Road Trip 2015 Day 15

Henderson, NV to Home 

 Highway 95 south out of Henderson is a quiet, mostly 2 lane road through deceptively flat desert.  A good part of the road looks flat but is a series of gentle roller coaster bumps.  At one point we had to wait at a level crossing for a very long freight train to pass.  We never did see where Nevada became California and there was no CA Inspection Station. 

We stopped in Needles to retrieve Mr. B's briefcase and then were on our way west and north, through Tehachapi, where we saw some lightning but no rain, and Bakersfield.  We ran into a major construction delay not long after we reached I-5.  That ate up a good hour.

We decided on one last really good meal before the trip ended, so we stopped at Harris Ranch.

Mr. B's choice

My choice.

I would have taken pictures of the actual food but we couldn't wait to dig in.

We ran into one more setback after we left I-5.  Because of a fire on the west side of Pacheco Pass, there were bomber planes dropping retardant, a helicopter with a water bucket, and dozens of fire trucks.  But there was still one lane open so we were able to get through.

It had been a hot day here but we were really happy to be home.

Road Trip 2015 Day 14

Glenwood Springs, CO to Henderson, NV

 Another early start.  Stopped for breakfast at Denny's in Grand Junction, CO.  My eye has started to hurt again so I called the Doctor and was told to increase the frequency of the drops.

Utah has really nice rest areas.  Frequent, clean, and usually located at a particularly scenic spot.  Though, I've got to admit, it's hard to find a spot in Utah that isn't scenic.  At least along I-70.

But we finally came to the end of the road at I-15 and, from there to Las Vegas, it was pretty much just  desert.  As we were coming in to Las Vegas, in the usual rush hour traffic, I noticed a column of smoke to the west.  Later we saw on TV that a British Airways 777 had caught fire while getting ready for take off from Las Vegas Airport.  Sounds like the pilot narrowly averted a real disaster.

We stayed at the Best Western Plus in Henderson.  Lovely room but no restaurant.  Not wanting to drive anymore, we walked a few blocks to a small casino.  Bad call.  The food was not good, nor was the service.
Oh, well, tomorrow we should be home.  And my eye is no longer hurting.

Road Trip 2015 Day 13

Topeka, KS to Glenwood Springs, CO

It rained during the night and was still raining as we loaded up the car.  But then it stopped and was mostly cloudy as we drove west through Kansas on Interstate 70.  Kansas is very generous with rest areas - one about every 50 miles.  Kansas is also one of the flattest places I've ever seen. In the western part of the state we saw a lot of the same kind of crop, with a red seed stalk.  Made the fields look like a sea of red.  I think it is called Milo, a grain sorghum good for low rainfall areas.

Colorado Welcome Center

This is Labor Day so we thought driving through Denver in the early afternoon would be a piece of cake.  But we didn't factor in the surprise rainstorm.  Holy cow!  It sure can rain in Denver.

About the time we hit the western suburbs, the rain was gone and it was a beautiful sunny day again.  But the eastbound lanes of I-70 were stop and go for the next 40 miles.  We stopped at Georgetown for a rest break and the elevation of 8530' hit me as soon as I got out of the car.  I was woozy and it felt like I was on a boat in a rough sea.  Walking to the bathrooms was pretty scary and I held on to Mr. B for dear life.  We decided not to spend the night there and continued driving through beautiful Glenwood Canyon to Glenwood Springs which is about 5000'.


We had a really good meal at Vic's Route 66 Grillhouse.  I ordered the Jager Schnitzel with spaetzle. Yummy.

Our motel had the most amazing view.

Road Trip 2015 Day 12

Centerville, IA to Kirksville, MO to Topeka, KS

This morning was supposed to be more coffee and conversation at the High School but we decided to hit the road instead.  We drove east on IA 2 so that we could stop at Mt. Ararat Cemetery, where Mr. B's grandparents and one great grandmother are buried.

Howard and Fanny Ashby

Deborah Fowler Bills Stevens

 After that, it was on to Kirksville where an old friend and classmate of Mr. B now lives with his wife.  They were celebrating the friend's 80th birthday in the common room of their apartment building.  More good food and good company.  We met their daughters and families for the first time.  Such nice people.  The son-in-law and a granddaughter even taught us to play Shanghai, a rummy-type card game that is lots of fun, especially for a big group.

