Rafting down the Colorado

Here we embark on our magical journey down the Colorado River. I know when I hear about the Colorado River I think of amazing rapids and white water rafting, so I was expecting great things. After spending the night in Moab we headed over to the local church building where we met up with the river guide company and were given our sweet life vests. As you can tell we are all very proud to be wearing the faded vests that so many other rafters before us adorned. I wonder what stories these life vests would tell if they could talk. Were they lucky life vests or would they bring us bad luck as we started out on our adventure? For us these vests proved to be a great choice and kept us afloat later on in our trip.

We boarded the old elementary school grade bus making sure to sit back to back and seat to seat the entire ride. It reminded me of the many field trips that I took in grade school and how cool I felt to be riding on a bus. Haha I guess that's what walkers look forward to, is the day that we got to ride the bus to school instead of having to walk. Now I remember though how happy I was when I got my license and could drive myself to school because those seats were unbearably uncomfortable. We drove for at least 30 minutes on the winding roads of Moab that skirted next to the Colorodo River. Penny and I kept looking out the window in hopes of getting a glimpse of these incredible rapids. To our dismay all we saw were ripples in the water. We were saddened and a little discouraged. Here we thought we were going on a crazy white water rafting trip. We were expecting rapids like on the Deschutes, not the Clackamas. We tried not to be too disheartened we were at least going rafting and it was go to be a great day no matter how wimpy the rapids appeared.

As we began our journey the water was pretty calm. It allowed us time to take pictures of the beautiful scenery that surrounded us. If you look very closely on the left hand side in the very far, far distance you can see a stand alone rock. As our guide kindly told us this was gummy bear rock. Now I know it's hard to tell from this picture (ya gotta love disposable cameras) but the rock looked completely like a bear. As our guide pointed out gummy bear rock, one of our fellow rafters was like, "which rock are you all looking at?" and of course our guide replied, "umm the one that looks like a giant bear." It was too funny. I guess not all of us see things as easily as others but it still makes me laugh to think about our poor fellow rafter who was so confused by this gummy treat.

As our day continued, the clouds also continued to roll in. Here we were all prepared for 90 degree weather and major sunburns. Who would have thought it would have been better to wear a parka in the end of June when rafting. In reality though it was a perfect day for rafting. It wasn't too hot or too cold. The only time it got really cold was when the wind would blow after we had become victims of a water fight. Other than that the weather cooperated nicely with us. Now our guide had warned us about one rapid that he said was pretty tough. It would be right before lunch and we could skirt around it if we wanted, or we could hit it straight on. Well since the other rapids hadn't been too bad, we figured honestly how bad could it be.

So our new friend Tim decided that he wanted to ride the bull through this rapid and our guide told us to keep paddling no matter what. As the rapid quickly approached so did my heart rate as I saw the rapid we were about to enter. The closer we got the more I had wished we had skirted the outside of the rapid, but now it was too late. There was no turning back, the only way to get to our lunch site was through the rapid. So we paddled our hearts out. Now we were getting into the thick of the rapid when we went down and above us was a 15 ft wave. All I remember was saying, "Bring it on" and I dug my oar in to paddle. (Now the next 10 minutes for me are completely blank since I blacked out. But thanks to the other passengers in the boat we have an account of what happened.) Apparently after we saw the wave there were screams all throughout the boat and then our boat stopped on top of the wave. Then everyone from the otherside of the boat were gone along with 3 people from our side and the guide. I guess I was headed out of the boat but luckily Penny was sitting behind me and pulled me back in before I went over. I ended up in the middle of the boat in a complete daze not knowing what was going on around me. The next thing I remember is one of the guys in the boat running around the boat and screaming. The screaming jolted me out of my dazed state and I realized that we needed to pull all the other rafters back into the boat. It was a lot of hard work but we managed to get everyone safely back into the boat. Now we were all disoriented so we were all facing the wrong direction but adrenaline was going to get us all safely to lunch. Luckily other boats saw what happened to us and so they picked up our three fellow rafters who had to float that rapid out. Fortunately for us we didn't lose anything or anyone in our adventure and we had plenty to talk about during our lunch break.

In the end we all made it to shore and couldn't stop talking about what happened. When I got out of the boat Penny said, "Traci you're bleeding." Sure enough I had a cut on my knee that was now dripping blood down my leg. From the look of it it looked pretty bad but it the end it was just a scratch. We were so lucky that nothing serious happened to us and I think we were all a little apprehensive about getting in the boat again, but our guide assured us that we had seen the worst of the rapids. So we all got back in the boat after a nice lunch break and our nerves had had time to settle back down. The rest of the journey now the river was pretty uneventful and I was very grateful. After our experience I don't if I could have handled anymore excitment. When it comes to water that is something that I don't mess with. I try to respect the water gods so as not to upset them and enjoy my time in their company. Our four hour journey down the river was full of more excitement then I expected when we first started. I have to say that I was not disappointed at all by the section of the Colorado River that I had the pleasure of rafting down. We could not have been happier when we saw the banks that we would pull in to unload. By this point we were all emotionally and physically exhausted and were ready to call it a day. Just before our turnout we had to paddle through an eddy and let me just say it was the toughest paddle of the day. We started strong and we ended strong but most importantly WE SURVIVED!!!!

