The tedious process of sorting through, getting rid of, and packing our belongings is FINALLY over (thanks to the generous and priceless help of our family!).  We loaded the moving van last Sunday, with the help family and a handful of friends from church, and spent the rest of the week living the simple life… 2 camping chairs, 2 Aerobeds, an ice chest with a half-gallon of milk, and an old 13″ TV sitting on a milk crate. 

Friday morning, we loaded the last of our belongings into both of our cars (picture the Clampetts on their way to Californ-eye-ay), and accompanied by my parents and our dogs, we hit the road.  (Two hours later than we’d planned, but at least we made it out the door!)

We made a quick gas stop in Ripon at the Flying J, and then headed toward Sacramento and I-80.  We stopped for lunch and gas (again… LOTS of gas) at a McDonald’s somewhere in Nevada, and were relieved to see a huge grassy area to let the dogs out on.  We quickly got them out of the car, and they were just starting to look for the perfect potty place when the sprinklers turned on.  Nikki enjoyed getting a little wet since it was quite warm, and we all quickly went running for dry land, laughing the whole way.  The rest of the day, although uneventful, was full of more bathroom breaks, gas refills, and food.  We really started to get into a routine for how to get the dogs hooked up and out of the car, and they began to find safety and comfort in the back of my Escape.  With a little Benadryl (recommended by our vet), they were terrific travelers.

During our first stop in Nevada, my dad went in to use the rest room, and came out having played a dollar on a slot machine at the gas station… he’d won $100 and was a pretty happy dude. 

There were several moments throughout the day where I had moments of mild panic with thoughts like, “Oh no!  We forgot to turn off the iron!… Oh, wait, the house is empty, and the iron’s been packed!” 

Our final stop for the night was in Salt Lake City, Utah.  My parents have friends who live there, and we were able to hook up with them at our motel for a quick visit.  Mom and Dad went to Leatherby’s (an old-school ice cream parlor) with Jack and Maria while Ryan and I tried to settle the dogs in for the night.  The Benadryl had worn off, and they were quite nervous to be in an unfamiliar place.  Toby was practically hyperventillating, and Nikki was guarding us so fiercely, that the next door neighbors called the front desk to complain about her barking.  (In her defense, there was a screaming child in the hallway, and a party complete with pot smoking that she was really uncomfortable with.)  So it was a pretty sleepless night for Ryan and I.

Day One Travel Statistics: 711 miles, approximately 12 hours on the road, spent the night in Salt Lake City, UT.

Categories: Barr Family Blog