Various Ramblings
Michael Nowak
Cha-cha-changes!
Cha-cha-changes!
Various Ramblings
Michael Nowak
Seeing can mean believing.
Seeing can mean believing.

Way Back Wednesday

#WayBackWednesday - My first time in Alaska

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Three years ago, for Thanksgiving, I went to Alaska to celebrate turkey day with my other half’s family. I was recently laid off from my job, had no prospects, and thought it was a good time to make a trip. I had never been that far from “home” and I was completely excited. I had no expectations for the trip - but was hoping for snow. We arrived to a cold, wintry scene in Anchorage and it only got prettier each day.

As we prepare to head back up there in December, I’m hopeful for more snowy adventures. Enjoy some photos form my first time in Alaska.

#WayBackWednesday - Caprock Canyons State Park

We’re going back to Caprock Canyons State Park last year at the end of September. This was a quick weekend camping trip that included a hike to Fern Canyon (a must-see if you’re at Caprock) and some other adventures with bison and spiders. Camping varies there, but there I’d recommend anywhere but near the lake as you’ll have more space between spots. Primitive looked best, but we just car camped at one of the tent only areas. Enjoy some photos!

#WayBackWednesday - Arches!

My process for Way Back Wednesday:

  1. Create a huge list of possible ideas, become determined to pick something

  2. Forget about the list and just scroll through all of my photos until something just speaks to me

I love to plan things out, but I hate sticking to a plan. Whatever. Here are a few shots from Arches National Park this past August that stood out and whispered through the digital waves to share them again. Arches is easily one of my favorite places and I see it differently every time I visit. Enjoy this week of Way Back Wednesday that doesn’t go WAY back at all.

#WayBackWednesday - Olympic National Park

I’m working on being more positive and upbeat so here are some photos from my trip back in March to the beautiful Olympic National Park in Washington State. When I need a moment at work, or anywhere else, I just try to remember my three glorious days in the trees and on the beach in the Olympic Peninsula. What do you do to take mental breaks? Where does your mind wander in a daydream? Feel free to share your magical places. Have a great Wednesday and week ahead. You’ve got this!

This is currently the background on my work PC… Helps me stay calm! (Quinault)

Rialto Beach - a peaceful evening watching the sun set

In the Hoh Rain Forest… with the sun peaking through the mossy trees

At peace among the trees on the trail to Sol Duc Falls

#WayBackWednesday - Cool at the Canyon

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This is going to have to be a quick post, but it’s my website so I can do whatever I want. This week has been busy, but let’s throw it back to March of 2015 at the Grand Canyon. My other half and our best friend Nikki set out on a road trip (which will be featured eventually - it’s a work in progress) to see the Grand Canyon, Vegas, and Zion. Here are a few photos from the South Rim on that cool March morning.

#WayBackWednesday - Texas to Oregon and back

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It was August of 2013 and my other half had a little time before starting back at college so we took off for the west coast. The drive from Fort Worth to Portland is about 31 hours so we decided to break it up a little with a stop in Arches National Park along the way. We set out in my car on a Tuesday night so we could breeze through Texas and make it to Arches in the daylight. We hit Albuquerque at dawn and enjoyed a quick stop for coffee and food. On the way to Arches, we stopped at Wilson Arch to get our first taste of red rock in Utah.

Arches was amazing, as always, and welcomed us with sunny skies and plenty of wind. We drove to the scenic sights and did the little trail by Balanced Rock. We didn't spend a lot of time at Arches, but the little we did was beautiful. Onward! Our next stop was for dinner and coffee in Salt Lake City. We visited Temple Square before heading out for our last leg to Portland.

Our first time in Portland, back in December of 2012, we stayed a classy downtown hotel and and ate at nice restaurants. This time, we stayed at the Howard Johnson (the Ho-Jo) out towards the airport and ate at medium to low level places. We were trying to keep it cheap and interesting all at once. I purchased a Groupon for a beer tasting at a local pub and we enjoyed dinner there. The Portland Japanese Garden was a gorgeous space to visit and was one of the highlights of the trip.

From Portland, we headed west towards the coast with a stop at the Tillamook State Forest center along Route 6. It was neat to learn about the forest and walk up to a forest tower. Our destination for the night was Coos Bay at a Super 8. We stopped at a few spots on the way to the hotel including Cape Lookout State Park, Devil's Churn, and a few roadside viewpoints. The hike at Cape Lookout was longer than we though, as we didn't really plan well for it, and we managed to get confused going back up from the beach. The weather was misty and gray, but finally cleared a little as we neared Coos Bay. Once at the hotel, we ordered pizza and crashed after the long day.

We woke up and headed back north towards Portland. We were going to explore the city a little and then attend a concert the next day featuring two of our favorite bands together. The concert was a Mississippi Studios and the concert was one of the most memorable of my life.  Said the Whale and Kopecky (known then as Kopecky Family Band) were two indie rock bands that played their hearts out ending our days in the northwest. We left after the concert to head back to Texas, with a detour through Colorado just for fun.

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#WayBackWednesday - Part 4 of 4: The Four Trips that Started it All

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QUICK FACTS

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What: Desert Tour 2010
When: 3/4/2010 - 3/13/2010
Where: 6 states, drove in 5
Who: Mike (me), Kevin (friend, roommate), and two other friends
Vehicle: 2010 Toyota Camry (gold)

FIRSTS

  • Virgin River Gorge

  • Bryce Canyon

  • Zion

  • Desert snow storms

  • Hotwire hotel

STATES

  1. Michigan

  2. Colorado

  3. Nevada

  4. California

  5. Utah

  6. Arizona

 
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INTRODUCTION

Vegas or bust! The Desert Tour was simply four friends flying to Vegas with a little road trip for good measure. I’m just going to say this about Vegas: it was a blur. We drank, we walked a lot, and we did the Vegas thing. We were fortunate to have a great hotel thanks to Ryan’s mom and we were thrifty with food and drinks making it an affordable, yet fun trip. Day trips from Vegas were more interesting to me and we visited the Hoover Dam and Death Valley National Park on separate occasions between the pool drinking and the strip walking. The Hoover Dam was interesting, as always, and the work on the bypass bridge was a bit further than two years prior, but it still wasn’t complete. Our road trip into Death Valley took a whole day and included a hike at Sidewinder Canyon, a stop at Badwater Basin, and amazing sights from Dante’s View. Jenn says views at Death Valley were like looking through a filter, and she’s right on the money with that statement.  Back in Vegas, Jenn and Ryan both departed on different days back to Michigan while Kevin and I headed out in the gold Camry.

VEGAS TO ARCHES

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We left early from Vegas and headed up towards Arches via I-15. On this journey, we saw the Virgin River Gorge for the first time and it was most impressive. It had been pretty mundane and brown driving north and then all of the sudden, we’re in a canyon with tall walls and some color. We made a stop after that in St. George, Utah for Starbucks and to check on the weather for the road ahead. It was snowing and the snowstorms all the way to I-70, but we went ahead anyway. We stopped for gas, after an adventurous journey, in the Green River area and then proceeded down 191 to Arches. We were famliar with the park from last year so this year our visit was focused on hiking to Delicate Arch. The weather was mixed with clouds, rain, and enough sun to encourage us to go forth and hike up to the iconic arch.

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I recently (August 2018) did this hike and looking back to 2010, I don’t remember much of it at all and without pictures I really only remember being up at the arch itself. To get up to Delicate Arch one starts out on a well definied trail which transitions to a rock face until a rock ledge is reached that leads to the area where the arch is located. Once up there, it’s a bowl of red rock and Delicate Arch is on the edge. The views out are spectacular and the arch itself is much bigger in person than the perception from lower viewing areas. I do remember we were two of maybe four or five people total up at there, as it was March and the weather was less than perfect. When we looked out from the arch, we saw mountains in the distance and snow covered red rock just below. The contrast of white on red was a brilliant contrast when the sun peaked out from behind the clouds and made for some great photos that day. We hiked back down to the car and proceeded south to Monticello, Utah where we’d stay that night.

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The hotel in Monticello was less than amazing, but it was comical and made us laugh and question our choices all at once. We were spoiled in Vegas, our friend hooked us up with an apartment style hotel room with mountain views and now we had light fixtures falling down and a strong Pine-Sol odor. We hit up one of the only restaurants we saw open and had dinner as it started to snow.  We came out from dinner to almost a foot of snow and were just a little shocked, as we had a Toyota Camry rental car and big travel plans for the next day. A little snow never stopped us before, and this trip was no different.

ARCHES TO BRYCE CANYON

We woke up to even more snow than the night before, but a little sunshine too. As far as I the eye could see was covered in a thick white blanket of fresh powder and we had to try and get to the Grand Canyon today. The more we drove and checked around, the more it felt unlikely we would be visiting the Grand Canyon this trip due to weather and distance. Alternate plans were made to go through Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon and back to Vegas via Zion. It was one hell of an alternate plan but the sights and parks along the way are a large part of why I'm in love with public lands today. No regrets, even if it was a little nuts with the snow.

