Well this has been an awesome weekend (and it’s not even over yet, lol)! Rolled down to LA on Thursday to catch Tim and Faith at the Staples Center… I know, I know, after seeing the show already in Dallas, Nashville, and Seattle — why the need to see it again… Normal people just don’t get it, but that is why I thank God for my McFriends *grinlove*

Needless to say, the show was AWESOME! I had a 2nd row seat on the North catwalk, right in front of a video monitor. This was key because for the first time I actually got to see what was going on on the other side of the stage, lol. They were both in good spirits and sounded/looked amazing. I really love Tim’s new song ‘Fly Away’ the more I hear it, and ‘I Need You’ still gives me freaking chills. And duriing ‘No Woman No Cry’ (yes, they covered Bob, lol), Tim cracked me UP when he goes – “Everything’s gonna be alright, everything’s gonna be alright… A few more years and everything’s gonna be alright…” LMAO–I LOVE YOU TIM!!!

They played three shows at the Staples Center, but I only bought a ticket for the first night, which ended up working out great since we got wind of a Bread and Water show at the Whiskey after the concert on Friday. Bread and Water shows are a Tim tradition, where he’ll go play a small club, reminiscent of the days when he was just starting out, charge a minimal cover charge, play late into the night, and donate all the proceeds to charity. The set list is made up primarily of cover songs. I was lucky enough to attend the last Bread and Water show at the Whiskey, and these shows are just amazing in the sense that they’re intimate, casual, and you just get to see Tim in a setting you don’t normally get to see him in. Well, I got to the line around 7:30pm, checked in with my girls, then went to get some dinner (which ended up being a lot of beer and only half my dinner, lol). Hung out with the girls (and BrothaMatt) in line for many hours waiting for the doors to open. They finally let us in sometime around 1am, and they played until 3:30am. It was a late night, and my feet are KILLING me from standing for all those hours, but it was soooooo worth it!

Tim opened the show by coming down and messing around on the acoustic guitar. He knew we’d been waiting long, and didn’t have any patience for the grips who were still fiddling with the equipment and sound levels… He kept saying “Forget it, we’ll fix it as we go along. Ya’ll don’t mind if we sound like shit for a little bit, do you?” I. Love. Him.

He sang several songs off his upcoming album, and I love new stuff so this rocked. My favorite is called “The River and Me” which I gather is about an abusive husband/father that Tim ends up killing in the end. I’m no advocate of cold-blooded murder, but just like with Goodbye Earl we make exceptions 😉 The music on this song is awesome!

Faith took the stage with her band after awhile, and sang one song then brought Reba McEntire out to join her. Now I’m still a little irked at Reba for dissing the Dixie Chicks, but I have to admit I love her music and it was awesome to see her up there. They covered a Linda Ronstadt song “When Will I Be Loved” and then did one of Reba’s songs “Does He Love You”, which surprisingly, even though Faith opened up for the woman on tour, she didn’t know any of the words. So Reba is feeding her the lines and Faith is doing her best not to F it up, LOL. She actually did a good job, and then towards the end, Tim came down to role play the man they were fighting over, and they made a Reba/Tim/Faith sandwich… AWESOME! I wish they had let us bring cameras in, because that picture would have been freakin’ priceless!

Reba left the stage and Faith sang some more songs sola… ‘The City’ by Journey and ‘Think’ by Aretha Franklin which was my second favorite song of the night after ‘The River in Me.’ I just love it when Faith gets all soulful… Then someone requested Sunshine and Summertime, which annoyed me cause the point is to hear them do stuff we DON’T typically hear them do, and she said she didn’t want to do it, but they kept yelling so she sang it. Her keyboardist made the comment like “Well at least you know the words to this one!” (she messed up the lyrics to most of the songs…must have been a lil tipsy).

