“Soo….” Sunita said one day, “how would you feel about taking a trip to Colorado?” I felt favorable. So we requested time off, got our things in order, and set out late on the night of July 11th. Sunita drove us into Oregon and we found a place to park and sleep just near Multnomah Falls.
We were off again before the sun arose. Before we hit Colorado, we made a stop at Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho, because why not? America truly is unique: in its array of vast, unique landscapes. There is a huge section of space in this country that consists of rocks ranging from black to red that are practically weightless, and the blackest dirt you’ve ever encountered. It’s just there. Setting silently, watching the skies change day by day. And you’d never know, if it wasn’t a Google-able National Monument. A National Monument with a name as intriguing as Craters of the Moon. I felt the same way about the Grand Canyon. Within a five minute walking distance from the ledge there is nothing more than trees and dirt. What must it have felt like to come upon that scene, for people who didn’t know what lay before them?
Our time in Colorado was relaxing, fun, and delicious. The drive from Boulder to Chris and Lauren’s (friends whom we were staying with) in Nederland was gorgeous. And I think we were both well impressed and enamored. We were there to surprise Chris for his birthday, and I feel his birthday was well-celebrated. We had top notch food at several local restaurants and Lauren made tasty birthday treats.
Sunita and I put great effort into trying to climb a fourteener, but for various reasons (getting lost [well, taking the path less taken {in other words not marked}], afternoon storms, crazy unreachable-by-not-an-enormous-truck roads…) didn’t succeed. The hikes we did manage were beautiful, though, and a welcome substitute.
We also spent a day exploring the exceptionally adorable town that is Ned.
Before departing Colorado we stopped at Georgetown for a short visit with an old acquaintance of my from Florida. Our time with Michelle was brief, but surprisingly eventful. Just minutes after arriving, her neighbor introducing himself to us, and introducing our four-leggeds, I watched said neighbor go head-over-handlebars on his bicycle. It looked disconcertingly comical, forced, make-believe. He glanced the curb, and then his head was smashing into the ground of Michelle’s front yard. I ran out to see if he was okay, and found a very deep, gushing wound in his forehead. Anyways, he refused to be taken to the hospital, and after another neighbor arrived with bandages, Sunita, Michelle, and I continued on with our lunch plans. More delicious food (I’m so proud of Colorado and their cuisine), and a tour of little Georgetown. I love interacting with anything that people are passionate about. Our walking tour was filled with so much affection for that place and all of its intricacies.
And then on to Utah, land of Sunita’s bouncing enthusiasm. There was a span of seven or so minutes where ‘Moab’ was uttered probably sixty or more times. We were bound for Canyonlands, but encountered a thunderstorm. We pulled over and slept beneath heavy rain and a lightning show against the desert landscape. Morning came early. But sunrise was a brilliant event in such an awesome place.
We tried to take jumping pictures, but we kind of failed. Many times.
After Canyonlands we stopped for lunch a superb lunch at Peace Tree Cafe, and then continued on for a drive-through of Arches.
And then homeward!
to fathom the world 