Props to John Howard Payne

"Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home;
A charm from the sky seems to hallow us there,
Which, seek through the world, is ne'er met with elsewhere.
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!"

Nearly 12,000 miles and 12 weeks later, we made it back in time for Common Ground Fair, that old mainstay of my past, present and future in my home state of Maine. I truly do love it here, at my home in Portland by the sea, with its vibrant arts, music, and social scene. And of course, the love of my life, Justin, who worked hard all summer campaigning for what would become a very successful run for the State Senate.

Even in my reflections nine months later, I am still amazed by the hospitality, generosity, and kindness of the many people we encountered on our journey. I KNEW Obama would win the election, just from the encounters I had with Americans across the country and the good vibes I felt in places both remote and urban.

Not only I have grown as a human being, but I feel truly blessed to live in such an incredible, diverse and gorgeous country. And 12 weeks was certainly long enough to satiate my travel bug.

For now. :)

Eastward Ho!

We loved Denver so much, we extended our stay to 2 days. Then we drove across the entire length of Kansas to stay with my cousin Jonathan who's a college student in Lawrence. Many thanks to Kansas for my first ever speeding ticket (no, that's not a real jail, although the ticket was real). Despite the fact that it's located in Kansas, Lawrence is a cute little college town. We went to a "DiscObama" fundraiser, checked out a band, and chilled with my cuz.

The next day, on our way to St. Louis, we stopped in Colombia, MO to say hi to my cousin Emily, who's a student there. It was a week filled with the Eisen family, which was so nice because I rarely get to see them! After a quick overnight stay in St. Louis (thanks Rick & Marci!!), onwards to good ol' NYC, more familiar stomping-grounds.

We stopped to spend the night somewhere near Allentown, PA. It was a looong 14-hour day of driving. The next morning, up and at 'em to NY, NY! We stayed with my college friend Ches at his new digs on the shore in Brooklyn. Despite the Brooklyn driving woes, we had a terrific visit with friends, saw some music, and I even randomly ran into a friend from Maine on the street!

Then it was on to a new destination for me, but familiar ground for Mel: Cape Cod. Ahhh, how lovely, especially in contrast to the bustling city. Thanks to Mel's grammie, we got to have a leisurly visit, picnic on the beach, and of course I got to see old photos of Mel and hear tales of her childhood. The Cape is so gorgeous, and it was nice meeting Mel's family. We even saw a seal surfing the waves in knee-deep water.

My Heart Belongs To Colorado

We tried to stay at the hostel in Jackson, but unfortunately it was full. I can't get enough of Jackson Hole! Definitely one of my "Top Ten" tourist spots. We somehow made it through rural Wyoming, with its odd conglomeration of wild pronghorn sheep, our first moose sighting on someone's front yard alongside the road, and lots and lots of oil wells. After considering our camping options for the night (not a very tent-friendly area), we finally talked down the price of a hotel room in Rawlins. I don't have much to say about that town.

Anyway, the following morning we took our time driving to Steamboat Springs, CO. We stopped in Craig, a nifty little town with friendly people and the Museum of Northwest Colorado. Then we arrived in Steamboat Springs and met up with an old friend of Mel's, who graciously let us spend the night in his mountainside condo. They make good beer in Steamboat.

The drive to Denver was fantastic, with abandoned mining towns, gorgeous scenery, and Rocky Mountain National Park! We saw a large elk herd with the 12-point buck herding up his ladies and sparring with juvenile males over his harem. He always won.

My new affordable digs in CO. Real estate listing: quiet mountainside lodge, rustic charm, river view, great history, air conditioned.

Breathtaking view in Rocky Mountain NP.

The big boy and his harem.

Mel's friend in Denver showed us hospitality by taking us out to a brew pub and giving us tips on good places to visit. Thanks to Shannon, we marveled at the beauty of Red Rocks Amphitheater, drove up the highest road in the Northern Hemisphere to Mt. Evans, and checked out the awesome town of Boulder. I can't wait to visit Mel in Boulder when she moves here; it already feels like a second home to me. We checked out the farmer's market and went to a great beer tasting at Avery Brewing Co.

Rockin' it out on the Red Rocks Amphitheater stage.

I Love National Land, Part II

Onward to Yellowstone, one of my all-time favorite NP's. We rolled in very late - props to Mel for driving along the windy, cliffside road in the pitch black wee hours on her inaugural visit! We heard the elk bugling their wooing song throughout the night from our Indian Creek campsite, and awoke to beautiful, cool sunshine. We spent the first day driving around seeing the sights. Favorite stops included Fountain Paint Pot, Midway Geyser Basin, a lovely walk through a meadow along an ambling river, and of course Old Faithful.

The second day we awoke to extreme hail! We tried to cook on our new double-burner cookstove, but everything just became as cold as our hands as soon as it was warmed up. The sun did come out and we managed to break camp and take a little hike to Fairy Falls and Imperial Geyser. It was great to go off the beaten path where there are fewer tourists and see some of the beauty this spectacular NP has to offer! I saw a lot less wildlife than my first visit there a couple of summers ago, perhaps because of the changing seasons. But this time I saw more coyote and my frist sandhill cranes!