Speaking of tipsy, Tim was totally wasted and I love it when Tim’s wasted. He’s just so much more “Tim” — the drinks, he swears, he tells inappropriate jokes, LOL. He was telling a story about how he loved playing in small clubs better than for 30,000 people… How in the beginning, when they had only a van and a trailer, they’d play clubs like this and only five people would show up… And how Darren would lay all five of them… But that they were fat and ugly… Then Darren goes “Well I had to do something, its not like I was getting paid” and Tim totally flipped him off! Then during the last bit of “Forget About Us” where he’s singing that part “your soft green eyes, warm skin, the way you say good morning” – he was singing it to Darren and Bob and making lovey mushy eyes at them which cracked me up. Oh another thing that cracked me up was drunk Faith dancing!!! I swear, we all know dancing is not Faith’s specialty, but if she must dance, ply the girl with alcohol first because she can shake that booty! During one song, “That’s Alright Mama” I think, they were both up there gyrating and shaking their hips like they were having frantic bunny sex! I could NOT stop laughing! I have never, never seen her act so silly. Oh to have that on video…

They played until 3:30am and I didn’t get home until 4am. Long night but so memorable and so worth the wait. A big hi to all the McFriends and McGrawGirls I met and chilled with tonight (Iris, Colleen, Dawn, her daughters, Karen, Ann Marie, Ann, Sheila, BrothaMatt and Veronica). Hope to see most of you in VEGAS!!!

So most of you know that I’ve been waiting very patiently to hear back from several publishers who are reviewing my manuscript… One publisher in particular I was very anxious to hear from, as they were one of my top choices, and two editors at this publishing house had shown interest in my manuscript. Well I seem to have hit a little roadblock with that publisher — the editor who requested my manuscript is leaving the company for a position with Warner Books.

When I returned from my trip, I found my manuscript had been returned by this outgoing editor (returned not rejected, along with a letter stating that I should “feel free to resubmit to another editor within the company until further notice.” This was disappointing on several levels, but mainly because I was already “in the door” with this outgoing editor, and having to start over from square one with another editor adds another 6-9 months to the waiting game. Aargh! Also, I didn’t know how to proceed… Should I query editor #2 first, or just send the full manuscript explaining the situation? Should I send it to Editor #1 at her new house? The last thing I want is for my manuscript to end up in the slush pile (editors seldom pay much attention to manuscripts unless they are specifically requested). What to do???

I decided to drop an email to one of the industry contacts I made at the Black Writers Conference in Dallas. This agent is currently reviewing my manuscript for possible representation, and hosted an excellent panel at the conference where she explained that “Black Publishing is a very small circle… actually, it’s not even a circle, it’s a dot.” Well she knows just about everyone inside this dot, so I emailed her and explained my situation, and within the hour she CALLED me to answer my question.

First of all, the turnaround time on my query, when I’m so accustomed to waiting forever to hear back from people, was Awesome. Her feedback and insight on the situation was incredibly helpful (saving me a grip of time and frustration), and she even offered to mention my situation to Editor #2 the next time she talks to her, and forward the manuscript along if Editor #2 wants to see it… Now that’s what I call efficient. And I’m not even her client!

So for now, things with that publisher are on “pause”, until some stuff shakes out… But I have someone on the inside looking out for me, which is a nice feeling. Writing can be such an isolating business in some ways, but now that I have other writers to commiserate with, and guardian agents looking out (THANKS MJ!!!), it’s much easier to ride out the waves of uncertainty. And I know that with each step, even the tiny ones, I’m inching closer to my dream…

36 days, 23 States (and into Canada), 10,302 miles, and two hubcaps later (lol), I am finally back home in Santa Cruz. What a wild and crazy adventure it’s been! The euphoria I felt upon returning home, seeing my boys again (JJ is freaking HUGE now!), and finally getting to rest, smoke, and veg — it’s been like the cherry on top of a extraordinarily delicious sundae loaded with whipped cream… Those of you that know me know I’m a total homebody, so this whole summer adventure was quite the departure from the norm… But I feel like this journey introduced me to a whole other side of my self (a freedom-loving, spontaneous, flexible, adventure-seeking side) that I didn’t know I had… And what do you know -she’s actually happy and whole a lot of fun… I really don’t want to see her go, lol. I have to find that perfect balance between home and away, responsibility and reckless abandon…

