Beginning (and end) of Day Four

[oregontocal]

Hanging around the Fresno Wal-Mart parking lot, waiting for the store to open at 9:00 so I can buy a compass (!!) and pick up a couple of prescription refills. Just got an email from Kansas letting me know my starting date for Amazon.com will be Oct. 19. So, I'll be gainfully employed again for three more months. Something entirely different than the lodge, too. If anyone has ideas of places to see/visit/stay on the way from San Diego to Coffeyville, Kansas, I'd love to hear about them. I've made arrangements to visit an old friend in Santa Fe, NM whom I haven't seen in about 7 years.

I hope to make it as far as Barstow today - only about 240 miles, so shouldn't be any problem. At least there won't be as many right lanes turning into "Exit Only" lanes - lots of those in Sacramento and Stockton yesterday.

[Later on] It's now 6:45 - 266 miles today, but finally made it. I'm following in Trudy's tire-steps, just the opposite direction. There sure aren't many RV parks in Barstow, so I just pulled into the KOA she recommended. Most expensive one so far, but not too bad.


Didn't take many pictures today, but here are a couple. The first is the Bravo Cheese Factory in Traver. Yeah, I know it looks like the Brav Che Factory. Anyway, lots of locally-made cheese to taste as well as all kinds of other "touristy" stuff. I bought some white cheddar to try for dinner tonight and my usual Starbucks Frappacino for when I start to nod off while driving. Since I don't usually drink coffee, that combination of chocolate and espresso really does the trick.


This next picture shows just a small part of all the wind things (what do you usually call them?) on the hills near the top of Tehachapi. Don't they look like large white birds? The wind was really strong so they were all going about a mile a minute. I'd never driven to the summit from west to east before and was sure it would keep going up and up and up. It did--to 5,000 feet. Looked over at the opposite lane which was backed up for about 3 miles - a semi had overturned. Everyone was out of their cars, strolling around, wondering what the heck was going on. I was just glad I was in the opposite lane.


Short email to Trudy to find out which campground she stayed in here in Barstow, and I'm finally here. Decided since I need to be in Kansas a week earlier than planned, just to head into San Diego tomorrow instead of spending a week in Blythe. So, the final lap beckons tomorrow - I-15, my least favorite highway into San Diego because it's huge - many lanes, and they're always adding new ones. Oh well, I've driven this far, another 100 or so miles won't kill me.

[Cedar518]

Hi Chris,
I like the shot of the wind farm. Guess they are called wind turbines? Not sure either. Here in the northern part of NY they are going in in several areas. Of course with some opposition from different factions that like "unobstructed view".. HA,.. let their view pay for their energy! I think anything we can do to harness mother nature for our energy is ok. I'd put a few turbines here on my hill but i'm in the "Adirondack Park" which has very tight regulations. Chit. Not sure how those babies work, but i guess they turn in the wind, and create electrical energy that is then transmitted into the grid? Personal ones transmit into a battery bank I think. Any of you gals got the facts on that? I'm interested.

I like the idea of amazon.com job. you are right, hard work but will be worth it. sounds like they are giving good bennies to go with the pay.

[Paulette]

My son works for Seimens Corp in Texas running the warehouse and doing tech stuff on their wind turbines. I don't know a whole lot of facts about them, but do know that while they look small in the distance in the picture, up close they are HUGE! However, I do not find them obtrusive as I agree with Cedar that we should be harnessing more solar and wind and whatever else to power our lives with (so we can save more fuel for driving our motorhomes!!!!!)

[avalen]

ahh, a windfarm, I started doing a little research on that, found out there is a small
one available that you can use with the rv but haven't done enough research yet to
really know the facts. I do think we need to rely more on mother nature, the wind
is really not a new idea,look at the dutch way back when were using
wind to turn their windmills and pump their water. The newer idea is making the
energy and storing it.
I'm enjoying your pics of your journey, hoping your gonna take pics of the San Diego
area when you get that way, cause thats a place I'd like to go in the next couple years.
Then of course if you come through Phoenix on your way be sure and hollar. Casino
parking lots are quite doable in this area and there is one just down the street from
me. The local walmart did away with the rv parking overnight as folks were abusing
it and the city got on em.
Post when ya can.

[Bethers]

I love windfarms and am actually quite knowledgeable about them. All because I had the top people responsible for putting one in near me in WI staying at the motel I managed. I got a private tour of the windfarm- and went inside one. At the time, the ones being built there were the largest ones in the US. They said that those would be the norm in all new windfarms for years. Talk about BIG - that's for sure.

Also, they do not go faster or slower according to the wind. They are going at one steady rate all the time. They are computerized though and if the wind is actually too strong for some reason, it will shut them down until it stabilizes. They do turn to face the proper direction and sometimes that is all that needs to happen.

I agree about them being a wonderful clean source of energy. And I think they are pretty in their own way.

[Mollysmom]

That wind farm was really impressive wasn't it Chris ?! That's the largest one I've ever seen !! I don't know how many turbines there are but there're hundreds of them ! Very neat.
Barstow is pretty limited on where you can stay, the KOA was nice enough. I liked the scenery - it was just a giant open area ringed with little mountains - hot hot hot but pretty.
Good luck with the next leg of your journey - San Diego is an awesome place but I wouldn't want to drive through it !!

[oregontocal]

Trudy, I pulled into the KOA at dusk, paid for a site, and was out of there by 7:30 the next morning. Too bad, too because I paid more for that place than others on the way down. They were having a pancake breakfast in the morning, but by then I was long gone. The weather was decent, even a little cool and cloudy, but it really was just that big open area with a few shrubs between sites.

[kelpie]

Chris,
I might have missed it before but can you tell us more about the job at Amazon.com. A job at a major book company sounds like heaven to me although I might not make any money at all if i got to buy discounted books

[oregontocal]

Hi, kelpie,

I started a new discussion about the amazon.com job, so please check it out.