Wow!

That is probably the best, single word to describe the past week.  Why wow?  Because we have seen a lot, met a lot of people, done a lot of things and have just been busier than ever.  Let me recap the past week for you.

Friday, June 27th (Day 47) was our last day visiting Anna and Nate in Eugene.  I worked during the day while Shayanne and Anna ran errands.  They ended up coming back to the house while singing happy birthday and carrying my very own ice cream cake, which happens to be my favorite.  Shayanne also bought me the movie, “Hot Rod.”  We first saw the movie while we were staying in Pagosa Springs and we both loved it. It’s so stupid, but it’s a good stupid. :)  So we cut up some ice cream cake and watched the DVD, it was a really nice gesture. Thanks to both Anna and Shay for a nice early birthday moment.

In the afternoon, we headed down towards Medford, Oregon to camp for the night.  We wanted to cut our drive down to Redwood in half and the KOA at Medford did just that.  It was a warm day. It was in the high-90’s, but by time the sun it went down it was quite comfortable.  We made hot dogs by the fire and just had a relaxing night around the campfire.

Saturday, June 28th (Day 48) was my 25th birthday.  Quarter of a century already, wow.  Makes me sound old.  We started the day off by driving from Medford down to the Redwood National Park.  We drove through it while in awe of the most amazing trees we’ve ever seen.  We stayed down Hwy 101 and eventually hit the northern coast of California.  It was hazy and a bit cold, but still very cool to see.  Neither of us have ever seen the Pacific ocean from the continental U.S. I saw it when I was in Hawaii, but the Pacific Ocean there is MUCH different than the Pacific Ocean you see in Northern California.

We continued down Hwy 101 until we got south of Eureka and then checked out the Avenue of the Giants.  It’s a road that stays close to Hwy 101 but runs through a bunch of small towns and LOTS of redwoods.  We stopped at a few places to marvel at the beauty of nature and take in some of the attractions in these towns.  We saw the Eternal Tree, which is basically just a hollowed out Redwood that they built a little tree fort of it. It was neat to see.  After that we continued southward and eventually hit Myers Flat, California.  Myers Flat has a redwood you can drive through, so we decided to check that out.  It was pretty cool and to be honest I was worried that I’d fit the width clearance because of our bikes.  We made it through, but by no more than a few inches. No lie there.  We also checked out a lot of the wood carvings they had at Myers Flat. Just a very cool place to see. I’d definately recommend stopping in.

After Myers Flat, we headed down Hwy 101 and then turned off on to Hwy 1 to ride down the California coastline a bit.  Very beautiful, despite it being hazy and cold.  We stopped in Fort Bragg to grab a birthday dinner.  First thing I noticed was the prices in the menu.  A regular hamburger was $13.00. Incredible, California is SO expensive!  We then headed east on Hwy 20 towards Ukiah.  Once we hit Ukiah, we found a hotel to rest our heads and decided to go to Applebees for a free birthday drinks. We had fun and it was good to share my birthday with such a good friend.  It was tough though that I couldn’t share my birthday with ALL of my family and friends, but I got plenty of phone calls, emails and text messages that made it easier to bear.

Sunday, June 29th (Day 49), we headed for Truckee. Originally we wanted to see the Napa area and try the wineries, but we decided to skip that and head to Truckee because of all the wildfires that are going on in California.   The wildfires also presented a problem with travel. Many major routes were closed because of the fires. We had to call and ask around for the best possible routes to get towards Truckee.  We had two problems: wildfires and road closures.  We figured Hwy 20 all the way from the coast to Truckee would be our best bet, so we took it.  It was a very nice drive actually, it was smoky out (in fact, it still is) but you couldn’t smell it. We hit Truckee late in the afternoon and just hung around until my friend Lucas got home.  Lucas Meyer is an old friend from high school and he was kind enough to bring us into his home for the week.

Monday, June 30th (Day 50) I spent the day working. I’ve been working all week and have been SUPER busy doing it.  I’m working as much as I can this work so that I have a good chunk of time I can take off next week to travel back home.  We spent the evening hours sipping beers with one another and catching up.  It’s been great to see old friends on this trip and just catch up. It’s always interesting to see what people have been doing with themselves since high school.

Tuesday, July 1st (Day 51) was another pretty laid back day.  I worked all day while Shay did some odds-and-ends things like go for a mini-hike with Lucas’ dog. After work we headed south to Lake Tahoe and checked that out.  That was very neat to see.  Emerald Bay was breathtaking and we made it as far as South Lake Tahoe and decided to grab a bite there.

