Back Home Again

Monday we left Portland and our most gracious hosts, David and Karen, behind.  We said goodbye to Karen after the Sunday evening cruise and to David on Monday morning.  It was a sad time but we had a great visit with them and the twins.  Yvonne and Jacob wish we could move out there but for now they were happy to be going back home (but not school).

We left pretty much on time (for a change) and headed for Lindsey's place in Layton, Utah.  It was about 760 miles, our longest leg of the trip. Our not-so-faithful Garmin Nuvi 2597 once again tried to route us in different directions but at least it didn't freeze up like it did earlier in the week. We headed out I-84 east which would take us almost all the way to Utah.  I had hoped the wind would be out of the west to give us a push but it was out of the southwest and became a nasty crosswind, buffeting us from each side as we went up the switchback roads to get across the mountains.  The Oregon roads are made with aggregate the size of marbles and there is a constant drone inside the van.  It's so bad that listening to the radio/CD was impossible and conversation was held just shy of shouting.  I could travel to the left or right of center, which helped, but became tedious very quickly. We were happy to see the Idaho state line and smoother roads.

Going into or out of Ogden, Utah there are these marvelous rock formations.  I can understand why Joseph Smith decided to set up shop in the Salt Lake area. It's beautiful and just this side of heaven.  Coming in, with the setting sun, the mountains appeared to be somewhat purple, maybe purple mountain's majesty?

The Garmin Nuvi, ever faithful to take us the wrong way, took us off the nice Interstate highway, 13 miles before we got to Lindsey's.  It was 4-lane but tons of traffic lights and a 45 mph speed limit. It added an extra 20 minutes to our arrival time.  I was NOT a happy camper and now I don't trust it at all.  It's fine for Interstate travel but for navigating around towns it's downright unreliable. I'd send Garmin an email but their site doesn't even recognize my account, although it won't let me register my email because it says it's already in use.  Go figure. (Yeah, I'm still pretty grumpy about it.)

Lindsey put us up for the night, or maybe putting up with us for the night?  Either way, we were very thankful for her hospitality and it was a good time to catch up with her.  Our family gatherings are getter to be fewer and everyone seems to be scattered across the country.  She showed us some of her artwork.  She is very talented and must get her artistic ability from her mother's side of the family.

Lindsey is tired of Utah and wants to move back east, place uncertain, but she's starting to send out some resumes.  My son Rick, currently in Texas, is talking about moving to Kansas City so that will make visits much easier, having all the family in a "loop". 

Tuesday we again started out on time (twice! A record!) and were treated to some overcooked Egg McMuffins. Lindsey had warned us that when leaving Ogden the early morning winds were pretty strong.  They did not disappoint. The view going east on I-84 and I-80 in Utah was once again stunning and pictures cannot touch the reality.  The magnitude of it all just makes you feel so insignificant, like an ant.

Entering Wyoming again we expected to suffer through all the barren landscape but this time it was different.  Maybe because we weren't tired and driving into the sunset we were in a better mood but we saw many things we hadn't seen before and suddenly it wasn't such a bad drive.  The time went quickly and we covered the entire state and into Nebraska, still enjoying the scenery.  We had driven through some storms between Laramie and Cheyenne but by the time we entered Nebraska they were well behind us.


We stopped for the night at the Cabela's campground, located at their home offices in Sidney, NE. The sky looked somewhat threatening but the storm was splitting, going north and south of us. At check in I asked the attendant and she said that she hadn't heard anything about severe weather.  We saw several other tent campers setting up, including some motorcyclists so we pitched our screen enclosure. I opted for the screen enclosure, which isn't really a tent, to give us more room. We could cook, sit and eat and later sleep in it, all without bugs. It worked well on the trip out.  After set up we went to the Cabela's store, a short walk, and got some more tent pegs and an adapter that would let us hook up to an RV plug.  Then we fixed dinner and talked for a while, it was getting dark now.

