The builder (for my moms house) is on vacation all next week, so there's nothing to babysit there. And I got a couple of girls trained at the restaurant I've been helping out at, so I feel okay about leaving them.
That means time for some more adventures!
I didn't quite get the early start I wanted this morning. I never do. I didn't even wake up until 8, and I had a lot to do before I could hit the road.
Like build a platform for my Honda Pilot so I can sleep more comfortably in it. (Definitely not paying for hotels and Couchsurfing isn't always available where I want to go.) I had a cheap air mattress that worked okay on my last roadtrip, but it's definitely not a flat surface with the seats down. So I decided to fix it up. It's about the shottiest jpb ever for a platform bed, but after a quick trip to Home Depot for some plywood and 2x4s, think it's going to work out great.
I also splurged on a really nice sleeping pad from REI. The cheap twin air mattress from Walmart already has a slow leak in it and it's too big and bulky for the car. The one I bought is partially air filled and partially memory foam. I haven't actually slept on it yet, but from just laying on it, it feels just as comfortable as my new mattress in my bedroom!
A trip to Walmart for sheets and some camping supplies (a water jug and a little one burner camp stove), got some blackout curtains hung with Velcro, and I was ready to roll.
Well, kind of. The thought of sitting in the car all day was sounding more and more brutal. So I went for a run and THEN hit the road. It's been raining for like a week in Kansas City, and of course the day I decide to leave is like the most gorgeous day of the year.
You should see how much stuff I brought for 8 days on the road. Honestly, I'm the worst packer ever when it comes to road trips. I'm of the mindset that if there is still room in the car, then you should use it. I brought a chair and a little table and a yoga mat and resistance bands and a cooler and a camera bag and a backpack and a food bag and a shoe bag and not one but TWO bags of clothes. Seriously. It's ridiculous.
I finally left KC a little after 11. The drive across Kansas was just like last time -- when I drove to Colorado in March: looooong and uneventful.
I stopped in Hays around 2:30 for gas and a bathroom break. And shortly after that, the clear blue sky started to get dark. That's never a good sign in western Kansas in May.
It kept getting darker. And then the Lightning started. And the rain.
Thankfully the storm literally parted in front of me and I ended up missing the worst of it. Look how dark the sky was behind me in my rear view mirror!
I heard on the radio there was a tornado and golf ball sized hail! Glad I missed that one!
The sun came back out and I stopped again around 4:30 at a roadsise rest stop to eat some tuna and pee again. (Too much water today!)
Colorado - finally!
Except that view was covered up by yet another storm.
More rain east of Denver, then another storm near Fort Collins. I couldn't catch a break!
Thankfully i never hit anything severe the clouds moves away, the sun came out , and I had a bag of my favorite chips to keep me happy. (I ate the whole bag yesterday.)
For some reason, Google maps sent me on a "shortcut" between Fort Collins and Laramie, which actually ended up to be a dirt road! Pretty sure it was NOT any faster, but it was a pretty drive through the hills.
I had a couple of Couchsurfing options lined up in Laramie, but I got there earlier than expected and definitely wanted to keep driving. So that's what i did. Kept on going with a new goal of Rawlins
But when I got to Rawlins, I still wasn't tired! I guess I'm used to staying up later with the restaurant job. So I stopped for a bathroom break and kept on going. Now headed for Rock Springs.
I got a little sleepy on the last hour and a half drive, so I pulled out my iPad and turned on a movie I had downloaded. Probably not the safest thing to do while driving at night in the mountains, but hey, it turned out fine and kept me awake and entertained!
I was pretty done with being in the car by the time I pulled up to the Walmart in Rock Springs, my end destination.
I went in to wash my face and brush my teeth, and then parked in between the 23 other rv's and campers in the back of the parking lot!
Got the blackout curtains hung, turned on my fan for some white noise, and am ready for a good nights sleep on my new air mattress! Hope it doesn't get cold tonight!
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