Wednesday September 21, 2011

Novato to Ogden UT

767 miles

As we drove out of the driveway at 7:15am, I was texting Danielle, the dog walker/house sitter from heaven, that we were on the road and poor, sad Sierra was in the house.  Poor thing didn’t understand why we were putting stuff — stuff with zippers! — in the car and she  wasn’t coming with us.  She tried to climb in the car a few times.  Sniff.   She will be happier at home.

Bob started out driving, first stop Nation’s at the old Nut Tree for breakfast — his favorite, quick, made-to-order place.  Great burgers.  We were the only people there except for Tracy the trainee/cook/cashier.  I like it because it’s clean and I can sub tomatoes for hash browns.  We had our usual (Bob: egg, potatoes, bacon, OJ; Me: egg, tomatoes, ham), read about the Full Tilt Poker scandal in the WSJ and were out of there in 1/2 hour.  Next stop Lovelock (“Don’t let love pass you by”) NV.

Just outside Sacramento we came upon a Nissan with a LADIB4U license plate.  As Bob passed her and took a look he said: “Not 4 me”.

Hit Lovelock and the Cowpoke Cafe at 12:15.  We have been to the Cowpoke 6? 7? times on our various journeys and it is always great.  Their motto is “Handmade is happiness”.  Today, being Wednesday, it was packed with locals.  Everyone knew everyone.  Usually we drive through on a weekend and it is about half locals and half people like us.  Bob had a hamburger with fries (freshly cut and fried to order. really.) and a Pepsi; I had buffalo burger patty (*griddled* so it had a nice char and perfectly medium rare YUM), green salad and iced tea.  Bob passed on the awesome looking baked goods.  We gassed up at Stiff’s ($3.89 for premium…. 26 cents cheaper than at home) and I took over the driving as we left Lovelock at 1pm.

Going through Nevada on 80 is great.  Posted speed limit of 75 mph (cruise control set for 80), mostly courteous truck drivers who stick to the right lane, listening to XM (the Bridge, Ch 32 — check it out.  Is Mr. Bojangles the saddest song ever?), doing my isometric butt and ab exercises… all good!   Stopped at the Beowawe Rest stop at 3ish (girl’s bathroom graffiti: “I am a receiver Not a pitcher”) which had some signage about the California Trail, always popular in our car.  We continued going 80 mph (except for the several miles of frustrating 55pmh cone zone, single lane road work stretches) til Wendover when we stopped for gas etc.  Bob took over driving for the last 150 miles plus to Ogden UT.

We lost an hour at the Utah state line so all of a sudden it was 6:30 instead of 5:30.  Utah is also 75mph (yay) so made good time.  Made a quick stop at a rest area that had an historical marker for the Hastings Cutoff of the California Trail which is where the Donner-Reed party got messed up going West and got caught in the snow.  I-80 pretty much follows the California Trail of the westward emigrants so Bob is always happy to be on it.

We made it to the Best Western in Ogden at 8:30pm, checked in and headed to the adjacent restaurant, Jeremiah’s.  Always forget the weird liquor laws in Utah.  My choice of vodkas for a dirty martini:  Smirnoff.  What?? I discovered another benefit of a dirty martini:  olives and olive juice can overpower the vodka 🙂  Bob’s choice for his scotch:  J&B.  Seriously.   We drove 767 miles and he has a bad tooth/gum… so we said ok and when they arrived, toasted a safe and uneventful driving day.  The guy next to us was here on business from WI and has been here since Monday.  He had an MGD and when he ordered another, they were out.  He ordered a Miller Lite and was told that was the last one “we had a big weekend”.  haha.  I had a great spinach salad with grilled chicken albeit the raspberry vinaigrette on the side was scary-neon pink but not bad.  Poor Bob… at another time I will share the awful open face turkey sandwich episode in Monument Valley but needless to say, he asked the waitress what was better, pot roast or open face turkey sandwich.  She didn’t hesitate and said the turkey.  He ordered it.  It wasn’t as bad as the Monument Valley one but as were leaving he said  morosely, “I have bad luck with turkey sandwiches.”  He got a piece of cheesecake to go.

We each drove 300 miles and then he drove the last 167.  Tomorrow should be a gorgeous drive and only 400ish miles.  Piece of cake.  Cheesecake.