Travels Across the Country: Part 1
Ty and I packed our luggage and went on a cross-country trek to be with our family and friends after a year of quarantining and not getting to see anyone. Our goal was to drive from Southern California to Central Indiana to visit Ty’s family and then drive from Indiana down to South Georgia to visit my family. After spending time with our loved ones, we would then drive back to our home in San Diego. With any luck, we will enjoy a few memorable stops along the way!
Day 1
We packed our luggage a couple of days before and we spent a solid month doing our best at organizing the next two weeks of our life on the open road. We had Sakura, our Nissan Rogue, fully fueled and tuned and ready-to-go. We woke up before the sun and birds on Saturday and groggily made peace with the early morning pavement. Graciously, we were saluted with a sunrise over the Anza-Borrego Mountains. Cruisin’ right along the foothills, we made our way into Arizona a lot quicker than we thought that we would. There was practically no traffic as we left California. Even the Border Patrol Inspection Station was closed. Our first stop was lunch at the “El Gato Azul” restaurant in Prescott, AZ. It was great food. We both got calamari wraps and large waters with lemon wedges to wash them down.
After fueling up, we got back on the road and continued toward the Grand Canyon. I have never been to the Grand Canyon before this trip. When I was thinking “Grand Canyon,” I pictured it being in the middle of a desert. And like in Wile E. Coyote cartoons, possibly driving right off the edge, right into the Grand Canyon, if you are not careful. To our surprise, Grand Canyon National Park is through an expansive forrest with scores of wildlife, and even herds of wild elk traversing its canopied pathways. The views from the north and south rims of the grand canyon are awe-inspiring. We took copious amounts of pictures and absorbed as much of the scenic view as we could.
Eventually, we found the park exit and made our way northeast toward Oljato-Monument Valley, Utah, where we stayed at our first Airbnb. The quaint cabin was literally in the middle of nowhere, and of course, cell signal was spotty at best. The Google Maps GPS navigation lead us astray and down the wrong road. Sakura started sinking into the desert sand and Ty quickly sank into the paranoia of us getting stuck in sand— in the desert— in the dark— in what was still over 100º weather. Nevertheless, we escaped the quicksand and we got the hell out of dodge. Or where ever that was. We recognized where Google was wrong and corrected our course to find the Turquoise Cabin. Despite the treacherous roads, the buttes and various other red rock formations of Arizona and southern Utah are exquisite! It was 108º in Oljato-Monument Valley that day. And it was still 98º well after midnight that same evening. We also learned that the desert has a lot of bugs. So far, the trip has reminded us twice that San Diego does not have many bugs. We even forgot about flies before stopping in Prescott, Arizona. Utah made sure to remind us that grasshoppers are definitely still a thing, too. Insects aside, the space was very cute and the cabin was set on a staggered cliff, above a functional teepee and an mud yurt! Super cool stuff!
Day 2
After a quick sleep during a super-warm night in Utah, we awoke early to watch and take-in a beautiful sunrise over the buttes. It was spectacular— and it definitely made the quicksand and sweltering night well worth it. After long morning showers, and several cups of coffee, we were awake and excited to see what would come next in Colorado.
We wanted to visit Four Corners Monument, but apparently the dial is closed on weekends. Go figure. Once we escaped the crimson deserts of Arizona and Utah, we found ourselves in Colorado. We were immediately gobsmacked by the magnanimity of such a gorgeous, incredibly wild terrain. We stopped at Ridgway (no ‘e’) State Park and meandered through its trails. The park was alongside the splendid Ridgway Reservoir, so we enjoyed the lake and the beautiful views it offered.
We had lunch at “Eatery 66” in Ridgway. Our sandwiches were delicious! Colorado is especially beautiful.
We made random stops to experience its winding rivers, picturesque waterfalls, and the intensity of the summer snowcapped Rocky Mountains. A lot of Colorado highways are mountainside— and have no railing! Yet, this somehow makes sense in Colorado and it only adds to the magnitude.
