... Day 45: the day of Bow Tie & Corona Arches... Day 46: The day of Shafer Trail + Potash Road... Day 47: The second day in Arches NP... Day 48: the day we discovered Colorado NM in a flash... Day 49: the day of Black Canyon... Day 50: the day we passed through Durango before falling for Silverton... Day 51: the day we went through Ouray and ended up in Gunnison... Day 52: the day of Kebler Pass and arriving at the hot springs... Day 53: the day of hot springs II, then the road back to Denver... Day 54: the last day... Day 55: back home and the RECAP...

We’re Sylvain, Caroline, Tom, and Oscar—a *very* serious family that never jokes around and sticks to the plan to the letter!!! 😐

Nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, not even close! 😎



The backstory: Caroline broke her Monument Valley mug, so we *had* to go back.... Okay, the real truth? After our pre-kid trip in 2008, we knew we’d return with the kids—but only when they were old enough to handle a hike like "The Subway."...😛

In 2021, we were ready!...but the U.S. wasn’t, thanks to "the guy whose name I won’t say again," who really messed with our heads for two years while we planned the trip (remember all those last-minute cancellations in late June 2021? We *really* thought we’d make it until the end!!!).

But in 2022, we were *super* ready—everything was set, so off we went on our Denver-Denver loop through New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and back to Colorado.

A few details about the trip so you know what you’re getting into!:

The cast: Caroline—PE teacher—45—logistics master, Tom—12—sporty acrobat, Oscar—7—sporty acrobat who follows his brother everywhere, and Sylvain (yours truly)—science teacher—47—head trip organizer. We’re nature lovers and big into hiking, as you’ll see....

The ride: A GMC Yukon booked 9 months in advance with Hertz for 2700 € over 51 days, picked up downtown in Denver (30% cheaper!) and dropped off at the airport.

Accommodations: A mix of house swaps, campgrounds (or the car—you’ll see...), and hotels...

Eating habits: Restaurants morning, noon, and night..... uhhh, no, not for 55 days!!!!! It was more like quick breakfasts, quick lunches, and then dinner out or cooking with as many fresh ingredients as possible...

I’ll do a full budget breakdown at the end, and I’ll try to keep up a decent pace, but I can give you a sneak peek of the places we visited...







Just a little teaser...😎

Hello there, little family, hello again Voyage Forum! It’s such a joy to discover a new travel journal! We’ve been waiting for this for so long! I’m really looking forward to following your adventure. Bisti Badlands, Valley of the Fire, and Moonscape Overlook sound like highlights of the trip!

👏👏 and thanks !

Wednesday, July 6th and Thursday, July 7th: the days when you check more than once to make sure you’ve got all the paperwork...

Alright, here we go—get comfy, grab a nice beer from a Denver brewery, and some Beef Jerky if you're into that...

When we were looking for flight tickets, prices had really gone up compared to 2021. Then, one beautiful November morning, a great opportunity popped up: tickets for the four of us at 2700 €, but with a departure from... Brussels... 🤪 I quickly checked how to get from Rouen to Brussels without taking the car and saw there was a daily bus running all summer... 5 hours on the bus, sure, but no car to park who-knows-where, no friends to bother for a ride to Paris airport, and the bus was only 100 € for all four of us. Bingo, booked in a few clicks 😎

We hopped on the bus at 2 PM, and the trip actually went by fast between games and reading. We spent the night near the airport at the Novotel for a flight the next day at 11 AM, so we had plenty of time. A 3-hour layover in London, and we landed in Denver at 5:30 PM. Phew! 😛

We got out of the airport super quick—by 6:30 PM, we were in the parking lot trying to get Caro’s Orange plan to work on her phone... no luck, so no Uber. 😠 Ended up taking a taxi for $50 to our first place: a house in the eastern suburbs of Denver for 3 nights at 0 € 😉 Yep, we’ve been traveling for 12 years by swapping homes through HomeExchange, and there’s a points system that made this possible... We’ll use it two more times on this trip 😎

It was nearly 8 PM, so we stretched our legs in a park



and whipped up a quick bowl of pasta before crashing in our new home for the next three nights...



Good night!!!

Friday, July 8: The day we discover Denver...

Woke up at 5 AM 🏴‍☠️ hey Jetlag, how’s it going?

We take advantage of the house Wi-Fi to solve the mystery of the unused Orange plan from yesterday, and a nice operator tells us we probably forgot to activate mobile data roaming abroad! And... bam, that was it! 🙁

Now that it’s working, we order an Uber to downtown, specifically Union Station, Denver’s train station.



And the inside is just wooooow



But our stomachs are growling like crazy, so we grab breakfast at Snooze right next to the station—those eggs Benedict are divine!!!

Oh no, we can’t eat like this every morning or the scale won’t recognize us when we get back 🤪 so off we go for a long stroll through one of Denver’s northern neighborhoods, RiNo, passing by the Coors Field baseball stadium.



And then—bam—it hits us that we’re really in the States. I remember all those hours spent planning this trip, reliving last year’s cancellation, and standing in front of the stadium, I feel a deep emotion inside. 😄 This happiness makes us appreciate even more the amazing street-art murals in this neighborhood.





The bike lanes in RiNo are artistically well-marked!!!



And we keep wandering from mural to mural...







Not many people out and about, and before lunch, we spot a cool playground—like the ones all over the U.S.—and the kids can’t resist climbing around for a bit. We sit on a bench and watch them play—pure happiness, I’m telling you!

We head back toward downtown, and the Denver Market with its big food court catches our eye for lunch: pizza and salads on the menu.



More to come in the next post...

... more street art on the side of the building.



