Home again, home again (Day 16 - 07/05)

I got home just after 3:00 ET this afternoon and the final count on the tripometer was 6,911 miles. The BMW and I are trying to catch our breath, and I'm sure Robert is as well now that he is in Alaska. I'm going to sort thru images and post them on Facebook. Be sure to check for them!

There's no place like home (Day 16 - 07/05)

I'm just south of Nasville and I'm thrilled that I'll be home in about 2.5 hours! I'm claiming the left lane from here on.... and I plan to brake for nobody.

Those aren't fireworks... (Day 15 - 07/04)

Kansas Highway Patrol stopped me this morning for driving in the left lane. Apparently one's presence in the coveted left lane is restricted to the brief instance during which one is passing a vehicle in the right lane.

After some initial questioning there were soon three officers pulled in behind me and I was told to wait in front of the car while the serial number on one item was called in and the car was searched. About 20 minutes later I was freed to go.

Miles traveled: 6,025
Speeding tickets: 0
Violation Warnings: 1

Independence Day (Day 15 - 07/04)

Robert made it to Alaska last night and I drove across east Colorado into Kansas. Today I'm driving across the mid-west, planning to stop in Illinois tonight. (Where better to spend the 4th of July than the heartland of America, right?)

During our day in Denver yesterday we reflected on the lessons learned during our road trip and compiled a list of pointers:

DO:
* Pack warm clothes (i.e. long sleeves and layers) when camping in Montana and Wyoming -- even if it is officially Summer
* Check your sleeping bag for unwelcome guests before going to sleep
* Stay at the Old Faithful Resort Inn
* Investigate lodging alternatives within Glacier National Park
* Book your accomodations as early as possible as everywhere books up quickly
* Check your fuel gauge -- and do so often
* Bring extra memory and batteries for your digital camera
* Take a power invertor and cigarette light power splitter/hub
* Update the maps on your GPS before you leave
* Purchase a NPS annual pass if you plan on visiting several parks (It saves you money and time)
* Consider driving a Subaru Outback (Best all-around vehicle for touring/ camping/ light off-road duty)
* Equip the vehicle with multiple entertainment sources (satellite radio, music player, laptop/DVDs)
* Have wireless Internet capabilities (It's invaluable: don't leave home without it!)

DON'T:
* Stop at the -first- pull off in any park
* Stop for food (or anything else for that matter) in Browning, Montana
* Camp at St. Mary's Campground in Glacier National Park
* Camp at all if you are traveling in a sports coupe
* Wear pocketless clothing on travel days
* Let the roads in Montana tempt you into traveling at autobahn speeds

I hope everyone is having a great 4th of July! Happy 233rd Birthday America

Chillin' in LoDo (Day 15 - 07/03)

We're out and about exploring lower downtown Denver, Colorado this afternoon. Right now we are traversing the 16th Street Mall. We just stopped in at Rialto Cafe for lunch.

Rocky Mountain High (Day 14 - 07/02)

Today we drove across Colorado and visited the Rocky Mountain National Park. The temperature was lingering around 80 before we entered the park and by the top we got to the top of the mountains it had dropped into the 40s. We entered the park from the west and were immediately greeted with road construction and delays. As we got closer to the top the roads became clear but the weather did not. The wind picked up and scattered rain showers crossed across the mountain tops. The fog was so thick at the top of the mountain it was difficult very far in front of the car. We stopped in three of the visitor centers as we drove all the way thru the park.

After leaving the park we headed southeast to our final stop of our journey, Denver. Since we left Chattanooga on 06/19 we've traveled approximately 5,700 miles. Tomorrow evening Robert leaves for Alaska. After I drop him off at the airport I'll begin my drive home. By the time I get back to Chattanooga, the total miles traveled will exceed 7,000.

It has been a great time these last two weeks. We are going to compile a list of recommendations and lessons learned and post them to share with everyone. I hope you've enjoyed sharing in the road trip with us.

The Golden Arches (Day 13 - 07/01)

Our journey took us east this morning. One stretch of I-70 spanned 108 "service-free" miles in the desert. Thankfully we had plenty of fuel, having filled up not long after we left Beaver. Just after our tripometer rolled over 5,000 miles we arrived at Arches National Park (ANP) in Moab, Utah. We drove all the way thru the park and then began hiking at the Devil's Garden trailhead. We view the Tunnel, Pine Tree, and Landscape arches before hiking back to the car. We drove back thru the park and stopped to hike to the Skyline Arch. We probably didn't make the wisest decision by wearing jeans today since we ended up hiking in the 100+ degree weather, but it really didn't bother us since the heat was coupled with low humidity. We got some looks from some folks who obviously weren't used to heat and felt jeans were not appropriate.

Arches National Park

After leaving ANP, we continued eastward to the Colorado National Monument. We drove thru the park and stopped off at Independence Monument View and Artists' Point to take some pictures of the canyon. We exited thru the east entrance and made our way into Grand Junction, Colorado, where we're staying tonight.

Colorado National Monument

Tomorrow morning we continue driving east. We'll be visiting the Rocky Mountain National Park, and then heading to Denver where we'll be staying tomorrow night.