John Wise

After giving Jutta a week to recuperate from jet lag, we packed my mother-in-law into the rental car and pointed the car west for a 16-day road trip, her fourth trip to America. Our visit to Death Valley was a high point for Jutta, as it was a dream destination she’d wished to see for many years. From there, we drove north over the coast, pausing to visit the elephant seals near San Simeon, and a little further north, we watched two of the rare California Condors that have been released back into the wild. Slowly, we went north, stopping at Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey, taking photos of the Golden Gate Bridge, taking a walk in the Muir Woods National Monument, visiting Point Reyes, and then the Redwoods National Park.

In Oregon, we camped for two nights in Yurts at the Sunset Bay and Cape Lookout State Parks. After years of trying, we finally were able to visit the Sea Lion Caves. We visited lighthouses, the Blue Heron Cheese Company, and stopped for ice cream at the Tillamook Cheese Factory. Our next stop was Washington.

After going to Mount St. Helens Volcanic National Monument, we cut west to the coast, stopping at Pacific Beach and then continued north for a visit to the rainforest of the Olympic National Park. Northeast, we stop in on the scenic North Cascades National Park before slicing across Idaho to Glacier National Park.

This was Caroline and my second visit to Glacier, and this time, we were greeted with sunny skies. It is our intention to one day continue north up the Rocky Mountains to Banff, Yoho, and Jasper National Parks in Canada. Leaving Glacier from the east side of the park, we head out onto the Great Plains, where a few Bison can still be seen.

The Great Plains never fail to amaze me. They have their own unique beauty that lends contrast to the coastal anchors on their east and western sides. We drive along the eastern front of the Rockies on our way south to Wyoming for a return visit to our favorite national park in the United States, the mighty Yellowstone.

Only a day and a half have been planned for Jutta’s second visit to Yellowstone, but a pleasant reminder it was. Soon, we would be going south through the Tetons National Park on our way to Dinosaur National Monument before driving into Colorado for a ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Steam Train.

Up the Mokee Dugway from Mexican Hat, we drove around Lake Powell to Capitol Reef National Park, then Bryce National Park, and finally, an overnight at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Sixteen days on the road with your mother-in-law is not the easiest thing in the world to do, but we did it.