Cross Country Road Trip Recap

I was planning on writing a big recap after the trip, but I've been pretty busy, and honestly not sure what more to write that I haven't said already.  Although I've had vacations that were more relaxing, or fun, or cultural, this is definitely up there with the most personally rewarding trips I've ever taken.  I think contributing to this is that I planned almost the entire thing myself, the activities and sites were so varied, there was a sense of accomplishment (the distance involved, the planning required, the strenuousness of the hikes, etc) and that it happened during a major transition point in my life.

A special shoutout goes to Mr. Kolko for taking two weeks off from work to travel through the middle of nowhere, splitting expenses and driving responsibilities, and hooking me up with baller hotel stays.  Although I actually really did enjoy the few days I had on my own, especially some solo hiking, I would have gone insane from boredom on the road if I was traveling alone, and all of the other activities wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable or memorable either.  Also, very glad that Mark and Tom were able to make it to Vegas to help me end my trip on a fun note.  And finally, thank you to Honda for making a car that even after 13 years was able to handle a cross country road trip without breaking down in the middle of the desert.

And just because I like pointless stats and lists, here are my random stats and favorite and least favorite aspects of the trip.  Honorable Mentions are listed in italics on the lists at the bottom.  If anyone still reads this and has any additional superlatives or stats I should throw in, feel free to post it in the comment section.  Either way, I'll probably add more stuff later if I think of fun categories. 

Days: 20
States: 15
Miles: 4,705

Citrix Comped Hotel Nights: 8 
Paid Hotels Nights: 6
Camping Nights: 5

Ballparks: 3
Amusement Parks: 1
Museums Dedicated to Corn and/or Spam: 2
National Parks: 6
National Monuments: 2 (Devils Tower, Jewel Cave)
National Memorials: 1 (Mt Rushmore)

Approximate Miles Hiked (organized trails): 36+
Gas Expense: Don't want to think about it
Motorcycles Seen: Millions
Times Pulled Over: 1

Favorite
Meal: Tamari in Pittsburgh; Fiddler's Roof in South Bend, IN and Perkins in Rapid City, SD
Bar: Church Brew Works, Longbranch in Pierre, SD
Ballpark: Wrigley Field
National Park: Arches; Zion
Hike: Angels Landing in Zion
Highway Drive: I-70 in Colorado
City: Denver; Chicago
Random Stop: Spam Museum; Notre Dame Stadium and Football Jesus
Hotel Employee: Girl at Rodeway Inn desk (mostly b/c she was hot)

Least Favorite
Meal: Our breakfast attempt at the Custer Campground
Hike: Devils Kitchen in Colorado National Monument (still enjoyable, but more boring than the others, and no great payoff at the end)
Highway Drive: 8.5 hrs from Hoover Dam to LA; Minnesota, Eastern South Dakota, and Wyoming for its boringness; From Kadoka to Pierre and back b/c of its pointlessness
Hotel Employee: Old Man at Dakota Inn in Kadoka (mostly b/c he was insane and a big stupid jerk)