Smooth Sailing Day Two

     My wish from the other day came true!  We had no disasters today...It was all smooth sailing.

     Kyle and I woke up at 8:30 this morning and quickly ate breakfast, eager to get back on the road.  Kyle grabbed a newspaper as we walked out the door.  The main story for the day was "Increasing Road Tolls Eating up Budgets."  As I drove the car to a nearby Shell gas station, Kyle read the article out loud.  "The state of Utah," he read, " has decided to increase the road tolls 25% in order to repair Salt Lake City's downtown streets..."  Thankfully, we did not go on any toll roads today...it would have damaged our budget so badly!
     It was 9am by the time we got back on I-80, the car running smoothly and our spirits high.  We cruised down the highway, entertaining ourselves by trying to find a Utah radio station that played good music (we never did find one).  Around 11:15, we came to Salt Lake City.  We were ahead of schedule for today, so decided to stop there and have lunch.

     As we drove down the streets of Salt Lake City looking for a parking spot, I realized that, had we gone on a toll road, I would have paid the toll gladly - the roads were horrible!  After ten minutes of bumpy driving, we finally found a parking spot on 300 West Street.  Kyle and I walked around town, laughing as the cars in the road bounced around in potholes, glad we were not in those cars ourselves.  Around 12:30 we became hungry, so decided to eat lunch at Tony Caputo's Deli.  The food was somewhat expensive, but heavenly delicious.  The servings were so large, we could not eat it all in one sitting.  Instead, we boxed what we did not eat and saved it for later.  By 1:30, however, Kyle and I were anxious to get back on the road again.

     We drove as far as Rock Springs, Wyoming before we needed to refill our tank. We found a small gas station called Kum and Go to refill our car.  As I waited for the car to fill up, I absorbed the scenery before me.  Rock Springs is a beautiful place.  If we had more time, I would have loved to stay and look around more.  I spent at least half an hour taking pictures of the stunning landscapes.  When Kyle finally managed to pull me back in the car, we decided to drive a little further and stay in Cheyenne tonight. As I drove, Kyle searched the web for a place we could stay.  He finally found a place called Smith Manor.  Smith Manor is a free housing building, so we were able to "borrow" a room for one night.  Halfway to Smith Manor, Kyle and I parked the car to eat dinner...the other half of our lunch. (I must say, it still tasted delicious cold!)
     By the time we got to Smith Manor, it was 9pm. The room we are staying in smells dank and musky, and there are strange stains on the wall I do not want to investigate.  However, considering that this is free lodging that has been used by multiple families before us, it isn't so bad.  Our neighbors, a couple named Dan and Jess Danlitski, are absolute angels.  They invited us into their room for a drink of water when we first came in, and we became fast friends.
     The Danlitski's have been living in Smith Manor for four months now.  They explained to us that, although they both have jobs, they do not have enough money to buy a house or rent an apartment.  Kyle and I noticed, however, that they did have enough money to buy a large TV that covered one side of their room.  Kyle had been checking the score of the LA Clippers vs. the Portland Trail Blazers game since 8pm and was ecstatic that he would actually be able to watch it.  As Dan and Kyle watched the game, I explained to Jess that Kyle and I were driving across the country to meet our families in Richmond.  Jess reminisced about the road trip she took when she graduated from college where her friend left her in a small, nameless town and she had to hitchhike back to her hometown.
     When the game ended at 10, Kyle and I thanked Dan and Jess for the drinks and conversation and returned to our room.  I now have Jess and Dan's phone number in my phone and cannot wait to meet back up with them sometime in the near future.

     However, it is late now and I have no idea what time Kyle wants to hit the road again. (I hope not too early!)

     We had a great day today and traveled 482 miles...I  hope the rest of our road trip is just as smooth sailing as today was (knock on wood)!



Route: From Wendover, we took I-80 East until we hit Cheyenne, stopping along the way at Salt Lake City and Rock Springs.

Food:

Breakfast: came with the hotel room - Prepaid

Lunch: Tony Caputo's Deli All American Sandwich, Penne with Meat Sauce $8.95 + $6.95 = $15.90
314 West 300 South
Salt Lake City, Utah
84101 USA
(801) 539-8669

Dinner: Delicious leftovers!

Snacks: None today (just water with the Danlitskis)

Where we stayed:
Community Action of Laramie County - Smith Manor - Free!
200 W 17th Street
Cheyenne, WY 82001
(307)635-9591

Gas:

Shell Gas Station - $41.30
80 East Wendover Blvd.
Wendover, Utah 84083

Kum and Go Gas Station - $36.35
104 Desert Blvd.
Rock Springs, WY
(307)362-7525

Total spent today: $93.55

Amount left: $560.45