Utah-Nevada-California-Oregon (Day 12)

 Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Today was pretty laid back.  We actually went out for some breakfast and then walked around outlet shoppes in the morning.

In the afternoon, we spent better than 3 hours visiting Aunt Delores and Richard.  We discussed a number of family stories and watched some of the birds and the squirrels in the backyard.  Delores is well into her 90's and I think she's doing ok for that age.  She does have some trouble remembering things.  At one point, she said, "I can't even remember tomorrow."  I have to remember that phrase.

After our visit, we stopped for dinner at a local pizza place which turned out to be really good.  Then we tried out a couple of Troutdale's drinking establishments before heading back to the RV for the night.

For the most part, our trip is winding down.  Tomorrow we plan to begin our way home.  We plan to take our time heading back and anticipating taking 3 days.  If anything of interest happens, I'll check back in.  If not, this is probably the conclusion of our trip out west.  Hope you guys enjoyed tagging along with us.

Utah-Nevada-California-Oregon (Day 11)

 Tuesday, May 18, 2021

We've made it to Portland... or rather Troutdale outside of Portland.  In arriving here, we drove close to downtown Portland.  What a mess.  There is graffiti on every concrete wall or bridge wherever an arm or hand can reach.  There were also many homeless camps.  One homeless tent we saw even had a makeshift back porch.  We wondered how much of this came from the riots a year before.

For the next couple of nights, the campground of choice is the Sandy Riverfront RV Resort.  Our main reason to stop here is to visit Aunt Delores and Cousin Richard.  Once we arrived, I called Richard to check in.  We hoped to meet up but he had just realized he was late for an appointment.  We'll have to meet up later.

So instead, Buffy and I take the Jeep to go see waterfalls outside of Portland, namely the Latourell Falls and Multnomah Falls.  On the way there, we first stopped at a place called Vista House.  It was basically an old resting stop for travelers long ago.  It sits at a scenic point that overlooks the Columbia River Gorge.  It wasn't open today as it looks like they were remodeling.

Multnomah Falls

After we returned from our trek to see the waterfalls, I waited some time for Richard to be finished with his appointment.  After so long, we decided to go ahead and fix dinner, which was going to be steaks on the small Weber grill.  No more than we are about to eat, Richard calls.  

Sorry, folks.  Park's closed.  The moose out
front should have told you.

"Come on over," he says.  We plan to do so, but after eating dinner first.  We eventually headed over to his house, which was less than 5 miles away.  This is why he recommended the campground we are at.  We spent a good couple hours with them and plan to visit again tomorrow afternoon.

Near Mishap of the Day: This could have been a bad mishap, but was averted very quickly.  When leaving for the day this morning, I had the Jeep all hooked up for flat towing.  I put the RV into drive, let off the brake and we go no where.  I apply a bit of pressure on the accelerator and still we go no where.  Shit!  I forgot to put the Jeep's transfer case into neutral and left the parking brake on.  Oops!  No harm was done and everyone made it out alive.

• Miles Travelled: 106
• Miles of Graffiti: A lot

Utah-Nevada-California-Oregon (Day 10)

 Monday, May 17, 2021

Another day of just being on the road.  It was a good drive.  There were patches of road where we drove along the Pacific Coast.  Then the road would turn inland and we'd drive through forest.  But it was just driving today, so we don't have any pictures, video or any real quirky stories but maybe one.

One thought I did have that reoccurred during the drive... where do these other campers stop to get fuel?  As we drove, we come across countless other RVs, trailers and 5th wheels.  Yet when I pass by whatever gas station I see, they are small, congested, corner stations with little maneuvering room.  How do these vehicles get in and out of these gas stations?  Let alone where do the semi trucks go to re-fuel?  And some of these stations don't even sell diesel.  What's the deal?

For much of our drive, I was behind a 5th wheel and at one time, that 5th wheel and another truck.  They were moving slow; maybe 45-50 mph.  This helped my fuel milage today.  I topped out at 14 mpg, which I think was great considering I'm towing a 3k lb Jeep.

We stopped in Depoe Bay, OR for fuel.  And this was weird.  Some guy appears to be hanging out by the gas pumps.  There was a small, white pickup truck in front of us.  The driver hands this guy and number of bills and he proceeds to pump gas for these people.  I see no indication that this guy works for the gas station.  They finish up and now I pull up to the pump.  This guy is ready to assist.  I ask if this is a full service station and he kind of laughed.  I mentioned I hadn't seen a full service station in 45 years.  I didn't really understand his broken English, and I'm generous calling it that.  I tell him I need to fill up with diesel.  I hand him my credit card, somewhat wary of doing so.  He runs the card through the pump and starts filling up.

While the tank is filling up, I grab a couple of dollars to provide him a tip, because I'm sure that all he's working for.  I handed him the cash but I'm not sure if I got my money's worth as he didn't bother to check the oil or clean the windshield. But off to our next campground.  Tonight, it is another site close to the coast.  

The Premier RV Resort in Lincoln City, OR.  A very nice spot for RV camping, with exception to the weather.  Right now it is windy and rainy.  And cold.  It's been mid-50's all day, but I could use my Carhart coat.  Anyways...

Mishap of the Day: Again, these mishaps seem to occur first thing in the day.  And file this into the gross category.  We are packing up getting ready to leave.  I go through the routine to clean out the sewer hose for our sewer.  I finish up and then pack away the water hose.  I then get the sewer hose and notice a bunch of leaves and dirt on the end of it.  I try to shake them off, only to see a bunch of crap fly off to the ground.  

The sewer hose wasn't as clean as I thought.  I unpack the water hose to hose it down.  But what do I do with the mess I left on the ground.  Fortunately, we still had poop bags with us when we had dogs.  But as before, fortune seems to favor the foolish.  If I didn't try to shake off those leaves, I would have packed the shit filled hose in the RV.  That would have not been good.  So we got lucky on this one.  This must be what happens when RVing.

• Miles Travelled: 192

Utah-Nevada-California-Oregon (Day 9)

 Sunday, May 16, 2021

Our mishap of the day started early.

When preparing to leave, I hitched up our Jeep for flat towing just fine.  But when hooking up the supplemental braking system, it would not power on.  I fear a short in the cable or a blown fuse is preventing it from starting up.  It would take time to diagnose the problem, let alone fix it.  And we were wanting to get on the road.  So I didn't bother with it and just took the risk of less efficient braking (actually, as long as you apply the breaks sooner, and don't drive like some madman, we'll be fine).

