Day 8 - Santa Cruz / HOME

PHHHHHEEWWW! Santa Cruz is a beautiful laid back wonderful place that we will go to again soon. People walking around town with no shoes on and sand all over. Seals barking. Wind blowing. Music. WONDERFUL. Ill let this town be part of Northern Cal...

Traffic again...but hey I guess we really experienced Souther Cal that way huh? All the way home seemed like forever...but now here we are...2976 miles later.

Welcomed by my ducks / chickens / cats and it was perfect. This year is done...what will next year bring?

I think my little girl grew up at least a few years on this trip. She is so amazing and wonderful to be with. I would not trade those last 8 days for anything in the world. WONDERFUL.

Signing off until Next year - Traveling Mama

Day 7 - Hollywood

Ok. I now understand why people think so low of "us Californians" All one has to do is go south of San Fran to find that out.

We regretfully left our room in Vegas and headed through more desert (next year will not include any states with any desert in them). We had such high expectations of Hollywood. The place where people become famous...the home of the stars...um....no!

Hit traffic 30 miles out and it was stop and go for a long time. Took the I15 to the I405 to the I210 to the IDONTCARE. YIKES. Got lost...finally found the Kodak Theatre. Vallet parked just in case.

Once we reached street level we were both frightned and overwhelmed. OMG (to use Becca's words)...like 50 million too many people and craziness everywhere. Started walking the walk of fame...apparently they put the folks who are only kinda famous all the way at the ends. We walked for a long long time and saw so many "interesting" and "different" things.

A man dressed as a woman (Becca found this very interesting and we had to follow him / her for awhile so she could see his face). A man with one crutch screaming at everyone that we were "all fired". A line up of 6 men being arrested. A couple of very heavily drugged men laying on the stars. A car accident with lots of yelling and police activity. A TON of adult stores. And just plain ICK everywhere.

Being as how we came so far we decided that we must see as many as possible. So we held our heads up and our purses close and walked the 1 mile or so back and forth. Saw some good ones and go a few pics. Then we decided on the wax museum which was a great decision. Expensive but the only highlight of day 7.

Tried to head north next to a hotel somewhere on I5. UM NO! TRAFFIC TRAFFIC TRAFFIC. That is what we will remember about Southern California. Our new slogan we decided on was "LA SUCK EGGS!" We will not be going back there ever. Becca said no way either.

Our night ended at some stinky town called something with a Willow on 15 in a Motel 6 that cost me a total of $33. You know what you get for a motel that costs that much? ICK!

Some sleep now and onto Santa Cruz to finish our trip. Hard to believe the time is almost over...

Signing off - Traveling Mama

Day 6 - VEGAS

Becca's Excited GIGGLE is what I will remember most of this entire trip! Opening the door to the room it filled the air....but let me back up for the rest of the day...

We left Flagstaff and the trees and entered back into the desert. We came up with a song about how the desert had stolen our santity and we wanted it back. THANK heavens for Las Vegas! Oasis in the desert....well inside the room at least.

Outside Sedona we went to a cool place called Slide Rock where you can slide down the rocks in the creek...red rocks all around and desert...Can you tell I am tiring of the desert? Anyway...neat place but totally not worth the $20 enterance fee...YIKES. We have rocks like that but not red at Camp Creek....and its free.

Sedona was pretty. VERY RED. Did not stop as we were in a hurry to get the heck out of the desert and to Vegas. Karen (our GPS) DID NOT assist us in Prescott (which by the way they say this name really weird!). Lost for 45 minutes. Fabulous.

Finally ended up on Route 66 for a short time...then to the interstate...remember HURRY and get OUT of the desert!

Going toward Hoover Dam was great. Open road...hardly any traffic...HOT 104 yesterday. We soon found where all the cars were...in a HUGE not moving line at the dam. Had to go through a sherrif check point to make sure no one is going to blow up the dam. We were clear. For the next 15 miles we moved at 2.6 miles an hour or less according to Karen. When we finally did get to the dam we were going slow enough that we could take pictures from our car. SWEET! Bec said "yep...big dam. Now can we go faster? Its hot!"

