Epic Fortnight: Day 8 and Day 9

Miles Traveled: 672/643

States Covered: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas

Trains Spotted: 5/1

Radio Stations Playing Christmas Music: 1

Number of Rules Broken: 4

Routes: I-40, I-17, I-10, US 180, I-20

I've fallen so far behind!  I'm sorry, my faithful blog readers, I know you've been waiting breathlessly for these past two days.  It's just that we put in so many miles the last two days, and we had to look around for suitable places to sleep, that by the time we got into a room with beds I just wanted to sleep.  I love sleep.

But I also love the blog, so here it is.

Day 8:
We broke ALL the rules on Monday.  Well, almost all of them.  Still no Country music, because we don't hate ourselves.  But we did use major highways, used GPS, ate at a fast-food establishment, and stayed in a chain motel Monday evening.  Totally worth it, though, so no shame. Only glory.

The reason we stopped for a drive-through burger was because we finally came upon the part of the country where these exist:

Give it to me.

If you can believe it, I've never had an In-N-Out burger before.  Not during all my travels, and not during the year I lived on the West Coast.  And that had to be rectified.  So after a talk with our meal consultant (Zac Fritsch, brother/son of the travelers, who will be making a special appearance in a few days), Dad and I both ordered a Double Double, Animal Style.  I'm still not sure what that means, but how could it go wrong?  It couldn't, and it didn't.  It was delicious, and definitely worth breaking a rule for.  And what are rules for, if you don't break them every once in a while?

Just look at it glowing in the sun.

This is the epitome of satisfaction.

So that was rule one.  Rule two was no GPS.  Well.  Even though I had navigated flawlessly THE ENTIRE TRIP, FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES AND COUNTLESS STATES, Dad still doesn't trust me, which is ironic, considering what was going to happen on Day 9.  As we were heading to the Titan Missile Museum, Dad was convinced that I had no idea what I was doing and that we had somehow managed to pass this national historic landmark, with nary a sign of its location.  He was ready to pull off the freeway and turn around, even though I told him to keep going.  So I had to pull up our location on the phone and show him that, yes, our little blue dot was still APPROACHING our intended destination, and had not yet passed it.  

Let the record show, I was right. 

Shocking. 

But we made it, and it was super cool.  Even though I missed the Walt Disney Hometown Museum AND the Polar Express, at least I got to see where someone had the capability to wipe part of the (former) Soviet Union off the map.

Pretty cool/historical/TERRIFYING. 

FUN FACT!  This missile silo was a filming location for Star Trek: First Contact.  

The other rules that were broken Monday were "No super interstates" (we had a lot of desert to cover) and "No chain motels" (it's hard to find independents when you're on the interstate).  Such is life.

The rest of the day was spent trying to get to La Cruces, NM.  And then we got there and decided we didn't want to stay there, so we went on to El Paso, TX.  

Day 9:

Full day of driving.  Even I drove for a bit.  Here's proof.

Apparently I mouth breath when I drive. 

Here's the thing.  Remember what I said about being a FANTASTIC navigator?  I hope so, it was literally a few minutes ago.  Great.  It turns out that even though Dad is truly a road warrior when it comes to driving, his skills are lacking when he has to be in charge of the map.  Within the first thirty minutes of me being behind the wheel Dad had to turn us around.  Twice.  

I was... less than pleased.

I've also been hankering for some alone time.  This much continuous human contact makes me want to kill people.

Luckily, last night we made it to the Texas Fritsches!  Huzzah!  Fritsches everywhere!  And they have a beautiful ENORMOUS house in Frisco, so I got my own room last night.  It's glorious.  I even got to make my own breakfast this morning, something that makes me happy. 

So, as you've probably guessed, we're moving back east, for the first time this trip, and we've officially crossed the halfway point.  

Today, we explore the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and have some quality Fritsch time.  Stay tuned. 

Epic Fortnight: Day 7

Miles Hiked: 3

Today we went back to the Grand Canyon to hike down the Bright Angel Trail.  Dad had originally said that we were going to hike for six miles, three miles out and three miles back, so I emotionally and physically prepared myself for the task.  It couldn't be harder than being a pirate, right?  I was going to conquer (at least a little bit) of the Grand Canyon!

And so was Dad.

So happy and rugged.

It took about two hours to get to the mile and a half, and I guess the rule of thumb is that it takes twice as long to go back up as it did to go down.  That meant we were looking at a total of six hours of hiking, which would put us right around sundown.  So we turned around, because we wanted to catch the Polar Express at 7:30.

Here's the thing.  It only took us an hour and twenty minutes to make it back up.  I had conserved so much energy going down... I thought we were going twice as long!  And I was no where near spent.  I was ready to go.  Look at me go!

Woo!

Apparently I was just bounding back up, what can I say, I had hit my stride and I was not pushing it.  I was disappointed.  But hiking was so much fun!  It's amazing what the human body can do and endure, and I wasn't even near my edge.  I may have pushed Dad to his limited, though.

Oops.

That's Dad gasping for breath.

