Great American Road Trip: Day 2

Morning in Rawlins, Wyoming greeted us with temps in the 60s.  After a fantastic hot breakfast courtesy of the Hampton Inn we rolled North.  We went through Casper then passed through miles of rolling hills.  On either side of the car there were vast green fields and low hanging puffy white clouds.  It almost didn't look real.  Places are really this green?  Maybe I have been in Arizona too long.

We entered Montana and the scenery remained the same.  We were heading towards the Crow Indian reservation and I was really surpried it was so green.  I had been doing some reading about the history of the area and the Battle of Little Bighorn and I never pictured it this way.  I guess I just assumed all Reservations look like the ones in Arizona, brown, dusty, and desolate.

We arrived at the Little Bighorn Battlefield on June 25th, the 137th anniversary of the battle.  (I'm such a good planner!)  We drove right in since admission is free on the anniversary of the battle.  (I'm such a cheapskate!)  On another ridge we could see members of the Cheyenne tribe riding horses towards the battle site in memorial.  It seemed like most of the people here today were Native American.  This was one of the only battles they won.  Is you wanted to take a guided tour of the property you could do it a couple ways:  You could board a bus for a drive around the property narrated by a member of the Lakota tribe, you could take a guided walk with a Forest Service Ranger, or you could do a self guided drive.  Seems that relations between whites & natives are still a little strained.

And off we went.  Next stop, North Dakota:

In Theodore Roosevelt National Park we saw lots of interesting things.  We saw prairie dogs, bison, and horses, too!

Miles driven today: 670

Gallons of Diet Coke Todd drank today: 132

Great American Road Trip: Day 1

I had planned Day 1 to be our most grueling day of driving.  I wanted to get as far North as possible on the first day, so we could spend the rest of the trip relaxing and actually seeing the sights.  We left the house shortly after 6am and had breakfast in the car:

Hello Utah:

Then my navigators napped:

As the boys slept I wound through red cliffs.  At times red dust blew so heavy across the road I could hardly see where I was going.  We passed Canyonlands National Park and went through Moab.  Moab definitely looked like a cool town to come back & spend a weekend.

My navigator woke up in time to snap one shot before we jumped onto I-70 into Colorado:

By the time we hit Rawlins Wyoming, we were tired.  Todd was driving, and it was late.  It was dark, windy, and there were lots of wildlife on the side of the road.  Some had already been hit, and some we were afraid we were going to hit.  We pulled over at the first hotel.  The nice ladies at the front desk informed me they were booked and the next available room was probably in Laramie, miles away.  They did offer Todd some coffee, tho.

As he pumped gas, I got out my Wyoming visitors guide and started dialing.  Luckily, the Hampton Inn just had a cancellation.  They were at the next exit.  Within minutes the three of us were passed out in a clean and comfy king size bed.  We didn't know it now, but this would be the most comfortable bed we'd sleep in until we got home.

Miles driven:  847

Hours in the car: too many to count

Great American Road Trip: Prologue

The car is washed.  The bags are packed.  The dog has been groomed and fitted with a flea & tick collar.  I think Fluffy is excited for his first road trip.  I am excited about coloring in the states on his new t-shirt as we drive.

Our CB handle is still to be determined.  Todd is wanting to use "White Lightning", but I'm just not sold.  I'm thinking maybe "The Fluffmobile", or "Orange Crushed".  We'll see!  Stay tuned!

Mt Lemmon

One Saturday
167 miles
+8,004 ft of elevation change
46 degree temperature drop

First we met up with some friends:

We drove for a bit and gradually the terrain gave way from rocky outcroppings dotted with saguaros to scrubby bushes and manzanita trees.  Eventually, we ran into pine trees.

Near the top of the mountain we parked.

And it started raining.  I was freezing!

And then it was time to go back down the mountain.  Eeeck!

Sunday Morning Shenanigans

Hey, look at us.  We made a video!  It lacks the production quality & fancy music of my cousin's videos.  Baby steps.

Further Proof I'm Turning Into My Mother

I left my office today and smiled at my shiny new truck in the parking lot.  I thought, "I need to call someone in West Virginia and have them send me a WVU sticker for the back window".  My next thought was "NOOOOO, not a sticker on my shiny new truck".
Sigh... I'll probably spill some of my dinner on my chest tonight, too.

How Do I Say Goodbye?

10 years, 1 month, and 106,725 miles later:
Albuquerque; Nashville; San Diego, Memphis; Carlisle, PA; Bridgeport, WV; Bowling Green; San Francisco; Morgantown, WV; New Orleans; Dallas; The Outer Banks, NC; Marietta, OH; Lexington, KY; Loretta, KY;  Lynchburg, TN; Gulfport, MS; Rocky Point MX;
and numerous weekends at Apache, Roosevelt, Saguaro and Lake Pleasant.

Despite all of these adventures, I abandoned the Chicken, and came home in this beauty:

I cried when we left the dealership.
Todd thought I was kidding, but after hours of negotiating and a hot, new, car payment burning a hole in my checkbook, I couldn't help it.  I was emotionally drained.
Today, four days later, I love my new truck..
I love how it smells.
I love how it drives.
I love how the leather-wrapped steering wheel feels in my hand.
I love the Panoramic roof, (ie- giant sun roof) even if it's completely impractical.
I love the fancy-ass radio.
I love the crazy Bluetooth link to my phone, even if I hardly know how to use it.
I just hope this Jeep can make it 10 years..... That seems to be my car life-span.