Summer 2010: Colorado or Bust

7/30/10

Headed out at a quarter to noon, en route to Craters. Almost stayed another day in Hot Lakes ‘cause a former Navy Seal in the RV park was going to go quadding in the foothills, but he bailed on us so we shipped out. It would have been very disappointing not to get closer to Rose. I’m not sure about her army obligation on Saturday, almost want to roll in too late. I won’t get to talk to her if she’s with her friends and recruiter.



The land is so flat and open here. No snow on the mountains, but they are blue in the hazy distance. Passed a homemade wooden cross on the highway. In white paint, it said, “MARCE”, and there were flowers.

2 pm

We stopped at a choke n puke called Love’s, but we couldn’t pull up the gas station, so we went around back, let the dogs out (Brodie promptly peed, and Copper peed on her. ON HER.), and were going to go eat, but it wasn’t the place we thought, so we pressed on to the Idaho border and stopped at Sage Diner.



The heat is excruciating, made worse by Mom commenting on it, and Aspen being a butt. We’re probably going through Boise during rush hour, but we’re 3 hours out of Craters, so we’re pushing on. On I-84, back in Oregon, we passed The Hungry Redneck Café, where we ate a few years ago on the way to Utah over Christmas break, but we didn’t stop. Road work in Boise.

I can’t recall precisely the reason for our world’s longest night. All I know is that, amid much familial hostility, we rushed through Craters to get to Arco on the other side, where we pulled into the first RV park off the road. It was about 10 o’clock local time, but it only felt like nine to us. We’re staying two nights here, to fix our various organizational problems and such. Also, we are all feeling the wear of driving four or five hundred miles a day, so it will be good to hold still for a while.



Today, the 31st, is Saturday, and we’re not making it to Rose’s until tomorrow at the earliest. Mom and I will clean the trailer (probably later, because the 5,000 foot altitude is making Mom sick) and we’ll plan the rest of the trip. We’re all suffering in this heat. It was 103 going through Boise. We’re seriously considering seeing Rose, then heading north to Seeley Lake, Montana, The boys are quadding finally, and mom is laying on the couch, attempting not to die. I’m online, YouTubing, typing and blogging! How exciting. It’s 2 o’clock and the heat today isn’t so bad.

Thunder and lightning at about 3 am. Dad woke me up to watch. It was beautiful. I miss lightning. The thunder was so deep. I’m glad Dad woke me up for it.