Travels With Rae and Robert ...

Another Day in Anza Borrego

2012-01-16T15:00:00.000-08:00

Another great day spent Jeeping in Anza Borrego Desert State Park. We met up with our friend, Frank, and few others for a full day of fun.

Somewhere in this valley, the Anza Expeditions of 1774 and 1775 made their camps. The view from the monument is beautiful.

After lunch we hiked the Slot. One of our friends had never been, so it was fun to share in her excitement as we hiked. For me, the Slot is always a scary place to be. What if there is an earthquake!?

Towards dusk, the mountains seemed to glow, however it lasted all of a couple of minutes. If you blinked, you would have missed the beautiful light on the mountains.

As usual when the boys air up the tires at the end of our trip, I take advantage of the fading light to get some beautiful sunset photos. There had been rain clouds overhead all day. They made for some great pictures.

End of the Year Run to Anza Borrego

2012-01-04T00:36:00.000-08:00

What better way to end the year than to be together, of course, but also to be doing something we love: Jeeping in Anza Borrego Desert State Park! On December 31st, we met up with a few of our friends from the San Diego DSLR Photography Club for a day of trail riding in the desert. As always, we had a fantastic time.

Here is a video that Robert made.

Our first stop was 17 Palms Oasis along Arroyo Salado.

Robert and Frank wander the Mud Flats. The landscape along Arroyo Salado is quite fascinating. It looks like the face of the moon.

A stop along Tule Wash for lunch and good conversation. We didn't see anyone else the entire time we were there.

That's because they were all at the Pumpkin Patch, which is not within the park boundaries, but BLM land. It is a gathering place for those off-roaders who prefer a different kind of trail riding.

Hope everyone had a wonderful and safe New Year.

A Day Trip to Anza Borrego

2011-11-24T10:47:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Robert and I met up with our friend Frank, and two others from the So Cal Xterra Club for a cruise through Anza Borrego Desert State Park.

The weather was a bit chilly, but bearable, however the wind was very gusty, which made it feel colder.

It was a good day though as we traveled some new trails and revisted some old ones. We haven't been to the desert in several months so it felt good to get back out.

The photo to the right was taken in February 2010. The photo below was during our recent trip.

What caused it to fall? An earthquake? Wind and rain? Was anyone there to see it? I love the desert and all it's wonders.

The desert always amazes me. During some of our trips, we notice very small changes, but then we come across something like this that you can't help but notice. Everything is so alive even if you can't see it outright.

While the guys aired up the tires, I wandered about taking pictures. The sky was a photographer's dream! Such beautiful, soft colors, however it didn't last long. Dark came very quickly.

To the Rim and Beyond!

2011-10-11T16:30:00.000-07:00

Last month we equipped the Jeep with a roof rack and a locking trunk in preparation for our recent trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We made checklists and checked them a dozen times to make sure we had all the comforts to get us through a week of tent camping. Robert packed and organized and organized again. On paper our camping trip seemed flawless and it was logistically speaking, but I guess we should have paid more attention to the weather forecast…(sigh).

Day 1
October 3, 2011

An early wakeup and by 5:40am, Operation Grand Canyon was in full effect! Travel was swift and uneventful. A quick dash east bound on the I-8 into Yuma to refuel, then on to Gila Bend and then northward through Phoenix (95-degrees!) Some billowing white clouds on the horizon made for some great pictures, but alas, those clouds didn’t stay fluffy and puffy for long. The first drops of rain came about 1pm as we drove north on I-17 through the Prescott National Forest. As we pulled into Flagstaff, the rain stopped just long enough for us to pitch our tent at the KOA Campground. And then it came with a vengeance. Thunder, lightening, rain, and hail….

After dinner at Pizza Hut and a warm shower at the campground, we tucked in for the night. Time check: 6pm. The rain was relaxing, tap tap tap on our tent and then BOOM! I am not a fan of thunder and lightening and I questioned (several times) whether we were safe in our tent, which by the way, was the only tent pitched in the campground. There were quite of few campers, but they were all snuggled (and safe) in RVs. I began to wonder if we should have gotten a motel room instead….

I woke up sometime during the night to a bout of uncontrollable shivering. Regardless of how many layers I put on, I couldn’t get warm and as I lay freezing to death in my sleeping bag, I heard my father-in-law say, “You can throw a blanket on a rock, but that won’t make it warm.”

Day 2
October 4, 2011

As morning turned a lighter gray, I reluctantly crawled out of Robert’s warm sleeping bag and we began breaking camp. The campground was incredibly quiet, as most were still in their RVs. The only sound was the low hum of traffic on the nearby highway. The rain had stopped, but it was wet and cold (51-degrees). By 7:30am we were northbound on the 89 with the heater blasting.

As we cruised through the Navajo Nation, we were listening to Native American Public Radio. The DJ was saying the weather forecast for Flagstaff was a high of 63-degrees with rain and wind, a “nice day” he says. Ha Ha. I suppose we are spoiled by beautiful San Diego weather, as “rain” sounded like a dreadful day to us.

At about 10am we stopped at the Navajo Bridge. The first bridge was built in 1928, but as it was too narrow and couldn’t handle the heavier cars of today, a second bridge was built in 1994 utilizing the same construction techniques as the original. As we stood on the bridge gazing out over the Colorado River, a large bird flying overhead caught our attention. It can’t be…a California Condor! And not just one, but three!

Before our trip we had watched a special about the Grand Canyon and it included a piece on the reintroduction of California Condors to the area. I secretly hoped we would see one, but I never expected to. I had my camera, but unfortunately I had on my wide-angle lens and not my zoom. I didn’t get any close-ups, but just to see a condor was so amazing I cried. Robert tried hard not to laugh as I can get pretty emotional when it comes to nature and wildlife. It wasn't the first time I cried when I saw an animal.

Soon, we were back on the highway, turning south on the 67 and heading towards our destination: North Rim Campground. Arrival time: 12:25pm. Temperature: 55-degrees. Elevation: 8800’. We set up camp amidst a sprinkling of rain that soon turned to hail, but that didn’t dampen our adventurous spirits. We headed out for a bit of exploring and then to the Grand Canyon Lodge for some dinner. However, we couldn't get reservations so we opted for chili at the deli next door.

It was another cold night.

“Robert?”

“Yes, you can get in my sleeping bag again.”

Day 3
October 5, 2011

By 8:45am (40-degrees) we had the Jeep packed and I was miserable, as I couldn’t get warm. Our plan from the very beginning was to camp at Toroweap (or Tuweep), a primitive campsite at the end of a very long dirt road on the edge of the North Rim.

During the planning stages, we had read that the dirt road definitely requires 4x4 drive and can become impassable during wet weather. As it had been raining for the last several days and since we were by ourselves, we didn’t want to risk getting stuck in the middle of nowhere. Besides, I was still freezing and the weather was only getting colder.

After discussing our options, we decided to skip Toroweap (but vowed to return during nicer weather) and head towards a warmer climate. At 9:52am we exited the Grand Canyon and headed west on Alt 89. I was glad we decided not to camp again, as it was only 38-degrees and raining. At Fredonia, we headed north on 89 towards Zion National Park. At 12:40pm, we were flashing our National Parks Pass at the gate and entering yet another National Park. It was a bit warmer, 52-degrees, but still raining.

“STOP!” I screamed. Robert slammed on the brakes as hard as he dared on a wet and slippery road and veered towards the turnout, trying not to hit the car already parked there. If I hadn’t seen the photographer with his zoom lens pointed upwards, I would have missed them. Perched high on the red rocks along the road were three Bighorn Sheep!

We watched for a while (me through my zoom lens and Robert through his binoculars) as the Bighorn Sheep jostled and huddled against one another in the pouring rain. Eventually they tired of watching the crowd gathering below and moved off into the trees to graze.

We exited the park and headed south on I-15. The rain kept pace with us all the way to Las Vegas. Just after 4pm we stopped in Moapa, which is just north of Vegas. There really isn’t anything in Moapa, except a Chevron, a fleabag motel, and a restaurant. We last stayed in the motel in 2004 when we went to a NASCAR race in Las Vegas. However, in 2008, the gas station and restaurant burned down. Now it’s just the motel and a trailer used as the motel office/general store. The motel had been renovated and much to our dismay, the shag carpet and wood paneled walls were gone.

For lack of any other place to eat, we pulled out our stash of camping food and dined on bagels, cream cheese, and smoked salmon. It was actually a good decision not to find a motel in Las Vegas, because there was a major traffic jam due to road construction. We would have been stuck in traffic for hours.

Day 4
October 6, 2011

Rise and shine! At 6:30am (52-degrees) we were hitting the road again. The surrounding desert is such a beautiful and calming place and then there is this ghastly city rising from the cigarette ashes of millions of gamblers…I hate Las Vegas, but whenever we travel it always seems to be the point where we stop and refuel. This trip was no different.

As in typical Rae and Robert traveling fashion, we veered from I-15 and headed south on the less traveled 95 through Searchlight and Cal Nev Ari. We turned towards Goffs (establ. 1883/pop. 23) on Route 66 or the Old National Trail Hwy as it’s called, got a few pictures of some abandoned buildings and of “Route 66” painted in the road, and watched a freight train rumble past. At Amboy, we turned left and landed in Twentynine Palms.

Lunch at Denny’s and then once again we were flashing our National Parks Pass and cruising into Joshua Tree National Park. Time check: 1:10pm. Temperature: 66-degrees. We were told the south entrance was closed due to road damage and to exit the park, we would have had to turn around and leave the way we came.

After a consultation with the map, we decided to take the Geology Tour Road and from there branch off on Berdoo Canyon Road, another dirt trail that would eventually dump us just west of the south entrance. From there we would be able to connect with the freeway and head home, but we didn’t know if the dirt road had a locked gate at the end of it or if it was even passable. If we couldn’t get through, we would have to turn around and that would have added several long and dusty hours to our travels. Something neither of us wanted, but this was an adventure after all, so off we went!

After about 2-hours, we reached the end of Berdoo Canyon Road and as luck would have it, there was no locked gate! We drove through Indio along the 74 and 371, finally connecting to Hwy 79 and I-15.

At 7:35pm after driving 1,346 miles and visiting three National Parks, we were finally home.

I glanced at the temperature. 60-degrees. Brrrr.

"Robert?"

"Yes, you can share my blanket."

Walking in Little Italy

2011-08-26T00:10:00.000-07:00

We met up with our friend Frank and several others from my photography club in Little Italy last Tuesday evening for dinner and some photography.

We had Gabriel with us and since he flies home on Saturday, it was nice for us to get out and enjoy the nice weather and do a bit of sightseeing before he leaves.

Although dinner of some not so authentic lasagna, ravioli, and manicotti at the Spaghetteria left a lot to be desired - we should have gone to Filippi's for pizza - the gelato at Pappalecco's definitely made up for it!

Little Italy is a great place to be a night. Lots of movement and lights; it makes for some good street photography, but even if I didn't have my camera with me, it was nice being with friends and family.

A Day at the Zoo

2011-08-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

We went to the San Diego Zoo last Sunday. This time we had Gabriel with us and we met our friend Frank. It was a good day.

Family Portrait

The tiger cubs - Christopher & Conner - were out! So adorable to watch them play.

Another family photo taken by Frank

After the zoo, we walked over to the Museum of Art and had lunch at their cafe. Overpriced hamburgers that weren't all that great, but the company was enjoyable so a nice ending to a wonderful day.

San Diego at Night...

2011-07-01T01:28:00.000-07:00

...the beautiful city in which we live.

More Of Us In Yellowstone National Park

2011-06-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

Robert and I are still reminiscing about our trip to Yellowstone National Park. It seems like it was just yesterday…actually, it was only last week, but it was just one more great adventure in our lives that we will still be talking about years from now. Our life seems truly blessed at the moment.

Rae (left) in West Yellowstone

Robert and Rae (at right) at the Outpost Restaurant in West Yellowstone

Robert (below) looking for wildlife

Robert filling up inside the Park. Gas was $3.99/gal. Cheaper inside the Park than in West Yellowstone.

Us at Yellowstone Lake - 46-degrees

Rae (above) and Robert (below) at
the Wolf Pack Brewing Co. in
West Yellowstone

Robert (right) in the lobby of the Old Faithful Lodge.

Rae (below) inside the lobby of Old Faithful Lodge.

Robert and Rae await the eruption of OldFaithful Geyser.

Robert and Rae at Old Faithful.

