Recap

My sister posted a super sweet status on Facebook that included something about not remembering how many states I passed through: So here's the recap, with a little summary of what happened in that state. 

Virginia: The start and finish of the journey, and home, of course. We won't count this one. 

1. Maryland: Met up with Mea and Co. for the first part of the trip to Niagara, New York. 

2. Pennsylvania: Drove through on the way to New York.  Went through it again between New York and Ohio and visited the Erie Maritime Museum. 

3. New York: Stayed through the weekend for the re-enactment of the Siege of Fort Niagara. Visited Niagara Falls.

4. Ohio: Visited the Kent State University Costume Museum. 

5. Indiana: I did absolutely nothing but drive across I-90, stopping only for guess and a milkshake at a Dairy Queen on the Interstate.

6. Illinois: Chicago!  Water Taxi, deep-dish pizza, and visiting my friend DJ. Passed through it again on the way home, but Charles was driving and I was asleep through most of the state. 

7. Wisconsin: I stopped at a Culver's for lunch. Culver's is a Wisconsin-based chain, and they claimed to use local beef and cheese. They also had frozen custard.  

8. Minnesota: Pretty much the same as Indiana.

9. South Dakota: Sioux Falls, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore (from a distance), Mammoth Site, Wind Cave National Park. 

10. Wyoming: Yellowstone

11. Montana: The tiny part that's in Yellowstone, and a horseback ride in the National Forest. 

12. Idaho: Crossed the skinny part. Had lunch in Couer D'Alene...with no potatoes, there were none on the menu!

13. Washington: Seattle (Space Needle and Pike Place) and Whidbey Island.

14.  Oregon: Portland and Multnomah Falls

15. California: The entire coast? San Francisco, Muir Woods, Big Sur, Disneyland, Legoland, Coronodo Island. 

16. Nevada: Vegas, Baby. 

17. Arizona: Grand Canyon. 

18. Utah: Zion National Park. 

19. Colorado: Boulder! Hiking and eating, and seeing Cowboys and Aliens. 

20. Kansas: Another Indiana. Not sure if Charles even stopped for gas. 

21. Oklahoma: Stayed with very extended family in Tulsa.

22. Arkansas: Ozark Medieval Fortress, Historical Arkansas Museum, saw the Little Rock. 

23. Missouri: St. Louis Science Museum and more eating. 

24. Kentucky: Doesn't really count as it was dark and I was sleeping for a large portion of our driving. 

25. West Virginia: See above.

So, I wouldn't necessarily say I visited 25 states, but I did pass through that many!  

Last Stop

It's hard to believe it, but we've actually made it to the last stop on this far more than seven thousand mile adventure.  We're in St. Louis, Missouri, which we will explore tomorrow before heading home at last on Wednesday morning. It's somewhat fitting to end our journey here. I saw sights visited by Lewis and Clark, saw landmarks from the Louisiana Purchase and the Oregon Trail.  I saw the grandest sights in the West, and here I am, making my way home from the Gateway to the West.  Maybe a little backwards, but still, fitting.

The adventure is not quite over...we still have the City Museum and some cadavers on our schedule before we drive the 12 hours home.

Before we get too reflective, let's talk about what we've been up to.  We had a nice visit with relatives/friends in Tulsa, for the two hours that we were both there and awake, before heading to visit the Ozark Medieval Fortress, a 14th century-style castle being built in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas.  It has a lot of promise, but the staff was a little absent because of it being a Sunday. I did get bitten by a horse for the first time, but we decided we needed to come back in about five years.

Then it was time to head down to Little Rock to visit my sis-in-law.  She made us a delicious dinner of chicken and dumplings, and then today we visited the Little Rock that the city is named after.  We also paid a visit to the Historical Arkansas Museum (HAM), which is a reconstruction/preservation of a block of LR from the 1820s-40s. It was pretty neat, and the museum itself was great. There was an exhibit comparing the Civil War/Old South as shown in Gone With the Wind (movie) and actual history in Arkansas. There was more on the making of GWTW than film analysis, but since I've been re-reading the novel on this trip, it was especially interesting. After lunch, it was time to hit the road again to St. Louis.

