So, today was the last day of our trip, and Lacey made it amazing. It started out with waking up in the very best hotel we've stayed in yet. We both went on the computer for a while and then decided we were hungry. This was the best of the Continental breakfasts, as far as I was concerned: egg melt sandwich things on English muffin halves, sausage pieces (not very good), biscuits, cinnamon rolls, fruit salad, yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, several kinds of juice, coffee, etc. I'm not sure Lacey liked it as much as I did.
We came back to the room for a while while Lacey worked on a surprise and I just messed around on the computer. We decided that we really like this hotel, so we signed up for another night -- two nights in the same place! Wow! Of course, my luggage seemed to have known that we made this decision and proceeded to somehow expand its contents all over the place, which was not fun when it was time to put it all back together tonight.
We left the room in the early afternoon and went for a bike ride. Lacey's been travelling with her bike, but I needed to rent one. The little bike place was cool -- people just coming in off the road asking for bike service and the place taking care of it pretty quickly. The bike they gave me was a little more complicated than I'm used to, but I did okay with it. We decided to take the country route, riding by the river, under tunnels. Denver's amazing in that they have these bike routes, and all kinds of people are riding all over the place. We went a pretty fair distance -- just over 8 miles. I felt like, if we'd been in flatter ground and lower altitude, I could've gone much further. Again, Lacey was very patient with my pathetic pace and said she was glad that I gave it a shot. When I went to return the bike, the guy made a mistake on entering the information, so he gave me a $10 discount because he said it was easier than fixing the mistake. Definitely not something that would've happened in Detroit.
Afterwards, we picked up some sandwiches at Subway and did a cursory cleaning of Lacey's car. Then she had a surprise for me: she took me to this place where they do indoor skydiving! From the outside, it looked like it was a huge, high building where this is done, and I was a bit concerned about what she was getting me into. And, signing waivers never really fills me with confidence about such ventures. However, once we were allowed upstairs, we saw that it was really just an air chamber, which, in some ways, was a little disappointing, as I'd thought we'd be "flying" together. There was a kid in there having some lessons, and it was interesting to watch. (I overheard his mother talking to someone and she said he wants to skydive but can't until he's 18 and has some kind of experience, so that's why he was taking these lessons.)
We had to go into a classroom where we watched a video about how to position ourselves, and then they made all of us (Lacey, me, 2 little kids who'd done it before and a terrified woman who apparently got talked into it) lie on this board thing one at a time so they could check our position. Of course, it's a lot different on a board than in a chamber with wind of 120 mph. After the classroom thing, we had to put on knee and elbow pads, jumpsuits (I had purple and Lacey had red), earplugs, helmets & goggles. Then, one by one, the instructor took us into the chamber. It was really an odd feeling -- kind of like swimming in air.(Although the instructor later commented that it was more like scuba diving. But, since I've never done that, either, I went with the reference that I know.) It was an incredibly creative, sweet, fun and exciting surprise, and I was really touched that Lacey did that for me, in another attempt to get me out of my comfort zone.
After that, we came back to the hotel again for a little while. Then, we went to Ted's Montana Grill, which is a chain from Montana that is owned by Ted Turner. It's an environmentally friendly restaurant that does things like use paper straws instead of plastic ones and monitors its energy use. They have their own butcher and serve mostly chicken, beef and bison. We started with an amazing artichoke dip that came with very generous slices of parmesan crusted ciabatta bread and strawberry margaritas that had sugar rather than salt around the edge of the glasses. We each ordered bison burgers (mine had cheddar cheese, bacon, onions and mushrooms), and I got a sweet potato for a side. It was really, really good, but, after the appetizer, I just wasn't that hungry, so I brought the rest of it back to the hotel, hoping that it will travel well on my very long day of flying tomorrow.
This trip has really been one of the very best of my life, starting with Lacey coming what was definitely out of her way to get me, talking until 3am that night even though she was exhausted, to all of the planning and driving and planning special surprises for me along the way. We -- well, I, anyhow, 'cause I know Lacey's tired of being on the road -- really enjoyed being in the car, and somehow, we never really seemed to run out of conversation. Now, I understand what the freedom of the road is all about. Thank you, Lacey, for inviting me to be your Tagalong.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Back in Denver
We woke up a little more slowly today than we'd planned, but we were still up & out early for a Sunday morning. We went to Winona's, one of Lacey's favorite restaurants in Steamboat Springs. I had a scramble that had crab, bacon, red peppers and onions with hollandaise sauce that tasted really good at the time but wanted to cause issues later. Fortunately, nothing bad happened, but my stomach was a little sensitive.
After breakfast, we went back to the hotel and relaxed for just a little while, because we needed to check out. We actually found we were running a little late, so we got our checkout time pushed back a little.
We decided that we wanted to be a little more active, so we drove to the Rocky Mountain National Park. We went to the information center and asked the woman there advice about which trail to take. We obviously needed something that wasn't too strenuous for me, but we didn't want something completely flat, either. The woman told us of her favorite one, which, happily, we could access from somewhere that seemed a bit outside of the actual park, so we didn't have to pay an admission fee. Yay!
The trail was absolutely beautiful. Lots of trees, a waterfall, a meadow -- and definitely not flat. There were some areas that were fairly steep for me, although Lacey, being a very experienced hiker, didn't seem to be particularly affected by it. I've got to say, she was extremely patient and encouraging redgarding my lack of hiking experience. The air up there was definitely thin, and I was surprised at how winded I got when I knew I had more endurance than that. We ended up walking a total of 2.54 miles. (Lacey has a nifty GPS thing she wears on her wrist that keeps track of such things.)
After hiking, it was time to head back to Denver. We drove a very scenic mountain route, through some more amazing scenery and some cute little mountain towns -- exactly what I think of when I say "mountain town". In Lacey's amazing hotel coupon book, we found one for a Hampton Inn and headed there. This is by far the nicest hotel we've been in & are considering actually staying for two nights in the same place. We were too tired and giddy to actually go out for dinner, so we went to Noodles & Company and picked up food to bring back to the hotel room. And, I finally found Fresca, which I'd been looking for at every store we've stopped at so far. And, tonight, we're just hanging out in the hotel, relaxing and blogging.
