Epilog

We are back home after 30 days on the road. We drove 9900 miles from the Pacific all across the country to the Atlantic Ocean in Maine. On this trip we went through 28 States and Washington D.C. and also drove through Ontario in Canada. I think we crossed the continental divide four times.  Sid has now seen all 50 states including D.C.; the last two he needed, Vermont and Rhode Island we visited on this trip, I still need seven states, which means we are not done yet. Another road trip is visible on the horizon.

Day 30 - Vegas to Home

Our last day on our trip, from Vegas back home. No freeways. Freeways would have been too boring for our last day on tour. We took some nice and easy back country roads. A little longer on the road though. From Vegas we went north on Hwy 59 and north of Death Valley we changed to Hwy 660 and 640 and finally across the state line to California east of Mono Lake. At the start of the drive we saw nothing but wildflowers and yuccas and once in a while another car or little mining places. We crossed several passes of the White Mountain Range east of the Sierra and finally saw Mono Lake coming from a direction we had never done before, from the east.
And then - one more time Yosemite National Park from Lee Vining via Tioga Pass Road.

Beautiful desert wild flowers

and some yuccas

Nevada has nice clouds too

Back in California

Funny rock formations along the road

We drove through the midwest, never saw a tornade, back in California at least a tiny little salt twister

Mono Lake - a total different view

Wild flowers in Yosemite

One of my favorite little lakes in Yosemite

Day 29 - Albuquerque, New Mexico to Las Vegas, Nevada

We had to leave this beautiful State of New Mexico - we just love Albuquerque - and drove west on I 40 through Arizona. As soon as we crossed the state line these wonderful white puffy clouds were gone. It seems that New Mexico captured them and doesn't let them out to any other state. Off the Interstate near Flagstaff we discovered a beautiful place, Walnut Canyon, where the native Americans lived in houses built into the cliffs of the canyon. 

Later the afternoon we arrived in Nevada and drove around Lake Mead to Nellis on the northern side of Las Vegas.

Welcome to Arizona

And there was a second sign to welcome us

A tree in Walnut Canyon

Houses built into the cliffs of the canyon

Into Nevada at Hoover Dam

Lake Mead with as little water as we have ever seen it

Day 28 - A day in Albuquerque, New Mexico

We spent our day in Albuquerque, looking at this unique desert landscaping. While driving through the eastern housing areas near Sandia Crest we decided to take the Sandia Peak Tramway which took us to  the Crest, 10378 feet high. The 15 minutes ride over deep canyons had amazing views.
Later the afternoon we went to our friends Pat and Suzanne for a wonderful dinner.

This morning's sky in Albuquerque

Beautiful landscaping 

View from Sandia Crest down to Albuquerque ...

... and to the eastern side of Sandia Crest

Half the way down the Tramway at the meeting point

Flower of Cactus

And this beauty in yellow

Sandia Crest in its typical pink coloring at sunset

Evening clouds in New Mexico

Day 27 - Denver, Colorado to Albuquerque, New Mexico

We started the day hitting I 25 South - but before we did this I took an image of the NSA site at Buckley. We passed Colorado Springs but before going further south we decided to go minor roads again. Off to Hwy 160 west we went through the Colorado mountains. I can understand the welcome sign now - Colorado the Beautiful - we saw wildflowers and snow covered mountains.
Then we passed a sign to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and we took the detour. They are the highest sand dunes in the United States.
Colorado is definitely a State to come back and spent some more time than just passing through.
We then moved further south and crossed the Rio Grande at Alamosa, and than we found this Steam Engine Train, the Cumbres & Toltrec Scenic Railroad Train in Antonito right at the state line between Colorado and New Mexico.

At Buckley

Wildflowers along the road

Colorado Mountains

Mountain Range at Cuchera Pass

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Rio Grande near Alamosa

Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad at Antonito

Into New Mexico

Amazing clouds with the full moon in Albuquerque

Day 26 - Wichita, Kansas to Aurora (Denver) Colorado

We left Wichita in bright sunshine, not a single cloud on the sky, well for tonight they have the forecast of a flash flood in this area - weather seems to move fast in Kansas.
On our way west we realized these beautiful rolling hills and found a little state park with rocks looking like mushrooms. At the park a lady told me that she just saw a snake on the road in the direction we were going. We didn't see the snake, but we saw a turtle "tanning" on the road. Several cars passed by without hurting it. We stopped and put it back to the field, away from the road. Hope it got the message that the road is a dangerous place for turtles.
When we came to Colorado the sky darkened all of a sudden, my weather app showed a severe weather warning with lightning. It took us about 30 miles to get through this, lightnings all around us.

Rolling Hills in eastern Kansas

Mushroom Rock at Mushroom Rock State Park

Walkway into the Park

Turtle in the middle of the road

Back into Colorado

Day 25 - Scott, Illinois to Wichita, Kansas

Our day started going from Scott, Illinois across the state line to St. Louis across the Mississippi River. We saw the Busch Stadium and The Arch of St. Louis and crossed the Mississippi several times to find a spot to shoot this monument; finally got the best view from East St. Louis on the Illinois side of the river. We drove north along the river to see the place where both rivers Missouri and Mississippi merge to follow their route further south together. Heavy clouds joined us for most of our trip today through Missouri and part of Kansas. After a long day of driving we arrived in Wichita.
One thing I learned today, both cities, St. Louis as well as Kansas City are located right on the state line with parts of the city on either side. St. Louis is partly located in Illinois and partly in Missouri, and Kansas City is partly in Kansas and partly in Missouri. So often have I looked at maps but never realized this.

Across the Mississippi River towards downtown St. Louis

We drove by the Busch Stadium, home of the Cardinals

The Arch from one of the bridges

... and from East St. Louis in Illinois

Missouri coming in from the left, Mississippi from the right in this image

Then into Kansas at Kansas City