Mon Jun 18 - Another very early start today - wanting to avoid the 100+ degree heat, since we still don't have working AC in the car. Just as we got onto Highway 50, there was a pickup truck with something in its bed on fire - six foot flames were shooting into the air as we drove by - fortunately there were fire trucks, etc. on site, and we got past before there were any explosions.
We made good time down Interstate 5, stopping for lunch at Len's sister's house. We got to Claremont Lincoln housing office in time to get the keys to our apartment. The housing coordinator ("innkeeper") was amused when we asked her if we could take her picture with Lil' BC and our hearthstone. We explained all about 'resetting' our hearthstone to our new home.
Finally, we got to see what our new apartment looks like. It's even nicer than the one we saw before. We've set up delivery and connection of services, starting Wednesday, so tomorrow will be a day of rest. We drove out to the timeshare in Palm Desert, where we'll be staying until our furniture gets set up. After nearly 4500 miles - the Migration has been accomplished - just a bit more time to settle in.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Family Time
Sat, Sun Jun 16-17 - We got out of Winnemucca as early as possible - didn't even stay for the free continental 'breakfast' they offered - we couldn't leave town fast enough. We stopped in Sparks, NV for gas, and played some spare change we had from tolls in the slot machines, ending up with $25 - only stayed about 1/2 hour, since we wanted to get to CA as early as possible.
Once we got into the familiar territory of the Sierra Nevada mountains, both of us heaved sighs of relief - and when we crossed the border into California, even more so! We got to Carol's sister's house in time to join in the party for her mother's 90.5 birthday party. We spent the rest of the weekend visiting with family, reminiscing, and just resting up for the final stretch of our drive on Monday.
Once we got into the familiar territory of the Sierra Nevada mountains, both of us heaved sighs of relief - and when we crossed the border into California, even more so! We got to Carol's sister's house in time to join in the party for her mother's 90.5 birthday party. We spent the rest of the weekend visiting with family, reminiscing, and just resting up for the final stretch of our drive on Monday.
Desert Blues
Fri Jun 15 - We left our lodgings at University of Utah early in the morning to avoid the desert heat. (One thing that was amusing was that the laundry room on the bottom floor there was labelled "Helms Deep" - someone there was obviously a Lord of the Rings fan!) We drove through downtown Salt Lake City, seeing more of the sights, then set off around the Great Salt Lake. After crossing more mountains into Nevada, we drove through the little town of Elko. It was really depressing - even the landscape, different from the desert in Wyoming, seemed to be barely hanging on to survival. We stopped for the night in Winnemucca, Nevada - a place I will be happy to never see again. Besides the creepy atmosphere, the Super 8 Hotel was the worst motel EVER. At least there weren't bugs, but that's about all the good we could say about it. First and last time ever staying in THAT chain!
Shindig!
Thur Jun 14 - After a leisurely morning and then lunch with the Cap'n, we wandered around Salt Lake City a bit, and then gathered for a 'shindig' barbecue. We had a fantastic time visiting with old and new friends - present, former, and potential Browncoats, We realized we've met and visited with at least 20 Browncoats since beginning this adventure - fantastic people all. We're fortunate to be part of the crew!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Crossing the Continental Divide
Wed Jun 13 - Staying in Laramie, WY overnight (elevation 7284 feet) brought some important lessons to mind - 1) Stay hydrated to avoid altitude sickness, headaches, dizziness, etc. and 2) Remember that high altitudes can cause sealed containers to pop. Fortunately the brand new bottle of body wash was out on the table overnight when it exploded, instead of in the suitcase.
The high plains gave way to high desert and sagebrush, again, beautiful in its own way. We stopped at Rock Springs to visit Western Wyoming Community College. They had a FANTASTIC dinosaur display, as well as a wildlife museum - both free of charge. The school cafeteria (T-Rex Grill) was a good place to eat lunch, if you didn't mind the giant skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus looming over you while you ate.
We crossed over the continental divide and through the mountains into Utah. The view from the mountains as we came around a bend and saw the Salt Lake valley spread out before us was stunning. We were impressed how easy it was to get around the city. We settled in at the University of Utah Guest House, and then met up with the Cap'n, his wife, and their new little guy. We had a fantastic dinner, then did a bit of gaming before heading back to our lodgings for the night.
