To Denver and Beyond!
Day 1, Sunday, June 12, 2022, home to Fernley, NV via CA99, I-80: 221 miles
I had been grounded since my annual Search for Sunshine which was completed waaay back in March. That is most unusual for me, as I’ve always made it a point to use our motorhome at least every month. Of course, before March diesel never, ever sold for the unbelievable price of $6 per gallon. That is especially hard to stomach when I recall diesel for 25¢ per back in my truckin’ days.
Yep. So I had to dig out over $520 to fill up Big Blue a few days ago. Granted, she took 87 gallons which was cutting it a bit too close – the tank holds 90 gallons. Most of my fill ups this trip would be under $6 per gallon – I hoped – but this trip would still be the most expensive trip per mile I’d ever driven. When the trip was over, Big Blue would likely sit again for a few months unless fuel prices drop significantly. (Correction: We’ve planned a trip to Oregon in July.)
I rather enjoyed preparing for this trip. I spent three days washing the coach – a chore that used to take an afternoon back in my younger days. On the fourth day I brightened up the bling. Bling? That’s the shiny aluminum wheels and the flashy mud flap – I’m very vain when it comes to having Big Blue bright and shiny for each trip – even though the clean and bright may not last even the first day, as was the case that day.
I pulled the coach up to the house before 0700, and began the process of loading. The work involved in loading the coach gets very difficult as we close in on 80 years of age. But with a few rest periods mixed in with the work, we got the job done.
I was so pleased to finally pull out of our little gated community a few minutes after 1100 hours, and head north on the miserable CA99. We would drive to Sacramento and follow I-80 over Donner Pass, through Reno, and spend our first night in the beautiful Walmart lot in Fernley. (Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!)
Finally heading north as we began our journey.
Climbing I-80 to Donner Summit.
The skies threatened most of the drive, and we finally got rain as we approached Donner Summit.
Parked with the Big Boys for lunch.
Yes, it was a very windy day!
Our drive, since it was Sunday, was a bit more pleasant than a weekday would have been. The traffic was a bit lighter, and there were far fewer big rigs on the road. Of course, fighting the throngs through Sacramento was a hassle – even on a Sunday afternoon.
The Old Man, thrilled to be back ♫ ♪ On The Road Again! ♪♫
A few miles before Donner Pass we pulled into a rest area for lunch with the Big Boys of the road. Lavonne whipped up some wonderful meatloaf sandwiches, and we took nearly an hour’s rest.
Once on the road again, we ran into rain near Donner Summit. It was sporadic, but heavy enough to require the wipers. It also diminished the shine of the bling I had brightened up just the day before.
We drove through Reno and its rather heavy traffic, never tempted to stop for the many attractions. Fernley is about 30 miles beyond Reno, and we arrived at our destination – Walmart’s parking lot – at 1610. The wind was still howling, so we stayed in the coach the entire afternoon and evening, not wanting to be blown away if we ventured outside.
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We drove through rain as we approached Donner Summit.
A peek at Donner Lake.
The Truckee River far below I-80.
The Truckee River flows alongside I-80 for miles, clear into Nevada and beyond.
Out of Kalifornistan!
Reno in the distance.
When dinner time rolled around, Lavonne heated up some enchiladas she had cooked at home. They made for an excellent dinner, and there were plenty left for another time. Or two. We whiled away the evening on our laptops – I wrote this travelogue and Lavonne played games on her computer.
Jacks down at Fernley, Nevada’s Walmart lot for the night.
Lavonne retired an hour or two before I joined her at midnight. It had been a fine but tiring day, and I looked forward to the coming day of driving through the desolate and beautiful Great Basin Desert to the Nevada city of Elko.
Day 2, Monday, June 13, Fernley, NV to Elko, NV via I-80: 251 miles
We slept well aboard the coach in Fernley, Nevada’s Walmart parking lot. I have heard the snickers about RVers who park at Walmarts, but it’s a pretty sure bet that those who do so have never tried it. My oft repeated explanation is this: Why would anyone buy a self contained RV, then choose to park each night in a RV park at the present cost of $25 to $80 per night!? We don’t need an electric connection or water, nor do we need to be packed like sardines entirely too close to the next RV, yet that’s exactly what one pays for at a RV park.
