The Long Road Home

Sorry we didn't post anything yesterday. I think it was the longest day of the entire trip. It wasn't bad...just long. Got up early at our comfy hotel and headed to Rocky Mountain National Park, which was breathtaking. From there we drove some winding mountain backroads to just outside of Denver. There, we drove to the top of Mt. Evans, wich is over 14,000 feet! Narrow roads plus high mountain plus no guardrails equals fun/scary times. When we got to the top we were feeling adventurous and decided to hike to the summit. Man the air is thin at that elevation! If I'm in bad shape back home, lets just say I'm almost an invalid up there. It was worth it though, to literally stand in and above the clouds.

After that, the plan was to spend the night in Denver. But after dinner, we decided we were ready to get home so we started the long drive. The GPS said it was faster to go through Kansas and then cut south, so that's the plan. About 1 a.m. we decided to stop in Western Kansas to get a room. Apparently, there is some kind of car race nearby and EVERYBODY in the entire state decided to come stay in hotels there. After looking for 2 hours we finally found a nasty little place in Oakley that had a room. We were so tired we didn't really care how gross it was. At least we didn't see any bugs.

Slept in and had a big breakfast. Now for the exciting task of driving across Kansas and Oklahoma. It was fun, but bring on my comfy bed!

Ahhh...Luxury

I don't think it's a secret that I wasn't a big fan of roughing it at the KOA. I think I actually slept worse last night. And lets just say that it's not fun to have to hike to the bathroom in the middle of the night when a storm is rolling in.

Anyway, we left Moab this morning and headed across Colorado on I-70. It's amazing how fast you can get somewhere going 80 MPH. We didn't have any reservations tonight so we just figured we'd find something on the road. Stopped in the town of Kremlin, about 40 miles outside of Rocky Mountain National Park, and low and behold, there was this nice brand-new hotel right when we pulled into town. I thought it looked too expensive, but Jeremy wanted to try it so we stopped. I am presently blogging from our fabulous jacuzzi suite...which, ironically, didn't cost much more than some of the rat holes we've stayed in on this trip. We checked in, had a great dinner and then partook of the indoor pool and hot tub. Now this is my idea of vacation!

We hit some pretty major rain on the way up this afternoon, but the scenery was so gorgeous. I definitely prefer the mountains in Colorado to the desert land in Utah and Arizona...all beautiful, but in very different ways. This is the first time I've been to Colorado in the summer and it's a totally different experience. Wild flowers everywhere and beautiful streams and evergreens.

Tomorrow we will drive through the national park, then start heading south. Our goal is to make it home by late Saturday so we'll have at least a few hours to recuperate before work on Monday. It's been a great time so far!

Day 7

Well, we've officially been on the road for a week now. I think we're at that point in the trip when you are kind of missing home, but still not quite ready to head that way. Jeremy got up at 4:30 this morning to shoot sunrise in Canyonlands National Park. Notice I wasn't included in that statement. I happily slept in on the hardest bed on Earth until he got back at 9.

After lunch we drove through Arches again and it was absolutely packed with tourists. It was really hot and the light was bad for shooting so we decided to head back to the Kabin (lol) and take a nap. Rested and refreshed, we went to dinner and had the best food we've eaten the whole trip. The place was called the Moab Diner and it was cheap and wonderful. Plus they serve ice cream and, I'm ashamed to admit, we shared a ginormous banana split.

This evening we headed to Dead Horse Point State Park for sunset. It was one of the more beautiful views we've seen so far. Supposedly, it is called Dead Horse because back in the 1800s cowboys would corral wild horses by backing the to the cliffs and building a fence. Apparently, some dumbass forgot about a whole herd of them and they all starved to death while staring down at the Colorado. Kind of a bummer story behind such a beautiful place.

