(Don't) Meet Me In St. Louis

Misery  Missouri = torrential rain, thunderstorms, and 90% humidity. 

I'm Going to Kansas City Baby

Thursday was our 8+ hour drive from Colorado to Missouri. We forgot about the hour time zone change and encountered about five hours of rain driving through the vast expanse of nothingness and wind turbines that is Kansas. We wondered what people do in these parts of the country...

The Mile High City

The past few days in Denver have been quite relaxing and fun. On Tuesday (day two) we visited Kiel's Great Aunt Mary and Second Cousin, Ray. Ray welcomed us into his home and gave us a little tour of the area, specifically Red Rocks. We took a hike around the amphitheater and Alyssa got a chance to perform on stage, although not too many people seemed to be interested.       

That evening we met up with Sarah and Scott, friends from San Francisco who relocated to Denver. We ate at Linger Eatuary, a restaurant with a morbid history. Linger, formerly Olinger, was once a famed mortuary and briefly held the remains of Buffalo Bill. The food and ambiance was surprisingly fantastic and we had a nice time catching up with friends. 

I See What You Mean by Lawrence Argent. This big blue bear stands
outside the Colorado Convention Center.

                                                  Day three afforded us with a glutinous brunch at Bacon Social House, a stroll around the LoDo district, and topped off with a Rockies game - the first of five baseball games on this leg of the tour. We didn't catch too much flack for wearing our Giants hats at the game; the Denver crowd in general was extremely welcoming and reminded us of a less crowded, safer San Francisco. The biggest shock was finding parking downtown multiple times and only paying a $1/hr at the meter...what was not to like about this city?! We definitely liked the vibe here and would gladly return.

Hello, Denver!

Last night we camped near Arches and battled with a dust storm with 30-40 mph (?)winds. We did all we could to prevent our tent from completely imploding or exploding (we weren't sure what is was going to do) while also trying to keep Daisy calm, but it got so unbearable that we had to run to the car. I could feel the grit in my hair and mouth as the car shook and the trees and tent continued to flap violently in the wind.

The storm eventually ended around 1am and it was as quiet and calm as could be. Kiel made his way back into the tent and Daisy and I (hardly) slept in the car. I think it is safe to say we've had enough of "roughing it" and ready for a change of pace.

Arches National Park

We made our way to Arches, our last stop on the National Park tour (for now). Since we are camping with Daisy, it was a little disappointing we couldn't hike some of the trails to get a closer view of the arches. It was also a bit overcast; we were still able to see some cool formations, nonetheless, and check out downtown Moab. Next stop: Denver, CO

Bryce Canyon

This morning we decided to skip Zion National Park and head straight to Bryce Canyon, and we are so glad that we did!

Horseshoe Bend & Antelope Canyon

Horseshoe Bend & Antelope Canyon have been bucket list items for awhile now and I am happy to say we can check them off! They are quite awe-inspiring and definitely worth the trip to Page.

Life is Grand

We're writing and relaxing from our (surprisingly quaint) Motel 6 room in Page, AZ. We camped out the past two nights at the Grand Canyon and well, it was quite grand!

We stayed on the South Rim and although it was pretty touristy (as expected) with spotty wifi reception, the weather and the views were beautiful and our campsite at Mather Campground was perfect.

This Desert Life

After about 7 hours of driving, we made our way to Lake Havasu City, Arizona by way of winding, rainy roads in California, through the straight, dry desert of Nevada.

We weren't prepared for the heat (it was 96 degrees when we first arrived) or the blustery wind conditions at night, however, we survived our first camping trip together despite Daisy stomping around in the tent, and the not so cushy padding under our sleeping bags.

Oh hai, from Ojai

We hit the road at 8:30am this morning and headed towards Pinnacles National Park. Having Daisy on the trip unfortunately limits us from doing certain activities such as hiking at National Parks, so we just made a quick pit stop and then continued on to Ojai, CA. If you ever find yourself in this cute little city, we recommend perusing Bart's Books and checking out the wide selection of beers and wine at the Ojai Beverage Company. We were only here briefly so not quite sure what else there is to do, but the Casa Ojai Inn was perfect for one night.

Total time in the car: 7.5 hours 

Total miles: ~

Day One

Today's the day! 

We've got our National Parks pass, podcast lineups, and Daisy in tow.

After all the research, travel blog stalking, and support and advice from our friends and family, we're as ready as we'll ever be! First stop: Pinnacles National Park

And in the fashion of Alyssa's Grandparents, a prayer for the road:

Lord be our guide and protector
on the journey we are about to take.
Watch over us.
Protect us from accidents.
Keep us free from harm to body and soul.
Lord, support us with Your grace when we are tired.
Help us be patient in any trouble which may come our way.
Keep us always mindful in Your presence and love.
Amen.

Funemployment

How to be Funemployed: 

1. Sleep in until 9am
2. Go to Brunch
3. Take a hike
4. Run some errands
5. Pack
6. Take a nap (Alyssa)/Play video games (Kiel)
7. Have a snack
8. Pack some more 

Repeat every day for two weeks. 😝