Processing this trip and everything that happened to me will take months… But you will all be able to read a fictionalized version of this summer’s misadventures when I complete the book I’m planning to write about it, lol. After I finish WHEN LOVE ISN’T ENOUGH… Which I plan to do sometime in October (I’m borrowing Esco’s deadline, lol). 😉 That’s right, I’m not just returning to the reality of my “day job”, but also to the reality of this other dream I’m bent on chasing — launching my writing career. There have been many developments on that front in the past month, and I need to sit down with all my options and make some decisions soon… I will definitely keep everyone posted on any good news 🙂

5 weeks on the road, a good portion of it travelling sola, was quite an undertaking… Many people thought I was “crazy” (I’m assuming in a good way??? lol), others were flat out inspired by my balls and determination. But I would (and plan to) do it all over again. This has been, hands down, the best summer of my entire life. I’m not gonna be all cliche and cheesy by saying I “found” myself, but I did gain a greater clarity on my dreams, goals, and desires than I’ve ever had. I know exactly what I want out of life. And I think I have a plan on getting there. And I’ve learned that every step along the sometimes crooked path I’m going to take to get there has beauty in it if I just slow down and look a little closer. There is beauty everywhere, even in heartbreak and pain. There is a reason for everything that happens. I’m not religious by any means, but I do believe now that God (Great Original Doer), has a plan… We just get so caught up in things that don’t mean anything folks… Love yourself, love everyone around you, and don’t take a moment you have on this earth for granted — it’s really that simple. Hard, lol, but simple… But we are all blessed to be alive and breathing ya’ll… Every last one of us…

In the spirit of spreading love and giving thanks, I have to acknowledge all the people along the way whose path I crossed, who added a layer of love, laughter, or knowledge to the mission. I have one hell of a story to tell, and each and every one of you contributed a priceless memory to it that I will cherish forever… To my poet for the love, inspiration, and companionship (I miss you); Meg for being the perfect Thelma to my Louise (I LOVE YOU!); my Jackson Fam (and Cousin Doug!) for giving me the feel of family when I was so far from home (I love and miss you guys so much! I’m already planning my return trip!); dear friends I was able to reconnect with after being geographically challenged for too long (Faby, Lil Chris, Nicola, Carolina, Corey, JoJo, Berhan, Benito) – thank you for the food, shelter, and friendship… Seeing a familiar face at regular intervals refreshed my spirit in ways you’ll never know…xoxo); all the McFriends and McGrawGirls I met and reconnected with – it’s so much fun having folks to share my obession with! (special shouts out to Leish, her beautiful children (I’ll be back Rachel, I promise!), Iris, Colleen, Mama Karen and Paige…xoxo); everyone I met at the Black Writers Conference in Dallas for the inspiration, advice, and community; everyone I interacted with in the South that showed me that “Southern Hospitality” is not just a myth or expression, but alive and well; Officer Hamilton and Deputy Dyk for their compassion and caring; every random person I met along the way that extended their kindness in my direction (especially Captain Mark!); Ann, Alcide, and Leo for making sure my boys, bills, and home were well taken care of when I was gone; and everyone back home who was missing me and praying for my safe travels – I definitely felt like I had a host of guardian angels with me every step of the way.