Anyhow, I'll look at this later when we have time.

Our drive out was just as good as our drive in; driving among all the redwood trees and surrounding forest.  We had learned that while Sequoia trees are generally wider and have more volume, Redwoods tend to be taller.  Record high Redwoods top out to around 360 feet.  We were about to find this out at our next stop, the Redwood National Forest; more specifically, the Lady Bird Johnson Grove.  This is just outside of Orick, CA, which is also not that far from the Pacific coast.

We drove into the forest when we immediately saw the sign that says vehicles towing campers not advised to drive into the forest due to steep grades.  There was a trailer turnaround.  I took it where we unhitched the Jeep so that we could travel into the Lady Bird Johnson Grove.

When we got there, no parking was available.  It appeared there was some parking just outside the parking lot along the road.  Though there was a no parking sign displayed, someone else had parked up from the sign.  I parked the Jeep next to that car and hoped for the best.

We began our walk into the Grove.  These Redwoods were more impressive than the last ones we saw.  They were much taller than the others.  Definitely taller than Sequoias.  We also saw the marker to where this grove was dedicated in August, 1969.  In attendance was then President Nixon, past President Johnson and his wife Lady Bird and California Governor and future President Ronald Reagan.

Good livin'

After our loop in the forest, we emerged to head back to the RV, hook everything back up and then search for our next stop for the night.  Buffy found a RV park close to the coast so we make reservations.  We set the Garmin GPS and finally crossed the Oregon border.  The drive up US 101 is really cool. 

We stopped at The Honey Bear by the Sea RV Resort near Gold Coast, OR.  They put us into the campspot that had the best view.  We didn't have a huge view of the Pacific Ocean, but had plenty of the sound of surf and a great sunset.  All from the RV.  Good livin' despite the cool temperatures.

We plan to drive up the Oregon coast the next couple days and then to visit some relatives on Wednesday.

• Miles Travelled: something like 170; forgot to look at it
• Number of Parking Tickets Received: 0

Utah-Nevada-California-Oregon (Day 8)

 Saturday, May 15, 2021

Once we were packed up and left the Comfort Suites, our first stop was at the local Post Office.  I received an e-mail from my tax accountant how much I owed the government for 2020.  So that morning I wrote out the check and needed to mail it.  I didn't really trust the hotel staff to do this for me.  I've had a history of mail that did not make it out of the hotel.

And since the IRS won't wait for me to finish my vacation as they want their money now, LET IT BE KNOWN THAT I MAILED MY 2020 TAX PAYMENT FROM WOODLAND, CA POST OFFICE THE MORING OF SATURDAY, MAY 15, 2021.  This particular post office was not open on Saturday mornings.  So I dropped it into the box, but it looked like the next pick up would be on Monday, May 17 at 5pm.  As long as it gets postmarked May 17, I should be good.  Onward with the vacation.

Our second stop this morning, which was probably inevitable, was to McDonald's for breakfast.  Our first McDonald's stop thus far in the trip.

The drive today takes us north on I-5 for about 40 miles.  After a fuel stop there, we get on CA-20 to US-101.  Most of it was scenic.  Driving on I-5 is not much to talk about.  We're looking at about a 5 hour drive to get to our next destination, Avenue of the Giants.

This is a street/road/highway that takes you inside a redwood forest.  This was a really cool drive into our next campground.

Mishap of the Day:  When trying to find the campground, our Google Maps had us turn much sooner than we should have.  I suspect that since we went out of cellular service, the phone did not know exactly where we were.  I stopped short on the road and pulled into this turnout.  A sign said 'No Outlet' and things didn't sound or look right.  I tried to turn around from the turnout, but unfortunately, there was not enough room.  And flat towing a Jeep does not allow you to back up.  Yikes, I was stuck blocking both lanes of traffic.

These roads were not heavily travelled, but I still scrambled to unhitch the Jeep and then have Buffy drive it up the road to this town we had just went through.  My thought was that if we just travelled onward we would find the campground.  Which was the case.

We found the campground and got the RV all set for the night.  Then we got into the Jeep and headed into town to look at the redwoods some more and get dinner.  When we came back, we started up a fire, enjoyed a few beverages and then some and shared some s'mores with our camping neighbors; a family also from Colorado.  Good times.

While we were very happy with this campground, there was no cellular service or quality internet.  So this blog post needed to wait another 24 hours to post.

We're not quite sure where to stay tomorrow.  Thinking Crescent City, CA which sits on the coast.  But the plan is to check out redwoods at the Lady Bird Johnson Grove in the Redwood National Forest.

• Miles Travelled: 246
• Number of Cars I Blocked Trying To Turn Around: 1   

Utah-Nevada-California-Oregon (Day 7)

 Friday, May 14, 2021

This was another day of just driving.  We left our camp spot at the Sequoia RV Ranch and began heading to Northern California.  Our next destination is the 'Avenue of the Giants.'  This is the location to where they filmed Star Wars Return of the Jedi and hosts many Redwood trees.

But for now, we stopped in Woodland, CA (just past Sacramento) at a Comfort Suites.  Yes, a hotel!  We couldn't find a campground that was available so we decided to live in luxury for one night.

Our only mishap for the day was the loss of a pin in the hook up for flat towing the Jeep.  I have no idea how long the pin was gone, but the hitch pin stayed in place the whole time.  Fortune really does favor the foolish.

Tonight was an opportunity to 'regroup' as we stopped at a Target to pick up supplies. We also had the time to map our our travels for tomorrow.  It should be about a 4-5 hour drive.  We hope we can find an available campground.  Wish us luck.  We might be boon docking at a Wal Mart.  Who knows?

Sorry, no photos from today or any lame statistics to share.

Utah-Nevada-California-Oregon (Day 6)

 Thursday, May 13, 2021

Kind of a repeat from yesterday.  Get up and head into the Sequoia National Park.  See what's there.  There were 2 or 3 things worth looking at that we didn't get to yesterday.  So today is the day.

I'm on a half tank of fuel entering the Park.  According to my trip computer, I can go 150 miles until empty.  There should be plenty of fuel for us.  After several miles and about 4,000 ft in elevation, my trip computer says I have 98 miles until empty.  We still have several miles yet to drive.

On the other side of the Park, there is a fuel station.  I'm thinking we're probably ok with the fuel we have, but instead, we decide to travel to the other side to fill up.  At least this way, we'll see more of the Park & Forest and one less thing to worry about.