At Walmart, first and foremost, we park for free. All of their lots are monitored 24/7 by their ubiquitous cameras, and the bad guys know they’re being recorded. Secondly, almost anything one might need is in the store and priced right. So, once again, Thanks, Mr. Sam (Walmart’s founder) for your generosity. Sermon over. Amen.
The day’s drive began in this wonderful emptiness, and it stayed empty clear to our destination of Elko. Beautiful!
We began our day at the dinner/game/computer table, catching up with the world on our computers. The day dawned a bit breezy, but nothing like we’d dealt with the prior day. We’d likely have a good tailwind to help along as we continued east.
I walked into the store after a while at the computer, to buy ice. Once again, the fridge was giving me fits. While the freezer hovered near and below zero, as it should, the fridge had been in the 50°+ range. That’s not good.
Before returning to the coach, I bought the only size of ice that they had on hand – a 16 pound monster bag. I wheeled it back to the coach, fitted it into a plastic trash bag to help contain melt water, and put it in the fridge. It took up nearly every inch of one whole shelf. During the day the fridge dropped into the mid 40s, and that’s tolerable. That #%$@ fridge has kept me busy since we bought the coach – especially in the summer. Meanwhile, the freezer works fine. Go figure.
We enjoyed a breakfast of hot cereal as we dawdled much of the morning away. We were in no hurry as our drive for the day was only about 250 miles. We finally pulled out of Fernley and continued our drive east at 1100 hours. There was a bit of a morning breeze blowing, but as we drove it became pretty windy – clear up to and including our destination of Elko, Nevada.
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Beautiful desert scenery.
Desolate. Lonely. Beautiful. I love it!
When a 105 foot set of triples passes, you know you’ve been passed!
It looked as though we would drive into some rain, but it didn’t happen. Shucks.
Our desert drive along I-80 through Nevada was very scenic – if you like the desolation of a desert. Precious little greenery is to be seen, but the stark, naked desolation of the place has a beauty of its own that I appreciate.
For lunch, I pulled off the freeway to a small, vacant area adjacent to a country road. Lavonne made a couple more delicious meatloaf sandwiches for us, and I very much enjoyed it again. And we continued east.
Another monster Nevada rig – this a double set of long, perhaps 53′ (?), tandem trailers with a tandem dolly. These monster rigs may have a gross weight of up to 137,800 pounds! With the long trailers, these rigs are called turnpike doubles.
We enjoyed the drive clear to Elko, where we pulled into the Walmart lot at 1700 hours. The place seemed unusually busy for a Monday afternoon, but there was still plenty of parking available in the lot, far from the store itself, as we like. I set up Big Blue for the night, and we were “at home” once again.
Big Blue at rest for the night on Elko, Nevada’s Walmart lot.
We spent the entire evening in the coach, hiding from the endless wind. It was not a usual nearly-summer day – not in Elko nor anywhere along our route so far. It was very cool all day, and overnight it dropped to freezing. I struggled to stay warm during our entire stay in Elko. One benefit of the cool weather was that it helped our fridge stay cool – it dropped into the low 40s.
We spent the evening as usual – at the little dinette table. We clacked away on the keyboards, and enjoyed dinner aboard. To stay comfortable, we ran the heater as the evening passed – and I even wore a sweatshirt and my heavy, terrycloth robe.
Lavonne retired sometime around 2200 hours, and I joined her about midnight. It had been another wonderful day on the road, with the exception of the unseasonable, cool weather.
Day 3, Tuesday, June 14, Elko NV to SLC, UT via I-80: 239 miles
I was up briefly to turn up the furnace and water heater, and retreated to the warm bed pretty quickly – it was low 60s in the coach, and low 30s outdoors. Once things were warmed up enough for this sissy, I was up and at ’em.
I had a few things planned to do as we drove to Salt Lake City. I would definitely have to fuel up. I also wanted to dump the holding tanks and add fresh water if I found opportunity to do so. I believed our four year old bank of four house batteries were showing their age. I planned to stop by an Interstate Battery dealer in Wells, NV to have them checked and perhaps replace any – or all – that didn’t pass muster.
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Yet another beautiful start to a new day.
A liquor store’s ad just for chuckles. So I chuckled!
The salt flats of Utah suddenly appear as I-80 drops down and into Utah.
