- Toby and his mother travel from Florida to Utah in 1955 hopes of striking it rich in uranium and to escape his mom's abusive boyfriend. Not necessarily in that order.
- As they pass the Continental Divide, they see a truck lose his brakes and go over the side of a drop. Toby uses the opportunity to get his mother to buy him roadside souvenirs she can't afford.
- Their car repeatedly boils over because they don't have the cash to fix it. For some reason, Toby's mom really hates the car.
- During those times when they wait for the car to dool, mom tells him about life as a girl in Beverly Hills. Her family was loaded until 1929, when her father lost everything and joined the Navy to escape cranky relatives.
- They reach Utah, but the uranium boom is in full burnout mode: lots of people, overpriced goods and no jobs. Mom buys a cheap Geiger counter and they continue to Salt Lake City.