Utah!

Blogging in The Peace Tree Juice Cafe. Filling up on food before I head to Arches National Park.

Day 4-5

I think I'm slowly losing track of time. It's difficult for me to remember what day today is. I guess not having constant access to the internet, tv, and at times, cellphone reception will do that to you. At times, it can be unnerving, knowing that no one can reach me, and vice-versa, but not having to answer to anyone is sort of liberating. :)

Let's see....what did I do 2 days ago. Oh yes! I drove from Santa Fe to Taos, New Mexico. The route my GPS mapped out for me took through the beautiful mountains on NM-68. I sped through the mountain valleys, alongside the Rio Grande. I tried taking pictures during my rest stops, but none of the photos I took that day can do justice to the scenery. The endless expanse of desert mountains framed against a clear blue sky reminded me of a picturesque scene out of a postcard.

Once I got to Taos, spent the day wondering around the small art galleries, jewelry and pottery shops before heading up to the Pueblos - one of the oldest inhabited civilizations in the Western Hemisphere. (It might have been the oldest, I'd have to double check)


Situated at the base of the mountain, the town is composed of rows and rows of clay buildings that keep the inhabitants warm during the winter and cool during the summer. Much of the way of life has been kept intact. In other words, even though countless generations have lived in this area, not much has changed, particularly in the way they carry out their daily lives. Many of the inhabitants are fine jewelry/pottery makers, and rely on the tourists and local shops to sell their goods.

The people of the Pueblos were nice and friendly. Very hospitable. They treated the tourists with the utmost kindness and respect. I wondered if these people ever got annoyed with the constant flood of tourists who visited them all year round. How would I feel if I had to deal with tourists constantly walking into my backyard everyday?



Before setting up camp, I decided to make a trip back towards Santa Fe to visit the Chimayo Shrine. I had learned about this place in my Art History class. The Santuario de Chimayo is known mainly for its miraculous healing powers. Hundreds and thousands of people make pilgrimage trips to this site on an annual basis to pray for themselves or ailing loved ones. In the corner room of the church is a small pit filled with dirt. This dirt supposedly has strong healing powers, which is why countless tourists, and even the locals, will take a handful with them hoping that the dirt will work its miraculous powers. I'm not much of a believer in miracles, but since I was here, I decided to pay a visit.

That following night, set up camp in Petaca near the Rio Grande. The campsite was fairly empty save for the camp host and one other RV van. The distant thundering worried me, but once I got the tent set up, I stopped worrying - I have enough faith in REI's quality. And unsurprisngly enough, the tent kept me dry and fairly warm during the night.

One thing that I'll never forget from my first night camping out in the Southwest was the exquisite night sky. Because of the time difference, I woke up at around 4am, near dawn. Still groggy from sleep, I decided to take a short walk to wake myself up. It was dark and cold, as the sun wouldn't be out for another half hour or so, but the light from the stars was enough to illuminate the dark path along the campsite. Lining the pitch black sky were the stars that shone crystal clear, and bright as the lights in NYC. The view was so captivating, I probably stood there out in the cold for a good 40 minutes. :]

By 5am, I was back in my car, and speeding along the highway towards Colorado. Again, the drive from New Mexico to Colorado was nothing short of amazing. No surprise there. At around 10:30AM, I drove past a sign that read 'Welcome to Colorful Colorado.' On my way out of the car at one of the rest stops, I dropped my camera and broke it. Crap. That camera still had a few more years to it. :(

Stopped at the nearest Wal Mart and got a new camera. Oh well. Shelled out $150. :( Definitely not a highlight from the trip.

By 2PM, made it to Mesa Verde National Park. Took a tour of the Cliff Palaces, drove around, before setting up camp at the base of the mountain. I think I'm getting used to life in the outdoors.

Heading out to Moab, Utah today. Hopefully, I'll have internet access to blog some more. Until then, take care everyone!

Day 3-4

Memphis, TN - Everything I thought it'd be and more. Looks like a thriving area that would have a great night life. Too bad I was only there during the day. I stopped in Memphis to get lunch and ended up ordering a catfish burger. (*Note to self- The South really isn't vegetarian-friendly at all. In Nashville, the only viable thing that I could eat was a grilled cheese sandwich).


After lunch, I continued on I-40 West, across the bridge, and passed into Arkansas. The drive wasn't as exciting as I would've liked it to be. The roads were bumpy and full of potholes, and there wasn't much to look at in terms of scenery. Just miles and miles of flat dust fields.

At around 4PM, I drove over the border into Oklahoma. By the time I go to El Reno, OK, I think I drove close to 14 hours. Thought I'd be exhausted, but I couldn't get myself off the steering wheel. I almost had to force myself off the road or else I probably would've driven through the night. Stopped in a motel 8 on the side of the highway. Sh*tty room, but what would I expect? I swear, I could hear the people upstairs. I woke up a few times during the night to the sound of footsteps. For a moment, I thought someone was in my room...only to realize that the sound was coming from upstairs.

Anyway, this morning, I had a slight detour; headed back to Oklahoma City, or to the airport to be exact to get my car serviced. Last night, the 'maintenance required' light showed up on the dashboard, which almost threw me into a panic mode. But, I've driven the poor car over 1,500 miles so it's no surprise.