Flickr has been updated with the remaining vacation photos… So many memories, wow. I hope I can inspire some of you to plan your own little getaways… I’m telling you life is too short to not be L-I-V-I-N…

36 days, 23 States (and into Canada), 10,302 miles, and two hubcaps later (lol), I am finally back home in Santa Cruz. What a wild and crazy adventure it’s been! The euphoria I felt upon returning home, seeing my boys again (JJ is freaking HUGE now!), and finally getting to rest, smoke, and veg — it’s been like the cherry on top of a extraordinarily delicious sundae loaded with whipped cream… Those of you that know me know I’m a total homebody, so this whole summer adventure was quite the departure from the norm… But I feel like this journey introduced me to a whole other side of my self (a freedom-loving, spontaneous, flexible, adventure-seeking side) that I didn’t know I had… And what do you know -she’s actually happy and whole a lot of fun… I really don’t want to see her go, lol. I have to find that perfect balance between home and away, responsibility and reckless abandon…

Processing this trip and everything that happened to me will take months… But you will all be able to read a fictionalized version of this summer’s misadventures when I complete the book I’m planning to write about it, lol. After I finish WHEN LOVE ISN’T ENOUGH… Which I plan to do sometime in October (I’m borrowing Esco’s deadline, lol). 😉 That’s right, I’m not just returning to the reality of my “day job”, but also to the reality of this other dream I’m bent on chasing — launching my writing career. There have been many developments on that front in the past month, and I need to sit down with all my options and make some decisions soon… I will definitely keep everyone posted on any good news 🙂

5 weeks on the road, a good portion of it travelling sola, was quite an undertaking… Many people thought I was “crazy” (I’m assuming in a good way??? lol), others were flat out inspired by my balls and determination. But I would (and plan to) do it all over again. This has been, hands down, the best summer of my entire life. I’m not gonna be all cliche and cheesy by saying I “found” myself, but I did gain a greater clarity on my dreams, goals, and desires than I’ve ever had. I know exactly what I want out of life. And I think I have a plan on getting there. And I’ve learned that every step along the sometimes crooked path I’m going to take to get there has beauty in it if I just slow down and look a little closer. There is beauty everywhere, even in heartbreak and pain. There is a reason for everything that happens. I’m not religious by any means, but I do believe now that God (Great Original Doer), has a plan… We just get so caught up in things that don’t mean anything folks… Love yourself, love everyone around you, and don’t take a moment you have on this earth for granted — it’s really that simple. Hard, lol, but simple… But we are all blessed to be alive and breathing ya’ll… Every last one of us…

In the spirit of spreading love and giving thanks, I have to acknowledge all the people along the way whose path I crossed, who added a layer of love, laughter, or knowledge to the mission. I have one hell of a story to tell, and each and every one of you contributed a priceless memory to it that I will cherish forever… To my poet for the love, inspiration, and companionship (I miss you); Meg for being the perfect Thelma to my Louise (I LOVE YOU!); my Jackson Fam (and Cousin Doug!) for giving me the feel of family when I was so far from home (I love and miss you guys so much! I’m already planning my return trip!); dear friends I was able to reconnect with after being geographically challenged for too long (Faby, Lil Chris, Nicola, Carolina, Corey, JoJo, Berhan, Benito) – thank you for the food, shelter, and friendship… Seeing a familiar face at regular intervals refreshed my spirit in ways you’ll never know…xoxo); all the McFriends and McGrawGirls I met and reconnected with – it’s so much fun having folks to share my obession with! (special shouts out to Leish, her beautiful children (I’ll be back Rachel, I promise!), Iris, Colleen, Mama Karen and Paige…xoxo); everyone I met at the Black Writers Conference in Dallas for the inspiration, advice, and community; everyone I interacted with in the South that showed me that “Southern Hospitality” is not just a myth or expression, but alive and well; Officer Hamilton and Deputy Dyk for their compassion and caring; every random person I met along the way that extended their kindness in my direction (especially Captain Mark!); Ann, Alcide, and Leo for making sure my boys, bills, and home were well taken care of when I was gone; and everyone back home who was missing me and praying for my safe travels – I definitely felt like I had a host of guardian angels with me every step of the way.

