Road trips are the best way to vacation because you truly immerse yourself in the journey rather than the ultimate destination, which is an excellent analogy for how to live life. It's a sense of freedom like no other; you just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. In 2020, after being cooped up in the house for about 4-5 months, Conner, Hazey, and I started to feel a little stir-crazy, and I called my friend to see how he was doing. He mentioned he was in Colorado, in a remote location in a gorgeous mountain home with plenty of spare bedrooms if we wanted to visit.
We thought about it, and flying seemed too risky at that time, but driving actually seemed quite safe. So, the idea was born, we were driving to Colorado to hang out with friends, and we were going to make a trip of it. We found two other friends to visit along the way. We took 2 weeks off of work, planned a few key pit stops, and rented a Subaru Forester. The drive from Boston to Pennsylvania is nice. You go through multiple states relatively quickly, the scenery changes, and there are some cities to pass through in Connecticut.
We stopped at my father's house in the Poconos for dinner and got straight back on the road. We pushed our way all the way to Altoona, PA (the same town I got my first dog from).
We tried to be slick and sneak Hazey into the hotel through the side-door...
Despite how low-key Hazey's behavior is in the video above, we thought we might get away with it, but she let out one BIG bark at a dog in a commercial on the TV... ...we woke up bright and early and found a piece of paper under our door stating we were charged $75 for pet fees on a $60/night room. We laughed it off and embarked on a ten-hour journey to make it to St. Louis to see Conner's friend. I drove the previous day until around 11:00 PM, so when we hit the road at 5 AM, Conner graciously offered to take the wheel while I promptly fell asleep in the passenger seat. Each time I woke up we were in a different state. Fun fact: If you plan to drive from the Northeast US to Colorado or Wyoming you essentially have two options for interstate highways: I-80 and I-70. Both highways go through Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, but I-80 holds north and goes through Chicago, Iowa, and Nebraska before reaching the border of both Colorado and Wyoming. I-70 on the other hand goes south through St. Louis, Missouri, and Kansas. So, depending on what you'd like to see along the way, you can take your pick! Eventually, we reached the great symbol of any journey out west - The Gateway Arch!
You can bring your dog to walk around the grounds, but we conserved our energy. Exactly 10 years before this trip, I went up in the elevator to the top of the tower with my mom, Yvonne.
We found St. Louis to be a fascinating city with its own sense of style and great food. Here is our awesome hide-away Airbnb with a private yard (not bad for a city spot):
Hazey has to "break in" every new bed...luckily she was allowed in this one.
That night we invited Conner's friend over for dinner and had some great laughs and watched the office. After that, it was time to get some rest for another long haul. The 12 hours that it takes to cover the mid-west on either I-70 or I-80 is an easy drive if you lean into it - it is quintessential wide-open road.
Surprisingly, there is actually a national landmark called the Chalk Pyramids in Kansas that is on the way. If you have the energy and the time it's worth a look!
Hazey snoozed...
...but then she could tell we were getting close...
...finally...Colorado in the distance!
Next post: Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak & Steamboat Springs
1% of revenue from the shop is donated to Dana Farber Cancer Institute in honor of Yvonne.
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