We need to get away from all that, so we decide to check out 16th Street, Denver’s main shopping street—and it’s a total flop for us, to put it mildly. Sure, there’s construction, but we’re shocked by the number of homeless people with clearly fried brains wandering the street. The effects of drugs are really something else, and our boys are stunned! One’s yelling nonsense, another’s dancing, another’s walking around with a toilet seat around his neck, then another and another...



We decide to slip over to another street to go see the famous blue bear peeking into the Convention Center to see if anyone’s working.



We push on to the Colorado State Capitol, which is gorgeous.



Then we head back home, stopping to grab a few groceries at Safeway and pick up our race bibs for tomorrow... 😛

Bedtime at 9:30 PM after this first full day on American soil. Tired but happy 😏

Good night and see you tomorrow!!!

Saturday, July 9: Race day, the SUV, and the little one with a cough...

Woke up again at 5 AM—hello again, jet lag, are you planning to crash every morning like this? 😕

No way we’re stuffing ourselves at Snooze this morning because there’s a race! Remember those bibs we picked up downtown yesterday? They’re for the Denver 5K! We’re into running and trail running (usually longer distances...), and this was Tom’s first 5K! 😉

After a light breakfast, an Uber takes us to the starting line around Sloan’s Lake on Denver’s west side... Good thing we didn’t drive before the race—parking would’ve been a nightmare with 755 people at the starting line. 😮 And we’re off!



The weather’s gorgeous, but it’s already hot—30°C (86°F) at 9 AM... We both finish, father and son, with a little tear in my eye, in exactly 30 minutes and 45 seconds, placing 199th and 200th overall and a fantastic 5th out of 29 in Tom’s category! We’re so proud! 😇

We enjoy the park, get our medals, freshen up, change, and head to Hertz in Littleton via Uber to pick up our ride...

We’d decided to stay in Denver for three days to adjust to the time change, ease into the trip, and rent the car in the city—which saved us $700!!!!!! 😮

It paid off because we arrive at the agency at 11 AM, no line, no stress after 15 hours of travel, and the nice lady doesn’t even ask if we want extra insurance! The boys had been dreaming of a GMC Yukon, and boom—we get a black GMC Yukon with every possible option! I do a quick walk-around to check for any issues, try to adjust the seat... this button: up, that button: tilt, that other button: forward—phew, got it! We can finally start the engine and hit the road for some great adventures with Buddy (yep, that’s his name...). Here’s Buddy in front of our Denver house.



We stop by Safeway for some groceries (we’ve had a loyalty card since our first Safeway visit) and head back home to unpack and get ready for tomorrow’s road trip!!!!

A little nap, and Oscar’s coughing a bit, has a sore throat, and isn’t feeling great... We were supposed to go downtown one last time, but we decide to stay home, play games, organize our luggage so we don’t have to unpack everything at every stop—especially for camping... Then we take a bike ride around the neighborhood (using our hosts’ bikes), and it’s so nice to "live like an American," strolling through a typical neighborhood with well-manicured lawns and well-kept houses straight out of *Desperate Housewives*!

Games, drinks on the patio, and even a barbecue to wrap up the day.

Goodnight, and see you tomorrow!!!!

Sunday, July 10: the day the road trip begins...

Woke up at 6 a.m., but hey, jet lag, you’re slacking—sleeping in, here we come!!!!

And Oscar’s wake-up was a bit tougher—he’s running a fever and has a sore throat. He’s never sick, and in the end, he’s not complaining too much; he’s just wiped out!

We tidy up the house, do some cleaning, and load everything into Buddy. It’s all good; we’re comfy in this sweet ride.

Headed south to Colorado Springs, stopping at Red Rock Amphitheatre, half an hour from Denver—a stunning open-air concert venue carved into the rock!







It must be amazing to catch a concert in a place like this! Access isn’t easy—you’ve got to climb—but it’s worth it!

We arrive in Colorado Springs around 1 p.m., and Oscar’s starving—great sign, he’s feeling better, and his stomach’s talking again! Let’s try In-N-Out Burger for our first burgers of the trip—😛Simple (3 meals), cheap (26 $ for 4), and super tasty (the best burger of the trip for the guys!!!)

Next, we head to the US Air Force Academy, a top military school, and it’s free to visit. We really wanted to see the Cadet Chapel—it’s an architectural marvel—but as we got closer, no way, you’ve got to be kidding me!!!!! It’s under renovation and completely covered in some kind of tarp, so we can’t see anything. 😠Yeeeessss, first fail of the trip. Oh well, it’s not the end of the world! We’ll get over it; there are worse things...

We check out the museum, sports fields, and some insane facilities—like a 60,000-seat football stadium. 😮 Super fun afternoon...😎

We end the day eating at Crystal Cantina, a Mexican restaurant where they tell you the dish isn’t very spicy, but oh boy, it is! 🏴‍☠️ Still, a solid spot.

Econolodge in Manitou Springs for 2 nights (238 $): great location for visiting Garden of the Gods, the room’s totally fine, breakfast is decent, just the bathroom’s meh in terms of cleanliness...😕

Good night, see you tomorrow!!!!

Monday, July 11: the day of Nature’s first wonders...

Alright, we’re all set with a wake-up around 7:30-8:00 AM! 🙂 This’ll be our sunrise routine for the whole trip...

Decent hotel breakfast with our first waffle maker of the trip😛 Then off to explore Garden of the Gods & Nature Center—entry’s free!

This little park is gorgeous, especially early in the morning or late afternoon. We take the small trails winding through these stunning rock formations...



But it’s pretty crowded, so we figure it’d be nice to wander a bit farther—and boom, just 10 minutes of walking and there’s almost no one around, plus we get a way better view of the whole place...



So don’t hesitate to step away from the main formations...



