Epilogue

We drove 8400 miles in 28 days through 21 states. Actually it was that plus two miles to be precise. For relative comparisons, we could have driven from San Francisco to New York three times and it would have been about the same distance. I’m ambitious but this was a crazy.

But, you know what? We did it. And I set out on this trip to give my son a gift of memories that will stay with him for a lifetime. I did something that I never do. I stopped working and devoted that time to my son.

I’ll forever remember Adler’s emotional goodbye to Lisa when we began the journey and his longing to see her again. The bond between a mother and child is strong and special. This is something that a father cannot relate to. We serve different purposes in a child’s life.

I’m thankful that after driving more than 8000 miles, and most of them fast, I didn’t get a single speeding ticket nor was I pulled over once. I came close on the final leg home but the highway patrol officer changed his mind and turned around after ten miles of trailing me. Somehow I escaped the web of state troopers in Washington. That state really needs to lighten up on their enforcement of speeding laws.

The iPad was both a blessing and a curse. More than anything it provided Adler an escape from the road. The Inventioneers game lasted the entire trip. It was his alternative universe that made those drives so much shorter than they actually were. Adler predictably grew tired of the game around hour five at which point he would commence his interrogation of dad with endless questions.

Nobody got hurt or sick on this trip (that I’ve written about so far). There was an accident that occurred at the Best Western in Lake Powell Arizona. That was the day that Adler and I had our picnic by the pool. I stepped onto the top step of the pool ladder and it spun freely under me. The step was either installed incorrectly or was broken. All of my weight shifted and my body torqued around in an ugly corkscrew motion as I tried to brace myself from falling. This did immediate damage to my lower back. The hotel manager was not on duty that day but I filed an incident report expecting some type of communication or instructions for how to seek medical treatment. While I was doing so the hotel remove the ladder. After that did the hotel ever respond? No. Did I accept the invitation to complete the online guest satisfaction survey that was emailed to me? Absolutely. Did they ever contact me or apologize? No. FUCK BEST WESTERN.

We lucked out with the weather. I had originally planned to make the trip in clockwise direction because that's what you do in the Northern hemisphere, right? But after reviewing the schedule I realized that this would have meant wrapping up the trip in the desert--in July. When we sat at our hotel eating breakfast in Gillette WY and saw the weather report for the country I knew we’d made the right call. Did we miss out on a bunch of activities in Chicago due to the rain and fog? Yes, but Adler is already planning a return trip to the windy city but this time by plane.

In today's digital world (ironically where this trip is memorialized) and fast moving culture we generally rely on aviation to get from point A to point B. But taking the road less traveled exposed us to everything we wouldn’t have otherwise seen or the people we wouldn’t have otherwise meet. A lot can be said about the efficiencies of air travel but we had a far richer experience given that we drove. We did it the slow way, the better way, and that made all the difference.

Since we’ve been back many have asked what the best part of the trip was. This is a hard question to answer because we saw and did so much. You can’t compare apples and oranges. But here’s my list in no particular order:

The people--without a doubt the people made this adventure so much better. They were the supporting cast of characters on this otherwise father and son motion picture. The friends and family that we know shared their warmth, generosity, and love. The strangers met us with genuine interest and astonishment about what we were doing. We listened to their recommendations and were exposed to so many new things because of these unexpected interactions.

I wish to return to Bryce Canyon in the winter. I want to see the hoodoos transformed under a blanket of snow and experience the sterile aroma of winter in this alien place and explore much more than my traveling partner was willing to do this time around. Similarly, Adler wasn’t up to hiking around Arches National Park and I hope that we can return when he’s older and have a new adventure at this ever changing location. I would schedule another visit when it’s less hot and more conducive to hiking in the desert.

Carlsbad Cavern felt like an unofficial wonder of the world. It was a religious experience that leaves you humbled in awe of nature. One visit was enough for me because I left with such powerful visual memories. It’s tough to think about returning other than to take Lisa here and share the experience with her.

Adler’s favorite memory (if you ask him) was riding in the helicopter over the Grand Canyon. As I remember it he was more relieved to be back on the ground after the flight. But a HELICOPTER ride has a coolness factor that can’t be surpassed especially when telling friends. But what really kept him going more than anything (other than the stupid iPad) were the penny machines that we encountered at most of our destinations. Insert two quarters and a shiny penny into the machine. Crank the handle round and round. Out drops your penny squished flat into an oval shape with a chosen image imprinted into the metal. When the trip was over Adler had collected sixteen of these pennies and I bought him a penny passport where he’s stored them and shared them with others.  

