We had an incredible amount of driving to do today. For breakfast we decided to drive back into Aspen from Snowmass Village. GPS said it was just 7 miles away, but due to traffic and lane reductions it took us around 30 minutes.
The McDonald’s in Aspen is one of the most nondescript McDonald’s I’ve been to. No large signs. Not at a building by itself. Just part of another building. You’d miss it if you didn’t know it was there. This McDonald’s is probably the only name brand fast food restaurant in downtown Aspen, and really only there because McDonald’s is everywhere….and the rich and famous have children who love McDonald’s.
It was on to the Black Canyon. To get there we drove through the mountains for some scenic views. We saw signs indicating next services was for 30 minutes and that meant gas. As we drove we came to a open air mine with a conveyor with the ability to load coal into railway cars. Railway cars were lined up very far along the tracks. Beside the mine was a group of around 50 houses, obviously the homes of the miners. As I recall I don’t remember seeing anything else but houses. The community was there to support the mine.
After entering Montrose we stopped to consult the GPS to find Rim Road around the Black Canyon. At some areas along the canyon you only need to was just a few yards to get to the picturesque spot. Other areas required somewhat of a hike. The canyon was beautiful. If you listened closely you could hear the rushing rapids at the bottom.
As recommended by Megan’s father we took state route 128 down to Moab. This road is very desolate. Very few cars on this road. Desert as far as you could see. Signs indicated there was a free range meaning it was possible that cattle could be in the roadway, however we saw none. As we approached we noticed the distinct rock formations much like the dark tan formations on Monument Valley. A small stream was surround by green trees – an unusual site in the desert. We saw a rancher’s house and sprinklers set to water the field around it.
The community of Dewey, Utah, consists of a house and a closed gas station. The pumps look like some from the 1980s. I really wish we had stopped to take a photo.
The rock formations were huge and overwhelming at times. This wasn’t even part of a National Park, rather part of the Department of Interior. There was no way for me to adequately describe how unique and beautiful the surroundings were. Along the way there were plenty of campsites without electrical and water hookups.
The stream that we had been following grew bigger among the rock formations. We later saw a sign stating it was the Colorado River.
We decided to drive into Arches National Park for some last minute viewings of the rock formations before sunset. The sunset really brought out the colors in these formations. This was a photographer’s dream. We stopped and parked and walked up to a very large arch and took plenty of photos. Knowing that we couldn’t see everything we decided to stay there while the sun set.
I have discovered that since most visitors stay at the National Park through sun down, most restaurants in Moab are open late. We were shopping for souvenirs at 9:30 at night and had supper at around 10PM. We ate at the Moab Diner – somewhat like Steak and Shake but more homelier with less name brand appeal. In short it was a hometown diner. Food was good especially since I had nothing since the Taco Bell in Delta.
Today we are off to Four Corners and Mesa Verde.

If you know anything about the geography of Denver, you know that the city lies on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. We were headed west and drove through the mountains on Interstate 70. There’s a gradual incline up the mountains. We kept track of our elevation on our GPS. Along the way we passed by quaint towns situated between the mountains and interstate. One in particular had a stadium proclaiming the school’s mascot – the Gold Diggers – how appropriate given Colorado’s history. Kanye West would be proud.
We stopped at Georgetown – a village with the mountains as a backdrop on either side. Its historic district with period buildings is the draw for most tourists. We stopped at the Georgetown Valley Candy Company to pick up some of their chocolate.
The entrance to Guanella Pass is within the city limits of Georgetown. We decided to journey up the pass for a great view of the surrounding area. Although Georgetown itself is around 8500 feet in elevation, we reached heights of 11000 feet at the top of Guanella Pass. On this two lane road we encountered road construction and rams along the way. I guess the wildlife is always there, although the road construction only happens in the summertime for obvious reasons. At the top there was a parking area for some great views of the surrounding countryside. Hikers were there preparing to make their own adventure. After taking some video and photos we decided to drive down the mountain back to Georgetown for lunch.
It was time to get back on the interstate to continue our journey west. As we drove down we saw signs directing truckers to emergency areas where the could drive uphill in case their brakes gave out. This reminded me of the area around Monteagle, Tennessee.
Next was Independence Pass – a road only open from May through November – or whenever the first snow hits. This road took us up the side of the mountain. Since there were no guardrails it was obvious as to why it is only open in the summer. The area was picturesque. Photos and video do not do this area justice. On top of the mountain, just a few hundred feet from the road we saw perma-ice.
Independence Pass is somewhat the backdoor to Aspen. From its shops like Gucci, Louis Vitton, and Ralph Lauren to its art shops, I discovered that Aspen is mainly for the super rich. I felt it was a little too high brow for my tastes. Even postcards were 60 cents and above. I felt that the common man could not afford to live in Aspen. Our waiter probably commuted from a surrounding community like Snowmass Village. In fact we decided to stay in Snowmass Village, as rates for rooms in Aspen was outrageous.
Already looking forward to our drive to Moab, Utah, today.

