Mountains and Prairies

Miles City is quiet in the morning. The streets are quiet and most people seem to still be asleep. It is rather chilly out and you require a sweatshirt. You eat at a local restaurant and then leave. You leave the sleepy town and it's few residents behind. After you get outside of town you see horses and cattle but no wildlife. The land is yellow with the occasional sagebrush. You drive through many reservations with Crows, Sioux, Kiowa, and Cheyenne. The buildings on the reservations are new but aren't cared for. Horses graze in front yards with the goats and chickens. A dog runs down the side of the highway. The last reservation you go through is the Crow. It stops before you get to Billings. Billings is the largest city in Montana, but it has less than half the population of Boise. You go into town from the desert and sagebrush side and exit town through fields of green crops and yellow weeds. The mixed color of the landscape and its different terrains remind you of FruitLoops. The thought makes you hungry. You make a snack and go back to staring out the window. Green and yellow fields pass by.

Finally, you get to Idaho. You travel down the highway through the farming communities. Nearly every farm has a tractor in the yard. You wind south and the land turns to an ocean of sagebrush. You pass Atomic City and Arco known for the National Nuclear Laboratory. You also pass through Craters of the Moon. The sagebrush grows through ancient lava flows. It is a rough area and many people find it tough to navigate. Many people who try to conquer the land get lost in its maze.

The land starts to get hazy and you start to smell smoke. As you get closer to Mountain Home the smoke has thickened. You can barely see 3 miles. The thinks smell lays heavy on the earth around you. It is a yellowish-brown haze that blankets the land. It is a giant cloud of health hazardous, pollution.

As the sun sets the smoke in the air is given a beautiful red color. The air around you is filled with the final warm orange glow of the day. When the sun's last ray is behind the horizon the stars start to become more visible. You can even tell how smokey the air is when the sky grows dark. You get to your grandparents and decide to sleep outside for the night. A perfect ending for the perfect summer trip. The stars twinkle and sparkle in the sky. The smoke gives them even more colors tonight. A star falls from the sky with a long white tail trailing behind. It is gone in a flash. Nobody else outside with you saw it. It is your own shooting star. A beauty of power, science, and nature.


Final Memoir: I hope you enjoyed my blog. It is important for everyone to remember life goes by faster than a shooting star. Remember the good times, for the cold truth is you will never get them back. Cameras allow us the privilege to capture these moments. People may be frozen in time in pictures, but you are still alive and breathing as you look at them. Hold on to the precious things. And also remember sometimes you have to drop what you're doing and enjoy life because if you don't you are just wasting yours. Take your family and travel somewheres, whether it be 5 miles away to a diner or a fair. Make life fun and always, always remember to laugh.

The Prairies of North Dakota

You leave Duluth as the sun rises over the water below. It is an amazing sight, but you are not offered  a spare second for a picture. The sun makes the water turn into liquid gold. The boats turn into black silhouettes as they float on the calm water. You can smell the water on the crisp morning air. It is one of those mornings when you would like to drift like those boats.

Outside of the small, quiet towns, the fields are lush and green. Early morning dew sits in the strands of grass. In almost every field there's a pond. Also along the route you see many lakes. There are also cows or horses in every field. You see farmers working their fields. Some use horses, others use tractors. It is beautiful now, but the winters are harsh and severely cold. The cold seeps into your bones and your nostril hairs freeze together with every breath. Luckily, it is warm and sunny right now.You open your window to the fresh morning air. You're able to breathe easy. The air smells of fresh cut grass and there is even a hint of water.

You make it through MinLittle House on the Prairie.
nesota and into North Dakota. Before you get into the prairie land you must go through Fargo. Fargo is one of the largest towns in North Dakota. The town doesn't have any tall buildings. It is mostly made up of small businesses and homes. After you get out of town the buildings drop out of sight and the prairies begin. The fields are all beautiful. They have tall, wispy grass. The yellow-green fields roll across the state. Trees grow in the ravines and along creek beds. It is like a scene out of

Taken by @american_rugbier

You stop in Bismarck, the capital. You stop at the Space Aliens Grill and Bar. The restaurant is alien themed and has sci-fi collectibles inside. It is really cool and a fun place to eat. In the bathroom, they have posters with an alien photoshopped into a picture with Bill Clinton. Whoever did it made it look very realistic. You grab some food there and stare at all of the toys and figurines. Space ships, rockets, and UFOs of every size, shape, and color litter the shelves. Some are encased in glass boxes, others stand on the top of partitions in the open air. 

