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So we got home on Saturday, to wake up Sunday morning to about 4 inches of snow. Yuk. This isn't an actual picture of our house.

To read the entire road trip blog, click here.

Following the Lewis and Clark Trail

This was near Dayton WA, where you can drive along highway 12 where lewis and clark and the corps of discovery actually traveled.

Oregon Caddy

Nice car!!

This is outside the ONLY coffee place in Ontario OR. I couldn't decide if this was so much an Eastern OR car or a Western ID car. Either way, it was a classic. You have to admit, it's pretty amazing that this POS even runs. Look at it. Outdated Chevy design, horrible sheet metal, crappy craftsmenship. What we would call good old American iron! Looks like 20 years AFTER this car was built, GM really hasn't changed!

Dennys

We ate here several times. Yea, just like the 60 year old retired folks. Let me tell you, you CANNOT get into this place @ 5pm. Wall to wall blue hairs! Gotta a better shot of waiting until 7pm, and competing with Billy Joe Bob who's got his kids for the weekend. Actually, I refused to eat in these places, for years and years, but I have to admit now, the food ain't that bad, and they always serve breakfast. I had on a couple of instances the Lumberjack Slam. Let me tell you this is a heap of food!

• Three buttermilk pancakes (Yummy!!)
• A slice of grilled honey ham (Not half-bad)
• Two bacon strips (Crispy!)
• Two sausage links (Low cal, not!)
• Two eggs (Over easy, mr hair-netted friend!)
• Hash browns or grits (Hashies of course, I'm from Idaho for Christ's sake!)
• Your choice of bread (Wheat toast, thank you!)

The total was usually under 20 dollars, but well over 20,000 calories. Yea brother. Oh and get this, the Denny's in Ontario OR, was one of the few in the US that actually served BEER!!!

Denny's facts

• Denny’s is the most recognized name in family dining providing good food and service for more than 50 years. With approximately 1,600 restaurants across America and systemwide sales of more than $2 billion, Denny’s is the largest full-service family restaurant chain in the United States.
• At year end 2004, there were 1,603 Denny’s restaurants: 553 were owned and operated by the company and 1,050 were operated under franchise and licensing

1603 locations?

Clouds of Gold

Near nowheresville OR

The clouds were the only nice thing to look at in this mind numbing place in which to drive. If you ever need to go this direction, take a plane.

Headed Home

Here is the road to Winnimucca....God this is gonna take a while. What is the speed limit in Nevada? 1000 mph? Can a 6 year old Toyota Tundra go that fast? Even if I pour a can of 104 octane boost in it?

In N Out Burger!

The best hamburgers in the world!

In fact, so damned good, I had two double doubles!**

Fun In N Out Facts: In 1948, the first In-N-Out Burger was founded by Harry and Esther Snyder in Baldwin Park. Harry's idea of a drive-thru hamburger stand where customers could order through a two-way speaker box was quite unique. In that era, it was common to see carhops serving those who wanted to order food from their car. Harry's idea caught on and California's first drive-thru hamburger stand was born.

Everything is still made fresh to order. There are no microwaves or freezers. Customers may observe french fries being made from hand-diced, fresh, whole potatoes. And the shakes are made from real ice cream.

Our Store Managers, on average, have been with the company for over 13 years and average in excess of $100,000 in total compensation per year. If you are interested in becoming eligible for a managerial role within our stores, you should apply for an hourly position at the store level, where you can progress through the various levels.* Please refer to our list of store locations for information regarding available hourly, store level positions.

*To bad more US corporations are not run this way!

**A double double has 670 calories with 370 from fat, so with fries and a shake, I'm sure it was a 2500 calorie meal!

Near the Truckee River in Reno

Below, we are near the Truckee River in Reno! This is right next to the patagonia outlet and distribution center in Reno. Been to Reno in a while? Well, tons of people live there now, and as you can see, in the heart of January there was NO SNOW. NO SNOW IN RENO! If you've been there you would understand this statement. If not, let's just say it's like going to Antartica and seeing palm trees.

Mono Lake

Don't you quiver

Don't you quake

Even if I look scary

at Mono Lake!

Oh, and Eilie, you can't see them, but I am wearing sandals right now. In fact, I had to change my socks because my feet got wet from the snow.

Now THOSE are MOUNTAINS

The awesome Sierra-Nevada range, outside Bishop CA.

It's me

This was like 100 miles away. Okay more like 100 yards. Hmmm how about 100 feet?

Colors

Okay this was the Artists palette named for the vast and beautiful colors in the landscape of the Artists Drive area of death valley. Between you and me, it was just shades of red.

Bad, BAD WATER!!

Badwater Basin

Can you see the salt on the bottom of my new lightweight Nike Gore-Tex day hiker shoes I bought for only 89.99 @ the Nike outlet in Seaside OR!!!

Seaside Factory Outlet Center

1111 North Roosevelt

Suite 400

Seaside, OR 97138

503.738.3930

190 Feet Below Sea Level

What is she doing? I have no clue, and I took the picture!

Wildrose Charcoal Kilns

Checkin' out the Swiss engineered kilns use for mining
10 Kilns for 10x much burning the local trees fun!

In Search of the Pupfish

Fish in Death Valley? Absurd!

Trona

So on our way to Death Valley, we pass through what has to be one of the nastiest, run down, sh*t holes I have EVER seen in the USA. A delightful little place called Trona. I neglected to take any pictures, but did find some on the internet. They did a pretty good job of captuing the true "essense" of this delightful little vacation hot spot.

