Miami, FL (USA)

This trip seemed so short. More traveling than watching the race (still worth it!). Up at 0600L today - finished packing, quick snack before driving to airport. LOTS of traffic on FL-826, but we made it to the car rental return with two hours to takeoff (gas fillup in fully Spanish speaking neighborhood). It took us over an hour from that point, with train, walk, security (etc.) to get inside the terminal - but we did have enough time to get some delicious pancakes for breakfast (at Sushi Maki Restaurant, of all places!). After finishing, got souvenirs - and then realized we were still a long way from our gate. Had to take another train to get there - and walked up right as they started to call our zone. It took awhile to get everyone on the plane (glad we had small carry-ons) and we left late - but they made it up on the way to DFW. We actually landed early and were on our way to the car before our scheduled arrival time (nice!). I was checking my messages and found out that the company I interviewed with last week had a job offer for me - great! Took care of some other issues (by phone) on the way to our house. Got home just in time to pick up the kids. Spent the rest of the day packing for our annual Thanksgiving trip. Busy, busy!

Homestead, FL (USA)

Race Day!!! This opportunity was really special: closest NASCAR championship series ever - with some trash talk from Tony Stewart and a track that normally doesn't see a drop of rain. I'll mention (for posterity) that Nicky had been needling me for a week to skip the race altogether to drive her to Key West - but the rain this morning dampened (pun intended) her resolve. I really think she wanted to watch part of the race but didn't want to be at the track all day long. In any case, she picked up some food for us (croissant sandwiches) from a quaint bistro nearby and we used the fancy (water-proof) backpacks the travel hosts gave us to bring supplies for the day. While we waited to leave for the track, we saw a lot of Miami Dolphin fans who were on the same kind of travel gig as us (except that they were going to the football game). Our bus (one of three) left from the parking lot at the hotel at around 1000L - the folks seated behind us were from St. Johns, Newfoundland (NASCAR fans!). The rain was bad enough this morning to dampen the mood - and cause me to think (more than once) that the race might be cancelled... Still, we had a police escort all the way to the Homestead-Miami Raceway (using carpool lanes, breakdown lanes - and the grass). I'm SO glad we didn't try to drive ourselves because the traffic jam was huge (some poor suckers were trying to use the Florida Turnpike to get to Key West - ooops!). We arrived at the bus parking area around 1100L - partly cloudy skies by then! There were already a lot of tailgaters there but not a lot of people inside the gates. Nicky and I explored for several hours - getting free samples of racer sponsored snacks, trying to get ourselves on TV (broadcast on Speed Channel), attempting to win (Nicky) free cars, trips to Daytona 500 (etc.). As a Ford owner for nearly 25 years, I was pleasantly surprised by all the fanfare they were making as the sponsors of the championship event. We saw Greg Biffle and Denny Hamlin drive by (three feet away) on golf carts, blending into the crowd very easily as they went to the podium to tout Ford F-150s. We ate some small meals (snacks, really, but Nicky had a Cuban sandwich) at different points before the race began, and tried to get as much out of the full day as we could: photo opportunities with the #14 car, musical entertainment by the Brass Brigade, Seal Team parachutes (etc.). I almost regretted that we hadn't bought a pit pass, but we later learned that the First Lady was in the Pit area all day and that paying customers had been denied access despite having a ticket [BTW, this was the reason for all the "boos" reported by ESPN in the following days]. We took our seats (great ones - 25th row on the front stretch, could see the whole track, only about 100 meters beyond the finish line) around 1430L - watched the driver intros, National Anthem and F-16 fly-by. All day long, Nicky had been commenting (rightly so) that certain things weren't done as well as they do them at Texas Motor Speedway, but our seats were SO much better - and we were among real fans who paid good money for the event. Race began on time (1500L) but we only made it through 14 laps before the rain began (it had been dry ALL day!). We got to watch both Tony Stewart's and Carl Edwards' car in the pit areas - right in front of us - and there was just as much excitement for that as for the race. The "Chase" has been so great this whole year - close and charged with energy every week. You could really feel it in the crowd and the cheers were so loud whenever Tony Stewart made a big (AKA crazy, aggressive, dangerous) move. Carl Edwards seemed to have it in the bag - he was leading the race and he just had to keep Stewart from winning. Stewart even fell to 40th place - twice - before storming back to get the lead (VERY LOUD in the stands). Things were really getting good - but then it started to POUR. We had to run for cover - but couldn't get any food at that time because (several) hundreds of thousands were hiding from the rain, too. Finally, the rain stopped - about an hour and a half later, we were back in our seats for the awesome last half of the race. The ONLY way Edwards could lose the championship was for Stewart to win and for him to be worse than second - but that is almost exactly what happened (#14 first, #99 second). It all came down to amazing passes, stellar fuel strategy and a lucky caution flag - the race was one for the ages. Tied in points, Stewart won the Championship with a tie-breaker. I'm so glad we were there - it was a once in a lifetime event! We stayed long enough to watch a little of the celebration, but it started to pour soon after the end of the race - we ran to our bus. We were actually supposed to leave at around 1900L but - with the rain delay - it was closer to 2100L when we departed. The police escort took us down swamp roads to cut off the traffic jam on the Turnpike - we passed Kyle Busch's and Denny Hamlin's trucks on the way and got on the highway in front of nearly everyone (did I mention I'm glad I didn't drive?!). "Home" at around 2215L. Wanted to go out to eat, but skipped it in favor or packing and getting some sleep for our early morning departure from the airport. What a day - thanks, Nicky!!!!

