Day 16: Appalachia and Final Thoughts

Today I got up at around 8am. A little later than usual but not to major since it was our final stretch back into Washington. We left Knoxville at about 9am and skipped breakfast. For lunch we stopped at Cracker Barrel and dad tried to talk me into getting grits. It didn't work because there was some ham and eggs that looked soooo much better. Got to hear some quality Tennessee accents though!

Heading north through the beautiful Appalachian mountains was great. They were thick with vegetation familiar to me from up north. I was finally back in my own environment after two weeks. The ride was pleasant. Really nothing new to report except for just how nice this 7 hour drive was. I knew I was close to home when I drove into the Shenandoah Valley between the Appalachian Range to my west in West Virginia and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the East where I frequent on some weekends for hiking. I will look at these mountains a little differently now though. After seeing those titans in the west, these here on the east coast are mere hills.


Final Thoughts:

Its been over two weeks now on the road and I am happy it is over now. It ended just at the right time. I'm not tired of it but rather satisfied with it ending. It was perfect. I got to spend some great quality time with my dad and to our surprise, we didn't get fed up with each other. I got to see and experience amazing things in the span of half a month. I experienced temperatures ranging from the upper-30s to 100 degrees with high humidity. I was on top of the world at 10,000 feet and below sea level. I viewed all types of terrain and incredible geological formations. I saw more animals than all the trips to the zoo I have taken combined. I saw different peoples and how they go about their daily lives. I even saw a speed limit sign of 80 mph! We live in such a beautiful country and I implore everyone to go out and see it when they have the time. I am so happy this happened and that my appetite for exploration has been satisfied for the time being!

Thanks for reading everyone and I'll be updating soon on other happenings.

Day 15: The Deep South

We left this morning a little late. I found it extremely hard to get up after yesterday walking all over New Orleans. By the time we hit the road it was past 9am but we got into Mississippi fairly quickly. This fine state is known as the Magnolia State and it lives up to its reputation. The highway had several of these flowering trees through out the state. Besides that, the flat coastal plains' fauna were made up of mostly deciduous trees but now there was an increase in pine trees too.

A few hours later, we crossed into Alabama. There were significantly fewer Magnolias but noticed an increase in another type of flowering tree -Mimosas. the coastal plains continued in this state until we started hitting some hills in the northern part of the state. Those foothills belong to a familiar mountain range known as the Appalachian Mountains.

For lunch, we stopped in the outskirts of Birmingham for some classic southern food. I found this great little diner and I figured it would be perfect. I was right despite waiting forever for it! Time definitely goes by a lot slower down south compared to what I am used to in the North. I had an authentic barbecue pork sandwich and for dessert I had a fried southern apple pie. It was pretty amazing and making my mouth water as I type this. I love southern food.

Back on the road now, we finished up Alabama and clipped the northwest corner of Georgia where the foothills were getting a bit bigger. We then drove into Tennessee and through the city of Chattanooga. We made our final stop for the night in Knoxville to get some shut eye.

Next Up: Appalachia and Final Thoughts!

Day 13-14: New Orleans

We got up early once again for another long drive was ahead of us. By now dad and I are used to the routine (which always includes a morning nap for me) so it isn’t that difficult. The only difference in the routine today was that we skipped breakfast to make up some time. As we went drove east out of the San Antonio area we were blessed with great weather. It was the second day in a row with no rain, however, temperatures were still maintaining upper 90s Fahrenheit and the humidity increasing every mile eastward. The fauna was also changing again. The small leaved trees that dominated San Antonio were now giving way to the more broad leaved deciduous type. In fact, if you ignore the number of pickup trucks and Bass Pro Shops, driving through the suburbs of Houston reminded me a lot of how the northeast looks!

Around lunch time, outside Houston, we stopped for brunch. We had been seeing billboard signs for this particular family run diner for miles and decided it had to be good. When we got there, I was dead set on having some quality Texas steak. Mission accomplished and it was pretty tasty by the way.

Back on the road now, we drove past downtown Houston and soon hit the state line of Louisiana. The roads now were surrounded by thick forests. The skinny but tall trees with their leaves only up near the canopy were covered with Spanish moss and connected to each other with vines. There were also many swamps between these forests. We would drive for long stretches (upwards of 30 miles a couple times) on elevated roadways as we passed across them. All in all, this would be a pretty freaky place in the dark.

Outside Baton Rouge, we drove over the Mississippi River once again. This was the same river we saw two weeks earlier in Minneapolis but this time it was very wide, slow, and meandering. It was a treat to see such a contrast of this mighty river which splits the country in two. Then not long later, at around 5:00pm we finally made it to New Orleans and found a motel for the next two nights. After dropping everything off, we headed downtown. The information center was closed so we just headed into the heart of the French Quarter for dinner and a quick recon. We found parking near the riverfront and started walking around reading dinner menus attached to the sides of restaurants. Within 10 minutes of parking and a Monday at 6pm, we watched a random marching band stroll down the street followed by loads drunks throwing beads at dad and me. That’s when we got the full meaning of the phrase, “let the good times roll.”

