Road Trip ~ A Photo Recap

The day after Christmas the kids left on a road trip together, just the two of them. They had been dreaming and talking about such an adventure for many years. I am thrilled that the time was right for them to go on the adventure. I will admit that it was a bit scary to send both of them off together without an adult. I was not worried about them. My son is a safe driver. But other people, other crazy drivers, were my concern. Here's a glimpse at what their trip was like:

They headed south out of Colorado, going over Wolf Creek Pass.

They made it all the way to the Moki Dugay in Utah. It was a cold, dark night and they attempted to sleep in the car. I don't think it was very successful. I think the low that night was something around 7 degrees.

I would imagine that the amazing sunrise in the vista made it a worth first adventure. They hit the road pretty quickly. They were aiming for San Diego.

They stopped from time to time for a few interesting sites.

Ellie did most of the navigating. They would drive for as long as they could.

That second night they camped in Needles, a park just over the Arizona border in California. It was a much nicer night with the low being near 43 degrees. They even set up the tent and had a fire.

That day they finally made it into San Diego. They spent time on the coastal highway, located their hotel and went to the beach, finding it colder than they had expected, they had a relaxing night in.

They spent more time on the beach the next day. They also met a friend for lunch at a place in La Hoya and enjoyed fish tacos.

I think they enjoyed it, but they seem to like living in Colorado best.

All too soon they had to head back home in order to be back for New Year's Eve.

It was a whirlwind road trip; one they are glad they did together.

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This evening we are enjoying a bit of homemade alfredo sauce on noodles:

Alfredo Sauce with Garlic

1 pound dried Fettuccine Pasta
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 tbl. Garlic, minced
1 cup Heavy Cream (I used milk)
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
(2 TBL Milk + 1/2 tea Corn Starch, for thickening, if needed)
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
salt

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.

While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add in garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in 1/2 of the cheese and cook just until it starts to melt. Stir in 1/2 of the cream and whisk until the cheese melts. If it looks like it will be too thin, stir the corn starch into the cold milk in a cup. Once it is well combined, pout this into the hot sauce and stir for a few minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Add in remaining cheese and cream. Continue whisking until smooth. Add pepper and parsley. If sauce appears to thick, thin with a little of the reserved pasta water.

Add hot pasta and toss to coat. Add salt if needed. Serve immediately.