Editor's note: We have a lot of perks here, one of which is that employees who've worked here for seven years get an 8-week sabbatical. It's a pretty stellar deal. Our very own Le Sensation, of TCB and blogger fame, is on his leave as I type. He's decided to keep us all updated on his doings (er, road trip adventures) over the next few weeks via the blog.

Without further ado, the first installment of Dylan's Sabbatical Chronicles. I'm not quite sure how many more will come our way but stay tuned, especially if you plan on taking a cross-country road trip anytime soon...

I love packing the car for a big trip—or at least I mostly love it.

It’s a bit of a love-hate thing. When your ride is a small hatchback and a whole heapload of gear needs to fit inside you might as well be driving a Rubik’s Cube because it’s a puzzle getting everything just right. Toss in a couple people plus an old dog who turned thirteen on the July 17 (that just so happens to be Chris Mullin’s #—but I’m sure you already knew that) and you’ve got to make all the right moves to get everything in place.

Once a car’s fully packed for the road, it’s time to sit back and admire it—ideally with a cold Modelo Especial in hand. A well-packed car is a beautiful thing.

We made it to Boise yesterday—the first leg of the trip took us along 80 to Winnemucca, where we headed north on 95 up to Boise. Some of my favorite stops along this route include the Book & Bean Coffee Shop up in Truckee and a couple great little restaurants in Winnemucca.

If you stay overnight in Winnemucca, Las Margaritas is a fine spot to grab a tasty meal and a pitcher of margaritas that’ll help with the inevitable Nevada summer-time heat—then for breakfast stop by The Griddle and get the day rolling in delicious fashion. My Thursday started with Caribbean French Toast and lots of coffee—the coffee did battle with the margaritas I’d had the night before and eventually the coffee triumphed.

Good to know that coffee’s got my back.

PK’s tip about playing the dollar slots at the casino turned out to be some kind of evil joke—good one, PK. But other than that, the stay in Winnemucca was as good as it always is.

On 95, just before crossing into Oregon, there’s a little shack that serves all sorts of stuff—but it’s the soft-serve ice cream cones that get me to pull the handbrake and do a sweet 180 parking job that would make Jake & Elwood proud. What’s the point of those “Oh-S*%#$! handles” if the passengers never get to use them?

Then in Oregon’s Jordan Valley, celebrate successfully making it through most of the painfully slow 55mph speed limit section of the trip with a frosty coffee drink at the Rockhouse Café. And if “painfully slow” doesn’t compute and you didn’t successfully make it through the 55mph section without meeting one of Oregon’s finest I guess you can still celebrate something—like meeting someone new.

Raise a frosty glass to new acquaintances.

Next up on this end—some sitting around & relaxing in the crazy Boise heat is definitely on the docket. We’ll take in a rodeo; eat all sorts of amazing food from the in-laws’ garden; check out some minor league baseball; and I might even line up for a couple bike races over the weekend. I better start drinking more water—margaritas and coffee aren’t going to cut it out here.

Back in touch sometime soon.