When you leave, the UFO is the last thing you see in town. The prairies outside town continue. There are sparse trees and an occasional small herd of Pronghorn. You watch cute, tan prairie dogs scurry about, popping in and out of their ground dwellings. The sights are amazing and look as though they were taken out of a picture book and placed there. As you get close to the state line the fields turn into fields of sagebrush and small trees. The prairie dogs vanish for the evening.

You enter Montana as it starts to get dark. This is about the time the deer come out so you have to be more cautious. You are just about to Miles City when it becomes completely dark. You park in a pull off just outside of town. You walk your dog and you can hear the coyotes howling. Their howls seem excited and gibberish. The moon more than half lit. It emits a soft glow that makes you even more tired than you already are. A soft breeze gently moves your hair. It is cool and smells of sagebrush and dust. 

As you lay in bed in a dreamlike state the smells swirl around you. The gray ceiling dims out and you are out like a light.

Land of Ten Thousand Lakes

You leave the city of Omaha in your rearview mirror. The lights of the city fade away into the dark morning. The eastern sky is an iridescent array of pink and orange. The peachy color floods the sky and fades into a dark, deep blue in the west. After an excellent nights sleep everything seems to be more vivid in color. The grass is greener, the barns are beaming red, and the sun is even brighter yellow. Puffy clouds sit in the sky like whipped marshmellows plumped in spots here and there.

You follow the freeway to Iowa. You enter through Council Bluffs, which is rather small compared to Des Moines and Omaha. It is quiet and you pass mostly semis. It looks like even the farms are still asleep, except for one where an old farmer rides on his red Farmall tractor.

After you get out of town everything except for the freeway is still. The green corn crops line the freeway like armies of soliders in different formations. A light fog sits overs the fields. Horses graze and cows chew their cud. A dog runs amok with a toddler chasing after him. 

You avoid the hassle of going through Des Moines and take some back roads around. The little towns are quaint and cheery. They are so small everyone knows everything about everyone else. Shopkeepers arrive early to get theiron businesses ready for the day. In one town you pass through you see a group of old men sitting in a diner.

The highway ends at the freeway north of

Des Moines.  A little while later you reach Minnesota. The "Land of Ten Thousand Lakes" is green everywhere. The grass is shorter and the trees are thinner. You stop in Minneapolis and go to the Mall of America for lunch and walk around  for an hour or so. The mall is 5 stories tall and has hundreds of stores. After you are finished you hit the road again. You pass many lakes and ponds as the nickname sugests.

The land goes dark and all of the dark farmland around you allows you to see the beautiful night sky. Beautiful stars fill the night sky. There is only a sliver of moon that floats in the sky. The stars are amazing and light up the land to some extent. You can make out the shadows of tall trees and fields of crops. You also make out small, black herd of cattle. You make out shadows of vehicles, farm equipment, buildings, and grain silos. Memories of your grandfather's old farm boil to the top of your conscience. It seems like only a week ago you were visiting him on the farm. Time flys so fast. After all he is gone and in just a couple days you will be starting your senior year of high school. It seems like so many of us waste our lives worrying over the smallest of details, but we miss the big ones. It comes back to haunt us. We all have ghosts, our pasts. You start to feel drowsy. You try to watch, but there is a hidden force shutting your eyes. You fall asleep while your parents are still driving.

Wide Open Prairie

You wake up to find yourself in Glenwood Springs. When you leave town you head toward Rockies. The forest is mostly filled with pines. You pass small towns that pop up to your left and right. The hills looks similar to western Washington or eastern Idaho. There are grazing fields for horses and cattle with grass that only reacges up to their ankles. Soon you start to climb one of the mountains.  Pine trees are accompanied by rocks and short sagebrush. A forest develops along side of the freeway as you drive deeper into the Rockies.

You descend the Rockies and down into Denver. Traffic is moving fast and you You get through town quick, because you aren't held up by traffic. The houses and arpartment buildings, warehouses and office buildings fly by. Their signifigance to you is minimal. From seeing it before, they don't seem to reach out to your curiosity. You get out of town and the land opens up to prairies. You see some blue and yellow wildflowers here and there. The only animals you see are antelope. You see a couple herds but most are laying do hiding.

