At the end of the year, David’s grandfather passed away after a long and active life. He lived in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, and we quickly found out that getting a last minute flight and dog boarding over the holidays was just not going to work out. So, we hopped in the truck and drove ourselves all the way to Arkansas and back.
Although it was a quick trip, we did take some time on the return leg to visit some places we had never been. One never wants to travel for such a reason, but it ended up being a good trip filled with family, laughter, and even some time for adventure.

We hopped in the car after work on Wednesday the week before Christmas. Long after dark we pulled in to a Best Western in Kingman, Arizona for a few hours of sleep before hitting the road again early the next morning. Thursday would be our longest drive, but it wasn’t without some excitement. First, we enjoyed some snow flurries on our way through Flagstaff.

The Michigander in me was a bit ashamed at the Californian in me being so excited to photograph two inches of snow, but oh well…
Next, we pulled off of highway 40 to do the short detour through Petrified Forest and Painted Dunes. It added a couple of hours to our already long day, but it was absolutely worth it to get out of the car and stretch the legs. The trails are dog friendly so Thor got some exercise, too.

Thor’s review: “The sticks were too big and heavy for fetch. This place is dumb.”
We spent the night in Amarillo, Texas, and finished the drive to Arkansas on Friday, arriving just after dark. While the weekend was spent with family, we still had to entertain and exercise the pup so we took several walks in the woods around Hot Springs Village. I tried to do a few self-timer photos of the two of us, and this one was my favorite since between me pushing the button and the camera firing, Thor spotted a squirrel in a nearby tree.

On Monday morning we were back on the road for the return drive to California. We had considered spending the whole week (through Christmas) meandering our way back, but with a truck full of family heirlooms and already a lot of miles under our belts, we took a more direct line home. But it wasn’t without some adventure.
Instead of following 40, we stayed further south and ended up in Lubbock, Texas on the night of Monday the 22nd. Since it’s a college town most stuff was closed down for the holidays, but we still found some good takeout BBQ to bring back to the hotel room.
Then next morning we visited Carlsbad Caverns, something that’s always been on my list. They have a dog boarding service so you can explore the caves without leaving your pup in the car, a very necessary perk in a place that can get so hot. Since we didn’t get to plan ahead all the guided tours were booked, but we still spent a good couple of hours exploring and photographing the main cave, and it’s amazing. No photos can do it justice!

After Carlsbad Caverns we found ourselves in Las Cruces for the night, less than an hour from White Sands National Monument. Although out of the way, we were far too close to skip it so on Wednesday morning we headed back east towards the park. I do not regret this decision at all. It’s a stunning place, and reminded me so much of the dunes of Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore in Michigan where I grew up. Yet I was in the middle of the desert – in the middle of a military testing range, even!

The park is dog friendly, and once we got far out on the dunes, far away from others, we let Thor run out all the accumulated energy from being cooped up in the car all week. He was such a happy pup! The little antennae you see is part of his ‘e-leash’ – a wireless transmitter that lets us see him on a GPS at all times.

The dunes go on and on and on. We walked for miles to find un-trampled dunes. Fresh tracks, fresh sand to photograph. Eventually we turned back, knowing there was still a lot of driving ahead of us. A GPS and ability to navigate is essential if you walk too far out on these dunes!

We continued west, hoping to get to Tuscon before dark. Why? We wanted to swing through Saguaro National Park, even if only for a few quick photographs before the sun set. And luckily, we made it on time.

The side trip through the western side of the park was quick but absolutely worthwhile. We took in some great views as the sun set, and by the end of Christmas Eve we pulled into a Phoenix hotel. We had quite enough driving at this point, and decided to be smart about the drive home. With no traffic, the drive home from Phoenix can easily be done in a day. The next day was Christmas, so we figured traffic would be a lot better than the day after Christmas. Sure enough, we made it home easily the next day.
Nine days on the road, two of which weren’t going anywhere when we were in Arkansas. 4267 miles. That’s about 610 miles of driving per day we actually drove. Not my typical trip but still memorable in its own way. I was glad to check out some places outside of my normal range and am looking forward to getting back there soon!