My wanderlust surfaces every now and then to show off its total disregard for sanity. At least now I can say that I have an entire family upon whom I can inflict my road trips, proving that one's own seriously compromised judgement isn't much fun unless its effect can be seen on others. Driving across America isn't as difficult as it might seem, however. True, the long and winding road messes with one's equilibrium, but the elongated sunsets borne out of traveling west revealed contours of a land I had only previously imagined. I wasn't prepared for such rapid shape shifting. With every change of altitude and time zone, the same sky met a different landscape. With our road trip to the Fire Lookout Tower in Calpine, California behind us, I have a wealth of images recorded, albeit not with a camera. No longer a simple destination, the West is an experience.