Should have been posted on 3-15-09

I just logged a little bit under 500 miles of driving today. I pulled into where I will be spending my first night of this road trip. I stopped in Ontario OR, which although I’ve stay here before, it was always on my return trip from Art in the Park in Boise. This is a fairly quiet rest area along High Way 84 heading east towards Utah.

The reason I’m here and not in Idaho Falls which is the route I normally take is because after monitoring the weather for the past few days on NOAA I decided that getting ahead of the storm was futile and pulling a trailer over two mountain passes on an expected snow floor heading east on I 90 towards Butte MT. where I would then turn south was not a good idea. It also might have a little to do with the last time I was on this road I hit a mule deer and nearly totaled my truck (that’s another story read the post a few entries back) so a change of plans was a good choice.

I decided to drive west into Washington, then south down 395 into Pasco WA. then through into Oregon towards Boise. That adds about 100 miles to this leg of the trip but well worth not having to stress over the weather. As it was I drove a few hours through snow but shortly before noon it turned to rain.

I don’t have WiFi access tonight so this will be a post dated post once I get a connection. So, time for a beer and some catching up on a few podcasts I haven’t got around to listening on my Ipod Touch.

My next big adventure

Well it's nearly time to say goodbye to the animals, kiss my wife one last time (for a month anyway) and hitch up my trailer for what will be the longest road trip of my art career. I leave this coming Sunday for shows in AZ. and the great state of Texas. That's at least what my history teacher in high school called it with his Texan accent revealing just what part of the country he came from.

If I don't make too many wrong turns, Google maps tell me I'm about to drive 4847 miles and about 72 hours behind the wheel of my truck. That total time of course doesn't take into consideration pit stops, over nights in highway rest stops and time at the festivals themselves. Just 72 hours of nose to the wheel, hard core driving.

I'm bummed and excited all at once over my show itinerary. Because I was excepted into the Bayou City Art Festival in Houston TX this year, I had to turn down an invitation to one of my favorite shows in Tempe AZ. Unfortunately they land on the same weekend so I'll be casting my luck towards TX. for a change. Good luck to my fellow traveling artist at The Festival of the Arts in Tempe.

First show on this trip is the 4th Ave Merchants Association show in Tucson. Can't wait for this one, it's a blast. Then it 1084 miles straight through the middle of Texas to the east side of the state. This leg should take 2 days. I'll be setting up for Bayou on Thursday, doing the show Friday, Saturday and Sunday then heading about 50 miles north to Woodlands TX for the Waterway Arts Festival the following weekend. This is a 2 day affair then I'll be heading home. I can't decide if I want to drive north through Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana then Idaho (which is the fastest way home) or circle back through Mesa AZ and Salt Lake City UT. to visit the grand kids.

That will add a week to my trip but I get to play grandpa for a few days. Just writing that helped me make up my mind. Kids, here I come. I'll try and find WiFi point along the trip to keep my updates fresh.