Now that I've caught up on sleep, it's time to tell you about the rest of my road trip. The motivation for this trip was presenting a paper at the American Astronomical Society summer meeting in Minneapolis. Spent some time meeting new people, getting new teaching ideas, catching up with my old friend Kisha, who is having great success. But the best part of my stay was exploring the city at night with Ravi and Joe. We were all of the same mindset - the best way to get to know a ciy is to see it on foot. We walked several miles each night before settling down to dinner. This was my first visit to the Twin Cities, and I loved the area. Lush foliage, active downtowns, Hell's Kitchen, a looming cathedral, and the Mississippi River. (And, although I hate having my picture taken, Ravi insisted upon one for context):

I enjoyed my stay so much that I was sorry to leave, but eager to get on with the rest of my trip. My trip back took me through Iowa again, and I've decided that their inhumane 65 mph speed limit is partially mitigated by the free wireless access at their rest areas. In Des Moines, I caught I-80 West towards Nebraska. I spent the night in Lincoln, where a loud, raucous, typical Great Plains thunderstorm woke me up in the middle of the night. This part of the country is much as I remember - pastoral and flat!

At the western edge of Nebraska, I caught Interstate 76 and headed towards Boulder, CO. Ominous dark sky awaited me, making the road to Boulder look like the path to Mt. Doom. The rain lasted for the day and a half that I was in Boulder, thwarting my desire to go back to Rocky Mountain National Park, but my dear friend Philip and his wonderful girlfriend Faith allowed me to stay with them and their lovely kitty and freakishly fun dog. One of the best parts of this trip was staying up into the wee hours talking to Phil, whom I just don't see nearly often enough. Thanks again for your gracious hospitality, guys!

On the way down Interstate 25 to Santa Fe, I stopped off for a brief hike at the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. No images can do it justice, but here's one of my sad attempts:

I arrived in Santa Fe in time for a late dinner, which is why I wanted to overnight there. I had some good food on this trip, but I missed my spicy southwestern cuisine! I got a seat at the railing at Coyote Cantina where the chicken and chorizo enchiladas were exactly what I needed, as was the pleasant evening air, sunset views, and conversation with a couple from West Hollywood, bemoaning the lack of southwestern food in Los Angeles. After a bubble bath, good night's sleep, and a turquoise anklet from one of the Pueblo vendors, I headed home to Tempe and treasuring time spent with my Greg.

It's hard to describe the feelings I experience driving across country. The scenery is so lovely and varied, the people all so nice...I feel full of love of country. In a ten-day period, I was in ten of the fifty states. I can't wait to get back on the road and see more!