Road Trip to AZ,CO,UT

September 23rd, 2007

Hello from Telluride, Colorado, and David’s and my little trip out into the not-city. I can’t tell you much about this place. We arrived after dark and went right to bed. I CAN tell you we are staying in a fabulous hotel in the Mountain Village above the town. In the dark last night, I peeked out the balcony and saw two things: [1] Nearly silent gondolas whizzing by on a suspended cable overhead and [2] The hugest white mountain-face I have ever seen, and it was, like, RIGHT THERE. This morning the mountain is obscured by rain-clouds, so I’m happy I checked it out in the dark.

Friday we drove to Flagstaff, Arizona, a quaint town centered around a working train depot; being not far from the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff is a stop on the railroads that tourists take to experience the Grand Canyon “By steam train!” and stuff. No, we didn’t stop in the Grand Canyon. We’d both been before and have other foci and ambitions for this trip. Also, the Grand Canyon makes me kind of nauseous, and I’m not really into added nausea right now.

I did do a little shopping in Flagstaff. It’s a sweet mix of antique stores and shops full of Patagonia wardrobes and thousand-dollar skier sunglasses. I bought a purse and flip-flops on sale.

Yesterday we drove from Flagstaff north into Monument Valley. The lighting was lovely, and we took photos and made a leisurely pace. We headed northeast from there to Mesa Verde. We arrived too late to hike to any of the ruins, but that was OK—we drove to a lookout point where we could see all of them and quickly realized this girl is in no shape right now to do those strenuous hikes. I get exhausted quickly unless I take it slow. It was also raining. Anyway, the view was spectacular enough. I’d been wanting to see these things for a long time, and I look forward to coming back when I am NOT pregnant someday and hiking out to them.

Today we have plans to head over to Moab and Arches. Then it’s a long haul home to L.A. on Monday. I’m enjoying this trip for all the reasons I knew I would: Adventure, hanging out with David, and getting a break from the crowds. But I’m also feeling sad in a way I normally don’t when I travel. I miss Stevel, who had to stay home and work, terribly. I haven’t had good luck with the nausea on the trip, I think maybe because of the altitudes? And it’s raining in L.A., a brief happening I always enjoy. So while it’s nice to get away, I look forward to going home, too.

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