Flexibility. Following the energy. Asking for what you want. This is life (on the road).
DAY 12
On our last day in Brigham City, we drove out to Promontory Point and the Golden Spike Historical Park, where, in 1869, the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific Rail lines met to create the first transcontinental railroad. The original wood burning Jupiter engine and the coal burning 119, have been refurbished and are used in the daily re-enactments of the historic event.
The Ranger mentioned the ATK Rocket Park nearby, so we stopped on the drive home to see actual NASA rocket boosters and missiles. The reusable rocket motor from the Space Shuttle was 159 feet long. One placard showed the two rail line grades in the background, and the space program items in the foreground, remarking how only 100 years separated the two innovations.
DAY13
Welcome to Wells, Nevada, the Gateway to the West
There is not much to see between Brigham City and Wells, NV, except so much wonderful wide open space. The dry stretches of desert are dotted with ranches and cattle, a town or two with a bar/restaurant, but mostly it is breathtaking vistas and not much traffic, which made for an easy 216 mile driving day. We even drove under two underpasses that were created for wildlife to cross.
I loved that we were following the same route that the Central Pacific Railroad created to meet up at Promontory Point with the Union Pacific, just in reverse. Our first stop west from Promontory Point would be Wells, then Winnemucca, and Reno, where we’d actually be staying a few miles further west, in the border town of Verdi, then on to Sacramento where we’d be camped about 30 miles north of the city.
We stopped at a pullout for lunch, a walk, and to change drivers, and Tillie found a massive pile of manure to roll in. I tried to grab her in time, but that just made it worse. As soon as we arrived at camp, guess who got a cold bath outside?
Camp was an oasis of green grass and thick old trees in the middle of the vast and barren high desert of northeastern Nevada. We were parked in the grass, with water and electricity, and there was even a little stream that ran along the border of the park, with waterfalls, benches, flowers, and robins.
Marika was suddenly hungry and the only restaurant in town was closing in thirty minutes. So she went to eat, and Tillie, still wet from her bath, and I played in the huge grassy field.
I attached her purple walking leash to her 20’ rope leash and we took her ball out to the grass. I kicked it, she ran after it, with me, running close behind, holding onto her leash. We did this for at least fifteen minutes, me kicking, her chasing, until her tongue was hanging.
We came inside and I was sitting at my desk, writing, and I kept catching whiffs of manure. I changed my shirt, since I did brush up against Tillie. Still smelled it. I thought for sure I was going to have to scrub down before bed.
When Marika returned from her mediocre eating experience, we all took a walk around the RV park, and Marika pointed out the little mounds of manure scattered throughout the grass. I was relieved that it wasn’t me that stunk, after all.
Day 14
Wells to Winnemucca
With all of the rest stops closed on I-80, and very few town options, I ended up driving the entire 165 mile, three and a half hour stretch across Nevada. It wasn’t an issue since the roads were good, and the truckers were courteous.
We had reservations in windy Winnemucca for two nights, to break up the every day driving, and to learn a bit of history about this Wild, Wild West.
Our spot was a back in, next to a converted school bus. There were a couple of young trees on either side of the gravel spot. I chose the park because they advertised wifi and a dog park. The wifi was non-existent, and the dog park was just a big area of chunky gravel, which felt like walking in snow, and a single bench. Still, it was fenced so Tillie could roam and smell, off leash.
After a light salad lunch, we all took a two hour family nap, then drove to the neighborhood Riverview Park. There were placards with information about the California Trail, and how the emigrants crossed the Humbolt River just outside of Winnemucca, to get to grassier lands. It boggled my mind to imagine being a pioneer, traveling across this vast and unforgiving landscape, for months, years, seeking a better life.
We stopped at McDonald’s for dessert and Tillie enjoyed her first licks of ice cream.
DAY 15
We started with breakfast out at The Griddle, except they are now closed on Wednesdays. A woman in a van also pulled in, found it was closed, and asked us for a recommendation for another local place. Marika, having perused all of Yelp’s reviews, said Sid’s Family Diner, and we all drove there.
