In Colorado now

It is 10 am on Sunday morning, and this is the first day since we left that we haven’t been on the road by 9 or 9.30. I am sitting outside at Laura’s roommate Rissa’s house in Golden, Colorado. Golden is situated in the foothills of the Rockies, on a slope overlooking Denver. It is so unbelievably gorgeous!

Since leaving Chicago— which, unfortunately, we didn’t spend too much time in— we drove all the way through Illinois and Missouri. We took another scenic route through Missouri, which surprised us with its rolling, green beauty. We had lunch in St. Louis and made it to Kansas City by 8 pm. One of our very best friends, Jill, lives in Overland Park, a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri in the state of Kansas. Her home and neighborhood were just like her— hospitable, welcoming, colorful. She took us to the Plaza district downtown for dinner. The Spanish architecture, street performers and fountains downtown really gave it the flavor of a European city. We had a classic all-American meal at Winstead’s, a Kansas City trademark, and topped it off with a HUGE milkshake that the four of us couldn’t finish! We were all pretty exhausted (again), so we went to bed early. The next morning, we had time to look at some of Jill’s family photos and actually eat real fruit (!) before hitting the road.

Driving through all of Kansas and half of Colorado yesterday was quite a sight. We passed endless miles of farmland; the state was decidedly more hilly and green than we expected. We finally all understand why it’s called “big sky country.” We began to see more livestock than agricultural farms as well. Besides getting lost in Topeka and driving on a dirt road to avoid a seven-car collision on I-70, almost all the driving went smoothly. We listened to the most outrageous news report I’ve ever heard on a.m. radio in Kansas, which proclaimed that “the tables are turning…and Asia is eating our lunch,” all in a voice similar to a ‘30s news announcer. We ate another hearty meal at a diner in Salina, Kansas (where the Grapes of Wrath takes place?) and then drove almost straight through the rest of the state.

Colorado has been beautiful so far and I am looking forward to today’s adventures. We are hoping to hike a little, see Denver, and spend tonight at our friend Annalise’s house. Maybe I’ll figure out how to post pictures soon, because I’ve taken literally hundreds so far.