Our Road Trip Daily Journal

Part Three documents our journey to Yellowstone National Park
Day One through Day Four
The Adventurers:
Jesse: Registered Nurse
Linda: Web Designer
MartaElena: Casino Card Dealer
Maria: Writer and Artist

Top: Linda and Jesse; Bottom: MartaElena and Maria

PART THREE

Our Road Trip Daily Journal

Road Trip Eve -- August 13, 2013, 5:30 PM

MartaElena picked me up to take me to Dollar Rental Car place at 2499 Pacific Hwy, San Diego.  Linda met us there so she and MartaElena could sign up as additional drivers.  Jesse was still at work; Dollar would be closed already by the time she got off work. We thought she could sign up at other Dollar rental places later on, if she wanted to drive.  Monica showed up as well.  She was one of the original RSVPers whose family crisis caused her to drop out a few days before departure.  She had asked for a refund of her $200 deposit.  The Disclaimer document she had signed stipulated that deposits were not refundable, but I could not in my conscience deny her the refund, to which she was so appreciative and donated $50 for gasoline.

Originally, we were not going to pick up the car till the morning of August 14, but the rental place did not open till 7:30 in the morning.  I figured by the time we got all the work done, it would already be almost 10:00 AM -- so late to start the road trip.  So I added another day to the rental at my expense.  This way, we could leave as early as possible on the 14th. If it had been up to me, we would have left as soon as Jesse's hospital shift was over.

Day One: August 14, 2013

Nobody got much of a sleep last night; I know I had about an hour and a half.  I launched the road trip by 4:00 AM and picked up everyone from their homes starting with Jesse. Although we were all feeling tired due to lack of sleep, there was excitement in the air.  After all the endless preparation and occasional apprehension, it was finally happening. We were on our way.

"I could drive any time, anywhere," said MartaElena, who's used to driving in the dark as a night shift card dealer at the Verona Casino.  So, I happily relinquished the wheel to her; serving as her co-pilot in the passenger seat.  I would take over halfway through our first destination. Park City, Utah--a town not one of us had ever heard of before. Nothing had prepared us for what we were about to see and experience.

As soon as we drove into the city, we were overwhelmed by its sheer beauty. We lingered outside and enjoyed the surroundings, taking lots of pictures, before we checked in to our hotel.

Linda had found the Groupon deal for Yarrow Resort Hotel in Park City.  It was a good deal: $59 per deluxe room, but by the time all the fees were added, it went up to $84.66, or $42.00 per person.  Jesse and I shared one room with two queen beds, while Linda and MartaElena shared the other.

Park City is a mountain ski resort tourist town, about 30 miles southeast of Salt Lake City with a population of less than 8,000 people.  They say that tourists on the average outnumber the residents.  It was the site for ski and snowboarding events during the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City.. It's also the main location of the Sundance Film Festival, and home of the U.S. Ski Team training center.  As we traversed the city, we found so many upscale luxury retailers, clubs, bars, and restaurants.  There are so many other notable aspects of this former mining community, that we didn't know.  No wonder it's been voted "The Best Place To Live In America".

Unfortunately, we arrived in Park City late in the afternoon, and there wasn't enough time to explore and enjoy the area to the fullest.  But we were able to take a pleasurable long walk around town.  The manicured parks were clean and beautiful, the pricey homes were classy with huge, landscaped yards.Night life was very exciting even though we were there during the week.  Who would ever believe that in the Fifties, this town almost became a ghost town when the silver mining industry collapsed. Today, two-thirds of its economy comes from its tourism industry -- a favorite among outdoorsmen and athletes, and ordinary people like us.

(TO BE CONTINUED....)