Standing at the base of a Sequoia that fell in 1917

So we drive straight through to the fueling station... a self serve... I mean there's no clerk or office.  There is a restaurant and gift shop, but no real service station HQ if you know what I mean.  I put my Discover card in and start pumping.  It stops at $50 of fuel that has been pumped.  I'm just a tad away from being fully fueled.  I don't bother to pump any more, especially at $4.29/gallon for Premium unleaded (and I feel I got a bargain because in Three Rivers, they charge $4.59/gallon for the same stuff).

Now fully fueled, we head back to the other side of the Park to see oddities such as the Tharp's Log (a cabin some guy built from a Sequoia tree trunk and lived in for 30 years), the Chimney Tree, the Tunnel Log where you can drive your car through and the Hospital Rock where Indians cared for the wounded.  

One other item of note as we hiked through the Sequoia forest was that we found some speculation as to how these trees became so big.  It was really weird.  At one spot, I saw this really weird, bubbling white goop coming out of the ground.  This mosquito landed on it and drank some of it.  Within seconds, it grew to almost 5 feet in length and then flew off.  It flew above us and then landed on some other guy's back.  With what looked like a 2 foot sword, it began to bite him, and in the process, literally sucked all the blood out of him.  It flew off, leaving this guy dead and drained of blood.  It was like the goop this mosquito drank made it grow to gigantic proportions.  This stuff was like some kind of Food of the Gods.  And maybe that's how these trees became so big.

But after all that, we stopped at the Three Rivers Brewery for a third attempt for a drink.  Low and behold, they were open!  I guess the third time is the charm.  And we found a parking space across the road (perhaps a legal parking space).  I ordered an "Oliver" which was to be some type of blonde ale; Buffy had a stout which was a good 6% abv.  We tried to plan out some of the rest of our trip during this time, but either the indecision or alcohol prevented such.  After 3 drinks each, we decided to head back to the RV.

Our only plans at this point is to head to northern California tomorrow and perhaps stop at the Avenue of the Giants. This is another place with giant trees and the location to where they filmed Star Wars Return of the Jedi.

Before signing off for the day, just a tidbit of info... it came to my attention this morning that we are Day 6 into this journey and we have yet to even stop at a McDonalds.  This has to be some sort of record.

• Miles Travelled: I quit keeping track
• Highest Gas Prices Found: $4.59/gallon of premium unleaded/$4.29/gallon diesel

Utah-Nevada-California-Oregon (Day 5)

 Wednesday, May 12, 2021

"Yep, we're gonna need a bigger chain saw."

Looking straight up at the Sequoia trees

We slept in today.  After all the driving and activity, I think we needed it.  And along with the cocktails we consumed the previous night.

We are staying at the Sequoia RV Park just outside Three Rivers, CA.  And only a handful of miles from the entrance of the Sequoia National Park.

Before we arrived here, I expected the area to be a bit rainy and damp, like a semi-rainforest.  I also expected it to be somewhat cool in temperature.  All because of the pictures and movies I've seen in the Sequoia forest.  This is not the case.  It's in the low-90s and dry.  There are even a few palm trees here and there.  There are mountains in the park; perhaps the Sequoias are on the other side where the climate is radically different.  We shall see later today.

After our breakfast and other rituals one needs to do to start the day, we fired up the Jeep for our expedition into the Sequoia forest.  It didn't take long to get to the Park entrance, but did take some time driving in the Park.  It's basically going up a mountain.  You feel like a big horn sheep climbing up.

I'm glad we have the Jeep.  I'd hate to make this drive with an RV.

When we entered the the Park, the temperature was 91... and this was roughly before 11am.  As we climbed, we hit 3,000 feet in elevation.  Still about 90 degrees.  Then 4,000 feet and no change.  5,000 feet it's about 85.  6,000 feet and the temperature has dropped significantly now.  Going on 7,000 feet in elevation, the temperature has not only dropped to 66, we can now see very large trees.

We stopped at the parking lot for the General Sherman tree, one of the largest trees in the Park to begin our hike in the forest. These trees are impressive to look at.  The tallest tree in the Park is measured at 311 feet... basically +/- a 30-story building.  The oldest tree in the Park is estimated at 3,200 years. The trunks on a lot of these trees are as wide as my Jeep is long.  Maybe longer.

When you walk along the paved paths through the forest, you constantly get a scent of fresh pine.  Very refreshing and exhilarating.

I'm guessing we hiked for about a 2 hours.  I had packed my hiking shoes, but forgot about them this morning.  Instead, I hiked with the Chuck Taylors I was wearing.  No harm done and I probably looked rock star doing so.

On the way out of the Park, we stopped at the Gateway Restaurant on the banks of the Kaweah River to conclude our day of big hard tree discovery.  We then wanted to stop at the local brewery but discovered it was closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  This same attempt was tried yesterday, but all 3 parking spaces were filled up, not to mention they weren't open.  Instead, we returned back to the RV in time for Happy Hour.

Tree hugger

• Miles travelled: ? (didn't keep track but assuming about 50)
• Encounter with Ewoks: 0
• Local brews consumed: 0

Utah-Nevada-California-Oregon (Day 4)

 Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Nothing happened of interest today.  Literally nothing.  It was a travel day from Yermo, CA outside of Barstow to Three Rivers, CA just outside of the Sequoia National Park.  For the next 3 nights, we'll be staying at the Sequoia RV Ranch.  But tomorrow, we'll be taking the Jeep into the park and we're going to see some really big trees.  Big, hard wood!!!

Until then...

• Miles Travelled: 230

Utah-Nevada-California-Oregon (Day 3)

 Monday, May 10, 2021

Today is planned to be a great day.  Breakfast at the Little Ale' Inn, then drive around trying to find Area 51 in the Jeep and then head out towards California.

The black mailbox.

We got into the Little Ale' Inn around 8am for breakfast.  The biscuits and gravy was excellent; I would say Track Inn quality (Track Inn is a greasy spoon on the north side of Chillcothe, IL and has the world's best biscuits & gravy).  When paying our bill, we inquired again about trying to find where Area 51 was at.  The clerk instantly gave us a pre-printed map of where to go.

Off to the Jeep we went.  There were 2 different points on the map.  The first one was not that far, maybe about 10-12 miles out.  And exactly as Smitty claimed; go down this unmarked gravel road, then it turns to asphalt and leads right up to the gate of Area 51.  The signs say no photography, but Smitty claimed everyone takes pictures.