Miami, FL (USA)

It was already exciting enough to be able to attend a NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway, but Nicky's luck continued. She got a call a few days after that race - from the same radio station - where she was informed she had won an all-expenses paid trip to Miami for the last race of the season! Our family has never gotten ANYTHING like that before... We departed this morning from DFW - very early (!) - after some construction delays on the north side of the airport (when will I learn?!). Our flight (on American) took us through Tampa. Hadn't been there for awhile - views on arrival were tremendous. We had a two hour layover, so we had a nice lunch at Chili's in the airport (margarita included...). On our way around 1400L, very short flight to Miami. Things had sure changed since my last visit (see MAR 2007)! The rental car center had moved out pretty far from the terminal - in addition to the walk, we had to ride a train to get there. Problem with our rental reservation, but we got an upgrade (Dodge Avenger) and soon departed (1600L). There was even more construction on the way to our hotel - ended up using surface streets and got into the Cuban vibe... Our resort accomodations were in the town of Miami Lakes (northwest side of the city) - at Shula's Hotel and Golf Club! It was pretty fancy, nestled in a small shop/dine area of town. Our tour coordinator (from Premiere Sports Travel) met us in the lobby and gave us some cool souvenirs as we checked into our room. After seeing the place, I actually regretted getting a rental car - we could have walked around the property and eaten meals nearby... Still, we had our "muscle car" and Nicky had never been to Miami, so I drove her downtown around 1700L. It was just getting dark, so the skyline was pretty. I tried to take her to Miami Beach (and/or South Beach), but the traffic jam on this Saturday night was horrendous. After realizing how hard it would be to get there, Nicky begrudgingly allowed me to drive her to pretty Key Biscayne - a place I'd explored before. We looked for a bit for a good Cuban restaurant, but didn't find a good one out there. Instead, we settled for a seafood meal with a view of the city on the Causeway - at the Rickenbacker Fish Company. They had recently built an outdoor Tiki Bar, and we had a great time in the pleasant weather. Our meal included a few appetizers (buffalo shrimp, locally smoked wahoo) and a shared entree of pistachio crusted Mahi. Nicky tried an interesting drink called the Golden Coconut. Topped off the evening with a great piece of Key Lime Pie. We were there for a few hours before we headed back to our room. With the time change, it didn't seem too late - but we knew we'd need our sleep. Bed early...

Texas Motor Speedway (TX)

