EL FIN

You are finally here! The last leg of the trip.  By this time we were awfully tired, but the driving wasn't too bad.  We were listening to The Hunger Games series on audio book.  We didn't want to see the movie without "reading" the book first, and this allowed us to all "read" at the same time!

Once we stopped to get gas, and found this indoor Sonic.  None of us had seen anything but the drive in kind, so we just had to go in.  Frankie was a Sonic eating fool! Every time I was with her she was asking for a grilled cheese.  So we sprinkled a few ashes in the grass and continued on our way.

While leaving Colorado we just had to stop by Four Corners.  This is a place where you can stand in four states at once: Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Pretty nifty.

We spent the night in Albuquerque, NM, and the next morning took off for Roswell.  It was amusing seeing the alien tourist shops and museums, but we only stayed a few hours.  Then we made our way to Lubbock, TX to stay with some of Luke's family.  We had a nice time with Carl (Luke's granddad) and his wife Ann.

On the 30th of June we packed up and headed for Lake Murray, OK where our family reunion was being held.  It was good to see family, and be in such a familiar place.  On the last day we took Frankie's ashes to the lake.  It was beautiful seeing everyone saying a prayer or lifting up thoughts to Frankie.  She has such a lovely spirit, and knowing her she was looking on and smiling.

Our trip may be over, but we are all still on the long winding journey of life. As you continue to travel to unknown places or even revisit what you already know, never stop learning.  Frankie believed this was our biggest tool in life.  Read, admit when your wrong, dance, visit your family and friends, laugh, ask questions to what you don't understand, sing, treat everyone with compassion and understanding, and above all: Love.

For today's (not so) random bit of advice: Be the change you wish to see in the world.

Moab, UT & Telluride, CO

We have been home about 5 days now, so I thought I should continue the trip for everyone else. Sorry I'm such a terrible blogger.

After we picked up dad in Salt Lake City we headed to Moab, UT to visit Arches National Park.  It was really neat to see the different natural rock formations, but it was incredibly windy!

 

After exploring the park for a few hours we went on to Telluride, CO.  If you have never been to Telluride you should plan a trip someday.  It was amazing there.  I have only been there twice in the summer, but I've heard the winter is pretty awesome.

We mostly hung out with family while we were there, but we did have a few adventures too.  We rode the free gondolas up the mountain and rode our bikes down. 

Climbing up a rock wall.

Can you see the house?  It is in between two waterfalls, way up high!

There is an old picture of Frankie in one of these telephone booths, from the first time we visited Telluride. It was a tight fit for the four of us though.

We didn't really spread any ashes while in Telluride because our mom and Auntie Gem had already been there three weeks before us.  We did sprinkle some in the grass next to the phone booth.  Which brings me to my next topic.  If anyone has pictures of them spreading ashes, or places they sprinkled, wold you please send them to me.  You can email them to me at alex.lorobeck@yahoo.com. auntie Gem would like to have all the pictures in one place so they can be easily located in the future.

Today's random bit of advice: Send your loved ones flowers. Think of a reason later.

Reno, NV & Salt Lake City, UT

Hello from Telluride, Colorado!  Today is our last day here, but we enjoyed ourselves so much we forgot to write a blog.  Now it's time to catch up.

On our way from Eureka, CA to Reno, NV we found a shoe tree.  Auntie Gem gave us Frankie's checkered Chucks to throw up there, and they look fantastic!  She was so thrilled when Micheal Urie (the assistant, Mark, on Ugly Betty) signed them, so it is only right for them to be on display.

Can you see the black and white checks?

Danni even scattered some ashes under the tree.

The rest of Reno was mostly playing two square (instead of four square.)

The next day we headed out early for Salt Lake City, UT.  When we got there we picked up a hitch hiker at the airport.  We treated him to Fazoli's and put-put golf.

Reading the green...

It didn't work.

Danni's golf pose.

There was also a round of go-carts, and lots of arcard games.  We all won prizes to play with.