Sure enough, there it was.  A few small buildings.  One being some kind of guard building with mirrored out windows.  There was some sort of boom truck there.  A fence with razor wire surrounded everything.  There was a gate with a stop sign on it and on the sides of the gate, the 'No Photography' signs.

We didn't see anyone around as we pulled close to the gate.  It was kind of eerie.  I jokingly said that the government placed this gate up as a rouse for tourists to see.  And the Little Ale' Inn is in on it.  We got our pictures and left.

We then proceeded to the next place of interest.  And this sounded a little more legit.

Between mile marker 29 & 30 on the Extraterrestrial Highway is a black mailbox on an un-named, un-marked road.  The story has it that an engineer named Bob Lazar had placed this mailbox there with a claim that from that location, one could witness lights from aircraft being tested late at night.  Bob Lazar claims to have been working at Area 51 to reverse engineer what he believe to be alien technology.  

Should you drive down that road from the black mailbox for a good 15 miles, you come across to another entrance to Area 51. And this gate is actually guarded.

On the way there, we found the cow that was on the side of the road yesterday.  My question was, where is the cow's owner?  That was probably $1,000 of beef sitting on the side of the road, feeding the crows.  Anyways...

Our first warning.

We found the black mailbox, complete with a bunch of stickers posted on it.  We assumed that's how you can tell if it's an actual Area 51 marker... if there's stickers posted on it.  Inside the mailbox were even some notes left inside from the day before.  

Something of note while we were there; we could hear jet aircraft flying around overhead.  However, we never saw any.  Alien cloaking technology?

We decided to move on and drive down the road that allegedly takes you into Area 51.  I've seen a lot of these documentaries regarding this air base.  Signs say 'Use of Deadly Force Authorized.'  I've seen a video of 2 couples taken out of their car, with hands on top of their heads, being told to walk backwards up to military guards.  Knowing all this, I was actually a bit nervous driving closer and closer towards Area 51.

Again, we saw a cow and a bull and they didn't seem to care we were driving by.  Could they be armed military disguised as cows?  There are monitoring stations all along the perimeter of Area 51.

The terrain was mostly flat and I knew there were some hills around where those seeking Area 51 found guards, signage and monitoring equipment.  But before long, the landscape changed and hills were on the horizon.  It wasn't long until I saw something I had seen before in many of those Area 51 documentaries... the white truck sitting on top of a hill with military officials watching you come their way.  I pointed at them and said to Buffy, "There they are!"  We drove closer.  There was a warning sign by the side of the road.  

This was a sign I'd never seen before on any documentary.  It basically said 'Warning. Do not attempt coming in here or be faced with a $1,000 fine, your car will be towed at your expense and you will be processed, etc, etc.'  I suspect had we kept driving on (assuming those military guys in the white truck didn't stop us), we'd encounter more signs with more explicit warnings... like the one that says 'Use of Deadly Force Authorized.'  

I theorized to Buffy about these guards, that they feel like they are just doing a babysitting job.  They know 99% of these cars driving up are curious tourists and that they are not going to do anything.

Can you see the white truck?  They can see you.

We stopped at the sign, took a couple of pictures and left.  They even had a convenient turn around next to the sign for us.  How thoughtful!

Had I been with someone experienced in skirting the Area 51 perimeter, and I wasn't planning anything else for this trip, I would have been willing to try to get in a little further.  But for now, I was good with turning around.  I really didn't want to be stopped and then have to be 'processed.'  How long would that take... all day?  How inconvenient.

We headed back to the Little Ale' Inn to hook up the Jeep and proceed on to our next destination... a KOA campground outside of Barstow, CA.  We made a stop in Jean, NV, just past Las Vegas not only for fuel, but to get some White Castle.  However, the disappointment of the day was, the White Castle was closed.

Supplemental: I forgot to report our daily debacle in my original post.  When only miles from our stop for the night, I noticed something from the corner of my eye out the driver's window.  The weather stripping between the cab and bed area was blowing off.  I could literally see it falling off from the wind.  I knew if I let it go, it would peal off all the way and I'd lose it all together.

I opened the window and tried to pinch it back into place, all while driving.  I guess you could call it 'on board repairs.'  This didn't work very well.  I got maybe a 1/2 inch of stripping back into place.  Since our exit was about a mile away, I opted to hold the stripping in place with my left hand until we arrived.  I don't know how silly I looked doing this.  But I was able to hold it together until we stopped at the KOA.  While Buffy checked in, I put the entire weather stripping back into place.  It was good as new.    

• Miles Travelled: 293
• Alien Encounters: 0
• Sliders Ordered: 0

Utah-Nevada-California-Oregon (Day 2)

 Sunday, May 9, 2021

We awoke from a pleasant sleep at the Beaver, UT KOA campground, despite the heavy traffic that went by the campgrounds earlier that night.  I figured it was the drunks going home after an evening of hard drinking at the bar.

Our plan today is to travel south on I-15 until Cedar City and then cut across into Nevada on our way to Rachel.  Rachel is a small town that sits outside what is commonly known as Area 51.  Dreamland.  Groom Lake.  Or as listed under civilian maps, Homey Airport.  Should be about a 4 hour drive... assuming you're not towing a Jeep and getting really shitty fuel milage.

Actually, the flat towing is going really smoothly.  Fuel mileage isn't all that bad, though it's a little slow going up inclines.  And we're driving slow to conserve fuel.  The RV really starts guzzling once you hit about 65 mph.

We plan to fill up in Cedar City, UT and pick up supplies at Wal Mart.  Our planned trip through the desert has us stopping when we can to fuel up.  Gas stations appear to be few and far between.

Our other plan for the night is to boondock at an establishment called the Little Ale' Inn in Rachel.  That's the claim to fame for this town as those who seek out Area 51 usually stop here for a drink.  And they have camping.

Moments before the Feds, aka 'Men in Black,' started shooting at me.

Traveling through the desert between Utah and Nevada was desolate.  It was like we were the only ones out there.  Before getting to Rachel, we need to travel a bit south to a place called Ash Springs, NV.  It's the nearest place with fuel.  Buffy can't wait to get to Rachel and see what's there since she noticed all the alien gifts and souvenirs that were for sale in the Shell station.

