On a trip with the Gustavsens - Walla Walla to Los Alamos

I traveled with Melodie, Rick and Emily Gustavsen from Walla Walla Washington to Los Alamos New Mexico. It was a long drive (We spent 22 hours in the car over two days time). Fortunately, we listened to some audiobooks to pass the time and that was fun.

We drove through six states - Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico!


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I saw the beautiful Wallowa Mountains in Oregon. Idaho has a lot of farm country. I saw some dairy farms and Melodie told me about the corn fields in the summer time. In November, the fields were all plowed and flat and boring!

We drove on into Utah past the Great Salt Lake which is a huge lake which gets its name from the fact that it is very salty. To learn more about the lake click here.


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Where the lake has dried up there are vast flat areas called salt flats. The Bonneville Salt Flats are famous as a place where many land speed records are set.



There was a movie a few years ago - The World's Fastest Indian about an old man from New Zealand who came to Bonneville to see how fast he could go on his motorcycle which was called an Indian.

I learned about one of these fast cars - the Blue Flame. that has been on display in a museum in Germany. I'd like to try to go see it when I get home.





Salt Lake City is at the foot of some beautiful mountains. It was the site of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.





I picked up a post card to help me remember the big city with the mountains on one side and the big lake on the other. In southern Utah the land really changed. There are interesting rock shapes and canyons everywhere. We saw Arches National Park. I have a postcard of rock arches and towers!





We drove on to Colorado - which has many beautiful trees and mountains. I took a ride on a train in Durango up through the mountains. That was fun and very pretty with lots of snow everywhere.





In New Mexico I have seen four different cities.


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First I stopped at Taos Pueblo. This Native American town was built around 1000 A.D. and people have lived in it ever since! The Pueblo people make pottery and jewelry to sell.

Next we visited Santa Fe which has the oldest church and house in the United States (the oldest built by Europeans!). Spanish settlers traveled up from Mexico in 1610 to start this interesting city. There is a lot to see in Sante Fe. Click here for more information on Sante Fe.



We also visited Bandelier National Monument where there are ruins of cliff dwellings by ancient pueblo people. I have post cards from these stops.

On a more modern note, Rick Gustavsen works at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This is a large scientific research center in the small town of Los Alamos. Almost everyone who lives in this town has a family member who is a scientist (physicist, chemist, engineer, mathematician).







I'm a little nervous staying with the Gustavsen's however because of the wild cats that roam their home! I'm packing up today to head back to Fresno! I wonder what I'll see next!