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September 2016

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Entrepreneurs are the main source of jobs and new wealth in the modern society. In US almost all the new jobs are created by companies that have been formed since 1975. As a matter of fact, the companies that dominated the Fortune 100 list then have all shed employees and have smaller payroll now than back then. Familiar names like IBM, GM, Ford, US Steel, GE, Honeywell are much leaner now than they were back then. Giant retailers like Sears, JC Penneys, Macy’s have been humbled by the likes of Amazon and eBay.

San Jose, CA to Arches National Park Visitor Center & Park Headquarters - Google MapsArches National Park Visitor Center & Park Headquarters to San Jose, CA - Google Maps Ben at Promonotary PointRaj-Ann at Promonotaery Point UtahCharu and Jyoti at Promonotaery PointNavneeta, Simmi, Ruby and Raj-Ann at Jackson Hole WyomingCharu, Navneeta and Kanwal at Grand TetonEnterring Yellowstone Waiting for Old Faithful Old Faithful erupting Buffalo Yellowstone Gang at YellowstoneBen at Devil Tower in Wyoming Mt. Rushmore Crazy HorseCalamity Jane and Wild Bill Hicock graves in Deadwood Deadwood Downtown Wooly Mammoth Pit Mammoth Site in WyomingRocky Mountain National Park Grand Junction Colorado Colorado National MonumentDelicate Arch at Arches National Park Utah Arches National Park Utah Bryce National Park Bryce National Park 1Grand Canyon Grand Canyon from air Essential Ben at Hiking Grand Mark getting ready for Grand Canyon Hike Randeepgetting ready for Grand Canyon Hike Hiking Grand Canyon 1Hoover Dam State Line Upi and Pinki joined us in Las Vegas At Excalibur Las VegasUniversal Studios In Hollywood Our Van

 

In the summer of 1995 I rented a 16 passenger Ford Van took 8 kids and two adults on a 30 day, 6000 mile western drive that spanned  ten states. This trip pre-dated smart phones, GPS and Google maps. I and my daughter meticulously planned the trip using Delorme Software package on a PC. Software not only helped as plan the route, it also helped us make the reservations at Best Western Inns along the route. Software also highlighted all the sites worth seeing  within a 20 miles of our main route.

Kids included  Raj-Ann, Ben, Charu, Jyoti, Arpit, Randeep, Simmi, and Navneeta (all cousins). They had to be over 9 years of age and had to be able to take care of themselves. My sister Ruby and my brother in law Mark Holt joined on this epic tour. Each person was allowed one duffel bag as every thing had to fit in the van and we planned to do laundry at least every third day.

We traveled through California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado and Arizona; in case of Nevada and Wyoming we were in and out a couple of times.  We saw great Salt Flats, great Salt Lake,  Sundance , The Mormon Temple in salt Lake City; the Promontory point where the Pacific Central and Union Central railroads joined each other in 1868;   National Parks or National Monuments visited included : Grand Tetons, Yellow Stone, Devils Tower, Mt. Rushmore, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado national Monument, Arches National Park, Bryce canyon, Zion National Park, CanyonLands and Grand Canyon.  We stopped in the Old West town of Deadwood,  where Wild Bill Hickok and Annie Oakley are buried.  Wooley Mammoth Pit in Wyoming where hundreds of mammoths were trapped and buried in a  land slide was one of the many interesting side tours.  Visiting Crazy Horse monument was another one.We visited Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Hollywood, Universal studios and Hearst Castle. We traveled on the storied Route 66. On average we drove only 200 miles a day and made numerous side trips  to take in local sites. We visited, Winnemucca Nevada; Salt Lake City, Provo and Ogden Utah; Jackson Hole, Sheridan and Cheyenne Wyoming; Rapid City South Dakota; Sidney Nebraska; Denver, Vail and Grand Junction Colorado; Los Angeles, Hollywood, Santa Monica and San Simeon California.

I have included maps of the trips in the photos. It was a fun filled trip with Yellow Stone and Grand Canyon without the doubt being the highlights of the trip. Trip was run with a military precision and went without a hitch for the most part. It has been 21 years since the tripand kids still talk about it from time to time.