After leaving Ash Springs, we stopped at the rest area just north of town where the iconic "Extraterrestrial Highway" sign is posted.  We needed to make a photo op... and change into shorts.  It was starting to get hot outside.

And then just around the bend is the Alien Research Center!  We stopped but didn't do any research there.  This place was just a sci-fi, alien themed gift shop.  It was an establishment housed in a metal quonset hut (like those things that Gomer Pyle lived in) with a giant alien, made of sheet metal to greet you.  All this sitting out in the middle of nowhere.

Now onto Rachel... just a short 40 miles away.  Again, it was like we were the only ones out there.  Except for the free range cattle.  The cows would roam freely in the desert.  Why?  How good could the steak be from this?  At one point just before arriving into Rachel, we encountered a cow casually sitting by the side of the road.  She didn't seem to mind as we drove by.

At long last, we pull into the Little Ale' Inn in Rachel, NV.  If you ever watched an Area 51/UFO documentary, this place is usually featured in it.  And it looks exactly like what I've seen.

After a few photos, we walk in for a cold drink and dinner.  It was during this time some guy walks in and talks about a cow about 8 miles up the road that he thinks is injured as it can't get up.  He talked to the owner or manager's son who is becoming an EMT.  He said he would take care of it and I'll leave it at that.  So much for alien cattle mutilation.

For dessert, I could not resist ordering the pie.  Flavors included apple, cherry and 'alien fruit.'  Of course I opted for the alien fruit, which resembled a lot like raisin. 

We inquired about RV camping and got that all squared away.  When setting up our RV for the night, I talked to some guy named 'Smitty.'  I don't know if he worked there, was one of the owners, or what.  But he was telling me all the stuff I can do with a Jeep around there.  I told him I wanted to see Area 51 and aliens.  And he told me where to find one of the gates to Area 51.  That was going to be the first thing we do tomorrow morning!

Time for a cold one at the Little Ale' Inn.

Once it turned dark outside, I wanted to do some night photography in the desert.  We unhitched the Jeep and headed about 10 miles west of Rachel and down some road.  Didn't really get good photos and we were disappointed with the night sky.  I don't know if there was some sort of haze or something, but I can see just as many, if not more, stars at home.

We called it a night.  Tomorrow will be a big day.  Lookout Area 51!!

• Miles Travelled: 246
• Fuel Stops: 2

Utah-Nevada-California-Oregon (Day 1)

Wow, has it been almost 3 years since I entered anything into this blog?  Maybe about high time I did some more posting.  And what not better than another travel-blog with tales of our journey to Utah, Nevada, California and Oregon in the RV.  Be forewarned that some days there may not be lengthy posts as I'm busy being a tourist and don't have the time... or I'm too tired.

The main purpose of this trip is to see the Redwood and Sequoia forests.  But we'll make some pit stops along the way in hopes to see natural scenery, unique saloons, meet interesting people, see some family and quite possibly aliens!  So come along with Buffy and myself as we see some shit in these states.

Saturday, May 8, 2021

On the road again.  Heading out after a fuel stop in Yampa, CO.

The RV is mostly packed.  We just need to load up our groceries and hook up the Jeep that we've set up for flat towing (this will be our first time; may fortune favor the foolish).  So we finally leave the house at 8:50am.  I originally thought that if we were to leave by 9am we would be doing good.  So far, the trip is a success!

We expect today's travel to be non-eventful.  Just a day of driving.  Our biggest thought is to boondock (meaning camping somewhere where there are no hook ups of electric, water, etc) somewhere off the highway in Utah.  Buffy read that Utah will let you do that provided there are no signs of 'no parking' or 'no camping' and it is not on private property.  The thought of being in the middle of Utah, camping under the stars away from any lights and civilization is appealing.  But turns out, we didn't know or see anywhere where we could do this.  Instead, we wound up camping at a KOA campground in Beaver, UT. 

Yes, Beaver, UT, where we 💖 Beaver.

Our first troubles began that evening when I tried to set up the satellite dish for TV.  The tree next to us prevented us from getting a signal.  So I retrieved the coax cable to use the campground cable TV.  That didn't work either.  I suspect no signal was getting to our camp spot.  So I tried off air TV with our antenna.  Couldn't pick up anything.  You know, I really wanted to watch Elon Musk on Saturday Night Live.  Elon Musk is the guy who makes technology work, unlike all the other shit technology I was dealing with that wasn't working.  Time for another vodka tonic!

• Miles Travelled: 475
• TV Channels Received: 0

Japan: Steakland - Not An Octopus' Garden

Tuesday, June 12, 2018 -

It's our last full day in Japan.  I awake to a promising breakfast of nearly day old donuts from Mister Donut and a Coca Cola.  Dennis and I watch the news coverage of Pres Trump meeting the North Korea dictator Kim Jong Un.  Jokes and opinions fly back and forth across room 2903 at the Kobe Crowne Plaza that morning.

We didn't do anything special or of note that day.  I'm very tired of having to ride trains as my main mode of transportation.  Also tired of sitting in the room.  Dennis, Jack, Sam and I take to the streets to walk around the shopping areas for a while.  The only real plans we have is to eat at a restaurant we found called Steakland; a Kobe steak house of sorts.  The name Steakland has me somewhat concerned.  It sounds too much like Bonanza or some other cheap steak place.  But it's not the $150 steak dinner offered at the hotel restaurant and it appears to be meat.

That afternoon, Jack and Sam opt to stay in the room.  Sam did have to leave about 2pm to meet one of his teachers at his old school.  Dennis wanted to check out another mountain lookout place and left to do that.  I didn't want to go anywhere, but didn't want to stay in the room.  I gathered my iPhone and MacBook, went to the hotel lobby and began writing for this blog.

That evening we went to Steakland for dinner.  But Sam is no where to be found.  I guess he spent time on a beach with a few of his friends from his old school.  But Sam met us at the restaurant.

This appeared to me to be a traditional and authentic Kobe steakhouse.  We were seated with a grill in front of us.  I, as well as Jack, ordered the big Kobe steak meal which came with a variety of other foods.  Including sushi.  The vegetable beef soup was excellent.  In fact, I think it was the best item I had the entire week... and that includes the Mister Donut.  Included with the dinner was likely the oddest thing I had to eat this whole trip.  And that was grilled octopus.  Salty, but tasted ok.  It was all fatty so it was like chewing gum.  And the texture was gross.  I could feel the suction cups of the octopus as I ate it.

