New States

I have conquered the south!! Okay, probably not, but I did at least drive through a bunch of states that I had never previously been to- Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. Take that Rand McNally!! Not only did I drive through these states, I even got out of the car occasionally to fuel up on gasoline (look at my carbon footprint grow!!!) and coffee. And take pictures as proof:

I'm seriously proud of myself- it at least gave some sort of meaning to the endless interstate driving. Arkansas was surprising pretty- the fall colors just starting to come into the Ozarks. I was less than enthralled by Oklahoma and Texas, but there were lots of wind farms to add some positive cheer to the flat, bare landscape. The rest area in texas actually had an informational display dedicated to windfarms- past and present- so I learned some things while I stretched my legs.

It feels great to check so many states off my list. I might even visit some of them again- on purpose. It would have been nice to have more time to hike around the Ozarks, now that I know how inviting they are. New Mexico was cool, it felt strangely like a homecoming to reach the desert again. And Albuquerque was a pretty fun city too, once I got through the suburban sprawl and tricky traffic- I wish I could have explored around there a bit longer as well. Finally, As I drove into Flagstaff, the San Francisco peaks looked down on me with a mountainous pull to my hiking heart after the miles of flat. But I was closing in on arrival, sucking down my last tank of gas, and put the pedal to the metal for the Hoover Dam. Which was a monstrosity again this time. But- the good news is that after this ridiculous road trip- I only need 5 more states to complete the country- Louisiana, Idaho, Montana, and the Dakotas. So let me know if you want to plan a trip in any of those directions. In the future, that is, when I have the time and energy and money to afford to travel again.

And now, after 6,600 miles on the road this month (Damn) to move the 315 miles from Ely to Boulder City, i have finally arrived. I immediately pulled into to the Boulder Dam Brewing Company a for a much needed beer- their BlackCanyon Stout hit the spot. Then it turned into two or three as I realised that it was a Halloween party and I was the only lame one without a costume. I tried to tell people that normally I'm cool but I was just dressed up as a lame person for Halloween, but I don't think they believed me. I met up with Teague and met his girlfriend Jen, and they are kindly letting me stay on their floor while I search for a home. I am dying to unpack- I've hit a crisis point and I just can't live in my car any longer. So, wish me luck in the home-hunting and my first day on the new job!