My favorite memory of the trip was neither a destination nor a place. For me, the best part of the trip was throwing a Frisbee with Adler in Yellowstone Park and seeing the big smile on his face. For him it was the two of us isolated from the world. Our location was irrelevant. He was happy just being there with me as was evident by the joy on his face. Did I need to drive 8400 miles to make this memory? I don’t know the answer to that question. But the journey was worth it to discover. That’s what I’ll cherish most—a moment when nothing else existed for Adler save for a cheap plastic disc and someone he loves to throw with.

Consider these the photos that roll during the credits. The "outtakes" so to speak...

Showgirls, "Can we take a picture with your son?"
Dad, "NO, he's six-years-old."

How close to the camera can he get?

You can make a chair out of anything!

Kim Kardashian at Arches National Park

Do not defecate on the floor.

Adler's Indian name was Stinky Foot.

Do not defecate in the shower. 

Goofy mouse.

Nice butt!

Adler goofy at Adler's. 

Quacky duck outside the Peabody. 

Who knows?!?

Striking a pose at the Adler Planetarium.

Just being silly.

And more silly. 

Not a happy camper. 

Walking like who knows what?!?

Goofy tongue.

Screaming at the camera.

First 3D movie. 

Who's tired?

Day 28: Mt. Hood > Crater Lake > Home

This morning it was hard to say good-bye. Adler had enjoyed Etta's company and the evening before so much that I let the playtime continue before getting on the road by 10 am which was later than we normally departed. Etta was with her father on the road waving to Adler as we drove to Crater Lake. But we made a quick detour and drove to the water's edge at Timothy Lake because the weather was warm and there wasn't a cloud to be seen in the sky. This meant that we finally could enjoy the view of Mt. Hood.

Timothy Lake with Mt. Hood behind

We had a four hour drive through Oregon before arriving at Crater Lake. This took us from the forest into the flat plains of central Oregon where you can look in basically any direction and see some of the tall mountains that reach toward the sky. Behind us was Mt. Hood and to our right were the Three Sisters. Everything was still capped with white snow and provided a distraction from the monotonous flats cape.

We made our way up the road to Crater Lake and entered the national park. The lake is surreal and possesses a cobalt blue color that I'd never seen before. The water is amazingly clear which allows the sunlight to penetrate the water depths creating the impressive blue color. I wanted to swim in the lake. Adler initially did to but later changed his mind. This was about the time that he proposed a compromise. He only wanted to make three more vista points stops before driving to our final campground near Klammath Falls. We were both tired and this trip had taken its toll. It seemed better that we leave Crater Lake and make the seven hour drive home today. While this suggestion created sadness and disappointment in Adler, I dangled a "carrot" and told him that if we got home today that we could go to grandma's house in Hollister on the 4th of July and do fireworks. Sold! That was all that I needed to erase the disappointment from his voice with the expectation of a different type of adventure and something that he longed to do. Light fireworks!

And we did arrive home just as expected at 9 pm to the open arms of mom and long embraces. There was the comfort of being in a familiar place again as I climbed into my own bed that night. Much rest is needed now. One final post will sum up the trip and the lessons learned...

Snow never lost its novelty on this trip

Crater Lake

A much welcomed sign!
We're so close to home. 

Day 27: Seattle > Mt. Hood

Almost four weeks into the road trip we made our final turn south and oriented the car toward home. We had two places that we intended to see in Oregon before making one last marathon drive to Pleasant Hill. The first was Mt. Hood and while, you can't actually camp on Mt. Hood we'd made reservations at the Hoodview Campground on Timothy Lake which was to provide us with amazing views of the mountain. The day that we drove there it was overcast and grey and the mountain was hidden from our view. The wind whipped across the lake in a blistering fashion. We could have been back in Chicago along Lake Michigan. It was cold. Most of the campsites were burning fires in the early afternoon just trying to stay warm.


