So I know this is a little belated, but I told you I'd post pictures from my amazing road trip across the country! I just thought it'd be a few days after, not a few weeks, but hey- sometimes life gets in the way! Anyways, I truly had an amazing time driving cross country.
I started out flying to LA to spend the weekend with my road trip buddy, Heather who had been living in LA interning with a film festival. I hopped off the plane at LAX with a dream and my cardigan.. or maybe just my carry-on and swimsuit- I couldn't resist those lyrics though! We went straight from the airport to Marina del Rey, at one of the other locations of my work- boat rentals! The manager at MDR actually trained me in Tempe when we just opened up.. almost 2 years ago, crazy!! She was super amazing and let my friend and I out on a jet ski, Oh my goodness, I can't even explain how much fun we had! I already love jet skiing, but haven't been in so long, but it is so different on the ocean. Hitting wave after wave, getting sprayed in the face with salt water, and looking out on the beach and Santa Monica pier. It was so so soooo cool!
After that we went to The Promenade in Santa Monica to a restaurant/bar to watch the Opening Ceremonies. Unfortunately is was loud, and okay maybe I was more into the chips and salsa and catching up with Heather than the odd choreography of the opening ceremonies. After walking around in the cool California air and checking out some street artists and musicians, we went back to her place and got ready. We went out to this bar called the Cha Cha Lounge, and it was everything I'd ever dreamed a bar being. Totally not a typical LA bar, or maybe if is, how would I know?! But the odds were definitely in our favor, since we were like 2 or the 5 girls in the whole bar and the rest were plaid-wearing, skinny-jean-rocking bearded men. Right up my alley. We had an awesome time talking to people and playing fooseball and taking pictures in the photo booth.
The next day we got to go to Universal Studios because Heather's roommate works there and gets free guest passes- awesome! So we spent most of the day there, and then went out for a quick dinner at Pink's famous hot dogs! After that we found an Irish pub (we were reunited in Dublin last summer, so it was fun to be back in that atmosphere with her again) and had quite an interesting time. With crazy Russian guys trying to talk to us, then those same guys getting thrown out of the bar, and then me falling in love with the tough bartender making me a special drink Heather and I got to name.
Anyways, that was an awful lot- and that was just one city in one state out of 12 we passed through on our trip! We continued back to Phoenix, got to sleep in my own bed and stocked up on snacks from my house before heading out to Colorado.
Our first day was 16 hours long, the longest of the trip. It sounds horrible but I guess with good company and awesome sites it isn't bad at all. We took a pit stop in Santa Fe, NM for some photo ops and window shopping. Not long after that we made it to Denver for a stop at the Cherry Cricket, our first (of many) Food Network featured restaurant. I absolutely loved how clean and nice downtown Denver seemed! I wish I could have stayed longer, but we had to get to Longmont, CO before it got too late. After a night catching up with old friends that I worked at Lonehollow summer camp in TX with, we were up a few hours later to get an early breakfast in Boulder. We got to Pearl Street, the most amazing little street in downtown Boulder and I instantly fell in love. I never thought I'd live outside of Arizona, but I would definitely love living in Colorado! We got breakfast at Foolish Craig's Diner, as seen on the Food Network and had the most delicious crepes ever!
From Boulder we drove through Wyoming and into South Dakota for our stop at Mt. Rushmore. It was sooo cool to see this landmark in person. It was so big, and astonishing that someone actually carved it from hand. We has a picnic on some benches looking out over the faces on the mountain and after a photoshoot with Rushmore we were off to gain more more miles across the country. We made it to the middle of South Dakota to a tiny motel with a freezer for your pheasants and a delicious homemade breakfast- what more could you ask for?! Taking off bright an early we made another pit stop in Sioux Falls, SD to get the car checked out and look at the Falls. The car ended up being fine, hallelujah, and the falls were really cute with a nice park area surrounding it.
From Sioux Falls we ventured to Minnesota and made it into Minneapolis just in time for rush hour. Not to worry, though, we had Mall of America to keep us busy! This mall was huge, and there was so much there there was no way I could have even gotten close to seeing it all. But I did see the roller coaster inside the mall, the four towering stories of stores, a movie theater, an aquarium and lots and lots of clothes! We couldn't stay long because there was lots of Minneapolis to see and not a lot of money to spend at a mall that dangerously large! Heather's awesome friend took us out for a fun night in Minneapolis from the downtown scene to an awesome college bar called the Kitty Kat Klub with live music and awesome eclectic decor. We took a stroll over the Mississippi river and saw a little bit of the UofM campus.
