• HOME
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • RECIPES
  • WEDDING
The Little Jogger

  By an exercise-loving Registered Dietitian

Napa to Chicago Part I (California to Wyoming)

12/16/2013

0 Comments

 
I just found this draft that I never finished from over the summer! This is way old!

I flew to Napa at the end of June (on my birthday, actually), and Alastair and I drove his car to Chicago a few days later for his big move across the country. He was working for the same company he worked for in Australia in Napa (remember how we lived separately for a long time?), and he moved to Chicago for good in July to live with me. 

The road trip took about 4 days, and it was one of the coolest things we've ever done. We made sure to take our time and see the country. Instead of just trekking east on I-80, we wove north after we reached Salt Lake City and then went east again. It was seriously an amazing trip, and I'm so glad that I took A MILLION  photos from the car. Here's a state-by-state recap. 
California
We spent a few days wining and dining in Napa before packing up the car and leaving. It was great to relax and take the time to explore the town while Al was at work, and I got to meet some of his work friends before he said goodbye to them.  

We left Napa on the first day of our road trip and headed east to Lake Tahoe. 
Picture
Napa Wine Train
Picture
Napa
Picture
Napa
Picture
Lake Tahoe
Nevada
Soon after we crossed the border in Lake Tahoe, we witnessed a drastic change in vegetation. The world around us changed from pine trees and mountains, that are undoubtedly snow-peaked in the winter, to the desert. Trees became more scarce, and the lands of green grass and lakes turned into parched redness.
We immediately went through Carson City,  and then we drove straight across the state in a day. There wasn't much to see, but we were amused by the abundance of casinos and lack of sales tax. 
Picture
Crossing the border in Lake Tahoe. See my toes reflected in the glass?
Picture
There were slot machines everywhere, even in gas stations.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Construction and desert sums up our drive through Nevada
Picture
Lovelock Nevada, home of OJ Simpson's prison
Picture
Picture
Passing the state line into Utah
Utah
We crossed over the border at dusk and drove through the Great Salt Lake Desert. It was another vegetation change. We were surrounded by nothing but salt flats, which looked like snow. It was hauntingly beautiful and quiet. We were able to get a glimpse of the Great Salt Lake just before the sun set. We spent the night in the outskirts of Salt Lake City. The next day, we drove straight north into Idaho. 
Picture
We made it to Utah!
Picture
Bonneville Speedway
Picture
Great Salt Lake Desert
Picture
Great Salt Lake Desert
Picture
The Great Salt Lake and mountains
Idaho
On Day 2, we made our way north from Salt Lake City to the Idaho border. We could have stayed on I-80 and taken that all the way to Chicago, but we also wanted to see Yellowstone National Park and thought that we might as well visit Mt. Rushmore. We weren't sure what would ever bring us to South Dakota again. Plus, I had never been to Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, or Minnesota (or Utah) before. Al was more than happy to tick those states off with me. I've already driven through Nebraska and Iowa before on the way back from Colorado, so it was wonderful to tread on new territory. 

Unlike Nevada, the land going north was green. The highway passed through some suburbs as we left Salt Lake City, and then we were in Farm Country. Much of our drive was like that through northern Utah and Idaho. We turned east at Idaho Falls and snaked our way towards the Rocky Mountains. We went through tiny towns in the foothills, and although we were delayed by construction on the country roads (the workers stopped us for up to 20 minutes to let oncoming traffic pass through since the roads were single lanes in some places) and there was a complete lack of cell service, it was well worth it to see these places. We could tell that some of these teeny towns were dirt poor, but we could not believe the natural beauty that we saw around us. Soon, we found the Snake River. Wide-eyed and ears popping, we drove along it into the steadily increasing elevation until we reached Wyoming. 
Picture
Picture
Idaho countryside
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
The beautiful Snake River
Picture
Picture
Picture
More recaps to come!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    ABOUT jennifer Martin, MS, RD, LDN

    I am  a Chicago-based Registered Dietitian working primarily in Acute Clinical Care. I started this blog in 2010, before I even knew that I wanted to be an RD! Now, as an active dietitian, this blog will become part of my life again. Read about my current healthy habits, but please peruse my old posts (from 2014 and before) to read about life as an RD student and my previous years in Australia!


    @thelittlejogger on instagram 

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Adelaide
    Australian Culture
    Australian Food
    Baking
    Books
    Chicago
    Cooking
    Culture Clash
    Dining In Chicago
    Dining Out Down Under
    Drinking In Chicago
    Exercises
    Flashbacks
    Jenastair
    Jogging
    Kangaroos
    Moving To Australia
    Nutrition Education
    Nutrition School
    Oz Travels
    Puppies
    Races
    RD
    Recipes
    Reviews
    Usa Dining
    Usa Travel
    Wacky
    Weddings
    World Travel

    Archives

    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2014
    December 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010

    Weather for blog
    YoWindow.com yr.no
    Weather Widget
    YoWindow.com NWS
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • RECIPES
  • WEDDING