Day 19 - the end of Big Trip 8

Day 19- Saturday – July 13, 2013

0600 Up with Rocco – get him outside so he can take care of business.  He’s not used to going on an elevator to get outside.

0700 Go to Starbucks.  Stop for gas, $3.81/gallon

0954 Leaving hotel

1000 Sign for JoeBob’s Chicken Joint – voted best wings in 2006

1002 Stop for Jack in the Box breakfast

1036 California state line

1043 Tahoe National Forest

1050 Agriculture Inspection Station – get waved through

1057 Stop at Subway.  Sign outside says “Snow and ice fall from the roof – park at your own risk!”

1109 Leaving Subway- we even got cookies and chips this time!

1120 Donner State Park picnic area to eat.  Felisa gets a splinter.

12:05 p.m. It’s too busy here today – not really relaxing.  Might as well get going.

12:10 p.m. Stop at the museum for a bathroom break

12:35 p.m. Donner Pass summit , elevation 7,135 feet

1:11 p.m. Girl Scout Camp drop off complete

1:31 p.m. I-80 west

2:00 p.m. Secret Town Road

2:31 p.m. Rocklin,CA – stop for food at Arby’s.  Current temperature here in the valley, 98 degrees.

3:11 p.m. Sign for Jimboy’s Tacos

3:45 p.m. Stockton.  Construction traffic.

4:00 p.m.  Turn off for the I-205. Traffic finally eases up.

4:09 p.m. Stop for gas, $4.09/gallon.  Grab some fruit from the fruit stand as well as cold water and chocolate from the mini mart.  Expensive fruit here – 2 peaches cost $2.

4:53 p.m. Trucks full of something red, heading north.  What could it be?  Peaches? Tomatoes? Red peppers?

5:03 p.m. Heard a story on the radio that says sweat does not clog pores and that you should shower before you exercise, not after.  Say what?

5:21 p.m. Radio announcer recommends that pedestrians use only a single earbud for safety.  It helps maintain awareness of what is around you.  I totally agree.  I always use single earbuds when out walking the dog.

6:03 p.m. Pleasant Valley State Prison

6:18 p.m. Stop for gas in Kettleman City.  $4.26/gallon.  Current temperature, 99 degrees.

6:36 p.m. Back on the road.  Our final leg of the trip.

6:45 p.m. Cop!  (But he wasn’t interested in me, thank goodness!)

6:59 p.m. San Luis Obispo County.  Getting closer!

8:04 p.m. Can see the ocean!  Temperature is now 61 degrees.

8:10 p.m. Oops!  Almost missed the exit for Arroyo Grande.

8:14 p.m. Home Sweet Home!

Total miles = 5,581

Day 18

Day 18 – Friday – July 12, 2013

0700 Wake up

0825 Loaded and leaving the house

Stop at McD’s for breakfast. Is this my first McD’s iced coffee of the trip? It might be.  Stop at the ATM.

1001 Leave Mountain Home.

1009 Train. First one we’ve seen in awhile.  This one has a lot of double-stacked cars.

1019 Sunny. Clear blue skies. 80 degrees.

1037 BOB96.1 is a good station for driving music.

1055 Gas, $3.77/gallon. The car in front of us has a SLO/Cal Poly Alum license frame.

1113 Leaving. That was a long break. I updated the blog and our Facebook status while we were stopped.

1125 Chicken Dinner Road

1132 Where am I?  While we are stopped at a construction zone I check my phone map to get a better idea.

1134 Still waiting for our turn to go.  Might as well put on some sunscreen.  Lots of sun coming in the windows today.

1138 Finally moving again.

1143 Snake River

1145 Sign at the laundromat says “Will work for quarters”. Marsing, ID

1150 Cows

1154 US Ecology Idaho Waste site. I wonder what they have there.  (Google tells me it is LowLevelWaste – a category of miscellaneous nuclear waste)

12:10 p.m. Oregon state line.  We are greeted by 55 mph zone and a sign warning that this is a ticket zone.  In the middle of nowhere!

12:11 p.m. Open Range next 122 miles

12:18 p.m. 4,643 ft elevation

12:21 p.m. Cow Creek

12:32 p.m. Next gas in 100 miles. Jordan Valley

12:34 p.m. Map shows that we are barely into Oregon.  At 55 mph we might never make it out again!

12:49 p.m. Lewis Clark Trail  Historic Site

12:51 p.m. Snow-topped mountain on the horizon gives me hope that the desert will end eventually.

12:52 p.m. Rock Creek.  No water, just rocks.

12:59 p.m. We’re losing our BOB radio with the good driving music. L

1:02 p.m. Police car headed the other way with its back lights flashing.

1:03 p.m. Snow zone

1:06 p.m. Owyhee River

1:07 p.m. Turn my MP3 player to “Hazy Shade of Winter” to help mentally cool us off.

