Experiencing my first hot spring was one goal I had when I road tripped the Loneliest Road in America. I see all of the glamorous shots of sitting in an open pool of fresh, steaming water and it looks so enticing. Here's the reality of experiencing my first natural hot spring.

We received a lot of advice about getting to Yosemite early, parking in one of the main lots and then taking the Shuttle, which takes you to just about every popular place, or you can hike from those popular places to where you want to be. This was our plan until my 14-year-old daughter sprained her ankle literally two days before our trip and ended up on crutches.  Our plans for hiking now had to be adjusted to Plan B: driving and parking as close to the sights as possible.

I dreamt I walked through the blooming Flower Fields of Carlsbad. A sea of pink, white, red and orange flowers in rows of waves as far as I could see. I stepped into a painting with the breezes blowing off the ocean and could see the ocean from atop the hill. I realized I wasn't dreaming. This was a dream come true.

This is the story of our epic road trip from Los Angeles to Zion and Bryce National Parks in Utah.  We had limited time, but so much to see. We selected the following destinations and now share our itinerary and route for how to see 12 amazing places in only 3 days.

I'm just a Chicago Gal experiencing the California Wildfires. First,it was the Sand Wildfire that began just weeks after we moved from Chicago to California. The Sand Wildfire was merely miles away from us.

When sunny skies meet mirrors and metal, the Chicago architecture pops before it melts into the clouds.