Robert checking out the geysers at Norris Basin

Rae at Steamboat Geyser

The stone arch at the North Entrance to the park was created in 1903. The bison in Lamar Valley looked at us as if he was about to charge our car. Thankfully he didn't.

Robert has a bit of fun with the video camera.

Lunch time !

Another photo stop, this time in Lamar Valley.

Rae at Firehouse Falls

Robert and Rae at Calcite Springs Overlook

Welcome to Grand Tetons National Park! Both pictures below were taken at the Jackson Point Overlook.

Potty break for Robert !

Grand Teton National Park

Goodbye Yellowstone, Hello Grand Tetons...and Home (Days 5 and 6)

2011-06-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

June 10, 2011

Day 5 had us entering Yellowstone at about 7 am. We said our goodbyes to our Bald Eagle and made a few more stops to get some last minute pictures. There seemed to be alot more snow than the day before, but it was a sunny and beautiful day, although it was cold! (32-degrees).

It took us only a few hours to reach the Tetons. The wildlife wasn't as abundant as Yellowstone, but we did see some bison and elk. We'd hope to see a wolf or moose, but it wasn't to be this trip.

We stopped at the overlooks at Jackson Point and Signal Mountain Summit, took a few photos, and then continued on to the Visitor’s Center. In many of the photos I see of Grand Teton National Park there is an old wood barn. The ranger at the Visitor’s Center directed us to Antelope Flat Road.

On the way to the barn, we stopped several times to take pictures of the mountains. I think Robert was getting irritated, because I kept asking him to stop every five minutes, but he would always stop and wait in the car while I snapped away. He’s so patient.

When we reached the barn there were several photographers already set up with their telephoto lenses. Under one of the buildings, a coyote had made her den. Three coyote pups were sleeping in the grass, but I couldn’t really get any good photos. We watched the sleeping pups for a bit, but then it was back on the road.

Heading out of Grand Teton, we took some back roads to traverse new territory. Eventually we reached Interstate 80, which took us to the 15 towards home. However, we had one more destination stop to make...Cabelas in Lehi, Utah!

Total Mileage: 459.2 miles.

June 11, 2011

Day 6

We got a later start than usual, because Cabelas didn’t open until 8am and since we were shacking up in the Super 8 just down the street, it would take us only a few minutes to get there. No reason to get up early! During our honeymoon, we stopped at Cabelas in Mitchell, South Dakota, so on our way to Yellowstone we agreed to stop in Lehi on our way back.
All I wanted was an elk sandwich and Robert a coffee pot, but three hours later when we finally had the willpower to exit the store, our arms were full of bags. Fun times.

It was 93-degrees when we crossed into Nevada and another time change. Las Vegas was still dirty and we stopped only long enough to gas up and at about 4:40pm, Hello California! Another quick stop for fuel in Barstow and then HOME!

Total Mileage: 728.3 miles.

To see more of my photography from Yellowstone, visit my gallery. Comments are welcomed.

Our Adventures in Yellowstone Continue (Days 3 and 4)

2011-06-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

June 8, 2011

Day 3 started with a quick trip to the grocery store and at 8:10am we were flashing our Annual Parks Pass at the entrance gate. Our Bald Eagle was in the same spot so we stopped to get some more pictures. We didn’t notice until after we got back into our car, that the traffic ahead of us had stopped, because a herd of bison was meandering across the road.

We’d get stuck in several bison traffic jams throughout the park. It’s not like they will move for you. You have to wait for them, but we didn’t mind these kinds of traffic jams so much. We got lots of pictures and video. The bison passed so close that I could have reached out the window and touched them, but I chose not to. They are quite intimidating creatures when they are only two feet away!

Did some hiking around Norris Geyser Basin, saw a couple of coyote, a herd of elk, more bison, and had a lunch of bagels w/cream cheese all within three hours of entering the park. Afterwards we visited Mammoth Hot Springs and bought more souvenirs, saw some more elk, and headed to the North Entrance to see the stone arch.

The stone arch was fantastic. The arch was built in 1903 to welcome visitors into Yellowstone. I’ve seen pictures of Teddy Roosevelt standing next to it when he dedicated the park. Now I have pictures of Robert and I standing next to it, some 100+ years later. Very cool.

More rain, more buffalo, more elk…the wildlife was never-ending, especially in Lamar Valley. Got stuck in another bison traffic jam and found some huge antlers near Pebble Creek. We were reluctant to take the antlers, but some guys saw us with them and said if we didn’t want them, they’d take them. I knew that they would take them out of the park. My idea was to take them to a ranger’s station and let them have them, so we stuck them in the back of the Honda.

We continued with our sightseeing, but as we drove we were plagued with the most horrific smell! I blamed Robert and he blamed the many geysers we’d past, but eventually we figured it out. It was the antlers!

Somewhere near Dunraven Pass, we stopped and Robert chucked them far out over the embankment so no one else would be tempted to take them. I guess that’s why we found them so easily in the first place. Someone else probably dumped them, because they stunk up their car.

Dinner that night was at Bullwinkles. I had a delicious meal of Rainbow Trout and Robert had Bison Meatloaf. We had a good laugh during our meal with a couple of ladies next to us. They were from Australia and had trouble figuring out our currency system. They didn’t know which coins were nickels and which were dimes.

Total mileage: 203.7 miles.

June 9, 2011

Day 4 started out cold: 37-degrees and raining. It was a short day of sightseeing, but a fantastic one nevertheless. We spent a couple of hours at Old Faithful watching the geyser spew 130-feet into the air, souvenir shopping, eating, and exploring.

We’d seen lots of elk, but none as beautiful as this (see pic at end of blog). He had a huge rack still covered in velvet and he wasn’t afraid of the people crowding around him to take his picture. We drove away as the crowds became ridiculous once again…

...And then there it was along the shores of Yellowstone Lake. A sight I will never forget: A GRIZZLY BEAR! I think I started to cry. He was foraging in a field, aware that a crowd reminiscent of those at a Chargers/Raiders football game was forming, but not caring in the least. And I thought bison caused a big traffic jam! Wow. Eventually, several rangers came to manage the situation. That’s exactly what it was too, a situation. People were screaming with excitement, cars were parked in the middle of the street, and the big camera lenses were out in force!

Robert watched through his binoculars and I through my telephoto lens. At one point, I was looking through my viewfinder thinking, “I’m getting some great shots” but what I didn’t realize was I was getting great shots, because the bear was getting so close! I mentioned this to Robert and he had thought the same thing. Great minds think alike.

Park rules state we’re supposed to stay at least 100-yards from the bear, but as he foraged he came probably within 60-70 yards. It was then I realized that the only thing separating me from ‘death by bear’ was a fresh-faced kid in a Park Ranger uniform holding a can of bear spray. I overheard him saying that last year a bear charged the crowd and he had to deploy his bear spray. He said that’s what saved them. OMG! That was about the time I started moving back to the safety of the cars.

I overheard another tourist say to leave your cars unlocked, because if the bear charged and the crowd scattered, he was jumping into the nearest vehicle. It didn’t quite come to that, as the bear eventually moved away as his foraging took him into the opposite direction of us.

In the past, if you’d had asked me what one of my biggest fears were, I would have said “Grizzly Bears,” but as I watched, it wasn’t fear I felt, but amazement. I was awe-struck by his beauty in the way he moved, the expression in his eyes. I will never forget that moment, standing there watching him watching us. Truly amazing.

After our bear encounter, we headed to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. After snapping a bunch of pictures and enjoying the views, we headed out of the park. The Bald Eagle still perched high on his tree watching all the cars pass by, the occupants totally unaware that he was even there.

Total mileage: 136.2

To see more of my photography from Yellowstone, visit my gallery. Comments are welcomed.

Yellowstone Here We Come! (Days 1 and 2)

2011-06-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

June 6, 2011

Normally waking up at 4am puts me in a bad mood because that’s the time the alarm starts it’s morning shrill, but not this time. We actually woke up well before that and we weren’t headed to work. Today we would follow the long white line of the highway towards Yellowstone National Park.

Day 1 reminded me of the song “…and the wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round….” It was a long day of traveling, 895.9 miles to be exact. We said goodbye to the cat at 4:45am and into the dark we drove, well, Robert drove. I slept.

An uneventful day as we stuck to the freeways to make good time.

Las Vegas sucked as usual, a time change as we crossed into Utah, weather got a bit yucky (WINDY!) as we cruised through Provo, hit some rain as we headed into beautiful Idaho, and arrived at our first day’s destination around 8pm.

We stayed at the Riverside Hot Springs I nn in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. The hotel was old and the floor squeaked with every step, but it was cozy. I’m sure it was haunted, but I was too tired to do any ghost hunting.

Shortly after we arrived, we soaked in the mineral hot springs in the basement of the hotel. The hot water helped Robert relax after a long day of driving, but the water was too hot for me. I emerged looking like a tomato.

A rough night of slumber in a strange place and off again we went the following morning.

June 7, 2011

Day 2 was a much better traveling day. We checked out at about 8am, took a quick tour of the town, and off we went. Didn’t take long for it to start raining again, pretty heavy rain as we drove through St. Anthony…and cold too (37-degrees)!

As we passed into Montana our excitement level started to rise and at 11:07am, welcome to West Yellowstone! Check-in at the Brandin' Iron In n wasn’t until 3pm, so we had a quick bite at the Outpost Restaurant and at exactly 12:12pm, we entered Heaven, otherwise known at Yellowstone National Park!

Less than 15 minutes into the park, we saw a bald eagle and a herd of bison. We knew it was going to be a great day to see wildlife... and it was. We would actually see the bald eagle several times during our trip as we entered/exited the park. He kind of became our welcoming committee.

Our plan was to get off the pavement and do some hiking, but the weather wasn’t very conducive for that. There was lots of snow still on the ground and it rained quite a bit during our trip. We even hit some snow flurries, but we did do some short walks through some of the geyser areas.

We walked the Fountain Paint Pot Loop in Lower Geyser Basin and got some great pictures, picked up some souvenirs at Grant Village (46-degrees) and at about 3pm we saw our first BEAR! Oh, she was pretty, with a big sunspot on her shoulder.

When there were more than two or three cars parked along the road, we usually saw wildlife, mainly elk or bison. But when there was a traffic jam, we knew it was more than an elk. And it was. The Black Bear was oblivious to the throngs of people snapping its picture. It was moving parallel to the road and eventually went back into the forest. I can get a bit excited and I think I might have exclaimed, “Holy shit, it’s a bear!”

At exactly 7:47pm, we would see the 2nd of three bears during our trip. Another beautiful black bear, but the people were completely out of control and I got rather upset. There was a group of Japanese tourists fresh off the tour bus who actually chased the bear while waving their little instamatic cameras. Really? Let’s chase a bear. I guess they forgot there were no fences separating them from the animals like at the zoos. The bear got spooked and ran up a hill and into the dense forest to safety. I half hoped the bear would charge and maybe eat one of the smaller ones running after him. Now that would make for some great photography!

Shortly after seeing the bear, we returned to West Yellowstone, checked into our hotel, and had dinner (pizza) at the Wolf Pack Brewing Co. It was a good day.

Total mileage: 355 miles.

To see more of my photography from Yellowstone, visit my gallery. Comments are welcomed.

Get Ready...

2011-05-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

Countdown to Yellowstone National Park: 9 days! I am so looking forward to this vacation. Robert has never been, so it will be nice to share this experience with him.

View Larger Map

A Day With the Seals

2011-05-21T16:02:00.001-07:00

Robert and I have stayed close to home as of late trying to save money for our next big adventure in June - we're heading to Yellowstone National Park - but when our friends Frank and Heather wanted us to join them in La Jolla for some photography and lunch, we were there.

They are always great company and today was no exception. The day started out overcast, but by the afternoon it had burned off and the day turned out to be beautiful. We met about noon at the Children's Pool, or is the Seal's Pool now? I can never remember, but there is always some kind of drama going on.

Those in favor of the seals usually have a rope strung across the sand in hopes of discouraging people from using the beach. Today, there was a small group set up that had signs that said the beach was open. A couple of them were diving, so there were very few seals on the beach. Seeing the divers, tourists seemed to feel more comfortable crossing the line and going into the water, much to the chagrin of the seal advocates standing on the wall yelling at them to get away from the seals.

After watching that interaction for awhile, we wandered over to The Spot for a delicious lunch of street tacos (duck, lamb, and carnitas) and a bratworst burger w/garlic fries. We took a few pictures as we window shopped, but mostly we just enjoyed hanging with our friends.

