Literally. On the road. My second Adventure with Adrienne will look something like this:
But first, I have to get to her! And she is in Denver. So through Kansas I go. Now, I know Kansas gets a bad rap for being a desolate wasteland of nothingness and boredom. And mostly, that's true. I ran over an actual tumbleweed. A TUMBLEWEED. Since we all know this, it's best to prepare. Download lots of your favorite podcasts. It's like watching a TV show in your mind instead of letting your favorite playlist become a lullaby.
BUT, the eastern part of Kansas has its own beauty. You know in Laura Ingalls Wilder when they would stop the wagon in valleys on the plains that you couldn't see from the top of the hills? Yeah, those are real. And they are in eastern Kansas and quite frankly they are pretty neat. I can vividly picture the plains' Indians there. So let's not all totally hate on Kansas.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Once I completely charm all of Adrienne's pets, we move on to RMNP via Boulder, Colorado. I've never been. IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL IT'S SCARY. It looks like a little Utopiavilla. Seriously. If the Disney princesses went to college, they went to CU Boulder. You'll just have to go to see what I mean, but it's a beautiful city with the Rocky's for a backdrop. How could it not be perfect?
We spent the afternoon driving to the highest elevation in the park. We stopped along the way to take pictures, small hikes, and just breathe in the splendor. It's unreal. Wildlife sightings: caribou and a MARMOT! Here, pictures will be better than all my words:
We camped in the park that night. If you're even kinda sorta slightly outdoorsy at all CAMP. It's SO much fun. Look at my next post about Yellowstone for my suggested list of camping supplies based on this trip :)
Grand Teton National Park
After RMNP began an all day drive (through Wyoming, the least populated state in the union and arguably even more desolate than Kansas) to the Southern entrance of Yellowstone. We chose this entrance because to get there takes you right through the Tetons. And why not? We just drove right on through, but it's definitely a gorgeous place all on it's own.
Tip: On long road trips where cell service is uncertain, take screenshots of the map and list of steps given by the GPS. Better yet, have a real map.
Pardon the excessive selfies, but someone I respect very much once gave me this piece of advice:
"Make sure you get yourself in the picture sometime. Not for vanity's sake, but so that you can look back and see who you were."
So selfie on I shall. And that brings us to Yellowstone National Park!