Summer 2024
Costa Rica : 5 - 22 January 2024 : Liberia & La Fortuna & Monteverde & Playa Conchal, Costa Rica
California + Nevada + Mexico, Solar Eclipse : 24 March - 13 April 2024 : San Diego, California + Las Vegas, Nevada + Death Valley, California + Puerto Vallarta & Mazatlan (Solar Eclipse), Mexico
California + Nevada + Arizona + Utah : 19 May - 9 June 2024 : details below
Greece + Italy + Austria : 30 June - 22 July 2024 : Athens & Meteora & Mykonos & Milos & Santorini, Greece + Naples & Positano, Italy + Vienna, Austria
Finger Lakes, New York : 15 - 18 August 2024 : details below
California + Nevada + Arizona + Utah : 19 May - 9 June 2024
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 19 May | 20 May | 21 May | 22 May | 23 May | 24 May | 25 May |
| Fly Baltimore to San Diego |
CUSV | CUSV | CUSV | CUSV | CUSV | San Diego to Venice Beach to Visalia |
| 26 May | 27 May | 28 May | 29 May | 30 May | 31 May | 1 June |
| Sequoia & Kings Canyon NP | Visalia to Joshua Tree NP to Borrego Springs |
Anza-Borrego Desert SP to San Diego | CUSV | CUSV | CUSV | CUSV |
| 2 June | 3 June | 4 June | 5 June | 6 June | 7 June | 8 June |
| San Diego to Las Vegas to Gold Butte NM Camp at Little Finland |
Little Finland to
Zion NP Camp at Cable Mountain |
Zion to Page Join Karen & Doug Hanging Gardens |
Page to White House to White Pocket |
White House to
Cottonwood Canyon Rd to Cannonville to Lick Wash |
Cannonville to Bryce Canyon NP to Cedar Breaks NM to Ashdown Gorge to Valley of Fire SP to Las Vegas |
Las Vegas to
Lake Havasu to Parker to Imperial Sand Dunes to San Diego |
| 9 June | 10 June | 11 June | 12 June | 13 June | 14 June | 15 June |
| Fly San Diego to Baltimore | Home Hunt Valley |
Home Hunt Valley |
Home Hunt Valley |
Home Hunt Valley |
Home Hunt Valley |
Home |
Sunday, 19 May to Friday, 24 May 2024, San Diego, CUSV
Chris was requested to support the common unmanned surface vehicle (CUSV) boat program in San Diego for two weeks, from 19 May to 1 June 2024. He decided to add a trip to southern Utah for a week after he was done with work. His sister and brother-in-law were going to be in the same area for the first week of June, so they made plans to meet, camp and hike together. Chris stayed on Coronado Island for the first week in San Diego.
Saturday, 25 May to Tuesday, 28 May 2024, Explore Southern California
The Memorial Day weekend was a four day weekend, with Monday and Tuesday set aside for traveling, so Chris had this weekend off. He drove through Los Angeles to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and returned to San Diego via Joshua Tree National Park and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
Torrey Pines
Venice Beach
 General Sherman Tree |
 General Grant Tree |
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Joshua Tree National Park
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Borrego Springs
Anza-Borrego Off Road on AllTrails in 3D
Lake Henshaw
Route in Google Maps: San Diego to Sequoia to Joshua Tree to Anza-Borrego to San Diego
25 May, Saturday – Drive San Diego to Torrey Pines to Venice Beach to Visalia, CA
26 May, Sunday – Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP, Visalia, CA
27 May, Monday – Drive Visalia to Joshua Tree to Borrego Springs, Borrego Springs Resort
28 May, Tuesday – Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, 4WD in desert to Borrego Mountain Wash (The Slot) + Hills Of The Moon Wash + Rainbow Wash, Font's Point, drive to Lake Henshaw to San Diego
Wednesday, 29 May to Saturday, 1 June 2024, San Diego, CUSV
Chris returned to San Diego for the second week of work on the boat, staying in nearby Mission Valley for the second week.
Sunday, 2 June to Sunday, 9 June, Explore Nevada + Arizona + Utah
On Sunday, 2 June, Chris began his camping and hiking vacation in Utah. He drove to Las Vegas and then continued on to Gold Butte National Monument in northeast Nevada. He drove off-road in his rental 4WD Jeep to Little Finland, a cool set of sandstone rock formations, and camped there on Sunday night. He woke early on Monday morning and began a hike around the rocks, having the entire place to himself. He drove on to Utah, getting lunch in Hurricane, and then to the visitor center at Zion National Park where he picked up his camping permit for the Zion East Rim. He drove to the Stave Springs Trailhead and hiked to Cable Mountain, where he camped for the night.