We had thought about spending the night in Kirksville, but the call of home was too strong and we decided to see how far along we could get.  As it turned out, we made it all the way to Topeka, Kansas.  After we checked in to our hotel we wanted to go for a nice dinner but again were too tired to drive anymore.  So we walked to a nearby fast food place. 

Freddy's

 

Road Trip 2015 Days 9-11

Des Moines to Centerville, IA

We had planned to do some sightseeing with Cousin but we woke up still tired and decided to head south early.  Most of the trip, minus about 5 minutes on I-40 in Des Moines, was on good secondary roads through the green Iowa countryside.  After several years of California drought we just can't get enough of this green.

Stopped in Albia, Monroe County, to stretch our legs and because I had seen a sign for a fabric/yarn shop.  The shop turned out to be open only on Saturdays so we started to walk around the square.
When we saw this sign we realized that we really needed something to eat.

The owner told us that she hadn't been open long and was planning to expand beyond pastries into lunches.  It must have been a cafe before because there was a lovely old lunch counter (not being used yet.)
We each had a very large and very good blueberry muffin and a cup of excellent coffee. 

Back in Mr. B's home town we checked into Motel 60, our usual choice, although it is definitely showing its age.  But in its favor, it's just around the corner from our favorite tenderloin sandwich shop.

Waiting for our order.

 Eating a tenderloin

 Friday morning started with a visit to Jenz Trendz, just off the square, for a shampoo.  Such a treat to have someone else give my head a good scrub.  Then we stopped at Morgan's Ice Cream shop on the square for a cup of coffee.  They also serve breakfast pizza so we ordered one of those to share.  Good thing we didn't order two because we only had room for half.  This must be my time for expanding my pizza vocabulary because I had never heard of pizza for breakfast but I'm definitely a big fan now.

After our impromptu breakfast we drove to our favorite laundromat to take care of domestic duties.  I think this may be the only time we need to do this before we get home. I even managed to do a Friday Fling (Yahoo Stashbusters thing) by giving away a container of laundry detergent for top loading machines.  I've been trying to use it up when we travel but finally admitted that's not going to happen.

Friday evening we drove to Unionville for the Unionville High School Class of '54 dinner.  However, my GPS let me down and when we got there we had to call the hostess for directions.  Turns out she lives just a short distance south of the IA/MO state line, so we had to drive almost half way back to Centerville.

But it was worth it.  Mr. B had a wonderful time visiting with old friends and I, though I didn't go to school with any of these people, had a fine time meeting them again as well.  They always make me feel so welcome.  Our hostess did all the cooking herself and everything was delicious - pulled pork, mac & cheese, baked beans, homemade pickled beets, carrot cake, and a big green salad with lots of spinach in it.  It was late by the time we got back to the motel, too late and too tired to try out my new swimsuit in the indoor pool.

Saturday morning we drove the twenty miles back to Unionville for the all-school reunion.  When Mr. B was in high school it was known as UHS, Unionville High.  The gym is the only thing remaining of that school.

The new school is now the only one in the entire county and has a section for elementary school, another for middle school, and another for high school and is named Putnam County R-1.  The elementary school shares the building but is otherwise separate.  I believe the middle and high schools share the common room, the auditorium and the athletic fields.  The mascot is The Midgets which has led to some controversy lately.  However, I don't think they will be changing it anytime soon.

Lunch was served in the Commons and was quite good, as it always is.

 Saturday afternoon we all gathered in the auditorium for a welcome and updates about the school.  The various classes were introduced - there were even some graduates of Class of 1939.  After that, we were entertained by the Imboden family.  They are well known for their religious and old-time music.  Really enjoyed this, especially the sing-alongs.

The evening festivities were due to start in the courthouse square about six pm so we had some time to kill.  Didn't want to drive back to Centerville, so I bullied Mr. B into walking around town.  I didn't tell him, but my plan was to walk to the cemetery.  His great great grandmother and her second husband are buried there.  This time we couldn't find her stone but we did find his.

The cemetery is only a few blocks from the square but the temperature, even in late afternoon, was in the upper 90s and the humidity was way up there too, so we were really dragging by the time we finished.

So we set up our chairs and bought a couple of "walking tacos", another food item new to me.  Very good and easy to eat wherever.  Must try this out on the grandchildren.  Dessert was homemade ice cream.

