Austin July 14, 2010

After a great sleep, we were up at 8:00. We had a choice at Perkin's: egg, potato, toast or $4 off any other meal.

We left Twin Falls about 10:30 AM. On the way back to the highway, we found that the great dark space we saw last night is actually a deep gorge with a river. We didn't stop for a picture, which I regret.

We stopped for lunch after crossing into Oregon: Matt and I at Carl's Jr. and Katie at an Italian buffet (I haven't been able to look at a row of food since Las Vegas). The cute server at the buffet let us in to sit with Katie, even with our Carl's Jr. cups.

Another bout of road construction; another hour gained. We crossed into Washington at 5 PM. We called Anna, who sounded sad (homesick?). She said she had walked 8 blocks to the bank, so maybe she was just hot.

We entered King County at 8:06 PM, just west of Hyak. We were home at 9:10 PM, after waiting for the 1st Avenue
bridge to close.

With the schedule we took driving home, it took 4 days. With the stops we made on the way to Austin, it took 9 days. All in all, a great trip and one we would make again anytime! Well, maybe not in the summer.

Austin July 13, 2010

Matt and I got up first, going down to breakfast so Katie could get ready in peace. Great choices at the hotel: cereal, waffles, bagels, donuts.

One stop Katie requested on this trip was Four Corners. Since we are still feeling guilty about the meteor crater, we are definitely going there. Again, it was six miles off the highway, just like the meteor crater. When we got to the entrance, the road was blocked off with a "closed for construction" sign on the gate. More tourists than us were disappointed (one from Norway).

We drove to Monticello for lunch (there were too many wraps at the Peace Cafe, our first stop -- I just can't eat them). We saw a deer crossing a street in town (Northern Exposure!). Katie wants to drive to Twin Falls, which makes this a 10 hour day, then into Seattle (another 10 hours). That would get us home on Wednesday. After lunch, Katie said she could drive into Seattle without stopping for the night. Matt replied he would not be able to unwrap his fingers from the armrest. I think Katie is tired of being with the parents. She says she is just tired of driving; all the tourist stops we made were on the way to Austin.

I felt a drop on my head at lunch, so figured it must be Katie's turn to drive. With her driving, we hit a rainstorm outside of town, of course. We didn't drive very much in Utah. We saw Balance Rock near Price UT. We also saw a closed gas station with a price sign of $1.00.

We finally got to Twin Falls around 11:30 PM. We hit construction for about 13 miles, driving 45 mph. That wasn't supposed to happen after we dropped off the trailer. Katie mentioned she hadn't seen any construction in Idaho; Utah is full of it; then we ran into it again after I took over.

Twin Falls is about 5 miles off the highway, with no motels closer. the Super 8 sported a "Sorry" sign so we went to the Shiloh Inn. Matt and I thought the clerk said "$222" as the price but she actually said "$72" plus breakfast at Perkins.

Matt's birthday is Thursday, July 15. I at least bought a card in Austin. Katie and I also agreed to purchase the cowboy boots he picked up in Austin.

Austin July 12, 2010

Cheaper is not better. The mattress was too soft; no hair dryer, clock or cups in the bathroom (but there were some by the ice bucket). Water out of the faucet (sink and tub) was tepid so no bath for me. Matt reported it was hot out of the shower.

Trains passed by all night; having to whistle at the intersection, so there was no soothing, constant rumble; just rumble-rumble-rumble-TOOOOOOT- rumble-rumble. Repeat each hour.

We stopped in Fort Sumner for breakfast at the Rodeo Cafe. The potatoes were somewhat gray but the rest was good.

We drove back to the Flying C where I picked up the red rooster I saw on the way down. Matt picked up an armadillo mug, and Katie and I got some jewelry. We had trouble finding Anth another gift.

In Albuquerque, while stopping at Target, Katie asked if we could go to the Owl Cafe. We enjoyed dessert: Matt - pie; Katie - root beer float; Connie - banana split. That's lunch, not dessert!

We stopped in Farmington in the early evening, booking a better room (after rejecting a double-bed only room again). After going out for pizza, we were ready for bed at 9:30, setting the alarm for 7:00. Katie wants to drive more each day and get home sooner.

Can you see the fence in the picture? I can't imagine the maintenance!

Austin July 11, 2010

Today, we said goodbye to Anna. We picked her up about 10 AM, and drove to South Congress for breakfast. She recommended the "Garden Cafe", which turned out to be the "Magnolia Cafe". I recalled the neon sign from our last trip: "Sorry, we're open". The pancakes are as big as a dinner plate! Anna had peach; I had cornmeal. Matt had a choice with his omelet: fruit, toast, hashbrowns, or 2 pancakes.

