"Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that, and all will be well"
Gautama Buddha
I guess we've finally come to the concluding leg of this trip. I've been on the road for over a month and its time to head back. I last left you at a coffee shop in Boulder. Shortly after submitting my post, I headed south to Denver where I stayed with Ian Case. For those who do not know, Ian and I go way back to Kernsville Elementary school and Indian Guides. He moved out this way for college and has stayed out here since. Its understandable why someone would have trouble leaving this area. The Rockies are Denver's backyard with endless possiblities for outdoor activities.
I got into town fairly late, we caught up and then called it a night. Ian worked the next day, so I had to find my own trouble. I started the day with breakfast at a small diner in the southern area of the city. Its a fairly large city and where Ian lives is a few miles from the main down town area. Not feeling like dealing with traffic and parking I opted to take the Light Rail to the 16th Street Mall, Denver's version of San Antonio's River Walk (though no river). I figured this would be a good place to start to find stuff to do. One of the problems once I got down there was that there is really nothing specific in Denver that you have to see. A very friendly security guard must have sensed this and asked if I needed help. He gave me a few suggestions including the zoo and art museum. The art museum seemed like a good idea, so I headed to the Civic Center Park. When I got there I suddenly remember how much I really do not like museums so instead I just walked around the parks. There was an overcast (surprise, clouds in the sunniest city in the US when I happen to be there) so the city was not looking at its best. I managed to kill a lot of time and headed back to Ian's and waited for him to come home.
After resting for a bit, it was time to head back out. Ian, myself and one of his work buddies headed downtown for dinner at the Wynkoop Brewery and then a fairly tame evening of bar hopping. Denver is an interesting city. It does not seem to have a well defined culture like San Fran or New Orleans. Its population seems very young and physically active (runners and bikers everywhere) but somewhat homogenous. There are a ton of bars and restaurants and then that's about it. Oh and it smells like marijuana at night time, after all it is the first state to legalize it. There seemed to be medical marijuana suppliers everywhere. And thats about all I learned from Denver. Though my intentions were really to visit Ian. It was great catching up, as we've only seen each other a few of times over the last 11 years.
The next morning, I left and made my way to Kansas City. I had been warned this drive would be terrible. I set up my route on my phone and sheer dread came over me when Siri's voice came on and said continue on this road for the next 579 miles. That was my day today, nearly 10 hours of driving through one of the flattest states along the straightest section of I-70. All I could do to get through it was listen to Comedy Central, play about all the music I have and reminsce. In doing so I came up with 10 things from this trip that I'd rather be doing than driving through Kansas. And here is that list.
10. Ride the Skylift above Gatlinburg, TN
9. Eat charbroiled oysters at Acme Oyster House8. Play Small World with Jake and Jess while drinking good California wine7. Hike in a storm with roaming buffalo in Yellowstone6. Watch the sunrise light up the stone structures in Arches5. Eat my peanut butter and jelly sandwich on top of Clouds Rest in Yosemite4. Lie on the roof of my car and watch the stars at Dead Horse Point3. Listen to jazz live at Preservation Hall in New Orleans2. Jump off the cliff into Crater Lake again and again1. Drink a Teton Ale while watching the sunset over the Grand Tetons
I survived the drive and made it to Kansas City. It was a very uneventful drive, that may have included a conversation with Siri. If you have an iPhone ask Siri to tell you a story. Once I arrived in KC, I only had one goal and that was to get some good BBQ. I opted for the Woodyard Bar-B-Que, one that I had seen featured on Food Network and had wanted to go to when I was in KC last year. It lived up to the hype. After a nice meal outside, I headed for my hotel near the airport. I did not have anything that I wanted to see in KC and after the long drive just needed a place to crash. Tomorrow I head to St Louis and then after that Chicago before finally heading home.
Stats:
Miles Driven: 8,790
States: PA, MD, WV, VA, TN, NC, AL, MS, LA, TX, NM, AZ, UT, NV, CA, OR, ID, MT, WY, CO, KS, MO
License Plates Left to Be Seen: Hawaii, North Dakota and Rhode Island
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