After breakfast, we went back to the hotel and relaxed for just a little while, because we needed to check out. We actually found we were running a little late, so we got our checkout time pushed back a little.
We decided that we wanted to be a little more active, so we drove to the Rocky Mountain National Park. We went to the information center and asked the woman there advice about which trail to take. We obviously needed something that wasn't too strenuous for me, but we didn't want something completely flat, either. The woman told us of her favorite one, which, happily, we could access from somewhere that seemed a bit outside of the actual park, so we didn't have to pay an admission fee. Yay!
The trail was absolutely beautiful. Lots of trees, a waterfall, a meadow -- and definitely not flat. There were some areas that were fairly steep for me, although Lacey, being a very experienced hiker, didn't seem to be particularly affected by it. I've got to say, she was extremely patient and encouraging redgarding my lack of hiking experience. The air up there was definitely thin, and I was surprised at how winded I got when I knew I had more endurance than that. We ended up walking a total of 2.54 miles. (Lacey has a nifty GPS thing she wears on her wrist that keeps track of such things.)
After hiking, it was time to head back to Denver. We drove a very scenic mountain route, through some more amazing scenery and some cute little mountain towns -- exactly what I think of when I say "mountain town". In Lacey's amazing hotel coupon book, we found one for a Hampton Inn and headed there. This is by far the nicest hotel we've been in & are considering actually staying for two nights in the same place. We were too tired and giddy to actually go out for dinner, so we went to Noodles & Company and picked up food to bring back to the hotel room. And, I finally found Fresca, which I'd been looking for at every store we've stopped at so far. And, tonight, we're just hanging out in the hotel, relaxing and blogging.
Steamboat Springs, CO
We woke up and got down to the continental breakfast just before they started shutting it down. When that hotel says breakfast ends at 9:00, they MEAN 9:00!
After we ate, we packed up our stuff and checked out. Then, we headed to Steamboat Springs, which is about a 3 hour drive from Denver. It's so cool to be driving (well, riding -- Lacey's been doing all the driving) in such a scenic place. Such very beautiful mountains and hills. I took many pictures along the way. I've got to say that I was very glad that Lacey was driving; some of the areas were very steep. Besides, she knows the area, which always helps. And, she really is an excellent driver.
We stopped for lunch at one of her favorite hamburger places which was a cross between fast food and sit down, because you order at the counter, but then, they bring it to you. Everything is freshly made, so it takes a little longer than regular fast food, which was kind of refreshing. And, they put a ton of lettuce on the burgers, which we convinced ourselves made it a little less bad for us. Their fries were like Rally's/Checkers -- the kind I've been craving for a while but can't seem to get any longer in Michigan.
Once we got to Steamboat, we walked around the ski resort where Lacey used to teach skiing. It's under renovation now before the season starts, but I had a nice time seeing the area, and she was kind of lost in reminiscing about how things used to look and what they're doing now. It was kind of odd being in a nearly deserted area, although we did occasionally see people walking by or riding their bikes. We sat on the empty chair lifts and Lacey pointed out the different ski runs and so forth. It's incredible to me that people actually ski down from such huge, high mountains. Funny how what's exhilarating to some people (like Lacey) is terrifying to others (like me).
We decided that, since we were near the hotel (which Lacey thinks is rustically tacky because it tries to look Western but also looks kind of newly remodeled to look old), we should check in so we wouldn't have to deal with that later. And, being in a mountain town, we have a spectacular view of the mountains, which makes us both very happy.
After we checked in, we went downtown and drove around a little bit. Then, we parked and walked around. Apparently, most of the stores have remained here, but they've moved locations, which seemed a bit disconcerting for Lacey because the stores didn't stay where she'd left them. She also showed me where she'd played hockey and an older ski area where Olympians practice their runs and jumps and so forth. She was hoping that the Alpine slide would be open, but this is the one season that most things seemed to be closed, so we just looked at it. While it looked like a lot of fun, it also seemed like it might be a little heart-stopping for me, so I have mixed feelings about it being closed. On the other hand, it sure would've been another one of those really good experiences for taking me out of my bubble!
We came back to the hotel and made a plan to have an early dinner, but I wasn't really hungry yet. So, we walked downtown for a while longer and browsed in some of the shops. We went to a bookstore (that had moved locations) and spent a long time reading some of the humorous books. Lacey found the good ones: one of a bunch of signs whose messages were not what was intended, and another called "Pat the Husband", which was like "Pat the Bunny" for grown-ups.
We then decided that we should eat, so we went to a Mexican restaurant that was pretty good, although they insisted on putting Jalapeno peppers in everything, which neither of us liked. Fortunately, we were able to pick them out. Then, we headed up to the mountain and Lacey gave me a nighttime tour of the high school she'd attended. It kind of reminded me a bit of Upland Hills, but on a more-developed scale. I was amazed that so many of the buildings were open, and it was fun seeing where Lacey spent her high school years.
We continued up the mountain to the hot springs. It was pitch dark and FILLED with loud college kids. Lacey was a very good wilderness guide, walking ahead of me with the flashlight & making sure I didn't trip along the way. We found the bathrooms to change into our bathing suits and made our way down to the springs. The ground was FREEZING cold when we took off our shoes & we got into the pools of water as fast as we could. It was kind of odd trying to walk around when we couldn't see, but we did find a place to perch -- until we were overrun with more kids and decided to find another place to hang out. Some of the areas were warm, but others were downright hot, to the point where we decided that our best option would be to sit on the stairs so we could get out of the water as needed. While we couldn't actually see anything around us, the night sky was amazing. So many stars blanketed the sky. It's hard to believe it's the same sky that's in the city, as it looked so different and huge.
