Leg 64- Nov 21- Lava Bed National Monument, CA

 

Dallas wanted to share a magical location from her childhood with EP and I.  I had been skeptical of how cool it could be until we got there; boy was I wrong.  The landscape cannot be done justice by these photos.  Of all the spots we saw on our trip, this place may have been the most phenomenal of all. Odd rock formations dagger out of a supernatural plains.  The lava beds have lava tubes which adventurous souls can explore.  We put tiny bump caps and made the most of our day. 

Leg 63- Nov 20- North Eagle Lake Campground, CA

 

This stop was planned as just a spot to rest for the night but we ended up finding a beautiful campground we had all to ourselves.  The Bounder was barely able to fit but we snuck it in.  We hiked all over which involved hiding under picnic tables, having dad bounce us from rock to rock and esoterically chasing down pinecones.  I grilled out as the temperature plunged to 9 degrees in an absolutely pitch dark campground.  Luckily the Bounder held up and we held on through one of our coldest nights. 

Leg 62- Nov 19- Verdi, CA

As we neared Reno, we realized we were kinda close to Dallas's Aunt and Uncle.  We made a few phone calls and coordinated to meet up with Karen and Larry!  A casino RV campground turned out to be an excellent halfway point for us.  We all met up to enjoy an afternoon of walks, reading stories, getting chased by babies, and beautiful vistas.  I think it was wonderful that Dallas's family and EP got to meet; EP bonded so well with both of them.  It was a wonderful night. 

 

Leg 61- Nov 18- Fernley, NV

Today was a very very sleepy day.  We all 3 were a little tired so we took an easier day.  We completed some chores (including my car getting washed which had not been cleaned since Virginia).  Sasha and I chased each other across a field and, earlier, we all 4 played on a playground.