Road Trip Out West - We're Here!

Well.... we didn't have any internet access for the rest of the trip so we're here! We made it to California!!! After visiting with our friends in Nashville, TN we made our way to Dallas, TX. The drive there was very pleasant and fairly easy. We were in Dallas, TX by around 5pm and stayed with our friends Chase and Elizabeth. It was a great time to catch up with them and to hang out since it had been 2 years since I had last seen Elizabeth. We played a game of settlers, sampled Elizabeth's wonderful cake, and then went off to bed. We got an early start the next morning for our long trip to Tuscon, AZ. We left Dallas, TX around 6:30am. It was a long drive and I learned a very interesting fact too.... everyone in Texas drives a white truck. I also pulled over for the first time.... it was terrible... luckily I only got a warning. We passed many desolate looking areas as well as driving extremely close to the Mexico border which was pretty interesting too! We finally made it to Tuscon, AZ at James' Aunt and Uncles house where there was cactus plants, mountains, and warm weather. It was lovely. We had a great time hanging out with James' family. We went hiking up bear mountain the next day, and saw Tuscon wild west style at a themed dinner area. It was so much fun and James' family is amazing! Lots of fun!

On Friday we took off from Tucson, AZ at 6:30 to visit the Sadona and the Grand Canyon and camp there for a night. The drive was very pretty with many cactus plants, mountains, and sun. Seeing the scenery change as the land elevation changed was amazing. Sadona was a beautiful red rock area. We hiked in Sadona and then went into they're shopping area. It was absolutely wonderful and beautiful. We stopped at a cafe for lunch to split a sandwich and homemade slice of apple pie. It was great! Then it was off to the Grand Canyon. We made it there by 4pm and we were able to get one of the last camp sites at the national park. So we set up our tent and sleeping bags and then headed to the lookout point to get a view of the Grand Canyon at sunset. It was breath taking! I couldn't believe how amazing the canyon was!!! I loved it and how the mountains themselves looked painted. It is truly a lovely sight well worth the drive. The only part that I didn't enjoy was James pretended to jump off the cliff.

That night we cooked hot dogs on an open fire and went to bed in our tent. The Grand Canyon is really rocky and cold. So next time I would bring a mattress pad and warmer clothes. It was a beautiful night to sit by the fire and look at the stars. We awoke the next morning and make breakfast on the campfire. Then we hit the showers and took to the trails. We hiked down a beautiful trail that if we had more time to continue on the trail it would have taken us down to the bottom of the canyon. But the part we did was a great workout and was quite amazing. After the hike we drove on to California. The drive was really boring and there was literally nothing in between flagstaff and the Bristol, CA. It was so strange. But then the city life began to pick up as we drove closer to the LA area. It was a tough drive but we're here and staying with our friends Amy and Joel. We'll go to church with them tomorrow and then it is off to apartment hunt. I'm so excited to get out,look around, and to find a place to call home. Well that was a brief summary of our road trip.... it could be awhile before we get our apartment and are able to upload the photos but maybe we'll post our video soon once James finishes editing it. It was a great trip and our friends and family made the trip a wonderful memory! Praise God for getting us here safely... now to just find an apartment and jobs :)