We stayed there for quite a while, when, all of a sudden, the man that checked us in came and scolded the college kids for the antics he'd warned them against (being too loud & drunk, apparently) and insisted that all the "young folks" get out of the springs. We decided that we were not the young folks (although Lacey's young and I act young) so we stayed put. But after the man made them get out, some of them came back in to "our" side and he started talking to them in a completely different, rational tone. Very odd to see that. It was pretty obvious that he didn't realize that all they'd done was walk up one set of stairs and down the other. After another 10 minutes or so, it seemed like a lot of the kids that had gotten out had merely laid in wait for a while, then got back into the springs because we noticed how quickly the noise levels picked back up again.
Lacey looked at her watch, and we realized it was a lot later than we'd thought it was, so we decided it was time to get out. Good thing, too, because one of the random college kids asked us for the time and then said something about the springs closing at 11:00, and it was already 10:45. We really wanted to be out of there before the kids started driving down the mountain, but, except for one lone car behind us, we really didn't see any other cars. We figure that the kids must've rented the cabins that we tried to get -- or that they just left quickly, because the parking lot that had been nearly completely full when we got there only had a few cars left.
After stopping at the local Kum & Go (kind of the local 7-11) to get some snacks and chatting with the cashier who said he had a relative named Aunt Joanne who lives in Michigan (he didn't know where, but apparently thought "Aunt Joanne" was enough for me to identify her!), we came back to the hotel & collapsed happily into bed.
After we ate, we packed up our stuff and checked out. Then, we headed to Steamboat Springs, which is about a 3 hour drive from Denver. It's so cool to be driving (well, riding -- Lacey's been doing all the driving) in such a scenic place. Such very beautiful mountains and hills. I took many pictures along the way. I've got to say that I was very glad that Lacey was driving; some of the areas were very steep. Besides, she knows the area, which always helps. And, she really is an excellent driver.
We stopped for lunch at one of her favorite hamburger places which was a cross between fast food and sit down, because you order at the counter, but then, they bring it to you. Everything is freshly made, so it takes a little longer than regular fast food, which was kind of refreshing. And, they put a ton of lettuce on the burgers, which we convinced ourselves made it a little less bad for us. Their fries were like Rally's/Checkers -- the kind I've been craving for a while but can't seem to get any longer in Michigan.
Once we got to Steamboat, we walked around the ski resort where Lacey used to teach skiing. It's under renovation now before the season starts, but I had a nice time seeing the area, and she was kind of lost in reminiscing about how things used to look and what they're doing now. It was kind of odd being in a nearly deserted area, although we did occasionally see people walking by or riding their bikes. We sat on the empty chair lifts and Lacey pointed out the different ski runs and so forth. It's incredible to me that people actually ski down from such huge, high mountains. Funny how what's exhilarating to some people (like Lacey) is terrifying to others (like me).
We decided that, since we were near the hotel (which Lacey thinks is rustically tacky because it tries to look Western but also looks kind of newly remodeled to look old), we should check in so we wouldn't have to deal with that later. And, being in a mountain town, we have a spectacular view of the mountains, which makes us both very happy.
After we checked in, we went downtown and drove around a little bit. Then, we parked and walked around. Apparently, most of the stores have remained here, but they've moved locations, which seemed a bit disconcerting for Lacey because the stores didn't stay where she'd left them. She also showed me where she'd played hockey and an older ski area where Olympians practice their runs and jumps and so forth. She was hoping that the Alpine slide would be open, but this is the one season that most things seemed to be closed, so we just looked at it. While it looked like a lot of fun, it also seemed like it might be a little heart-stopping for me, so I have mixed feelings about it being closed. On the other hand, it sure would've been another one of those really good experiences for taking me out of my bubble!
We came back to the hotel and made a plan to have an early dinner, but I wasn't really hungry yet. So, we walked downtown for a while longer and browsed in some of the shops. We went to a bookstore (that had moved locations) and spent a long time reading some of the humorous books. Lacey found the good ones: one of a bunch of signs whose messages were not what was intended, and another called "Pat the Husband", which was like "Pat the Bunny" for grown-ups.
We then decided that we should eat, so we went to a Mexican restaurant that was pretty good, although they insisted on putting Jalapeno peppers in everything, which neither of us liked. Fortunately, we were able to pick them out. Then, we headed up to the mountain and Lacey gave me a nighttime tour of the high school she'd attended. It kind of reminded me a bit of Upland Hills, but on a more-developed scale. I was amazed that so many of the buildings were open, and it was fun seeing where Lacey spent her high school years.
We continued up the mountain to the hot springs. It was pitch dark and FILLED with loud college kids. Lacey was a very good wilderness guide, walking ahead of me with the flashlight & making sure I didn't trip along the way. We found the bathrooms to change into our bathing suits and made our way down to the springs. The ground was FREEZING cold when we took off our shoes & we got into the pools of water as fast as we could. It was kind of odd trying to walk around when we couldn't see, but we did find a place to perch -- until we were overrun with more kids and decided to find another place to hang out. Some of the areas were warm, but others were downright hot, to the point where we decided that our best option would be to sit on the stairs so we could get out of the water as needed. While we couldn't actually see anything around us, the night sky was amazing. So many stars blanketed the sky. It's hard to believe it's the same sky that's in the city, as it looked so different and huge.
We stayed there for quite a while, when, all of a sudden, the man that checked us in came and scolded the college kids for the antics he'd warned them against (being too loud & drunk, apparently) and insisted that all the "young folks" get out of the springs. We decided that we were not the young folks (although Lacey's young and I act young) so we stayed put. But after the man made them get out, some of them came back in to "our" side and he started talking to them in a completely different, rational tone. Very odd to see that. It was pretty obvious that he didn't realize that all they'd done was walk up one set of stairs and down the other. After another 10 minutes or so, it seemed like a lot of the kids that had gotten out had merely laid in wait for a while, then got back into the springs because we noticed how quickly the noise levels picked back up again.
