All-State Weekend

Do you know the way to San Jose?

We do, but a huge storm dumped several inches of rain throughout Southern California on Friday, flooding roads, creating sinkholes, and causing mudslides which had closed lanes on both of the freeways (US-101 and I-5) that we could take to San Jose. The three of us left just after 6:00AM on Saturday morning and decided to head up the 101, only running into scattered rain on the way.

Only three? M didn't come with us because he had flown to San Jose on Thursday to participate in the All-State Honor Band - thus the reason for our weekend road trip...

Big Family (Minus One)

We're just back from a fun family reunion in Las Vegas! Good food, lots of laughs, and a thinner wallet, as usual. R's dad is #8 of 9 kids, and R is the youngest of 26 grandkids, so you could say that only a few of us gathered together. We've been to every reunion since 1994.

March 1994 - Not officially family yet, so I didn't think I should order a shirt. Oops.

Melting Points

By the numbers...

• 3057 miles
• 8 states
• 15 new NPS units
• 38 NPS passport stamps
• 19 NPS Centennial stamps
• 2 state capitals
• 6 smushed pennies
• 4 cans of spray paint

Show Me the Way to Go Home

You know that song that Brody, Hooper, and Quint sing on the boat in Jaws? Call that our theme music for today. Well, except for the drinking part...

Show me the way to go home.

I'm tired and I want to go to bed.

I had a little drink about an hour ago,

And it’s gone right to my head.

Wherever I may roam,

On land or sea or foam,

You can always hear me singing this song.

Show me the way to go home.

Today's route: 460 miles

Stick a Fork in Us

Today's route: 305 miles

In order to get to our last new unit (#140 for me, #139 for R, and #136 for M and J) of the trip, we took NM-53 through the other side of El Malpais National Monument this morning instead of staying on I-40 west. 

Land of Fire

Another recently designated unit was our first stop this morning. Valles Caldera National Preserve was added to the National Park Service in October 2015. Because most activities are in the backcountry (hiking, biking, horseback riding, etc.) and only 35 vehicle permits are available each day in the summer, I hadn't planned on spending much time here.