The roads on our journey between Monticello and Bryce Canyon were less than ideal, but it made for one of the most memorable road trip adventures of my life. We started on US-191 south out of Monticello and were going to take Utah 95 over from Blanding, but it did not appear plowed or even having tracks, and so we decided to through Arizona over through the Glen Canyon area. Being in the area last year, we were somewhat familiar, but still were just flying by the seat of our pants. From US-191 in Bluff, we headed west on US-163 towards Mexican Hat. We found Utah 261 north, through what is now Bears Ears, and took the narrow, winding road and It was a wild ride of slushy mud and proved to be pretty intense with no guardrails or plowing. Why we decided to go down and then up, I have no idea, but we did and it's what happened. I feel, ultimately, we were indecisive and didn't know what we wanted to do, but I can't be sure. We made it through, to the top of the plateau, and plowed snow with the Camry until we found Utah 95 after all. We took Utah 95 up to Utah 24 through Capitol Reef and on along the Utah 12 Scenic Byway. Highway 12 went all the way to Bryce Canyon. I’ll include a map and some photos of the journey to bring it all together.

I did not know much about Capitol Reef before this trip, but once we started driving through the area it was apparent why it was designated and preserved. I’ve never seen anything like that area, the landscape was as if I were on a different planet.  When we were up a little higher in elevation, we could see for miles and miles and it was rocks in varying shades of rusty red as far as the eye could see.

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Arriving at dark wasn’t the most ideal time, but it worked out because Kevin had plans for us to go look at the expansive sky since Bryce Canyon was a dark sky park. We checked in to the Best Western just outside the park and managed to score a great off peak price and room. We entered the park, and sat in a dark parking lot for about twenty minutes before venturing out to an area out from under the trees. The night sky there was unlike any other night sky I had ever seen. We saw billions of stars and the Milky Way with ease. We spent some time there, taking it all in, before heading back to the hotel to take advantage of the heated outdoor pool and hot tub. The temperature was 20 degrees, but fell to zero with the windchill, and there were piles of snow surround the hot tub but it was by far the coolest hot tub experience I’ve had to date. Morning came without fanfare or sunshine, but we went back into the park to explore the areas that were open for the winter season. We were able to see Inspiration Point and Bryce Point and trek through snow to get good views of the rim. There was four feet of snow covering many parts, but the viewpoints were cleared so we could enjoy the snow covered hoodoos. White and rusty orange for as far as the eye could see. If you haven't visited in the winter, or at all, please add it to your list - you'll be amazed.

ZION BACK TO VEGAS

It was a short drive from Bryce Canyon to Zion National Park and it went well with more sun as we pushed west and south. We left Bryce Canyon pretty early so we could maximize our day at Zion and maximize we did. Our grand plan was to do Angel’s Landing, and part of me wishes we would have, but we didn’t and it I'm okay with that. Knowing what I know now about that hike, we were smart not to do it in the little daylight we had and the previous weather. We settled on the Emerald Pools hikes instead and I have zero regrets. The views from spots along the trail were encapsulated the variety and beauty of the park. Honestly, I'm not sure I was physically ready to hike Angel's Landing, plus there were warning about icy spots where the sun hadn't hit.

Zion was another surprise, as I hadn't researched the park before going. We had great weather and managed to see quite a few of the hot spots in the short time we had there. Along with the Emerald Pool trails, we visited the lodge and had lunch, hiked back to the beginning of the narrows and enjoyed the scenic drive through the park. Never in my life have I seen such red rock and trees sprouted from them.

After a full day at Zion, we made the trek back to Vegas for one more night so we could catch our flights home in the morning. We used Hotwire.com to book our final hotel because it sounded like a fun way to get 5-star accommodations with a little surprise. The surprise paid off, as much as I hate to admit, because the hotel was immaculate. We rolled up in our rental Camry to a valet only parking situation, with trash from a few days all over the car and mud up to our knees from hiking all day. The lobby had polished marble floors and fancy chandeliers and we felt very out of place but the room was nice and had a Jacuzzi. The pool area looked over the strip and had views of the Wynn and Encore. At the time, the brand didn't have such a negative connotation, but now I'm afraid to even list it in here. I'll see if you can guess where it was from the pictures (Hint: it looks like a golden french fry on the north end of the strip). I spent the final night in Vegas relaxing before heading out to the strip, while Kevin went gambling for a while beforehand. It was a great way to wrap this trip.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Not all trips go according to plan, but they can usually be salvaged or offer a good story for years to come. I’m not saying this trip was the best, but it did have some highlights and good times all around. We learned to adapt quickly to changing weather patterns, which is common for most travels but not something we had extensive experience with. I learned about these beautiful public lands and fell in love with these national parks. To this day, I long to be back at Bryce Canyon or Arches on a monthly basis. We can say we did the Vegas thing, and it wouldn't be the last time we'd whoop it up there and probably not the last. It's a great hub for adventure, with cheap flights and cheap lodging. Flying into Vegas, renting a car, and traveling to Utah, California, or Arizona is so easy with an abundance of gorgeous public lands within hours from the airport.

This trip sealed the deal for me that road trips to and through public lands are my preferred mode of vacation. This was the last big trip I took before moving to Texas, and with the previous three set the state and expectations for all future trips. I found my spirit on these trips and I have never felt so alive. Enjoy the views, the scenic byways, and roadside attractions along the way!

Mike’s Highlights:

  • Delicate Arch

  • Bryce Canyon in the winter (snow covered hoodoos)

  • Zion National Park - simply the drive through but also Emerald Pools because the trail is closed and I can't make a revisit

  • Las Vegas with my friends, even if it didn't go quite as planned - a story for another time

  • Dante's View at Death Valley

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#WayBackWednesday - Part 3 of 4: The Four Trips that Started it All

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QUICK FACTS

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What: MMK XC Tour Part Trois
When: 2/26/2009 - 3/9/2009
Where: across 15 states
Who: Mike (me), Kevin (friend & roommate), and Molly (BFF)
Vehicle: 2009 Chevy HHR LT

FIRSTS

  • Camping in a National Park

  • Arches

  • Portland, OR

  • Olympic National Park

STATES

  1. Michigan

  2. Indiana

  3. Illinois

  4. Kansas

  5. Colorado

  6. Utah

  7. Nevada

  8. California

  9. Oregon

  10. Washington

  11. Idaho

  12. Montana

  13. South Dakota

  14. Minnesota

  15. Wisconsin

 
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INTRODUCTION

Road trip styles evolve as you take more of them and this year was no exception. The initial cross country tour offered inspiration for the second, which was more scenic and covered more ground. These two trips combined influenced our desire to be more adventurous on the third trip and it is clear as I look back through notes and photos.  Matt, who had graduated and found work, was unable to go along with us this year so we recruited another “M” named Molly. I met Molly through people I befriended from class and she had grown to be one of my very best friends and a good friend of Kevin as well.  She loved road trips, adventure, and wanted to see the country with us. She had obligations for the first half of the trip, so she was going to fly one-way to Sacramento and we’d pick her up on our way to the Pacific Northwest.  This was one of the most dynamic trips involving camping, long days of driving, unexpected changes in plans, and varied weather patterns.  We learned a lot about adaptation and saw the sights with a renewed sense of exploration.  Here we go!

GRAND RAPIDS (home) to ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

Kevin and I had reserved a car with Budget Rent-A-Car in Grand Rapids for pickup in the morning on February 26, 2009.  The car was supposed to be a Chevy Impala, large enough for our gear but also fuel efficient.  This year we were adding camping to the first half of the trip, so having enough room for gear was important for the first time on one of our large scale trips. The man at Budget pulls up the reservation and goes through the fine print and gives us a total of over $600.  When we reserved it, it was going to be around $300 so that came as quite a shock. We had misunderstood one of the most obvious rules when it comes to car rentals - the 25 and under age penalty.  We had entered our ages when we made the reservation so we figured it was okay or wasn't going to apply. Our ignorance and naivete was going to cost us.  So, not really wanting to blow our entire lodging, gas, food, and car budget on just the car, we opted to shop around.  We went up the street to Hertz.  It was the same story there, but the guy was so cool and “mistakenly” entered my birth date as someone 25 years old and gave us a sweet discount. The car cost less than originally planned, but we ended up with a slightly smaller car. The Chevy HHR was going to have to work and was overall okay because it had some storage, a moonroof, and heated seats. I realize now that this mistake could have really screwed some people over, but in the moment it was a win and we were taking it.  We were on our way!

