Road Trip!! (aka - another Travel Log :)

To spare you the effort of deciphering our handwriting I've typed up the Travel Log this time, scanning only a few pages for you to enjoy (if by chance you're really bored enough to attempt to read through all this). I didn't include pictures of the reunion because my plan is to do a seperate post for that. We'll see.

So without further ado, the 2009 Bates Reunion Road Trip Travel Log:

June 4th
(Julie) We finally hit the open road! It’s a short drive to Kanab tonight since we left around 6pm. We’ve got Uncle Doug and Aunt Ashley with us for this trip! Hope we don’t drive ‘em crazy ;) We got a small cargo carrier for the trailer hitch, which means Bob will likely be asking Doug for a regular “visual” just to make sure it hasn’t somehow jiggled loose and fallen off without him noticing.
Doug and Ashley are crammed in the back seat, (but hey, at least they get to sit together, right?!) and being ever so patient with Zack’s constant tour guide announcements about each sprinkler, cow and radio tower we pass. Brynnly is doing her usual amazing job and entertaining Braxton despite his short attention span.

Zack just asked if we’re in the middle of nowhere (with help from Uncle Doug, I suspect). Looks like we’re nearly to Beaver – filling up the car’s tank and emptying our own. (And picking up a PB Twix, yummo!)



June 5th
(Doug) Day 2 – The eye crust has yet to kill us. (Reference to “Rocket Man”)
Julie has asked me to write in the Travel Log. As I don’t write in journals very often, this could be interesting, let alone legible.
Since we last left off we have traveled just under 200 miles and had a good night of sleep. First we stopped in Beaver where I suspect Julie was successful in securing a PB Twix. Funny little note: the bathrooms in the gas station had the strongest hand dryers I’ve ever seen or heard. They had the volume and power of a fighter jet taking off. It made indentations on your skin where ever it blew.
Later, after experiencing G-force curves in the road, we made it to the Lodge in Kanab. Bob got us a nice place with 3 rooms that slept all of us nice and comfortably. The 9 hours was amazing.
This morning Ashley and I woke up at 7:30am, the boys got up a little earlier. We got all packed up, went through the Spanish speaking drive-thru at McDonald’s for breakfast and now we’re on our way to Gilbert. We should be there by 1:00pm.

{Taking a quick peek at Lake Powell. Maybe someday we'll actually go there.}

(Brynnly) Whoa, a looong trip so far, but we only have 16 miles till the interstate according to the GPS. Here I am waiting for something interesting with like, everybody asleep.
Whoa! Zack just whacked me in the eye while flinching in his sleep. Well I will be back…sorry, I thought Braxton was awake but you know who cares. That’s interesting, really tall trees (not). Wait!
Okay Braxton isn’t awake although our trip so far was about umm…the estimate would be about 150 from Kanab to here. I found out that from Provo to Gilbert, AZ is about 656 miles. Oh, you want to know the events so far, well, reading, playing Nintendo, talking and entertaining.
The hotel was fun. What? Details? Okay. I woke up to Braxton trouble-making. Then more stuff, like “quick, get your shoes” and blah, blah, blah. After that, in the crowded car for the second time.
P.S. 0.4 miles till the interstate. Ohh, Braxton woke up.

(Julie)
We’re here! 3:02pm on our clock, but apparently Arizona isn’t on Daylight Savings – its only 2:02pm! Plenty of time to get ready for the reunion, right?

{I should explain here that we always take estimates for our arrival time (see below). I happened to be driving and was not about to let us arrive any later that we had to. We also failed to document Zack’s encounter with a cactus at the scenic lookout at Lake Powell.}

June 6th
(Julie) We had so many cousins show up! Both Nathan and Gina made it and Gina was a total surprise! Michelle and I were both surprised at how many great-grandkids we all had there, and it wasn’t even all of them. My favorite part was seeing my mom and her two brothers together and luckily there are plenty of cameras to document this first reunion of the Bates’ side since they were married (I think).

June 7th
(Julie) It’s Sunday and we’re heading home from the reunion. I hope that everyone enjoyed themselves. I’m certainly a novice at the whole reunion thing. I definitely learned a few things that we could do better for next time. My biggest regret is not taking a moment at the beginning to introduce everyone’s families so we could get familiar with everyone’s names right off the bat. I just assumed everybody was slightly familiar with each other and I quickly learned that was NOT the case. Some of our cousins had never seen each other before. One great thing was that the great-grandkids warmed up to each other pretty quickly and entertained themselves for most of the reunion. I think that helped us cousins get to know each other a little easier as well. I’m so proud of everyone for making the effort to come and then, on top of that, going outside their comfort zones to talk to “strangers.” I left today feeling like weren’t strangers anymore. I think my objective for having this reunion was to help us all remember where we come from – that our grandparents are a big part of who we are, even if we knew them or not. We come from a unique heritage and I wanted to remember what that was (and is) so I can decide how that will influence the heritage I’m leaving for my own children and future posterity.

