Yes. (Again. For Real.)

Somewhere between duct taped shower curtains (yes. for real.) and $3.oo wine (yes. again.) I took a quick trip to Big Sur, California. And had a few moments that made me remember, yet again, why we packed up our lives, drove for 5 days, and put a lot of faith in our dreams.

Mom was in the new home state for a work-thingy and I jumped on the opportunity to pick her up at the airport to spend some quality time. Tarragon Pea Soup was consumed. Garden shops were browsed. Afternoon tea was had. Overwhelming gratitude took over.

(Then I realized I DID have a camera with a functional SD card, despite all odds...)

I made the 45 minute drive to Big Sur from Monterey, not really looking for anything in particular.

And I found Me.


In a place so beautiful it's almost painful, it was a gift to just sit on the rails of a random vehicle pull-off and watch the surf hit the ragged coastline.

Take photos and write in a journal.

Just Be.

I was struck, again, by a sense of endless possibilities and hope. Of "Future is as Future Does" to quote (yes. again.) Mason Jennings, and I drove back home, hit with the same sensation I get after a particularly kick-booty Savasana.

(Until I realized that the mega-produce stand in Moss Hill was open at 9:30 pm. And selling organic baby heirloom tomatoes for $1.50/carton. And avocados 3 for $1. And organic seedless grapes for $0.79/lb. Then the drive ground to a halt to allow for mass produce purchase totaling $6.00.)

For those of you wondering what the hell we were thinking, moving to California in the middle of the worst economy in more than 20 years? (Aside from organic produce and hilariously emo self-portraits) I leave you with this:

That's what I thought.

California! (but first... Nevada...)

We are officially Californians!! We signed the lease on our apartment yesterday and are currently sprawled on the floor, laptops smoking and Craigslist servers overloading while we look for furniture.

(Tried to post yesterday, but Days Inn internet wasn't having any of it... SO...)

We drove in to California through the Tahoe National Forest, and it was with some happy tears and an open window that I blasted Mason Jennings and crossed the state line, surrounded by craggy rocks and pine trees.

We spent a few hours in Reno before finishing the drive, pretty much sick of driving, and too intrigued after the events of the previous evening to just 'up and leave'.


So we sat on the banks of the Truckee River Whitewater Park, soaking up sun, listening to the water and unashamedly laughing at the crazies. SO pretty, but quite possibly the Weirdest. Town. Ever. Threats and heckling from crazy local river-dwellers (garnered by well-meaning smiles, no less) were outstripped by the scenery.


BUT, a fun town, and it was really nice to take a break before finishing the last leg of the trip.

and we are here!

Awoke yesterday morning at 5:00 am to banging on the hotel room door, a wonderful Days Inn employee informing us that a trucker was about to have our U-Haul towed because (despite 8 other semi trucks exiting the premises) he couldn't get out of the parking lot. An uneventful day henceforth was welcome, to say the least...

Especially after washing the breakfast smoothie blender in the shower for the last week...

it was so wonderful to sign the lease on our new place!

Mr. and Mrs. J are home!

Almost There!

Ok. Made it through Wyoming unscathed. And Utah. And most of Nevada!

We're in Reno, today, taking it easy and trying to process exactly what DID happen last night...

But first!

We slept just outside Salt Lake City, then pushed on past (Hi, Justen!) through the great Salt Flats, broken up only by this freaky statue thing.

Source

The rumble strips are the only reason I did not drive off the road wondering whether I was seeing things. Poorly disguised cell tower? Freakish salt-induced vegetation? Salt-Flat and Heat Induced Delusional art? Apparently C was the correct answer.*

OK. Back to last night.

Pulled into Reno to find somewhere to rest our weary heads. Upon finding out that Motel 8 was $97.96 per night, we opted for the Western Village Inn and Casino for $40 per night.

Inwardly groaning at the smell of stale cigarette smoke and lost hope oozing from the casino, we entered the seedy hotel across the street and took the elevator to the 3rd floor. Expecting the worst, we opened the door to huge suite with memory foam bedding and a 42" flat screen TV. A quick text update later, the sister observed, "Irony is a b*tch."

Free drink tickets and discount restaurant coupons in hand, we headed out. Because who can refuse a place that has pregnant women, the elderly and Joe Dirt all exiting the same black-mirrored doors!? (Ok. We were hungry too. But curious.)

There was no preparing us for what rounded the corner as we locked the hotel room door behind us.

6 nuns. In habits. Dragging roll-aboard suitcases.

I was incapacitated with a case of the giggles and nearly peed my pants making it to the elevator without laughing out loud. Strippers I would have expected in this casino, conveniently located 20 feet from the TA Truck Stop. A drunken trailer park couple, even. But NUNS?

After dinner, we won $1.72 at the penny slots. Enough to cover the tip for our free drinks.

It was a good night.

Onward and homeward tomorrow! Although I don't know if I will have any more stories that beat the nuns...

*Side note: I am the only person in the State of Nevada (perhaps the greater Southwest) who will only eat at McDonalds when armed with a pull-top can of Black Beans. When I whipped said canout of my purse at lunch yesterday and dumped 1/2 on my chicken-less salad, B just shook his head, continuing on into a rare burger/fry/sundae euphoria.

