I awake just before dawn and climb back into the driver’s seat.
It is a couple miles to Exit 4 for Bonneville Salt Flats State Park. I pull off the exit, and up the road to a spot where I can see the sun starting to rise over the horizon. I have always been interested in cars and speed. Watched many a documentary about the people who have come here to try to set records. Seeing it now, I can see why this is the place to come test for speed. Flat – I mean REALLY flat and the surface is hard and smooth.
I step out on a spot that still is a bit wet. It gets soggy here when it rains, then dries flat and smooth. I walk out a ways and shoot some shots of the sunrise. Not the best, but I am not about to wake Charlotte at 6 AM for a shot.
I do a 3 point turn on the 2 lane road and head back to the highway. On to California. We cross the Nevada line – lots of casinos and I think about the daredevils who have stayed here – so close to the salt flats. This part of the trip is just open road. A lot of slow rolling hills (OK, they are small mountains) and I can make pretty good time. 4 hours in and I stop for gas. Very desolate spot where they are not sure how I can get my credit card to work to fill up. Each place we have stopped has had different rules for filling. Some just hold the card and driver’s license, some pre-auth for $250 then charge what you actually use and some need to charge an exact amount. For those, I charge $150 and then pay again at the pump to fill up. The girl at this spot doesn’t have a clue at how to do any of these, so I decide to just pay multiple times at the pump. But when I try to pay at the pump it won’t approve. It says to see the cashier. I go back in, and she calls a couple guys who are playing cards and drinking coffee over to help out. They finally figure out how to charge $150 through, and I go out to pump. I decide to just stop a couple hours later to fill again rather than go through this hassle again.
We hit western Nevada around noon, and I ask Jackson to find a roadside attraction for us to visit. The closest that would be fun is in Virginia City, NV where they have some stuff related to Bonanza. Problem is that it is 60 miles out of the way. We opt for a visit to Sheels Sporting Goods in Sparks, NV. The list says they have a Ferris wheel and some other things to see. It is like a cross between Dicks and Cabelas. Georgia and Jackson get tokens (wooden nickels) for the Ferris wheel and Wendy goes off to do a little shopping. When they are done, Jackson and I head up to the fly fishing department and look at some guns while Wendy and Georgia do some more shopping. Jackson buys some fudge, Georgia gets a yogurt and then we head back to the RV to get back on the road.
As we enter California, I have forgotten that they have an agricultural inspection stop as you enter the state. I yell back to Wendy to hide the bananas and pull up to the official to answer some questions. His first comment is to thank me for killing all the insects that are glued to the front of the RV (remember the drive off Antelope Island). We chit chat a bit and then he asks me if I am bringing any fruits into the state. I say none that I know of. The next question is do we have a pet aboard or have we visited a farm or ranch in the past couple days? Nope. Finally, any firewood that has bark on it? I think a bit – the wood from the Ash tree in the backyard doesn’t count does it? Actually, it is oak and does not have bark – so I’m sure we are OK. No SIR – and we are on our way. Enjoy California!
Up the mountainside past Lake Tahoe and through Truckee. This is where we come to a halt. It’s around 3:00 and it seems we have hit the weekend traffic heading back out of the mountains. The next 3 hours is stop and go all the way to Sacramento. By the time we get to a spot to gas up, I am sore and spent. I get out, fuel up, grab something to drink and climb back in the seat. If this traffic keeps up this way, I’m not sure I will make it tonight. I talk with Wendy and the kids about keeping it quiet in the back so I can concentrate on the road. The stop and go – 70 mph to dead stop then back to 70 – with cars pulling in/out in front of me is really tough.
Just as we pull back on the highway, the traffic seems to ease up. I turn up some music and get into a groove. We are now cruising 65 to 70 and moving well. An hour or so later and we are in the north eastern suburbs and the end is near. Across the Bay Bridge (can you say TIGHT through the toll booth with just an inch or so on each side) and through the south part of the city. We can see Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge through the fog.
As we head south on CA-1, and we curve around a bend at the coast, we can see our campsite on the water. We pull in, grab our packet (the office is closed) and check the map for our spot. It is right on the bluff, so we back in and set up. No putting out the awning here, we are less than 5 feet on each side from the units next door. There will not be any privacy, but the neighbors are both nice and the view out the back is incredible.
I set up electric, water, sewer and cable, close up and spend a little time organizing some things inside. Most everything now has a place and we are starting to get in the swing of things. I start the TV’s on a search for stations, grab a beer and sit down. BOY does this feel good. Family Guy on Fox is the first station that is found. We grab some dinner and all watch. Some good quality family bonding….
We turn on some TV as we hit the bed. I don’t think I made it to the first commercial.