Day Two: A Few Road Trip Lessons
Trip Start
Jul 08, 2007
1
3
11
Trip End
Jul 16, 2007
Where I stayed
Rock Springs,
Wyoming,
United States
Monday, July 9, 2007
(1) Schedule the day well, and stick to it--We hoped to be on the road by 9am, spend an hour in Salt Lake City, and only make stops for food and gas. We actually ended up leaving Boise at 9:45am, spent 2 hours in Salt Lake City, and stopped to take pictures a few times (by the "Welcome to.." signs). Consequently, we arrived in Rock Springs, WY, after 8pm.
(2) Reserve a hotel room--Arriving at our destination 2 hours later than originally anticipated, we were frustrated/nervous/stressed/bewildered to find that all the hotels off of the suggested exit were full. Apparently in the past two years, Wyoming has seen a gas/oil boom that has attracted many people. So many, in fact, that by 8-9pm each night, hotels are turning people away all of Wyoming and sending them to Utah or Colorado. We ended up getting the last of three rooms (the last non-smoking) at an Econo-Lodge. If we didn't get that room, it would have been a decision to sleep in a smoking room or the car. Both equally undesirable.
(3) If Wal-Mart already stresses you out, don't go into a Wal-Mart SuperCenter--Pretty self-explanatory. Do you know how many people go to those places?! It's incredible! Anyway, the less stress inflicted during driving hours, the better it is for driver and passenger. Rachel and I practically raced out of there with groceries in hand.
(4) Don't stare at the roadkill--It really can be disgusting...
01 Utah
especially if it's a big animal. And there has been a lot of roadkill. Especially since we're driving in a rural area. Driving slowly by roadkill is also not recommended.(5) Laugh at everything--i.e.: the trucks speeding past and honking as we take pictures by the "Welcome to..." signs; Mormon country; any other kind of country; the disgusting amounts of signage/advertisement for Little America (see photos); the hesitancy to change a fuzzy radio station with the fear that only country stations will be clear; no signs of civilization for miles and miles; each other's boredom; nothing at all.
(6) Stare and appreciate the scenery--Even when driving!... well, maybe not stare. In all seriousness, Wyoming has been the most beautiful drive. Eastern Oregon, Idaho, and most of Utah were pretty boring. But the end of Utah and all of Wyoming thus far has been breath-taking.
(7) Love your vehicle--Rachel decided that her Dodge Neon needed a name. After vetoing my suggestions (Zelda, Bitsy, Gretchen), she decided on Gloria. Quite a nice choice, actually. She even has her own song. In any case, Gloria has been such a trooper, providing us with air conditioning, music and beating the semi's up the seemingly endless hills.
Tomorrow is the rest of Wyoming and Nebraska. We aren't stopping anywhere for anything besides gas and food. We're actually going to stick to that plan and cover a lot of land. Updates probably won't be necessary... but expect pictures (and look at the ones from Salt Lake City in the previous entry!).
Comments
You go, girls!
Thanks very much for the updates on your adventure. I especially enjoy the pictures filled with irony - Utah Republican Party headquarters, Mormon Temple.
We all laughed at your Things Learned About the Art of Road-Tripping...very funny stuff...although you sound very anti-WalMart Superstore. And hey buddy, don't be jabbing at Little America...you sound very anti-Little America.
Didn't I ever teach you about avoiding direct eye contact with roadkill? I'm a failure.
And if you must name a car, G-l-o-r-i-a seems as good a choice as any. Not many cars have a song named after them.
Keep having fun and I'll look forward to the next posting.
Love, Dad