We visited the gift shop next door; Anna tried on a hat. She said she saw one at Maya's but is still considering. She does look good in hats. We took her home, took the goodbye picture, then drove around the corner, stopping to set the GPS for Lubbock.

We stopped in Littlefield TX for dinner, at the Humdinger. The hamburgers were huge, with lots of fries, so no one could finish it all. We put in 100 extra miles, making it to Clovis NM, gaining an hour as well.

Matt sighted a dead armadillo on the highway. Katie drove through another rainstorm. I saw lots of lightning in the rearview mirror. We tried a motel, but it had double beds (again!). We got a $40 room at the Valu Inn. Big mistake. I saw a half-dead cockroach in the bathroom; I flushed it, didn't tell Katie, and told Matt to put the food back in the car. Lights off at 11:00.

Note: I have not seen any of the items on the crossing signs (deer, cows, etc.). Katie says it's a warning, not a guarantee.

Some shots of New Mexico:

Austin July 10, 2010

What a luxury a sleep-in day is! With no alarm set, we woke up around 9:30. We decided to go to Mattress Firm (across the freeway) rather than 20 miles to Round Rock. At the mattress store, Anna went through computer analysis before buying a mattress. I heard the salesman say that people who sleep on their sides (me) should not sleep on a pillow-top (which I do).

Off to Target for Anna's miscellaneous buys. I jumped on that train, buying a pair of slip on shoes (I just can't do flip-flops) and a purse (my "as seen on TV" purse was falling apart). Matt also bought: boxers with chili peppers on them, and another with lemons; plus socks. After we unloaded at Anna's, we were finally able to turn the trailer in. We felt like the Jeep lost a lot of weight, and that we could drive as fast as a rocket! Matt spent some time putting Anna's bed frame together.

We all visited the Co-op to buy souvenirs (Longhorn shirt for Anthony, hot dog brand, Longhorn car magnet, Longhorn screen saver, Mom & Dad t-shirts). Off to South Congress so Matt could look at cowboy boots and Katie could buy a dress and shirt. For lunch, we went to the Home Slice, ordering various flavors of pizza. The server said she would ask that the slices be cut in half so we could all sample more toppings.

Back to the Capitol building, taking some time to walk around inside. We saw pictures of governors (I noticed one named Price Daniel, and imagined he had to explain the order of his name many times in his life; and, a woman who served twice after a man of the same name served). It is once again TOO HOT today, although we actually saw clouds in the morning.

We took Matt to the Salt Lick for dinner, stopping at the Shamrock for gas and beer (they must do a big business on beer, since the Salt Lick allows you to bring your own - they don't serve liquor). The Shamrock would not give us cash back so we had to pool our money for dinner (no credit cards at the Salt Lick, either). We were told there was a one hour wait, which turned out to be 20 minutes. Once again, there was so much food; but, this time, Anna could take home the leftovers.

We took Anna grocery shopping at her local grocery, dropping her off about 10:40. We finally got to meet her new roommate.

Back at the Super 8, we discovered the maid had not visited our room, so we had to go get some towels. It was so busy at the front desk! Matt became the delivery man, to drop off and pick up towels. We leave Austin tomorrow, after breakfast with Anna.

The pictures today illustrate that Texas has lots of green areas!

Austin July 9, 2010

We left Sweetwater at 9:45 am, with 259 miles to Austin. Katie, once again, had the opportunity to drive through a horrid rainstorm; at one point, she had to slow down to 35 mph. I spent some minutes hoping everyone behind us had done so, as well. We could hardly see out of our windows. I caught a picture of the edge of the storm.


Also, the rain sheeting one window.

We finally reached Austin at 4:30 pm. We unloaded at Anna's new place, then checked into our local Super 8. It was so humid, we all needed a shower. Back to Anna's (still hauling that trailer) to park and walk to Torchy's Tacos (at least a 6 block walk). Just before we arrived, Anna got a call from her roomate that she was locked out, so Anna returned to unlock the door. Matt, Katie and I went ahead with dinner. Anna returned, reporting that we had let wasps into the house, and announced she could not eat at Torchy's because there was no air conditioning! We ran across the road to Whataburger, where it was icy cold. Anna related a story about someone who used to live in Austin, who got headaches when going from 90 degrees outside to 70 degrees inside.

