Billy & Sara's Road Trip Adventure!!!

The Drive Home!

2010-06-19T22:42:00.003-04:00

The next morning we drove through Shenandoah National Park. We drove the Skyline Drive for 25 to 30 miles and saw some of the Appellation Mountains. We saw a black bear on the side of the road, and after she went into the woods, we saw two little cubs with her. It was really cool to see them fairly close up. We decided to drive straight home rather than stop for another night. We got stuck in traffic in New York City, going over the George Washington Bridge, and again in CT due to construction. Other than that it was not too bad, and we got home about 12am Tuesday morning. It was nice to be home. We saw Sandy, and she was so excited to see us. “There’s no place like home!”

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The Bon that is Roo....BONNAROO!

2010-06-19T22:24:00.002-04:00

We made it to the hotel to meet everyone on Wednesday night around 6. It was good to see our friends again. The 4^th car in our crew made it to the hotel at 6am the next morning. We all took showers, got some last minute stuff at walmart, and then hit the road. It was an hour and a half drive to the venue. We got to about 2 miles away before we hit traffic. Due to the rain the previous nights, there was flooding in the venue. So to give the area more time to dry up, they blocked off entrance we were suppose to enter at. They detoured us all the way down the highway 15 miles, and then had us turn around and go back up the highway in the other direction back another 13 miles to another entrance (all in bumper to bumper traffic that was not even consistently moving). It was pure crap. We sat in traffic for several hours before we realized what they were doing, and dug deep for our inner Mass-Holes and formed a plan. We drove got out of line, and drove past the exit in which they were turning people around at, and went to the next exit to turn around. Then we cruised by all the traffic and cut in only 6 or 7 miles away. It saved us, hours and hours of traffic. We finally got into the venue about 3pm, and managed to keep all four cars together. We got a sweet spot, and set up a nice little community of 5 tents and two easy ups for shade for the 12 of us. That night there were still people coming into the venue at like 11pm that had been in traffic all day. It was ridiculously hot all weekend in the mid 90’s and super humid.

There were so many good bands to see it was hard to choose. We saw, Mike Snow, Temper Trap, Damian Marley, Nas, Tenacious D, Kings of Leon, Bassnector, LCD Soundsystem, Weezer, Stevie Wonder, Jay-Z, Deadmau5, Disco Biscuits, Blues Travelers, Dropkick Murphys, Phoenix, and Dave Matthews Band. We also saw pieces of lots of other shows as well. It was really fun, but really tiring. We were up til like 4, sometimes 5am, and then the sun comes up and beat down on your tent until it is unbearable at like 7:30, 8:00am. It is so hot out all the time you are just sticky and uncomfortable all day. Luckily Billy and I brought a portable tent shower and some solar shower bags which worked great for everyone. We also had battery fans with spray bottles to keep us somewhat cool.

The port-a-potties were disgusting. I could not believe I survived four days having to use them. They only time they were fairly clean was in the morning at 7:30 before the rush of people waking up. After four days of that, I could not wait for a real bathroom. They had water areas to fill up buckets, and wash up as well, but by the second day it was so muddy that you needed rubber boots to get water. It was crazy people were up to their ankles in mud. It was so gross. We had rubber crocks which worked well. By the end of the 4 days the venue was really muddy in low areas, and people were just slipping everywhere. We steered clear of most of the mud, and managed to stay in the grassy areas further from the stages, where we could sit in our chairs and on blankets. Any and all fountains, baby pools, and or slip and slides that you could used to cool off were just muddy, sweaty water. We steered clear of those as well. Four days of hot sun, 80,000 people, sweat, human waste, and garbage was a smell that took over the entire venue. Haha, it was a rough weekend, but totally worth it. We had a blast with good music, and good company. However, we were definitely ready to leave and get in some AC.

Most people left Sunday night, but Billy and I, stayed and packed up Monday morning. We drove all day to Virginia, and stayed at a crappy hotel. It was so funny, I was telling Billy, “I can’t wait to sleep and not work about ants, and bugs,” and yet we got to the hotel and there were ants, and flies all over. It was awful. Probably one of the worst hotels we stayed at. Below are some pictures from Bonnaroo. Enjoy!

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Chicago, IL & Fort Wayne, IN

2010-06-19T21:35:00.000-04:00

We ran into some traffic on the way into Chicago. It took us about 45 minutes just to get to Nate and Cait’s once we were in Chicago, but we made it. We made some drinks and waited for Cait to get out of work before going to dinner at Rocks. It was good food, and good company. It was nice to see them as it has been a while. After dinner we walked down by Wrigley Field, and went to the bars. It was crazy down there so we didn’t stay long, and we ended up going to a bar closer to the apartment. We had a really good time.

The next day we tour the city, starting with the Sears Tower (now known as Willis Tower). After that we ate lunch at a Pizza place that was awesome. The deep dish, stuffed pizza was so good. Then we went down to the park, and saw the outdoor amphitheatre, and the fountain. Then we went to the movies and saw Get Him to the Greek. It was really funny. Then we went to Navy Pier to walk around, and get some Haagen Dazs Mudslides. They were delicious. We headed back to the apartment and ordered Thai Food for dinner, and watch a movie since we were tired from walking around all day.

The next morning we got up and headed down to the beach and rented Kayaks for an hour and Kayaked in Lake Michigan. It was really windy, and the water was choppy, so we were completely soaked when we were finished. It was really fun and we had a blast on the water. After changing our clothes, we said our goodbyes and hit the road again. Our next stop was Fort Wayne, IN to visit Jon and Candy.