We walked around the neighborhood for a little until we found a place that served what we both wanted (I really wanted to get some Cajun/Creole food). I ended up getting jambalaya and I severally underestimated how spicy it was. To make matters worse, our sketchy waiter didn’t have any bottled water and told us that he wasn’t supposed to serve tap water. I ended up getting soda and he told me there was a rule that I could only get 1 refill. Despite the sniffles and watery eyes, I really enjoyed the meal.

The following morning was a real treat. I got to sleep in until 9am! We left the room at around 10 and headed south of New Orleans to check out the swamp lands and maybe see an alligator! Unfortunately we really didn’t know where we were going and I got annoyed at a seemingly waste of time. I ordered the car back north to spend the rest of the afternoon in New Orleans. It wasn’t all a waste though. We saw some beautiful pelicans and cranes around the region. I was also surprised at how well the city bounced back from the hurricanes. The only signs I noticed were some leaning telephone poles and a gas station which hadn’t repaired the canopy over the pumps.

When we got into New Orleans we parked near the Superdome which is pretty far from the French Quarter. We thought it would be a good idea to walk across the city but that soon changed when we noticed the heat index was over 100 degrees. We chugged tons of water and went into stores for the sake of its free air condition. We must have walked into Walgreens three times and pretended to admire its goods – particularly their collection of fans. Between our “cooling stops” we saw a lot of neat stuff which included statues of Benjamin Franklin and President Andrew Jackson on his horse! We also walked down Canal Street. A very nice road lined with tall palm trees and shops on either side. A free trolley car drove through the center for the convenience of tourists too. In the French Quarter, Dad and I took pictures of the old buildings around sector. We visited the Café de Mundo, an old French coffee shop and a “must” according to all the travel books. I ate something called a beignet but really this fancy name just translates to a dough boy.

I always heard New Orleans was a pretty sinful city these days. Where ever you would walk there would be profanity, drunks, and alcoholic beverages in every ones hands. There were strip clubs, gay bars, voodoo shops, the smell of vomit and clairvoyants all over the place. Certainly, the devil had a firm grip in this city. I made sure I prayed to Saint Michael for protection against curses. From what I have read and heard, that sort of thing isn’t as uncommon as people think. Of course, I may have been a little bit over the top when I checked my food and drink for any hexes and I did freak out a little when I thought a homeless man was giving me the evil eye. I mustered up enough courage to walk into a voodoo shop but when I saw that there was a cross-dresser behind the cash register, I ran out pulling my dad with me.

Despite such evil, standing tall like a white fortress in the center of the quarter was a magnificent church called St. Louis Cathedral. It was open so we went in and wow let me tell you of all of the churches I stepped foot in during this trip, I think this was my favorite. It was truly glorious. The church was brightly lit with chandeliers hanging under a beautifully painted ceiling. There were statues of saints and angels all over the altar and corners of the church. It looked like the sort of church where old coronation ceremonies would take place back in the Middle Ages.

That night, as dozens of bats flew around over the tops of the buildings, dad and I signed up for a ghost tour which promised to be the best one in America. My dad hated it. He expected that we got to go into the actual haunted sites but instead it was just a stroll through the French Quarter where our tour guide told us stories and recent sightings of ghosts. He also encouraged us to take pictures. In one instance he nearly guaranteed us that if we snapped photos of the roof of an old convent we would see orbs. I took five pictures of the roof and on the third I caught an orb! To most people that would be pretty exciting, but after watching a lot of ghost hunters, this picture of a “ball of energy” didn’t really satisfy me.

Once the tour was over, Dad and I were exhausted and headed back to our car and home to the motel. Now I know I said a lot of bad things about New Orleans but I don’t want anyone to get a wrong idea. I actually really enjoyed this city. It is full of culture and history. Everyone is really friendly and outgoing (Southern Hospitality they call it). The food is great. It also has really sweet antique shops for anyone who is rich… which is probably no one who is reading this. Anyways, my point is that I look forward to next time I come down to visit this really unique, fun, and great city.

Next up: The Deep South!

Day 12: San Antonio

We stayed in a motel about 3 hours outside San Antonio and we had to make it to the city by 11am to catch mass since it was Sunday. We left at 730am to give us enough time. I was so exhausted from yesterday and going to bed really late that I slept for pretty much the entire ride but I did notice that the fauna once again changed. Now there were many trees around but with very small leafs obviously designed to not be overwhelmed by the abundant sunshine.

After mass, we got some lunch and then checked in to another motel. Once we unloaded the car it was off to downtown. Our first stop was the Alamo. At first I was pretty surprised as to how small it was. It really put into context the bravery these 300 men had in defending this place against an entire Mexican Army.