Had an unexpected opportunity today: Nicky won two tickets to a NASCAR race! Actually, she won two tickets to three races from a local radio station. She took Erin and Brenna to the truck race (Friday) and Nationwide Series (Saturday). Today, she left early in the morning so she could go to a concert by Trace Adkins at the Speedway (also part of the package!). I headed up to the track later - and as I drove up (1350L), I got to see an awesome fly-by of a B-52 at the end of the National Anthem. I made it to our seats at 1400L - just as the announcer said "Gentlemen, start your engines!" Wow! The view was tremendous - just at the start of Turn 1. After the race began, I realized I had forgotten my earplugs (yikes!). The race went on for about 100 laps before there was a caution - and my ears grew accustomed to the constant, ear-splitting noise. But it was all worth it! I was reminded of the aircraft carrier flight deck as they raced - a deep tone, very loud, vibrating your whole body. I was glad I've watched enough races to know who all the drivers were and how they were performing. We saw a couple of wrecks (minor) but the race went very quickly. The noise, wind generated by the cars, debris from the track, fan-watching (etc.) was priceless. I walked out to my car with around 25 laps to go and ended up spending the rest of the race trying to get my car started (dead battery) - fortunately, another fan helped me. Drove home as it was getting dark - fireworks accompanying Tony Stewart's win. I probably would never have gone to a race without Nicky winning the tickets - but I'm glad she did!

Decatur, TX (USA)

The job search has been very time consuming - and has limited travel opportunities. Today, however, I decided to take care of some business I've put off for a while (registering important documents with the State of Texas). I called up to the Wise County offices (since I've been getting help from them a lot, lately) and they told me it wouldn't be a problem. Mollie and I left Fort Worth around 1445 and used US-287 to get to the center of old Decatur. On the way, I realized my watch was still set on Mountain Time (I haven't worn it since then!). We watched the Thunderbirds (flight demonstration team) practicing near the Alliance Airport - that was cool. As we approached our destination, we got a great glimpse of the courthouse - one of those impressive buildings that dominates the treeless prairie for miles in every direction. We passed the petrified wood gas station as we went into town (1530). Found the County Clerk's building and spent some time with the nice ladies there. They took good care of me and my important paperwork - permanent record, safe and secure for all eternity! We also watched the ranchers coming in to file their brands in the County records. One of the ladies showed us the books and all the creative cattle markings from ranches nearby. We explored the square for a little bit - it was actually a busy (!) - before driving west to intercept US-287 again. That part of town is much newer and busier. Shopping for important supplies at Walmart, ice cream at Brahms (mmm...). On the way home we stopped at the Fresh Produce Market, a little place on Walnut Street. The family that runs it was very friendly and made buying their local fruits, vegetables and beef (most of it was from Muenster Meat Company - see APR 2010). We stocked up (!) and then drove home. Back at our house at 1730.

Montana Trip - Day 20

[slept OK, although the nearly hourly trains that blow their horns outside the window made it hard - if I could, I'd send a blank post card to my friend Red in Shawshank Prison, to let him know I'd made it... - spent the morning on emails and finances - it is time to start a new job search, I guess (headed back to Fort Worth) - drove down to the US-Mexican border this morning (0845L) - crossing not busy: thought about going across - dead "downtown" - drove up to the next town and then got back on I-10 - drove to Van Horn (McDonalds for lunch) - raining almost all day - time change (finally back in Central...) - changed to I-20 - gas in Pecos - more rain - continued east - stopped in Eastland, Texas, for gas and a Dairy Queen Blizzard - no longer raining (too bad for north Texas...) - made good time: back in Fort Worth around 1930L - drove over to watch the girls playing volleyball at St. Georges (near downtown) - back at our house around 2200L]

