The trip occurred in four acts:
South Bend, Indiana to Lincoln, Nebraska: spacious skies and amber waves of grain. I remember lots of farms, straight roads, and an alarmingly flat landscape. Perhaps the best part was a stop at a Nebraska state rest stop (offering free wi-fi) featuring some great art.
Lincoln, Nebraska to Denver, Colorado: Are we there yet? After more Nebraska we tackled the high plains of eastern Colorado, driving through Fort Morgan, where I had actually visited previously on a fantastic vacation to visit a friend working at the Fort Morgan City Museum. Sarah has since moved on, but Fort Morgan is still there. In Denver, we stayed with friends of Greg's from college. They fed us some delicious grilled dinner from their back porch with beautiful views of the Rockies.
Denver, Colorado to Las Vegas, Nevada: Purple mountain majesties and then Utah. We got on the road early for the longest leg of the trip, starting with a steep climb in the thin air, then a long slow decline into western Colorado and Utah. The morning drive through the mountains was a stark contrast to the flat, unending nothingness of southern Utah, Arizona and Nevada. The most memorable portion of this section of the trip was I-15 as it cuts through the extreme northwest corner of Arizona. The interstate runs through the Virgin River Gorge, and seems to hang suspended in the air along the side of the some of the most beautiful mountains I've seen to date. I wish I had a picture of it, but I was too busy staring out the window. I recommend that you see it for yourself.
Las Vegas, Nevada: Neither of us had been to Las Vegas before, and given the lack of towns in the desert, it seemed like a great place to stay. We chose the Luxor, for its delightfully tacky references to ancient Egypt. Based on a recommendation from a Sanford family friend, we had dinner at Shanghai Lily in Mandalay Bay. Then we went to bed at 9:15 p.m. local time. Yes, readers, I went to Las Vegas and went to bed early. But I was tired! And cranky! The next morning dawned bright and early for us (we were still on Eastern time) and we went to grab breakfast at the Bellagio. But not before a little photo shoot in front of the Luxor...
Las Vegas, Nevada to San Diego, California: we're home! This was the shortest leg of the trip at only 5 hours. Honestly, I don't remember much from this part except for the wonderful feeling of pulling the car into our parking spot and entering our new rental condo for the first time.
So join me in a rousing chorus of America the Beautiful:
- O beautiful, for spacious skies,
- For amber waves of grain,
- For purple mountain majesties
- Above the fruited plain!
- America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
- And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.
4 comments:
Whoa, you're a good writer. Did Mr. Nobili teach you that?
Thanks fav. librarian. That name took me back a bit. And now I'm trying to think of all our other high school English teacher's names. Mr. Nobili, as you said, Miss Tiff ... and then I'm gone. Seriously, didn't we just talk about me reading The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad my senior year. Why can't I remember the name of the woman who tortured me with that?
Mrs. O'Hare was sr. yr. and Mrs. P...something was freshman year. Remember, she had adopted those two asian kids? Not Mrs. Pauly, Mrs....?
Mrs. Pulliam. It came to me during a meeting today. I was paying attention. Honest. Good job with Mrs. O'Hare. Heathcliff is the most passionate man she knows. Yikes.
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