All Good Things Must Come to an End

33 Days, 29 states, 10, 000 miles of driving, and a wedding. From Georgia to California and back, the best summer of our lives is winding to a close. We woke in St. Louis to a home-cooked breakfast, loaded up the 4Runner, and got on down the road to Nashville, Music City. The Southern Summer Sun of Nashville scorched the asphalt and our skin, and we pulled into our last destination with a bitter sweet feeling. Relaxing in our hotel, we wanted to be home where we could start our lives together as husband and wife. We dined in the evening at a Japanese Steakhouse with Native Nashvillians more interested in phone conversations than dinner and called it an early evening. We awoke like Rip Van Winkle from 20 years slumber and packed the vehicle for the last time. I pointed White Lightening southeast and rode out into the middle of Tennessee. Saying little, we longed to be home, to return to routine, but in our hearts, we wished we could continue to the next wonder, the next National Park, the next adventure..

From Arches to the Arch

We surfed on sunshine from the scorching Kansas plains to the fiery furnace of Missouri. Sunday dinner with parents is always a welcome event especially for those who live far away from those who gave birth to us. We awoke Monday to blazing sunshine, humidity, and fatigue from the road. We opened the backdoor and caught the largest catfish anyone had seen in these parts. We strapped a harness on it and rode that fish down the Mighty Missip to Downtown St. Louis and the Gateway Arch, an engineering marvel.

A gleaming metal structure that explodes out of the ground and blinds visitors with a thousand glittering suns. The catfish bucked bucked at the sight, and we jumped off and straightened our duds out. We pushed tourists out of the way and boarded the tram to the top of the Arch.

A beautiful panoramic view of Downtown St. Louis and Old Man River. Tomorrow, we head out to our last stop on our trip, Nashville.

Taming the Arkansas River

Last camping spot of the trip, Collegiate Peaks, is located in Central Colorado nestled among 14’ers. We pitched the tent and met our campground host, a very loquacious elder gentleman from Ohio.

We strung our hammock up and swayed in the shade away from the summer sun listening to birds and watching ninja squirrels duel it out. Board and card games filled the night as we relaxed and recuperated from a long journey throughout the country. In the morning, we breakfasted at a local establishment and drove through rolling hills and angular mountains to the Royal Gorge. The Arkansas River carved the Royal Gorge’s 1100 feet walls like your Dad carves a Thanksgiving turkey.

After stopping to order our marriage documents, Ann and I checked into a whitewater rafting company. Our trip would be through the Royal Gorge braving Class IV and V rapids.

The ferocious journey took two and a half hours, and it was as exhilarating as it was scary. I personally saved three drowning orphans from the jaws of Sledgehammer Rapids and battled mountain goats in hand-to-hand combat to the death.

After rafting, we quenched our thirsts and appeased our rumbling tummies at a local pizza joint. The following morning, we made our way through eastern Colorado and the monotonous Kansas – Dorothy should have stayed in Oz.

Six Places at One Time

The white chariot and morning sun awaited us to wipe the sleep from our eyes. Out of the Martian landscape of Arches, we rolled towards the Four Corners. The Four Corners provides a spot where you can be in six different places at one time: Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Navajo Land, and Ute Land. After cheesy, touristy pictures were snapped, we drove towards Mesa Verde.

Mesa Verde’s emerald paths lead towards a hidden gem, cliff dweller’s homes. Built into the sides of steep cliffs, the dwellers carved a rich life full of festivals, religious ceremonies, and farming. We toured Long House, which took more than 140 years to build into the cliff. It was home to up to 120 dwellers at a time, but it was mysteriously abandoned in 1300.

After asking too many questions, I was shunned by our spacey Park Ranger and made to stand with my nose in a corner. The shame, the shame. Feeling grimy, we flew towards our hotel for the evening. For dinner, we partook of the most scrumptious steak dinner at a local establishment. Our next stop will provide our last opportunity for camping on our trip as it winds down.

A Martian Landscape

The road leading out of the Grand Canyon, US 64, provided abundant overlooks of the canyon bathed in the morning light. We traveled via camel back across the lands of the Navajo and Hopi on our way to Utah. Perched atop Gretchen, my camel, we waddled through Monument Valley with its spires, monoliths, and sculptures that erupted out of the Earth.

Our first caravan stop in Utah was Dead Horse Point State Park – a bizarre name for a beautiful place.

High above the canyons of Utah, your breath escapes you in sounds of Ohhs and Ahhs while you try to comprehend the sight in front of your eyes. Panoramic overlooks provide peeks of Canyonland carved by a river over time. The blazing sun cut our time short at the park, and we galloped over to Arches National Park, a red brick landscape sculpted out of the Earth. Enormous monoliths stand guard on the road to precarious arches.

Impossibly balanced boulders sit perched atop spindly stands. We took a short hike through the Windows section of the park, which provided our first glimpse of arches. Wind carved red arches stare back at you, and you can truly appreciate the power of wind, sand, and time. Rain clouds threatened the dry desert, so we packed up Gretchen and headed to town for dinner, comfort food and a reprieve from the desert sun.

Fighting Gretchen’s snorts and snarls, we headed towards Delicate Arch racing the fading sun. The 1.5 mile hike to Delicate Arch was the most brutal hike of the trip, but the reward at the end eased the pain of our aching muscles and burning chests. Splashed in light from the setting sun, the Delicate Arch made dealing with the snotty, slobbering camel all day worth it.

The wonders of the Grand Canyon cannot be adequately represented in symbols of speech, nor by speech itself.

Speechless at the sight. Red, beige, and brown streaks across the canyon walls with a river somewhere below. We traveled out from Las Vegas early Monday morning eagerly awaiting our first glimpse of the Grand Canyon. The deserts of Nevada waved goodbye as we entered Arizona’s dry lands. The area around the Grand Canyon is green with trees – a sight I didn’t expect.

We dashed towards the South Rim like kids in the candy store. I cannot imagine what the first person thought when they glimpsed this awe inspiring sight - that vast chasm with vivid colors painted across. We traversed the Rim Trail and stopped at various overlooks.

We could not tear our eyes away from the grandiose vision for a moment. One often wonders what the average person thinks of the canyon in modern America, and the most perplexing utterance came from a gentleman who said, “We drove all this way for a hole in the ground!” Indeed, but not any hole in the ground.

After our communion with the canyon, we jetted towards our campsite in the park. We noticed cars stopping at the entrance – two elks lazily lying in the grass grazing. A wondrous night spent under the stars with thoughts of the glorious canyon in our heads. Off to Arches National Park in the morning.

Viva Las Vegas

The happily married couple awoke refreshed on their last day in Vegas. Lunch with Ann’s family started the day splendidly, and wedding photos were perused to choose the cream of the crop. Our final dinner with family took place at a Brazilian Steakhouse where everyone ate more than humanly possible. For the evening, the elated couple went to the Bellagio hotel to see O. This Cirque show is based around water, the trapeze, and artistry. Ohhs and ahhs emanated from the crowd, and the new husband was awed by the show. The Bellagio’s water fountain display ended the evening, and the two headed back to their hotel room to rest for tomorrow’s journey – the Grand Canyon.