easytraveler

Omigosh! It's not THE ELLEN GRISWOLD with THE WESTWARD-HO! report!

What memories this report brings!

I've been away from Fodors for a while (family responsibilities) and thoroughly enjoyed reading the rest of your report - which, however - ahem! - is still an ongoing project, no? You will tell us where you finished your 2005 trip?

Did you go anywhere in 2006?

Are you still headed for Alaska in 2007?

One of the best traveler writers on Fodors! Please keep your reports coming!

And Utahtea, where is she? I haven't seen her on these boards recently.

Sooo good to see you again, Ellen!

utahtea

I'm HERE! \/
I've been working full time and STILL waiting for my boss to find someone to replace me so I can go back to part time! Know anyone that ones to be a forum moderator part time?

Utahtea

easytraveler

HELLOOOO! UTAHTEA!

Glad to see you are still here! ><

BTW: what's a "forum moderator"? (Are you the one deleting all the threads on Fodors!? LOL!)

utahtea

A forum moderator is one that reads and moves posts which is just part of making sure that a forum runs smoothly. I don't work for Fodor's. I wish I did, it would be a lot more fun!

Utahtea

ellen_griswold

Hi Easytraveler! so good to see YOU too! I've missed you, don't you just hate when life gets in the way of FUN?! But thanks again for all your amazing help on this trip, it might be our best yet. Funny in july '05 we were freaking that gas was 3.19!

Yes, we're still road trip JUNKIES and will take #11 out west this summer with college DD and grad DS flying out for much of it! Their significant others still don't quite get it, or should i say get us, but they're learning to deal And we take other trips including them, also.

It was a major juggling act last june ('06) but we got #10 'fix' by flying to tucson and getting a rental instead of totally driving. Had hoped to g2g with ddwoodon and utahtea but it didn't work out.
I did start a trip report but wanted to post it complete instead of in pieces-parts since were gone only 13 nights compared to the 25 nights of this report.
Soo, do you think its too late to post it....??

utahtea

Never to late to post one of your trip reports!

Utahtea

ellen_griswold

Hi Utahtea! Great to 'see' you here!

I also wondered if you did a trip report last summer? Would love to hear what you did, too. What kind of trips do you have planned next?

nohogal

So where did you go after Yosemite? We'll be staying at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls July 1-4, but now need to figure out where to go from there July 4-7. We just cancelled our reservations to South Lake Tahoe due to the fires, so we'll either head to the coast, Mammoth or back home to Los Angeles.

We're disappointed about having to cut out Tahoe, but reading your posting about Yosemite Lodge got me excited about that portion of the trip, so I thought I'd ask where you'd suggest going from there. thanks.

LMoore56

We have reservations for 2 nights at the Ranch Inn off the Town Square in late August 2007. It has been recommended to me to change my reservations to another location as this is a very dated property. We have reserved a room on the 2nd floor with balcony. From your post it sounds like you found this property to be very nice. Do you advise we keep our reservations and that we won't be disappointed? Thank you in advance for your response. You can email me directly at [email protected]

ellen_griswold

Just now seeing your post LMoore56 (we were away on another out west trip)

I wouldn't cancel the Ranch Inn. Just did a quick check on trip advisor where it still gets good reviews. You just can't beat the location and as i wrote above, its clean and spacious. The balcony was nice, as was the extra sink and vanity areas.

Have a great trip and please report back.

ellen_griswold

Hmm, is the editing button not working again or is it just my computer?

I had edited to include the vanity area ... the sink and vanity areas WERE a nice extra touch!

Dotty6

Hi ellen, I had emailed directly to reassure Linda that she should have no worries about the Ranch Inn. We thought the room was great, very spacious, and, as you say, the two vanity basins were so useful (no fighting for the mirror when getting ready!). I spent my birthday there and would certainly have no hesitation in staying again.

I have been re-reading your trip report. It is so different reading it after having been as it recaptures all the magic of the places all over again. I would love to go back some day, but it is a very long way from the UK!!

ellen_griswold

topping for ScarletandGray re YOSEMITE!
Hope this helps!!!!!

njroadtripper

WOW!! Your trip was simiar to ours last year (june/july) we completed a 40 day 13,000 mile cross country road trip with our 4 kids. We hit many of the same areas as you did. We traveled in our 2008 dodge durango and had a blast for 40 days.. Just traded in the Durango for a Yukon Xl for this years 3 week trip... Was a pleasure reading about your trip

Myer

And if you want to see the "trip of trips" go to:

www.lessixpiafs.com

I saw their trailer in Banff last summer and took a note of their web site.

It appears the trip started in Montreal, went to the west coast (I think), then down into the Parks of the SW and eventually down to Buenos Aires.

They're a family of six (yes, les six piafs) and the site is in French. But still worth looking at it.

I wonder if they're driving back (I haven't been to the site in a while) or some other means.

Myer

I just took a look at their web site and it appears they want to sell the trailer in Argentina in May 2012.

I guess they'll fly home.