Flickr has been updated with the remaining vacation photos… So many memories, wow. I hope I can inspire some of you to plan your own little getaways… I’m telling you life is too short to not be L-I-V-I-N…

I’m so happy that when I mapped my itinerary I ended the trip by coming home through the Pacific Northwest… I’d been to Seattle and Portland before, but have never driven through this part of the country. It is so beautiful everywhere, and the closer we get to California, the more and more things are starting to look and feel like home. Feels great to be back on the West Coast again — the Westside RULES!!!

It took us two hours to get across the border coming back from Canada, but we got into Seattle by 4pm, enough time for me to grab a hot shower and a grubbin’ dinner at the Outback Steakhouse before the concert. Seattle is a great city, and I loved being in the thick of it. Our hotel was walking distance from the Key Arena and Seattle Center, which made my concert mission totally manageable. This show was special because it marks my 30TH time seeing Tim McGraw in concert 🙂 The fact that my 30th show falls in my 30th year is kinda like ball players scoring a triple double or some other silly statistic like that — I love it! And Mr. and Mrs. McGraw did not disappoint — they blew the roof off that place like they always do. Faith ad-libbed a bit during “There Will Come a Day”, letting her political leanings show (“I don’t believe in war… I don’t believe in killing people… I believe in LOVE!!!” GO FAITH!) And Tim played a brand new song which I’d never heard before, “Fly Away”, which had Gracie, Maggie and Audrey singing at the end… AWESOME! I also ran into a couple at the show that I partied with at the Coyote Ugly in Nashville which was so Random but hella cool! See, I’m not the only fan that travels far and wide chasing cowboys 😉

After leaving Seattle, Megan and I drove down to Astoria, Oregon which was an awesome stopover. Meg wanted to see it because the Goonies and Kindergarden Cop were filmed there, lol. But it was a cute little fishing village town on the Columbia River, and we stumbled across the Astoria Column which is hands down the coolest column I’ve ever seen. The mural wraps around and up telling the story of how the area was discovered and settled. Then we climbed to the top of it (164 steps!) and had a gorgeous 360 degree panoramic view of the surrounding area – oceans, rivers, mountains and all. GORGEOUS. I’ll upload a full set of pics to Flickr as soon as I can, but for tonight all I have the energy for is the blog…

From there we drove down the Oregon Coast which is just GORGEOUS. It almost hurts me to say this, but the Oregon Coast kicks the California coasts ass! And I can’t even describe to you how giddy I felt laying eyes on the Pacific Ocean again after all these weeks away. I have officially made it from coast to coast to coast people!

I’ve decided that one day I must also own property on the Oregon Coast, lol, preferably in Cannon Beach or Arcadia. Imagine dense lush forests, tree-covered mountains, bridges and bays, AND the ocean all converging in one scenic vista. It was amazing. Simply amazing.

By the time we arrived at our destination in Cape Lookout, Oregon, I was already awed and beyond inspired… But when I pulled into our campsite just STEPS from this gorgeous beach, I realized what it means to be truly blessed. It could not have been a more perfect stopping point. We pitched our tent and then headed down to the beach where I got to watch the sun set into the Pacific Ocean for the first time in five weeks… And then later I fell asleep to the sound of the ocean waves rolling and lapping against the shore. For an ocean girl such as myself, this is about as close to heavan as it gets folks…

Currently we’re in Ashland, Oregon, about 15 miles north of the California border. By this time tomorrow I will be resting peacefully in my own bed, cuddled up with my kitties, having come full circle… I can’t believe I’m almost home, but at the same time, I’m so ready to be home… California, here we come!!!

