To Dinosaur Monument

[Mr. Author]

Current Location: Red Roof Inn, Smyrna, Georgia

I'm on my way to Dinosaur National Monument instead of Austrailia, since the monument is cheaper. Most of today was done driving. And driving some more.

This is the first time since I was around nine or so that I've gone on a trip like this, and I have to say I remember why.

It's very, very [i]boring[/i].

Is it just me, or are there more tractor-trailers and eighteen wheelers than there used to be on these Interstate higways? It use to be a rare event, one you got all excited for and happily bounced in your seat, trying to get the driver to use his horn...but now, if I still got just as excited, I'd be giddy the whole trip.

And so it goes.

We passed some place called Locust Grove, which is a lovely name for a town, by the way, and drove by a van marked "Groome Transport." Apparently, they make nineteen trips a day between Morrow and Warner Robins. Wouldn't you just love that job?

Ah, well. I see by the old clock on the wall that it's durn near time for, well....Time Squad. Better get going.

[Mr. Author]

Current Location: Sleep Inn, Topeka, Kansas

There truly [i]is[/i] nothing in Kansas, but that would imply that nothing is something. There are no sights, no neat little stopoffs....nothing. Oh, I'm certain there is, but I just haven't seen it.

One thing I've noticed, however, is rocks. Mostly in the southern states. In Florida, there's lots of water and trees and so forth, but in Georgia and Kentucky and those other states, you get rocks. Not mountains (those are there too), but rocks. Big, freestanding rocks just there with no applicable reason.

Tomorrow I'll hopefully be in Utah or Colorado. Either one is fine. Just as long as it isn't Kansas.

[Mr. Author]

Current Location: Denver, Colorado, La Quinta Inn

I slept most of Friday, so there isn't much to report.

We stopped on the Denver side of the Rockies with the assumption that we'll make it through today. The trees on this side seem well watered, as they should be on this side of a rain-shadow desert.

[Mr. Author]

Current Location: Best Western Dinosaur Inn, Vernal, Utah

We arrived in Dinosaur today and took some photos. After that, we headed up to the monument itself and the quarry. Not many people can spend two hours looking at vaguely bone-shaped rocks and be excited, but we can't all be perfect.

There's an interesting thing to note around here. Dinosaur statues. Bad ones. And they're [i]everywhere[/i]. In any other town than this, they'd be an eyesore, but here....well, they're accepted. They're absolutely awful. I'll have to take some photos of them.

Tomorrow we're headed back up to the monument to poke around for some lizards, though it may be a little cold for them.

[Mr. Author]

Current Location: Still in Vernal

Went back to the monument today and took a look at the petroglyphs. Lovely pieces of art available for free and to look at to your heart's content.

I did get a little upset when I noted someone's [i]name[/i] on the rocks between and [i]over[/i] an otherwise beautiful carving.

I swear, if I ever find out who this Roy (illegible) is, I'll smack him really, really hard. And then kick his shins for good measure.

We wandered around in the desert for a while, until Terry got bored and we had to head back. It started to rain on the way, and the rest of the day was spent in the hotel room, where there are heaters.

We did go to the museum that's right next door, though. They've got a lot of those really bad dinosaur sculptures (though they're much better than the others around here), and an almost complete diplodocus skeleton cast (some tail bones are missing to make room for it inside the building).

[Mr. Author]

Once out of Vernal, we debated on whether to go to the Swetsville Zoo at Ft. Collins in Colorado or not, but we decided against it. Good thing too, as we discovered that moments after we got out of Colorado, they were hit with very bad weather.

On the trip down the mountain, we were moving about ten miles an hour (16 km) or so when we lost control of the car. We skidded a fari distance before we were stopped by the buildup of snow underneath the car just mere steps from the dropoff, where the railing didn't protect us. Apparently, such things happen often, and some locals were on the scene to push us free.

We headed down to Texas after that, to check out Palo Duro canyon. Miles of falt land, then suddenly, boom, canyon. We spotted a few lizards and headed off to see relatives.

I was grimly reminded of who I'm related to as I listened to my aunt tell me about one cousin's desire to get a mullet haircut whil sitting between two dogs named Daisy and Duke. At least my other cousins were pretty cool. We rented Escaflowne the Movie and created some new anime fans before leaving.

Louisiana is just one big swamp. Most of the Interstate is on a raised section of road, and the rest is on an artificial dirt mound to keep it from sinking.

Oh, well. I'm back in Florida, with its humidity and loack of free-standing rocks. I may move out there one day, but until then, I'm happy right here.

[goodmangames]

I lived in California for three years and somehow never made it to Vernal, but I always wanted to go. It sounds like a fun trip. I've seen pictures of the bad dinosaur statues before... and yes, they ARE bad! But at least they don't have mullets.

[Mr. Author]

Eesh, you got that right. You know, just yesterday I answered somebody's question as to why you put bacon grease in a shotgun if you're using rock salt as ammo in a pipe rifle.

Then I explained how youmake a pipe rifle.

Man, I feel so....I dunno.......Southern, I guess.