Road Trips. Ya Gotta Love 'Em.

In March of 2014, me and my friend, Brittany, went on a road trip. It was our first official vacation where we were completely on our own. It was kind of a big step for us, and definitely a learning experience. We drove from her dorm room in Manhattan, Kansas to Denver.
The trip started with my family traveling the four hour journey to Brittany's on an early Friday morning. It was a run of the mill drive there filled with gas station pizza, sketchy restrooms, and more road kill than I'd like to remember, but it was fun none the less.
We met my friend in a Wal-Mart parking lot, and I parted ways with my family. After eating way too much pasta at Noodles and Company, Brittany and I, spent some time going over our plans and packing her Jeep with more things and do-dads then we could have possibly needed. We went to bed knowing by that time tomorrow we'd be able to see the mountains.

The following morning, we grabbed our noodle leftovers out of the mini-fridge and set off an adventure. The sun was blinding and we were experiencing some minor car issues, but we pressed on. Nothing short of divine intervention could have stopped us at that point.
 If you've ever traveled I-70 through the state of Kansas, you know that there's not typically too much to look at. So we decided to make a few detours along the way.

We took a little trip down a scenic route about and hour or two outside of Manhattan, and we were not disappointed. It was one of those beautiful places that a picture can never truly do justice for. The rolling hills and steep valleys were stunning.

Our second detour was to Lucas, Kansas to see The Garden of Eden. It was closed at the time so we just drove around it and looked at all of the amazing albeit slightly strange art. Personally, I love places like this. One of a kind, that's for sure.
After our first two detours we traveled for quite awhile with nothing to look at other than the prairie. And let me tell ya, huge expanses of nothingness are about as exciting as they sounds.

Eventually, we started to see the wind farms that western Kansas is known for. They were surprisingly awesome. To see so many giant wind turbines and to know that they are providing energy is pretty cool.
It was about this time in the trip that we started to get a little bored. Traveling through that kind of terrain is like watching a cartoon western with a rotating sheet of scenery in the background. It can get a little dull. We knew it was just a waiting game though. Soon we'd be able to see the mountains.

There's something so wild feeling about the Rockies. I don't know if it's the jagged edges or just the sheer size of them, but it's definitely something everyone needs to see at least once in their lives. When the mountains first came into view, I'd be lying if I said I didn't jump up and down in my seat. It renewed our road trips spirits.
The trip seemed to move faster from there on out. Before we knew it we were checking into our hotel, and readying ourselves to explore the city the next day. It was an amazing experience, and to experience it with my best friend is all I could ask for in an adventure.