Coast to coast: Page 3

Windmill blade, OR

On the drive from Portland to Boise I saw quite a few trucks carrying huge windmill blades like this one. I also passed a few wind farms, which is a good sign for clean, renewable energy. The drive to Boise was pretty boring, staying mostly in high desert conditions and not many cars around. The drive took me through Oregon and into Idaho.

Capital building, Boise, ID

Coming into Boise and getting to see all my buddies from college was great. I stayed with Devon, Eric, Jocelyn and Porter. I was also able to see Jeff, Sarah and Garrett and Leslie and Audrey. We all hung out quite a bit, had a BBQ and had a good time. I didn't get to see John and Leah, which is a bummer. I also saw my friend Elise, who just moved there from Missoula and is now working at the Boise Statesman. She and I checked out the town, went to the mall and had some ice cream ... mmm.

Jocelyn feeding Garrett, Boise, ID

I stayed a few days in Boise and made some final decisions on my route to the east coast. In the end, I decided to go straight through Wyoming and not go through Yellowstone, like I had considered doing. And I know Lea, Tony and Stephen are never going to forgive me! I had already driven more than 1,000 miles and I had 2,500 more to go! I was already tired of driving by this point. So, on Aug. 25, I started to head east yet again.

Desert landscape, WY

If I thought I was going to hit some new and different landscapes after leaving Boise, I was dead wrong. The next day's driving took me through southeastern Idaho, across the corner of Utah and through Wyoming - and it was high-desert the whole way! The above picture shows what the whole trip looked like. Actually, this picture is pretty exciting compared to what I saw. It also shows the dark clouds that started to form about halfway across Wyoming. By the end of that day's journey, there was thunder and lightning everywhere - and I mean everywhere. It was coming from every direction, and the rain was falling very hard and fast.

Outdoor concert in Cheyenne, WY

I ended the day's driving in Cheyenne, Wyo. I was planning on camping across the country, but the rain was so intense - and more was expected - that I decided to take a cheap hotel room. Cheyenne was a little country town that was pretty dead. If I remember right, I was there on a Friday night and the entire downtown was empty. I found this outdoor music show on the outskirts of downtown, and decided to stop, have a beer and enjoy the music. The band played only covers and wasn't very good. I stayed for a while, and then headed back to get some sleep because I was leaving early the next morning.