trying to convince the wifee to go....someone please school me on the sun tunnels and why they're a "must see" (I'm not very familiar with them)
I don't go for the sun tunnels; I don't consider them a "must see." I think they're cool, but not worth the drive. However, what is worth the drive (to me) is getting out and camping/exploring with many old friends, meeting new friends, seeing ghost towns, staring in awe at the amount of facts Kurt has crammed in his head, and listening to Kurt and Joseph's banter at the campfire make it worth a drive twice as far.
I'm bringing my dog, my wife, and some neighborhood friends. If your wife doesn't like cold camping, it's probably not for her. However, you could throw the camper shell on your diesel and take that, it'd do just fine.