Some things are meant to be

I was all excited to reprise my Richard Petty Driving Experience ride along in a real NASCAR race car this morning.  I made sure to arrive before the 9:00 am opening, and I noted they were not really set up yet.  Hmm.  I talked to a lady working the merchandise/registration booth and found out why.  It seems they open two hours later on the day after race day.  Rats!  It sure would have been helpful noting this at their website.  Chances are good I may not have even planned a trip to Las Vegas should I have known that.  Needless to say, I didn't have the time to wait till 11:00 am for my ride along.  I had a long drive ahead of me to Los Angeles.

So, reluctantly, I left Vegas and headed west.  With my schedule changed, I decided to take a lunch break in Barstow... In N Out Burger!  As I pulled into the parking lot, I couldn't help but notice all the guys dressed in crimson and gray.  COUGARS!  I attended Washington State University and consider myself a diehard Cougar.  I even have a lifetime membership to the alumni association!  I asked one of the guys walking by what kind of team they were, and he replied baseball.  I proclaimed myself a Cougar, and he yelled "GO COUGS!"  I felt great happiness in my heart!  I walked into the restaurant and there were Cougs inside, too.  I had a chat with one player waiting to get his food.  The team was visiting California to play some games.  It's amazing that even while I'm so far from home, the Cougar baseball team brought a little bit of home with them. 

Feeling chipper after my Cougar encounter, I continued on to the town of Littlerock and Charlie Brown Farms.  This tourist mecca is THE go-to store for snacks and local food delicacies.  I had visited before, and I was just amazed by the variety of goodies.  I picked up a few things for myself...candy, beef jerky (made in their own smokehouse), honey and garlic pumpkin seeds.  I also got some stuff for the guy watching after my cat..

Satisfied with my purchases, I hit the road once again and soon arrived in Los Angeles.  When I checked into my hotel, I was pleasantly surprised to get a free upgrade to a suite!  Now, my hotel is by no means a fancy one, but having the extra space is nice.  So, even though my day started out on a down note, I still had a pretty good day.  Tomorrow, I have fun stuff on the agenda...I'll be blogging late.