Jacob went to the bathroom and shortly after he left the wind kicked up and the enclosure started to collapse. The wind kept getting stronger and I stood against the wall, holding it up, while Yvonne quickly put all the electrical stuff (TV, Wii U, laptops, lights) into the Sienna. About then Jacob came back and we all got in the van, then the wind really kicked up.  The now collapsed tent filled with the wind and the metal posts were banging against the back of the van. I went out and collapsed it again, fighting with a big marshmallow. I got all the air out and then put the Coleman stove, chairs and folding aluminum table on top, then got back in the van.  All of the lights went out and Jacob said 'Time to go'.  But I didn't listen. (He still reminds me.)

We waited another 5 minutes and the wind just kept getting stronger and I said "Let's go". Jacob grabbed his electronics and ran for the men's room. I got out with the lantern and started running, thinking Yvonne was behind me. I stopped to check and she's still by the van with the door open.  She was saying something and I couldn't hear what it was.  I yelled "meet you in the shower room", which is for both men and women, figuring we could be together.  She finally left the van and I found out in the shower room that she couldn't get the van door open because of the wind; dumb me.  I got Jacob out of the men's room and into the same room as us. The shower room was flanked by the women's room and storage on one side, the men's room and handicapped shower on the other. I felt we were in pretty good shape. Others from the camp also came in but most stayed with their RVs. The wind kept up for another half hour before it finally settled down

We went back to the van, slogging through ankle deep water in places.  Great, wet shoes and socks. Everything was a mess, soaked with water and covered in sand from the tent area. I said we were sleeping in the van. I was the only one to get a good night's sleep, Yvonne and Jacob kept waking up because it was cold (58). I got Yvonne a blanket and Jacob already found one. I slept with a jacket as a blanket.

Wednesday we were awake at 5:30 and I went out to survey the damage.  The tent was still tethered with a bungee cord attached to a pole. It was stretched in a straight line with the folding chairs on top, with the water-logged camp stove and the aluminum table caught in a tent rope and tumble weed, which kept it from blowing away.  Everything was covered in sand; a total mess.  We set up the tent again, to dry off and get rid of some sand. We set everything up in the rising sun but it soon turned to clouds and we put it away wet.  We organized the van again and took off. I told them we'd stay in a motel that night. There was much rejoicing.

We made our way through the rest of Nebraska, Iowa and into Illinois. The low tire pressure light kept coming on in the Sienna, even after a couple of resets.  I finally looked up under the van and found a tumble weed in the left front wheel well, from the storm, I guess. I removed it and no further issue with the warning light.

We spent the night in Boonville at a renovated Holiday Inn Express. Yvonne had expressed concern (yeah, moaned up a storm is more like it) about getting a hotel in the middle of nowhere but it turned out for the best (thank you, Lord!). It was a nice room and we ate at a very nice restaurant in Boonville; salmon, tuna steak and chicken breast.  They even had Leinenkugel on tap; Summer Shandy and Sunset Wheat. Yvonne and Jacob were very happy. (W.J.'s restaurant if you're ever in Boonville, IL)

We slept late, Yvonne got up and used the exercise room for a treadmill run.  I've been very lazy all week and the pants are getting tight again. How easy it is to put it back on.  I've got a half marathon coming up in October and I need to get busy! We ate the free breakfast, which was minimal at best, but free is always good.

The rest of the trip was pretty much quiet, we were glad to see trees, hills and green grass again.  We were not happy to find the humidity so high after experiencing Portland's 20-50% range.  We pulled in about 8 PM and stopped at Kroger for some dinner.  I cooked burgers on the grill and we had some broccoli left over from the trip. Yvonne cooked the last of the potatoes that had gone from our house to Portland and back along with several of the onions.

