Road trip in the US OF A : Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma

Can I just preface this post by saying America is extraordinarily massive? I can't comprehend how the settlers were able to traverse such a huge chunk of the earth with nothing but feet and carriages. Last week Wednesday, I went on a road trip. The drive through Kansas was interesting. Because we avoided the highways, we had to put up with the foul stench of farms, beef industries and slaughterhouses. The car smelt like cow shit but we were too excited to be bothered.


Colorado Springs, Colorado. We stopped at Colorado Springs because we were presenting academic papers at a conference. My paper was Alfonso Cuaron's Y Tu Mama Tambien


At Pikes Peek in Colorado. The scenery was breathtaking.


Ascending Pikes Peek (with a vehicle of course). I felt really nauseous because we were at an incredibly high altitude. So if you are planning on undertaking a similar journey and your body is not familiar with high altitudes, make sure you bring medicine for headache or nausea.


I had stones in my pockets to prevent the wind from knocking me over. I kid, I kid. The winds were pretty tough though. Vehicles were prevented from further ascension because the breeze was out of control.


Jubilating in New Mexico. I am wearing a five year old rubber sandal thingie from Cameroon (Central Africa). In Cameroon, we called them "Nchang" shoes. Some people consider them to be somewhat archaic but I personally think they are stylish and comfortable; I wear them any chance I get. I used the word "them" too much in this paragraph.


Grand Canyon, Arizona.


Shitting a fully-developed human being at the Grand Canyon


We also did a bit of camping in Arizona. If you are ever going camping in Arizona, around the Grand Canyon or Phoenix area, I highly recommend Seven Springs Campground. They have beautiful views, clearly marked hiking trails and nearby rivers. It is also the most inexpensive option; the cost per night is 6 dollars. If you are lucky like us, you won't even pay a dime. There was no rancher or toll gate present when we camped so we stayed there for free. The ride is a little bumpy but it is definitely worth it. So yeah, definitely check out Seven Springs Campground.


Another recommendation; while driving to or from Seven Springs Campground, you'll pass a little town called Cave Creek. There's a gloriously tasty coffee shop in this little town called The Village Coffee shop. Make sure you stop there and enjoy one of the best crepes you will ever have in your life. The beverages will equally massage your taste buds; they use only home-made milk in their coffee and tea. They have a massive sign by the road so you won't miss it.


At a flea market in Cave Creek, Arizona.


Beautiful sky at Cave Creek


Hiking mountains around the Cave Creek area.


Descending


Pool side. Phoenix, Arizona. A generous friend of one of our friends, let us crash at her place. She took time off work to show us all the hot spots around the city.


Palm trees by the pool.


Because my camera is waterproof, I've become a tad bit obsessed underwater photography. I used my fellow travelers as models. This is probably my favorite.


This is also one of my favorites. I wasn't intending to capture her facial exit from the water but it ended up looking tres cool, if I might say so myself. Ok! this post is going on forever so I'll stop here. We drove through Texas and Oklahoma on our way back.


This is the farewell picture of this post. In summary, the road trip was fun. We encountered bad weather in the Grand Canyon on our second day out there so we couldn't hike down the mountains. If you are heading over to the Grand Canyon anytime soon, regularly check weather updates. If you are going to be living in big cities, do lots of research about hostels or hotels and book in advance. Don't drive to Denver, Colorado without reservations like we did and spend hours finding a place to sleep. For the small towns and counties, you don't need any reservations; cheap motels are in abundance. If the weather is nice, I recommend camping; you spend less money and communion with nature. What more could you ask for?

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