It’s pretty crazy to me how as much of this country that I’ve seen in the past month, that things are still able to awe and amaze me. I swear, as we make our way West, the scenery just gets more and more gorgeous — and after the South and the Tetons, I didn’t think that was possible… But yet again, around every corner I see things that just leave me speechless…

After we left our river campsite in Twisp, WA (the most quiet, serene, peaceful place I’ve stopped thus far), we took a scenic drive through the North Cascade Mountains in northern Washington. GORGEOUS. I highly recommend the Hwy 20 scenic loop. There were rivers that ran alongside the road, snow-crusted mountain peaks that loomed above us, and the most surreal mountain lake I’ve ever laid eyes on…

I’m not exactly sure how/why the water was that particular shade of turquoise, but it took my breath away.

After we toured the Cascades, we decided to take a detour and head into Canada, lol. Not on the original itinerary, lol, but Meg really wanted to see Vancouver, and since I’m all about flexibility and spontanaiety (this summer ;-), I was happy to oblige. The border guards hassled us a bit upon entry (good thing they confiscated all the contraband in South Dakota!), and they took our pepper spray, but they were friendly and funny (unlike the asshole cop in South Dakota), and after a brief interrogation, they let us through. We spent the rest of the day cruising around Vancouver and having a gay old time…

Apparently some refer to Vancouver as “San Francisco North”, and I would totally agree except its much cleaner and prettier. Water everywhere, bridges everywhere, and a bustling city without the graffiti and homeless people. We drove all over Vancouver and didn’t see one slum, ghetto, or run-down area. The trees in Stanley Park were lush and very much reminded me of the South (minus the humidity). The exchange rate worked in our favor so we got more for our money everywhere we went (we splurged on a hotel and a nice dinner to celebrate!), and Megan fell totally in love with the area (she’s abandoning her plans to move to South Dakota or Montana now, favoring the Pacific Northwest). All in all, it was a wonderful day — the memories of speeding tickets and flat tires far behind us. Thank God.

We’re making our way home now, and after 4+ weeks on the road, I’m ready to be home. I miss my kitties something awful and my body is pretty sick of spending 6 hours a day in the car, lol. So while I expected to be sad that my most awesome summer vacation is drawing to a close, I’m actually ready to come off the road. We should be home by Saturday or Sunday. I can’t believe I’m two states away from coming full circle on the trip of a lifetime…

Just a quickie to let everyone know Meg and I made it safely to our campsite in Eastern Washington State. I am actually writing you from camp, beside a gorgeous river…


What can I say, wireless internet rocks, lol.

The car (and tires) seem to be holding up fine and things feel back to “normal”. We stopped at a Jiffy Lube somewhere in Idaho earlier today for an oil change and everything is in working order. Feels good to be back on the West Coast — I was starting to go through Starbucks withdrawal, LOL. We’ve improvised on the itinerary a bit, and have decided that tomorrow we’re going to head up into Vancouver, Canada for the day 🙂 Yay! I’m so happy that our little adventures on the side of the road didn’t ruin my trip! Just a few more days before I have to go back to “reality”, so I’m determined to enjoy every last second… Til next time!

So we’re about an hour outside of Yellowstone when we blow out my left rear tire. Lovely. I was already cranky, sore, and hungry (major PMS ya’ll), so this didn’t help matters. Immediately called AAA and they assured me they’d have someone out there in 10 minutes, but AN HOUR LATER, still no tow truck (they had jacked up my location and told the tow truck driver I was 15 miles North of Livingston when we were 15 miles South… Aargh!). Now I would have tried to change the tire myself, but we were too close to the road, and the tire was on the traffic side, so I decided to leave it to the professionals, lol. Thankfully a Sheriff showed up and he was the most awesome man and totally changed our tire for us! (We LOVE you Officer Hamilton!!!) I swear, Montana has totally renewed my faith in law enforcement — turns out they’re not all profiling assholes, lol. Anyway, we get the spare donut on, and drive about 20 minutes to the next town, where there’s a Walmart, where I can purchase a new tire. This took another hour, but we got to shop a little and eat lunch, and before we knew it we were on the road again…

