We agree it seems as if we've been on the road for much longer than five days. We've had so many incredible experiences already, especially compared to the weeks preceeding the trip, during which the girls spend each day on their computers and watching NCIS episodes on "On Demand." While not much happened from Reno to Grand Junction, we drove such great distances each day that we spent waking to sleeping on the road.
And from Nevada to Grand Junction on we've really had adventures. On our way to Grand Junction we took a detour to see Arches National Park, where we all repeated "Wow." When we caught our breath we said "How amazing!" We even got out of the RV and walked on some of the shortest trails to see the incredible scenes.
From Arches we went back to the highway and on to Grand Junction. We simply ate, showered and slept, too tired to do anything more. The next morning we left I70 to swing south.
An hour out from the campground we pulled into a park in a small town and met up with friends we've only known online until now. We had a brief but full time chatting while our kids played together. Then we pushed on eastward into the Rockies along I50, crossing the Continental Divide via the Monarch Pass. AAA has the route marked as "scenic," which we now know means mountainous with distracting views. Rob hardly glanced away from the road in front of us, and described the experience as "intense."
Raechan (as daughter Rachel suggested I refer to her in this blog) spent the time taking pictures which she will post on the family travel blog. She actually filled one and a half memory cards with digital pictures - at one point I think she was snapping at a rate of 10 shots per minute. I'll have her make a fast-moving slideshow and post it as a zip file for those who want to experience the ride without the actual sense of danger.
We ended the day by arriving for a late dinner with friends in Colorado Springs. I've not had the time to really hang out with them until now, so it was especially wonderful for me. Rob and the kids appreciated both the meeting with friends and the experience of sleeping in real beds again. It felt like home away from home, but better.
After lunch we drove north to Boulder, hoping to meet other 'virtual' friends, but they couldn't make it. We did however have dinner at Beau Jo's Pizza, which has been billed as "the best pizza in the universe." Rob and I had a barbecue sauce with chicken pizza, which is what we had on our first date in Mountain View 23 years ago(!).
Now we're driving north again into the night. Rob took a nap while we waited in Boulder and he says he feels wide awake. We'll stop somewhere before Ft. Collins, and tomorrow take a short drive across the border into Wyoming, zagging northwest towards Yellowstone.
It's an undescribable experience - I can only hope you all have similar ones someday.
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