Team USA!

 Day 4

After a full day of driving yesterday we decided to not rush our morning. We enjoyed a hot breakfast from Hampton Inn. It was nice to have some normalcy back. Celeste and I are being very cautious when it comes to our health and safety. We still wear our masks around large groups and in elevators with other people. We are fully vaccinated but who wants to get sick during a 20 day road trip? 

Once we finished the wonderful free breakfast we headed out to the Olympic Park in Park Cities, Utah. Last night we reserved our spot for the 11:00 tour. Our goal was to get there early, look around the museum and enjoy the sights. We arrived around 10:15 and some ski jumpers were practicing their jumps! We could not have planned that any better. 

We started to get hot (it was in the 90s today,) so we ventured inside to explore the museum and gift shop. The museum was pretty cool. They had artifacts from the opening ceremonies, uniforms, and so much more. It was cool to "hold" the olympic torch. 

At 11:00 we met our guide. His name is Carl Roepke. He has been announcing for the Olympics in the areas of bobsled, luge, and skeleton. If you are watching the Winter Olympics listen for his voice. We really did luck out with him because he was able to give us a lot of background information. When we got to the area where the luge begins, there was a Silver Medalist Olympian named Valerie Fleming. She boarded our tour bus and talked to us for a few minutes. It was really cool to meet her. While up on the mountain we saw 2 more future Olympians training for a new sport, the Monosled. It will be a one person bobsled racer. 

After meeting these wonderful ladies we headed to the top of the mountain to see where the ski jumpers start. It was super high and really scary to look down. Carl was very knowledgable and we were really lucky to have him as our guide. 

Once we finished touring the Olympic park we set out to find the site where the flame was lit. Unfortunately it was in an area under construction so we didn't get out of our car. 

Our next stop was the main event - the Utah Capitol. Once we parked we visited the gift shop first. I bought my magnet, some huckleberry yogurt pretzels, and postcards. We headed across the street to start our journey through the capitol. As we crossed the street we came across a lady. She had pants on but she was sitting with her legs spread apart and she was burping... what a way to start the experience. Well, we laughed it off and got our photos of the outside. After taking photos I turned around, saw the view and started tearing up. I so wish that my mom was standing next to me to see the amazing capitol and view. She would have loved it so much. I know, I know... she's always with and is with me. Trust me, it is not the same as having that person next to you in the flesh to be able to hug and talk to. One day, after I'm old and gray, I will see her and we can share the adventures over a chai latte, a white mocha, and the thumbprint cookies from Market Street. 

The next thing to figure out was how to get into the building. Now, remember, this is my 44th capitol. I was prepared for bag checks, handing security my drivers license, and answering standard questions like "Why are you visiting us today?" Well, guys, non of that happened! We walked right in, said hello to security and toured the capitol. 

Celeste and I do have traditions when going inside a capitol. We always ride the elevators. This one was cool as it had glass to see out of. If you see a capitol make sure to find the House of Representatives and the Senate. Need a restroom? Use one in the building! Last, but not least, look at the busts and artwork around. You can tell a lot about a state's history by what they put up in their capitol (that is what my mom always said.) 

From the capitol we went back to our hotel to rest. It had already reached 99 degrees and a heat advisory was issued. After a short rest we walked across the street to Western Nut Company. We are the crazy girls who each spent $40 on nuts! 

For dinner, we decided to order Chinese food to the hotel so that we could relax, do a load of laundry (Celeste,) and pack. We leave this beautiful city tomorrow. 

Follow along tomorrow to see our next destination! 

Just Keep Driving

 Day 3 

Today was our driving day. We started by saying "Good-bye" to Colorado Springs. We stopped for a great breakfast in Castle Rock at IHOP. We tried to go to Village Inn but unfortunately it was permanently closed. 

After filling our tummies we headed off to Utah! Our drive today was mainly in Wyoming. The best part about a road trip is the beautiful scenery. Wyoming is BEAUTIFUL! I saw cows, horses, farms, and mountains. You can even see snow at the tops of the tall mountains. 

The only complaint from today is that there were no Welcome Centers for Wyoming or Utah. We did find a rest stop in Utah and were greeted by tons of rodents. Celeste was looking at the grass from our car and said, "Do you see the ground moving. I think it's a rat or a mouse." Little did we know that these critters would soon come up to us. I was freaked out. Later we looked it up and they are called Belding's Ground Squirrels. They were cute but were not afraid of us. 

After a long drive it is nice to have a hot shower and a comfy bed. 

Look Around At How Lucky We Are To Be Alive Right Now

 Day 2 of the Wild Wild West road trip! 

Today we explored Colorado Springs, Colorado. Our day started at 9 by filling up the gas tank, grabbing a quick breakfast at McDonalds and then headed to Garden of the Gods. If you are planning to go to Colorado Springs ever this is a must do. First of all... It's FREE! 

Your first stop should be the visitor center. They have an information desk where you can pick up a map, schedule a tour, buy souvenirs, pick up a snack or coffee, and use their clean restrooms. They also have a deck where you can look out at the beautiful rock formations. 