1:31 p.m. Turn the GPS off.  It’s hot up in the window and I’m pretty sure we won’t get lost since this is the only road around.

12:32 p.m. Pacific Time Zone.  Now our ETA feels even farther off.

12:50 p.m. Dust devil

12:51 p.m. Grandma Duffield calls to check in.

12:52 p.m. Blue Mountain Pass, elevation 5,293 feet

1:15 p.m. Nevada state line and town of McDermitt.  Not much here but the token state-line casino.

1:16 p.m. 70 mph now.  Yay!

1:18 p.m. Paiute and Shoshone Indian Reservation. Driving through reservations always makes me sad.  They are so poor and lacking in natural resources.

1:35 p.m. Humboldt/Santa Rosa Mountain area looks interesting.  And it’s only 87 degrees here which is surprisingly cool.

1:46 p.m. Checking for a radio station. Nothing yet.

1:57 p.m. Paradise Summit, elevation 4,987 feet

2:11 p.m. Wind monster

2:21 p.m. Poke and Peek Hospital Auxiliary

2:28 p.m. Stop for gas at the Flying J. $3.69/gallon.  There is a Burger King here also.

3:04 p.m. Whoppers are hard to eat while driving.

3:09 p.m. Road is very bumpy and Rocco is being very grumpy.

3:14 p.m. End of the construction zone. Phew!

3:18 p.m. Rest area is closed.  The next rest area is not for another 76 miles! And there are no bushes to hide behind out here.  What are you supposed to do if you need a pit stop?!

3:22 p.m. Gold Corporation is hiring miners to work at Marigold Mine.

3:28 p.m. Some sort of crazy structure at exit 145.  What is it made of?  Rocks?  Giant antlers?

3:35 p.m. Pass 3 trucks full of livestock.  Were they pigs or blond cows?

3:40 p.m. Lost our radio again.

3:42 p.m. Rye Patch Recreation Area is a total desert.  Good thing we’re not planning on camping here tonight.

4:32 p.m. Fog may make roads icy.  Well, that would spice up this boring drive a bit.  No fog around though today.

4:36 p.m. Small dust devil crossing the highway

4:38 p.m. I have been seeing messages written with rocks alongside the road. I wonder if it’s for the pilots flying out of Fallon.

5:14 p.m. Arrive at Holiday Inn in Sparks.

6:50 p.m. Out to Barnes and Noble, dinner, and Petco.

Day 17 – Thursday – July 11, 2013

0630 Wake up. Let Rocco out in the backyard.

0800 Walk Rocco and wake up the kids.

0900 Take Rocco to day care.  He is not happy.  Breakfast at AJs.

1115 Roaring Springs water park in Boise.  It’s cloudy today which is nice for me – I won’t have to worry about getting a sunburn.

3:30 p.m. Time to head back.  Stop for gas and an errand at Home Depot before we leave the “big city”.

5:25 p.m. Pick up Rocco.  He is very happy to see us.

Leftover pizza for dinner.  Showers.  Doing laundry and getting the girls packed up for camp.  Crazy 8s.   And I finished the book I was reading.

Day 16 (full version)

Day 16
Wednesday, July 10, 2013

0630 Slept in

0750 Camp is packed and ready to go.  Current temperature, 55 degrees. Muffins for breakfast.

0757 Leaving.  Only 49 miles to Starbucks.  Oh wait - not leaving yet.  Emergency splinter removal needed.  We have two first aid kits with us and only one towelette between them - and it's dry!!! Might need to work on that when we get back.  And we should add tweezers too.

0806 Now we are leaving.  For sure this time.

0816 Hot air balloon

0818 Three more hot air balloons

0827 Cows

0909 Starbucks.  We had to stop and get Rocco out of the car.  He's acting weird again.

0940 Back on the road.  Current temperature is now 77 degrees.

0945 Oops!  Forgot to stop for gas.  All filled up now.  $3.67/gallon

0953 McDonalds

1000 Passing a boy scout trailer

1005 Three big RVs in a row, all towing a car, all from Florida.  Do you think they are together?

1007 Bear River Bird Refuge

1011 Another Florida RV

1021 Golden Spike National Historic Site

1027 A triple-trailer FedEx truck.  We passed a triple UPS earlier

1040 Rattlesnake Pass

1047 Snowville – looks like a desert to me

1053 Idaho

1105 Dust storm area

1108 Sweetzer Summit, elevation 5530 feet

1115 Occasional blinding dust storms next 19 miles.  That’s not good!

1116 City of Rocks National Reserve

1126 Raft River – looks to be about the right size for Ted the Rock

1127 Cows headed to the steak factory

1139 Idahoforest.org – the Governor says to reduce fuel because fires = pollution and danger

1140 Snake River – very wide

1144 Rupert, ID.  Is Ryan’s webkinz snake, Rupert, from here perhaps?

1149 Tanker truck from Florida.  What is he carrying all the way here from Florida?

1152 Exergen Temporal Scanner commercials have been on every radio station this trip

12:17 p.m. Gas, $3.75/gallon.  Lunch at Wendy’s.  Current temperature, 92 degrees.

