510 in the 510

Sunset over Lake Merritt

Power Wagon!

1969 Karmann Ghia

Check out the vinyl top!

2015 trip summary

A map of our trip
* Approximately 10,731 miles traveled
* $1306.70 spent on fuel for 456 total gallons of fuel
* 23.5mpg average
* two oil changes
* no flats
* no added water/coolant
* one deer
* many bugs
* headlights still work
* air conditioning still works
* two new windshield cracks (small but time for a new one)
* 26 different hotels, 2 family abodes
* at least 26 parks
* at least 23 restaurants
* 1 weird tan pattern

Days 10, 11: Sandy UT to Piedmont CA (home!)

700+ miles driven today, made it home at about 1:45am, house is in surprisingly good order, kids now sleeping after transfer from the van, very good food in Reno yet again (Laughing Planet Cafe). Also, it was announced that the showers were not working in Winnemucca, but this did not affect us. Last, note that there is a mobile tattoo parlor in Elko NV. 

Days 8, 9: Kalispell MT to Idaho Falls ID to Sandy UT

Hwy 93 Lewis and Clark Trail south, snack and traffic in Missoula, first roadkill in Idaho at night, temp variation from 40F to 90F in the same valley, lots of mice on the road at night, nuclear test facilities (and no towns) north east of Idaho Falls, lots of eagle's nests in WY, no bears. Now in UT, work tomorrow, then home. Burned steak in adjacent hotel room equals long spells of fire detector music. 

Day 7: Billings MT to Kalispell MT

Long drive on gravel roads in the Blackfeet Nation. Glacier National Park continues to be darn awesome. Lots of burned areas this year, Going-to-the-Sun Road was open though. Our feet were dirty this evening. 

Day 6: Sundance WY to Billings MT

Lots of wildlife the last couple days, not much human life. Hard to get a hotel in Bozeman MT in the summer, happy accident of hitting a super good restaurant here in Billings - The Fieldhouse Cafe. Tomorrow is Glacier National Park!

Sundance WY is not where the Sundance film festival takes place (Park City UT).

Day 5: Hot Springs SD to Sundance WY

Long day, short on miles. Wind Cave in the morning, saw underground caves and above ground bison, touristy but good lunch in Custer SD, Devil's Tower in the evening, no close encounters though. 

Day 4: Pierre SD to Hot Springs SD

Super cupcakes in Pierre, drive through sunflower fields to the Badlands, quick stop near an old missile silo (8 man crew above, 2 man crew below), very warm climb through the Badlands, wind through Lakota land and Pine Ridge Reservation where the Wounded Knee massacre took place, now in Hot Springs with designs on the Wind Caves and Devil's Tower tomorrow. 

Day 3: Mankato MN to Pierre SD

Route 14, cool waterfalls in Mankato, steakhouse in Pierre, lots of corn, soy, and farmland in between. Laura Ingalls Wilder territory.

Day 2: Oshkosh WI to Mankato MN

Morning in Oshkosh visiting the Air Museum there, really interesting experimental airplanes from over the years, three oldest also were taken up for short plane rides as part of the ticket price. Crossed the Mississippi in Winona which is a pretty interesting little town, also passed a weird intersection where one store sold adult fantasies, potatoes, and used farm equipment.

Part 3: Day 1: Eagle River MI to Oshkosh WI

First day back on the road, heading home to CA, aiming towards Air Museum tomorrow, Badlands, Wind Caves, Glacier NP, Salt Lake City, then home. Florence WI is very nice, bye to da UP!

Last days on Lake Superior

Eagle River MI: Lost Monarch

Day 7: Ludington MI to Eagle River MI via SS Badger

Multiple Wisconsin sightings today, ferry Route 10 across Lake Michigan, nice drive up to the UP.

Day 6: London ON to Ludington MI

Day 5: Ottawa ON to London ON

Late start, long drive (that's our motto :) ). Dinner in Toronto with SD then banzai to London at night and arrive after midnight because we want to catch the ferry tomorrow.

Day 4: Lancaster NH to Ottawa ON via Montreal QC

Rainy day for many sections, cool gravel road through northern VT (Route 58), border crossing on a small road where I almost ran the stop sign (in fairness, it did say "ARRET"), dinner at a good but surprisingly expensive Thai restaurant in Montreal, then a couple hours through a lightning storm to Ottawa. No moose have been seen yet. Many of the towns/villages along our route have been crushingly cute. Please stop.

Day 3: Brattleboro VT to Lancaster NH via Mt. Washington

Winding day through New Hampshire, New England niceness overload. Stopped in Meredith NH for lunch and walking around the lake, climbed a few thousand feet to Mt. Washington (a private road - $60!) and hung out in wind and clouds, then through the rain to Lancaster. Tomorrow we start aiming west for real.

Day 2: Danbury CT to Brattleboro VT

NASCAR fills all hotels near Concord NH. Lots of relatives seen today (hi all). Lots of stops, good food in Longmeadow MA, hope to see Mt. Washington tomorrow, then will have to start heading west.

Part II: New York to Michigan - Day 1: Brooklyn NY to Danbury CT

Time for a short jaunt to Michigan where we will stay with my parents and work out of our house there. Today I think was a bit roundabout in that we left Brooklyn relatively early (before noon), ran into significant traffic while visiting some relatives in Staten Island, and then again on our way north. New City NY is very nice if anybody asks (thanks OZ).

Day 13: Brooklyn NY to ... Manhattan? Atlantis? Mars?

Sorry for the slightly confused post title, it's just that it is the first time I haven't started the day by driving in awhile :)

Day 12: Dover DE to Brooklyn NY via Philly

Bit of a hike today, took 13 through Wilmington DE and South Philly, lots of traffic. Good food at the South Philadelphia Tap Room, lots of meandering through industrial zones, finally through traffic on Staten Island and on the Belt Parkway, now with babushka and dyedushka, no driving for awhile.