We left Vermont in search of the season's last snow and returned with a revived appreciation of our country. We drove more miles in a week than anyone should ever take on. We violated the cardinal rule of travel by zooming through amazing park after amazing park without stopping to sop up the deliciousness. And yet we managed to discover so much and rallied a love that refuses to perish.

Final Stats: 6400 miles, 8 days, 3 days snowboarding on 3 separate mountain ranges, 15 states, way too many hours of driving, 3 nights camping, 2 nights sleeping in the car, one Orwell Memorial Day parade, and one couple that rediscovered their country and themselves.

Here the trip in one post.

ESSAY: A Road Trip of Rediscovery

A little farther down I80, we screamed out onto the Bonneville Salt Flats and were completely awestruck. The spectacle of pure, flat plains of white stretching out in all directions is something that has no equal in my memory bank. The phrase, "I wasn't expecting this at all" kept creeping into my head and I started to question my views on this trip and the country as a whole. Obviously, I have heard of the Bonneville Salt Flats. I am a slight fan of speed and absolutely loved the the movie, "The World's Fastest Indian". But like many of the amazing places in America, I have been complacent about its existence. Seeing it in the movies and knowing that it was in my backyard seemed adequate enough, I didn't need to seek it out for the in person experience. I was wrong, like most things of grandeur you need to see them first hand to fully appreciate the beauty and majesty. Jen didn't know it at the time and honestly I probably didn't either, but at this point we set out to see as much of America as possible while getting in a few days of snowboarding along the way.

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Photo Posts

Head West Young Man (and Woman)

I smiled and laughed to myself, the trip had just started and we were already behind schedule. I was sitting on the orange line of Boston's T, heading out to Stoneham Ford to pick up the Fiesta. I laughed because the adventure was underway and there was no reason to stress. This is the journey. Photos only for now, text laters...

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Snowbird Photo Post

We arrived in the Snowbird parking with a sense of accomplishment and relief. We left Vermont at 9 pm on Friday evening and showed up in Utah a mere 41 hours later. We were sort of rested from our car based slumber in Cheyenne and mostly clean from the fine water of Little America. Excitement quickly wiped away all other feelings, we were not just here to visit, we were here to snowboard in May. Epic.

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Utah to Mammoth via Reno Photo Post

When we started dreaming up this trip, the primary driving force was snowboarding. We set out to ride as much terrain as possible in a relatively short clip of time. Somewhere along the line, the riding became a secondary player and the vast countryside of the America took the lead.

I stand here with my hand up, admitting my guilt to the world. For all my travel and supposed culture, I had become complacent and under appreciative of my homeland. This trip has ignited an interest and a desire for further exploration. More to come.

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Mammoth Photo Post

After a long and spectacular day of driving from Reno to Mammoth, we were greeted with sleet/rain/horizontal wind at the ski area. It was 1 pm and like a true east coaster, I waited it out. Things looked better at 2, so away I went to get my 2 hours of fun in. Unfortunately the management of Mammoth had other plans and informed me that their hours had recently changed to 7:30-2pm. Skunked.

We returned today to gorgeous weather and prime spring snow. Sensationally sensational.

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Mammoth to Zion via In N Out Burger Photo Post

With the adrenline still flowing from an epic day of riding at Mammoth, Jen and I saddled up the Fiesta and departed the pomp of Mammoth Lakes. The trip's focus had shifted from riding as much as possible to rediscovering the grandeur and beauty of our homeland. With this in mind, we charted a course for one of the most beautiful national parks in the country.

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Zion Photos Only

I have been hearing tales of Zion National Park for many years now. It seems to be universally praised by the well traveled. Our original plan did not allow time or proximity to visit the park. However as we progressed across the land, our focus has shifted slightly. This opened up a window of opportunity to visit the famous spectacle of geological wonders. These are the photos minus text. Enjoy.

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Zion to A-Basin

It took a bit of effort to pull away from Zion and concentrate on the long drive to Colorado. Both Jen and I were completely blown away by the scale and beauty of the landscape. There is little doubt that we will spend an extended stretch in southern Utah at some point.

We drove up old 89 to see a bit more of the countryside. It is amazing that you can start the day in amber colors of Utah and end in the snow of Colorado.

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A-Basin

We went from 90F to 28F in a few hours. The temperature and the snow/rain drove us into a hotel for the evening in Frisco. The full night of rest did us well and we made it to A-Basin early in the morning. The difference in weather was as striking as the change in atmosphere from the other ski areas. It was nice to get away from the scene and get back to a more Vermont feel. Unfortunately the weather changed to match as well. Epic greybird with ample rain to greet the weary travelers. We trooped on and were rewarded with a parting in the clouds.

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