We woke up the next morning and, of course, headed to breakfast! We went to Al's Breakfast which was one of the coolest restaurants we stopped at the whole trip. With something like 10 bar stools, and a line that stretches out the door all standing behind the people eating, it's definitely an experience. After having a guy offer me some of his pancake so I could taste it before I ordered it to be sure I wanted it, I got a sweet corn pancake and a Wally Blue (blueberry and walnut) pancake and was delighted to find these were some of the best pancakes I've ever eaten. Food Network, you didn't lead us astray yet again!
Driving though Minnesota, into Wisconsin, we had to of course make a pit stop for some WI cheese! We stopped in Madison at The Old Fashioned, a really neat eatery from The Best Thing I Ever Ate- rightfully so! After having the best cheese curds in the world, and some Wisconsin beer, we were off to Chi-town!
We made it into Chicago around 5:30, and met up with Heather's friend we were staying with. After getting a ride into the city we got there just as the sun was setting. Lollapolooza was going on the very next day, and we were so upset that we missed it by less than 24 hours! I was still so excited I got to see 'the bean' structure in Millenium Park downtown. I took far too many pictures in front of it with the reflections of all the awesome lit up buildings, but it was definitely the hilight of my trip into Chicago. We got a picture with Sear's Tower, had Chicago deep-dish pizza Guy Fieri himself suggested, and got a drink before taking the train back out to the 'burbs of Chicago.
The next morning we got up for the last leg of the trip! We passed through Indiana for all of what seemed like 10 minutes and then we were in Michigan. We stopped in Ann Arbor, checked out Michigan's campus, had a picnic in the courtyard, and did a little thrift store shopping. We got ice cream at a local creamery that was to die for, before heading back on the road to not just another state, but another country!
My first time in Canada! We got
past the very hasty border patrol and lost cell service and were map-less for the next few hours. This led to a little adventure of almost running out of gas looking for a gas station in the middle of Ontario country-side, but added a little excitement (and anxiety) to the trip. After that little delay we finally made it to Niagara Falls! It was a little later than expected, but I still got to see the epic Falls all lit up at night and the Canadian strip that looks more like Vegas than a National Park. We left Canada in to New York to arrive in Buffalo with Heather's grandma that night.
We woke up and cruised back to the Falls to spend more time checking them out. They are truly amazing, I can see how they're a wonder of the world... SO much water! You can hear it roaring from far away and feel the mist as you get closer. I was lucky enough to have Heather's amazing parents pay for us to go on the Maid of the Mist, the boat ride into the Falls. After being up close and personal on the boat, we went climbing up the stairs underneath the Falls for a torrential downpour of waterfalls right on top of us. It was so exhilarating, and refreshing and just a blast realizing the ponchos we were wearing weren't doing much good because this water was completely gushing over us. We dried off quickly on the viewing platform and got some great pictures.
Niagara Falls really was one of my favorite things from the whole trip, just being nearly submerged by the Falls was such a cool feeling and Heather and I had a blast. After drying off, we went back into Buffalo to eat at Anchor Bar, the originator of the Buffalo wing! So cool, right?! I'm normally not a huge wing girl, but these were extraordinary, and now I'll never be able to eat wings again because they just won't compare. After the feast of Buffalo wings, we finally set out on our last few ours of driving.
Our last stop was in Glen Elyn, NY for Heather's family reunion. In New York there was sitting on the dock watching the sunset, staring at stars in the gleaming country night sky, wine tasting along the Seneca wine trail, tubing in the lake, card games and lots of food and family. The weather in upstate New York was amazing, and it actually cooled off it night, I even got to throw my flannel on- I was excited! Heather's family was more than welcoming and I couldn't have asked for a better family reunion to crash.
It was so sad to see the road trip come to an end. Heather and I had so much fun singing along and cruising around, not to mention seeing some of the best sites the country has to offer. I am so grateful I got to go on a trip like this, and arriving in the Finger Lakes of NY was a great way to cap off the trip.
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