Dan and I have arrived in Winnemucca for the evening and may actually fall off the vegetarian wagon for the amazing Basque food that is so popular here.
Pictures and stories from Salt Lake City and our tour of Temple Square will up sometime tonight but for now...
- It's amazing how tan you can get just driving in a car all day. Dan and I have strikingly dark tans, and my hair hasn't been this blonde since birth.
- Can someone remind me how hay can become so flamable? I was wondering this as we passed hay trucks on our journey, and I thought back to my Girl Scout camp days of lugging hay to and from barns.
- Are the South Park guys really conservative or are they just making fun of how ridiculus American society really has become?
- Are Mormons really as happy as they seem because they live a life abstaining from addictive stimulants like caffeine and nicotine?
- Life on the road can make you feel fairly stupid in a way. It becomes difficult to remember exactly what day it is, to think beyond "Does this exit have peanut M&Ms?" and find: gas, coffee, food, bathroom, bed for the night. Repeat again. Dan and I need t oget our verbal and written acts together before we have job interviews on Monday and Tuesday. Something tells me our potential employers would not find it so professional if we answered a question with, "Huh? Coffee? What? Shower now?"
Saturday, June 30, 2007
And Butter Lamb Makes Three
Before we post about yesterday's travels across Wyoming and into Salt Lake City, we want to wish Scott our best wishes moving into his new apartment today and wish Destiny a belated happy birthday.
After a make-it-yourself Belgium waffle breakfast at our hotel in Casper, we drove down Interstate 25 and then onto Interstate 80 in Wyoming. Who says there's nothing to see in the middle of Wyoming?
Mmm... chili...
Maybe Butter Lamb wants to move to Buford instead.
Entering Utah, which is unbelivably gorgeous with its clay-colored hills and massive rocks, we needed gas. Spying a sign for gas, food, phone and services in a town named Echo, we pulled off the highway. The gas, food, phone and services were all provided by an elderly man named Frank (we think. It was the name on the gas station.) After pulling up to the gas station, we followed a sign "For gas, go to cafe" and found Frank at the cafe counter, a beer in hand. He then came down to the gas station, unlocked the pumped, pumped our gas, warned us of the Salt Lake City police and waved us on our way. Jen had to ask: "So how many people live in Echo?" Frank replied, "75 of us."
We're going to explore a bit of Salt Lake City today, especially the Morom Tabernacle and the actual lake itself. It's ironic to be driving through Utah with Massachusetts license plates given the former governor, Flip Flop Mitt, is running for president. Anyone else find it strange that a Mormon got elected in one of the bluest states of them all?
Our destination this evening, because we're too tired to drive all the way to Reno, is Winnemucca, Nevada. Thanks to Natalie, who we had no clue was a Winnemucca expert (because she's actually driven through and stayed there), we now know that Winnemucca is the home to more Basque restaurants than anywhere else in America and that somewhere along the way, well see signs for a town that is nicknamed the armpit of America. Nice.
After a make-it-yourself Belgium waffle breakfast at our hotel in Casper, we drove down Interstate 25 and then onto Interstate 80 in Wyoming. Who says there's nothing to see in the middle of Wyoming?
Mmm... chili...
Maybe Butter Lamb wants to move to Buford instead.
Entering Utah, which is unbelivably gorgeous with its clay-colored hills and massive rocks, we needed gas. Spying a sign for gas, food, phone and services in a town named Echo, we pulled off the highway. The gas, food, phone and services were all provided by an elderly man named Frank (we think. It was the name on the gas station.) After pulling up to the gas station, we followed a sign "For gas, go to cafe" and found Frank at the cafe counter, a beer in hand. He then came down to the gas station, unlocked the pumped, pumped our gas, warned us of the Salt Lake City police and waved us on our way. Jen had to ask: "So how many people live in Echo?" Frank replied, "75 of us."
We're going to explore a bit of Salt Lake City today, especially the Morom Tabernacle and the actual lake itself. It's ironic to be driving through Utah with Massachusetts license plates given the former governor, Flip Flop Mitt, is running for president. Anyone else find it strange that a Mormon got elected in one of the bluest states of them all?
Our destination this evening, because we're too tired to drive all the way to Reno, is Winnemucca, Nevada. Thanks to Natalie, who we had no clue was a Winnemucca expert (because she's actually driven through and stayed there), we now know that Winnemucca is the home to more Basque restaurants than anywhere else in America and that somewhere along the way, well see signs for a town that is nicknamed the armpit of America. Nice.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Random Thoughts From the Road
When you stare at the road for upwards of 12 hours a day, you start contemplating some crazy things:
- What is tar made out/composed of?
