This trip was to commemorate the 10th anniversary of my "BIG" trip -- the 48-state one. I didn't know where I was going or how I would go there. Many destinations came to mind when I left San Jose: Bryce canyon, Vancouver, Colorado, New Mexico, etc... eventually I started taking it one day at a time, and wherever I ended up was how it was going to be!
So on Friday evening (April 8th), I started driving from work and reached Barstow, where I spent the night. Next morning it was on to Las Vegas, then further north into Arizona and Utah, thinking I'd go to Bryce Canyon. By the time I entered Utah I could see storm clouds in the Bryce Canyon area, so decided against it--eventually continuing north on I-15, and thinking to myself that I'd probably spend Saturday night somewhere around Salt Lake City and then go back home Sunday. Either that, or go to Grand Junction, Colorado on Saturday night and then go back home from there on Sunday. Either that, or go to Boise, Idaho on Saturday night and go back home via Richland, WA and Portland, OR on Sunday. Either that, or whatever else entered my crazy head at any given time.......
Saturday night was spent in Brigham City, Utah.
Sunday morning, I started driving north again, entering Idaho, going to Pocatello (a section of I-15 that I'd never been on before), then westward bound..... Twin Falls, Idaho..... decided at the last instant NOT to exit and go "the quick way" south into Nevada and home, but instead go further west -- at least up to Boise, with thoughts of the Portland route still in my head.
When I reached Boise, I was starting to get hungry so I took an exit and had a Subway lunch (the standard order of a footlong sandwich, with each 6" piece wrapped separately so I could have one piece for lunch and the other for dinner -- which meant no need to make a special stop for dinner, and THAT meant I'd have another 20 minutes or so of driving time! If I was to go to Portland and still make it back home at a reasonable hour, every minute was beginning to count now.)
It was at this point, after lunch on Sunday afternoon, that some sense crept into my brain. I finally decided to cut the trip short and take the most direct route back home -- through a corner of southeastern Oregon, northwestern Nevada, Reno, Sacramento, and back home to San Jose.
This was the first U.S. roadtrip in the last 8 months that was longer than 2000 miles. I was starting to miss the 2000+ mile weekend trips!
California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, and California circle:
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COMPLETE trip journal:
APRIL 8, 2005
FRIDAY
6:35 PM = Left work. 0.0 trip miles. 135702 total odomoter.
Memories of 10 years ago.......
7:17 PM/39.6 miles = 101 to 152 exit. Listnin' to Forrest Gump soundtrack (for old times sake) nice sunset in mirror!
7:32/47.5 = Turned around
7:58/68.5 = Took G7 to 25 to 156 to 152 again... traffic on 152 was up to THIS point!! Good choice to take alternate route.
8:22/97.0 = I-5, Southbound this time. It's completely dark, and I'm still listnin' to Gump music.
10:15/241.7 = I-5x257 [my own trip journal convention for "Exit #257"] for Hwy 58 in Buttonwillow. "Born in the USA" on CD #18.
10:32-10:42 = $23.50 (CB) Gas = 257.3 miles. $3 dinner @ McDs in Bakersfield. "The Promise"
10:54/265.0 = From 99 to 58. "Danger Zone"
12:58/391.8 = Good ole I-15 North in Barstow
12:58/395.9 = Exitted on Main Street Barstow [Note: obviously one of these two times is a mistake, but that's what I had written down!]
1:05 AM/396.4 = Checked in @ Quality Inn Barstow. 136098 total miles.
SATURDAY
APRIL 9, 2005
10 YEARS FROM DAY #2
10:22 = Left room. 396.4 trip miles. 136098 total. It's not snowing in Sierras tomorrow, but may be snowing @ Bryce today -- later today, and I can be there in 4.5 hours!! Checked out for $60.74 from good ole CB [Citibank credit card]
"Everyday" (... seems a little longer)
Couldn't read temp. at Baker. SLC EMA = 995 ["Salt Lake City Estimated Miles on Arrival"]
Bumper Sticker: "So many cats, so few recipes"
11:58/507.6 = State #2
1:35/629.9 = I-15x122 @ Mesquite
"Surfin' USA"
1:39/630.9 = Parked @ Virgin River -- for old times sake!!! Limits = $100 down; $150 up.