We got there around 6:30 pm on Sunday. We had dinner, and somehow managed to finish 4 bottles of wine. After I went to bed the boys kept drinking, and at some point I heard them break out the blender for Margaritas. Haha. The next morning we went out to breakfast to cure the boys of their hangover. We also went to AT&T to get my new phone activated, and restored. That’s right, I have a phone again. Yay! I’m connected! Haha. It was just like old times, as next we hit up the mall. It was like eCopy lunch hour. We headed back to the house for the boys to take a nap, and relax. That night we went to dinner at Cork n’ Cleaver. It was really good, and different. The menu was on an actual cleaver. We had the Prime Rib and it was amazing. The next day Billy and I went shopping for food and last minute necessities for Bonnaroo. Then we had to figure out how to get everything in the car. We made Jon and Candy stuff shells for dinner, and watched Avatar before going to bed.

This morning we had a long day of driving to Tennessee to meet Courtney and Casey at a hotel about two hours from the venue. Then tomorrow we drive to Bonnaroo and set up camp for 4 days! Yaaay! It’s going to be crazy! Below are some pictures from Chicago, IL and Fort Wayne, IN.

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South Dakota and Minnesota

2010-06-04T15:11:00.000-04:00

On the road again! We drove all day long stopping at all sorts of sites. First, 4 hours from Basin, we stopped at Devils Tower. We pulled off the side of the road a took a quick picture of the monsterous rock formation. There was not much more to it than that. It was a cool site though.

Next we Drove through the Black Hills, and stopped off at Crazy Horse Memorial. This place was cool. I did not really know to much about it, until we got there. It is not a National Park because it is not funded by the government. It is a provate project that was started by one man, and eventually his whole family got into it. Now, the original sculpture has passed on, and his wife and kids, continue to head the project. It is the worlds largest mountain carving, and it is absolutely enormous. It is really neat, and the history behind it all is really interesting.

Next we saw Mount Rushmore. Once again it was a quick stop, and take a picture kind of thing. We could have hiked up right under it, but we just took some pictures and moved on. We were going to stay in Rapid City, SD for the night, but we kept driving and found the town of Wall, SD, which is home to the historic Wall Drug Store, and Ice water shop. It is an old western town originated during the Gold Rush, and there are all these little shops, and historic memorabilia. After walking around the town a bit, We found a cheap hotel in town, and stayed there for the night.

The next day we headed to the Badlands National Park. It was pretty cool. It is a lot of different colored sand eroted away into these hills, and cliffs. There was also a lot of grassland, and warning signs for Rattlesnakes. We took a little walk on this trail, and it lead us into the grass, and I instantly turn back when I heard the rattle of a snake looking to bite me. Haha. After the Badlands, we drove, and drove, and drove, all the way to Minneapolis, MN. We had not planned on going there, but people told us to go, so we did. We got a hotel right near the mall of America.

The next morning we went into Downtown, and walked around city. After that we checked out the Mall of America, and rode one of the roller coasters, and the bumper cars. We spent the afternoon there, and had some fun. We went back to the hotel, and one of my brothers friends who now lives just outside Minneapolis, came and visited with us for a bit.

This morning we are headed to the windy city, Chicago, IL, where we will stay with another friend of mine for a couple nights. Below are some pictures of our last few days on the road.

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Basin, WY

2010-06-04T11:45:00.000-04:00

After we left Yellowstone it was only a 2 hour drive to Basin WY. The stretch of highway right outside of Cody was crazy; It was insane nothingness. Haha. It was cool though. We made it Sue and Ray's, good family friends of mine, around 8pm. We were greeted with a home cooked meal of Bufflo Ribs Steaks, Fresh Potatos from the garden, and veggies. It was awesome to have non-restaurant food for a change. And the meals did not let up, from Breakfast to dinner, and everything in between, we had fresh and homemade food. Eggs, Bufflo Sausage, Cinnamon Toast, Bufflo Burgers, Chicken Fried Steak, Garlic Herb Bread, Spaghetti with Beef and Sausage Meat Sauce. Awww, it was awesome. We ate well all weekend. We had some wine and chit-chatted until about midnight before we all went to bed.

The next morning they took us out on the 4-wheelers, and the side by side (aka The Rhino), and went dinosaur bone hunting. We found some good pieces of bone, and some petrefied wood as well, but we got interupted by a rain storm. So we went back to the house, and waited it out, before heading back out. When we went back out everything was wet and muddy, the best condition for 4-wheeling. Haha at least as far as I am concerned. It was awesome, we were convered from head to toe in Mud. It was really fun.

The next day, we took the 4-wheelers and the Rhino up into the Mountains. It was awesome. Views were incredible, and we got into some pretty hairy terrain. Billy loved it. At one point he almost flipped us completely over. I had to roll off the machine, and wait until he got it turn back onto its wheels. I wish I got a picture of it, but unfortunately I didn't. We parked our machines, and hiked through a valley to find some cool rocks, and coral. Again, Billy was pumped. He was looking for fossils, and using his rock hammer. Haha, he was like a fish in water. We moved on to other parts of the mountain, just cruising through on the 4-wheelers. I got to drive the Rhino, and it was awesome. That thing is like a work horse. We were climbing up and down rocks,through rivers, and Mud, and that thing was not phased at all. It just kepted trucking. I was impressed.

The next day we went back out to the dessert so Billy could do a little more amature paleontology. We found a spot that had a bunch Dinosaur bone fragments, and teeth. Billy went crazy, literally. Haha. It was funny. He could have spent days out there, but we peeled him away late in the day to head back to the house. After three days of 4-wheeling, and Dino Bone hunting, we were all exhuasted. We had a blast though. Billy and I agree, that this was definitely a favorite on our trip, and we will be visiting again. Thanks to our amazing friends, host, and tour guides for the wonderful adventure. Your hospitality is very much appreciated.

