The Layover

IMG_4991So I’m officially on my way to China- and it’s a long, long way. In writing this, my friend’s guiding words about blogs rings in my ears- and I apologize ahead of time that this will mostly be an update-on-what I’m doing blog for the next little while. I’ve attempted to write about the lesser known destinations along US roads so far- and that will continue as I travel along the world’s asphalt, but there may be less of that in the next month, so bear with me!
Flying isn’t easy to me anymore- and getting up at 3:30 am isn’t a great way to start the day. Luckily, the smooth RnB my cabbie had playing put me in a better mood (like, I’m serious). Syracuse airport is quickly becoming a favorite airport of mine- I like that it’s smaller, but it’s developing some really good connections, making it my now-preferred departure airport (as opposed to getting down to JFK to save some money- the now-relatively low cost of flying out of SYR now makes that trip obsolete).
One hour to Detroit. Myself and the maybe tallest guy in Syracuse are sat next to each other, in an endless “who’s shoulder should be in front?” battle. Interesting guy who lost an eye in a honey accident. As you can imagine, we then chatted the whole flight.
Connecting in Detroit was anticlimactic. The flight to Seattle, however was pretty entertaining. I managed to fall asleep, only to be woken up by a small Chinese toddler unbuckling my seatbelt. Slightly startled by the aggressive little bugger, I scanned for his owner, only to find his grandma filming the interaction on her iPad.  This actually happened. We laughed, and our whole little section played with him for most of the flight in a very it-takes-a-village-to-keep-an-infant-from-ruining-this-flight sort of way.
In Seattle I left the concourse to visit my friend Jenn, who brought breakfast (YES!!!). This is where it gets interesting. Sitting at a table within eyesight of the security line, I gave myself an hour to get back in line. In the most frustrating security line experience of my life, this hour was not enough, and I officially missed my flight to Shanghai. Sometimes even people who travel a lot can make silly mistakes. Or, ya know, the guy in front of me who ignored the constant barrage of instructions, seemed to still decide bringing two liters of water on the plane was a good idea, and when told that wasn’t allowed, denied he would stand there, in front of the scanner, and drink his water. Kill. Me.
A blessing in disguise, Delta (for once) was pretty good about it, and booked me on the same flight the next day. I ended up being able to have a really nice evening with my family at home, sleep in a comfy bed (thanks Danielle), and return to SEATAC refreshed, and very, very, very early.
I guess the message is that sometimes things just go wrong. Plans unfold, and inconvenience happens (either our fault entirely, or not at all). All we can do is be flexible, have a good attitude, and move forward. And, finally, sometimes what we see as a bad outcome can end up being just what you needed.
Until next time!

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.

Hills outside of El Paso on Rt. 180 Happy 10K Geronimo Rt 180, Texas

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.

From Rt 180, as the landscape unfolds. Picnic Area Rt 180, TX

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.

Guadeloupe Mountains National Park El [otro] Capitan The view from Guadeloupe Mountains

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.

Texas Rt. 54 Along Texas Rt. 54 Near where Texas Rt. 54 meets I-10

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

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!

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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