We headed over to Garden of the Gods park to start our day of exploration. It was our lucky day! A parking spot opened up right away so that we could walk the trails near all the major rock formations. Our map skills were put to the test as we searched for Kissing Camels. Of course we found many areas to take pictures, see wild life, and enjoy the beauty around us. We became mini-influencers... LOL! Celeste is AMAZING at finding the best places to take pictures. Usually, once our photos were done, there was a group behind us wanting the same picture. Here are a few of my favorites from the central gardens. 

Once we finally found Kissing Camels, on our way to the car because we had given up, we headed to our next destination. We wanted to find the Siamese twins formation and balanced rock. Well... we missed the turn in to the parking lot for the Siamese twins. No problem! Balanced Rock was coming up next then we could just circle around. Well... I turned to soon and we were on a red dirt road quickly climbing to higher elevations. When we were higher into the mountains we saw that someone dropped off a couch and rugs and a chair. WHERE WERE WE????? Well, once I saw the sign for "Narrow road 12 Miles" I knew we needed to head back down. Those 2 miles of driving on a scary twisting dirt road was enough! 

Not to bore you with more Garden of the Gods stories, we did end up seeing Balance Rock and we climb the trail to the Siamese twins lookout. I was very proud of myself. I don't do well with elevation climbs, stairs or loose rocks but I made it all the way up!! Celeste cheered me on the whole way and I would not have made it up there without her. 

After Garden of the Gods we headed to the U.S. Olympic Museum. When we go there we found out that parking was $15 dollars and entrance fees were $25 each. Umm... teacher salary here! So, we snapped a photo and found something else to do. 

I got on google and searched for top sights in Colorado that are inside. The Ghost Town Museum popped up and had a $1 off coupon! Fun for $6.50, yes please. Y'all!! It did not disappoint. It was small but they had so many great artifacts, facts, and stuff for the whole family. This is a must do if you have some extra time on your hands or if it is raining. You can even pan for gold. Here are a few pictures from the museum: 

After the museum we headed towards the Broodmore to try and visit the Golden Bee. It was closed... just like a lot of stuff we wanted to see today. Oh well! We decided to go to the Skirted Heifer in Downtown Colorado Springs. It was sooo good!! I had a cheeseburger, fries and a drink. Their specialty is that there is cheese that is fried around the burger patty. They also have craft sodas, homemade garlic focaccia buns, and they make their own custard and sauces. I loved the black cherry soda.

It was an amazing day of adventures! Follow along tomorrow night for day 3 of the Wild Wild West Road Trip! 

On the Road Again!

 Hello World! It's been awhile since I have traveled. Well, wait no further. Michelle and Celeste are back out on the road. 

Much has changed since the last blog in 2015. In 2017 I met the most amazing man and in 2019 we said "I Do!" Together we saw Sacramento, California; have been to Disney World twice, visited friends in Memphis, went to Miami for a wedding and we attend Fan Expo in Dallas each year. Unfortunately, I lost my father October 5, 2020. I am heartbroken and as I started this trip it was different from any other. I don't have my dad following along and checking in to see where I am. I can't text him with pictures as I fulfill my mom's goal of seeing the capitols and listening to him get choked up as I see each one. I also know that as I get closer to the last capitol he won't be there for the last one. It will be a great time and I am forever grateful that my parents gave me a sense of wonder and a love of travel. 

 Back to happy thoughts! Celeste and I have driven the Great Plains, the Midwest, driven the East Coast and went through the Deep South. Where to explore next? We are headed to the Wild Wild West! 

This trip is another journey for Capitols. I have 43 right now. By the end of this trip I will have 46. You will have to follow along to find out exactly where we go and what we see. It should be a fun adventure.

Day 1 Trip Report

Texas to Colorado 

We left our homes at 7:00 this morning. It was of course raining... and continued to rain the entire day of driving. We did try to find the positives with all the rain. The sky was beautiful and we saw so many different types of clouds. You can't beat the view when you drive 12 hours. 

We are taking many precautions during this trip with Covid. We are both vaccinated but you can never be too careful. We have our masks and we are doing our best to sanitize, wash hands frequently, and use lysol and wipes whenever possible. The worst thing would be to get sick on the trip when there is so much to experience.

Our first major stop was Amarillo, Texas. We needed to fuel up so we ate at Big Texan Steakhouse. Our lunches were so yummy and we snapped a few fun photos. 

Our plan after lunch was to go to Cadillac Ranch to make our mark once again on the Cadillacs. Well... it was raining. So... we decided that we were not going to walk through mud to do something we have done in the past and we drove on. We are playing the Postcard Challenge so we found a post office in Amarillo to mail our cards. As always, it's an adventure to find a post office. Flash flooding was beginning and our car got soaked. 

Our next plan was to stop at the New Mexico and Colorado welcome signs. You won't find any pictures here because it was way too dangerous to stop, plus it was raining. Do you notice a pattern? The rain sure did put a damper on things. 

We decided to keep driving and made it to our hotel before the goal of 8 PM! We made some sandwiches in our hotel room for dinner. Celeste used the gym in the hotel to get some steps in. Even with the rain we decided that it was a pretty fantastic day. Hopefully I will see you back here tomorrow!