Well! The battery dealer in Wells was a tiny, unkept mess of a shop that didn’t even have a battery display. I simply walked in, then walked out.
There were no opportunities to dump the tanks, etc., so we’d get by ’til we arrived at the Wyoming Welcome Center the next day. They provide a couple of good dump stations – for free.
But we had to fuel up. I stopped at a station in Wells, NV where I had to pony up $5.86 per. So I added just 10 gallons to be sure I’d reach Wendover, NV where I’d read online that fuel was as low as $5.48. Not so! I added another 64 gallons at $5.79 – not much of a savings, but at those crazy prices, one has to save every penny. So, I added a total of 74 gallons for $426. What an outrage!
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Welcome to Utah – Life Elevated.
At the Utah line, we entered the Mountain Time Zone – and suddenly lost an hour.
We stopped for lunch at the overlook to the salt flats which include the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Close up of the plaque in prior photo – good info about the Bonneville Salt Flats.
After lunch I kept on truckin’ ’til we reached Salt Lake City and the Parleys Ave. Walmart at the far east end of the city. We arrived at 1530 hours.
A view of the Salt Lake City skyline as we dropped down I-80 into the big city.
Our granddaughter, Erica, would meet us as she often does. The tradition has become that when we pass through SLC, we spend the night. That way, the two gals go out to dinner together and have a lovely time. Ol’ gramps stays at the coach, as I don’t do restaurants. And everyone has a grand time.
Big Blue jacked up to level herself at the Parley’s Avenue Walmart in SLC. The store and lot are on a gently sloping hill, and there are no flat parking spaces. The coach is equipped with a hydraulic jack at each corner, and they deploy to automatically level the coach. Yes – that front wheel is off the ground – I even gave it a spin. The mountains in the background are a portion of the Wasatch Front.
I zapped myself a small, frozen dinner and peeled a couple little mandarin oranges for dinner. I also worked on this blog much of the early evening.
Lavonne and Erica returned home from their dinner out a bit before 2200 hours. They had gone to a steak house whose price for an eight ounce ribeye steak was $85, and a 4 ounce halibut dinner was $53! They saw the menu, then got up and left and went to Red Lobster for dinner where they didn’t need a second mortgage to buy dinner. Those are my girls! These days I’d guess staying home is a better idea than ever.
Grandma and Erica in the coach after dinner at Red Lobster. That’s little Roxy, Erica’s very sweet lil’ pooch, on the couch.
We visited in the coach ’til nearly 2300 hours. It was then we shared hugs all ’round, and Erica headed for home. It had been a lovely visit, and we always enjoy our time with Erica.
We retired about midnight and slept very well, indeed. Day 4 would find us driving to Rawlins, Wyoming.
Day 4, Wednesday, June 15, SLC, UT to Rawlins, WY via I-80: 289 miles
We were up and about at 0600. The day’s plan was to drive something less than 300 miles, and we just made it – 289 miles – and it was the longest drive of the trip. Soon to be 80, we are very aware of how quickly we tire out.
Up ’til this current trip, we would make the drive to the kids’ place in Denver in five days, and even that was a very easy schedule. Now we’re taking an even easier paced six days.
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The beautiful Coalville area beyond Park City.
More Coalville area.
Echo Reservoir, north of Park City.
Parked for breakfast overlooking the peaceful Echo Reservoir.
Heading up I-80 toward Wyoming.
The weigh station at the Wyoming line showing how windy the day was. At least it was a good tailwind, and we always like that.
The day’s drive was splendid, except that the wind continued. But the wind was in our favor and pushed us along, improving our mileage. If we have to drive on windy days, we like ’em to be tailwinds!
Wyoming is a very empty place. As mentioned here often, the city of San Jose in Kalifornistan has nearly double the population of the entire state of Wyoming. I greatly enjoy the drives through Wyoming because I love the emptiness of the place. Most of the I-80 traffic in Wyoming is simply passing through the entire state, coming from some other place and heading to some other place. Wyoming has just one representative in the U.S. House of Representatives – compare that to Oregon, nearly the same size in area, with five. That’s empty Wyoming! For further comparison, Kalifornistan has 53 representatives – because we have waaay too many people!
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Welcome to Wyoming.
Loading on fresh water as I dumped the tanks at Wyoming’s Bear River State Park.
