Road Trip Dreaming

As we are all crammed inside with an uncertain future, it can be difficult to think about future trips. When I first got quarantined, the first couple weeks seemed like lifetimes. Then I began to find the silver linings in the current situation.

With all the time we have on our hands now, there is no better time for personal development and with that comes a point of reflection. Having recently moved to Denver and coming in touch with a couple looking to help me start a side business, I began to give a lot more thought to my future. A major reason for my move across the country from Boston was to experience a new area and begin to advance my photography and videography skills. While this side business seemed very promising, I couldn't help but wonder how much it would take away from growing my photography business and exploring all that the southwest has to offer.

One day, I decided to start mapping out a new road trip to see where the planning took me emotionally. Zion National Park has been atop my travel list ever since returning from my road trip this past summer (from Boston to Portland, OR and back). As I began mapping the trip leading me down to the Great Sand Dunes, up through Gunnison, to Arches, and eventually out to Zion, I became overwhelmed with excitement. I needed to make this happen and having the time to reflect on how important that is to me has been extremely freeing.

Dreaming of sliding down the sand dunes on a "sand board," taking a handful of sand as the wind blows it out, and watching the sun go down over the horizon would be an amazing way to end any trip, but for that to be the first stop, and not even the highlight, made me realize what an insane trip this could be.

The next stop would include even better views, but going down rather than up with the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. As we engulf some peanut butter banana sandy's, we try not to get too close to the edge of the mammoth drop into the canyon. I imagine myself popping out the drone and getting some killer shots before we hop in the car for and make our way onward.

From there, we head on to Arches, down the scenic Highway 128, for our first taste of Utah and the red rock formations that have cemented their image as iconic Utah. This would likely be our first camping stop as we take in the stars and I snag a couple astro photography shots.

Finally, we would make it to the stunning views of Zion. Three days of camping there definitely would not be enough, but hopefully enough to give us a good taste and the desire to come back with a longer time frame. Hiking the many trails would leave us exhausted, but full of cherished memories.

Continuing on after that life changing experience, we would check out Horseshoe Bend and Four Corners for a real taste of the southwest. A few pictures and maybe a few jokes at four corners regarding what state gets some extra love, we'd be hitting the last leg.

And that would be Durango, where we'd link up with my cousin to explore one of Colorado's most southern locations. I'd be looking forward to catching on old train through the colorful autumn forests. Making our way back towards Denver would bring us back in time to return to our "normal" lives the following Monday. Naturally, that would be a tough day as I would be daydreaming about the trip, preparing myself to edit thousands of pictures, and beginning to plan the next trip.