Oscar’s tired—he’s not quite back to full energy yet—so we rest under a tree.



Then back to the hotel, which is just 10 minutes from the park, for some well-deserved downtime...

More from the day in the next post...

...continuing from Monday, July 11...

After a quick restorative nap, we hit the road east of Colorado Springs—a super long straight stretch (dozens of kilometers!)—and arrive at our destination: Paint Mines, an amazing site in the middle of nowhere! In the parking lot, an older American guy calls out to us to talk about... marathons! He saw our Denver race T-shirts. Such a fun, typically American exchange!

We head down to the site, and wow—pink, purple, yellow... and yet no sun (sniff). The photos don’t do justice to how beautiful it is...















We wander around this magical landscape for a good two hours, almost completely alone—imagine how stunning it must be under a gorgeous late-afternoon sun! The place is so peaceful .

Back on the road—another *huge* straight stretch —to grab supplies for camping: sleeping bags, a cooler, pots, pans, plates, etc. We’d already bought the tent in France (a 4-person Fresh&Black from Decathlon with two rooms—perfect 😎). We head to Bass Pro Shop, a local institution, and it’s *not* a small store!!!



Did you see the bison on the "shelves"????



They’ve got everything for outdoor sports, camping, you name it. Honey, should we grab a machine gun too? No? Fine! Yes, they had a whole bunch of guns for sale, even little blue or pink rifles for kids .

We’ve got everything we need, and we’re wiped after such an amazing day. Oscar’s holding up like a champ, so we head back to the hotel, order a pizza, and call it a night—we’re too drained to go out! The pizza from Hell’s Kitchen is *huge* but... not good. Avoid .

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

Tuesday, July 12: The day the sky fell on our heads...

Wake-up at 8 AM, we’re finally adjusted—jet lag, we’ll see you again in about fifty days, bye!

Breakfast at the hotel, more waffles again 😛, first full tank of gas—oh wow, 21 gallons in the beast at $4.79/gallon.... 🙁 Well, it’s still cheaper than in France...

Heading deeper into Colorado, I’m talking about Victor and Cripple Creek!



Two small mining towns (gold rush era) preserved just as they were, with some beautiful buildings, starting with the town of Victor.







We eat at the Gold Comp Bakery, a small bakery with a few tables that serves us delicious Chicken Pot Pies and a huge sandwich for the guys to share! It’s all locals, and when they hear us speaking French, the conversation starts—super friendly. I love these places far from the tourist crowds (far from us, right!!! 😏)

After this warm midday culinary break, we come out full and look at the sky, which had been perfectly clear until then, now filling up with big, very, very dark clouds 😕

We’re from Normandy, we’re not afraid of a few raindrops 😄, so we walk away from the car and stroll down Victor’s main street, noses in the air... And bam, what hit me in the face????? 😠 Well, it’s the sky, my friend, then a second, a third... a dozen, then... hailstones the size of golf balls 😮

Everyone take cover!!!! We duck into a small recess in a closed shop—we’re somewhat sheltered, but it’s a downpour!!!!! The wind blows hailstones at our legs, and we’re in shorts, mind you!!!!! Across the street, a small café with people waving at us to join them inside. We wait for a slight lull and run across the street—we’re soaked in seconds—then squeeze into the café... Phew, dry at last! We order a coffee or hot chocolate... Oh, no way, no coffee or hot chocolate machine here 🤪 We look around—everyone’s drinking beer with a glass of scotch, and it’s only 3 PM 😮 The owner sees we’re not about to start drinking liquor and offers to make coffee with her personal coffeemaker in the back... So kind, since we’re freezing!!!! It calms down outside, we ask for the bill—it’s on the house!!! We see a big tip jar and leave a nice tip for the hospitality and the coffee 😉

We get the car, and the temperature has dropped by 20°C—it’s 12°C now!!!! 😮 Heading to Cripple Creek, and we can clearly see what fell in 20 minutes on the road...



Cripple Creek is a bigger town than Victor but way less charming—its main street is just a succession of casinos!!!







Now, the dilemma after the storm: can we still take Shelf Road as planned??? 🤪

The temperature has climbed back up to around 30°C. We ask around and are told that with our car and the forecast (clear skies for the next 24 hours), there shouldn’t be any problem... Well, we’re not here to twiddle our thumbs—we’re told we’ve got the right vehicle, so we decide to go for it, and we won’t regret it!!!!

We hit the trail around 4:30 PM—it’s a beautiful road.



Just don’t get vertigo... We pass three cars and enjoy the tranquility. It’s pretty steep in places, mostly smooth with a few big puddles and some mud, but we arrive at Sand Gulch Campground without any issues—a primitive campsite with no showers. We’re all alone... well, almost!!!!!! The campsite is swarming with tiny gnats flying into our ears and noses. We set up the tent as best we can and take refuge in the car around 7 PM to watch a movie on the laptop while waiting for nightfall... 😄 And then, not a single gnat left—they’ve gone to bed, the little guys. A deafening silence, we wander around by moonlight, and then it’s time for a big, restful sleep!



Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!!

Wednesday, July 13: the day we saw ghosts... ...but not real ones, don’t run away, no need to be scared!!!!

Okay, we woke up pretty early around 7 a.m. because the wind was blowing a bit this morning and really shaking the tent... but the guys slept like logs through it all.

We poked our heads outside to see if they were still there—you know, the ones who wanted to explore the inside of our heads, those swarms of gnats. Well, no, nothing, nada! They must not like the wind!!! 🙂

The kids woke up, and we could have a little breakfast with a gorgeous view!



