This was a special vacation trip as its intention was to celebrate my 50th birthday in a big and memorable way. I planned it starting a year in advance, including letting everyone at work know that I was taking four weeks off for vacation.

I left Kansas City on Wednesday, September 8, 2004 (after the Labor Day traffic got off the roads). The main objectives were to go white water rafting and to see parts of the west where I had never been before. I had been to Breckenridge, CO for a college PE skiing class in January of 1975 and 1976. In September 1984, I traveled from Colorado Springs to Cheyene, WY. I woke up on my 30th birthday in Boulder, CO.

As an adult, I have maintained a Rand-McNally atlas in which I highlight (in blue) all of the highways I have ever traveled on, including those as a child/teenager. The trips as an adult all have an accompanying log (ie. driving times, odometer readings, gallons of gas purchased, hotel and food costs, etc.). This trip gave me many more blue highways plus one new state - New Mexico. I have now driven to 42 of the 50 states.

I really appreciated the unstructured schedule of this vacation. The white water rafting was first since it required a reservation. After that, I only had some destinations in mind. The schedule for the rest of the trip was whatever hit me at the time. That is so unlike my usual "gotta plan it" self.

The Bests:

• Chaco Canyon (northwest New Mexico) - - the star-filled night sky
• Black Canyon (west central Colorado) - - the peacefulness found there
• New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (Albuquerque) - - most interesting
• The Frontier (Albuquerque) - - best restaurant -- huge portions, good food
• Acoma Sky City (Acoma Indian Reservation) - - best learning -- shattered my misconceptions about the American Indians
• Ouray, CO - - of the places visited, most like to live here
• Colorado - - most beautiful mountains and streams

The Totals:

• Miles: 4,900
• Driving: 80 hours
• MPG: 33.3
• States: 7 (Kansas, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma)
• National Parks/Monuments: 8 (Eisenhower Home, Colorado Monument, Dinosaur Monument, Black Canyon, Mesa Verde Park, Hovenweep Monument, Chaco Canyon, Petroglyph Monument)
• Speeding Tickets: 1 (Colby, KS)
• Pictures/Movies Taken: about 800 (over 600 were "keepers")