Tomorrow we will leave the desert behind and head over to Colorado. The plan is to get as close to Rocky Mountain National Park as we can. Funds are starting to get low...I sense some $5 footlongs in our near future. I coerced Jeremy into giving me a photo for tonight. You have no idea how much it pains him to post his photos untouched. I just wish mine looked half as good! Anyway, this is one of the shots he got at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands this morning. Night all!

Long Scenic Drive

Today we put in a LOT of miles. We didnt originally realize how far it is from Kanab to Moab. But the drive was definitely worth it. Jeremy says some people consider that route to be one of the prettiest drives in the world...and I believe it. We went through Bryce Canyon National Park, then on to the Grand Staircase (which was alien looking). After that was Capitol Reef National Park, which I had never even heard of. It was a beautiful place with huge sheer clifs and caves.

The only major disappointmnet of the day came when we stopped in Tropic, UT at the only known place in the universe that sells Jeremy's favorite childhood drink - Orange Bang (yeah, I'd never heard of it either till I met him). Unfortunatley, the folks at the general store had gotten with the times and replaced the Orange Bang dispenser with a cappucino machine. He was very sad.

We rolled into Moab right before sunset and had just enough time to make it out to Arches National Park for the show. Due to some earlier rain, the light was iffy, but he got lucky. Just as we were about to call it a day the light was just right and a rainbow appeared behind some of the formations. We'll try to post the pic tomorrow.

Now off to bed in our snazzy (not) KOA Kamper Kabin. Just love the clever use of K's. More adventure awaits tomorrow.

Days on the road: 6
Miles travelled: 2,100

Antelope Canyon

Another great day on the road. Last night was a little rough because the A/C at Bob's wasn't exactly doing the job. Nothing makes me grumpier than being hot while I'm trying to sleep! Luckily it was uphill from there. We had a guided photo tour of upper Antelope Canyon (see Jeremy's pic above). Our guide was awesome and we had a nice family from Phoenix with us. Jeremy had warned me that it would be crazy, but I wasn't quite prepared. There are literally hundreds of people crowded into a canyon 1/4 mile long and about 10 feet wide at it's widest. Lots of yelling and pushing and rushing. But it's truly one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I've never seen light like that anywhere else. Note that photo is straight of the camera...no enhancement at all.

After Antelope Canyon we headed to Kanab where we checked into Bob-Bonn's Motel. Not sure what it is with us and Bob on this trip. This place is very nice and had a pool. It was too late to go anywhere else so we took a nice swim and ordered in Chinese. Love tourists towns! Tomorrow we will be moving on Moab where we will see Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Hope all is well back home!

As promised...

Jeremy has given permission to post one of the rainbow pics from Monument Valley. We were on the tour when this massive storm blew in and the light just happened to be right to get this shot over the Totem Pole.

While on the subject of photography, we discovered Picnik.com on this trip. It's like a web-based photoshop and you don't even have to log in. Pretty darn cool, especially since there isn't room for Adobe on our netbook. Night!

Bashful Bob's

Greetings from Bashful Bob's Motel in Page, AZ! We had a nice relaxing day around Lake Powell and checked into Bob's today. I found the place online last week...only$44 including tax. Considering most rooms here are $200+ that's pretty darn amazing. I had read good reviews on Tripadvisor and I am really pleased. Bashful Bob himself greeted us at the front desk and told us a story about our room. It's really a one-bedroom apartment and it is where Bob lived for 25-years until he recently moved into his new motorhome. Sure it's shabby and dated, but very clean. It reminds me of visiting my great grandparents as a kid. Something about the smells and bizarre assortment of art and furniture is kind of soothing.

I asked Bob why his rooms are so much cheaper than everyone else and he said he just keeps his costs down so he doesn't have to charge people more. There's something you don't hear often in a tourist town. Thank's Bob!

