Day 5 - Amarillo, TX to Fort Smith, AR

I apologize to anyone who is a fan of Oklahoma but lord that was a boring state to drive through... The most exciting thing to discover was that the rest areas there are the nicest we've seen so far. (TX was slightly ahead because theirs have WiFi, but OK's were clean, the people working in them were really nice and friendly, and they were beautifully decorated.)

We've been having an unofficial count of these rest areas through the drive and so far the count is:

California: -5 Unheated? In areas where there is snow on the ground? Clearly, decisions made by people who don't usually sit to use the facilities! One of them said "Tourist information" on the sign and when we stopped (looking for hotel coupon books), all we found for "tourist information" was a map pinned to the wall behind glass.

Arizona: 0 Pretty to look at. Essentially average. Good selection of vending machines.

New Mexico: -10 Heated by a 30-year-old space heater hung on the wall, dirty, one step above chemical toilets, and no vending machines. They had little voting charts on the door that said "We approve this stop Y/N" but we didn't vote.

Texas: +5 for really, really clean even when unmanned, fun decor, good selection of vending machines and had WiFi.

Oklahoma: +10 for everything TX had (ok, the first one didn't have WiFi, but the one in Oklahoma City did), plus free coffee & tea for visitors (one of the staff gave me a tea bag from his own personal stash, not the kind usually available to visitors). Also the only one where almost every stop had people working in them.

Today was the first day we made it all the way through a state; 441 miles from Amarillo to Fort Smith. We also finished listening to Arrows of the Queen, which I had to listen to while in Oklahoma, since that's where Mercedes Lackey lives.

Not taken by us. We went by it
quickly at night so our picture
came out blurry. Also, since Beth
is asleep and it's on her camera,
I cheated and grabbed one off
Google.

Arkansas is the third state we've driven in that I'd never been to before, not even so much as an airport. New Mexico and Oklahoma were the other two. Tomorrow, we hit Tennessee, where we're stopping early and visiting with a gentleman who used to work for both of us when we were editors of the a cappella magazine, and was one of my regional assistants when I ran the a cappella competition.

Speaking of: I had a small world moment tonight when I was downstairs at the front desk. Chatting with a guest checking in, it came up that I'd moved to the U.S. "to run a college music competition." He asked which one. I told him. Turns out he was at the show at Southwest Missouri State that I produced eight years ago, and even vaguely remembered me announcing the winners at the end of the night. Another moment of "I really can't get away from that life." :)

Interlude

Since we've been following it for days, and Beth (and now other people) keep singing it, it seems only fair to proffer a nod...

(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66.

Day 4 - Gallup, NM to Amarillo, TX

Well, we got to explore the finer side of rural car repair today. We hit an ice boulder outside of Albuquerque and by the time we got about 50 miles away, to Clines Corners, discovered that a plate on the underside of the car was now dragging.


We called AAA, who sent a flatbed to bring us back to Edgewood (near Albuquerque) to Rich Ford of Edgewood, a Ford dealership who tacked the piece up and sent us on our way without charging us (yes, we tipped the mechanic). We lost a few hours, so drove much later into the evening than I'd wanted to (got off the road about 8:30pm), and finally hit Amarillo, 464 miles from our 9:30am departure site. 


Didn't plan to do much sight-seeing in New Mexico, so we weren't let down by our inability to do so. Each of the roadside stops we went to (pee/walk breaks) had historic markers, so we got to read a little about pre-colonialization New Mexico. And we saw a beautiful sunset. Now we're going to see the beautiful inside of our eyelids. 


Two interesting things today:


1) Beth is really digging the book on CD I brought, Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey. Phew. I love it and it really helps me focus when driving, by listening to a book I know well. 


2) We're staying at a Fifth Season hotel in Amarillo whose security is so bad that not only is the guest WiFi not password protected, but gives guests access to their internal network! I took a quick glance and their ACT files, business presentations and reports are all open for anyone to access. Yes, we'll warn them before we go.