Yesterday (Day 52) was more of an active day.  Again, Shay would go out for a walk with the dog while I worked, but we went out for the evening. We first headed to Donner Lake and hiked a bit.  We eventually hit a boulder where most of our party went to climb it while the rest of us drank beers and watched.  I decided to scale the easy side of the rock. Really, that was nothing special. I’ve climbed harder things on this trip. :)  After our bouldering session, we jumped into Donner Lake to cool off.  That was super cold and I didn’t last long.  Once we were done with the lake, we headed into town to BBQ and check out Truckee’s Wednesday Night Music in the Park.  It was pretty cool and just nice to be outside and get fresh air with everyone.

Today (Day  53), it’s been the same-old, same-old story.  I worked all day.  Shayanne went for a hike along the river and floated down the river with one of Lucas’ roommates, Bob.  They’re still gone, but I’m not sure what we’re going to do when they get back.  The thought of going to Reno has come up, but I’m not sure.  I really would like to be able to afford the trip back home.

I have pictures posted of Eugene, Medford, Redwood National Park and Ukiah up on the site.  We will post pictures of Lake Tahoe, Donner Lake and Truckee shortly!  Again, sorry for the long overdue update. We have just been SO busy!!!  Hard to believe, we’re only a week away from being back home.  Where has the time gone?

Day 47 Pictures
Day 48 Pictures

After all the hard work I have been putting in, yesterday I took the day off to relax and be able to go and do something with Shay during the day.  We started by going rollerblading along the Willamette River here in Eugene.  I believe we rollerbladed for probably 4-5 miles.  The scenery was beautiful and we kept running into these world class athletes.  You see, they’re having the US Olympic trials for track and field going on in town.  When going down these trails and you run into other people, there is a distinction between the normal people jogging and the athletes who are in town with Olympic dreams.

Hunger pangs started to set in while rollerblading. Once we got back we Googled chinese restaurants in the area and decided to get out the Fortune Inn.  The reviews were promising but once we pulled into the parking lot and saw the building, I started to have reservations.  By no means was this place the type of restaurant you’d pick off of appearance alone.  So we got in, got a table and glanced over the menu.  All the while, the one waitress who was working the whole room would stop by our table and be very curt with us.  We understood why, the poor lady had 10 tables that she alone had to handle, but still… It’s not fun having rude service.  We ordered our dishes and in a short while they came out and they were just awesome!  It was really good food and certainly not the type of food you’d expect from such a dumpy looking place with rude waitstaff.  We dug in and shared our courses with each other and had quite the filling lunch.

After lunch, we came back to Anna and Nate’s place to just relax. We put in a DVD, updated this website with a new blog and some pictures, and even caught up with some laundry.  Once the evening hours came, the four of us decided to check out a restaurant that’s situation along the Willamette River, called McMenemin’s. Anna was telling us that they’re a bit of a chain restaurant in Oregon.  What they typically do is buy an old building, fix it up and turn it into a restaurant.  I guess they’ve redone old school houses, residential houses, and other things of that nature.  The food was good and the scenery excellent (we got a table outside).

Once dinner was done, we split off into two groups.  Nate and I opted to check out the minor league baseball game while Anna and Shay went to the naked lady party. Yes, the naked lady party.  More about that in just a moment.

Eugene has a single A minor league baseball team in town. They’re called the Eugene Emeralds and they’re a San Diego Padre affiliated baseball team.  Outside of the St. Paul Saints, I never got to see a minor league baseball game before, especially a team who is affiliated with a major league club.  It was an experience because these guys are still pretty rough.  Granted, all of them have to be from ages 18-22 or so, but you got to see them make a lot of mistakes.  There was plenty of highlights too, but one thing that sticks out is the trouble some of them were having with pop flys.  They would make these super awesome catches and they really shouldn’t had to have.  They were fairly routine plays and they misplay them and then have to make up for it by diving or falling backwards.  Still, it was fun.

And then there was the naked lady party.  Let me tell you about this one… First off, it’s EXACTLY what it sounds like.  I’m just kidding, but a guy can wish, right?  So, what happens here is there is a group of woman that gather and they all bring clothes or housewares they no longer want or need.  They, of course, bring a lot of wine to drink as well.  So they’ll spend a few hours going over everyone’s items and trying on clothes and take home the things they really like.  Anna and Nate are in the midst of moving to Omaha and Anna was happy to dump a lot of the things she didn’t want to take with her.  Dumping items off at the naked lady party will always help with a move.

I have posted pictures from Portland and Eugene, so please check those out.

Day 43 Pictures - Portland
Day 44 Pictures - Portland
Day 45 Pictures - Portland
Day 46 Pictures - Eugene

A lot has happened since our last blog from Yellowstone. Let’s see if I can remember everything…

Like Mike said, Yellowstone was beautiful and snowy. I felt like it was the middle of winter in Minnesota. Who ever heard of snow in June? Ewww….

Missoula, MT, was beautiful. While Mike worked, I spent most of the day reading all the brochures Marilyn left for us about the area and watched movies. We would have gone out more, but it was snowing AND raining. But it was okay because we plan on stopping again on our way back to Minnesota. Hopefully the weather will be nicer and we’ll be able to see more of the little city.