I even ended up carrying the backpack.  I want to come back, and I want to come back with someone who can push me.  I want to know the limit.  What can I say, moderation is not my thing.

Don't worry, Dad didn't die.  We both made it back to the top and rewarded ourselves with ice-cream.

The conclusion was that I am a mountain goat and Dad is a crippled sloth, his words, not mine.  That left us with plenty of time to get back to Williams, AZ (which is where we are staying) to make the 7:30 ride for the Polar Express.  That's right, Christmas lovers, the Polar Express is in Williams, AZ on Route 66.  A beautiful old train, which you board in your pajamas, and are served hot cocoa and cookies, and there's Santa and the North Pole, and someone reads the story and you get a BELL!!!!!!

I was so excited that we just happened to stumble upon this Christmas miracle.

            
But let's see if you notice what I didn't on that little calendar.

That's right.  No train on Sunday.

Well, it looks like I'm just going to have to come back to Arizona.

Epic Fortnight: Day 6

Miles Traveled: 411

States Covered: Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona

States That Were Completely New to Me: 2

Trains Spotted: 2

Route: US 160, US 89, US 64

Number of Selfies Dad Accidentally Took by Holding Down the Button: 36

I'm not going to lie, I'm getting a little burned out.  Which is ridiculous, considering all I've basically done for a week is sit in a car.  So naturally, we're going to hike the Grand Canyon tomorrow.

Oh, P.S., we made it to the Grand Canyon today!

Majestic.

That's right, we finally made it out of Colorado.  You know, I get why Colorado is a thing.  It's ridiculously beautiful, lots of different terrains, good beer, and nice people.  The mountains are almost offensively beautiful, and everyone seems pretty chill.  It may be a little too groovy for me, and I think I love water too much for me to be a true devotee of the state, but I could definitely stand to spend some more time there.  But not on this trip.  It was time to move on.

And move on we did!  Yesterday we made it through those glorious mountains with their sugar coating of snow, and I was a little disappointed to come out on the other side.  There's something so anticlimactic about driving out of the mountains.  Especially after spending so much time with these views.

I could hang out there all day, every day.  But only if there was a theatre.  There should be more professional theatres on top of mountains.  Just throwing it out there.

After a day in the mountains, we spent some time in Durango, CO, which had a much more South West feeling.  AND the most amazing vintage store I've seen in my life (I don't know how I made it out unscathed), plus a beautiful leather goods store.  Apparently Durango wanted all of my money.  I did not oblige... sadly.

Today was more amazing, though very different views.

Good times.  But now sleep.

Epic Fortnight: Day 5

I saw Spectre instead of writing a post. 

Because I'm on vacation. 

Here, have a selfie:

Epic Fortnight: Day 4

Miles Traveled: About 60

Trains Spotted: 0

Establishment Patronized for Coffee: 4

Inches of Snow: 3

Souvenirs Purchased: 1

Today was less about logging miles and more about taking in what this little slice of Colorado has to offer us.  We slept in (by which I mean, the alarm was set for 7:00am instead of 6:00), puttered around the room (by which I mean, we started watching Casino Royale on the television), and decided what we wanted to do today (by which I mean, I hopped around the room, saying I wanted to hike).  So we layered up and headed out.

Only to discover that all the snow would mean that hiking would probably cause our imminent doom.

Instead, we walked around Crested Butte, a city usually packed with people enjoying outdoor sport of one sort or another, but is currently in between seasons, and had a very sleepy start to it's day.  Dad and I probably could have watched the rest of James Bond, but instead we sat down to enjoy our 3rd/4th cups of coffee of the day and contemplate what would happen if we did try to hike.  The consensus was that whatever happened, they would probably make a movie about it.  "Aspiring young actress and curmudgeony old man decide to test fate in the beautiful, but treacherous, Colorado mountains...".  I asked Dad who would play him in the film, and his response was, "I don't know, since Daniel Craig is busy shooting the Bond movies... maybe Matt Damon?"  Okay, Dad.

I was digging the snow, though.

It's pretty much Christmas.

We bopped around town for a little while, and entered the shops and restaurants as they started to open.  Drinks were had, pizza was eaten, and not only did we meet a guy from Kalamazoo, but also made friends with Layla.

That's Layla.  

I did find a most awesome shirt, which was in a coffee shop/book store.

Shut up and take my money. 

All in all, a great day, but not too much action.  To make it up to you, and seeing as it's Thursday, here's a throwback to one of our previous road trips.

Mmm...meat. (Texas 2010)

Stay tuned for more excitement tomorrow!

Epic Fortnight: Day 3

Miles Traveled: 406

States Covered: Colorado (about half)

Trains Spotted: 0

Radio Stations Playing Christmas Music: 1

Routes: US 24, US 50

You know what?  I'm not an asshole.  People like good food, good coffee, good beer, and it's not a crime.  And you don't have to have grown up in/near a big city to know what's good.  Last night we stayed in a tiny, po-dunk little town in northwestern Kansas (St. Francis, if you want to look it up), where nothing was open for dinner because the entire town was at a high school football game, and this morning we found the most amazing coffee shop.  The beans were roasted right on sight, they had several varieties, and their pour-over was heaven sent.  I know I sound like a chock, but I was pleasantly surprised to find something this specific in this town.  And everyone was showing up to drink it.

