Blah

Thats all I have to say today :-)

I am busy plotting my trip up north in April. I will have nearly a month to "kill" and my winter, so far, has not been as lucrative as expected.

I am doing OK, but I won't be able to tour and sightsee as I normally would, and my stays in places will be longer and limited to forest service or other gubmint run parks where I can utilize my "Golden Gimp" passport.

The discount cards USED to be called "Golden Age" and "Golden Access" passes. The card is now actually called an "Inter Agency Pass" .. a small reward for being permanently disabled, at least, in the gubmints eyes, for losing a vital body part from my cancer. I can't say that going thru lung cancer is a preferred method for getting a token discount for camping, but, hey.. I'll take it where I can get it.

The card is available to all US citizens deemed to have a permanent disability. It gives you a 50% discount on all camping fees in Forest Service, Corp of Engineer or BLM campgrounds. It also gets you into National Parks for free, but since I never camp in them, it isn't a concern for me at this point.

I can average around 7 bucks a day for lodging when I travel. This, and my ability to live off grid comfortably, has saved my bacon more than once.

The card is NOT recognized by any Non Federal parks, such as State or County facilities, not is it recognized in "some" federal areas.. such as the Long Term visitors area I am currently in. At 180 bones for 7 months, I can't really think of WHY anyone would complain about that, but, as an experienced host for these agencies..I am sure some do. I bet they drive 1/2 million dollars diesel pushers too :-)

Anyway, I am thinking of traveling up I-15 from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City (Now.. THERES two polar opposite towns, eh?) and then taking I-84 all the way to Portland, my home town.

I don't have much to worry about in Lost Wages. I have never been a gambler or big drinker. I can plop 20 bucks into a barside poker machine and make it and one free beer last all night. Woo Hoo!

I do fear, however, that I will drop tons on raw coffee.. I am going through Utah, ya know, and I don't want to get stuck without.

This route was chosen because if I see another inch of I-5, the 99 or the 101.. I think I will puke. Highway 395 is indeed a great trip, but I have been there, done that too. Time to get brave and travel where I haven't before.. even if its just for the journey and not the destination.

Of course.. there will be dissapointments along the way, like the big signs that say "Area 51 is NOT here" and at some point, I will have to go through
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Boise.