It seems inconceivable that we could tire of drinking great wine every day. But, alas, it does get difficult to do day after day. After 3.5 days and 6 tastings, we were happy to be heading out of Napa this morning. We will be back someday, but we are going home satisfied, with great memories and some wonderful wines.
For the first time in almost 8 weeks and over 6,000 miles, we began heading east. That means sunglasses in the morning and gradually moving back to Eastern time. It also means this long journey is on the down swing. But there’s still thousands of miles to cover, countless gorgeous vistas to partake, and three National Parks to visit.
Plus, just perhaps, a Red Beer in South Dakota.
We pulled out of Napa this morning under overcast skies, skies which would remain much the same all day. We don’t mind driving on days like today because there is little to no sun glare. Our course was mostly East-Northeast, following Route 80 in a northward bump over Lake Tahoe, through the notorious Donner Pass.
As we made our way up into the Sierra Nevada range, a passing semi tire threw back a small stone. And that small stone hit our windshield. And, of course, it left us with a small chip. No cracks had spidered out, but the chip was there. It seems every pebble on the roadways is attracted to our windshield.
At our combination rest stop/lunch break/fuel stop, I called ahead to an auto glass store in Reno (about an hour away) to ensure we could stop in to have our glass checked. Knowing we had only an hour before an inspection made the drive less stressful. I will admit to continually watching the damage, hoping I did not see cracks spreading from the chip.
The first glass shop couldn’t help (incompatible equipment), but the place they sent us, just down the street, was able to fill the chip. After about an hour total, our windshield chip was filled and we were back on the road. No more concern about fracturing.
Our home tonight is in the small town of Fernley, Nevada, about 30 minutes east of Reno. We are surrounded by desert, but the park is level and safe and clean. After a couple martinis and leftover Mexican food from Napa, we are relaxing and enjoying Monday Night Football. Tomorrow is a 6+ hour drive into bleak nothingness – Baker, Nevada. We hope for an uneventful, safe drive.
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