You enter Nebraska. Nebraska is relatively flat. It is all prairie land and the trees are pretty sparse. The grass is a greenish-yellow. Most of the fields are occupied by corn crops. There are plenty of ponds and creeks. Some of the ponds are small and the size of a car while others are a little smaller than a lake. In some timber along a creek you spot 5 mule deer. 2 of the deer are this years fawns. They are fat and their coarse hair is thick. As you go by they look up and take of into the timber. They disappear into the thick timber in the blink of an eye.

Time flys by faster than the land outside your window. The grass of the prairie, farms, and fields of crops occupy the land. You go through Sidney which is home to the headquarters for Cabela's. The store they have in town has a stuffed real elephant among many other animals. Most of the taxidermied animals in the store have been donated and are legal kills or salvaged animals. The headquarters sit right next to the store. It is a giant building. As you go by on the freeway you can see the giant green bold name on the side of the building. The store has a giant panoramic window that faces the freeway. Inside you can see boats and cutomers. They are oblivious to the things going on outside the window. From your point it is like looking into some else's life.

You pass more Cabela's in other towns. They all compare in size, shape and color. They are almost exact mirror reflections except for their locations. They sky clouds up and the blue disappears as the clouds pass by.  You don't see any more deer but you do see plenty of ducks siting in ponds and geese destined for some unknown. They honk as they go overhead in their forward arrowhead pattern. When you pass through York you see a water tower or something similar of to the side. It is shaped and painted like a hot air balloon. It has stripes that are multiple colors. And in the center is the town name. It is like a mascot for the town greeting people to town.

You continue to travel and it seems as though the state is never going to end. The fields and fields of corn are amazing. It is no wonder why this state is nicknamed the "Cornhusker State". When you near Lincoln the sun starts to set. The sunset over the corn behind you is beautiful. The rays delicately reach out to everything around you and give their last bit of warmth before the darkness engulfs them. 

You watch cars and semis pass in the night. Their headlights and taillights pierce the darkeness and make it hard to see the stars. Eventually a glow illuminates the horizon. The glow turns into lights which grow larger and larger until you are swallowed by the city. Omaha is is the largest city in Nebraska and the one place your are the most excited to see today. Yes, seeing the land and its beauty was amazing and exciting but the city means you are closer to the border. You park at a truckstop for the night. Sleep overwhelms you and you are fast asleep.

What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas(Except for Your Memories)

You wake up early to watch the sunrise. The city is still up in its wide array of colors. The sun rises behind the city, silhouetting the buildings in town. You are able to see every part of the city. From here you can see the strip. The Rio is the most obvious as it is the closest. The sign that is lit up at night sits on the building is now off. You can tell the Mirage from the others with its golden windows and white concrete sides. Behind everything are the hills. Down in the parking lot, you can see your parents vehicle. Eventually, the bright rays are too much to bare and you turn back into the cool room. You pack your suitcase and help take everything down to the vehicle. When you get down to the car 

Rights belong to golftrips.com

You leave town and hit the open road. The black asphalt road winds through the vast desert until you reach Arizona. The land around you starts to turn red. You are in Arizona for less than an hour. The land around you is a beautiful shade of rusty red. Green sage brushes pop up here and there in the rocks or on plateaus. You cross into Utah and a short time later reach St. George. As you descend the hill you see a thin haze above the normally clear city. The haze is smoke that has been blown into the valley. The valley is surrounded by beautiful red hills. They look like giant piles of melting red ice cream.

You continue through the red land passing the famous Zion National Park. You travel through "The Beehive State" watching out the window the whole time. You pass through many small towns on your route. You drop into valleys and river basins and top out on plateaus looking out over the land. It is beautiful and breathtaking.

The red rocks even flow into Colorado until you reach the Rocky Mountains. When you get to Grand Junction the land is still red but the sun is starting to set. The sun setting over the land is picturesque. The land around you gets dark fast. First shadows fill canyons and ravines. Then a shadow cloaks everything in the darkness of night. The last thing you see, before you fall asleep, is the city of Glenwood Springs.