Marika asked if I wanted to sit at the counter, but I preferred a table. We ended up sitting across the separator from Kelly, the woman with the van. She was on her way to a dog show in Logan, Utah, with her 180 pound Mastiff, Sweet Pea, who was a veteran winner, and her young pug, Violet, who she was going to show in the all-dog category.
She was born in Phoenix, now lives outside of Oakland, and was familiar with Fort Bragg, the next town up from Mendocino. We exchanged emails so I could send her the latest Heart Sparks newsletters of our travels, then we walked out to her van to meet the dogs.
We drove to the Visitors Center, where they have a display of rocks and minerals, and stuffed animals found in the area. But they were closed for lunch, so we walked back to the car and headed to the Humbolt County Museum.
As we approached the parking lot, we saw big spots moving in the road, on the sidewalk, in the lot. Thousands of three-inch-long grasshoppers, nicknamed Mormon Crickets, because they originally came from Utah, were everywhere. They don’t bite, and they don’t even crawl on you, but they were everywhere, literally as far as the eye could see. I took slow, single steps to avoid them as I walked to the museum entrance.
Nel, the volunteer at the desk, said the grasshoppers come every year, that they had just shown up that morning. They were making their way into town, probably be there by the afternoon. Later I looked up the phenomenon, and these grasshoppers eat crops, plants, even the paint on houses, which is why some folks cover their houses with plastic when they come through. They also eat each other, which is why they just keep moving, and they can cover a mile in a day.
The museum had a display of the humongous mammoth skeleton found in the area, as well as artifacts and photographs from the 1800’s, before and after the railroad came through. We learned that 7-UP was invented in Winnemucca, and that there was a flourishing Chinese community of rail workers and their families in town. There was also a restored church and a house from the 1800’s on the property, but they were closed for renovations.
When Marika asked Nel if she’d live in Winnemucca all of her life, she shared that, when she was 11, her family moved from New York to California by car. When they drove through Nevada, her father said his dream was to have a ranch and be a cowboy. After he died, Nel moved to Winnemucca, and bought a piece of land, and is slowly going to turn it into something, in honor of her father.
After the museum, we stopped at a thrift store and found a 50 cent squeaky chicken for Tillie, and a container that will work perfectly as our much needed replacement napkin holder.
Back at home, I took a walk with Tillie, Marika and I each called a friend, then we made a shopping list of necessities until we get to the big city in two days. After the supermarket, we picked up crab rangoon and BBQ pork with vegetables, because who can say no to a four-star rated Chinese restaurant? It was pretty good, and there was enough for traveling leftovers the next day.
Day 16
To the Edge of Nevada
I was so anxious about the weather warnings – winds up to 22 mph, rain, with snow in the mountain passes – that I asked Marika to take the first driving shift. We were driving a short, 165 miles to Verdi, Nevada, a small town a few miles west of Reno, at the border of Nevada and California, just before the mountain passes. I didn’t think we’d see snow, but rain is no fun, and winds higher than 25 miles per hour can turn to dangerous when you’re 32 feet long and towing a car.
I-80 was long and mostly straight heading west out of Winnemucca, and the wind was coming at us from the northwest at 17 mph. Very doable, though it does require more upper body strength to keep the RV straight against the gusts and passing semi trucks. We drove through the barren Black Rock Desert, a challenging stretch of terrain for the emigrants on the California Trail.
After an hour and a half, Marika was ready for a break, so we stopped at a rest stop and switched drivers. Soon after, the winds picked up to 21 mph, and the road began to curve and climb toward the western edge of Nevada and the Sierra Madres. The high desert turned to tall pine trees and greener, leafier bushes, and huge snow capped mountains loomed in the distance.
Even with the wind, we made good time, and arrived at our overnight RV park a little before one. Check in time, according to a review, was one to two, closer to two. I went into the office and the woman was having lunch. She said check in was at two, but yes, my spot was ready, so we could pull in and come back later to check in. I thanked her, and went out to help Marika unhook the car so we could back in to our spot.
