Thursday, August 03, 2006

The final stretch - cheer them on home!

I'll be talking to the folks throughout the day by cell phone and posting real-time tracking updates here, so check back often (you might have to hit "refresh" on your browser to bring up the newest info):

5:40am: 5 cars got off to a roaring start from Winnemucca, Nevada! (Bob & Patti, John & Judy, Bill, Bob & Shirley, Ray & Linda). Don & Jack needed a little breakfast fortification first and will be catching up with the group shortly.

7:48 am: They're on 80 now heading toward Fernley, which is about 35 miles away. After that they'll pick up route 95 toward Silver Springs, NV. They should get to Silver Springs about 9:30am. Care to place bets as to whether they'll have icecream for breakfast?

8:20 am: The "tailgunners" (Dave & Susan, Ted & Susan, Will & Karla & Chris) have checked in. They left Wells at 8am this morning, are currently having lunch at Elko (a fancy McD's lunch, of course), and will spend the night in Fallon. Tomorrow it's on to Carson City, then home Saturday. Have a few fries for me guys!

8:31 am: They made it to Fernley, NV. I asked mom if there was anything cool about Fernley and she paused and said "Well, no. There's nothing but gasoline... Oh wait! There's a sign saying fresh Krispy Kreme donuts, gotta go!"

10:25 am: They're in Carson City. Don and Jack have rejoined the group, and John & Judy apparently flew past them all (go go speed racers!). They all had a quick antiques store pit stop and are now heading to Silver Lake to meet up with Bob B. They expect to arrive there between 11:30 and 12 (gee, just in time to eat again, what a shocker...).

11:40 am: I think they're getting a little giddy, I just answered the phone to hear my dad singing "California here we come, right back where we started from..." They said they just crossed the border and are now back in the homeland. They're running a little late and still have 30 miles to go before they hook up with Bob B at Silver Lake. They're down to 4 cars now, Don & Jack took off at a faster clip, and they think John & Judy are probably halfway to San Jose by now. Heh.

2:55 pm: All 7 cars are now traveling together and homeward bound. Bob B & Paul brought a big icechest of icecream to greet everyone in style - alright! And they have caught up to Don & Jack and John & Judy.

4:52 pm: The 7 traveling As are getting so close to home they can smell it. They're on 580 approaching the Altamont pass heading toward Livermore (shoot I even know how to spell that one, they MUST be getting close). They say Bill R has been keeping them amused with a running agricultural commentary - it's better than tv.

6:36 pm: They're home!!!!!! Weary but still smiling. Rod and I surprised them in the driveway with beer, chocolate, strawberries, and burgers. We figured it had probably been at least an hour since they last ate. *wink*

IMG_1942s DSCF5720s

Cheers, M

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

FROM THE TAIL GUNNERS

Good to hear of their progress. We 3 cars are sitting in a McD's in Elko having a quick breakfast.

All is well with us and glad to see of the main group's progress

Hope tomorrow,
Susan and Dave

M3 said...

Hooray for the tailgunners! My dad always says it's not vacation unless you're having a McD's breakfast!

Anonymous said...

Dear Patti and Bob: It was just a week ago that we were privileged to tagg along with you and your wonderful automobiles and friends. Thank you for letting us be a part of your adventure. Sally and Andy

Anonymous said...

We know the good feeling of crossing the state line and getting close to home. It seems the air smells sweeter when we cross the Texas state line, no matter where we have been. We're going to miss the daily blog posts and pictures and the following along on your "once in a lifetime trip". Bob and Patti, don't let Tippi bite you when you roll in. She may think you are strangers. Will Ed and Linda in Texas

Anonymous said...

All,

Checking in wth you all. We are now relaxing in Fallon, NV, having a cool one. Been a little hotter today. Around 94. Also looking forward to singing "California here we come" tomorrow morning. We will be in sometime in the afternoon. Hope you all got in safe. Talk to everyone in person soon

Will, Karla and Chris

Stacey T. said...

WWWOOOO HOOOOO, almost home!!!!

Anonymous said...

Welcome Home!! What an amazing trip you had!! We loved following along on the blog!