Near Green River, Wyoming there are many formations such as these. Beautiful!
Kalifornistan, please note: An interstate highway has been removed and replace with a new highway. Try it sometime!
Beautiful, empty Wyoming. Note the snow fences which help keep the snow off the highway. They were working great here – not a single snowflake on the highway!
More empty Wyoming.
We arrived at the surprisingly small Walmart in Rawlins at 1600 hours, and settled in for the night. We were on what seemed the smallest Walmart lot we’d ever seen, and perhaps the smallest store as well.
For dinner, we hunted and gathered on our own. I simply zapped some gravy I brought from home, and put it over toast. Lavonne had nothing more than a banana and a glass of milk.
Our evening was slow and easy, and we found our entertainment on the computers, as usual. I clacked away on the keyboard, writing this blog. Lavonne played her word games online. Yes, we are pretty easily entertained.
Big Blue parked for the night at the relatively small Rawlins, Wyoming Walmart store.
We planned to drive to Ft. Collins the following day, Thursday, and then arrive at Cherry Creek State Park’s RV park in Denver on Friday. Allen would likely meet us at the coach Friday about noon or so, with a Chick-fil-A lunch – something that has pretty much become a family tradition over the years.
Our evening passed as usual for another night on the road. After the blogging I watched some YouTube videos. We retired by midnight.
Day 5, Thursday, June 16, Rawlins, WY to Ft. Collins, CO via I-80, I-25: 168 miles
I crawled out of bed at 0600 to find my Lavonne already up and at the table with her laptop. It was too cool for my thin blood, so I turned on the heaters and went back to bed a few minutes while the place became comfortable. Lavonne scarcely notices the cold – she’s a lot tougher than her wimpy husband.
The day’s drive was pretty short by comparison to most. We continued east on I-80 at 0815 hours. The day was perfect and the wind had calmed down a great deal.
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Wind fences to protect cattle from the cold winter winds.
These snow fences were along I-80 in Wyoming.
More beautiful Colorado – this was along US287.
Beautiful Colorado.
We turned south on US287 at Laramie, Wyoming. It was a short cut of sorts to Ft. Collins, CO where we would spend the night. We stopped at an Interstate Battery distributor’s store in Ft. Collins to get the aforementioned battery issue fixed. It turned out that a cable had corroded badly and was essentially separated, causing the problem. For $30 they made a proper battery cable, installed it, and sent us on our way. It was quite a relief, and I was pretty sure the battery issue was behind us.
The day’s drive was quite scenic. US287 wanders through some pretty remote country, and we enjoyed the many lovely views. The photos tell a more accurate story of the adventure than I could.
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More beautiful Colorado.
Colorado rangeland – ?
More Colorado.
We arrived at the Walmart in Timnath, very near Ft. Collins, CO at 1300 hours. The afternoon was hot, into the 90s, and we ran the generator/air conditioner all afternoon and evening. In Colorado, hot days can often lead to splendid thunder storms. I love such flashy, bangy displays by Mother Nature, and hoped to see one that evening. As I wrote this, a massive thunderhead cloud formed across the sky, and I was hoping for a good show.
My hopes came true as this huge thunderhead dominated the sky and brought hours of flashing and banging. I was lovin’ it! The show went on for several hours!
By the time I headed to bed around midnight, the show had come to its end. The rest of the night was quiet, and we slept well.
Day 6, Friday, June 17, Timnath, CO to Cherry Creek State Park, Denver, CO via I-25, E-470: 85 miles
We had just 85 miles to drive on Day 6, and time was not a pressing issue. We dawdled about the coach ’til 0825 hours when most everything was done. I tried to be in a hurry just out of habit, but Lavonne helped me slow down.
I thought I wanted to buy fuel before I got too close to Denver, thinking that it would be higher there. I pumped on 61 gallons at a place called Johnson’s Corners, and paid $5.70 per gallon. Down I-25 a few miles, we saw diesel selling for $5.20! I didn’t shop around on the internet first, and it cost me about $30. Ouch.
En route to the Cherry Creek State Park, there is a toll road available that has comparatively very light traffic. We turned off I-25 southbound and caught the E-470 toll road. The past costs have been around $20 per trip. The toll booths have been closed and they automatically photograph the vehicle’s license plate. From that info they send the bill to the registered owner. And they save millions of dollars over the costs of hiring toll takers 24/7.