- Do aliens really exist?
- Why do hotels rarely provide you with towels that are barely large enough to fit the Olsen twins put together?
Anyway, we are on to Salt Lake City today. Did you know that the Salt Lake has more salt in it than the Dead Sea? And the Jeopardy king Ken Jennings hails from there?
- What is tar made out/composed of?
- Do aliens really exist?
- Why do hotels rarely provide you with towels that are barely large enough to fit the Olsen twins put together?
Anyway, we are on to Salt Lake City today. Did you know that the Salt Lake has more salt in it than the Dead Sea? And the Jeopardy king Ken Jennings hails from there?
Causing a Scene, Butter Lamb Style
Butterlamb is an attraction unto itself. Even at the base of one of our most famous national landmarks, Mount Rushmore. Butter Lamb was able to stop the hordes of tourists in their tracks. People gathered all around to witness Butter Lamb, and the two crackpots who have decided to carry a piece of butter around the country with them.
This is no lie. We got to the Mount Rushmore visitor center, cooler in hand. Given that it's pretty damn hot in South Dakota, we knew we had to act quickly. Butter Lamb emerged from the cooler, a bit soft, but so far unscathed. As we took pictures, a group of people approached us, asking the common questions one would ask if they came across two people holding a glob of butter and taking pictures of it. We explained the story. One lady asked "What's its name?" To which we replied, "Butter Lamb!"
Here's the proof.
And so now we bunk for the night in Casper Wyoming. We just ate at "Old Chicago" pizza. We did not offend our palates by eating Chicago style pizza. Wyoming is absolutely beautiful, and empty as hell. Sometimes back in Western Mass, we'd comment on how we lived in the sticks. HA! These are the real sticks, but they are just lovely. Here's a photo from the side of the road.
This is no lie. We got to the Mount Rushmore visitor center, cooler in hand. Given that it's pretty damn hot in South Dakota, we knew we had to act quickly. Butter Lamb emerged from the cooler, a bit soft, but so far unscathed. As we took pictures, a group of people approached us, asking the common questions one would ask if they came across two people holding a glob of butter and taking pictures of it. We explained the story. One lady asked "What's its name?" To which we replied, "Butter Lamb!"
Here's the proof.
And so now we bunk for the night in Casper Wyoming. We just ate at "Old Chicago" pizza. We did not offend our palates by eating Chicago style pizza. Wyoming is absolutely beautiful, and empty as hell. Sometimes back in Western Mass, we'd comment on how we lived in the sticks. HA! These are the real sticks, but they are just lovely. Here's a photo from the side of the road.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Butter Lamb Hits Wall Drug
It's been a big and fun morning for us and Butter Lamb. After being teased for hundreds of miles with their catchy billboards along side Interstate 90, we visited Wall Drug. Wall Drug is the home of free ice water, 5 cent coffee and more cheesy photo opportunities than Disney World. Here are the best shots:
Ride 'em cowboy.
No comment.
Jen on a jackalope.
Butter Lamb hearts Wall Drug
We'll hopefully be back with another post this evening from Casper, Wyoming with photos from Mount Rushmore. Let's just say Butter Lamb caused quite the stir...
Butter Lamb (Still) Lives!
I am happy to report that as we settle into our Motel 6 room in Wall, South Dakota for the evening after an epic drive from Galena, Illinois, Butter Lamb is still alive! A bit soft, a bit goopy, but still with us on our cross country journey. Since we left Erie, PA on Tuesday morning, here’s where we have traveled:
- A short jaunt through Pennsylvania along Lake Erie on Interstate 90.
- Interstate 90 through Ohio. Drove through Cleveland, moved luggage from the top of the car to inside because of windy and, shall we say, "unstable" conditions.
- Continued on Interstate 90 through Indiana. More wind, South Bend, roadside devices that warned of animals crossing the highway, lots of nothingness, played the “What’s that smell?” game.
- Just our luck, after driving trough Gay, IN and entering East Chicago, IL, we hit the aftermath of massive thunderstorms and the beginning of Chicago rush hour traffic. Interstate 90 loops literally through the middle of Chicago along with several other highways that merge in the most inconvenient places (and probably tore up a number of neighborhoods). We watched CTA trains zip by and taunt us, stared at the Sears Tower in front of us and after two hours, we made it through the cluster.