Montana Trip - Day 19

[finally figured out what time zone I'm in (Pacific) - so, ended up waking up at 0600L - my car cleaned off my big storm last night - had breakfast in the lobby and chatted with the owner - he bought a deserted motel last year and is renovating it room by room (who said the American Dream is dead ?) - on the road by 0730L - east on I-40 to Sanders - got gas - continued south on US-191 - lots of evidence of the rain: mud across the road, water actually flowing through (the usually dry) washes - through St. John's and into Springerville (pleasant little towns) - mailed post cards - lots of volcanic rock - cool (I'm still at high altitude!) - east on US-60 - long constuction delays near AZ-NM border - time change (again!) - drove (sprinkles and muddy truck water...) until I saw signs for Pie Town - decided to stop to see what the hubub was about (1230L) - while I was eating their famous "New Mexico Apple Pie" (with green chilies and [pine nuts], the lady behind the counter told me how ladies in the vicinity used to make been pies and dried apple pies for the ranchers (before there was a highway there) - the place only has 35 residents and got its start with the little pie shops (1920s/1930s) - I just missed the annual festival - continued east until I found the Very Large Array (VLA), just east of Datil - I'd been wanting to see this place for years, especially after the visit to Greenbank in West Virginia (see AUG 2007) - it was a lot different than I expected - to start, there are 27 radio telescopes - they can be arranged in several configurations, so depending on the camera angle, it looks like there are many more - when I drove up, I only saw a few (turns out, they are spread out over miles and miles of the area) - nice little visitor center (very informative) - ominous weather in the distance, but still took a self guided tour (walk) of the grounds - got very close to one of the units (big!) - saw the "High Plains Lifter" (train that moves the telescopes into position) - drove east towards Socorro (rain all the way) - on I-25 and drove to the south (windy!!!) - got away from the rain - decided to stop at the El Camino Real State Museum (exit 115) - had to drive through back country to get to it (it was, luckily, open on Wednesdays) - very interesting displays, told of the history of the trail from Mexico to New Mexico in the Seventeenth Century - it was an International Heritage Center, after all, so it had a definite slant against the Mexican War - still, it was worth the stop - could see some of the trail in the distance - drove back towards the interstate and figured out I'd need to drive a good distance to get back on it - used NM-1 through canyons and valleys until I could re-enter I-25 (1700L) - drove south for a while - got gas in Hatch - had been researching the location of Spaceport America - no signs about it AT ALL (despite reports that it was finished) - I read you would need to go to Truth or Consequences and ride a tram to the site - screw that! I got off at exit 32 (there was actually a sign there, saying "Home of Spaceport America") and started off on a dirt road that followed El Camino Real (two birds with one stone!) - very remote - sun setting / double rainbow - after about 15 miles off the pavement, I made it to a hiking trail area - climbed to the top of a ridge and could see... NOTHING... - I think I needed to go about 20 more miles on the increasingly poor road - by now, the sun was setting - so, I'll have to come back... - drive back to the highway took a good bit - on I-25 when it was completely dark - south to Las Cruces - got dinner at Arbys (to go) - after entering Texas (wow, it has been a while!), drove through crazy-driver-land (El Paso) until I was in the desert - speed limits picked up to 80 (!!) - made it to Fort Hancock (and a motel) at 2145L - it was good to stop...]

