Road trip from California to Minnesota!

June, 2013

It has been way too since I have been on a road trip so I jumped at the chance to join my friend Delicate Flower on her trip from California to Minnesota.  Even though it was with a dog and a 9-month old, meaning we needed flexibility in this trip!  I planned it for 5 days, with no more than 7hrs of driving on any day.  Turns out that was about right-the baby hit hour 6 in the carseat and was DONE.  The rest of the time he was very good-sleeping, playing, eating, pooing-pretty standard really.

We followed the 80 all the way to Des Moines and turned north.  Here are some of the highlights.

Nevada is full of rocks

Nevada is also where baby was being changed at a gas station and something went wrong.  I only have the pictures in my head of me holding him in front of me, 30% covered in poo, DF pulling out all the wipes-ah good times!

Thank goodness for the Taco Time where we ate the potato oles.

The open sky and the mountain ranges on the way into Utah.

The Great Salt Lake of Utah-it is freaky to drive past because it is so vast.  When you go by, watch the side of the road where people have left messages with black rocks.  I'm assuming they are leftover from building the road since the rest of the area is so uniformly flat white.

Out one side of the car

and the other side.

We made it to Park City, Utah and had a nice hike with friends.  The landscape is a complete change from the salt lake which is less than an hour west.  Can you imagine being one of the pioneers trying to cross the mountains?  You finally make it across the plains.  You go up and up and up.  And on the other side is the endless white salt flats?  Uggh.  I can't believe so many people made it over.

Lots of wild flowers

 and a mountain stream

Little America, Wyoming was the best stop of day 3.  They started advertising $0.50 ice cream about 100 miles out.  Here is our motley crew posing with the statues-baby was happy for about 3 seconds and then wanted DOWN!  They had the best selection of toys, books and snacks.  Next time we are staying at their hotel.

I think Wyoming likes to mess with people-we passed the roads called Deeth Star, Beverly Hills and Shafter just before going through Independence Valley, where the prison is.

 Even though storms had been happening along our route the week before, this quick storm in Nebraska was the only rain we saw.  

Iowa has wind farms-how cool is that?  We even got to see 3 of the blades being transported via truck.  

And finally made it to Minnesota in the early afternoon of the 5th day-phew!

What did I learn?  I learned about rest stops!

Iowa also has the most number of rest stops although half of them are parking only-nice job being safe Iowa.  Nebraska tries, but is lacking trees, Wyoming has few, but made up for it with Little America.  Nevada has the worst, make sure to bring your tissues in with you-are they cheapskates?  And Minnesota has the best, with informational signs and sometimes even people to answer questions.