Here in St. Louis, we went straight to the Schlafly Bottleworks, an awesome brew-pub that I visited when I was here in the spring.  They have a lot of great local food, and of course, awesome beer.  We shared the goat cheese dip, which was amazing, and I had a beer cheese soup which was almost as delicious.  Now, here we are, blogging and catching up on internet stuff.

619 and Counting

Charles is driving right now, and we've been on the road for almost nine hours, stopping only for gas and necessary breaks. The title refers to the mileage when I started this post.

The morning got off to a good start, when we met my dear friend Liza and her fiance at Denver airport for tea and coffee. They were just flying in for vacation with her family as we were departing the area. Although the timing for meeting up was good, her vacation dates conflict with our arrival in St. Louis, where they actually live.

As you might expect, there has not been too much excitement today. Eastern Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma all pretty much look the same: flat grasslands and cornfields. Kansas was so deserted that we stopped at a completely automated gas station with just pumps and nothing else for miles.

All the sameness of view and our voracious consumption of This American Life episodes led to a feeling that time had stopped...not that it felt slow exactly. The hours passed without our noticing because one episode ran into another with soothing public radio voices as seamless as the landscape.  All of a sudden I realized we'd been driving for six hours with only two brief stops.

We have about an hour to go, crashing in Tulsa tonight before heading to Arkansas tomorrow for castles and family!

Boulder, Cowboys, and Aliens

This morning we took a lovely drive up Colorado 219, up into the Rockies, and on our way down, went on a very short hike to Boulder Falls, a magnificent rushing of water.  Then we had lunch at the Dushanbe Tea House here in Boulder.  It's late, so pictures will have to wait.

Then, we took a break from sightseeing so that I could do the very exciting task of applying for teaching jobs before heading out for our first Ethiopian meal ever.  I surreptitiously eyed the family next to us, trying to see how they used the bread to dip up from the large platter in front of them. I need not have worried. One of the sisters that seemed to own the place tore off a piece of the flatbread when she brought the plate, wrapping up small tidbits of the various vegetarian dishes, and then feeding me as if I was a baby bird, then walking off, nodding as if she were satisfied with my pleased murmurs.  We polished off the meal, and then took our full bellies just down the street to the movie theater to see "Cowboys and Aliens."

Wait, just hold on a moment before you judge.

Remember, we just spent days driving through the American West.  We saw all the desert scenes that we expected to see in the movie. And were we ever satisfied.  We had several hopes for the movie:

• Good western genre cliches
• Daniel Craig kicking ass (pardon my French, but that was my wish)
• Olivia Wilde looking...well....like Olivia Wilde, if you get my drift. (My husband's wish)
• Explosions
• Western scenery

We were satisfied on all counts.  Daniel Craig wakes up in the desert, looking just like the territory we just drove through. Within the first five minutes of the movie, he has beaten up a gang of tough Westerners.  Olivia Wilde's clothing gets soaked through not once, but twice, and then there's another scene...There is a shootout that results in large explosions.  And oh, the cliches. They hit them all: the town bully, the loner who seems tough but has a heart of gold, the sheriff, the pretty girl, a gang of outlaws, robberies, Indian ambushes, a saloon brawl, and the hero, riding off alone. 

Not to mention, chaps are flattering to any man with a nice posterior, but Daniel Craig as a rugged cowboy in chaps...well let's just say I couldn't be too jealous of Charles' crush on Olivia. 

Thoughts on Travels

I've done a lot of writing about what I've actually done, but I wanted to share a few of my thoughts about what I've been seeing and doing.

1. Sleeping in the car seemed easier than camping.  Never again will that be my choice, unless the alternative is getting soaked to the skin.