We briefly looked into renting a speed boat on the lake today. The price was a lot, but we wanted to splurge. Then I found out that the boat holds 40-gallons of gas and that only lasts three hours! At $3.89 a gallon...doesn't take a math major to figure out that's a frickin lot of money. So no boat...too bad. That would have been fun. For those of you who aren't familiar with Lake Powell, it's this gorgeous resevoir that was created when they built the Glen Canyon Dam (see pic above). Gorgeous blue water winds through hundreds of miles of rocky canyons. The most popular way to see it is to rent a houseboat for a week. Someday when we're grownups maybe we can afford that. :)

Tomorrow we are touring Antelope Canyon. Jeremy has shot it before, but lost most of the photos in the infamous hard-drive incident of 2007. He's excited to be going back.

Dinner involved Mexican food (what can I say, can't go a week without Mexican) and one very boozy Margarita. Sweet dreams here I come!

Ahh...so much better!

It's amazing how much better you can feel after a long shower and a good night's sleep. Woke up feeling refreshed and thought I'd post a few photos I took (except the flower...Jeremy shot that one on my camera). Those of you who know Jeremy well probably know that all of his photos go through a rigorous quality-control test so his will come later.

The one of us is at Goosenecks State Park near Mexican Hat, UT. The big canyon you see in the background is where the San Juan River has carved a crazy series of bends in the landscape.

The flower is one of my favorite shots of the trip so far. We were driving along this desolate dirt road in the middle of the desert and we saw this one little defiant sunflower thriving. Almost looked like one of those motivational posters for "don't give up against adversity."" Jeremy did such a great job of capturing it.

The Monument Valley shot was the last one I took on the tour yesterday. They call this area the skyline because you can see all of the major formations. It was breathtaking!

Now must go check out. Today we check into Bashful Bob's Motel here in Page. I'll let you know how that goes.

Monument Valley

Look at what a dedicated blogger I am! Thanks to Arizona's wacky time (in Page right now) it's only 1:15-ish here instead of after 3. Still...it's been a looooong day. Planned to wake up at 5:30 so Jeremy could go get sunrise shots. Forgot the iPod doesn't automatically update times so we really got up at 4:30.

There was a mix-up with the tour company so we didn't do our morning tour. Instead, we spent the day exploring on our own. We took the Miata on some roads that we definitely shouldn't have been on. Let's just say she's making some noises that don't sound too good. May have to find a mechanic to look at her...but still driving fine.

Saw some beautiful scenery around the Mexican Hat, UT area...including a drive on a very steep, scary road. Jeremy was in heaven. Not sure if you're aware, but the desert gets FREAKIN hot during the day. Kinda wears you out. However, our evening tour through Monument Valley was so worth it! If anyone is considering visiting the area, taking a Jeep tour is the only way to go. We were out at sunset and got some amazing shots. Yes, even I got a few. I'll give you a hint and say that a rainbow was involved. You'll just have to wait to see photos.

When we got done we were absolutely filthy and covered in sand. Standing in line at the campground with a hundred naked Europeans at the shower didn't sound fun, so we decided to pack up and get the heck out of Dodge. We pushed through to Page and found what was probably the last hotel room in town. A shower never, ever felt so good. Had to wash my hair four times.

I'll try to post some pics tomorrow. Ok, bed is calling now. Must. Sleep.

Day 2

Tonight I am posting from Goulding's Campground in Monument Valley, Utah. Today was much less eventful than yesterday. Had a lovely drive with the top down on the Miata over Wolf Creek Pass. Then we stopped and had a great lunch in Pagosa Springs, CO - very much a tourist destination. We had planned to take the Million-Dollar Highway (which has crazy mountain roads), but there were nasty thunderstorms in the area all day. Drove through some of the hardest rain I've ever seen.

It's amazing how the landscape changes from Durango to the four-corners area - you go from lush conifer forests to rugged desert in just a few miles. Monument Valley is so beautiful and special. Even though it is literally in the middle of nowhere, there are tons of tourists. Most from Europe we've noticed. Guess our crappy U.S. dollar is making it even cheaper for them to visit now.