1911-2011 Centennial of Naval Aviation

2011-02-19T19:44:00.000-08:00

Robert and I sat in traffic for 2-hours trying to get on base at the NAS North Island in Coronado for the Cenntennial of Naval Aviation celebration on Saturday the 12th. As irritated as we were, it was well worth the hassle. Lots of static displays along with a flyover consisting of 200+ planes, including the Blue Angels and aircraft from WWII. According to the program, it was the largest formation of military aircraft since WWII. The planes flew over the Coronado Bay Bridge, along the harbor, and over North Island. It was an amazing sight.

Mojave Road Highlights Video

2010-11-26T16:16:00.000-08:00

Journey Through the Mojave

2010-11-25T18:16:00.000-08:00

As with most of our vacations, Robert and I seem to plan our adventures in the off-season and this year was no exception. We had the silly idea of going camping in the Mojave National Preserve over the Thanksgiving holidays. Unfortunately, we couldn’t fit all of our normal car camping comforts into the Jeep, so we had to leave a few things behind, like our sleeping cots and heavy canvas tent. Instead we opted to sleep on blow-up mats and take our lighter Coleman tent, which didn’t work out so well….

Day 1 - November 23rd – After some confusion of where the Mojave Road actually started and some six hours after leaving the comfort and warmth of our house, our tires finally hit the rocky sands of the Mojave National Preserve. Our plan was to follow the Mojave Road from the eastern border towards the west while visiting a few of the historical points along the way.

First stop: Fort Piute
Time: 1610 hours
Temp: 54-degress

Fort Piute was originally established in 1859 as Fort Beale by Captain James H. Carleton to protect the travel route from San Bernardino across the Mojave Desert to Fort Mojave. It was reoccupied in 1866 because of increasing mining activity in western Arizona and renamed Fort Piute at that time. The fort was abandoned in 1868. Not much remains except for a few rock walls.

As it was getting late and the wind was beginning to gust, we pitched our tent not too far from Fort Piute. Steaks were on the menu, but as the temperature dropped and the wind blew, we opted to huddle in the back of the Jeep to eat trail mix and listen to the radio.

At 6pm we crawled into our sleeping bags, but it wasn’t sleep that came, but the wind. Fierce, howling, angry WIND. At midnight it was too much for me and I sought shelter in the Jeep, but then there was the cold. After some prompting from Robert, I crawled back into the tent and prayed we wouldn’t blow away.

Day 2 – November 24th - Happy Anniversary to us! What better way to celebrate our wedding anniversary then cuddling in 49-degree weather in a flattened tent? But there we were in the middle of the Mojave Desert freezing our asses off. Sometime during the night, the wind had snapped two of our fiberglass tent poles and it collapsed on us. Sand was in our sleeping bags, hair, and everywhere, but we were troopers! We’d come for an experience and we were getting one.

At about 0920 hours with the wind kicking up (again) and with a belly full of steak, we packed up our mangled tent and plotted our next course of action. Although the tent was now useless, we decided to continue our journey along the Mojave Road and, if the weather permitted, sleep out under the stars that night.

Next stop: A rusted out bus
Time: 1047 hours
Temp: 47-degrees

Don't know any of the history behind the abandoned bus, but it was cool to explore.

The road towards Rock Springs.

Next stop: Rock Springs Cabin
Time: 1145 hours
Temp: 42-degrees

WWI veteran Bert George Smith built the rock cabin in the early 1930s. During the war, Smith’s lungs were damaged by gas. He came to the desert in hopes of improving his health. He expected to live only a short time, but lived at the cabin until 1954.

We followed the GPS coordinates in our guidebook, which led us to a one mile loop trail to the rock house.

Once we reached the rock house, we realized had we gone straight on the road we would have ended up at a dirt parking area just a few yards from the cabin instead of having to hike to it in the cold. It was a nice hike nevertheless.

The pen behind us in the photo below was used to hold sheep owned by Smith.

Next stop: Government Holes
Time: 1250 hours
Temp: 41-degrees

The first well at Government Holes was dug in 1859 and originally named Banning’s Well, but the following year the well was enlarged by U.S. soldiers and renamed Government Holes. The most famous incident in Government Holes’ history occurred in 1925, when two gunfighters – Matt Burts and J.W. “Bill” Robinson - had a shootout in a nearby cabin.

Next stop: Kelso Depot & Visitor Center
Time: 1405 hours
Temp: 54-degrees

The first depot at Kelso opened in 1905 followed by a post office, engine house, and an eating-house to serve railroad employees and passengers on trains without dining cars. Additional buildings were added, including a boarding house and a restaurant called “The Beanery.” The depot closed in 1962, although the restaurant and boarding house remained in operation until 1985.

Cold, dark clouds had moved in and since we had no tent, we were concerned rain might be in the forecast. Robert spoke with the Park Ranger at Kelso and no worries! Rain was not forecasted, however temperatures were supposed to drop below freezing. 28-degrees is what the Ranger said. Robert and I both looked at each other and laughed. I guess we were headed home. Neither of us had any interest in turning into Popsicles.

Next stop: Kelso Dunes
Time 1520 hours
Temp: 50-degrees

Nearly 700-feet high and covering 45-square miles, Kelso Dunes are among the tallest and most extensive dune fields in the United States. The dunes also produce a ‘booming’ or ‘singing’ sound when sand with the right moisture content slides down the slopes.

Next stop: HOME
Time: 2100 hours
Temp: 43-degrees

Indeed it was a Happy Anniversary and what better way to celebrate than to set the heater to 70-dgrees and cuddle under the flannel bed sheets!

Day Trip to Sandstone Canyon

2010-11-08T15:17:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, Robert and I met up with our good friends Frank and Heather and took a drive through Sandstone Canyon in Anza Borrego. Sandstone Canyon was closed because of a rockfall caused by an earthquake last April and we wanted to see if it had reopened and how much the trail had changed. The rockfall was towards the end of the trail so it didn't hinder our adventure too much.

Robert made a video of our drive. We had a good time.

Road Trip....continued.

2010-11-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

The next morning after visiting with Carrie and the boys, we left Denver and headed south on I-25. At Walsenburg we turned off on one of our favorite stretches of road - Hwy 160. When Robert had driven it on the way to Denver, he said it was full of beautiful fall color. I was looking forward to seeing some spectacular scenary and hoping I could capture its beauty with my camera.

As we headed through Fort Garland, we could see Blanca Peak (elevation 14,345') off in the distance. We wondered how long it would be before we hit snow...

...and it wasn't very long. We drove through Wolf Creek Pass (elevation 10,850') during our honeymoon, which was in December, and we hit a white out. This time it wasn't as bad, but the snow was thick and it was cold. Robert said this area was alive with color just a few days ago. I guess winter comes fast in Colorado.

Just past Wolf Creek Pass we came to a viewpoint. It was wet and cloudy, but lots of beautiful color.

We pushed on to Cortez where we would lodge for the night. I really wanted to see the UFC fight between Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez so we found some dive bar called Angels that was airing the fight. I don't know which was more entertaining, the fight or the local drunks. One guy kept making bets and he was so drunk he couldn't remember who he had chosen. Of course he kept losing! Actually Cortez was a really cool town. We both liked it very much.

Oh, before arriving at Cortez, we saw this pond with a beaver lodge in it. I'd never seen one before. At least I think it was a beaver lodge and not just a pile of sticks.

The next day we visted Mesa Verde National Park. Again, we had stopped here during our honeymoon, but the weather wasn't very cooperative. This time, however, it was.

Heading into the park we saw lots of deer.

Our first view of the cliff dwellings was Spruce Tree House. Simply amazing.

We drove through the park enjoying the views and each others' company. It was a wonderful day.

From Mesa Verde NP we headed towards Four Corners. It wasn't very photogenic as construction was being done, but now we can say we were there. And the fried bread was delicious.

From Four Corners we stayed on Hwy 160 to the 89 and dropped down into Flagstaff, through Sedona, and into Jerome for a photo.

From there we were anxious to get home, so other than bathroom and quick food breaks, Robert put the pedal to the medal. Other than not being able to spend enough time visiting with Carrie and family, it was an enjoyable road trip. We are planning to go back to Denver at Christmas, but not sure exactly when or what route we will take. Although I know this time I will pack my beanie and gloves, because it will be cold.

Road Trip.....Denver to San Diego!

2010-10-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

Last week I flew to Denver to meet the newest addition to our family, Caden Vann. My sincerest apologies for calling him Caleb for the last couple of weeks. It was wonderful to visit with Carrie and my three most adorable nephews. Robert had driven out earlier in the week, but since I couldn't get the time off of work, I flew out on Friday. Unfortunately my visit was rather short and the following day Robert and I were heading home...

...stay tuned to read more about our adventures as we visited some really cool places, like Mesa Verde National Park. I'll post some pictures as well. Hopefully I'll have it posted on Monday.

San Juan Capistrano Mission Revisted

2010-10-19T12:54:00.001-07:00

On October 10th Robert and I took another drive up to San Juan Capistrano. This time I made sure my camera's settings were correct! We took our good friends Frank and Heather with us. Their company made for a great day.

I promise I didn't call Heather and tell her to wear red!

This is my favorite photo from the day. I think it really tells alot in it's simplicity of just the wooden cross and bricks.

Frank captures a moment of silliness.

This Mission is fast becoming one of my favorite places for photography. It is such a beautiful and peaceful place.

After the mission we headed to Dana Point for lunch and some sight seeing.

Now that the weather is getting cooler, it's time for another adventure to Anza Borrego State Park, but before then we will be heading to Denver, Colorado to meet the newest addition to the family: Caleb Vann!

Destination: Gaslamp Quarter

2010-09-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

Every month my photography club has a monthly gathering to supposedly do a bit of photography, but mostly it's about showing off our new toys: cameras, lenses, cases, and the like and reconnecting with people we see only once a month. We usually spend a few hours doing photography, or just wandering around, and then we meet for lunch where we talk about more photography and take a thousand pictures of our food.

This month my group met in the Gaslamp Quarter. Robert and I like to use these gatherings as an opportunity to do some sight-seeing around our own city. We mingled under the Gaslamp Sign at the end of Fifth Avenue for a bit, took a group photo, and then Frank (our friend we go to the desert with), Greg (another member of the group), Robert and I headed off down the street to find the nearest Starbucks. After Frank had his fix (Robert had stopped for coffee before meeting the group), we again were off with our cameras dangling from around our necks looking for that perfect shot.

Although I absolutely love the Gaslamp Quarter and its historical buildings, I was feeling very uninspired. Most of us were, so we just kind of wandered around taking a photo every now and again and trying to figure out where we should go next.

This was in front of the Horton Grand. At the last minute Robert walked into view. He always finds a way to get into my shots.

These are just a couple of the many historical buildings in downtown. I love the architecture.

During our wanderings we came upon the William Heath Davis House. It's over 150 years old, which means it's most likely haunted so of course we had to go inside so I could do some ghost hunting.

Oh, look! I think I caught a ghost in the hallway...nope, just Robert wandering through my shot again!

Finally it was time for lunch and the group met up at Sammy's Woodfired Pizza on 4th Avenue.

Robert had a tuna sandwich and I left my diet at home and had a 5-cheese pizza. Delicious!

As we were walking back to our car after lunch, we came upon this mural on a parking structure at Horton Plaza. I wonder what it means? It's hard to see, but the 4th guy from the top is flipping the bird. Intersting.

It was another fun outing with my photography group and I look forward to next month. Stay tuned for more Travels With Rae & Robert....

Destination: San Juan Capistrano

2010-08-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

We've been having some beautiful weather as of late, so Robert and I decided to take a drive up the coast to San Juan Capistrano. It was a wonderful drive with little traffic and gorgeous views of the coastline. We arrived mid-day and went directly to the mission. I was so impressed. It was magnificient and to think it was founded in 1776 by Father Junipero Serra.

Neither of us brought a tripod, so I balanced my camera on a brick post and set the timer. It was a wonderful day and we sat there for a bit just enjoying our time together.

It wasn't until the end of the day that I realized the white balance on my camera was set to overexpose all my shots. Most of my photos were way too bright, but I did get a few good ones, like this shot of Robert. I took a bunch of posed shots, but this one I liked the best because it was a candid moment. I called to him and he looked up, click!

As you can tell this shot of me that Robert took is way over exposed. I'm kicking myself because I didn't check all of my settings to ensure they were correct. And I even made a comment that my shots looked overexposed, but I didn't think to check the camera. I just figured it was because of the bright sun and time of day. Now I know for next time.

