There’s no feeling in the world like being out on the open road. It feels like freedom to me.
I started today on my trip back to the Midwest, and while there were a few times that I wondered if my decision to drive wasn’t biting off a little more than I could chew, most of the time I was in that wonderful cruise mode, music on the radio, sun and blue sky, taking in the variety of scenery and people you see out on the road. The first part of the trip — to Truckee — was entirely familiar. Still lots of snow, and the rivers are roaring and churning with runoff.
But once you get past Truckee, the landscape changes quickly into the dry basin-and-range geography of Nevada.
I stopped 7 or 8 times, including a 45 minute stop in Winnemucca for lunch (at a very friendly and reasonable restaurant called The Griddle, where I was able to satisfy my breakfast-for-lunch craving) and a walk, and a 20-minute coffee stop in Elko. The day was perfect for driving — no wind, not too hot — and the 80 mph speed limit got me to my first night’s stop (Wendover, Utah) faster than I expected.
Because I stopped so many times, I kept passing the same RVs over and over again. One in particular cracked me up, it was towing one of those small trailers that serve food at county fairs, which had a big sign that said “CORNDOGS” on the back of it. I must have passed Mr. Corndog five or six times, and each time I wondered where Mr. Corndog was going.
In fairness, Nevada’s not all desolation, there was this scene toward the end of the drive.
I know, this hasn’t been a great post. Well boff, I’m tired and mostly just wanted to share what the day was like via photos. And via this … any Little Feat fans out there? I’ve always loved this song, it kept running through my head all day, I even learned to play it on the guitar back in the day and managed a not-half-bad Lowell George impression. A demain tout le monde!
Categories: Blogging