Dinner was an intersting affair. They have a restaurant at the lodge and they serve traditional Navajo fare. Me, being less adventurous than Jeremy, chose a plain hamburger steak. He got the Navajo taco, which was totally wonderful! They serve everything on this thick piece of fry-bread..which is like a giant sopapilla. The taco consisted of chili con carne, ranch-style beans and salad on top. I will definitely have my own tomorrow.

As for the camping, not a big fan of tents. But once the sun went down the weather is cool and there is a nice breeze...so I don't think it will be too bad. Tomorrow we have two tours planned in Monument Valley with a Navajo guide. Should be very fun! Have a great night.

Late Night Drama

Last night was a bit of an adventure. As I mentioned in my previous post, Jeremy thought he would be able to drive all night. That was after a big Red Bull. About 11 Central we rolled into Colorado and there was a great little town on the interstate with plenty of hotels. He insisted that we should keep on truckin.

We ended up taking a small scenic highway (12) from Trinidad to Alomosa, CO. For a minute we thought were were actually in Mexico. Everything was in Spanish...even the signs on the public schools. Plus we didn't meet another car for at least 2.5 hours. Drove over some gorgeous mountain passes, saw a huge bull elk and some foxes. Would have been awesome to see in the day.

Jeremy had agreed that we could get a motel in Alamosa, but it took WAY longer than he estimated to get over those mountain roads. Rolled into town about 3:30 a.m. We stopped by the Day's Inn and I swear the guy looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if they had a room. He said not a chance anywhere close.

We had almost resigned ourselves to huddling in the Wal-Mart parking lot and Jeremy decided he could drive a little longer. Got lucky in the next town and a motel had a room. $100 for a crappy room with no tv or alarm clock. But it felt like heaven. Got to bed around 5:15 and it was some of the best sleep I've ever had.

Today we're driving through the mountains...including the infamous Wolf Creek Pass. The plan is to get to Monument Valley before sunset to set up camp. Let's hope our time estimates go better than last night!

Oh yeah, and me waiting two days to start whining? Didn't happen. It wasn't pretty last night, or should I say this morning. Hope everyone has a great day!

Amarillo by Evening

Seem to be making pretty good time today. I drove us all the way to Amarillo. Loved the "watch out for rattlesnakes" signs at the rest stop. We opted against going to the 70-ounce-steak joint that has a ridiculous billboard budget. Their signs are the only thing to read between Wichita Falls and Amarillo. Opted for Cracker Barrel instead...probably ate about as much as the steak.

We bought an app on the ipod that lets you keep track of the license plates we see on the trip. So far we're at 24. Not too shabby for day 1. I'm done driving for the night and Jeremy says he's wired and ready to drive all night. I'd like to find a nice place to sleep and shower in a few hours. We'll see who wins.

Day 1

Worked until 10 last night and then we didn't get to bed until around 1 after packing everything...but now we're on VACATION! We are officially off on our great Western adventure. I was very impressed with Jeremy's mad packing skills as he stuffed an amazing amount of crap into the Miata. Serious props to him...didn't think it would work. Anyway, we had requests for videos of said packing, however, it was very late and dark. But here are a couple of pics.

Anyway, today is going to involve a crazy amount of driving. We are going to tag-team it as far as we can possibly get...hopefully somewhere in Eastern Colorado. Here's a brief rundown of the itinerary:

1. Drive a frickin long way
2. Sleep when we can't drive anymore (prob Colorado)
3. Spend 2 nights camping in Monument Valley (yes, I said camping)
4. Drive over to spend one night in Page, AZ and tour Antelope Canyon
5. Go see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and stay a night in Kanab, UT
6. Spend 2 nights in Moab, UT and see Arches, Canyonlands and Bryce Canyon National Parks
7. Drive a frickin long way
8. Stay somewhere in Northern Colorado and head over to Rocky Mount National Park and drive on really scary roads
9. Drive a frickin long way home

We will try to update as often as we can. Because let's face it, you're all wondering how long its going to take me to become a whiny, bratty baby. I give it at least 2 days. :)

Jodi