FINALLY! We drove into Vegas. Why do I pretend that I can drive in the city? This Freeway to that Freeway..merge quick...cut off this person...AHHHH! Lost for another 30 mins again. Fabulous.

Got to the Bellagio...went in the taxi line instead of Vallet...had to drive between the planters to get to vallet...SWEET. Making my country girl entrance already!

Bell boy comes takes our luggage and wonders if he should take the ice chest that Chris found on the highway...HA! Anyway...he goes one way with it and we head inside...Bec would like to know "where is he taking my stuff?" She asked 3 times where our luggage was.

Her eyes opened up wide and she was taking it all in...the people the noise...everything. She liked it except all the people that were "smoking and ruining their lungs" oh and "the icky billboards with that girls butt showing"

Our room is AMAZING. She just kept squeeling. Pool visit and more amazement...all the pools are 3 and 1/2 feet deep...she can touch across the whole pool as big as a football field! Get ready for dinner. Dinner at a swanky restaurant (Del Monico Steakhouse).... "Its too fancy and BORING" HA! Bellagio fountain show and the garden....

Walking back to the room at about 10:30 (when the party is beginning) she wanted me to know that "those ladies going past us should be very careful...their showing a lot of their....you know!"

Room was "turned down" for us...radio on soft music..robes on the bed..slippers on the floor...pillow mints...bathroom organized...she could not believe someone had been there..."its like Santa came".

What a WONDERFUL experience I had with her. Now...take a shower and bath in the HUGE Bathroom and head to HOLLYWOOD!!! Im sure to get lost there!

Signing off - Traveling Mama

Day 5 - Jenny

Day 5 already? We covered so much today, but our conversations through the desert are some of the best. Becca determining what things mean, why things are a certain way, etc. Today we covered Death. FUN huh? Actually it was a very interesting conversation. She has determined that I live until she dies and then we will die together. Ok!

We left Kanab early in the morning. Sleep is apparently not on the schedule. The drive to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon was the best so far. Its at 8000' and a high alpine forest. The meadows drew me in to their soft swaying green grass and the trees beckoned my spirit. So much so...that I drove off the road and hit a HUGE hole and thought I was going to have a flat. YIKES. No flat. All is good.

The Canyon was out of this world but the wind...WOW it nearly blew us off the cliff down into the canyon. Great day for a hat! I still rate Arches park higher than the Grand Canyon.

The desert welcomed us back again on our way to Flagstaff with the Vermillion Cliffs and the cave dwellers. SOOOO interesting. I would like to live in a rock for at least a few days I think. Crossing the Colorado River we entered yes....more desert...sagebrush...and Ill be darned if that fence is not following us. I seriously have to meet the person who puts up all that fence.

Flagstaff has trees and green and a University...WOW Big town for a change. Becca is working hard on her swimming at each hotel. Shes doing well. She decided today that she really likes crab cakes...yes crab in Arizona and neither of us are sick yet!

Early at the hotel tonight for some good rest. Tomorrow we will see Sedonia and onto Vegas. Only 3 days left...hard to believe.

Signing off - Traveling Mama

Day 5 - Becca

The thing I most remember about my trip so far is Desert, Fence, Desert, Fence, and cows and sagebrush.

While we were driving we saw rocks that people turned into houses, probably Indians. The were called cave dwellers. We saw real Indians on their horses herding up their cows. It was SOO COOL.

At the Grand Canyon, my mom was freaked out because there was a really high bridge that was small and then I was scared because there was a bent rail that you stood by and a girl took our picture. I was standing way against the rail. It was cool and scary. I got something cool at the gift shop that I will share with my friend Karly.

Im really really excited about Vegas tomorrow. I have a really pretty dress and shoes and purse and everything you could imagine. I get to go to a really fancy dinner. OH BOY!

