Day 4- No more 10+ hr driving days

Well day 3 ended similarly to the days previous. We had overly ambitious goals that we didn’t quite meet. We wanted to make it to Salt Lake but stopped instead at a pull off 70 miles from the end of Wyoming. I was already asleep and Dad was dwindling. When he was pulling in there were puddles and he hit one with the truck. It wasn’t just a puddle. While trying to avoid the pothole and find a different space, the pop-up dropped into the hole. We went to sleep for a couple hours and when we headed back out on the road at 2:00 am something wasn’t right. Yup, we had a flat. We started to make moves to change the tire but it was COLD. Wait a minute; we have AAA. We called them up and after several tries we got someone out to change the tire 2 hours later. We put the new spare on, thank God we got that yesterday, and now today we’ll be looking for another tire. Back on the road it’s still raining, even when it’s sunny it’s raining. We have stopped several times already this morning and it’s only 6; pumped up the tires on the trailer, filled up on gas, and Dad needed a couple cups of coffee. As we move west we have noticed many changes from back east. Obviously the landscape has changed from hills to planes back to hills again. But other things have changed too. Gas. Prices have gone downs somewhat but they vary by location and availability. Here in WY we paid over $3/gallon for 87 octane, but that was the only gas for miles. And 87 isn’t regular out here, it’s super. And in Iowa and Nebraska 89 super was cheaper than 87 regular. How does that work out? Answer- super has more ethanol and is taxed less because the ethanol is locally produced. In Idaho and Oregon gas is same as home, even more expensive sometimes. Wide-open spaces is all that can describe the landscape out here. Up and down passes in Oregon has really tested us. The wind was whipping in our face the whole time. Thankfully its all headed east. Dad and me practiced drafting today. I was our truck and Dad was the Tractor-trailer in front, we got sucked right along. And the lack of population has reduced the number of radio stations to choose from. Just about everything seems to be either country or religious somehow. I feel very knowledgeable about current events right now, this is the most NPR I have listened to in a while. I’m not complaining, but I’m just not a fan of country music. Today’s goal is Portland and I think it’s a manageable goal. We’ll stop for lunch sometime and catch the game and hopefully stop driving around 8 tonight. We’ll see.

-Ben