Lacey looked at her watch, and we realized it was a lot later than we'd thought it was, so we decided it was time to get out. Good thing, too, because one of the random college kids asked us for the time and then said something about the springs closing at 11:00, and it was already 10:45. We really wanted to be out of there before the kids started driving down the mountain, but, except for one lone car behind us, we really didn't see any other cars. We figure that the kids must've rented the cabins that we tried to get -- or that they just left quickly, because the parking lot that had been nearly completely full when we got there only had a few cars left.
After stopping at the local Kum & Go (kind of the local 7-11) to get some snacks and chatting with the cashier who said he had a relative named Aunt Joanne who lives in Michigan (he didn't know where, but apparently thought "Aunt Joanne" was enough for me to identify her!), we came back to the hotel & collapsed happily into bed.
Denver, CO (Friday)
Ok, so maybe camping in mid-October wasn't the best idea: it was FREEZING cold (as in actual frost on the tent!), and VERY noisy -- a train by our heads and the freeway traffic by our feet. Lacey was able to sleep. Me, not so much. Still, I'm glad for the experience; it's something we both had really wanted to do.
So, we packed up the tent and headed to Denver, which was only about a half hour away. We needed to check some things out online, so we ended up at Bruegger's Bagels for breakfast -- one of the places Lacey likes. And, to be honest, my spinach & cheese omelet thing on an asiago cheese bagel wasn't half bad. And the pumpkin spice coffee was REALLY good! Unfortunately, their router was down, so so much for going to a place for Wi-Fi.
So, instead, we found the Denver library. Lacey looked up the stuff she needed to find, and, after much hassle (but a very nice librarian), I got a password that allowed me to use the computer, too. (The computers were old, didn't use tabs and the fonts were so tiny that even making them extra large didn't help.)
After the library, we did a couple errands that Lacey needed done, ending in picking up a prescription at Walgreen's, which turned into a MAJOR ordeal: they told her it would be 1/2 hour but ended up being more like an hour and a half!! But, we did have a rousing game of catching a light up koosh ball in the toy aisle.
Lacey then drove me around the Denver area, showing me her college, places she liked to frequent and other points of interest. She
is an amazing tour guide and knows the story behind everything she showed me. I think maybe she should be a tour guide, as she remembers the backstory on everything, and tells it with great enthusiasm.
Since being at Walgreen's ate up so much of our day, we decided we should look for a hotel. We drove around a while, trying decide where we wanted to be. The first place we stopped didn't have anything available, so we drove around a bit more until we found another one. This one was quite a trip: we went into our room and, on Lacey's bed, bits of ceiling dust was on her bed, along with the back of a smoke detector. We went into the bathroom and noticed a huge,ugly chip/stain in the bathtub. We could've dealt with all that, but we didn't like it. But then, I sat on her bed so she could show me something, and the bed collapsed! At that point, we decided the room was unacceptable, so we went down to the desk and got our room changed. The next room was MUCH better -- even had a stacked refrigerator/freezer and modern microwave! It kind of made of us wish we'd had some food we could prepare in it!
After we changed rooms, we went to downtown Denver. They have a light rail there that actually goes further than just a loop around a tiny downtown area! What a concept! We walked around a bit while Lacey pointed out some more of the local color, and then went to one of Lacey's favorite restaurants called Rodizio's Brazilian Grill. It's an amazing, fairly upscale restaurant that has a 2-tiered prixe fixe menu -- except that there's not actually a menu. When you first sit down, they bring appetizers. That night, they had polenta with parmesan cheese and hot, fried bananas with cinnamon and sugar They also have this huge salad bar that I wanted some of everything from. But, Lacey warned me not to do that because the way they serve there is that you get a 2-sided spindle with a green side and a red side. When you have it with the green side up, waitstaff comes around with different types of meat from fish to pork to steak to poultry, ask if you want some and then cut off a piece for you which you then grab with tongs. You can have as much as you want, as many times as you want. The place itself was very attractive, and the food was really, really good. It was quite a splurge for us, but well worth it.
After the amazing dinner, we walked around downtown Denver for a long time. It was so nice to be out in a city, walking around and not being afraid that we shouldn't be there. Lacey showed me the area where all big events take place, including the recent national Democratic convention. They were also getting ready for a marathon that's on Sunday, so we got to see a bit of the setting up for that.
We took the light rail back to Lacey's car and drove back to the hotel, collapsing happily exhausted into bed.
So, we packed up the tent and headed to Denver, which was only about a half hour away. We needed to check some things out online, so we ended up at Bruegger's Bagels for breakfast -- one of the places Lacey likes. And, to be honest, my spinach & cheese omelet thing on an asiago cheese bagel wasn't half bad. And the pumpkin spice coffee was REALLY good! Unfortunately, their router was down, so so much for going to a place for Wi-Fi.
So, instead, we found the Denver library. Lacey looked up the stuff she needed to find, and, after much hassle (but a very nice librarian), I got a password that allowed me to use the computer, too. (The computers were old, didn't use tabs and the fonts were so tiny that even making them extra large didn't help.)
After the library, we did a couple errands that Lacey needed done, ending in picking up a prescription at Walgreen's, which turned into a MAJOR ordeal: they told her it would be 1/2 hour but ended up being more like an hour and a half!! But, we did have a rousing game of catching a light up koosh ball in the toy aisle.
Lacey then drove me around the Denver area, showing me her college, places she liked to frequent and other points of interest. She
is an amazing tour guide and knows the story behind everything she showed me. I think maybe she should be a tour guide, as she remembers the backstory on everything, and tells it with great enthusiasm.