Montana Trip - Day 18

[my neighbors woke me up at 0630, which was OK - out of my room and back on the highway before 0715L - changed to US-491 in "downtown" Monticello - hardly any traffic (kids waiting for bus...) - made it to Cortez, Colorado, around 0830L and (after switching to US-160) to Mesa Verde visitor center by 0900L - needed a coat! - got some help to determine the tours I should take - in the end, decided to go on the Cliff Palace tour (1000) and the Balcony House tour (1200) - picked up some lunch (to go) at the [Red Mesa] Cafeteria across the street and then drove down to where the cliff houses were - arrived just as my tour was beginning - very informative with spectacular views - got to walk in front of and on top of one of the houses (some areas closed because of structural damage) - stories about the Kiva and history of the Ancestral Puebloans (got a little mystical) - had to climb up a wooden ladder at the end - finished with the tour in just over an hour - stopped a few times on the way to the next tour (hoping to get on the 1130 - didn't happen) - ate lunch outside in the pleasant weather - waited with an increasingly large group until a ranger appeared and told us they missed the 1130 and would have to combine that group with 1200 - pretty large group... - good ranger, though, great stories and explanations (the 1130 ranger showed up halfway through, calling himself Ranger McTardy) - stone stairs down, tall wooden ladder to get up (...) - very pretty views from the balcony house - ranger told us to be quiet and it was REALLY quiet - wandered through several stages of the place, learning about construction, dendochronology, history of the cliff dwellers - to get out, we had to crawl through a narrow tunnel and climb up a rock face with little footholds (and chain-link railings) - NOT a tour for the faint of heart... - the tour lasted just over an hour - stopped several more times in that area and saw even more interesting places (most would never be seen by white people for over 600 years after they were last occupied: hard to spot in dead-end canyons) - drove over to the nearby Mesa and found a whole different stage of the culture: pit-homes - learned about the agriculture of these people - finished up at the Museum (VERY crowded) but didn't go in - visited post office and chatted with the clerk - drove out of the park without stopping and backtracked to Cortez - followed US-160 all the way into the Navajo Reservation and then to the Four Corners site - I'd been wanting to visit the place since my roommate went there in 1991 - it had been newly remodeled - put my foot on the "X" that marked the intersection of borders (Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona) - walked around the square, reading about the history of the borders (and ongoing disputes about precise location) - vendors from the Navajo Nation (and Ute Nation) were selling wares all around the square - chatted with one of them (stories about tribal resentments, conflicts, land development ideas, religion, etc. - very interesting) - backtracked to CO-41 and drove north - desert very barren - into Utah again (and UT-162) - gas in little Indian village of Aneth - then drove on county roads towards Hovenweep National Monument (about 20 mile "detour") - open range really a factor (starting to see horses, too!) - interesting visitor center (volunteer couldn't have been much older than Erin & Brenna!) - walked on the park trail for a bit, photographing the interesting stone towers and other ruins (different than cliff dwellings because of the exposed nature of the buildings) - drove a short distance into Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (and Colorado again), but it was clear I was losing the daylight - drove back to a semi-good road and turned west - saw Indian jogging with his three dogs (one a wolf-mix) - more stock in the roads - barren, rocky, sandy terrain (with lots of canyons) - eventually on [UT-262] and then US-191 - followed that to US-163 - views became increasingly breath-taking - passed Valley of the Gods (wow!) but didn't drive on the dirt road to get closer - instead, drove towards the sunset towards Monument Valley - near Mexican Hat, saw balanced flat rock (looked like it was teetering) - terrain and photo-opportunities probably unparalleled (even on this trip!) after that - I've seen these images in movies ("The Searchers" and "Forrest Gump") but nothing compares to watching the sun hit the red rocks as it "goes to bed" (as Forrest would say) - took tons of photos, but none adequately captured what I saw... - into Arizona - eventually came to town of Kayenta - probably the first busy place since Cortez - I saw signs for an Indian road to drive out to Monument Valley, but the sun was down by that point - got dinner at Burger King (1930? time zone change ?) and kept driving: this time, east on US-160 - seeing the beautiful sights was worth it, but the drive I had to do to get to a hotel turned out to be unbelievable - after I turned south on US-191 (again), started to pick up radio stations from Los Angeles, Dallas and Oklahoma City (!) - big storms in the south (lightning)... - only found one place all night that had hotels: Chinle, near Canyon De Chelly National Monument - I would have liked to stay, but there was only one room available at the three hotels in town (and it definitely was NOT worth the asking price) - so, continued south again, bound for I-40 - drove through my first real rain storm of the trip - wasn't too bad - most gas stations closed and no hotels at all (Navajos must not want people staying on their land overnight...) - finally, at Chambers, Arizona, found a pleasant motel "Chieftain" (very inexpensive) run by nice people - settled into bed late (still don't know what time-zone I'm in...).]

Montana Trip - Day 17

[got an earlier start today - breakfast in the hotel and on the road by 0900L - US-6 through country defined by treeless mesas, stunning cliffs - made it to Price pretty quickly - got off the road, planning to visit a museum there, but it ended up being too far off the highway - the weather was too nice to be inside anyway! - continued south to I-70 and drove east until intercepting US-191 - needed gas, so stopped at the first place I'd seen for miles - price per gallon turned out to be $0.70 more than I've seen for most of the trip! - capitalism at it's finest, I guess (luckily, most service stations haven't been gouging me that bad...) - didn't fill up: just got enough for a tour of the National Parks and to get me to the next station - south towards Moab - got off on UT-313 and drove up to the Island in the Sky, part of Canyonlands National Park - pretty red stone all along the way - stopped at visitor center (around 1200L) and got some good tips for scenery and hikes (plus souvenirs) - TONS of people in the park (a theme all day) - drove all the way to the end of the road, which provided spectacular views of the Green River Canyon (on one side) and the Colorado River Canyon (on the other) - I was very impressed (I think better than Grand Canyon!) - hiked to Upheaval Dome (0.8 miles each way) and then drove over to another trail to see Mesa Arch (0.5 miles each way) - weather was pretty pleasant for hiking (fortunately) - after several hours there, drove back to US-191 and south into Moab - got gas and then a late lunch at Wendy's - drove back (north) to Arches National Park - skipped visitors center - stopped (and hiked) at the many different formations: Balancing Rock, the Windows (about 0.5 miles up and back), Double Arch (about 0.5 miles up and backm, steep climb to get "inside") - continued north into the park until I arrived at the trailhead for the Delicate Arch (famous landmark of the park) - didn't have enough time to hike the three mile trail to the arch itself, so settled for the half mile trail to the top of the nearest ridge (called a "fin" of sandstone) - felt good after all the walking today (better than being in the car all day yesterday) - drove back down (literally) toward the visitor center - stopped at Park Avenue formation before departing - souvenirs and some local info from the rangers - drove through Moab (kind of busy!) - mailed postcards - would have liked to stay the night, but wanted to visit Mesa Verde tomorrow - drove south on US-191 - began to sprinkle a little (enough to make the driving more difficult when the sun went down) - it became evident that I'd probably not be able to make it to Cortez, Colorado, so I began looking for motels in Monticello (pretty pricey at first - eventually found one) - dinner at PJ's Diner in town - talked to cook and her son, who was doing his homework in one of the booths - he told me about how his school football team has to travel great distances to play (including a NINE hour trip to northern Utah, a series that happens every year!) - back in room, watched some football and news - relaxed - bed around 2300L.]