Our Next stop is Wall, SD, the home to the Historic "Wall Drug Store", and "Ice Water Shop." Below are some pictures from our stay in Basin, WY. Enjoy.

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Jackson Hole, WY & Yellowstone National Park

2010-06-02T00:34:00.002-04:00

From Jackson Hole, WY, we drove up to Yellowstone National Park. On the way, we drove through Teton National Park as well. We stopped off at Jenny Lake, and took the shuttle boat across, and hiked up to Hidden Falls. It was a short 1.5 mile hike through some rock, mud, and snow. The waterfall was cool, but we did not spend to much time up there. After we took the shuttle back, we drove to the Jackson Lake Dam, and Willow Flats. The dam was cool, but it is nothing compared to the Hoover Dam, so it seemed little less spectacular. Haha. The Willow Flats were cool, as that is where the Elk migrate to have their babies, so there were a bunch of them grazing in the fields.

After that we Headed to Yellowstone. It was really cool. We enjoyed the park a lot. We did the saw the South West part of the park first, including the West Thumb Geysers, and Old Faithful. It was really cool, but I think that Old Faithful might be over-rated. I though some of the other parts of the park were way cooler. We saw the Grand Prismatic Spring which is really cool, because it is all different colors. There was also Paint Pots, that were more mud like, milky geysers which were neat as well. We Also so tons of Bison, and Elk. The baby Bison were so cute.

After the first day we stayed in West Yellowstone at the Brandin' Iron Inn. We had a horrible dinner at the Orgegon something or other resturant, in which I had a 12 dollar pear salad that was the size of a small bowl of cereal, and Billy had a first burned to a crisp Bufflo burger, that was sent back, and then a raw one that was again sent back. It was gross. Luckily I did not have to pay for my idy bity salad cause they comped our meals.

The next morning we got up early and headed back into the park. We saw the Northern part of the park, and the eastern side, including; Norris Geyers, Middle Basin Geysers, Mammoth Hot Springs, and The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. It rained off and on all day, but we got to see a lot. Our favorites were the colorfull springs, and geyers, as well as the Paint Pots. We also saw more Bison, and Elk, as well as a Black Bear, a Grizzly Bear, and a Moose. It was really cool. About 6pm we made it out of the park and headed to our next destination, Basin WY, where we will stay for 3 days with some family friends.

Below are some pictures of Teton, and Yellowstone. Enjoy.

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Drive to Yellowstone, Boise ID, and Jackson Hole WY

2010-05-31T10:56:00.000-04:00

Our drive to Boise, ID, not Nampa, was pretty long. We stopped here and there and saw some cool landscapes. It is all farm land out here, and then evenutally we saw some mountains. We stayed in a hotel in Boise and we enjoyed the warm whether, and the hot tub. It was nice and relaxing after the long drive.

We went for Sushi at a Japanese Steakhouse for dinner. It was really good, and so was the saki. The next morning, we headed out in the rain to Jackson Hole. It was another long drive, but more to see. There was more nice landscapes, and the drive was shorter than we though because of the time change.

We stayed at a the hostel right in Teton Village in Jackson Hole. It was awesome. It was a decent hostel and they had a sweet game room. After we got back from dinner we played some fooseball and Mario Kart on N64. It was fun. The next day we drove through Yellowstone.

Below are some pictures from our drive and stay.

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Seattle, WA

2010-05-25T03:53:00.000-04:00

Yay! We made it to Seattle WA. I was very excited to be here, because we stayed with one of my best friends and her boyfriend, who just moved here. Also, my other best friend flew out to visit us as well. It was awesome to see them and spend some time together. When we got here we went to dinner at a resturant that my friends boyfriend was playing Bass at. We had some wine and listened to the Jazz music, and had a chance to catch up. It was fun.

The next day Billy and I went to the "Experience the Music Project" and the "Sci-Fi Museum and Hall of Fame." It was really cool. We saw the history of Seattle music as well as the prgression of music style through the years. We also saw lots of memorabilia from Sci-Fi movies like Ninja Turtles, ET, and Star Wars. It was awesome. After that we went down to the Pike Place in the public market. It was may favorite part of Seattle. It is awesome. We had the best fruit I have ever had from one of the vendors. We had a pear that literally melted in your mouth it was so juicy. It was delicious. We also saw the famous gum wall. It was crazy how much gum there was. We added to it, and it was pretty grose.

After that we went on and adult underground tour about the scandle, drugs, gambling, and prostitution that Seattle was built on in the gold rush. It was really interesting. We literally went underground in the old buildings that used to be bars, speakeasies, and hotels. We had a really cool tour guide, who was really funny, and made the tour awesome.

The next morning, we picked my other friend up from the airport, and took her to the Fish Market, and the Gum wall like we did the day before. We went to another Jazz gig of my friends boyfriends, and had a few drinks. The next day we went to the Space Needle and the foutain in Seattle Center. It was really cool. We also took a walk to the best view in the city. It really is a beautiful city. One of my favorites. We had Japanese that night at a really good resturant, O'Shan Sushi. It was awesome. We walked to the look out view at night and got a really great view of the city lights as well. It was really pretty.

The next two days are long drives to Nampa, and then Jackson Hole. Our next real destination is Yellow Stone National Park in a couple days. Below are some pictures of our time in Seattle, WA.

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North West Coast, Redwoods, and Portland OR

2010-05-25T03:28:00.000-04:00

We drove the coast all the way up to Cresant City, which is north of the Redwood Forests. It was a long drive, but worth it. The coast line in northern California is beautiful. It is so different from New England. When we got to the Redwoods we drive through Chandelier Tree, literally. It was really cool. The tree was huge, although it was a tight squeeze to get the car through.