Alright, time to pack up! We started assigning tasks for each upcoming campsite: Tom, you deflate and fold the mattresses; Oscar, you roll up the sleeping bags; and Mom and Dad, we’ll take down the tent and pack everything into Buddy. Boom! In 30 minutes, everything was packed. 😎

We fired up Maps.me because there’s no signal here! Off to St. Elmo, a little ghost town... The end of Shelf Road was a breeze——it was even paved at the end. We arrived in St. Elmo around 11:30 a.m.





Not a ton to see... The old buildings are being restored one by one... St. Elmo is pretty remote since you can only get there by a dirt road...





But the vibe is really nice—a little river runs through these beautiful Colorado landscapes.



We had a picnic by the river—super peaceful and full of chipmunks... which you can even feed at the entrance to the village...



A long drive awaits us to reach Great Sand Dunes, so we left St. Elmo around 2:30 p.m...



...to be continued in the next post...

...continuing from Wednesday, July 13...

The road is a bit monotonous on the way to GSD. We stop to grab some groceries because there are few restaurants near tonight’s lodge, so it’ll be a picnic on our room’s terrace... Storms on the road, the gas gauge lighting up... roadwork that adds time to our trip... The GasBuddy app points us to ONE station along our route, but it’s... closed... We finally arrive at the hotel (Great Sand Dunes Lodge, which costs an arm and a leg, but what a view!) and settle onto the terrace. It’s gorgeous... 😲 even under the storm, then it clears up... 😲😲



We wanted to stay at this hotel because all the photos from today were taken from... our terrace... 😏... After the storm, the sun to end the day...





It’s breathtaking!!! To our right, the dunes, and in front of us... the desert!



Hopefully, the weather’s nice tomorrow because we’re climbing all the way to the top of High Dune, the tallest dune at Great Sand Dunes...

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

Awesome, it’s a loop we’d been thinking about—can’t wait to read all this! Thanks, Sylvain. Just as happy to see VF reopening its doors!

By the way, hello Daniel, Jean-Louis, and Jeff! Thanks for following along with this story!

😉😉😉

Thursday, July 14th: The day we climbed the mountain...

Okay, where’s the beach again??? 😎 Oh right, it’s this way:



Gorgeous sunrise over the dunes this time, and we have breakfast (included in the room price—it’s a self-service tray you can take to your room) on our terrace with this stunning view... Yeah, it comes at a price, like I mentioned in my last post: $235 per night, but we spent all of yesterday evening plus a good hour this morning just soaking in the changing light and colors...

Now that breakfast’s done, we’re tackling that High Dune... By the way, we rented a sandboard from our hotel for the descent... We get to the parking lot around 9:30 AM, cross the river (more like a little ford this time of year 😄) and we’re off!!!



It’s flat for the first 200 meters, and you can tell it’s gonna be a nice morning!!! 😊

We start the climb—easy at first, but then the slope gets steeper... and well... we’re... huffing... and... puffing... like crazy!!! We find a good rhythm, trying not to slide back down the few centimeters we gain with each step! Sometimes it feels like we’re not moving at all... 🤪 A few breaks are definitely needed!



The little ones start grumbling... but the promise of a huge ice cream later in the day keeps everyone motivated. When we finally see the top, we’ve got our goal in sight, and sheer willpower takes over 😄 We made it! 🙂



Totally worth a cheesy pose!



We savor the victory, and the few people who made it to the top cheer on our Oscar, who climbed High Dune at just 8 years old!!! We spend a good half-hour soaking in the view, then head back down the same way—though the scenery’s different because, on the way up, we weren’t exactly turning our heads every five minutes. It was more like tunnel vision!!!



We have a blast sandboarding down—way easier and *much* faster!

We reach the end of the hike (only 5 km, but 3 hours of walking...) and dip our feet in the river ford to relax...

We get back in the car and... *clench*!!! 😕 Oh right, you remember we couldn’t fill up the tank two days ago... We follow GasBuddy, which shows a station 30 km away, hoping it’s open... 🏴‍☠️ It is! 😏 Buddy was *thirsty*, and once he’s had his fill, we head toward Taos, New Mexico! Before crossing into the state, we stop in Alamosa at a super typical diner packed with locals—Lu’s Cafe. We get out of there for $60 with four plates and a drink. 😎

The scenery changes, and we’re in Taos, with its adobe architecture, for a little sightseeing.







Taos is such a charming little town—so peaceful. After wandering around, we grab some Mexican takeout: La Cueva. $35 for four burritos.

Tonight, we’re camping by the Rio Grande (you can see it in the background of the next photo... The Rio Grande—can you believe it??? Eddy, all our childhood memories!!!). It’s a primitive campsite with just a few faucets, but each spot has a table and a grill.



After a great meal by the famous Rio Grande and reminiscing about all those Western nights with Eddy, we finally drift off to sleep.

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!!

Friday, July 15:the day the theme from "The Last Picture Show" got stuck in my head on loop...

Yep, the Rio Grande definitely had something to do with it, for sure!

So, we wake up this morning to the gentle sound of the Rio Grande flowing just a few meters away at Rio Bravo Campground. The night was calm, peaceful, and restful, and after a hearty breakfast, packing up (we’re getting pretty good at tent packing), and a shower (oh well... no, they’re not working!!! ), we hit the road for new horizons...

We take Route 570, a track that runs along the Rio Grande Gorge, to reach the bridge that offers a dizzying view of those famous gorges.



We head back to Taos to pick up a few supplies for lunch and to take the "High Road to Taos," a scenic route connecting Taos to Santa Fe. This road is especially great for seeing many of the typical churches of New Mexico.





A picnic on the road at a playground next to a school—kids are having a blast! 😉

Then we arrive in Santa Fe around 3 p.m. We wander through this charming little town, letting our instincts guide us...









A quick ice cream stop for everyone at Häagen-Dazs: $25 for 4... Oops!!!







