Donner Lake – I’d simply not like to drive any further, and just spend the summer here!
This is not a road trip, it’s about transporting my vehicle across the country as painlessly as possible. And so far there has been a fair amount of pain!
First, I lost a day, or a half day anyway. Driving from San Francisco to Sacramento mid-afternoon is generally a breeze. But there was a horrific accident on eastbound I-80, and the trip took six hours instead of the usual two and a half. I don’t sweat the small stuff, as I figured the people involved in the accident were having a much tougher time than I.
So the storage office was closed by the time I arrived and I lost a half day. The plan was to move out of a 10X30 foot storage area and put the stuff that does not fix in the car into a much more economical 5X5. That now would have to wait until Friday.
I did confirm that the new battery I put in the BMW was working fine, which was a major relief. As the Marriott was (purposely) just a block away from the storage area, I walked over and retrieved the car. It was covered in dust, and as I had the bike racks on the roof I was reluctant to run it through a car wash.
I would return the rental to Hertz the next morning – which was purposely only two blocks from the hotel! In spite of the delay, I did manage a good meal and a very comfortable night’s rest!
The next morning was hectic. I had an hour-long discussion with a potential client, had to print and ship some documents to Mexico, gas and return the rental car and transfer the stuff from the big storage area to the smaller one. The latter I did not start until noon.
Of course it was going to be a record hot day in Sacramento! The two storage areas were about fifty yards a part and there were no carts – just a moving dollie – the kind used to move refrigerators. After digging out the good stuff that would fit in the car, I made 36 round trips with the dollie from the large storage area to the small one. My shirt was soaked in sweat and my back was killing me. I started at noon and was finished by 7:30 p.m.
As I drove to the gate I noticed a water hose and I thought what a perfect opportunity to wash off the car. I hosed it down, used an old pair of cotton running short to wipe it down, and did a finish rinse. Perfect, as I would not have to drive across country in a filthy vehicle.
I returned to the hotel, took both a bath and a shower and walked to a little Mexican place for some seafood and two margaritas! My back, legs, arms and even my hands were sore, but I went to bed feeling no pain!
This morning I hit the road about 9:00 a.m. for a relaxing drive to Salt Lake City. The BMW handled as it should, in spite of all the weight in the vehicle. Up at Donner’s Pass, I could not resist a hike as it was so awesomely beautiful. That set me back by three hours and I arrived at the hotel in Salt Lake City before midnight.
Tomorrow, an even longer drive to Kearney, Nebraska.
