Road Trip Diary |
Traveling around America and bloggin' about it.
March/April 2025:
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It has been exactly one year since I last blogged! Maybe I'll expand this beyond just being a travel blog and document adventures and thoughts more regularly? We'll see... A bit on what I've been up to over the past year: I'm grateful to have had the privilege (and some savings) to take time off from working, to travel and "reset." Reality is kicking in now, though, and I'm definitely ready to return to the workforce as soon as I can. Job hunting right now has been particularly brutal. After a lot of radio silence, a few potential opportunities and extended interview rounds that ultimately didn't pan out, and [occasionally soul-crushing] gig work required to survive...I'm still looking for a new full-time role with bennies. My focus is on finding something that's largely remote, either with an in-house legal department, an alternative dispute resolution-focused firm, a litigation firm that actually fights for what's right, or a secret fourth thing...idk, just putting all this out there to manifest good career vibes....! My mom also had a heart-related health scare in March that shook our immediate family rather seriously. While she is recovering well now, having to fly across the country at a moment's notice brought into sharp focus that I do not want to be on the other side of the country all the time, particularly if an event like this occurs again. The dilemma, however, is that I still love Los Angeles with all my heart, and after 15 years, I can't bear the thought of fully leaving a place that still feels so much like my home. After a lot of deliberation (along with the financial reality of being largely unemployed), I've made the difficult decision to rent out part of my beloved LA apartment, and explore some other options for places to potentially call home. This effectively makes me a nomad, at least for the time being, which is really kind of awesome. I am still keeping the majority of my things and a room in my apartment, so I plan to return to LA as often as I can manage - but seizing this moment to keep exploring. I've been feeling a strong desire to head east to be closer to my immediate family (parents and sister), who live in Raleigh and Atlanta, respectively. So I'm starting there, but also considering D.C./Baltimore/potentially other places with relatively moderate climates along the Eastern seaboard? I probably don't want to do crazy winters again, but seasonal changes are certainly welcome! The bottom line here is: pitch me a fulfilling job idea or a fun new place to live, I guess? I don't know! Since I'd ideally love to keep my place in LA and explore an additional place to establish a base closer to family, I'm jokingly calling this next phase 'exploring my bi-coastality.' But honestly...embracing some freedom to see if this will be realistic feels like a worthwhile venture at this moment. Hence why I'm heading... Back on the road! The first leg of this journey is driving cross-country from LA to Atlanta, where I will be staying with my sister Hannah for a while. With only a week or so to make this >2,000 mile cross-country trek, I'm grateful that Alex could tag along, too (he remains a friend and travel companion). Suzy Sube is staying with her father in LA, so this time we drove my own Subaru Forester, Towanda. You may remember 'Towanda' as the rallying cry of female empowerment and inner strength from the queer Southern classic, Fried Green Tomatoes...which felt very appropriate for my green, queer car ;-) I'm so grateful that her first cross-country outing included the opportunity to travel over half of Route 66 in the centennial year of its existence, too! Day 1: Los Angeles, CA to Holbrook, AZ The first day was a long haul from LA to eastern Arizona (~560 mi). We set off early in the morning, stopping for lunch at the Wagon Wheel Restaurant in Needles, CA (not to be confused with another Route 66 landmark with a similar name, the Wagon Wheel Motel & Cafe in Cuba, MO). For travelers heading west, this CA/AZ border spot is notable for being the first stop along Route 66 in California. They had a delicious Monte Cristo sandwich, which is pretty hard to find nowadays (sadly I neglected to take a photo) - and for reasons unknown, there was also had a gorilla on the roof...but a solidly kitschy first stop on a Route 66-centric road trip. Crossing into Arizona, we had the opportunity to coast along a wonderfully preserved stretch of Route 66 into Seligman. While we didn't have time to drive the entire historic route, you get a very strong sense of the classic road by stopping in this small town, which has a ton of kitschy charm. The Black Cat Bar is the local watering hole, which had a lot of very colorful local clientale...