Best and Worst: Trip-End Roundup

This is the spot where I catalog the best and the worst, the most and the least. Basically, this is where I put my trip into numbers. I'm home, and now I can really reflect on the trip. I started this tradition years ago with a Europe trip, so now it must be done with all major trips.

Best and Worst of the Western US 2016:

# of Days on the Road: 17
# of Unique Species Spotted in the Wild: (15) beavers, fox, moose, elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, grizzly bear, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, prairie dogs, bison, pronghorn antelope, skunks, wild horses, wild burrows

# of Casino Players' Cards Requested: 10

# of Nights Spent Camping: 12

# of Miles Driven: 4,156

# of States Visited: 10

# of Pennies Flattened: 8

# of National Parks Visited: 10

# of National Monuments Visited: 9

# of Hailstorms Driven Through: 1

Creepiest Motel: Clown Motel in Tonopah, NV

Most Luxurious Hotel: Monte Carlo in Las Vegas, NV
Worst Hotel: National 9 in Cortez, Colorado

Best Scenery: Yellowstone National Park

Worst Scenery: Northern Nevada

Strangest Sight: Area 51 Alien Center in Nevada AND inside Tonopah Station in Nevada

Best Ghost Town: Rhyolite, Nevada

Worst Ghost Town: Coaldale, Nevada

Clearest Night Sky: middle of Nevada
Hottest Weather: Nevada

Best Food: buffet at Monte Carlo
Worst Food: sandwiches again

Best Hike: Lower Geyser Basin trail in Yellowstone











Worst Hike: to Lovelock Cave in Nevada
Best Subterranean Experience: Wind Cave National Park

Best Selfie: me with a dinosaur

Scariest Moment: Drive up steep switchbacks to Canyonlands National Park
Cheesiest Tourist Trap: Area 51 Alien Center in Nevada
Biggest Revelation: South Dakota is cool.