Since being at Walgreen's ate up so much of our day, we decided we should look for a hotel. We drove around a while, trying decide where we wanted to be. The first place we stopped didn't have anything available, so we drove around a bit more until we found another one. This one was quite a trip: we went into our room and, on Lacey's bed, bits of ceiling dust was on her bed, along with the back of a smoke detector. We went into the bathroom and noticed a huge,ugly chip/stain in the bathtub. We could've dealt with all that, but we didn't like it. But then, I sat on her bed so she could show me something, and the bed collapsed! At that point, we decided the room was unacceptable, so we went down to the desk and got our room changed. The next room was MUCH better -- even had a stacked refrigerator/freezer and modern microwave! It kind of made of us wish we'd had some food we could prepare in it!
After we changed rooms, we went to downtown Denver. They have a light rail there that actually goes further than just a loop around a tiny downtown area! What a concept! We walked around a bit while Lacey pointed out some more of the local color, and then went to one of Lacey's favorite restaurants called Rodizio's Brazilian Grill. It's an amazing, fairly upscale restaurant that has a 2-tiered prixe fixe menu -- except that there's not actually a menu. When you first sit down, they bring appetizers. That night, they had polenta with parmesan cheese and hot, fried bananas with cinnamon and sugar They also have this huge salad bar that I wanted some of everything from. But, Lacey warned me not to do that because the way they serve there is that you get a 2-sided spindle with a green side and a red side. When you have it with the green side up, waitstaff comes around with different types of meat from fish to pork to steak to poultry, ask if you want some and then cut off a piece for you which you then grab with tongs. You can have as much as you want, as many times as you want. The place itself was very attractive, and the food was really, really good. It was quite a splurge for us, but well worth it.
After the amazing dinner, we walked around downtown Denver for a long time. It was so nice to be out in a city, walking around and not being afraid that we shouldn't be there. Lacey showed me the area where all big events take place, including the recent national Democratic convention. They were also getting ready for a marathon that's on Sunday, so we got to see a bit of the setting up for that.
We took the light rail back to Lacey's car and drove back to the hotel, collapsing happily exhausted into bed.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
In Colorado!
We did a good job of getting up early today. I think we were out of the motel room by 7:00. We'd planned to eat their continental breakfast,but it really was bad. My waffle stuck to the waffle iron and was kind of bland and overcooked. The coffee was also bad. There was no fruit or eggs or anything else, so we made due with mini muffins and were on the road by 7:30. We stopped to get gas, Mountain Dew for Lacey and coffee for me. Oddly, that was way more satisfying than what the motel had offered.
Today was a driving day. We drove for a while and decided to have a real breakfast. We went to an IHOP where the waitress seemed to constantly comment on what looked good as she was bringing it. I think she missed her calling as a stewardess. We got back on the road and just drove west, heading for Colorado. As we were driving, we started to see amelioration of the clouds in the west. We got so crazy excited at seeing blue sky that we actually took pictures of the breaks in the clouds! And then, lo and behold, the clouds broke up even further, and we had SUN!
After some more driving (which, by the way, I really enjoy), we started seeing signs for a carousel in Burlington, CO. After a small debate about whether or not we wanted to see it, we decided to go, as we hadn't really done anything at all except for driving. It seemed to be a nice diversion. Unfortunately, after driving through the town and finding the area where it was, it turned out to be closed -- only open in the summer months. But, there was a sign outside of it explaining that the animals -- including a hippocampus (which I read 6 times to make sure I was reading it right & then made Lacey read, too) don't move up and down, but rather, just go in a circle. But, we did enjoy the green grass and the warm sun, and decided that, since it had cleared up, maybe we could give camping a shot tonight after all.
We had a choice of a couple different campgrounds, one fairly close to where we were already, and another that was about 50 miles away. Since the driving was good, we decided to go to the one further away. When we got here, we drove down all these little streets and found the KOA campground tucked way in the back of the town -- right next to the freeway. We got a tent site, which is only slightly bigger than Lacey's car. But, the point was to camp, so it didn't really matter what the campground looked like.
As we pulled into the campground, we saw a tiny little barbecue restaurant right next to the campground. Still disappointed from last night's barbecue, we decided to scrap making dinner and go there instead. It was much more what we had in mind, just a tiny little place that knew how to make meat that wasn't overly dry or spicy, a choice of 4 different sauces -- and they brought it to us and called us "girls"! We decided to splurge and get a deep fried twinkie for dessert. One of those things that's good to try once, but not necessary to try again.
So now, we're sitting outside, under the stars at a campsite blogging on the internet. The perfect combination of of rural and high-tech experiences.
Today was a driving day. We drove for a while and decided to have a real breakfast. We went to an IHOP where the waitress seemed to constantly comment on what looked good as she was bringing it. I think she missed her calling as a stewardess. We got back on the road and just drove west, heading for Colorado. As we were driving, we started to see amelioration of the clouds in the west. We got so crazy excited at seeing blue sky that we actually took pictures of the breaks in the clouds! And then, lo and behold, the clouds broke up even further, and we had SUN!
After some more driving (which, by the way, I really enjoy), we started seeing signs for a carousel in Burlington, CO. After a small debate about whether or not we wanted to see it, we decided to go, as we hadn't really done anything at all except for driving. It seemed to be a nice diversion. Unfortunately, after driving through the town and finding the area where it was, it turned out to be closed -- only open in the summer months. But, there was a sign outside of it explaining that the animals -- including a hippocampus (which I read 6 times to make sure I was reading it right & then made Lacey read, too) don't move up and down, but rather, just go in a circle. But, we did enjoy the green grass and the warm sun, and decided that, since it had cleared up, maybe we could give camping a shot tonight after all.
We had a choice of a couple different campgrounds, one fairly close to where we were already, and another that was about 50 miles away. Since the driving was good, we decided to go to the one further away. When we got here, we drove down all these little streets and found the KOA campground tucked way in the back of the town -- right next to the freeway. We got a tent site, which is only slightly bigger than Lacey's car. But, the point was to camp, so it didn't really matter what the campground looked like.
As we pulled into the campground, we saw a tiny little barbecue restaurant right next to the campground. Still disappointed from last night's barbecue, we decided to scrap making dinner and go there instead. It was much more what we had in mind, just a tiny little place that knew how to make meat that wasn't overly dry or spicy, a choice of 4 different sauces -- and they brought it to us and called us "girls"! We decided to splurge and get a deep fried twinkie for dessert. One of those things that's good to try once, but not necessary to try again.