After that we continued along the coast and through the redwoods. It was really awesome. We stopped off at the beach, and played in the sand for a bit, and then stopped in the forest. It was like being in the jungle; it was so green and misty. The trees were huge too. Not has big as the sequoias but taller. It was cool.

After Cresant city we kept driving the coast to Portland OR. The coast is so pretty. We also found the Oregon Sand Dunes. It was really cool. We jogged out to the dunes and then ran up to the top of one. It was so windy at the top, but it was really neat. I have never been on a sand dune before. It was beautiful and unexpected.

Once we got to Portland, we headed into the city. We had dinner on the water in a floating restaurant, The Newport Seafood and Grill. We had some wine, and I liked it so much, we bought a bottle to bring home. It was from a winery in OR. The next day we went to OMSI, the Oregan Museum of Science and Industry. It was really cool. We got a tour of the USS Blue Back Submarine. It was really neat learning about life on the submarine, and seeing the living quarters. I definitely could not do it. We saw a movie in the IMAX, and viewed the Space, Life Cycle, and Turbine exhibits. It was fun.

That night after I realized my phone was lost/stolen, we enjoyed a bottle of wine and dinner in the hotel, while I tried to retrieve it. I never did, and I had to cancel me service. Thats a bummer. The next day, we continue the drive north to Seattle, WA.

Enjoy the pictures below.

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San Francisco, CA

2010-05-20T22:47:00.000-04:00

Hello San Francisco! We stayed in this little hotel in the center of the city, just two blocks from Alamo Square, and the Painted Ladies (aka the house on "Full House"). We walked down there to check it out; I believe the yellow one is the Tanner family home from the show. Then we headed down to Union Square, and took the historic cable cars down to Fishermans Warf to have dinner. After walking around the shops for a couple hours, we made our way back to the hotel.

The next morning we had tickets from the ferry to Alcatraz for 9am. We got the headsets for the audio tour, that took us through all of Alcatraz, giving us stories and first hand experiences for inmates and guards. It was really cool and a little creepy. I also got a picture with one of the guards that worked Alcatraz back in the day.

After that we toured the rest of San Francisco. We walked through Pier 39, went to Coit Tower, and Ghiradeli Square for some free chocolate from the original chocolate shop. We had dinner at the pub in Ghiradeli square, and then walked around for a bit, until 7:30 when we took a segway tour of San Francisco. It was really fun. Billy and I were tooling around on segways all over the city. Up and down all the big hills. It was fun.

The next morning we woke up to screaming people, and we looked out our window, and the police were blocking off the roads for "Bay to Breakers" a famous San Francisco Foot race. It is tradition for people to wear costumes, and drink all day watching the race, and then at the end join in, and gather together in the park for a concert. It is really crazy. People were even running the race completely naked. It was hilarious, and we were lucky enough that the race past by the street our hotel was on.

Unfortunately Bay to Breakers made it really hard to get out of the city. However we did it, and made our way to Sonoma Valley for a day in Wine Country. We did tastings as at four different places, as well as an Olive oil tasting at the Olive Press. It was really good, and really fun. We got a tour of the Vinyard/Winery at Clines Cellars, which was cool because we learned all about the process of making wine, and the reasons for the different tastes. It was awesome. We ened up buying 6 bottles for wine, some from each place, as well as four bottles of Olive Oil; and those decision were tough, because there were so many good wines and oils. We had an awesome day in Wine Country, and it was a great experience.

The next morning we packed up and headed out. Next stop the Redwoods forest. Below are some pictures from San Francisco.

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Yosemite National Park, CA

2010-05-17T13:41:00.000-04:00

Yosemite National Park...Wow! It did not take long to get there from Sequoia and the moment we came out of the tunnel and saw "Tunnel View," it was..."Wow!" We pulled off at a view point, and looked at El Captain, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Falls. It was an amazing first sight! We took another little detour and walked to the base of the falls at Bridalveil and it was awesome. We got wet from the mist but the view was crazy. We finally made our way into the heart of Yosemite Valley, and we stopped at the vistors center to plan our hike for the next day. as well as the general store to get some food for dinners and lunches.

When we got to our campground, we setup camp, and organized all our food, drinks, toiletries, and grill into the bear lockers. After dinner we sat by the fire for a bit, then went to bed to get some sleep before our hike. We did not get to much sleep as we woke up to people screaming, "Hey, get out of here you bear, get out of here!" I was like, "Oh crap there is a bear roaming around," and it happen to be about 50 feet away from our tent. Needless to say I was freaking out! Billy tried to get me to relax ,but I was terrified that the bear was going to get angry at everyone yelling and just start running through tents. Luckily, the bear roamed away and didn't come back. However, the rest of the night every noise we heard, I was like, "what was that...I think its back!" Not to mention I had to go to th bathroom once I was awake, so I had to walk to the bathrooms with a bear roaming. It was scarey. We cranked the radio in the tent the rest of the night to block out the noise and get some sleep. It was a rough night.

The next day we woke up and hiked Upper Yosemite Falls. We wanted to hike Half Dome, but unforunately, it was still closed for the winter, due to snow and ice. Upper Yosemite Falls was a good hike though, at about 8 Miles, and it yielded some great views of the falls at the base of the falls and at the top. It was beautiful, and unlike anything we had seen. We were quick to say this was our new favorite place so far.

That night after dinner we started the fire and made s'mores. We were a little more on edge, and aware of our surroundings once it got dark out; as were the Park Rangers, as we saw them circling our area of the camp ground with flash lights. Suddenly Billy set his marshmellow on fire accidently, and while trying to put it out, flung it through the air, and "splat" right on my leg. I thought for sure that night a bear was going to eat my leg looking for marshmellow remains. Luckily, that night I heared no bears. The next morning, as much as we liked Yosemite, we packed up, and headed to more poplated, and less bear friendly place, San Francisco, CA. Of course not with out another bear sighting on our way out. They look a lot less scarey in the day time, let me tell you. Haha.