Although it was Sunday, there weren't too many people around. Admission included an audio tour, so people would come in waves and then quickly move on as their audio played. I don't remember what this part of the mission was called, but you don't realize how big it is until you stand next to it. It was a bit overwhelming to think just how grand this mission was in its time.

1811 was the most successful year at the mission when it grew 500,000 pounds of wheat, 303,000 pounds of corn and had 14,000 head of cattle, 16,000 sheep and 740 horses. So yeah, it was very large at one time.

After our tour of the mission we drove up the Coast Hwy. looking for a place for lunch. We stopped at the Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point. I had a stuffed 'blues' burger which was a hamburger stuffed with gorgonzola and topped with blue cheese aioli. Delicious! Robert had a BBQ Chicken Salad which was good, but not as yummy as my burger.

As with all our trips, we never like to take the same route twice. On the way home we took Hwy 74 (Ortega Hwy) to 15 south. The Ortega Hwy. winds through the mountains from San Juan Capistrano to Lake Elisinore Valley. The Ortega Hwy was not very picturesque, but there is a lot of history to it. Construction of the road started in 1929 and it officially opened in 1933.

We stopped at A Country Store and bought sodas and some overpriced elk jerky. Across the street was a biker bar called Hells Kitchen. The sign out front read, "If Barrack Obama is the answer, then how stupid was the question?" Classic.

There is only one viewpoint overlooking Lake Elsinore, but it was so windy and dusty I took only a couple pictures and then jumped back into the car.

Robert and I had a fantastic day and I look forward to going back to the mission and maybe spending a bit more time listening to the audio tour and learning its history. And next time I'll make sure my camera settings are set properly!

A Day in Anza Borrego Desert State Park...

2010-04-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

We agreed on a 10am meet time. It was a later time than usual, but since it was Sunday we all wanted to sleep in a bit. Robert and I met our friends Frank and Heather at the Anza Borrego Desert State Park Visitor’s Center. We decided the Visitor’s Center would be a good starting point for our latest adventure into the 600,000+ acre park.

After checking trail conditions at the Visitor’s Center, we drove east on S-22 to Palo Verde Wash. We stopped briefly to deflate our tires and take some pictures of wildflowers. Although it was rather late into the blooming season, the desert was still awash in vibrant colors of yellow, pink, and purple.

We headed south on Fault Wash and came across some rather strange looking rock formations.

And then a quick jaunt on the Cut Across Trail took us to Military Wash. We hiked around an area that had been used in the early 1940’s as a shooting range for about an hour. The wash was littered with shell casings, bullets, and other debris left behind by the Military. Lots of Desert Sunflowers were still in bloom, but were being eaten right before our eyes by huge flying wasp-like insects. It was an interesting place to explore.

We eventually reached Buttes Pass Road where we found the only shady spot around – under a Desert Ironwood – and had a delicious lunch of bologna sandwiches. Of course we had to take a group photo in front of our vehicles. From there, we back-tracked to Blow Sand Canyon, where Robert played on a big sand dune, continued along Goat Trail and then back to the other end of Buttes Pass Road.

From Goat Trail we could see down into Hawk Canyon and thought it looked like a good place to stretch our legs and explore. In the canyon we found the beautiful Desert Five Spot and Ghost Flower. Unfortunately the wind was gusting pretty good, so we lingered only long enough to take a few pictures and then it was back in the Jeep.

After Hawk Canyon we crossed over Highway 78 towards the Cactus Garden. The wind was still blowing, but Heather had never been to the Cactus Garden before. We wandered around a bit, before the wind became too unbearable.

As with other trips we’ve taken with Frank and Heather, we ended the day back in Borrego Springs for a delicious dinner. We dined at Assagio Ristorante and over pasta and wine, mapped out our next adventure into Anza Borrego.

Pics From a Few of Our Day-Trips to the Desert

2010-03-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

We haven't taken any big trips since Tombstone, but we have taken a few day-trips out to Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Winter and Spring are the best times to go, especially when the wildflowers are in bloom and we have a new Jeep to get us far off the asphalt!

This pic was taken by our friend, Frank. We often go out to the desert with him and his wife. We are at Vista Del Malpais (overlook).

Another pic of Robert at Vista Del Malpais.

Another adventure w/Frank. We are hiking The Slot. It's a 3-mile hike and at times it got rather narrow, thus its name "The Slot."

More pics from the same outing. I can't remember where in the park we were.

Looking for wildflower with my folks. My mom and I would try to identify each flower from a reference book we had.

My new Jeep! I had it less than a week and we were already taking it out to the desert. We are exploring some BLM land south of Anza Borrego SP.

We also saw some Navy helicopters doing some touch-and-gos. We watched for about 15 minutes. It was like having a private airshow. They flew very low and right overhead. We could see them looking down at us. One time they buzzed us and I waved. The guy hanging out the door saluted. It was awesome!

Tombstone Bound

2009-12-05T20:11:00.000-08:00

Again I am falling behind on keeping our travel blog up-to-date and I apologize. In October (16th, 17th, 18th, 19th), Robert and I had planned to go on a photography outing with several other people from my photography group to Bodie Ghost Town. Unfortunately, that trip would have cost a bit more money than we could afford. Instead we opted to drive to Tombstone, Arizona to attend Helldorado Days. I think it was the better choice in both the money-saving and entertainment departments.

If you’re not familiar with Helldorado Days, it’s a festival celebrating the Old West and what better place to have it than in Tombstone. Of course we drove and in comparison to some of our other trips, this one seemed rather short with only 5-6 hours of driving time. On the way we detoured off I-8 and headed south on Hwy 85 to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Unfortunately we didn’t have the time to take a tour of the area, so I snapped a few pictures from the Visitor’s Center’s parking lot and from a less-than-spectacular viewpoint. From the park we headed east on Hwy 86 into Tucson. We were staying just north of Tucson in Marana.

Saturday was spent in Tombstone for Helldorado Days. We really enjoyed it and next year would like to return. Sunday we visited the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, which is a zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden. It was nice except it was HOT. Yes, it was a dry heat, but it didn’t really make a difference. Hot is hot. We then drove through Saguaro National Park and did a bit of hiking. We hung out until sunset so I could get some pictures of the cactus silhouetted against the colorful sky. My pictures didn’t turn out as good as I would have liked, but it was nice to spend some quiet time with Robert.

The Feeding Frenzy continued....

2009-08-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

The Feeding Frenzy is a family (Robert's side) reunion at LaBolt Dam in South Dakota. This year's theme was "duct tape" so you may see a purse and even a wedding dress made of duct tape!

Denver to South Dakota and home again!

2009-08-09T18:14:00.000-07:00

We survived our South Dakota trip, but returning home was just as much of an ordeal as flying there (see previous post). I'd rather not revisit the whole airport drama fiasco, so here are a few photos from our trip.

Lunch at McDonald's in the Denver airport...yummy.

Carrie working the Southwest Desk

Exploring Lake Farley Park - we got caught in a rain storm and took cover on one of the trains...fun!

Sightseeing in Milbank, South Dakota

Playing hide-and-seek in a cornfield near LaBolt. I've never been in a cornfield before and it was great!

The boys hanging out in the park in Stockholm

Scott, Carrie w/baby Owen, and Wilbur at the Feeding Frenzy

Lorretta holding baby Owen and Betty at The Frenzy

...and now we wait....

2009-07-29T13:51:00.000-07:00

South Dakota here we come…..eventually. We are sitting at the Denver Airport hoping to get on the 1:45pm flight to Omaha, Nebraska. We are using guest-passes courtesy of Carrie and Jeremy….thank you….but the downside is we have to wait for whatever seats are available. Unfortunately we cannot all fit on the 1:45pm flight. There are four of us - Robert, me, Gabriel, and Katie. We sent Gabriel and Katie on to Omaha. From there we will drive to Stockholm, South Dakota, but for now Robert and I sit here in Denver waiting and waiting and waiting. The next flight isn’t until 7:45pm! But that means Katie and Gabe must wait for us at the airport in Omaha. What a mess, but like I said we are using guest-passes and that has saved us several hundred dollars in tickets. Kelly, the boarding guy, was trying his hardest to get us all on the 1:45pm flight, but to no avail. He actually seemed disappointed that all the other passengers arrived on time and he couldn’t accommodate us. Nice try, though.

Now what do we do for the next six hours? Can anyone say nap time? I can.

UPDATE: It is now almost 8pm and we are still at the Denver Airport. Our 7:45pm flight has now turned into a 10:30pm flight and it looks like it might be later than that. We have been at the airport since 11:30am! Weather delays, mechanical problems...what's next? I'm afraid to ask. I almost want to just turn around and go home, but the kids are still in Omaha waiting for us!

Next Up: South Dakota!

2009-07-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

Our traveling ways have slowed down a bit this year. We are feeling the recession like so many others, so we've opted to stay close to home. Plus, it's summer and we usually don't do much during this time because it's too hot and families usually do their vacationing while the little ones are out of school. We prefer to avoid the crowds at popular tourist attractions and go during the off season. The only vacation we have on our travel itinerary is at the end of the month. We are heading to South Dakota for a family (Robert's side) reunion.

Robert's Uncle Richard has finished renovations of Alice's Restaurant (in Stockholm) and has turned it into a bed and breakfast. We will be staying in one of the rooms above the restaurant. I cannot tell you enough how good the food is at Alice's. If you are ever in the area, you must stop by. Hopefully Richard will have made one of his delicious pies.

On our honeymoon in December 2007, we stopped by Alice's Restaurant. Uncle Richard was kind enough to let us help make some pies for the next day. It was a highlight of our trip.

Elko, Nevada

2009-05-29T18:44:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from our trip to Elko, Nevada in March.

One of the many casinos in Elko

Taking a walking tour of Elko

Elko County Court House

Our motel

The family at Lamoille Glacier

My handsome step-son, Gabriel, and I at Lamoille Glacier

Trip Update

2009-05-14T15:41:00.001-07:00

I am seriously slacking in updating our traveling posts.

I can't even remember when, but we spent a long weekend visiting the kids in Elko, Nevada. I think it was in March(?). The town itself leaves alot to be desired, but it was great spending time with the kids.

Again, I don't remember when but we took a road trip through Anza Borrego and the Salton Sea with several people from my photography group. That was an all day affair with it ending with pizza and beer at Wynola Pizza (near Julian).

Also, we just got back from camping at Lake Skinner in Temecula. We went with 7-8 other couples. Had a really good time, but it was very hot and the campground didn't have much in the way of shade. Several of us were tent camping and the campground isn't really designed for tents. The sites are pretty close together. It's much more suited to RVs and trailers. Looking at the map, the lake looks much closer to the camp sites than it actually is. That was rather disappointing.

I'll post some pictures of our latests travels soon and I promise to do a better job at keeping the blog current.

Thanks for stopping by and go hiking!

First Trip of the New Year - Denver!

2009-02-04T22:26:00.000-08:00

January 16, 2009 – January 21, 2009

I’m a bit late in writing about our latest adventure. No excuses, just lazy I suppose. Last month Robert and I packed up the Honda Element and took off for Denver, Colorado again. This time it was to meet the newest addition to the family, Jerry Owen Vann, but let me start from day one….

Day 1 – Hit the road about 11pm Friday night. We decided to take a different route through new territory. It added quite a bit of extra time to our trip, but it was nice to see some new scenery. Headed east on I-8 into Arizona. Made good time and cruised through Tucson about 7am and watched the sun rise over the Dragon Mountains. Our first day goal was to reach Las Vegas, NM. As in typical fashion we left I-10 and headed north at Lordsburg on the less traveled Hwy 90, through the picturesque Gila National Forest. We saw quite a few deer, a roadrunner, a huge hawk, and a wild pig! At Silver City we headed east, traveling on Hwy 152, through Kingston, to I-25. Stopped for fuel in Truth or Consequences, drove straight through Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and arrived in Las Vegas about 2:30pm, Saturday afternoon. We stayed the night at the beautiful Historic Plaza Hotel, which they say is haunted.

