Petrified Forest

The National Parks have an Annual Pass. It costs $80 and lets you get entry to all of the parks in the service. It's an incredible deal, one that I'm glad I got at the beginning of this trip. After our trip to the Grand Canyon, we drove out to New Mexico to experience the Petrified Forest.

It's fascinating to see petrified wood, which is another name for fossilized wood. Prehistoric wood managed to get trapped in ancient caves and eventually turned into this random collection of precious "wood."

While it's interesting to see objects that are thousands of years old, I have to say that it was a little underwhelming to walk around the trails. However, my highlight from the trip had to be seeing the petrogylphs etched onto rocks. Written by Native American tribes, it's a fascinating glimpse into the past.

We drove out of the Park to head off to Santa Fe, but before we exited the park, we saw quite possibly the most beautiful view ever. It's a shame that no photograph can possibly capture how majestic the sight was.

Petrified Forest National Park - http://www.nps.gov/pefo/index.htm

Meteor Crater

America has beautiful holes. On our way from the Grand Canyon to Santa Fe, we discovered a sign promoting Meteor Crater. We like space, so we thought it would be cool to make a quick detour en route to the Petrified Forest.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting much, but the guided tour was surprisingly informative. Not just about the science, but the history of establishing the park. Apparently, many weren't exactly sure if this giant hole in the ground was caused by a meteor, and a failed chase at mining space-metal out of the ground (which led to one man's death) meant it wouldn't take until many decades before SCIENCE could prove it.

Apparently, the owners of the Meteor Crater did attempt to sell the site to the government to make it part of the National Parks service. But they were like "nah son, did you see that other giant hole we have?" It makes sense, but I have to admit that I had a blast.

Meteor Crater - http://www.meteorcrater.com/

Loved seeing this real-life test capsule. SPACE!

This is not a painting.

That sure is a big hole.

Grand Canyon

Immediately after we visited the Hoover Dam, we drove off to the Grand Canyon. It was a lengthy drive, but I knew that the key thing to see was the sunset. The way the light reflects off the canyon walls makes it look like the entire valley is on fire. It's absolutely stunning.

Perhaps the sad truth about these photos is that they are completely incapable of capturing how truly majestic this place is. Yes, it is a giant hole in the ground. But it is a truly incredible hole in the ground. It's hard to fully understand how minuscule you are until you stand atop the canyon and look down.

We were completely ill-prepared for how cold it was going to be at the canyon. Foolishly, I believed that being in the south would somehow mean we were going to be warm. Ha! The cold and snow did make for an interesting contrast along the top of the canyon. There was even a snowman.

Along the way, we saw a place called Bullets and Burgers. Unfortunately, I didn't know about that place beforehand. But that seems like a prime candidate for a visit in the future.

Grand Canyon National Park - http://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm

Hoover Dam

Sorry for the lack of updates over the weekend. Thankfully, we are not dead and/or taken hostage by hill people. Instead, our adventures were so intense and our wi-fi so lackluster that I haven't been able to upload pictures. We're still on schedule, even though a winter storm is threatening the overall enjoyment of our upcoming time in Dallas.

After Vegas, our next stop was the Hoover Dam. We paid for the $15 tour, which goes down into the generators. That was totally worth it. Watching a movie produced by the Bureau of Reclamation (a real department of our government, apparently), I couldn't help but feel patriotic. In fact, it's incredible to see the kind of things our government and society were able to do. Not to wax poetic on this blog, but what happened to the nation that built the Hoover Dam? The nation that put a man on the moon? These are great symbols of what a government can do when its goals align with the people.

The Hoover Dam - http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/

This looks like it's from the future. BUT IT'S FROM THE PAST.

Generating power. It's hard to tell how big this is in this photo.

There's absolutely no way to get a good picture of the Hoover Dam without the ability to fly.

The surrounding area is beautiful.

Las Vegas

The first stop on my cross-country trip is Las Vegas to attend the DICE Summit. It's an industry event which features the biggest names in the video game industry. Seriously, I've never felt so small and insignificant when standing alongside the likes of Ed Fries, Shuhei Yoshida, and Mark Cerny.

Like TED, DICE features talks from industry luminaries. Perhaps the most noteworthy talk came from Austin Wintory, composer best known for his work on Journey. What made it so memorable was he asked the audience for a random game title and he would create a theme song for it on the spot. And so, live in front of the audience, he created the theme song to the fictional game "Surviving Las Vegas."

With tickets costing over $3000 each, it's no surprise that DICE featured a number of parties, each stupidly extravagant. I have to admit, it was really nice being able to talk to people I respect as people--with no PR handlers or marketing messages to get in the way. I particularly appreciated my chat with Seth Killian, as we talked about religion and heritage. It was a truly unexpected moment that I'll always remember.

It was terrific meeting up with old friends, like Ben Gilbert and Susan Arendt. But I also managed to make new friends too--some of who I can't wait to see at GDC.

Hard Rock Hotel - http://www.hardrockhotel.com/

Okay, I was actually amused by the special drinks for the welcome reception. Good job, Perrin!

This place is swanky

Loved the pinball machines at the arcade. Also, Space Jam!

Best swag ever? Got Ring Pops, Pop Rocks, Push Pops, and candy cigarettes.

Mojave National Preserve

The first stop on my trip is Las Vegas. But before heading into the glitz and glamor of Sin City, I decided to take a detour into the polar opposite. The Mojave National Preserve is en route and offers some breathtaking views of mountains and desert. It's a road not well-traveled, as I managed to drive through miles of road without seeing a single other car.

In the center of the reserve is the abandoned town of Kelso. I met a lovely guide there who told me about a hike I should do. So I took her advice, and drove out into the desert. I climbed up a steep hill and got a spectacular view of the desert. Unfortunately, I had trouble finding the path back to the car--the desert can look all the same after a while. Maybe I should've packed some bread crumbs...

Mojave National Preserve - http://www.nps.gov/moja/index.htm

Road to nowhere

Not a single soul in sight

Abandoned post office in Kelso

Leaving my name on the ledger

I'm probably going to Instagram this

Getting lost in the desert

View from the top

Uh, how do I get back?

Seriously, where's my car?

Miami

Unfortunately, my trip skips Florida, jokingly referred to as the "Penis of America." As much as I'd love to go, driving down and up Florida will add a significant number of miles to the trip, and that's just something I can't really afford to do. So, I went to Miami before the whole cross-country trip was supposed to start!

Flying from LA to Miami is somewhat bizarre, because you take a five hour flight to land somewhere that feels exactly like home. Miami Beach is not unlike Venice Beach, with its plethora of muscle-bound tanned beautiful people.

It's a rather opulent place, with tons of swanky places to visit. Perhaps the two most memorable joints I went to were bars, each with beautiful pools to gawk at.

Places to check out:

Highbar - http://www.dreamhotels.com/hotels/florida/miami-beach/dream-south-beach/hotel-dining/highbar

The name should make it clear. This is a rooftop bar--and like every other place in Miami's South Beach, it features a pool. There's even a Wrecking Ball esque stage for you to show off your best Miley.

Delano - https://www.morganshotelgroup.com/delano/delano-south-beach

Probably the very definition of chic. The opulent lobby leads to a decadent restaurant which leads to a gorgeous garden featuring life-sized chess pieces. Go beyond to find a warm wading pool surrounded by beautiful people that will make you feel all sorts of insecure.

Delano

Delano

Highbar