Day Eleven: Coming Home

Coming home from a great vacation is the best/worst thing. On the one hand, it's lovely to be home when you get there. On the other, it sucks to leave.

We left early, stopping for Starbucks. I even did the unthinkable and got coffee. I'm not a coffee drinker, for reasons unknown.

The drive was very, very, very long. We had lunch at an In-N-Out in Utah (not sure where) and passed through Arizona, Nevada, and a very dull chunk of California. I have recently discovered that I really want to explore an abandoned water park just after the fruit check, though.

I gave (almost) everyone their presents when I got home, introduced them to the wonders of huckleberry (I still have some of that licorice left), and honestly enjoyed being back home, in my own bed.

I would love to get a job at Yellowstone next summer, honestly. I want to go back as soon as I can. That place fills you up, makes you feel smaller and more alive. You can't escape the sheer might of everything there, but at the same time, you feel a bit closer to connected, you know?

Stop me before I wax too poetic.

I think that everyone should go to Yellowstone and Grand Teton at once. There's nothing quite as cleansing as a tremendous view, right? That's all you get there.

And so it concludes.

I think this just means that I need another adventure, and soon!

First bit of California in a while—in Utah.

Jerry in Arizona.

Day Ten: Whoops, No Pictures!

We had a very chill morning, basically made up of me and Casey watching videos on YouTube. Around two, we drove to this little town, called Midway, for whitewater rafting. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures from that adventure. Hopefully I'll get the one that the guide took of us soon, but no promises for that to happen in the near future. Sorry.

Real quick, though, some cool information about Midway. Well, I think it's cool. On the way to the river, the guide told us about how Midway is essentially the second version of itself; the first is in the reservoir. I think that underwater towns are hideously cool. I'd love to check it out one day.

Anyway.

The rafting itself was easy enough, and really fun. I nearly fell in near the end, though, when we hit the bank a bit too hard. Everyone managed to catch me, luckily. I wouldn't have minded, but for the rocks. That would have hurt.

Of course, since Casey had us sit at the front of the raft (now I don't think I'd be able to sit anywhere else), I got soaked. It's cool, since it felt awesome.

We had dinner at the condo in our pajamas, and Casey and I watched more videos after packing up our things and most of the things that belonged in the car.

I'd call it a successful last day, really.

Day Nine: Is This the Real Life?

No matter where we go, Casey and I will always find a farmer's market to wreak havoc at enjoy. Fortunately for us, the one in Park City was within walking distance of the condo! Also near the condo: the cabriolet. Which was free. Being the children that we are, we spend an obscene amount of time going back and forth on it, in between wandering the market and eating.

We had snow cones and lunch (mint limeade (served by cute guys who totally played along with our mild insanity) and an apple strudel) before going back on the cabriolet. Again. For very long stretches. We yelled things to the passersby down below ("This is your sign!") and sang along to "Bohemian Rhapsody" and generally had a great time.

When we got back to the condo, we lazed around, decidedly in love with civilization again.

After dinner, though, we chilled in the hot tub. Well, not chilled...

Regardless, it was wonderful just being incredibly lazy for a day, you know?

Day Eight: Fear of Heights?

Casey and I spent the morning on our iPads in the living room, so that we could socialize without actually socializing. Welcome to America, or something like that.

We went to lunch at this great restaurant on Main Street, the Wasatch Brewery. They have ridiculously fantastic fish & chips.

My aunt left us to do some errands, so we took the time to explore Main Street. Casey let me into a bookstore, and I left with two new books. Le sigh. I can't complain, though, because new books always make me happy.

After exploring a few more stores, we decided to go on the chair lift. It's a roughly forty-five minute shindig, round-trip, and it's so worth it. You get amazing views of the city, and everything. Even if you're afraid of heights (and really, there is nowhere worse to realize this than on chair lift several feet off the ground).