We've been discussing re-organizing the way the car is packed (right now, the boxes are in the trunk and all the suitcases, daily-use as well as the ones full of clothing in space bags and weighing a ton, are in the passenger compartment), but it's been too cold outside each morning to want to stand out there and unpack everything. Amarillo is warm enough that we'll give it a try tomorrow before we go, because I have a stitch in my side that is getting worse each day. If we can leave the heavy stuff in the trunk (even just the biggest and most unbearable suitcase) and move the lighter boxes into the room (I don't want to leave things visibly in the car each night), it'll make things much easier for us.

 

Day 3 - Grand Canyon to Gallup, NM

As you can see, today was even less productive than yesterday (a whole 266 miles), but fun for other reasons. It started off with a sunrise tour at the Grand Canyon. Beautiful. Simply freakin' amazing. We were part of a group of seven (five of whom had started their travels in the Bay Area - one Cal student and a couple from El Sobrante, plus us), with a cheery tour guide who, because we were a small group and all dressed warmly, took us to the best viewing area - apparently one of the colder ones - and we remained there for about 30 minutes, until the sun was fully up. Then we hit another lookout, one that let us see more of the Northern Rim (we were on the Southern Rim), and the crags and valleys below. 

After that was done, we visited with Beth's cousin who works there (amazing lady, she also got us into the park as her guests without having to pay the $25 entry fee), and then up to Hopi House, where I spent a few more dollars than intended on some pottery. I've always had a weakness for First Nations art, and while my preferences are for Pacific Northwestern designs (says the lady who lives in a hoodie with a Tsimshian Four Clans pattern, carries a tote with a Haida sun design, and has a car decorated with a Tsimshian raven dancer...), I couldn't resist these three little pieces. I was drooling over some Navajo sand paintings, but couldn't afford the ones I wanted. :) The three pieces I bought were Pueblo from the Santa Clara region (the black), etched Navajo pottery (the brown one), and handcoiled from the Acoma Pueblo of New Mexico (the white one).  


We finally checked out of the hotel and finished loading the car at 11:30am, and then hit the road. My goal was to at least clear the New Mexico state line. On the way, we passed Meteor Crater, which I unfortunately didn't realize until after we passed it (since Beth woke up moments later) was part of Beth's favourite movie and she would have wanted to stop there. Sorry, Beth! 


We made one more stop before leaving Arizona - at the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert. Beth was unfamiliar with them before the stop, but enjoyed it as much as I did. We got to see some incredible scenery, walk through a partially excavated Pueblo settlement from the 12th Century AD, and got within 15 feet of some centuries-old petroglyphs. Suffice to say, the archaeology geek buried fairly close to the surface in me was in happy pig heaven. :)

Tomorrow, we go back to serious driving!

Day 2 - Barstow, CA to Grand Canyon Village, AZ

Today was not as productive a day towards the actual road journey as we'd intended; as you can see by the accompanying map, we only made it from Barstow, CA to the Grand Canyon (416 miles plus detour), but the latter not until after dark (so this'll be a shorter blog as the alarm goes off at 5:30am for a sunrise tour!). But we did pass the first landmark - welcoming us to Arizona. We were very disappointed that there was no corresponding sign kicking us out of California.


We did get to see some wonderful things along the way anyway, including:


- We saw Mater! We passed Newbury Springs, CA, driving through the Mojave region, and we could swear it was Radiator Springs. Kudos to Pixar for the realism. The last little fillip to the realism was the rusty tow truck sitting on the outskirts of town. I think he winked at us as we went by. :)
- The Hand of G/d. A rather eerie rock formation along the 95 down to Lake Havasu, which is where we visited the next item:

- The London Bridge. We couldn't resist, just inside the Arizona state line, a sign that said "London Bridge, 20 miles." It was a much-enjoyed hour+ detour from the chosen road. We'd both forgotten that the 1860 bridge had been purchased by a U.S. town and moved over, brick by brick. We had to go visit, take pictures, and revel in small-town American interpretation of old-towne London. 
- Beth's first In and Out Burger. The musical kitchen staff added just the right edge to the secret sauce.
- Spectacular scenery. There was just enough fog near the mountains in the Mojave area for the mountains themselves to appear every shade of greyish-blue imaginable. Beautiful. I know some people like their mountains large and vivid, but that shading on the horizon is what always stirs my imagination.
- The tumbleweeds and rolling scrub-covered desert. We were imagining scenes from Blazing Saddles and other Westerns (I could swear I saw the dust trails of the marauding cowboys, honest!), and feeling much, much pity for the poor shlubs who walked across on their way out West.
- We had to visit Snoopy's brother, Spike. Did you know he lives in Needles, CA? We stopped there briefly to check out the tourist information center in the Department of the Interior; we had to appreciate their bathroom decor while we were at it. I'm sure you can see why.
- Watching my hybrid struggle up to 6,000 feet of elevation. I've never seen the hybrid battery go that low (when the engine is being used to struggle uphill, the battery supports it. Pressing on the brake charges the battery. It went nearly flat 2x on the way up to the Grand Canyon!).
- We may never get the tune out of our heads, but Kicks have been got on Route 66. We've been on and off of it for the last 300 miles, at least.
- And most amusing - to me at least - is trying to figure out how, when I managed to put MORE in the trunk today with the new space bags, the backseat looks even more full! I don't get it!


Post-script: I forgot one of the nicest surprises of the day. We'd asked at a tourist center down the road about staying near the Grand Canyon and were resoundingly advised to stay in Williams (55 miles away) because there was no way we were going to find anything affordable closer.  We decided we'd splurge just once along the way and made tracks to stay in the area anyway. Long story short, we came across the Red Feather Lodge in Tusayan, five minutes away from the park. With AAA discount, $70.34. And quite conceivably the cleanest, best-maintained, nicest hotel below the executive level that I've stayed at in years. Highly recommended!


OK. Six hours to o-g/d-hundred and the tour. More tomorrow! 


Note: I'm going to start including additional photos at the bottom. That way I am only one of those annoying people who bore you with trip photos if you choose to look at them. And since Beth took more than 200 photos on Day 2 alone, there will be many, many to choose from. :)

We're making note of the named cities from the tune as we
approach or pass through them.

Look! Kilometers!

Day 1 - Alameda to Barstow

Two crazy girls about to hit the road! Say
goodbye to my cottage.

Today was Day 1 of my new life - we got 400 miles away from Alameda and no one came after me to make me turn around, so I guess I got away scot-free. :)


We got a slightly later start than I'd hoped today - my hope was 9am, my goal was 10am, we left at 10:02 :) - and then made pretty good time (with a few stops, including at the Target in Bakersfield to replace the spacebag the blankets are in since it ripped). 

I had a neighbour with chickens,
but I'd never seen turkeys in Alameda
before! (Except on grocery shelves.)

We'd intended to start yesterday but the move-out inspection with my former landlords took substantially longer than expected and made it impossible. Gave us the chance to hang out with Kurt yesterday afternoon though, so that made up for it. And it allowed us to see a side of Alameda I'd never seen before - wild turkeys!  


Last night was hard. I teared up saying goodbye to my neighbours. Driving through the Webster Tube and realizing it was my last time as a local made me sniffly. Realizing I was officially homeless was actually kind of refreshing, but scary.


My car is packed to a fare-thee-well, but we arranged it so I can still see out of the back. Everything is unloaded (except the trunk) into the hotel, and we're hoping to plan it slightly differently tomorrow since today, the space behind the driver's seat was so tight, the seat can't move back. That's fine for me, I drive close, but since Beth's legs are longer than mine she'll be chewing on the steering wheel if she tries to get into it! She reminds me I drove most of the way down 11 years ago, but I'd still like to switch off drivers a few times over the next 10 days!