We watched the chef cook our meal in front of us.  With Kobe beef, they cut it up in pieces when they cook it.  This way you don't need a steak knife to cut your food and you guessed it...  you're forced to use chop sticks.  I simply gave up on trying to figure out how to use them.  I merely stabbed the piece of meat with one stick and ate it that way.  I swear, Japan is a technology leading, industrialized nation that can't use any metal fabrication to provide it's people basic flatware.  WTF.  At least they gave me a good amount of very good steak sauce.

The meal and atmosphere were mostly good.  The oddest thing I saw at this place was a painting that resembled a woman sitting on a toilet.  I didn't get a picture of it as I thought that might have been a bit creepy if that was the case.

We would be leaving for the USA the next day.  Like Jack, I'm ready to head back to a place where I can carry a conversation with people, order food without having to point at a menu item and have a large ("L size" as it's called in Japan), cold glass of Diet Coke.  I sure wouldn't want to live here, but it was cool to visit.  Like I mentioned before, Japan wasn't high on my bucket list of places to visit, it was interesting to see the enormous contrast in culture and the way of life.  I would consider returning for another visit (we didn't get to see Mt Fuji) if the right conditions are there.

Right now, I'm looking forward to another trip across the Pacific to Tahiti with Buffy later this month.

Here's some more pics:

The Emperor's Garden.

Having breakfast at Eggs & Things

Signage in the subways.

At the top of the mountain in Kyoto, minus Jack.

Japan: Sushi Again?!

Monday, June 11, 2018 -

I awake today longing for the life in a small American mountain town.  I'm really sick of having to navigate your way through a crowd of people to get on a subway and then some train just to get from point A to point B.  The same problem is had in any large city.

Ben is back to work.  Of course Jack and Sam would rather stay in the room on their phones.  Dennis wants to do something.  Dennis is doing pretty good with his bad back. For me, I kind of want to take a rest, but still want to get out of the room and do something.  I'm just sick of getting to places... I really long for Steamboat Springs and getting back into my Dodge RAM.

The Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Maiko.

Dennis really wanted to check out the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge; something Jack considered some weird obsession.  It is a tollway bridge that crosses over the Osaka Bay to another island.  Supposedly, it is or at least was, the longest suspension bridge in the world.  Along the supports of the bridge is where whirlpools occur.  These whirlpools are so strong that many boats and ships can get caught in them and become unable to escape.  I suspect these whirlpools happen when the tide moves in and out.

So, yet another ride on the subways and trains, Dennis and I left to a town called Maiko.  It is a town along the coast just west of Kobe.

We arrive at the bridge and walk around the area.  It looks to be very clean and we're getting a really nice breeze off the bay.  One particular sculpture is close to the bridge.  It looks like a donut.  The description is written only in Japanese and shows a picture of some man.  I joke to Dennis it's a monument to Mister Donut.

For a small admission fee, we were able to walk around underneath the bridge for a ways.  There were some tunnel like walkways and even had a "skywalk" where you can look through plexiglass over the bay.  And it was a clear day and we could see pretty far along the bay.

That night, Ben had made plans for us to go to another sushi restaurant.  He claimed that if we thought the sushi train was good, we'd never want to go back there once we've eaten this sushi.  We were to meet Magoomie, Hanna and Mummi again.  And guess what?  Another round of subway and train riding to get to this place.

When you have to see a man about a donut,
Mr Donut is the man to see!

I ask what the hell is up with their fascination with sushi.  Where is all this great Kobe beef I always hear about?  Why don't we go there?  Maybe it doesn't exist is what I tell Dennis and Ben.  It's all a lie!!  So we go to this place which took some time to get there.  When we do get there, there is a Mister Donut next door.  Jack suggested we should go to Mister Donut for dinner instead.  I kind of liked that idea.

We go to the sushi restaurant and we are seated way in the back at an American sized booth.  However, there are more of us, so we take up 2 booths.  Before long, the ventilation system kicked in and the smell of some sort of bad fish fills the air.  This is really going to suck I think to myself.

A bunch of sushi is ordered.  I maintain being a good sport and try some.  I grabbed one that had conger eel on it.  It was grilled or fried.   Tasted good but it was a tough piece of fish.  But I don't really eat all that much and rather drank my dinner.  Again, I don't understand all the fascination with sushi.  It's bland.  And what's up with all the rice... again, it's bland.  Maybe they like it because it's cheap.  I don't know.

Upon leaving, I said goodbye to Magoomie and her daughters.  We decided to get some donuts at Mister Donut for the next morning.  And lastly, another round of riding the trains and subways to get back to the hotel. And a late night visit to the hotel bar then some more binge watching of "The 100."

Japan: Harbortown

Sunday, June 10, 2018 -

At last, it looks like we'll get a decent breakfast.  Our plans today take us to an area of Kobe known as Harbortown.  It's close to the harbor of Osaka Bay and it is somewhat Americanized.  Ben suggested breakfast at a restaurant called "Eggs & Things."  It was founded in Hawaii.

Jack and his breakfast.

I was able to order eggs overeasy and sausage.  Jack was hungry and ordered the macadamia nut and banana pancakes.  It was all mostly good; the sausage was basically hot dogs.  But breakfast was very much enjoyed.

After that, we didn't know what to do.  Jack and Sam headed back to the hotel to get on their phones and play games and watch videos.  I can't really blame them.  I myself was getting tired of riding subways and trains to get anywhere, basically a big city problem.

Dennis, Ben and I walked around Harbortown some.  We went into the Kobe Harbor Tower to its observation deck.  After that, we went and looked around the maritime museum.  Attached to the Maritime Museum was a museum for Kawasaki.  They displayed numerous products and services Kawasaki produced.  From motorcycles and ATVs to robotics to parts for trains, planes and rockets.  After touring the museum, we made our way to an earthquake memorial to honor those lost in a 1995 earthquake.

Hanging out in Harbortown in Kobe.

Though I was getting tired of walking around, we did walk through Kobe's Chinatown.  Wanting to get a bite to eat, Dennis wanted to stop in some Chinese restaurant.  Outside the restaurant were pictures of the food they serves.  Other than a vegetarian, salad looking dish, none of it looked appetizing to me.  "Are you going to eat anything," Dennis asked me.  "Probably not," I answered.  We then moved along and settled for a Kentucky Fried Chicken to eat at.  At least here I had an idea of what I was eating.

