July 18th – Leave Buffalo (~9am)

  • Drive 6.5 hours to Hueston Woods State Park, West of Dayton, OH
  • Pilfer for fossils and walk the trails before going to bed.

July 19th – Leave Hueston Woods

  • Drive to Smokey Mountains Nat’l Park
  • Hike Clingman’s dome (1.5hrs) highest point in park and on AT
  • Camp in Smokeys

July 20th – Leave Smokey Mtn Nat’l Park

  • Drive to Mammoth Caves, Mammoth, KY (~4hrs)
  • Take 2-3 hour tour there, then get lunch
  • *stay overnight at Uncle Whitey and Aunt Michelle’s house in Nashville, TN

July 21st – Leave Nashville

  • Drive to Crater of Diamonds State Park (~7hrs)
  • Camp at Class D Woods view site

July 22nd – Leave Crater of Diamonds

  • Drive to Kansas City (~8hrs)
  • Eat Amazing BBQ
  • *Camp nearby

July 23rd – Leave Kansas City

  • Drive to Badlands Nat’l Park (~9hrs)
  • Camp in Badlands Nat’l Park

July 24th – Leave Badlands

  • Stop at Mt Rushmore Nat’l Monument (~1.25hrs)
  • Continue on to Yellowstone (7.5 hrs)
  • Camp in Yellowstone

July 25th – Spend day in Yellowstone

July 26th – Leave Yellowstone

  • Drive to Canyonlands Nat’l Park (9.25hrs)
  • Camp in Canyonlands

July 27th – Leave Canyonlands

  • Drive to Zion Nat’l Park ~(6hrs)
  • Camp in Zion

July 28th – Leave Zion

  • Drive to Grand Canyon Nat’l Park (~4.5hrs)
  • Eat lunch there
  • Continue through to Las Vegas
  • Sleep at the Luxor Hotel for next to nothing

July 29th – Leave Vegas

  • Drive to Yosemite Nat’l Park
  • Spend afternoon in Yosemite
  • Camp in campgrounds

July 30th – Spend Day in Yosemite

  • Camp in campgrounds

July 31st – Leave Yosemite

  • Drive to Encinitas, CA