(for LA folks, this place is quite a different vibe from the historic Black Cat gay bar in Silver Lake...). We also had to stop for sweet treats at Westside Lilo's (famous for their enormous pieces of carrot cake) and Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In for a milkshake. Built in 1953 from mostly scrap lumber and decorated in an extremely eclectic fashion by the enterprising founder, Juan Delgadillo, this eatery has become something of a Route 66 institution. Juan's brother, Angel Delgadillo, is considered to be a leading historian and "the Guardian Angel of Route 66." He is largely responsible for the preservation of Route 66 in Seligman and other parts of Arizona; Pixar's Cars lists the Delgadillo brothers in the credits for their advisory roles and contributions to preserving the historic authenticity of Route 66 for the film. Lovers of Route 66 (and/or the Eagles) should absolutely stop in Williams and Winslow along this route, as well, but since we visited both of these on our previous trips (check older posts from April and May 2025), our destination for the night was the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook. While the name/facade/everything about the place is problematic for a whole host of reasons...it was still kind of a hoot to spend a night there. This motel also clearly served as the inspiration for 'Cozy Cone Motel' in Cars the film, and Carsland of Disneyland. Holbrook is pretty small and everything closes pretty early, but luckily we arrived with just enough time to grab some sopapillas at the local Mexican/Southwestern joint, Romo's, before conking out in the teepee for the night. Day 2: Holbrook, AZ to Tucumcari, NM With another big day of driving ahead, we rose early(ish) and hit Route Sixty Sips for caffeine on the way out of town (a fun coffee bar/soda fountain; very sugary). A slight backtrack was in order to rectify a previously missed opportunity to stop at the Jack Rabbit Trading Post last April. This long-standing gift shop (est. 1949) had sadly closed early the last time we were passing through, but luckily it was open on our 2nd attempt, and we were able to get some fun attire. The "Here It Is" sign with a jack rabbit is largely responsible for the Trading Post's enduring popularity (remember this sign, there's a quiz later...). A common refrain on these trips is not having enough time to spend everywhere...but I also believe that even a brief stop is better than nothing. With some ideas floating around, but no firm plans for our day in New Mexico, we could afford to be somewhat spontaneous. After enjoying the Acoma Pueblo so much on a previous trip (see April 2025), we decided to take a slight detour through the Zuni Pueblo. Photography was not allowed on the Pueblo without a permit (which we sadly couldn't get because the visitor center was closed), but it was still very informative to visit the A:shiwi A:wan Museum Heritage Center, and fun to browse a couple of jewelry stores, too. I will include one permitted photo of Dowa Yalanne (Corn Mountain), a sacred mesa to the Zuni. At the time of Spanish invasion, the Zuni (like the Acoma) initially escaped colonization by fleeing to the top of the mesa. It is quite breathtaking at a distance.  Dowa Yalanne (photo credit: Alex) As we left the Reservation, a sign appeared for the El Morro National Monument, which ended up being a wonderfully unexpected surprise stop. Another prominent mesa top that was home to Ancestral Puebloans in the 13th-14th centuries, it is most notable for the many inscriptions carved into the rock, spanning several centuries (sort of like very historical graffiti?). The Zuni call it A'ts'ina ('place of writings on the rock'), the Spanish called it El Morro ('the headland'), and Anglo-Americans called it 'Inscription Rock.' Remarkably, many of the very old inscriptions have been preserved, and are very visible along an interpretive trail around a portion of the epic mesa. While I wish we had time to hike to the top of the bluff to see the Ancestral Puebloan dwellings, I'm so glad we stopped here and at least got to admire beauty of this space and its inscriptions. The next couple of stops in Grants, NM were admittedly Alex's choices...but both were worthwhile. We learned a lot about the history of mining in New Mexico at the NM Mining Museum (especially uranium mining), which even included a recreation of a real mine in the basement of the museum. Afterward, to stave off hunger for the couple of hours of driving we had left, Blake's Lotaburger had some surprisingly yummy mini burritos...its blatant ripoff of Whataburger's name AND logo is also naturally very funny to me as a Texan. As we pulled into Tucumcari around sunset, watching the glorious neon along Route 66 slowly begin to illuminate was truly a sight to behold. Our home for the night, the historic Blue Swallow Motel, was easily my favorite stay of the trip. Family owned and operated since 1939, all of the original details (lovingly preserved by the devoted owners) make this old school motor court motel such a worthwhile stay. Book early though, it fills up fast! Blue Swallow has absolutely some of the most beautiful neon I've ever seen in person. We also had to grab some Christmas enchiladas at La Cita, of course; in case you're new here - that is New Mexico-speak for "smother it in red AND green chilies, please." And don't miss the Jack Rabbit callback photo :-) Day 3: Tucumcari, NM to Oklahoma City, OK I needed one last chili fix before leaving New Mexico, and was delighted to find some delicious green chili egg bites next