Once in Aspen, we were flabbergasted by the allure of the mountain encircled town. Bizarre to us after the remote emptiness of Colorado’s wild, Aspen itself was teeming with people. We both mentioned how it was as busy in Aspen as it is in touristy Ocean Beach— or even busier than Downtown, San Diego. Lots of people! We dined at “Mi Chola,” and the food was exceptional! It was a quasi-romantic Day-of-the-Dead counterculture themed restaurant. and we both loved it!
After an appetizing dinner, we got back on the road and slowly wound our way through more mountainside highway roads toward our next Airbnb in Leadville, Colorado. We enjoyed the sunset over the Rocky Mountains before we reached our guest bedroom Airbnb. We were sure to appreciate all of the Colorado majesty along the way as much as we could.
Day 3
After a cozy night in the Leadville, CO, Airbnb guest bedroom, we continued our trip toward Denver. Our Airbnb host was great— and in case you are curious— it was neither awkward nor bizarre staying in someone’s guest bedroom. It was a cool experience! After a captivating sunrise alongside the Rockies, we snaked our way toward Denver. In Denver, we walked around the city and took in its particularly meticulous cityscape. We saw where the MLB “All Star” game would be hosted and checked out Colorado’s Union Station.
After lunch, we left beautiful Denver and were dismayed by how quickly the enormity of the Rocky Mountains faded behind us. Entering Kansas, the landscape made a sudden and almost jarring change into flat, expansive prairies and agricultural farmlands. We had hoped to see fields of sunflowers in the Sunflower state, but alas, none were found. We ate at a local taco shop, whose window sign boasted the “Sunflower Festival Next Week.” However, no one there could advise us as to where we might locate these elusive yellow blooms. Odd. Kansas was a long and flat state, and it presumably makes a lot of money by pulling people over. Blue and red strobe lights is quite literally the only action we saw while in Kansas. As we entered Missouri, we saw more police pulling over more people. We were constantly laughing at absurd “religious” and anti-Biden billboards— and flags. Some folk love flags! For there being so few inhabitants there, there certainly is a whole lot of hatred in the heartland. Or at least they allow it to seem so. Anyway, without incident, we found “KC Kitchen & Pizzaria” in Kansas City, MO. It was a great pizza shoppe— and the vibe was completely different than all of the roadside love signs. People in KC, MO, were quite friendly and lively. We enjoyed some legit, gluten-free grub, and Ty sipped on a local IPA.
After a long day of being on the road, we found respite at our third Airbnb, a farmhouse apartment just outside of Kansas City, in Odessa, MO. The apartment inside the farmhouse was midwestern chic! The host truly went above and beyond to make the space a charmed experience. We were greeted with a personalized “Ty & Josh” welcome packet. It included a history of the farm itself and that of Odessa. There was an array of snacks and treats. There was even fresh lavender laying on top of the carefully folded stack of the towels. We enjoyed a wonderful, very restful sleep.
Day 4
The next morning we walked around the farm a bit and took in the beauty of a Weeping Willow tree over their pond. We heard plenty of cows waking up with assumedly their morning moos, but thankfully, we only smelled the fresh scent of morning dew.
We quickly got back onto the midwestern roads and continued our trip across Missouri. Our next stop was St. Louis. We had lunch at the “Gateway Arch Café.” There were no local IPAs, but the paninis were pretty damn tasty. We perused the museum and got tickets for the Gateway Arch tour. We took an “egg” and clinky-clanked our way all of the way to the top. Instead of being squished-in with three other tourists, as five could fit into each egg, we got to ride up the Arch by ourselves. This was of course due to remaining Covid-19 protocols. The vantage point from atop the Arch is incredible! We could see all of Downtown, St. Louis, the Missouri state capitol building, and the Cardinals’ Busch Stadium Field. The Arch guide even showed us a neat trick for how to capture a picture of both of the Arch’s legs from the top. The mighty Mississippi was mighty muddy, of course, but it, too, was quite an awesome sight from such incredible heights!
