Monday, August 13, 2007

Leaving Las Vegas (and driving through the rest of Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Colorado)

So after our crazy night of one slot machine and one drink between the two of us :), we slept in the next morning and got a late start. I couldn't believe these signs they had posted everywhere! I told you it was hot!

We brought our laptop along and a bunch of TV shows on DVD for the passenger to watch and the driver to listen to. :) This REALLY helped pass the time.


The rest of Nevada was, well, the desert. As we were plugging along and approaching a town called Mesquite, Kevin spotted a sign for JAMBA JUICE! Hooray! Something healthy to eat on the road! So we stopped for gas and Jamba. Next door was a surf shop, and there's this pair of Reefs I've been wanting to get, so I headed inside. I've never been to a surf store manned by a redneck biker guy! It was hilarious! Over 100 degrees outside and he was wearing some sort of motorcycle outfit.


We were only driving in Arizona for about a half hour, nothing too interesting there. We knew we were in Utah when we hit signs saying "Brigham Road" and a billboard for a website selling "modest, knee-length shorts." Heehee! Some of Utah was pretty, some of it not so pretty, some of it just plain crazy what with the rock formations, etc. (I'd wanted to see the site of the Mountain Meadows Massacre that I'd read about in a book I'd borrowed from Kristen awhile back, and we drove right through the town, but I think the place itself was off the beaten path. I'd also be interested in seeing some of the other Mormon historical sites sometime. Gotta love being a dorky tourist...)


At one point Kevin was napping in the backseat and I was driving. All of a sudden I hit this nasty rain storm, HUGE raindrops and rain all over the road, terrible visibility and I was seriously wondering if we were going to make it out of Utah alive. Fortunately the rain finally stopped, and I got to see the most beautiful rainbow.


What a relief when we finally hit Colorado. It was after dark so we got to cross the Rockies in the dark AND the rain, interesting. And FINALLY, we got to Mike and Rachel's house in Castle Rock, hooray! They have such a pretty home, I'm so glad we finally got to see it! It was my first time in a basement, ever.


So this wasn't the most exciting post, but it wasn't the most exciting drive. :) Lots of stops to feed Kaitlyn, change her diapers, and give her medicine. It was nice to get so much one-on-one (or two-on-one I guess) time with her! I love that little kid!


More on our trip to come. And remember...

9 comments:

joy said...

thanks for the reminder that heat kills pets. that is too funny.

it was great talking with you on Sunday. i look forward to more discussions in the future.

Jacquelyn said...

I checked out the "kneeshort" website. They were nice and not too expensive. Too bad I don't wear shorts, I might buy some!

Kristen Borland said...

hee, hee! love the link to the shorts website. totally forgot about that book until you mentioned it. what was the name of it again?

seriously, please don't leave your pet in a parked car. or kaitlyn. :) hee, hee.

i know, when we went to vegas it was seriously hot too (i think it was june). from early morning to late at night. we quit holding hands because we'd immediately start sweating!

Jeannett said...

I have to give you credit. You are SUCH a trooper! We only drove 6 hours (okay, 8 hours with a newborn and all the stopping) to Clearlake and I thought I was going to shoot myself. I hate long car rides, so I have to give it to you for driving to Colorado! Andy always says he wants to go on a road trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming...I tell him to go on ahead and I'll meet him there a few days later...he just has to pick me up at the airport! (And I'm not kidding!)

Brianna Heldt said...

yeah i get excited about going on a roadtrip, but after about an hour of driving i instantly wish i'd flown...i do love getting to see other parts of the us but yeah the driving is hardcore. we looked into flying and at the last minute were considering doing so, but we wanted to have a car while there and to rent a car for the week is pretty pricy!!

shell said...

i cannot believe you have never been in a BASEMENT! i guess i have always lived in the midwest and have NEVER lived without a basement. sorry, it made me giggle! thought i should be crying because the closest jamba juice to my house is TWO HOURS! basement, jamba, what a competition!

Brianna Heldt said...

shelley heehee! i know, never been in a basement. all my extended family is in california (though my dad is originally from boston) so yeah, first time in a basement! very cool.

SO sad about jamba! i can't believe tho how big the chain has gotten, i grew up going to the original in slo and now it's all over.

Sugar Plum Invitations said...

Basement newbie.. so funny! It's cool tons of room to store all the stuff us "West Coast" people put in the gargage. Some people remodel their basements and have an extra family room/guest room/ craft room etc. Wish we double our square footage and build a basement!

Brianna Heldt said...

well troy is pretty ambitious becky, and you guys seem to have the printing press down-pat, so maybe your next project is to build a basement in your townhome! :) (shoot, that's where you could set up your presses!)

 

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