Two blocks away was San Antonio’s Riverwalk. We crossed a park in front of the Alamo and passed an evangelical preaching on the street. It would have been fun to argue with him over a couple of his points but I was tempted not. Anyways, this section of the city makes Providence’s riverfront and waterfire exhibit look ridiculous. The Riverwalk here is beautifully designed surrounded by restaurants, hotels and shops on both sides of the river. There are trees and palms along the river with several different birds swimming and nesting around. Dad and I ended up taking a riverboat tour to get a good sense of this place. We learned a lot of interesting things including how San Antonio got its name. Along the water there is a bronze statue of Saint Anthony which was a gift from Portugal given to the city.

I really had a good time here but it was seriously hot. It hit 100 degrees. After being in the mountains of northern Wyoming just last week wearing a winter jacket, I am not at all adjusted to the heat so it was pretty uncomfortable.

Next up: New Orleans!

Day 11: New Mexico

We woke up to overcast and rain. In fact it rained all morning in Santa Fe. Its no longer a surprise anymore. Now we just expect it to happen and laugh it off. We were out of the motel by about 730am and headed into the center of town. Our first stop was the historic Cathedral downtown. The Church had been there since 1610 but the actual building was built in 1887 I think. It was a beautiful building -the only Romanesque design around towering over the pueblo style buildings found in the historic district known as 'The Plaza" The church from the outside had many statues and a beautiful assortment of flowers everywhere. When I stepped inside the structure I was very impressed with its majesty. It truly felt like the house of God. Everything from the architecture, artwork, layout, and a recording of beautiful chanting being played throughout lifted my spirit to the point where I experienced goosebumps as I tip-toed around this holy place.

Leaving the Cathedral, we crossed onto a street lined with pueblos on either side. In one of these buildings we found a french bakery that was recommended to me by my friend Mary. It was a great little place with tasty food. Dad had and strawberry crepe and I had a quiche. We liked the place to much we bought some french bread for the car ride out.

After breakfast we went around the corner to Loretto Chapel which is famous for its miraculous staircase. The story goes that a mysterious carpenter arrived to the chapel after the nuns there prayed a novena to St. Joseph that they could find someone to build them a staircase to the loft of the chapel. This mysterious man worked on it for months and when he was done he disappeared without seeking out his payment or for the cost of supplies. The staircase he left is very peculiar. It has no supports yet twists up 360 degrees twice up to the loft. The wood used is of an unknown origin and no nails were used, only wooden pegs. Experts today don't understand how it doesn't collapse. It was a very cool thing to look at and ponder. The rest of the chapel was beautifully adorned too by the way.

Next up was just walking around the plaza and exploring it. It was mainly restaurants and shops selling southwestern jewelry or other handcrafted things. Outside a building called Palace of the Governors, Native Americans sat lined next to each other the distance of the building selling their jewelry and other crafts. It was really an awesome city but the rain was coming down harder and we needed to head for Texas.

The rain finally ended and the sun came out about an hour before entering Roswell. The town is famous for an alleged flying saucer that crashed back in 1947. Ever since then, people from around the world have been flocking to this once small desert outpost. We visited the International UFO Museum in the heart of town. It turns out it was in an old converted movie theater and must admit I would have made it way cooler than what they had in there. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading the large quantities of affidavits, old top secret documents, and newspaper clippings set in a timeline that provides what I believe gives a strong indication that the government tried to cover up what happened back in July 8th, 1947. The museum also included a lot of information on types of encounters, UFO pictures (actual and hoaxes), crop circles, and of course Area 51. It was one of the strangest yet coolest museums I have ever visited.

Back on the road south, the sun stayed with us for the rest of the day. Temperatures were getting hotter and the fauna began to change. The desert looked to be drier as we drove through southern New Mexico. The color yellow from the dry grasses dominated the landscape with hearty-looking green shrubs spread generously over it. This area was also geologically "boring" It was completely flat in all directions to the horizon. Only hints of distant hills and mountains could be made out from time to time. When we arrived at the Texas border the hills and mesas returned and we started noticing a new plant. It was a palm tree. It was taller than the other plants in the desert reaching perhaps a trunk 4 feet high with palms protruding on top much like the leaves on top of a pineapple. Curiously, I didn't see many cactus in this area. In fact I only saw a species of small cactus along the desert but never the tall cactus that so many people attribute to their idea of what the Southwest looks like.

Western Texas is a desolate place. Just like New Mexico, one must travel for many many miles with no cell phone service before reaching any settlements. The one difference from New Mexico so far is that the area is peppered with Oil wells. My favorite part of the drive here though was when we drove past an area of a couple hundred wind turbines on top of mesas while oil wells bobbed up and down in the valleys below. I'm a fan of diversity in energy sources :)

Tomorrow: San Antonio!

Day 10: The Grand Canyon

We finally woke up to a day with not a single cloud in the sky. Finally, no rain for once! We got up early and ate a quick breakfast in the car on our way from Flagstaff, AZ to the Grand Canyon. I really wanted to get there before the crowds showed up. This was the second time I saw the canyon and it was just as amazing as the first. What I really wanted to see was my dad's reaction when he first lay eye on it. Trust me, if you haven't seen it, you need to. Its as big as Rhode Island and pictures really don't do it any justice.

