My nephew was graduating from high school in Edmond, OK, and there are a few ways to get there from the Quad Cities if you’re not flying. The most straightforward is a 9.5 hour drive by way of Des Moines and Kansas City, but it is a soul sucking..

In the backyard, the forsythia was finally pushing out yellow blooms - always the first sign of spring! And pink flowers were blossoming on the magnolia for the first time in a couple of years. Suddenly, the urge to get out in the woods to see what was blooming there hit hard.

For our 12th Anniversary, my husband suggested a roadtrip from Las Vegas to Phoenix with stops in Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon, and Sedona. It was perfect!