Route in Google Maps: San Diego to Gold Butte NM to Stave Springs Trailhead
2 June, Sunday – Drive San Diego to Las Vegas to Gold Butte National Monument, Little Finland, camp
3 June, Monday – Hike Little Finland, drive to Zion National Park, get camping permit, drive to Stave Springs Trailhead, hike to Cable Mountain, camp
Las Vegas, Nevada
Sunset at Gold Butte National Monument, 2 June 2024
Little Finland, Gold Butte National Monument
Little Finland Loop, Gold Butte National Monument, on AllTrails in 3D
Cable Mountain Trail, Zion National Park, Utah
Cable Mountain via Stave Spring Trailhead on AllTrails in 3D
On Tuesday, 4 June, he packed up camp and hiked back to his car. He drove to Kanab and on to Page, where he met his sister Karen and brother-in-law Doug at their campground. They have a trailer for camping but Chris only had a tent, so he decided to get a hotel in Page to clean up from two days of hiking and camping. They hiked the short Hanging Gardens trail next to the Glen Canyon Dam, and had dinner in Page. While relaxing in the mid-day heat after the hike, Chris signed up for the Wave lottery, but was informed via email in the evening that he did not win. On Wednesday, 5 June, Chris left his hotel early and drove through the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area for morning photos at Lake Powell, and continued on to White House Campground on the Pariah River to claim a campsite for everyone. They have all camped at White House Campground many times; it is a great little campground with beautiful cliffs all around.
Hanging Gardens Trail, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Page, Arizona
Lake Powell, Glen Canyon Dam, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona and Utah
White House Campground
GoPro 10 Aerial Photos, White House Campground
White Pocket
South Coyote Buttes
Karen and Doug arrived a short while later. After setting up camp, they all got in Chris' Jeep for a visit to White Pocket. Here is that 4WD route to White Pocket on AllTrails. This was the exact same trip they had made together in 2018. Chris has since visited White Pocket on two other occasions, including camping there in 2022, but White Pocket is incredible and always has something new to see. On Thursday, 6 June, they headed to Cannonville via different routes; Chris drove on Cottonwood Canyon Road, stopping at Cottonwood Narrows and Grosvenor Arch, while Karen & Doug drove with their camper trailer via Kanab, Mt Carmel, and past Bryce Canyon. They all arrived in Cannonville within a few minutes of each other and set up camp, before going back out again to hike Lick Wash slot canyon on the Skutumpah Road south of Cannonville. They drove past Willis Creek and Bull Valley Gorge, arriving at Lick Wash in the late afternoon. They hiked this neat slot canyon for a few hours and returned to Cannonville to have pizza from a restaurant in Tropic.
White House Campground
Cottonwood Canyon Road, Grosvenor Arch
Bull Valley Gorge, Skutumpah Road
Lick Wash, Skutumpah Road
Lick Wash Slot Canyon on
AllTrails
in 3D
Route in Google Maps: Stave Springs Trailhead to Page to Cannonville
4 June – Hike back to car, drive to Kanab to Page, meet Karen and Doug, hike Hanging Gardens, hotel, dinner in Page
5 June – Drive through Glen Canyon National Recreation Area to White House campground, drive to White Pocket, hike, return to White House, camp
6 June – Drive Cottonwood Canyon Road to Grosvenor Arch to Cannonville, set up camp at RV park, drive to Willis Creek to Bull Valley Gorge to Lick Wash on Skutumpah Road, hike Lick Wash, return to Cannonville, camp
Chris said goodbye to his sister and brother-in-law on Friday, 7 June, and began his drive back to San Diego, from where he would be flying home on Sunday, 9 June. He stopped at Bryce Canyon National Park and Cedar Breaks National Monument in the morning, and then at Ashdown Gorge Wilderness Area between Cedar Breaks and Cedar City. He began a hike up the gorge (here on AllTrails), but did not make it nearly as far as he had hoped due to the high water in the creek. The trail is mainly through the normally dry or almost dry creek-bed, so with lots of water running, and multiple crossings in fast water, it was slow going.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Cedar Breaks National Monument
Zion National Park in the distance
Ashdown Gorge
Chris continued on to Cedar City for lunch, and then drove south to Kolob Canyons within Zion National Park. He crossed into Arizona and then Nevada, going to Valley Of Fire State Park in northeast Nevada, leaving the park just after sunset. He passed through the park from east to west, and stopped in Las Vegas for a few hours. He spent Friday night at a hotel in Boulder City, headed for the Colorado River on his way south and then west to San Diego. He flew his RC plane on the Boulder Dry Lake Bed on Saturday morning, where he had flown RC from 1993 to 1997 when stationed in Las Vegas while in the Air Force. He stopped for a short visit in Lake Havasu City, and then in Parker, Arizona before heading west through the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area in Glamis, through El Centro, and over the Laguna Mountains into San Diego. He flew home on Sunday, 9 June.
