It's true what they say - I definitely needed a vacation from my vacation! I returned to Laramie worn out and ready to sit still for a while. But living in Wyoming doesn't really afford you many opportunities to avoid the car - if you want to go somewhere, you're going to have to drive! After taking a day or two to just sleep, I finished unpacking my house, cleaning, and decorating my living space to make everything feel like home. The dogs and I have lived lazily for the first few weeks of August, but times are changing. I go back to work on Monday and Fall semester begins at the end of the month. Welcome home!
Now that the dust has settled and my brain is back to full functioning powers, here are the stats and a brief overview of my vacation. Keep an eye out over the next few weeks for detailed posts and reviews.
The month's long road trip took me all over the place. I wanted to make sure I hit all my favorite spots! I think I enjoyed Oregon and Washington more and did more quintessentially Oregon and Washington stuff than I ever did while living there!
Total Miles Traveled: 4733
Coffee Drank - 12
Babies Held - 5
Dogs Snuggled - 10
Cats Cuddled - 4
Beds Slept In - 11
Family Visited - 9
Friends Visited - 7
Lakes Visited - 8
Beaches Visited - 7
States Visited - 6
Towns Visited - 33
Lowest Elevation - 0 (at sea level)
Highest Elevation - approx. 8000 (Yellowstone)
Furthest North - Winthrop, WA
Furthest South - Denver, CO
Furthest East - Torrington, WY
Furthest West - Newport, OR
Total Years of Friendship - 103
When the end of the trip was drawing near, I picked up the dogs in Brewster and my mom and I headed east for the final legs of the road trip. We drove through Yellowstone where she got to see her first buffalo and on through Wyoming where we saw a ton of antelope and hawks galore!
As it is fire season in these parts, we also had to drive through a wild fire as we were leaving the Grand Tetons National Park. That was a most disfavorable point in our journey. Once we made it to Laramie we only had a short time to rest before rushing off to Fort Collins, Colorado for a wonderful massage and then Denver to send her home on an airplane.
It's strange to think that I know my way around so many different cities and states. Most importantly, I know where the good restaurants are! And I'm thankful for that. It means I've traveled enough to feel comfortable exploring unknown areas and finding my way to where I want to go. GPS sure helps, too.
Here's a preview of the blog posts to come:
Oregon:
Washington
Idaho and Montana
Wyoming and Colorado
Happy travels!