Another stop to order pizzas (Upper Crust Pizza) to eat in our room at the Motel 6 downtown ($75 a night)—great location, just what we needed for one night, and way more affordable than most hotels in Santa Fe... We watch a bit of baseball and then some US football on TV and hit the hay pretty early, even though the day was pretty relaxed!!! 🙂

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

Wow, a new travel journal! You're writing so fast—I’ve already got a lot to read! A trip that lasts all summer, how lucky!!! 😎 For the photos you posted in the first message, I was beaten to it, but I would’ve said the same thing: around Farmington, Valley of Fire, and Moonscape Overlook 😁

About your trip planned for 2021, you said you believed in it until the end—but weren’t your flights canceled? We were supposed to go too, but our flights were canceled as early as April. So in 2022, after the cancellations in 2020 and 2021, I didn’t feel like planning another trip to the U.S. We switched to Norway (which we absolutely didn’t regret 🤩) and only returned to the U.S. in 2023! :)

Hi Peggy, yes, our flights were only canceled a week before we left...

Saturday, July 16: the day we lived like Native Americans...

Another good night, and this morning the showers are working—phew! Across from the hotel, a bakery gives us something to fill up on with delicious slightly sweet bread, yummy 😛

A bit of suitcase organizing for logistics and to avoid unpacking everything every night... and tonight, it's camping again! 🙂

But before that, we head to Bandelier NM to see how people lived around here 10,000 years ago 😄



We arrive before 9 a.m., the dreaded time after which you have to take shuttles to enter the park... We’ll be driving in. The America the Beautiful Pass we bought at GSD works here 😉

It’s really green, and quickly, following the main Main Loop Trail, we reach a stunning pueblo partly in ruins and those famous cliff dwellings, some accessible by ladders...





Nice view of the pueblo:



The Main Loop Trail, as the name suggests, is a 2 km (1.2 mi) easy loop, and at the end, you can add a 2 km (1.2 mi) round trip to Alcove House, which is totally worth the detour!!! If you’re afraid of heights, you probably won’t be able to climb up 🤪, but even the view from below is great!







Back on the main trail with views that are just as pretty...





We finish the visit around 12:30 p.m. and head to Los Alamos for a bite to eat! We have to cross a military zone, so we stop at a checkpoint where an armed U.S. soldier asks us a bunch of questions about why we’re there... The kids are impressed, and so are we—he wasn’t exactly smiling!!!!

We eat at Los Alamos Coop at the edge of this little town, where they sell fresh, organic products at a reasonable price ($43 for 4 of us).

We take the Jemez Trail National Scenic Byway to reach Albuquerque—a nice drive through a forest that opens up to a much more arid area and our first red rocks... no photos, I don’t know why!!! 🙁

We arrive at our campsite in Albuquerque: a KOA, a chain of U.S. campgrounds with nice amenities like a pool, showers (yes, lots of U.S. campgrounds don’t have showers), and kids’ games. But it comes at a cost: $70 per night! We enjoy the pool, the games, and admire the "small" American RVs...



A little barbecue and an American menu: white beans in tomato sauce, grilled corn, yummy 😛—and bedtime!

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

This travel journal start is amazing! In May 2022, Bandelier was closed due to wildfires—we were also charmed by the colors of Painted Mines. Can’t wait for the rest of your trip!! 🙂

Hi Sylvain, I'm diving into this travel journal that's progressing at a crazy pace on a loop of... 8 weeks that really makes you want to go! I smiled when you mentioned the F&B tent that caught the wind, because we had the same misadventure this summer with a 5-person F&B that wouldn’t set up properly. Except it wasn’t in the middle of the desert with a light breeze—it was in Iceland, not exactly known for its calm weather. You’ve been to St. Elmo, which I first discovered in Julien’s journal, aka Ju45. Maybe you got inspired by his journal... For the next day, we’ll see if you’re a Breaking Bad fan 😉

Hi Fabienne, Hi Guillaume, Yes, I was influenced by lots of travel journals on this forum to plan this 8-week trip. While reading, I kept adding sites and tweaking my route—this prep work is pure joy for me because the journey starts right here!

By the way, I read your travel journals too, Guillaume—they were a huge inspiration!

Have a great day, Sylvain

PS: I’m a huge *Breaking Bad* fan, but… I’m the only one in the family, so I didn’t specifically ask the kids to do the filming location tour…

Hi Sylvain, Normally I don’t follow travel journals about the States—I’m saving that destination for a reeeeally long trip when I’ve got more time ahead of me (even though that time got pushed back by 2 years recently 😠). But your journal hooked me—I love the tone and the good vibes coming through, so I’m hopping in the truck with you, happy to join! Bruno

Awesome, finally a new travel journal—we weren’t sure it’d happen! Thanks to everyone at VF who made this comeback possible.. I’ll be following along... I’m heading back next year too, leaving from Denver... That said, I wasn’t planning to stay in Denver. Your story and photos are making me rethink that...

Hi Bruno, welcome to the GMC! 😉

Hi Marie, absolutely, Denver and the surrounding area are worth stopping for! And welcome to the discussion! Sylvain

Sunday, July 17: the day we left civilization...

Woke up pretty early around 7:30 AM. First, because the KOA is near a reeeeally busy road🤪, and second, because today was our second (and last on this road trip) race: the Albuquerque Chunky Monkey Run, 5 km through the city. The race started at 8:15 AM 😮 Yes, at that hour, it’s only 25°C here...😎



and meanwhile, Oscar found a playground



It’s hot, but Tom finishes his second 5 km in just over 30 minutes, which puts him 3rd in his category—so podium! 😇



Super friendly vibe—the announcer kept mentioning us because we were the only foreigners participating. We even got cheers from the excited crowd (okay, maybe not *that* excited 😄) during the medal ceremony. Proud of big Tom!



