Christopher McKitterick

I'm back in town after four days of adventure in the Colorado Rockies. Except for an astounding string of bad luck, it was a lovely getaway. Everyone survived, and that's what really counts, right?

Details forthcoming, but first I must catch up with work. But a couple of teaser shots. Here's the gang, blinded by camera flash and dead-tired upon arriving at our campsite, hours and hours later than expected, drained from adrenaline come-down:



Yes, it was near-freezing and pitch-black when we set up camp, but what we got to see was so beautiful and worth it. Check out this landscape we enjoyed the next day:



More later!

Chris

Wow, I'm pretty clearly a Yankee, eh? Methinks it's time to see more of the South, Southwest, and East Coast.


I've visited 28 states (56%). Click to create your own visited map of the United States.

Where have you been?

Chris

Until August, my summer is pretty much massively busy, so as soon as I'd finished grading final papers and did what work I needed to in order safely go away for a few days, off I went on my first road-trip in years! If you haven't taken a road-trip recently, I urge you to get out there and see your country. It's amazing how much the world and people change in just a few hundred miles. Without further ado, here's my report:
( beneath the cut, with lots of photos! )

Now for another Kansas original, something you only find along the highways. Here's Matt and me at a Kansas roadside attraction, "5 LEGGED LIVE COW! 6 LEGGED LIVE GOAT! "'ROSCOE' THE MICRO MONKEY":



Had to get the photo, but didn't need to go inside. As China Mieville shows us, some things are better left unseen. We discussed how these sorts of places will probably slowly disappear with cheap gas and the subsequent decline of the road trip. On the other hand, perhaps cars using alternative energy will keep Americans on the road, crisscrossing this vast nation.
( lots more under the cut )Sunlight in the mountains is sharper and brighter than on the Great Plains. There's a harsh quality to the light, sort of bluish almost, and when not under trees, one finds one's self squinting a lot. So I squinted my way up the hill to the car, where we left our food. (NOTE: Signs everywhere proclaimed the danger of feeding the bears; "DON'T FEED THE BEARS. WE HAVE ENOUGH TROUBLE WITH THE BEARS." Thus we kept the food far from our campsite.) I grabbed a bag of Chex Mix and a bottle of water, then sat down on the campfire log for breakfast. I wasn't alone....
( Wild beasts! Harrowing mountain drives! Click to read more... )
( Read more... )
Pike's Peak is a little farther away from Topaz Point. More gorgeous mountains.

( Did I mention there's lots more photos down here? Yep. )It was a lovely adventure, almost entirely not what we had planned but wonderful despite - or perhaps because - of making up our itinerary on the fly. Coin-flips and waiters' advice turn out to be optimal decision-making tools.

Whew, that was longer than I'd expected! I've spent way too many hours writing and researching and illustrating and editing this report. I hope you enjoyed this little trip to Colorado!

Best,
Chris