JOURNAL ENTRY:
Wednesday
March
22nd 2017
Today
we are trekking into Utah. Sagebrush and juniper trees line the
horizon. We cruise at about 65 mph, or I should say, Steve cruises at
that speed. I tend to go a little faster when I'm at the wheel. We
are just about to the Utah border. And ta da... we are now in Utah.
109 miles to Salt Lake City. There, we are headed to Camping World to
pick up a few supplies:
-Shower
curtain extender
-That
waterproof shower curtain we need
-Thermometer
for the fridge (to make sure food is at the right temp/to prevent
food poisoning)
-and
possibly a bunk bed guard so Alex can sleep on the top bunk without
rolling off = broken arm
Yesterday,
we made a stop at Costco to buy me a new cell phone. My phone has
been on the fritz for a few months and I finally caved and jumped
ship from Ting (totally love that carrier- they piggy back on
Sprint). I would have stayed with Ting, but I don't have the time to
wait for a phone to be shipped. So, I am now on Verizon's network and
have a new phone. Yes, friends, I will see all your text messages
now. Hooray!
I
am surprised at how well the dogs are traveling. Titus chills up
front by us, and Willow (the table dancing dog) likes to hop back and
forth between the couch where Alex sits and the side of the dinette
that is across from Sierra. Ever since we've had Willow, she barks
at shadows, reflections, and lights. So, as we cruise, if a metal
object catches sunlight- it's all barks and jumping around the RV. I
feel for the girl. It sucks to be frightened of something, but
really, it's super annoying to have to turn around and try to catch
her and get her to chill out. Alex is fantastic with her. She
responds so well to him and she's truly his dog.
The
kids both caught a cold but are holding up really well. As soon as we
reach southern Utah, our travel days will stop and we will be doing
short drives to reach destinations. I'm looking forward to the red
rocks and blue skies of the Southwest.
Before
starting this trip, I wondered if it would be a bit of a transition
going from house to on the road living. Surprisingly, the transition
was super quick & I feel like we've been doing this for years. I
also think that having years of experience with the trailer helped
prepare us. We know what foods are easy to pack, prepare, and cook.
We finally are carrying truly only what we need. It's the little
adjustments that have made a huge difference. From buying the REI
backpacking towels that are quick dry vs regular towels, to planning
simple meals.
What's
in our fridge?
Bags
of salad, fresh fruit, cheeses, meats, and assorted condiments (salad
dressing, mayo, mustard)
What's
in our freezer?
Costco
beef, Alex's favorite chicken skewers, chicken nuggets, Sierra's
frozen pancakes, and rotisserie chicken (Did you know Costco sells
the meat in bulk vs just on the bone? This is a score for us, as
Sierra is super selective about what she eats.)
Update:
We are changing today's route a bit. Before SLC, we are stopping at
Golden Spike National Monument to see where the Union and Central
Pacific Railroads joined at Promontory Summit, Utah. Alex's class was
studying this before leaving for our trip, so we are super excited to
check it out!
10:15
PM
Taking
the detour to Promontory was AWESOME! We ditched the supply plan and instead took the road less traveled and headed off the highway. Best choice ever.
First, we spotted what looked like missiles next to a large building. Turns
out that we discovered Orbital ATK- where NASA's rocket boosters, and
engines are made for missiles. We managed to navigate our way into
their parking lot and hopped out to explore their 'Rocket Garden'.
The display was HUGE and kind of took my breath away. There is so
much that we have in this world to “protect” us, but it also
seems a bit scary to me at the same time. The kids, and Steve, loved
it!
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On
the way up the road to Golden Spike National Historic Site, Alex shared what he knew about Promontory Summit, as he'd been
studying this in school. When we arrived at the site, we all watched a history video, and
walked to the site where the last spike was driven into the railroad
on May 10th, 1869.
Alex is excited to send his friends
an email about all he learned
Again,
as I stood there, looking out at the open land, I thought about what
life was like for the Native Americans. The landscape at the site is probably much like it was back in the day. Incredible to think about how the American
West was forever changed with the construction and completion of this
Transcontinental Railroad. Tens of millions of buffalo were
slaughtered and the lives of countless Native Americans were lost, while westward expansion literally exploded overnight with the trains. The prairie schooner method of travel suddenly became a way of the past.
As
people traveled West, Promontory became a notorious boomtown with
hotels, saloons, tents, shops, and gambling. One newspaperman of the
time noted that, “4,900 feet above sea level, though theologically
speaking, if we interpret scripture literally, it ought to have been
49,000 feet below that level, for it certainly was for its size,
morally nearest to the infernal regions of any town on the road.”
Interesting
side note... did you know that in 1942, the line through Promontory
was completely abandoned to supply military installations with steel?
I
love how just yesterday we were standing on the Oregon Trail &
today we were at Promontory Summit. The kids made the connections and
really got it!
Woo wee! We
just pulled in to Yuba State Park in Utah. We were planning on
pulling into an RV campground off the highway, but did not like the
feeling. Honestly, it felt a bit sketchy so we continued on down a
different path. Thankfully the campground is open. Since it's only
late March, we weren’t sure what our options were for tonight. It
is all part of the adventure. Tomorrow it will be fun to wake up and
see what it looks like outside. When I opened the door upon our
arrival I could smell those Juniper trees and desert air I've been
dreaming of... I am home ♡
