Temecula to Denver: An InstaTog Session.
![A vintage California highway motel in Baker, California.](https://i0.wp.com/beersandbeans.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/california-vintage-motels.jpg?resize=600%2C523&ssl=1)
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A couple of weeks ago I completed my first solo journey from Temecula to Denver by car. Of course, in the 21st century that isn’t a really hard or amazing feat (its no Lindbergh Flight), but that doesn’t take away from the beauty of the journey.
The road trip itself is really simple: Interstate 15 to Interstate 70. At 65 mph the trip took about 17 hours, and I spread out the drive over a two day period, spending the night in Richfield, Utah, a small town off of I-70 in Utah. Like Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit, I had to make a delivery in set a time, in this case it was Beth’s 1999 Hyundai Elantra and the recipient was her younger sister, Kate.
It was a fun drive, but I would be lying if I didn’t miss having my two co-pilots, Beth and Chachy (our dog). Prior to leaving on the trip, I got the new iPhone 4s so everything I shot came from the Hipstamatic App with the exception of the photos that I’m featured in, which I used Instagram because it can utilize the iPhone’s front facing camera.
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*Please remember all photos on this website, unless otherwise noted, are copyrighted and property of Beers and Beans Travel Website, Nariko’ s Nest Weddings & Bethany Salvon. Please do not use them without my permission. If you do want to use one of them please contact me first because I do love to share and I would be flattered. Thanks!
(26) awesome folk have had something to say...
Kim -
February 16, 2012 at 10:05 am
Love the visual capture of your road trip! Being from Colorado, I’ve done similar road trips along that route over the years. Some parts are dead boring while others quite captivating.
Did you take some of those images as you were driving…? 😉
Randy -
February 17, 2012 at 8:32 am
@Kim, Thanks Kim! Yes, a few of those were taking while I was driving. 🙂 Yeah, luckily the captivating parts (at least for a first timer) easily outweigh the boring spaces on the trip. I was taken back by the beauty of that stretch of I-70. I grew up in western PA and that part of 70 is abysmal.
Kim -
February 21, 2012 at 8:40 am
@Randy, Agreed, it’s fun to do maybe once. And while I haven’t seen the PA part, I think the I-70 portion through Kansas (and I-80 through Nebraska) tops the list of the most uninspiring. Lucky you missed that stretch! 🙂
Emily McManus -
February 16, 2012 at 10:21 am
Love the photos – so cool!
Randy -
February 17, 2012 at 8:34 am
@Emily McManus, Thanks Emily! I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Brooke vs. the World -
February 16, 2012 at 2:25 pm
Love this. So many great colors and mix of shots here. Cool.
Randy -
February 17, 2012 at 8:38 am
@Brooke vs. the World, The American West is truly a colorful place. It’s amazing how the light changes from state to state, sometimes even within in the same state.
Andrea -
February 17, 2012 at 8:55 pm
These are great – exactly the type of images I get in my head when I think ‘road trip’ – such awesome and interesting scenery in this part of the US
Randy -
February 24, 2012 at 12:30 pm
@Andrea, Thanks Andrea! Couldn’t agree more. The scenery and sheer vastness of the American west is amazing.
Sophie -
February 19, 2012 at 1:55 pm
Cool vintage feel to this road trip.
Randy -
February 24, 2012 at 12:55 pm
@Sophie, Thanks Sophie! Glad you enjoyed the post. 🙂
Tanaris -
February 19, 2012 at 11:48 pm
This post gave me the urge to go off for a road trip 🙂 Those are amazing shots from an iphone.
Jessica Rawlins -
February 21, 2012 at 11:30 am
I love the Iphone for this reason. It allows us to not bring around clunky machinery to capture great trips. Great invention. Love your pictures.
Randy -
February 24, 2012 at 12:58 pm
@Jessica Rawlins, Thanks Jessica, it is a pretty sweet invention. And I think it’s definitely changing instant photography for the better.
Kirsten -
February 22, 2012 at 12:41 pm
Some of the most interesting things I’ve ever photographed were on the sides of roads in the middle of nowhere America. Road trips are my favorite way to go when I am seeing my own country. Glad to see you had the same opportunity and some of these images are really cool!
Randy -
February 24, 2012 at 1:02 pm
@Kirsten, I couldn’t agree more Kirsten. There is just something special about an American road trip, in part because it usually takes you to those middle of nowhere places you normally wouldn’t travel to.
Thanks for the kind words and for stopping by!
Scott – Quirky Travel Guy -
February 22, 2012 at 5:34 pm
I remember the roads near Denver having some of the more interesting scenery I’ve seen, though it was sparse – I would go a long time between sights. Cool idea to use the phone apps to capture the journey.
Randy -
February 24, 2012 at 1:12 pm
@Scott – Quirky Travel Guy, Thanks Scott, it worked out pretty well. Up until this trip, I had an iPod Touch so we would use that to take pics and then upload them later, but it was really nice to be able to micro-blog on FB and Twitter before actually putting up the post.
Leslie (Downtown Traveler) -
February 26, 2012 at 6:40 am
I love the vintage look of the photos– it fits perfectly with this classic road trip!
Samual@Orlando taxi drivers -
February 27, 2012 at 3:55 am
Awesome photography. Yeah If someone really wana enjoy the tour traveling by road is best way.
Bula @ The Irreverent Traveller -
February 27, 2012 at 10:48 am
After I return back to Canada, my boyfriend, an American, has mapped out a quirky America road trip for us. There is so much kitschy Americana to be seen and I want to see it all. Great shots!
Joe W -
February 27, 2012 at 12:13 pm
good stuff, you gave me some great ideas for my own trip i’ll be doing but in the opposite way, i’ll be doing a road trip from Denver to Las Vegas this summer…great pics, cheers!
San Diego Chiropractic -
February 27, 2012 at 10:38 pm
Wow! I love the photos. Its so cool that you get that photos even when you are inside the car. I also love getting pictures while traveling! 🙂 Do you have more amazing photos?
Pamela -
April 12, 2012 at 8:36 pm
I love the old time feel of these photos. Reminds me of the photos we used to take on our family road trips. I’m headed to Alaska via a road trip through Canada next month. Mine will include me and my two dogs. It should be very adventurous.