The Great U-Turn

Friday, 8/22/08

The first order of business was to drive the Egg over to Jiffy Lube for an oil change. This was a first for us and the Egg since Dan typically does maintenance on the car at home. Also, we had noticed a peculiar rattle under the car and a small exhaust leak. The rattle had become increasingly noticeable in San Fransisco, and Dan thought it might be the catalytic converter coming apart inside. He asked if the guys at Jiffy Lube could verify its origin. They suspected it was a loose bracket, but they did not have a definite answer. We would have to wait until Dan could lift the car himself to be sure.



We headed east through the Sierra Nevada Mountain range and drank in the beauty of the Lake Tahoe region. Tall pines grew along rocky cliffs and high peaks sheltered cool alpine lakes, undoubtedly loaded with trout. As we crossed into Nevada, we found the northern region of this state of a different quality than its southern counterpart. It consisted of vast rolling hills covered in golden grasses in a more temperate climate than the desert below.

We crossed into Oregon on a lonely stretch of highway far from the interstate. We were surrounded by vast plains and rolling hills, bracketed by mountain peaks in the distance. As we followed the curve in the road to the left, Melody spotted a coyote standing in the field off to the right. He turned briefly to watch us pass, and then scampered off across the field. Later, we pulled off to watch another sunset and were awed by the deep red, purple and pink hues cast by the lowering sun against the big western sky.

We nearly ran out of gas on our way to Jordan Valley, our closest destination for a refill. The husband and wife who ran the place came out to pump our gas. In response to our confused look, the man said, “It’s full service.” We asked about the other side of the pumps; “Is that full service?” The reply came, “It’s all full service. It’s Oregon. All our gas pumps are full service across the entire state.”

The women’s restroom was not in order, but Melody was given a key to Room 103 of the Sahara Motel located behind the station. Cautiously, she opened the door and found that the light switch didn’t work. Upon crossing the room to turn on a lamp, the door swung shut. Melody pushed back the panic to continue her pursuit for light, a locked door, and ultimately a bathroom. At last, it all worked out and she thankfully rejoined Dan back at the car for the trip into Boise, Idaho for the night.