It was a few days before the 4th of July and the campground was filled with families spending the week here fishing, boating, biking and just doing things in the wilderness. As with any camping spot the first thing that we did was setup our tent and get the air mattresses filled and sleeping bags and pillows inside. Shortly thereafter, Adler announced that he wanted to lay down and asked me to join him. I tried to take a nap but he kept talking every few minutes. This wasn’t working so we got out of the tent and a young girl named Etta from the campsite adjacent to ours introduced herself to Adler. Etta was five and a half years old. Just as he'd done with Connor in Minnesota he bonded immediately to Etta and they went running and playing in the forest. The two went for a walk together alone by the lake shore and upon their return Adler exaggerated the distance of their hike when he said that, “We'd walked a half mile.” They were inseparable for the rest of the day. And after we finished our dinner Adler and I walked to their campsite for s'mores and campfire stories. Although their friendship was harmless and platonic this didn’t stop Etta’s older sister and cousins from teasing that the two were already engaged. Perhaps they’ll meet again in twenty years and a romance could blossom. The photo of the two of them sure looks like there is something special. They were the best of friends and this was something needed after spending a month with your dad. 

Tree pose on a tree

Adler and Etta

Just being a kid!

S'more!

Day 26: Seattle

There were multiple instances on this trip when we Adler and I disagreed about what we should do and he'd remind me, "This isn't Dad's American Road Trip it is ADLER'S AMERICAN ROAD TRIP!" For our second full day in Seattle I let him choose what we did. I presented him with two options: the Seattle Aquarium or the Pacific Science Center. After describing what we would see at both locations he selected the Pacific Science Center. I purchased tickets online. Then he promptly changed his mind. Typical of Adler but too late. We were going to the Pacific Science Center.

For those that haven't been to PCS it is similar to San Francisco's Exploratorium. There is underlying science presented in a fun way that allows children to interact with the exhibits. While the Exploratorium can be enjoyed by children of all ages it felt like the Pacific Science Center was geared more for a six-year-old. And considering that this was HIS trip, this was perfect. Adler ran from exhibit to exhibit lead only by his curiosity where he pushed, pulled, smelled, touched and stimulated all of his senses.

An exhibit about air pressure
also blows hair really well 

Hanging like a monkey!

When purchasing our tickets I'd reserved seats for the planetarium show. This was a proper planetarium with a domed ceiling but small in diameter. It almost felt like a living room with couches lining the walls. It intimacy allowed interaction with the presenter and the audience could affect the presentation. Adler demonstrated that he retained the astronomy lesson from Alice's Montessori when he correctly located things like the Big Dipper and North Start. We also learned how to identify some of the lesser known constellations in the northern hemisphere.

He chose pizza for lunch. I found a place called Rocco's that was close enough for us to walk. Quaint, quirky and hip would all describe this restaurant that devotes as much attention to pizza as it does to spirits and cocktails. We ordered the Caesar salad that Adler described as ranch dressing with anchovies--not up to his expectations. Then he enjoyed a slice of pepperoni while I dined on two slices of their special for the day that had crumbled meatballs and some type of Italian cheese that now escapes my memory. The slices were came out hot with thin crisp crust. The beer was cold. This was a great lunch.

We returned to PCS to finish off the afternoon playing outside with all of the water exhibits and tour the butterfly gardens where the tropical humid temperature of 85 was too uncomfortable for Adler. The last thing for the day was to watch a 3D IMAX film about giant pandas being raised in captivity and the attempts to release them into the wild. It was a full day of fun activities for a young boy. And everything that we did were entirely his choices.

Common blue morpho

Turning Archimedes screw

Now THAT'S a watergun!

The only thing that I pushed back today were his constant pleads to return to the top of the Space Needle. I reminded him that it wasn't very fun for him and that he found it scary. Besides, I told him that it wasn't cheap. Once was enough for this trip. But he was already planning his return to Seattle by inquiring how long a flight would take if we took a plane next time. Relentless.

That night we went to a dim sum restaurant in Bellevue called Din Tai Fung that was recommended by another friend who lives in Seattle. I'd been to one of their other locations in southern California years ago with my sister-in-law and husband. Recently one opened at Valley Fair in Santa Clara but the waits times have been ridiculous and we haven't dined there yet. It was familiar food for a kid that could even be eaten with your hands which extended the day's sensorial experience. We ordered pork and kimchi dumplings, vegetarian fried noodles and a cucumber salad. It was too much food for both of us but made for yummy leftovers consumed on the next day's drive...

Day 25: Montana > Seattle

Spoiler alert: the Tooth Fairy DID find our tent and left money for Adler under his pillow. I'm not sure if he was more excited about this or the fact that we'd be in Seattle in less than six hours. He was up early in anticipation of both and we were on the road shortly after seven. We drove from Montana into Idaho and an hour later we'd crossed into Washington state. At this point I'd driven 7000 miles and hadn't received one speeding ticket. Washington was going to test that claim. As we drove through Spokane I saw SIX police officers issuing tickets. This was nuts. I hadn't seen six officers in the entire state of Montana and we'd driven across almost half of it. Adler also noted that we were now in Washington and Matt, our next door neighbor, is from Washington so Adler thought we should buy something for him. I texted this exchange to Matt and he told me that he'd always "liked that kid!"