Okay… Now about our latest travels:

Glacier National Park was gorgeous. Oh my goodness! The scenery was better than I what I had imagined and there was water everywhere. WATER! YAY! After spending so much time in the dry areas, it was wonderful to see water again.

We started our exploration in West Glacier. The middle of the only road cutting through the park was closed, so we went as far as we could and hiked around the park. Mike felt the need to hop over every fence that we stopped near, so I followed and hoped he’d trip over a rock. He didn’t, but we did get closer views of lakes. AMAZING is the only word that I can think of to describe what we saw. Truly breath-taking.

Camping didn’t work out again, so we stayed at a motel nearby. The next morning we drove around the south end of the park and up to the east entrance of the park. (Remember: The middle section was closed.) The views on that side were even better than the ones on the west side! I didn’t think it possible! We did some more hiking through Grizzly country. (Oh? Did I forget to mention that the park was full of bears and other big animals that could eat us? YIKES!) We went a few miles down the trail trying to make loud random noises so that the big animals would hear us coming and move away. (Poor Mike had to listen to my singing…) All of a sudden, a deer popped it’s head around a bush on the trail and started walking down the trail toward us. It then picked up speed and headed off to the side. We hadn’t moved and started to wonder why it was in such a hurry. Was it being chased? Exercising? Late for dinner? We will never know because we assumed the first option and decided to head back. I know… We’re pansies… But we’re pansies with all of our limbs.

AND THEN we left that part of the park and drove to a more southern park entrance on the east side. The scenery was pretty, but we tired and ready to relax. So, we called it a day and drove to our little rented cabin nearby. There was a tiny diner up the road where we decided to eat dinner. From the outside, it looked smaller than our cabin. Normally I wouldn’t even mention where we ate, but it was such a cool little place that I felt it deserves mentioning. I’ll stop talking about it.

Our waitress had a bike tattooed on her forearm. It was sweet.

Okay… Now I’m done.

The next day we made our way across the border of Canada. It was much tougher getting into Canada than back into the U.S.A.. By the way, why is it that officers in Canada don’t smile? They asked all sorts of random questions and then questioned us separately in a back room. I was tempted to tell them that Mike was hiding drugs in uncomfortable body places (use your imagination), but decided against it. I would hate to have crossed the border with a guy who was cranky from being felt up by a Canadian officer….

We drove through Calgary and into Banff National Park to see Lake Louise. The water is so blue! But it’s kinda green! But it’s…. It’s… I don’t know, but it’s beautiful! Unfortunately, it was very cloudy and suppose to storm, but we hiked around the lake anyway. There was sand on the other side, but it seemed more like really tough clay. After that, we hiked back to the car and drove to Golden where we stayed for the night.

The drive to Vancouver the next day was really long. (I slept most of the way, though… Haha.) We drove around the city for a while but were getting frustrated with the city roads. At one point, there was a long stretch of street that made us feel like we had entered Asia. Everything was either in Japanese, Korean, or Chinese. It was cool to see so many businesses that were like this, but we didn’t know where to go. AND THEN we decided to stop for dinner when this old man walked up to the car and told us to park in front of the building because we were in a really bad area. Mike and I looked at each other and decided to leave Vancouver. We’re glad we went there, but wished that we had known someone who could have shown us a better side of Vancouver. I must say, though, it’s a very compact city with a lot of shrubs. Am I the only one that finds that weird? Haha.

Right now we’re in Redmond, WA. Once we crossed the border, Mike spoke with his roommate, Drew, who was staying at a friend’s apartment here. His friends, Ed and Alex, were nice enough to invite us into their apartment, which is where we are now. Ed took us on a 20 mile trail to Seattle this morning while Alex took Drew climbing. It was a really sweet trail and was covered in bikers, runners, and people just out for a stroll along the river. At one point there was a golf course on the other side of fence along the trail. Ed and MIke were a little ahead of me when I started to hear something getting knocked around in a tree. And then a golf ball suddenly flew out of the tree a few feet in front of my path. Oh my! All I could think was of how awkward it would be to be hit in the head by a golf ball in WA. Hmmm…

The three of us decided to eat lunch in Seattle before making our way back to the apartment. While riding back (and feeling the burn in our legs…) we saw roosters on the side of the trail. Roosters! I had to double take because I couldn’t believe that’s what I saw. How strange… And then we saw an old man with a dog in a kid carriage attached to the back of his bike. I wonder if he knew it wasn’t a child…

So…. Let’s recap: Glacier was sweet, Canada was beautiful, Washington rocks, and we biked 40 miles today. Did I get it all? Oh, and we’re all in lots and lots of pain from biking. Okay, now I think I got it all.