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I-25 Southbound was busier then this photo might indicate. The Northbound side was much busier as Denver residents headed out of town for the weekend.
E-470 had very light traffic and that’s why we took it.
We arrived at the park about 1130 hours. Lavonne walked into the camper registration building and paid our space fee besides the deposit we’d already paid online when we reserved the space. The space rent is about $50 per night plus $10 per day we pay for “road use”, whatever that is – our coach would sit in the space the entire visit. Normally, check in time is 1300 hours, but the prior camper had left so our space was available early.
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View of our lovely RV space at Cherry Creek State Park. No cheek by jowl sardine parking here.
The wide open spaces of our neighborhood.
Lovely view from the bedroom window.
Settling in to a rental RV space is a bit more work than pulling into a Walmart for the night. Since electricity was part of the deal, I plugged into their 50 amp plug. I would run the air conditioners, fridge and water heater on their electricity and save my propane and generator hours. We also had water and a RV dump included. Once set up, we’d be at home til Monday morning.
Allen and Nancy picked up some Chick-fil-A for lunch, and brought it to the coach. We all enjoyed a good lunch in the comfort of the air conditioned living room/dining table because it was in the 90s out on the little patio. Most visits, Allen would load up Lavonne’s things and they’d head to the house. But the kids had a funeral to attend at 1400 hours, and they left for that. They planned to be back around 1600 hours to pick up Lavonne. I’d stay put ’til the next day. As usual, I planned to spend the nights in the coach, and Lavonne would stay at the kids’ lovely home.
After they left, I didn’t do much of anything but relax around the coach. I ran the air conditioner ’til evening as it stayed pretty warm. The next day was to be in the 90s, too.
I spent the evening on the computer, mostly watching videos. The park has a pretty good WiFi and I used it, saving me the cell phone charges for the time of our visit. I headed for bed about midnight, as usual, and I did not have a good night.
Day 7, Saturday, June 18, at rest in the lovely Cherry Creek State Park
No, I did not sleep well. Lavonne had been dealing with a cold and its attendant coughing and sniffling, etc. It seemed I was coming down with it, as well. The symptoms of Covid can be very much the same as a cold, and that troubled me. We’ve each had a total of four Covid shots, and that should keep us safe – but would it? I sure hoped so.
The details of Day 7 are told in the following paragraphs…
Day 8, Sunday, June 19, 2022 At Cherry Creek State Park
Much had happened since the last entry. First the good news… I took a Covid test and showed negative, or no Covid. That was a big relief.
And the bad news… I spent much of Day 8 in the hospital. I was up a bit after 0400 absolutely overcome with anxiety. My heart was pounding, I was confused and shaky. It felt as though my blood pressure was through the roof. And I was dumbfounded because it made no sense.
How could I be having an anxiety attack when I’ve never dealt with inexplicable anxiety before? I tried calming myself with slower breathing, calm thoughts, and generally trying to settle down. After 20 minutes or so, it got a bit better, and kept improving.
I had gone to the dinette to calm myself, and in time fell asleep there. I must have spent nearly an hour sleeping. When I awoke, I felt quite a lot calmer. I proceeded to begin my day, and worked through all the usual morning chores.
I called my dear wife at the kids’ home, and talked to her about my crazy night, and she couldn’t come up with any idea why I had the anxiety, either. After much thought and talk, we agreed that with my heart issues, we should go to the emergency room at the local Sky Ridge Hospital.
I was processed in, half stripped and clothed in a smock. I was put in a hospital bed and the tests began. The results, after the usual hours of waiting for such things, did not show a heart attack, as was first suspected. They adjusted one of my medications and added another, bringing my prescription meds to the round number of 10. Yikes!
Eureka! I’d read that evening that antihistamine medications for allergies can cause anxiety – even anxiety attacks. Nancy and Allen had given me a few upon our arrival for my sniffles. Although I had taken only two, perhaps they were the culprits! I stopped taking them at once.
To my relief, I was finally released in the early afternoon – I absolutely did not want to stay overnight. The family picked me up and our single day of visiting all together could finally begin. Our delightful granddaughter, Erica, who we just visited a couple days earlier, had driven in to join our party.