Below are just some of the amazing pictures we have from Yosemite!

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Sequoia National Park, CA

2010-05-17T12:51:00.000-04:00

Detour! Before going to Sequoia National Park we drove to Cabazon, CA to see life size dinosaurs. There were large robotic ones as well as still statue like ones. We also got to go up inside the T-Rex which was pretty cool. Billy loved it! It was a really good exhibit.

After that we drove to Sequoia National Park. One the way there was some pretty cool scenery. We saw our first California Orange tree, as well as cherry trees, and vinards. When we got to the hotel it was 5pm, so we checked in, brought our stuff inside, and then quickly left to drive to the park. We drove the long curvey road through the park, and the trees were massive. We made our way to General Sherman Tree which is the largest tree on Earth. It was really cold, and foggy at the top of the moutain were we were, so it is hard to see, but it was huge. You can see me and Billy next to the tree and comparatively, we look like little specks. It was really neat. The Redwood National Forest will not be that exciting anymore, because these trees just blew them away. Haha.

This morning we are on our way to Yosemite National Park. We will camp there for two days, and tour/hike some of the park. Lots of it is still closed due to snow and ice unfortunately. We were hoping to hike half dome, but it is closed.

Below are some pictures of huge Dinosaurs and Trees.

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L.A. Area

2010-05-12T13:33:00.000-04:00

Pasadena, CA! This is a nice area of California. We got settled in, at Lindsays, and then took a walk to have dinner. Billy and I went to Bob's Big Boy! (You know...in the Austin Powers movie) Haha..It was pretty good. Then we planned out our attack plan on the L.A. area.

Billy's cousin Kelly picked us up on the morning around 10AM, and drove us around to all the places one should go when visiting. She was our little tour guide, and it was great. We went to the Promenade, Santa Monica Pier & Beach, Venice Beach, Muscle Beach, Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, and Hollywood! We had our first experience with In & Out Burgers, for lunch. We got some Double Doubles, with Fries Animal Style! It was yummy. At Santa Monica Pier and Venice beach Billy found the Zoltar machine from the movie Big with Tom Hanks. He play and got a fortune. Venice beach was cool, we actually drove over the canals which Venice Beach gets its name from. It was really pretty. Venice beach itself was a little more crazy. It was fun though.

Rodeo Dr. was fun. We obviously did not buy anything, but saw the Regent Beverly Wilshire from the movie Pretty Woman, and also the store, that she gets kicked out of in the movie. We took Sunset Strip and then got out at the Kodak Theatre, and walked the walk of fame on Hollywood Blvd. The Kodak Theatre was cool, and we walked were all the Celebraties do when they come in on the red carpet for the Oscars. We saw the stars, Hands and feet of all the celebraties. It was cool. We also got a private tour through CNN with Kellys Husband whom works there. It was awesome. We got to see all the news rooms, studios, green rooms, etc. We got to sit in Larry Kings Chair where he films the show. It was very cool. We drove to a look out where you could see all of the city, and a great view of the Hollywood sign. Then we drove around kelly's neighborhood, and saw the celebraties houses; Steve Carrell, Miley Sirus, Billy Ray Sirus, Bob Hope, atc. It was cool. We walked to Universal Studios for Dinner at the Saddle Ranch on the City Walk. We rode the Mechanical Bull, and had a delicious dinner. It was fun! We had a great time.

The next day we went to CBS, to be on the Prices is Right! "One Dollar Bob, I mean Drew!" Unfortunately we did not get up there and therefore didnt win anything, but it was still cool. Our throats hurt from screaming so loud on the show. It airs on June 4th, and we may be on TV in the audience. We had lunch in the Farmers Market, and then walked around the Grove. It was cool, because the Grove has fountains like the Bellagio, but smaller. It was fun, but tiring. When we got back, Lindsay made us some pasta for dinner, and we got situated for our next stop on our trip, Sequoia National Park.

Below are some pictures from our time in L.A.

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San Diego CA!

2010-05-10T23:16:00.001-04:00

I see the Pacific Ocean, and Ron Burgandy...We made it to the west coast, San Diego CA! When we go there, Billy's friend Ricky took us out and about in San Diego. We stopped at a Bar in Pacific Beach, and had some food and drinks. Then drove around San Diego, stopping at different places like Tourmaline Beach, Downtown, and a look out point where we could see all of San Diego. It was a good first day!

The next day we went to the San Diego Zoo, and it was awesome. There were so many animals, and they were so cool. The Monkeys and gorillas were some of my favorites, along with the Koala Bears and Pandas. We had a good day, and after the zoo we stopped off at the beach to relax and take a nap in the sun. That night all three of us celebrated Cinco De Mayo at Fiesta De Reyes, with two pitches of Maragritas, and some delicious Mexican food. It was crazy busy but we had a great time.

On Thrusday we went to Seaworld. We saw some amazing animals again, including my favorite, Polar Bears! We saw them eat and swim in the water, it was awesome. We also saw the Shamu show, which was really cool, a Sea Lion show, and a "Pets Rule" show. The pets rule show was so funny, with dogs, cats, birds, pigs, etc. They all had tricks and were so smart, and it made us miss Sandy! That night it was Ricky's birthday, so we went out in Pacific Beach with some of his friends.

