Day 1 - Redmond, OR to Carson City, NV

After a slight delay in getting away we managed to be on the road by 7:25. Breaking with tradition we did not stop at Starbucks. Trying a new route with unknown rest stops we decided coffee was not a good idea.

Headed south on highway 97 to just past La Pine, where we took highway 31 through small towns and past lakes that only exist on maps. The first small town was Silver Lake, which is significant for the Cowboy Dinner Tree. The restaurant serves only two entrees - a whole chicken or a steak the size of a roast. Call, make a reservation and pick your meal. And bring a cooler for the leftovers.

With a population of 243, Paisley is more than just a wide spot in the road. The town motto is "Home of the Mosquito Festival" and the City Hall has a set of well keep restrooms.

Picking up US 395 we continued south into California, eventually stopping in Alturas to split a sandwich at Subway and fill the tank. At $3.89 a gallon gas was almost $1.90 more that Redmond.

A short cut at Standish took us to a nice rest stop at Honey Lake and then on to Reno and an overnight in Carson City. A free night at Marriott Courtyard and split raviolis at Olive Garden finished the day.

I will add that I really like the new 65 MPH speed limits in central Oregon. Makes a lot of sense out in the middle of nowhere.

455 miles today

Posted by iPad 2 Air