Fresh Seven Coffee.

And it looked like this:

Look at that handsome devil.

I don't want to say it was hipster-y.  Even though that's the first thing you would think when you walked in, that wasn't the vibe.  I hate that, more often than not, the hipster label is carelessly slapped on anything that is interesting and of quality.  These people weren't hipsters.  They were a part of this community and passionate about what they were doing.  No irony.

Just to give some perspective, here is a visual representation of the rest of the town.  That's the room we stayed in.  No headboards, no art, and no handle on the faucet in the bathroom.

Also, the bulb burned out in that table lamp.

But there was still good coffee to be found.

We got a little later start this morning, but we gained an hour going into Colorado, so it was all good.

And man were we ready for Colorado.  No, really, we were ready.  Look at us.

Note all the plaid flannel and the craft beer trucker hat.

After two solid days of open plains, profound thought, avoiding country music, and obscene amounts of miles clocked in, this was an exciting day.  Firstly, upon entering Colorado (specifically Colorado Springs), I was greeted with my first all Christmas station (CHRISTMAS), a Doctor Who license plate cover, and, of course...

I may be a little bit of an asshole.

There was also a spectacular change in scenery, and climate, both of which made the day much more interesting.

Hey snow. 

We arrived in Gunnison, CO around 3:00pm, and we'll be here for the next two nights, which means we get to actually action/hang out for a time.  And Gunnison has not disappointed in the few short hours we've been here.

This is our motel:

More photos to follow.

Please PLEASE notice the man walking a llama down US 50.  In between the fake elk and the SUV.  This is why we road trip.

The weather continued to get grosser, but we decided to walk around the downtown for a little while, and maybe turn in early.  But then we found The High Alpine Brewing Company.  And of course we went in.  And of course it was an awesome little, brand new endeavor, with the owners working their butts off, with their little kids running around.  And of course one of the owners, Scott (hi, Scott!), knew all about the wonders of Michigan craft beer.  And of course Dad became besties with Scott and gave him his Founder's hat.  Because that's what a road trip is about.

And Christmas music.

Epic Fortnight: Day 2

(This post is from November 3, 2015, but could not be posted on that date because of technical difficulties.  Word to the wise, establishments called "The Dusty Farmer Motel" may not have the most reliable Wifi.)

Miles Traveled: 605

States Covered: Missouri, Kansas

Rivers Crossed: Mississippi, Missouri 

Trains Spotted: 0

Last Time I Washed My Hair: Saturday

Route: US 36

Another long slog across Middle America today, starting at 7:00 am and rolling into our final destination around 7:30 tonight.  Even though we thought we were getting an early start, we somehow managed to be the last people out of our rooms.  After a brief stop in the front office to procure a shot of coffee to hold off the inevitable caffeine headache while we searched for real coffee, we readied ourselves to take in whatever landscapes the day would afford us.

Dementors. 

This was our view as we crossed the Mississippi River.  But, eventually, the fog burned off, and we got to gaze upon the great planes of Missouri and Kansas.

All that open land gave me a lot of time to think, mostly about the country, which is not something I tend to do if I want to keep a pleasant disposition.  It seemed unavoidable, though, as I was presented with the "Heartland".  I understand that there are farmers, and I'm happy about that.  I know that if I want food on my plate, people need to grown/raise/slaughter it.  I'm glad that there are people in the world who are passionate about working the land.  And just because I have absolutely no interest in it, doesn't mean I look down on that lifestyle.  I don't want to be a doctor, either, but that doesn't mean I don't respect the profession.  People in the country are living honest lives, but what do they DO?  With the advent of all the big farms, are farmers still working from dawn to dusk?  All day, everyday?  My world revolves so much around theatre, museums, browsing libraries, and watching shows from the BBC, it's just hard to conceptualize a different life.  Does that make me an asshole?

Am I an asshole?  You think that you're a level headed, middle class type individual, but then you cruise into the Kansas country side in your VW wagon, just trying to find a bottle of sparkling water.  Do I think I'm better than these people?  It's something to think about.

Also, it's so easy to see why America was able to dominate during World War II based on resources alone.  Look at how much FOOD we were able to produce!  And are still producing.  Why can't we feed the world?  Why is so much of this food wasted?  Do we really need that many cows?  And this is from someone who lives for hamburgers.

These were the types of thoughts that were going through my head, when all of a sudden I saw a sign for the Walt Disney Hometown Museum in the middle of Missouri, and screamed so loudly that Dad nearly drove off the road.

It was closed.  We missed in by three days, and I was quite disappointed.

Made it to/through Kansas, today, though!  Always exciting.  I was on the lookout for Dorothy and the Winchesters.

Other highlights:

TWO towns were completely decked out for Christmas.

Carry On My Wayward Son played while driving through Kansas.

There was an advertisement for a production of The Wizard of Oz on the radio... in Kansas.

My breakfast of two eggs, toast, and unlimited coffee was $3.50.