The ride up there went smoothly. No traffic really and just great views of the pine forests that surround Flagstaff, then through desert full of grasses and shrubs, and finally through the Kaibab National Forest which encompasses the Grand Canyon. We drove past the gates to the national park and it was another few minutes drive before we got to the rim of the canyon. You don't actually see it until you are pretty much on top of it.

When we finally got to the parking lot, we got our first glimpses of this majestic scene through the pine trees. We marched out of the car and on to the closest viewing point. All I remember my dad saying was , "wow this is big." I wanted a little more of an expression from him like when he met Tony Dungee at Yellowstone, but I should have expected this from him.

We made our way across the the southern rim looking at the canyon from different angles. The striped red hues of the rock carved out for 5000 feet to the base where the Colorado River continued its work was just as awe inspiring as the first time I laid eyes on this place last February. The entire scene just overwhelms your senses in a way I find hard to explain. all I can tell you is that you need to go before you die.

By midday we left just in time. The park was getting so crowded now that many cars were parking on the street since the parking lots were full. We drove back to Flagstaff for lunch and then got ourselves an oil change since we had driven over 3000 miles now. I really like this town. It was a great small historic section full of neat restaurants and shops with Mount Humphrey standing tall at 12,000 feet in the background. I drove around showing my dad some of downtown and then we jumped back on the highway to begin out trek back east.

We drove on Interstate 40 which used to be old Route 66. Its a pretty desolate desert plain with "ancient" ruins of old gas stations and other structures from the 1950s off the highway from time to time. As we got closer to New Mexico, the desert plains gave way to some more sandstone rocks and mesas. Once we got into New Mexico, more mountains began to spring up. we even saw distant smoke from a forest or brush fire. We dove by a couple fire department pickup trucks heading in that direction too. We also saw a very peculiar land formation around us. The desert floor was no longer the light brown color I was becoming familiar with but now stretching for many miles was a sea of black rocks. I use the word "sea" because in many instances the terrain would rise like ocean swells of these funny black rocks. Then it dawned on us that it was in fact an ancient lava pool left by a volcano millions of years ago. I am quite surprised at how well preserved this area was.

Around sunset, we finally made it to the Albuquerque-Santa Fe region. The mountains that surround these cities were stunning as they glowed pinkish red in the sunset. We ended up finding a nice motel out here in Santa Fe for some rest for tomorrow morning we shall explore! But before bed, I was hungry and thought about what would be an appropriate local delicacy here in Santa Fe. I went to Taco Bell, haha! Oh and by the way, we somehow caught a few drops of rain tonight! We are so convinced that a rain cloud is purposely following us. It does seem to be losing strenght though! I am interested to see what happens tomorrow!

Next up: Santa Fe, Roswell, and Western Texas!!!

Day 9: Moab, UT and Arizona!

Today we woke up at 7am and left the motel around 8. We drove about 15 minutes north to Arches National Park where we ended up spending most of the day. This place has some of the best hiking I have ever been to. The warm orange and red colors of the giant sandstone cliffs and sandy flats dotted with glossy green bushes were beautiful. The other thing that was really noticeable was just how quiet this place was. All you could hear were the occasional bird chirping as it flew around searching for some bugs to eat.

As we drove up the road in the park we stopped at many of the viewpoints to take pictures. Some of them required short walks of .2 or .3 of a mile through the desert to see the park’s giant sandstone arches. The walks were great with comfortable temperatures and the sun was finally out and looked like for once we weren’t going to get any more rain. At the end of the main road in the park, we found ourselves at a place called “The Devil’s Garden”. This place was home to some great arches but required some effort to get to. I talked dad into going on a good sized hike of moderate difficulty with a few rock scrambles and steep sections (I didn’t mention that part to him). We packed tons of water, grabbed the trekking poles, and put our hats on. We saw some really great arches –about 6 or 7 on this hike. The farthest one was a little over 2 miles from the entrance. When we got there I noticed people walking across the arch which must have been 150 feet high at least. I told dad to stay back to take a picture while I found the way up there. It required some climbing but I finally got on the natural bridge and Dad took an awesome picture. It may very well be facebook worthy!

On my way back to meeting my dad, the clouds had rolled in and it began to sprinkle. I couldn’t believe it. We must have a rain cloud following us. It is really getting ridiculous now. My concern though was if we got caught in a downpour or a lightning storm. Flash floods can happen pretty quickly in deserts not to mention how slick the sandstone gets. Dad and I power walked much of the way back down the sandstone to the easy sandy parts of the trail but then 10 minutes after we started, the sun came back again and we went back to taking our time.

We spent another hour or so looking at some arches on other roads that branched off the main one and by the time we were done it was nearly 3pm and we still needed lunch and make it down to Arizona! We drove out of the park and found ourselves in, yep, you guessed it, a crazy downpour in the desert. In fact, while in town I overheard a lady say “I have lived here for years, and have never seen it rain so much here before.” I wanted to tell her that I brought the rain. Anyway, what was really cool though about the downpour was that several large waterfalls appeared coming off the giant sandstone monoliths off the highway down to Moab.