So now Pig the elephant and we are home; what to do?  This weekend we are just catching up on the mail, bills, washing and generally learning to not live out of a suitcase again.  We have talked about the RV, working in the yard, painting and many other retirement plans, but today I'm writing this blog and enjoying a glass of bourbon.  Maybe I'll clean up the tent and other camping gear, maybe I'll have another glass of bourbon.  My son texted me from Portland, saying he just bought 2 more bottles of my favorite and wants to know when we are coming back; tempting.  Jacob starts school on Wednesday, Yvonne is leaving in a week to visit her mother for a month.  Life is good.

Fishing in Oregon

Friday and Saturday David took us fishing. On Friday we went to Hagg Lake, a small, clear lake in Washington County Oregon. We got a quick tour of the lake (10 minutes, max) then set out to catch fish.  David said we'd have sore arms by day's end, boating so many smallmouth bass.  Jacob hooked the first, about a 15" largemouth. It got tangled in the boat propeller but I could clearly see it.  It broke free and Jacob was more than a little disappointed. Next, Yvonne scored a small yellow perch; back into the lake with it.  David got a small smallmouth, then Yvonne got another perch; all were set free.

You'll notice I don't mention me. My arms and back were sore, from casting.  I got nothing, despite valiant efforts. David said sometimes the fish gods just don't smile on you and that was pretty much the case with us on Friday.

Saturday, Karen joined us and David took us down to the Columbia River to fish.  I can tell you that no matter how many pictures you take, it's a futile effort. The scenery is just breathtaking and around every bend is something even more beautiful.  The Columbia flows toward the west, but the winds blow from the east.  Even on relatively calm days, like the day we were out, whitecaps are very strong. David says once they were breaking over his windshield and into his boat, soaking him.  I think they were only about 15 mph on Saturday but they were still plenty strong.  It was extremely difficult to try and fish while the wind is blowing the boat in one direction while the current is taking you in exactly the opposite.  This is a picture of the "Bridge of the Gods" where we launched.

Bridge of the Gods over the Columbia River

This trip it was David and Yvonne who caught and the rest of us were skunked.  So I'm officially "0 for Oregon" when it comes to fishing.

Sunday was our last full day in Portland. David and Karen wanted to show us downtown from the Wilamette River, which runs through downtown.  We launched at about 5 PM and went down river, looking at the construction, various bridges and vessels. We saw the submarine on display at OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) and an old vessel that is now someone's home on the water. I forgot my camera and used David's so you'll have to wait for some of those pictures.

New bridge construction

A rare moment, Yvonne with an adult beverage (Mike's Lemonade)

 

OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry)

We stopped in at a restaurant, tied up the boat and had dinner, riverside. It was an excellent meal, great service and then we were back on the water. Now it was dark so we slowly made our way back up river to the launch ramp.  What a way to finish off the trip; how wonderful!

Back to David's condo about 11 PM and we continued to pack for the journey back home. Thoughts of the trip kept me awake for a long time.  I finally awoke when the alarm went off at 6:30.  I started up the coffee pot, took some bags down to the Sienna and started filling the coolers with ice and food.  Yvonne looks up from the air mattress and says "What are you doing?  It's 3:30 AM!"  I had set the alarm for the right time but failed to change to Pacific time; D'oh!!! I went back to bed but awoke at 5:30 again, so only 5 hours of sleep before our very long first leg of the trip; 760 miles to Ogden, UT.

Time with the girls

Wednesday Erin and Jamie stayed with us at David's condo.  We started the day off with Grandpa's German pancakes, a kind of breakfast crepe along with Johnsonville Maple Syrup links. They had never had the pancakes before and were unsure how to eat them, but a quick lesson and they were off and eating. (They really liked them.)  Afterward, we went to an open air mall and did some shopping but most of the stores were not to their liking.  They did enjoy looking in the REI store (sporting goods on steroids) but the one they wanted to see was Abercrombie and Fitch. They had closed the store in that location and moved elsewhere.  So we came back to Dave's, had lunch and watched a couple of movies; Brave and We Bought a Zoo.

