Finally Here

I'm back. Back in the Midwest, back in St. Louis. It's good to be here. The drive was ridiculous in retrospect. I went from San Luis Obispo, CA to St. Louis, MO. The drive across Cali was interesting; there is such a contrast between the coast and then the central valley. I was impressed with the wind farm pictured here. I tried to pick the picture with the most windmills. Not too long after it got dark. I drove across all of Mojave desert and Arizona in the dark. I didn't know I'd be so close to the Grand Canyon or the Petrified Forest. If I'd been aware, I might have planned a daytime stop. The sun came up as I was crossing into New Mexico. I stopped in Albuquerque for gas, food, coffee and an oil change. That's right, an oil change, I had reached ~6k miles since the last change and I felt it was a good idea to get it changed before it reached 7k.

The rest of New Mexico was boring, maybe good for a week's worth of rides, but it was already all brown and dried. Once I got into the Texas panhandle it actually greened up. I got a few photos that reminded me of that desktop background that windows ships with. There's not much to say about Texas. It's flat. Particularly good looking (must be the time of year).

Oklahoma was green as well, but the sun set about 70 miles into it. I got a picture of the Oklahoma red dirt before the sun set. I stopped for my last big refueling in Oklahoma city (the last good coffee of the trip). Missouri was a foggy, damp blur. I nearly fell asleep. I avoided this by downing more 24oz. coffees. I got home around 5:15 am central standard time. It was such a relief. All the chemicals in my body from the diet soda... I took a shower, brushed my teeth, and collapsed.

Good to be home.