I have figured out that tilting your head to the side helps you swim a lot better and makes your back straight as a board. It is cool, Im learing how to swim...YIPPIE YIPPAY

Signing off - Traveling Becca

Day 4 - Moab - Jenny

ROCKS! SKY! WIND! BARE SKIN! SUN! How much more could you ask for. I have never seen rocks this amazing. How tall can a rock possibly be? It was almost like we were under the first few layers of the earths skin. There has never been a more beautiful color or red. I could have hiked here for days....but we only had half a day so we saw everything we could. We got in one hike to the arch you see above. So much sky above and sandstone ground into sand at our feet. Wonderful! Moab is a cool town.

Driving down two lane highways with the wind blowing my hair around and my skin growing warmer with each mile toward Arizona was wonderful. I felt so free. Could these roads be any straighter? I mean I think I could see for like 500 miles ahead of me! I could definately feel my inner hippy coming closer to the surface. This is the life! I think I could travel around in a bus for sure...as long as it was convertable! Such SMALL little towns along the way...hard to believe folks live so far out.

Rock Rock and more rock...and more desert! Until we found Lake Powell. WOW! Its super big and surrounded by those amaizing rocks. Becca made me walk across a bridge over the damn and I was scared the whole time! SCARY. Too high!

We have landed in Kanab Utah in a 1980's hotel. ICK! But at least we have a room. Tomorrow we had south back into Arizona and spend the day at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. More rock and more desert....but Im sure it will be just as amazing if not more.

We have met some cool people along the way all of which want to hear our story. Pretty cool!!

Signing off - Traveling Mama

Day 3 - Utah - Jenny

WOW! Utah is beautiful. I think Becca and I said WOW like 5000 times today. We left Salt Lake and headed down to the dinasour museum. That was really cool. Lots of stuff to do and see and touch. Then onto Provo and Bridal Veil falls. HUGE mountains and trees and green and PRETTY! Hwy 89 south is wonderful. Best drive I have taken in a super long time. Would do that again for sure.

The landscape changes so quickly. All of a sudden its no longer farm lands and mountains. Its huge canyons and ROCK everywhere. Red, tan, black. WOW. Somehow we enened up on Hwy 50 AGAIN. Yikes...does that road go on forever? And who excatly builds that fence Id still like to know...it has to be going on 1000 miles now of fence that looks exactly the same.

We stopped so many times and took so many pictures of those rocks and imagined each time what dinos would be traveling there. FUN.

Moab is a cool town. Very laid back and nice people...super close to Colorado too. WOW..again.

Its almost 10:00 and we are tired. Time to get some rest so that tomorrow we can go to Arches National Park and drive to Arizona and across to the Grand Canyon! So far 1018 miles from home...only 1500 more or so to go.

Signing off - Traveling Mama

Day 3 - Becca

Tomorrow we are going to see the twisty rocks. We drove 1018 miles from home so far. We went to see a dinasour museum. We went into a tunnel and it was blue and dark with stars. It was supposed to be like the beginning of Earth and it felt like I was in space floating around. The dinasours were super cool and I saw some real dinasour fish.

Signing off for bed in Moab, Utah - Traveling Becca

Day 2 - Nevada / Salt Lake City

Greetings from Salt Lake City. We have made it to Utah. HORRAY! Not sure how much more of the lonliest road in america we could have taken. What I would like to know is who exactly put in all the fence on both sides of Hwy 50 / Hwy 89 for like 500 miles? How many T posts are there? There is not much else to do but try to figure that out.

The valley's are absolutely beautiful. Jakes Valley was the most pretty. The clouds rolling across the mountains, nothing but straight open road for miles through the valley. Amazing! But glad to be done with that leg of the trip.

Salt Lake City is interesting. Its Sunday. EVERYTHING is closed. We got here about 4:00 and the only thing open was Olive Garden...Thankfully. Had some wine and good food and brought dessert back to eat in our bed while in our jammies. Something we can NOT do at home. Got rained out of the pool. Its only 60 degrees here and it soaked us on our walk back from the restaurant.

Visited Temple Square. Neat. First time we have seen flowers / trees and grass since we left Lake Tahoe.