door to the motel at Carlson Coffee Company. It also didn't hurt that they appeared to be fervent supporters of Deb Haaland for Governor (our first ever Native American Cabinet Secretary, and just overall awesome political rock star I greatly admire)! Onward to the next state (Texas), which we wouldn't be spending the night in, but had a few important Route 66 stops to make along our quick jaunt through the Panhandle. Vega, TX was a very cute town that I had never been to before, and is totally worth visiting just for Mama Jo's Pies and Sweets alone (some of the best coconut cream pie I've ever had)! We obviously had to stop at Buc-ee's in Amarillo, too, of course… The last stop of our brief visit through the Panhandle was Shamrock, TX - home to some spectacularly well-preserved historic Route 66 landmarks. The Conoco Tower Station is a very striking 1936 Art Deco building, supposedly meant to emulate a old nail stuck in the dust (I think it's a lot more impressive than that, though). Attached to the station is the U-Drop Inn Cafe, where we were lucky enough to sit in the very booth Elvis sat in when he ate at the cafe in 1956! We also stopped by another historic Magnolia Station down the street, and the blue, blue sky really did its thing. Waving goodbye to TX in the rearview, we made it to Oklahoma City with enough time left in the day to do a bit more exploring. An attempt to visit the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum was thwarted by a gala full of patrons in their finest Western wear (would that be black bolo-tie?), so we opted for an early dinner, instead. It felt mandatory to eat at Cattlemen's Steakhouse, the oldest continually operating restaurant in Oklahoma, and it turns out that was the correct decision. Originally opened in 1910, this place has an impeccable vibe, fantastic steaks (for an extremely reasonable price), and some very colorful history...as in the restaurant once changed hands in the 1940s thanks to an unlucky roll of the dice in a game of craps, among other lore.... Alex and I are both big fans of the Oklahoma-based psychedelic rock band The Flaming Lips…so while we were in OKC, it felt really important to find the home of their frontman, Wayne Coyne. While we didn't catch him this time, apparently Wayne is quite comfortable with visitors who want to gawk at the exterior of his trippy compound, and will even sit in the yard sometimes and talk to looky-loos (which is obviously a great excuse to return to OKC again!). Driving around Wayne's neighborhood led us to stumble upon an OKC Pride event - which included lots of great art, an outdoor drag show, and wonderful vibes all around. The day ended on a much more somber note, with a visit to the Oklahoma City National Memorial - which of course honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all others who were affected by the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in 1995. While the museum was already closed, the outdoor memorial is free and open to the public 24/7. There is a field of 168 empty chairs (to represent the victims who lost their lives), flanked on each side by two large gates, with a reflecting pool. It's extremely well done, and the quiet stillness we experienced at sunset was very moving. Day 4: Oklahoma City, OK to Tulsa, OK We finally got a bit of a break from several hours of driving in one day...but only because there are FAR too many things to do in Tulsa, OK! Stop #1 was sustenance at Pops 66, a fun diner/soda pop emporium just outside of OKC (anywhere with specialty soda is a mandatory stop for Alex). Tulsa is only an hour and a half or so from OKC, which gave us plenty of time to spend at two of the most important stops on the trip - the Bob Dylan Center and Woody Guthrie Center (which conveniently happen to be on the same block in the heart of the Tulsa Arts District). I have been dying to visit the BDC since it opened in 2022, and having the fantastic WGC right next door is a huge incentive to visit, as well. A casual fan will definitely find these museums interesting, but deep lovers of Dylan and/or Guthrie can easily spend a whole day here, or more. We spent 5 hours between the two museums, and definitely could have stayed longer. I will let the photos speak for themselves, but it is well worth a visit to Tulsa to visit these fantastic archives of two majorly important artists. As if this day couldn't be any more music-filled...a trip to Tulsa would not be complete without visiting one of the most historic dance halls in the country - Cain's Ballroom! Thanks in large part to Bob Wills, this 100+ year old venue is the hallowed birthplace of a literal genre of music, making it colloquially known as the "Carnegie Hall of Western Swing." We were fortunate to get some great BBQ at the venue, and then heard two fantastic younger "woke country" artists, Joleen Brown and Kat Hasty. So many country & western legends have grace the stage at Cain's - and any lover of live music will tell you that the best sounding concerts will always be...in an old wooden room :-)
Congrats, you made it to the halfway mark of another whirlwind trip! Part 2 (Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama) coming soon...