If you're thinking about going to Nebraska, DON'T!!

The one and only picture that I have of Nebraska...

I'm not sure what I was possibly thinking when I told Penny that we would only be 50 miles from Nebraska so we should totally go. I must have been under some illusion that Nebraska was a wonderful state or maybe I just wanted to cross another state of my list of visited states. Either way now that I've been there I never have to go back. I thought the trip into Nebraska would be like any other state on our trip, but boy was I wrong.


We started our journey to Nebraska right after the fireworks display at Mt Rushmore. By this time we had only had 4 hours of sleep in 48 hours so both of us were exhausted. We thought as soon as we get to Nebraska we will just pull over and sleep, but when we found ourselves nearing the border, the only town around was an abandoned town with 4 deserted houses. Now there is no way that I was going to stay in a town that didn't even have any lights but unfortunately the next closest town was 30 miles away. Now it was time for us to start getting creative. We turned on the cold air and I had family members texting me to help us stay awake. Surprisingly it worked and we were relieved to see the sign for Crawford, Nebraska. While I was distracted with texting, Penny let out a scream. I wasn't sure what happened and that is when she said she saw a funnel cloud. Now of course our hearts started racing and the adrenaline kicked in for both of us. All we could think about now was getting the heck out of Crawford. Unfortunately we were low on gas so in order to get out of town, we had to stop at a gas station.

We managed to find an open gas station since it was after 2:00 am. We pulled into the gas station only to be followed by a police cruiser. We didn't really think much about it because it was so late at night that maybe the cop thought we were going to rob the gas station, so when he left we felt a wave of relief flow over us. The car was still filling up when the second police cruiser drove past but this time he was spotlighting the building right next to the gas station. Now we were officially creeped out so once the pump stopped pumping she quickly put the nozzle back and I opened the door for her so we could quickly peel out of the gas station.

In our confusion we turned the wrong way out of the gas station and started heading further into Nebraska. Now I was telling Penny that she had to turn around and that is when we saw the truck put out from the alley where the cops were spotlighting. He kept getting closer to us and the thought of turning around and having that truck stop behind up, kept us driving in the wrong direction. We drove for a couple miles before Penny finally pulled over to the side of the road and with relief he went speeding past us. Of course we got a description of the truck just in case the police stopped us and asked us if we saw anything we could give them a full description.

Now we were finally headed in the right direction and clearly adrenaline was pumping through our veins. As we made our way out of town, Penny was distracted by the Bates motel on the left side of the road and that is when I saw it on the right side of the road. A rabid dog came charging onto the road, so I screamed "DOG" and then Penny screamed because I screamed. I can still see his beady little eyes glaring at me as his life must have flashed before his eyes. I'm just glad that he didn't leap up and climb onto our car. At this point not even that would have surprised me. He was like a little gremlin out for blood. As we were both screaming some how we manage to hold hands, now I'm not sure why we ended up holding hands maybe it was for comfort or for security, but either way we knew we had to get out of this town.

As we left town I wasn't sure my heart could take anymore excitement and that is when I saw another shadow out fo the corner of my eye. My first thought was, "Oh no the rabid dog is following us." As I looked closer luckily it was not the rabid dog but in fact it was a doe. Again Penny didn't see it so I screamed "DEER" but luckily for us the doe decided not to cross our path. By this point we were officially done with Nebraska. We didn't care if it was 40 miles or 400 miles to Wyoming, we were NOT spending the night in Nebraska. As if the nightmare of Nebraska could not get any worse that is when the fog started to roll in. It was like we were a part of scary movie and we were the main characters. I didn't want to be the main character anymore, I just wanted to sleep and get out of that blasted state. Luckily when we crossed the state line from Nebraska into Wyoming the adrenaline wore off and luckily for us we found a historical marker with a well lit parking lot for us to sleep in. I have never been more thankful for a car that has doors that lock and for the person that invented street lamps.

Welcome to Montana...

Who knew that Montana would be such an adventurous state. We were running low on gas when Penny saw a Safeway sign off the freeway and since she had a hankering for cherries, she thought this would be a perfect pit stop. We filled up the car and then headed off to find some delicious cherries. We headed to the first door that we saw and we kept walking but the doors didn't open. If we would have taken one step further we would have walked smack into the door. It was only 10:30 but by then I guess we were already tired. We wandered around the store in search of mini bagels but sadly they were all out, so we setteled for some Montana water and thoe delicious bing cherries. As we headed to the car I saw two guys standing by the back of their F250. As we approached their truck I noticed that something was a little unusual. They had shopping carts full of cases of pop. They just kept loading up their trunk bed and I could not figure out why two guys would need so much pop. Was this their monthly trip into town so they needed to replenish their beverage supply?? Or maybe there was some major party in Montana that we were not invited to. I knew I had to get a picture but they kept staring at us so I felt really awkward. Penny still hadn't gotten in to the car so as I went to take the picture she said, "Traci don't take any pictures of me." Really loud hoping that that would through them off from the fact that I was really taking a picture of them. I don't think it really worked because they kept staring at us so I quickly locked all the doors in the car not knowing what they would do to us. Luckily they got into their truck and drove off but to this day I still wonder why on earth they needed so many cases of pop.

