Hellaciously Hot
by Gillian W, special guest blogger
Let’s recap the trip so far shall we? The RV is mostly fine, once you get used to the constant motion, noise, lack of privacy, and strange smells occasionally coming from the bathroom. These are through no fault of our own; the pipes smelled beforehand. When it is expanded, “roomy” is a word that is used by some, but is not entirely accurate. I miss the days when a three hour drive was a long time, far more comparable to the nine-plus hours we have been averaging every day — for these first four days. Meals are no longer on a schedule, breakfast is only eaten if needed with allergy pills. Lunch is an Uncrustable on the road around two–three if desired. Dinner is normally near 10 o’clock, after we have plugged in to drain the water, affectionately called gray and black. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining about the Uncrustables. They are a staple of my childhood, and I love them.
The first day was one of the worst so far. We spent the whole morning packing up the “final touches,” which was basically everything. Little to say about Lincoln State Park; it was too dark when we got there to see anything. Moving on.
Day two we arrived in St. Louis for a late lunch. St. Louis, Missouri is an amazing city. I have a lot of friends who live there, and we were able to try very authentic dishes from the area, while also seeing The Arch! I have no idea why someone would ever want to build that, but I am glad they did. After a slightly long stop, we moved out way on to Kansas City, Missouri, which I feel is intentionally confusing. After breaking in quickly to the Chiefs/Royals stadiums, we were hurried off by a very nice security guard. The barbecue here was delicious. I recommend the half chicken.
Day three: Kansas to Denver. I am about to be very blunt. My apologies to the Kansas people. Kansas is a pointless state. It is too flat with too little in it. My very wise best friend Rose says that Kansas sucks “so that the other states seem special”. This is the only reasonable excuse for Kansas. The only stop made here was to a Walmart. No one was wearing a mask, and the busiest section was the gun aisle. You have no idea how many eye rolls I got wearing a mask that says, “VOTE” in bold letters across it, thank you to Dana Shell Smith for that joy. Denver was our next stop. We saw Empower Stadium and Coors Field. Huge Bronco statues covered the front of Empower, complete with a statue of their owner. Cool history. We arrived super late again to our campsite and my Dad forced us to go outside in the 40 degree wind to look at the stars. It was worth it, all covered in thick blankets and the light green hue coming off of the Milky Way.
Trip day four: Breckenridge to Arches National Park. Colorado is the best state I have seen so far. With the legalized weed and cool temperatures, I don’t see why anyone would want to leave! After an accidental late checkout and the breaking the upper bed lift, we were off to Arches National Park! In Utah, the mountains fade away and reappear in an instant. The roads are wide and calm, with turns so long you feel steady and straight. No signs for towns or gas, just “Speed Limit 80” every couple of miles. All the roads are only two lanes, with no ability to turn around. I wanted to go see the Rockland Ranch, a polygamist Mormon community outside of Moab, but it was not on any maps and I was outvoted. You can see their gorgeous view and lifestyle in Three Wives, One Husband on Netflix. I recommend it, a very good watch. Arches is magnificently gorgeous. Our longest hike was two miles. But after a very leisurely walk downhill, “some people” decided that we needed to move faster. This lead us to nearly jog up hill, with no water or breaks. After re-hydrating and finally having lunch, I was much happier with the smaller hikes and a cooler sun. Going to Sand Dune Arch was a transformative experience. The sand was so soft, more comfortable on your feet than any beach. We spent most of the evening there, climbing through slot canyons and taking pictures until the sun set, and we drove out with the fading light behind us.
Today: We got up and headed off to Arches for one last mini hike. We climbed to the top of a hole in the Earth, viewing the steep drop off and ground below. After the slightly treacherous maneuvering, we were off again to Monument Valley! It took us all day but we finally got there, bouncing back and forth between internet connections and long depths into a canyon. When we finally arrived, we see that it is closed, open only to residents. Not everyone knows this, I didn’t until today, but Monument Valley is not a national park, but a tribal park, meaning that the land is owned by the Navajo Nation. And I don’t know if most Americans know this because we pay little attention to the atrocities we cause, but the Navajo Nation has now surpassed both New York and New Jersey for the highest coronavirus infection rate per capita as of a full month ago. Quick fact: 73% if American Democrats are wearing a mask in public, compared to 59% of Republicans (via The Washington Post).
I would like to thank the American government for 400 years of systematic oppression of many people including the Native Americans. The Navajo Nation is so marginalized and oppressed that they have been forced into the smallest corner of Arizona with no jobs, limited resources, and a lack of modern medical care. People dump things in the desert that they care little for, which is what we have done to these people. The Monument Valley Tribal Park was closed when we arrived today, due to the fact that rampant infection and systematic oppression, forced them to shut themselves off from the world. They are forced to live off of the land which is nearly impossible after white settlers slowly killed off their food supply. How did the government return the favor? By giving them packages of buffalo jerky, a snack much like the ones that fed their relatives. All Matthew has ever wanted to do is go to Monument Valley and that was taken from him due to the lack of leadership in our country.
This has been a really really tough year for everyone. There is more to be missed than just the big stuff like prom and graduation, but the smallest things I miss the most. Stuff like our senior barbecue, braiding hair with Dr. Danielson at the Jamestown Spring Fair, beach week with my friends, our spring dance, our senior prank, my last day of school, my graduation party, decorating my cap and gown, my last day of school. My eighteenth birthday passed me by with chicken piccata and an ocean view, courtesy of my amazing mother and her sister Lisa. All I have ever wanted to do is go to Italy. My parents planned a trip to Italy and Switzerland — and I was unable to go because of this virus. All Matthew has ever wanted to do is go to Monument Valley (yes, we are very different people), and he was unable to do this because our leader sits on a throne of lies.
All of these things are gone now and what did I get in return? A slideshow graduation with the names misspelled. I don’t want a pity party or an actual party really, I just want the adults to lead. Because come November, guess who is signing up? No, this blog post is no longer about our cross country escapades, but about a country that is failing its constituents. We have a knave for a president, and that is not leadership. George Bush, who is famous in my family for his classical parody by Will Ferrell, is in no way the making of a man, but after tragedy struck he stepped up. We are supposed to the the United States, but right now we are more disjointed than ever. So while we are busting our butt across the country, maybe take some time to organize your priorities and think about what is best for the future of everyone, not just which party is going to give you a tax break or ban guns. There are two sides of the aisle for a reason; we need to walk down the middle together.
