And there's a new poll up, just for fun!
I'm safe and sound in Reno at the Circus Circus, a hotel I fondly remember visiting with my parents when I was 12 and played games for stuffed animals on the midway. That was nearly 30 years ago, and I was tempted to go check out the midway tonight for old time's sake. But I resisted and went shopping instead. Sometimes it's fun to be an adult.
The drive over the Sierras was not nearly as traumatic as the drive out to CA in December 2008. It helped that it was daytime. And I was in a 4-wheel drive.
And special thanks go to the friendly Chain Installer (that's what his bright yellow coat said) at the last chain installation area before Donner Summit. He informed me that you need both 4-wheel drive and snow tires to be exempt from chains when chains are required. Then he looked at my tires, said, "Yep, they say M + S. You're legal." Got it now... M + S = mud & snow. Next time I change tires on the van, I know what to look for.
It was kind of snowy at the summit.
It was also very cool (and a little awe-inspiring) to drive over Donner Summit after Yoni did his (first ever) research report on the Donner Party and what they endured when trying to make it from Independence, MO to Sutter's Fort, CA.
Many thanks again to my mother-in-law for some extraordinary stew (I wish I could have brought some home) and her hospitality. Next time we visit, it will be 1) sooner, and 2) for pleasure. Enough of this death business.
And although I was not able to visit everyone I wanted to visit (horrible traffic from Santa Cruz all the way to Sacramento), and I feel badly about that (I'm sorry, Julie!), I did get to enjoy a brief homemade espresso from Lyn:
who was, in turn, enjoying her new espresso machine.
Tomorrow, it's across Nevada and the Salt Lake Desert with an overnight (G-d willing) in Salt Lake City, UT. And this time, I know that I have both 4-wheel drive and snow tires! The forecast is for rain and snow, and currently snow tires or chains are required for about 60 miles west of Imlay (sounds like Pig Latin, oesn'tday itlay?).
The trip to SLC is 514 miles, or a little over 8 hours of driving, according to Tom, the trusty GPS. If I leave Reno by 9am, I can be in SLC before dark. Let's see if I can do it!
2 comments:
It's Cathy's Clown, but since I'm neither over 50 nor under 30, I get no points. But I do get a good espresso tomorrow morning. :) Nice pics btw! Maybe I should have put the iron away before you took it. Glad you're over the Sierras safely!
no problem! i left saratoga around seven at night once, got into truckee to pick up matt, left there around one thirty a.m. or so and rolled into SLC about ten in the morning. a quick stop at the circle K for coffee and hot dogs and all was well.
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