Back at the campsite, we pack up the tent and stow our gear in 30 minutes—challenge accepted with kids, and so far, so good! Then we can take a shower, relax in the pool, and shower again before hitting the road because tonight, it’s... camping rough—no showers 🏴‍☠️

We stop at a Denny’s on the way out of Albuquerque ($65 for 4) and head toward Bisti Badlands......... A long, pretty monotonous drive to get there....😕

We arrive late in the day, pitch the tent, and set off to explore the first few hundred meters of this lunar landscape...



The area isn’t as remote as I’d read before—there’s now a composting toilet block and a sort of shelter with tables and barbecues... We use the barbecue to make a nice hot meal: sausages with white beans in tomato sauce (we love it!!!!). The wind starts picking up... and wait, is that lightning in the distance? Oh yeah, but it’s far...😏

We go to bed around 9:30 PM—there’s not much to do around here... We wanted to stargaze, but there are clouds, big clouds, *really* big clouds, and wind, lots of wind, *so* much wind!!!! The tent’s shaking a lot 🤪. Suddenly, a stronger gust flattens the tent fabric against us, and we can tell the stakes have popped right out 🏴‍☠️. I jump up to stand in the middle of the tent and hold the poles to keep us from flying away!!! Almost no rain, but we can hear the thunder!!! A flash of lightning—I count: 1, 2, BRRRRR—okay, that means it struck 680 meters away 😮. Everyone to safety!!!! Well, everyone in the car except me, holding the tent until a lull comes—after what feels like forever... Caro joins me then, and we pack up the tent in... 3 minutes 60 seconds, new record!!!!!! 😎 Though "packed" is a bit of a stretch—we just stuff everything into the car and sleep... in the car...

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

Since VF is back, I'm diving back into reading ;) and it's great ;) It's been a long time since Bisti wasn't a hidden gem at all! Already back in 2018... And I'm not even talking about last October, the weekend of the partial eclipse, when there were 300-400 vehicles camping in the main parking lot and all around. There's a smaller parking lot further north (the closest to the Conversing Hoodoos for those who know) that's a bit less known and crowded... but even there, there were 15-20 cars for the eclipse. The day before the eclipse, there was even some idiot (sorry, but there's no other word) who pitched his tent RIGHT AT THE FOOT of Alien Throne in Valley of Dreams... I couldn't even find a spot to set up my tripod, which made me laugh because I already had photos. The next day (so the evening of the eclipse, which happened late morning), I went back and had the place to myself for a good part of the late afternoon. And there were only 4-5 of us for the sunset...

Can't wait to read the rest, sounds awesome with the family...

Hi Yves, welcome to the road! 300-400 vehicles at Bisti????????🏴‍☠️

Monday, July 18: The day we explored another planet...

After a good night in the car... Nooooooooooo, not a good night—more like successive states of drowsiness... 🙁 Up at 6:30 AM, a nice shower to wake up... Nooooooooooooo, we’re actually camping—🙁 We make ourselves a good coffee, and since we’re up early, we get to enjoy the soft morning light to go see the birth of beings from the planet Bisti! Off to Cracked Eggs...



Well, we waited a long time, but no aliens in sight... 😏



...but a stunning site. We continue with our hiking GPS and follow the recorded trail to discover absolutely fantastic spots. Just take a look:









We move from zone to zone, from one surprise to the next—we’re completely under the spell... 😊



Petrified beings???





...to be continued in the next post...

...where were we again?... Oh right, Bisti Badlands...



We're nearing the end of the loop...



And that's it, we're done—so happy we got to explore this area under glorious sunshine... 😏 after last night's storm!!! 🏴‍☠️



We hiked for nearly 4 hours and wandered through this vast playground, covering close to 10 km without even realizing it—it was a real highlight of our road trip... Back to the car, we unfold the tent that was stuffed haphazardly in the trunk to shake off all the dust and fold it properly. We pack up and leave this amazing spot, which you really need to visit at the crack of dawn... There were only two families there 😇

Heading to Farmington for a good meal after this great adventure, and since we're still in New Mexico, we ate at... Boon's Family Thai BBQ 😎. It sounds super local!!! But we wanted a change, and it was delicious! ($80 for 4)

Back on the road—no need for gas, we filled up in Albuquerque, and I haven’t even told you this story yet!!! The GasBuddy app showed a station with gas at $3.75 a gallon!!! Since it usually hovers around $4.80 here, we rushed over. There were a lot of people, obviously. It was our turn, and then it said: "Insert your loyalty card"... uhhh, we don’t have one... and we couldn’t get gas without it, even at the higher price!!!! An American behind us, seeing our confusion, came over and said: "No problem, you can use my fidelity card!" And just like that, we got the cheapest fill-up of the trip 😏

We’re now heading toward Canyon de Chelly. Along the way, we pass by a stunning rock formation in the middle of nowhere: Shiprock, which, as you can guess, is a sacred site for the Navajo.





We arrive at the north rim of Canyon de Chelly. We stop to take a few photos.





This canyon is still as beautiful as ever. We explored it thoroughly back in 2008—we even went down to the bottom of the canyon. It’s a must-see, far from the crowds... We quickly cover the south rim, making our way to the majestic Spider Rock...



Alright, that’s enough for now, as Tom would say—but the tour’s stopping here because *I* have a pool to get to!!! As promised to the boys, and given the time, we head to tonight’s hotel: the Holiday Inn in Chinle for 136 € a night, breakfast included. At 6 PM, we unwind in the pool for a good hour before having a picnic in the room and calling it a night—today was packed!!!