Later, when Karen got off work and David came home, we went over to Karen's for a BBQ.  We had a really nice spread; hamburgers on the grill, mac & cheese, salad, broccoli, tomatoes from Karen's patio garden, french fries and plenty of snacks.  We topped it off with red velvet cake, the girls' favorite. My wife was right (again, of course) on the desert choice. I thought they'd like monster cookies (the kind with M&Ms baked in) but she said red velvet.

Thursday the girls came over again and this time they hadn't had breakfast yet, opting for German pancakes again. When Karen woke them up and asked them if they wanted breakfast they said no, they wanted Grandpa's pancakes.  They ate double what they had on Wednesday and I showed David how to make them so he could fix them after we had left. 

This time we went to a proper mall, Washing Square.  I think it's the size of downtown Lexington.  OK, maybe not, but it's big and they had the Abercrombie stores, which made the girls very happy. Yvonne took them in while I caught a grandpa nap in a big comfy chair in the mall. They found me when they were through and laughed that I was taking a nap.

We looked for the food court for lunch but nothing appealed to any of us. Then I learned they had never been to Cheesecake Factory! Well, that was almost a sacrilege so of course, we fixed that.  They walked in and immediately found the display of cheesecakes.  We got a booth, Yvonne and I ordered lunch, they ordered cheesecake.  We had a great time watching them try to eat all of the cakes they ordered, they smiled and commented the whole time. Jamie said it looked so perfect she wasn't sure if she would eat it. (But she did.)

We went back to Dave's and chilled for a while, waiting for Karen to get off work, then went over there for pizza and beer.  Todd, the girls' father, picked them up and they are now heading for Colorado; his family's reunion.  So the girls are gone now <sniff>.  Here they are, wearing what they bought at Abercrombie's.

While we were at the mall, Jacob went over to the open air mall we had visited on Wednesday. We found Shogun Sushi & Sake when we were there and since he didn't want to go shopping with the girls (imagine that) we suggested he go over to Shogun's, which he did.  He rated it 7 out of 10 and wants to go back again, so it must be good.

Chilling Today

Yvonne and I had a nice run this morning, 7 miles.  After yesterday's hike up to the top of Multnomah Falls our legs are a little sore. Yvonne has been keeping up with her running but since leaving Toyota I haven't been in the groove, getting only a couple of runs per week.  After we get back I'll settle down.

Today we are going over to my daughter Karen's apartment to visit her and the twins. David has to work late so he won't be joining us.  We didn't have any plans for today so we just did a grocery run and then spent the day relaxing.  The air and temperature here are very conducive to long naps. My BP is waaaay down today; yippee!

Since we haven't gone anywhere I'll just make a few comments.  The first is about Oregon roads. As soon as we entered the state last week you could immediately tell the difference. I think the roads are all made of pebbles held together by tar.  You can feel the vibration not only in the steering wheel but throughout the entire van.  The noise is deafening, making it near impossible to enjoy or even hear the music.  It's on all the roads, Interstates and surface, and many of the parking lots are paved that way too.  I won't miss that part of Oregon.

A very pleasant and unexpected thing is how drivers treat pedestrians and runners.  If you are standing on the corner or edge they will motion you across.  If you're running, even if they have the traffic light, they will motion you across.  In Kentucky you take your life in your hands when you step out of the door.  If you're driving and signal to move to another lane, they let you in.  If traffic is heavy everyone seems to help those around them with lane changes.  In construction zones, people don't run down to the end of the lane and nose dive in, everyone lines up and waits.  WOW!

Finally, in all of the areas we've been, no mosquitoes and very few flies.  Of course, it's been very dry but still, I haven't had the first bug bite since we left Nebraska.  How pleasant to sit outside and enjoy the evening breeze and not have to constantly swat.

