To Wisconsin and Back Again, Chapter 1

Being the Telling (Much Abridged) of our Road Trip from California to Wisconsin and Back Again
Chapter 1, in Which we Travel to Elko, NV

Frances graduated from college this year, and since she anticipates getting a job, she was going to miss the usual summer reunion at Trout Lake.
I said "Road Trip?"
She said "AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! Can I bring my FIANCEE????" 
We said "FIANCEE??????  But of COURSE and CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!  Does he SNORE???"
 She said "No."

And so our harebrained plan to drive to Wisconsin with Frances and Doug was hatched.  Naturally much excitement and not much planning ensued.  Ted and I wanted to be able to camp. Doug had no sleeping bag or tent.  We bought a tent and provided a comforter, but suggested they come up with a yoga mat to use as a pad.  Which they did, but it was rather thin, so we threw in one of ours also.
Ted and I had many preps to make, which mostly revolved around trying to make sure the garden and yard could survive a two and a half week absence, and finishing up many loose work ends.  The kids had strict orders to keep their luggage to a bare minimum, one small suitcase apiece. Our friends lent us their car top carrier, but in the end it was so huge that we decided not to take it.
Saturday morning (May 19) found us cramming everything into the back of the RAV.  For awhile I was in despair.  How was this ever going to work?????? Four suitcases, 4 sleeping bags, 2 tents, 3 thermarests, 2 yoga pads, all Ted's bike gear, multiple  pairs of shoes, 4 backpacks, 3 laptops, 1 cooler, multiple waterbottles, fannypacks, knitting projects... But somehow we made it fit, helped by the fact that Frances and Doug were troopers and willingly put up with an inordinate amount of stuff crammed into the back seat with them.  It occurred to me that siblings would never have been so obliging.
We finally left VV at 11:08AM Saturday.  Reached Donner Summit at 1.05 PM where we had a bit of a leg stretch and photoshoot.

Frances poses for a picture for her blog and I get in on the action

Frances teaches Doug how to knit to pass the time not spent staring at the scenery.

Nevada has wonderful mountains!

More wonderful mountains!

   Had a batch of the yummy seedbread that Frances had made to sustain us for lunch, but not a whole lot else.  Had a stop at Lovelock about 4pm for another leg stretch and a stop at the Safeway.  Finally reached Elko after 440 miles at 7 pm.  Bought take-out dinner from a Chinese steam table place and ate it standing up in the parking lot!  We did not want to sit down!  Frances had a good look with Doug's smart phone and determined we might do better to spend the night in Elko than to go on to Wells.  We stayed at the Oak Tree Inn, which was one of the most expensive place we stayed at $91.95 for the four of us, and no continental breakfast.