Let's Pack Up and Move to California!

Like the popular Hawk Nelson song "California", packing up and moving to California doesn't sound too bad as the semester is beginning to really get busy.  However, before moving I might want to consider simply traveling to California.  To plan this little getaway, the textbook suggests using a cartography Website and/or other general travel websites.  My chosen location for this little trip is Anaheim, California, home to Disneyland, apparently one of the happiest places on Earth.  To track the times and mileage of the trip, I am using MapQuest, a popular cartography website.  There is 1075.69 miles between Anaheim and West Texas A&M University and the estimated driving time is 15 hours and 31 minutes if driving on Interstate 40 West.  However, this time does not include breaks, meals, and even the possibly an overnight stay.  
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In order to decrease the travel time and the stress of driving, I am choosing to fly out to Anaheim. I will fly out of the Amarillo International Airport on May 21st and arrive at the Los Angeles International Airport.  I chose a flight with Continental Airlines, flight number 6032, which leaves Amarillo at 12:49 PM and arrives in Los Angeles at 5:54 PM.  After my week long excursion I will return to Amarillo on May 28th using Frontier Airlines, flight number 414, that leaves the Los Angeles International Airport at 2:15 PM and arrives in Amarillo at 9:43.  It will be quite the trip, but an enjoyable one.

But as for now, this weekend I am going to make a quick trip to Guadalupe Mountains National Park to go hiking.  Guadalupe Mountains has a rich and long history and I believe appears to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth.  The National Park contains Texas’ highest point Guadalupe Peak at 8,749 feet.  The park’s other prominent features are El Capitan, a massive limestone formation; McKittrick Canyon, with its unique flora and fauna; and the "Bowl", located in a high country conifer forest. Guadalupe Mountain National Park is a made mainly of a mountain mass and contains portions of the world's most sweeping and significant Permian limestone fossil reef. Other features at the park are a tremendous earth fault, lofty peaks, unusual flora and fauna, and a colorful record of the past.  Within the park, there are over 80 miles of trails that offer a many varying opportunities for exploring. The park also features prominent outdoor park activities such as backpacking, camping, and wildlife viewing, much like Palo Duro Canyon State Park. When at the Park, guests are also able to view the ruins of a stage station, or visit the Frijole Ranch History Museum, although it is only periodically opened.  Although no lodging is provided at the Park, camping is allowed and the experience is priceless.  The weather for the winter is generally the same as the Panhandle with mild to cold days and cool to cold nights.  There are not many planned tours but activities are wide-ranging for all activity levels and interests.  There is an entrance fee of $5.00 per person but the fee is good for 7 days.  There are additional permits required for camping and horseback riding, but these are free. Below are images of the park.   

I selected this destination because of the proximity to the Panhandle and the diverse activities and scenery available.  I will travel to Guadalupe Mountains Park by car and below is the breakdown of the expected costs for this weekend getaway.  To complete this exercise I used the U.S.-Parks US National Parks Travel Guide at www.us-parks.com. 

   

The Travel article in the Special Feature section is all about traveling and planning the vacation or trip.  This article hopes to enlighten the reader about the various services available to consumers through internet websites.  I learned that there are many more opportunities to save on travel is one researches and utilizes resources available.  Through the activities I learned that the websites strive to be easily accessible and have an ease of use in an attempt to gain you as a customer.  There are many websites that strive to help people plan their vacation of a lifetime, offering many services and information. 
   
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