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I've been particularly slow on this post because it's been a very challenging time for the U.S., and Los Angeles in particular...I don't have anything particularly insightful to add to the hellscape discourse, but I hope everyone is taking care (metaphorically, putting your own oxygen mask on before helping others). That being said, finally getting around to documenting the end of Leg 2 of our trip - which included Four Corners, Monument Valley, and Las Vegas. It was hard to say goodbye to Colorado, but my lungs were also REALLY looking forward to returning to lower altitude. After leaving Mesa Verde, our first stop was the Four Corners Monument - which you probably know is where Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona all converge. We didn't stay long, but got a photo and walked around to peruse the Navajo vendors in the area surrounding the monument. I got another Navajo taco, and Alex tried a Tiger's Blood sno-cone for the first time (for the non-Southerners - Tiger's Blood is just a combination of watermelon, strawberry, and coconut flavors). It's not an essential stop, but worth it if you're already in the area. I would, however, categorize our next stop (Monument Valley) as absolutely essential! Straddling both Utah and Arizona, these majestic and sacred monuments have been memorialized in countless films and TV shows, but I had never gotten to see them up close until now. We had an epic campsite view from Goulding's Campground, and the greater Goulding's compound has a variety of other lodging options/restaurants, as well. The scenic drive to see the monuments is a notoriously rough road, and I'm glad we splurged a bit to take the guided sunset tour. I will say that this is not a tour for anyone who gets carsick easily - the tour vehicles are very similar to the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland...VERY bumpy! I was relieved to not have to worry about ruining Suzy Sube on the rough road, and would definitely recommend anyone visiting the area who wants to do the scenic drive to also take one one of the authorized tours by a Navajo guide, unless you have a Jeep. It is really difficult to describe how awe-inspiring this place is...particularly that these incredible monuments were all formed by the power of water. I'll say that going at sunrise is probably the most optimal light for photos, given where the monuments are situated - but sunset was also beautiful! If you are short on time or don't want to pay for a guided tour, you can still get some great shots from the scenic viewpoint at the Visitor's Center. Just a heads up - there is a nominal fee to enter the park, as it is Navajo tribal land. A small price to pay for this amazing must-see!! In the morning, we had a hearty breakfast at Goulding's Lodge and briefly checked out the "John Wayne Cabin" (not his literal cabin, but a former potato pantry turned mini-museum to house memorabilia from the films that Wayne worked on in Monument Valley). Then we were off to tackle the long drive to our last stop of the trip, to Alex's favorite place - Las Vegas! I am admittedly less enthusiastic about it, especially in the summer heat...but despite being terrible gamblers, we still enjoy those neon lights, the delicious food, and the endless entertainment. Vegas regulars know that staying on the Strip on Fri/Sat night is way more expensive than Sun - Thur...but since this was a Sat-Tue visit, we opted to save a bit of money and spend our first night just off the Strip at the Mardi Gras Hotel, which was actually pretty freaking nice for the lower price point! After a swim and a nap at the hotel, we walked to the classic Italian joint (and Mob/Ratpack favorite), Piero's, which was probably my favorite meal of the trip! The service is incredible, and everything we ate was DIVINE (Pat's Meatballs, New York Strip, Osso buco, crispy potatoes, and creamed corn). The portions are huge (we definitely over-ordered), so come hungry! After dinner, we walked to Resorts World and spent way too much time looking for the elusive Golden Monkey Tiki Lounge, which we did eventually find. It was surprisingly slow for a Saturday night, and the bartender chatted us up about some of the other tiki places around town ("real", AKA off the Strip) that we should try. We had visited the Golden Tiki in Chinatown before (yes the names are too similar, lol), which is awesome, but were excited to add some new spots to our ever-growing list of places to try. Our walk back ended up being much further than we initially thought (word to the wise - always doublecheck the maze of walkways/paths on the map when navigating Vegas on foot)...but did stop for a breather to watch the mesmerizing screen that surrounds the Sphere. I still haven't been inside, but maybe one day will get to go! The next day, we had some time to kill between checking out of the Mardi Gras and checking into the Sahara, so we decided to check out one of the tiki recommendations from the night before, Red Dwarf. It was super dark in the bar, so I didn't get many good pics, but this is a great spot - decorated in top-shelf kitsch, they serve delicious Detroit-style pizza, tiki drinks (including a spiked Dole Whip), and beer, with live music, too. Alex insisted we also stop by the oldest freestanding bar in Las Vegas, Atomic Liquors. Opening in the '50's, Atomic got its name from patrons who used to watch nuclear bomb testing from the roof of the bar. They used to have an 'atomic cocktail' as well, but sadly it's no longer on the menu. The Punk Museum was the next stop, which we both loved! It's a bit pricey and more of a fantastic memorabilia collection for die-hard fans (which I am not), but it was well organized and really enjoyed expanding my (somewhat limited) punk knowledge. Our last stop before checking into the Sahara was Frankie's Tiki Room, which definitely had the best drinks of all the tiki places we tried! We had tickets to see Rod Stewart at Caesar's Palace in the evening, but sadly he caught the flu and had to cancel some shows. Confident we could find something else to do in the Entertainment Capital of the World (one of them, anyway), we headed down the Strip to have dinner at Diner Ross. As the name suggests, it's an upscale 70's themed diner inside of the Linq, with a notable tribute to Diana Ross, of course. Our server asked if we were interested in half-price tickets to see the accompanying "Disco Show" next door, and we said yes, please! This ended up being a FANTASTIC substitute for Rod that I would highly recommend (even if you are only a casual disco fan). We were corralled into theater by a roller disco squad, and the entire show was so immersive that you really just felt like you were in a discotheque the whole time - AKA, lots of dancing! We walked around a bit more, caught a fountain show at the Bellagio, and got some AI-mixed cocktails from the Tipsy Robot (in Planet Hollywood) before calling it a night.
