Western Texas

[slider effect="fade" pausetime="3000" autoplay="true" navigation="true"][/slider] I've heard it said before that Texas is 'God's Country'. I usually passed that off as good 'ol Texan egocentricity (come on, you know it's true!), but the roads I travelled today revealed nothing but huge, open expanses. It all felt so big, and I felt very...very small. I guess that kind of countryside is God-like, so I'll give them that.

From El Paso, where I woke up on a strangers couch (this was planned, and not a post-drunken state), I first had to fix the fact that my trunk was no longer closing. Thank you Home Depot. I was then faced with the choice of hopping onto I-10 right now, or take a little round-about way and eventually get to the interstate. Those who know me, know I chose the latter, and I'm glad of it.

I got onto Route 180, which spans from Hudson Oaks, TX to Valle, AZ, a massive E-W expanse of road, across an even bigger expanse of countryside. The road from El Paso quickly climbed into some hills, where I stopped and celebrated the 10 thousand mile mark of this road trip.

At the top, everything opened up to what can only be described as highland plateau, with distant mountains ranges keeping it all in. Truly beautiful.

I followed Rt. 180 into Guadaloupe Mountain National Park, which is more of "an area that the road now happens to be in", similar to Teton. The face of El [otro] Capitan steals the horizon, and from beneath it, a great view of the plain below unfolds.

I turned back from the park about 7 miles, and got onto Texas Rt 54, which would bring me to 1_10 in about 55 miles. Along the way though, I got an even closer look at the great hills that surrounded this great plateau/valley situation. This road was highlighted in green on my AAA mea, so I knew I was in for a scenic treat.

In VanHorn, Tx, where Rt 54 meets I-10, I naturally had lunch at this place...it looked pretty classic "American Road Trip".

Finally I-10, one of the true cross country monster roads. The region of Texas it crosses is mostly a dry scrubland, with rolling hills, though as you approach San Antonio, it becomes more lush with some deciduous trees. This road was so...long. Seriously, it took forever to reach [not even] San Antonio area. It's an 80 mph highway, and gets pretty... well, have good music if you do it. It's a beast, and I don't have many pictures to show for it.

Hope you're enjoying my travels of our American roads, and you can pick up some tips and ideas for your next road trip!

Yellowstone National Park

Grand Teton

[slider effect="fade" pausetime="3000" autoplay="true" navigation="true"][/slider] Behold, I had to leave the familiar U.S. Route 20 inside Yellowstone and begin my journey south to Salt Lake City. From the southern end of Yellowstone Park, route 191 takes you past Grand Teton National Park. This is most certainly one my favorite spots in America. The road winds easily past a beautiful glass lake with the first glimpses of jagged mountain peaks in the background. The road soon straightens out and fields of golden shrubs and Ash trees unfold, with the Snake River winding to the west, and before you know it, the Grand Tetons are in full glory. These magnificent and recognizable peaks have served as a guiding light for centuries. From the first peoples, to the western explorers, to famous photographers such as Ansel Adams- these peaks stand out amongst the rest in their scope and raw beauty.

There is not much for me to say in this post. I stopped every so often to simply sit and stare. At one point, about 20 miles north of Jackson, Wyoming, I parked my car and looked up at those peaks for about an hour. I didn't take a photo. I didn't pull out my phone. I just stared. It's not often that I think something is truly awesome, but it doesn't surprise me when it's mother nature, and in this little spot, it truly was these mountains.

After my awe-inspiring moment under those hills, I stopped in Jackson for some BBQ, and continued southward until it turned dark. I crashed at the nearest motel I could find vacancy in, and the next day I drove to Salt Lake City (the drive did not offer anything too spectacular,

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Into Yellowstone

[slider effect="fade" pausetime="3000" autoplay="true" navigation="true"][/slider]As the Snake River Valley of Idaho now lay most behind me, I had a choice to make. I was due in Salt Lake City in just a few days. Up here on Route 20 (This is all about following these roads, after all) outside of Idaho falls, I reminded myself that second chances come less often than I'd like them to. It was time to see Yellowstone National Park. Established in 1872, at at roughly 3,468 square miles (thanks Wikipedia), this is the granddaddy and crown jewel of the National Park System and, although I'm destined to return here with a camper-van full of yelling kids, it was time to see it on my own. I spent the night in West Yellowstone, pretty much the main option for jumping into the park. It's certainly the most convenient and "developed", but that means you won't be alone. No, no. You, most of the touring National Lampoons vacationers, and about half the population of China are here as well. Better book ahead. Luckily, not too many people were renting tent-sites, so I was in luck when The Rustic Wagon RV/Camp ground had a plot available to me. In fact, although I'm hesitant to pay for a spot to camp in the first place, this place was fantastic. Granted, my campsite consisted of a small plot of dirt and gravel, the real winner here were the showers. When you've camped for a while, you know how precious these are. Clean, spacious public restroom with a hot, high pressured shower was just what I needed.

Next morning, I woke up bright and early, packed up, and headed to the Running Bear Pancake House. My God in Heaven it was marvelous. I'm a huge diner fan in general, and this was just the perfect dose of rustic, home-grown cookin' to get you started. Do not miss the boysenberry sauce. Alas, finally, Yellowstone.

I entered the gates at around 7am, and although I was nervous I'd already fall behind the morning rush, I still beat the crowd and drove on in. Be warned that the lack of crowds are made up for for the abundance of morning fog, so don't expect to see too many vistas right away. It made for some great photography though, so that's not a complaint.

