Nevada + Utah + Colorado

We spent a day driving across Nevada, most of which was gorgeous but some of which got repetitive after a while. One thing that never got old was seeing snow covered mountains in the distance and rolling hills on either side of the road.

Just after passing into Utah we were greeted by the reflective sheets of water and flat plains that form the Salt Flats. You could tell that the water was only a few inches deep but the ground was so flat that there was nothing to disrupt the water's surface. It's literally like driving through the world's largest mirror because the water showed perfect mirror images of the mountains in the background. In the portions without water you could see where people have done one of two popular pranks: spun a lot donuts in their car or arranged rocks to write out messages on the ground.

In the distance you can see the mountains' reflections in the water.

Our first stop in Utah was Salt Lake City, which has crammed more tulips into its city limits than I knew grew in the entire country. The city is very nice; everything feels so new and clean and there is a lovely outdoor shopping center right in the heart of downtown with a man-made creek and waterfalls running through it.

Most of our time was spent wandering around the Temple Square, which is the area surrounding the Mormon Temple and the Tabernacle. Obviously, Salt Lake City is best known for its association with the Mormon faith, but we found it funny that all of the visitor's guides we picked up focused only on the bar scene and nightlife of the city... like they are trying to reinvent themselves as a "cool," "hip" place to visit.

As long as we were in Utah we figured we may as well go see the famous arch (of the UT license plates) in Arches National Park. The park had a really great road going through the middle of it, but dogs were not allowed on any of the trails :-(  This meant that we got to see everything from afar but nothing up close. As I saw parents herding their two year old tyrants through the trails and around the arches I griped to myself (and maaaaybe a little to Scott) about how unfair it was that our dogs had to stay cooped up in the car while these maniac children got to run around free as birds... as if our dogs could possibly hurt the surrounding landscape, which is made entirely of rocks. But we survived and still got to see some great views in the process.

Next stop, Colorado! Driving through this state was a truly beautiful experience. Breathtaking mountains (everywhere), dramatic rivers that snaked along the road, and an ever-changing climate. As our elevation rose, so did the likelihood of seeing a few snowflakes whisp by our window. These occasional snowflakes eventually turned into pretty significant snow coverage around us and before we knew it we were driving through a winter wonderland. The ski towns are outrageous. I don't know how to ski but seeing the lodges in Colorado made me want to learn.

Our first real stop in Colorado was Boulder, where most of our time was spent conquering the Flatirons. It was easily the hardest hike I have ever done... not that I have the most riggerous hiking history, but it was still hard! I am definitely glad that I stuck it out to the top though because the view was incredible and the sense of self-satisfaction was even better. Everything about the Flatirons is extreme, from the jutting rock formations and steep incline to the insane runners who went zipping by us as I was barely managing to crawl from rock to rock. That is one thing that I notice across the board for Boulder, everyone is in shape (even the homeless people and that 60-something year old woman who hiked past us on the mountain).

Group portrait, complete with dog butt.

I finally made it to the top!

View of Boulder taken during the climb.

Boulder itself was a great city. There is a pedestrian mall downtown with a lot of tasty restaurants and neat shops lining its edges. Our favorite stops were Illegal Pete's (a burrito place), some store that sold work from a ton of area artisans, and a three (or maybe four?) story bookstore in a great old building (complete with ballroom). We had a ton of fun in Boulder but, as with most places, we had to get up the next morning and hit the road. At least we were now on our way to see my friend Lindsay!