Mind-blowing 6 hour drive from Denver to Moab, Utah yesterday. From the mountains to the desert with the most diverse and extraordinary landscape all along the way. It was hard to actually take it all in… SO BEAUTIFUL! God is definitely a MASTER ARTIST! Our campground (Adventure Haven RV Park) is 27 miles south of Moab, $32 per night through Hipcamp with full hook-up, and in the middle of beautiful nowhere! The stars at night are dazzling. The owner used to lead tours of The Arches and has created a great guide for exploring the area. Perfection!

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#awayfromthecrowds

#beautyinthedesert

#theadventurecontinues

#adventurehavenrvparkutah

Goodbye and THANK YOU DENVER and the Gammels! What a great and restful visit we had in our niece’s cool, big, beautiful home! Huge shout-out to the Bacon Social House in Littleton where they love dogs (even bringing them their own drinks (-;), and for my bacon lovers, they had 6 delicious different flavors of bacon. For me, the BEST non-meat huevos rancheros I have ever had in my life! Everything was DELICIOUS! Okay, team Shaheen…WESTWARD BOUND!!!!

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#ilovecolorado

#baconsocialhouse

#ontheroadagain

#Iamlovingthis

Another extraordinary day! Visited Red Rock Amphitheater (where my brave son sang on the same stage as many greats), then hiked the trails, and ended at a dog friendly restaurant in Denver (most dog friendly city in the U.S.) and beautiful visit with playwright, screenwriter, author, and dear old friend of Ernie’s, Craig Volk, at Forest Room 5.

Magical and Magnificent all day long! Gratitude overflowing!

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#LoveBetweenForeverFriends

#redrockparkandamphitheater

#forestroom5denver

#dogfriendlydenver

#sofreakingrateful

What an amazing day! After resting and regrouping, a visit with Ernie’s college roommate, Robert Thompson, and a beautiful 4th of July watching fireworks from our niece’s deck, we took a day trip to the top of Pike’s Peak today. It is beyond description to see the beauty of the world from the top of the highest peak in the lower 48 states. Elijah is calling the vast beauty of all of these places “God’s Disney World”.

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#youcanseeforever

#pikespeak

#lovingthisadventure

RESCUED BY OUR FAMILY

After 2 long days of driving to Denver, we arrived to find NO AVAILABLE CAMPGROUNDS & not even Walmarts that allowed overnight parking. Our niece, Brooke , and her sweet family lovingly opened their home to us and our 2 dogs to stay for as long as we want!!! Thank you, Brooke, and all the family! And yes, it feels AMAZING to have real beds, showers, and a lovely home to recoup in after 2 weeks on the road.

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#beingusheredbyangels

#bestextendedfamilyever

#beyondgrateful

#bigscreentv!

The City Museum of St. Louis is different from anything I have ever seen! Beautiful works of art made from things salvaged from anything and everything, turned into a giant playground, surrounded by artifacts. It is an alternate reality and SO MUCH FUN! Climbing, squeezing through caves, exploring…we may not be able to move for a week but it was worth it. Then on to the arch of St. Louis and museum that reminds us of the early settlers. The gateway to the west! Such an amazing day!

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#citymuseumofstlouis

#anamazingday

#gatewaytothewest

#funinstlouis

A dear friend gifted us with a tour of Nashville before we left! Elijah said Nashville is like stepping into a giant jukebox! Music, partying, cowboy boots, and the history of country legends making dreams come true.

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#musiccity

#nashvillecountrymusic

#thelasvegasofthesouth

Very Dramatic Drive from Nashville to St. Louis with incredible cloud formations, gorgeous farmland, torrential downpours then clear skies, and Elijah trying Kentucky Fried Chicken when actually driving through Kentucky (he says it tastes a little better than usual (-;)

#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip

#funwithmyson

#suddenrainstorms

#lifeontheroad

#gratefulforallofit

And then THIS HAPPENED this evening. Heading into Nashville, 1000 miles from home, the front corner of our camper (which is filled with clothes, books, cookware, dogs and our kids) tore off and blew away! Not sure what we are going to do yet. Going to a repair shop in the AM and praying for a miracle. Grateful that nobody got hurt. Oy Vey!
#OurEpicFamilyRoadTrip #strandedinnashville #notpartoftheplan #yikes