Some
of my fondest memories of childhood are those of the travels we did together as
a family. There were trips overseas, an Amtrak ride from New York to Orlando, and
a vacation whereby we drove down California's coastal Highway 1. But my favorite had to be the “Great
Stepelman Family Road Trip of ’86.” We flew to Phoenix, rented a motor home, and my dad drove us around the Southwest for a few weeks. My brother and I had a blast discovering New Mexico, Arizona,
Colorado and Utah. It was really the first time I saw the beauty of our National Parks system and I knew one day I'd be back…(and here we are!).
Travel
and exploration are things Otis and Theodore enjoy too, and we had every intention of heading south this fall. But after a
failed Aspen weekend - immediately followed by a stellar Rocky Mountain excursion- Matt
and I decided we should end our hiking season on a positive note. We took a moment to think about whether or not a trip to Gunnison's Black Canyon was a good idea, and determined that the lengthy car ride plus the strenuous hiking inside the canyon should be
saved for next spring or early fall. The boys would be almost a year older by then and better equipped to deal
with the trip...
