Vegas - California: The Pre-Run Trip

So, we landed in Vegas and were greeted by this:

and thisGambling in the airport. Nice.

Immediately, we went to sample the local fare:

Andrea assured us that we'd love it. Being In-N-Out virgins, Nicole and I wanted to go inside to eat since we didn't know what we would want. We found out quick that there weren't many options.
That's it. Pretty easy.

Here I am, ready to sink my teeth into my first In-N-Out Burger. A double-double, of course.It was filled with yummy goodness. Probably not the best choice of nutrition right before a long run, but I'll burn off the calories, right?

So, after a hearty and not-so-healthy meal, we headed to California ~ the scenic way.

We went through the desert preserve, checking out the vegetation.

Here I am with a Joshua tree. So cool.

And Cholla.

And headed out on Route 66. (Bonus points if you can name the movie this is from.)

More scenic views on the way to California.

We continued on our adventure through the desert and into California. We went through the mountains to Big Bear, where the initial race will start. Unfortunately, Big Bear has had record amounts of snow this year, so Nicole couldn't test run the first legs of the races, as planned. Instead, we made plans to test run the other legs the following day.

The trip out there got me very pumped about the run the next day. The west is so beautiful. And the more I explore it as an adult, the more appreciative I am of the beauty that it (and other environments) hold. Which is also why I am extremely grateful to have opportunities to do stuff like this... run through the desert in places no "normal" person gets to and experience things that can only be gotten to via hard work. I went to bed nervous about the mileage, but extremely excited and anxious to experience it all first hand the following day!

Side note: I left my camera in a car after my run, so picts and post from my actual run won't be posted for a few days when I get my camera back.