Thursday, July 26, 2007

Riding Along in My Automobile

So I'm heading to Colorado.  By car.  Yes, once again I have decided to drive across country all by my lonesome.  It has been a couple of years and I was starting to feel an itch to just go.  So that's what I did. 

I'm currently writing from a truck stop with Wi Fi (the Flying J, they are all over the country and all have Wi-Fi) in Des Moines, IA.  I left my house yesterday in my car around 5:30 pm and stopped west of Cleveland, OH for the night.  I've gone a total of 1000 miles with 700 more to go.  My thinking right now is to try and make it to Colorado by tomorrow morning before my friend goes to work so I can sleep in a real bed.  That'll be nice.

I've learned a couple of things I thought I would share on my trip so far:

  1. There is a town in Iowa called 'What Cheer'.  Two thoughts come to mind on how this town's name a came to be.  Either someone was hard of hearing OR, more likely, it is just a really depressing place to live.
  2. Having the back open in the Jeep when it is raining is not good for the stuff in the back of the Jeep.
  3. The trip between Cleveland and really until you hit Iowa has some awesome rock channels.
  4. Sirius antenna's do not work under the top of a Jeep.  Boo Sirius.
  5. Jeep's do NOT do a good job of keeping bugs from whacking the windshield.  Must be that less than aerodynamic shape.  Eww.

This trip is totally open-ended.  I expect to be back the week after August 10th but who knows.  Once I get to my first destination I'm just going to do whatever feels right at the time.  I have an entire army of people looking after the beast so I know he is taken care of (thanks!!). 

Anyway, that's it from Des Moines.  It is time to hit the road again and take a bite out of that 700 miles.

BTW, here is a link to my route: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=Ashburn,+VA&daddr=Black+Hawk,+CO&sll=40.40378,-91.32766&sspn=32.587941,48.867188&ie=UTF8&ll=40.380028,-91.494141&spn=32.587941,48.867188&z=4&om=1

6 comments:

EJ said...

The Flying J is actually a fantastic truck stop.

I hope the rest of the drive goes smoothly!

GoddessKim said...

A Thelma & Louise trip ... without either Thelma or Louise? Anyway, enjoy the scenery and be safe! Try to get down to Mesa Verde while in Colorado ... fantastic ancient Pueblo ruins there ... Cliff House is literally on the side of a mountain range. Very cool. Love ya! step mother unit

Ryan said...

Perfect! I need more ideas of places to go. I think will try for the Hot Springs and Red Rock too while I'm out here. I shall post a request for ideas!

CMS said...

IF you are going to Red Rocks.. you BETTER let me know. I've never been, and knowing where I live..... that's sad :-(.

Ryan said...

When do you want to go? :)

CMS said...

Read your email :-)