2nd Cali Road Trip!!!

How do you get a 28 foot truck from NY to California?

Drive it of course!

So that's what we did- and here's what happened:

First we had the truck inspected in New Jersey... and were given a clean bill of health and told it was in great shape...

"The World's Largest Truck Stop" where they sell what else, trucks!

(Literally, they spin around on podiums!)

Our hotel the second night in Des Moines, Iowa- I actually stayed here in October when I made this trip alone!

And then it began- snow snow snow snow snow

Some random tourist bridge in Illinois

Remember Kearny, Nebraska from my last trip?

Well, I stopped at the same statue again- and took a pic of the sign this time (see below)

Turns out, there's 10 of these things scattered across Nebraska!

Found another one...

The truck stops sell the most random stuff- what trucker is going to by a Southern Belle Doll as big as a small pony?

I took a pic of the cowboy doll because I think he looks exactly like my nephew :)

They also sell glass roses at truck stops...

and glass dragons!

Our serious troubles began in Ohio when we were 6,000 lbs over the weight limit (ever stand behind a bar in freezing weather throwing out thousands of pounds of paperwork into a random dumpster? Not fun!!!)

But then, in Wyoming- our front right tire blew! 9 times out of 10 when that happens, the truck tips over- ours didn't- but then when I pulled up behind the truck in my car, we accidentally got stuck in the snow too! (those are my skid marks above)

So we had a broke down truck, and stuck Cayenne- and its F-f-f-f-FREEZING

They had to replace the rim and the tire... so we spent the night in Wyoming...

Next morning started out great (day 2)

We passed a tank being hauled down the highway-most people don't know this but the highways were created by Eisnehower to transport tanks across the county easily- how appropriate that we actually passed one!

It was really cool ( and we were finally making great time- no more delays!)

We passed a windmill farm

The snow looks so innocent and fresh...

The Utah mountains were stunning- like driving through whipped cream and powdered sugar

It never occured to me that Salt Lake City is so named because it is next to (ta da) Salt Lake

The lake is gorgeous- clear and flat

I love these pictures

and the reflections are breathtaking

(see our truck up ahead- the tiny blue speck...) and the reflections of the moutains in the water

In Nevada there was a weird baseball statue thingy... I don't get it (I feel so uncultured...)

So... our truck broke down AGAIN in Nevada (blown rear right tire this time) and the random repair place we pulled into was locaed next to the Bonneville Salt Flats!

This is THE place to race cars in the summer- where all the test drives are done...

See- perfectly flat

With a 4 mile stretch of staright rode leading to it (can't drive on the salt in the winter- too mushy) but of course we had to try it for ourselves...

I got my heavily weighted, fully packed 08 Cayenne to 122 mph before it started to shake so badly I had to slow down!!!

While we raced, the mechanic replaced the tire

4 days in a car can make your boots smell- airing out boots and socks in the Nevada wind...

Posers! They named a city 'Beverly Hills' in the middle of nowhere in the Nevada desert!

The end of the 5 day- a beautiful sunset (a full 2 days behind schedule...)

Why does a sunset make everything feel alright?

So, it took 5 days, 4 nights and 3 tires, plus 7 more repairs in random cities along the way in temperatured from 23 degrees to -13 degrees (!!!) but we finally made it- although the truck almost didn't.

That new right tire replaced in Wyoming? It blew in Reno, Nevada- 128 miles away from our destination and we had to have the truck towed the last 128 miles (over the terrifying Donner Pass- look it up, no kidding)

So glad to be here- and it's 53 degrees! No more road trips for a while...