Roadtrip of Epic Proportions
Roadtrip Day 1:
Sunday the 24th- Cornell Gradution day, left Ithaca after a barbecue at Bryan's and made it to Fairport to see some people and pack.
Day 2: Left Rochester around 9 AM. Encountered the VOK...some random guy driving a Canadian car who had VOK on his license plate. We decided he was a divine spirit and we needed to worship and channel his spirit at all times. We're strange. Finally saw Niagara Falls for the first time. Walked around a little, then left for Cleveland. Crossed the same stupid bridge 4 times. Went to Cedar Point, got there around 4 PM and stayed til 8:30. Rode in the front car of the Millennium Force- 350' drop, 95 degree angle. Went on the Maverick- best ride in the park. Went on the Dragster- 400' high, straight up and down, 120 mph. Best eveeerrrrrr again! They were all the best rides. Made it to Laura's house, ate foods and her dad made us cookies and we played with kitties and watched Holy Grail. Yaaayyyyy!!!
Day 3: Left Cleveland in the morning, drove through Ohio, Indiana, we were 106 miles from Chicago, through Illinois and through Chicago, almost rear-ended someone as the car was filled with crap and had incredible momentum, then breezed through several toll booths because we were unaware they existed. Made it into Wisconsin and stopped at Applebee's for dinner. Ate lots of food, then got on our way again. I finally got pulled over for the first time, wasn't speeding that much, but apparently everyone else in Wisconsin is not in a hurry and made me look like that asshole as I went by at 78. The cop was waaayyyy cute and didn't give me a ticket! So I just have a piece of paper that says "Hey Julie! Guess what! Wisconsin called! They said.......YOU SUCK!!!" a la *insert sporting event* cheer. Got into Minnesota and crossed the Mississippi as it was dark...lame...but then we drove through a windfarm!!! Couldn't see the actual propellers but it was miles on either side of the road of flashing red antenna lights...flashing on and off at the same time. So one minute was pitch black, then next was all lit up. It was absolutely beautiful. Stopped in Albert Lea, Minnesota at a Holiday Inn Express and promptly passed out.
Day 4: Breakfast at hotel (woooooot!), made it through the rest of Minnesota and into South Dakota. South Dakota took fooooreeeevvveeerrrr....like 400 miles worth.....and has only billboards. That is ALL. And most of them are for this place called 'Wall Drug', which is this drugstore, general store, restaurant, and everything else ever that you could want in this town called Wall in South Dakota. So, of course, we had to stop there. That's the reason they get all their tourists. It was actually pretty cool, and Cody insisted we couldn't leave unless we committed some thievery, so we absconded with a couple things and peaced out. Next was Mount Rushmore. Worth seeing, just to see it and say you did. Kinda like Niagara Falls. Got ice cream there, tastyyyy, and were on our way again. Got into Wyoming that night, I drove through a mountain pass. It was pitch-black and there were hairpin turns, and I stopped about 3/4 way up, turned off the headlights, and you could see so many stars. And pine trees, and it smelled fresh, and some city lights below us, but otherwise...dark. So beautiful. And snow on either side of the road. The mountain was about 10,000 feet high, but eventually we made it down and into Powell, Wyoming, which is a place no one has ever heard of nor cares about, and spent the night at a tiny hotel there.
Day 5: Left the hotel early and made it to Yellowstone by around noon. Drove through Yellowstone to the huge lake there....crazy, crazy beautiful. Insane. Apparently Yellowstone sits on top of a giant volcano which is supposedly going to erupt. Excellent. Yellowstone lake is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Drove around to Old Faithful, walked around for a while, watched it asplode, ate a really good lunch, and took about a 3 mile walk around the hot springs. Drove up to Mammoth Hot Springs, took another hike. And then got back on the road, drove through Montana, saw a gorgeous sunset, into Idaho, and finally made it to Spokane around 1 AM.