On Friday we went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. We walked around and saw lions, cheetahs, monkeys, birds, and one of my favorites, elepants. There were tons of elephants, and a bunch of baby ones. One of them had just been born like a month ago. It was so cute. They are fasinating animals. At the end of the day we had signed up for a Safari tour that took us into the exhibits, where we got to feed Giraffs, and Rhinos. It was awesome. The giraffs were cool, and Billy like those, but my favorite of the two were the Rhinos. There were so cool. They are huge, and we got to pet them. I loved it.

That night we spent the night packing up our stuff, and doing some laundry, since we were leaving in the morning. We went to dinner at a Spanish place, which was really different but we enjoyed it. It is nice to try all different foods in all the areas. We had a great time in San Diego, CA, and we are sad to leave, but we have more California to see.

This morning we headed out to LA. On our way we stopped at a Spa that my friend recommended, Glen Ivy Spa, which was awesome. We layed out in the pool for a bit, and then sat in a mineral bath. After that we went to Club Mud, and caked mud all over our selves, and let it dry, as an exfoliation treatment. It was really fun. After that we enjoyed the Grotto experience, which is a moisturizing treatment in under ground Caverns. The day was a great experience. Now we feel amazing, and we are about 20 minutes from our next destination Pasadina, CA, where we will stay for a few days with a good friend of mine's sister.

Below are some pictures from our time in San Diego, CA. Enjoy!

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Zion and Bryce National Parks

2010-05-05T22:07:00.000-04:00

We have made it to Hatch Station Motel, in Hatch, UT, which is located between Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. The place is cute; we have a nice little room that is perfect for us, with a view of the Mountains. We made dinner in the room that first night, and made a plan for what we would do in Zion the next day.

In the morning we woke up, and it had snowed over night. It was really pretty with the snow covering everything, but it was cold. We packed a lunch, ate breakfast, cleaned off the car, and headed to Zion. It is about 45 minutes away, but it was a nice drive. We drive through some of Dixie Forest, which was pretty. When we got there we took the shuttle to Wheeping rock and hiked up the Observation Point Trail which came out to be about a 9 mile hike round trip. It was a good hike, but it was really windy and a little cold. In fact when we got to the top it was too cold and windy to eat lunch, so we stuffed our sandwiches in our mouths as quick as we could and started down. It ended up snowing just moments after we started to decend. It was pretty awesome. It did not snow long, but the wind was still ripping and the sand was blowing everywhere. The view from the top was amazing, and totally worth the hike. The hike took us about 4 and a 1/2 hours. When we got down we were pretty tired, so we took the shuttle back though the scenic views of the park, and then headed out.

We had Prime Rib at the restaurant next door, which was so good. It just melted in your mouth. Since we were so exhausted, and now full from dinner, it did not take long for us to pass out.

The next morning we woke up and it was significantly warmer than the morning before. We got ready and headed to Bryce Canyon National Park. We decided to drive around to all the viewing points, and then hike a small combination of trails that amounted to about 3 miles total, starting at Sunset Point. The trails took us down into the canyon, and yeilded some amazing sites. We ended up taking the extended route, that totaled 5 miles, and it was worth it. The views we got from inside the caynon were amazing. We wanted to go back to the park at night to view the stars, as we were told that it was amzing, but the park closes before sunset, so we decided against it.

Tomorrow morning we are California bound. We leave here and start the long 9 hour drive to San Diego, CA, where we will stay with a good friend of Billy's.

Below are just a few of the amazing photos that we got at Zion and Bryce. Trust me when I say the pictures do not do justice to the real experience. Enjoy!

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The Bright Lights of Las Vegas, NV

2010-05-03T23:15:00.002-04:00

The Hoover Damn...Wow! It is huge, and really cool. It is built right into the rock, and it is awesome. Unfortunately, the parking area had just closed, and so we could not park and walk across the damn. We had to pull off the road and see it from above on either side. It was still really cool, and rediculously windy. We only stayed for about a half hour. Soon we were checking in to the Hilton Las Vegas!

The room was awesome! Thanks Mal for hooking us up! We got situated and then headed downstairs to have dinner. Since it was late, we just stayed at the hotel the first night, and gambled a bit in the casino here. Then We got a good night sleep on a real bed. It was sooo comfortable, I did not wanted to get up...ever! haha.

The next morning we got up and headed down to the strip. We were lucky that the hotel had a monorail station connected, so we bought unlimited day passes for our whole time in Vegas. We walked around and saw all the amazing casinos; The Venetian, Ceasars, Mirage, Bellagio, MGM, Flamingo, Paris, Luxor, Excalibur, etc. One of my favorites was the Venetian. It was beautiful, and has a man made river running though it, with river boats running. Soo cool! Also Ceasars was awesome. The pool area is really nice. Later that night we saw a Cirque De Solie Show: Ka, at MGM. It was different than I thought it would be, but awesome. After that we walked around and saw the Bellagio Fountains, and checked out a few other places, and then headed back. I went to bed, and Billy went back out to play poker. He did not realize that the monorail stopped at 2am so he was stuck at Bally's til morning. He played cards all night long, and came back just as I was waking up. In all that time playing, he made $1. Talk about way below minimum wage. Haha.

That morning we went out to breakfast, then headed to the stratosphere. Billy wanted to jump off the top on their sky jump ride, but we didn't end up going. Maybe next time we are in Vegas! We also went to the Mirage and saw the Dolphin habitat which was really cool, and now Billy and I want to buy a Dolphin! (I don't think it going to happen.) After a little nap, in the late afternoon back at the hotel, we headed back out, and went to "Old School Las Vegas" aka Freemont St. Freemont st. has this huge light installation that works as a TV. It goes over Freemont St. for a couple blocks. It is really neat. We stumbled upon the "Las Vegas Pride" Parade, which was hilarious. Then we ate some food at Binoin Casino which is the host to the Annual World Poker Tournament. We gambled a little there, and were doing well, until Anti-Billy came out, and gambled it all away. That was enough gambling I think. At about 1am we headed back to the Hotel.