12:53 p.m. Red light district energy education project.

12:56 p.m. Too many stinky feed lots along the highway

1:09 p.m. A group of 3 and then a group of 2 Penske moving trucks.  Do you think they are all 

working the same moving job?

1:18 p.m. Giant wine bottle and glass.  Is there a winery nearby?

1:20 p.m. Oregon Trail Center and 3 Island Crossing State Park.  Definitely want to stop next time.

1:24 p.m. FedEx double trailer almost crashed when changing lanes.  That’s the second time.

1:27 p.m. Trucks hauling grill propane tanks

1:49 p.m. Arrive at Mom’s house

We had Papa Murphy’s Pizza for dinner then went to the pool.  Met a Boy Scout and leader who showed us how they make paracord bracelets as a fundraiser in their troop.

Day 15 (full version)

Day 15
Tuesday, July 9, 2013

0600 Wake up

0728 Leaving - only half an hour behind schedule

0735 Starbucks line is way too long so don't stop

0737 Wag-n-Wash

0744 Gas, $3.61/gallon

0806 Heading up Ute Pass

0807 Fire danger is Extreme

0819 Stop at McD's in Woodland Park.  The GPS lied to us.  It said there is a Sonic (there's not) and there isn't a McD's (there is).  Oh well.  At least I got food and coffee.

0844 Rocco is making a weird noise in the back.

0846 Painted lizard rock grafitti

0850 Rocco making weird noises again - what's wrong with him?!

0855 South Platte River

0905 Pike National Forest and Wilkerson Pass.  Elevation 9,507 feet

0909 Cows

0912 Antelope

0932 San Isabel National Forest and Trout Creek Pass.  Elevation 9,487 feet

0940 Chaffee County.  "Now *this* is Colorado!"

0947 Buena Vista, elevation 7,954 feet

0955 Sign advertising a 10 day rafting trip

1016 Arkansas River

1024 Leadville, elevation 10, 151 feet.  "On top of it all!"

1037 Tennessee Pass and Continental Divide, elevation 10, 424 feet.  Current weather conditions - 66 degrees, sprinkling and breezy.  Feels cold!

1050 Top o' the Rockies Scenic Drive.  Looks like a nice area to camp and hike.

1055 White River National Forest

1100 Eagle River

1105 Notch Mountain, elevation 13,237 feet

1106 Old mine town

1108 This road is super curvy but has an awesome view!

1118 I-70

1131 Bellyache Ridge Road

1151 Colorado River

1153 Glenwood Canyon

1158 a long tunnel

12:06 p.m. No Name, CO

12:08 p.m. Glenwood Springs Hot Springs pool - the place is packed!

12:30 p.m. Rifle, CO - roundabouts in this town - yuck!

12:32 p.m. Sonic for lunch.  Program the GPS for Heber City.  205 miles away as the crow flies.  Current ETA is 6 p.m.

1:01 p.m. Gas, $3.89/gallon

1:08 p.m. Show on the radio about fire-adapted communities.  We have moved farther and farther into the mountains and forests and we need to learn to live in an environment that has fires.

1:18 p.m. Smells like rain

1:33 p.m. Construction stop

1:51 p.m. Stegosaurus Ridges

1:53 p.m. White River

1:56 p.m. Sheep

2:10 p.m. Rio Blanco River

2:37 p.m. Desperado Mine Road

2:40 p.m. Kenney Reservoir.  Maybe next time we should plan a break to swim in the lake.

2:47 p.m. Two plastic pink flamingos stuck in the rocks.

2:48 p.m. Cool globe statue

2:53 p.m. Chevron oil field

2:59 p.m. Pretty desolated out here in this corner of Colorado

3:07 p.m. Dinosaur, CO - elevation, 5,900 feet

3:08 p.m. Brontosaurus Blvd/ US-40

3:12 p.m. Utah

3:23 p.m. 97 degrees

3:27 p.m. Green River

3:43 p.m. Highway Patrol drives a pickup truck here

3:50 p.m. Gas, $3.73/gallon in Vernal

4:21 p.m. Uintah River

4:28 p.m. Best Western Plus - seems like a pretty nice hotel for a not-so-scenic area

4:32 p.m. Roosevelt, UT, 100 degrees

5:02 p.m. Starvation State Park

5:20 p.m. Wahsatch County

5:39 p.m. Chicken Creek East

5:46 p.m. Summit, elevation 8020 feet, 80 degrees

5:49 p.m. A semi truck is going 10 mph down the hill

6:02 p.m. Another one-lane construction road.  We are so close to our destination.  Will we really be there in 15 minutes?