3:55 PM = Back to car after $100 down -- on the limit.
$27.80 (CB) - Gas. 631.1 miles. $2 cash = Lunch - BK -- for old times sake!
4:04/632.0 = On the road again
4:06/632.5 = State #3
5:31 MDT/662.7 = State #4
7:13/788 = Passed "THAT" rest area on I-15 just south of I-70... but it was closed (near I-15m127) [m=my convention for milepost]
7:18/793.7 trip miles = Passed I-70 (I-15x132). Snowing in the East -- JUST LIKE 10 years ago today! Here its been off-and-on-and-now-off-but-soon-to-be-on rain/snow/freezing rain.
7:24/801.7/m140 = "Mambo Number 5"
9:36/965.6 trip miles = Passed I-15x307 for I-80 East
9:39/968.8 = Passed I-15x311 for I-80 West. I'm goin' North!
10:09/1003.1 trip miles = "A Million Miles Away", and about 4 miles back there I completed 1000 of those million miles on this trip.
I'm considering Richland, WA -- it'll be tough but doable, and quite symbolic too -- I was also there 5 years ago this weekend. Called John twice for the weather reports -- everything is CLEAR. If I do that then this will also be the first trip -- after THAT trip -- that I would've gone to all the Western states in the same trip (also all states that border California on the same trip) : WA, OR, ID, CA, NV, AZ, UT.
+ Portland - Richland will be 2400 trip miles -- doable.
With Richland, another 100 miles -- tough.
- Portland + Richland combination = need to calculate:
EMA's:
JCT I-84 = 1040
ID Border = 1080
Twin Falls = 1280
OR Border = 1450
JCT 82 = 1650
Portland = 1830
Redding = 2280
San Jose = 2530
Richland = 1720
JCT 82 = 1750
I-84x104 = 1825
Bend = 1955
Klamath Falls = 2090
Weed = 2160
Redding = 2235
San Jose = 2485
10:25/1023 miles = I-15x364 in Brigham City. $26 (CB) Gas. 1024.4 miles. Wouldn't have made it!!! Checked in @ HoJo in Brigham City. 1025.2 miles. $4 dinner.
SUNDAY
APRIL 10, 2005
Watched "Road Trip" on Comedy Central
11 AM = Left room. 1026.9 trip miles. 136729 total.
11:15/1028.2 - On the Road Again.
First EMTA's of the day: [EMTA's = Estimated Mileage/Times of Arrival]
ID Border = 1070/11:55
Pocatello = 1142/12:50
JCT 84/86 = 1205/1:45
I-86x173 = 1255/2:25
I-86x35 = 1393/4:30
Winnemucca = 1648/8:45
I-80x15 = 1811/10:45
CA/NV Border = 1826/11:00
Home = 2060/2:30 AM
11:27/1046 = Passed JCT I-84/I-15. Staying on I-15 to Pocatello.
Other EMTA's:
Twin Falls (x173) = 1255/2:25
Wells (I-80x352) = 1373/3:40
CA Border = 1725/8:40
Home = 1975/12:40
11:44/1067.3 = Entered potato country (Idaho, State #5)
Nice 360 degree views of snow-capped mountains!
12:40/1138.6 = Said bye to I-15 (and "see ya later") and joined I-86, homeward bound. 8 minutes and 4 miles ahead of schedule.
1:30/1201.7 = Passed I-86x1 for I-84 East and joined I-84. I'm now 4 miles and 15 minutes ahead of EMTA's. 1204.25 = I-84m219.
2:07/1249.5 = Passed I-84x173 @ Twin Falls...
This means I'm Goin' the Boise (118 mi) route, and I'll be home at 1:58 AM. But it'll mean I'm also going to Oregon, and ... this was the same route as on Aug 6, '95.
