It’s 4:30 a.m.—go time. We pack the pups into the Jeep and head out on the QE2 towards the border, our Saturday night destination of Idaho Falls a mere twelve hours away. It was grey and cold outside, with a mix of snow, rain and wind thrown in for good measure. No better day in my mind to depart the Canadian Rockies. We reach Lethbridge Alberta by 7:30 a.m. and stop by Tim Horton’s for a farewell 20-pack of Timbits and coffee.

Goodbye to 110km/hr (68 mph), Hello to 80mph (128km). The border agent actually said “Welcome Home” to us. It was kind of sweet to hear him say that.

Our drive through Montana. was rugged and beautiful, even in the rain.

We arrived in Idaho Falls around 4:30 p.m. While there, I made my annual trip to a convenience store to stock up on some Idaho Spuds — an Boise original, made of chocolate, marshmallow and coconut. By the way, they also make a yummy confection called Huckleberry Gems, which unfortunately did not make it back to Phoenix.

The next morning we were in Salt Lake City just in time for sunrise.

As we approached the Arizona border, the landscape began to resemble a fall tapestry. Bryce Canyon and the drive through Kanab did not disappoint. And, the narrow road that winds through the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park area was truly amazing.

For the most part, our drive though Arizona was a blur. Usually at that point in our journey, we are on auto-pilot, with our eyes on the prize.

Phoenix greeted us with rain and lower temperatures, which has helped a lot with the transition. Puccini and Dota have settled back into their desert routine. I heard that Canmore has six inches of snow. It’s great to be home.