O Wyoming! - GAR Day #16

Magnet #99 - Devils Tower, WY

Yeah, I'm cheating again. Today was supposed to be the last of Wyoming and then the drive into Montana for a quick peak. Devils Tower wasn't on the itinerary, and is on the opposite side of the state from Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.

I've never been to Wyoming, but figured that I would eventually combine it with some sort of western trip...eventually. It's one of the final 10 or so states I haven't been to.

The rest of the day was to be Montana, just over the border, so that we could check off another state for the trip. Two of us took a cross-country trip, and did a couple of days in Glacier National Park - but there are magnets for that visit.

I do so love Montana - after all, it's the quintessential Loveswept (actually, probably more like a Harlequin, or even a Silhouette) romance novel, where the heroine gets tired of the big city, is ordered to take a vacation, heads out to some remote ranch in Montana, and falls in love with the gruff, yet hot, rancher on the next spread over...you know, the one looking to buy the remote ranch she's staying at. You know, the one who makes fun of the silly city girl trying to make a go of the ranch, and then ends up teaching her the ropes of managing the ranch. The one who - when the newborn calf is lost out in some ravine in the pouring rain - goes out after the girl and manages to save both the girl and the calf.

What? I used to be a romance editor. Who read a lot of romances.

Anyway, so, I grew up fancying that this would some day happen to me - that I'd chuck it all and move to Montana. I told my grandma this, and she made me promise to visit Montana before I picked up and moved - hence the cross-country trip. But, she was right - because as much as I loved Montana, I think I've learned I'm not quite the outdoors girl I thought I could be.

Well, I suppose I could be. Depends on the rancher, I guess.

GAR Track of the Day: Wanted: Dead or Alive

Only on holidays and national emergencies - GAR Day #15

Magnet #98 - Twin Falls, ID

One of the GAR roadtrippers grew up in Twin Falls, ID, which is how I ended up with this magnet. I've been through Idaho, on that cross-country train trip - middle of the night, and in the top bunk of a sleeper car. Not fun. Also, I didn't get to buy any magnets for myself.

Anyway, we were supposed to spend the night at his house, and then wake up to a wonderful breakfast, and yes, a drive-thru tour of the area, before heading out to Wyoming to see Yellowstone and Grand Tetons for the afternoon and night and some of tomorrow. Yep, another long day, but we're in the home stretch now!

Two things that were on today's morning docket were the Craters of the Moon, and Shoshone Falls. Craters was apparently an ancient lava flow area...where a volcano erupted 2,000 years before recorded history. Which is weird to say, because if it's recorded now, then how is it before recorded history. Shouldn't we just push the startdate of recorded history back? I'm just sayin'. Then, apparently, 2,000 years later the Shoshones built rock rings there. Yeah, I'm assuming it makes more sense if you actually visit the park.

Shoshone Falls would have been neat. Apparently, you can shut off these giant waterfalls (known as the Niagara of the West - they fall like 50 feet farther!) when necessary. I'd like to see proof of this - in person - because I've been told this for several years now. Why? Because I once convinced one of the GAR roadtrippers that they can shut off the real Niagara Falls on holidays and national emergencies, via a huge dam upriver.

In her defense, she hadn't seen the falls yet, so when we rounded the corner and she got a glimpse of the falls and knew that I was full of bullpucky.

GAR Track of the Day: Waterfalls (Or, what Sarah Larson is probably crying, now that she and George Clooney have broken up. What? You didn't hear?)

People all over the world...or just UT today, I guess - GAR Day #14

Magnet #97 - Salt Lake City, UT

So today we were to drive from Arches over to Salt Lake City, for a quick pit stop on our way into Idaho for the night.

As usual, I had a million things on the docket for this town - main street, Mormon Tabernacle, etc., etc. I've never been to SLC, but I was so planning on doing the most comprehensive drive-by, ever. That's one of my specialties - drive-by tours...I mean, it was a few years before I actually stopped the car to see the Liberty Bell - and even then, it was only because they moved it from that glass-encased building you could see from the roadside, into its own facility. Look. It sounds Clark Griswoldy, but sometimes, that's all you have time for.

One thing I was looking forward to visiting on this day (and definitely will at some point) is the Golden Spike National Historic Site - Promontory Summit - where the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads met, making the transcontinental railroad dream a reality. I mean, dudes! They re-enact the final spike being driven into the ground! How freakin' awesome! What? We've already discussed my love of trains.

GAR Track of the Day: Love Train. (Or, what Sarah Larson's no longer on. Yes, I'm still celebrating the George Clooney/Sarah Larson break-up. I might declare it a weeklong holiday, in fact.)

Well, it's no 40 days or nights - GAR Day #13

Magnet #96 - Zion National Park

...but today we were desert-bound - finishing up Zion, and then taking the scenic route to Arches.

And by scenic, I seriously was planning on us getting up superearly (like see the break of dawn over Monument Valley early), heading to Monument Valley, Four Corners, the Trail of the Ancients, Canyonlands, and finishing up with sunset at Arches National Park. Yes. All in one day. What?

And before you wonder whether or not we're big hikers, the answer is...two of us might be, and two of us could be. I'd like to think that we'd have been rambling all around these parks and trails. The reality is, I probably would have been sitting in the car, trying to convince the roadtrippers that we could just do the scenic drive...with strategic stops at the gift shops. (I mean, that's how we did Zion, last time around.)