Gotta give credit to this website for these great photos and the below text.

http://www.polarinertia.com/may04/trona01.htm

Trona, located along state highway 178 near Death Valley California. Trona developed around the Searles dry lake, a natural resource containing the world’s richest deposits of chemicals including 98 of the 104 known naturally occurring chemical elements. The mining industry first set up around searles dry lake in the late 1800s to mine borax, and the playa has attracted investors ever since.

The company town of Trona was officially established in 1913 as a unique self-contained town operated on a cost basis by the mining company for the benefit of its employees. The company created its own currency, and built a library, grocery store, school, housing and recreation facilities for its residents.

WWi, as a German embargo of potash fertilizer sharply raised prices, Trona was the only American source of potash at the time, an important element used in the production of gunpowder and a key to victory.

No longer a company run town, Trona's streets show the signs of its shrinking population, down nearly 50% over the last decade, to around 1885 residents.

Today, IMC Global Chemical company remains Trona's largest employer at its soda ash processing plant. Other operations nearby include salt extraction from the playa surface through evaporation, and a lime quarry. Trona remains strongly tied to the Searles dry lake and the unique geology of the region, it is a planned town slowly dissolving back into the desert.

The best thing about Ridgecrest was the SIZZLER!!!

So the closest town to Death Valley from the direction we drove is a place called Ridgecrest? Even been there? A China Lake defense department version of Bakersfield. Nasty. However they had a Sizzler restaurant and a Motel 6. Good enough for us. Here we are @ the only local park.

So I've not eaten @ a Sizzler since I was in college. I mean hell, in Pocatello, it was one of the nicer places in town. So as we pull into Ridgecrest they have this giant Sizzler billboard. Well it registered in my brain.

So we go there.

1. This place still has a real f**king salad bar! Remember those days about 20 years ago? Well the "SIZ" hasn't forgotten that some of us "bound up" individuals need our daily fiber fix, and I am certainly no exception. It ain't no pizza parlor crap salad bar. It's unlimited trips to a got everything smorgasboard, including soup, pasta salad, potato fixins, (Good God, did I just type the word fixins? This is what happens when you marry a Texan. Don't tell her I said that.) a desert bar with soft serve ice cream!

2. Good food! Sizzler isn't everwhere, but west coast. I ordered a signiture steak (a nice cut of meat) with a salad bar and a dos equis beer. Mrs Dirtbagger did the salad bar.

3. Cheap! A totaled it was about 35 bucks! Shit! I gave the "server guy" a 10 dollar tip I was so happy with how good the food was!

Kern River

Headed up the 178, along the Kern river, past Bakersfield towards Death Valley. Ever been to Bakersfield? Don't bother. Ugghh....A big version of Maricopa!

Have you have you, ever seen, a Maricopa Tangerine?

This was a fantastic place. Right outside of Santa Maria California, a great little place called Maricopa. As you can see from the sign, wonderful!

Maricopa redeems itself with, Tangerine, Tangerine, Living reflection from a dream; I was her love, she was my queen, And now a thousand years between. Thinking how it used to be, Does she still remember times like these? To think of us again? And I do.

Pismo Beach

Along the state park @ Pismo Beach, we wander upon a flock (?) of migrating monarch butterflies. The orange things, those are the butterflies. These two were, uh, how would you say hmmm getting butterfly busy? He was trying hard and she, she just looked annoyed. Funny how the animal kingdom is all the same, humans and butterflies.
Cool downtown sign on a crappy little building @ Pismo. Us on the boardwalk @ Pismo! Got to be one of my favorite California coastal cities!

Hearst Castle - Random Shots and Funky Photos

A dining room, I think this was the special dining room.
A funky fountain
GRRRRR....They're GREAT! (I know it's a lion not a tiger. So what.)
Who is this and what are they doing?

Glamour shot of the pool. There was one guy peeing in it. But he was stoned. Glamor shot of the Mrs, with the group tour.

We stayed an extra day in the area just so we could check this thing out. Very funky, very cool. So Money. Cost 10 million to build in 1900 something. In California dollars today more like 10 billion.

Big Sur - Big Drop

I was thinking of backing up a little to get a better shot, but remembered that is at least a 500 foot drop off behind me. :)

Good God, Look @ my hair

Me and Mrs Dirtbaggger. You probably know the bridge. More importantly, you probably don't know what's going on with my hair. Neither do I.

Coastal California

Kuri and Mrs Dirtbagger @ Portuguese Beach, Sonoma County, CA.

Close up of Kur Dog.

The sun was in Kuri's eyes.....

Funky Tree

Somebody has some time on their hands. Shot somewhere near Fort Bragg, CA.

Kuri is Embarrassed

I made Kuri sit under this Gnome @ the Bigfoot wood carvings place. Boy, does she look embarrassed. How is it, this dog knows we're making her do something silly?

Look at her face. She KNOWS this is stupid. Question is, how? She's a dog, but more and more I'm beginning to believe a damned smart one.

Speaking of Scared.....

We saw this guy along the side of the road. Lou Ann, I am sure would be running back to the car if she were here, because she's VERY scared of bigfoot.
Here was a different version and he was SCAREY!!

I have never been so scared.

Cancer? No problem. Wild elk feeding in a grassy meadow? Now that is really damned scary. You can't really see their teeth from here, but man oh man, nothing like a mossy cud being spit at you!

Trees of Mystery

For almost 30 miles, we kept seeing these giant signs along the 101 about the "Trees of Mystery" So we get to the spot, Klamath CA, and we didn't bother seeing the trees but were completely mesmorized by the giant Paul Bunyan and Babe. Yes, as clear from this photo, Babe was a big blue-balled boy. Here is a funky photo of Babe the Blue Ox, and Baby Sauce the most spoiled Chesapeake Bay Retriever on the planet.