Disclaimer: If you decide to read the journal entries, I do not want to hear any comments about my actions or state of mind on this trip... I'm a different person on my roadtrips and that's something that I can never explain!
Forget the trip journal, go straight to the pictures...
Selected Trip Journal Entries:
Friday November 14, 2008
6:37 PM = Left Work. 13777 odometer miles. 0.0 "Trip A" miles. 60% oil life.
Will this trip be > 2017.2 miles or < 2017.2 miles?
7:54 PM/33.8 miles = Took exit for I-580; Traffic is good now but I'm too cheap to pay the $5 toll
10:55 PM/246.9 miles = Entered the Silver State... I'll have a MAJOR decision to make in 44 miles...
Saturday November 15, 2008
12:40 AM = Back to car with a $45 profit from Pai-gow (post-tips)
12:47/261.1 miles = Back on I-80, Utah-bound
1:13/295.8 = At decision point; kept going straight on I-80. Winnemucca is 128 miles from here -- that's my gas fillup.
3:03/425.1 = Back on the road again; it's 29 F outside, 71 F inside my blue rocket.
3:10 AM/434.9 miles = I wanna change all my clothes now (except the jeans).
3:20 AM/449.0 miles = Finished changing all my clothes. I haven't done that since April 2000 I think -- the St. Louis trip -- that was also at about this time of the night but there were more trucks on the road. But I said this then and I'll say it again now -- nothing wakes you up better than changing your clothes while driving -- the dexterity (and the patience) needed to do that is more than enough to wake up!!
Now I can go for another 100 miles, and I'm hoping I last long enough to see the sunrise... its time for a drink, but unfortunately all I got inside the car is Mango Madness. Oh well.
3:31/462 = Choo choo train!
4:34/545.5 = Elko. Gas overfillup.
5:40 AM/618.2 miles = Parked at rest area at Pequop Summit (el. 6967 feet).
8:45 AM = Left rest area
10:15 Mountain Time = Entered the Beehive State. 655.3 miles.
1:05 PM/851.0 = Entered the Equality State (near I-80 mile 200 of Utah)
1:31/885.1 = 74 bugs died on my windshield since the start of this trip. :-( I know my car is gorgeous but shouldn't the bugs be attracted to other bugs instead of my car?
2:12/938.7 = Took exit 89 at Green River. Drove thru town and back on the road at 2:16/941.7/x91.
5:58/1207.5 = Joined Good ole I-25 South, Denver-bound!!!
6:06 PM/1216.4 = Entered The Rocky Mountain State for the first time in this car.
7:10/1297.7 = Joined I-76 West in the Mile High City.
Sunday November 16, 2008
8:20 AM = Checked out. 1305.8 Trip Miles. 15083 Total. 50% oil life. That number will be 40% by the time I get home and 30% by the end of the week -- on progress for 15% before the start of December trip! But before that I still have the mighty Rockies to cross today... Seat warmers are on. Ice had formed on the hood, trunk and roof overnight.
$23.03 = 12.192 Gallons @ $1.889/gallon. 1306.2 miles. Fillup on gas but more importantly washed the windshield for the drive into the mountains. That must have been the first fillup for less than $2/gallon in the last 5-6 years!
8:35/1306.4 miles = Back on good ole I-70 again, homeward bound.
9:22/1359.6 = Crossed Eisenhower Tunnel -- there's snow all around and its breath-taking!
9:42/1369.9 = Left the "Summit" viewpoint -- the Forrest Gump one (maybe). Every time I drive this road it reminds me of "THAT" night -- April 11, 1995.
10:00/1383 = The rest area at x190 is gorgeous! Fantastic (gorgeous) views all around
10:20/1400.0 = At Vail (m173). Now its time to go home. EMA's: 2555 = Via Hwy 50. 2580 = Via I-15. Either way I'm looking at an ETA of 1:45 AM.
10:30/1411 = The speed limit is 75 again, at least for now.
10:56 = Passing thru the canyon... I have so many fond memories of this road -- not just in Colorado but all across the country!
11:04/1455 = Exit 119 at No Name. They've really spruced up this place since the last time I was here!
12:47/1573.8 = Back to the Beehive State. Yesterday I was joking about killing so many bugs -- today I killed a sparrow. :-( But... his friend managed to escape. I just cleaned the blood mark on my windshield. The last time I killed a bird was in Australia's outback.
1:20/1622 miles = Passed x182 for U.S. 191 -- the same place I had entered this magnificent interstate freeway on October 26, 2008 A.D. But that was at 10:39 AM/1096.5. I'm 2 hours and 41 minutes behind that day.
1:53/1645.0 = Back on the road again. I shaved off 13 minutes from October 26th's time in that stop.
2:18/1682.0 = Lunchtime.
2:52/1731.0 = near m73 = I should have been in Salina by now according to Oct 26's timings, but Salina is still 16 miles ahead. There goes the 13 minutes advantage!
3:04/1747.0 = Passed x56 for Hwy 50 in Salina. I'm going on 70/15/58/5/152/101 now.
5:18/1909 = Another nice sunset in Utah!
5:25/1918.6 = Passed x16 for Zion National Park -- I dont have enough time today.
5:48/1935.2 = Entered the Grand Canyon State
5:10 PM Pacific Standard Time = Back to the Silver State and this time zone. 1964.1 miles.
5:49/2018.9 = I can make out Luxor's beam
6:15/2050.0 = Passed the pyramid
6:42/2086.5 = I'm home. (well, the state anyway). Entered the Golden State
7:20/2135 = Temperature on the world's tallest thermometer in Baker = 62 F. My dashboard says 71 F. I think its about 68.4 F.
My iphone says temperature in Baker is 60 F. www.weather.com website says its 69 F. I'm still going with my own number! I still have 426 miles to go from here (7:26/2144); "I kissed a girl" song is on the radio and I'm getting annoyed at these left-lane hoggers from California!
I'm postponing dinner until I start feeling sleepy -- probably between Barstow and Bakersfield. I have the apples from Subway but I wanna postpone those until around midnight -- that will give me enough energy to reach home. There's the Ritz crackers too .... now 420 miles left (7:31/2150). What to do, what to do? I think I'll start making up words to the songs on the radio... la la la
9:09 PM/2264.0 = Dinnertime. I just passed Mojave.
10:34/2348.8 = Joined good ole I-5. The end is in sight (well, not really)
1:04 AM/2536 = "Convertible mode"!
1:22/2559.5 = Almaden exit from 85. I was in convertible mode until the exit.
1:30 AM = HOME!!!
2563.9 Trip miles
16341 Total odometer
40% oil life.
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