Our last day was fairly low-key (I was very tired and hot!). I caught up with a college friend, Katie, who is on faculty at UNLV and I hadn't seen in quite a long time over a wonderful brunch at PublicUs. Alex and I hit the pool and napped in the afternoon, which was the perfect way to beat the unrelenting heat. Before dinner, we checked out the Observation Deck at the Strat (108 stories high) for happy hour and some killer 360 views of the Strip and greater Las Vegas - pretty stunning! Dinner was at the incredible Golden Steer Steakhouse (another favorite of the Rat Pack)! This was one of the most difficult reservations I've ever gotten...it took 2.5 months to get off the waitlist, but it was totally worth it! It was a wonderful way to commemorate the last night of another epic road trip. Our final morning, we said goodbye to the Sahara and stopped for breakfast at a place we couldn't resist trying, Mr. Mama's (which was great) before heading home to Los Angeles. Thank you for following along on our journey once again! We packed so much into our time in Colorado that it warrants a separate post! Colorado stops (Pt. 2):
While I was sad to leave Leadville (which was so lovely), I was looking forward to breathing a little easier at a slightly lower altitude (~8,000 ft). We stopped for lunch in Gunnison at the Ol' Miner Steakhouse, and had planned to spend the rest of the day and camp at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP - but the weather was already not looking good. On the drive into the park, the rain and fog got so bad that we abandoned the plan and decided to spend the night at a motel just past the park in Montrose, instead. Luckily, the weather was much more agreeable the next day, and we were able to take the scenic drive through Black Canyon, stopping at many of the scenic viewpoints along the way. The name says it all - it's a very steep, dark canyon (due to the lack of sunlight in many areas) that the Gunnison River cuts right through. This is a criminally underrated park that is sadly one of the least visited national parks in the country...but it's well worth checking out if you are in the area. Continuing along with unplanned stops, on my mom's recommendation (thanks, Mom!) we decided to look around Ouray ("The Switzerland of America"), and ended up finding a great deal at a lovely little mountain lodge (shout out Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs) situated next to natural hot springs! Ouray totally lives up to its nickname, and the scenery is absolutely stunning. We had dinner at The Outlaw, the oldest restaurant in Ouray, and dessert (a "scrap cookie") at Mouse's Chocolates - both very yummy, then took a soak in the hot tubs at the hotel. It was a bit too 'natural' for my taste...but still relaxing, nonetheless. The next morning, we checked out some nearby waterfalls (Box Canyon Falls and Cascade Falls) and scenic viewpoints before letting Jesus take the wheel as we began our journey down the famously treacherous Million Dollar Highway... The "Million Dollar Highway" between Ouray and Silverton is notorious for being one of the windiest and most harrowing mountain roads in America - primarily because many of the sheer drops are not protected by guardrails. We learned that this is because snowplows in the winter have to be able to push snow off the sides of the cliff...hence the lack of guardrails. It was drizzling for most of the first leg of the highway drive, which was a bit unsettling...but we took it slow and did just fine, but I was more to take a break from this stressful road as soon as we got to our next stop. I had visited Silverton once before as a kid when we took a family vacation to CO and rode the steam train from Durango, and Alex had ridden the winter version of the train to Cascade before, as well. While we didn't have time for the train on this trip (it basically takes all day), Silverton was well worth a return visit (although it also meant returning to pretty high altitude, too). We stopped by the train depot, and had lunch across the street at a historic bordello turned restaurant, Natalia's 1912. One of the most unexpectedly delightful stops on the whole trip was our tour of the Mayflower Gold Mill, which was a functioning mill for the nearby Old Hundred Gold Mine until the 90's. It's now open for tours, essentially exactly as it was when it closed - and you even get to demo some of the equipment! It's important to note that Alex's hat of choice for this trip was the red "God Bless Gram Parsons" hat we got in Nashville. For the uninitiated - Gram was the godfather of country-rock and what he called "Cosmic American Music," a member of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, performed as a duo with Emmylou Harris, and tragically overdosed at age 26 in Joshua Tree. We actually spent Alex's 40th at the Joshua Tree Inn, in the room where he passed...which surprisingly wasn't creepy - it's a really loving tribute to Gram now, and a very cute place to stay. Anyway, when we showed up at the mill for the self-guided tour, the clerk casually mentioned "y'know, I played with Gram back in the day." We talked to our new friend, Freddie, for close to an hour, hearing stories about his life as a session musician who played with tons of greats (John Prine, Neil Young, Muddy Waters, etc.) and as a horse stunt rider, his love of film, service in Vietnam, and finding his ultimate happiness in Silverton as a miner and rockhunter. He very kindly said we're "in the extended Silverton family now," and it was a totally delightful surprise for all parties.
