2022 Adler Spring San Diego Trip

Starting mileage:   81849 Starting time: 7:30 am Ending mileage: 82342  Ending time: 3:30 pm Travel mileage:  493  Travel time: 8:00 hours 46 degrees and misting this morning when we left. It rained lightly for about 4 hours this morning making driving less fun but it wasn't terrible. The sun came out for the rest of the day except for a short time just when we arrived when it was misting again.  We got gas at Speedway for $3.46 and $3.65 in Ohio. Prices are around $4.19 in PA. When we went for our usual lunch at Subway, the drink dispenser was strange. One had to scan a QR code on the front of the machine with a cell phone and then use the cell phone to select the type of beverage and tell it when to start and stop pouring. There didn't seem to be any buttons on the machine to do it manually. We are staying at a Quality Inn in Clarion, PA for only about $70/night for a king room.

Starting mileage:   81378 Starting time: 7:45 am Ending mileage: 81849  Ending time: 4:30 pm Travel mileage:  471  Travel time: 7:45 hours (lost another hour coming into Indiana) 46 degrees and very windy this morning. Rained lightly most of the day, a nuisance but not a problem with driving. It has been nice seeing green again as we get into a wetter climate. Gas was $3.69 in Kansas and Missouri. $4.19 in Illinois. We knew it would be more expensive in Illinois so we filled up just before leaving Missouri. We are staying at a Comfort Suites in Terre Haute tonight. Using our "points" so no charge.

Starting mileage:   80920   Starting time:8:00 am Ending mileage: 81375  Ending time: 4:00 pm Travel mileage:  455  Travel time: 8:00 hours Another chilly and bright morning, only 28 degrees. Lots of wind farms in Kansas near route 54. We saw considerable smoke in the distance and then a sign warning about range burning and to pull over and not drive through heavy smoke - we didn't encounter heavy smoke. There were huge swaths of the countryside that we could see were recently burned - maybe it is good for regenerating the prairie grass. There were many beef cattle grazing on the grass although most of it looked pretty brown and dry. Some of the fields which were starting to turn green were also bright purple and we wondered if it was thyme. There is some growing by our hotel - seems like it is "henbit". We are staying at a Comfort Suites in Topeka, Kansas tonight. Henbit - not my photo

Starting mileage:   80415   Starting time:7:00 am Ending mileage: 80914  Ending time: 5:00 pm Travel mileage:  499  Travel time: 8:00 hours (not counting 2 hour time change) A chilly morning with temperatures only in the 20s but bright and sunny. Breakfast at the hotel was memorable but not in a good way. At 6:30am, the coffee was only lukewarm. When one guest commented on this, the attendant suggested putting it in the microwave for 30 seconds! We bought gas shortly after getting into New Mexico at $3.92/gallon, getting cheaper as we head away from California.😀 To the north of I-40, there were many spectacular red sandstone cliffs and sharp-sided mesas off to the distance. There is a lot of scrubby rangeland with short grass, yuccas and some cholla cactus. It was interesting seeing billboards catering to women truckers, with a photo of a woman and touting well-lighted parking or clean bathrooms. We like the truck stops as they generally have nice clean bathrooms. Near Albuquerque we

Starting mileage:   79873 Starting time: 8:15 am Ending mileage: 80415  Ending time: 5:15 pm Travel mileage:  542  Travel time: 9:00 hours We got up and left fairly early, saying goodbye to Surana, Nic, Mia and Mathias. Once we got out of the urban areas, the hills were actually fairly green from the rain and before the dry season - soon - it will be all "golden brown". Once we went over the mountains, it was exceptionally dry desert  with just scattered dry brush. The ground is sandy / rocky with many lava stones / boulders. When we came over the last ridge in California, we could see the very green Colorado River valley below. We were just about out of gas when we got to Needles, CA, the last town in California. Gas was $6.69/gallon! We just got $10 worth, hoping it would be less in Arizona. We had lunch at the Subway at the truck stop. Just after the truck stop, there was a large billboard advertising gas for $4.53 / gallon 20 miles ahead. If we had known, we could have wa

Starting mileage:   79756 Starting time: 1:30 pm Ending mileage: 79873 Ending time: 3:30 pm Travel mileage:  117  Travel time: 2:00 hours Looks like it will be a beautiful day. A very busy morning.  Around 8:30 I went over to Amy's to connect the GFI outlet by her crawlspace entrance and the junction box inside before turning off the power. Then I went to Costco and used Amy's card to get gas at only $5.29/gallon but even so, paid $75 for gas, the most ever for us. Then to Home Depot to return the PVC cement I didn't use and buy a storage container to move gravel into Amy's crawlspace. I picked Carmen up at Anna's on the way back. We put down landscaping fabric over Amy's "lake" in the crawlspace and put down several inches of gravel. Carmen would put about 10lbs into the storage container, push it through the crawlspace opening, I dragged it over and dumped it. T