Kolob Canyons, Zion National Park
Valley Of Fire State Park
Route in Google Maps: Cannonville to San Diego
7 June – Leave Karen & Doug, drive to Bryce Canyon National Park to Cedar Breaks National Monument to Ashdown Gorge, hike, drive to Cedar City to Kolob Canyons to Las Vegas to Railroad Pass, Boulder City, hotel
8 June – Drive to Boulder Dry Lakebed to Lake Havasu to Parker to El Centro to San Diego, hotel
9 June – Fly San Diego to home
Las Vegas for a few hours while driving back to San Diego
Boulder Dry Lake Bed
Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, Glamis Dunes
Overall numbers:
During the three weeks from 19 May to 9 June, Chris drove his
rental 4WD Jeep for 3159 miles. Chris checked his
Nikon D7100 shutter count on 10 June 2024 after getting home. He has owned
this camera since 2014, and has taken 227,842
photos with this camera in those 10 years.
Parks this trip:
Sequoia National Park, California – Giant Forest, Moro Rock, Bobcat Point, Sherman Tree, Generals Highway
Kings Canyon National Park, California - Grant Tree, Grant Grove, Panoramic Point
Joshua Tree National Park, California - Key's View, Cholla Cactus Garden
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California - The Slot, 4WD Borrego Sink Wash + Hills of the Moon Wash + Rainbow Wash, Font's Point
Gold Butte National Monument, Nevada – Little Finland
Zion National Park, Utah – Virgin River Gorge, East Rim Cable Mountain, Kolob Canyons
Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah – White House campground, House Rock Valley Road, Cottonwood Canyon Road, Grosvenor Arch, Lick Wash Slot Canyon
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah & Arizona
Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona – White Pocket
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah – Bryce Point, Pariah View, Sunset Point Amphitheater
Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah
Ashdown Gorge Wilderness Area, Utah
Valley Of Fire State Park, Nevada
Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area, California - Glamis Dunes
Gunpowder Falls Hike, 28 July 2024
Wild turkeys at home : 14 August 2024
Finger Lakes, New York : 15 - 18 August 2024
Chris and Tami drove north to the Finger Lakes in New York for a 3-day weekend, leaving after work on Thursday, 15 August. They spent three nights at a hotel in Ithaca, New York, visiting wineries and state parks around the lakes. They stopped in Watkins Glen to have a great barbeque dinner before driving home on Sunday evening. This was a similar weekend to one they had spent around the Finger Lakes in September 2022.
Thursday, 15 August 2024
Drive: Home to Ithaca
Friday, 16 August 2024
Drive: Ithaca to Watkins Glen to Wineries to Ithaca
Wineries: Castel Grisch, Lakewood, Barnstormer, Magnus Ridge, Herman J Wiemer, FLX Wienery (dinner), Glenora
Castel Grisch Winery
Saturday, 17 August 2024
Hike: Cascadilla Gorge Natural Area + Cornell University
https://ithacatrails.org/site/Cascadilla%20Gorge%20Natural%20Area
Drive: Ithaca to Knapp Winery (wine + lunch) to Taughannock Falls State Park to Ithaca
Hike: Taughannock Falls State Park
https://parks.ny.gov/parks/taughannockfalls
Bike: Ithaca Falls
Drive: Ithaca to Fillmore Glen State Park to Wineries to Lodi Point State Marine Park to Watkins Glen (BBQ dinner)
Wineries: Treleaven, Bright Leaf, Long Point, Heart & Hands (closed), Ventosa (closed), Three Brothers
Hike: Fillmore Glen State Park
Fillmore Glen Hike at AllTrails
https://parks.ny.gov/parks/fillmoreglen/details.aspx
Sunset: Lodi Point State Marine Park
https://parks.ny.gov/parks/lodipoint/maps.aspx
Fly: DJI Mavik near Lodi Point
Video: https://youtu.be/Z0ewG4c1oWM?si=OvUrtuYxM7UJGwyG
Location : https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6181057,-76.8509843,343m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu
Drive: Watkins Glen to Home
RCMB Night Flying : 11 October 2024
Annapolis, Boat Show + Concert : 12 - 13 October 2024
Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS : 16 - 17 October 2024