The history taught inside the Arch museum was astounding. It was interesting to read all about how the West was “won” and how the United States of America “evolved” from its original Colonies and expanded itself through the Louisiana Purchase and later beyond those borders into what we now know today as the U.S.A.
After three days of non-stop travel, we made our way into Indiana. Our first stop was at “Four Day Ray’s” in Fishers, Indiana. We ate a scrumptious dinner with Ty’s college bestie— also named Tyler. Our food was delectable! Ty got a local IPA from the microbrewery. After dinner with the Tylers, we stopped again in Kokomo, Indiana, and toured Ty’s other bestie, Jamie’s, new house. Jamie’s home is very welcoming. It is adorned in bountiful, leafy love! There are countless exquisite plants of every variety, and curious kitty cats lounging about. After catching up with Jamie, we finally made it into Ty’s hometown of Marion, Indiana. We stayed the next three nights inside a craftsman house Airbrb all to ourselves in South Marion near Indiana Wesleyan University campus.
Day 5
The next morning, we went to Ty’s adolescent home, where we were greeted with exuberant joy and tons of hugs and kisses. We spent time catching up with Ty’s parents before getting dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. Ty and his family, as did so many other unfortunate Americans last year, lost their beloved matriarch, and Ty’s grandmother, Patricia, to the novel coronavirus. His family procured a memorial bench in Matter Park Flower Gardens. Now, anyone may sit and reflect over the meticulous gardens— and appreciate a selfless life well lived.
Ty’s parents introduced us to a super savory and dare I say the ambrosial meal replacement shakes & tea bombs of “Envy Nutrition.” We liked these so much, we came back the next day for lunch! That evening, Ty made his naan pizzas at the Airbnb for his family. His mom and dad, and brother, Tanner, all chowed-down with us. In fact, even Ty’s surviving grandpa, Maynard, drove down from Ohio to get some of Ty’s scratch-made grub!
Day 6
The next day, Ty’s parents threw us a “Welcome Home” party at their beautiful, Hoosier-countryside home. Ty’s mom had insatiable BBQ catered. We all salivated over shredded BBQ chicken & shredded BBQ pork with some exceptional baked beans. Ty’s mom even made us a gluten-free cake & offered other gf snacks— and some very yummy ice cream! Ty’s father recently built on a large new addition, giving their beautiful home an excellent new hang out space. It overlooks their backyard and you can see well beyond, passed the creek that trickles through and into the trails of their “Back 40.” We spent the day partying with all of Ty’s cousins, aunts, and uncles. They all drove from every part of Indiana to be there. Some of Ty’s childhood friends made the occasion, too! And guess what— Grandpa Maynard even drove down again from Ohio to be with everyone! It was a blast!
Day 7
We spent our final day in Indiana with Ty’s brother, Tanner, and his fiancé, Alyce. We started the day at Tanner and Alyce’s home in Fort Wayne, IN. The affianced toured us around their recently moved-into home and they discussed the future plans for their home as well as showed us the changes they have already made. Ty was very excited to see what his little brother has been up to! Tanner and Alyce have a wonderful home! They also took us out to eat at “Shigs & Pits BBQ.” We ate a super-delicious dinner, and Ty also got to get— you guessed it— a local IPA! After our gratifying meal, we all went and explored the park that seats Saint Anthony’s Fort, just outside of Downtown, Fort Wayne. There, we stumbled upon, and were quickly entranced by, a retired high school history teacher-turned-local-reenactment historian, who vibrantly described the various histories of post-Colonial Fort Wayne.
Our time in Indiana was auspicious! We only wish we had more time to spend with Ty’s loving family and wonderful friends. Our three days in Ty’s Hoosier homeland flew by. Before we knew it, we were packed-up and preparing to hit the road again.
To be continued…