I’m not sure what the day has in store for us tomorrow. I assume we’ll check out more of Seattle and then possibly head to Portland, OR. Mike is flying back to Minnesota for Kevy and Katie’s wedding on on Wednesday but needs to be at the airport by 4:30 am. EEK! While he’s away I’ll be staying at my friend Andrew’s place.

I hope all of you reading this are doing well and avoiding the bad weather I’m hearing about. Miss you!

Shay

P.S. I spoke with Sara on the phone tonight. Not that it matters to any of you, I just promised her that I would mention it on our site. I told her that she and I are moving to the west coast whether she wants to or not. It’s just so beautiful out here!

Day 32 Pictures - Glacier National Park
Day 33 Pictures - Glacier National Park
Day 34 Pictures - Banff National Park

After our 4+ day stay throughout the state of Utah, it was time to move onward on Friday (Day 26). We left our kind hosts in Provo, Utah and headed north to Twin Falls, Idaho. We were told Twin Falls is an awesome Idaho town with lots to offer. It turns out that statement was no lie. I have to admit, I love the Idaho landscape, it was filled with lots of green, rolling hills and some snow-covered mountains in the distance. I much prefer that type of scenery over the dryness that Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Western Colorado offered. By us taking this trip, we have become privy to see exactly how diverse of a nation this is in terms of people, culture, and landscape. The things you learn and see, and the experiences you gather never end.

The main feature Twin Falls has are it’s waterfalls. It has a pair of them: The Twin Falls and the Shoshone Falls. The Twin Falls were originally a pair of waterfalls that fell next to each other but one of the falls was damed off for hydroelectric reasons. The Shoshone Falls was a bit more impressive than the Twin Falls. Not to mention the view was a bit better. After we saw the falls, we grabbed a bite to eat in the town of Twin Falls and then headed back on the road towards Yellowstone.

The weather was on and off sloppy. It would rain for maybe 30 minutes and then it would be blue skies for an hour. This process would repeat itself during the length of the trip to Yellowstone. The only difference is that by time we reached West Yellowstone, Montana, which is just outside the western entrance to the park, the temperature was in the 30’s and the rain become snow. After checking out the weekend forecast, we decided to cancel our camping reservations and find lodging instead. Not that camping in 20-30 degree weather when it snows can’t be done, it’s just that we wouldn’t have much fun doing it.

On Saturday (Day 27), we set out to explore the western and southern parts of the park. We started up at Norris Geyser Basin and walked around to see all the different geysers and hot springs. You never get used to the Hydrogen Sulfide smell because of the sulfur aroma. But you deal with it and crack jokes about how your travel buddy smells bad. And by “jokes” I mean “stress the truth.” The geyser basin, overall, was pretty cool. It never gets old to see how and why those types of things happen.

The snow and wind started to pick up after we left Norris and headed south to Old Faithful. Once we reached Old Faithful we took a quick lunch and warm up break inside the lodge. We grabbed some lunch and then headed back into the elements. We checked out Old Faithful but it wasn’t due to erupt for another hour and some change. Knowing that, we decided to explore around Old Faithful and see the other geysers and hot springs. There was quite a few to see, but not as many as at Norris. We found a mile long hiking trail and decided to check that out. During the hike the trees covered us from most of the wind and snow and it was SO quiet. It was actually really nice. It was really nice until the group of 4 guys in front of us started yelling and hollering at God knows what. Gotta love a peaceful nature hike and then some idiots ruin it for you. Anyways, we finally reached the top elevation of the hike and there was nothing to protect us from the snow and wind. It was coming down quite heavy and we couldn’t see further than maybe 30 feet in front of us. Kind of cool, but disappointing at the same time. The point of the hike was to reach the top and overlook the Old Faithful area.

After the hike and checking out some of the other features near Old Faithful, we came back to the world’s most famous geyser and waited for eruption. We didn’t have to wait long, maybe only 5 minutes. You could see the steam build more and more and then finally some water started to sputter out and then BAM, water was shot to the sky. Boy, that thing really shot up! It was pretty cool. We stayed for the duration of the eruption and took some pictures with it. See the video. Once that was done and given the travel time back to our base site at Canyon, we decided to head back and check into our lodge. After checking in, we both crashed and took about a 3 hour nap. That felt nice! However, once we we’re done with our nap, it was 9:00 and had this feeling of, “Okay, now what?” We just hung out, talked and read our books.

Sunday (Day 28) was another productive day. We headed north and east to see those parts of the park. We started at Mammoth Hot Springs and walked around there to see a lot of the older, dead springs and geysers. There were some big hot springs at Mammoth. I suppose the name of the area fits the bill, they really were mammoth. When walking around, we really spotted some creepy looking sites. It’s amazing what mother nature nature produces under certain conditions.