Imperial Geyser.

Then we drove out through the South Entrance, along the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway to Grand Teton NP. Another one I've only driven through and would love to spend more time in some day!

The big ones.

West Coooooast!

After a grueling 13-hour drive (it was like, "Oh, hello California...goodbye California!") straight from the sandy desert of Burning Man to the sand dunes of Lincoln City, OR, we were SO ready to.... PARTY SOME MORE. Labor Day weekend was an absolute blast, as the celebratory binge continued daily, nightly, and hourly in a sweet beach house with eighteen friends, old and new. My first few hours awake on my first day there, as I sat on the couch looking out at the huge Pacific waves, I saw a whale spouting offshore! I honed my "skills" as a rocker chick with Rock Band on Wii, walked with my sweetheart on the endless sandy beach, soaked in the hot tub, and had a bonfire on the beach, complete with a bottle of JD, of course :)

This is the LIFE!

From there we visited one of my favorite places, Portland, OR, with one of my favorite people, my girl Meg. Meg & I took a x-country trek three years ago to attend Burning Man and see some sights. I returned to Maine; she stayed out west. So, every chance I get, I travel out there to spend some time with her and a bunch of my other friends who moved to that awesome city. It was great spending quality time catching up with friends from childhood, college, and Maine. We ate at some of my fave restaurants, did some shopping, and of course went to the arcade/bar.

We like to make silly faces & not focus on driving. Which is why we made such a great x-country team 3 years ago.

From there, we drove up the coast to Seattle. My old friend Peter was kind enough to let us stay with him at his place on Bainbridge Island, just off the coast. It was cool riding the ferry each day between the city & the island. It felt a lot like Portland, Maine and the islands of Casco Bay! Except there's no huge casino on Great Diamond Island...yet...

I hadn't seen Peter since high school, so it was fantastic catching up with him. He owns and operates a place called Cafe Incognito, so if you ever see me wearing the shirt, you'll know the story.

We spent an afternoon with my one and only Aunt Ronna, whom I haven't seen in years! It was a very happy (albeit small) family reunion. She took us out to eat, which was a welcome respite for our credit cards, and then we went to the beach which looks out at the incredible Olympic Peninsula. Olympic National Park is now on my life-list of places to visit - being so close and yet so far (it is a loooong drive or ferry ride to get out there!) was a tempting tease.

Human Oddities

Driving through Utah, we saw the unique and endangered Shoe Tree: We camped at Antelope Island State Park in the Great Salt Lake, where antelope, buffalo, and many coyote roam. The campsite location was beautiful, and it was eerie to hear two separate coyote families howling & yipping at dusk on on either side of the campsite. I sent mental signals to the families camping nearby to keep their small children within sight.
The only disconcerting thing was the guy parked across the way from our site who was throwing his own private party. He stayed in his car, alone, and played rare Dire Straits on his car radio, alternating the volume from soft to very loud. Sometimes he took out a huge spotlight and waved it around over his head. This continued, despite protestations from us and another camper from the other end of the campground, until well into the night. Finally, after admitting to the neighbor he was sloshed and asking him to keep him company (the man refused), he turned off the radio. It was like he had temporary amnesia. We were kind of scared, not wanting to get out of our tent, with no phone service, and helpless to do anything about the situation. He was the most bizarre drunk I have ever encountered.

Anyway, on to more positive energy... BURNING MAN! Where peace, love, community, art & conscientiousness reign supreme. As we entered the festival in the Black Rock Desert, the entire Black Rock City (as it is called for the week) was shut down due to a "brown-out." It was the worst dust storm I have EVER seen. I was driving to the gate following the taillights in front of me & couldn't even see two feet in front of the car! But, after a mere 4 hours of waiting in line, the wind died down & set up camp. If you want to hear more about the amazing experience of Burning Man & stories of debauchery & parties in the desert, just ask.

I Love National Land, Part I

We continued on to Bandelier National Monument, the site of a pueblo and cliff-dwellings, as well as a holy kiva high up the side of the mountains. It was a powerful, moving, and inspirational place: to sit inside a cliffside cave where people once lived, loved, worked, and played; to climb hundreds of ladder rungs to the most sacred location of an ancient village; to marvel in awe at the petroglyphs etched high on rock face depicting beings of this world and another. Here is one of a Toucan, which was likely acquired through trade with Central America:
Then we couch-surfed with some terrific folks for a couple of nights in Flagstaff, AZ. I LOVE this town!! It is youthful, picturesque, hip, and super-friendly. We made some new friends & also met up with my cousin Amy & her boyfriend Dave for a day-hike in nearby Coconino National Forest. Here Mel & I hugged our first Ponderosa Pine.
And then, of course, we couldn't pass up Grand Canyon National Park. It literally brought tears to my eyes. It is magnificent! And so big! The poster below is from the backcountry office in the park (demonstrating how hot the bottom of the canyon can get), making us ever more eager as we approach Burning Man next week!
The next stop was Zion National Park, where we took a lovely little hike to a waterfall, rode around in the shuttle listening to the driver tell bad jokes, and saw California Condors soaring above the cliffs.