Winnemucca, NV - Motel 6
In Winnemucca, Nevada. I didn't actually leave until today. The original plan was to leave yesterday but I needed a day to clear my head and get my things together before rushing out. Among the things that took all day were getting this laptop in shape for the trip. Most of the time it serves as a paperless paperweight but it's great to have for these trips.

Tomorrow I head into Oregon going up 95 from here then on secondary roads and finally dirt roads. The end point tomorrow will be Burns, Oregon. I'll be doing the Steens Loop drive. I'll either spend more time exploring the area after that using Burns as a springboard or just keep motoring to the next stop: whatever that turns out to be.

Burns, OR - Days Inn
Ever been in an airplane and looked down and saw a single road in the middle of nowhere with a single car going somewhere and wondered? Well; today that was me but you wouldn't see me from the plane because apparently the only flight path I was on was the military's--see photo: warning horse riders mostly--and they're probably busy flying over different mountains now I presume. In fact, going from 4,000 to 10,000 feet in a few miles it feels like you're looking down from an airplane when you get there. But without the plexiglass.

Photos and more info from August 6: Steens Mountains Loop





Riverside campsite near Marion Forks
The quest continues for a combo switch part for the car. Heading in the Portland direction after all. But getting some great sightseeing in and camping in along the way so it's a convenient inconvenience.

Photos and more info from August 7










Lockaby campsite on the Clackamas Highway
I have seen the part with my own eyes! The nice folks at Suburban Ford in Sandy took a minute to give me the time of day. The time is 1:30 and the day is tomorrow. So I'm camped out one more night. I've enjoyed coming back West in Oregon even though this wasn't the plan.

Photos and more info from August 8






The Dalles
Lights are fixed and had a nice drive around Mount Hood. Ending up at the Shilo Inn at The Dalles just before the Washington border.

Photos and more info from August 9








Mount Saint Helens -> Tumwater, WA Motel 6
Took the forest roads past Mount Saint Helens. Ended near Olympia.

Photos and more info from August 10







101 Northwestern Loop to Cape Flattery ending Aberdeen
Drove the 101 Loop around the Northwest and Olympic National Park going to the most Northwestern Point in the contiguous US. After getting pulled like a magnet northwest I stopped fighting and went with the pull. It was worth the trip. Cape Flattery was beautiful near sunset when I finally got there. Then a rather nice moonlight drive down to find a motel. The moon was bright so I still got to see a lot despite the night drive.
Photos and more info from August 11










Mount Rainier, Washington
Stopped by the Carriage Museum in Raymond, mailed some post cards from Pe Ell and drove through Mount Rainier Park ending up in Everett, Washington.
Photos and more info from August 12










Exiting Washington State
Managed to find a campsite. Had a lot of smoke coming east with some fires. Not a lot of photos either day just kinda moving at my leisurely pace on the secondary roads. Now on 2 in Sandpoint, Idaho.
Photos and more info from August 13-14










Glacier National Park, Montana
Second time to Glacier and for the second time I saw Mountain Goats. It was impossible finding a motel on highway 2 so I drove down and ended up in Great Falls. Enjoying a hi-speed wireless that's actually pretty hi-speed for a change.
Photos and more info from August 15









Nowhere
Lots of driving and found a campsite. Passed through a lot of small towns but none that seemed to have more than a hundred people at most population. Very desolate here. There's a lot of this Anti-Meth grafitti all over the place. Being in the middle of nothing one has to look harder for photo opportunities and tourism.
Photos and more info from August 16









Devil's Tower, Crazy Horse Mountain, Mount Rushmore
Ok. Devil's Tower was really nice. The whole Crazy Horse Mountain/Mount Rushmore area is a giant kitsch tourist trap. But I came and I saw. It made a nice objective and I'm glad I did it. I was really impressed with Devil's Tower: nature's sculpture. The sculpture of mountains is impressive too, as is people's ability to capitalize on hype. Some nice photos though.
Photos and more info from August 17









Badlands, SD -> Nebraska -> Denver, CO
Took my time going through the Badlands and still managed to make it to Denver right around midnight killing a lot of road that needed killing. Tried one of them "energy drinks". Hey, they work. I couldn't find a decent cup of coffee in the middle of Nowhere, Nebraska.
Photos and more info from August 18