Once we finished at Mammoth, we headed east to check out Lamarr Valley which is near the eastern entrance of the park. The thing about Lamarr Valley is that it’s known for harboring TONS of wildlife. Turns out that was no lie. There was countless buffalo, elk and mule deer grazing off in the distance. The landscape was quite breath taking. A lush green valley with mountains and trees in the distance and on the other side was snow capped mountains and green rolling hills against a blue sky. Just awesome! Once we hit the eastern entrance, we headed back to Canyon. We had to take the long way back (going through Roosevelt, Mammoth and Norris) rather than heading south through Roosevelt to Canyon because the road from Roosevelt to Canyon was closed. That was super lame but also super fortunate because by having us go the long way back, we were able to spot the first bear we saw on the trip! It was a black bear and was maybe 100-some yards away. We wanted to see one before we left because we saw just about everything else Yellowstone has to offer in terms of wildlife.

Yesterday (Day 29) we left Yellowstone and headed to our next stop in Missoula, Montana where I can work a few days before we head to Glacier. Our hosts, Don and Marilyn Oliver, are in California for their son’s wedding so Shay and I are actually house sitting for them while they are gone. We never met these two people before and they were kind and gracious enough to still let us stay at their place without them here. We cannot express enough gratitude for that kind of hospitality. It really means the world to us!

Here we are, Day 30 today, and where did the time go? We still have a little over a month left on this trip but if that time goes at the same pace as it has been going, I will feel as if I blinked and it’s over. Hopefully that’s not the case because we are having the time of our lives exploring and learning more about our country, it’s people, it’s places, each other and ourselves. Shades of home sickness have set in. We miss our family and friends but we’ll be back in due time so that helps ease the slight pain.

Day 26 Pictures
Day 27 Pictures
Day 28 Pictures

We have had a pretty busy week. Coupled with not having a steady internet connection, it has been hard to write blogs and post pictures all at the same time, so we apologize. Let’s get started on the recap though.

Last Friday (Day 19) we saw the Grand Mesa which is just outside of Grand Junction, Colorado. The claim to fame for the Grand Mesa is that it’s the world’s largest flat-top mountain. This particular part of the U.S. has many mesas and buttes rather than your traditional mountains, which have peaks. It was cool to see. We didn’t investigate it up close or personal. We just drove by it and enjoyed the surrounding scenery. Quite nice.

On Saturday (Day 20) we departed from Grand Junction and started our great American southwest tour. We headed to Moab, Utah and stopped south of it at the Arches National Park. This park is known for it’s rock formations that look like great, big arches. I know, fitting name for the park. It’s very cool seeing these things and learning about how they form. The geology explaining it takes far too long to explain on here, so if you are interested in reading about, see the Wikipedia entry for Arches National Park.

After hiking around the park and seeing the various arches, we headed southeast to see the Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. The area the park surrounds was once inhabited by cliff dwellers. It was fascinating reading, seeing and even imagining how these people lived for centuries. Very cool stuff. It was one of the parks and sights I enjoyed the most. I’m sure Shayanne shares a similar sentiment.

Once we finished up seeing Mesa Verde National Park, we headed down to the Four Corners. It’s one of those things you have to see if you’re in that area just to do it. By no means was it the best stop we made while we’ve been traveling along. However, it is still kind of cool to be able to stand in 4 states at once. Even though 3 out of the 4 are not among our favorites so far on this trip. By that I mean we just loved Colorado. Colorado was amazing. However, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah are just too dry for our tastes. We have joked on this trip about how you never really notice how many lakes Minnesota actually has UNTIL you leave the state. There is nothing in those states in terms of lakes (unless it’s man made). Saturday ended up being the longest day we had on this trip. Total commute time was over 13 hours and about 600 miles to go from Grand Junction, Colorado to Page, Arizona.

Sunday (Day 21) we headed to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. My god, that was awesome and probably one of the most awe-inspiring parts of this trip. I remembered when we got there and started on a hike, the first time we stopped to look over the canyon, neither of us said a word. We just looked out for what seemed to be forever and sat there silently. What word exists that can truly describe what the Grand Canyon is like? I don’t believe one exists. If I was to make up a word, it would be scrumptulescent. The Grand Canyon is scrumptulescent.

Once we finished our hiking, which took several miles, we checked the campground availability and was able to secure a campsite. We setup the tent, started a fire, made some hot dogs and just chilled. I love those moments. They sure are the best ones around. Once it got dark enough, we just stared into the heavens and looked at stars we’ve never seen before. There are different stars in the southwest U.S. than the ones you find in Minnesota. Plus they were so bright! No big city pollution or lights to cloud that beauty. Just marvelous.

Monday morning (Day 22) we headed back up north to Bullfrog Marina at Lake Powell. Why Bullfrog? Well, it was Shayanne’s parents’ old stomping ground when he lived in Grand Junction. They and their group of friends would come down to Bullfrog quite often. It was cool to see and it was even cooler to see all the big house boats in the Marina. It’s amazing what money can get you!