Day 1 Driving Time: 16 hours, 58 minutes
Day 1 Traveling Distance: 950.2 miles

Day 2 – Neither of us could sleep very well, since we were still trying to adjust from night shift to being awake during the day. It didn’t help we fell asleep at 6pm! We awoke rather early, around 2 am, and lay in bed watching TV while the rest of the world slept. The Historic Plaza Hotel was built in 1882. In 1899, Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders held their first reunion at the hotel. Other guests included Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate, and Tom Mix. And of course the ghost, Byron T. Mills still resides in Room 310. Not really sure why he still hangs out at the hotel, but guests, especially women, staying in Room 310 have reported his presence and he wasn’t very nice. Since we couldn’t sleep we decided to go ghost hunting. We were just down the hall in 303….There is no quite way to creep through the halls of a historic hotel. With every step the wooden floor creaked loudly. I think Room 310 was occupied (by a human). We didn’t want to freak out the guest, so we snapped a few pics of the door and the hallway and then scurried back to our room, giggling all the way. After a nice breakfast at the hotel’s Landmark Grill (we had dinner there too – yummy), we hit the road about 8:15am. New Mexico was really beautiful, but we still had a long drive ahead of us and didn’t dally. We hit some traffic as we neared Pueblo, Colorado and as much as we wanted to stray from the main freeway, we stayed on I-25 all the way to Denver. We stopped for a quick lunch at Sonic in Colorado Springs about noon, picked up a baby gift at Super Wal-Mart and then headed to Carrie and Jeremy’s house to see the baby. Robert’s mom, Lois, had been staying with Carrie for a few weeks to help with her newest grandson, so it was nice to see her too. Robert’s Aunt Carol and Uncle Todd were kind enough to let us stay at their house for a few days, which meant I got to see Maynard again!

Day 3 – After a quick breakfast at the Waffle House, where Robert “borrowed” a Waffle House coffee cup, we headed over to Carrie’s house. It was another wonderful day visiting with family. Little Owen is the cutest baby I have ever seen. He looks just like his older brother, Jacob. Thanks to Jeremy we got hooked on Guitar Hero while we were there! We stopped at Target on the way back to Carol and Todd’s house that night to get them a ‘thank-you’ gift and I ended up buying Guitar Hero for Robert for his birthday. When we arrived at Todd and Carol’s, Todd and his son, Brad were playing Guitar Hero. We stayed up until midnight playing. Another great day spent with family.

Day 4 – Today we decided to go to the Denver Zoo. We’ve been before, but I absolutely love it. It must have been kids-free day, because there were little children EVERYWHERE! It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I found the parents more irritating than the kids. We were having a great trip, a great day, but one stupid person just pissed me off. We were leaving and I had my car door open. A family – mommy, daddy, and three screaming toddlers – had parked next to us. The daddy thought my car door was touching his car and got upset and made a comment to me. And if you know me, if someone confronts me I’m not one to turn a cheek. I will say something in return and this time was no different. After I got in our car and shut the door, the dumb mommy runs over and literally puts her face against her car to look for a scratch. Of course there were no scratches since my door hadn’t touched their car. Her behavior was absolutely hilarious. As we pulled away, they gave us the mad stink eye. Robert waved. She waved. I gave her the California salute. They were just one more reason why I dislike people, but Robert explained that they were angry because it was obvious their lives hadn’t turned out liked they had hoped. It made sense and I felt a bit better. After the zoo we had lunch at Annie’s Diner (both service and food sucked) and then went to see baby Owen one last time. We planned on leaving early the next morning.

Day 5 – 3am wake up call and on the road at 4am. Breakfast consisted of Zingers, OJ, and coffee from 7-11. We left Denver via I-70, a route we’ve traveled before. We hit lots of snow, but the freeway was clear. We stopped in Grand Junction about 8:40am and had a quick breakfast at Sonic – gross – I will never eat there again! Crossed into beautiful Utah about 9:30am; still lots of snow on the ground. The country is so wide open and empty. I love Utah. Rest of the trip was rather uneventful. Drove straight through to Las Vegas, Nevada; stopped for gas and food at a truck stop. I fell asleep and when I awoke, we were home. Time check: 9:20pm.

Total Trip Distance: 2,596.8 miles
Total Trip Driving Time: 50 hours, 42 minutes

Party in Denver!

2008-11-04T10:44:00.000-08:00

Robert and I made another weekend jaunt to Denver. This time it was for a surprise baby shower for Robert’s sister, Carrie. Jeremy, Carrie’s husband, flew in all of Carrie’s family and friends from San Diego. Talk about a surprise! Carrie had absolutely no idea that Jeremy had been planning this for a couple of months. After the baby shower there was a birthday party for their son, Jacob, who turned 7. It was a great weekend visiting and celebrating with Robert’s family. Other than a slight delay in getting our vouchers at the airport in San Diego, we had no problems the entire trip. We are liking Denver more and more and plan to go back again in January when Carrie gives birth. We are even thinking of moving there in a few years when I retire, but only time will tell.

The view is absolutely beautiful flying in and out of Lindberg Field, San Diego

The pre-flight safety lecture in case your plane crashes.

There is a train inside the Denver airport that takes you from the gates to the baggage claim area. A train inside the airport! How cool is that?

Robert rented himself a Cadillac to drive us around in style while in Denver.

Surprise! Carrie and her mom, Lois.

Carrie got lots and lots and lots of baby stuff.

Jacob got lots and lots and lots of stuff for his birthday.

Mountain Men

2008-10-15T15:05:00.000-07:00

Robert and I had another great weekend. With our trip to Denver coming up at the end of the month, we wanted to stay close to home this weekend, but still had the need to get out of the house. The weather was absolutely beautiful so we decided to take a drive to the mountains for the Manzanita High Mountain Rendezvous in Santa Ysabel. I went last year with my photography club and took some really great pictures. This year Robert expressed interest so off we went.

The Manzanita High Mountain Rendezvous is a group of people with a love of history who created a living history with a pre-1840 North American Fur Trade Encampment. There were shooting demonstrations and a trader’s row selling items such as animal hides, purses, lanterns, and other goods. It was a good day and we met some very nice people.

A Powwow and Palm Springs

2008-09-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

Robert and I had another great weekend. I love powwows so I talked Robert into taking me to the 18th Annual Thunder and Lightning Powwow in Cabazon, which is near Palm Springs. It was put on by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians and held on the grounds of the Morongo Casino Resort and Spa. I’ve been to the American Indian Cultural Days at Balboa Park a few times and although that powwow is great in its own right, it pales in comparison to the size of this one. The sights and sounds were simply amazing. There were so many dancers with so much flare and color. It’s difficult to describe the beauty of the outfits and you have to feel the beat of the drums to appreciate it. All I can say is if you’ve never been to a powwow then too bad for you. Unfortunately my camera batteries quickly expired and I’d left my spares at home, so I didn’t get to take many pictures the first day.

We stayed at a hotel in Beaumont and on Sunday morning decided to drive into Palm Springs and ride the aerial tram. I’ve never rode on it and I don’t think I really like it that much. The floor of the tram car actually moves in a circle as you’re moving up the mountain. It gives you a great view, but I’m not much a fan of heights. But sometimes you must face your fears in order to reap the reward. Once at the top I was fine. The air was cool and clean. It was about 98-degrees on the valley floor, but at the top it was in the low 70’s. I always thought the tram took you to top and then back down. I didn’t know you could stay at the top and go hiking. I was wearing flip flops which prevented me from doing much walking, but it was nice to just sit and enjoy the fresh air. It’s definitely a place I would like to revisit when I’m a bit more prepared.

After a couple of hours at Mount San Jacinto, we headed back to the powwow. It was just as fantastic as the day before and with my camera batteries recharged I was able to take over 300 photos before we called it a day and headed home to San Diego. Much of my time is spent working and going to college, so it’s nice to get away for the weekend with Robert. I wonder where we’ll go next?

If you'd like to view more pictures from the powwow visit my photography site: http://raecosta.smugmug.com/

How About This Heat...?

2008-09-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder what we’re thinking. South Dakota in the winter and now Arizona in the summer. Our latest adventure led us into the blistering desert on the outskirts of Yuma. I was a bit apprehensive of heading into the desert in triple degree heat, but with plenty of water and, amazingly enough, cell phone reception I bravely followed Robert to Tumco. Tumco – The United Mining Company – is just off S34 on the way to Blythe and about 9-miles north of I-8. Tumco was originally called Hedges and was established with the discovery of gold in the 1880s. At its heyday the town was home to more than 3,000 people. Now it’s a ghost town and hardly a shadow is left of its former glory, but it’s still an interesting place to explore, especially with my new metal detector Robert got me for my birthday!

We headed out Saturday morning and arrived in Tumco about 10am, just in time for the heat of the day. There was lots of scrap metal, tin cans, and wire lying around so the metal detector was constantly beeping. Our first find was a Hamm’s beer can buried in the sand! We explored for about 3-hours, but found nothing of any great monetary value. For us, though, the hunt was what we came for and what we found the most fun in.

We stayed the night in Yuma at the Knight’s Inn Motel. The next day we toured Yuma’s Territorial State Prison and the Yuma Quartermaster Depot. Another hot day, but since Robert has never been to Yuma and I haven’t been in almost 15-years, we wanted to spend some time sight-seeing. Originally, we had planned to go camping at Great Basin National Park, but with my school commitments we just didn’t have the time to drive the 12-hours to the park. However, I think this weekend was just as fun if not better. Actually, I think it was perfect.

Metal detecting in Tumco

Sightseeing at Yuma Territorial Prison

Playing on the sand dunes at Imperial Dunes Recreation Area east of El Centro

Day 5 - HOME!

2008-08-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

What a horrendous travel day. It started out with a nice breakfast at Carrie’s house and then the long drive to Salt Lake City. Instead of the interstate we took the more scenic Highway 40. We had to be in Salt Lake City by 7pm to drop off the kids with their mother. We made only one quick sight-seeing stop at Buffalo Bill’s grave, hit a bit of rain, and got stuck behind quite a few slow moving semi-trucks. We finally rolled into Salt Lake City 10-hours after leaving Denver. We waited about an hour with the kids for their mother to arrive and as they headed home towards Elko, we turned south towards San Diego. Time check: about 9:30pm.

We made a few gas stops and had dinner at Denny’s in Cedar City, Utah. Reached Las Vegas about 3:20am where Robert refueled with Sun Chips and an energy drink. I, of course, was asleep by then. Robert knew how much I wanted to get home to the cats, so he pulled an all-nighter and drove straight through to San Diego. After 24 straight hours of being on the road we were ready to get home, but unfortunately we hit rush hour traffic in Escondido and we're delayed about an hour. Finally about 9am, 5-days of travelling and 2,423 miles later we pulled into the driveway. Waiting inside were my little babies.

Our hotel room was rather nice, especially the HDTV.

Taking the toll road to Carrie's house.

Breakfast at Carrie's house.

Gutters and Yoder. So cute!

Jacob with his beer glasses.

Downtown Denver - Puppy Chow manufacturing plant.

He's so cute when he's sleeping!

Sight-seeing at Buffalo Bill's grave site off I-40.

A lunch of buffalo burgers at Shake n' Burger in Kremling, Colorado.

Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Vernal, Utah.

Dinner at Denny's in Las Vegas.

My two reasons for coming back home....Cierra & Heyoka.

Day 4 - The Day After

2008-08-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

It is the day after the wedding and I am starting to wind down and get tired. Sleepy tired, traveling tired, homesick. I was hoping to sleep in again, but this time I awoke about 7am with a stomach ache and couldn’t fall back to sleep (although I took a 2 1/2 hour nap later in the afternoon while everyone else was at the pool). I am ready to go home. I miss my little cats. It didn’t help that we went to brunch at Todd and Carol’s house in Parker today and I saw Maynard. If you’ve read “Day 11” of my honeymoon posts, you’re already acquainted with Maynard and his sister Marla. Update: Maynard is still a cutie-pie and a brat. Marla now lives with Carol’s daughter (and new bride) Laura and has become quite spoiled. Playing with Maynard made me miss my Poka and Cierra even more. For dinner we ate at TGI Fridays - pretty good - and then called it an early night. Tomorrow we leave for home.

Maynard playing with the strap to my camera. It was difficult to take his picture since he kept grabbing the camera!

Quick! Take his picture! A moment of stillness.

Little Lulu - she loves scratches and sitting on laps.

A doe and her fawns in Todd & Carol's neighbor's yard.

Harassing Grandma - I love her!

Time to open wedding gifts.

I wonder what this could be? An ironing board!

Dinner at TGI Fridays.

Katie eyeballing the fried macaroni and cheese appetizers.

This was a brownie obsession - brownie, chocolate fudge sauce, caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream. Robert and I were supposed to 'share' it, but I think I ate most of it. I know. I'm a pig.

Day 3 - Fire! Fire! Fire!