2. Taking a nap in a tent might be a hot, sticky business in a desert canyon. But somehow, it's worth it, to look up through the mesh at the top of the tent and see blue skies and sandstone cliffs.

3. Standing in the spray of a waterfall is one of the most simply refreshing experiences I've ever had.

4. I am extremely grateful to have the opportunity to even take this trip.  This gratitude is increased by the fact that in four weeks of travel, hardly any of the days have been oppressively hot and humid.

5. I have discovered that I can be more outgoing than I ever imagined. I've talked to all kinds of people on my trip, despite those childhood warnings not to talk to strangers. Whether it was the shared experience of Harry Potter, or swapping tales with fellow hikers, there is a whole friendly world out there.

6. I love this country more and more as I travel through it. I am utterly fascinated by the quick changes that can occur in the landscape and the utter variety of terrain that I have covered in my 7,000 miles of driving.  It's incredible to go from barren desert sands to lush forests and rivers within a single day.

7.  I took this road trip not because I loved driving or thought I would enjoy life on the road, but out of a desire to see as much of the country as possible without spending a fortune on airfare. Not to mention, many of the places I've visited have not been exactly convenient to fly to. Along the way, I have learned to love this rather crazy life on the road. I enjoyed some of the long hours on the road, taking in the landscape, listening to music, and occasionally just thinking. All the way, I've been thinking of other road trip routes, other places or ways to travel.

8. I'll be home in less than a week, which hardly seems real. In a way, this has become my life. I'm looking forward to being home, not having to lug suitcases to a different place every night, seeing my puppy, and my family and friends. But at the same time, I'm going to miss my travels. There are so many things I would have liked to see, so many suggestions I would have loved to have taken, but there were always choices.

9. I'm developing a deep love for the West/Pacific Northwest.  Seattle, Portland, Boulder.  I love the mountains and feel like I could stare at them all day. I love all the amazing vegetarian food, and the independent spirit that seems to infuse the air. The casual atmosphere, without the frenetic energy of DC and so many other places on the East Coast.  Hiking. Wildlife.  Nature.  It's utterly majestic, and humanity feels like a speck rather than a tumor.  Ok, so it brings out my inner hippy a little bit and makes me feel super guilty if I don't recycle my water bottle.  Small businesses. Horses and trail rides. I think I was in Boulder five minutes before I decided I wanted to move here, despite long winters and massive amounts of snow. Maybe I should experience winter here first.

10. Vegetarian food is amazing. I'm not vegetarian, or planning on becoming one. I like meat, and feel that my body needs it. But my friend DJ in Chicago has this theory that vegetarian food is actually better...and I think there's something to it. To entice people to give up their evolutionary desire for meat, something tasty needs to be offered in return. I have not had a single disappointing vegetarian meal on this trip, but I've had quite a few disappointing burgers. I'm feeling inspired to cook more vegetarian meals when I get home, and choose vegetarian options more often when I eat out. Don't worry though, I won't be giving up bacon anytime soon. (Which is probably the only pork I've eaten on my entire trip).

No Longer Seven K Stephanie

So, I may have miscalculated my mileage slightly...we've passed the 7.000 mile mark, and are only as far as Boulder, Colorado.  Oh well, I only teach math to young children after all.

Apologies for my long absence. It's been partially lack of reliable internet and partially spending time with sisters.  Here's the skinny on what we've been up to.

Los Angeles:  We stayed just down the street from my amazing sister Lahle and her wonderful family.  We visited her walled paradise with its citrus trees, beautiful flowers, and astounding lavender and rosemary bushes, and spent time catching up.  The day after our arrival, we took one niece and one nephew to Disneyland for the day. We enjoyed their company as they are very pleasant for teenagers, and returned home in time for one more dinner with sister and company.

