6/10/09

So today I decide to start heading north so I have a day to chill out before the big event.

I opt to eschew the normal routes and go thru an out of the way route. Here's today's route:
I head north on Nevada route 93, set the cruise control and chill. Here's a pic.
Pretty desolate, right? There isn't another car on the road for miles. This is the last place you expect to find a state trooper, (there's enough testosterone on this site to power a small city) right? WRONG! I see an Explorer coming at me, I don't pay it any mind, when the lights go on and he starts to slow down. I roll to a stop, he pulls up behind me, moseys up to the car, tapping the trunk and roof as he walks.
Here's what I saw stopped on the side of the road.
His radar said I was speeding... He hands me the ticket AND A MAILING ENVELOPE, I sign on his treo and I'm off again... This time, speed limit +4. It turns out that the signs on the side of the road are not "suggestions" after all...

I continue north on 93 and head east on 80.

Echo lake is near Elko Nv. Nice scenery, but the angles were didn't work out for pictures. Click the link for a Wikipedia entry.

At the intersection of 93 and I80 is famous for the Bonneville salt flats where land speed records are attempted.
Here's what I could see as it was raining and I was not allowed on the salt.
At this point, I'm still feeling pretty good, so I continue north on I15. I notice all these hillside letters. I'm fascinated, but have to wait to get to a wi-fi spot to find out. Here's what Wikipedia says about the geoglyphs. Neat, huh?

I-da-ho
I decide to stop in Idaho Falls, home of the University of Idaho - Idaho Falls (Go Vandals!) for the evening.
I stop at the local Starbucks, log into Hotwire and look for a place to stay. Lodging is expensive.
Choose a mid price hotel, book and turns out I'm at the Super8. No problem... Head over, check in and the clerk says "We have you in a smoking room on the 3rd floor".
I tell him I don't want a smoking room. It'll make all my clothes smell.
He says there's nothing he can do. Once it's booked though Hotwire, it's ironclad. He says the windows open and he can bring me some air freshener from housekeeping if needed.
I go up to the room, dump the laptop, open the window and turn on the AC unit's fan to get some circulation going. I go have dinner and decide to only take my bathroom kit, and a change of underwear. I left everything else in the car for fear of contamination.

At this time, it's pretty late, so I wanted to catch up on the posts. Internet access is "free" but it doesn't work worth a flip. it's running at 1200 baud rates and continuously drops my connection. I give up trying to do anything and go to bed around midnight.
I woke up next day around 5:30. My nose and throat hurt from the stale smoke. I take a shower, put on my clean but smokey undies pack the rest of the stuff and head out. I couldn't wait to leave that place.

So far it's Noris 3, Hotwire 1.

Random Thoughts:

• Wild mustangs! Neat!
• NHP drives Explorers?
• Why do we drive on the right side of the road?
• Idaho is so green!
• There's a Potato museum. It was already closed by the time I drove by. It'll cost you 3 bucks to enter.
  
• Listening to: Fahrenheit 451 + radio
• No livestock update today. NHP messed all that up.