Roadtrip Notes

this is for friend of mine who doesn't use FB. so here you go, buddy. :)

Just a few thoughts from my drive. Funny how a few hours in a car will give you some things to ponder. Maybe some of them will be interesting. :)

Day1:

- amazing how beautiful it is along the Columbia River Gorge.

- Boise seemed like a very cool city. It is definitely evident that it is a college town, actually that is the prominent feel of the town. Easy to walk around the downtown area, lots of bicycles, and something reminds me of the ABQ, NM & Colorado Springs, CO.

- mind-blowing at how expansive the US really is, the varied types of scenery that one can see just with a few hours drive.

- when will car makers build a camera function into a car? make it a lot easier/safer to take those interesting pictures when driving. :)

Day2:

- never spent any time driving thru Idaho, and I can say that I regret that. It is really a beautiful piece of country. it has that type of rugged beauty which seems to be typical of states in the western mountain region of the country.

-Crater of the Moon was really cool and reminded me the area around Bend, Oregon for the lava caves. very cool and very strange looking.

- took my first opportunity to jump off the planned agenda. :) took a long dip in the hot mineral springs of Lava Springs. think of a natural hot tub...very relaxing and some had some serious heat to them. got to love that geothermal energy.

Day3:

- ok, the Great Salt Lake is one freaking water body. yeah, salty water and not an ocean. very strange but seems typical of this part of the area. the abundance of minerals, and geothermal activity just rearing its head. also, the beach was strange as you would see and hear these parts that was just dried salt.

- Salt Lake City is a really beautiful city, and has a very modern feel to it. yes, the Moron church presence is very evident but maybe that is part of the charm. it is a huge part of the town. and, i was surprised to see missionaries from all over the world; china, easter europe, etc. the presence of the Mormon religion is wide spread and pretty impressive.

- this day was also a continued swerve off the plan, and it continued to be worthwhile.

Day4:

- Grand Teton is a fantastic place and by far the most impressive place I have seen on this trip. It is just south of Yellowstone, and is just mind-blowing. Also, I love to hear how it is a "young" mountain range.

-decided to camp in the park and that was awesome. but, the one "unique" part was this was the first time that i really had the time to get lost in my thoughts. prior to that i was just so focused on driving that i didn't allow my mind to wander. it was great because the quiet and beauty of the park just allowed me to think on what really matters in life. hopefully, i will actually learn something. ;)

-this is a long trip and a co-pilot might have been a good idea. :)

Day5:

-Yellowstone is awesome but I do feel that it is primarily OLD FAITHFUL'S park. :) that had to be one of the most impressive things that i have ever seen. one thing i was thinking about was how would this blow the mind of a settler that was moving westward. i mean i knew what it was all about and it still caused me to gasp.

-taking pictures of the park is like just scratching the surface of the sun. such a small action that can't really give you a true sense of the magnitude of the beauty of this park and any of the wilderness seen so far.

- from now on, i want to visit as many actual places that i see in pictures or read about. it just helps to make the image 3D rather than 2D. i suggest the same for everyone else too.

Day6:

- really got back to the schedule and was glad for that. guess, i can't get to far from my organized side.

- visited the Battle of Little Bighorn...WOW!. i remember reading about this in history classes but had no sense of the magnitude of the battle. again, it just seems to reinforce the concept of getting out and seeing/living history to make it more complete of a picture.

- Montana and Wyoming are beautiful. I don't know how beautiful they would be in the dead of winter. ;) but, the summer they are beautiful, truly the image of the wild west.

Day7:

- Happy Birthday, America.

- Mt Rushmore, I was surprised by how much of an impact this had on me. Something about being there on our country's birthday with a unbelievable tribute to 4 of our greatest presidents. But, I feel that it was more than about those four and more about just how great this country is, how much it went through to get here, where we started from and hopefully how we can get our shit together to fix this fantastic country. It was great to see the wide ranges of people present that were there to enjoy this site. I can hope that they were as moved as I was. So, what does this mean for me? Well, I just need to stop bitching about things and really strive to improve them or at least my immediate circle of influence.

-Badlands, it was just incredible to see this area. it seemed like out of nowhere the earth just got completely messed up. i am not sure how it got its name ( i guess i can wikipedia it) but it seems to me that somebody saw the area and said that is some "bad land". regardless, it was something really awesome to witness. i continue to be amazed at how beautiful and diverse the geography of this country is. this is just another example of truly amazing this great country is with such natural beauty.

- i am truly blessed that i am an AMERICAN.

GOD BLESS AMERICA.

Day8:

-i guess the only thing that i can comment on is, satellite radio has got to be the biggest con out there. i mean it is literally matches cable tv. both have 100+ channels but only about 5 are worth a damn. unreal.

i mean for the sirus there are about 15 channels that are literally just cable tv channels being simulcasted, just without the pictures. i am glad that i have a free subscription but i am pretty sure that i won't re-new my free subscription. however, i can say that i have enjoyed listening to old howard stern bits. i got to hear some old jackie skits, and even billy west skits. that was priceless.

Day9:

-Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was very cool BUT no where near enough VAN HALEN stuff. Really cool architecture to the building. I am always amazed at the range/ diversity of folks at any sort of museum. first time i say like 45% of the patrons bobbing their heads in a museum...but that makes sense i guess.

- Pennsylvania, your roads suck. there is a rant here but i am just in a good mood and really don't want to wasted my typing on your shitty roads. just know that i could.

- it was really awesome to get back to "home". it felt good to know that i wasn't gonna be sleeping in a motel tonite. but, the best part was meeting up with a few friends ( most of them i hadn't seen since HS) and just catch up, take about the trip, and just enjoy the company of good people. funny, how we all seemed to have grown up since HS. well, i guess that is how "growing old works"

Day10:

- gave the ride a much needed bath. i think i have officially become that guy who loves to wash and detail his car. does this mean i need to get a gold chain? :)

hopefully, you enjoyed my sense of humor and maybe i have put the bug in your mind to take a roadtrip. it really was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. so much history, so much beautiful and varied geography, and just so really nice and friendly people i meet along the way.