On a boat ride at Disneyland

Legoland and Coronado Island: From LA, we headed out to Legoland to meet my other sister, Jessica, and her family for the day. Miniland was the highlight of the day: Lego recreations of famous American cities as well as scenes from Star Wars.  We had a delightful picnic on Coronado Island while listening to some live salsa music, then walked on the beach and watched the sunset as dolphins frolicked in the waves.

Lego DC

Las Vegas:  The whirlwind continued as the very next day we departed for Las Vegas.  We stayed at the Bellagio, by far the most extravagant lodgings of our trip.  We'd tell you what happened, but you know what they say. What happens in Vegas...suffice to say that the Wynn lives up to its reputation for having the best buffet in town, we both learned that slots can be addictive, and New York, New York's roller coaster is either amazing or terrifying depending on which of us you ask.

One of the views from our hotel room at the Bellagio...we were in a corner room, with floor to ceiling windows

In front of the Bellagio

New York, New York

The Strip

Arizona and Utah: We hit the road in late afternoon, and ended up sleeping in our car in a national forest near the Grand Canyon. From the ritziness of the Bellagio to struggling to find a comfortable position in the front seat of a Honda CR-V was quite a transition.  We woke on the tail end of dawn and hightailed it to the Canyon to catch some beautiful views, make some breakfast, and take some pictures along the canyon. The Grand Canyon was beautiful, and awe-inspiring, but not all that exciting in terms of things to do unless you are prepared to hike down into the canyon.  So we made our way out to Zion National Park in Utah, making it there by mid afternoon.  Now there's some serious natural beauty.  I haven't counted up how many pictures I took there, but probably hundreds.  We made camp and headed out for a couple of hikes.

Grand Canyon, just after dawn

The Watchtower at the Grand Canyon

Zion

View from our campsite

And then...this morning we broke camp and drove eleven hours to Boulder, where we are currently located.  Tomorrow we will do some hiking and some touring of Boulder.

More photos here and here. Enjoy!

Arrival in San Simeon

Wow!  A lot has happened. You got a brief update from San Francisco, but I skipped a very important part of my trip by writing that entry!

After Seattle, I drove down to Portland to meet up with my friend Ellie, who just moved out there after a cross-country drive of her own (with her husband, Chad). We met up at Powell's City of Books, which is a bookstore covering an entire city block, several stories tall, and in which I easily could have spent the rest of my life browsing books. But instead of being antisocial by burying my face between two covers, we all went out to lunch and then went out to Maltomah Falls to do a bit of hiking.

After hiking, we went into a fun shopping/dining section of Portland and explored shops before catching a bit to eat at an awesome Thai place.  Mostly, it was just fun catching up with Ellie and getting to know Chad, since we are such kindred spirits. The next day was the 10-hour drive to San Francisco.

Not much to say there.

You already ready mostly about my first day in San Francisco. That night, I picked up Charles, at long last, and we managed to find a Mexican place open late enough for us to have dinner together before collapsing from exhaustion.

The next morning, we headed out for Muir Woods. This would be a good time to mention the stowaway in Charles' luggage:

Meet Roosevelt T. Bear.  He was a gift several years ago, and decided that he wanted to come along for the ride.  He was very excited for his first National Park visit (he's also interested in blogging and might do a guest post). After Muir Woods, we headed back to Pier 39 for lunch, a bay cruise, and a visit to the aquarium. I have recurring dreams about visiting aquariums, so the last was very important.

After spending the day on the Pier, we had a delightful seafood dinner followed up by creme brulee. Yum!

Today, we hit the road to San Jose to visit the Winchester Mystery House before heading out to the caost to follow California 1 down as far as San Simeon. On the way, we stopped to see the redwoods at Big Sur and visited some elephant seals. I'd post pictures, but it's getting late, and the internet is slow.  But if you click here you can check out the ones that I posted on Facebook (I know, I'm getting lazy).

Tomorrow, I finally get to see my sister and her fabulous family in the L.A. area!