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With a late start, we loaded the supplies and gear in the car and finally took off from Michigan. Were going down through Indiana, Illinois, Missouri,  and onward through Kansas to avoid a snowstorm in Iowa and Nebraska.  We left about 11:30 AM and the rain started around noon. Rain in the Midwest brings out the worst in drivers, especially in February and March.  Indiana and Illinois are boring, flat, and the rain was getting worse with lightning as we moved southwest.  Eventually we made it to St. Louis and the weather improved to a sunny 70 degrees, but that wouldn't last.  The rain picked back up to downpour status in central Missouri and we eventually made it into Kansas with a much needed rest stop around 11 PM. I mention the rest stop because this is where we brewed coffee for the next leg along I-70 into Colorado. We had been on the road for 12 hours and needed a pick me up. We had an old coffee pot that we decided to bring, plug in, and brew coffee in the rest stop bathroom.  There was no one else at the rest stop, so it wasn’t that weird for us. Starbucks locations were expensive and closed while gas station coffee wasn’t always a winner, so this was our brilliant idea. The coffee brewing in a rest stop concept received mixed reviews; people are either all for it or think it was a disgusting idea.  We filled our travel mugs and hit the road with zero regrets.  Further down the road, at a fuel stop in Kansas, we witnessed what we thought was a drug deal but it turned out to be a newspaper delivery person collecting papers for the day.  We laughed, filled up with gas, and carried on our way laughing hysterically because it was the middle of the night and we were exhausted.  It was that time in the road trip when we were getting a little heavy headed, so we opened the windows and moonroof to the 20 degree weather and blasted some rock music as made our way through Kansas. We entered Colorado around 3:30 AM local time and proceeded to take a nap at the Colorado Welcome Center. As the sun was rising, we were leaving to head west into Denver.

Denver looked good in the 7 AM sunshine and I loved walking around exploring it while everyone was asleep.  We explored the capitol area on foot for about an hour and then took off west toward the Rockies.  After a fuel stop just outside of Denver, we made our way to Georgetown and found the road conditions ahead ominous at best.  We started the climb towards the Vail Pass and it was mountain blizzard conditions with cars in the ditch and zero visibility.  It was a white knuckle drive all the way through the higher elevations until the western slope.  After breaking to catch our breath and relax our tense bodies, we carried on towards Utah.  We stopped at our favorite rest stop, as seen in part one, and carried on down to Arches.  Site number 18 is where we setup and endured the 11 degree (with windchill) evening of camping.  No regrets.

ARCHES TO EUREKA, CALIFORNIA

After a very cold night of camping, we packed up the gear and headed to the Devil’s Garden to start our day of exploring.  We hiked to Landscape Arch with side hikes to Pine Tree and Tunnel Arches.  From there, we made our way down to Skyline Arch and then to Sand Dune Arch.  We visited the Windows Arches and Turret Arch and decided to leave and head south toward Monument Valley to get there before dark.  We entered the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park about 3 PM and made our way through via the bumpy, red dirt road.  It was a spectacular drive with iconic views, unspoiled by development.  Monument Valley was just as it appears on postcards - a treasure in the west.  From the park we were headed to Nevada and decided that we needed dinner but were in the middle of nowhere so we made rice and beans at a rest stop and it was pretty much the best meal ever.  Our goal was to get as close to the Loneliest Road in American as we could, so we opted for a cheap hotel in Cedar City, Utah for the night.  Only one of us went in to get the room because the rate specified single person occupancy, so we were sneaky.  Shady, but efficient.

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After a good night of sleep and a shower, we sneaked out of the hotel and headed to a quick stop at an old BLM quarry dump to check out some rocks for Kevin who majored in geology. We found muscovite, quartz, azurite, and malachite. I like rocks too, just not as much as Kevin, but the stop was pretty interesting overall. The whole vibe of the area was creepy, and it did not get much better as we entered Nevada.  There were birds of prey gliding through the air and crows all over the road as we approached what appeared to be lifeless town after lifeless town under a gray sky.  The cows in Nevada were not very happy, which was fitting for the mood, and it made us feel bad for them because last year we saw how happy cows can be out in California. We were looking for a place to set up camp for the evening and eventually found camping at Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Area - a BLM campground about 15 miles east of Austin, Nevada. The place was empty so we had our choice of sites and chose one on a slight incline to set up camp.  Snow blanketed parts of the campground, mostly around the bushes (trees) which was almost everywhere, so we were a little concerned with snow melt or rain as we hadn’t checked the weather in a little while.  The tent was set up, snacks were had, and we decided to explore this little park.  We found the petroglyphs, hiked around, and climbed some rocks to get a better view of the Loneliest Road.  We watched one car come from miles away and it turned out to be an emergency vehicle which eventually approached and sped by.  Not a person in sight for miles, in all directions, meant this was true to the name of Loneliest Road in America.  It was a weird feeling being the only two people in an area that you can actually verify by sight from up on a rock ridge.  We built a fire, enjoyed a few beers, and watched the stars come out since the sky partially cleared.  It got cold and stayed quiet all night, which was perfect sleeping weather.

It was finally the day we have to trek to Sacramento to scoop up Molly on our way to Eureka, California. Camp was packed up and we were on the road around 8 AM, headed west.  The sky had become dark gray and was spilling moisture.  The rain got heavier the further west we got, and by Reno it had been steady.  As we drove through Reno and up into the mountains it switched from rain to snow and was becoming a Colorado situation all over again. These mountains had bigger trees, but were equally slick with slush and snow. We saw people putting chains on their car, but we definitely didn't have those.  Eventually, with white knuckles and Michigan winter driving skills, we made it through the mountain pass and carried on towards Sacramento.  Once at the airport, a little early I might add, we learned Molly’s plane was delayed over an hour. It was decided we’d just sit in the parking lot and chill until she landed.  I remember Kevin messing around with the HHR, doing things like burning and trying to do donuts on the wet pavement.  We were bored and not really wanting to venture into Sacramento so we made our own fun.  We were keeping busy and trying to remain positive about the west coast weather, which looked rainy and uncooperative at this point.

Molly arrived around 5pm and we hit I-5 north shortly after.  Our destination had been the Best Western in Eureka, the same one from part two last year, so we could swim in that cool pool that was half inside/half outside again.  We took I-5 north to Redding and then west on CA-299.  It was a wild drive on 299, winding and dark through the mountain rain.  We got to the Best Western around midnight and they were full so we had to settle for a Motel 6.  As you know, from part one, we were not against Motel 6 hotels, but this one was particularly gross and stinky.  We may have indulged in some drinking games and just passed out to avoid feeling anything more about the whole situation.  I will say, the Motel 6 really ruined cheap hotels for the rest of the trip, which was okay.

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

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After a stinky night at the Motel 6, we set out in the rainy weather to find the Lost Coast of California.  CA-211 took us to the Lost Coast via a winding mountain road beginning in the cute little town of Ferndale. It was an intense drive, through tree-lined winding roads and some snow and slick roads as the elevation increased. The Lost Coast had happy cows and felt very rugged and unspoiled. It almost reminded of how the coast would look in a movie set in the United Kingdom somewhere.  It was gloomy and beautiful all at once.  From the Lost Coast we continued on CA-211 through the windy mountain road and ended up at the Avenue of the Giants on US-101.  It was a great place to end up, and we explored the Redwoods at Humboldt Redwoods State Park before making our way up towards Crescent City.  Before going to see Big Tree and Prairie Creek, we stopped at the beach in Orick.  It was at this beach that one of my favorite photos of Molly and I was taken as well as where Molly was caught in a rogue wave. We laughed a lot about that moment and it made for a good spirit booster.  We were getting mixed weather - some sun, some rain, and always cool.  We had enough dry moments to visit places within the Redwoods, but never for very long.  Oregon was on the horizon so we made a quick stop at All Star Liquors, the one we found last year.  As we were checking out, the lady said this was the "adult's candy store" and we couldn't disagree.

The weather was still patchy as we drove up the Oregon Coast, but we made several stops and did as many scenic turnouts as we could along the way.  One stop was at Devil's Churn, one of my favorite spots from the previous year.  Our hotel for the night was in Coos Bay at a very nice Best Western. Waking up in Coos Bay to rain was not the best, but at least we slept well and had free breakfast. As I was checking out, Molly was getting behind the wheel for the start of the day with Kevin riding shotgun. The night before, Kevin and I had Diet Coke bottles in which we mixed our drinks at about 50/50 booze and pop.  Molly, who was just looking for a Diet Coke, took a big swig and had found one of our bottles from last night that was leftover.  What a way to start the day, as the driver nonetheless!

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After getting Molly her regular Diet Coke, we drove north towards Washington with several scenic stops along the way.  We went for a walk near Newport, Oregon on Agate Beach and stopped at Whalen Island to make lunch at a rest stop.  From there we hauled ass towards Port Angeles up the east side of the Olympic Peninsula because somehow we got turned around. We ended the day at the very nice Olympic Lodge and had a lovey dinner at Joshua’s. I remember ordering fish and chips and having an Alaskan Amber and Molly told me this weekend that we also had some random guy buying is jello shots.  After dinner we went back to the hotel and used the amazing pool area in the back with fun evergreens and random old people up way too late!