We had lunch at a local bakery and then hit the road. My dad was pretty sore from the 5 mile hike I put him through so I decided to drive all the way to Arizona while he took a nap. The drive through the Utah desert was great. The sun came out again and as it sunk lower, the sandstone walls and mounds that surrounded me changed to a deep red shade. I drove by really cool named places on my way to Arizona like a town named “Mexican Hat” after a rock formation that looks like a sombrero balanced on top of a rock pillar, and then a beautiful place named “Valley of the Gods” by the Navajo Indians I imagine for a spectacular landscape. I then passed through Monument Valley on the Utah-Arizona border and let me tell you, that was another spectacular sight. This drive was so easy and went by so fast because there was just so much to see everywhere out there in Utah. Once in Arizona though, the sandstone structures faded away leaving flat desert of yellow grass, brown dirt, and those glossy green shrubs. Every now and then we would catch wild horses grazing near the highway. By 9pm AZ time (midnight on the east coast) we arrived in Flagstaff –our launching point to the Grand Canyon!


Next up: Grand Canyon and Santa Fe!

Day 8: Idaho & Utah

This morning was a tough to get up. I must have been pretty tired from Yellowstone the day before. Nevertheless, we had to get up and keeping morning. Today, we went south to Moab, Utah. I was pretty excited primarily because it meant we would be getting out of this terrible weather pattern that has been plaguing the northern plains ever since this road trip started. It gets really annoying when there are scattered showers and sun on and off all day for the past 7 days. Unfortunately, today was no different… maybe tomorrow.

Despite the weather, we continued on with our exploration. I talked my dad into letting me take the morning drive shift even though I was exhausted. I knew that with me at the wheel, I could stop wherever I wanted. That meant the Idaho Potato Museum!

This will probably be the last time I will ever be in this random state so I had to do the most of it. I took some pictures with a giant tater statue in front of the museum and then went inside and learned about the history, process, and tools involved in potato production. Did you know that one in seven dollars generated in Idaho come from potato farming? Yea, interesting ain’t it? After that it was lunch time so we went to Walmart and got some food. We then ate it in the parking lot in glorious redneck fashion.

Back on the road, we caught another thunderstorm in southern Idaho but it cleared up when we crossed into Utah. However, that didn’t last for long and we got another shower down in the Salt Lake City area. It’s not the prettiest city in the world due to the urban sprawl but it’s surrounded by distant mountains which makes it at least decent. The weather cleared just enough for me to get some quick glances at the Great Salt Lake. That was pretty cool.

Leaving Salt Lake City, we changed course to southeast toward Moab. The green landscape around the city began gradually changing to more yellow with dirt patches. When we got about 2 hours from Moab, was much drier with beautiful towering sandstone walls. Before heading into Moab for the night, we stopped by Canyonlands National Park as the sun was getting ready to set. The shadows and colors created by the sun on the canyon walls were a real treat. Oh and remember how I have been complaining about the weather? Well we got caught in a thunderstorm in this relatively dry place. It came out of nowhere and we had to make a dash for the car when we started to hear thunder. Five minutes later we got hail falling. The good news though was that we were on the edge of the storm and it quickly passed to the northeast giving us an amazing view of its huge, towering clouds and wisps of rain below. On our drive out of the park, it also produced a bright rainbow over some of the sandstone monuments. It was a great ending for the day and we made it to Moab shortly after for some shut eye.

Next up: Arches NP and Arizona!

Day 6-7: Yellowstone & Grand Teton

It is starting to get easier waking up early. The alarm went off at 6am and Dad and I shot up out of bed for our big day. We were going to Yellowstone National Park for two full days. I had read and watched so much on tv about this park and I was finally going to experience this amazing place. We went across the street to a small, family run diner. We had a hearty breakfast of eggs and bacon while watching cowboys and motorcyclists coming in and out of the joint. From there, it was an hour or so through the mountains to reach Yellowstone.

When we first got in through the eastern entrance it was a bit creepy. The misty and gray weather plus the steep mountain slopes, with large patches of dirty snow, made up of gravel and small rocks looked like the landscape of Mordor from Lord of the Rings. As we drove though, it didn’t take long for us to see the thick pine forests, divided by the rivers and lakes, and of course the occasional geo-thermal sites. The biggest initial impression on us wasn’t the beautiful scenery but rather the wildlife. Within the first 30 minutes of being there we saw our first buffalo eating some grass on the side of the road. Animal watching became our obsession on day one.

I went to the information center and asked the ranger exactly where the best spots to see the wildlife. I grabbed a brochure with pictures of many of the animals found in the park. Dad and I set off going north. We stopped at every point of interest on the way, including the mud volcano and the Canyon Waterfalls (Quick Tangent: we met Tony Dungee at Canyon Falls and my dad acted like a kid on Christmas). They were really beautiful and interesting but we also stopped for any animal we spotted or where ever a group of cars were pulled off to the sides snapping pictures of something. Late in the afternoon, after talking with a seasoned animal watcher we met on a pull off, we headed northeast to a place called Lamar Valley but I would rather call it the African Serengeti. I saw more animals (except birds) in this place than I have seen… ever –oh, and that includes zoos. By the end of the day I had seen thousands of bison, hundreds of elk, several sheep, a couple marmots, a fox, coyote, black bear, all sorts of birds, and the biggest prize of all, a pack of wolves.

