the drive home

we made the decision after
rocky mountain national park
to just drive home

there is really nothing to see
in nebraska and iowa so why not just drive
straight through for about 23 hours

my dad was a trooper and drove for about four hours
through most of colorado
i took over just before the nebraska border
i found the tigers/yankees game
and had to keep jumping channels as it went in and out

i was making good time with the cruise control
when all of sudden there were lights in my back window
i was pissed since i was not speeding

the state trooper was of course a real dick
he threw a hissy fit when we couldnt find the registration
claimed i was above the limit
i told him but i had the cruise on

he made me go sit in his cruiser
while interogated my dad
when he came back
he was a real asshole with me
i felt like he was pushing my buttons to get a reaction
i somehow kept my mouth shut
finally after an enternity
he says he is going to do me a favor
and just give me a warning
well no shit we both knew i wasnt speeding

so i ask him
what did you clock me at since the cruise was on
he says oh you were honest about that
yeah i was
so mumbles 77

first he is a liar
second seriously 77 in a 75
what a jackass

so he gives me license back
and i said can i have my insurance card
i dont have that he says all dickish
well what is that on your dashboard
of course it was my card and my dads license

i got printed warning of excessive speed
no mention it was a 77 in a 75
jackass

i was so pissed
i vowed not to spend a dime in nebraska
it is a big f-ing state
i made it to iowa hours later with 11 miles to e
would have pushed my car across the state line
before i bought gas in nebraska

dad took over
and i few hours later he got pulled over
i was like seriously you were going 67
he says well the sign said 55

this cop took one look
knew the score
he didnt ask for my license
and when i said i couldnt find the registration
he asked whose car was it
i said it was my mine

comes back a few minutes later
warns my dad to keep it down and to get home safe
no ticket

may iowa always beat nebraska in football for the rest of time

i took back over a little before the illinois border
bought gas outside joliet
and dad insisted we eat at dennys

it took forever
waitress took money off the bill

i kept driving but about 45 min later
i was done and couldnt kept my eyes open

dad made it through chicago and half of indiana
i took over and drove the rest of the way home

in the end my trip went 8,571 miles
i passed the warranty on my new car as the trip started at 8,000 miles
and now sits at 16,571

Rocky Mountain National Park

we spent monday
at rocky mountain national park

we drove trail ridge road
the reviews of the road made it sound
white knuckle

i guess everything is relative
not saying there werent a few spots
where the edge of the cliff was inches from the road
but after driving
bearstooth
pikes peak
yosemite
and idaho
trail ridge road was no worries

i knew it was near impossible to see a bear
unlikely to see a moose
but i was hoping to see a bighorn or at least an elk
but no luck in even seeing a marmot

it was still a beautiful ride
seeing the mountains and scenery

at the end we went on a hike to a waterfall
it started to rain
but it wasnt too bad
dad took his shoes off and wandered into the stream
above the waterfall and left a 2011 penny on a rock

Pikes Peak

we "slept" in a walmart parking lot
it was the worst sleep i had the whole trip

the extra few inches from the front passenger seat being reclined
somehow makes a huge difference
and the lights in the parking lot was like constant spotlight

we drove to colorado springs
southside johnnys was the browns bar
it was their first year their as their old bar closed
it was a large room with 50 fans
seemed to be good people
unlike sf and vegas
they were friendly

as for the browns
they suck
they are the suckiest bunch of sucks that have ever sucked

pikes peak was cool however
dad drove
it is 19 mile drive up to over 14,000 feet
he took his time
a parade formed behind us
but he wasnt pulling over
they said not to stop til the top
and then stop on the way down
i would estimate 25 cars backed up behind us
some were real jerks about it too at the top

dad really wanted a i drove to the top bumper sticker
but they didnt have them
just ones about needing oxygen

on the way down we made several stops
he climbed to the top of some rocks
along the cliff
be sure to check out fb

we ran out of daylight before getting to
rocky mountain national park
tempted to just head home
but dad overruled and got a hotel room

so we will take the trail ridge drive tomorrow
before starting back east

debating taking 70 or 80
70 seems to be two hours longer
but it will be much longer because more stops
there aint much to stop for on 80
i have driven that before

