On the Road (Not the Jack Kerouac Version) Part 2

When we last left our hero, they were falling asleep in Vegas. If you missed the first half of the picture filled adventure, you can see it here!

There I was, in the city that never sleeps...sleeping.  I had put my camera to the side and curled up in a comfortable bed to prepare for the next morning. As the sun came up, my companion and I slept a bit longer. I mean, it had been a long and exciting day and we needed to be well rested for the plans we had in store! So, before the hotel kicked us out, we packed up our stuff and set off to Flagstaff, Arizona.

Fourth Stop: Flagstaff, Arizona

Back on the road again, we found ourselves with a bevy of options of random sites to see.  Conserving our time and energy so we could see what we wanted to see before sundown, we opted for a drive up to Sunset Crater and then explored the Wupatki Ruins.  If you've never seen the ruins, you ought to.  They're incredibly advanced and beautiful to see.  We had to scurry around to see as much as we did as the sun was fading fast.

They were simply breathtaking.

Fifth Stop: Grand Canyon

Second Lesson Learned: Climbing up sucks.

I mean, I had learned more than that on the trip, but when you take a hike midday, and the first half is downhill...you really ought to prepare yourself for the uphill stretch. I had not really prepared myself for that hike and understood quite what I was getting myself into.  So I found myself hiking uphill on the South Kaibab Trail in the sun.  It turned out fine, gave me the first tan I think I've ever had!

Third Lesson Learned: In order to tan, Shannon must first get sunburned slightly EVERY day. It works.

I would have loved to see the Grand Canyon at sunset or sunrise, but that was not meant to be. Still, I snapped a photo or two to commemorate the experience.

Sixth Stop: Laughlin, Nevada

After the hike in the Grand Canyon, we booked to Laughlin, Nevada.

There is NOTHING in Laughlin. Just thought you should know. The Casinos are dying (especially in comparison the lights of Vegas) and that's about it. I don't think we even had internet in the hotel.

Seventh Stop: Joshua Tree, California

Joshua tree is this fantastic place for bouldering.  And I probably would have loved it except for the fact that my flip-flops have better traction than my sneakers.  Remember the issues I was having with half dome in the first half of my journey?  Yup, not helping here.  Eventually, we fled back to our vehicle to avoid the bees that had taken a liking to me.  I guess i was too sweet.

But we drove through Joshua Tree and saw some incredible sites.  Like that flippin' big Joshua Tree.  They don't normally get that large...and for size comparison, my companion featured below it is 5'11".  FLIPPIN' HUGE TREE!  Not my most artistic photo, but c'mon, look at the size of that thing!

And then, because some of the plant life was super awesome, I got to scuttle careful through cacti to nab some more photos.

Last Stop: Palm Springs on Route to Santa Barbara, California

With a little bit of spare time, we swung through palm springs to grab a milk shake and cool down from all the excitement before heading to Santa Barbara, the last leg of our trip.