Gearing up for this summer, while planning for next

We knew that we’d have to be ahead of the game when it came to planning our second summer. Entering popular parks like Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier, and Grand Canyon sometimes require reservations 12 or 13 months in advance. Of course Covid-19 through a wrench in everything, too.

So, not long after finishing the re-planning of the 2021 trip—trying to mimic our 2020 itinerary as closely as possible—we were faced with beginning to plan 2022. Lodging and camping in Yosemite is going to be a challenge. But, before we can figure out what nights we’ll be in Yosemite Valley, we need to know when we’re starting at Crater Lake, how many days we’re spending at each park, and when we’re ending the month-long journey. We can’t start too early, or the snow will still have roads closed, and we can’t stay too late into the summer, because the girls have to start school in the late August.

It’s a delicate dance, and, admittedly, it’s strange to be conducting deep research on nine new national parks before we even visit the first seven. But such is the nature of a series of trips like the one we’ve planned.

And if we’re being honest, we can’t stop tinkering with this coming summer’s itinerary. We’re adding horseback rides in Grand Teton, changing the order of our hikes and sight-seeing in Rocky Mountain, and dealing with some leftover Covid-related difficulties in Glacier. But it’s all coming together!

They say that planning and anticipating the trip is half the fun. I am hoping that, in this case, it’s only going to be a quarter or a third of the fun…but it sure is a good time!

Note: After we complete travel, we’ll be sharing our day-by-day itineraries for each park (improved through the experience, no doubt), so that other families can mimic our route and plans.

Keep following the journey!