Japan: A Walk in Kyoto

Saturday, June 9, 2018 -

Yea, I know... I kind of left this blog on the back burner that last few days.  But I'm back.

Today, per Ben's tour guiding expertise, we are going to take the train to Kyoto to look around.  Kyoto is roughly north-northeast of Kobe.  It is a very old town, to the tune of thousands of years old.  It used to be the capital of Japan and the Emperor's palace is located there.  

Sam, Jack and I about to head up the so-called mountain.

At the train station, we are greeted with more confusion.  Apparently we were to meet one of Ben's co-workers in Japan and her daughters.  I did not know this until we were just standing around for what seemed to me, no reason at all.  Ben's co-worker is Magoomie (believe me, I'm trying my best to remember the names, let alone trying to spell them correctly) and her daughters Hanna and (I think I heard right) Mommi or Mummi.  They were extremely nice and they could speak English a lot better then most of the population I came into contact.

After taking a couple different trains to Kyoto, we make the walk through town.  It is a narrow street filled with people all heading to what will look to me to be some tourist trap.  There are a number of stores with souvenirs and even kimono rentals.  The destination we are headed is a long climb up the mountain (remember, what they call mountain and what I call mountain are two different things).  There's some sort of religious significance on top of this mountain.  Many people will wear their kimono and other gear to pay their respects.  I can't believe people wear these hot looking clothing all the way up in the sun and humidity to do this. 

"Comrade" Dennis with his hat from the
 Imperial Japanese Army.

Of course, we stop for ice cream first before making this hike.  Dennis realized that he did not bring a hat and didn't want to sunburn his head.  He managed to find a vendor selling hats.  The hat he purchased said 'Japan' on it in big letters and was of a style of what a soldier would wear in the Imperial Japanese Army.  Dennis' name became "Comrade" for that afternoon.

We all walked with the other masses of people through these red wooden posts in a large forest.  I commented we are being herded in for slaughter.  By the looks of these wooden posts, this is a tourist trap; I don't see any long lasting historic structures other than some rocks.

We keep heading up.  Along the way were some vending machines and cafes where you could get a bite to eat or drink.  Jack commented that there had better be something spectacular at the top otherwise he wasn't going to leave his room for the rest of the trip.  Jack is not too big on physical exertion... kind of like his Grandpa Dick.  So at one particular stop, Jack decided not to go up any further.  I forgot to look up what the elevation of the top of the mountain was, but I'm going to guess it was about 1,200 ft.


We finally get up there.  Not much to look at.  There was a small line for people to look at what I considered a mound of rocks.  According to Ben, there was some sort of religious significance to them.  There was a makeshift table in front of it where items could be placed.  I bought a water, we took a few pictures and then made the trek downhill.

The hardest thing for me going up was the humidity; temperature was not bad if you were in the shade.  And again, I'm surprised there are no bugs.  To me, it seemed others were breathing hard trying to manage the uphill climb.  Being from Colorado, I didn't seem to have as hard a time.  Even walking down which should be much easier, I heard someone behind me having issues.  He was breathing real hard, counting, "1, 2, 1, 2... ok now... 1, 2, 1, 2," and so on.  I thought, "if this guy is having this hard of time walking down, how the hell did he get up here?"

Being herded in.

We met up with Jack.  I said that he really missed out by not going to the top.  I also told him that at the top, they were giving away FREE, UNLIMITED data for his phone and computers.  Earlier, he bought a sim card to get data in Japan, which he used up with his game playing.  He didn't exactly buy my story.

Once down the mountain, we stopped in a convenience store to get a snack and/or drink.  I made some comment to Jack which I don't remember what it was.  Jack's response: "My life is slowly being drained every day I stay here."

The final tally.

We've done a lot of walking at this point.  According to my exercise app, we had climbed 62 flights of stairs.  But we weren't done yet.  Now we headed to the Emperor's Palace.  This entitled another lengthy walk.  We get to the Palace and I make the comment that it looks like a fairgrounds.  We also noticed the groundskeepers, raking the rocks to make them look nice.  They probably didn't even consider using modern motorized equipment to do this.

We had to run to the entrance as they were about to close for the day.  We were the last group to go in.  I wasn't real impressed with the palace.  It was interesting to see how they made the roofs (looked like some kind of thatch) and the Emperor's garden was beautiful.  But other than that...

It was now a long walk back to the train station and to head back to the Crowne Plaza.  At least we stopped at a Tony Roma's for an American dinner before heading back.

Japan: The Bullet Train

June 8, 2018 -

I think today’s activities will be the highlight of the trip for me.  We plan to take the bullet train, or what the Japanese call “Shinkansen,” down to Hiroshima.  There we plan to take in the Peace Museum and see another other sights from the Aug 6, 1945 atomic bomb dropping.

A screen capture of my iPhone while riding the bullet train.

It took some time in deciphering how to get tickets and departure times.  It was a little more expensive than we expected.  But we are in Japan so we were determined to do it.

We get on board and it’s reminiscent of an airplane.  And very clean.  Unfortunately, and especially for Jack who always wants to sit, there were no seats.  We took a spot to stand next to the smoking booths.  Yes you read that correct.  Smoking booths.  My mom and dad would have loved this.  They have special booths where people can smoke on the train.  They must have had very good ventilation systems inside of those as I never smelled any second hand smoke.

The train rode incredibly smooth.  You would get some bumps and movement when it would accelerate or turn, but for the most part, very smooth.  I’ve had more turbulence on an airplane.

We disembarked from the shinkansen and hailed a cab to take us to the Peace Park and Museum.  I sat in the front seat of the very small cab.  The driver drove in a very odd fashion.  We would come to a stop and he’d put the car in neutral and pull the parking brake.  When the light would change, he’d put it in drive and release the break.  He kept doing this all the time.  He might save a yen’s worth of fuel, but it will cost thousands of yen for the repair to the wear and tear on the transmission.

The taxis are very clean here in Japan.  Taxi drivers wear dark, conservative suits with white gloves.  A far cry from what kind of cab ride you’d get in downtown Chicago.

The park and museum were well worth the trip I thought.  Of course with our luck, the main building of the museum was closed for renovations.  Still, I enjoyed the visit.  It is all located pretty much to ground zero where the bomb detonated.  I had joked that I wish I had a geiger-counter to check on radiation.  One building in particular is called A-Bomb Dome.  It was a dome building that partially withstood the blast.  I’m sure some reinforcement was in order, but was allowed to be kept standing to show the aftermath of the bomb’s dropping.

