On Our Way!

Friday, June 3, 7:15 a.m.

We just hit the road, so I decided I'd pass a little time by writing a post that I can upload later when I have WiFi.

Days ii and iii passed pretty quickly--I had work to do at the office and at one of the elementary schools, along with a couple of end-of year activities. On Wednesday I was invited to join the high school English department at their farewell lunch for Scott, Cynthia, and Donna, and I enjoyed being with all my colleagues from back when I was in the classroom.

Yesterday Theresa joined us for dinner, and stayed a little while to watch the Mavs-Heat game before her soccer game in Loma Linda. I think it finally hit her that things are changing--I told her I'd left my office key at the office, and she teared up. I asked her why she was getting emotional, and she said, "I don't get to come by your office to see you any more." I told her that she could drop in and see Ingrid (my office manager), and that when we're in town, I'd be able to be more flexible about going to lunch or breakfast.

Speaking of Mavs-Heat, can you believe the finish of that game (game 2)? I missed it. We gave up on the Mavs when they were 15 down late in the 4th quarter. I learned from a friend's Facebook post that they rallied to win by 2. Amazing. Now, hopefully, they can win the title without having to go back to Miami.

This morning we were up a little after 5, and went to Denny's for breakfast. There we were waited on by a former student (she's now married with a 10-year-old son), and chatted for a bit with a fellow retiree and his wife. They're so different--His wife told me she's petrified about his retiring, and is insisting he substitute for the District so they can afford retirement. He says he's not going to sub, and it's going to be fine. He wants to travel--she doesn't. It makes me so thankful that Don and I are on the same page about retirement and travel.

We finished breakfast, went back to the park and hooked up the trailer. We got onto I-10 at 7:00 am, and are currently headed up the Cajon Pass on I-15.


11:30 a.m.



We just crossed the Nevada state line, where 2 casinos (Buffalo Bill's and Whiskey Pete's) draw in those gamblers and travelers who either don't want to go the 46 more miles to Las Vegas or are stopping for one last try before heading back to California. We've stayed there twice on our way back from a summer trip. I'll never forget one incident that happened at Whiskey Pete's. We were flipping through qthe channels on the in-room television, and they had 3 porn stations broadcasting nonstop. Apparently someone had failed to activate a lockout function or something. I'm nearly a senior citizen and I was a bit taken aback--imagine what a mom or dad would do if their little kid was flipping through the channels and the porn came up! Crazy.

12:30







We stopped for gas at the Petro/Valero at the Speedway exit--paid $3.73/gal for regular unleaded. Another 5 miles north on the 15 was the turnoff for the 93--the Great Basin Highway. This is our first time up this road. We decided to take it for that reason. We both wanted to see something other than the Interstate. So far it's been lots of straight, mostly empty road and beautiful faulted and folded mountains. The weather's lovely--our dash thermometer says it's 82, but with the windows rolled down it feels nice and cool. The sky has a few hazy clouds, but that's it. A gorgeous day.






This P on the hillside is for Pahranagat Valley, where the towns of Alamo and Ash Springs are located. It's a very pretty valley--two large lakes at the Pahranagat Valley National Wildlife Refuge, and lots of green. It's not what we expected in this part of Nevada.

We first stopped to look for a campsite next to one Of the lakes in the Refuge, but we saw the " no generators" sign and kept on going. We passed a fairly nice-looking RV park in Alamo, and then a really seedy one in Ash Springs. We kept on going.




As we came down into the Delamar Valley, we looked across and saw the northern edge of a giant Joshua Tree Forest.




We crossed that valley, went up and over 6276' Oak Spring Summit, and through a pretty canyon into the town of Caliente. We were looking for the turnoff to Kershaw-Ryan State Park, but saw a sign for Young's RV Park. We turned in, and discovered a little gem. Large pull-through sites and enormous shade trees (I think they're cottonwoods), full hookups, showers, laundry--for $21 a night.





It's about 75F, slightly breezy, and just all-around nice. Dinner will be French Quarter Potatoes (recipe to follow, but basically fried potaoes, onions, and summer sausage with a mustard-Cajun seasoning).