"Travels with Rudolph"
Chapter 4
Flagstaff AZ to San Clemente CA
Chapter 4
Flagstaff AZ to San Clemente CA
Yesterday was the longest. day. ever!!!
I knew I was getting really tired when I got in the car this morning and spoke out loud to Rudolph and asked him if we should have breakfast first or drive for a while. He didn't answer, which is a good sign.
This was another "Oh Wow!" day...I was too tired last night to appreciate coming into Flagstaff (6000 feet up as compared to many of the deserts I drove through for much of the day), but Arizona is another land of contrasts.
I didn't even notice that there was snow outside the door to my room last night. As I started the final leg of the journey, I was amazed at the towering evergreens and the snow in between them, and then an hour later I was in the middle of the desert again. It went from 44 degrees to 73 degrees in no time, and I got to the desert on the other side of the mountains around 9 a.m., having left Flagstaff a little after 8 a.m.
I have to say that the roads in AZ were the hardest to travel, surface wise. I guess the harsh weather and the miles and miles of miles and miles make them difficult to maintain. They were very bumpy, and I was feeling quite sore from bouncing around. ..the way I felt the first few times I went horseback riding!
There are practically no rest areas, and there are sometimes 50 miles between exits, and frequently there was only a gas station at the exit, and many of those were abandoned.
There are practically no rest areas, and there are sometimes 50 miles between exits, and frequently there was only a gas station at the exit, and many of those were abandoned.
Even with AT & T's "the most bars anywhere," there is not always a cell signal. I was a little concerned that if I had any kind of car trouble, I'd wind up stuck in the desert until a trooper came by (and I hardly saw any of them).
Of course, I had all the comforts of home with me (tons of water, snacks, an air mattress, sheets, blanket, pillow, even a small table!) so I could have stayed there for days if I had to!
Of course, I had all the comforts of home with me (tons of water, snacks, an air mattress, sheets, blanket, pillow, even a small table!) so I could have stayed there for days if I had to!
So, today I saw the "Purple Mountain's Majesty" ...
I drove through some of them ... (at least they looked purple.)
So, today I saw the "Purple Mountain's Majesty" ...
I drove through some of them ... (at least they looked purple.)
I never mentioned that Route 40, which covered about 1,300 miles of my trip, runs parallel to Route 66, and there are many exits to get to "Historic 66" along the way... there are times you can even see it from the freeway. There were lots of retro diners and shops that you drove past that were visible from the 40.
I totally missed my opportunity to stand on the corner of Winslow, Arizona, because I was in a hurry to get to California, but I did find this cool photo of the "Standin' on the Corner" Monument, and I did play "Take It Easy" as I passed the exit!
I totally missed my opportunity to stand on the corner of Winslow, Arizona, because I was in a hurry to get to California, but I did find this cool photo of the "Standin' on the Corner" Monument, and I did play "Take It Easy" as I passed the exit!
It was very windy today, and flashing signs were warning about it.
I could feel it in my car and saw a dust "tornado" at one point in the desert.
The Mojave is incredibly beautiful, with little surprises here and there of fields of colorful wildflowers and an occasional salt flat. Before I got to the Mojave, I stopped in Kingman, AZ, the birthplace of Andy Devine (pure coincidence; I was not an Andy Devine groupie), for gas and to feed Rudolph (he is ALWAYS hungry!)I've gotten quite good at the gas pumping thing but have discovered that every station is different... I had one very "street-wise, I'm from NY, don't mess with me" moment when I stopped at one gas station that required I give my credit card to the attendant before filling up...at first, I did, and then I said to myself, "WHAT DID YOU DO? He could be buying TVs for all his friends while you're filling up!!" So I went right back immediately and gave him cash for my fill-up. I'm sure he went home that night and talked about the crazy lady in the funny car.
Every time I hit a crest, there was another, "Oh, wow!" moment. I drove through mountains and passes and then back in the desert again, both in AZ and CA. Isaw a snowstorm on top of one of the mountains on the Eastern side of CA.
Again, I thought of the pioneers. I had all the comforts of home. They didn't even have deodorant and not even ONE McDonald's.
They ALSO didn't know where they were going and didn't have Nurse Diesel to tell them "Make a legal U-turn" when they went the wrong way. How did they DO it??
By the way, I never saw another Q7 until I got to CA; mine is so dirty, having had all species of insect commit suicide on my windshield, you can't tell what it is anyway...I swear a canary smashed into it at one point in the desert. Stupidly, I tried to clean it, and it just smeared it, so it required my having to either stretch my neck or duck below to see the roads are so straight, flat, and long that I seriously could have napped while driving.
Some other odd things I saw today was a sign that said, "Mommy, why do people litter?"
An antique car rally of about 40 cars "speeding" along the highway as well as about 15 Mini Coopers flying by in what I guess was a car club.
Also, lots of motorcycle groups, but none that looked scary.
"Rest Area/Hospital" okay ... do you go to the ER if you need a nap?
"Free Petrified Wood. Dinosaur Bones. Meteorites."
Again, I thought of the pioneers. I had all the comforts of home. They didn't even have deodorant and not even ONE McDonald's.
They ALSO didn't know where they were going and didn't have Nurse Diesel to tell them "Make a legal U-turn" when they went the wrong way. How did they DO it??
By the way, I never saw another Q7 until I got to CA; mine is so dirty, having had all species of insect commit suicide on my windshield, you can't tell what it is anyway...I swear a canary smashed into it at one point in the desert. Stupidly, I tried to clean it, and it just smeared it, so it required my having to either stretch my neck or duck below to see the roads are so straight, flat, and long that I seriously could have napped while driving.
Some other odd things I saw today was a sign that said, "Mommy, why do people litter?"
An antique car rally of about 40 cars "speeding" along the highway as well as about 15 Mini Coopers flying by in what I guess was a car club.
Also, lots of motorcycle groups, but none that looked scary.
"Rest Area/Hospital" okay ... do you go to the ER if you need a nap?
"Free Petrified Wood. Dinosaur Bones. Meteorites."
I was stopped at the border of CA for an "agriculture check" and was asked if I had any fruits or vegetables, and I said no, I had eaten all that long ago. Did I have any nuts?
This prompted me to think for a second "Well, I just drove cross country by myself with only a Christmas decoration as a companion ... that takes SOME kind of nut to do that!!!"... so that answer was no...then he asked if I had any plants. I panicked because I had the African Violet from Leah's shower with me... the only plant I took from the house... being Catholic, I, of course, confessed that I had it.
He asked if it were inside the house, and I said yes, always. He told me to have a nice day and waved me on... whew. I didn't want to come all this way to be banned be I had a plant!
There was a lot of desert and mountains, so not a lot of amusing things to see. Just scenic wonders! had absolutely NO idea this country was as beautiful as it is. I spent a lot of time flying over it but never saw anything past Louisville, KY, on the ground.
This prompted me to think for a second "Well, I just drove cross country by myself with only a Christmas decoration as a companion ... that takes SOME kind of nut to do that!!!"... so that answer was no...then he asked if I had any plants. I panicked because I had the African Violet from Leah's shower with me... the only plant I took from the house... being Catholic, I, of course, confessed that I had it.
He asked if it were inside the house, and I said yes, always. He told me to have a nice day and waved me on... whew. I didn't want to come all this way to be banned be I had a plant!
There was a lot of desert and mountains, so not a lot of amusing things to see. Just scenic wonders! had absolutely NO idea this country was as beautiful as it is. I spent a lot of time flying over it but never saw anything past Louisville, KY, on the ground.