The day started off with a visit to the state capitol. As we arrived we noticed there was scaffolding on one side of the golden dome. This seems to be the norm these days among monuments. Never has it been where all monuments are completely upgraded or repaired. There is always repair work to be done. Along the sides of the capitol there are what I thought was cherry trees. I later was told these are crab apple trees. As we reached the front part we climbed the steps to a portion which “One Mile Above Sea Level” was engraved. This offered a iconic photo opportunity.
After the capitol, we visited Four Mile Historical Park. The park is four miles from the state capitol which is how it got its name. Within the 12 acre park is the oldest house in Denver. After exploring the various outdoor exhibits such as chicken coops and wigwams, we took a tour of the house.
Inside the house we started off in the oldest section, which by comparison was the more sparse section. Exposed pines on the ceiling and homemade furniture reminded us how the earliest settlers of Denver lived. As we moved into newer potions of the house the furniture got better, an indication of the impact the arrival of the railroad gave to Denver. What used to take months to obtain now took mere days. Within the house, we saw bedrooms, sitting rooms, a underground kitchen and other unique exhibits to the house. The house itself had been occupied continuously from the 1850s to 1960s until the Denver historical society took it over.
After Four Mile Historical Park it was time for lunch. I find myself a connoisseur of sandwiches, which is why it was important to visit the first Quiznos restaurant in downtown Denver, just blocks away from the Capitol. We were disappointed to find no air conditioning in the establishment. Doors to the bathroom were locked indicating the restaurant had been overrun with vagrants at time.
I realize that the air conditioning could have just gone out hours before and with it being a Sunday there was no time or ability to fix it, yet. However if it had been days of no air conditioning, it would be a major problem. I’d consider it a black eye for Quiznos. The room temperature was 85 degrees. We chose to eat outside on the patio.
We drove to Golden, Colorado, to tour the Coors Brewery. I’m not a drinker at all, ever. However my traveling companions were interested in it and I obliged. The wait for the “long” tour was an hour long, so we decided to visit the gift shop. Upon entering the area we found there was a short tour which gave a general overview of the beer making process and decided to go on that tour. We later found that the short tour was more than adequate and I myself would have become bored very quickly on the long tour.
Prior to taking the tour participants show their drivers license to get a armband so that they can receive a sample at the end. The tour itself was expectantly heavy on Coors propaganda, emphasizing the purity of the beer, that it is American made, and most all wastes are recycled. At the end there was a lounge area for tour groups to get 3 free beverages…obviously beer, but also soft drinks.
At the end of the tour there is a gift shop where you could pick up anything with the Coors logo on it. Everything from Coors brand lip balm to Coors brand ponchos were available. I searched for some type of evidence that Coors subtly supported underage drinking such as a stuffed animal or toy with a Coors logo on it. I found nothing. I was pleasantly surprised.
Within downtown Denver there is a section called the 16th Street Mall. I’d imagine it must have been there for quite sometime, after all how could a city persuade name brand stores to commit to building stores in downtown. Several blocks of stores dotted the street. I found myself having déj� vu when we passed by a Subway, Starbucks, McDonald’s, etc. and seeing another store of the same franchise brand just blocks away. I counted three Subways in this area alone.
Now might be a good time to mention Denver’s vagrant problem. It might be the economy. It might be people trying to take advantage of the situation. It might be a little of both. I kept seeing young people..twentysomethings…on the corners with signs begging for money. We were even asked by a guy walking with a backpack “Can you give me money so that I can buy some drugs?” At least he was honest. All of it I found slightly annoying. I am of the opinion that one should pull themselves up by their bootstraps, contact charities as needed, but never lower oneself to beg.
It was time for supper. We had made 7PM reservations at the Buckhorn Exchange, Denver’s oldest restaurant. The restaurant itself is located in a sketchy part of town among the housing projects. Makes me wonder if the area was once a good part of town and the area around it fell into disrepair.
The inside of the Buckhorn Exchange is a taxidermist’s dream with stuff game mounted on the walls. Buckhorn’s draw is its offering of exotic animals such as alligator tail and Rocky Mountain oysters. Rattlesnake was unavailable, instead replaced with calamari. I opted for barbeque pork ribs.
After dinner we stopped by the Golden Spoon, a yogurt restaurant across from our hotel before returning to our rooms.
Already looking forward to driving to Aspen today.