Montana Trip - Day 16

[somber anniversary... - got a very late start today (finances...) - didn't leave hotel until 1030L - drove across the Snake River (one of several crossings today) on I-84 and made it to Caldwell, Idaho, before I had to get gas - back on the road and drove through Boise without stopping (needed to get back into Utah by tonight) - passed Mountain Home (neither a Mountain or a place I'd like to call home) - following Snake River - got off highway at [Bliss] and started down old US-30 (called the 1000 Fountain Byway here) - after a nice ride down into the river valley, arrived in Hagerman and visited the Fossil Beds National Monument - Ranger was very helpful, pointing out other places to visit nearby and giving me some trail maps - I ended up missing a turn she recommended, but I'm glad I did: as a result, I saw the 1000 fountains! They look like waterfalls - on the opposite site of the Snake - falling from the high cliff walls - there were resorts along the river nearby - lunch at McDonalds in nearby [Buhl] - followed US-30 into Twin Falls (a mistake, it turned out, since I had to stop at nearly every light as I drove through the middle of town just to backtrack to the next place I wanted to visit: Minidoka Internment Camp) - the National [Monument] was in a very remote area off [ID-25] - interesting history and sobering reality - followed [ID-25] east and south, back "towards" Twin Falls, hoping to get around the city to head south - was successful, using [ID-50] - great canyon views when crossing the Snake east of town - sneaked around by the airport and then got US-93 - had a lot more traffic than I've seen for several days - very remote, desert-like environment - lots of BLM signs, indicating recreation areas - long, boring drive, actually - but straight with good speeds! - came around a corner into Nevada (and Pacific Time Zone again) and stumbled across Jackpot (a casino town in the middle of nowhere...) - picked up some snacks and mailed some post cards - back on the road soon after - listening to football games on the radio - rest of drive to Wells was uneventful (except for the pleasant rain showers) - got on I-80 and tracked west - realized soon after leaving Wells that there were NO gas stations to be had until the NV-UT border (and I really needed some fuel!) - hoped there would be some gas in Oasis (shouldn't there be?), but only a rest area - raining a bit more in the mountains - sweating for a bit (idling on big hills, slowed down, did everything I could to make it) - got lucky again and made it to [West Wendover] and a gas station - crossed border into Utah and got off the Interstate again, this time to visit the Bonneville Salt Flats - drove all the way out onto the flats on a paved road but found out they had just closed the raceway access before I arrived (1800L) - turned out to be a good thing, though, since I saw the amazing amount of salt that built up on the cars that had been out there all day... - saw a couple taking wedding photos on the flats - learned a little amout the speed testing (it is in season now - too bad I can't stay around...) - back on I-80 and into the desert (salt storms and high winds - beautiful sunset behind me! - long, desolate spaces for 70+ miles - getting dark - made it back to the exit I'd turned around at almost exactly a week ago - into Salt Lake City, switched to I-215 and then I-15 (towards Provo) - LOTs of construction - swerving lanes, closed lanes, speeding trucks, poorly lit signs - figured I was a goner a few times... - finally arrived at Spanish Fork and found a hotel (Western Inn) on US-6 (brings me back to the Cape...) - emails and repacking until 2330L, then bed - most amount of driving in one day since I started the trip - not as fun...]