Road Trip!!

We moved to California from Ohio when I was six years old. Every year after that, as long as my grandparents were alive, we drove from Santa Clara, California to Ohio. As a young man, my dad would drive straight through, kept awake by caffeine and once making the trip in 48 hours. As he got older, he realized it wasn't entirely safe to make the trip with no sleep. By then, we had a camping trailer and we would camp all the way there and all the way back. The trips were always memorable and never without drama. Like the car breaking down in Iowa across from a hog farm in 100 degree heat. Or the midnight picnic outside of Omaha. Or the time lightning struck 30 feet from our car.

My sisters and brother and I learned to occupy ourselves QUIETLY in a car for hours on end, as my father was continually listening to the sound of the car engine, worried for car trouble. But we always made it and we always, in the end, had fun. To this day, all of us love road trips, although, we didn't all marry the road trip types.

A couple of weeks ago, one of my sisters, Julie, said her son was competing in a bowling tournament at the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, Nevada. (Who knew that among other national treasures, we actually have a Bowling Stadium?) She asked if I would like to go with her. I looked at her and smiled devilish and then we both burst out in: "ROAD TRIP!". We live just south of San Francisco so it's not that far to Reno. But on the way, our sisters Chris and Jenny live. Jenny couldn't go, but Chris was game and so we stopped in Lincoln and picked her up.

After spending a couple of hours driving around Auburn looking at houses (Julie might move up there) we headed to Truckee, where I got us lost trying to navigate to the old town via a bunch of new round-abouts. We did finally make it:

 This is Julie and Chris sitting on the patio of a Mexican restaurant where we stopped for chips and a cold drink. It was a short stop and then on to Reno, where we stayed in the Peppermill. The Peppermill, once a very small restaurant and lounge is now a HUGE casino and hotel. We got lost every time we left the room. But it was not without its nostalgia. The Peppermill used to be a chain with restaurants in California, one right down the street from where I live now (right next to Apple's headquarters). As we wandered around the casino, looking for a smoke-free bar, we found one named "The Fireside Lounge." When we walked in, I was stunned. It was exactly like the lounge that used to be here in Cupertino. If you were ever at a Peppermill back then, they all looked alike. The sunken fireplace on the left and the dark, low booths. Julie is finding us a glass of wine in the bottom photo below:

When we got to the National Bowling Stadium, we were impressed by the size, it's HUGE!! and comfortable and makes us want to take up bowling.

It rained quite a bit, which was somewhat of a treat for us, since we haven't seen rain in what seems like years.

But the best part was spending time with my sisters. On the way home, we met our other sister, Jenny for breakfast and then it was the two and a half hour ride home. Many times, along the trip we would remember stories of those road trips to Ohio so long ago. And we were reminded how lucky we are to still have each other and we vowed to do it again, soon. Next time? I vote for Monterey!