Jul 16, 2009

Road Trip!

Nancy and I just got back from a 1,800 mile road trip to California for Nancy’s nephew’s (Michael Reed) wedding. On Thursday we drove ~12 hours to Sacramento, CA. We checked into our hotel and then went to visit with the Lopez family. (Nancy’s sister Anne and her family.) The next morning we drove about an hour to Novato where the wedding was going to take place at the Inn Marin on Highway 101. Nancy’s nephews Ryan (14) and Joey (10) Lopez rode with us and we had fun visiting with them. Ryan reminds us a lot of our son Shawn—very funny and handsome. They have a similar look—very Davis/Scottish. After we checked into our hotel we took Ryan and Joey to Muir Beach on the ocean north of the bay. As soon as we arrived the boys decided they wanted to climb the mountain south of the beach—and off they went. Nancy said, “I’m sitting here on the beach” and she did. So I followed the boys up the mountain. Since we live at 5,000 feet above sea level I figured I could keep up with the little California punks just fine. And I did keep up with them—every time they stopped and waited for me. I huffed and puffed my way up the mountain (it was really just a large steep hill) while they ran circles around me. We finally reached the top and I thought we should sit and enjoy the view and the wind blowing off the ocean (while I caught my breath). Ryan said, “I’m running all the way down!” and Joey said, “Me too!” and off they went. I finally caught up to them down on the beach and we chased crabs and played on the beach. Ryan started chasing Joey with a crab and Joey tripped and fell in the water and his clothes got soaked. He wasn’t very happy but I got it all on video and it was pretty funny. We drove back up to Novato for the rehearsal dinner and an evening of visiting with family and wedding guests. Mike and Donna actually got married a year ago by a justice of the peace so this was a show wedding. Everyone (except the Davis Clan) was drinking pretty heavily but no one got fall down drunk or too loud and obnoxious. On Saturday morning we went into San Francisco for a few hours. I drove with Nancy, her sister Bunny, and her parents Ron and Margaret Davis in our car. Margaret had never been to San Francisco. We went to the Japanese Tea Garden, Lombard Street, Pier 39, and Fisherman's Warf. We saw several street performers and we watched the sea lions for awhile. We had lunch at Fisherman's Grotto and then we had to drive back up to Novato to get ready for the wedding. The wedding was nice. About two dozen people were there. It was an outdoor wedding under a big magnolia tree in a park area behind the Inn. Donna's family is Scottish as well so the music was performed by a bagpiper in full Scottish garb. The ceremony was very simple and it was conducted by a female minister. Joey was the ring bearer and there was a cute little flower girl from Donna’s family as well. After the wedding ceremony the drinking started up again and went until dinner started. At dinner there was champagne for toasts and wine with the meal—we drank water (in case you were worried). We were there talking and dancing until bedtime. The next day we drove Ryan and Joey back to Sacramento and stayed there for about an hour visiting with Anne, Jesus, Ron, and Margaret. Then we drove to South Lake Tahoe and stopped there for dinner and a walk along the beach. It's a beautiful area. We drove the back roads through Carson City Nevada, Reno, and then on to Winnemucca where we spent the night. Before we left town we stopped for gas at a Maverik station in Winnemucca and got a heck of a deal. As I started to pump the gas I noticed the pump price was $.65 per gallon. I knew that couldn’t be right. I checked the other side of the pump and it showed $.67 per gallon. I walked over to the next pump and it showed $2.65 and that matched the price on the station’s sign. After I filled up the tank (12 gallons for $8.00) I went in and told the store manager about the $.65 price and offered to pay her the correct price. She said, “It’s your lucky day. I set the price on the pump wrong.” I was also buying a liter bottle of soda for the road and when I handed it to her to ring up she said, “That will be $10.” The next morning we drove the back roads again north though Nevada up to Idaho. While driving between Wild Horse Reservoir and Duck Valley (we saw no horses or ducks) we came across hordes of Mormon crickets crossing the road. At first there were just a few, then a lot, . . . then millions of them. They were all over the road and it was stained a reddish brown with their squashed bodies. We could hear them pop as our tires rolled over them. The smell was noxious and the tires and car got covered with cricket slime. It was pretty gross! Nancy was driving and she was freaking out as we drove through the worst of the swarms. We entered Idaho in the southwest corner at Duck Valley and then drove the back roads northeast across the state through Mountain Home, Camas Valley, past Craters of the Moon National Monument, and into Arco. We had dinner at the Pickle Place in Arco, a quaint little small-town cafe. Then east across the Arco desert, past Idaho National Laboratory (INL nuclear test facilities) and back to Idaho Falls. Except for the crickets (and parts of northern Nevada) it was a beautiful drive.