The pack of wolves was definitely the coolest part of the trip. We were in Lamar Valley and met up with researchers from the Yellowstone Institute as well as some other amateurs. There must have been 2 dozen of us scanning the valley and surrounding mountain sides looking for anything interesting. Initially I was there looking for grizzly bears. I set up my telescope and my dad manned the binoculars. For about an hour there was nothing until one lady caught glimpse of one high up on a mountain. Everyone repositioned their spotting scopes to that location but the bear vanished as soon as it appeared. Minutes later, a researcher on top of his trailer yelled “wolves!” He pointed to a small clearing just over a foothill towards the base of a mountain. It was behind the line of parked cars so everyone quickly grabbed their equipment and jockeyed for position on the other side to get a good look at them. I managed to get them in my sights. They were beautiful. I saw to black wolves laying down and a great gray wolf walking around. I took my eyes off to find my dad in the commotion but he was off trying to find them. Someone then noticed that the wolves had cubs! By the time I got back to my telescope, all the wolves went out of view. These wolves were part of the Druid Pack that live here in Yellowstone. They are pretty famous and well tracked. I have seen them on the discovery channel and I am pretty sure they are the wolves on the BBC series, Planet Earth.

We spent the night in a small cabin and silly me forgot to gather firewood for the heater. We woke up with temperatures in the upper 30s or 40s at 5:00am and rushed to get ready to get out to where we were last night to continue our bear hunt but once again we came up empty. We spent the rest of the day driving around looking at the other park highlights we didn’t see on the first day. By about 4:00pm we made it to our last stop in Yellowstone, the Old Faithful geyser. I was surprised it went off for nearly 5 minutes and it went up so high! It was a fitting finale for such a great place.

Dad and I set off going due south through Grand Teton National Park. We got excited because this place was known for spotting moose. I inquired on where the best spots were and headed straight there. We came up with no moose but did manage to see some playful otters, a beaver, a lone wolf, and thousands of mosquitoes in the marshes. Discouraged by our moose-less quest, we continued south racing the sun before it set. We wanted to cut some time off our 11 hour drive to Moab, Utah and got as far as Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Next up: Moab, Utah!

Day 5: Wyoming

Today we left a little later than usual because of church. The earliest mass time I could find was 8am so we didn't hit the road until 9. Rapid City was only one hour from the border with Wyoming so we crossed the border in relatively short time. The landscape here was incredible. they weren't kidding when they call this place "Big sky Country." We gained a couple thousand feet or so and then it flattened out. I felt so close to the sky and the clouds and I could see clearly to the horizon in every direction.

The land here was much drier it seemed than what I experienced in South Dakota. The grasslands began to give way to patches of yellow, dried up grass and glossy green shrubs. Farms became a rare sight but cattle ranches were abundant.

In front of us to the west, rising above the terrain like a wall were the Bighorn Mountains. This range had some members rising well above 10K feet and were still snow capped. The interstate had to swing north due to these large mountains. We soon took the exit to go west through a mountain pass up near the border with Montana. This was the first time I was on a single lane highway with a speed limit of 65 mph. We climbed up another few thousand feet and through the range. It was beautiful with very interesting points of interest to stop at and learn about certain geological features in the area.

We descended the range back to the relatively level ground. In front of us now were the Rocky Mountains. By the time we reached them, it was beginning to get late and we found it wise to stay in the last town before heading into the mountains and eventually yellowstone. This was a great move. We managed to get tickets to a rodeo! I think it is the only thing that there is to do in this town so alot of locals showed up in their cowboy hats and shirts. Tonight's event was all bull riding and something known as freestyle bull fighting (it should have been called "taunt the bull and run away"). This was one of the most enjoyable events I have ever gone to. I was entertained throughout the whole thing. The best part about it was that animals are used for fun and they prayed specifically to Jesus with no PETA or ACLU around to bitch and complain! I love the West :-)

Tomorrow: Yellowstone National Park, WY

Day 4: South Dakota

Yesterday we left Southern Minnesota bright and early somewhere around 7am. The landscape was flat and the road was straight for hundreds of miles. It was very typical of great plains with farms everywhere. After a couple hours or so of driving, we hit our next destination: the great state of South Dakota.

As soon as we crossed the border into South Dakota, the terrain changed to some rolling hills. It got flat again for a little with farms as far as the eye could see in all directions. This time there were less crops and more cattle. After we crossed the Missouri River, where Lewis and Clark once passed in 1805, the farms gave way to prairies and LOTS of cattle. The grasslands were beautiful with the rolling slopes surrounding it. As I drove through it I imagined what it must have been like back in the days pre-Buffalo Bill when there would be giant herds of bison roaming these lands. All I saw throughout the entire day were communities of prairie dogs, a few groups of antelope and one handful of bison that were likely fenced in a ranch.