We woke up on the Olympic Peninsula to sunshine so we got a move on to Lake Crescent to start the day.  We explored the Storm King Ranger Station and decided to move on towards Cape Flattery.  The trail was unlike any trail I’ve ever hiked, at the time, and started on a boardwalk through the forest ending with rocky cliffs and great views.  The water was the most brilliant color mix of blue and green I’ve seen to date and trees were growing out of the rocks, holding on for dear life. It is a fun fact to say you've been to the most northwest point in the lower 48, and I like to bring it up whenever I can. Lake Crescent was the start of everything amazing about the Olympic Peninsula and Cape Flattery kept the momentum going, but it didn’t stop there.  We visited Ruby Beach and caught a moment of sun as we climbed over the driftwood to get to the shore.  Before Ruby Beach, we drove down the Hoh Rain Forest road and back, without spending much time there due to weather. We had lunch in Forks, at Pacific Pizza and the waitress asked us if were there because of Twilight.  Kevin and I had no idea what Twilight was and Molly politely said "no" and explained to us that it was a book and movie that was all the rage, apparently.  We left the peninsula feeling fulfilled by all the natural wonders and in search of lodging to rest up for the beginning of a long drive home the next day.

THE NORTHWEST TO HOME

We stayed at a Best Western in Chehalis, WA and enjoyed an evening of hot tubbing and drinks. Do you see a trend yet? We met some random people in the hot tub from Wisconsin who were into solar energy or something which was neat. It’s always fun to run into people from where you are, or in that general area. The next morning we drove south down I-5 to Portland for a quick visit. This was the first time I’d visited Portland and I was already in love with the surrounding area so why not fall in love with a major city too? We parked in Chinatown and walked all over including to Pioneer Square, which is one of the centers of the downtown area. We walked around for a little while before heading back to the freeway north to Seattle. Once back in Seattle, we visited Pike Place Market again before heading east on I-90. The day was sunny and the trees through the Cascades were dusted with a fresh snow. It was one of the most scenic mountain drives we’d had on the trip, making the Rockies look like a sad cousin. We found food at a town in Eastern Washington and moved on through Idaho and into Montana.  The snowy weather of Idaho turned into clear skies in Montana with temperatures at or below freezing.

Around midnight, while Kevin and I were resting, we ran out of gas. We were just east of Missoula near Drummond, Montana where Kevin and I pushed that little HHR about a mile down a ramp and service drive into a gas station. We were lucky the pumps were on, filled up, and continued on our way towards Wyoming. We stopped at Devil’s Tour to take a gander at it around 10 AM and pushed onward to Mt. Rushmore. We were getting loopy and saying stupid things at this point due to sleep deprivation - it was time to be home. Mt. Rushmore was a bust, and we all concluded it was bigger in the movies so we kept driving. Now, I don’t know if it looks better in a close up fashion, but it really doesn’t interest me to find out. Overall, we were not impressed with South Dakota on this day because of general tiredness and not much to see along the freeway. I’m sure if we had time to explore, it wouldn’t have been so bad, but we were driving fast and avoiding stops to get through. I noted in our travel log that the cows of South Dakota do not appear as happy as the cows in California. We stopped at a Culver’s in Sioux Falls for dinner, though, so that was cool. We crossed the Mississippi River around midnight and made our way home uneventfully from there.  Whenever we return the rental car from one of these trips, the people always ask if one person put on all of these miles and we always lie, smile, and say of course.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Part three included some of my favorite memories from any road trip taken at the time. We went from snowstorms in the Rocky Mountains to freezing in the desert to a gloomy west coast and back. We had moments of sunshine which is a metaphor for the trip. Nothing is perfect and not everyone can hold their most positive attitude, but we pushed through and made the best of everything. We saw some spectacular views and have so many memories that I often think about to this day. I learned a lot of tricks from Molly about clever ways to remember things from the trip like taking photos of campsite posts and signs as well as restaurants and information boards. Part three included less overall photos than 2008, but had more thoughtful photos and painted a better overall picture of the trip. We had a better, more detailed travel log which really helps me remember funny moments or little details a lot easier. This was the last year for being under 25 so we had that to look forward for future car rentals and road trips.  It was amazing to share the road with my best friends and spend quality time exploring the United States. “The United States is big” is one quote from Kevin I have when he was very overtired and as silly as it was, it’s the truth. We drove nearly 7000 miles and only saw bits and pieces. These trips always leave me wanting more, which is why next week I'll highlight the fourth adventure in this series.  After the fourth road trip, things changed and we grew as people and moved on in life.  Come back next week for part four!

Mike’s Highlights:

  • Camping in Arches

  • Driving through Monument Valley

  • Camping in along the Loneliest Road in America

  • Viewing the Lost Coast of California

  • Hugging a Redwood

  • Hiking Cape Flattery

  • Seeing Portland, OR

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#WayBackWednesday - Part 2 of 4: The Four Trips that Started it All

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QUICK FACTS

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What: MMK XC Tour Part Deux
When: 2/28/2008 - 3/9/2008
Where: Across 18 states
Who: Mike (me), Kevin (friend & roommate), and Matt (friend & roommate)
Vehicle: 2007 Mercury Grand Marquis (it was an "upgrade" and a gas guzzler)

FIRSTS

  • Pacific Ocean

  • Redwoods

  • Death Valley

  • Las Vegas

STATES

  1. Michigan

  2. Indiana

  3. Illinois

  4. Iowa

  5. South Dakota

  6. Wyoming

  7. Montana

  8. Idaho

  9. Washington

  10. Oregon

  11. California

  12. Nevada

  13. Arizona

  14. New Mexico

  15. Texas

  16. Arkansas

  17. Oklahoma

  18. Missouri

 
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INTRODUCTION

A lot can be learned in one year and that is certainly true with road trips and other forms of adventure.  We had a great time in 2007, saw plenty of random places, had some first time experiences, but ultimately wanted more for our next trip.  In 2008 we follow through by researching and planning stops at more places, adding destinations along the way, and driving even further than before.  More notes were recorded, more observations made, and more photos were taken to remember the experience a little better than the year before.

Since the last trip, we’d all moved in together and were officially roommates in a house in the suburbs of our college campus.  Living together made planning the trip easier and definitely created a new dynamic.  Before, Kevin and I had only seen Matt occasionally and now we all shared a house together every day.  We had a countdown in our kitchen, had purchased stuff to take with us, and spent evenings reminiscing about 2007 in preparation for the next big adventure.

GRAND RAPIDS (home) to SEATTLE

The first leg of the trip was going to be a long one.  We wanted to get out west as soon as possible and we knew it would require about 32-36 hours in the car.  We left on a Thursday afternoon and arrived in Issaquah, Washington on Friday very late, probably technically Saturday the first of March.  We didn’t have any concerts or stops planned between Michigan and Washington, except to see if Mt. Rushmore would be open whenever we sailed through which happened to be 4am when it was definitely closed.

It was sunny and cold in Michigan, with our giant car packed and the mixed CDs stashed, we were on the road headed south towards Chicago.  We made it through the Greater Chicago area, onward to Iowa in the afternoon.  This year was no different than last year with the winter storms rolling through the plains days before and the roads being residually icy.  We saw more semi trucks and cars still in the ditch this year but made it through unscathed.  Day quickly turned to night and we were rolling with as few stops as possible.

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We entered South Dakota in the early morning which meant no Mt. Rushmore but we did see every star in the sky as we cruised at 84 MPH down I-90.  I made a specific note about the speed we set and about how surprised I was at the night sky throughout South Dakota. One more thing thing to note about the sparseness South Dakota -- we almost ran out of gas and it was hilarious and made our hearts race.  We were driving along, through the darkness and the gas light came on.  We pulled into one place, which appeared to be open or at least have their pumps on, and none of that was true so we had to get back on the highway and keep looking.  We were searching on our Microsoft Streets and Trips the best we could, but not finding much anywhere ahead and so we just set the cruise down to a more conservative speed and kept our eyes open.  The outlook was grim and we had accepted our fate of running out of gas in the middle of nowhere when out of the darkness there was a shining light of angelic proportions (not really, but you get the point) and we exited the freeway to open gas pumps!  It’s funny how things work like this, stay tuned for a less fortunate story from the road trip of 2009.

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We drove through the northeast corner of Wyoming and the pink sunrise hit the snow dusted hills in a magical way.  A breakfast and Walmart stop was made in Gillette, and we marveled at the decoration on the side of the building being a scene with bison.  We thought it classed the place up a bit.  Moving right along, we were in Montana before we knew it.  The beauty of Montana, when we started to see the mountains, was remarkable and the pictures we had did it no justice.  Upward and onwards into the narrow bit of northern Idaho we went and were amazed at the scenic drive through Coeur d’Alene. Spokane, which was noted as one of the cleanest places we stopped, was fun to briefly explore. We had to keep pushing through, as this was the point in the trip when we started to get tired of the car and each other.