Inside the museum was a room that gave the effect as if you were walking the streets of Hiroshima right after the explosion.  Also in the room was a lighted display of the entire area, displaying an arial view of Hiroshima before, during and after the dropping of the a-bomb.  The museum also showcased artifacts found in the rubble and the aftermath.

I found Hiroshima to be cleaner and more modern than Kobe.  Granted it was rebuilt after 1945, but still.  This is another observation I’ve had with Japan.  The road and train infrastructure is very good.  But then I look at the buildings and many of then just appear to be run down.  The roofs look to be old; dirt or rust streaks run down the sides of the walls.  Ben was explaining something earlier regarding the way they value buildings here.  I didn’t totally understand, but it was something to the effect buildings will depreciate within 20-30 years depending upon what building it is.  Then it is only worth what the land is worth.  I find it hard to believe market prices don’t dictate this.  

The A-Bomb Dome.

Our plans that evening was to meet with some friends of Ben and Sam, at what I believed was going to be their apartment.  This will be interesting, I thought.  Japanese residences are not very big.  I was already getting tired of small, cramp restaurants and places.  We were getting ready to leave the hotel to meet with Ben at the train station.  Unbeknownst to me, Sam was to take a red suitcase along with him to drop off with these friends of theirs.  Sam had to run back to the room to get this.  “What does he have to get?” I inquire.

Dennis explained that it was a suitcase full of bibles that they brought over from the US for these people.  “What?” I thought, also picturing a bunch of hot Gidian bibles from hotel rooms in a suitcase.  So now I’m sizing up the situation: meeting some people in a small apartment to hand off a pile of bibles which will likely turn out, they don’t drink, have no alcohol, it’s hot in the room and serving questionable food items.  My immediate future does not bode well for me.

It turned out we met them at an un-authentic Hawaiian restaurant for dinner.  Though small, it was not hot, they served beer and I ordered the surf & turf.  The owner had a little dog in the restaurant (and I haven’t seen too may pets here) wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt.  The company of Ben and Sam’s friends was very nice and we all had a good time.  At the end of the night, the owner was playing his ukulele with their kids.  I never did find out what the bibles were for.  Not sure I want to know.

Now it was back to the Crowne Plaza to binge watch some more of "The 100" on Netflix... and drink beer.

Japan: The Sushi Train

June 7, 2018 - 

Japanese rest room stall at a train stop.  Sure glad I didn't have to go!

Another day, another quest for food.  I have found that the Japanese do not believe in breakfast.  Most stores and restaurants don’t open until 11am.  Even if you do find some sort of Japanese breakfast, it’s likely a cup of noodles with a raw egg on it.  Jack, Sam, Dennis and I wonder endlessly in search for some kind of breakfast.  I figured Sam would have known of some place but didn’t.  He claimed he normally ate at home when they lived here.

It was this morning when Jack suggested we look for a flight to go home early.  He was already tired of Japan.  His biggest gripe was he was hot all the time.  That’s true.  He’s a big kid and was sweating quite a bit.  I totally get where he was coming from.  In a number of places in Japan, it only what they call “mildly air-conditioned.”  I would look around and you’d see Japanese people wearing jackets and long sleeved shirts and such and not be sweating.  Escape from the heat was a major reason I left Illinois.  Though we made fun of Jack, Dennis was already compiling a list of “What I Hate About Japan,” with the number one item being no air conditioning.

Anyhow, we managed to find a coffee shop that served breakfast.  And I’m talking eggs over easy and bacon (despite the bacon nowhere to being crispy).  

After breakfast, our plans were to get back on a train to a manmade island in the harbor to a Harley-Davidson shop.  Dennis needed to get a Harley shirt as a souvenir for his brother in law.   It was warm and humid during our walk to the Harley store.  But we were all entertained by Jack’s dislike of the climate.  

Once Dennis picked up the shirt we headed back to the hotel and then left again to ride a cable car up to the Nunobiki Falls and Herb Garden.  This was right next to the Crowne Plaza.  The cable car would take you up to the top of what everyone called the mountain (this peaked at 1,200 ft in elevation… this is NOT a mountain).  At the top there was a cafe and herb garden.  A hiking path could take you back down, which Dennis and I did and bought the one way tickets.  Jack and Sam bought the 2 way tickets.  They didn’t want to walk down; they need to get back to the room to be on their phones.

Dennis and I took some other paths that we thought would give us another view of the Nanobiki waterfall.  The climb was steep and turned out, only gave us a partial view of the city.  In the woods of these paths, the humidity was pretty high and we were working up a big sweat.  I have no idea how Dennis’ back was going to feel the next day.  If I knew we were going to be doing this, I would have brought my hiking shoes.

Probably the biggest surprise with Japan I now realized with all the woods around me and sweating buckets was… no bugs.  And we’ve encountered a good amount of rain too.  Very seldom have I seen any bugs.  I did see one mosquito… and that was inside McDonalds.

For dinner that night, Ben was finally able to join us.  He planned to take us to what his family called “The Sushi Train” and was one of their favorite places to eat.  I have no idea what the place is truly called.  It might even be the Sushi Train.

Jack riding up the gondola at the Nunobiki Falls.

I really don’t know what to expect from this.  I’ve never been a sushi fan.  I think the only sushi I’ve tried was in Florida one year and from what I remember, smelled horrible and tasted the same.  But I figure sushi in Japan and sushi in the US are different.  So I planned to go into this with an open mind and give it a try.

We get there and get a booth.  The actual “train” is a conveyor belt that delivers food to your table.  There were two belts.  One was loaded with sushi of different types of fish and ran to all the different booths down an isle.  The second was one where you special ordered an item off a kiosk at your booth.  As you finished your plate, you would then dump the empty plates down a slot to who knows where it went then.  The atmosphere of the restaurant was that of an all you can eat buffet place.  Cheap.  We’d tease Jack that he probably likes this restaurant because of how the food comes to you and you don’t have to get up.

I really don’t know what the fuss is all about with sushi.  I tried it.  It wasn’t horrible, taste bad or have bad texture or smell.  But it was bland.  The fried shrimp was pretty good at this place, along with the large bottles of beer.  Ben explained that while the sushi at the Sushi Train was good, but he knew of a better place to get sushi.  And he added that once having sushi at this other place, you’ll never want to have sushi at the Sushi Train again.  With sushi for me, the only place to go from here is up.