OK, enough for now, we're going to see the twins.  We will be watching them all day tomorrow and Thursday.  Yvonne and I are really looking forward to it.  BBQ tomorrow :-)

Up the mountain

Today we ventured up to Crown Point, "The Vista House", a scenic overlook on the Columbia.  It was completed in 1918 and the road that leads up to it was the first paved road in the state.  It's a majestic view up and down the Columbia and the road actually winds around the house.

Next stop was Latourell Falls, also along the Columbia River Highway. This is a really unique area of Oregon and if you're out this way you want to take an afternoon and visit.

We walked from the parking lot, down the trail and past the falls, following the stream back under the Latourell Creek Bridge. Yvonne didn't realize it but she just missed stepping on a snake. It was black with a green stripe on its back, probably a variety of garter snake. You can get up close and personal on this waterfall; no barriers.  The water is ice cold though, so you won't be wading long. The air around this falls is enough to make you wish you brought along a jacket.

 After that we continued on to Multnomah Falls.  There is a bridge that spans the front of it and many weddings are performed there.  It's .2 mile up to the bridge and 1 mile (a very steep incline, but paved) walk to the top of the falls.  The temperature was in the low 70s so that helped and the waterfall itself provided a lot of cooling. Some wore jackets as they went up.  Yvonne and I went to the top, Jacob stopped at turn 5 of 11.

This photo of us is at the top but you have to look over the railing to see anything at all. There is a fantastic view of the canyon.

 This video is shot with me holding my small camcorder over the rail. I can't quite get it over the edge but there are sometimes when you can see into the valley and how far up the falls are.

 This is the stream with small falls and crystal clear water (snow melt) that is at the top, feeding the falls.

We came back to Portland in the late afternoon, found a Baskin and Robbins and replaced all the calories we lost on the climb.  We stopped off at Fred Meyers (Kroger) and picked up some of my favorite beer, Leinenkugel Honey Weiss.  Now we're getting ready for dinner and a nice rest.

Here and There

Friday evening Karen, Erin and Jamie came over for a visit.  Scott and his daughters, Maya and Anna, were here visiting from Scotland, so we had an apartment full of people. We all got acquainted, shared some pictures and videos and had a great time.  They've been here for the month and it's sad times but they have to return on Monday.

Saturday the rest went out on Lake Hagg for a day of boating, tubing and fishing.  Yvonne, Jacob and I went down to Eugene (2 hours south of Portland) for a tournament Jacob wanted to participate in.  We dropped him off then headed for Starbuck's to decide what to do.  We had some coffee and started walking around, finding the Eugene Farmer's Market Days festival.  It appears to be held every weekend from July to late fall. Those familiar with the St. James Art Fair in Louisville or Woodland Park Art Festival in Lexington will understand.  There were about 3 blocks of artists booths with all manner of paintings, frames, ceramics and other items.  There was also a farmer's market and lots of great food booths. We discovered a cheesecake booth with some delicious choices. We each bought one and shared.

There was live entertainment, the name of the duo was 'Truck Stop Honeymoon'.  They sounded pretty good so we purchased one of their CDs and donated a few bucks to their music case. 

We continued our walk around the displays and found a ceramics display.  There was a bowl with a frog painted in the bottom we got for Jacob, since he loves frogs so much.













We stopped in a cafe and had a bite to eat.  The fair had some good food but we had walked around quite a bit and wanted to sit for a while. All the seats at the fair were full so we found this quiet place just behind the fair and had some nice ham & cheese panini sandwiches.

We were going to locate a lake down there and have a look around but stopped off in Radio Shack to pick up a CD player cleaner.  That was $15 down the drain and we cannot play the CD we just bought.  I guess that's another retirement project for me.  Since we were at the mall we went to the Regal Cinema and saw Red 2.  We both enjoyed it very much, a very good movie and the first time I've been in the theater since Pirates of the Caribbean I.

Jacob gave me a call, saying he was wrapping it up.  He came in first place in the Nintendo Brawl competition, losing only one game.  The pot wasn't very large so he didn't make much on this venture but still had a good time.  We left the mall and went back to the gaming room to get him then went back to Beaverton (outside Portland).  The GPS took us a different way this time, once we got off the Interstate it was all back roads.  We got back to David's place and he arrived shortly after. We rode with him to take the boat back to the barn where he stores it.