6:20 p.m. Jordanelle State Park.  Are there campsites available???  Yes!!!

6:28 p.m. Campsite selected.  There is some highway noise but otherwise pretty quiet here.

7:17 p.m. Camp it set up so head over to the beach.  The kids made a new friend - Ted the Rock.  They helped him become a Driftwood Sailor and gave him swimming lessons.

7:50 p.m. Back at camp to make dinner.  Tacos.  The refried beans smell funny so we throw them away and Bella ate a quesadilla instead.

0840 p.m. Finishing up dinner.  The sun is down now and it is cooling off nicely.  We play some Crazy 8's before bed.

Day 14

Day 14
Monday, July 8, 2013

0545 Rocco wakes me up early - again!  I let him out and he comes back with muddy paws.  :(  I clean him up and then go back to bed to play on my iPad.

0700 Get up. Have a cup of coffee.  Try to get another updated long version posted to the blog.

0830 One half-cup of coffee later, Day 3 has been posted.

0945 Walk Rocco

1030 Go shopping while the kids stay home to play Wii.  I go to Sonic, DSW, Whole Foods, Archivers, and the thrift store.

12:45 p.m. Back home to watch Rocco and get the van clean and prepped to get back on the road while the kids go to lunch and a movie with Grandpa.  Lunch at Schlotsky's and Despicable Me 2.

More afternoon activities...  pay bills, wash dishes, find a campground for tomorrow, and fold the last load of laundry.

Dinner is bratburgers on the grill (yum!), beans, and peas.  Grilled cheese for Bella.  Then a couple more roads of Mexican Train.  We end on the 2's.  It's late and I need to sleep.  We have a long drive ahead tomorrow.

Day 13

Day 13
Sunday, July 7, 2013

Grandpa made bacon and eggs for breakfast- yum!  Ron and Ryan took Rocco for a long walk out in the park behind the house.  Afterwards we all drove out to Black Forest to see the fire damage.  Sandwiches for lunch when we get back to the house then I take Ron to the airport.  We stop at the auto shop along the way so he can fix my headlight (thanks!).  I get to stop at Target on the way back.  The afternoon rainstorm passes through.  For dinner we go to SMASHburger.  After dinner we play Mexican train dominoes until bedtime.

Day 12 (full version)

Day 12
Saturday, July 6, 2013

0550 Wake up

0725 Leaving camp

0730 Stop for a train crossing

0734 McD's for breakfast and coffee.  Ron even ordered it right.  :)

0744 Another train.  There were so many trains passing through last night.

0745 Question of the morning... How was the campsite?
     Felisa: Scary!
     Bella: I would've slept through the storm if Felisa hadn't been crying.
     Ryan: The pavilion was nice.  Everything was nice until... the storm.
So next time we need to set up with better wind protection and more stakes.  The wind out here on the prairie is no joke!

0813 Cows and antelope grazing amongst the snow fences.

0818 Medicine Bow River

0819 Thunderstorms predicted state-wide today.

0823 All of these snow fences look new.  Not sure I've ever seen new ones before.

0825 Windmills (very appropriate for all the wind around here!)

0902 Gas, $3.33/gallon

0910 Wyoming Territorial Prison
What did we learn here?
Ryan: Before the stockade was built in 1875, 25% of the prisoners regularly escaped.
Felisa: Every day 720 brooms were made in the broom workshop
Bella: One prisoner gained the trust of the guards and was allowed to have a pet antelope.  One night when he went out to feed it, he just walked away and escaped.
Favorite parts?
Felisa: broom factory
Ryan: cell blocks
Bella: none of it

1013 Headed through Laramie

1041 Colorado

1120 Fort Collins

1136 Stop for lunch at SMASHburger

12:11 p.m. Leave SMASHburger.  Drive past DSW.

12:16 p.m. Peloton Cycles.  We give Ron 13 minutes to look around.

12:23 p.m. His review... they have "every specialized bike around".

12:53 p.m. Day 11 summary has been posted to the blog

1:05 p.m. Entering Denver and hoping for no traffic jams but the highway has been pretty busy so far all the way down from Ft Collins.

1:36 p.m. Castle Rock

1:40 p.m.  And there's the traffic jam...  down to 2 lanes.

2:19 p.m. Grandpa's house!  Showers for all!  Laundry is started!  Time to relax and tell stories from the trip.  Rocco enjoyed some free time in the back yard looking for rabbits.

5:46 p.m. Going to Saltgrass Steakhouse for dinner.  Rocco waits in the car.

7:19 p.m. Back from dinner.

Rocco enjoys even more outside play time - he doesn't seem to want to go to bed tonight.  I'm all caught up on my iPad games and I have posted the full version of the first two days on the blog.

10:00 p.m. Bedtime!