After 2024’s vacation to America I will have crossed off both New Mexico and Utah from my bucket list. It took a lot of discussion between myself and daughter to find a compromise and a solution to the objective.

My ideal flight routing was London – Albuquerque – Salt Lake City – London but what has been booked is a London – Austin return with 10 nights accommodation north of Austin in Round Rock. The pricing was too good to ignore and the flights and accommodation have come in over £100 than the cost of the flight only avoiding Austin.

We both enjoyed visiting Texas in 2022 and at that time flights to Austin were the best value and although the direct flight option wasn’t there in 2024 the pricing was just about the same as it was in 2022. I looked at almost every major hub in America for the best value and Austin was still cheaper than them all.

So on day 7 we are going to separate and I am going to fly from Austin to Albuquerque via Salt Lake City. I have booked a car rental on arrival and will maximise my time in the city and see how much I can cover. Of course there are Route 66 signs and diners to see. Although I am limited on time I am still considering if I can get as far as Santa Fe and back before my onward flight to Houston. Luckily there is a direct flight to Houston and I will be meeting up with my daughter again and spending a night in the Houston area before returning to Austin.

I won’t be in Salt Lake City for long so hopefully I will get the chance to get outside of the terminal building and get a mountain photo opportunity.

2025 might be Hawaii 50 who knows!!!