This morning, Sunday, Yvonne and I went for a run, 6 miles, and not a fly or gnat anywhere.  There is a complete lack of flies or mosquitoes here.  The temperature was about 54 and there were low clouds so it was a really great morning for a run. Afterward, all of us had a big sausage and pancake breakfast; yum.

Nothing planned for today except David is heading out this afternoon to a Rush concert.  We are still thinking about what to do but it's so pleasant that just being here is relaxing.  Yvonne and Jacob both want to move out here but nice as it is, it's very expensive.

Wheels down in Portland

We stayed overnight in Pendleton at the Red Lion Inn.  There was a state trooper meeting of some sort and there were troopers in camouflage uniforms and sporting side arms.  We felt quite safe.  The room was a little unusual. There was a lamp but no plug near the computer desk.  The coffee pot was in the armoire but again, no plug.  No free breakfast, 4.95 for the buffet. Coffee was 2.50 each but the hostess was nice enough to give me 2 free cups since I pointed out that would be the price of a full buffet for one person with unlimited coffee.  The other thing that irked me was Expedia booked the room for me at $119 but there was a big sign out front that the rooms started at $89. I paid $10 extra at Laramie because I booked through the hotel instead of using Travelocity, now I get hit for an extra $20 for NOT using the hotel.  OK, I think I have this down now, call the hotel and get a price and compare to online booking. [Slow learner]

I'm glad we took that extra stop last night, the drive from Pendleton into Portland, although quite scenic, is somewhat nerve racking.  You drop down the mountain, along the Columbia river to less than 100', first left then right, all the way down.  The scenery goes from rocky and dry to huge cliffs with tall fir trees.  Mount Hood is off in the distance, forever it seems, then suddenly you pass it.  Every bend in the road brought new scenery and it was hard to keep the car on the road and look at the scenery at the same time. The pictures just don't do justice to the magnificent view. Lexington's elevation is about 1100 feet and we went as high as 8700 feet on I-80 in Wyoming.  In Portland it's about 100 feet. I love my new Garmin GPS, it gives you all kinds of neat information. :-)

We saw a lot of wind farms through Wyoming, Utah and Oregon but Oregon had the most. The wind coming through the mountains was ferocious and added another layer of difficulty to the driving. The wind was blowing opposite the flow of the Columbia River.  As the day went on the white caps got larger and larger.

We finally arrived at David's condo at 1:30 PST for a total of 2450 miles, unloaded and did a grocery run. David came home from work at 5:30 and we had burgers and bourbon on the back deck.  Temperature was in the 90s yesterday but it's supposed to be only low 80s today. Night time temps are in the mid 50s; very pleasant.  He has a very nice condo in a quiet neighborhood. Yvonne loves the area and is already starting up conversation about moving out here.  I'm going to miss her.

I haven't been running since we started our trek but Yvonne ran several times; she's dedicated.  I'm just too tired from driving and still trying to get used to the time change. We stay up late and I'm still waking up early.  Tomorrow I'll don the running shorts and at least get a short one in to get me going.

My daughter Karen and the grand-kids Erin and Jamie are coming over tonight.  They have out of town guests too so we're all getting together tonight. The little condo will be very crowded :-)

Finally, Oregon!

We entered Oregon this afternoon and have made it to Pendleton.  We could have gone the last 200 miles but opted to crash one more night and have a nice dinner.  We're staying at the Red Lion hotel which doesn't look very nice from the outside but the interior is especially nice. A/C works very well and the room is spacious.  The TV is old and reception is poor but who cares.

We found a very nice restaurant in downtown Pendleton (Virgil's At Cimmiyotti's) and had an excellent meal.  The downtown area looks like something out of a storybook or maybe a new section of Walt Disney World; very picturesque. The meal was excellent, even Jacob was pleased with his choice, although he wanted sushi, not available in the summer (off season???).