Tensions were high, attitudes were flared, but we kept going as it got dark and we hit the Cascade Mountain range.  The extra large, rear wheel drive Mercury Grand Marquis was not handling well when we hit slushy weather at Snoqualmie Pass.  It didn’t get any easier moving forward nor did the weather let up, but Kevin was driving like a champ.  He steered us through it all and landed us down in Issaquah without dying!  We checked into a Motel 6, slept it off, and started March with a better outlook and better attitudes.

SEATTLE TO OREGON

Seattle was a dream and I can remember meandering through the city like it was yesterday.  I can see the buildings, the streets, the marketplace, everything.  The weather was cloudy thus making it the stereotypical day in Seattle for our first visit.  We drove through the tall buildings looking around and trying to find a place to park.  We parked at Pike Place Market and explored that area.  The outside smelled like fish and sea air while the inside was warm and cozy.  We got coffee and a mug from the first Starbucks store and then made our way around walking to the Space Needle and seeing Komo Plaza among other things I can’t remember or name from the photos.  This area of Seattle is full of museums, points of interest, and sights to see.  After making our way back to the car, we drove past Safeco Field and then hit the freeway.

We took I-5 down towards Olympia and picked up US-101 towards the coast.  I noted in our book that gas was expensive on the west coast, and about $3.44/gallon in Olympia.  As we drove through Washington, we got our first glimpse at the sun and also the greenery that is the Pacific Northwest.  Our first major stop after Seattle was a the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge.  It’s safe to say this was our first National Wildlife Refuge and it was a great way to start off the scenic tour that was the Pacific Coast.  Highway 101 through the wildlife refuge was beautiful and curvy and we stopped so many times to get photos.  Leaving the refuge, the highway went down through a few more towns and a tunnel (exciting) before the Megler-Astoria Bridge into Oregon.  The bridge is a spectacular sight - green and mighty and spanning between the two states.  We were officially in Oregon and I was officially in love with the Pacific Northwest.

THE OREGON COAST

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Starting from Astoria and going down the coast, we were in continuous amazement at every mile.  Our first big stop was at Arcadia Beach.  It was the late afternoon and it was our only Oregon stop for the day, since starting in Seattle.  We spent an hour on the beach taking photos and soaking up the views.  It was a sun drenched afternoon but the temperature was cool and the wind strong, which made the beach even better.  My kind of beach day does not involve baking in the sun or having to take my shirt off, so the Oregon Coast has my vote for beach day any day.

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We drove a bit further down the coast and decided to stay in the Econo Lodge in Newport, Oregon.  It was halfway through the state and a good starting point for the next morning as we headed into California.

I still remember the morning leaving Newport along the coast - dewy, moist, foggy, sunny, and magical.  The smell was fresh and the breeze a bit chilly as we headed south with the windows open.  From this day forward I became OBSESSED with Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, the Pacific Coast, and everything related to those things.  From Newport, the magic of the Oregon Coast continued with our next stop at Devil’s Churn.  Devil’s Churn has been a highlight of the Oregon Coastline that I tell everyone about.  It’s an inlet, very narrow, into a cliff where the sea crashes in and sprays.  On this trip, it was easily one of the coolest things we saw.  We spent a good chunk of time at Devil’s Churn before continuing south towards California.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TO LAS VEGAS

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As we crossed the border into California, we saw a liquor store called All Star Liquors.  We were in need of some libations for our hotel later, so we decided to stop in to see what they had.  We were astonished to see the prices the lowest we’d ever seen, and we stocked up.  I only include this tidbit of information as it is important to know we stocked up at later hotel stays when said liquor is consumed. We stopped at a few places, that I can’t quite pinpoint, and then landed at the Redwoods.  This was our first National Park on the trip and we were awestruck.  We went to the Big Tree wayside, walked a little on a hiking trail and drove the Newton B. Drury scenic drive in full.  The size of these trees was beyond comprehension and our necks were sore from constantly looking up.  Spending the day along the coast and in the trees left us ready to relax so we spent the night at a Best Western in Eureka, California.  This hotel was an upgrade for us from our usual Motel 6 or similar style property and we took full advantage of every hotel amenity.  This place had an indoor/outdoor pool, a hot tub, a sauna, the most comfortable beds, and free breakfast.  I remember this hotel specifically for the pool, though, because we thought it was so cool that we could swim outside, under a half wall of glass.  This trip just kept getting better and better and we were on cloud nine by this point.

We departed the next morning with San Francisco as the destination.  We took Highway 101 South and made our way through the Humboldt redwoods and even drove through the Chandelier Tree in Leggett.  Instead of continuing down 101, we opted for California 1 down the coast.  On this route we curved through coastal trees, encountered free range “happy cows” along the road, and experienced the tourism of small coastal towns.  CA-1 was taking forever, due to the little towns, so we took a road through the mountains, through Boonville, and back to 101/I-5. The Golden Gate Bridge Recreation Area was our next stop.  We walked around the fort, took photos of the city and bridge, and just enjoyed the fact that it was a sunny afternoon in the highlands.  From the highlands we descended into the city to explore before having to go find a hotel for the night.  We ended up in the Business District for a couple of hours until making our way back to the car.  San Francisco was a lot like Seattle, large and overwhelming but beautiful and different for us small city people.

We found the freeway out of town, into Silicon Valley, and decided to find somewhere to eat first.  We went to a Chili’s.  Kevin ordered a Labatt Blue (a popular Canadian beer we got in Michigan all the time) and the lady took the order with Matt and I’s and hurried off.  She came back with our beers, and asked Kevin “what’s in a Labatt Blue, our bartender has never heard of it!”  We looked puzzled, laughed, and explained it was a kind of beer.  Apparently, California doesn’t get Labatt Blue, or didn’t at the time of this trip.  It was our first taste of regional differences and it was just notably funny for us.  We ate our food and moved along to King City to spend the night in a Motel 6 and break open that liquor we purchased.  We drank, we were merry, and we played quarter bounce on a nightstand - oh to be young.  I think we went to bed, after wandering to a gas station for snacks, the details of the night are fuzzy at this point.  Death Valley and Vegas were on the agenda as our next big stops, but we had to get there first.

We woke up in King City and headed south a bit more and then east towards Bakersfield.  We were trying to get closer to Death Valley, but didn’t have a real plan for that other than just driving through.  It took all day to get to Bakersfield and through the Kern River Valley to Ridgecrest, so we’d be positioned for a quick morning drive to spend the next day in Death Valley.  The Kern River Valley was a real treat and we got a taste of the Giant Sequoias famous in those parts.  The drive along the Kern River was winding and sunny and was a welcomed surprise after the almond fields and brown landscape around Bakersfield.  Ridgecrest was back to brown, but we spent our time at the bowling alley and in our hotel room enjoying more libations.

We woke up and got to Death Valley National Park in the late morning.  It was cool and breezy, though very sunny.  We entered the park at Panamint Springs and drove to Stovepipe Wells and then down to Badwater Basin.  I’m going to preface this next part by saying that I personally had no idea the desert could be in bloom or that it was an event treasured by many.  Flowers started to appear the closer we got to Badwater Basin and eventually it was a sea of yellow.  The desert was experiencing a major bloom and we just happened upon it at the right time.  We saw the lowest point in North America and then started our journey out of the park and on to Las Vegas.  We exited and drove through a town called Pahrump, NV and had to laugh because we’re children inside.  After a long day of driving, exploring, and desert surprises we checked in to the Mirage in Sin City.

LAS VEGAS TO MICHIGAN

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We decided to stay at the Mirage hotel because of my suggestion.  My grandparents used to stay there for conferences and I’d always get stationary from them so it was a familiar place and the price for a room wasn’t too bad either.  The room had strip views, was on a high floor, and had two beds so we were all set.  Never had we ever been to a party like Las Vegas.  The casinos were one thing, we had casinos in Michigan, but the ability to publicly drink and walk around was mind blowing.  The “literature” and “trading cards” that were being handed out were obscene and amazing and the whole energy was overwhelming in a good way.  We went to Paris and got souvenir Eiffel Towers filled with daiquiri and margarita and wandered up and down the strip.  We swam in the Mirage pool the next morning before departing for the Hoover Dam, and I remember it being brisk and refreshing and cooler than we anticipated.  The Hoover Dam was impressive, and we got to see one of the turbines out for repair which was rare.  At this point in time, they were just starting the new bypass bridge and it was neat to see the construction.  We moved along with Flagstaff as our next stop.

