SAM(ANTHA) GILBERT

And just like that, we have returned to the City of Angels.   4,230 miles, 15 states, 11 days, many martinis, more laughs…albeit, not the fastest nor most direct path from Gray, Maine, to Los Angeles, California, but that’s the point, right? Our last day in the car was peacefully uneventful, driving through absolutely barren parts of Arizona and Southern California.  It gave us some time to quietly reflect on the trip and start thinking about re-entry. I’m not sure if we were

Our last full day of this trip.   From Page, Arizona, the plan was to head south to Grand Canyon National Park, then take the 25-mile Desert View Drive to the South Rim, and cruise into Williams, AZ, for the night.   After a couple hours on the road, we entered the park (once again…no lifetime pass scan, no fees) and found ourselves at the first major turnoff, Desert View.  Equipped with multiple overlooks and the historic Desert View Watchtower, this was a great introduction

Lower Antelope Canyon is the most photographed canyon in the world.   Sounded cool.  Sounded crowded.  Sounded worth checking out.   Our plan was completely weather dependent because, as is common knowledge, slot canyons are deadly when it rains…and thus, in the event of a storm, they are closed.  As luck would have it, weather came through last week, leaving the area crisp and clean just for us.   After grabbing lunch in Page and checking out the Glen Canyon Dam, we backtrac

The View is the first and only hotel located inside the Monument Valley Tribal Park and we were extremely fortunate to book their last available room two days before arrival…unheard of.   The place looks like some sort of Mars Colony in a James Bond film.  One big rectangle with its back to civilization: three stories of cookie cutter rooms, each one with its own terrace overlooking the valley. The 17-mile Monument Valley loop entrance is also located in the parking lot and,

Leaving Salt Lake City under a pitch-black morning, we headed south to the heart of Utah’s red rock country.   Taking a left past Provo, the sun began to rise and we, too, gained elevation…so much that hills were dipped in powdered sugar, the highway shoulders white with snow.   The Volvo smoothly wound its way down The 6 as we sipped our coffees and gazed out the windows, watching the geological landscape evolve from beautiful to magnificent.   As we approached the entrance

Yesterday was a pedal to the metal drive type of day.   We awoke to see the flat butte top of Devils Tower floating in a sea of fog and, after enjoying a cup of coffee and a homemade muffin in Rachael’s kitchen, we hit the road to Salt Lake City, Utah.   With a nine-hour drive ahead of us, everyone put in their miles at the wheel; it was overcast and gloomy all day long, sort-of the perfect day to be in the car.   We zig-zagged our way across the state of Wyoming, pausing in

Today was all about cool rocks.   Planning on spending all day in the Black Hills, our first stop was 23.1 miles from Rapid City, all the way to the Mount Rushmore parking lot.   Now, throughout this entire trip, we’ve been pretty fortunate that, even during this government shutdown, the national parks on our list have been open.  The main visitor’s centers are, indeed, closed, but most of the cafés, gift shops, and even some information centers and bathrooms are privately ow

Today was a big day for Steven as we planned on hitting two of his must-sees: The Corn Palace and Wall Drug.   David took the morning reigns again, guiding us out of Minnesota and into South Dakota directly to the front doors of the highly anticipated Corn Palace.   Looked a bit like a peasant’s version of St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow…and it was awesome!   It was also closed.   But…after taking obligatory cheesy (amazing) photos out front, I tried the door and guess what? 

Day Three began with a sigh of relief that the Volvo wasn’t jacked up on cinderblocks, followed by a quick jaunt on a socked in, desolate roadway up to the Muskegon Ferry Terminal.   Turning into the marina, we emerged from the thick fog and were greeted with blue skies and perfect Simpsons clouds.  The forecast: smooth sailing. Boarding was easy and we found the ferry to be about a quarter full…which is to say, quite empty, allowing for window seats and wandering.   Can we t

With a good 650 miles to put in our dust, we were up and out of Wilkes-Barre by 7:00AM.  A sizable drive day, but also a Saturday where only the real road warriors remain.   David took the first shift and expertly piloted the Lincoln Highway straight across Pennsylvania.  The road was relatively clear, the sky was blue, and we were all thankful for a less strenuous stretch of concrete ribbon.   Incidentally, it seems to be a lot more green down here…do we think that’s because