Yellowstone: Day 1

About a month back, my dad asked me what National Park I would like to visit most. My response was Yellowstone. So, as it turns out, he wanted to take a trip before I left for Taiwan. That is why we got up this morning for a cross country drive. A father and son trip right after Father's Day.

It is a trip that I find myself excited about, nervous for, and slightly exhausted by. I have long wished to visit Yellowstone. It seems like this place of wilderness wonder and beauty so far removed from my little corner of the world. On the other hand a trip with my father can be a daunting prospect. What to do and how to get along? I am never sure what to say to him. Then again, this is that kind of bonding trip, so prehaps words will find their way on their own. As to exhausting, it seems like my life has suddenly condensed down to where I have to plan about four trips all in the space of a few weeks. Sleep, how I miss thee.

While Sunday evening had more than a bit of bickering over what to bring, we woke this morning fairly ready to set out. After a good breakfast we got on the road. I was feeling pretty exhausted from my previous trip to Origins. I had just got home the night before after a week of barely any sleep. Needless to say, Dad was going to be doing most of the driving today.

Peoria

First we passed around Cincinnati. From there we passed through Indianapolis. I fell asleep at this point and did not even notice when we entered Illinois. We passed through Peoria and I got a nice picture of the skyline. We continued on into Iowa. There we stopped at the World's Biggest Truck Stop. I think I've seen bigger. At this point we were both getting tired of riding around so we picked a place to stop for the night near Iowa City.

The place we stopped, The Presidential Hotel, is nowhere near as grand as its name. That said, it is not bad, especially for the minimal price. Having a pretty good Mexican restaurant attached is a boon as well. It turns out to have been a wise choice, or we might have driven right into some tornadoes.

World's Largest Truck Stop

So, the day really has not been so bad. The scenery not as dull as I might have feared and the company not as rough as he can be at home. Windmills made for something fun to watch. I do not think Don Quixote would want to go tilting at these. The weather has looked grim, but we have yet to be really stormed on.

There have only been two real snags. The first being that the CD's for learning Mandarin I picked up require you to use the workbook with them, so I can only study when I am not the one driving. The far more worrying one, however, is that I apparently did not grab the charger for my camera. The thing does not have the greatest battery life and it has been a while since it was charged up. So I fear I will either have to buy a charger or a disposable digital camera before this trip is over.

So that sums up the start to this grand adventure. As long as I can gain net access I will keep up posts of the trip. I think that a lot of it will have to wait until once I have returned though.