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The sun was setting behind us, the air was growing cooler as we moved forward, and we were almost to Flagstaff when we were pulled over.  Reading back to the previous post, I failed to mention that while in Texas were pulled over for doing 78 in a 70 and were issued a written warning.  It was funny, but we slowed down.  This time, we were going about 72 in a 70 and were pulled over on I-40 just a few exits before Flagstaff - when the elevation really climbed and the trees were plentiful.  We did all the right things: had our hands visible, Matt had his license ready, and we had our rental paperwork.  The officer took Matt’s license and started the routine and asked Matt to step out of the car and answer questions at the patrol vehicle.  The conversation started off normally with the usual “do you know why I pulled you over?” and “where are you headed?” questions.  We were told going 2-3 mph over the speed limit was dangerous, as there were deer in the area.  Then, it got weird.  The officer asked if were on drugs or had any drugs in the car, to which we replied no.  He asked why we had the strong scent of a pine air freshener in the car and we had to explain that three guys on a cross country tour really can stink up the place.  The officer kept pressing about the drugs and if the air freshener was a cover up for the drugs we were smoking.  The only drugs we had were my prescription and some alcohol, which were both in the trunk, so we started to just feel very uncomfortable.  He finally let us go when we didn’t change a word we said.  We were issued a warning for going over the speed limit (by 2 mph) and sent on our way.

We opted for another Best Western as we felt we deserved it after a couple of Motel 6 stays and that run in with the law.  We wandered over to The Museum Club, a log cabin looking bar, and bought three drinks at a time, as it was easier that way.  We proceeded to be asked to leave unless we bought tickets to see the rapper Afroman, so we bought tickets and decided stay.  We knew his stuff, thought it would be fun, and got in on that action.  We kept drinking, got some food from the food truck/whatever outside, and waited for the show.  His opening act came out, we weren’t familiar so we kept waiting with a few more drinks in hand.  By the time Afroman came on stage, we were in no mood to stay and needed to leave.  We heard one or two of his songs and snuck out.  Once back at the hotel, we cleaned up and prepared to battle it out with more booze and drinking games.  It was a long night and there were many arguments of which whiskey was better between Matt and Kevin.  The next day was rough, and I was the only one fit enough to drive in the morning.  I made many stops throughout Arizona and New Mexico so the guys could take a break and regain their senses.  It was starting to look like it would be a long drive home.  I specifically remember getting McDonald’s at some point between Flagstaff and Amarillo, but I couldn’t tell you where that was.

Our main goal was to drive through until we got home, with a stop in St. Louis for the Gateway Arch and Budweiser Brewing.  We basically took I-40 from Flagstaff all the way through to Oklahoma and then it got weird because we were tired and we wanted to also include Arkansas in our state count so we went out of the way to drive through the northwest corner.  The only thing I truly remember about this portion of the night was finding a retro looking Denny’s in the middle of nowhere and eating there, or maybe not eating there? I have no idea.  We made it to St. Louis by daybreak and visited the brewery and drove by the arch, but did not go up.  We ate an Applebee's just over the river into Illinois and then booked it home.  We were tired, burned out, and ready to off the road at this point.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This trip was planned to the max, with freedom in between the main points which is how I like to travel.  We took hundreds, if not thousands, of pictures which was far more than the year prior.  Our notes were not great, but they were existent which was miles ahead of the original tour.  The feeling of freedom was still there, but it was not exactly like the first trip.  We had more booze, more hotel stays, and more overall adventure, but none of it felt quite like the first time.  I realized this trip could not recreate the first one, but it sure did build on it and introduced me to National Parks and the Pacific Northwest.

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If you look at overall adventure, this trip had it all.  We encountered urban areas, scenic beauty, the ocean, the desert, the high desert, and the plains.  We spent a lot of time driving, and maybe too much time together in the car because of it.  This trip had a lot of tension in the beginning, but since we were stuck together for ten days we worked it out and got over ourselves.  We learned to love every minute and we tried to compromise to meet everyone’s expectations.  I think this trip helped me learn a lot about what I wanted out of a road trip and if you come back next week you’ll see a lot of that knowledge was applied to 2009.

Though this trip was more purposeful, we still didn’t take enough notes or photos to recall everything.  Not recalling everything isn’t always a bad thing, but it is nice to have some points of reference beyond just the memories.
 

Come back here next week and I’ll share Part Three of Four - the 2009 road trip.

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#WayBackWednesday - Part 1 of 4: The Four Trips that Started it All

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QUICK FACTS

What: MMK XC Tour (The Original)
When: March 2, 2007 through March 11, 2007
Where: Across 21 states
Who: Mike (me), Kevin (my friend & roommate), and Matt (friend)
Vehicle: 2007 Chevy Impala - white with a sunroof

FIRSTS

  • Car Rental

  • Mountains

  • Cross country road trip

  • Atlantic Ocean

  • Palm Trees

  • Crossing the Mississippi River

STATES

  1. Michigan

  2. Indiana

  3. Illinois

  4. Iowa

  5. Nebraska

  6. Colorado

  7. Utah

  8. Arizona

  9. New Mexico

  10. Texas

  11. Arkansas

  12. Louisiana

  13. Mississippi

  14. Alabama

  15. Florida

  16. Georgia

  17. South Carolina

  18. North Carolina

  19. Virginia

  20. West Virginia

  21. Ohio

 
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INTRODUCTION

The original.  Number One.  The one trip that can be replicated, but only in a physical sense. The MMK XC Tour of 2007.  I can’t even put into words how excited this trip made us feel at the time, or as it happened, but I’m going to try.  We were young, ready for adventure, and seemingly unstoppable.

This trip started with very few details, but had some main points of interest: We had a concert to attend in Chicago; plans to watch the newly released movie Wild Hogs along the way; plans to meet up with my friend in Grand Junction, Colorado; and then plans visit my grandparents in Gulf Shores, Alabama.  The path between those points was uncharted, for the most part, and would be left open to whichever way the wind blew that day.  We had Microsoft Streets & Trips with a GPS plug in and a laptop to track our route, a paper atlas for our main navigation, and plenty of music on discs we burned days before.

With little experience traveling beyond the bubble of the Great Lakes,  the sense of adventure was running high from mile one.  We had been as far as Chicago, but had no idea what to expect beyond that.  We had no idea it was going to be so flat and boring from Chicago to Denver and we had no idea how big the Rocky Mountains were going to be until we were driving through them.  The red rocks of western Colorado and Utah were strange to us, and the desert of New Mexico was like a different planet.

GRAND RAPIDS (home) to CHICAGO

We left Allendale, MI (technically where we lived, just west of Grand Rapids) on Friday, March 2 for Chicago.  We were going to see Nickelback at Allstate Arena while they were on their “All The Right Reasons” tour.  Yes, Nickelback.  No, I will not take any crap for that.  Performing with Nickelback was Three Days Grace and Breaking Benjamin.  It was a good show, that much I do recall, and very loud.  We pregamed the concert at a Chili’s nearby, drinking our Coors Light and still not realizing we were on the road trip of a lifetime.

On March 3 we met our friend that lived in DeKalb, IL for lunch at Fatty's Pub.  I noted that the Cajun potato salad was the best, so if you’re in DeKalb check it out and let me know - this was 11 years ago so I can’t promise anything.  There are pictures of us doing shots, probably one with an offensive name that has Baileys, Jameson, and Guinness and pictures of the Fatty's sign because it was an the style of a shamrock.  Kevin was playing the arcade Big Buck Hunter and it became a “thing” whenever it was spotted somewhere along the way.  We said goodbye and continued west.

CHICAGO TO GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO

We started west as the sun was setting.  Illinois became Iowa, and it was the first time for us to drive over the Mississippi.  It was kind of a big deal for a minute, and it was worth a few photos.  I-88 turned into I-80 and we were in one of the flattest places we’d seen.  On March 1st, a blizzard had moved through Nebraska and Iowa causing accidents along the freeway that were still there when we passed through days later.

After a long day of driving we stopped in Des Moines for dinner and a movie.  Wild Hogs was just released in the US and we were dying to see it.  The idea behind the movie may have inspired this road trip, but those details are fuzzy.  In Wild Hogs four longtime friends finally set aside the time and take a cross country road trip on their motorcycles.  We are only three guys, all we have is a Chevy Impala, but we’re headed across the country.  I remember enjoying the movie and being the one to drive that night.  We talked about the movie and one thing led to another and it was decided that we’d find the town from the movie when we got down to New Mexico.  We had to see if Madrid, NM was anything like the movie version, and it fit our overall theme for this trip to take the detour.

We drove across Iowa, then Nebraska, all in the darkness of night.  It was pretty straightforward, follow I-80 then head southwest on I-76.  We crossed into Colorado early in the morning, hitting Denver after sunrise.  The Coors Brewery, in Golden,  was still closed, so we kept pushing west and that’s when it hit us - the mountains.  We’d been seeing them as we crept around the north side of Denver, but there they were right on the road in front of us.  We had the perfect weather for seeing mountains for the first time - sunny with blue skies and mild temps.