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

Oh yeah. Little ones, big ones (25m RVs), old VW campervans—everything you can imagine. And music, fires everywhere... a joyful chaos. I only saw it during the day, but in the evening it must’ve been pretty loud! All that for an eclipse which, compared to the one in April in Texas, was interesting but not at all extraordinary... not exactly jaw-dropping, you know? The April one, though—that was something else. And there were only three cars where I stopped...

Tuesday, July 18: The day Caro reunites with HER rocks...

After a great night, we could only do better than yesterday!!! Woke up around 8 a.m., had breakfast at the hotel, and headed toward Hope Arch, located not far from Chinle. We access it via a dirt road and stop at the power pole, as indicated, since we can't see the arch from the road...

Then, a short half-hour hike leads us to this majestic arch that reveals itself little by little... 😄



We do a bit of climbing to get inside...



It’s totally worth the detour, and once again, we’re all alone at this site! 😎

We hike back to the car and head to Kayenta, where we eat at Amigo Cafe ($60 for 4 dishes)—delicious Navajo tacos—then make our way to the legendary Monument Valley!



We take the Scenic Drive, and with Buddy, it’s a breeze. What a thrill to be back here!!! We’re snapping pics like crazy—there aren’t too many people around...













We stop often, soak in the views, breathe in Monument Valley, chat for a while with an older Navajo woman running her jewelry stand, and truly experience one of those suspended moments...



...to be continued in the next post...

... Alright, we really need to think about leaving soon. One last photo with that end-of-day light.



A final glance.



No, Caro, come back!!!!! She wouldn’t leave me for Monument Valley, right??? 😮

With images filling our heads, we head toward KOA Monument Valley for $110 for 2 nights. We were supposed to stay at the Monument Valley campground, but it’s closed this year. We got an email about the cancellation... 🏴‍☠️ Well, we’re not too worse off... The view from the tent isn’t bad...



A few groceries at Goulding's Grocery, a nice shower, a simple meal, and the kids go off to play with other kids at the campground games. They’re happy, and so are we!!! 🙂 We soak in the end-of-day light on the rocks around us 😮 and then it’s bedtime!

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

The view from the KOA campsite is really nice, but the price hurts... just for a tent spot! 😕

Especially since the Mexican Hat campsites aren’t far—you pay online. And with a Rubicon, you can make it all the way down to the lower sites along the river. Absolute bliss: no one around, total peace, and none of that road noise...

Wednesday, July 20: the day of the fantastic ride...

A gentle wake-up around 8:30, a little breakfast on the table at our campsite that’s... covered in flies!!!! 🏴‍☠️ They’re desperately searching for the tiniest trace of sugar... but they don’t come near us.

Tom and Caro get ready because today is.............................





A 1.5-hour horseback ride in Monument Valley. The best part? The ride starts right from the KOA.



While they’re out, we tidy up and play with Oscar, then welcome them back when they return 😉

They’re over the moon—the Navajo guide shared some great stories, and they even got to gallop a bit! 😉

We drive to Goulding’s Grocery to pick up a few things. Prices aren’t too crazy for the area, so we grab some veggies (because it’s not all burgers on the menu, right! 😛) for our picnic and dinner at the campsite.

Then we head toward Moki Dugway



a breathtaking dirt road with stunning viewpoints...



to reach Muley Point...



An incredible panorama unfolds before us!!!



It definitely calls for a dramatic pose!!!



We take advantage of being alone again to have a picnic in the shade of a tree with this amazing view



We drive back down Moki Dugway and take a new trail to wander through the Valley of the Gods... Sounds like a dream, right!?

... to be continued in the next post...

...continuing with the discovery of the Valley of the Gods...









Those fluffy little white clouds in a blue sky above these red rocks—we love it! And yep, another deserted spot since we only came across 3 cars in 1.5 hours! Amazing!!!

And we head back to the campsite via this equally iconic panorama!



We end the day with stars in our eyes, relaxing at the campsite while the kids still have some energy left to play with other children. Shower, dinner, and bedtime!

Good night and see you tomorrow!!!

This American road trip is sooo cool!

On top of being well-written and beautifully photographed, it reminds us of some amazing places, introduces us to new ones, and it’s so cheerful that it’s a real pleasure to read 🙂

Looking forward to the next part...

Hi Dolma,

Welcome to the journey and the adventure!

Thursday, July 21: The day we cooled off in Lake Powell...

Another great night in the tent—we sleep so well in Monument Valley! 🙂 We get up around 8:30, have breakfast, and pack up, but we’re taking it easy this morning. 😎 We fill up on gas near Goulding's grocery, wash Buddy (who thanks us 🤪 with those last dirt roads), and head to Page for two nights... We arrive around noon, and our stomachs are growling. 😛 Lunch is at Slackers—a good burger (50$ for 4, and it was great).

After that, we drive to Antelope Marina to rent two canoes for 2 hours (75$ total). Turns out, there are paddles *and*... pedals!!! 😄 Pretty cool!





We have a blast, heading to a secluded spot where we’re alone to take a dip or jump off a rock by the shore... The boys love it, and so do we!





We dock, then head back to the car after taking a shuttle—since the parking lot isn’t near the marina... Why, you ask? Well, the docks are now *way* farther out because the water level has dropped dramatically in recent years. The lake is shockingly low! 😕

We check into our hotel room—another Holiday Inn! We really like this chain for its great value: a room for 4, a pool, and a high-quality breakfast included.

