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Recapping a few facts:
Massachusetts to Utah can be done in 4 days, through DC
DC to St Louis is a long haul
St Louis to Denver is also a long haul

I left DS in DC and headed west on the panhandle of Maryland. For a small state, I felt like I was in it for longer than I should have been. Once I hit West Virginia, the spectacle of North American made itself very apparent. WV is loaded with these drivable hills that the interstate weaves around, like string on a sewing machine. My favorite part (and I'm sure I'll find it after this trip on a map) was driving around a bend to see a mountain ridge, with a wedged seemingly cut out of it. I must have watched that gap grow wider and wider for 30 minutes before finding my way through it. It was mind blowing.

Kentucky was similar, and Indiana was brief. I stopped at a restaurant and tried to enjoy a poor excuse for tex-mex as I arrived in IN. It was edible.

I stopped in St Charles, officially, to stay with DP at his parents house, where he grew up. We departed nearly as soon as I arrived, taking a drive to the local Shnooks, where DP was an employee during his tenure as a grade student. We picked up the best and worst light lagers, and a few bags of chips, then headed back to enjoy our bounty. If you run into a chip brand called Krunchers, don't hesitate. For my northeastern clan back home, think of Cape Cod chips, but actually way better.

I've been seemingly getting a late start since I left Waltham, as I wanted to get on the road by 7 but probably left closer to 7:45. Minutes are miles; interestingly enough, when the speed limit is 75-80, minutes are more like a mile and a third.

This day-long leg of the trip was not the one I was looking forward to, because it possessed the most utility in the month of my adventure. I need to get to Vegas by the evening of July 4, so blazing through the middle part of the country made most sense. Paired with poor reviews of scenery, I wanted to be done with it as soon as possible. I was quite pleasantly surprised to find out that the vast, literally countless fields of corn and crop were a pleasure to have, as it accompanied some terrific views of flat land. Call me an optimist, or someone that sees the shades in a pile of shit, but I would recommend I-70 through Kansas to anyone who can appreciate that this is where our country's food comes from (well, one of many, don't get it twisted). It was pretty awe-inspiring.

I stayed in Aurora, CO which is just outside Denver. I made the foolish mistake of thinking I could stroll up to any hotel and receive the best mattress and linens offered, on the same weekend as Comicon and July 4th. Better luck next time, Joey. As it turns out, driving for about 28 hours over the span of 2 days makes it quite easy to consider the extra cost of staying at a hotel, which I did. It was a level-up play in the end, as I took the time to plan out the rest of my journey to Vegas; something I did not do, which should come as a surprise to no one.

After an overpriced bacon cheeseburger was delivered to my room and consumed within minutes, I decided that Zion National Park was something I needed to hit. I didn't want to change up my post-Vegas itinerary (loosely planned, fwiw) so I decided to make one more lengthy day of driving to get out to Grand(?) Carmel. My plan is to camp within 30 mins of the park entrance, get in before 6am, and be out by 3pm. With the time change (I'm pretty sure I get one more), I should be in Vegas and showered in time for the college contest.

*Inside barbershop: I'm such an old foagie calling it the college contest. That's what it was called when I was in it, now get off my lawn and leave your add-9!

OK, what I've been dying to recap - the road from Denver to Zion. My senses are still on overload from the scenery I got to see on I-70. I got through Colorado and was like "there's no way Utah brings the heat like Colorado did." and I was the wrongest of wrongs. Like, so wrong.

First, Colorado is absolutely stunning. I stopped out on Lookout Mountain for a brief stop to snap a few pics. The office was closed, but the views across the street were a great start to my western adventure. Pics to come.

From the moment I left Denver, the Rocky Mountains opened her arms and showed me the way to pine trees that shot out of the ground like spires, and rolling rapids that were within an arm's reach of the road. I was jaw dropped for about 30 minutes straight.

Just outside Denver, entering the Rockies

Off a rest stop on I-70 E

These rock formations were shooting out of the ground, and
reminded me of dinosaur scales.

If 3k miles is still a thing when it comes to oil changes, I officially needed one 8 miles ago. I just got an oil change last Monday.

Check out this video of driving through Utah.