2:17/1262.5 = Making 1st revisted EMTA's:
I-84x35 = 1388/4:05
McDermitt, NV = 1567/6:30
I-80x178, NV = 1643/7:40
I-80x15, NV = 1806/9:40
CA Border, I-80 = 1821/10:00
Home = 2056/1:42 AM PDT 4/11/05 AD
3:38/1368.5 = Passing thru Boise behind a truck and a white Dodge Intrigue
3:45/1376.1 = I-84x46. $25.68 (CB) Gas = 1376.8. $6 lunch & dinner @ Subway.
3:57/1377.7 = On the road again
4:06/1387.9 = I-84x35 for Hwy 55 (Marsing). 1 minute late and 0.1 mile early from 1st REMTA's [Revised EMTA's]
4:08/1389.2 = Turned right on 55/2nd Street.
4:11/1391.2 = Turned left on 55/Karcher Road
Winnemucca = 1627.
4:23/1399.8 = Passed "Chicken Dinner Road" in Caldwell, ID
4:30/1405.3 = Passed Hwy 78 in Marsing
4:32/1407.3 = Turned left on Hwy 95
Winnemucca is 220 miles from here; Speed limit = 65 mph and I'm behind a speeding (75 mph) white Ford F150 from California --- PERFECT!
4:51/1431.0 = oReGoN. speed limit is 55 ... but its all good!
Song right now, on Boise's 104.3 FM = "Sugar Sugar"
5:09/1451.5 = Followed Hwy 95 to the right as it turned (it also turned to the right). NV border = 1552.
5:45/1496.7 = Left fork @ Burns JCT. NV = +55 = 1551. Winnemucca = +129 = 1626.
5:55 PM MDT = 4:55 PM PDT/1509.3 trip miles = near Hwy 95m79. Time zone change -- gained 1 valuable hour.
5:27/1551.7 = Back to Nevada -- 70 MPH limit.
6:27/1625.0 = Passed under I-80
6:28/1625.3 = Turned right on Winnemucca Blvd (I-80 Business route)
"Everybody wants to rule the world"
(I don't)
6:31/1627.0 = Joined Good ole I-80 West (@ x176), about 22 hours after deciding against it in Salt Lake City, and about 69 minutes and 18 miles before 1st REMTA.
8:10/1753.7 = I-80x48. $26.85 (CB) Gas. 1754.4 miles. Cleaned all windshields and headlights.
8:24/1754.9 = Back on I-80 ........ thinking of stopping by at Treasure Island on the way home -- it will add 1 hour to the trip -- 1 hour that I've saved on the road from Boise to Winnemucca... THIS TRIP AIN'T OVER YET!
8:52/1788.6 = Passed under 395 overpass.
8:54/1789.8 = Passed I-80x13 for Virginia Street in Reno.
9:06/1803.5 = (I-80m204) = Back to the Golden State! "Stand by me". Memories of all trips last 10 years -- Paris, Boston with Kalai, all the trips to Orange, Kitchener, Vancouver, Pensacola, NC, Rome, Athens, Switzerland, and of course New Years Eve at Sydney -- and not just the fireworks! Then again there was New Years Eve in Paris!
"The Time Of My Life"
10:54/1920.4 = Passed I-80xI-5. "The Travellin' Man"
11:22/1951.0 = Passed exit for I-80xI-505.
"You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling"
11:36/1966.4 = After hesitating a bit, merged right and took I-80x40 for I-680 South. Not goin' to S.F. My last 2000+ mile weekend trip was Vancouver in August 2004 -- 8 months ago.... SHAMEFUL!
11:47/1978.8 = Passed I-680x58 for I-780.
12:05 AM = 2000 trip miles
"On The Road Again"
12:11/2007.0 = Passed I-680xI-580; and then into "trip end mode" with "Iko Iko"
12:38/2037.1 = Passed above Hwy 101.
12:40/2039.4 = Took exit for 87. Back to "Trip End Mode".
12:46/2044.5 = Took exit for 85 North
12:47/2045.4 = Almaden Expy exit.
12:57 AM = Parked @ home. "The Wanderer".
2049.9 trip miles.
137752 total.
