dvdmsy
Feb 11, 2009, 6:19 AM
I was so eager to get to the desert that I didn't really bother to stop in the Midwest except to sleep for about five hours in Columbus. However, I took a wrong turn in St. Louis and decided I may as well stop for a few minutes...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3494/3270439191_85bb873763_b.jpg
To the top and through the glass...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3365/3270438973_c4345b2772_b.jpg
...and from the other side. East St. Louis, Illinois...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3335/3270439045_25bf473d26_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3270439125_27477ed339_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3380/3271259820_c873a351f5_b.jpg
It's beginning to look like the West. The Continental Divide and the desert can't be far. Straight through. No stopping in OKC, Tulsa, Amarillo. Oklahoma:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3312/3270439321_44590849f7_b.jpg
Finally near my first real stop. I spot a cactus in Tucumcari, NM...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3509/3271259972_f9878cb4e8_b.jpg
Old-Town Albuquerque...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/3270439541_09657d6c9d_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3434/3270439613_7bec729300_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3307/3270439829_b74e8accfc_b.jpg
Poor old friend...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3522/3271260428_cd31ce992a_b.jpg
Albuquerque botanical garden...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3297/3270440013_2941c498fd_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3384/3270440147_0c77980f52_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3478/3271260750_ce45ceda4b_b.jpg
Then into Arizona. The Painted Desert...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3472/3270440477_736197b028_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3466/3270440641_a46ef4d609_b.jpg
The Petrified Forest...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3311/3271261182_b7668011b1_b.jpg
And into Flagstaff...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3505/3270440901_e1bc90ddfd_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3460/3271261440_3562c8ecb8_b.jpg
Finally to The Grand Canyon. No photograph can do it justice...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3305/3271261538_d5ae5f3411_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3434/3270441185_67c0ae764c_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3270441279_b2fd5f3911_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3270441363_31dcd24492_b.jpg
I'm heading into Vegas. Then I change my mind. Going through Bakersfield to I-5 will be faster. Laughlin to get some sleep...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3345/3271261998_4a68671c2d_b.jpg
They're fishing in the Colorado River. It was a warm, beautiful, windy January morning.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3333/3270441645_845b9bfe41_b.jpg
Into the Mojave. So glad to be in California...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3402/3271262170_63d8555332_b.jpg
Mt. Whitney in the background...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3314/3270635369_e879836ff7_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3384/3271262398_ed72f61a5b_b.jpg
Mt. Whitney again, Mojave Valley, Death Valley beyond it...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/3270442063_a9461e6728_b.jpg
I hit a bit of west-bound traffic and change my mind again. I'll go North first.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3512/3270442117_aca9b07131_b.jpg
Finally to the east side of the Sierras.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3352/3271262554_4afd2da7be_b.jpg
My last night will be in Reno...no, no, no. From my hotel room...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3343/3271262690_7ae4cd5e18_b.jpg
More desert. The Oregon / California / Nevada border where the Sierras meet the Cascades...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3352/3270442357_1fc65f2844_b.jpg
Ponderosa Pine...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3391/3271262854_0ffafe9012_b.jpg
East past Mt. Lassen and into Redding...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3422/3270442511_ac684cf2d6_b.jpg
Finally, Mt. Shasta symbolizes the home stretch into Portland...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3357/3270442691_43d320012c_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3494/3270439191_85bb873763_b.jpg
To the top and through the glass...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3365/3270438973_c4345b2772_b.jpg
...and from the other side. East St. Louis, Illinois...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3335/3270439045_25bf473d26_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3270439125_27477ed339_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3380/3271259820_c873a351f5_b.jpg
It's beginning to look like the West. The Continental Divide and the desert can't be far. Straight through. No stopping in OKC, Tulsa, Amarillo. Oklahoma:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3312/3270439321_44590849f7_b.jpg
Finally near my first real stop. I spot a cactus in Tucumcari, NM...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3509/3271259972_f9878cb4e8_b.jpg
Old-Town Albuquerque...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/3270439541_09657d6c9d_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3434/3270439613_7bec729300_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3307/3270439829_b74e8accfc_b.jpg
Poor old friend...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3522/3271260428_cd31ce992a_b.jpg
Albuquerque botanical garden...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3297/3270440013_2941c498fd_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3384/3270440147_0c77980f52_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3478/3271260750_ce45ceda4b_b.jpg
Then into Arizona. The Painted Desert...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3472/3270440477_736197b028_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3466/3270440641_a46ef4d609_b.jpg
The Petrified Forest...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3311/3271261182_b7668011b1_b.jpg
And into Flagstaff...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3505/3270440901_e1bc90ddfd_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3460/3271261440_3562c8ecb8_b.jpg
Finally to The Grand Canyon. No photograph can do it justice...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3305/3271261538_d5ae5f3411_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3434/3270441185_67c0ae764c_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3270441279_b2fd5f3911_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3270441363_31dcd24492_b.jpg
I'm heading into Vegas. Then I change my mind. Going through Bakersfield to I-5 will be faster. Laughlin to get some sleep...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3345/3271261998_4a68671c2d_b.jpg
They're fishing in the Colorado River. It was a warm, beautiful, windy January morning.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3333/3270441645_845b9bfe41_b.jpg
Into the Mojave. So glad to be in California...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3402/3271262170_63d8555332_b.jpg
Mt. Whitney in the background...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3314/3270635369_e879836ff7_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3384/3271262398_ed72f61a5b_b.jpg
Mt. Whitney again, Mojave Valley, Death Valley beyond it...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/3270442063_a9461e6728_b.jpg
I hit a bit of west-bound traffic and change my mind again. I'll go North first.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3512/3270442117_aca9b07131_b.jpg
Finally to the east side of the Sierras.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3352/3271262554_4afd2da7be_b.jpg
My last night will be in Reno...no, no, no. From my hotel room...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3343/3271262690_7ae4cd5e18_b.jpg
More desert. The Oregon / California / Nevada border where the Sierras meet the Cascades...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3352/3270442357_1fc65f2844_b.jpg
Ponderosa Pine...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3391/3271262854_0ffafe9012_b.jpg
East past Mt. Lassen and into Redding...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3422/3270442511_ac684cf2d6_b.jpg
Finally, Mt. Shasta symbolizes the home stretch into Portland...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3357/3270442691_43d320012c_b.jpg