We visited Goodwill, and found a bookcase and dresser (in the box, requiring assembly). Our plan tomorrow is to meet for breakfast, visit Ikea in Round Rock, and not set our alarms. At 10:30 PM, Katie is asleep and Matt is dozing.

Austin July 8, 2010

Up at 8 to leave Albuquerque at 10. We take so much more time getting ready when we all share a room with one bathroom. We decided to save about 60 miles by turning south at Santa Rosa. Anna mentioned she wanted "New Mexican" food before we got to Texas. She and Katie found the Silver Moon Cafe on Route 66. I found some crushed semi-trailers in back of the cafe. Matt saw a man with a gun hoster paying for his food.

We stopped at a tourist store, the Flying C Ranch. I saw a full-size stuffed buffalo for $19,999. I could just picture it strapped to the roof of the Jeep. Today, Anna had the opportunity to drive through two rainstorms; and Katie, only one.

We saw our first wind farms. Each unit has a red light at the center of the blades. At night, all you see are the blinking red lights.

Another road sign, "Tractor crossing".

We stopped at the "Authentic and Real Billy the Kid" gravesite. We learned, after returning home, there is some controversy over this fact. Another Texas town claims that Billy actually lived to a ripe old age and died there. I'm not here to end the controversy; just present it.


We were told in the gift shop that the tarantulas were out, but we only saw another lizard. She also told us she had seen a baby rattlesnake with a rattle the size of a small fingernail. Even though they are tiny, they are still poisonous.

The daughters also reported they saw tarantulas on the road as they were driving, but I missed those. We made it into Sweetwater, where we saw a Motel 6 (not a Super 8) but the rooms only had double beds. That's a little too cozy for two people (aren't we spoiled these days, with queen and king sized beds?). We found a hotel called the Ranchhouse, which had queen-sized beds, and a free breakfast. We found out the next morning that the breakfast was a choice of bacon and eggs or biscuits and sausage. Anna and I chose the bacon and eggs with a biscuit; it came with a small pitcher of gravy, so that was win-win. There was a pool, but one of the clerks told me she would not swim in it because "it's green".

I noticed a smell outside the town of Muleshoe, which probably is a given. We sighted oil well pumps today.

Note: Katie sleeps a lot while we drive; I guess that rests her up for driving at night. Also, following her practice, we all open the window when we have had a bit too much fiber.

Anna found a clothing tag which she used throughout the trip to mark her seat in the car.

Austin July 7, 2010

We actually got up at 5:30 AM with a goal to leave at 7:30 for the Grand Canyon. I can't believe we made it! We were all very excited, as none of us had ever seen it from the ground (I've flown over it but, unless you fly when the sun shines at an angle, you miss the impact). On the way, we saw a rock formation we named "Finger Rock".

We stopped at viewpoints in the National Park, which is on a reservation (we saw some natives with tables set up before we entered the park but we did not stop to shop). We entered the park from the best end, we decided, as we were able to turn right into the viewpoint parking areas, and felt we were going against a majority of the traffic. Once stop included the Watchtower, which Matt, Anna and Katie climbed but I didn't feel I had the stamina.









We took several shots of the canyon, too many to post here. At one point, someone took a picture of our group. When we approached this spot, I saw a boy hanging over the seating area, and I thought (frantically) "Where's his parents? He's going to fall!" I saw when I got closer that there's a path below the seating area. Anna and Katie walked down that path and I took some pictures of them on the lower side.

I like the shot of Katie standing and Anna sitting behind a bush (it looks like Anna's head over a bush).






Following are various shots of the Grand Canyon.



































While there, we walked through the Tusayan Ruin; our wildlife count was 2 lizards. I spotted this very red plant against the weathered wood.


















Leaving the Grand Canyon at 1:30, we headed back to Flagstaff for lunch at "Altitudes". Someone had fun with the camera while I was away from the table. I don't know what Matt is doing with my credit card.











There was a railroad track next to the restaurant, and a sign that advertised "$2 shots served when the train goes by". Katie ordered nachos for lunch, without tomatoes or jalapenos. When the bill came, we saw the note, "No toms, no japs". We left Flagstaff about 4 PM, with a goal to reach Albuquerque by 9. We found a Super 8 in Grants, short of Albuquerque, but it cost $75 so we voted to drive on, arriving at 11:30. All the food places we saw were closed, or just offered drive-thru. After checking in, Matt and I walked to a Denny's and ordered takeout. For all the heat we have been suffering through, that restaurant, that late at night, was frigid!