Now I have been to many a rest stops but never in my life have I been to a rest stop quiet like this one before. As we got out of the car and raced to the bathrooms we passed this amazing sign. Now if this doesn't entice you to stop at use their rest stop, then I don't know what it would take. So I managed to stay on the sidewalk as I ran up the stairs to the bathroom but little did I know that when I opened the door that I had transported to a Montana prison. The stalls where white, steel plated heavy metal doors. It took all my strength just to close the door and then throw the bar over the latch to keep the other prisoners out. At least I felt safe in this rest stop knowing that if any unsuspected individuals lay in the grass in await for my return to the car, they had the possibility of being bitten by a rattlesnake. If that isn't a good security system, then I don't know what is.

Driving through the night is certainly a challenge but with the help of sour patch kids it is absolutely possible. I think the most rewarding part of driving through the night is the miraculous sunrise that awaits you when you come out of the mountains and see the vast Montana skyline. Now I know why it is called the Big Sky state. The horizon seemed endless as the sky was painted pink, orange and yellow.

Let the adventures begin....

Here I sit anxiously awaiting this weekends trip. I never thought I would ever go to South Dakota but this weekend I embarked in a crazy whirlwind of a weekend. On Thursday I had to run around like a crazy person just to get everything ready for our trip. That included driving up to Ogden to get the oil changed, making blueberry waffles so we had something to eat for breakfasts and finish packing. I knew all week that we were going on this trip but then I waited until the last minute to do everything. I guess that is how I've always been. Waiting until I absolutely had to get everything done and then I run around like a chicken with my head cut off hoping to make the much anticipated deadline. I knew this trip was going to be amazing after I made a quick pit stop at Target to purchase some last minute items. I pulled into the parking lot and you would have thought a bomb went off. It was mass hysteria. Children were bailing out of their parents cars before the cars had even stopped, adults were driving on the sidewalks to get as close to the doors as humanly possible, senior citizens were clutching to their umbrellas as if it was their lifelines to survival. Mothers covering there babies with their shirts (as if that is really going to protect them) and even mothers wrapping themselves under their babies blankets to try and stay dry. Haha really people it's only water. Even now I still laugh all mass hysteria in the Target parking lot. This little adventure was only the beginning of our amazing weekend.

As we made our way out of Utah I looked up to see a massive black storm cloud. At first I thought it was just the rain but the closer we got to it, I realized that in fact it was a giant flock of birds. Now I'm not sure what exactly those birds were thinking but all I could think about was Alfred Hitchcock's "Birds", imaging the birds coming down and pecking my eyes out. Why Hitchcock felt the need to make that movie but this flock of birds definitely had me freaked out as some felt the need to dive bomb us. I guess if I were a bird I would also enjoy the sensation of dive bombing. The sheer adrenaline rush of falling at a rapid acceleration. Maybe that is where the need comes from. They feel the need, the need for speed and tonight that need was met.

As we left Utah we thought the clouds and thunderstorms were behind us, but little did we know that these black clouds would follow us all weekend. I felt a little like Winnie the Pooh as he sang,
"I'm just a little black rain cloud
Hovering under the honey tree
I'm only a little black rain cloud
Pay no attention to little me
Everyone knows that a rain cloud
Never eats honey, no, not a nip
I'm just floating around over the ground, wondering where I will drip."Well Pooh that rain cloud not only dripped but it decided to pour on us in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and South Dakota. Really Pooh was all that rain necessary?? I think we learned our lesson. When traveling in July always keep an umbrella in the car because you never know when or what state you are going to need one in.

Now I am not a banana hater, I mean I really do love bananas but I draw the line at traveling with rotten bananas in the car for 2500 miles. We bought these bananas not knowing that they would ripen so quickly if we didn't take them with us they would have rotted on our counter at home. We packed them in a ziploc bag trying to contain the overpowering aroma of ripe bananas. We put them in the cooler and when I went to grab a plum I realized that we had made a terrible mistake bringing them with us. Even though they were sealed tightly in a ziploc they were permeating everything around them. I was not going to allow them to contaminate the bread that we had also packed so I decided then and there that they had to be disposed of. Penny said we would throw them out our next stop but that was too far away. They needed to be removed from our vehicle right then and there. Now bananas are biodegradable so I knew the only way for a quick extraction was to throw them out the window. So I stealthily rolled down my window and one by one started tossing them out. I got about four of them removed before Penny realized exactly what I was doing. She told me to stop littering and quickly rolled up my window. Well I was still stuck with five bananas and I was not going to have them smelling up the car. So what else could I do but open up the sun roof. I successfully threw two out before I was caught again. I knew I only had one more chance to get the remaining bananas out of the car. While Penny was preoccupied with closing the sun roof I managed to open my window again and successfully threw out the remainder of the bananas. Immedietly the air in the car was fresher and the banana extraction was an absolute success!!