Week 3 and I'm still here! Well...well. Week 3 and it's had some real peaks and only a small valley. Let's start with the valley. Thursday night was our low point, thus far. We stayed at a KOA in West Wendover, Nevada that I would NOT recommend (not that anybody reading this blog would ever consider it, anyway). The good thing is that it was empty so we didn't have to worry about social distancing. The bad thing is that we literally were staying in a huge parking lot space next to some seedy casinos and, of course, it was well over 100 degrees. I did think this was the night my head would get chopped off. At several points during the night, I just wanted to get in the driver's seat and start driving. But where to? Nevada is a vast land of nothing, and driving through it at 3 AM didn't strike me as smart. I'll take my chance with not getting my head chopped off.
The high point of the week was, of course, hotel night! Picked a great place called the Alaskan Inn and Spa in Ogden, Utah. Awesome place. Spent the next morning doing work with good wifi and breakfast in bed, wearing the hotel bathrobe, while Judy went to do her nerdy history thing visiting the site of the transcontinental railroad. It was perfect - we were both very happy.
Once we got through Nevada (which seemed like forever), we ended the week in an RV park (note: not a KOA) outside of Lake Tahoe. Or, as Judy now refers... simply Tahoe. And, if that is not pretentious enough, she is now saying we are in "Cali." Oh brother. On the way into "Tahoe," we stopped at a wedding chapel in Reno and actually made an appointment to renew our wedding vows. Sounded like a cool idea. Unless...you've been to Reno. Reno is to Nevada like Las Vegas is to the US. And, to be clear, that's not a compliment. We got to the chapel, looked inside through the glass door, and decided we were not comfortable with their Covid procedures. And besides, I really thought if we parked the car on the street, it would get broken into. As we were pulling away, two people got into a real fist fight on the street right behind our van. I think we made the right choice.
As we reach the end of week 3, the next week will be very exciting for us. We will spend most of the week in Berkeley at an Airbnb (no, that's not the exciting part... well maybe just a bit...call it frosting on the cake). Jacob and Rachel are getting married next Saturday and it will be so nice to be there and be witness to it. During the week we'll get to see them as well as Lizzie and Dylan. For those of you who have had your children close by during Covid, you can only imagine how hard it has been for us to be away from them for so long.
Now some observations and tidbits from week 3:
* McDonald's parking lots are a great place to get free wifi with a strong connection.
* Nevada has got to be the hottest place in the world, and I mean temperature.
It is unbearable, so just try to imagine sleeping in a van with one broken fan and
one fan that blows warm air.
* I am surviving (just) without my morning 4-shot skim no foam latte, but it has
not been easy or without complaining.
* Judy is amazing at killing mosquitoes at night in the van. Reminds me of Mr.
Miagi in Karate Kid.
* I am able to work virtually and get work done.
* Morning runs are okay.
* I continue to have respect (Judy would call it a love affair) for people who can drive big rigs.
* Utah is more liberal than Wyoming and South Dakota.
* I miss my Friday morning coffee with the guys at Cafe Angelique.
Here is our itinerary for week 3: Day 16: KOA Montpelier Creek, Idaho Day 17: Alaskan Inn and Spa, Ogden, Utah (Yay!!!) Day 19: KOA Provo, Utah Day 20: KOA West Wendover, Nevada Day 21: New frontier RV park, Winnemucca, Nevada Day 22/23: Truckee River RV park, Truckee, CA Two more nights until the Airbnb!
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