We headed back to the kids’ lovely place for a grand dinner of steak, chicken, shrimp, and more. It was deliciously prepared by Nancy, with the meat barbecuing perfectly done by Allen. We had a grand time together! It was some time after 2000 hours that Allen and their daughter, Erica, offered to drive me back to the coach.
We’d missed out on the two days of game playing that we usually enjoy at Allen and Nancy’s home. But we hadn’t planned a hospital visit while in Denver.
After they dropped me off, I spent what remained of the evening writing this blog, and when I was simply too tired to write, I whipped up a cool one, and watched YouTube ’til bedtime. I hit the sack at midnight, and hoped to have a good night’s sleep – after the previous night I had to get more rest!
Day 8, Monday, June 20, Denver, CO to Laramie, WY via I-225, E-470, I-25, I-80: 180 miles
I began my new day, the first day of my second week on the road, by realizing I had slept very well, and was refreshed after the trying prior day.
The plan for Day 8 was to drive to Rawlins, WY which was about 240 miles away. But I had plenty to do before leaving Cherry Creek. After morning chores, I got busy converting Big Blue from the very cozy apartment that she was to a very comfortable highway cruiser. I also had to dump the holding tanks and fill the fresh water tank. And I absolutely had to clean the gigantic windshields – they were awful.
When I finally got all the preparation done, it was time for breakfast. I whipped up a quick breakfast of toast and a mandarin orange. When I had cleaned-up after breakfast, I was ready to begin the day’s journey. I pulled out of my RV space a few minutes before 1000 hours, and headed north toward Fort Collins.
The day was sunny and bright and calm. I had checked the weather for the day’s travel into Wyoming and learned that it would be breezy – nothing at all unusual for Wyoming. However, I had no idea how blowy it would get.
Approaching Laramie, WY as I drove west on I-80, I had hopes of rain in my future. But no, there wasn’t even enough to use the wipers.
As I drove I-80 from Cheyenne west toward Rawlins, the wind was blowing harder. A while before reaching Laramie, Wyoming, I passed a sign warning of winds above 40 MPH. That was something Big Blue and I could handle.
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Beautiful, windy Wyoming.
Sherman Summit at over 8600 feet.
This we could handle.
Just a beautiful church across from Laramie’s Walmart that I couldn’t resist photographing. Again.
The Laramie, WY Walmart – note the flag; it was being whipped in the wind.
I entered Laramie, having just climbed and descended the highest point along all of I-80, 8600 Ft. Sherman Summit. The summit was plenty windy, but worse was to come; I came to a flashing highway sign advising wind gusts to more than 60 MPH were possible ahead, and the highway was closed to high profile vehicles!
I didn’t fight it; I turned off into Laramie and drove to the local Walmart for the night. I’d resume in the morning and planned to drive to Evanston, WY the next day – just a bit over 300 miles.
At the Walmart lot, I set up for the night. When I tried to power out the bedroom slide, it was stone dead. Uh-oh. I’d been through this issue once before, and learned where the fuse was, and also ordered several slo-blo fuses. It took about five minutes to grab a fuse and head outside where the fuse is located inside a storage locker below the slide. And that was the fix! I was very pleased with myself.
As the evening unfolded, I continued blogging ’til a bit after 2200 hours. And then it was time for some chuckles and amazement on YouTube. Honestly, I am afraid that I’ve become a YouTube addict.
I headed for bed, as usual, at midnight. It had been a good day, which I needed after the latest medical crisis. I am very thankful for those who dedicate their lives to caring for others.
Day 9, Tuesday, June 21, Laramie, WY to Evanston, WY via I-80: 309 miles
It was a cool night in Laramie, and I had set the furnace at 65° to keep the bedroom warmer than the rest of the coach. It dropped down into the 40s overnight. By week’s end, I’d likely be wishing for more cool nights.
I wanted to get the show on the road, so I left Laramie a bit before 0730 and continued the drive west toward home. The morning was perfect, and I thoroughly enjoyed the drive down I-80. That interstate in Wyoming is not the hassle it is in Kalifornistan as the traffic in Wyoming doesn’t compare to the hoards of cars and trucks there.
As usual, I shot a lot of photos – way too many – and as I edited them a goodly number had to go. Here are a few that made the cut.
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Before leaving Laramie, I filled up with what one fella told me was the cheapest fuel in Wyoming. It was $5.20 per gallon.
