On the Road: Bridgeport, Bishop, Barstow

Out in the country, internet and phone connection not always great but here we are now.  From SF over 50 on Sunday, beautiful, traffic flowing the other way, none on our side. Down to Bridgeport and friggin cold, found the only motel open, morning the temp was 14.  That is 14, 18 degrees below freezing.  We walked the dogs, very quickly and got into the car and drove down 395, the sun was out and the snow covered landscape glittered.  The small amount of snow falling also glittered.  It was still 14 degrees but it was so beautiful.  

When I was a kid, the road up 395 from LA to Tom's Place, Lake Crowley, June Lake was our vacation. If Dad came up with enough cash we would hit the road. If not, we wouldn't.  I got really good at holding up the envelopes to the light and reading the amount through the paper and thus figuring out if we could go or not.  Sometimes it took two or three or five or ten days for the check my Dad was waiting for, but once it arrived, we were on the road.  Six kids, two parents, an old Chevy, we were off.  But that was then.

We are here now.  Tom and I took a couple of side roads, drove to Independence and realized that Bishop was the place to stay for the night, so back through Big Pine, back to Bishop.  Fine.  Left this morning and drove south 395 to 190, over up and down into Death Valley, my ears killing me (head cold) and through the valley, south on 190 to 127.  More than amazing, the desert is full of color and life and land formations that are unreal and surreal.  I realize that many people think Death Valley is, well, boring, but it is anything but that.  Gorgeous, multicolored and layered and incredibly textured.  

But our plans to spend the night in Baker, on the edge of Mohave Desert National Park, were dashed because there is nothing in Baker.  Well, there is the Bun Boy Motel (I am so not kidding) and it looked as sleazy as it sounds.  Tom and I both said to each other "and why wouldn't you just sleep in your car" if that was the only option.  And you would.

So, on to Barstow.  Even here the motels are creepy.  We are at Ramada Inn, must be at least 300 rooms, corridor is carpeted but stained and creepy.  Rooms are OK, at least clean.

So, Bridgeport-Bishop-Barstow. That was our route for the last couple of days. Tomorrow, Mojave Desert, perhaps.  You will be the first to know.  Thanks for following.  

I said to Tom today that I really didn't care about getting a job.  I simply want to get some money so I can go see things.  So much to see, so little money, such a small window of opportunity.  Really, it's the truth: send me out on the road, give me a tank of gas, let me drive and I will write about it and I will be happy.

More tomorrow. We might end up in Palm Springs. But maybe not.  If so, you will hear about it.