Another thing about Lake Powell that day: it was frickin’ hot! On our thermometer it topped 100 degrees. I’m sick and tired of hearing, “well, it’s a dry heat.” Dry heat my ass. It’s still hot, that part doesn’t change! Anyhow, we camped there for the night and met some nice ladies in a campsite across from us. We wanted to tap into one of the bottles of wine we bought in Palisade but had no wine opener. We were able to successfully trade some of our homemade fudge for the use of the ladies’ corkscrew. It worked out well and we were able to meet some nice people in the process.

Finally on Tuesday (Day 23), we left Lake Powell and headed back to normal civilization in Provo, Utah and that’s where we’ve been staying ever since. Tyler and Brenda Nielsen have been nice enough to put a roof over our heads the past few days. Brenda is a college friend of Shayanne, so that’s how we came about securing this place to stay. We arrived early in the evening after spending some of the afternoon walking around downtown Salt Lake City. We spent the evening just hanging out and watching movies. Yesterday (Day 24) was also a pretty relaxed day. I worked the whole day while Shay watched movies. The thing is Shay seems to have come down with a head cold and has been out of commission the past few days. So taking it easy isn’t exactly a bad thing.

Today (Day 25) I got to work in the AM a little bit and then the 4 of us went hiking to Timpanogos Cave which is north of where we’re staying. It’s a mile and a half hike up to the cave, but it’s all uphill and you end up climbing over a 1,000 feet in the process. Once you reach the top, they take you on a 45 minute tour of the cave. I enjoy seeing caves. I haven’t seen one in a very long time, but I remember when I was 12 and saw the caves in the Black Hills, I was so awestruck. The Timpanogos Cave wasn’t as impressive as the memories of the caves I saw in the Black Hills, but it was still cool. Needless to say the hike back down wasn’t that hard. It’s much easier when gravity is working with you when you hike.

Day 19 Pictures
Day 20 Pictures
Day 21 Pictures
Day 22 Pictures
Day 23 Pictures
Day 25 Pictures

There were a couple of reasons we decided to take the route through Ouray on the way to Grand Junction instead of going through Telluride. One of those reasons being the Box Canyon Falls that can be found just south of Ouray. Throughout our travels in Colorado, we have seen a lot of streams and “waterfalls” that can be mostly contributed to the spring thaw and all of the flows that come from the mountains. But we have not seen anything quite like Box Canyon Falls. That is, until Sunday…

We woke up early to check out of the hotel and beat the rush to Box Canyon Falls as well as to beat the rush on the holiday weekend highways. We hit the canyon early and decided to take our time and take all the different hike trails that go along the canyon falls. We started on the higher and steeper trail that takes us above the falls for a more scenic perspective. It was pretty rough terrain, but very pretty. We got to take in different views of Ouray and the mountains that surround it. What a charming little town. They recently made a new trail that leaves the box canyon falls for a more rugged hiking experience. What you do is cross a bridge over the falls and then open a gate that leads into a carved hole in the mountain side. You duck through that very carefully and on the other side is a hiking trail. We checked that out but did not go too far.

We came back through the tunnel and tried another trail that lead away from the falls. We didn’t last long on that either because Shay supposedly “heard something big” and it “growled,” so we headed back to the falls. We took the trail that lead to the main attraction and it did not disappoint. It’s quite humbling when you go and see these high points of nature. It really makes you take a step back and go, “wow, that is something…” The water that rushed through the falls was powerful and defiant. If personified certain characteristics such as pride and eagerness. You knew to respect it and enjoy its awesomeness.

After exploring the falls and taking many, many pictures, we left Ouray for Grand Junction. The drive in wasn’t anything special. It took about 2 hours and went by fairly fast. Once in Grand Junction, we met with the family we were staying with, Dave, Judy and their son Peter. Judy was quick to bring out the old pictures and talk about the olden days with Shay’s dad. I know Shay has just been loving meeting all these people from her parents past and hearing all the stories. I know I have and it hasn’t even been about my parents! Judy also took us for a car ride to see, briefly, the attractions and sights Grand Junction has to offer as well as to see all the old houses her dad used to live in.

Yesterday, Day 15, Judy took us to the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) here in town where we got to do some hiking along what’s called Rough Canyon. It was probably only about a 2-some mile round trip hike, but it was pretty cool. We hiked basically inside of a canyon that had a seasonal stream flow through it. We got to see native plants, wild flowers and even some Petroglyphs along the canyon walls. Pretty cool stuff. Of course we had to keep an eye out for things like rattlesnakes along the hike, but it was really no big deal. It was just nice to get outside, get some fresh air and see the things that make the Grand Junction area what it is. One thing needs to be said, this area is really high dessert. It’s dry, low humidity and can get pretty hot here. It also doesn’t get much precipitation. On average, only 10 inches a year and that includes snowfall.

