Wednesday, 10-June-2015

• There are a lot of miles ahead of me. I need to make it all the way to Yosemite, through the legendary Sierra Nevada mountain range. So I wake up early… very early. But I’m not the only one, it seems – Thomas is already out, and brings me a coffee as I’m packing up the car, which is freaking awesome. It’s nothing fancy, just from the front desk, but it’s a great gesture that makes me feel really nice, and definitely helps wake me up.
• And with that, I’m on the road by 7:30 with two burritos, some Blueberries, apples, water and coffee. I mean, what more could I ask for out of life? Yeah, I’m set – we’re good to go.

• It’s a long drive, covering a lot of ground. I’ve got a lot of time to cover it though, thanks to how early I got myself going. I drive through Vegas before it even starts to wake up… should I stop? Nah… In all honesty, I don’t really care about Vegas. The breakfast buffets call out to me, but I’ve got snacks and drinks. I’m good for a few hours. So I ignore the call, and keep the gas flowing to the engine.
• I run into a bit of an issue with route-finding… The GPS in the Mustang doesn’t like Google’s route one bit, and keeps trying to get me to change course. At the end of the day though, I trust Google more. So I shut off the cars navigation (Ed Note: I think the exact conversation was… “Use the Google, Ben! Turn off your targetting computer and trust in the Googles!”) and keep following Google.

• A theme to this trip so far has been that Massachusetts isn’t the only state with a ton of roadwork. Every state has a ton of roadwork. I literally haven’t gone more than a few hundred miles without the road loosing a lane, or some other annoying roadwork. In Nevada, it’s no different… this time though, it’s a serious thing. A 20minute long full-force stop. Seriously. Enough time for me to get out, chat with other drivers, and spin my staff for a bit before we start going again. The roadwork – sealing the road with new tar. So they close half of it down at any given time, and slowly drive a sprayer truck down the side. Yuck.
• One upside; The long and straight roads see me getting good gas milage…
• Drive past a USAF base – and I see my first UAV. Military. Is that… yep. I’m being overflown by a Predator drone. Or is it a Reaper? I don’t know. And I seriously really very much don’t want to know.
• FYI? The desert is really pretty. Like… Holy wow… so pretty! Blues, reds, white… the whole landscape is a tribute to the colors of the flag. It’s amazing, and I just stare and enjoy the ride as much as I can.
• But I keep gunning it, only making one real stop for my time. It’s in Bishop – a town in California that’s famous (in my mind) for some amazing rock climbing. But I only have so much time, and the climbing is a good hour out of my way… so I save it for another time. I do take a chance to really stop though – using the time to chill and get some internet in before officially giving up on bouldering there. Too bad, but I have to save something for next time, right?

And here is where this section leaves off. The day isn’t over yet, but for those who don’t know – Bishop is right near the gates of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. One of the most majestic and striking ranges that I’ve seen in my life. And since they tie in so well with the mountains of Yosemite (indeed, Yosemite is part of them!) I’ve chosen to keep that whole chapter together. So please see the next installation for more details!!!