Once the sun started beaming through, I really had a fantastic time driving around. I went right at the fork from West Yellowstone- there is essentially one large circular loop in the middle of the park that hosts most of the attractions. So, as such, I headed south along this route. I came across several elk herds, sulfur springs, geysers (some not so faithful, and some pretty old faithful), and lots of bison. There really doesn't seem to be too wrong a way to do it. I did a large counter-clockwise circle, and after repeating the first section, left the park southward by way of Grand Teton National Park.

Since this is all about following various roads and where they take you, it comes to my attention that U.S. Route 20 has become one my most travelled roads, and for good reason. The truth of the matter is that Route 20 holds a special place in my heart. It ran about 5 minutes behind my house growing up. I used to travel it on the way home from college on breaks. And, as my family has gravitated toward the city of Boston as our favorite East-coast city, we always boasted in seeing the end of it. I've already mentioned seeing the other end in Oregon, yet here I was another time. It's incredible to think that one stretch of pavement can take you past so much. Here I was, with geysers on my right, a few bison on the left, and high, snow-capped peaks in front of me. All I had to do was get back on that road and I could drive home. I never that that the road behind my house (with cows on one side and corn fields on the other) could take me so far away. Yet here I was. It's truly incredible. We're never too far from a great adventure!

Into Idaho

[slider effect="fade" pausetime="3000" autoplay="true" navigation="true"][/slider] I spent last night in Boise, Idaho, but I'l back up a few hours to tag the end of my last post "Eastern Oregon". I reached the end of the vast, beautiful, almost-nothingness that is eastern Oregon, and entered Idaho near Ottawa, OR. I kid you not, I rolled my windows down and I could smell potatoes. I wanted that to be a figment of my imagination, but I took several minutes trying to pinpoint the earthy smell, and once "potato" came into my mind, it was all over. Alas, Idaho was already living up to its reputation. To be fair, about 20 miles later, I could smell onions. I'm not sure if that helps or hurts, it's just a fact.

OK! As far as lodging goes, I couch surfed  right in downtown Boise ( a small, school friendly neighborhood in the north section, right against the hills). I am always very thankful for organizations that attempt to bring travelers together and make it easy to move around. I had great hosts, with a nice, comfy couch. We shared a great love for breakfast food, so the next morning, upon their suggestion, I went to Goldy's Breakfast Bistro (warning, music), where I sat at the bar next to a very talkative former congressional lawyer/dean of students at the law school. She was very nice, and we laughed about student debt and the American job market. You never know who you'll meet, and a conversation is always worth the time and effort.

After breakfast I walked downtown a little bit. I's a small downtown, with the Capitol building standing quite prominently, making for a nice, clean, stately feel to it all. The Idaho hills are a nice backdrop to boot. I then went on a (very) sort hike to the top of a little ridge behind the city called the Camel's Back. It's a quick jaunt that offers a rewarding view of the city and the valley that hosts Boise.

I moved onward and upward, continuing on I-84 until Bliss, ID, where I jumped off to detour to Hagerman, where I spotted the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument. It resulted in visiting the monument visitor centre (smack in middle of downtown Hagerman, pop. 872). In all due respect, it was anticlimactic, but it got me off the highway, which I enjoy.

I crossed over I-84, and onto Route 26 heading East, met up (again!) with Route 20. This entire region (and essential the entirety of populated southern Idaho) courses alongside the Snake River valley. That means a nice, relatively flat drive, with mountains to my side. It was beautiful.

I stopped into Craters of the Moon National Monument, the day's travel goal. The entire Snake River valley, extending the width of southern Idaho and into Wyoming, is a remnant of successive volcanic activity and caldera formation. Calderas have formed ever few million or hundred thousand years (or something) heading eastward. In this region of Idaho, what remains is lava rock...as far as you can see. Cue weeping settlers on the Oregon Trail (no, really, there are signs depicting struggling settlers). Also, cue the government deciding to preserve the area because it's pretty neat, and for once, I'd agree with their opinion.

The park is a quick drive, with several stoping points for small hikes (walks, really) into the lava beds themselves (lava rock, not actual lava). The contrast of the black rock against the blue sky and tan hills was quite remarkable. A couple spots allowed you to hike up to the top of some of the volcanic spires (mounds, really), offering some nice views. Appreciate photos, if you will =).

After finishing there, I continued on Route 20 until I hit Idaho Falls. Of note, I passed through a town called Arco, the first town in the world to be powered by nuclear energy. Also of note, a town proud of the fact that every high school class since 1920 has painted their graduation year onto the hill sides #seniormoments.

I arrived in Idaho falls early evening, and I had an exciting travel epiphany. I didn't need to be in Utah for another 2 days, and there is a particularly famous national park very close by. So with that, I made the decision to head East and North en route to Yellowstone. I got there just before sunset, and was introduced to the fact that the town of West Yellowstone is a jam, packed, tourist-dependent machine. Not that I should have expected something differently, I guess that's just a fact. I was able to secure a tent spot at a camp grounds at the entrance of town. They had phenomenal shower rooms actually. The man on duty had a thick drawl, dirty, worn denim all over his body, and a trucker hat that was at least placed into a gas tank for a week, I'm guessing. He went off about how the Chinese are taking over, and will soon run Yellowstone. Keep dreaming my friend.  So, with that, I bedded down for the night, ready to explore the great symbol of America the next day. Until next time!