We're ready to go, it's Wednesday morning, and...Bobby's still asleep.

August 6, 2008

So much for an early start. I shouldn't have stayed up till 3:30 last night, but these things happen. The person writing this blog is Bobby King, about to set off on "The Last American Road Trip" with my grandfather, Bob King. I named the blog what it is because of gas prices; I don't think people are going to continue crossing the US in vehicles that get 30 miles per gallon or less, at least not ones that use fossil fuels. So this blog Is dedicated to the sacred tradition that was the American Road Trip.

I am writing this blog because my mother requested I keep a journal. So, being the technosavvy, computer-obsessed person I am, I figured I'd write a blog. While I am against the self-obsessed social circles that make up the blogosphere, I am legitimately writing about an event in particular, so I hope to not come across as being so egotistical about my own life that others obviously want to read about it. That said, I'll probably end up that way regardless, because I'm an egotistical person, especially when it comes to writing. Don't say I didn't warn you.

As for the first day of the trip, I don't think I've ever driven that much in one day. We left Blaine WA (that tiny town north of Bellingham, right next to the border on the coast) at about 12:30, and stopped for dinner at about 6pm at a place called "20 East Pizza" just outside of Winthrop (a nice tourist town, where all of the buildings look like they belong in a Western). We figured we would stop at the next motel with vacancy that didn't cost more than 50$. Big mistake.

The closer we got to the Grand Coulee Dam area, the more expensive and packed the motels became. There was one that had 2 rooms available, but wanted 90$. We passed that up just east of Winthrop, and ended up all the way to the Dam before we had to stop for gas. By now it was about 8:30pm, and Grandpa (Henceforth referred to as 'Gpa') and I were discussing our options. The attendant said that this year was the Coulee Dam's 75th anniversary, and that every motel for 5 towns over was booked for a week and a half. Crap.

Well, as luck would have it, he was wrong, and about 9:45, after driving through terrain I can only describe as "middle-of-nowhere-land", we spotted a couple more motels in some town that actually had vacancy. What's more, they have free wireless, and cost 50$ a night. This is where I'm writing from right now, and it's almost 11pm.

Tomorrow I expect to get through Idaho and knee-deep into Montana, but we'll see where we end up. Don't pay attention to the date listed on Blogger about when updates are posted, I may have to write some in advance and save them for later.

Lesson of the day: Tomorrow, we plan the motel ahead, although I don't know how.

-Kings of the Road.