I loved California. There was some confusion around San Fran, granted. But I really took to the area around Modesto. Warm weather, friendly people, rolling land. No humidity, hardly any bugs. I have great memories of California and will miss it,but look forward to coming back someday.
We left Lake Tahoe, avoiding California Highway Patrol, and headed back east.. Had a pretty nice drive. Before we left the campground, we met a great camp host family, Bob and Cathy.
They live in Arizona and are teachers. (God bless em for that) and they spent the summers camping in Lake Tahoe, so they became workampers there. Nice people. Now, Bob wants a diesel. Haha
After getting off on the wrong exit in Reno, and getting back on we managed to get straight again. I told the wife I was really wanting to get back on some open road and drive…..just drive and listen to XM and think. Haha.
So, finally we did. It’s amazing out here really. You can be driving along, it looks pretty flat, desolate, tumbleweeds, hot, dry..and in the distance you see some mountains with snow. Crazy beautiful. 
We had to stop for diesel at one place in Valmay, or something like that, I believe it’s where Stephen King either lives or stops for inspiration for horror novels. Picture this: No sign of civilization for many many miles, black birds or crows, swooping around the gravel parking lot, some shaved head dood with Devo glasses and lots of tattoos slowly riding his undersized bicycle around the parking lot. I walk in the combination café/bar/pool hall/grocery store/gas station. I believe it also functioned as the town hall, but I couldn’t see the judge…maybe that was him patrolling the parking lot on his bike.
Anyway, it was major creepy place inside; it smelt like pickles, and it was unsettling to see the full line of open bottles of alcohol behind the bologna counter. I paid for the diesel, and quickly used the Sinclair gas pumps to fuel up and we were off. As we left the empty parking lot, I swear that the black birds cawed, and the Devo dood stopped his bike to watch us drive back onto the interstate….I drove faster.
We camped overnite in the Double Dice RV park in Elko, Nevada. 
That was ok…nothing great. Had to pay for the very slow wifi separately, had to PAY for the showers! It came with two tokens for 15 minutes a piece. There were other parks around that looked a little more modern. But, a lot of gamblers all park here for one night. I’ve never camped in a campground that has a slot lounge. Haha.
We ate pizza from The Roundtable. Mmmmmmm..and bought Ghost Rider to watch in the camper. That was pretty horrific. Just very unexpectedly “evil”. Nothing like the comic books I remember. Anthony didn’t watch it, and left for his bunk, but the rest of us may not sleep for a month.
While we are out here driving, the biggest thing I get, on long drives, and in coming thru smaller towns, is freedom. Freedom to do what you want, build businesses that you dream about. Have homes that you dream about. Start new lives anywhere you want. This country is big enough for people to do what they want. It’s made up of so many different kinds of people, with so many different ways of life and gifts. Life is out there.
LIFE without parole is out here as well. We have found 2 or 3 penitentiaries out here in the desolate deserted areas. Those are always near the big signs that say "penitentary here, do not pick up hitchhikers” hmmmm, ok, good suggestion.
You see some funny stuff driving a long way. So far, we’ve been 3700 miles. I saw this truck coming up in the mirror with this Spiderman on the front. That was a photo op and Anthony grabbed it. Didn’t know if this woman loved Spiderman or was simulating running over him. Either way, it was funny to us. 
We spent last nite in a KOA in Pocatello Idaho. We are loving the land here in Idaho. Twin falls was a beautiful town to just drive thru. We crossed this big huge gorge that we wanted to stop and take a pic of, but they were doing bridge construction.
Also, we met some nice folks moving to Wyoming from East Los Angeles. This is Jim and Gina and their dog Chili.
They honestly were tired of the traffic, the rat race and life in general there, they said. I was impressed with how they made the move: they prayed long and hard for guidance, they found their church FIRST, job second and home third. Now that’s putting your priorities in the right order.
They are holding their dog, Chili. This dog is some sort of mix between a daschund and a wire haired terrier. It has spots on it like a border collie. It has four brown feet. ODDDDD looking lil animal, but she was very sweet and smart and you could not help but fall completely in love with her.
Overall, our family is doing ok, starting to show some signs of roadwear a little. Mostly in the lil boy. He said that he is missing the way the sun shines thru our living room window at home in the morning.
One way to roll the daughter outta bed is to let her hear a text come thru and keep the phone on the other end of the camper. BING, she’s outta bed instantly. And of course, it is one of those important texts that she gets from the president asking for her advice again.
I want to thank my sweet daughter for texting me after the Vegas parking lot incident. After it was finally done and the family was settled in the room on the 28th floor, I went back to the camper to take out stuff I thought might get lifted overnite. I was tired, frustrated, disappointed, hot, sweaty, stinky and just all around off the hook.
My cell phone deedled a text had arrived. I thought NOW WHAT! It was from my daughter and it made the whole thing better.
The text simply read:
"thank you daddy...we love you very much"
If I hadn't been so dehydrated from sweating while moving the camper in the 100 degree heat, I might have cried a tear....
We are headed to Yellowstone today.
More later…
Mark and co.
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