Colorado is such a diverse place, it really has been quite the experience and I know I’m grateful for everything I’ve seen and experienced. This trip really is turning into the trip of a lifetime and maybe even more than that, an opportunity. Opportunity for what, you ask? I’m not sure exactly… It just seems like we’re learning and experiencing so much that opportunities naturally come with the territory.

Day 14 Pictures
Day 15 Pictures

Not much happened on Day 9 of our travels. Shay and I started the day with a 9-mile bike ride along a trail in Colorado Springs. The trail was pretty nice. It had a few hills here and there and it went through some really beautiful country. I ended up startling a big buck along the ride. We have been joking around and that we must’ve seen over 30 deer so far on this road trip and we haven’t seen one, single buck. That is, until now. He was pretty big too. There was at least 8 points on his head. Another cool part of the bike ride was that the trail goes through the U.S. Air Force Academy and we got to watch recruits do some training with air drops. You could hear the plane go over head and if you looked up you’d see people and their parachutes.

We then drove nearly 5 hours as we headed to Pagosa Springs. That 5 hour trip was thee most beautiful and unique 5 hours I’ve ever spent in a car. It was just awesome. We hit Pagosa Springs around dinner time and the people we’re staying with brought us in with open arms. Kathy and Doug have been so nice. We made some frozen margaritas and grilled hamburgers.

This morning was pretty awesome. We went white water rafting along the San Juan river here in Pagosa Springs. Neither of us have ever been before, so it was one hell of an experience! The water levels were very high and we were told that this is the peak time to go. We opened the journey with us two being in the front. That was a bad idea. The water is 30-some degrees and it was a windy day. We just got soaked and were freaking cold. It was fun though and we will post pictures soon. WiFi has been hard to come by. I’m working in a coffee shop now and don’t have my camera here, so I can’t upload photos. I figured that the least I could do is write a blog.

Tonight we’re going to check out the hot springs here in town. They’re quite well known and we can’t wait to see them ourselves.

Day 9 Pictures
Day 10 Pictures

Yesterday (Day 7), Carol invited me for a walk around her neighborhood and up into the hoodoo zone while Mike worked online. Hoodoos are rock formations that somewhat resemble mushrooms except that they have flatter tops. There is a lot of them near Carol and Brian’s house. Very cool. Unfortunately, a few of them had been spray painted by some kids. Blah… Stupid kids…

After Mike finished with work for the day, the two of us drove to the Garden of the Gods to do some exploring. We brought our bikes but didn’t make it very far on them because most of the park is uphill and my legs just weren’t having it. I know… I know… I’m a wuss. Haha. But I was glad to see Mike make it up more of the hill than me. We then hung up our bikes and set out on foot through the Garden. Did you know they have actual cactuses in Colorado?!? WHOA! Okay… So perhaps I was the only one not to know that… Details, right?

Carol and Brian have been wonderful and AGAIN treated us to a wonderful home-cooked meal. Those two are fabulous chefs and amazing people. We were really lucky that they opened their doors to us. THANK YOU!!!

Today (Day 8), Mike and I drove up Pike’s Peak. It was AMAZING! (Yes, Mom… I saw God up there and He says, “Hello.”) About four miles up, we realized that we did not have enough gas in the car to get us up the mountain and back, so we turned around, filled up, and tried it again. There were LOTS of photo opportunities on the way up (which will be posted a little later) and we even saw a crossing sign for Bigfoot. Though we did not come across Bigfoot, we did come across a lot of snow! Both Mike and I were a little light headed once reaching the top, so we ate some pizza and made our way back down. There was a little Indian jewelry and stone shop at the bottom that we stopped in. It’s amazing what beautiful things Mother Nature produces. She’s pretty awesome.

Right now Mike is working hard and I am sitting with Carol. Mike and I plan to bike tomorrow morning and then travel to Pagosa Springs where we will stay for three nights.

OH! Last night, Mike and I sat down and planned out a large part of the rest of our trip. I won’t say too much (in case we change some things around again), but I will say that we’ve added Four-Corners and the Grand Canyon to our itinerary. WOO HOO! for ROAD TRIPS!

We miss and love you all. Hope you’re having a fabulous summer! See you in July!

Day 7 Pictures
Day 8 Pictures

-Shayanne

P.S. No matter what he says, I think Mike is starting to actually like Mariah Carey. Perhaps I should be worried…

Shay and I have stayed pretty busy the past few days. So busy, in fact, it’s been hard to keep up with this website. Thursday night we grabbed a room at a very cozy and quaint motel in Hulett, WY. Hulett is a pretty small town but it was nice. Without a doubt, Shay and I stuck out like a thumb. Based on the fact that I wasn’t wearing jeans, cowboy boots, a big belt buckle and a cowboy hat and Shay walking around with big sunglasses and brightly colored shirts made us look like a bunch of “city folk.” I guess it was kind of funny. We tried to mind our own business and stay out of trouble. We didn’t want to upset the Good Ole Boys in town.