Las Vegas

When you open your eyes the sun is gently rising to caress the land around you with its golden rays. The rays paint the land a brilliant yellow. As you pass through town You see signs advertising tours of the courthouse, tours of silver mines and turquoise mines, and museums. As you leave town you inch closer to Vegas.

The land outside of town is complete desert. It is made of dry, brown dirt that is packed tighter together than a crowd at a Superbowl. Small bushes are scattered all over. They pop up through the dirt and through cracks in the dirt. 

When you are about 2 hours out a sign catches your eye. It is a sign pointing the way to the small town of Mercury. In other words you are close to the famed Area 51. One of the most controversial places on the planet. The whole place is underground except for a few warehouses here and there. And only people assigned to the individual warehouses know what is going on in those warehouses. Other than those warehouses and a tall fence you would never know it was out there. The rest is acres upon acres and miles upon miles of desert. 

The brown desert blurs together with the rest of the fast-moving world outside your window. The land lays flat out in front of you. And soon you see the city of Las Vegas. A sign welcomes you to the town of casinos. The city used to be family oriented at one time, but now it is mostly a gambling town. Tonight you are going to be staying at the Orleans. It is a giant hotel that is Mardi-Gras themed. Besides slot machines it has a bowling alley and a movie theater in it. On your way to the hotel you pass the Las Vegas Speedway.

You get off the freeway at Flamingo Blvd exit. You go to the hotel to check in. When you step into the building you are consumed by your curiosity. You look all around with and excited air about you. The main theme colors are purple, green, and gold. On the ceiling masks are painted on and enlarged models are hanging. Slot machines make a million sounds around you. People sit at them, so concentrated on them they don't notice the real world. Other people at the slots enjoy free liquor while they play. The slots are organized to some extent. They are grouped up by the name and price. All of the slots have their prices on top in big bold colorful font. Some say 1 cent, others say $1.
You go to the hotel desk with your mom to check in while your dad and sister stand in the hallway out of traffic.

Southward Leading

You leave Klamath Falls before the birds start to sing. The beautiful green coniferous forest looks quiet and inviting, but you just ignore it and keep traveling. Like every other human being on the planet, you have places to go and people to see. Hopefully, you will be able to come back soon. The memories from yesterday will forever be etched in your mind.

The sun rises slowly and reveals beautiful green pastures. It is true sometimes people do need to slow down and see the beauty of the country outside of the cities. And if they have to travel to do so, it might turn out to be an adventure of a lifetime. You pass over a

The road winds through national forests and unmarked forests. You pass by many babbling brooks and you even spot a couple does. The land is dry, but it is beautiful. How sad that so much land is being burnt. Over 90 fires are ablaze on the west coast burning up the beautiful land and amazing creatures. The animals are losing their homes and their lives. 

When you enter California, the road curves east and then continues to wind south. The beautiful forests are dry and the grass is starting to yellow. The further south you drive the more yellow and dry the land gets. The incredible toll the drought has taken on this land is unbelievable. You start to smell smoke and the air gets hazy from fires nearby. The smell of burning timber is immense. The yellow haze seems to float just above the ground and avoid the trees. You look out the window and see cigarette butts lying on the side of the road where people have thrown them. It is amazing people are so careless and don't seem to realize just one partially lit butt can cause a 300,000 acre fire.

As you descend out of the mountains and hills, the smoke becomes thinner and eventually you can't even smell it. The haze is completely gone when you reach Nevada. You reach Reno where you stop and get a snack of peach rings and a slushy. Most definitely a sugary snack, but sometimes it's a must. The city is another casino town. There are plenty of casinos to go around. One of the biggest is Boomtown. This casino has its own section for kids to play in while the parents are away gambling. It is complete with carnival rides and arcade games. The casino is joined to the kid area by a wide hallway. Inside the casino area, the slot machines make so much noise. They ding, sing, and ca-ching. 

You leave town and head south toward Las Vegas on Hwy 95. You don't spy any animals and the land becomes barren. There are some sagebrushes here and there, but mostly it is hard compacted dirt. The you feel the sun's warmth as it becomes parallel to you. It sinks behind the western hills. You feel exhausted. You watch the stars in the sky. Not many cars pass by so you view goes pretty well uninterrupted. You make it to Tonopah, which is know as the best star gazing city. Outside of town without any lights around you can see the milky way and over ten thousand suns. It is a beautiful sight and is like a dream. Tonight you will sleep well in the desert night.