A little later we joined a group tour of the courthouse clock.  One of the locals, a member of the Rotary Club, has learned how to maintain it and is now passing along his expertise to some younger folks.  So we can expect the clock to continue to run for a long time.

Clock Mechanism Putnam County MO Courthouse

The third floor courtroom is quite impressive.  It is easy to imagine some very serious matters being considered here in past times.  The spectator area has a floor that slopes upwards so that people in the back can see the action.

Bench, Jury area and Counsel table

We had planned to spend the evening listening to the band play and possibly dancing, but once again old age prevailed and we decided to head back to Centerville and a good night's sleep.

Road Trip 2015 Day 8

Bella Vista, AR to Ankeny, IA

Heading north through Missouri and Iowa to visit Mr. B's cousin near Des Moines.  She lives in an Independent Living apartment building with her Bichon Frise.
But on the way we stopped for gas in Lamar, MO and there, right across the street, was a quilt shop!

http://www.quiltingqueenonline.com/

This time I didn't have to scream.  So far I hadn't asked to stop at any quilt shops.  They had a very good selection.  I did think that their fat quarters were a little overpriced at $3 per, so I bought two yards at $8.99 and 9.99 each.  I wonder if this is their strategy.  Anyway, I'm happy with a yard of white on white and one of pale violet.  For souvenirs I try to buy neutrals because that is what my stash lacks.

Mr. B and Ginger

For dinner we went to Fong's Pizza, definitely a different experience!  Look for this idea to head west, unless it's already here and I just don't know about it, given my small-town life.

desmoinesregister.com

We ordered three pizzas:  Hunan Pork, Sesame Chicken, and Loaded Potato.  I wasn't too crazy about the Hunan Pork (too sweet for my taste) but I really liked the other two.  Especially the potato.  Not too much of a surprise given my propensity for anything starchy and white that grows underground.  This really opened my eyes to all kinds of pizza possibilities.

Road Trip 2015 Days 6-7

Bella Vista, AR

Monday morning we drove about two hours north to visit with Mr. B's cousin and his wife.  They also have a dog, Chewy, but we didn't get any photos this time.
This area is the worldwide headquarters of Walmart and on our last visit six years ago all the talk was of the art museum that a Walmart heiress was building.

crystalbridges.org

The architecture and gardens are quite beautiful; parking and admission are free, except for special exhibits.  The day we were there, they had Jamie Wyeth and Andy Warhol exhibits.  So of course we had to see those. We did get a photo of Andy Warhol's stuffed Great Dane. 

"Cecil" was not really Warhol's dog; he bought already stuffed. 

I also took this photo of Jamie Wyeth's dog Kleberg.  I read that Wyeth drew the circle around the dog's eye to make him look like the dog on The Little Rascals.

By the way, on our drive from Alma to Bella Vista we noticed that one of our rear tires was a little low.  So as soon as we arrived, Mr. B and cousin took it to a tire shop where, sure enough, they found a nail in it.  Fortunately they were able to patch it and it only cost us a few dollars.  I had my last car for 15 years and never had a flat; this one is six months old and we have had three punctures and one blow-out.  Sure hope this isn't a pattern.

Road Trip 2015 Days 4 and 5

Alma, AR

330 miles across Oklahoma.  We are definitely east of the Dry Line, everything is so green and lush, rolling hills.

We arrived at my brother's house in the early afternoon.  So good to see him and my sister-in-law for the first time in six years. They have a lovely house in the country, with a pond, a barn, and a large field for the horse and donkey to enjoy.  The fenced-in garden around the house now has a chicken yard with 5 hens.

 They still have three dogs, but Betsy is the only one remaining from our last visit.  Daisy and Sammy are new but treated us like we were old friends.

We only had two days here so we didn't do any sightseeing this time.  We did go out for dinner at the Cracker Barrel on Sunday afternoon.  And there was a pretty good thunder storm on Sunday night.

Road Trip 2015 Day 3

Grants, NM to El Reno, OK

High desert, amazing rock formations in New Mexico.  

We crossed into Texas early afternoon.  Mile after mile of wind turbines to the north of I-40.

loe.org

About half an hour later we were in Vega TX where we spent the night on our last southern road trip.  Too early to stop but not too early for Mr. B to have his first Dairy Queen Blizzard.  In fact, we even had lunch - DQ Dude, which is a chicken fried steak sandwich. Mighty good!

