Heading west on I-80, there’s a rest area at Donner Summit. Situated at over seven thousand feet, it features a pond full of fish, dire warnings about the snow, and a place to take a break after a long, steep haul.

The recent 6.5 magnitude earthquake off the coast near Ferndale knocked over the contents of various coastal supermarkets, damaged historic buildings, and for an encore took out our refrigerator.

Out trip to Reno, Nevada was largely for business. But we ended up with a bright spot when we visited a Verdi casino on the way out, rescuing the day from asphalt boredom.