So make that 11 states, 4 days, 49 hours of driving, and 2900 miles later, we arrived with no mishaps or fighting or anything! Most triumphant. I'm totally in love with mountains now.
And we went to a casino and I won $200 in one shot at a penny slot machine...sweet!!!...then went on a 20 mile bike ride including tunnels, 10 of the miles were uphill. Always glorious, but totally worth it. Except I'm still bruised from the bike seat. Played some video games (especially Little Big Planet!!), some Rock Band, ate some food, wandered around, saw UP twice because it's that good....it was a ton of fun. And then my flights home, I flew across Washington from Spokane to Seattle, Seattle looks like an awesome city, flying over the Cascade mountains was absurdly beautiful. And then Seattle to Philly on a red-eye, and when I got to Philly it was awkwardly 6:30 AM, but it felt like 3:30AM but was light out...I was all kindsa messed up. And made it back to Rochester by 9:30 AM. Interesting how almost 50 hours of driving is completely flattened by a 6 hour flight...I mean...go technology, but at the same point, it's incredible how much you miss flying across the country. I'd totally roadtrip again, going this time to San Francisco, or through Colorado, or someplace like that. I need more time in life to be irresponsible, but it'll happen somehow or other.
Anyway. Next stop is Cape Cod...for the summer. It'll be weird being actually away for the whole summer, and not able to come back to Fairport. Tonight was great, sitting around at a bar with Nick, Bryan, Rooney, Wendy, and Bridget, listening to a band, drinking beer out of a tube, eating cake, heckling the band...so much fun. I still maintain that my Fairport friends are the greatest I will ever make, with the exception of a couple people I met at school. I'm excited for Canal Days weekend to see lots of people and have a good time...it's always a good time, no matter who I see and what we do. =)
Hooray for life. And now...is time for real-person-ville. Strange...but hopefully having a job for the whole summer through September will help with everything. Not sure where I'm going in September...but it's kind of a cool feeling that I could really go anywhere. Freedom, woot!
Sunday the 24th- Cornell Gradution day, left Ithaca after a barbecue at Bryan's and made it to Fairport to see some people and pack.
Day 2: Left Rochester around 9 AM. Encountered the VOK...some random guy driving a Canadian car who had VOK on his license plate. We decided he was a divine spirit and we needed to worship and channel his spirit at all times. We're strange. Finally saw Niagara Falls for the first time. Walked around a little, then left for Cleveland. Crossed the same stupid bridge 4 times. Went to Cedar Point, got there around 4 PM and stayed til 8:30. Rode in the front car of the Millennium Force- 350' drop, 95 degree angle. Went on the Maverick- best ride in the park. Went on the Dragster- 400' high, straight up and down, 120 mph. Best eveeerrrrrr again! They were all the best rides. Made it to Laura's house, ate foods and her dad made us cookies and we played with kitties and watched Holy Grail. Yaaayyyyy!!!
Day 3: Left Cleveland in the morning, drove through Ohio, Indiana, we were 106 miles from Chicago, through Illinois and through Chicago, almost rear-ended someone as the car was filled with crap and had incredible momentum, then breezed through several toll booths because we were unaware they existed. Made it into Wisconsin and stopped at Applebee's for dinner. Ate lots of food, then got on our way again. I finally got pulled over for the first time, wasn't speeding that much, but apparently everyone else in Wisconsin is not in a hurry and made me look like that asshole as I went by at 78. The cop was waaayyyy cute and didn't give me a ticket! So I just have a piece of paper that says "Hey Julie! Guess what! Wisconsin called! They said.......YOU SUCK!!!" a la *insert sporting event* cheer. Got into Minnesota and crossed the Mississippi as it was dark...lame...but then we drove through a windfarm!!! Couldn't see the actual propellers but it was miles on either side of the road of flashing red antenna lights...flashing on and off at the same time. So one minute was pitch black, then next was all lit up. It was absolutely beautiful. Stopped in Albert Lea, Minnesota at a Holiday Inn Express and promptly passed out.