Beautiful, wide open Wyoming.
More Wyoming beauty along I-80.
I-80 winds its way through empty Wyoming.
I believe this is Elk Mountain.
I stopped somewhere along the day’s drive for lunch in the coach, but I’ll be darned if I can remember where. I also stopped at a McDonald’s for one of my wake-up specials, a McFlurry (my first M&Ms McFlurry – and pretty darn good stuff!) and a large, real coffee. I rarely have the real stuff, and Mickey D’s, in my not so educated opinion, has about the best coffee – I was luvin’ it!
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The Continental Divide.
These are some awe-inspiring cliffs.
Someone’s fat and happy herd of black angus.
Eventually I reached my destination of Evanston a few minutes after 1500 hours, and gladly found a spot to park for the night. The place is a favorite stop for truckers, and big rigs came and went the entire evening – and it would likely continue all night long. Perhaps the place should be called Walmart Truck Stop and RV Park. Walmart is generally very tolerant of big rigs and RVs parking in their lots – and it likely pays off.
Big Blue parked for the night at the Evanston Walmart.
After a run into the store for a few things, and some small projects on the coach – they never end – I zapped a frozen dinner. It was going on 2200 hours when my blogging ended, and I spent some time with YouTube to relax.
I headed to bed at my normal time of midnight, and slept very well. It had been a good day.
Day 10, Wednesday, Evanston, WY to Winnemucca, NV via I-80: 434 miles
After a very good night’s sleep, I awoke to a beautiful morning. It was the perfect day for driving. So I drove the longest day I’ve driven in a long time, and I certainly enjoyed it. The plan was to drive to Elko, but having left Evanston shortly after 0700, I would have stopped for the night in Elko around noon. That made no sense, so I pressed on to Winnemucca – about another 120 miles or so. That meant I’d be home the next day.
The day’s drive was one of scenic beauty – at least in my book. Much of Utah was green, and that made for some beautiful country. Nevada, of course, had stark and empty desert for miles, and had a beauty of its own. I shot over 100 photos as I drove – the vast majority of which would have to be deleted.
I stopped at a Mickey D’s twice during the drive – once for a long anticipated McGriddle with sausage, egg, and cheese. mmmm. I love those very unhealthy but delicious breakfast sandwiches. That stop was in Lake Point, Utah, just west of Salt Lake City. I stopped at another Mickey D’s at Wendover on the state line of Nevada. I had been fighting the sleepies for some time, and needed a McFlurry and large, real coffee. Again.
I’ll let the photos tell about the rest of the day’s adventure, and I thought it was a very scenic one.
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Another great start to the day’s drive.
I must be heading home – or west – in the early morning for that long shadow of the coach to show.
Utah’s beautiful, green landscape.
More beautiful, green, Utah.
Utah’s lovely Coalville area is just stunning.
Gorgeous!
Beginning the long, steep Parley’s Canyon decent.
The Parley’s grade is long and steep.
Rugged and beautiful Parley’s Canyon.
And eventually… Salt Lake City presents itself at the bottom of the grade.
Parley’s Canyon, and its long, steep grade, can be quite the challenge for trucks and other heavy vehicles. It must be a real mess when a winter storm hits and the snow flies. I’ve never seen it during a snow storm, and I plan to keep it that way.
Click for more enlarged photos and captions:
This photo was taken west of Salt Lake City near The Great Salt Lake. That stack is the tallest man made structure west of the Mississippi. Check the story here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennecott_Garfield_Smelter_Stack
There are miles and miles of salt flats along I-80 in Utah.
Welcome to Nevada – please bring lots of money!
A formation in the Nevada desert.
The Tree of Utah. Check it out here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphor:_The_Tree_of_Utah
Nevada desert scene.
Nevada desert, stark and empty.
More stark, empty, beautiful desert in Nevada.
And more…
I stopped in Battle Mountain to fill up with diesel. That tank full would get me home – but I’d likely need to take out a mortgage to pay for it! At $5.56 per gallon, it came to nearly $400 for that fill up. Sheesh!
I arrived at Winnemucca, Nevada’s Walmart at 1540 hours and settled in for the night. I ran the generator/air conditioner for hours to stay comfortable.