So now, we're sitting outside, under the stars at a campsite blogging on the internet. The perfect combination of of rural and high-tech experiences.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Lenexa, KS
We did MUCH better at getting up early today. I actually awoke at 5:00 am and couldn't fall back asleep. By 6:00, I realized any further effort was futile, but stayed in bed anyway. We actually got out of the hotel and on the road by 7:30, which was really good. Unfortunately, it was ANOTHER cold, rainy day, so it's almost hard to tell if it's day or night.
We went to St. Louis, MO. Lacey had been there on her trip north, but she didn't see the Arch, something she's always wanted to see, so she planned that as a stop for us to see together. There was also a whole museum dedicated to the expansion of the west, and to baseball. There it was all self-guided and LOTS of reading. Lacey's better at reading all of that stuff than I am, so she was actually soaking up all the history. I was reading the quotes... They also had some of those animated characters that talk about what was going on at the time that I always think are funny. Lacey hadn't seen those before, and we had a good time imitating their jerky movements. (Ok, she imitated. I just watched. ;) )
After the museum, we went up into the arch. They send you up in trams, which were actually little enclosed modules with tiny windows. That surprised us; we thought they'd be more like plexiglass trams like at ski slopes. They say it only takes 4 minutes to get up. Each time we rode in them, we had "interesting" older couples who rode along with us. This was one occasion in which it was good to be short: the opening to the little tram was only about 4.5 feet high, and inside, the taller people really had to be careful of their heads. I, however, fit rather well into the little corner.
We were pretty lucky that, while overcast, we could still the views of St. Louis from the arch. They said that the arch, built in 1963-65 (the trams inside were added in 1967), was as long as it was high. The view from the top was really amazing. And, just looking at the arch from outside, you can't really tell that people can go up inside. We could see the stadium, a good deal of the downtown area, and, if we really, really strained, the bottom of the arch. It was a little difficult at times to keep our balance, though. We stayed up there for a while but we both started feeling a bit of the instability around the same time and decided it was time to go back down.
There was a little paddleboat cruise thing across the street from the arch that looked like it had a cafe. They were playing old fashioned music (like Farrell's ice cream parlor used to have) and it seemed like a fun place to have lunch. Unfortunately, when the boats are out, they don't serve from there. We decided we didn't really feel like being on a boat in the dreary, cold, rainy weather, so we skipped that and tried to find something "St. Louis-y" to have for lunch. But, we couldn't find anything in any of the books Lacey has, so we decided to get back on the road and stop at whatever struck our fancy. We ended up at a Qdoba, which was fine....until I spilled my water all over the place. Fortunately, it stayed in the middle of the table, and I don't think I soaked Lacey...
Again, we saw lots of really pretty trees...travelling in October does have its advantages, even if we can't camp. We'd been talking about ice cream, so we stopped a little combination gas station/Dairy Queen/Stuckey's for a treat. Lacey had never heard of Stuckey's or their pecan logs, so we got one of those for later and ice cream to eat in the car. Lacey needed a break from driving, so I got to drive while she tended to my ice cream cone for me -- and wiped my sticky hand when I was done!
We headed into Kansas City and decided to try their barbecue, since that's what their famous for. There was a place that Lacey found in her one of her books called Gates Barbecue, which was right on State Line Road. So, we decided to go there. Just like last night when I was driving, I managed to pass it, then turn around and nearly passed it again. We finally got into the parking lot and miraculously found a parking spot. (Lacey had a heck of a time getting out later because of the rain and the tight parking.) We were surprised to find that it wasn't a sit down restaurant, but one where you stood in line, the counter person shouts to the back line "MayIhelpyou" (all as one word!) and you shout forward what you want. It took us a LOOONNNGGG time to decide because we'd neglected to see the pictures at the front of the line, and they didn't have any on the menu board. We were looking forward to some really good ribs, but they turned out to be way too spicy for us and had no other flavor besides that. So, if that was representative of Kansas City Barbecue, we were not impressed.
After dinner, we drove just a little further (by now, dark, raining, and hard to see) and found a motel just off the freeway. (And after passing through an area called Oak Park!) Lacey said we're only a day away from Colorado...so YAY!
We went to St. Louis, MO. Lacey had been there on her trip north, but she didn't see the Arch, something she's always wanted to see, so she planned that as a stop for us to see together. There was also a whole museum dedicated to the expansion of the west, and to baseball. There it was all self-guided and LOTS of reading. Lacey's better at reading all of that stuff than I am, so she was actually soaking up all the history. I was reading the quotes... They also had some of those animated characters that talk about what was going on at the time that I always think are funny. Lacey hadn't seen those before, and we had a good time imitating their jerky movements. (Ok, she imitated. I just watched. ;) )
After the museum, we went up into the arch. They send you up in trams, which were actually little enclosed modules with tiny windows. That surprised us; we thought they'd be more like plexiglass trams like at ski slopes. They say it only takes 4 minutes to get up. Each time we rode in them, we had "interesting" older couples who rode along with us. This was one occasion in which it was good to be short: the opening to the little tram was only about 4.5 feet high, and inside, the taller people really had to be careful of their heads. I, however, fit rather well into the little corner.
We were pretty lucky that, while overcast, we could still the views of St. Louis from the arch. They said that the arch, built in 1963-65 (the trams inside were added in 1967), was as long as it was high. The view from the top was really amazing. And, just looking at the arch from outside, you can't really tell that people can go up inside. We could see the stadium, a good deal of the downtown area, and, if we really, really strained, the bottom of the arch. It was a little difficult at times to keep our balance, though. We stayed up there for a while but we both started feeling a bit of the instability around the same time and decided it was time to go back down.