As I began my first journey to the West, I looked forward to seeing western Kansas. After cities like Manhattan and Salina, we saw the Flint Hills. The Flint Hills discredit the idea that all of Kansas is flat. Slight hills dotted the horizon. As we drove through the Flint Hills we reached Hays, Kansas. Hays is virtually the only significant city between Topeka and Denver. Home of Fort Hayes State University, the city is a college town with a good amount of restaurants. We chose Subway simply because it was the healthiest fast food place near the interstate. I was the busiest Subway I had seen in a while. Cars from various other states dotted the parking lot. After uploading a video to Youtube (thanks to Subway’s free wifi) we were on our way.
This is where the flatness of Kansas was noticable. At times you could see for miles. Ever so often we saw a farm house and wonder what this family / individual did for a living. Does this family stay on the farm almost constantly? Is a significant journey to them a 2 hour drive to Hays? I saw a sign along the interstate stating that a Kansas farmer fed 128 people plus you. I would tend to belive this statement.
As we got closer to the Colorado border we saw the elevation on our Garmin GPS system was increasing ever so slightly. Road work along the border of Kansas and Colorado prevented a photo op at the “Welcome to Colorado” sign. We stopped at the Colorado Welcome City and stocked up on pamplets and brouchures on things to do in Colorado. As usual the workers were very helpful in suggestions.
I never knew that at the Kansas border we were only 2 hours from Denver. As we drove we saw more and more vast ranches. Mark suggested those ranchers own thousands of acres of land with hundreds head of cattle to keep up with. The vastness of nothingness was eye-opening. Mark reminded me how those in metro centers out east complain that America has run out of land. Those complainers only need to visit the western United States to discredit this notion.
After just a few more house we reached Denver. The iconic scene of the Denver skyline with the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains was obscured by the clouds or haze (not sure which). We checked into our hotel, rested and had dinner at a IHOP across the street. We decided to drive into downtown Denver to view the capitol. Downtown is just a few miles away but took around 24 minutes because of red lights and lack of a direct route. We passed by panhandlers and the rescue mission reminding us that not all residents of Denver are as well off as we think. We saw the downtown shopping district, capital, and the first Quiznos store.
Already looking forward to my first full day in Denver today.

I’m allowed to dream, can’t I? I’m looking at my life and realizing that years are passing quickly. Before long I’ll be retired and traveling. But for the here and now, I’m dreaming. Dreaming of things that I might see, challenges that I choose to face.
My new idea which I’ve been toying with is traveling to Australia and spending a month there. I want to rent a car and drive from Sydney to Perth. Is this dream too overwhelming? Too big? Too challenging to do on my own?
Spend a week in Sydney. A few days in Melbourne and Adelaide each, then on to Perth. I’ve heard stories about travelers getting lost or stranded in the outback. I’m doing my homework before hand. The most difficult part is a 12 hour stretch on the Eyre Highway from the last bit of civilization from Denial Bay to Norseman – the next major city. Along the way there are roadhouses, but they are few and far between. I’d have to keep an eye on my gas, water, and food.
Is this too far fetched? Am I merely a dreamer? If you had told me 10 years ago that I would spend 3 months in Europe and enjoy it, I would have said you’re crazy.
Then again, maybe I should consider an easier trip to get my feet wet. How about the Loneliest Highway in America? This i where there are 3 hours between gas pumps and civlization. Just enough time to get lost and find yourself.

For the better part of my life I’ve been living with the mere present in mind. I had been living looking forward to the next retreat, camp, vacation, holiday, etc. However I have come to the realization that I only have one life to live and that I should make the best of it.
Basically I want to travel as much as possible. Whether or not this traveling comes now or when I retire is based on funds and confidence. I want to have a companion to travel with, as it seems to be a real downer to stare at Big Ben and have no one around to remark how awe-inspiring it is.
Therefore I’ve put together a bucket list if you will of places I want to go, either now or later. In no particular order…

• Drive cross country in my Beetle. This has long been a goal of mine…and very reachable. I envy those people who traveled out west with their families and / or friends. Lots of time on the road to view just a passing monument or mountain. The places that tend to fascinate me are those considered uninteresting by many others. Take western Kansas. This is literally the middle of nowhere, where farming is king and there is absolutely nothing to do. Residents there fascinate me, as if they have drawn the short stick early in life and landed in a place with very little opportunity unless they move to Kansas City or Denver.
  And somehow I expect to do this trip out west within the next few years…maybe multiple trips!
• Tahiti I feel in love with out of the way Pacific Islands on a trip to Hawaii in ’08. My favorite isles were the ones with very little tourist traps where I could be alone on a beach. The Big Island fit this yearning. I can only imagine that Tahiti would be the same way. And how many people do you know who have been to Tahiti?
• Easter Island For the same reasons of Western Kansas and Tahiti, Easter Island fits the mold. Its history fascinates me. Its isolation is amazing. Its difficulty in getting there makes it the least likely on my list to visit.
• Australia I would love to spend a month here. And entire continent that speaks English? Sign me up. Would love to rent a car and drive across the outback from Sydney to Perth.

