wedding road trip

Sinclair the Happy Dinosaur

There are many wonderful things about the Mountain West, where we spent about five days of our Wedding Road Trip. These include:

•    Incredible scenery featuring snow capped mountains and horses grazing in rugged pasture
•    Clean cities that mix houses and highways with lofts, light rail, and arts districts
•    A culture of biking, hiking, and skiing that keeps the population fit
•    Good food and strong margaritas (thanks, Katie and Jason!)

However, my favorite thing about the Mountain West? The Sinclair gas stations.

Sinclair is a regional gas station chain whose signs feature a green dinosaur looking some damn pleased that you’ve just used him or her for your petroleum needs – literally. How awesome is that? It would be like showing a smiling tree on a cardboard box, or a dancing cow on a hamburger wrapper.

Even better, the dinosaur symbol looks like a reject from a 1962 ad campaign. Between its curvy flair and no-nonsense green tone, this is a brontosaurus that Frank Sinatra would feel comfortable with.

Finally, Sinclair takes me back to those childhood days when I was fascinated by dinosaurs (along with other “lost world” concepts like ghosts, Star Wars, and the Detroit Lions). Their logo is perfect marketing for six-year old boys…if only six-year old boys bought gasoline on a regular basis.

Sadly, since Roxy Fusion (who is not a hybrid) pulls around 30 MPG, we’ve only had the occasion to visit Sinclair once or twice. Happily, we’ll be back through Colorado and Utah in about a month and can visit the happy dinosaur one more time.

A Brick in the Window

There’s nothing like seeing the adult version of an eight-year-old that you used to babysit to make you realize that yes indeedy, you are getting old.

On our way to Denver, Chris and I made a stop in Boulder to see Kat and Lindy, two California transplants that are basically like a second family to me. Back in 1999 (yes, people lived that long ago), Lindy called a friend of mine to ask her to babysit. My friend couldn’t take the job, so I got the gig. I was hooked the second that eight-year-old Kat (then Katie) challenged me to a no-holds-barred game of Monopoly, which she then proceeded to win.

Now Kat’s nineteen and studying astronomy at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She dispenses relationship advice that’s wise beyond her years, including her own personal motto of “life is too short to have issues with anybody.” Lindy works in human resources and tries to keep Kat from getting into too much trouble. After an hour of catching up with Kat, I sensed that this is not the world’s easiest job. I have always admired Lindy, who has been a single mom since Kat was eight. Their relationship is enviable- more like sisters and friends than the traditional mother/daughter dynamic.

I think the coolest thing Kat shared with us had to do with her ROTC friends at Boulder. Kat is part of a military fraternity that gives its members special bricks to place in their windows. That way, if a fellow member is traveling, he or she always knows that there is a place to stay when the going gets tough. In some ways, it reminded me of the attitude people have had about our Wedding Road Trip. It still blows my mind that Nate, a guy who I hadn’t seen since junior high school, happily welcomed Chris and me in his home.

It’s this kind of generous spirit that will keep America going through the tough times- long after we’ve stopped being able to afford every new iPod, cell phone, and laptop. I think when Chris and I finally move in together after we get married, I may find a brick of our own.