Day 55- Dec 29 Headed for CA

I have been driving for 10 hours, so bear with me. I'm a bit tired writing this.

Leaving Las Vegas...

GET ME OUT OF HERE!!! This place is a freaking mad house!! More claustrophobic than that pen full of cows. I went to get some breakfast and there was an hour wait everywhere I stopped so I just got a class of milk and had instant breakfast in the car.

My path out led me down wedding chapel lane and I couldn't help but notice what this sign said. "24-hour drive up wedding window!?!"


Can you imagine!!!!!? A drive through for weddings? What has our world come to?

I couldn't manage to get my way out of the state of Nevada. I was so focused on leaving that I never looked at the gas gauge. OOPS!! I had just crossed the California border when I looked down to see I was on the red. As I looked ahead, there was nothing but a sign that said, "Next services 47 miles."

Oh, I can't make that for sure. Gotta go back to Nevada. I took the next exit with no services and made a u-turn. It was about 5 miles back and I didn't know if I would make it.


I had to exercise my gas conservation techniques I had heard about from my grandfather years ago.

-Put the lead foot away and don't accelerate quickly. Get up to speed at a gentle and steady pace.

-Only go 55mph. This is when you get your best fuel economy, so there I was traveling on the freeway at 55mph, when the speed limit is 70. Too bad I didn't have a gray wig.


When I went to make the u-turn at the exit with no services, I had to stop and take a picture of the little bunny that looked like he was waiting for his bus...
Cute, huh!

Now that I had some gas...

Welcome to California!!! I don't know why I was wearing my jacket. It was hot and I had the air conditioner on in the car to stay cool. I think it is because I had so far to walk to get out of the hotel that I wore all that I could so I didn't have to carry it over my arm.

This next sign brought me to wonder if there is a requirement that they use all the letters in the alphabet on the exits and these were the unused ones!!

Welcome to the Mojave Desert. I was only on the edge, but still some amazing landscape. It was like a beach without water...

Then there were miles of NOTHING until I reached my favorite sight of all...

The sunset!!!

When I went to take this next picture, I merrily stepped out, walked over to the tree without looking down in detail and started snapping away. I was probably 50 feet from the car when I looked down and noticed the ground was cut like swiss cheese with snake holes. OH MY GOSH!!!!!!! Aaaaa... Ok, how do I get back to the car and not get bit!?! There were thousands of holes! The only thing I could think to do was stomp hard, thinking the vibration would keep them at bay and dance on my toes like the ground was on fire all the way back. I'm sure the people on the freeway could see me and wondered what in the world was that nut case doing out there.

I don't know if that kept them away or not, but I was happy to be back in my car without getting bit!! Now I see why nobody lives out here!!! The rest of the pictures were taken from INSIDE the car.

Ahhhh...

I had some vision that California would be crowded and populated with plenty of places to stop! WRONG!!! There was nothing all day!!! Gas stations were 150 miles apart and hotels were as rare as grass.

This gave me plenty of time to perfect my singing voice and learn the words to all the popular country songs. When I left on this trip, I only listened to country music every now and then, but now that I have experienced the lands they sing about, I love it!! Go figure!!!

I also had time to reflect on all the people I have met and the dating advice I have received.

Somehow, everyone knows I am single. I didn't say anything to most but I must have a single aura or something. Hmmm...

I have decided that I will only take dating advice from men because other women just see it like me, but men can give me some true insight.

I got a great deal of advice from everyone on the perfect man and these all came from men, so here's some tips for all you single ladies out there...

1- Teeth are a good thing!

2- Dad says if they have a house, car and job. That's a great start! He scrunched his nose at the idea of a cowboy!

3- Make sure they see you as a lady and do gentlemen things like open doors.

4- Tell the guy you want to sign up for a self improvement seminar and that you want him to come. If he goes, keep him.

5- Take him on a road trip, and if he lets you stop 500 times for pictures without getting upset, you're in good shape.

But my favorite is...

6- If he wags like a dog when he sees you, he's a keeper.

I am now settled about 90 miles south of San Francisco and find it rather strange that there is nothing for hundreds of miles and all jammed on one corner there is a Denny's, McDonalds, gas station, the hotel I'm in, and a truck parking lot.

Notice I added the truck parking lot! That's because it is next to my window and the walls are vibrating from the trucks engines running.

Good thing I sleep like a rock!! Good night!! :)