Genesis and preparation

Genesis

On the departure of our friends Laurence and Jean-Pierre for Los Angeles (for JP's job) in 2008, he told us: "You know where to spend your next vacation! ".

It was the catch, the catalyst, the germ which enabled us to live a dream which, for my part, had already failed to arrive in 1972.

Almost a year later, after a preparation that I think I can qualify as intensive, we are at the dawn of our "big trip".

Some figures to summarize:

• departure on May 16th and return on June 25th (I used my time saving account),
• 30 days hiking and sightseeing, mostly northern Arizona and southern Utah,
• about 4,000 miles of car and 180-200 miles of hikes,
• 6 nights at hotel and 3 with local people (the others, it will be in the car).

Two main themes have guided this trip:

• landscapes and wonders of erosion,
• traces of ancient civilizations (pre-Columbian).

Preparation

This continent is, for us, a great unknown, a complete discovery; the landscapes of the westerns made us dream.

Isabelle leaving me with the task of preparing, I start with the standard French guides: Le Routard (always my favorite) California Parks of the American West, Le Futé, Hachette and Lonely Planet. I thoroughly highlight without restriction (It still leaves Yellowstone, too far for this time).

Rainy vacation at Belle-Île (French island) in August 2008 allows me to set up an Excel file with all selected points and associated information. Then a friend introduced me to Google Maps (what fun and what a tool) and I generate a first map. Oops! More than 4,700 miles while having taken only the main points and, at least, more than 6,250 miles. Drastic restrictions: I remove Colorado and New Mexico states, San Francisco (to the dismay of Isabelle) and Yosemite. It reaches 2,600 miles, which already seems more reasonable.

I roughly estimate the duration to be 30 days, more time with our friends (we go there also to see and be with them ), or about 40 days. Fortunately, I have a time saving account at work and, after discussion with my manager, agreement in principle to this period. We can continue the preparation.

I begin research on the internet and bingo: I discover ouestusa.fr, wonderful site that makes our journey go from standard to enhanced (off the beaten track!) And through which I buy Photographing The Southwest (Volumes 1 and 2), wonderful books that will not leave us any more (they were even in our backpacks during some tours).

Other sites, French, German and American, allow me to complete our information. It's amazing the amount of quality information that can be found on the Net.

I then discovered VoyageForum and bingo again: breathtaking reviews, drum beating discussions by regulars of the great northwest. I register, ask my first questions quickly enough, and quickly tied my first contacts with one of the pillars of the Forum North America, Sedonax (I can not thank enough). Set of questions and answers, personal emails and phone calls allow me to finalize the program.

I take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped me in preparing because Philippe (Sedonax) was not the only one to answer all my questions and, for a trip like this, there were a lot! Laurence from Angers introduced me (even if it was shown in PTS) mapping on PC from National Geographic (TOPO!), great tool for the preparation, allowing, among other things, to generate a database of GPS points for our 2 GPS (Tomtom for driving and Garmin for hiking) and print all the maps we want.

Searching for documents, sites, information is all on weekends and evenings late into the night, for over 8 months, and I even successfully surprised Philippe for a site somewhat "confidential" .

The final map is ready and Excel tells me 3,900 miles in 30 days, oops! But only a few stages are a little long, especially in the beginning. Tomtom One with a US mapping (loan, thank you Monique and Yves) is responsible to lead us where we want (254 points loaded) and as we have the same in French, we will not be disoriented. I even have fun to "customize" it (menu changes for better management of POI, home page). I add a handheld gps, purchased locally (Garmin Colorado 400t with local mapping to 1 / 24 000 th).

Housing

One point that I nearly forgot, and not least: housing. Initially, we planned hotel then quickly hotel + car only to change to car + hotel and to finish by car and a few times hotel lodging. Sleeping in the car as opposed to the hotel offers some advantages:

• Proximity of the sites we wanted to do (no need to go several miles looking for a hotel),
• Saving time: 1/4h max to pass from day position to night position and reciprocally,
• No luggage to carry around, only the bags to move from back to front, and always near us,
• Nor tent, compared to traditional camping.

Well, okay, there are also small inconveniences (no shower for example, so as Escalante and Kodachrome for example), no internet but once a week to provide news and uploading the pictures, that's enough, the obligation to provide food for several days, but with the cooler, not too much trouble. And we always have at least 5 gallons of water and maximum 15 (or about 60 liters).

Another advantage is that we can camp in the wilderness (when possible) and then, as Philippe puts it (I quote):

By camping in the wilderness, we "saw" the real site, from the evening (progression of the penumbra, shadows, smells in the evening ...) and even at night (night sky undisturbed by light, nocturnal noise ...) but also from the period preceding the sunrise (light very special dawn, songs of birds ...) and of course at sunrise. In a campground with lots of people (even if the sites are not on top of each other) and motorhomes with generators, this is not the same ...

We had two fears:

• Being too hot in the car: we had nets that have never served;
• Back pain: no problem, quite the contrary.

Period

The period was chosen to avoid too hot temperatures and according to two inescapable personal constraints, an National Education examination and a wedding. It is also the temperature which will make us start our loop through south Arizona.

Plane

As good French (yes, they still exist ), we first look at Air France, but quickly British Airways wins (over 700 dollars difference on 2 tickets with an additional stop in London); cons, BA has the dubious distinction of losing luggage in the transfer at Heathrow.
We choose the schedules to arrive late afternoon or early evening and thus limit the effects of jet lag (it works!). Tickets are booked late January; it also helps spread the payments.

Car

The vehicle we choose is of the SUV category because we want a 4WD to drive on dirt roads (just a little bit, but it will be our first experience) and long enough to be able to sleep indoors.
Bookings made with Alamo (positive feedback) via Autoescape (France), shortly before departure.

Reservations

As we were not in peak times, almost no reservations, but all over internet: 3 nights including Las Vegas, 2 nights camping (Grand Canyon and Bryce south as busy) and a cottage for 3 nights at a local guide. The rest we will take as it comes, according to the road, progress, cravings and tiredness, even if all nights are preprogrammed.