Truth be told, I think this day was one of the ones I was a little wary of. It's the part where they caution you to carry one gallon of water per passenger, just in case your car breaks down. Holy moly! Really? And, like what if we'd gotten stranded out in the boondocks of nowhere, and had to walk somewhere, and tie our shirts around our heads and what if we got stuck out in the cold desert night and had to figure out how to make a fire! I mean, I know I learned a lot from watching TV, but honestly? Making a fire would be iffy for me. So yeah, I'm kinda happy I'm typing this post from my air conditioned desk.

I'm dedicating this particular blogpost to the fabulous NPS ranger at the Teddy Roosevelt Birthplace national park. The TR birthplace is right around the corner from work, and I wandered in to see if they had any NPS paraphernalia, and this guy took about half an hour to walk through my little GAR itinerary. He even tried to talk sense into me that this day wasn't going to work, and that we needed to split the day in two.

Three weeks later, my friends and I went to visit the birthplace, and he remembered me, and handed me a Canyonlands map. This ranger's probably one of the few reasons I regret not going...or, at least why I'm avoiding going to the birthplace again (so I don't have to tell the guy, who was very intrigued by this weird not-quite-cross-country trip, that we didn't actually go).

GAR Track of the Day: Desert Rose


eta:
I just wanted to add a bit of happy news on this momentous day. George Clooney and THATwoman Sarah Larson have broken up.

Good.

Wild, wild horses - GAR Day #12

Magnet #95 - Bryce Canyon National Park

So today, very early, we were to check out of the Wynn, and continue our Great American Roadtrip through to Bryce Canyon National Park.

This national park is just the most awesome park to ever park - it's like almost 60 square miles of gorgeous canyons and nooks and crannies, and towering formations called hoodoos, that formed horseshoe-like amphitheatres and other natural wonders.

I visited with my sisters a few years ago, and we ended up doing the half-day horseback ride through the canyons. Amazing. Seriously. Also, seriously painful. I had a horse growing up, so of course, I used this to parlay myself into a real horse, while the two younger sisters ended up on donkeys. Not sure it was the best idea I've ever had, but I sure enjoy lording it over the other two.

We were only allowed to have our cameras out at certain points during our trip - but they should have taken away the cameras, like when the Warner Bros tour guides locked our cams in our little golf cart. That probably would have helped - at least my cowpoke, anyway - he was the one who had to go back and retrieve my disposable both times I dropped it.

And, as we wended our way down the canyon, we had to ride single-file on the trail. What they told us, as we were literally hugging the canyon walls, was that they train the animals to walk - on the outside of the trail. Closest to the edge. The edge of a million feet with no safety net or guard rail. So. Freakin'. Scary. I mean, you look over your knees, and you don't see your foot, your stirrup, or the horses' hooves. You see canyon. Far. Far. Below.

So, while you're desperately clutching the horse's girth with both your knees, you're locking them up, and in a constant state of pressure. After a while, that pressure starts to take its toll. You begin to lose feeling below the waist, and then when you have that one bathroom break in the middle, you're limping to the restroom. Assuming you can even get down. I have never - ever - been in that much pain in my entire life. Whoa. And then, when we got back to the corral, middle sis was pretty much the most ashen I've ever seen a Filipino girl look. Heh.

On the other hand - I have to say, that canyon ride was one of the most exhilarating things I've ever done, so it was well worth the pain and the scariness. Surrounded by all the natural beauty - unhindered by concrete and tons of people - Bryce makes you realize that humans really are just a speck on this planet.

GAR Track of the Day: Wild Horses

Viva Las Vegas - GAR Day #11

Magnet #94 - Bellagio, Las Vegas

As our second day in Vegas, today was supposed to be a full day of Las Vegas hi jinx. The oddest thing about Las Vegas is the fact that once you get inside one of their monolithic hotels, you can't tell if it's day or night. It's insane. And the exits/entrances are like miles away from wherever you are, so leaving the grounds just seems harder than just plopping down in front of the nearest slot machine.

We were booked for a few nights at the Wynn hotel for the GAR, probably the only hotel that could beat out the Bellagio. Because the Bellagio? Heaven. No, seriously. This hotel is just. heaven. From the Chihuly glass entryway to the rooms, to the buffet, to the art gallery, to the conservatory gardens. Loved. This. Hotel. It just makes you feel wealthy, and transported off the strip. The dancing waters in front of the hotel are just as Clair-de-lune-y as Ocean's 11 makes it out to be.

Last time around, after checking out of our beloved Bellagio, roadtripped out to Utah, and on our way back to fly out of McCarran, baby sister forgot that she'd left her stuffed moose Napi back in the Bellagio. After much, much upset and pouting, she called the Bellagio, so that we could pick it up our way out.

Dudes, it was just a stuffed moose, not the Hope Diamond...but when she got to the front desk, she was told to wait - as the front desk attendant went to go retrieve the stuffed moose. From an undisclosed location. Freaky.

GAR Track of the Day: Viva Las Vegas

Luck be a joy tonight - GAR Day #10

Magnet #93 - Sinatra in Vegas

So, today was Grand Canyon day on the GAR, and then driving into Vegas tonight.

We did the Grand Canyon when I was 12, and it was absolutely gorgeous. Well, to some. My grandmother nearly drove my mom crazy when she told mom that it was just a big hole in the ground. Whoops. Mind you, this was after we'd crossed the desert in a 4-door sedan with three young kids, a grandma...and yes, that priest.

Anyway, I'm using Sinatra in Vegas today, in honor of my dad. The fam dropped by for the weekend to do some sightseeing. But, instead of seeing the city today, my dad, a big Sinatra fan, literally spent about 6 hours reading the Easy Listening Music Choice channel.

What? He likes the artist trivia. So, MusicChoice channel programmer - if you're reading, take heart - someone actually reads that stuff to float across the screen!

GAR Track of the Day: Luck Be a Lady Tonight