On Day 5, Friday, I worked in the morning at the General Store at Devils Tower National Park. That was amazing. Nothing more invigorating than a breathtaking view while working outside in the 75 degree shade. It was just lovely. Shayanne took that time to catch up on her reading and postcards.

Once 1:00 rolled around, we put down the computer and books and picked up our bikes. We went for a ride in the park and it was very difficult on the both of us. The last mile and a half up to the visitors center near Devils Tower is nothing but a steady incline. You add that to the high altitude and thin air, we were sucking back pretty hard in a very quick time.

After the bike ride, we grabbed some lunch at the same place we ate the night before. Shayanne dominated me at another game of checkers. You know, even when I was 6 that game was not my strength. After lunch we headed back to the tower and got a campsite at the KOA there. After setting up the tent and relaxing in the gorgeous weather, we grabbed our rollerblades and went for a ride in the park. It was quite lovely. It was after hours and just before sundown. There was minimal traffic and TONS of wildlife out. We must’ve seen about a dozen deer on our rollerblade journey.

Once we finished rollerblading, we stocked up on firewood, marshmallows and graham crackers and settled in our campsite. I started a fire right at sunset and we sat around it for a couple of hours. I boiled some water and made my dehydrated chicken and mashed potatoes. I know it sounds disgusting and admittedly the chicken looked and felt like rice cakes, but it turned out to be pretty good. It was pretty good despite the fact we weren’t even roughing it. If we WERE roughing it, that meal would have been gourmet. No lie. Shay made fun of me and took video of the experience but the joke is on here because I had a good meal and she was stuck eating cold peas out of a can.

On Day 6, Saturday, we got up at 5:30 to start packing up everything and head on our long journey to Denver and Colorado Springs. We were able to leave right before 7:30 and hit Denver at 1:30. Once in Denver we visited Shay’s long time friend who she hasn’t seen for many years, Chris Newman. They were noticeably excited to see each other. It was fun just to watch them hang out and talk. We got to spend a couple hours in Denver with Chris. It would be nice for both Chris and Shay if they could spend some more time together before we move on with our journey.

We ended up making it to Colorado Springs at around 5:00 and arrived at Brian and Carol Folsom’s house. Brian and Carol are longtime friends with Shay’s parents. They opened their doors to us and have been extremely hospitable. We really couldn’t ask for more as they have taken us in quite unconditionally. They treated us to delicious dinner and fabulous conversation last night. This morning we woke up to a hot breakfast and fresh fruit. I mean, really, wow, these people are really amazing! Shay and I have been rather fortunate so far with the people we’ve met.

Today on Day 7, I’m about to work for a little bit and then we’re going to perhaps go on a bike ride or check out Pike’s Peak. It’s just a day we’re going to play by ear.

Day 5 Pictures
Day 6 Pictures

Today was a solid day of sight seeing, physical activity, and interactions with good people. It started with leaving Rapid City, South Dakota in the morning and hitting up Dinosaur Park before we left the city. A cheesy place, but Shayanne loves the Brontosaurus there, so we had to stop. After the brief visit, it was time to see Devils Tower in Wyoming.

It wasn’t a very long drive, only an hour and 40-some minutes. We went into the park and walked the trail around Devils Tower. The scenery was amazing and Devils Tower was awe-inspiring. It made us feel so insignificant. About halfway into the hike we encountered some climbers who were making their way up Devils Tower. Pretty impressive stuff.

After the hike, we went up the road and got some lunch. We ended up meeting some really nice people who worked there. They were just all-around friendly and helpful. They also had an oversized checkerboard there, so Shay and I took in a game of checkers. Shayanne won by default and really, I would like to point out that I was being a gentleman and let her win. I’m classy like that.

Once we were finishing with lunch, we headed back to the park and took in our first bike ride of the trip. It was good to get out and do some physical activities. We must’ve biked somewhere between 4-5 miles. We plan on going back tomorrow. It’s supposed to be in the 70’s. We’re also going to try camping tomorrow night in the park. It’s supposed to be clear and 47 degrees which is about 9 degrees higher than average.

Shay and I also might be taking a detour on the trip. It looks pretty probable that we’ll be checking out the Grand Canyon in Arizona and then Lake Powell in Utah. Neither of us have ever been to the Grand Canyon, so we’re going to really try to make it work. The only thing that could hold it up is my work schedule. If we can stop enough to let me work, we should have no problem in getting to see the Grand Canyon.

That’s it for tonight. We’re both pretty tired. I have the pictures up from today on the website, so be sure to check them out. Day 4 pictures.