Mercy in Merced

We have found that traveling works better when we take a day to catch-up and rest once a week. So we found a Travelodge in Merced, CA where we could check-in early and check-out late.

We went to the Laundromat with our clothes. We read poolside in mid-eighties sunshine. We holed up in the room and ordered pizza while watching NUMB3RS episodes on cbs.com (the innertube player was rather annoying). We checked email, updated the blog and made a few phone calls. We even went for a run/walk in the morning in the brisk air. We also bought groceries and washed the vehicle.

Milestone: Jen's first visit to an In-N-Out. For those of you not familiar with this fine Californian establishment, let me tell you that itÂ’s some of the best fast food out there. The three previous times that I (Andrew) have come to California, I have eaten my first meal at In-N-Out. They have the simplest menu in the industry: hamburger, cheeseburger, double cheeseburger, French fries, sodas and milkshakes. Their ingredients are as fresh as can be. We WATCHED them dice potatoes, fry them, salt them and serve them to us. We had been looking for In-N-Out for the past week since entering the state. What joy!

Since the drive to our next campground was short and the weather was warm again, we went to the movies! We saw The Prestige (trailer here), which fascinated us and we heartily recommend. We couldn'’t keep the characters/actors straight so we called them by their other, famous roles: Batman and Wolverine.