Quiz

Here are some multiple choice questions for you:

1.  Why haven't I blogged for two days?

A.  Because we have been having so much fun I have not had the time.

B.  Because we have had no cell or wi fi reception.

C.  Because nobody reads this blog.

D.  Because Vanna Nicole's antiquated electrical system fried the phone I use to blog when I charged it in the cigarette adapter.

The correct answer is D.  (and A too)

2.  Which of these modern automobile features does Vanna have?

A.  Cruise control

B.  power windows, door locks, mirrors, seats

C.  Air bags

D.  Tachometer

Trick question.  The correct answer is "none of the above", although technically she has a tach but it died the day we left Seattle.

3.  Why have we not camped in the van yet?

A.  Because we live life on the edge and aren't afraid of contracting bed bugs and other diseases from cheap flea-bag motels

B.  Because John thinks indoor plumbing ranks just below fire as mankind's greatest invention.

C.  Because almost all campgrounds are closed this late in the season and we are hesitant to park on some dark forest service road only to have a local "bubba" shine his flashlight in our camper in the middle of the night.

D.  Because John has been such a good sport in all of this that Mark will sleep in a motel when temps drop below 50 degrees at night and it's too cold for John and the dogs.

The correct answer is "all of the above".

Thursday started off cold and rainy.  We headed to Crater Lake.  It was a white-out of fog and blinding wind and snow.   We were the only ones there.  We couldn't see three feet in front of us.  We never did see the lake.  So we headed south to California with a detour through Ashland, Oregon.  Shakespeare's Disneyland.

Magically the sun came out as we crossed into California.  But problems with Vanna were coming out too. While driving beautiful and remote highway 89 we noticed the low battery alarm on our fancy new stereo.  Odd, since we had spent quite a bit updating Vanna's electrical system with two new deep cycle batteries (one for the starter and another for accessories) and a new alternator to keep them both happy and charged.

We made it to Burney, California in the middle of nowhere for the night.  Lilly and Daisy had prime rib dinners. When I went to blog I realized my phone was fried and, somewhat later, that Vanna's secondary battery was almost dead too.  After much investigation, I deduced the alternator charges the primary battery just fine but gives nary a trickle of juice to the secondary battery.  At 1:30 in the morning I ran a power cord out the door of our no-tell motel room to my portable battery charger in Vanna (I was prepared for this) and by morning the secondary battery was fully charged.  

Our plan now is to charge the secondary battery separately each evening.

This morning we set out at 7:15 for Lassen Volcanic National Park.  We drove the entire Park and encountered 3 other cars.  We had the Park to ourselves.  Seriously.  

 

We had lunch at Quincy, California.  Here is a sign we saw in Quincy:

Altough I do not know who voted, the sign is completely accurate.  It is cool.  The county courthouse in Quincy is a turn of the century neoclassical masterpiece that would fit right in in Washington, D.C.  We had lunch at the Courthouse Cafe across the street. Quincy is a totally charming yet genuine working town.

We ended up in Lake Tahoe for the evening.  I can't imagine Crater Lake is any prettier.

And I apologize if the photos aren't loading. I have to do this without my phone, remember?  i wish you could see the pics, but, oh well, you know why.  Vanna.

All in all a very good day.