- What seemed like the best meal/dinner we had eaten in years was at a Denny’s outside of Rockford, IL. Denny’s is a road traveler’s paradise because it serves any of their burgers made with Boca burgers. We must have been the happiest customers the waitresses had seen all day.
- From Rockford, we looped onto Route 20, a more local route through northwest Illinois. As the sun was setting and dusk settled in, and the fireflies dotted the rolling farmland and hills, it all looked insanely gorgeous. The reason we headed onto this less traveled trail was to visit two baseball monuments of sorts: Galena, IL (mentioned above) and Dyersville, Iowa. Galena was the stand-in town for Chisholm, MN (the home of Doc "Moonlight" Graham) in Field of Dreams and Dyersville is the home of the actual baseball field and farm house. We had planned to spend the night in Duboque, IA, right across the Mississippi River and home of a river boat and caisnos, but instead found an oasis – The Irish Cottage Hotel. If you are ever on Route 20 in northwest Illinois and need a place to crash for the evening that includes an Irish pub, a pool (where we were joined by a very nice lady who told us "if you pray to God two times, it will come true") and hot tub, all the cable channels weary travelers want to flip through and a complimentary breakfast basket of sugary breakfast pastries and fruits… for $80… this is the place.
Butterlamb Concurs!
Today we made the pilgrimage to the Field of Dreams site, crossing the Mississippi River from Illinois into Iowa. It was very odd to suddenly hear the radio stations change from W to K as their first letters...
Here are the photos from the actual field, and Butter Lamb was feeling good enough to make an appearance.
And yeah, Dan and I were there, too.
We then headed to Mason City, IA where we discovered delicious vegetarian sandwiches and a Barack Obama 2008 office, then drove up Interstate 35 onto Interstate 90 into Minnesota where Dan paid tribute to Bob Dylan by playing Highway 61. Minnesota was a lot of flat, windy farm land. With huge turbine wind mills!
We finally made it into South Dakota, and Butter Lamb wanted to take a look around a rest stop that featured a faux teepee.
South Dakota, as barren as Interstate 90 makes it look, is extremely beautiful, especially the hills surrounding the land around the Missouri River. Wall is certainly touristy (thank you, Wall Drug, which we are extremely excited to explore tomorrow morning before we head out to the Badlands and Mount Rushmore.)
- A short jaunt through Pennsylvania along Lake Erie on Interstate 90.
- Interstate 90 through Ohio. Drove through Cleveland, moved luggage from the top of the car to inside because of windy and, shall we say, "unstable" conditions.
- Continued on Interstate 90 through Indiana. More wind, South Bend, roadside devices that warned of animals crossing the highway, lots of nothingness, played the “What’s that smell?” game.
- Just our luck, after driving trough Gay, IN and entering East Chicago, IL, we hit the aftermath of massive thunderstorms and the beginning of Chicago rush hour traffic. Interstate 90 loops literally through the middle of Chicago along with several other highways that merge in the most inconvenient places (and probably tore up a number of neighborhoods). We watched CTA trains zip by and taunt us, stared at the Sears Tower in front of us and after two hours, we made it through the cluster.
- What seemed like the best meal/dinner we had eaten in years was at a Denny’s outside of Rockford, IL. Denny’s is a road traveler’s paradise because it serves any of their burgers made with Boca burgers. We must have been the happiest customers the waitresses had seen all day.
- From Rockford, we looped onto Route 20, a more local route through northwest Illinois. As the sun was setting and dusk settled in, and the fireflies dotted the rolling farmland and hills, it all looked insanely gorgeous. The reason we headed onto this less traveled trail was to visit two baseball monuments of sorts: Galena, IL (mentioned above) and Dyersville, Iowa. Galena was the stand-in town for Chisholm, MN (the home of Doc "Moonlight" Graham) in Field of Dreams and Dyersville is the home of the actual baseball field and farm house. We had planned to spend the night in Duboque, IA, right across the Mississippi River and home of a river boat and caisnos, but instead found an oasis – The Irish Cottage Hotel. If you are ever on Route 20 in northwest Illinois and need a place to crash for the evening that includes an Irish pub, a pool (where we were joined by a very nice lady who told us "if you pray to God two times, it will come true") and hot tub, all the cable channels weary travelers want to flip through and a complimentary breakfast basket of sugary breakfast pastries and fruits… for $80… this is the place.
