Are We In Reno Yet?

This is Stephanie reporting on the RWA conference 2005 in Reno, Nevada!

My part of the trip began in Denver, Colorado where my partner, Sonj, and I loaded up the 2000 Saturn and headed to Las Vegas. The original plans were that we would overnight with Cai and her daughter in Las Vegas. The next morning I would rent a car so that Cai, A and I could drive in luxury and air-conditioning to Reno which we were told was only a short drive away. (Those of you from that area are to stop snickering RIGHT NOW!)

We headed down I-70 stopping in Glenwood Springs for a dip in the hot springs. While I lounged in a metal bar chair with holes in it as air was forced through to make a whirlpool chair, I thought about the native peoples who first found these springs. What must they have thought when they first touched the boiling water? What my body enjoyed was a cooled down 190 degree cement pond, but the original springs still bubbled and boiled off to the side. It was marvelously relaxing and I swore that I had to go back soon. Sonj pried my pruning body out of the pool saying that we had to go!

So back in the car we got! The scenery in southern Colorado is amazing. If you haven't traveled that part of the country, I highly recommend it! I even saw a herd of bighorn sheep on the side of the road. I crowed about that for 15 miles. Simple things make me so happy in life!

Back to the trip! We rolled into Vegas about 9pm and hooked up with Cai et al. Spent the night in Vegas. Of course we did a bit of gambling. Won too. Then lost it. Cash out! Cash out! And quit! That's how you win in Vegas.

Monday morning found Cai and I without a car and me slightly hysterical. Sonj and Cai calmed me down (I'm the high strung one of the bunch) and we decided to take the Saturn. To say we were packed in doesn't cover it. We had to use a shoehorn to sardine Cai and her daughter in the back seat along with luggage. They didn't see one another until Reno other than refreshment breaks! But we made it to Reno. That short drive was a nine hour nightmare that almost ended with the Saturn T-boning a fire truck. Trust me when I say... that fire truck was totally in the wrong!

But we were all frantically happy to see Reno's lights burst up from the valley. Found the hotel with no problem and fell into bed. Oh... after we gambled a bit. :-)

More on the conference later! Welcome to our Blog!

Stephanie Lynch (The Stephan half of Cai Stephan)