2008-08-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

Oh, it was a good day to sleep in, but it was not to be. About 7:15am the fire alarm went off. In my haste to gather the children and flee the building (along with all the other guests), I forgot my camera. In the distance the wail of a fire truck siren broke the morning calm. In the immediate area the blaring of the fire alarm grated on the nerves. After only a few moments a Hyatt employee gave us the all-clear signal to return to our rooms. Rumor had it the cause for the alarm was a piece of burnt toast. That is how I started my day.

And it ended with me consuming too many beverages at Laura and Gary’s wedding, but it was all good. We had a great time! P.S. The temperature today was a mild 103-degrees, breaking a 130-year record!

Packed like sardines in the shuttle (heading to the wedding at Louviers Village Clubhouse)

Robert, Carrie, & Jeremy (before they started drinking, except for Carrie - she's prego)

Sisters and the mommy (Betty, Jane, Carol, Loretta, Lois)

Overcome with emotion, Robert falls asleep...

The beautiful bride & groom

Lorretta & her great grandson Gabriel

I couldn't decide between a Mai Tai or the Vodka Raspberry Lemonade...decisions decisions!

Touch my cake and you die!

Day 2 - Destination: Denver!

2008-08-01T20:22:00.000-07:00

We rolled into Denver about 1pm after about a 4-hour drive from Grand Junction. The trip was rather uneventful, but incredibly beautiful in some spots. Instead of going straight to the hotel, we met Robert’s family at Cherry Hill State Park. Laura and her fiancé, Gary, were hosting a family BBQ. It was nice. Got some hot dogs into my stomach and waded into the lake to cool down. Unfortunately, Gabriel, Katie, and I forgot our swim suits, so after checking into the Hyatt (great rooms!) we headed over to Dillards to go shopping. Then it was back to the hotel for a quick dip in the overly chlorinated pool and then a dinner date with the family at California Café....

Robert and Ella (the Element)at the Colorado River

I stubbed my toe on tree branch. That's what I get for hiking in flip flops!

Rafters on the Colorado river

What Vail looks like from a speeding car on I-70

Robert and Katie at the family BBQ

Robert and Gabriel enjoying the BBQ

I love hot dogs!

Cooling off with the family in Cherry Hill Lake

I love green apple lollipops!

Dinner at the California Cafe in Denver

I had peach proscuitto pizza - not bad, just overpriced

Day 1 - Denver Bound

2008-07-31T21:39:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Colorado! An 8am start and 14-hours on the road put us in Grand Junction by 10:30pm. We drove a total of 847 miles with only a few stops for food and gas. It sucks that we passed by several National Parks and weren’t able to stop. We have a time schedule to keep. Maybe on the way home we can take a slight detour, even for an hour or so. Last time we drove through this area was on our honeymoon in December and it was covered in snow. Today we hit temperatures in the 90s = hot. Tomorrow we will be rolling into Denver to attend Laura’s (Robert’s cousin) wedding on Saturday. Robert's parents and kids are already at Carrie and Jeremy's house. It will be good to spend the weekend with them.

Our first stop for food was at The Mad Greek in Baker, California. The Mad Greek was featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives w/ Guy Fieri and we were pretty excited about eating there, BUT....the food was marginal and very expensive ($26 for two gyros and drinks). There were also cockroaches in the restroom. Probably won't go there again.... oh, the temperature was 101-degrees.

We drove through Dirty Vegas as fast as we could, but eventually got stuck in traffic. Yuck.

...ahhh...holding hands while listening to 'our' song: Collide by Howie Day.

Who knew they had a Dairy Queen in Beaver, Colorado?! Service was horrible - nothing, but a bunch of teenagers working behind the counter, but my caramel sundae tasted good and the bathroom was clean.

Now it's time for a shower and some sleep in our comfortable Comfort Inn room.

Honeymoon - Day 13 (the end)

2007-12-10T10:42:00.000-08:00

Day 13 12-09-2007

We finally rolled out of the tent around 7:45am. What a beautiful morning! The wind had calmed, the sun was shining (sort of), and there was a light dusting of snow. I couldn’t grab my camera fast enough to take pictures before the early morning light faded. Since we got up later than we wanted, we skipped breakfast and quickly broke camp. After a quick stop to buy postcards at the visitor’s center, we were on the road again by 10:20am.

To save time we hopped on I-70 and stayed on it until we reached Highway 89 – a beautiful stretch of road. There was lots of snow left by the storm that had moved through the night before, but the roads were clear and the sun was shining. We made good time to Bryce Canyon National Park, but unfortunately the park rangers (or whoever) chose not to plow the roads leading through the park. Over ¾ of the park was closed so we couldn’t get a real sense of the park’s beauty, but the ranger was more than happy to take our money before he’d let us enter – we were still using our parks pass, so the $25 entrance fee was waived.

Is it me or does anyone else find that rather greedy? Only one viewpoint was open, yet they charge the full price to enter. We had the parks pass, but what about those people who didn’t? $25 is a lot of money to experience only a fraction of the park, maybe 3-miles to one viewpoint in this case. The same thing happened at Mesa Verde. Mesa Verde should have been closed altogether. Visibility was severely limited and the road extremely dangerous, but the ranger was more than willing to let us in as long as we paid. I know the money goes towards a good cause, but when over half the park is closed or you can’t even see the park because of snow, maybe a discounted entrance fee during the winter season should be instituted….

What we did get to see once we got to the viewpoint was very beautiful and on our way out of the park we saw several deer. Since most of the park was closed we didn’t dally. By now it was getting late and we wanted to reach Zion National Park before dark. Near Zion we saw a bison herd lounging behind the Buffalo Grill restaurant, which was part of the Zion Mountain Resort. Robert commented they were tomorrow’s special. It was quite funny at the time.

Zion National Park was open, but it was late and the light was quickly fading. The entrance booth was closed, so we didn’t have to flash our parks pass. Highway 9 runs all the way through the park and I don’t think thru-traffic has to pay to enter. We stayed on the main road all the way and the drive was beautiful. We saw plenty of deer and drove through a long tunnel in a huge rock. So long that it took us about 3-minutes to get through it. The rock itself was pretty spectacular.

We were cruising along on Highway 9 through Hurricane (north of St. George) minding our own business when all of a sudden blue and red flashing lights fill our rearview mirror! “You’re shittin’ me!” I exclaimed, but all I could do was laugh. The young officer explained that Robert was driving 53 in a 40 mph zone and asked the obligatory questions of where were we coming from and where were we headed. Robert identified himself as a Deputy and told him we were on our honeymoon. The officer congratulated us and kindly let us go without a ticket. He was rather nice and said he stopped us because he was bored and just looking for something to do. Another highlight of our trip.

It was dinner at Denny’s in Las Vegas and a quick zip down I-15 toward home. We’d been on the road almost two-weeks and I was missing my little Poka and Cierra kitties. I’ve never been apart from them for that long and I couldn’t get home fast enough. At 12:45am we were pulling up to the house. We had a fantastic time with lots of pictures and great experiences, but it's good to be home. It may be the end of our trip, but it's just the beginning of our new life together.

Total mileage for the entire trip: 2,542
Total driving time: 168:26 hours
Average speed: 37 mph
Pictures taken: 1,145

States visited (not counting CA): 7
National Parks/Monuments/Historic Areas visited: 11

Wild animals seen: red fox, pronghorn deer, mule deer, coyotes, pheasant, Canadian geese, wild turkey, free-range cattle, horses, burros, buffalo, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, sheep, rabbits, various birds (including hawks and vultures).

Honeymoon - Day 12

2007-12-10T09:38:00.000-08:00

Day 12 12-08-2007

Good morning glorious snow! We got on the road about 8:15am (32-degrees). Only 36-miles to Mesa Verde National Park and we were both looking forward to it. As I said before, one of the disadvantages of traveling during off-season is that a lot is closed. Although Mesa Verde was open it should have been closed. Only one area of the park was open with guided tours at 10am and 1pm.

Unfortunately we arrived at 9:30 and it would have taken us nearly an hour to drive the 20-miles. The snow was thick and the road hadn’t been plowed. We couldn’t even see the forest on the sides of the roads. After about 2-miles we decided to turn around and continue on to Arches National Park, where (hopefully) there would be no snow. I’d been to Arches about 6-7 years ago, but Robert had never been, so I was excited for him to see it.

After Mesa Verde we headed north into Utah on Highway 491. We stopped for lunch at Denny’s in Moab then entered Arches about noon. It was beautiful! And no snow! After some debate we decided to spend our last night camping, which had been our intent for the entire trip. We set up camp at Arches only campground, Devil’s Garden Campground. The campground had a total of 53 sites, but half of them were closed for the season. When we decided to camp the sky was mostly clear, but while we ate our chili dinner, a cold wind kicked up and dark clouds blotted out the sun. We didn’t have any wood and weren’t allowed to gather wood in the park, so we hurriedly washed our dishes and jumped into our sleeping bags. It was cold, windy, and only 6pm, but absolutely perfect.

Honeymoon - Day 11

2007-12-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

Day 11 12-07-07

I almost died today. Well, not quite, but the possibility that it could have happened was extremely great, but I’ll get to that in a bit. I want to first tell you about two little cuties I met at Todd and Carol’s house. They’re brother and sister, about two-years old, and the brattiest little things I have ever met! Within minutes of meeting Maynard and Marla we were best of friends! I was tempted to kidnap them and take them home with me! Maynard is a little orange tabby and Marla is a fat little calico.

I say they’re brats in a good way. Last night after Robert and I crawled into bed, this fuzzy orange kitty wiggles under the covers and starts tickling our legs. Shortly after Maynard crawls out, Marla gets under the covers. Next thing we know Maynard is attacking Marla through the bed covers! Robert finally had to kick them out of the room and shut the door so we could sleep. This morning while getting ready to leave, I heard the door creak. I look up and two little kitties run into the room. The door wasn’t closed all the way and somehow they opened it. After Robert took his shower, Marla got into the bathtub and just sat there. I had to lift her out of the tub so I could take my shower. While I’m showering, Marla is sticking her head in the water and Maynard is playing between the shower curtains. As soon as I shut the water off, they both jump into the tub. Silly cats!

Okay, back to my near-death experience. From Parker we drove south on I-25. It sucked being on the main freeways, so we were looking forward to getting back on the state routes. At Walsenburg we headed west on Highway 160. As we neared South Fork in the San Juan Mountains the weather turned ugly and next thing we know, we’re driving in near whiteout conditions!

The weather was so bad that most of the semi-trucks had pulled over to wait out the storm or put chains on and risk it. The snow banks were over 5-feet high, which hid the cliffs on the other side. I made the comment that the snow would at least keep us from plunging to our death if we spun out. Robert quickly informed me that most likely we’d plow through it! And just when I thought I couldn’t get any more scared, Randy Travis’ “Three Wooden Crosses” song comes on the radio!

Our elevation peaked at 10,890-feet near Wolf Creek Ski Resort, where we saw skiers having a gay old time while we were inching along at about 20-25mph towards possible death. Finally we pulled into Durango about 4:10pm. As we checked in at the Econo-Lodge, the clerk told us about 4-6 inches of snow was predicted by morning. Lovely.

Total mileage for the day: 406.

Honeymoon - Day 10

2007-12-07T17:43:00.000-08:00

Day 10 12-06-2007

Today was a lazy day. We slept in late and didn’t leave Carrie and Jeremy’s house until almost noon. We didn’t have any plans for the day, so we decided to visit the Denver Zoo. I always like visiting other zoos and seeing how they compare to the San Diego Zoo. Although some of the exhibits were rather small and not as environmentally realistic as San Diego’s I was still impressed. I especially liked the indoor exhibits for the gorillas and some other animals because of how cold it gets in Denver. Plus, I felt I was much closer to the animals than at the San Diego Zoo.

We wandered around for a few hours then decided to go to Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World. I liked is so much better than Cabela’s. For one, it was two-story and double the size of Cabela’s. Like Cabela’s, they had stuffed dead animals displayed everywhere. We would have stayed longer, but we had a dinner date at Casa Bonita with Todd & Carol (Robert’s uncle & aunt), their kids Brad and Laura, Carrie and Jacob.

How do I describe Casa Bonita? It has the atmosphere of Disneyland, but none of the rides. It was decorated for Christmas so there were lights, garland and lots of shiny stuff all over. There was also a gorilla running around in swim trunks, a guy diving off of some fake rocks into a pool, an arcade, and a roving mariachi band. It was kind of cheesy, but really cool at the same time and the food was good.