We took the bus back to the condo, and on the walk from the stop to the front door, my aunt caught up to us. We got in the car and headed to Wal-Mart for some barbecuing essentials. After that, we got dinner at Panda Express and went to see Ted.

If you're wondering, you do need to see it. Desperately. Seth MacFarlane, you are my new favourite person.

Day Seven: Let's Get Civilized

Before I discuss this day, I just have to tell you all that I am very, very excited about the new Doctor Who trailer that came out yesterday, and I don't know what I'm going to do with my life until the twenty-fifth. Re-watch the series, maybe?

Ahem.

So we finally bid goodbye to Wyoming and headed off for Park City. Approximately five minutes after packing up and leaving the campsite, we saw another moose. This time, however, we saw a good one, giant antlers and all. Everyone should always listen to me: I said that we'd see a good one on the way to Park City, and I was right!

Our drive through Wyoming passed through several small towns, all strung together. When I say small, I mean towns with populations of 300 or less. Minuscule. Tiny. Dinky. Etc.

We stopped for lunch at this little diner called Tootsie's (excellent sandwiches) before heading off again.

We went through Idaho and spent a great deal of time admiring Bear Lake. It's huge and incredibly blue and incredibly pretty. We stopped at a rest stop in Utah to admire it, and play with grasshoppers (they'd be out on the cement paths, and we'd run down the paths to make them jump back into the grass. Big fun).

By the time we got to Park City, it was raining, but who cares? We were finally at a shelter that wasn't made of nylon, and our beds weren't inflatable.

Okay, so I like to complain about camping. It's all good, because no matter what, I will love very few things as much as I love camping.

Anyway.

After a home-cooked dinner, showers, and the discovery of wi-fi (horray!), we all went to bed and reveled in civilization, because really, what's better than a memory foam bed after sleeping on a slowly deflating air mattress for a week?

Nothing, that's what.

Day Two: Oh, Idaho!

It goes on.

We left the hotel bright and early and drove through Idaho. I met up with an old friend from high school, which was really nice. I haven't seen him since graduation, basically. Anyway, after the socialization, we left. Casey and I played our roles (tourists) wonderfully and bought cheesy things from a gas station. We also took the time to take pictures. Oh, yeah.

After a small roadblock (literally) in Montana, though, we finally made it to Yellowstone! Within the first mile of the park, we saw some elk grazing. Being tourists, we stopped and took pictures before continuing to our campsite. Basically, in one day, though, we went through the rest of Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. That effectively knocks several states off my to-do list.

We got the tent up in less than ten minutes (Casey and I were both Girl Scouts, once upon a time) and went to this place, the Lake Lodge (I think) for dinner. There, I discovered that I'm basically going to be addicted to huckleberry stuff for the rest of my life.

Also, we saw a bison.

Also, I bought a bison. His name is Jerry.

Also, I counted this day as a success.

Day One: It Begins

So, as I told you, I went off on an adventure. I drove up to Yellowstone with Casey and my aunt. And since it was such a long trip, with so many pictures, I decided to drag it out and make a post a day. Yeah, buddy.

Anyway.

On the first day (Tuesday), we headed out. We got the car packed valiantly and headed off. We drove through a good chunk of California, Nevada, Arizona, and stopped in Utah. Provo, Utah, home of the sad Mexican food. Really, we should have figured that Utah wouldn't have California-approved Mexican food. Hopefully I'll get some tonight, though!

Also in Provo, Utah: our hotel. It was really nice, complete with a fitness room (abused my Casey and myself) and an indoor pool. I love pools, indoor and otherwise.

Arizona...

More Arizona...

Virgin margaritas, like all the cool kids do.
Mine tasted like chili tamarind candy.
It was supposed to be kiwi.

This is how we do.

Oh, Marriott, you know us so well!

So, by the end of this day, I could honestly say that I'd been to Vegas! Well, in Vegas.

Okay, through Vegas. Whatever.

More tomorrow!