Okay, so not 15 miles on the highway with our BRAND NEW TIRE, it blows again!!! I swear, I could not fucking believe it! How many people get two flats in one day! And on a BRAND NEW TIRE! So now we’re stranded on the side of the road AGAIN, calling AAA, and I’m fixin’ to cuss out the folks at Walmart, lol. Well another cop pulled up almost immediately after we pulled over, and the wonderful (and cute!) Deputy Dyk, not wanting us to be stranded for another second, offered to change our tire for us! (We LOVE you Deputy Dyk!) The cops in Montana freakin’ Rock! So now I’m driving back to Walmart, to get ANOTHER tire so we can get to our destination already. I swear, you just can’t make this stuff up people…

They put another tire on there, and I guess everything is fine now because we made it to our hotel in Missoula, Montana without incident. Long, long day. I can’t believe I made it for almost a month on the road, by myself, without any problems, and now all of a sudden the Universe wants to throw every obstacle imaginable at me in my final lap! (I didn’t tell you about how we hit and killed a spotted hawk or owl while driving through South Dakota… Honestly, have you ever heard of a person hitting a bird of prey with their CAR???) Ah well, great stories for the blog and book – that’s what I keep telling myself. Tomorrow we leave Montana, driving through the top of Idaho, en route to our campgrounds in Eastern Washington… I’m so excited to return to the Pacific Time Zone and I’m very excited to be getting closer and closer to home… It’s been a wild and lovely adventure, but I miss my kitties and Devin and I’m definitely starting to get sick of driving, lol. But there is still much fun to be had between now and then, so I gotta remember to stay present and enjoy this last week on the road…

So yeah, I started out the trip with four hubcaps. In Atlanta, I noticed one was missing (I have no idea what happened to it, lol). Lost the second one today when we blew out the tire. But you bet I’m gonna ride it til the rims fall off, and I still got two left…

If there were to be a battle for the bestest National Park in the country, I am convinced that the Grand Tetons would kick every other parks butt! My mouth hasn’t hung open like that since Sedona, and the Grand Canyon ain’t got nothin’ on the Tetons. The mountains, the lakes, and the surrounding scenery were among the most gorgeous I’ve ever seen in my life…

We camped for two days in Colter Bay Village in the coolest little tent cabin. My body was ready for a non-driving day by this point, though Saturday hardly felt like a day off. Meg and I went for a hike around GORGEOUS Jenny Lake that ended up being 6 miles and 3 hours long. The trail itself wasn’t as challenging as trying to keep up with Megan’s pace (the girl hasn’t smoked a day in her life and runs miles for FUN). Needless to say, after we were done, I was exhausted. But it was beautiful and there was an awesome waterfall at the halfway point, and I just love me some waterfalls.
As lovely as our tent cabin was, Meg and I didn’t get very much sleep in it, lol. Apparently the Tetons is very much bear country, so when checking in we were warned that bears are in the area and to lock up all food and food-scented toiletries in the car or bear bins before retiring for the night… Well I was awoken in the middle of the night by some major rustling and slamming in the camp, like a large animal was trying to get into the bear bins. Then I heard the growls and roars of a bear, not at all far away, and could not go back to sleep. I just laid there praying that they did not come after us (I spilled some cranberry juice in the tent earlier). Super scary. Meg totally made fun of me, and was jealous she slept through all the commotion, but she got her fill of wildlife sounds the next night as bear growls and coyote/wolf howls woke her and kept her up. But I still love camping, and our trip was pretty much without incident, so I will definitely be back.

Today we drove through Yellowstone which was cool. Not nearly as pretty as the Tetons, but still very scenic and we got to glimpse some pretty cool wildlife in their natural habitat. Saw a couple of buffalo walking up the road (like they owned it!) and a herd of elk. Very cool. Unfortunately, that was where the fun stuff ended (see above). I tell you, this trip has not been without its adventures!