Dairy Queen in Vega TX

Back on the road towards Oklahoma City.  However we were now in the Central Time Zone and it had been a long day, so we decided to stop for the night in El Reno, just west of OK City.  Makes more sense to tackle big city traffic early on a Saturday morning rather than evening commute on a Friday, especially when we are already tired.

Road Trip 2015 Day 2

Needles, CA to Grants, NM
The day started off well.  The tires were replaced and we were on the road by 10am, heading through the desert towards Arizona.

However, about two hours down the road we had a phone call from Jeff the Tire Guy.  When he picked us up at the motel that morning, we put our luggage in the back of his pickup.  But when we off-loaded the luggage to our car, somehow Mr. B's briefcase got left behind. There was much discussion about what to do but, since it didn't contain anything especially valuable or necessary for the trip, we decided to alter our return trip plans and pick it up on the way home.  Please don't ask why he even took it along in the first place.
We didn't stop until we reached Williams AZ where we found a Safeway and took a comfort break.  What a difference when we stepped out of the car!  No more desert heat, just cool and fresh.

Our next stop was Winslow AZ.  Do you remember the Eagles song?

www.thetravelempire.com

We stopped for lunch at a restaurant on the eastern edge of town.  The less said about that the better.

On to New Mexico where we crossed the Continental Divide, changed to Mountain time, and found a room at the Holiday Inn Express in Grants. We weren't very hungry after the meal in Winslow and there weren't any restaurants within walking distance, so we ate a snack bar and called it a night.

Road Trip 2015 Day 1

 Home to Needles, CA

 Mr. B's high school is a small one and, since 2000, they have had an all-school reunion over the Labor Day weekend.  We flew back in 2009 but other things got in the way the next few years, one of which was my Oldsmobile losing its driver's side AC and the GM dealer wanting $1000 just to look at it.  Not gonna happen with a twelve year old car.

 http://www.putnamcountyr1.net/

 We flew back in 2014, first time we had flown since just after 9/11.  Not a good experience.  Anyway, Mr. B finally bought me a new car in January so we decided it was high time we took a road trip.

I had my final post-cataract surgery appointment on Aug 24 so we decided to start our trip the next day, Tuesday Aug 25.  But you know what they say about the best laid plans...
Sunday evening my eye started to hurt, and got worse as the night wore on.  At this point I was thinking we might have to delay the trip.
The next morning it was diagnosed as inflamed, probably due to stopping the steroid drops too soon.  The doctor gave me an anti-inflammatory eye drop prescription and told me to start the steroids again.  The good news is that the pain went away very quickly, the bad news is that he wanted to look at it again the next afternoon.  Well, we could still rearrange our schedule to start a day later.  But when I saw the doctor Tuesday afternoon he said he needed to look at again Wednesday morning.

We took a chance that he would release me then and we would just get a later start, so we took Smokey Joe to the boarding facility in Salinas and told them that if things didn't go well with the eye doctor, we might have to pick him up after one night.  Smokey needs thyroid meds twice a day so didn't want to trust him to a pet sitter. 

Big Red has an automatic food dispenser and a water jug, so we figured he would be okay with our daughter checking on him twice a week.  Plus he has been known to do his own shopping.

Wednesday morning the eye doctor released me and we were on the road by 10am.  We stopped a few times to stretch our legs and added fuel in Newberry Springs on I-40.
 About 20 miles west of Needles, CA we ran into some road debris.  Missed the large piece of tire but couldn't avoid a smaller piece and blew a tire. 

While I was on the phone with AAA I noticed that another tire had a nail in it, so they sent out a flatbed truck to haul us in to Needles.  Of course the tire shop didn't have the right size tires, so they ordered them and drove us to a motel for the night.
Not a great start to the trip but at least we are on our way.

Still Alive

I'm not going to try to catch up on the last 14 months all at once but I am going to try to keep up from now on.

We picked this basket full of absolutely beautiful green peppers.  Several went to our daughter and I am planning to roast the rest tomorrow.  They keep really well in the freezer.

The tomatoes keep on coming.  Cherry tomatoes as well as the larger ones.  We had our first Gazpacho of the summer last week.