It occurs to me that some people are not aware of the preparations that one goes thru when one is planning a winter road trip. So I've decided to enlighten those of you who have not had the adventure of driving in a Wyoming winter.
For at least a week before your trip, you will be checking the weather. The day before the trip you will scream loudly when you find out that there is now snow on the forecast that was never there before. You'll make sure to have the WY511 app on your phone so you can see all the pretty, pretty colors the roads change due to weather... green, yellow, orange, and of course red. You'll plot your main route and at least 3 alternate routes in case something gets shut down. Sufficiently prepared, you make sure your car has a full tank of gas, windshield washer fluid is full (I forgot that one), and your winter survival kit is packed.
"What's a winter survival kit?" I hear you ask. That's what will keep you alive if you get stuck in a snow drift on your trip. You will be sure to have water, a sleeping bag, some kind of food that won't spoil, extra clothing, and some of the more paranoid/prepared will also carry toilet paper, a camp cooking kit, and maybe even coffee. When you drive in a WY winter, there's every possibility that you'll get stuck somewhere and help will not be able to come for HOURS. The scenario of hitting black ice and ending up buried in a snow drift on the side of the road is not out of the realm of possibility. You need to be prepared to spend as much as 2 days stranded in your car. This was the first winter EVER where I've had a vehicle with 4 wheel drive, and I LOVE IT!! The thing with 4WD is you can go a little faster without worrying about sliding off the road. However, you can't stop any faster on ice than anyone else, so you still have to drive smart. With my full tank, my winter kit, my clothes, and my proof of vaccination, I went to SLC for my concert.
On the way down, it snowed... and snowed... and snowed. I took the back roads to avoid I-80 as that is a MISERABLE drive between the snow, wind, other motorists, and semi trucks. I got down to Evanston with no problems and then down into SLC. I wasn't really able to see much of the mountains or the city since the snow just never stopped. I tried going to Beer Bar for lunch, but I couldn't find parking (always a nightmare in the city) so I went to Desert Edge Brewery instead. There I had an AMAZING southwest beef dip sandwich and a few good beers. I then went to a state liquor store where I got 3 6-packs of Wasatch brews and one Red Rock Anniversary beer. I checked into my hotel (after a scary run to a 7-11 ATM for the $100 cash deposit... probably not the best part of town, tbh), then went to the concert. The show ran from 5pm to about 11pm, 5 bands, and Atreyu was AMAZING as always. Then it was back to the hotel to shower and sleep and have one of my beers.
Day 2 was Christmas shopping day. I went to a mall downtown that was super nice and super hoity toity. We're talking Neiman Marcus, Macys, etc. There were a couple fun stores in there, too, so I got some stuff. Then I went to Layton, UT (just north of SLC) to meet up with my friend P from college. He brought his almost 4 year old to lunch and we had a nice visit. We went to a Mongolian grill place which was AWESOME. Made me miss Ghengis Grill. After lunch I went shopping at mall #2 and got even MORE Christmas presents... and some stuff for me, let's be honest. I found hotel #2 ($50 cash deposit this time, maybe it's a UT thing?), had a nice spa night, read my book, and went to sleep. The next day I got up, went to Target for the last-min stuff, found a 12 pack of Wasatch Amber, so I got that, too. Can you guess my favorite UT brewery yet? I treated myself to Chick-fil-A for lunch (again, we don't have one in R-town), and by then I was ready to head back home. I fueled up in Evanston, got on I-80, and promptly ran into a road block by the Highway patrol. I got up to the guy, fully prepared to turn around and go back to Evanston when he gestured at me to stop and roll down my window. I did, he asked where I was headed, I said Riverton and he said "Then I can let you thru, aren't you glad you talked to me?" I said yes, drove between the barricade and off I went! I took the same route home as I did on the way and was glad I wasn't in a "light high profile" vehicle, as South Pass was closed to those. I got home around 5:30 pm and was informed by my mom that our friend M had been rather concerned about me, so she had to text him that I was indeed home. I sent my texts off as well, updated my FB to let everyone know I was safe and then we went to the bar for a couple beers. Came home and watched some episodes of the Monkees in honor of Mike Nesmith. He was always my favorite.
Now I get to play Santa Claus and wrap, send, and deliver all the stuff I got people. It's KILLING me not telling people what I got them... I had to tell Mo that I got her "things" and I even found something for Michael! For the first time in a LONG time, I'm wrapping gifts in real wrapping paper! Not just leftover Walmart bags! Be proud of me! Hehe. Just a few more things to do and I'll be ready for Christmas. Much love to all, MUAH! :*
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