The RV Park was attached to a casino, with a gas station, Jack in the Box and a Starbucks. The sites were asphalt with nice grassy lawns at each spot, full hookups, wifi and cable. And there was a walking trail at the end of the park that actually crossed into California. There was a line between the states made up of two fences, one with metal stakes on the California side, and the other with wood stakes on the Nevada side, with a few inches in between.
Because it was going to get below 32° that night, we filled our water tank so we wouldn’t have to risk the city water connection freezing. Marika hooked up the electricity, and also ran an extension cord from the 20 amp outlet at the post through the window so we could plug in a high wattage space heater to compliment the house propane heat without worrying about blowing a fuse.
As soon as I finished filling the water and Marika returned from a walk with Tillie, it started to snow! Tiny popcorn balls of frozen water fell from the sky. I was now even more grateful that we arrived when we did, and that we were able to settle in early. Just in time.
Marika said she was happy to be in a new place, that she was liking being in all kinds of new places, visiting museums, talking with people. We were both a little sorry that we only had three more days before we would be at our summer destination. I vowed to plan for us to be on the road for a longer time after our summer gig, to really appreciate the rhythm and flow of this life.
DAY 17
We woke up to light snowfall and a little anxiety about the upcoming 7200’ Donner Pass. But I checked the weather apps and there were no warnings or advisories. It would be wet, but not slippery.
So we agreed to continue as planned. We got the RV ready for travel, with the slides in and the jacks up, and then we needed to check the air in one of the back tires again. For the first time, instead of going to a tire store, we were going to do it ourselves.
We have six tires on the RV, two in front, and two sets of two (duallies) in the back. A year ago to the day, we had a blowout on the I-10 freeway only 30 miles out of Phoenix. Both back right tires had gone flat and we needed to be towed to Discount Tire, where we bought four new back tires. In the last year, the outside back right tire has frequently been low and needing air.
It’s much easier for me to get on my knees, so Marika was my cheerleader and I was the air filler. Because the two tires are next to each other, it’s a challenge to reach the tire stems, so we use extenders, four-inch-long metal gadgets that screw into the tire stem and provide a fill valve that’s easier to reach to fill both tires.
I attached the compressor valve to the tire extender stem, but I couldn’t get a seal. Marika tried, same thing. I kept maneuvering the valve on the stem, while Marika went next door to ask the neighbor for assistance.
He tried too, then we took the extender stem off and tried to fill directly into the tire stem. But he still felt air leaking. And when he looked closer, he said the inner tire was rubbing against the outer one. We looked under the back of the RV, and saw an inch-wide nail head in the inner tire. So we had two flat tires. And we only have one spare, so we needed to be towed.
Marika called AAA for a tow to the Discount Tire in Reno, just ten miles east. I went to the RV Park office to see about staying a second night. And then AAA called back and said they didn’t have a flat bed big enough today. But a different company could come in the morning.
So we rolled the RV back a few feet back in our spot so that we were lined up to dump the tanks, we re-leveled, and moved back into the RV for the day. And then AAA called back and said no, because it’s the back tires, they need a Landall, a different kind of tow truck, and one wouldn’t be available until mid-week.
We went to our backup plan and called Les Schwab to schedule a mobile repair for the next morning. They could inflate the outside tire and fix the nail tire, so we could drive to Discount Tire for a complete assessment. Mind you, they don’t fix tires on site. They take the tires off, bring them back to the shop for the repair, and then return and put them on. And they charge $130/hour, starting from the minute they leave the shop until they return to the shop after the job. He estimated a $400.00 bill, plus any supplies.
But it seemed our only choice.
And then Marika called our insurance company, because we also have roadside service through them. They have a larger database of tow companies and they did find one with a Landall, and they could even tow us that evening. But Discount Tire closed at five, and we didn’t want to spend the night in their parking lot. So we opted to call back in the morning to get on the schedule.
