The Collective Mind

After a few days on Road Trip 2008, the group realized that we were getting progressively stupid as we spent more time together. Let me share some examples (the guilty shall remain nameless, but there are only four of us anyway):

1. Someone woke up from a nap in the car, we said something about the map and they responded in an accusatory tone, "WHO TOLD YOU THAT!?" um, the map did.

2. Shotgun rider reading the map westward when we were driving eastward.

3. In a casino in Deadwood, SD I walked buy a machine that said "Bill Breaker and Ticket Redemption." I read it several times and thought "Who the hell is Bill Breaker and why is his name on the machine?"

4. Asking the waitress in Laramie, WY to repeat salad dressing options after she had JUST named them off. Then asking her what soups they had and saying "Just Kidding!" afterwards. Yes, she really loved us.

5. I lost my wallet on the way from the gas station to rental car return to the shuttle bus taking us to the terminal. I never lose things. Sheer panic. (How DO you get on a plane if you have no picture ID on you? Can U.S. Customs pull up your passport information?) Luckily, the wallet had fallen out at the rental car place and I was able to retrieve it and board the plane.

Things to Do in Denver: Deluxe Version

The rest of the trip (Days 7-11):


We stayed a day ahead of schedule, so we finished up in the Grand Tetons (moose sightings still at zero) and stayed in the town of Dubois, WY. Dubois is supposedly a town full of real cowboys. It is also a town that does not stay open past 9pm. The grocery store closed at 8pm, the convenience store closed at 9pm, as well as the majority of restaurants. We finally found a steak place open. It was connected to a bar, which, as soon as we entered, the music pretty much screeched to a halt. Yikes. We opted to drink in our room at the Chinook Winds motel. Card playing, dancing and shenanigans (of which I don't have pictures of, but include Jamie setting Vickie on fire) ensued.
















From Wyoming we drove non-stop into Denver. We battled high winds, rain, hail, and lightning but made it to the mountain oasis that is Jamie's parents' home.















Where there were these super luxe guest baskets in each bedroom:















I have to say, I really enjoyed my time in Denver. Not only because it was the first time we got to stay in one place for more than one night, but also because Jamie's mom fed us so well. It was such a treat to eat good food again. The amount of iceberg lettuce we consumed over the last week is scary to think about. The warm, home-made muffins, fruit and other snacks were wonderful. Denver is a beautiful city and the air quality is significantly better than New York (duh). It was also nice to be shown around by locals. We went to numerous BBQs, the Denver Art Museum, Mt. Evans (of Rockie Mountains fame) and Dairy Queen. Where I actually had Blizzard envy. Who knew the Girl Scout thin mint one would be so much tastier than my usual Butterfinger???


































































FINAL STATS:
Total miles driven: 2,456
Amount spent on gas: $400
Souvenir t-shirts purchased: 17
Iceberg lettuce consumed: at least 3 heads
Moose seen: 0
Highest elevation reached: 14,130 (Mt. Evans, Colorado Rockies)

National Parks: In Search of Bullwinkle

Day 5: June 30, 2008 and Day 6: July 1, 2008

The last two days we hit up two national parks: Yellowstone where we saw many, many thermal springs and fantastic scenery.































































...and the Grand Tetons (or "Grand Teet'ins" as Vickie calls it.) I've been to both previously in a similar roadtrip with my family years ago, and I distinctly remember how beautiful the Grand Tetons were. I was not disappointed the second time around.












































We also encountered endless wildlife: bison, deer, elk, and foxes. The one creature we did not see was the elusive moose. We looked far and wide across acres of parkland over two days and did not come across a moose. (sigh)

Also of note, today we hit up three states: Montana, Idaho (no, Udaho!), and Wyoming.

STATS:
Miles covered Day 5: 395
Miles covered Day 6: 167
Bison sighted: too many to count
Deer sighted: too many to count
Bears sighted: 3
Elk sighted: 1 (sitting)
Foxes sighted: 1
States visited: 3