After dinner Robert and I crashed at Todd & Carols pad in Parker, which is about 25-30 miles south of Denver. We were told we would be sleeping in the basement. My idea of a basement is a dark, dank place used for storing dead bodies (I saw that in a movie once). However, their idea of a basement is basically another level to the house. In San Diego it would have been considered a two-story home instead of a single level with a basement. It was really nice and we were quite comfortable. Now I know where we'll be staying the next time we're in Colorado.

Honeymoon - Day 9

2007-12-06T10:43:00.000-08:00

Day 9 – December 5, 2007

Didn’t get the early start as we hoped, but it stays dark until late so really there was no point in getting up too early. We wouldn’t have been able to see anything while on the road. As it was we, okay me – Robert was already up, rolled out of bed about 6:30am. It was a chilly 16-degree in Wall with a light dusting of snow. We skipped breakfast and were on the road by 7:15am heading south on State Route 240 towards Badlands National Park. The $15 entrance fee was waived because we used our America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass. We knew we would be visiting quite a few National Parks so we bought the pass when we visited Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Montana. For only $80 the pass gets us in free to a number of parks and monuments and is good for a year. By the time our trip is over I think we’ll have got our monies worth and then some.

Badlands National Park was beautiful. The lighting wasn’t too good for photography, the sky was rather gray because there were some low-lying clouds, but nevertheless I took quite a few pictures. As soon as we entered the park we saw a Bighorn Sheep walking across a field. A paved road looped through the park, but we saw plenty of mule deer from the comfort of our car. The grass was so long that when the deer laid down all we could see were their big ears sticking up. By December the deer usually lose their antlers, but there were a few still sporting huge racks. While we watched two deer started butting their heads together and hearing their antlers strike against each other was a cool sound.

We spent about almost two-hours cruising the Badlands then it was back on the State Route 44 towards Rapid City. We drove through Buffalo Gap National Grassland. I thought this was rather funny, because the national grassland area is the same type of grassland we’d seen while driving throughout the entire state! Somewhere along SR-44 we saw a huge dinosaur (a fake one of course) in a field. There was nothing around it, except a few grazing horses. Another oddity we’ve come across during our travels.

We reached Rapid City (24-degrees) around 11:15am. A disgusting lunch of overcooked chicken at Wendy’s then onward to Mt. Rushmore. I am so glad we have a GPS. Robert bought it specifically for our trip. I can never tell which direction we’re headed. I think we’re heading north, but the map reads west. I’m a mess without a big ocean to use as a reference point! Plus, it’s nice to find gas stations and hotels miles down the road so we can plan our stops. We call our GPS Maggie and she’s become a really good friend, although I have to compete with her sometimes for Robert’s attention.

One word to describe Mt. Rushmore – AWESOME! It was so awe-inspiring that I started to cry. I was so amazed by its beauty and history. This is definitely on my Top 5 list of must-sees in America! Traveling off-season does have its advantages. Although some attractions have been closed, the ones that are open have absolutely no people. At Mt. Rushmore we saw maybe 20-25 other people and I was able to get some really good pictures without any people getting in the way. I could have sat there all afternoon just watching the sun move across the stone faces; an incredible experience for me.

Just after arriving at Mt. Rushmore we saw a mountain goat walking through the parking lot. As we were leaving Robert spotted about 6-8 more grazing alongside the road. We stopped and were able to get unbelievably close. They looked at us at first, but kept grazing once realizing we weren’t a threat. As they grazed, one moved closer and closer until he/she was about 10-feet away.

We have seen so much wildlife during our trip, but the one thing I haven’t seen that I am very disappointed about is bison. No other state has as many public herds as South Dakota, but the only one we saw was on the Idaho/Wyoming border in Yellowstone National Park. However, we saw (or think we saw) a small herd hanging out in a field next to someone’s barn just off Highway 385 near Custer. Custer, along with the Badlands, is one of the areas where bison are found. Because of the bison’s close proximity to buildings, I wasn’t sure if they were penned in or not. We passed by so quickly that we were only able to catch a glimpse.

We followed SR-89 and Highway 18 into Wyoming. About 3:10pm we crossed into Wyoming. The grasslands are so flat that we could see for miles. The golden grass against a darkening purplish-blue sky was so pretty, plus there were numerous herds of pronghorn grazing alongside the road. It was one of those sights where words can’t adequately describe its beauty. We made good time crossing into Colorado on I-25 at about 7pm.

Our first thoughts about Colorado – stinky! It was dark so we couldn’t see the surrounding countryside, but man, did it smell like cow crap, literally. At first I blamed Robert, but as we drove it kept getting worse. I can only assume there were cow farms, thus the heavy poop smell, somewhere out in the darkness. Another observation about Colorado is the highways suck. We were on a major interstate coming through Fort Collins and it was thump thump thump all the way. I suppose the harsh winters take a toll on the roads, but it was so irritating. I couldn’t even rest my head on the seat, because the constant bouncing gave me a headache.

Finally, Denver! and Carrie and Jacob (Jeremy was at work) standing on the front porch in their jammies waiting for us! Talk about a welcoming site. A warm dinner of lasagna, some good conversation, and off to bed. Of course I waited until Jacob, who’s 6, to go to bed first. Total travel miles for today: 524.

Honeymoon - Day 8

2007-12-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

Day 8 – December 4, 2007

Breakfast at Alice’s, a final goodbye to Richard, then on the road again by 9:30am. The sun was shining again and the further west we drove the warmer it became. At one point I even had my jacket open and no gloves! A lot of driving today, but we did make a few stops. Our first was to Cabela’s Outfitters in Mitchell, about 3-hours from Stockholm off I-90. This time Robert was in heaven, but even I got a bit excited at all the camouflage We ate elk sandwiches at the little café they had inside and I bought several bags of buffalo jerky. Robert also bought a nice hat. Neither of us had ever eaten elk. I think I like it better than buffalo.

About an hour and a half later we were on the road again, but didn’t get very far. Just down the road is the world’s only Corn Palace…a very corny place! (Sorry, couldn’t resist). The outside of the building is made entirely of corn, but the inside is actually a sporting arena. Apparently the Corn Palace has quite the history. It was established in 1892 and the exterior decorations are stripped down and new murals are created every year.

We stayed on I-90 all the way to Wall. Most of the snow was melted and the road was clear. We pulled into Motel 6 in Wall about 6pm or so, but with the time change I think it was closer to 5pm. It was a long travel day with a total of 444 miles. We were in bed fairly early in hopes of getting an early start tomorrow. We are hoping to see the Badlands and Mt. Rushmore, since it was snowing so badly the first time we drove through. If all goes well will be in Denver by tomorrow night.

Honeymoon - Day 7

2007-12-04T18:21:00.000-08:00

Day 7 – Monday, December 3, 2007

I wasn’t feeling very well again this morning – it was the lutefisk! Ha Ha but I slept in until way late; although the snow plow going up and down the street kept waking me up. We didn’t get to Alice’s until almost 12:30pm. The lunch of pork chops was delicious. Today was another highlight for me. After lunch we helped Richard make some pies for tomorrow. I never knew Robert was quite the little baker! He seemed like he really knew what he was doing in the kitchen. We made an apple pie with apples from Richard’s brother’s farm, a pecan pie, a pumpkin, and lemon meringue. We also helped wash the dishes. It was great!

We visited with Richard and his brother Jim until almost 4:30pm before heading back to Milbank. We stopped by the Pizza Ranch to get a pepperoni to go. It seems to be quite the social hot spot and everyone seemed to know everyone, except for us of course! Milbank is a nice town. I guess we are getting somewhat used to the cold. It was 10-degrees, but felt warmer. The sun was out again today, but it gets dark incredibly early. After getting pizza we spent an exciting night watching TV and doing a couple loads of laundry.

It’ll probably be an early night for us. Tomorrow we’re heading back to Alice’s for breakfast then onward to Denver to see Carrie, Jeremy, and their new house.

Honeymoon - Day 6

2007-12-04T17:56:00.000-08:00

Day 6 – Sunday, December 2, 2007

I awoke to Robert’s watch alarm beeping in my ear. While he showered I got another ½ hour of much needed sleep. When it’s this cold, I don’t know why we bother, but we like to find out just how cold it is so the first thing we do in the morning is turn on the local news. This morning in Pierre it was a sweltering 7-degrees, but the wind chill made it minus 10-degrees! But at least it wasn’t snowing! The sun was such a welcome sight, but it made driving difficult for Robert. The glare off the snow was blinding.

Another observation I’ve made during our travels is that the people in these small towns are so nice. As we pulled into a gas station in Pierre a woman came out and started talking to Robert. Living in a big city has made me so untrusting. My first instinct was to lock the car doors so she wouldn’t carjack us. When she didn’t seem interested in stealing the car I thought maybe she was trying to bum some money or a cigarette off of Robert. The lady actually came out to pump our gas and scrap the snow off our car! You would never find that kind of hospitality in San Diego and I felt ashamed for even thinking she was going to do something besides help us.

The drive on Highway 14 was uneventful, at least for me because I slept part of the time. In Faulkton we made a bathroom break, but it was too cold and I opted to stay in the car. Robert said there were four old men sitting inside the gas station shooting dice and the alcohol section was closed. “Why?” I asked. “Because it’s Sunday!” More small town living!

We reached a chilly 11-degree Stockholm at about 11:20am just in time for the lukefisk feed! I was excited to be meeting Robert’s uncle Richard, who was cooking for everyone at the community center. Robert took me on a tour of the quaint little town. I was born and raised in San Diego and never lived anywhere else. Everything was a new experience for me – the snow, the people, the attitudes, everything! My arm was tired from answering the waves from complete strangers, even some kids waved at us. I loved it! Although I’m still wondering why there was a deer hanging from a tree in someone’s front yard….

At 1pm we returned to the community center for our lunch of lutefisk, leftsa, potato sausage, ham, peas, and mashed potatoes. I enjoyed everything, but the lutefisk – it’s an acquired taste, but I’m glad I tried it (and didn’t vomit). Once people found out we were from California we become somewhat of an attraction. And when they found out Robert was Richard’s nephew and Loretta’s grandson, we were even more welcomed. There was a real sense of community. Everyone knew everyone. I’ve lived in my house for over four years and I still don’t know who my neighbors are. Here, you meet someone once and they remember you forever.

Richard gave us a tour of his restaurant, Alice’s Restaurant, and then we were on the road again. Robert did a quick drive through of Strandburg before heading to Milbank to crash at Grandma Loretta’s pad. When we walked into Loretta’s apartment complex we met a group of woman sitting around talking. They all stopped when they saw us and it was rather awkward, but when I pointed at Robert and said he was Loretta’s grandson, they were suddenly all smiles and welcomes. One of them reminded us to keep the noise down while we were there – I can just imagine their opinion of those ‘California’ types – but when I replied, “hope you guys like rap music” they started clapping and laughing. Crazy women!

Honeymoon - Day 5

2007-12-04T17:37:00.000-08:00

Day 5 – Saturday, December 1, 2007

Oh, it was so nice to sleep in and I love Robert for letting me. I finally rolled out of bed about 9:30am; a lot later than I wanted, but the extra sleep was wonderful. The cold and constant traveling is starting to wear me out. When I finally awoke, I woke to snow. Go figure. And it’s only going to get worse. The wonderful newscaster says a storm front is moving across South Dakota. Robert mentioned he wants to make it as far as Chicago, but driving on the icy roads scare me and I want to go home. Plus, I’m missing the cats!

My spirits lifted once we were on the road. Going to Deadwood today! Another must see, at least for me. I am a HUGE Kevin Costner fan and he owns a casino there. It continued snowing and snowing and snowing as we drove through Sturgis to Deadwood. It did warm up a bit, though, hitting a high of 20-degrees in Deadwood. We bundled up in our winter clothes and walked the streets absorbing the history. We took pictures of the saloon where Wild Bill Hitchcock was shot and then there it was… The Midnight Star. Walking inside was like walking into a Kevin Costner shrine. Literally. Movie posters, pictures, and his outfits from just about every one of his movies hung on the wall. FYI my favorite Costner movie is A Perfect World followed closely by his latest, Mr. Brooks. Oh, I was in Heaven.

Finally, Robert ushered me gently to the door or else I would still there camping out in the lobby. We ate lunch at the Mineral Palace – another historic building. Robert had a buffalo burger and I had a French Dip with sliced buffalo. If you’ve never eaten buffalo, then you’re missing out. It is so much tastier than hamburger. Oh, did I mention it was still snowing?

