SWFO's Western U.S. Quest, or "The Trip - Part 1"
3-10-02 - 3-18-02

This trip actually had its genesis back in September & October of 2001. Many of the details do not bear repeating here, but suffice it to say that a series of misfortunes mounted in the Fall of that year. Most important was the national tragedy of September the 11th, 2001 in the United States of America. On another, much less significant scale, we each experienced some personal setbacks. There were a couple of places which we wanted to visit together that Fall, but alas, it was not to be. It was those very setbacks, however, which provided the catalyst for what would ultimately prove to be, quite literally, a life-changing experience for the three of us.

We won't go into all the details here, because that would defeat the purpose of this whole story. As you begin to explore the links below, you'll come to understand a little of what the three of us experienced during an incredible nine days, and 2200 driven miles, out in the western region of the United States. To put it mildly, the whole experience was overwhelming, and will likely never be equalled, much less eclipsed, during the rest of our lives... Or will it?...

The sheer scale, grandiosity, and impact of this trek upon our lives, our imaginations, our fandom, and our friendship, led us to one conclusion that was probably inevitable after such a pilgrimage. We decided that this was but the first leg of a quest which was so grand that it would have to be completed in a number of different stages, over quite a timeframe.

That being said, let's take a look at some of the people, places and things that we met and visited during the first part The Trip...