Butterlamb Concurs!
Today we made the pilgrimage to the Field of Dreams site, crossing the Mississippi River from Illinois into Iowa. It was very odd to suddenly hear the radio stations change from W to K as their first letters...
Here are the photos from the actual field, and Butter Lamb was feeling good enough to make an appearance.
And yeah, Dan and I were there, too.
We then headed to Mason City, IA where we discovered delicious vegetarian sandwiches and a Barack Obama 2008 office, then drove up Interstate 35 onto Interstate 90 into Minnesota where Dan paid tribute to Bob Dylan by playing Highway 61. Minnesota was a lot of flat, windy farm land. With huge turbine wind mills!
We finally made it into South Dakota, and Butter Lamb wanted to take a look around a rest stop that featured a faux teepee.
South Dakota, as barren as Interstate 90 makes it look, is extremely beautiful, especially the hills surrounding the land around the Missouri River. Wall is certainly touristy (thank you, Wall Drug, which we are extremely excited to explore tomorrow morning before we head out to the Badlands and Mount Rushmore.)
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Our Life, In Eight By Seven and a Half Square Feet
We thought that this blog entry was going to be delayed because, surprise surprise, wireless access is not plentiful outside Erie, Pennsylvania… across the street from the 24 our fireworks, guns, knives and swords with a free sample of Jelly Belly jelly beans store and down the street from Splash Lagoon, the area’s finest indoor water park. I wish I was kidding. Dan and I have been contemplating two things: one, what special type of individuals would be visiting the aforementioned store at, let’s say, 3 a.m.; and two, would the employees at the aforementioned store be receptive if we asked to take a photo of the Butter Lamb in front of a cherry bomb display?
However, as we stopped for our second round of morning coffee at Krispy Kreme, Dan spotted a sign - free wireless access! Yes, we are blogging from inside a Krispy Creme.
We’ve only made it to Erie due to a late start (try 12:20 p.m.) from Northampton. Last night was spent doing some more collective pouring out of emotions, unexpected smooth tequila drinking on the porch with out upstairs neighbor, Neil, and more cleaning and packing. The morning was spent doing last minute cleaning, packing and ensuring our belongings would not collapse by securing them with four massive wood contraptions. It’s an extremely humbling experience to find that all you own and did not want to trash at the last minute fits into an eight by seven and a half square feet space and into a Subaru Forester. Anyway, the drive from Northampton to Erie was not very exciting. Lots of farm land and bad 80s music. And despite Dan’s pleas, we did not stop at Howe’s Cavern outside Cobleskill. Now we are happily sitting in our hotel room, watching Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel. And now, onward to Dyersville, Iowa, better known as the real-life Field of Dreams.
Monday, June 25, 2007
God Bless Our Northampton Posse
As New Englanders would put it, what a wicked awesome weekend. Our Northampton friends - Scooter, Natalie, Evan, Erin, Mike, Francis, Gabe, Sarah, Bill, Emily, Neil, Jill - have seen us off in style.
A Friday of packing, cleaning and running around was capped off with a hysterical show put on by the stylings of DON'T. Saturday was a mish mosh - held a tag sale with all the loons of Northampton stopping by; headed here for several hours; then swam in a beautiful swimming hole behind the Deerfield Academy.
We then ate delicious Southern BBQ; saw the lyrical stylings of OUCH; and saw the sun start to rise after what was deemed the after party to end all after parties. On Sunday, we finally ate lobster roles for the first time, courtesy of Webster's Fish Hook, then began the teadiness process of moving things no one wants to move, let alone arrange in to a neat and secured 8x8 square space in a trailer we won't see for two months.
Luckily, all the furniture, including the infamous 200 pound sleeper sofa, got into the truck (thanks Scooter, Natalie and Evan.) The visionary team work of Erin and Mike got everything Tetris-style into the space with room to spare, then Francis brought us much needed pizza for dinner (yeah, even though we have been eating massive high calorie meals lately, the pounds are coming off from moving box upon box and trash bag after trash bag to the dumpsters.)Now it's Monday morning, and it's really difficult to believe we're driving across the country starting today. Many tears were shed in the past days, and the waterworks will be on full blast today. We are hoping to make it to Indiana by tonight, so as Richard put it smooth sailing... with a steady wind at our backs. We'll be in touch tonight once we've landed.
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