CaityCat
Caitlin Joined: May 14th 2006
Logged in: January 13th 2008
Logged in: January 13th 2008
2008-- the adventures are still on.
Travel Blog Posts
Reece: Unfortunately, as cozy as I was in my sleeping bag, nature took it upon herself to call on me in the middle of the night. I was forced to an early rising, probably somewhere around four in the morning, and saw that there was almost two inches of snow already on the ground. This was definitely cool, I thought. Caitlin woke me up again in the morning and we both undertook the not-so-pleasant task of cleaning last night’s dishes and packing up camp with numb hands. Yet, the whole time I was doing so, I kept thinking how worth it that it would all be when I could brag to my friends about how badass I was, camping in the snow on Memorial Day in Lake Tahoe. We said our goodbyes to Ranger Parkinson, ... read more
Reece: For once we were able to sleep in a little bit in the tent, finally both rising at around 11:30 am. We had no real plan for the day, besides doing some laundry and eventually heading towards Yosemite. For lunch we cooked the rest of the soup we had bought. I played the mandolin for a bit longer and then we eventually packed up and left the campsite at around 3:00. We drove into Tahoe City, a small town lined with outdoor stores and coffee shops with wooden facades, and made our way to the coin-op laundromat right next to the Safeway. We didn’t even have to use the change machine because I had managed to turn fifty cents that I had in my pocket at a Nevada gas station into almost three dollars in ... read more
Caity: Upon waking up this morning and exploring the luxury of the mini in-room coffee pot, I hurried downstairs (or glass elevator, really) to the craps table. Joke. I couldn’t wait to get up & out of there… though, Reece & I did take advantage of the breakfast buffet for half price….and, much to the vexation of the omelet-lady, I enjoyed a tasty egg-white concoction including tomatoes, spinach and cheese. Reece & I attempted to thug a few extra tasty items for later, however, selection was limited since our route was taking us straight across the deserts of Nevada…the apples proved to be rather mealy and corn flakes are, after all…Kellogg’s…(though those mini boxes that you can turn into bowls are rather cute) Before hitting the road, we juiced up the wrangler, and, decided it was ... read more
Temple Square, Salt Lake City
Cait: Today was a day of contrasts. Our trip has, so far, allowed us to see and experience many of the dramatic differences in lifestyle all contained within our country. The ticking of the odometer however, has provided an ease of transition between these lifestyle segments, whether it be in mile-markers passed by on an interstate or mountains climbed in-between. Today however, was different. To wake up in the Mormon capitol of the world and retire to sleep 14 hours later in a glitzy hotel-casino is certainly something the mind struggles to understand….particularly when both of these lifestyles are ones that you personally avoid. Thankfully, for me, much of the afternoon in-between was spent in the beautiful outdoors, where, as those of you who know me, understand that I feel most comfortable. After sleeping in (comparatively) ... read more
view from top of the ears
C: Today we woke again in the backcountry of RMNP as Reece has taken to calling it. The sun was already rising high but rain was misting from the sky in parts….I decided to climb the “rabbit ears” as Reece had done yesterday….it was an adventure I didn’t want to miss. The wind was crazy & I certainly questioned my senses and sanity at certain points but after pausing to gain the final bravery to step over small cravass before the last boulder I knew it was worth it. Time stopped (just not the wind). The sun to the east shining through the misting rain cast a rainbow down on the valley to the west. Unfortunately the photos do not do it justice (I suppose a polarizing light filter would have helped), but the rainbow looked ... read more
Camp at Rabbit Ears
Caitlin: Well folks, allow me to apologize in advance—for I am lacking the beautiful diction and syntax that Reece possesses. Let’s be glad that it is he who is studying English at the fine State University of NJ and not myself…. That being said, Reece does think that I take better photos….so I suppose we make a good team. Make sure you keep your eyes open for when he publishes his Kerouac-esque chronicle of our adventure. Monday was a glorious day all & all. Waking up in backcountry is an experience that rivals all. Anywhere. For those who have not experienced backcountry living….do it! Relieving yourself of all the stimuli that you think you need….think you like…think you want- is liable to be one of the most philosophical & spiritual experiences you can have….but it is ... read more
Alvin, Simon...Theodore!
Reece: Waking up early, eager to see the mountains that were now no longer cloaked in darkness, we set off down scenic Route 34 towards Estes Park. (P.S. We got the cinnamon buns. They should not be, and probably are not, world famous.) Even before arriving at the Rockies we were greeted with a spectacular drive through the Roosevelt National Forest where a winding road led us through a canyon following the Big Thompson River. The sides of the canyon were so tall and so sheer we couldn’t even see the sky until we made our way out. Arriving at the entrance gate to the park Caitlin jumped at the opportunity to get an annual pass that allows one to go to any national park in the country. At the Falls View visitors center we were ... read more
we made it!
Reece will be guest-authoring this entry because of his uncanny love for the seemingly boring, but beautiful state of Kansas. Kansas, the sunflower state. Sunflowers seen during trip: 0. Ever since the early stages of planning for this trip, Caitlin and I had a prejudice towards Kansas that entailed a long, straight, monotonous drive on Interstate 70. Originally we planned to simply drive from St. Louis directly to Denver all in one day. When it comes down to it, that is what we did essentially, but to me it has been the best drive so far. Instead of becoming desensitized to the beauty of what is considered fly-over country, I became more and more distraught at the fact that I would probably never see a place like Kansas in person ever again. Eastern Kansas, surprisingly, is ... read more
Ohio River Crossing
Today began in Kentucky…. Following our free “breakfast” (doughnuts OJ & coffee) we departed, once again on route 64W. Louisville was a “must see” according to the lady at the desk. I’m still not sure what was there…except a bunch of nice bridges across the Ohio River. Still, this was the first city we really drove through so it was exciting in that right. Indiana was…well…as Reece so eloquently put …”it started off like Kentucky and ended like Illinois. Illinois & Missouri were much the same….huge 50-acre expanses of farmland giving way to acres of tightly forested patches. I can see why people that do not live in costal areas may not readily be conservationists….it seemed as though trees were in endless abundance….I don’t know that if I was raised in Indiana I would have any ... read more
