Pull tabs outside Lava Hot Springs, IDWhen you don't start your days on the road until 1PM, and you drive from Seattle to Missoula in one day, then Missoula to Salt Lake City the next day, your trip is sorta about gas stations. In a way. And don't cap on me for the 1PM starts, hey, I needs my coffee, and breakfast, and sleeping in.
I did manage to stop at Lava Hot Springs for a little soak in the mineral water there, that was lovely, and the Lava Hot Springs Inn was like something out of a Carson McCullers story. If I have time on my way back, I'm definitely staying there. Anyway, about the gas stations. I'm not kidding, I really do love them. Well, maybe not the one on Rainier a block away from Elvis' house, but these cross country road trip gas stations are great. They are all the same in a way, but for some reason I love what little variation there is. Like how they all have different weird lighters, for instance - the lighter shaped like dice that has flashing lights when you open it, or the one in the shape of a motorcycle with a working headlight! Gas stations make me want to play the lottery - they have that little element of surprise to them, like something strange is going to happen, or you are going to find a crazy treasure, like the giant box of Bottlecaps I bought at the gas station in Blackfoot today. Remember those candies? Flavored like different sodas? Love them! Specially the root beer.
Now, okay, we all know that the gas station is really not anyone's first choice for a place to be (not even mine, really) but the thing about a road trip is, you gotta make your own fun sometimes.
Just like the rest of life, really. Right? Now if only gas stations had photo booths. THAT would be something.
P.S. Ali I love your post!! In your honor, I am only posting a cell phone photo today. Even though I took lots of photos of me in my bikini at the hot springs. Hee.
2 comments:
wait a minute, when did people start wearing bathing suits at hot springs? How far from the west coast can lava hot springs be?
chicken.
You know, the funny thing is, it didn't even OCCUR to me to go in without a suit. It was really more like a hotel swimming pool than a scramble-through-the-woods hot spring. Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I would have been arrested. I'll try to do better next time!
Post a Comment