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| Necessities for the open road |
During our stay in Yellowstone National Park, my friend Hannah and I planned a road trip around the western U.S. states. We didn't have much money, but we spent many hours picking out all the stops that we just couldn't miss. Our last day at Roosevelt Lodge came on September 10th, and we packed the car with all our belongings (plus a couple of other people's things-don't ask how I wound up being responsible for that). Our friend Jeremy even joined the fun for a couple hours, so you can imagine that the car was pretty packed. We started in Wyoming and headed North to Montana so Hannah could drop her car off at a relative's house. Jeremy and I blasted tunes and talked about the adventures we had over the summer. With Hannah now in the front seat and Jeremy crammed in the back, we drove East through Montana. Then we headed back down South to meet up with my Roosevelt roommate, Kayla, in Buffalo. We took our first state "border" picture in Wyoming, posing in front of the giant sign at night. We would continue this tradition through each state for the rest of the trip, propping the camera on top of the car and posing dramatically next to the highway. For two days we hung out in small town Buffalo at Kayla's college, then said goodbye to Jeremy as we hit the open road.
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| Striking a pose at the Colorado border |
We drove straight through into Denver, Colorado where we stayed with Anna; another friend from Yellowstone. The hiking was amazing as well as the shopping in downtown. Unfortunately we missed "Pirate" week, but we were able to catch up with mutual friend, Grace, over dinner and attend a hypnosis seminar at the college. After a couple more days we were "jonesin" for another adventure, so we drove down through Colorado and stopped at Four Corners. This is a monument built at the corners of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Visitors can say that they were in four places at once, though rumor has it the monument isn't even located in the right spot. We posed for a photo nonetheless, excited for the rest of the journey. The back road took us through beautiful desert scenery, barren to anything but ghost towns, Indian reservations, and rock formations jutting upwards in the foreground. Hannah and I were particularly excited for our stop at the Grand Canyon North Rim.
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| Hannah and I at the Grand Canyon |
We arrived late at night and found a camp site off the road a ways. Bonus: we didn't have to pay the expensive entry fee! Not wanting to miss the sunrise we awoke just before dawn and found the perfect spot to capture the colors emerging over the horizon. Coming from secluded Roosevelt, crowds were still slightly overwhelming, so we took advantage of the more quiet hikes. One hike in particular took us out to an edge of the canyon that you couldn't see unless you wandered among the rocks just off the trail. From here you could see sweeping views of a large portion of the canyon, including what is left of the Colorado River. When darkness was just around the corner, we found an amazing view of the sunset. From there we drove through part of the night until we made it just outside the park. For the next couple days we ventured through Zion National Park, stopping to do a short but spectacular hike that offered views of the valley cutting through Zion's tall cliffs. We took pictures of the Hoover Dam, which looks nothing like the movies I might add.
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| Hoover Dam |
Upon reaching Las Vegas, Nevada, we spent the night at the Plaza next to the Freemont Street Experience for only $50 for the night. Since I was under 21, we carried our own cocktail in a water bottle and walked the strip. Most of the activities closed early due to the off-season. But Hannah made friends with a guitar-playing bum and we hitched a ride from a friendly couple. By now Hannah was fairly drunk, so she stayed downstairs to indulge in the gambling while I retreated to the room to enjoy some tasty McDonalds.
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| New York, New York in Las Vegas |
It took us many u-turns and missed exits until we weaved through the construction and out of the city. We drove through Death Valley without AC and the windows up to avoid overheating. From there we were awarded with gorgeous views of the Sierra mountains and a long drive North through California. We cut through Yosemite National Park at dusk, so we were unable to stop and see the sights. Unfortunately this did not mean the park entry fee was waived. By now Hannah and I were getting quite tired of each other, so we made a straight shot through the night until we hit San Francisco. Unfortunately the weather was foggy, but we saw a brief outline of Alcatraz and browsed among the shops at Pier 39. We were up too early to enjoy most of the stores, but this didn't stop the sea lions from making a crazy ruckus out on the docks.
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| Sea Lions at Pier 39 in San Francisco |
I do regret not taking time to explore the city more, but our trip was already reaching two weeks. We left while it was still early and drove North along the coast of California through the tall and magnificent Redwood trees. It was here that we had a slight falling out and agreed to cut the trip early. My mom was disappointed to hear that she would not be coming to Dufur with me. Our plans abruptly changed and I agreed to drive her straight to the airport in Portland, Oregon. We drove through the border with out even stopping to pose for the sign. Only a section of the coast was visible before night fell, yet I kept driving through the night. It wasn't until we reached Tillamook that we stopped for the evening. I was trying to surprise her by finding a camping spot on the beach, but of course it was pouring rain all through the night. So we stopped at a hotel, the continued East towards Portland at the first sign of daylight. I had been so excited at the possibility of showing Hannah the city of Portland, but we headed straight for the airport and said our goodbyes.
I do regret how our road trip ended. Maybe if we wouldn't have rushed through everything so much we would have been able to experience more. I feel like we saw more of the road then the actual states. Plus we ran out of music to listen to only a couple days in. Or maybe it's just another classic case of two people realizing they just aren't that compatible. Being cramped in a car together really tests the friendship. Hannah and I had only know each other for three months before we spent two weeks straight with each other. We still talk every now and then, but I don't think we will ever be good friends. If only we had focused more on the journey, instead of the destination, we would have been able to truly enjoy the real person sitting next to us.