Our first stop of the day was Badlands National Park. Driving through this place full of funny rock formations and a really hot climate compared to the surrounding grasslands was like being on another planet. It was like nothing I have ever seen before. Touching the rocks even felt strange and unfamiliar. This curiosity was formed over millions of years. Along time ago it used to be an inland sea. Then it turned into tropical jungles. Eventually the climate changed and this region became very dry. Today only 16 inches of rain fall here annually.

We left the Badlands and drove west to our final destination of the day: Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills. On our way there we were hit by a thunderstorm in the prairies. Lucky for us, the quarter sized hail stayed to the south of us. When we reached Mount Rushmore, we caught a break in the weather but only for a few minutes. As I took my pictures, it began to rain again. We left the mountain and went to a small mining town, now turned into tourist town called Keystone. Here I had for the first time a Buffalo burger. They had buffalo steak but that was too rich for my blood. I didn't know what to expect from the meat but to my surprise it wasn't much different from some black angus burgers. Oh well. After dinner, dad and I headed north to Rapid City for a place to sleep.

Next: Wyoming!

Road Trip Day 3 - Wisconsin and Minnisota

Today's weather was a lot better than what I encountered in Chicago - sunny and low humidity. We left he city around 8am and headed northwest towards Wisconsin, the Great Kingdom of Cheese and largest water park in the world. It didn't take long to find ourselves in rural Illinois once we left. It was full of beautiful rolling hills and farmland. I couldn't identify what they were growing on these farms because the plants were just beginning to sprout. My best guesses were corn or wheat to be harvested in the Autumn. These hills I encountered on the route also surprised me since this was supposed to be the great plains. Wasn't it supposed to be flat? I ended up concluding that they were formed by the last ice age and were just glacial moraine.

Once we got into Wisconsin, I expected to see a lot of dairy farms. Curiously there were only a few off the interstate. Most of the farms looked like they had crops. Then again, maybe they kept the cows indoors or on the blind side of the barn. Nevertheless, I was ready to get myself some of this state's famous cheese. I ordered my dad to take a quick detour into downtown Madison where I stopped at a small shop named "House of Wisconsin Cheese". When I entered the first thing I noticed was a map of the United States full of pins in it. A sign overhead instructed visitors to mark where they came from. I then proudly marked Rhode Island with a pin and asked the cashier what kind of cheese to get. After a 2 minute crash course on cheeses I ended up going with a Wisconsin cheddar that was aged for 4 years. It was delicious!

Back on the road now, we continued northwest until the border with Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes and let me tell you, they weren't kidding. After we drove through the twin cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and seeing the famous Saint Paul Cathedral and Mississippi River, we had dinner with 2 college friends on Lake Minnetonka. I continued my exploration of local delicacies and today I tried Minnesota's Wild Rice Soup and a local freshwater fish called a Walleye. Both were very tasty.

After dinner we went to the Mall of America. It was huge! In some cases, they had the same store on either side of this place. Oh and if that doesn't give you a sense of how big it is then how about that they have a freakin amusement park inside this complex! this was a great finally for the day. We left and headed south to find a cheap motel outside the cities. Tomorrow will be our longest drive yet and we gotta make sure we get enough rest. Everything is going well so far. we are ahead of schedule to my surprise!

Tomorrow: Badlands National Park, South Dakota!

Road Trip Day 2 - Chicago, IL

Today took us from Ohio, through Indiana, and finally into Chicago. The weather was absolutely terrible. Heavy rain and a cold wind. I was bummed that I wasn't able to see the top of the skyscrapers in the city but that is alright, I made do with what the weather allowed.

The first thing I did was to find some lunch. I had to have myself an italian beef sandwich. I believe this to be a chicago food much like a philly cheesesteak belongs to phillidelphia. We went to the famous Navy Pier but it was pretty dead due to the cold wet weather. This however didn't stop us from exploring the entire pier and finding ourselves some italian beef. It was delicious but I really shouldn't have asked for the hot peppers. They were REALLY hot. Infact, it was so hot my dad didnt finish his sandwich. I happen to love hot food and usually can handle the fire but this even had me tearing up.

After lunch, we raced down to the Adler Planetarium where I walked around not really learning anything new about space. Rather, I learned that I have a pretty good tolerance when it comes to hundreds of annoying children running around the museum like it was a giant playground. The best part of exhibit however was this random old man who kept asking the astronomer at the Q & A section these super nerdy questions that even I struggled to keep with. My dad and I resorted to laughing at him. I almost lost it when he attempted to make a joke referencing some dude's theory of unpredictablity.

Once we left, the rain had finally stopped and things were beginning to clear up. We left downtown and headed north to the outskirts to find a motel to stay at. We took an hour to rest and then went out to dinner with a couple friends of mine. We had ourselves some authentic Chicago style pizza! It was sooooo good but I ended up stuffing myself silly. After dinner, I came home with a heavy food coma and once this is typed up, I am off to bed for day 3!

