Miles of Driving to Make it Home

Well, Erin and I are finally back home.  After leaving Lake Tahoe we headed East across Nevada.  As the end of our honeymoon approached we had miles of driving ahead of us...miles of incredibly boring driving ahead of us.  On Saturday we had tried to leave early enough to make it to our next destination before nightfall.  But as the sun began to set on Ruby Mountain we were still far from our destination.  Fortunately we found a place to eat dinner so we wouldn't have to cook in the dark.  While the place was very small-town (with a taxidermy diorama the size of a small room) the food was excellent and we felt ready to find our camp in the dark.  With a bit more driving we finally found our campsite and got setup.

The next morning we were up and on the road early as we had one of the longest drives of our trips.  For eight hours or so we made our way through Utah and up into Wyoming until we got to Flaming Gorge.  Much of our day was spent on the road.  After driving so long we were disappointed to find a sparsely facilitated campground.  Still, we were able to make the most of it, cook some dinner, and even enjoy some sparklers we had brought along.  While the lightning from passing storms was exciting the light it cast on the tent was slightly eerie.


When we got up the next morning we were not looking forward to more time on the road, but we knew we would be home that night.  Not having the energy to fix breakfast we packed up and headed for a nearby lodge.  There we found a beautiful view of a lake and attractive cabins.  While the meal was only average we were treated to a nice view of several hummingbirds on the lodge's deck.  A little driving brought us back to the Flaming Gorge Dam and the last site of our trip.  From there it was another long drive back to Colorado.

It's been a wonderful trip and a great honeymoon.  Erin and I have learned more about ourselves and each other than we knew before.  The difficulties of camping have brought a greater appreciation for some of the basic things in our lives like electricity and the internet.  While we saw many sites and got to experience many exciting activities there are several places we wished we could have spent more time at.  Erin described it best as a "wine tasting" of travel.  We got to taste a little bit of many different places and while some were good and some were bad, we now know what we would like to drink more deeply and where we want to re-visit.  Through all the good and the bad, the fun and the difficult, I've become more certain of the exceptional partner I have in Erin and I'm looking forward to many more adventures with her.