day 2 - tales from mormon land

from the 2009 "Mormon Hunks" calendar (:

the great texan adventure stopped being so much of an adventure and started being a big SNOOZE around 8 a.m. this morning. we left jerome (thank God - apparently it is renowned for it's dairies...hence the stench) at 6:45 and headed east toward the rising sun. wish i had a pic of it. it was beyond incredible. we dropped down into dreaded utah...home of my biggest fear: THE MORMONS. i tried to hold to my vow of not urinating in a state full of mormon's but i couldn't hold my wee that long. as much as i wholly detest utah for its ridiculous conglomeration of a particular type of religious "believers", it is one of the most beautiful states i have ever seen (okay so i've seen like 9). we cruised through the wasatch mountain range and stopped in lehi, utah for wendy's (sickness) and to send my thatch of postcards to the usual suspects (TGS, spence, NHB and the university ministries crew). we also dropped by wal*mart to pick up seasons 1 and 4 of the office. yesss. 

interesting sightings of today's 14.5 hours in the 4runner included:

* we continued on the oregon trail and then picked up on the trail of the ancients

* the Pillow Talk Motel in wellington, UT

* the wind turbines in soldier summit, UT - they were 150 meters from the road and HUUUUUUGE

* the Badland Cliffs with strips of coal running right through the middle

* a stop in Moab where i encountered a family from Woodinville, WA and where it was BALLS hot (i better get used to it)

* we arrived in Colorado!!! once you get past Cortez, CO...it's gorgeous. 

we're currently in durango for the night, situated on the animas river. i am in love and don't want to leave. i witnessed a crew on granny bikes with headbands, ray ban wayfarers and plaid shirts. i died. my people. don't worry...the dream catcher is still protecting us on our travels. it kept us from hitting an oversized load illegally blocking the road in idaho and from further mangling two already-decapitated deer in utah and parts of colorado. i still haven't gotten the actual dream catcher tattoo...still mulling over the intelligence of that decision come ten years down the road when i'm a physician's assistant.

all in all, i'm loving america the beautiful and it's completely and utterly worth riding in my pimp wagon for 3.5 days to see just how truly GENIUS my Creator is. bye for now!