Another Frankie's! Alas, it was another bar so Dan and Riley couldn't go in.

While we are having fun on this trip it is also strange to realize the reason we are here.  We miss Frankie, but know she is having a great time watching and guiding us.

For today's random bit of advice: Compliment three people every day.

Eureka! California

We are now settled in Reno, so time to update on the last two days that we spent on our trip from San Fransisco to Eureka! "I Have Found It!", California. We traveled up Highway 101 for a descent amount of time, and and then Highway 1 to experience the beautiful valleys and oceans up the northern coast. One spot was so awesome we made a pit stop and decided to explore a bit. (plus we needed a break from the winding mountain road as we were all turning a bit green from nausea)

The guys playing around on the rocks

We risked our lives (not really) jumping from oceanic rock to rock to spread Frankie's ashes into the crashing waves. What this picture doesn't show is the moment when i slipped,  was about to smack my face on a rock, grabbed Alex, she slipped, and got her foot soaked in a tide pool. That's sisterly love. I bet Frankie was laughing about it too.

As we were nearing Eureka, we encountered signs for the ever so famous Drive Through Tree! It was... in a word... BIG. Sadly, it was made for cars to drive through it, not Texas Edition trucks, so Alex and I simply walked through it. We stopped in the exact center and spread some ashes so she can forever be a part of this amazing tree's growth.

Redwood National Forrest. It was chilly, but that made the hiking all the more enjoyable. There were multiple trees that you could walk and crawl through. Many of them were burnt on the inside, but were still living. Frankie and I talked about the renewal of life, and I know she would have enjoyed to be in such a rejuvenating environment.

Alex getting in her tree love time.

Banana slug!! We saw many of these little guys, and they were so cute we decided to give them some shadow love. Frankie loved all living things and she would have adored these guys, no matter how slimey. She believed in the life of all things no matter how small, and no matter the language barrier. To her, a slug and a tree are both the same level of alive as we are. Never take for granted how precious life is, no matter the size or species.

I foraged my way through some vicious ferns and poison oak to spread Frankie at the base of this tree. It was tremendously tall and sweetly green, so we picked it as the lucky recipient of her love.

Alex and I being sworn in as Redwood National Park Junior Park Rangers. We even got little plastic badges! Our Ranger Guide was really friendly and kept making us want to laugh during the oath.

That sums up our stop by the redwoods, although a traveling fair moved in next to our campground. Gotta admire how fast they can put up roller coasters.

Random bit of advice for the day: Leave everything a little better than you found it.

San Fransisco

Our first day in San Fransisco started out really hot compared to Monterey, but in the evening it was just as chilly.  We went up to a lookout point where the army started building turret guns during WWII.  The guns were never finished, but the tunnels were left behind.  The view was beautiful, so we decided to spread some ashes.



We found another Frankie's!  The restaurant was small, and an old man with a thick accent was the only waiter and bartender.  It was absolutely delicious!  If you ever visit San Fran go to Frankie's Bohemian Cafe.

Baker Street!

The next morning we went to the fisherman's wharf to explore.

I don't think it was possible to count all the restaurants that sold clam chowder and sourdough bread.  We thought this particular restaurant was neat.  They had bread baked in so many different shapes and sizes.  I wanted to hug and eat the bear all at the same time.

We wanted to take the tour of Alcatraz, but we found out the tours were sold out until Thursday!  Luckily there were about 10 boats advertising a trip under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz.  We got some ice cream, and found the least sketchiest boat to ride on.

We spread some ashes under the bridge.  According to the captain we passed over the deepest part of water under the bridge.  Something like 350 feet deep!

Danni wearing the jacket the deckhand gave her.  No she has not turned into a hunchback... that lump is Totoro.

Alcatraz!  Luke kept accidentally calling it Azkaban, so we called it that for the rest of the trip.  We sprinkled in three different places around the island.

After the chilly but fun boat ride we decided it was time to leave San Fransisco.  Gotta love the rainbows on every tunnel.

Today's random bit of advice: Ever so often push your luck.