In the summer of 2003, Charlotte and I decided to take a trip across the country by rental car (why a rental? Don't ask--it's complicated, dull, and annoying.), stopping at various friends along the way, seeing the sights, and culminating in our annual visit to the Burningman festival in Nevada. This is the diary we kept along the way.
| Rough Itinerary | |
|---|---|
| July | |
| 14-20 | Jamestown NY |
| 20-21 | Cleveland OH |
| 21-24 | Louisville KY |
| 24-25 | Memphis TN |
| 25-26 | Hot Springs AR |
| ? | Oklahoma City OK |
| ? | Albuquerque NM |
| 30 | Taos NM |
| 31 | Mesa Verde CO |
| August | |
| ? | Grand Canyon AZ |
| 6-8 | Tucson |
| 8-10 | Phoenix AZ |
| 10-11 | Indio CA |
| 11-13 | Los Angeles CA |
| 13-16 | Yosemite CA |
| 16-24 | San Francisco CA |
| 24 | Tahoe CA |
| Reno NV | |
| 24-Sept 1 | Black Rock City NV |
| September | |
| 2 | Salt Lake City UT |
| 3-11 | ????? |
| 12 | Louisville KY |
Charlotte writes:
The sun set, bathing the nearby several thousand foot high rock faces in rich, red light. The puffy clouds were lit from behind giving them a golden halo, and filtering the sun into dappled spots on the canyon floor along the Green river. The wind rushes up across the canyon and caresses your arms and neck. Slowly the sky darkens and the contrast with the already-risen crescent moon is heightened. A faint star appears in the heavens hanging several inches down from the moon. Slowly a cricket starts to sing in the background and the only sounds for mile is the gentle rush of the wind. My shadow is crisp on the gravelly ground. Today I saw places so perfect in their beauty that I would have never believed they existed. So beautiful, that I could hardly breathe and when I did catch my breath, tears started to run down my cheeks. I can not bring that beauty back to share. May the wind caress your cheeks and may you find perfect beauty somewhere in the world and a soft goodnight kiss before you dream.....
Lotta