If the rest of our stops along this adventure were to see sites and parks Seattle was more about the food. We checked into our Bellevue hotel and then drove across Lake Washington into Seattle proper. While driving through Washington I'd reached out to my friend Mark who has a company called Culinex in Seattle for advice as to what I should do with a six-year-old in Seattle. He sent the most comprehensive reply with activities and dining destinations. Thanks Mark!

First stop was going to be Pikes Place Market for lunch at a few of my favorites places and to check out Mark's recommendations. We began at Beecher Cheese which makes cheese curds right in front of customers on the other side of its storefront glass windows. We ordered the "World's Best Mac'n'Cheese" and the Flagship Sandwich. The mac was made with penne pasta tossed in a blend of their Flagship cheese, Jack cheese and spices. It had a nice kick to it--almost too spicy. It wasn't overly creamy and gooey but it was rich with cheese flavor. While we ate the mac in front of the curd making operation they prepared our panini which had tomatoes, basil and two kinds of melted cheese. It was phenomenal! Then we made our way to the Daily Dozen for some freshly fried mini donuts. We ordered them with powdered sugar and then I asked Adler which was better, these or the beignets from Cafe du Monde? He replied, "Both!" Later he refined his answer to say that the beignets came out warm and were better. He's a fried bread aficionado and knows what he likes. Finally we walked to Elleno's for the best Greek yogurt that I've ever had. Adler ordered a combo with the mango and blackberry crumble. By the time the yogurt was finished we were both full. Next was a stop at gumball alley for a photograph of something disgusting and then we walked around searching for mom's greeting cards that are carried by three retailers in Seattle. Strangely we couldn't find her cards in any of the stores but it helped to burn some calories after that filling lunch.

Beecher mac'n'cheese

Fresh donuts!

Elleno's Greek yogurt

Yuck!

Space Needle safely from the ground

Space Needle 600 feet up. 

Without delay we drove down to the Space Needle and bought tickets for a ride to the top. The Space Needle is just wrapping up a major overhaul of the observation deck and restaurant. And it still feels like a construction site with lots of plywood on the floors and unfinished projects. What is finished is the new view which separates you from the skyline with large pane of glass that stretch from the floor to ten feet high. It creates the effect of an infinity pool but 600 feet high. It is stunning and much better than the old view. As eager as Adler was to get to the top he was just as eager to want to get down. He was a bit too scared to venture to the sides and look down. He was more comfortable towards the center away from the edges. One thing that I will give the Space Needle props for is that before whisking you into an elevator they snap a photo of your family. When the trip down is completed you can scan your ticket at a kiosk choose a custom background for the photo and download it for FREE. Other places that we visited like the St. Louis Arch and the helicopter tour take photos with the intent of extracting additional money from you. This was complimentary and a nice touch.

After that we were walking to our car when we say the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center. This was on Mark's list of things to do and we had twenty minutes left before they close. First, admission is free. Next, they ask you to watch a video before entering the center and we watched a three minute video of Bill talking about his history and the work that is being done by the Foundation. Then we rushed through the Center because we were limited on time but I was blown away at the caliber of the exhibits. Here was something devoted to telling the story of philanthropy and Adler was engaged. So much more than the visit to the Space Center in Houston. And this was coming from someone who'd founded Microsoft yet it felt more like you were walking through an Apple exhibit. Kudos to them for assembling such a fascinating experience. The only regret was they wouldn't be open on Sunday for us to return and explore it further.

The complimentary photo!

We returned to the hotel and rested for a few minutes before running off to dinner at a nearby restaurant in downtown Bellevue called Lot No. 3 where we enjoyed more Beecher cheese curds. This time they were breaded and fried with a tomato pesto sauce for dipping. And Adler selected the fish and chips entree for us to share because it had french fries. He liked everything and so did I. We were exhausted and ready for bed after a long day on our feet walking around a big city...

Day 24: Yellowstone > Montana

It had rained the night before and everything was damp. We wanted to get an early start so after breaking down the soggy campsite and packing the car we were on our way. It was 41 F cool and continued to drizzle--not ideal conditions for seeing Yellowstone but there were still two stops left before we started the next leg of the trip.

