The Gonzo Upgrade

Don't you love when things fall effortlessly into place? That's how Joey and I feel about this whole new phase. From being tenants-at-will in our last apartment to Joey handling his business (shoutout to Mr. HYB and his beautiful fam) within a mere 3 weeks in San Diego. He came back east with new apartment keys and a job he absolutely cannot wait to start. Talk about getting things done.

Ok, I admit it. I should have had a little more faith when he started talking about changing our next destination to stay more en route and drive through the Rocky Mtns. We had chosen Salt Lake City, even though it was a little off course, because we had no idea what else Utah had to offer. Bryce Canyon and.Zion were the only two places I knew of and they were 12+ hours from Ft. Collins. Too long for our daily drive. So Salt Lake won, but once we realized we'd be driving up (aka north, the opposite direction of SoCal), and around the mountains, Joey started to re-googlemap our route. Then, Elena recommended Moab. Utah’s adventure capitol, offering activities such as biking, jeep safari’s, rafting, and hiking in two National Parks; Canyonlands and Arches.

7 hours to Moab. Then another 7 to Vegas. (You know you're driving across country when 7 hours is a short drive.) It was decided...if we could find a decently priced hotel we were in (ok, I wasn't completely sold just yet). Brian and Joey searched hotels and after 4 attempts Joey found vacancy at the well-rated (he lives off reviews) Gonzo Inn. What a name.

Sunday morning after breakfast at Col's we started the gorgeous drive through the Rocky's. Pics coming soon. Lots of beautiful landscape pics. And for those of you keeping tabs, this is about the time I thanked Joey for rerouting us.

Then Elena came through again. This time a Moab restaurant recommendation. She must have picked up on my "I want a delicious meal" vibe from the night before. The Desert Bistro. 4.5 stars. 28 reviews. Yes, Joey made me check. 9pm reservations was the earliest they had, but the antelope and mushroom burgers gave the guys enough they needed to confirm that's where we'd be eating.

And as it would go 9pm reservations worked perfectly. We got to Moab with enough time to check into the Gonzo (definitely recommended, Brian&Elena) and hike The Windows Section of Arches National Park, which is known for preserving over 2000 natural sandstone arches. I can't even begin to explain the aura of time, silence and scale that I felt during the walk. .....2 points for anyone who asked themselves "Did Amy thank Joey again?"... Yes I did and you'll see why when I post pics.

As if Arches wasn't reason enough to stop in Moab, Desert Bistro was sooo yummy. I know we have a bunch of foodies reading along so I feel the need to share our meals. If you're interested, keep reading. Grammy-styled details below.

apps:

gyozas filled with smoke tofu, tahini, Anasazi bean hummus & roasted garlic, served with a chipotle peppwr, soy & maple beurre blanc

sashimi grade ahi tuna<\p>

meals:

I got corn tortilla crusted free-range chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese, served with Bistro mole, corn-black bean salsa, sauted veggies and a black bean, roasted bell pepper torta. Joey and Michael got specials, so the details arent exact. (Like you care.) Joey got buffalo filet-mignon in a tomato, garlic, pesto sauce with melted mozzarella on top, served with garlic mash potatoes. Michael got pistachio-crusted mahi-mahi, served with watermelon and fennel.

That was a very long post and I probably lost most of you after the first paragraph. Anyways Joey just pointed out Vegas in the distance, so I'm out. VEGAS, BABY!

MDW w/ friends & family

Memorial Day Weekend has always been one of my favorite holiday weekends. As a marker it typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, and of course honors all Americans that have died fighting for our country. 

This year, instead of tanning at my parents' house while my dad opens the pool and mom cleans the screened in porch, Mike, Joey and I were driving 80 West.

First stop: Omaha, Nebraska

Any of you ever been? Surprisingly enough, this will be my 3rd time. Yes, three. All because of Hails. When I studied in Florence, my roommate, Hailey, and I became close friends. After not seeing her for 4 years her boyfriend Jon (who I had never met) flew me to Omaha to surprise Hailey for her birthday. The next year Joey and I were dancing up a storm at their wedding and now here we are again. This time staying at Hailey and Jon's beautiful new home. First house guests right here :)

The boys were craving Omaha Steaks, so we made the obvious decision to go to a steakhouse. Johnny's Italian Steakhouse. A Florence and Omaha combo at its best. We all got steak. SO good! It may not have been an "Omaha Steak", but it didn't matter - steak from Omaha is delicious!

Next stop: Ft. Collins, Colorado

Up til now Joey has driven entirely. He prefers it. But Saturday I took the wheel and drove all the way. This beats out and DOUBLES my previous longest drive [BOS-NYC]. Go me.

5pm: We arrive at our cousins, Brian & Elena's, house just in time for a MDW bbq with all the Colorado cousins...and the C's game. It's so nice to be with family. Joey and I were just here in February, too, so it feels like we were just with them.

Sunday morning we take the long trek (across the street) to Colleen & Jeff's for a yummy breakfast with everyone. I LOVE how the 5 little cousins are so close. More like brothers and sisters than cousins. After some more chatting and playing we take off. Instead of Salt Lake City, we decided to reroute to Moab, Utah. More to come on that in the next post. Hope you're enjoying the ride so far. We are!

Cleveland, Chicago, Omaha photos