This morning we packed up the car again, had some chow and back on the road we went. Headed to a Motel in Hatch, UT in between Zion and Bryce, it will be a 5 hour drive. We will be there for 3 nights. It was crazy and fun, but I think we will both be happy to leave the bright lights of this expensive city.

Below are some our pictures from Las Vegas!

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Grand Canyon, AZ

2010-04-30T21:47:00.000-04:00

We got our camp site set up here at Mathers Campground in the Grand Canyon National Park. It was a nice site, and there are Elk that just wander around! It is was pretty cool. We made stir fry for dinner, and then started our first camping fire of the trip, as well as ate our first s'mores. I have perfected the art of roasting marshmellows and making s'mores, if you can't tell from the picture below. They were yummy.

It was down in the upper 40's when we woke up the next morning in our tent, but it quickly got up to the 50's, and then later in the day in the 70's. We went to the General store to rent some hiking poles, and the person behind the register, "Crazy Erik" I will call him, was really awesome. We were going to hike the Bright Angel Trail, but he was like, "don't go there, that is like the Disneyland of the Grand Canyon." He recommeded the Grand View trail which was awesome. There was barely any people on it and it was like we owned the trail. The trail hugs the edge of the cliffs most of the way, and you see the canyon the whole way down and up. It was about 5 miles down into the canyon, to where we ended, and then 5 back. We had lunch in the canyon and made our way back up to the top by around 330. Hiking down into the canyon is the only way to experience it. Though we were pretty tired after, it was awesome.

When we got back, we took showers, made dinner, and then sat by the fire again. We found out that it was suppose to snow and rain on Thursday morning really early, so instead of packing up in the snow, we decided to leave early. There is supposed to be thunder storms in Zion as well, so we switch gears and decided to head to Vegas early, and then go back to Zion. So this morning when we woke up, we packed up the car, and then toured the rest of the canyon. We hiked a few small trails here and there to get to some other view points. When we were done we made some steaks for lunch, and then hit the road again. Next stop Hoover Damn, then Vegas Baby!

Here are just a few of the amazing pictures we got at the Grand Canyon!

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From Moab to the Grand Canyon

2010-04-30T20:29:00.000-04:00

We woke up early on Sunday and packed up our gear and hit the road. Our first stop was Masa Verde, which is a national park that is home to a bunch of old rock dwellings that were inhabited by various Native American Tribe, primarily the Pueblos. We took the Balcony House tour which is the most challenging one, and requires a climb up a 32 foot ladder on the huge cliff in a canyon. It was pretty exciting. The scenery was awesome. The dwellings were really cool too, and it was really interesting to here the history of the tribes. We also looked at the Cliff Palace, but did not do the tour, as we did not have time.

Afterwards we headed to the four corners monument, which was closed for construction. We took a picture with the closed sign, and left. We tried! haha. Our next stop was Monument Valley. It was very similar to Arches and Garden of the Gods. It was these large golden rock formations in the dessert. It was cool. We did not drive the hole length of the park as we did not have that much time, but we toured a little bit of it, and got some great pictures.

After all those stops we were finally headed to our final destination, Holbrook AZ, where we would stay for the night in a Wigwam hotel. It took forever and the drive as Billy said was as borning as TX. It felt never ending and there was not much to look at. It was beautiful, but mostly the landscap didn't change. The housing was also not that great to look at. It look very poor in the areas we drove, and we also had to keep stopping for Cows and Horses near or in the road. It was interesting. After and extra hour we did not expect due to a time change we finally made it to the Wigwam. It was pretty neat. The pictures are below. We went to Butterfield Steakhouse for dinner, which was not very good for the money, but I think the Wigwam Hotel is in cahoots with the Steakhouse cause they recommeded it. Haha.

This morning, we went to the grocery store to stock up for camping in the Grand Canyon, and hit the road again. On our way to the Grand Canyon we stopped at the Metor Crator in Winslow, AZ. We took a Rim Tour of the Crator and got some really neat pictures. It was actually really cool, and Billy loved it of course. We have just arrived at the Grand Canyon, Mathers Campground, and will be here for three nights. Below are some highlights of the past few days.

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Moab, UT, Arches National Park

2010-04-29T13:00:00.000-04:00

Leaving Boulder was a little tricky, as we hit some snow on our way out. They ended up closing the road we took later in the day. Luckily we made it through in the morning no problem. It was a little scarey though. It took us a bit to get to Moab, UT, and when we go there and looked at the hostel where we were supposed to camp, we both said, no way! The spot we were to put our tent was covered in red ant hills. So we drove around looking for some place else. There just so happened to be an annual Car Show going on that weekend which made it a little difficult to find a place but we managed. We ended up staying at Moab Valley RV Park. It was pretty nice, with a pool and hot tub. We had a covered tent site, and two sites down we met another couple that was on an even longer 6 month road trip. They were from Maine, and we made pretty good friends with them.

That night after setting up we went to the Moab Brewery for Dinner, since it was too late to start cooking. The next morning we got up and headed to the Arches National Park with Ben and Heather, the couple we met. We hiked with them two different trails, the Devils Garden, and the Delicate Arch, which came out to a little over 10 miles. The trails yeilded sights of over 10 different arches, and plenty of breathe taking scenery. It was amazing, and the weather was perfectly sunny and clear. We got some awesome pictures below of some of the arches. The delicate arch was the coolest, which is the most popular arch, and the one that is on the License Plate for UT.

