Hittin' the Road

This week I'm busy preparing for my next adventure: A week-long road trip to Flagstaff! (There's a cool science writing conference there, so I'm making a trip out of the deal.)

It's a twelve-hour drive from Fort Collins to Flagstaff, so at first I thought about flying. However, is it just me, or are plane tickets more expensive, with less convenient itineraries, these days? Maybe I'm curmudgeonly because I've been searching for flights to Rome for months, and I can't find anything much under $1000, and I've pretty much given up.

Anyway, Flagstaff is not Rome, but it does involve traveling to a place I've never really been. (I was there as a kid, but I don't remember it well.) And, when I pulled out my old paper atlas to take a peek at the route, I saw a collection of amazing cities: Moab, Durango, Sedona, Santa Fe. There are actually three fantastic route options from Fort Collins, and it was hard to decide. In the end, I chose to hit Moab on the way there, camping at Arches National Park. On my return, I'll camp at the Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, which is supposed to be stunning. While there, I'll visit Sedona for some hiking and biking.

In Flagstaff, I'm sharing a room with a freelance writer who lives on a small farm in Vermont. I can't wait to meet her and hear about her life.  Also, the conference gets great reviews! (I occasionally supplement my literary writing with freelance work, and I'd like to break into the science market.)

So, I'm itching to go! On the road, I love to walk into cafes (or bars, if I'm in the mood) and strike up conversations with random people. I can almost always find common ground with strangers, and I dig people's stories. This trip is just what I need right now. I'm gonna listen to lots of good music while I drive, and I'll also take pictures, which I'll post when I return. Here's to the joys of ongoing adventure...