Much of the rest of Utah, after Ogden, looked like Wyoming; rocky with dead grass and lots of sage brush. A short ways into Oregon everything started turning green again and soon we were into the evergreens and mountains. I took some photos but they just don't do it justice. You have to see it to even begin to appreciate the vista.  Jacob maintained his head down gaming posture. He refuses to have a good time although there was some good conversation going on today. I guess that's some improvement.

I contacted my son and they are ready for us, although he as to go to work about the time we are getting there; noon. We'll get groceries, do some laundry and see if the grand kids are available for a visit.

Three Days on the road

Monday night, Tuesday morning I wasn't feeling well, allergies gave me a pounding headache and general lousy feeling. Today is Wednesday and after a good night's rest I feel somewhat better. The miles are taking their toll. Afternoon means driving straight into the sun and there isn't a cloud in the sky right now.

Monday we finished up Nebraska and got into Wyoming.  I had always had cowboy visions of Wyoming, even wanted to live there when I was younger.  When we first entered the state there were some nice rock formations and I kept hoping it would get more interesting; it didn't. Our entire drive was through dry (drought) prairie land, odd placements of cows and horses and lots and lots of sky. There were also plenty of hills.  We kept going up and up until we hit 8,700 feet. Denver the mile high city?  The entire state of Wyoming looks down on Denver. We reached our limit of driving and stopped short of our destination, spending the night in Laramie.  For Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Eastern Oregon it's Pioneer Days, a big holiday.  The hotels are full and we had a bit of a problem getting a room. We found a nice Quality Inn and had a nice dinner and soft bed.

Tuesday we started out and I forgot to fill up with gas. I figured I'd stop down the road but there isn't much in Wyoming.  We got down to a quarter of a tank and I needed a pit stop anyway.  I saw a sign for gas and got off I-80 into a Shell station where the attendant was changing the prices; not down of course.  I paid 4:09 for regular (their mid grade) but didn't fill the tank.  I also paid 4.50 for a bag of Lays chips; robbery I says.  I drove another 20 miles and paid 3.49 a gallon to get the other half tank.  We stopped in a rest area for lunch and trucked on. We hit the highest point on I-80 where there is a memorial to Purple Heart recipients and a huge statue of Abraham Lincoln. Altitude was about 8700 feet.

We didn't drop below 6,000 until we were leaving Wyoming and entered Utah.  Now Utah was what I was expecting of Wyoming. Entering Ogden there were huge rock formations with a cute river running along the highway.  Of course, cameras were not at the ready.  This portion of Utah may be worthy of an Airstream trailer trip.

Weather has been hot and dry, they are in a drought.  Although the humidity is low, that sun will back you in short order. Nights are cool and pleasant.  When I loaded up the van on Tuesday morning everything inside was pretty cool so temps must have dropped quite a bit.

For Tuesday night we stopped in for a visit with my niece, Lindsey, in Layton.  A very gracious host, she offered to put us up for the night, best rest stop so far.  It was great catching up on events and we had a nice dinner at Olive Garden.  A good night's rest and now we're up and ready for the road.  I need to remember to fill the gas tank as I've been cautioned by Lindsey that stations are few and far between as we head to Idaho.

We're staying in Oregon tonight, I've already made reservations as that is still part of Pioneer Days; lesson learned.

We're off!

The first day of travel started off with a delay.  I had wanted to start at 8:00, Yvonne thought it was going to be 9:00 and it ended up being 9:40 by the time we got rolling.  Jacob started loading all of his 4 consoles into the Sienna along with his laptop and a ton of games.  I had to call a foul and threw out some of it.  He's made a tangled wire nightmare of my neat van.  I'll reorganize before we leave this morning.

