11/3/12

Baja Bound 2012 - Day 1 and 2



We set out on the road bright  dark and early Halloween morning.  The weather was decent winter driving until Southern Alberta where we hit some freezing rain.  By the time we hit the big interstate highway at the American border, all traces of snow and ice were gone and it was smooth sailing from there.  
As much as I love Canada, the Americans know how to do major highways.  We are always relieved to get to the land of divided highways, drive up espresso stands, and clean “rest stops” scattered along the otherwise barren mountains of Montana.   Not to mention that once we cross the border it costs nearly half to fill our tank with gas, hotels cost half , and food along the way is cheap.  



{Alberta rain/ice/ snow}



The kids settled into travel mode nicely, although Cece started demanding/ questioning “Go home?!” after about 6 hrs and Silas mistakenly thought I was an all day snack dispenser.  “Mom…mom…mom….can I have a snack?...do you have candy?  How about now? Can I have some now?  Mom…..mom…mom….mom….I’m hungwy….can I have gum?  Can I have some more gum? I swallowed it….can we buy some candy?...mom…mom…mom…I’m hungwy…”  x several hours.
I don’t know if it’s proper parenting to threaten to leave a child by the side of the road, but until you have lived through the relentless torture that is Silas’ one track mind focused on a mostly empty cooler (containing nothing more than some Goldfish crackers and almonds) BUT possibly filled with untold culinary delights…..don’t judge me.  I didn't actually do it and apparently it worked because he eventually quietly settled into travel mode too.  Fortunately by day two his obsession with the snack cooler burnt out.  We don’t hear a peep from the 2 seasoned travelers in the back row.  I loaded up two old ipods full of “Adventures in Odyssey” audio story episodes and they are content to listen to those and fiddle with whatever else they brought to entertain themselves.   Aili has been knitting up a storm. 
After 11 hrs in the van we spent the night in Butte Montana at a Days Inn.  Somehow we managed to stuff / sneak our crew into a regular hotel room.   After dominating the pool Burlando style, and finding some supper at a nearby Quiznos we curled up comfortably into our 2 Queen beds, 1 cot, and 1 toddler bed (brought with us) and we all slept well until nearly 7am….a huge improvement from our 3am mornings last year! 
Day 2 began with our hotel breakfast (the kids love those waffle machines and the juice dispenser).   I find Montana’s vast and rugged beauty breathtaking although for some reason I never seem to have my camera out as we drive through it. 







{Evening #1 at our hotel in Montana}


The next morning (day 2) we left for another 10 hr day driving down through Idaho and Utah.  Day 2 always feels like a long haul through scenery that is a lot of the same.  

In southern Idaho there is a rest stop in the middle of some interesting terrain made of volcanic rock. 
It has a paved trail up through the cavernous rock.  It was a perfect little place to stretch our legs.






We made it to our destination of Cedar City Utah by supper time, found a family suite at Best Western, dined on some Wendy's salads. jumped on some hotel beds, and called it a day. 
  
Tomorrow\s destination San Diego!







1 comment:

Marcy Payne said...

I love the "Burlando Colony" sticker on your van...that cracked me up!!