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Published: July 31st 2013
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Our day began with Todd finally getting to do what he had envisioned doing the whole trip - waking before the rest of us, unhooking the RV and starting down the road as we continued sleeping. It went
almost according to plan. :-) Turns out the back bed is quite bouncy when in motion. And Billy has been rising with the roosters most days of the trip, today no exception. So, half of us were up and awake when Todd pulled out of Salt Lake City heading west on I-80 for Reno. But we got on the road by 7:00 am, which set us up perfectly for a marathon driving day.
Some of our first "sights" as we left town were the salt flats - vast expanses of white that look deceptively like snow fields, but aren't. The salt of the earth apparently resides here. But for the most part it was a bland, uneventful trek across Utah and Nevada - desolate, barren country without even farm animals to distract us. Todd was amazing, driving the entire day, almost 10 solid hours. Similar to our arrival in Custer, the last 90 minutes were winding two-lane roads up and down the
mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe. We had been scheduled to stop overnight in Winnemucca, NV, a wide spot in the road about 3 hours from Reno, but opted to eat lunch there instead at The Griddle, a marvelous little diner with excellent breakfast entrees. Sean's eyes just about popped out of his head when they delivered his chocolate chip pancake (see pic).
We arrived at Zephyr Cove RV Park just in time to catch the sunset over the lake. And with two full days to play here, we have plenty of options from which to choose. High on the list of possibilities include a lake cruise, a treetop adventure park, jet skis, swimming, hiking and three nights of camp fires! We finally had our first campfire this evening, complete with Oreo S'Mores out of Sean's s'mores recipes book. They were divine, and sweeter for the long wait to get them, I believe. The campground is filled with towering pines and huge boulders. Billy, Maggie and Tommy collected massive pine cones (about the size of a small watermelon) to toss into our fire, enlivening the pit with a sparks show. And we probably kept more than a few campers up with
our renditions of The Lion Sleeps Tonight and Amazing Grace.
Hard to believe this isn't a national park. The pine trees on the mountains, the crystal clear water in the lake, the lake appearing more like an ocean than a lake from the vantage point of the overlooks on the serpentine roads above. We may not get to stamp our National Parks Passport book here, but the two days of R & R in this lush retreat will be an exquisite addition to our national park tour.
A few odds and ends to close with tonight - first, thank you so much for all the positive feedback about the blog and these entries. I do love writing, and appreciate knowing that others enjoy reading what I've written! Second, the kids are excited to share with you some of their own work, both written and photographic. So be sure to check out their posting next. And third, our beloved RV seems to have calmed down somewhat, so we are hoping to have an uneventful and maintenance-free rest of the vacation from that perspective.
May your dreams and reality meet sooner than later.
Marcia
P.S. Sorry the
pics are not in order - it's 1:00 in the morning and I have to call it a night. Will post the kids blogs and rearrange the pics tomorrow when I find a faster wifi.
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The Other Baldwin Family
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The Legend
The Road Warrior lowers himself onto his throne and prepares his chariot for travel. Mirrored sunglasses cover his eyes of wisdom, and leathered gloves hold the hands which will guide this journey. The road awaits. He slowly turns and gazes upon his precious cargo, still awash in dreams. With one small turn of his wrist, the horses ignite below. He knows his mission well. All must be safe. All must be guarded. His foot presses against the pedal, the journey begins. Miles and miles and miles and miles pass before his eyes. He tires, but knows he cannot sleep, for his destination must be met. There... in the distance.....he sees his final stop. His inner drive, his passion for the road, all reflected in the lines of his face. He knows this role well.....he knows that only he can make this path yield to his command. Journey complete, he watches the faces smile at his brilliance....then he throws off his glasses, grabs his guitar, stuffs a hot food item covered in chocolate into his mouth and sings Kumbaya!!!! Oh you Road Warrior, you.