There was a little paddleboat cruise thing across the street from the arch that looked like it had a cafe. They were playing old fashioned music (like Farrell's ice cream parlor used to have) and it seemed like a fun place to have lunch. Unfortunately, when the boats are out, they don't serve from there. We decided we didn't really feel like being on a boat in the dreary, cold, rainy weather, so we skipped that and tried to find something "St. Louis-y" to have for lunch. But, we couldn't find anything in any of the books Lacey has, so we decided to get back on the road and stop at whatever struck our fancy. We ended up at a Qdoba, which was fine....until I spilled my water all over the place. Fortunately, it stayed in the middle of the table, and I don't think I soaked Lacey...
Again, we saw lots of really pretty trees...travelling in October does have its advantages, even if we can't camp. We'd been talking about ice cream, so we stopped a little combination gas station/Dairy Queen/Stuckey's for a treat. Lacey had never heard of Stuckey's or their pecan logs, so we got one of those for later and ice cream to eat in the car. Lacey needed a break from driving, so I got to drive while she tended to my ice cream cone for me -- and wiped my sticky hand when I was done!
We headed into Kansas City and decided to try their barbecue, since that's what their famous for. There was a place that Lacey found in her one of her books called Gates Barbecue, which was right on State Line Road. So, we decided to go there. Just like last night when I was driving, I managed to pass it, then turn around and nearly passed it again. We finally got into the parking lot and miraculously found a parking spot. (Lacey had a heck of a time getting out later because of the rain and the tight parking.) We were surprised to find that it wasn't a sit down restaurant, but one where you stood in line, the counter person shouts to the back line "MayIhelpyou" (all as one word!) and you shout forward what you want. It took us a LOOONNNGGG time to decide because we'd neglected to see the pictures at the front of the line, and they didn't have any on the menu board. We were looking forward to some really good ribs, but they turned out to be way too spicy for us and had no other flavor besides that. So, if that was representative of Kansas City Barbecue, we were not impressed.
After dinner, we drove just a little further (by now, dark, raining, and hard to see) and found a motel just off the freeway. (And after passing through an area called Oak Park!) Lacey said we're only a day away from Colorado...so YAY!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
On the Road
We got another slow start today. Not as slow as yesterday, but later than we'd thought we'd get going. We woke up around 8:30 and had the continental breakfast. Nothing exciting (the usual selection of cold cereal, muffins, fruit, yogurt), but functional enough. Then, we checked out of the room and got on the road.
I don't know how long we were driving -- should say, Lacey was driving, 'cause I was being the co-pilot - because I'm so enjoying just being on the road. We went to Louisville, KY. We walked around a big and saw all these really cool sculptural bike racks. At one point, we were standing outside of a tourist information center gathering pamphlets (okay, Lacey was gathering the pamphlets; I was just looking around) and a lady came out of the storefront and proceeded to tell us about how a lot of the buildings were made out of cast iron. There were actually magnets on the buildings (we'd thought at first that they were just stickers).
After wandering around a bit, we found a little sandwich shop to have lunch at. As we were leaving, a man who looked a lot like Garrison Keillor nearly knocked Lacey in the face while opening the door. I couldn't tell from his voice if it really was him or not. He seemed awfully short, and I'd always imagined Garrison Keillor as being rather tall.
In downtown Louisville, we went to the Louisville Slugger baseball bat factory. Lacey played softball, so she actually understood what they were talking about. I was interested in watching how the bats were made. It reminded me of all the factory tours we took as kids that I always liked. It was kind of sad to learn that bats used to be made by hand, and each one took at least 20 minutes to carve and sou forth. Now, it's all automated, and it takes about 30 seconds. I didn't realize that each ball player orders his own bats, to his own specifications; I thought they all just played with the same bats, and that when a player had a bat with his name on it, it was kind of like an honorary thing. Guess I was wrong. At the end of the tour, they gave everyone a miniature Louisville Slugger baseball bat. Quite a nice souvenir!
After the baseball bat factory, we went to see Churchill Downs. We got there about 15 minutes or so after the last tour had left, but the woman from the gift shop walked us over to the group and let us join. We're not sure if they didn't charge us admission because it was so late or if it was because the museum was closed. In any case, we felt kind of lucky to get to see it for free. The place is HUGE -- way bigger than it looks on tv or in the movies. The "millionaire seats" really must be reserved for millionaires; a one day seat is something like $800! The tour guide also said that, on race day, you really have to watch out for the women's hats because they're so big and fancy & take a lot of space. It was pretty cool to see a place I'd only seen on a screen.
We got back in the car and drove for a while longer, seeing some of the most beautifully colored trees I've seen anywhere -- including up north. Hills were just covered with color. It would've been nicer if it were a bit sunny out, but at least it wasn't raining. We've yet to actually see the sun, though.
We made a pit stop, and Lacey decided she was tired of driving, so I got a turn behind the wheel. Different perspective from behind the wheel, but I like both equally well, and Lacey was glad for the break.
We saw a billboard for an Amish buffet, and we decided that sounded interesting, so we attempted to go there. Unfortunately, after we exited, we couldn't find it. So, we ended up at a Chinese buffet instead, which was not great (too much fried food) but passable. We decided to stay in the same area, rather than drive on because it was dark and we were kind of tired of being in the car. So, tonight, we're in Haubstadt, IN, heading towards St. Louis tomorrow.
I really like this road trip thing, doing what we feel at the time. And Lacey is AMAZING at this whole thing. I'm really lucky and glad that she invited me along.
I don't know how long we were driving -- should say, Lacey was driving, 'cause I was being the co-pilot - because I'm so enjoying just being on the road. We went to Louisville, KY. We walked around a big and saw all these really cool sculptural bike racks. At one point, we were standing outside of a tourist information center gathering pamphlets (okay, Lacey was gathering the pamphlets; I was just looking around) and a lady came out of the storefront and proceeded to tell us about how a lot of the buildings were made out of cast iron. There were actually magnets on the buildings (we'd thought at first that they were just stickers).