Not much to take pictures of here and Becca says "nothing to blog about tonight"..but here a couple of the Pony Express and Temple Square and THE ROAD.

Signing off - Traveling Mama

Day 1 - By Becca

OMG! A tree full of shoes. How cool is that? You should have come with us Karly. I miss you.

We went to a big castle and there was a grand chandelieer. We had to hike 1 mile and I got a really super big owie. The castle was really big and it had a lot of very old fashioned stuff.

I went into Nevada after that. It was funny because there was just a post and that split the two states apart. So we went vroom right over the state line.

After that we went to Virginia City. It was kinda like a ghost town in Gold Hill before there. We went into a big school house that had school in 1876. I saw a picture of the students in the old fashioned days. It was so cool. I got to go upstairs where two ladies had this big phone machine where somebody called the two ladies and the ladies said "who are you calling" and then they pulled out a cord and stuck it in the persons phone line so they could talk.

On the Lonliest Road in America I stood in the middle of the road! It was cool. My mom posted it on her blog.

So now we are off to the Spool (Spa /Pool). When I write again, Ill be in Utah.

Signing off - Traveling Becca

Day 1 - NEVADA

WOW! What have I gotten myself into? Turns out the "Lonliest Road in America" is REALLY lonely. Yesterday was a 14 hour day and we are waking up in Beautiful Downtown Eureka Nevada at the end of the lonliest road.

Yesterday was all I was hoping this trip would be. Fun, Beautiful, Exciting, Bonding, Perfect.

We started our day driving to Lake Tahoe on Hwy 89. What a beautiful drive. Rivers roaring, trees glowing, birds. Hiked to Vikingsholm castle and breathtaking Emerald Bay. How lucky was the lady who lived there? WOW! The lake could not have been more blue.

Then onto South Lake where Becca enjoyed the stop light just before the state line...we were sitting between two states and that was pretty amazing to her..especially when a skateboarder crossed over the cross walk and joined us from NEVADA to CALIFORNIA in "like 30 seconds".

Then we entered the DESERT. Yep...Nevada is Sagebrush and Rolling hills so far. We decided that people who choose to live here are "weird". We decided to go off our route and see Virginia City which was fun. We took some tours and one for $4.00 that lasted over an hour with just me, Becca, and an old lady who was a living history book. If only my history teachers were cool like here I would have liked that subject.

We drove HWY 50 for like 250 miles or more and we saw 1 TREE the entire time. Guess what? It was the shoe tree!! There has to be thousands of shoes on there.

Then onto Austin...where there were two small hotels a couple restaurants and Gas for $3.48 a gallon! Glad I get good gas mileage. We pulled in at 7:45 and NO vacancy at both. So we ate dinner at a place where the actually served Liver and Onions...Becca was horrified...and everyone stared at the two blonde girls obviously from out of town. At least our 15 year old waitress was nice.

Unsure how much further to the next town...we took off and arrived here in Eureka at 9:30 to one of the last rooms at the Best Western. Who knew the middle of nowhere was so popular?

Becca was FABULOUS. She only said one time that she was bored (on the lonliest road). She did not drive me crazy and she was awake the entire time. Perfect first day...now we get ourselves together. Check out this crazy little town and head off for Salt Lake City...where a Hotel is already reserved!!

Traveling Mama signing out for now.

Count Down

The count down is on. 10 days until we climb into the car and set off on our first adventure. Becca is very excited except that she just learned that we will not be flying from place to place, but driving instead. "What are we going to do in the car for that long" She was not too excited to learn that she would have to listen to me sing the whole time. Just wait until she is 16 instead of 8.

Our route is as follows:
Day 1: Home to Lake Tahoe to Austin, NV
Day 2: To Salt Lake City
Day 3: To Moab UT
Day 4: To Lake Powell To Fredonia AZ
Day 5: To the Grand Canyon To Marble Canyon AZ
Day 6: To Las Vegas...stay at the Bellagio
Day 7: To Hollywood and Rodeo Drive!
Day 8: To Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to Home

Adventure Awaits!