Our next stop, Durango, ended up being shorter than anticipated, due to a combination of factors...I messed up and booked a place to stay that was less than desirable (let's just say it included an outdoor port-a-potty...), and Mesa Verde (our next planned stop) ended up not having any tours available on the original day we wanted to go. So, while we only ended up being in Durango for one night, we luckily still had the opportunity to check out Honeyville market, which is absolutely incredible, and Ska Brewing, which is well-loved all over Central/Southern CO. Last but certainly not least for Colorado - Mesa Verde National Park! This is one of my very favorite stops, noted for its lush greenery and Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings. We had visited before, but it was well worth the return trip for both of us. The weather was a bit touch and go, but luckily we didn't get rained on too much throughout the day. Along with hitting the majority of the scenic viewpoints/exhibits of historic pit and cliff dwellings located throughout this incredible park, we had the opportunity to tour Cliff Palace (one of the largest dwellings). We stayed at the Lodge in the park for the night and had dinner at the Metate Room, which had stunning views. A major highlight of the trip, for sure! Next up: Four Corners, Monument Valley, Las Vegas, Home! While I used to road trip with my family to Colorado fairly often when I was growing up, I hadn't been back in over 20 years, and was psyched to return. We decided to tackle a lot, although I was a bit nervous that the itinerary included some very high altitude spots. I've had altitude sickness before, and it was NOT fun. CW: Skip past the brackets if you don't want a gross altitude sickness story... [One summer in Mammoth Lakes (where I used to play oboe in the summers for several years), I foolishly thought I was well-acclimated enough at 8,000 ft. to go on a hike on a concert day. A few hours before the performance, I started getting really dizzy and vomiting. It was basically impossible to find a sub who could drive all the way to Mammoth on such short notice, so by the grace of adrenaline, I made through the first half, immediately ran outside to vomit again, chugged a Perrier, and somehow made it through the second half. Adrenaline is a hell of a drug.] All this to say, was still super excited to revisit CO, and it's delivered! Colorado stops (Pt. 1):
Our next day was filled with many fun activities! I caught up with my longtime friend Kelcie (we go back to high school days) and her husband at Denver Biscuit Company, and had some incredible biscuits the size of a child's head. In the afternoon, we visited our fifth and final (for now) Meow Wolf location, which may have been my favorite one yet! There are three floors to explore and experience some very innovative art - I won't even pretend that I "get it," but just immersing yourself in the space is engaging enough, even if it doesn't fully make sense. I'm excited that they are building a location in LA that should open in the next year or two. In the evening, we turned the kitsch up to 11 and visited Casa Bonita - the legendary Mexican restaurant (popularized and now owned by the creators of South Park) that is also like a mini-Disneyland? There are cliff divers (my favorite part - I added a video below), puppet shows, a mariachi band, balloon animals, an arcade, face-painting, a root beer bar...you name it. While my cheese enchiladas were pretty 'meh,' the salsa and sopapillas were surprisingly on point - but as you may have discerned, the draw is not really the food! We ended with a nightcap at the oldest bar in Denver, My Brother's Bar, which has been open since 1873, and tried to play Drop the Needle to their running soundtrack of classical deep cuts (pretty tough, even for the oboe doctor...) The next day was equally eventful! For Elizabeth, Alex, and myself, our main reason for taking this trip to Denver was to visit the Red Rocks Amphitheater, which has been a bucket list item for many years. A few months ago, we decided to take a gamble and get tickets to see Lord Huron and Molly Lewis at Red Rocks, just hoping that we could make the trip work...and thankfully, it did! Before the show, we fueled up with a big lunch at Sam's No. 3 Diner (est. 1927) and headed to see some very old dino tracks at Dinosaur Ridge (near Red Rocks). When we got back to the car from our hike, much to our chagrin, we realized Elizabeth's car battery had died...but fortunately, AAA was super quick with a jump, and we were back on our way within 30 minutes or so. Not too much worse for wear, we finally made it to Red Rocks - which, if you're not familiar, is a HUGE amphitheater that also has many trails for hikers/runners/etc. For all of its coolness and awesome beauty, Red Rocks is unfortunately not designed with accessibility in mind. If you go, get there early and be ready to walk A LOT - there's a shuttle, but you still have to walk up MANY stairs...no escalators, and very few elevators. I do think that if you have serious mobility issues and advocate for yourself, there are some options, but it seemed to cater mostly to those who were wheelchair bound, and not much else. Other than the schlepping that was required to get around the venue (and some chatty Cathys in our section), we loved Red Rocks, and it was a fantastic evening and show. Molly Lewis is an incredible whistler who opened the show for Lord Huron (psychedelic country folk-rock-ish), who were also wonderful. It was so worth the trip to have this experience at such a magical venue...even if it meant walking close to 15K steps that day...which is less of a pain when you get to do it with good friends :-) Videos: "Lounge Lizard" - Molly Lewis "Crushed Velvet" - Molly Lewis "Hurricane (Johnnie's Theme)" - Lord Huron "La Belle Fleur Savage" - Lord Huron "Not Dead Yet" - Lord Huron