June 8th
(Doug) Day 5 – It’s 8:40am. We left Kanab about 20 minutes ago. We have about 4½ hours to Provo. Zack has just declared for the fifth day in a row he would like to hear the “helololo” song. We’ll find it.
Well, let see what we’ve done the past 24 hours. Yesterday was quite eventful. We managed to stop 3 times before leaving Phoenix city limits. Though, it was for a good cause. I’m sure Braxton prefers clean diapers. I know I will when I’m old.

While on one of these stops, everyone was finally able to take a quality picture of and with a giant cactus. What kind? Species unknown. I’m not a plant biologist. We all managed to stay spine free, no one got sticked. After this we kept heading north. We stopped off in Cameron Arizona. Here we finally found our Trading Post. Just like old times, it was full of ancient Indian memorabilia, complete with Kachina and the once highly coveted geode stones. As kids they were worth more than gold. After looking around and purchasing some of the coolest magnet rocks ever (I was clearly addicted to them and will return in the future to buy some of my own) we then had lunch at the trading post restaurant.

Lunch was great. Bob ordered a Navajo Taco. That thing was utterly massive. It took a large plate and was a half foot high. We both did work on it. After this we literally shot up to the Grand Canyon. I think Bob set a land speed record – at one point we were going 17-20 over. This, however, was vital and a necessity, for the sun was setting ever so rapidly. We were making great time cutting off valuable minutes of excess driving. However, out of nowhere we got stuck behind the slowest Park Ranger in the world. I’m pretty sure it was his goal to shatter any dreams of new comers to see the Grand Canyon before dark.

**Doug made a footnote here to include the following :
It was at this time that the ranger inconveniently got ahead of us that Bob realized he needed to pee extremely bad and that he was not going to stop until we made it to the Grand Canyon. However, his bladder was NOT going to wait. So as I distracted Brynnly with dead tree branches and grass, Bob filled his used water bottle half way up to his relief, allowing us to continue to the Grand Canyon non-stop. You may return to where you left off.

Lucky for us, we made it. We got to the Grand Canyon with a good deal of light to spare. It was amazing and well worth it. It is HUGE! It certainly lives up to its name. It was amazing!
After this we loaded back up and headed back to Kanab for the night, but of course not before stopping at Jacob’s Lake to buy the famously exquisitely delicious cookies prepared by college students as described by Brinton, Charlotte’s husband.
It’s been a great trip, reacquaintance and a break from reality. We’ve now been on the road for about an hour. We’re headed back through Zion’s Park. We’ll have to await the upcoming adventures.

{In the interest of time, we did NOT go back via Zion’s. Sorry Doug. But I do hope you enjoyed your 4-hour drive on to Rexburg. Thanks for your company Doug and Ashley – you guys are troopers!}

Brynnly conducted a little Q&A with Zack to substitute for Zack’s lack of ability to write in the Travel Log on his own:

B: On 6/5/09 Zack fell in a cactus but luckily he blocked his body with his hand. He had cactus pokeys in his hand. How did it feel Zack?
Z: Not good.
B: Will you explain what your guardians did?
Z: Get tweezers and got pokeys out.
B: How did it feel taking it out?
Z: It felt good with a little hurt.
B: Is this your first experience?
Z: Yes.
B: Does this experience make you afraid of AZ.
Z: No except a little bit of the cacti.
B: Yesterday, 6/7/09 was quite some fun. We saw the BIG Grand Canyon. We had a long trip to Kanab to sleep in a fancy Aiken’s Lodge. Zack and I went in the same bed. Zack explain the trip to Kanab.
Z: Long.
B: What about the Grand Canyon?
Z: Beautiful and BIG!
B: How’d you sleep?
Z: Good.
B: You got me trapped with little space on the bed huh?
Z: Yeah silly.
B: Today we are going home. Only 97 miles left! We just ate breakfast. I had tasty cinnamon Pop Tarts. Zack on the other hand had a cereal bar. Zack are you fascinated in this ride?
Z: Yes.
B: What was your favorite Arizona event?
Z: Looking at lizards

B: What was the worst part?
Z: Falling in cacti.
B: What was your favorite scenery?
Z: Grand Canyon and Bridge.
B: Who did you play with in Arizona?
Z: Cousins, Dad, and Uncle Doug
B: Did you have fun?
Z: Yes.
B: So did I, let’s find more interesting events/adventures!