Some pictures from the last leg...

We left Crested Butte, Colorado at 10 a.m. ET Saturday morning and drove straight home. This was the sunrise at 6:30 a.m. ET from west of Indianapolis.
How many people does it take to change a windshield wiper? We had as many as nine people working on it at one point at the Walmart in Columbia, Missouri at 1:30 a.m. By the time the wiper was in place, the rain had finally stopped.
Blake's "shortcuts" thru Colorado easily cost us at least 40 minutes.

The sunset reflects beautifully off gorgeous Mount Crested Butte in Colorado.

Blake and I hiked up to the summit of Mt. Crested Butte.

The view from the top: 12,612 feet above sea level.

We started to hit snow toward the top of the mountain... on July 13th!!!

Blake and I pose for a picture with "Speghetti Eddie." He and his 80-year-old wife own what he calls a "world-famous" cafe in Reno, Nevada. Upon seeing this picture, Eddie shouted "Oh-a no!! I'ma showing too much breast-a!!"

Eddie scolded us for not ordering his wife Inez's signature dish: ravioli. So we ended up getting a plate of it on the house.

I cannot believe I forgot to upload this picture from our drive up the Pacific Coast Highway. Unbelievable view.

Final post of the night...

I just had to put a few pictures up from today, which was spent taking in the three best things San Francisco could possibly offer, at least for today: the Golden Gate Bridge, the All-Star Game, and fantastic seafood at Fisherman's Wharf.

A cool, misty fog swirled around the bridge all day. It was pretty cold today. High of only 67 on July 10th. Not standard.
Best.

The 78th All Star game from AT&T Park. Goosebumps.

I don't know what it is exactly about this photo, because nothing seems particularly significant about it. But when I took it, it suddenly clicked in my head how amazing the last week and a half has been, and how unbelievably blessed my life really is.

Maybe the best meal I've had all year. This stuff was all probably alive about 15 hours before I ate it. Fresh out of the bay, the crab legs, clams, shrimp, squid... it was all unbelievably good. I don't even like seafood, and I could eat that everyday.

But I don't care how good it tastes, that still seems gross to me.

Alright, seriously bedtime now.

-TC

Drastic turn for the WORST

If you're thinking to yourself, "Wait, I didn't know you guys included Vegas as part of this roadtrip," you're right. We didn't.

But we ended up going there anyway, based on ridiculous events that took place at a gas station in Western Arizona.



To watch those events, click here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=hTqlc89zChk

More pics...

Folks,

Here are a few more random pictures in no particular order, other than this is how I loaded them in from the camera.

This was our drive on the 4th of July, with a baseball game at St. Louis in between.

After getting a three-hour nap in Oklahoma City, we continued to Flagstaff, Arizona.
So from 11 am CT Wednesday to 9 pm MT Thursday, we made it from Chicago to just outside the Grand Canyon. Safe?

Blake's going ultimate shade at a rest stop in New Mexico.

Blake's WYR made me go full worst, so I jumped out of the car and tried to hitch a ride.

Blake's going ultimate at the Oklahoma border.

California State Route 1 should be driven by everyone at some point in his or her life.

That's what a sunset looks like from a California state beach off Rt. 1.

Paradise.

Weird shot but it came out kinda cool.

Bethany and Blake at Moonshadow's in Malibu.

These are what the houses looked like on Detroit Ave. in West Hollywood, where we stayed at Bethany's place for the night.

Going ultimate Santa Monica Blvd.

The 114-degree heat in the Mojave Desert makes Blake go fake worst. Don't tell me it's a dry heat. 114 is 114.

Watch out for rams. Only rams.

I hadn't seen TV's Stacey Chesser for at least a good year. No better place to catch up with him than at "Gas" in Miami, Oklahoma.

BC's pad in Wrigleyville was clutch.

Too tired to write right now.

Tomorrow, we get up early and drive 19-straight hours to Mt. Crested Butte, Colorado.

I hope to take our two days at MCB as a chance to reflect on absolutely everything we've done, seen, and accomplished in 8-9 short days.

In the morning, we will drive east for the first time on the trip. As absolutely tired as I am, I'm not sure I'm ready to come home.

"We can live beside the ocean

Leave the fire behind.

Swim out past the breakers

Watch the world die."

- Santa Monica, Everclear

Visuals

Photos are finally starting to upload!!! Here are some of the best ones...

Blake will need to duck to get under the St. Louis arch.

After the Cardinals game outside of the new Busch Stadium. Not a whole lot more American things to do on the 4th of July than go to a baseball game at the Gateway to the West.
I woke Blake up to get his pic at the Oklahoma state line at 2:30 am. Full worst. He's going at least MA-13.
Everything's bigger in Texas. Even Blake's muscles.

Blake going ultimate climber at the Canyon.

One of my favorite pictures of my entire life. Just FYI, the drop off behind that rock was easily thousands of feet.

I'm going fake worst when we decide to eat at the Roadkill Cafe.

But there was pleasant scenery inside.

Coin flip from hell sent us to Vegas for the night...

...where I learned Pete Rose (white hat and glasses) still hasn't kicked his gambling habits. At least he was betting on horse racing and not baseball.

The Pacific Ocean from the Santa Monica Pier.

Dodgers 9, Marlins 3.

A Pacific Coast sunset from Morro Strand State Beach off Highway 1.

I somehow ended up sleeping with my fleece on backwards. Camping does not make for good sleep, especially at the ocean, where it ended up pretty cold.

Gorgeous drive up the Pacific Coast Highway.

Blake going ultimate views from a pulloff point on The 1.

Then suddenly, the sun came out.

Nice view from my press seat at AT&T Park in San Francisco for the HR Derby and the All-Star Game.

Believe it or not, that doesn't even scratch the surface, but those are the highlights for now.

Hope to write more soon from San Fran,

-TC