Day 21: Departure and Conclusion

Our flight is scheduled to depart at 3:45 PM. We are lucky to be able to stay in the hotel for an extra hour. So we use the time after breakfast for a walk through the new construction area. Many new houses are being built here, all made of wood with the corresponding infrastructure. A school is also being built. We are curious and look at how much a furnished apartment costs per month. At least 2800 dollars are required for a three-room apartment. Back at the hotel, we freshen up and then take the shuttle bus to the nearby airport. Check-in now goes smoothly with assistance and then everything goes smoothly. We have lunch. Unfortunately, our plane is an hour late, but time passes quickly. Rene and David are sitting 4 rows ahead of Erik and me. Unfortunately, I can't find peace again. I just can't sleep or I wake up very quickly due to noises. Erik sleeps for 3 hours, David and René for 4 hours. Around 11 o'clock we reach Frankfurt and then the usual procedure goes quite smoothly. Now we have to choose a train. We take the S-Bahn to the main station and then continue with the ICE to Erfurt. We manage to get seats in the children's compartment, although they are distributed individually and René sits on the floor with the luggage. Better than nothing. The last meters are usually the most strenuous. Exhausted, we reach Erfurt. Now we have to take the tram and finally we are home. Conclusion: Once again, the USA impresses us as a travel destination. With a total of 20 weeks now, we can experience and discover a lot there. With this trip, we were able to visit a total of 20 national parks. In particular, the beautiful landscapes, the diverse animal and plant life fascinate us every time anew. The people are friendly and helpful. At no point do we feel unsafe. We have the feeling that a lot is being built in the cities, but also outside. It seems that people are doing well. They spend a lot of money on leisure activities. But we always realize that we mostly know more about America. One thing is clear for us, we were not in the USA for the last time. Now our Top 3: Erik's Top 3 National Parks 1. Zion 2. Grand Canyon 3. Rocky Mountains National Park Erik's Top 3 Activities: 1. Swimming in Glenwood Springs 2. Water hiking 3. Las Vegas Fremont Street David's Top 3 National Parks 1. Zion 2. Arches 3. Glen Canyon David's Top 3 Activities: 1. Swimming in lakes and Glenwood Springs 2. Water hiking in Zion 3. Junior Park Ranger René's Top 3 National Parks 1. Arches 2. Black Canyon 3. Rocky Mountains National Park René's Top 3 Activities: 1. Water hiking 2. Jeep Monument Valley 3. Hiking in Rocky Mountains National Park Anna's Top 3 National Parks 1. Arches 2. Rocky Mountains National Park 3. Zion Anna's Top 3 Activities: 1. Water hiking 2. Stargazing in Black Canyon 3. Jeep Monument Valley Thank you so much for reading. Until the next vacation.