We had lunch in Mt Vernon, Illinois. Gassed up at a BP then moved to the Burger King parking lot and set up shop; cold cuts for us and peanut butter for Jacob.  It was simple but it filled the void and we were back on the road.

We made our goal of 860 miles the first day, staying just north of Kansas City in St Joseph, MO.  This is the camping night, staying at AOK campground for $18 which includes electricity. We got everything charged up again, caught up on emails with the WiFi and reheated burgers from home that we grilled over the weekend. Our little 2 burner Coleman stove from the mid 70s did just fine. I'm getting ready to fire it up and make myself some breakfast.

The campground is right next to I-29. Sleep was difficult, I kept waking up when the big trucks would hit the rumble strip or just be really loud. I'll be looking for my mp3 player and headphones today or at least before the next campground. I slept in the screen tent while Jacob and Yvonne opted for the Sienna.  There weren't any mosquitoes or many other bugs to speak of, but they were terrified of getting bitten; ah, that pioneer spirit.  I don't know how they slept but Jacob is still asleep and Yvonne decided to go for a run. I banged up my toe, stumbling over a suitcase the night before we left and I think I'll wait a few days before trying to run.

Not sure where we are supposed to stop tonight but it will be a motel stop, somewhere about a half day before Salt Lake City if we keep to the plan.

Ready, set......

The Sienna is loaded up and we're pretty tired tonight. We've been getting the house ready, I've been lowering the beer inventory, leaving just enough for when I get back. Our plan is to make our lunch in the morning and pack our school/work lunch boxes for eating along the way. The coolers are iced down with water and soft drinks.  OK, so there's a couple of Lites in there too :-)

I checked with AOK campground in St Joseph, MO, just north of Kansas City and they have lots of room for tent campers, no reservation needed. I have a large screen tent, we'll put the chairs and luggage in there and sleep in the van.  We'll reheat burgers and have Kraft Mack n Cheese, pinto beans and maybe something else. The campground has electric hookups and WiFi for $22 a night. It got one review, 5 star; we'll see.

With the camping gear and suitcases you'd think it would be crowded in the van. I took out 3 of the seats and that made quite a bit of room. With the screen tent I think we can sleep one in a seat and two on the van floor. I can move the other rear seat to the tent if necessary.

We'll all pretty pumped. I left keys with my neighbor and they are just as excited as we are.  She said they did some traveling when they were younger and she misses it.

Past 11 PM tonight and Jacob is still not back from his Nintendo tournament. I don't expect him to be much help tomorrow morning but maybe by the afternoon he'll be awake. I'm off to bed, almost time to go. :-)

Preparation for Portland

We are in the midst of preparing for our great adventure out to Portland, Oregon to visit family; children and grandchildren. The trip is a little over 2400 miles and the first step was getting the Sienna in shape. We planned on just 2 new tires and the timing belt replacement.  Green's Toyota said we needed a LOT more, adding belts, brackets and water pump. The total bill was double what we had planned for. This was the first major repair since we bought it, not too bad for a 1999 model.

My dear wife (DW) and I discussed how to save money on the trip. My kids have agreed to host us in Portland so that's covered.  For the trip out, DW got a suggestion from her hair dresser; use Love's Truck Stops for overnights. They have lighted parking, showers, food, WiFi, etc.  I'm a little nervous about sleeping in the Sienna and thought about purchasing a little protection (Cuy would be proud) but DW said she'd rather not. For now, we'll do Love's one night and a low-priced hotel or campground for the next.

Jacob is actually somewhat excited about going. Well, excited after his overnight with friends and then some big Nintendo tournament.  Third place is still good, though.  He's starting to earn some decent money in the tournaments. I've cut off his allowance now so this is his current income. He's made more in the last 3 tournaments than I've given him in allowance for a year; nice going son!

Tomorrow we go to U of K for a college readiness workshop. We spend a couple of hours, he spends the day; sounds fair to me. After I come back it's the beginning of the Sienna preparation, to see if everything we want to take will fit.