Day 4: Breakfast at hotel (woooooot!), made it through the rest of Minnesota and into South Dakota. South Dakota took fooooreeeevvveeerrrr....like 400 miles worth.....and has only billboards. That is ALL. And most of them are for this place called 'Wall Drug', which is this drugstore, general store, restaurant, and everything else ever that you could want in this town called Wall in South Dakota. So, of course, we had to stop there. That's the reason they get all their tourists. It was actually pretty cool, and Cody insisted we couldn't leave unless we committed some thievery, so we absconded with a couple things and peaced out. Next was Mount Rushmore. Worth seeing, just to see it and say you did. Kinda like Niagara Falls. Got ice cream there, tastyyyy, and were on our way again. Got into Wyoming that night, I drove through a mountain pass. It was pitch-black and there were hairpin turns, and I stopped about 3/4 way up, turned off the headlights, and you could see so many stars. And pine trees, and it smelled fresh, and some city lights below us, but otherwise...dark. So beautiful. And snow on either side of the road. The mountain was about 10,000 feet high, but eventually we made it down and into Powell, Wyoming, which is a place no one has ever heard of nor cares about, and spent the night at a tiny hotel there.
Day 5: Left the hotel early and made it to Yellowstone by around noon. Drove through Yellowstone to the huge lake there....crazy, crazy beautiful. Insane. Apparently Yellowstone sits on top of a giant volcano which is supposedly going to erupt. Excellent. Yellowstone lake is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Drove around to Old Faithful, walked around for a while, watched it asplode, ate a really good lunch, and took about a 3 mile walk around the hot springs. Drove up to Mammoth Hot Springs, took another hike. And then got back on the road, drove through Montana, saw a gorgeous sunset, into Idaho, and finally made it to Spokane around 1 AM.
So make that 11 states, 4 days, 49 hours of driving, and 2900 miles later, we arrived with no mishaps or fighting or anything! Most triumphant. I'm totally in love with mountains now.
And we went to a casino and I won $200 in one shot at a penny slot machine...sweet!!!...then went on a 20 mile bike ride including tunnels, 10 of the miles were uphill. Always glorious, but totally worth it. Except I'm still bruised from the bike seat. Played some video games (especially Little Big Planet!!), some Rock Band, ate some food, wandered around, saw UP twice because it's that good....it was a ton of fun. And then my flights home, I flew across Washington from Spokane to Seattle, Seattle looks like an awesome city, flying over the Cascade mountains was absurdly beautiful. And then Seattle to Philly on a red-eye, and when I got to Philly it was awkwardly 6:30 AM, but it felt like 3:30AM but was light out...I was all kindsa messed up. And made it back to Rochester by 9:30 AM. Interesting how almost 50 hours of driving is completely flattened by a 6 hour flight...I mean...go technology, but at the same point, it's incredible how much you miss flying across the country. I'd totally roadtrip again, going this time to San Francisco, or through Colorado, or someplace like that. I need more time in life to be irresponsible, but it'll happen somehow or other.
Anyway. Next stop is Cape Cod...for the summer. It'll be weird being actually away for the whole summer, and not able to come back to Fairport. Tonight was great, sitting around at a bar with Nick, Bryan, Rooney, Wendy, and Bridget, listening to a band, drinking beer out of a tube, eating cake, heckling the band...so much fun. I still maintain that my Fairport friends are the greatest I will ever make, with the exception of a couple people I met at school. I'm excited for Canal Days weekend to see lots of people and have a good time...it's always a good time, no matter who I see and what we do. =)
Hooray for life. And now...is time for real-person-ville. Strange...but hopefully having a job for the whole summer through September will help with everything. Not sure where I'm going in September...but it's kind of a cool feeling that I could really go anywhere. Freedom, woot!