We drove toward a huge thunderstorm, but missed it. Katie drove from 4 - 11 PM today; no driving for Anna or Connie; not sure how that worked out. We decided that, when Katie gets behind the wheel, we'll either be driving through a huge thunderstorm or down a steep grade.

At one point, Katie saw a sign for a meteor crater; we decided not to go since it was 6 miles each way off our highway. We spent the rest of the trip regretting that decision. We found out after we got home that it's quite a site; with an viewing spot overlooking the crater. Katie really wanted to go and we are sorry we didn't oblige.

Through this trip, we saw several road signs: "Gusty Winds May Exist"; "Deer Crossing"; "Bull Crossing"; "Elk Crossing"; "Cougar Crossing".

Austin July 6, 2010

We got up at 7:30 with a goal to leave at 9. We all took a walk to Caeser's Palace, the Bellagio and Paris.












At 10 AM, we stopped for breakfast at Mon Ami Gabi in Paris. We chose a table outside on the street side and enjoyed: Matt - macchiato (too much foam for him); Katie - Yogurt/fruit; Connie - brioche (3 slices); Anna - eggs, sausage, potatoes, croissant, cherry tomato. Anna observed that "obviously, the rest of us weren't breakfast eaters".















We were back at Harrah's to check out by 11. Too bad we weren't taking as much cash as the "money couple".







I spotted "Bill's Gambling Hall and Saloon" (my dad's name) on the way out of town but could not get a good shot from the car.

On to our next stop - near the Grand Canyon. Matt was very disappointed to find that the road over the Hoover Dam is closed to rental trailers! This added 10 miles to our drive.

At a gas station in Loughlin, Matt, Anna and Katie saw a road runner. Anna replicated the clicking sound it makes, after I asked if it said beep-beep. Anna was the first driver to have the trailer wobble while in motion. When asked how fast she was driving, she said over 60; Matt reminded her the U-Haul person told us to keep it below 60 (although the wheel cover says 45).

Instead of driving on to the Grand Canyon today, as planned, we decided to stay in Flagstaff and visit tomorrow by getting up at 7:30 AM. We stopped at another Super 8, which we are finding to be much better quality than expected. I was too tired to go out, so Matt, Anna and Katie went to the Beaver Pub and brought back leftover pizza and sandwich for me. They are very impressed with the city; we might have a reunion here in a couple of years.

Austin July 5, 2010

We had a delay in leaving Reno. This is the city my father went to frequently, and my sister told me he gambled at Harrah's. He played the $1 machines, which is a bit rich for me; but, in his memory, I walked to Harrah's and put in $7 dollar bills, winning $2. Katie contributed $2. It looks like no channeling was done that day. I had to take a shot of Katie in front of the Reno sign.

I saw the Beer Pong sign at Harrah's. Anna explained this is a game where someone tries to throw a ping-pong ball into a cup of beer. If they succeed, the opponent has to drink that cup of beer. She ended with a comment about how unsanitary that sounds when you explain it.

Anna ate breakfast at Mel's next to the Sand's. Matt was trying to recover from the buffet-induced GI upset, and anxiety about the car in the desert.

We stopped in Hawthorne for lunch, visiting McDonald's again (cheap and fast). In Tenopah, we stopped for ice cream cones, eating outside in a courtyard, and a postcard. We visited a town called Beatty for a rest stop, intending to buy gas but it was too crowded. We are trying to keep the tank full, due to so much desert and small towns with closed businesses.

We did spot 3 "pleasure houses" and a car for the Mustang ranch. We passed Waller Lake with about 20 miles of shoreline.

Here is the "extra room" parking lot at the Sands with our ride:
We saw a big sand dune off to the right and a couple of dust whirlwinds, plus some snow in the higher peaks. All the mini marts have slot machines. We realized we may not make it to Las Vegas until 9:30. Anna and Katie want to eat at another buffet; Matt and I can't handle that much food again.

We drove the strip in Las Vegas to get to our hotel (Harrah's). There was confusion about parking; we drove around a couple of times before finding the bigger lot. We told the security guard we needed extra room to park and asked if he gave us our parking pass. He replied, "No, I'm just holding these cards for no apparent reason". There was a long check-in line! We booked two rooms, both quite big; our view was of the Treasure Island and a bunch of pipes. We stayed in the hotel to eat: great food, lousy service. After, at 11:30, Katie and I hit the slots where I lost my Reno $20. Matt went on a walk and Anna went to her room. I was in bed at 1:30.

The cost of internet is $11.99/day! We checked the time to get to the Grand Canyon (4.5 hours) and Flagstaff (3.5 hours).