Brian & Pat Cross Country Trip to see National Parks in August 1994 In August of 1994 between Brian's junior and senior year of High School, Brian and Pat took forth across the nation in a 1987 Ford Probe to see some of the best known national parks. We began late since I had to work and then had trouble with the car hood. To make up time I drove all night and Brian let me sleep for an hour on the banks of the great lakes in a small park just outside of Chicago. We drove another full day and half until finally coming to Mt. Rushmore which we found unimpressive. Then things got better and we hiked around Devil's Tower and drove through the Craters of the moon park continuing west past the badlands until we came to Yellowstone which was very special. We say many animals including moose & even bear in an off park hot spring swimming hole. Old Faithful was, kind of . The geysers and water falls were wonderful. I (Pat) ran over a rock or something in Yellowstone and developed car problems on the way to Crater Lake where we me Brian’s mom Diane, and brothers Jonathan & Matthew who had flown across the country and were on a RV camping trip with the Hodnetts who had moved west a year earlier. I took the car to a Ford dealer and I arranged to have the parts sent to Fresno near Yosemite Park. Brian and I finally reached the Oregon coast and went south along the coast line passing through the Redwoods and driving through San Francisco. We finally got to Yosemite which was fantastic. The car was fixed and we went on our way to the Zion and the Grand Canyon passing through Las Vegas. We were lucky enough to be within walking distance of a general Store in the mountains when the master cylinder wert and AAA took us all the way back to civilization. This made our trips to Zion, the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde and Four Corners brief. The Colorado Mountains were enough to freak me out especially the top of Rocky Mountain National Park which is at the top of the work. Driving back was uneventful except for the 24 hour drive made necessary because of the need to get Brian home in time to prepare for school and not realizing that it was a holiday weekend.