Things We Learned

In no particular order:

1. California still offers cash discounts on paying for gas (though I read on msn.com this may be coming to Georgia soon!)

2. Not every state has a welcome center-- even on a major interstate! I guess not everyone is happy to have you visit their state??

3. There are about 5 times as many semi trucks on I-40 west between Memphis and Little Rock than there are all other vehicles (you were SO right, Carrie!).

4. Oklahoma and Arkansas have the WORST roads-- although parts of Arizona gave them a run for their money.

5. There is a sign on the highway just north of Las Vegas that we found very amusing-- it said, "No Hitchhiking-- Prison Nearby"... apparently they are not very confident in the security of said prison?!

6. Speaking of signs, Californians must need extra help finding the interstate because every entrance ramp to the highway (or FREEWAY as they call them out there) in California had one of these:

7. Showers cost $5.00 per person in Yosemite if you are a camper. That's right-- it would have cost our family $20 just to BATHE!! So we opted out... well, not really-- we just used the RV shower and refilled the tank-- a little more of a hassle but WAY cheaper!

8. You have to pay for hot water in the showers at California State Parks-- however, at only 25 cents per 2 minutes, this was a bargain compared to Yosemite's showers!

9. There is a LOT of desert out west... a LOT!!! And it has flies... lots of flies (at least in Barstow). And 'dry heat' is not any better than 'humid heat'-- it's hotter and as one of Michael's co-workers commented, it feels like you are breathing into a hair dryer!

10. The rest area restrooms in Missouri are cutting edge! Washing your hands is entirely a hands-free experience-- soap, water and the dryer are all automatic and fully contained in one opening in the wall!

11. Gas is cheaper in Alabama and Mississippi than in Georgia-- every other state (except California) was just about the same as here. Even in Oklahoma and Texas with all of their oil wells-- that really surprised me!

12. A GPS is a great tool... but even with one (and an atlas and computer software maping program), you can still get lost... sometimes good old road signs still give the best directions!

13. You can log 6100+ miles in 19 days and still be on speaking terms with the 5 other people who accompanied you on the trip!