The repair/maintenance service took 1 hour. I was back on the road by 8:40AM. The rest of Oklahoma passed by fairly quickly. Hit the border of Texas ab about 10 AM. Drove through much of the state before stopping in a Mexican restaurant that served authentic Mexican food. I didn't recognize half the items on the menu - no burritos or tacos. Instead, the waitress recommended that I get the 'Chiles Rellenos" - a giant jalapeno pepper stuffed with cheese and covered in eggs. It was different from any Mexican dish I've had so far, but it was delicious.

Before I knew it, I was back on the road. By 3PM, I had crossed into New Mexico. After driving close to 8 hours straight, I was ready to collapse. But I still had a good hour's drive ahead of me before I got to Santa Fe. The drive from the border of Texas to Santa Fe was beautiful, particularly after I merged onto I-25 where for miles and miles it was just me and the road - no other cars could be seen.

At around 5PM, I drove into downtown Santa Fe where I immediately found parking before marching straight into the Santa Fe Plaza to grab dinner.

The original Santa Fe is a beautiful, quaint pueblo town with strong Mexican influences. The narrow streets are lined with buildings made of clay and small stores specializing in Indian art and pottery. The town is totally walkable as I covered more or less two-thirds of the town in m y half-awake, zombie induced state.

The time is close to 9PM - I'll probably explore a little more of the area tomorrow morning before I head out to my next Pit Stop: Taos, New Mexico.

Stay tuned :)

Day 2

Left DC at 6 AM. Driving the DC area during the morning was a piece of cake compared to what I had to go through yesterday, namely because driving the streets amidst the swarm of pedestrians, or should I say the tourists, was a pain in the arse.

The drive from DC to Tennessee placed me on highway 66 heading West, and then onto I-81 South. The route took me through Virginia along the Appalachina Trail, which was one of the most beautiful, scenic routes I've taken thus far. (That's now saying much - I still have a lot ahead of me :) Surrounding me, front, back, left, and right were endless expanses of lush, green trees flanked by the ranges of mountains in the distant background. It's a shame, I couldn't enjoy the view as a passenger :(

Another cool part about the drive from DC down to Tennessee involved driving through patches of a storm. For about an hour, I found myself driving through patches of rain clouds. Literally, some part of the road would be dry with the sun shining down on the black asphalt while the road several feet ahead would be drenched thanks to the rain cloud looming over that portion of the road.

Once in TN, I had planned on spending the night in Knoxsville, and heading to Memphis in the morning, but I scratched that plan once I drove into their version of "downtown." I was expecting streets filled with restaurants, cafes, stores, bars, and lots, and lots of people. I was surprised, therefore, when I found myself driving through empty streets with little to no signs of human activity, or humans. The town felt more like an empty college campus!

I decided to ask someone just to make sure that I wasn't making a mistake, and that I was in fact in downtown Knoxville. The dude at the YMCA was nice enough. He confirmed that, yes, this was downtown Knowxville, and that honestly there wasn't that much to do around the area. Suggesting that I'd be better off spending the evening in Nashville, he directed me back toward I-40 West. So I hopped back into my Prius and was on my way to the birthplace of Country Music!


After driving for close to 3 hours through the dry and, at times, wet highway, I finally made my way to Nashville, TN. I'm not much of a Country music lover, but I appreciated the vibrant downtown atmostphere it had to offer. The main street was buzzing with activity- tourists and locals alike filled every street corner, every bar, and every major intersection. Everything that screams country could be found on the main strip: cowboy boots, cowyboy hats, bars ozzing country music, guitar shops, etc. You name it, they've got it!

Anyway, the time is now close to 10pm. I have a long drive ahead of me tomorrow so I'm going to call it a night. :)

First Stop: DC

Made it to my first pit stop in DC! After driving 9 arduous hours through the chaos that was the Jersey Pike and maneuvering through Downtown DC, both Christin and I managed to make it safely to our first pit stop. On our way here, we passed through Connecticut, New York, Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and a portion of Maryland, before we finally made it to our nation's Capital at around 4PM.

Surprisingly, the drive itself wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It's the aftermath (aka fatigue) that hits you in the form of blurred vision, tired legs, and a sore back that really gets ya. :(


I'm not sure how I'm going to make it to Tennessee tomorrow, now that I'll be embarking on this journey alone. The plan is to head out at 6AM sharp, and hit Memphis by early afternoon. Wish me luck!!

Final Itinerary

Boston -> DC -> Gatlinburg, TN -> Memphis, TN -> Santa Fe, NM -> Taos, NM -> Mesa Verde, CO, -> Moab, UT -> Grand Canyon, AZ -> Joshua Tree, CA -> Los Angeles, CA -> San Francisco, CA

4,218 miles

Thanks Tim

With the help from Tim, a gifted writer and a great friend, my travel blog has been blessed into existence. I plan on using this blog to document my journey, both physical and emotional, from the East to the West coast.

I'm not bringing my laptop, so I'll have to rely on whatever internet cafes I can find on the way. :)

5 more days to go!