So there you go. I know this list is probably a bit incomplete and could change at any minute. Life is very short. I want to be able to make the most of it and see as much of this world as possible.

I’ve put in my application to work overseas for 3 months. Hopefully it’ll be Germany. But I’ll take Switzerland, France, the Netherlands or most anywhere in Europe. We’ll see what happens…

My company allows for a work exchange program where workers would do the exact tasks while being overseas for three months. I am seriously considering doing it. Most likely the county would be Germany, but it could be Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg or any other half a dozen countires.
I’ve traveled to other countries 4 times in my life. China twice, Canada and El Salvador each one time. After about a week in China and El Salvador I was ready to come home because the food and living conditions weren’t all that great. Canada I could do for a bit longer. I really don’t know how I would handle Europe. The living conditions would be much better. The food is a toss up, but I’m guessing the quality and health aspects would be better than China or El Salvador.
Emotionally I don’t know if I could be away from my family. However I think it would help prepare me in the long run if/when close family members pass away.
Three months is a long time. Weeks tend to go by fast when I’m working here. Maybe it would be the same in Europe. I figure if I get enough guts I’d try traveling on the extensive European train system. I have had the urge to visit Europe for a while now. And it seems like this work exchange program would be a great opportunity for me.

Missouri River at Fort Leavenworth

Standing near the banks of the Missouri River at Fort Leavenworth I could only imagine that Lewis and Clark were thinking as they continued their expedition that would take them ultimately to the Pacific Ocean in Oregon. No western settlements…only Indians to help guide their way. It was a vast wilderness which would on day become farmland.

At Fort Leavenworth our car was searched in order enter. Noticed a school, bowling alley, commissary, on base. Reminded me of what Ft. Campbell must be like. Colonels and their families got prime real estate with a view of the river.

I saw a piece of the Berlin Wall which was given to then former president Ronald Reagen in 1992. And example of forebearance to end communism to preserve the American way of life,

What have I learned about Kansas? It is a state where farming and ranching is so much ingrained as a way of life. During my travels I saw fields of corn and grazing land. I visited towns where folks are so far away from a Wal-Mart it makes me wonder how they maintain.

We (myself and my hosts) are tired. I’m looking forward to getting back if only to get back into the swing of things.

Aftermath of a Tornado in Greensburg

Ninety-five percent of Greensburg, Kansas, was devistated by a F5 tornado in May 4, 2007. You are looking at the remnants of what used to be a house. Words and pictures do not do the story justice. It is difficult to describe the subdivision which we found ourselves in today. The town is still trying to recover a mere two years after the destruction. Houses are completely gone. Only basements and foundations left. I can only imagine what residents must have felt. Many leaving town and choosing not to rebuild. Any building which is standing today was rebuilt after the tornado. This includes the courthouse.

Meanwhile Dodge City proved to be a unique town. There is a particular smell when you enter the town. I later figured out that it was cows. There is a meat distribution center in Dodge City which explains the smell. Also for a mere $8 you can relive the old west by visiting the Boot Hill Museum. Was it worth it? Kinda sorta. I found out more about the old west than what I ever knew, much of which was garnered from my Grandfather’s Time Life Book of Legends of the Old West. Boot Hill Museum had much of everything such as an old Saloon, General Store, Jail, Church etc. Good stuff. However I can see myself running into alot of these in my future trip to Yellowstone.

Along the way we stopped at most every significant town. Took a photo of the courthouse and post office. I have found that most all Kansas towns have a combination of these things – Wheat storage bin – usually 4 stories tall and right next to a railroad track. It shows [Name of City] Co-op on the side. Consequentally this is the tallest structure in town.
Other things include, post office, courthouse. business district, VFW, Veterans’ Memorial, and movie theater. And seemingly all these town look virtually the same. Change some names on the signage and it is the same. I noted that it is usually miles and miles of nothingness followed by these short urban areas. Which makes me wonder what these people do for recreation, shopping, health care, etc. Do they have to plan for trips to buy televisions 3 hours away in Witcha? Is going to town a huge activity? Are these people still living in the 1950s? Somehow I wanted to speak to a local, but I never got around to asking our waitresses or convience store clerks about local ways of life during my trip through south western Kansas.