We figured we would call at seven, get to Discount Tire by ten, and be on the road by one, since it was only a 120 mile, three-hour drive. The first 50 miles would be over the mountain pass of the Sierra Madres. There would still be weather, but the snow had turned to rain, which was expected to continue, with possible snow pellets, on and off, through the weekend. But we would take it slow and easy, and then, finally, we’d be in the warm sunshine of Sacramento.
With a plan in place, we drove into Reno and did our big city, Costco and Walmart stocking up, since we wouldn’t have the extra day to do it in Sacramento. We even picked up Thai food on the drive home. We were exhausted, and still holding a lot of unknowns, but at least we had Pad Thai and a plan for the morning.
We each handle stress very differently. I breathe a lot, cry, talk things out, brainstorm possible solutions, and trust that all will work out. Marika gets quiet, stoic, focuses on the immediate next step, while holding on to all of the previous stress. Somehow, we meet in the middle, and we get through it.
There was a moment where I was feeling so overwhelmed that I just needed to be still, and breathe, and I thought we could both use a hug and some belly breathing. I asked Marika to join me, but she was resistant. Then I asked her if she could just hug me while I breathed. And she did. And I calmed down. Later, I thanked her, and, in that moment, she was ready to share a full on hug.
Tillie’s easy, adaptable nature also helps keep the calm. She is a silent, happy traveler, and loves to lie in the bed, and watch the world out the big back window, just like she did at the house. She’s been watching birds, squirrels, people, kids, even other dogs, and she doesn’t bark. She just watches. Intently. For hours.
DAY 18
Tired of Tire Woes
We were up early to make the call to get towed to Discount Tire. While we waited for a time, I told Marika that I was still stressed, because of so many unknowns. But I kept breathing and trusting that however the day went, all would be OK in the end.
And then the dispatcher called us back to tell us that the overpass at our exit was too low for us to be towed on a flat bed tow truck. Now our only option was to use a mobile repair place.
As promised, Les Schwab called me at nine and said they could come out to inflate, but not repair, the nail tire, and put the spare on to replace the outside tire that wasn’t holding air. Then we could drive over to Discount Tire where we bought the tires just a year ago, to patch the nail tire and get to the bottom of things with the other.
And we both agreed, that, instead of driving to Sacramento afterwards, we’d stay at the RV park one more night.
Our tire tech, Jason, arrived a little after 10, and took off both tires. He put air in the nail tire, and noticed that the stem was cracked, so he swapped it with the spare. The other tire was fine, and holding air. He said it just couldn’t handle the weight of the RV with the inside tire being flat. We thanked him and paid him $130.00, then drove the RV to Discount Tire.
Tillie and I waited inside the RV in the Discount Tire parking lot, while Marika walked over to pick up El Pollo Loco for lunch. Less than two hours later, the nail tire was patched, the broken tire stem was replaced, and the outside tire was taken off the wheel, examined, remounted, and checked thoroughly for leaks. The other four tires were also checked, and we drove back to the RV Park.
We were both exhausted, still processing the stress of the past two days, and were glad we had agreed not to drive that day, even though we had to move to a different spot in the RV park. Our new spot had mountain views, and we each relaxed and released the stress of the previous days in our own way.
Marika had a cocktail, did the laundry, and enjoyed the toasty fire in the community room. She even drove with Tillie to an e-bird hotspot less than a mile from camp for an adventure walk. I stayed home and smoked, took a walk around the park, wrote, and watched TV.
And I said so very many thank you’s.
That we checked the tires and found the problem before it became a hazard on the road. That we asked the neighbor for his opinion, and he discovered the nail in the tire. That we had a safe, comfortable place to wait and figure things out, with full hookups. That we worked together to explore our options and make decisions. That we finally found someone to help us. That the outside tire didn’t have a problem. That the Discount Tire was on the west side of Reno, so we didn’t have to drive through crazy traffic and construction. That we found an easy place to have lunch. That the snow had turned to rain, and it would be clear driving the next day when we went over the mountain. That we could afford to pay for unused and extra camping sites, and be flexible with our schedule. That our insurance company would reimburse us for some of the extra expenses. That Tillie is so adaptable and easy in every situation. That our new spot was even closer to the laundry, so we could walk over. That we were back on the road. That we have each other, and we’re a pretty good team.