The high plains gave way to high desert and sagebrush, again, beautiful in its own way. We stopped at Rock Springs to visit Western Wyoming Community College. They had a FANTASTIC dinosaur display, as well as a wildlife museum - both free of charge. The school cafeteria (T-Rex Grill) was a good place to eat lunch, if you didn't mind the giant skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus looming over you while you ate.
We crossed over the continental divide and through the mountains into Utah. The view from the mountains as we came around a bend and saw the Salt Lake valley spread out before us was stunning. We were impressed how easy it was to get around the city. We settled in at the University of Utah Guest House, and then met up with the Cap'n, his wife, and their new little guy. We had a fantastic dinner, then did a bit of gaming before heading back to our lodgings for the night.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Into the Mountains
Tue Jun 12 - Low key day today - we really needed it. After a leisurely breakfast, we set out westward though high plains of Nebraska. The fields of wheat we passed were beautiful. Talk about 'amber waves of grain!' Photos couldn't begin to capture the beauty. As we climbed in elevation, the temperature became more moderate, but still no sign of 'real' mountains.
We stopped in Ogallala, NE - once known as the 'Gomorrah of the Plains.' It seemed pretty quiet today, however. There was a small historic re-creation of the main street, but not much excitement.
We crossed into the Mountain Time Zone just before getting into Wyoming - at least this time there was a sign so we could change the car clock. When we got to the border of Wyoming, all of a sudden the landscape changed, several bluffs with trees interrupted the smooth high plains landscape, and we continued our gradual climb.
Just south of Cheyenne, WY, we visited a bison ranch. On the way there, we could see the massive plume of smoke from the Colorado wildfire - it stretched over half the sky. We were glad we'd decided not to continue through to Denver - the road might have been unpleasant with all the smoke. (Bookh wants to state for the record, she had NOTHING to do with the fire - she never even set foot in Colorado!) We were able to get glimpses of distant mountain ranges on the horizon despite the smoke and resulting haze. There was also a 'point of interest' in the middle of the interstate which explained some of the geology of the area. We especially liked the 'earth born' stone formations.
Just before getting to Laramie, we hit the highest point on Interstate 80, over 8600 feet. There was a monument celebrating the Lincoln Highway (and Abraham Lincoln) at the rest stop there.
In Laramie, WY, we toured the Univ of Wyoming campus, checking out their Anthropology museum and what little of the geology museum was not being renovated. Very cool displays. We grabbed dinner at Arby's (at least it was a bit more 'western' than Wendy's) and relaxed, looking forward to Utah tomorrow.
We stopped in Ogallala, NE - once known as the 'Gomorrah of the Plains.' It seemed pretty quiet today, however. There was a small historic re-creation of the main street, but not much excitement.
We crossed into the Mountain Time Zone just before getting into Wyoming - at least this time there was a sign so we could change the car clock. When we got to the border of Wyoming, all of a sudden the landscape changed, several bluffs with trees interrupted the smooth high plains landscape, and we continued our gradual climb.
Just south of Cheyenne, WY, we visited a bison ranch. On the way there, we could see the massive plume of smoke from the Colorado wildfire - it stretched over half the sky. We were glad we'd decided not to continue through to Denver - the road might have been unpleasant with all the smoke. (Bookh wants to state for the record, she had NOTHING to do with the fire - she never even set foot in Colorado!) We were able to get glimpses of distant mountain ranges on the horizon despite the smoke and resulting haze. There was also a 'point of interest' in the middle of the interstate which explained some of the geology of the area. We especially liked the 'earth born' stone formations.
Just before getting to Laramie, we hit the highest point on Interstate 80, over 8600 feet. There was a monument celebrating the Lincoln Highway (and Abraham Lincoln) at the rest stop there.
In Laramie, WY, we toured the Univ of Wyoming campus, checking out their Anthropology museum and what little of the geology museum was not being renovated. Very cool displays. We grabbed dinner at Arby's (at least it was a bit more 'western' than Wendy's) and relaxed, looking forward to Utah tomorrow.
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