Day 16 -- Park City, UT

We rode into Park city, a small mountain resort over the hills near Salt Lake City. The ride was a short 25 miles, although it was all uphill with 6 to 8% grade. To make it worse, we had to ride on the highway (I-80) for the first time. There was even construction on the road which we had to dismount for (right as we entered the highway). Despite all of this, there were breathtaking views of the city and a few sparse lakes up in the mountains that made it all worth it.

To top it all off, we stayed in a hotel for the first time since Cali! Five other guys and myself shared a suite that had laundry, a kitchen, a computer, and multiple TVs as well as 3 separate bedrooms. Mine had a large king size bed and tiled bathroom with an enclosed shower (wow!) and a Jacuzzi. We all stood in awe at these incredible accommodations, especially considering the fact we have been staying in school gyms and small churches for most of this trip. Individual showers seemed to be in a distant past. The complex even had a pool and a lodge with wireless internet, where I spent a lot of the night.

Our friendship visit today took place in Camp Kostopoulous, which has been serving people with disabilities since 1967. I talked to Kevin, a man with severe CP (Cerebral Palsy) for most of the day through simple yes-no questions, as he was unable to verbalize communication. It was tough, but we taught him how to play blackjack and ended up having an awesome time!

Finally, we had McDonald's for the first time. After hundreds of miles in the desert, I never imagined how relieved I would be to see or have McDonalds (I took a picture of a sign advertising Mickey D’s on a previous day just because it was so rare). It’s weird because I never have it during the year and I mostly avoid it. It was nice to have a delicious, fat, greasy Big Mac after these past few weeks. I’m not too worried about gaining weight either.