When it dawned on me that I was on my last night of the trip, I felt I owed myself some Crunch & Munch and would wash it down with Stella Artois beer – that $10 per six-pack of little, 11 ounce bottles – but once in a while it’s worth the price! Why not?! It was my last night on the road and it was party time!
The Bummin’ Old Man – happy at last!
For dinner I walked into Walmart where a Subway Sandwich shop was located. I brought home a delicious, six inch chicken sandwich just stuffed with all the veggies one could imagine. It made for a grand dinner.
Big Blue with jacks down for the night in Winnemucca, Nevada.
After dinner, my evening unfolded as usual. I edited photos, began the day’s travelogue, and when all was done, I watched more YouTube. After falling asleep at the table, I headed for bed at midnight. I’d be home the next day, and much as I’d liked to have cruised through Montana, etc., it would be good to be home.
Day 11, Thursday, June 23, Winnemucca, NV to home (!) via I-80, CA99: 346 miles
I was up a few minutes after 0500 hours, wishing I could sleep later. But it was time to head for home, and I was excited to hit the road. I wasn’t so excited, however, about the prospect of being back in Kalifornistan.
I worked through the usual morning chores with enthusiasm, then set Big Blue up for the drive home. I pulled out of Winnemucca, Nevada at 0630 hours and continued west on I-80.
The last empty stretch of interstate for the current trip. There would soon be a lot of traffic – all the way home.
The day dawned a bit foggy, but at 4300 feet, I figured a coolish, wispy morning was probably pretty common even in the summertime. Summertime?! Yep – it was the third day of summer, having begun on the 21st – according to those who monitor such things.
I drove the short distance to the I-80 westbound onramp, and found the traffic to be nearly non-existent. That would likely last ’til Fernley when I’d join the rat race through Reno. The rat race would never end; the traffic would be heavy all along the descent from Donner Summit to the Great Valley below, and would stay busy all the way home.
Click!
Beginning the long descent into Kalifornistan – in more ways than one.
Mixed emotions; I hate the place, but home is there.
The beautiful Truckee River accompanies I-80 for miles.
Back in Kalifornistan – and that includes traffic jams.
This long, straight stretch of I-80 to the valley floor means we’re out of the mountains.
FishWisher's Home Page 
Hi Dale and Lavonne!
With the price of gas and diesel up so high, I’ve often thought about you two and wondered if it would keep you from traveling till the price of fuel came down some. I guess not! It was so nice to see you in my email, and had to go to your blog right away!
I had to laugh at some of your comments! The price of a steak and fish at that restaurant! My God! Who in their right mind would pay that! Cheaper to buy the steak and grill it yourself! Then the comment about snowfencing. That really made me laugh. WI is putting up snow fencing this year along I43. What ever made them take so long, considering how our winters are, is beyond me. Maybe it is due to pile ups last winter. There were quite a few due to blowing snow across the interstate and causing poor visibility. Farmers use them all the time. Oh, the other good laugh was you saying that they were doing their job, “not a single snowflake on the road.”
Last night Jim and I had to take cover in the basement for the first time since being in this house and first time in the 34 years since I’ve been back in my hometown. Twice the tornado siren went off, and with the second warning I looked out the front door and told Jim to grab the cat and head for the basement! (The other cat was already down there.) All we got out of it was 1/4″ of rain and heavy winds. Today it is mild, breezy and so much cooler and less humidity than yesterday. Perfect weather for me. Jim is at his sister’s place getting the generator going and plugging in their fridge and freezer, as they lost power and a tree is down he needs to get out of the way for her. She has no idea when the power will be restored.
We’ve not been sick at all, thank God, and I hope that you two have remained healthy between your travels. I look forward to continuing to read your blog, despite your ages. Jim just turned 73 and my turn comes in Sept.
Till next time~~~
Sandy and Jim Aerts
Hi Sandy & Jim –
Our weather at home is so boring that I come out to the midwest hoping for a dramatic thunderstorm – and we sure got one last night, as you may have read by now. But with your weather you surely have waaay more drama that I’d ever want! I’m glad you stayed safe!
This morning I pumped on $350 of diesel at $5.70 per. Then a few miles down the highway I saw the same stuff for $5.20 per! Failing to check the internet cost me big!
Thanks for checking in, I always enjoy hearing from y’all.
– Dale