Four states - one day
Travel time: 8
hours
Distance covered: 402.1 miles
Current location: 37º 2' N 113º 31' W (St. George, UT)
Current time and temperature: 10:55 pm • 31ºF
Distance covered: 402.1 miles
Current location: 37º 2' N 113º 31' W (St. George, UT)
Current time and temperature: 10:55 pm • 31ºF
We got a late start - kinda par for the course, I
think. I had grossly overpacked and had to ditch some stuff with my parents,
and so did Wendy. I pack like a girl. If I have to choose between three
different shirts, I'll take them all "just in case". I didn't get the roof rack
to close until just after 1. We left at about 1:30. The goodbyes were short as
the best ones always are. "Okay, then... we'll see you in February." "Just
take it easy on the road, and we'll talk to you tonight." Brief, punchy pieces
of advice that are always redundant even though they're well-intended and well
wishes that lack any direct acknowledgement of what you're embarking on.
Consequently, it hasn't even really hit me yet that we're moving; it just feels
like a long road trip.
I wondered early on if we were ever going to get out of California. I hadn't eaten anything at all, so the minute we left my parents', it was straight to Jack in the Box. Again, the Ultimate cheeseburger is the only thing I can eat while I'm driving, and I didn't want to stop after having travelled all of three blocks. By Chatsworth, 5 or 6 miles later, we had to stop again. Finally, we hopped on the 118 to get to the 405 to take us to the 5 and on to the 14 which leads to the 138, then connecting with the 18. That was the first two hours. After that (and from here on out), it's the 15 all the way until Canada where it goes through a number change after we cross the border. Graham cried for a lot of the way, started about Victorville, and then Heather joined in. We ended up stopping for dinner at Baker around about 5:30. I wasn't hungry and couldn't stomach anymore greasy food, but I ate anyway.
We reached the Nevada border at about 7 and blew straight through Vegas about forty minutes later. It's always depressing passing through Vegas without stopping - I've only ever managed it once before - but I've got three rules about Vegas:
1. Only stop if you have the time to spend.
2. Never go if you don't have the money.
3. Absolutely no kids!
I'd have broken all three of my rules, so I didn't even consider stopping. Everyone was asleep, anyway.
A little before 9, we hit Arizona. They have a very helpful "Welcome to Arizona" sign that reminds you you're now in Mountain time. I had hoped to make it to Cedar City, Utah before finding a hotel, but suddenly, it was 10... so we pressed on through the canyon pass - 35 miles of gorgeous scenery that means absolutely nothing in the dark - until we hit the border, and now here we are, only just inside Utah in a town called St. George. There's an incredibly lavish Mormon temple up on the hill and there seems to be a lot of light industry around but other than that, I'm not getting much of a feeling from the place. I don't imagine there's a shortage of family restaurants and buffet houses, though. It's always interesting to get a hotel room in a strange place at night and then find out just how off the mark you were about it when you wake up in the morning and can see where you are.
Tomorrow, I'm hoping we can make it to Malad City, Idaho. Utah is a strange place - I'd like to pass through it quickly before anything bizarre happens to us. Malad City is 405 miles from here, so that's perfect. 400 miles a day puts us in Edmonton by Thursday.
My camera was inaccessible through the entire drive, but I snapped a few pictures with my cell phone camera.
Our first stop - Victory and Fallbrook - three blocks closer to Canada.
Expect another picture of this from Canada - in Centigrade and sub-zero!
Really rolling now - Topanga and Sherman Way near the Scotland Yard pub.
Spoke too soon! Our next stop - Time Warner offices, Chatsworth.
Graham's first flip-out moment.
Now we're getting somewhere. It all starts here, really.
My favourite hotel in Vegas as seen from the 15 northbound at 80 mph.
Heather makes herself at home in the Comfort Inn, St. George, Utah
I wondered early on if we were ever going to get out of California. I hadn't eaten anything at all, so the minute we left my parents', it was straight to Jack in the Box. Again, the Ultimate cheeseburger is the only thing I can eat while I'm driving, and I didn't want to stop after having travelled all of three blocks. By Chatsworth, 5 or 6 miles later, we had to stop again. Finally, we hopped on the 118 to get to the 405 to take us to the 5 and on to the 14 which leads to the 138, then connecting with the 18. That was the first two hours. After that (and from here on out), it's the 15 all the way until Canada where it goes through a number change after we cross the border. Graham cried for a lot of the way, started about Victorville, and then Heather joined in. We ended up stopping for dinner at Baker around about 5:30. I wasn't hungry and couldn't stomach anymore greasy food, but I ate anyway.
We reached the Nevada border at about 7 and blew straight through Vegas about forty minutes later. It's always depressing passing through Vegas without stopping - I've only ever managed it once before - but I've got three rules about Vegas:
1. Only stop if you have the time to spend.
2. Never go if you don't have the money.
3. Absolutely no kids!
I'd have broken all three of my rules, so I didn't even consider stopping. Everyone was asleep, anyway.
A little before 9, we hit Arizona. They have a very helpful "Welcome to Arizona" sign that reminds you you're now in Mountain time. I had hoped to make it to Cedar City, Utah before finding a hotel, but suddenly, it was 10... so we pressed on through the canyon pass - 35 miles of gorgeous scenery that means absolutely nothing in the dark - until we hit the border, and now here we are, only just inside Utah in a town called St. George. There's an incredibly lavish Mormon temple up on the hill and there seems to be a lot of light industry around but other than that, I'm not getting much of a feeling from the place. I don't imagine there's a shortage of family restaurants and buffet houses, though. It's always interesting to get a hotel room in a strange place at night and then find out just how off the mark you were about it when you wake up in the morning and can see where you are.
Tomorrow, I'm hoping we can make it to Malad City, Idaho. Utah is a strange place - I'd like to pass through it quickly before anything bizarre happens to us. Malad City is 405 miles from here, so that's perfect. 400 miles a day puts us in Edmonton by Thursday.
My camera was inaccessible through the entire drive, but I snapped a few pictures with my cell phone camera.
Our first stop - Victory and Fallbrook - three blocks closer to Canada.
Expect another picture of this from Canada - in Centigrade and sub-zero!
Really rolling now - Topanga and Sherman Way near the Scotland Yard pub.
Spoke too soon! Our next stop - Time Warner offices, Chatsworth.
Graham's first flip-out moment.
Now we're getting somewhere. It all starts here, really.
My favourite hotel in Vegas as seen from the 15 northbound at 80 mph.
Heather makes herself at home in the Comfort Inn, St. George, Utah
Posted: Sun - December 11, 2005 at 10:55 PM
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Published On: Dec 12, 2005 12:11 AM
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Published On: Dec 12, 2005 12:11 AM