Road Trip to DC, Days 1-3

We are now officially on Day 3 of our road trip! We had a rough start after realizing our grave error: we had WAY too much stuff (why didn't we pack more of it in HHE for the movers to bring to DC? sigh). It barely fit into our car. Eva spent hours engineering a way to squeeze it all in. In fact, the car is now so full that our suitcases, clothes, vases, video games, computers, kitchen supplies, cds, toiletries, etc., block the back view entirely, leaving an enormous blind spot, and weighing the car down so heavily that our normally gas-efficient Prius is burning about a gallon about every 10 miles.

To add to the stress, I am extremely paranoid that our car is going to get broken into given the siren call of valuables that are clearly visible from the car windows. We've been trying to put this out of our minds and to just enjoy the trip, since there's not much we can do at this point.

Day 1: Eva's birthday! We leisurely drove to Lake Tahoe, stopping to have lunch in Sacramento with my old friends from law school, Chris and Natalie. I picked up the new iPhone before we started the trip so we could chronicle our adventures better using its digital cam and video cam, and was able to get a goot shot of Sand Harbor beach in Lake Tahoe, which occupied our afternoon.  It was breathtaking: 


As you can see, the water was pristine. We sunbathed and waded around but it was a bit too cold for swimming!
We scored a Hotwire deal for 4.5 star penthouse suite in Reno at a cool $47.00.  The hotel was one of those insane mega-casinos replete with a bowling alley, clubs, multiple restaurants, a movie theater, a driving range, and boutiques -- not usually our thing, but it was a fun hiatus from reality.

Day 2: Salt Lake City. This was a pit-stop on our way to Yellowstone/the Grand Tetons. I admittedly felt some trepidation about being queer and/or showing any affection towards Eva in this largely Mormon city.   When we were pleasantly surprised upon checking in to the hotel, I felt guilty about my earlier assumptions.  I presented my i.d. and the receptionist immediately offered us free Sheryl Crow tickets valued at $71 each.  Unfortunately, my feeling of gratitude was quickly negated when the receptionist then stated:
You can feel free to take care of me however you wish. 
Her comment was followed by a creepy look, silence, and a blink. We felt a bit uncomfortable/creeped out.  Eva saved the day by saying she suddenly felt tired and not up for a concert after all.  We spent the evening swimming in the heated outdoor pool instead.  We also ate at the hotel's restaurant, where this glorious discovery was made:

Yep, Polygamy Porter. This made us giggle through the first 10 minutes of dinner.
Day 3: Jackson Hole/Teton Village.  This is our favorite stop so far.  The drive from Salt Lake City was gorgeous, with a backdrop of mountains, and much of the road paralleled the scenic Snake River.  Pretty magical.  Our hotel is gorgeous and extraordinarily eco-friendly.  The friendliness to the environment does not, however, match that of its staff.   It feels like we're visiting old friends.  We are excited to hike around Jenny Lake tomorrow and to spend at least one more evening here.  Eva's stepdad worked here last summer and gave us some great recommendations to check out too.  This is a pic I found online of the surrounding area:

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