Northward Bound

The morning ocean breeze is warm and blows through the streets of town. There are cars on every street, but traffic is moving fast. You get out of town and drive through San Francisco.  As is typical when you go over the Bay Bridge fog is resting on the water. It lays there on top of the bay like a fluffy pillow. The water is dark blue straight below you. A sailboat emerges from under the bridge. An early riser up for an early morning sail.

At the end of the bridge is a giant prison with more than three fences covered in barbed wire and razor wire. It is San Quentin State Prison. It is a maximum security prison known for many notorious criminals, including some serial killers. The prison is large enough that it has its own baseball field for the prisoners. When you pass by you wonder how people could be so cold, to be in there.

Outside of the buzz of city traffic you start to enter farming communities. you see many farm fields that are supposed to be filled with crops but aren't. They are barren from any plants. The drought is devastating to the area and most of the state of California. The toll it is taking on farmers and ranchers is even worse. As you travel further north you start to see an orange haze in front of you. No, it is not your eyes. It is smoke from the large fires. You drive through the forested areas and through the big pines. The trees are beautiful and they produce pine cones as big as an arm. But all of the plants below them are dry and yellow.

You pass over Shasta Lake. The water level is very low. From here you can see the peak of a volcano. As you get closer you see it is Mount Shasta. The mountain is not covered with snow right now. And as the sun gets lower it shines directly on the face of the mountain. It illuminates every crevasse, ravine, and valley. Nothing has a shadow over it on the face. You pass the giant mountain and stare at it as you go. It is made of Earth and all off its power could potentially blow its face right off. You go around a curve and the mountain is concealed by another hill.

You make it into Oregon and the haze disappears as if it was never around. You continue to drive straight north for Klamath Falls. It gets dark and in the woods when it is dark, it's dark. You round a corner and your headlights spotlight a deer on the shoulder. Luckily, instead of running into the road the deer runs into the shelter of the dark timber. You spot a couple more deer which all take off after you pass. You safely make it up to Klamath Falls and find a motel to stay in. It is a small motel but decent. You don't pay much attention to the outside of the building because you are so tired. you get into the room and crash on the bed. Half asleep you struggle to pull the blankets down and pull them over you.

Santa Cruz

You drive down to Santa Cruz early in the morning to skip out on rush hour traffic. California interstates and highways always have quite a few cars on the road even though the sky is still pink. They are the state that never sleeps. Ahead of you the city of Santa Cruz still has a dark sky above it. I grows lighter and lighter as you get closer and closer. You roll down your window and a fresh, cool breeze blows in. It feels good on your face.

You reach town and immediately go to the beach. The smell of sea water lingers in the air as you get closer to the beach. You park and get out. The views are amazing. You walk along the side walk for a little bit and take some picturea. 

You get back in your vehicle and find a hotel. You get a room and take your stuff up. It is a nice hotel with the typical accommodations. You slip your swimsuit on and slip somemail shorts on. 

You go back to the beach. The blue ocean water is cool to the touch. The sun beats down and keeps the air warm. The sand is grittier than Florida beaches. But it is fun to dig your toes in.

You find a spot to lay down. Eventually you fall asleep.

You head back to the hotel to relax. The warm shower is welcoming. You finish up and watch T.V.

As the night moves in you decide to take a walk to the beach. An evening breeze blows through the streets filling the night with the smell of the sea. You take your sweatshirt from around you waist and put it on.

Reno to San Fran

The sun follows you as you head for the foothills. Reno falls away behind you as you near the hills. You cross the border into California. Mountains loom up in front of you at the end of the desert floor. The land off to either side of you is brown sandy desert. It is the type of desert that can easily develop mirages. You start to climb in elevation as you leave the desert. As you climb the first bit of foliage you see is shrubbery which develops into a thick forest. You enter Tahoe National Forest. You have to ascend and descend a few mountains.

The most infamous hill is Donner Pass. Donner Pass takes the longest to go up and is very steep. It is named after a group of pioneers named the Donner Party. The pioneers met a tragic end on the pass. They were convinced by a wagon train leader that he knew a shortcut through the mountains. Sadly, winter was fast approaching. When the party reached the peak, a storm blew in and buried the mountain in more than 6 feet of snow. It killed everyone in the party which included children.