After going through our first mountain tunnel, our first big stop in the Rockies was Georgetown, Co.  We went to the Gateway Visitor Center and took a few minutes to let all of the scenery sink in.  As we carried on, the mountains were getting bigger and we went through the long more impressive Eisenhower Tunnel, which was so exciting I took a video.  Think about it, you’re driving THROUGH a mountain, how cool is that?

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I can still remember our rest stop just west of Silverthorne, CO looking at the mountains and at each other with amazement in our eyes.  It was a surreal experience: the breeze blowing, sun shining, and the Rockies all around us.  Seeing the snow capped mountains, and standing in snow ourselves, was amazing but it just got better and better as we kept going.  Winding west, we passed Vail and Glenwood Springs and began the transition into the Western Slope where the mountains were a little smaller and the rocks a little more red.  We ended this leg of the trip at the Motel 6 in Grand Junction in the afternoon.  We met up with my friend, who had recently relocated from Michigan, and went bowling in the evening.  All in all, a good ending to one long and scenic drive.

GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO TO TERRELL, TEXAS

It was nice to see a familiar face along the cross country journey, but it was time for us to move on.  We hopped back on I-70 and pointed that Impala west.  We were soon entering Utah, and found one of my favorite rest stops to this day.  It had vault toilets and a nice path to a scenic view, what more could you want?  We had fun here, took a minute, and just enjoyed the sunshine.
Moving along, we wanted to go south towards New Mexico, so we exited I-70 and found ourselves on US-191 driving right past Arches, Canyonlands, and various other scenic gems.  This trip had no real plan and the more I research what our motives were, the less I find any at all.  We were less aware of where we were going and what we could have seen, and more focused on just being out and driving as far as we could without trouble.  One place we knew we wanted to see was the famous Four Corners.  We wanted to stand at the point where four states met and see how that felt.  Unfortunately, we arrived thirty minutes after the place closed.  This trip was during a  time before smartphones helped us know everything at all times; we were bummed but carried on.

To get to Four Corners we decided to go down through Arizona, to also add to our state count, and then back up towards Colorado.  We turned sound and went into New Mexico and decided it would be a good idea to find the town from Wild Hogs.  Madrid, NM was just south of Santa Fe and we pointed the car in that direction.  We ended up taking some less than smooth back roads, driving the rental car through a pothole the size of the car, and trying our best to follow the guidance of our atlas and Microsoft Streets & Trips.  I can’t be certain of the roads, as too much time has passed and the original file tracking our trip has gone missing, but I can assure you we found Madrid and it was very dark.  Our judgment was: it looks nothing like the town from the movie.  Looking back, it was dark and we had no idea what we were talking about because the movie was, in fact, shot right there in that town.  Either way, we passed through and headed back to the freeway into Albuquerque.  We connected with I-25, then I-40, and headed east to Amarillo, Texas.  (Amarillo by morning plays as we drive)

We stop at IHOP in Amarillo.  Shout out to IHOP and Denny’s for always being open which is great for three idiots on road trips at all hours of the night.  We left IHOP full and happy, heading south as the sun was rising.  We drove through Lubbock and ended up down on I-20 heading east.  We hit Fort Worth and Dallas traffic that afternoon and crawled through the big cities that, unknown to me at the time, would be my home four years in the future.  After sitting impatiently through Dallas traffic, we ended up Terrell at a Motel 6 because we needed some brews and some beds.  This is one of the nights from this trip that never leaves my memory.

The front desk called more than once, Matt and Kevin may have jumped the fence to swim in the neighboring hotel’s pool, and too much beer may have been consumed.  Terrell, Texas was just a preview of what was to come for the next two nights.

TERRELL, TEXAS TO GULF SHORES, ALABAMA

Our trek to Gulf Shores was easy and went by without any issues. We stopped in Louisiana to get photos at a rest stop, drove through New Orleans, through the tunnel in Mobile and then to Gulf Shores.  New Orleans was recovering from Hurricane Katrina, and those sights were still quite astounding.  When we got to the RV park where my grandparents were, they informed us they booked us a room at the Holiday Inn on the beach!  What a nice surprise it was, because we were going to find some dumpy, cheap hotel and be just fine.  Our room had an angled view of the ocean and there was a pool right on on the edge of the beach, it was the most “beach paradise” place I had experienced to date.  We walked down the road to FloraBama, a bar on the state line nearby, and explored the beach from there.

This was the first time I had seen the ocean, ever, and it was more gorgeous than I could have imagined.  The water was such a magnificent shade of blue or maybe turquoise, it changed with the light.  The beach was a brilliant white and the water was cool, but not too cold.  Being from the Great Lakes, we were used to cooler waters.  As a group, we spent more time in the pool and hot tub than anything, and really soaked up the sun.  When it got dark, the stars filled the sky above the ocean and it was one of those moments you can't’ forget.  We ate like kings in Gulf Shores, as my grandparents were there and treated us to a meal cooked at the RV and a meal out at a very colorful, local place called Papa Rocco’s.  I remember waiting forever to get in to Papa Rocco's and it being alive with music and laughter, I wonder if it's still that popular?  After three days and two nights on the beach, we had to set off for our drive back to Michigan.  I’m forever thankful for the experience my grandparents gave us with a beachfront hotel - really made the trip even more fun.

GULF SHORES, ALABAMA TO HOME

WIth only one real stop in Tallahassee at Florida State, we just spent the last miles driving up the east coast.  At Florida State, we visited a friend who had moved from Michigan and then toured the campus.  Matt really wanted to see the stadium, and so we did.  It was a nice campus, much different than our own college, which is always fun to see.

We made our way up through Georgia, the Carolinas, the Virginias, Ohio, and then to Detroit.  We saw a few funny, to us, signs and stopped at a few visitor centers, but nothing too exciting happened along this route.  The route did allow for some mountain cruising and at least one tunnel, which was fun, though we did not really explore any of the natural beauty.

By the time we hit Ohio, we were ready to be back home.  I can remember passing through as the sun was setting on the snowy farmland and it was bright and golden and it really felt like we were back in the Midwest.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS TRIP

  • A little bit of planning could be a good thing.  We missed beautiful places like National Parks and fun tourist attractions because we were winging it.  Going forward, researching a few things ahead of time would welcomed.

  • A road journal is necessary.  Quotes, points of interest, interesting observations, and a record of the trip are fun ways to look back and enjoy the memories even more.  Also, a road journal would have seriously helped in writing this blog post.

  • Rental cars are the best because they’re not yours and you don’t have to worry about breakdowns, mileage, wear and tear, etc.

  • Photography through the windshield isn't always great.  Stop, take it in, photograph it, and then move on.  We just kept going and going and didn't really stop to take photos or take in a moment.  Future trips had better photos, I promise!

The trip opened our eyes to the country and left us wanting more.  By completing the tour around the USA, we felt empowered to do this again and to see more.  It was something to talk about, something to brag about, and something to cherish forever.  To this day, I still talk about this first trip around the country as the “big break” for me getting into adventuring and road trips.  WIthout this experience, I wouldn’t have the next three spring break road trips and I wouldn’t have seen all of the places I have.  I’d have no idea what was out there in the same way, by previewing it with my own eyes.  The experience of driving, sleeping in the car, staying in motels, and tolerating passengers for 10 days is a life experience I would recommend to anyone wanting to do something different for their vacation.

Come back here next week and I’ll share Part Two of Four - the 2008 road trip.

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#WayBackWednesday - The Four Trips that Started it All (A Preview)

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Maybe it was due to the release of the movie "Wild Hogs" or maybe it was due to the fact that none of us had really been west of the Mississippi River, either way, one winter day it was decided that the three of us had to hit the road and see the country.

When I say the three of us I am referring to myself and my roommates Kevin and Matt.  Kevin and I were roommates for nearly 10 years and Matt lived with us for a few of them.  Kevin and I would road trip in the middle of the night for no reason, drive around Lake Michigan just to see how long it would take, and plow through a blizzard to IHOP 40 miles away at midnight just for coffee and breakfast.  Before moving to college, Matt who is a friend from way back, would swing by my house at 10pm and we’d ride around rocking out to our jams and discussing life while winding down all of the back roads in two counties.  It’s safe to say, these two were on board for adventures into the unknown.

Once it was decided that we’d take a road trip over spring break, the three of us decided to do a dry run for a few days around Lake Michigan in early January of 2007.  Unlike my journey with Kevin, which was 15 hours, this would be relaxed and include hotels and sightseeing to mock a real road trip.  We left one afternoon, drove up along the Lake Michigan coast and over eight hours later found ourselves at a cheap motel in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  We met a friend, got real local at a bar, and went to bed.  From there we meandered down through Wisconsin and decided to drive all day and into the night until we made it home.  The trip was a good idea overall by helping us understand our limits as far as driving, annoyances,  and hotel quality.

