BJ Nemeth's Blog

PHOTOS: (1) View from the guest room at Donna Lawton's house, (2) Rhapsody turns her back as Donna tries to take a photo, (3) Rhapsody at the Golden Spike historic site at Promontory Point, (4) Rhapsody and I at the last railroad tie of the transcontinental railroad, (5) Rhapsody on the last railroad tie, (6) Donna and Rhapsody, and (7) a replica of the golden spike. (The original is at Stanford University.)

I woke up on Day 11 (Feb 3rd) the most refreshed I've been on the trip yet. Going to bed early and sleeping in a warm bed will do that for you. At 10:00 am, Donna Lawton (@Cure_MTM) and I took my car to a dealership to get the window fixed. They estimated it would take 2-3 hours, so Donna offered to show Rhapsody and I around Ogden.

It's not a big city, so it didn't take long. So I asked about Promontory Point, which is where the first U.S. transcontinental railroad was completed. It was about an hour away, but we had the time. Promontory Point might not excite many people, but I've always wanted to see it. If I had a time machine that could go back that far (1868), I'd definitely be there for the golden spike ceremony.

The historic site was covered in snow, with a small path cleared away to get to the final railroad tie and the plaque commemorating the golden spike. But the weather was sunny and gorgeous, and I got some fun videos playing with Rhapsody in the snow.

As we headed back to Ogden, I got a call from the dealership and the wrong window was delivered, and my car would be a few more hours (at best). If the car wouldn't be ready today, it would throw off the rest of my shedule. Even if it were fixed, I'd be cutting it close without much time to spend in Yellowstone National Park.

Donna and her husband took me toast late lunch, and we finally got word at 5:00 that the car window was fixed. Phew! Picked up the car, repacked, and got back on the road almost exactly 24 hours after arriving at Donna's house.

If it hadn't been for the hospitality of Donna's family, I might have missed my one shot at visiting Alaska on this trip. Regardless of what she says, I owe her one.

I was originally planning to drive to Jackson, Wyoming and entering Yellowstone from the south. But with the delays, I headed toward the West Entrance, which would put me in a better position to head to Seattle the next day.

It was Wednesday night, so I called into the Poker Road studio to listen in on the recording of Two Jacks in the Hole as I drove through Idaho. (Without internet access, it was my only option to hear the show.) Scott Huff put me on the air twice (briefly), the first time unexpectedly.

As I neared Montana, I got caught in a snowstorm and lost cellphone reception. It was dark, the roads were icy, and visibility was minimal with the falling snow. I was driving 20-30 mph, and even those speeds didn't feel particularly safe. But if I stopped, things were likely to get worse long before they got better. I had to get through.

I finally made it to West Yellowstone with a sigh of relief after midnight. The roads were covered with snow, but drivable, so I parked at McDonald's to sleep for the night.

States traveled on Day 11: Utah, Idaho, Montana