Tomorrow: Minneapolis!

Road Trip Day 1 - Canton, OH

This morning at 6am, my dad and I left Washington, DC to embark on our 18 day road trip across many parts of America. Today, we reached our first stop in Canton, Ohio, the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It was a quick 6 hour drive which took us through western Maryland and Pennsylvania, then through the much flatter (and boring) Ohio valley. When we arrived at around 1pm we searched and found a motel on the outskirts of Canton. By 2pm, we drove another 20 minutes to the Hall of Fame.

This place was amazing! I am really happy my dad was with me to point out key players and history of the game that I otherwise wouldn't have picked up on from the incredible amount of information this place had to offer. It was a big museum that really went all the way when it came to the use of touchscreen plasma TVs, surround sound, and other electronic multimedia devices. At the same time, the complex had an almost sacred feel to it - especially the Hall of Famers' room. There were many instances as I toured the halls that I was struck with awe at all of the history and memories of this game I love so much.

Once we completed the tour, we left and called it an early night after dinner. There isn't much else to do in this town but that is OK. I needed more rest anyway after sleeping only 4 hours the night before finishing up last minute things before the trip. Good night!

Tomorrow: Chicago!

Deers, Skunks, and Bears, Oh My!

I spent this past weekend in the great wilderness of Shenandoah National Park. My friends and I began talking about it as soon as the signs of winter began to give way to spring some months ago. After so much coordination, a group of 11 all set off this weekend to a campsite located on a ridge in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

When we arrived in the late afternoon, we found ourselves inside some low level clouds - the remnants of the rain system that moved through all day last friday. It was some of the thickest fog I have ever seen. The visibility was down to about 10 feet I'd say at some points. I found it pretty cool and creepy but it quickly changed to annoying because everything was wet and cold and there was no way to start a campfire. The only logical thing to do then was jump into my sleeping bag and get the bottle of rum.

The fog lingered into saturday morning but once the sun gained some elevation, it finally burned off and things began to dry. We had ourselves a hearty breakfast and then went on a five mile hike through the woods in search of an 80+ foot waterfall. The trek was really great. I saw a deer with her fawn, a cool looking millipede and I even came across a black bear. It turns out that if a bear sees you, it doesn't mean he will automatically attack you. That is a good thing to know. After our hike, we returned back to our campsite and got a fire going finally. Now we could cook!

Saturday night was pretty memorable. We all ate our dinners, made up of sausage, potato salad, and baked potatoes, with flashlights. the only problem was that there wasn't enough light to go around so I had to keep flashing my light to people trying serve their plates and even find their mouths! For dessert we had smores and this curious new camping food I was introduced to called "mountain pies." Basically, in a really simplified description, you put a sandwich (any fillings you want) in an iron press that encloses the sandwich inside it completely and shove it in the fire which toasts and fuses the sides of the "pie" together.

Once we all had our fill, most people went to bed leaving myself and Emily where we decided to stay up for a little while longer. At around 1am, a tiny friend came to pay us a visit. It was a skunk! By the time I noticed his presence it was too late to run. I reverted to the survival tips I learned from watching Jurassic Park when dealing with a T-Rex and instructed Emily to "not move a muscle" despite the little stinker being 3 feet from my chair. We ended up surviving the encounter and soon went to bed where I recalled laying there reflecting on how much wildlife and nature I was exposed to that day. I then shut my eyes and went to bed a little sad that the next morning meant I had to leave and get back to the city with all of its pavement and lack of deers, skunks, and bears.

"Issue the evacuation code signal!"

My life has been pretty dynamic recently. I have been trying to plan my activities for the summer and they seem to change every week. Finally though, today my dad got back from Portugal and I gave him a proposal on an 18 day road trip I have been planning for the past month. He agreed and we are to disembark a week from today!

Oh and if you're wondering about why I titled this post the way I did well it is because I have less than one week to pack all of my things from my apartment and have them stored. I am moving out of DC for the summer. This road trip will take up June and then I am planning to spend a few weeks in Rhode Island in July for some much needed beach exposure. I will return to Washington in late August after doing research in the Arctic to start my graduate program at the George Washington University.

Now, I gotta go pack!

Chris

Greetings!

I've never really been into blogs. I would only read some posts here and there if my friends would email the links to me claiming it was something that I would find interesting. But last week, my friend Mary and I were talking about blogging and how she wanted to start one. It didn't take long for me to turn it into some sort of contest and I too decided I would start a blog and told her that mine would have more followers and would be "cooler". I know, I know, but this is what two currently unemployed people do. So folks, please help me out here so I can beat Mary at our little game!

Soon after we discussed this little game of ours I came to realize what a great tool blogging could actually be. I have relatives back home who are always wondering what I am up to. I always seem to have something to rant about. Plus, this summer, I have tons of adventures to go on like my cross-country road trip and then research in the arctic. This blog is going to be a great place to share photos and stories for anyone who is interested.

Updates coming soon!

Chris