The boys enjoy the pool for a good half-hour, then we shower and head to a restaurant near the hotel, the Gone West Family Restaurant. Country vibes with a live band, long tables where everyone sits side by side—it’s a really fun atmosphere! 😏 The food is just okay, but first, we order a good pint... And then, while waiting for our drinks—BAM!!! A waitress drops a whole tray of glasses not far from us. She freezes, starts crying, but everything gets sorted. An employee mops up, and that’s that... OR NOT! A second server comes running in a few minutes later, and you *know* what’s about to happen—RE-BAM, same BANG, then BOOM! The server slips on the freshly mopped (but not dried) spot and falls with a tray full of OUR glasses... Broken glass everywhere, spilled drinks, and—oh no—even a *bloody ankle* for... ME!!!! A small piece of glass got stuck above my ankle... The server is pale, everyone rushes to clean up, and eventually, things settle down. Our drinks finally arrive 45 minutes after we got there. Phew! 🏴‍☠️

We enjoy the evening—eating, singing, dancing the Madison and other country dances, having a blast! The kids don’t want to dance... Fine, off to jail with them! (Just kidding.)



Then comes the bill. I lean over to the waitress with a playful tone and a smile: "I hope the drinks are on the house!" She stammers something and disappears with our bill... only to return with a manager, who asks if my leg is okay and if I need a doctor. 🤪 Uh, no, it’s just a small cut—no stitches needed... "Alright, well, we’ll give you 50% off the bill for the inconvenience!" !!!!!!!! 😮 Oh, okay—I was just hoping for free drinks, but 50% off the whole evening?! 😎 So, 40$ for a country night with drinks included! Great deal!

We head back to the hotel and hit the hay.

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

$40 for the small scratch, you guys got off easy 😉. Gotta say, they’re so scared of procedures over there...

Friday, July 22: the day the Colorado River’s meanders were all ours... just ours...

Yep, you read that right... just ours!!!! Of course, when you hear "Colorado meanders near Page," you immediately think of Horseshoe Bend... but we discovered another viewpoint—maybe less spectacular, but with way fewer people!!! 😎

But yeah, this spot’s earned—big time!!!!!! 😏

Let’s rewind: We got up around 8:30 AM, had a fantastic little breakfast at the hotel—Oscar *loves* getting sausage-omelet when he can! 🙂 We feasted on pastries, pancakes or waffles, fruit... We were stuffed, energy levels maxed out (maybe a little *too* much 🏴‍☠️), and headed off to today’s hike, about an hour from Page: Spencer Trail...

It’s not a super long hike—we did 8.5 km—but it’s got a steep elevation gain, so it’s pretty tough, especially under the summer sun. Bring *lots* of water—we took 6L for the four of us, and we drank every last drop!!!! But it’s *gorgeous*!!!!

We parked at Lees Ferry, and off we went!



That cliff in front of us? That’s what we had to climb!😮



And we quickly got a great view of the Colorado River...



We took plenty of breaks, climbing higher,



rationing our water by sipping small amounts regularly, and the ascent took about 2 hours. Once up top, we had to cross the little plateau to Six Mile Bend to see this...





Just to be clear—we were *completely* alone!!!! 😎 We spent just under an hour staring in awe at that stunning panorama... View of Marble Canyon



Then we started the descent, which was faster (1.5 hours).



Tom took the lead and even finished 15 minutes ahead of us, but he’d only had a little water left in his bottle and got heat exhaustion by the end... We found restrooms near the parking lot and a faucet with—get this—*hot* water 🏴‍☠️. Oh well, tea time for everyone, and we drank that warm water to rehydrate 😄.

Back in Page, we drove past Horseshoe Bend and its packed parking lot... Nope, not going there! 🙁 (Just FYI, we’d already done it in 2008...)

We’d grabbed groceries at Safeway yesterday for a picnic, so we headed straight to the boys’ well-earned reward... a beach for an afternoon of swimming and jumping in the lake!!! We’re not really beach-roasting fans 🤪, but honestly, that moment was pure bliss after this morning’s hike... 😉 We went back to Antelope Marina because we’d spotted a beach with rocks you could jump off while canoeing...



You can’t see them in the photo, but the rocks are on both sides of the beach. Tom and Oscar jumped from different heights, and we even tried a 3-meter leap 😄.

A perfect afternoon, but clouds rolled in around 5 PM, and the forecast called for storms. 😠 We’d planned to go to Alstrom Point and camp there... What to do??? Well, anyway, sunset was a no-go, and the Bisti storm is still fresh in our minds... Wise decision—we settled for Wahweap Campground around 7 PM. The storm seemed to be moving away, but the clouds weren’t, so no regrets... A nice campground with *tons* of groups... French groups, so it was lively, but the wait for showers was endless... 🏴‍☠️ Simple dinner and bedtime.

Good night, and see you tomorrow!!!

Back in July 2015, there were also tons of French people at Wahweap Campground—it was Air France’s works council trip !! For the Spencer Trail, I see you didn’t go all the way to the end of the plateau to be right in front of the meander. Fair enough, crossing the plateau after the climb is *super* long.

I’ll admit we wanted to reach the end of the plateau, but the boys had already hiked like champs and our water supplies melted fast, so we played it safe... Just to clarify, Oscar was 7 and Tom was 12 at the time, but I really would’ve loved to see that head-on!! I’ll be back!!!😏

It's a nice day+ for a 7-year-old, and you did the right thing if water supplies were limited 😉

The photos of Spencer Trail are gorgeous! But you started the hike super late... weren’t you worried about the heat? We finally got to do it in 2023 (it was on the itinerary several times since 2020, but 3 trips were canceled 😕). We stayed at Lee's Ferry Lodge (15 minutes from the trailhead) and at 6:15 AM, we were already climbing 😉 Once at the top, we didn’t go all the way to the end of the plateau either.

Hi Peggy, actually, we’re from Normandy and we love the heat! 😉 We always bring enough water and figure out when it’s time to turn back! A good hat and we’re off!

Sylvain