This week I drove from Charleston to Denver, driving 1100 miles the first day to Kansas City and the remaining 600 the following day. I know, I know – not exactly a stop and smell the roses sort of trip. But hey, sometimes you’ve just got to get where you need to go. The 1100 miles took about 15-16 hours, but to be honest it really wasn’t that bad. I dunno. I guess I’m pretty good at zoning out.

I did enjoy most of the drive, too, which obviously helps to pass the time. The route through Tennessee was nice, but the state that surprised me most was Kansas – I was really digging the rural scenery. When you’re driving on I-70, the land is not as flat as you might imagine, and even when it is, there are no high crops this time of year blocking your view. There’s something to be said for having such a line of sight, something you don’t get in and around cities. It’s one of the reasons I think we all like looking out at the ocean so much, the fact that we can see and see and see.

One of the other top parts of the journey was when I hit a hail storm in Missouri, eventually breaking through it and driving along the edge of the front. The hail was insane, pounding the hood of my car and the glass of my sunroof, the sound rattling like an empty tin can. That was a bit intense (see video), but once I got through the initial dump I found myself amongst some amazing cloud coverage, with purples and pinks and blues coming through as the sun went down. It was, most certainly, the calm after the storm.

Keep in mind that all of these were taken as I was driving (don’t try it at home) and through a dirty/wet windshield, so take the photos for what they’re worth.