South Dakota, Part II (and wyoming...)

Tuesday:

Day 3 of Driving Stats:

States Completed: Wyoming
Miles Driven: approximately 700 mi
Hours Driven: 10 hrs
Average Speed: 56.2 mph
Meltdowns: 1

Today was long. Just long. However, I am living Fievel Goes West.


Best part of the day: Greeeeen Riverrrrrr is apparently a real place! (Keep reading for a recap of the Badlands, but all I could think yesterday was, "I'm lost. Alllll alone. In a million acre catbox.")

One more quick thing... HUGE thank you to Meg and Misty! The Visa Gift Card bought me 23.5 hours of road trip sanity in the form of Stephanie Meyer's The Host on CD.


Rewind one day...

South Dakota never ceases to amaze.

Ever asked the question, "Where the Heck is Wall Drug" ?? No?? Me neither. But apparently, it's in Wall, South Dakota.

Biggest, most elaborate Tourist Trap to which I have yet to fall prey. To use B's words, "After all those billboards, this had better be everything I'm thinking it's not."



This bulldog sitting outside, longingly looking at the fudge shop might have been my favorite part.



After a quick lunch of carrots and peanut butter eaten in the car... we drove the Badlands Scenic Loop. It was eerily beautiful in a desolate way, shoving jagged rocks against waving prairie grass and into impossibly blue skies.

I felt very Laura Ingalls Wilder, in the prairie just outside DeSmet, SD.



And B took the 'shot of the day' out of the car window while singing 'America the Beautiful.' "For amber waves of graaaaaaain...."



Mount Rushmore was serene and stately, something that stood out to us after miles of fake "Old West" roads and billboards hawking Reptile Gardens and Mystery Caves.

We are really hoping to come back and do some camping in the Black Hills as we loved it here. We were sort of sad to leave!

On to Wyoming ! (see top of the post as lack of WiFi has caused a bit of a back up...)

South Dakota, Part I

Rather than taking off Saturday morning, we spent the day at Grandma's, napping and catching up.

SO. Driving Day 2 stats for Sunday:

States Completed: Wisconsin, Minnesota and part of South Dakota
Miles Driven: 711 mi
Hours Driven: 12.3 hrs
Average Speed: 52.4 mph

(Thanks to high winds toward the Badlands, we drove the trailer at a mind blowing 45 miles per hour for the last 50 miles to Wall, South Dakota. Clearly, this thrilled me.)

Highlights from Day 2:

Tiny people statues worshiping a giant cow head... Farm Country, SD

Corn Palace... Mitchell, SD

Yes. That is a segway. Made of corn. ... Mitchell, SD

B found the world's largest popcorn ball, a rootbeer milkshake (no. not a float. a milkshake, which apparently is proof that there is a god... and he is shaped like a cow head and worshiped by tiny people...) and corn-on-the-cob on a stick. The Corn Palace was declared as success based on concessions alone.

We're hitting up the World Famous Wall Drug (note: there is a sign for Wall Drug at 355 miles from the exit... not much to advertise in SD farm land, apparently) and the Badlands, then heading to Mount Rushmore. Back with photos!

Made it to Madison!

Ain't he got a cute tush? I stared at it all day yesterday!


Day 1 Stats:

States Completed: Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois
Miles Driven: 878 mi
Hours Driven: 16.2 hrs
Average Speed: 56.3 mph

Highlights:

Shout out to Amy and the McWhirters!
(It was too dark to take a picture of the Milwaukee exit... hi, Lara and Mike!)


One Hundred, Eleven Thousand, One Hundred Eleven Miles!
GO, COROLLA, GO!



We actually left on Thursday night at about 9 pm and got a few hours under our belt ...

Good Bye 2610!

From the balcony - the Patent Office is under his armpit on the right

Sionara 2610!

The U-Haul that is too big because the van was too small and U-Haul apparently doesn't sell trailers that somewhere between "take your tea set" and "move your elephant"

We're holed up at Grandma Strong's right now, trying to catch up after such a long day yesterday. The raging head cold I so conveniently caught 4 days ago is finally subsiding... but we didn't make it to Madison until 1:15 this morning, so we're moving a bit slow. We should hit the road again before this afternoon. Next big milestone: Denver!

a quick look inside my head.

recent steam of consciousness.
has been edited for inappropriate language.

I can't believe i caught Brian's god d*ned cold. am dying.

where the hell am I going to put all this decor sh*t?

seriously? with the sneezing and the snot?

did I pack the neti pot?

where the hell am I going to put all this bedroom sh*t?

GO GET MY CAR FIXED, B! YOU SAID YOU'D DO IT 2 DAYS AGO.

ugh. with the coughing again.

where the hell am I going to put all this office sh*t?

*insert nap*

why is Brian in here? I'm napping, d*n it!

redacted

huh! made a killer, healthy meal out of next to nothing. am a domestic goddess.

now... to make frozen banana rolled in melted unsweetened bakers chocolate and walnuts for gourmet/sugarless dessert.

where the hell am I going to put all this kitchen sh*t?

WHERE IS ALL THIS SNOT COMING FROM!?

and where the hell am i going to put all this SH*T!?