The mountains are covered in beautiful tall pine trees. The trees produce pine cones 2 feet tall. There is a rest stop at the top and you stop there to stretch your legs. The air is much thinner and cleaner up here than in Reno. It is hot but enjoyable. A short time later you get back on the road and start your descent.

You reach the bottom of the mountains and leave the Tahoe National Forest. The land is yellow and has some spots of green.The drought has starved the land of water and causing a high chance for fires.You travel through some small towns and a short while later reach Sacramento. The land becomes a lush green. You pass over a beautiful river that is lined with beautiful trees. You can see downtown a couple miles away. It reminds you a lot of Boise, just bigger.

You leave the green city behind and head for San Francisco. It only takes about an hour and a half to reach the home of the Golden Gate. You pass a Six Flags off to you right when you enter Vallejo. After that, to both sides of the freeway are acres and acres of houses. It is like a giant subdivision. You hop onto a bridge and are able to look out at San Fransisco Bay. The bay is is beautiful. The water isn't clear but it shines like dark blue crystal glass.

The Salt Flats

To the north and east, there are mountains and hills. To the south and west, the land is flat. The foothills and mountains look barren in the morning light. As you leave town the tall build shrink into small businesses which turn into shrink into houses. You pass row houses, retirement communities, and large subdivisions. Off to your right, you see the Great Salt Lake. The water shimmers and the sun's reflection off of the lake hits you directly in the eyes. The blinding light makes you turn away. You think about the stories that your father has told you about the lake. The thought of them make you smile to yourself. The memories made while traveling make some of the biggest impressions.

Bonneville Salt Flats by Drax Felton

You watch the lake disappear behind you. You come upon the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Bonneville Salt Flats are exactly what the name suggests. They are 46 square miles of salt crust. In some places, the crust is 5 feet thick. The Bonneville Salt Flats are not only known for the salt. They are also known for being used by racers to test the fastest cars in the world. The world's fastest land speed was actually set here. The land is white on every side of you. You stop at the rest area and get out to touch the salt. The grains aren't fine like table salt. The size of the grains vary. It is very gritty. There are tons of places where people have written their names or drew things in the salt. You walk around and look at the white landscape. Mountains form a backdrop to the northwest.

You climb back in your vehicle and start towards Nevada. The washed out scene pass by rather quickly and you soon find yourself crossing the border into Nevada. The "Silver State" is not so much silver as its nickname suggests. It is more sagebrush and dirt medley. Mountains grow and fall on the horizon. The land is as flat as a pancake and dryer than the Sahara Desert. The sagebrush here are short and stubby. The dirt is dry and the dust is abrasive. There is a slight wind blowing across the land but not enough to sway vehicles. The land bakes under the sun's unforgiving rays. Even when the darkness finally envelops the land, the heat remains. The land remains unchanged except for the fact you can't see it. You see a glow in the distance. The glow of city lights grow larger. They are the lights of Reno and Sparks. You come into town and a dozen casino signs stand in next to the freeway lit up in multiple colors. You stop at a truck stop to sleep tonight.

Alligator Alley

You wake up to palm trees swaying in a warm morning breeze outside your window. In the distance you can see some clouds gathered on the horizon. You look out at the city around you. The sun is still rising from visiting the other side of the planet. The city is waking from its slumber and lights start to go on in the houses across the street. Your sister wakes up and you go downstairs and get a bite to eat. You go back to your room and pack your stuff. Your sister brings one of the hotel's luggage carts up. You work together and set everything on the cart and take it down to the vehicle.

You get out of town and take the famed Alligator Alley through the Everglades. You start out only seeing swamp plants. But then you start to see the black water. The suddenly you see it! There is a gator head. Even though it whips by you still saw it! You stop at the rest stops along the way and see even more alligators. Some are rather small but other are big. You learn from a guy at one of the rest stops that you can tell the length of the gator by measuring the distance from its nose to its eyes. That makes most of the gators you saw about 5 feet long. At the last rest stop your dad sticks his fingers in the waters and decides to try and lure one. A 6 ft gator rises to the surface of the water about 6-7 feet from him. You, your mom, and your sister finallyrics convince him to stop. You leave with everyone's fingers intact.