DAY 19
Usually on a traveling day, we are up at seven and on the road by nine-thirty. Even though I had gone to bed at nine the night before, and fell asleep long before my Yoga Nidra meditation was over, I was still so tired when the alarm went off, that we agreed to sleep longer. When I got out of bed after nine, there were patches of blue in the sky, and I was ready for the driving day. Tillie and I had been walking into California for the past two days, but today, we would finally be driving over the border.
It was an easy, three-hour drive up and over the snow dusted Sierra Madres, with gorgeous clouds popping in and out of blue skies, no rain, and no snow pellets. I drove the first half, Marika drove the second, through the suburbs of Sacramento, so that I could navigate the lane changes.
We arrived at our campsite at the fairgrounds north of Sacramento and were leveled and hooked up by two. After a walk around, Tillie and I were content to hang out inside, with the A/C on, me writing and her watching out the back window. Marika went to Home Depot for some supplies, and brought home some yummy Mediterranean food for dinner. All three of us slept long and hard, glad to be over the mountain and heading to the ocean.
DAY 20
Home to the Coast
After almost three weeks as travelers, we headed north and then west to the Northern California coast to begin our volunteering summer with Mendocino Parks.
I drove the first leg up I-5, past rice paddies and agricultural fields, to California 20, which begins as an easy, curving road around Clear Lake, the largest and oldest lake in the United States. After two and a half hours, we had our lunch in a casino parking lot and switched drivers.
After a few more uphill climbs, the two lane road became 35 miles of hairpin turns, with hardly a shoulder, up and over the mountain with 5-10% grades the whole way. It took us a little over two hours, and then we were on Highway 1, just 10 miles from home.
Home for the next three months is a campsite in the Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District complex, on the east side of Highway 1, across the street from Russian Gulch State Park and the Pacific Ocean. The huge property includes the maintenance yard for the campgrounds, offices, a variety of cabins, single wides and trailers for employee housing, and campsites for volunteers.
Our spot is tucked in the pine trees with peeks of blue sky. It is a balmy 57°, with no wind. We have a patio deck, and a garden with an array of flowers. What we don’t have is cell or TV reception. But there is public wifi, so I can stay connected online, but I can’t make or receive phone calls with my ATT iPhone. Fortunately, Marika has Verizon, and she’s getting a single bar of service, so we do have a working phone.
Our State Parks Volunteer Coordinator met us when we arrived, showed us to our spot, went over some paperwork and gave us our name tags and vests. Tomorrow we have to get fingerprinted, and Wednesday is our first day of training.
Our neighbors, Denise and Matt, were at work when we pulled in, but we chatted a bit when they got home. They have been volunteering here for several years. They’re here all year, except for November and December when they go to their daughter’s house in Sacramento so they can take care of medical things.
Their dog, Callie, is a very laid back eleven year old Springer Spaniel, who is off leash because she’s going deaf and is never far from their side. She and Tillie had a quick sniff exchange, but that’s all. Tillie was too interested in all of the other smells around.
They have a 30 foot trailer and double that in outdoor space, with tables, chairs, a grill, an ice maker, and a small refrigerator. There are several seed feeders and a hummingbird feeder, strings of lights, garden stakes, welcome flags, a bounty of fresh flowers, and even three tomato plants.
We talked a little about the job and the area, and they said they have a fire every Friday and Saturday night, so come on over.
We were both exhausted from all of the getting here, but after dinner, we drove down to the beach, and there was no one there. I let Tillie off her leash and she ran a huge circle around the entire area of the beach. Full speed. Twice.
We walked closer to the water and she chased the small rolls of surf up and down the edge of the water. And she came every time that I called her. Oh! There is NOTHING happier than me and a dog on the beach!
When we got home, Marika set up her propane fire pit on the patio, and Tillie, cabled to a 20 foot line, smelled every inch of the front lawn. I sat inside at my writing desk, watching them, loving it all.
