Living Bouldly

Next Stop: Boulder, CO

After Denver we took a day trip up to Boulder before continuing our drive home. Boulder was one of the most fun places we visited. In the morning we walked around the market area, which was extremely crowded and lively. Street performers such as musicians and magicians dotted the streets and a variety of food stands and shops accompanied them. We got coffee at a neat little coffee shop called the Laughing Goat. Then we went shopping for a shirt because Dan desperately needed some clean clothes after weeks of traveling. 

Driving into Boulder. There is a dancing mattress across the street!

Boulder had a lot of marijuana-related items for sale. We saw this among other cookbooks. Later, after our hike, we saw two people smoking pot at the entrance of the trail. Dan said, "welcome to Colorado, man."

After shopping in the morning, we took a hike. The trail was very rocky and steep, but it was worth it when we saw the views from the top.

very rocky and steep climb!

Dan's hiking outfit: Shirt bought that morning in Boulder, dress pants and falling apart sandals.  Thankfully a minor slip was all that happened coming back down the rocks in his sandals!

Butterfly.

Descent! Two people passed by us and said that we had just passed a bear that we didn't see. We were both relieved and sad not to have any interaction with the bear. 

Things Get Rocky

   

Next Stop: Denver, Colorado 

Finally a break from driving! After lunch in Cheyenne we drove to Denver, CO, where we stayed with Dan's wonderfully hospitable cousins for 2 nights. The first thing we did was see a Colorado Rockies game.
(this picture to the right is a blurry interpretation of the "Welcome to Colorado" sign.)

Rockies v. Brewers

The next day Dan's cousins took us to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the site of many big name concerts and spectacular red rock formations.

The statute and plaque above were at the entrance to the theater. It was placed in honor of the Civilian Conservation Corps workers from the New Deal that helped to build the theater. 

View of the rocks. 

The stage and seats. The guy in the middle was doing push ups all the way up the stairs, doing one on each step and switching arms each time. It was almost as impressive as the geology. 

Later that day our hosts took us downtown and to an area of Denver known as "Lo Do," which was very fun. We went to a famous independent bookstore called the Tattered Cover and took in some of the sites. At night we got some fabulous Mexican food and relaxed over a game of scrabble.

Homeward Bound!

Driving: Day One


After San Fran, it was time to start driving back east! After our Redwood/Point Reyes hikes we drove back to the starting point- Reno, NV. We got there too late to visit any of the sites, but we did make use of the outdoor pool, one of the highlights from our time in Reno.

Picture does not represent actual nighttime swim.

The next day we set off on one of the longest driving days of the trip (12 hours + 3 states). First we crossed through Nevada, stopping in Elko, NV and Winnemucca, NV. The trip through NV was marked by vast stretches of desert and mountains cast in hues of purple and pink.

We took a break from driving to take some pictures off the highway. 

Next we drove through Utah. We saw salt flats on the side of road as we were driving. It was dark by the time we got to Salt Lake City, but we had a chance to stop and eat dinner there. Unlike Pittsburgh, the city was alive and bustling with people at night. 

In Salt Lake City, right before dinner at P.F. Changs.

At the end of the long day we stopped for the night in Rock Springs, WY. Rock Springs seemed like such a small town that we were sure we would get a great rate on a hotel. Dan went into the first hotel and was told that there was only one room available, a suite, and it was far above our price range. Dan asked about other, cheaper hotels. The clerk told him that all of the hotels were booked up. When Dan was shocked, the clerk responded: "well, it's Rock Springs."  Since there were no other towns nearby and it was close to 2:00 a.m., we kept looking in Rock Springs and eventually found a room. The next day we learned that Rock Springs is a Halliburton hub. Miners come to the area and live in the hotels during the week then return home to their families on the weekends. 

Rock Springs, WY

We took this picture outside of the place where we got coffee. It was a bike shop/coffee shop combined. We had a really cool conversation with the girl working there. She knew immediately that we were from out of town and was able to explain the miners/hotel situation to us. She also told us that she dreams of going to college in Salt Lake City someday. 

Driving: Day Two 

The next day we finished the trek across Wyoming and drove to Colorado. Our view of Wyoming from route 80 was a picture of desolation and mountains marred by mining. Unlike Nevada, Wyoming was covered in gray mountains instead of the majestic purple mountains of the Sierra Nevada. We stopped in the small town of Rawlings, WY and later in Cheyenne, WY for lunch. As soon as we crossed into the high mountains of WY, the scenery became much prettier and more enjoyable. Unfortunately we didn't have much time in Cheyenne, but we liked it a lot. Cheyenne was bright, clear, cool, and seemed to embody the western spirit. 

In front of City Hall. The girl who took our picture gave us a Wyoming state flag to hold for flair.