You reach the other end. This end is Naples. A very good place to go to the beach. The sand is soft and the water is warmer than both the Atlantic and Pacific. You stop at the beach for a little bit. You mostly walk along the shore and collect beautiful shells, like conch and pink barnacles. Your sister catches up to you and lets you knw it is time to go. You continue on up the coast riding next the beautiful ocean at times. Pelicans and other seabirds fly around gracfully, looking for food.

The lights of Tampa are bright ahead of you. The air is still warm and the sky is dark. You are very tired after such an exciting day. You know you will get good sleep tonight. You fall asleep to the noise of the city outside your window.

Miami Beach

You make your way through Orlando. Being early in the morning, there aren't too many people on the roads.

You hop off the freeway and head south.

When you make it to Miami, you head straight to the beach. You drive along the coast searching for a parking spot. People crowd the beaches. Beach umbrellas stand everywhere. They are a range of colors from blue and white to orange and yellow.

You leave the beach as the sunsets. The scene is beautiful, like a picture from a magazine. The world around you has turned golden and the sun casts your shadow towards the ocean waves. You watch the seabirds heading for their nests. Gulls cry and pelicans fly in V patterns.

The sun has already set behind the curve of the Earth when you get to a hotel. The moon has risen and illuminates the palm trees. The night air is still but warm.are to your right when you enter. The bed spreads are crystal white like fresh snow. You climb into bed half exauhsted. The soft comforter sends you to sleep almost instantly.
You don't see many stars because of the interference of streetlights. Your mom comes out and you grab your suitcase and go to the room. The room is cool and feels great. The beds

The Coast

It is amazing to watch the sun rise above the ocean, no matter where you are. Biloxi is one of those places where you can sit back and relax. It makes all the stress leave you. You walk down to the beach and take an early morning stroll. The beach is golden under the sun's rays. The waves crash against the shore and shore birds cry in the early morning hunt for food. A warm ocean breeze blows your hair. The sand grinds beneath your feet. A tiny blue crab scurries after the retreating tide before a seagull spots it. Another wave reaches the shore and drags the little crab back into the sea. Looking out at the horizon you can see sailboats anchored to their own spots on the water. You drift back to your parent's vehicle with the wind.

After you leave Biloxi you only have to travel 35 miles to reach the Alabama state line. Before you cross over the border you pass over multiple bayous and rivers. The bayous stretch out to both sides of you. They are like giant lakes filled with floating islands or a field of grass with wide paths carved by the artistic hand of water. When you aren't traveling over the bayous the roadway is lined with swamp trees and grass.

After you cross into Alabama you travel down the tree lined road. There is lush green grass on both sides of the interstate. On your right you can see spots where wild pigs have rooted. About half an hour later you reach Mobile. As you travel through town most of the areas buildings you see are industrial. You pass the USS Alabama. It is a battleship that was in commission during WWII. The giant gray metal ship looks like a giant armored tank with giant guns forcing their way into the sky. The guns bores are more than 2 feet in diameter. The artillery shells stand almost 5 feet tall and could obviously do damage. The powerful ship is tied to the shore with ropes as round as a plate. As you cross a bridge you are able to see a 270-degree view of the ship.

You enter the sunshine state a short time later. You drive past one of the best beaches in the United States, Pensacola Beach. It has powder white sand beaches. And the water is unbelievably warm. Most of the year the beach is swamped with people. So many memories are made every year on that beach. A little further down the road you pass Navarre. Navarre is quieter than Pensacola, without the rowdy partying crowds. It is much more surrene and relaxing. Sadly, you must watch the beach pass by. If only you had the time. The waves retreat to the sea as they disappear behind you.

The number of waterways you pass over seem to be infinite. Some are small streams others are rivers. Whichever waterway it is it has turtles. And we aren't talking two here and one there. We are talking on every log and rock. They pile on top of each other like football players on the ball. Eventually, you pass through the capital, Tallahassee, and then head south. Tallahassee is not a very famous city compared to others in the state. It is similar to Sacramento in California. A big city, yes, but not talked about.

Before you get to Orlando it is dark. The moon beats down sending a soft glow to the tall palm trees around you. It is a soothing glow that sends you into a sleepy trance. Before you know it your parents have stopped in town for the night. Not caring where you're at you climb into bed and every care leaves you as you drift into a very deep sleep.