After Deadwood we headed east on I-90 to Wall Drug Store. I’ve heard about Wall Drug Store from Robert’s mom, Lois, so I was very interested in seeing it. We got there just before closing and bought a few souvenirs. We also got our picture taken in one of those silly booths and took pictures of the deer heads on the wall.
We continued east on Highway 14 towards Pierre. The roads were pretty icy and I was scared. At one point I closed my eyes in an unsuccessful attempt at sleep. When I opened them there were several deer standing in the roadway. All I could do was gasp. Robert hit the brakes, but not hard enough to send us into a tailspin, and honked the horn. Just when I thought we were going to hit the last one running across the road it leaped out of the way only moments before impact. Damn deer! Almost gave me a heart attack!

Of course I couldn’t sleep after that. With each bounce of the tire I expected disaster. About 8pm we rolled into Pierre, the state capitol of South Dakota. We passed into another time-zone as we crossed over the Missouri River, which put the time at 9pm. We only traveled 322 miles, but it was a good, if not exhausting, day.

Honeymoon - Day 4

2007-12-04T17:25:00.001-08:00

Day 4 – Friday, November 30, 2007

Today Robert and I are heading to Yellowstone National Park. This was one of only a few destinations we deemed a must-see. Robert has never been and I have only been once. I couldn’t wait to see buffalo, elk, and maybe a wolf, a moose, or a rogue bear that hadn’t gone into hibernation yet.

Rexburg is about 90-miles south of West Yellowstone. We awoke at 6am and enjoyed a quick complimentary breakfast at the Super 8 Motel and were on the road by 7:30am. A little after 9am and in 14-degree weather we were in West Yellowstone parked just outside the entrance to the park. Unfortunately we are going to have to wait a bit longer to see Yellowstone. Because of the heavy snow, the West Yellowstone entrance was closed as were most of the roads in the park. Only the very northern section of the park was open, but it would have been out of our way to get there and we wouldn’t have been able to see much. Talk about disappointment!

But we didn’t let it dampen our spirits. We headed north on Highway 191 towards Bozeman instead. Highway 191 is on the western edge of Yellowstone and according to our map is actually part of the park. We got to see some wildlife after all! A lone buffalo was grazing in someone’s front yard, a coyote was curled up in the snow not far from the side of the road, another coyote ran across the road, and a bunch of Bighorn Sheep were licking up the salt alongside the highway. Very cool.

We cruised into Bozeman (or Boozeman as Robert likes to say) around 11:30am (temp. 14-degrees). It was rather funny, but while driving through Bozeman another driver cut us off. Guess where the other driver was from? California! We’d driven hundreds of miles only to be cut off by another Californian and it wasn’t just us he cut off, but quite a few people as he zipped through traffic. Jerk.

It was in Bozeman that I realized two things. The first being that UPS is everywhere! In almost every tiny town we traveled we saw a UPS truck. Just when we thought we’d found a town where UPS didn’t deliver, out popped that familiar brown truck from some side road. The other realization I made was I hadn’t seen a black person since leaving Las Vegas. San Diego is such a diverse city that seeing someone of another race or religion is common, but other than Native Americans or Hispanics, the predominant race we encountered was white.

To save time and because of heavy snow, we left the backcountry roads and headed east on I-90 towards Billings and Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. We arrived at Little Bighorn with a little over an hour before closing time. We took a quick tour then took Highway 212 towards South Dakota. We made it as far as Belle Fourche (temp. 20-degrees) before calling it a night. Total mileage for the day: 578miles. Not too bad.

Honeymoon - Day 3

2007-12-04T17:12:00.000-08:00

Day 3 – Thursday, November 29, 2007

Another early wake-up call – up at 5am and out the door of Motel 6 by 6am. From Boise we headed into the snow-packed Sawtooth Range on State Route 21. For a time we thought we had missed a time change, because it stayed dark, and I mean pitch-black dark, until almost 8am.

I must take a moment here to add a side note. I am not a snow person. The inch or two of snow I’ve experienced in the mountains of San Diego pales drastically in comparison to the several feet of snow we’ve encountered on our trip. I am not afraid to admit that I was scared. That white-knuckle-death-grip-on-the-door-handle and the ache-deep-in-the-belly kind of scared. Heavy snow and pitch black conditions do not make for a fun time. With every curve and even on the straight-a-ways, I thought we were going to die. My fear finally abated when it grew light enough that I could see the surrounding forest. It was absolutely beautiful.

However, my fear returned when we drove through a section marked “avalanche area”. I would have preferred not to have seen the snow covered hills towering over the road. Every couple of minutes I cautioned Robert to slow down, but if he were to slow down any further we would have come to a stop.

We stopped briefly in Stanley – elevation 6319-feet, population 100 – for beef jerky and soda. Side note: Since Ely I have been addicted to beef jerky. My favorite is buffalo jerky and with every stop I pick up a bag or two. It’s gotten quite expensive at anywhere from $5 to $7 a bag. Anyway, my fear of dying a snowy death had now dissipated enough for me to enjoy the passing scenery, but somewhere north of Ketchum on Highway 75 it returned.

I didn’t even know what was happening. I simply heard Robert say, “Hang on” and I did. The next thing I know we were fish-tailing around a curve and slip-sliding across the icy road. Thankfully there was no on-coming traffic and Robert was able to aim the car towards some granite rocks. The alternative was to hit the guard rail and hope it kept us from plummeting down a cliff. About five-feet from the boulders we hit a snow bank. It wasn’t a gentle stop, but it was better than actually hitting the rocks.

The car wasn’t damaged, but stuck pretty good. We had no shovel, except for a little U-Dig-It tool we use for digging scat holes when camping. Luckily for Robert a man stopped to help, otherwise we would probably still be there trying to dig out the car. The man, who worked at the Redfish Lodge in Stanely, had some tow straps and was able to pull us in a matter of minutes.

Back on the road again our adrenaline was pumping! At least mine was. And it started pumping even more when I saw the most beautiful red fox running alongside the road. I think I leaped from the car before it came to a complete stop and started running up the road with my camera over my shoulder. By now the fox had crossed the road and was heading away from us. Robert flipped a quick, but legal, u-turn, picked me up, and drove down a snow covered side road. The fox was aware of us and kept it’s distant, but didn’t run away. I took a couple dozen photos, before it finally wandered too far away for my big zoom lens. However, after looking at my shots I was even more excited. I got a picture of the fox leaping into the air pouncing on whatever it was hunting. For me seeing the fox was one of the biggest highlights of our trip.

Finally we left the Sawtooth Range and headed east on Highway 20 towards Idaho Falls. We stopped at the Craters of the Moon National Monument visitor’s center, but the road through the park was closed. Unfortunately we would come across a lot of closures during our trip. After traveling a day’s total of 350 miles we stopped for the night in Rexburg, about 30-miles north of Idaho Falls. Tomorrow we’re heading to Yellowstone!

Honeymoon - Day 2

2007-12-04T17:04:00.000-08:00

Day 2 – Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Talk about cold! I mean painfully cold. We awoke in beautiful Ely about 6am and were on the road by 7:30am, but the shock of stepping outside almost sent me scrambling back to bed. The clerk at the gas station said the temperature was 7-degrees. Not 70 or even 17, but single digit 7! At that moment I wished we had taken a cruise to the Caribbean instead. Our car started, but did so in protest. The windshield was iced over and so was the window washing fluid. As it thawed we could hear chunks of ice swishing around. We stopped to take a few pictures on our way out of town, but my camera’s memory card malfunctioned and the few pictures I had taken were un-retrievable. I blamed the frigid weather.

We headed towards Elko via “The Loneliest Road in America”, Hwy 50. Indeed it was lonely, but I think it was because of the snowy conditions and the smart people were staying home. We saw a couple of coyotes that at first we thought (mostly hoped) were wolves, because of how healthy they looked. They weren’t the scrawny little ones we see in San Diego.

We continued north on State Route 278 and reached Elko in good time. We stayed long enough to grab a couple of burgers at McDonald’s (big mistake!) and gas up the Element then we were northbound again on State Route 225. The drive was rather uneventful until we entered another pocket of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. As before it was beautiful and packed full of snow, but the road had been plowed so we had no problems maintaining a good speed. As we drove through the North Wild Horse State Recreation Area I hoped to see some wild horses, but the only horses we saw were a few undernourished pintos on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Owyhee. We also saw another coyote trotting across a frozen river and a half-dozen or so free-range cattle. We saw the cattle only because they were standing in the middle of the road. We either had to stop or hit them risking totaling the car. We decided to stop.

The border crossing into Idaho wasn’t much of a crossing, only a sign welcoming us into the "Gem State." I’m so used to being stopped by the Border Patrol and having the car checked for illegals that it was rather nice to enter into another state without scrutiny. Even though we didn’t have to, I made Robert stop so I could get his picture next to the welcome sign.

We reached Boise at about 4:30pm, but we didn’t account for the one-hour time difference so it was actually 5:30pm. Total mileage for Day 2 was 437 miles. Another good travel day and another great day spent with Robert.

Honeymoon - Day 1 (the beginning)

2007-12-01T19:41:00.000-08:00

Day 1 – November 27, 2007

3am comes incredibly early, but when you’re excited as I am then it couldn’t have come quick enough. Today is the day my new husband, Robert, and I set off on our honeymoon. Months ago we had decided we would simply throw our camping equipment in the back of our Honda Element and see where the road would lead us. There were a couple must-see places, but mostly we’d just follow the little back country roads that crissed-crossed America.

By 4am we were on the road in hopes of missing LA traffic and within a ½ hour I was asleep. I awoke just before Barstow and remained awake for the long drive into Las Vegas. I always hate the drive to Vegas. It is incredibly boring and I think the town itself is rather ugly in daylight, but I haven’t been to Sin City in a few years so maybe things had changed. Nope. Still ugly. We cruised into Vegas about 9:30am. Thick, brown smog hung over the city. Robert was trying to stick to a 70mph speed limit to reserve fuel, but I think he was doing 85 through Vegas. The only excitement for us came at the very end of town. A Sheriff’s helicopter was hovering over the freeway and several patrol cars were parked along the shoulder. Deputies were running all over obviously searching for someone.

We were glad to leave Interstate 15 and head north on Hwy 93. The highway ran parallel to the Desert National Wildlife Range. Didn’t see much wildlife, except for a few birds, but it was a nice change from the barren yuckiness surrounding Vegas. From the 93 we took State Route 375, or the Extraterrestrial Highway. I was quite excited, because I believe in alien life forms and if I was ever to see one, this would be the time. Elevation peaked at about 5960-feet and the land was an open-range grazing area. We saw quite a few cows, but not much traffic and to my disappointment no aliens except for the ones painted on the sides of buildings that we passed.

On the 375, about 14-miles south of US-6, we came across a lake, a FROZEN lake (elevation 5095’)! This was our first taste of the weather we would encounter for the rest of our trip. I don’t know why, but were really excited about this. We jumped out of the car giggling and acting like little kids, but I returned very quickly to get my jacket. It was freezing! We threw a bunch of rocks and sticks onto the lake while Robert filmed it and I took still-pictures. Robert then began skating on the lake in his tennis shoes. I expected him to plunge through, but he didn’t. Just before frost bite set in, we got back into the car and cranked up the heater. If only we knew what kind of weather awaited us, we might have returned home or at least taken another route.

We were making good time and about 1:40pm we turned onto US-6 and headed towards Ely. We stopped briefly at the Lunar Crater Volcanic Field National Natural Landmark, but it was too cold and windy. I snapped a few pictures and jumped back in the car. Forty miles south of Ely at the junction of US-6 and Highway 379, we came across several old buildings. There was lots to explore – broken equipment and lots of glass and other junk on the ground – but we didn’t want to spend too much time. About 15 minutes later we were on the road again.

The terrain was absolutely beautiful when we entered the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest. There were several places that looked like great campsites. Our whole trip was about camping (and saving money on hotels), but the weather was so cold and storm clouds hung over the mountains that regretfully we continued into Ely. We didn’t regret our decision for long, though.

About 12-hours after starting our road trip we reached Ely, Nevada. We stayed at the Elk Ridge Motel, a less than stellar form of lodging, but it was only for one night. We had some good burgers at the Nevada Mining Hotel/Casino, which was established in 1829, and did a bit of gambling. Robert won about $10, so we took our winnings and headed back to our motel. When we stepped outside it was SNOWING! All in all we drove for 12-hours totaling 685 miles. Not bad for the first day of our honeymoon.