From January to February it was all planning, booking, and just plain getting excited.  The feeling you have when you know a road trip is on the horizon can’t be replicated; it’s almost overwhelming in the best way.  We booked the car, found all of the Motel 6 locations, and discovered Microsoft Streets and Trips.  Streets and Trips was a genius program, before Google Maps and such, that allowed you to create detailed road trips on a digital map with stops, length of day choices (a few hours or all night), average speed limit you’d be driving, gallons of gas your car held, and it had road construction updates.  Streets and Trips was so cool, it had a USB GPS attachment that you could suction to the back window and track the route via a laptop - HOW COOL IS THAT?  Google Maps is great, for saving locations, traffic, and discovering new places, but terrible for route planning in comparison to Streets and Trips.  Rest in peace, old program, you’re still gold to me.

With everything booked and ready to go, we set off on our Spring Break Road Trip of 2007.  We fondly named it the MMK Cross Country Tour and it could have easily been sponsored by Motel 6, Coors Light, and any number of gas stations with funny names.  This road trip, the first big trip beyond the Great Lakes, was monumental in creating desire to adventure further and left us wanting more when we returned home.  Over the next four weeks, I’ll highlight THE annual road trip from 2007-2010, introduce a few new people, and share endless stories and photos from the trips that shaped my adventurous spirit.

#WayBackWednesday - GVSU Overexposed

Back in July of 2007, my friend Anne and I would stay up late and walk from her off-campus apartment to campus and wander around.  We were creatures of the night who didn't sleep, loved to observe the night happenings, and needed the exercise.  I had just purchased a new point and shoot camera, a Panasonic DMC-FX3 to be exact, and was taking hundreds of photos every week just because I could.  I had never had a digital camera before, and this was before smartphones, so it was an exciting new toy for me.  On one of our many walks to campus at night, I decided to use the "long exposure" setting on the camera and take some photos around campus.  The range of exposure varied between 15 and 60 seconds.  I edited them, only slightly, mainly to straighten them out as they were taken by being propped up on something because I didn't own a tripod.  I adjusted the brightness on some, but didn't do too much else to enhance them at all.

These photos really take me back to the campus and brings up some good memories from my time at Grand Valley State University.  The campus is situated along the Grand River, west of Grand Rapids in SW lower Michigan.  We had corn fields, forests, and ravines surrounding us and it was glorious in the summer when everyone went home.  Enjoy the photos from my trip down memory lane.

Kirkhof Center from across the pond (has since been remodeled and has additions)

The iconic Cook Carillon Clock Tower

A view towards the performing arts center

One of the gardens on campus - looking magical and alien in the overnight light

That same garden, from a different angle

An art piece on campus

Mighty Maple

An empty Little Mac Bridge which spans a large ravine through campus

Have they come to collect us?

#WayBackWednesday - Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Camping in Palo Duro Canyon State Park was a highlight from spring of 2017.  Looking back through my photos, I didn't even capture the immense beauty of the canyon but sure did get some great shots from our hikes and our campsite.  If you get the chance, it's one of the most beautiful places in Texas and is worth a visit!  This place was Hike #6 of my 2017 52 Hike Challenge and you can read more about the adventure and see more photos HERE.

#WayBackWednesday - Big Bend

I've been thinking of Big Bend often and I can't wait to schedule a trip back out there.  The park entrance is about 7.5 hours from my house, with another hour or so of driving within the park to get to the Chisos Basin Campground.  Big Bend is HUGE and it can easily take all day to drive through if you're stopping for little hikes and viewpoints - as we did.  I'd really enjoy going back to spend time exploring one area or backpacking a specific trail. Being honest with myself, I'll go back in any way I can and with anyone willing to enjoy the experience.  Here are some photos from a trip in January of 2014 with my other half and one of our best friends. 

Classic entrance sign photo

A view while driving down into Big Bend

Morning views from the campsite in Chisos Basin Campground

More driving views

Rio Grande!

Sotol Vista Overlook views

Santa Elena Canyon views

Santa Elena Canyon Trail friendship selfie. <3

#WayBackWednesday - Cedar Breaks National Monument

In honor of booking my flight for the 2nd Annual BFF Adventure, I'm throwing it back to our 1st annual trip.  I originally planned a solo excursion to Utah, but my BFF Molly decided to go and now it's an annual adventure for us.  Once spot we visited last year really stuck out for me and that was Cedar Breaks National Monument.  What a breathtaking, intense, and gorgeous place to feel small.  While I don't see us getting back to Cedar Breaks, I'll always have these memories - so enjoy a few photos.

Classic sign picture

View from the rim

Spectra Point - was a bit overwhelming to feel so high above the hoodoos

What do you spy with your little eye?

This year, we'll be hitting the ground in Utah again!  Molly has not been to Arches National Park, so we'll spend the majority of our time there.  I hope to hike to Delicate Arch right away, before crowds and heat, and then hit up the rest of the park after that.  So much to do, so little time!  Where is your favorite place in Utah?  After a Saturday in Arches, what would you recommend for half a Sunday?  Comment your idea or send me an email!  As always, thanks for following along and happy trails!

#WayBackWednesday - An August Weekend

At the cottage with my grandparents was one of my favorite places to be.  We always went on boat rides in the evenings, during cocktail hour before dinner, and spent the days prior soaking up the sun or swimming after yard work.  I miss being so close to the cottage, I miss Phil, I miss their old dog Abbey.  Things have changed so much, but I will never forget the good times that are frozen in time with these photos from August of 2009.  Forever my favorite place, with some of my favorite people.

The back of our family's cottage - my grandparents lived out here from late spring til fall.

View of the cottage from the front, out on the water.

Coreopsis - my grandmother's favorite

Clematis crawling all over the garage

My "step" grandfather (he was part of my life 1991 til his death this year) and my grandmother, on our evening cocktail pontoon cruise

Abbey the dog, in some of her best years.  This dog was just the best - lovable, fun, friendly, and always up for a boat ride.

Crescent Island - out in front of our cottage.

Nothing caps off a day on the lake quite like a sunset over the bay.

#WayBackWednesday - Grand Canyon North Rim!

This week, the Grand Canyon North Rim opens for visitors.  It's a special place, and it's only open until early October.  I visited in October of 2011, and it was magic.  The aspens were yellow, the sun was bright, and the crowds were minimal.  This was my first time seeing the Grand Canyon, and it set a pretty high standard for the South Rim.  I finally visited the South Rim in 2013, and I must say the North Rim is my favorite but they're both spectacular.  Can't wait to make a trip back to the North Rim, but until then I'll just enjoy the memories through these photos.  I hope you you can find the time and resources in your life to visit this special place - it'll take your breath away in person.  Enjoy the photos and have a great hump day.

We arrived in the evening, here's the moon over the Grand Canyon.

Good morning North Rim!

October 2011 - Yellow aspens, snow on the ground.... almost closing time for the North Rim.

#WayBackWednesday - Delicate Arch

In today's look back, I'm going to Arches.  I've been there a few times, but one of the best visits included the hike to Delicate Arch in 2010.  This was back when I was still pretty inexperienced with hiking, so I remember the trek getting to the arch pretty vividly.  We hiked over expansive red rock surfaces, across streams of melting snow, and through snow that still existed in the shade.

Once at the arch, you realize that rock formation you saw from distance is HUGE.  It's overwhelmingly large, actually.  Stand there, at Delicate Arch, you feel small in only a way the best things in nature can do.  The red rock swirls around, there are formations in the distance, and mountains through the clouds.  We were lucky, the sun came out and it didn't rain/snow on us like it was off in the distance.

A year prior, my friend and I camped at Arches NP and hiked to many of the other popular landscapes, but the hike to Delicate Arch always sticks with me.  For more information on the hike, history, etc, check out this link to the NPS website.

Where have you hiked that left a particularly memorable impression?

#WayBackWednesday - My first visit to the Pacific Coast

In 2007, I saw the Atlantic Ocean for the first time.  Two of my friends and I were on a road trip to see the country because we grew up in Northern Michigan without many trips out.  When I tell stories about adventure or finding my passion for public lands, they all start with this road trip in 2007.  I was 23 years old, didn't know what I wanted to do with myself, and was STILL in school because I was afraid to move on/got real lazy towards the end.  The trip of 2007, that had me seeing mountains, deserts, and the ocean for the first time really did change my perspective on life. 

Since the 2007 trip was adventurous and successful, we wanted more for 2008.  In 2007 we planned a bit, but much of it was improvisation.  For 2008, we planned a bit more and added thousands of miles to the itinerary to include a variety of landscapes.  In 2008, I saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time.  Ten years and one month ago, I was driving south on US-101 from Washington to Redwood National & State Parks.  To this day, I can remember one of the morning drives and the smell of the sea air.  My first visit to the Pacific Northwest/Pacific Coast was memorable to say the least.  We stopped at many little beaches, got our feet wet, and watched the sun dance on the water.  Here are a few photos from that time in 2008 that continued to change my outlook on life, one gorgeous rest stop after another.  Is it any wonder why I've been obsessed with the Pacific Northwest since 2008?

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