So nice of M & Rod to greet you with such appropriate welcome home gifts. :-)

We missed you!

Love, Jane (& Bob, who's currently at the Pointe playing volleyball)

Anonymous said...

Hi Bob and Pat, welcome home! What an amazing trip, thanks for sharing it on the blog. It was great to be able to follow your progress. Red Riders horse's name is
Trigger (?) or was that some else......lv sam

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! Well Done!! What a wonderful adventure.

Don't delete this blog for a while, I'm going to print it and the comments and pictures for Don.

Speaking of Don: I don't see mention of Don & Jack showing up. Did they make it? So far, no word - not an email, voice mail, nothing If anybody knows anything, please post it so I can sleep tonight.

Thanks. Carol S.

Anonymous said...

Got up this morning wondering what motel I was in and where I had to drive today. Lost my pillow somewhere in the midwest, so it felt like a strange bed last night. I'm putting a car cover on the little yellow pickup today. We'll get re-aquainted in a few weeks...
John G

Anonymous said...

Day 29 EARTH RE-ENTRY
Winnemucca: the final frontier. For the last month we’ve been immersed in the project of driving an ancient vehicle across the country, all the way to the Atlantic Ocean and back. We’ve bumped and jounced our way over rough, washboard two lane highways in pouring rain, searing heat, and chilly morning darkness. As we left our last motel, run by yet another polite lady from Bombay, we filled up for perhaps the 81st time at an anonymous gas station in the dark. We’ve been living in a time warp, actually. No time for the evening news…I can’t figure out what’s going on in the Middle East; I only listen for the reports of a four cylinder motor indicating good and bad times ahead. You run down the highway and feel the car with your feet on the pedals and hands on the wheel…sniff it…and listen, always listen for the faint, odd clunk or thunk or ting, trying to separate that from the wind noise whooshing in your ears.
As usual, we were separated from the main group when I stopped for emergency coffee to shake me awake in Lovelock. We spun down Rte 95, out of cell contact in the desert, while the others took a highway elsewhere. A lone coyote loped across the road in front of us. I slowed down for him…the only traffic we saw at this hour.
A state trooper pulled us over outside of Fallon for that darn dead headlight. He adroitly spun a U turn and neatly tucked in behind us for about a half mile before he lit us up. After checking us out, we took a picture together, shook hands, and he let us go…we were a poor catch…he threw us back.
The group was just not waiting for us as we pulled over for a gas stop…blithely driving on, no doubt looking for new, better friends up the road. We drove the Carson Sink alone and caught a glimpse of them outside Carson City at an antique shop. We finally re-connected at the summit of the Carson Pass (7995 feet), where our old traveling buddy Bob B was waiting with a cooler of ice cream for the returning autonauts. Life saver Bob…same day delivery!
Down we rolled into Jackson, Clements, turning hard left onto Jack Tone Road. Bill gave us a running commentary via CB on the crops we passed, detailing farming methods, yields, profits and other facts that made the trip just that more interesting. He’s a wealth of information, and must have a photographic memory…and he sure makes the trip fun.
The scent of home was becoming overwhelming, now. Manteca, Tracy, the Altamont Pass, then Livermore and the Sunol Grade. Over the top and into the hazy Santa Clara Valley we chugged in six old Ford cars, peeling off at various exits for home. Another 12 hour day. If my calculations are right, we logged 7549 miles since we left on July 6, with merely a broken speedometer cable, and a flat tire to report. That’s quite impressive for any car, let alone a 77 year-old Ford. But as I backed my late-model Ford Explorer smoothly into the driveway just now, the interior lights dimmed out automatically after I locked it. Then the headlights turned themselves off as I walked down the driveway…and I could nearly hear her whisper “goodnight”. We have finally re-entered the present, and it’s very good to be home…
John & Judy
San Jose, CA
10:24 PM, Pacific Time
THE END

Anonymous said...

Never mind - thanks anyway. Don just called - they made it back ok - about 10:00 last night. Been nice if he had let me know, but that's Don.
Carol S.

Anonymous said...

We sure enjoyed our time traveling with you all. Thanks for letting us be a part of this trip. It sure is GOOD to be home.
Bob & Shirley