Today, the backseat had four suitcases (my two big ones, full of all my non-business wardrobe, which arrived in Toronto in Nov, my overnight suitcase and Beth's), two backpacks, two shoulder bags, my PC, a road kit of emergency supplies, a bag of food and a bag of CDs. And a pillow. And the roadside kit. And the chains for the tires. The trunk has five banker's boxes of home and computer stuff, all my bedding, winter coats, boots, a bag of hats/gloves/scarves, and various sundries all squeezed into every available spot. 


There are 14 boxes of books and CDs at my neighbour's, which my friend Carine will be media-mailing to my PO box in Lewiston, NY next week. There are 11 boxes of dishes, pots & pans, desk stuff, a microwave, a toaster oven, and so on, at my friend Barbara's, to be UPSed to Buffalo, for me to pick up when I drop Beth off at the airport on the 15th. And there are three boxes of masks and other breakables on their way to Joe's in Burlington, VT (I didn't want them sitting in a depot somewhere) to pick up. And that is the sum total of what I am going to have in my possession until I am settled enough to move the rest of my belongings up. For a chick who has lived in a house with too much stuff for five years, that's going to be an interesting experience!

On one hand, seems like we did a
good distance today. On the other,
considering the size of the continent,
we still have a ways to go.

So. Today. 


The drive to Barstow was nice. Relaxing - I've done the 580 to the 5 before, so it was at least slightly familiar - and sunny, without much traffic. Starting on a Monday ended up working out well. 


The goal was to hit the Mojave today. Didn't happen, but we're about 100+ miles away, so we'll pass it early on the day tomorrow.


Fun things today:
- Snow! We saw snow! We were up in the passes and got to see lots of snow covered mountains... after shooting dozens of photos, we discovered we were also going to see lots of snow covered medians mere feet away from the car. Now I get why Tehachapi calls itself the land of four seasons - it wasn't the kind of snow or cold I'm going to see in Toronto, but it is below freezing and there's definitely enough to make lots of snowballs with! (We didn't stop to do so, though. Next time.)
- Driving by Edwards Air Force Base and reminiscing about the number of times we've read about it in various forms of fiction; granted, you can't see anything from the road but a sign, and the photo came out badly, but we have the memory.
- Being reminded that we have similar taste in music and that Beth is patient enough to put up with soundtracks she's not familiar with (she liked one so much than at Target she tried to find a copy of the film for herself). 
- Listening to people at all the stops along the 5 worrying about the Grapevine being closed and asking us worriedly if we've heard any news. 
- Finding the last available copy of a RoomSaver coupon book and getting a decent Days' Inn room for $43 thru the coupon. 
- Exploring the UV wand Kurt gave me as a going-away gift, sterilizing our hotel room with it. Between that and the silk sleeping bags you put inside the bed to keep you away from hotel sheets, we should be safe and not bring anything with us (not an issue last time, but now with the bed bug epidemic we want to be absolutely sure!). 
- Discovering we were driving along historic Route 66 and stopping to take pictures of the signs.
- Apologizing to Beth that I wasn't wearing anything with a logo on it. On our way down 11 years ago I wore T-shirts with logos every day, and many of our skyline and mountain photos through the windshield have floating singing lobsters or flags hanging out there. :)
- Doing the math and realizing that, depending on the route, we're either 1/11th of the way or 1/8th. Baby steps, but important ones.
- Realizing that unpacking the backseat took less than three minutes (our car is right outside our room) so loading it back up each morning should be easy. 


Tomorrow, the goal is the Grand Canyon. 

OK, really leaving now

Issues with the move-out of my house pushed our departure date back a day. I write this on the evening of the 2nd, approximately 12 hours before we leave. We had a long day, finished the sorting of stuff that had been planned for yesterday, and are now packing the trunk for tomorrow. Next post from somewhere near the Mojave Desert tomorrow night!