Ok, here’s the thing: there is far more water in the entire mid section of the country than it needs. California is dehydrating like a Napa Valley raisin. We clearly need a pipeline. Or else we need to tip the continent just a little so the runoff from the flooding rivers and highways can just slosh right over the Sierra Nevada.
We spent a good deal of the day driving through rain. It ranged from pleasant enough, to ok, to Holy Sh%t!! No hail, so there’s a plus. Also on the plus side of the daily ledger, I hitched up really well this morning! I swear, every step went right the first time, even the locks. That high carried me through the fact that 100% of the process was done in the rain. One of the most helpful tools I have discovered for hitching turns out to be a hair band. I swear, I really didn’t realize how irritated I was all the time about my hair falling in my face until I experienced not having that happen. I appreciated this especially when handling the dump hose. That, I have found, is the moment I most want to not be using my gloved hands to push hair out of my face in order to see what the hell I’m doing.
We stopped in Cheyenne for a lunch stop and we seem to have arrived either just before or after “Cheyenne Days”. We heard some kind of gun fight going on but didn’t bother to go check it out. We were all actually pretty tired today.
Another stop along the way was the Lincoln Memorial at the highest point on Highway 80. Without trying to explain too much, Darren and Samantha have had this running bear joke for years. Darren calls Samantha a bear. That is the essence of the joke. You would not believe how much mileage he has gotten out of that over the years though. So imagine his delight to find a huge stuffed bear in the visitor’s center. He texted a picture of that bear to Samantha 29 times. She counted. He’s making it an even 30 as I type.
By around 6, we were pulling in to the KOA in Rock Springs and I was super tired and ready to stop. On this kind of a trip, we are not looking so much for scenic camping spots by idyllic lakes. We are looking for something convenient with hookups for water and electric. For this one, there is at least a pretty view of some mountains as a backdrop on one side. Behind us we have a lovely view of a couple of giant tanks storing something I’m sure is not toxic. We’re sandwiched between a line of big rigs and a van pulling a motorcycle. “Camping?” you say? “Becoming one with nature?” you ask? Not really, no. But as hotel rooms along the road go, this one is awesome. We pull the curtains closed and inside we have our own food, microwave, dishes, and bedding. WAAAAYYYY better than the pit stops I was making at the start of this journey. I love this so much. Even sandwiched on gravel between the big rigs.
We will be shooting for Wendover tomorrow, and then probably Reno. And then home.
Total miles: 374.9, Engine time: 7 hours, 18 min, 16.3 mpg