The calm before the storm

Steamboat Geyser

The first was Norris Geyser Basin which we’d failed to see the day before because cars were backed up to the main road waiting for parking spots. It would have meant waiting an hour to park and we agreed to see other things. About fifteen minutes before we arrived at Norris it started raining rather hard. We made the trek through the cold weather across the boardwalk to see Steamboat Geyser. It is the world’s largest geyser with eruptions that can exceed 300 feet tall and wide which makes it three times as large as Old Faithful. Unlike OF though, these eruptions don’t occur regularly. The sign posted at the viewpoint said that smaller eruptions (10-40 feet) occur every 3-12 minutes. The last big eruption had been more than two weeks earlier. It was due for a big one but we weren’t going to freeze waiting for it to happen. On the way back to the parking lot we tried to see more of Norris Basin but it was just too fogged in. The cold weather lowered the dew point and all of these thermal spots were emitting steam that condensed in the air into fog and blanketed the landscape in white. We’ll need to come back to Yellowstone and see this place in the warm sunlight.

The final stop, Mammoth Hot Springs was near the north entrance and conveniently located near our drive out of the park was. The weather remained cool but the rain had subsided. On the drive there we passed through a hailstorm and the boardwalk path was covered in a thin bed of white beads that were melting fast. Mammoth Hot Springs is the most evolving location in Yellowstone with terraced beauty that is newly shaped each day. My preference was for the lower terraces that you walk through versus the upper terraces that you drive through. The grey skies that day didn’t contrast well against the calcium carbonate deposits to truly capture the beauty of this location. Like Old Faithful it had a quiet peace about it that was calming to walk through.

Mound Spring

A tree cemented by calcium carbonate

A zen destroying child running through Mammoth

Adler took this mule deer photo from the backseat. 

We were headed to Seattle next. But the drive between Yellowstone and Seattle is twelve hours long so we decided to break it up into two drives. Shortly outside of Yellowstone Adler took a sip from his water bottle and the tip applied just enough pressure to knock out his loose tooth. This was his fourth tooth that he's lost and we were going to learn if the Tooth Fairy could find us in a tent in the middle of nowhwere.The halfway point ended up being in the northeast corner of Montana along 94 just before Idaho. We stayed at a place called Cabin City Campground (though there weren’t any cabins) with just about a dozen campsites that are first come first served. We arrived around four and were the second campers there. We erected our tent made a warm campfire and retired early. Adler and I folded an envelope and placed his tooth inside under his pillow. He was anxious to get to Seattle and go up the Space Needle...

Walking on fallen logs at the campsite

Fingers crossed!

Day 23: Yellowstone

I’m not sure what to write about Yellowstone. We did and saw so much. But is it appropriate to put those experiences down into words or should I just let the images convey the experience?

Our morning began at Old Faithful. I wasn’t getting any internet coverage with my phone so I was unable to go to the website and see what time the geyser would erupt. We just went. When we arrived the parking lot was packed and all of the seating was gone. This was a good sign. Less than ten minutes later we watched Old Faithful do its thing. What was remarkable to me was how quiet it was. I wasn't expecting an explosion or anything like that. But it was very peaceful--almost meditative. We lucked out with timing on this one.

We then made our way through other thermal stops along the drive. Adler commented that they all looked the same. My favorite was Grand Prismatic Spring which also had the Excelsior Geyser Crater (formerly a geyser). The colors of the spring went from turquoise blue to colors of rust orange and variations in between. It was magical and alive. The Excelsior Geyser has been rather defunct from the vertical eruptions for more than one hundred years save for a freak eruption in 1985. Instead it spills 4000 gallons of boiling water a minute into a nearby river. The width of this geyser crater was something like 200 feet across. Once again the most brilliant turquoise clear water that had bubble coming up and the surface blanketed with steam.

While Adler may have found the thermal locations boring and repetitive what he found fascinating and never grew tired of were the waterfalls. To him each one was unique and garnered his attention. Anywhere he could be climbing river boulders and exploring like a boy were his most liked stops.

Our drive through the day was short in terms of mileage but expansive in terms of what we saw. We went over snow covered mountain passes and down into grass valleys full of elk and bison. Stops along the rivers to view waterfalls were more desert and arid. It was as if we’d rolled the entire month’s adventure into a single day. But at the end of the afternoon I think the smile on Adler’s face while father and son threw the frisbee back at the campsite told me that this experience was his favorite--just being with dad…

Old Faithful

Grand Prismatic Spring

Bison right of way

Firehole Canyon

Gibbon Falls

Snow!

Bison portrait

Mud Volcano