After bidding farewell to Elizabeth (who sadly had to leave us to return to Long Beach), we stopped for lunch in downtown Denver at Ship Tavern, a splendid old pub (est. 1934) inside of the historic Brown Palace Hotel (what a name, huh?). We poked into the Brown Palace (I still can't believe that is the name) and then headed south toward Colorado Springs. We stopped at the Garden of the Gods - a fabulous park, free and open to the public. I wish we could have stayed in the area longer, but a storm was brewing and we still had to drive up the hill to our destination - Cripple Creek (another "I can't believe that is really the name"...will just call it CC from here on). CC is perhaps best known for its gold mining...then, in no particular order - outlaws, prostitution, and gambling. It also has an elevation around 9,500 ft, but I was feeling optimistic about it after having spent the majority of our trip at 6,000-8,000 ft. Ultimately, I was definitely affected and had some moments of really needing to catch my breath, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it would have been coming straight from sea level (do not recommend ever going above more than 6,000 ft from sea level before you've acclimated). What I wasn't as prepared for was having to drive up to CC in rain - and then - sleet. Thankfully we made it just fine, but learned quickly that the higher you go, the more volatile the weather can be in CO (and the iPhone weather app is essentially worthless in CO, too). We stayed at an interesting B&B on the edge of town called the CC Hospitality House - which actually used to be a hospital from 1902-1930, and a nursing home from 1933-1960, until it was finally converted into a hotel in 1963. We are partial to weird hotels that may or may not be haunted - while we didn't have any particularly harrowing encounters as far as paranormal activity is concerned...one certainly notes the vibe of a lingering spirit or two. They also kept the names of each hospital room and have a few of those old-timey wheelchairs to maintain an appropriately creepy aesthetic. The place was actually very nice, though, so it was a net win/worthwhile stay. We visited a number of other historic places in CC, including:
Our next stop was the highest city in the United States - Leadville, CO (elev. 10,154 ft). I was totally enamored by the gorgeous drive up (a running theme in CO), and surprised by how much I loved visiting this little town - practically in the sky! Alex toured the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum while I took a nap (and said I really missed out). The main attraction for us visiting Leadville was the historic Tabor Opera House (known primarily through its association with "Baby Doe" Tabor - who has a fascinating/tragic story). Our guide also had quite a colorful past, and we ended up having a private tour through all of the areas of the theater - including the dressing rooms below the stage! Built in 1879, many famous people have performed or attended performances at the opera house, including Oscar Wilde, John Philip Sousa, Buffalo Bill, and even Harry Houdini - it is still occasionally in use, today. Apparently they even had circus elephants perform here?! Other places we visited in Leadville included:
That's all for now, but will catch up on the rest of Colorado as soon as I can! Next up: Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Ouray, Silverton, Durango, Mesa Verde Locking in for a long post! National/State Parks are a major theme of this extended road trip, and Utah has a ton. I had only been to Arches before briefly as a kid, so the majority of Utah's parks were new to me - and did NOT disappoint! Much like Arizona, the incredibly vast diversity of topography in Utah is just astounding. You can drive an hour and the landscape completely changes! Utah in particular feels like another planet in so many areas, too. Utah stops:
Zion was an excellent place to start - we "glamped" close to the park at the Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort, which had super nice facilities. On our way into the park itself through the Eastern entrance, we stopped at the Checkerboard Mesa before tackling the somewhat complex shuttle/parking situation on the other side of the park/Springdale. I'd recommend getting to the park pretty early to catch the shuttle from the Visitor's Center into the Valley attractions (there are no passenger vehicles allowed on the main valley road - shuttles only). Or, if you get a late start like we did, just find parking at one of the many street/lot spots in the town of Springdale, and take the shuttle to the Visitor's Center from there (where you will then have to get on another shuttle...but it's pretty easy to navigate). Once we finally got into the main valley of the park, our first stop was the Temple of Sinawava (named for the Paiute's coyote god). We took the Riverside Walk along the Virgin River, which eventually leads to the entrance of the Narrows - the famous hike through the Virgin River. However....we just said hello to the Narrows, and opted to stay dry