We didn't even need a card from Gramma this year to remind us that it was our wedding anniversary. Which, since none of you lame-o's remembered, if you're feeling guilty and all, I've taken the liberty to do the research. The traditional gift is Bronze. The modern gift for lucky numero ocho is linens. Which I find amusing, because I've got my linens from our wedding now. Perhaps 8 years is a good indicator to re-stock my linens. Good point anniversary-theme-establisher guy. Good point.
We spent our anniversary hunting for Arches in Moab, Utah. You know. Those pretty red sandstone arches that make incredible photographs. In every photograph I've seen, it looks like they are in the flat desert land. Oh no, in carrying on our forced-theme, indeed, you pay to get into the park - the lowest point of the place and a mere 4000 ft. elevation (yes, I just checked) - slightly shy of that Mile Highness. And then trek your car straight up the side of a mountain and climb climb climb. The highest point, I'm sure we didn't make it to, but we got close, is 5,600 ft. And nothing says Elevation like U2 or the cyclists we saw - and maybe just a little pointed and laughed at it - but just a little bit. What a climb!
Also, you have to park, and get out and walk to these Arches. Why I thought we could just drive through like a safari, I don't know. But we went with it. I was pretty proud of myself for not making the family find every single Arch. We took our time, and I took all my pictures, and we had fun. The kids, after the Grand Canyon, then the river rafting ride, weren't really impressed that erosion over 300 million years made these incredible perfectly sculpted arches. They spotted a lizard at the first stop. And from that moment on, I hunted Arches, the kids hunted lizards. Everyone was happy.
Once we walked a trail and came up on an Arch, the kids were proportionally awed as they were with the Grand Canyon. For the Grand Canyon, it was about 10 minutes of glee. The Arches, probably 2 minutes. And then off to find more lizards.
I'm not sure what's more impressive about the Arches Park, the very fact that just like the Grand Canyon, you can not conceive the enormity of these Arches unless you're standing in front of them, or the abrupt change in landscaping. There's mountains, then moonrock mounds, then red sandtone peaks. I tried to get it all here:
I'm no geologist, or anything -ist, actually, but it's simply amazing.
After all that, we headed toward home - to Denver. We stayed with one of my all-time favorite peeps: Coach. I'm still hoping it's not some kind of NCAA violation for Lucy to play for Coach, but we'll see. On our way to Denver, what with it being our anniversary and all that time in the car to talk about our feelings, Ricardo and I discovered something about each other that we never knew before. Eight years married, and he never knew I crossed my sevens. And it turns out he crosses his zeroes.
We probably never would have known, or maybe noticed such a trivial detail about each other had we not battled 2,000 (out of a total 2,700) miles of mountain passes. Did you know that the entire state of Colorado on I-70 is mountain passes? Neither did we, until we drove it.
I decided how Denver was settled. The westward movers got to those mountains, and said, "Eff that Bob. We're opening up shop right here." Our drive home on the last day was relief, because everything east of Denver is flat. Nothing makes you appreciate home more than a long road trip. God bless our flat, low elevation, Midwest, football freakshow, miles and miles of cornfields home.
If I had it to do again, I sure would. The kids would too. it was worth every barf bucket and dollar spent. I really think we did it right. I highly recommend it.
That's how we roll.... 2,700 miles at a time.