Well, I almost went to jail tonight, lol. Okay, so maybe its not that funny, but what everyone keeps telling me to focus on is that I did NOT go to jail, and that it will make a great story for the book, so that’s how I’m going to try to view it… I suppose in the grand scheme of things, it could have been much much worse.

But first the fun stuff. South Dakota is just gorgeous, and there is a TON of stuff to do here (contrary to popular belief). Meg and I were so excited to set out on our full day of sightseeing. It’s awesome to have her with me because as I’ve said before — she’s like my chick soulmate. We get along incredibly well, find humor in the same bizarre things, are interested and entertained by the same activities, and can even communicate without words. She’s an awesome travelling companion and her excitement about our adventures really kept me up and going through the long drives and long days. I love having her here with me – she’s an awesome best friend.

We stayed in the CUTEST cabin in Badlands National Park last night. We were just giddy when we finally got a peek at our accommodations after a 10-hour driving day. It was just perfect and quaint inside and out. Got up early, had breakfast and then set off for a full day of exploring.

First stop was Wall Drug Store which is just this massive trading post with everything imaginable inside. (There are a ton of bikes outside because the next two weeks is the Sturgis Rally, a huge Harley convention that brings about 500,000 bikers to South Dakota to commune and party.) She shopped, I tried not to shop, and then we had a blast taking silly pictures in the mini-theme park out back. Then we went to Mount Rushmore, which was a trip. Presidents faces carved into the side of a mountain are most definitely cool.

Then we made our way through the Black Hills mountains which are just GORGEOUS. Meg totally fell in love with South Dakota and I totally will be back to visit her when she does, despite my unpleasant run-in with the Law… Then we set off for Deadwood, the town depicted in the HBO Series Deadwood. That was pretty cool, walking the streets where all this history took place. And after that we visited Mount Moriah Cemetary where Wild Bill Hickock, Seth Bullock, and Calamity Jane are buried. Very cool. Check Flickr for the full set of pictures.

As we were leaving South Dakota, en route to Buffalo, Wyoming where we were spending the night, I got pulled over for speeding. I was only going 83 mph in a 75 mph zone, so I thought the whole fact that I was getting a ticket at all was pretty ridiculous. I thought it was even more ridiculous when the cop informed me that he was calling in a K-9 unit to search my car for drugs. WTF — they profiled my ass cause I had California plate and I think that was totally fucked up. Now when I set off on my trip, I intentionally did not bring anything with me for this precise reason. But when I was in Atlanta, my friend gave me some stuff as a gift. Well, I actually left MOST of it in Chicago with another friend, so what I actually had on me was just one pinner emergency J… But apparently in South Dakota, which has a zero-tolerance regarding drugs, a little bit was enough to get my ass thrown in jail.

(Forgive the cursing, but I just came from fucking Deadwood for fuck’s sake, LOL)

Well after Demo the drug-sniffing dog got through with us, and they went through ALL our stuff (probable cause anyone? Unfortunately I am not well versed on my rights), I found myself in a little bit of trouble. They informed me that they should be arresting me, taking me to jail, and towing my car away, but instead they were going to let me off with a ticket (two to be exact if you count the one for speeding). I suppose I was supposed to be grateful, but I really think they went way overboard on the search and seizure bit considering I wasn’t driving under the influence, driving recklessly, or doing anything really except speeding. The great irony of it all was that I did not see one black person our entire time in South Dakota (that was a first for me), UNTIL I got pulled over and jacked by this BLACK cop. No love, none whatsoever. And he had the nerve to try to chat me up and make small talk like he was my buddy. The white cop with the dog was waaaay nicer.

Anyway, I’m happy to report that I’m not writing you from jail, but from our cabin in Buffalo, Wyoming. Things could have been much much worse, so I’m grateful for that. I’ve never been harassed by the police before, so I suppose this was a worthwhile learning experience and it will make a fantastic inclusion in the book I’m planning to write about this trip. But they don’t fuck around in South Dakota ya’ll.