After wandering around a bit, we found a little sandwich shop to have lunch at. As we were leaving, a man who looked a lot like Garrison Keillor nearly knocked Lacey in the face while opening the door. I couldn't tell from his voice if it really was him or not. He seemed awfully short, and I'd always imagined Garrison Keillor as being rather tall.
In downtown Louisville, we went to the Louisville Slugger baseball bat factory. Lacey played softball, so she actually understood what they were talking about. I was interested in watching how the bats were made. It reminded me of all the factory tours we took as kids that I always liked. It was kind of sad to learn that bats used to be made by hand, and each one took at least 20 minutes to carve and sou forth. Now, it's all automated, and it takes about 30 seconds. I didn't realize that each ball player orders his own bats, to his own specifications; I thought they all just played with the same bats, and that when a player had a bat with his name on it, it was kind of like an honorary thing. Guess I was wrong. At the end of the tour, they gave everyone a miniature Louisville Slugger baseball bat. Quite a nice souvenir!
After the baseball bat factory, we went to see Churchill Downs. We got there about 15 minutes or so after the last tour had left, but the woman from the gift shop walked us over to the group and let us join. We're not sure if they didn't charge us admission because it was so late or if it was because the museum was closed. In any case, we felt kind of lucky to get to see it for free. The place is HUGE -- way bigger than it looks on tv or in the movies. The "millionaire seats" really must be reserved for millionaires; a one day seat is something like $800! The tour guide also said that, on race day, you really have to watch out for the women's hats because they're so big and fancy & take a lot of space. It was pretty cool to see a place I'd only seen on a screen.
We got back in the car and drove for a while longer, seeing some of the most beautifully colored trees I've seen anywhere -- including up north. Hills were just covered with color. It would've been nicer if it were a bit sunny out, but at least it wasn't raining. We've yet to actually see the sun, though.
We made a pit stop, and Lacey decided she was tired of driving, so I got a turn behind the wheel. Different perspective from behind the wheel, but I like both equally well, and Lacey was glad for the break.
We saw a billboard for an Amish buffet, and we decided that sounded interesting, so we attempted to go there. Unfortunately, after we exited, we couldn't find it. So, we ended up at a Chinese buffet instead, which was not great (too much fried food) but passable. We decided to stay in the same area, rather than drive on because it was dark and we were kind of tired of being in the car. So, tonight, we're in Haubstadt, IN, heading towards St. Louis tomorrow.
I really like this road trip thing, doing what we feel at the time. And Lacey is AMAZING at this whole thing. I'm really lucky and glad that she invited me along.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Kidnapped!
I decided to start a blog to tell my family where I've been during the day.
The plan for Lacey to "kidnap" me has been a long time coming, something we've talked about for probably a year now. So, that we're actually doing it was definitely planned.
Lacey arrived around 7:30 last night. When she got to my apartment, she was tired and we both thought she'd go to bed early. I made her an omelet, and figured she'd go to bed. Well, then we got to talking. And talking. And talking. Before we knew it it was 3:00 a.m! (Oh, and we actually accomplished getting some laundry done, too! My little washer/dryer thing has been a workhorse this week. Then again, it had had a nice sabbatical for a couple months...)
So, needless to say, we got a very late start today. By the time we left my apartment, it was about 1:30. We decided that, since all Lacey really saw last time she was here was the mall, that I should show her that there are, indeed, interesting things in the Detroit area. So, we decided to go to the Henry Ford museum. (I'm sorry, I can't just call it "the Henry Ford".) We walked around there for a couple hours and then headed south to Ohio.
Lacey had been talking about Waffle Houses, so once we were hungry and saw a sign for one, we stopped. The food was good -- haven't had sausage & biscuits in a long time! -- but the restaurant was freezing cold.
We decided that since we'd been up so late last night and because we were both exhausted, we didn't want to drive too much further. So, we drove for about 45 minutes or an hour and were going to stay at a Budget motel. Turns out, they didn't have any vacancies. On a Monday night! But, as we looked at the place a little, we were rather glad; it started looking a little creepy. So, we drove on until we found another, MUCH nicer motel also off of I-75 in Sydney, OH. Internet, breakfast, friendly concierge...much more inviting than the smoky first one -- which had a "NO SMOKING" sign clearly posted.
Tomorrow....another adventure. I like the mystery!
The plan for Lacey to "kidnap" me has been a long time coming, something we've talked about for probably a year now. So, that we're actually doing it was definitely planned.
Lacey arrived around 7:30 last night. When she got to my apartment, she was tired and we both thought she'd go to bed early. I made her an omelet, and figured she'd go to bed. Well, then we got to talking. And talking. And talking. Before we knew it it was 3:00 a.m! (Oh, and we actually accomplished getting some laundry done, too! My little washer/dryer thing has been a workhorse this week. Then again, it had had a nice sabbatical for a couple months...)
So, needless to say, we got a very late start today. By the time we left my apartment, it was about 1:30. We decided that, since all Lacey really saw last time she was here was the mall, that I should show her that there are, indeed, interesting things in the Detroit area. So, we decided to go to the Henry Ford museum. (I'm sorry, I can't just call it "the Henry Ford".) We walked around there for a couple hours and then headed south to Ohio.
Lacey had been talking about Waffle Houses, so once we were hungry and saw a sign for one, we stopped. The food was good -- haven't had sausage & biscuits in a long time! -- but the restaurant was freezing cold.
We decided that since we'd been up so late last night and because we were both exhausted, we didn't want to drive too much further. So, we drove for about 45 minutes or an hour and were going to stay at a Budget motel. Turns out, they didn't have any vacancies. On a Monday night! But, as we looked at the place a little, we were rather glad; it started looking a little creepy. So, we drove on until we found another, MUCH nicer motel also off of I-75 in Sydney, OH. Internet, breakfast, friendly concierge...much more inviting than the smoky first one -- which had a "NO SMOKING" sign clearly posted.
Tomorrow....another adventure. I like the mystery!
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