instead. After refueling at the Red Rock Grill at the Zion Lodge, we hiked to The Grotto and tackled a decent portion of the Kayenta Trail toward the Emerald Pools. While I didn't make it all the way to the pools (Alex caught one of them), the hike offered stunning views of the valley, and was well worth the effort. We said goodbye to the park and returned to enjoy the last night of our camp "resort" amenities, which included access to a pretty fabulous pool/hot tub situation. Zion is absolutely amazing, but geographically speaking it's probably the most "normie" looking park in Utah in terms of feeling like you are still on Planet Earth (which is really saying something). Our next stop, on the other hand (Bryce Canyon), leaned heavily into "other planet" territory. On the way out of Zion, the sign for the Thunderbird Restaurant was too eye-catching to pass by...and the pie was definitely worth a stop. Bryce is best known for its iconic hoodoos, congregated into an 'amphitheater' in the core of the park. We learned that parking can be really challenging, and opted to hike/use the shuttle to see the majority of the park. Starting at Inspiration Point, we hiked the Rim Trail to Sunset Point, the Bryce Lodge, and Sunrise Point, then took the shuttle around to Bryce Point, as well. If you're not doing a ton of hiking, Bryce is pretty easy to tackle within a day or less, and should definitely be in your itinerary if you're in the area. After Bryce, we spent the night in the town of Escalante in a cabin at Escalante Outfitters, which was adorable and had pretty fabulous pizza. If you're okay with not having 5-star accommodations all the time (but still want something decent), Utah has a lot of quaint little ranch/resort/yurt/cabin rental hubs that are pretty affordable. We also hiked a bit and caught the sunset nearby in Escalante Petrified Forest State Park - which sadly has been robbed of most of its petrified wood, but still has stunning views. One of the most unexpectedly beautiful areas we've driven through so far is Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (which is HUGE). We enjoyed making several scenic stops in the Monument on our way to Boulder, UT. A bathroom break turned into a longer stop when we spotted the Anasazi State Park Museum and decided to explore a bit. This museum houses the Coombs Site, where you can view the infrastructure of an ancient pueblo that was likely occupied between 1050-1200 CE. I also could not resist a Navajo taco from the food truck outside; it's essentially an enormous frybread tostada - delicious enough to challenge my general aversion to food photography! Capitol Reef National Park is another surprisingly awesome destination that totally blew me away. The geography here is breathtaking and otherworldly, and the hike we took along the Grand Wash Trail (showcasing the center of the park) is maybe one of the best hikes I've ever done. Additionally, there is still a historic Mormon homestead inside of the park that sells homemade pies and pastries (the Gifford Homestead)...so continuing along our pie tour, we had to sample some peach pie (some of the best I've ever had!). We also couldn't resist another somewhat quirky (but perfectly nice) motel in Torrey, UT called The Flute Shop. Sadly, the shop was closed on the day I wanted to acquire one of their hand-carved flutes :( but the town was a fantastic destination that I'd happily revisit (for a very reasonable price). On the way to Moab, we stopped briefly at Goblin Valley State Park to see some unique sandstone - and a filming location for one of my all-time favorites, The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick, 2011). Despite this, I could not stop thinking about Troll 2 (my favorite terrible 'horror' movie that's about goblins, not trolls)...and just had a generally bad vibe about the park (although Alex found the goblins to have positive energy...go figure). Moab, UT was a bit hostile when we first arrived (to a light dust storm), but overnight the weather mellowed out beautifully. Our friend Elizabeth drove all the way from Long Beach, CA to meet up and spend a few days exploring Moab and Denver with us! Our cabin just outside of Moab was very cute (a reliable theme for our visit to Utah), and we especially enjoyed the relaxation time outdoors watching sunsets from the patio. On Memorial Day, we woke up at 4am to see the sunrise in Canyonlands National Park at Mesa Arch (a favorite for many visitors and photographers). It was such an exhilarating experience and totally worth the early effort! We drove through the majority of Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point State Park, as well - the latter offering spectacular views of a prominent filming location for perennial mega-favorite, Thelma and Louise, which was epic! Given our very early call time, we napped for a couple of hours in the late morning before heading out to tackle Arches National Park in the afternoon. Arches is without a doubt one of the most captivating and unique parks you'll ever see - it's a star for a reason. Be aware that timed reservations are required during the busier months between 7am - 4pm. We capped off a fantastic day with out-of-this world Italian food at Pasta Jay's (the red sauce and cannelloni was to die for). Utah was an utter wonderland of delights - I can't wait to return! |
Rachel V.A.Ruminations on a cross-country, open-ended excursion. Archives
July 2026
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