SPARKS, NV, 0752 PDT: Well folks, fans, followers, and bloggers — this is the last day of my Airstream adventure to windy Gillette, Wyoming. We are headed out this morning on the final leg to our homes. Our little caravan will start out together but will drift in our individual directions down the road as we drive our silver bullets home. It has been a journey — that’s for sure! For some of us, it was our first International Airstream Rally; for others, just another chance to visit with the extended Airstream family at yet another successful get-together.

0920 PDT: Depart Sparks Marina RV Park onto U.S. 395 south through Carson City and Minden, Nevada (junction Nevada SR-88), then on to the California state line.

1040 PDT: California state line!!

21 mph behind a hay truck!

1119 PDT: Stuck behind a hay truck going uphill on California SR 88. 70 miles to Jackson. Editor’s note: no milemarkers in California.

1147 PDT: Stopped on SR 88 for road construction. Just passed beautiful Caples Lake here in the high Sierra.

1309 PDT: Arriving in Jackson.

1415 PDT: Currently passing through Stockton, about to get on I-5 southbound to Tracy.

1515 PDT: Castro Valley, California… fifteen minutes from his RV storage facility in Oakland.

1530 PDT: Pulling into RV storage facility next to Oakland Airport!

Journey’s End: We decided to take highways 395 south to 88 west to get into California, instead of taking I-80 over a really rough and snow plow damaged road.  I had difficulty staying on 395 out of Sparks, Nevada, and had to backtrack (30 minutes of my mistakes), but finally got back on in the right direction.
At the little town of Minden, Nevada, we joined SR-88 west which headed south to the California line, then ascended the beautiful Sierras. This is where it became stressful: trying to enjoy the beautiful scenery while maintaining my concentration on driving.

There were two semi-trailer trucks loaded with hay, going down grade like bats out of hell, but uphill they were lucky to get over 21 miles per hour. The only passing lanes was while going uphill, but that was impossible for my Airstream – going 21 MPH and punching it to pass a hay truck only brought out church words from my mouth. I had to pull over behind the truck to let cars by!

Finally I passed both hay trucks while going downhill and sounded my air horns as I went by (they knew they were holding up a motorhome).  If I ever have the pleasure of going to the Reno area again I will take 88 to 395, a much more enjoyable route (despite the hay trucks) than the terrible, hard-to-maintain freeway that I-80 is known for.

Caples Lake

Thursday evening at home: Everything got back to normal quickly: picking up dog poop and cat hairballs, scooping cat litter boxes, washing laundry, etc. But most important was the contentment of familiar surroundings, being around the things I love, and being loved in return.

{ 5 comments }