My summer has been a already been a whirlwind of activity. The day after my graduation I jumped into the car with my mother, brother, and step-dad to drive back to Minnesota (my home-state). We stopped at Memphis and stayed a few nights to visit Elvis' Graceland, with a quick pit stop in Tupelo, MS (the birthplace of Elvis).
Graceland itself is quite the visit, a tourist-trap of the best kind. I never have been a huge Elvis *fan*, definitely enjoy his music and appreciate his contribution to the music industry, however, it is my mother and sister that are the fan-girls. Even so, Elvis' home was quite interesting, and the audio-tour provided some interesting insights into his life. If you are passing through Memphis it is definitely worth the stop.
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| Love the Peacock stained glass in the living room! |
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| Very 70s! Definitely want to be sober in this room though. |
After leaving Graceland we headed home. We took a rest stop in Saint Louis. I have never actually seen the Saint Louis arch, but I don't think I expected it to be quite as large as it actually was. It was quite fascinating. we did not have time to go up into it, but I went into the guest center and picked up brochures and other literature on the arch because I am sort of a nerd like that.
Considering how long I will be gone over the next year, it was wonderful to get to spend as much time with my family as I did! I had a graduation party in Minnesota for the family and friends that could not travel to Augusta to celebrate with me! I was very happy that some of my family came that I don't often get to see on my trips home. I got to celebrate birthdays that I normally miss. All in all it was fun, but a bit chaotic. Our family in the last few years has gone from having *no* children in it, to having 8, with 7 of them under the age of 8! So family gatherings are quite the production and full of energy. It can be very exhausting.
As if I did not have enough going on this summer, we took yet another road trip! Here was a trip I didn't think I would ever have to make again: Minnesota to New Mexico and back. Growing up in Albuquerque we would make the drive back to Minnesota at least every summer. If you have never had to make the drive, I hope you never have to, it is a long stretch of dull piled on top of boring.
The upside to the long, flat drive, is that your first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains completely takes your breath away, as if the Rockies aren't breathtaking enough on their own merit! Unfortunately, we did not have enough time on this trip to stop in Colorado and really enjoy the mountains as we were on a time schedule. My sister was getting married. So most of my photos of the Rockies were shot through a window as we drove along side them.
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| Myself, my mother, and my sister at the state line |
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| Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque |
The day before the wedding, my sister invited everyone to come up to the Sandia Peak Tram and hike, or in the case of my mother, my aunt, and myself, sit in the restaurant and drink (vodka at 10400feet - not a great idea!). It is an incredible ride to the top of Sandia Peak! The tram is the longest tram ride in the world. Anyway, I thought it was impressive.
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| Canyon Rock |
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| The Sandia Peak Tram |
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| Sandia Peak |
Beyond that, it was an enjoyable month back in Minnesota. I spent a day with my cousin and her family at Minneahaha Falls (
See Here), and did a "Trash the Dress" photoshoot with my younger sister as a sort of "moving on" ceremony after her engagement was called off (
See Here).
Additionally, I did a lot of shopping and began to strategize my packing for my journeys the next year, which I will probably address in a future post. I have a feeling I will have to re-assess my strategy after I finish up in Salamanca, before I begin with Webster University.
Ciao!
The upside to the long, flat drive, is that your first glimpse of the Rocky Mountains completely takes your breath away, as if the Rockies aren't breathtaking enough on their own merit! Unfortunately, we did not have enough time on this trip to stop in Colorado and really enjoy the mountains as we were on a time schedule. My sister was getting married. So most of my photos of the Rockies were shot through a window as we drove along side them.