When we got back we hopped in the pool and hot tub for a bit, to cool off and then relax the muscles. We made steak tips on the grill for dinner, and then hung out with Ben and Heather. It was really nice to meet some people in the same situation as us. We got to trade experiences, and tips, which was really fun. We wish we had more time in Moab, as we really only had one full day, but it was still great. Ben and Heather gave us a few suggestions on things to hit on our way through Arizona, so that is where we are headed next. We hope to see our new friends again soon when we return home. Below are some pictures for our time in Moab, UT.

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Tapping the Rockies and Ripping Up the Slopes

2010-04-23T15:58:00.000-04:00

Red Rocks Amphitheater was awesome. It was smaller that I thought it would be, but it was really cool! I stood on the stage where Dave Matthews stood and played in the summer of 2008. There was also a Red Rocks Hall of Fame which was cool to look through. After looking around the theater, we walked around a bit to see some of the views, and hike some of the rocks.

It was only another hour or so to Craigs in Boulder, CO, and when we got there, we went out to dinner with Craig and Laura. It was really good, and the beers went right to Billy's head. It was the altitude I am pretty sure! We woke up the next morning and headed to A-Basin to rip up the slopes. We met some cool people in the parking lot and ended up snowboarding with them all day. It was absolutely amazing, with the views. We snowboarded all day with the exception of a little tailgating for lunch. We also met some crazy Polish guys who were great, and at the end of the day we tailgated with them for a bit. When we got home Craig and Laura had made us taco's for dinner which was awesome.

The next day we snowboarded at Loveland, and it was another great day. It was not as warm, but it was still awesome. We skiied a half day, and then headed to Black Hawk City, and hit up some of the casinos. It is an old mining town that had turned all the buildings into casinos. Billy played some texas hold'em and won a couple hundred bucks. We didn't get back to Boulder until late, so it was a long day, but a good one.

The next day we finished up some laundry and packed up our stuff, and then headed to downtown Boulder to walk around. It was nice out so we ate outside at the Cheesecake Factory. It was delicious, and we decided to make Craig and Laura dinner, so we got some cheese cake for dessert. We got three flavors, Oreo, Snickers, and Mango Key Lime. They were delicious. I made Stuff Shells for dinner with Garlic Bread, and we played Wii Mario Kart, and Shawn White Snowboarding.

This morning we are back on the raod to Moab, UT. We are supposed to camp for the first time, but it is supposed to rain all day today,so we may find something else if we can. We will see. Below are some highlights from our time in Boulder. Colorado was definitely one of our favorite places. The people are nice, and the environment is awesome.

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Colorado Springs, CO

2010-04-19T20:19:00.000-04:00

“Life is the Journey, not the destination,” and let me tell you we had quite the journey in Colorado Springs. We checked into the Garden of Gods Camp Ground around 3:30pm on Saturday the 17^th. It was rainy and cold, at a temperature at just over 45 degrees. Lucky for us we had scheduled for a cabin instead of tenting. Did I mention this cabin did not have heat? Haha, it was better than a tent but it was still really cold the first night.

Since it was rainy and cold we wanted to do something inside, so we headed to the Cave of Winds first. We were rushing to get there before the last tour ended and we did not know how to get there, so I was playing with the GPS, and of course we got pulled over. Haha, well I should say Billy did. Lucky for us we got off with only a warning, as I don’t think we were going that much over the limit. When we got to the caves, luckily we got the last tickets for the last tour. It was really cool, and we saw some amazing rock formations that were millions of years old.

After that we were starving, and Billy had an itch to gamble, so we headed to Bronco Billys Casino in Cripple Creek. The GPS took us the scenic route on some rough mountain country roads that were washed away, and rocky. I was terrified we were going to pop a tire or break something, but Billy cranked the tunes and got us through it. We felt pretty accomplished when we made it back onto the paved roads. Haha. It took and extra hour for the scenic route but we made it to the casino. We eat dinner as Baja Billy’s Mexican restaurant, and had some margaritas, then hit the tables. We played a little cards, and then the slots. There was a Sex and the City slot machine that I had to play. Then we played on the good old Wheel a Fortune slots. It was a very successful night, and with Billy’s expertise, we left the casino 375 bucks richer.

That night when we got back to the cabin, we saw 6-12 Mule Deer outside our cabin. It was really cool, we got pretty close to them as they were grazing the grass. It was soooo cold that night in the cabin, but luckily our sleeping bag was warm enough. However getting out of bed in the morning was a little rough. Sunday we went to the Royal Gorge Scenic railway, and took a little train ride to see the gorge. It was beautiful. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to stick around because we had to get back to the Garden of the Gods for a tour. We went back to the gorge this morning, and drove across the world’s highest suspension bridge, and experienced the world’s highest sky coaster, which swings you out over the gorge. It was awesome, and Billy screamed like a little girl. Haha.

Yesterday when we went to the Garden of Gods, we had signed up for not just any tour, but a Segway Tour. It was awesome. We had a blast tooling around on the Segways, and seeing the crazy rock formations. It was the most beautiful scenery we have seen yet. It was absolutely amazing. After the tour we went off on our own in the Garden of Gods, and hiked a bit, and climb some of the rocks. It was really fun, and one of our favorite places so far on the trip. Last night the cabin was significantly warmer that the first night, and much more enjoyable. Haha.

Now after seeing the Gorge this morning, we are back on the road to Boulder, CO where we will stay with a good friend of mine until Friday, and rip up the slopes. On our way through Denver we are going to stop and see the famous Red Rocks Amphitheater and Concert Venue. This is one of the Dave Matthews Band’s most famous concert venues. I wish he was playing while we are around, but unfortunately he is not. It will still be awesome.

Below are some highlights from our time in Colorado Springs, CO.

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