Day 4: Linda nearly does me in

So first allow me to warn everyone reading - when following directions via GPS do not get caught up in listening to the calming British woman. She is not your friend. No matter how insistent she is.

So en route to the nearest gas station/bathroom, I'm passing through the mountain town of Kemmerer, WY - founding place of everyone's favorite department store J.C. Penney. I see the sign welcoming me to the town, and a water tower, and a gravel road - which Linda ... that's the GPS lady's name ... demands that I turn down. Well, I realize I'm going to have to be quick or miss it (and I probably should have just held my bladder and missed it), so I veer off the highway, and just as I'm exiting realize my... I mean, Linda's... horrible error. What she believes is a road is actually just a gravel turn off that ends abruptly with a long slope down into the town. So in a moment of panic, but levelheadedness (isn't that always the case in situations of imenent danger?) I manage to make a u-turn of sorts and not back onto the road as this would have put me right in front of an oncoming semi. I did start down the hill, but managed to not get stuck or do any damage. Everything in the car having shifted decidedly to the left, I reorganized my affairs and merged back onto the freeway.

I must say, for having birthed such a great retail empire, Kemmerer is not worth dying for.


All this aside, the day started out much calmer, and much much colder. Around two to three inches of snow had fallen overnight in Laramie. The weather was reporting temperatures around 3F, but with wind chill it felt like -11F. I started up my car to let it warm up, packed up my things, and was on the road my 8 am mst or so. The nice thing about getting up on eastern time is that I get a really early start! And the snow was so soft and fluffy, so I can not complain.


I decided to be ambitious and map myself all the way to Boise, ID rather than stopping over in Utah. This decision actually diverted me all the way around Utah and I never crossed the border. The route took me off the main highway (I-80) and followed some smaller rural roads. Still a jaunting 75mph speed limit though, which I have to say makes me slightly nervous. I set the cruise control and just stay out of the way of any zealous 18-wheelers.

After you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, and so on - have found that none of these finally satisfy, or permanently wear - what remains? Nature remains. Walt Whitman

I cruised along some pretty fantastic landscapes - mountains, rock formations, hills, and valleys. The road was much less linear today and turning some of the corners just lead to more and more natural beauty. I have to probably give huge credit to my grandparents for giving me such an appreciation of nature and the world around me. I've been lucky to see so many diverse geographies, but really don't think I would ever be bored just being outside. I've not made many stops along the way, but have to say the scenic beauty is just as good - and I can't wait to hit Oregon to see even more. It will be nice living in a place that has so much going for it outside of city life. Great vineyards, mountains, the ocean, massive forests, and even deserts!

Mountains inspire awe in any human person who has a soul. They remind us of our frailty, our unimportance, of the briefness of our span upon this earth. They touch the heavens, and sail serenely at an altitude beyond even the imaginings of a mere mortal. Elizabeth Aston

I didn't make it quite to Boise - I started getting a little tired about 100 miles east of there and decided to stop for the night in Twin Falls. It was dark when I came into town, but I saw many signs for the town's namesake attraction. I will have to see if I can find them before I leave in the morning.

Seeing as my route changed some, I believe I'll actually be making it to me destination by tomorrow afternoon. I'll be leaving around 8am mst and then I'll gain an hour once I hit the OR/ID state line. All in all I'll probably be passing through Portland by 5pm pacific time, and in McMinnville just shortly after that.

That said, I need to turn in, but I'll leave you with my favorite photo from the day.