New Mexico

we began the day at
the painted desert and petrified forest

the signs and brochures did a lot of judging and editorializing
apparently the citizens of the 19th and 20th centuries
did a fine job of lifting most of the artificats from
what is now the national park

you tell me if you find yourself in a desert
and there is valuable crystals and petrified wood
just lying around – tell you aren’t going to pick it up

hell the only reason i didn’t do it today
was the fear of a big fine or being embarrassed if
they searched my car
that shit is cool of course i wanted some

up next was albuquerque
and i didn’t make a single bugs bunny joke
i am sure there are lots of cool stuff in albuquerque
instead we took pics of place from breaking bad

it is one show that my dad and i have watched
most episodes together

the chicken place on the show is really the exterior
of burrito place and the carwash is a real carwash called octopus
both are actually chains

on the way to santa fe
there was a national monument called
kasha-katuwe tent rocks
gps did not recognized it
there was no address
and no signs on the interstate

sort of guessed on the exit
nearly turned around when we found the sign

on the way in
we saw a group of buffalo
just hanging out on the other side of a fence

there was some rough road to drive on
and in the middle of the park
was private land

we went for a hike around the one mountain/hill
there was a higher trail
and my dad saw some people at the top
i could tell he really wanted to go
but it was hot and i had done no research
the trail was hidden from view
and the map said very steep climb
didn’t want to take any chances

we got to santa fe around 630pm
drove through the art gallery district
must have been 50 of them
we were too tired and hungry
to stop and look through them
headed to the plaza
and walked past the governors palace
twice before figuring out that was it

it said was the oldest public building in the country
from 1610
there was an old catholic church
that looked pretty modern
we couldn’t find the orginal church entrance
it was locked up pretty good

there was circular labyrinth
which of course my dad could not resist walking over

it got dark quit
we decided to drive three more hours
into colorado
so the drive in the morning is only 3 hours as well
to colorado springs

typing this while my dad drives
there is a fly in the car
i have killed it three times
and yet it is still buzzing around
annoying me

crap
i forgot to change my fantasy football lineup
hope there is internet in the morning

Grand Canyon West or it rains in the desert

the gate to the petrified forest is automatic
and it does not open until 7am
so we are waiting

began the day in vegas with an oil change
there were over 5,320 miles so far on the trip
at that point so it was needed

the sticker says next change 16,320
which will happen within the week
bought the car new in march
and the warranty was 15,000 or three years
well goodbye warranty

from vegas we drove to grand canyon west
which includes nine miles of unpaved rough road
it was rather bumpy

the site is on a reservation
they charge you over 40 to enter
and then over 30 more
to go on the skywalk

it is a rather large ripoff
they wont let you take phones or cameras on the walkway
and when you are on it
the staff photographers make you move so they can pose
the people willing to pay for photos

it is one thing to get scammed but at least
be nice to me while you do it

the “gatekeeper” was such a tool
after listening to him bark rude commands
told him that respect would go a long way
and he actually answered
it would in shitty shitty way

it was a bad taste
and big waste of money

it was slightly redeemed
by the bus taking us to guano point before back to the car
yes bat shit point
we climbed a hill and at the very top
one person at a time could
see the grand canyon west
360 degrees unimpeded
when i got to the top
the wind started blowing big time
and it was tough to stay there

the drive from the skywalk
was a bit harrowing
dad drove
first with the cloud cover and the shadows
it was almost like sunset at 4

then it started raining
in the desert
did not rain hard
but water started collecting on the road
and you could see it collect along side the road
and there were 100 signs warning of a flash food area

it started lightening
one hit the desert like a meotor
you could see an explosion from
where it hit the ground

we did not drown in a flash flood

after seeing no signs of life for a long time
there was a fairly big town at the end
we ate a chilis

i then drove fours hours or so
to the gate of petrified forest
which still has about a half hour til it opens
its automatic gate

plan is forest then it is four hours to albuquerque
then on to santa fe
found to possible places to crash one in new mexico
and one in Colorado depending on how late it gets

found a browns bar in colorado springs for the game
then pikes peak and the rocky mountains on sunday