Sunday, July 28, 2013

July 27-29, 3013 - On The Road Again

I started the long haul back to Mesa bright and early Saturday morning and stopped for the night in Elk City, OK after driving for about 6.5 hours.  I had another hour to kill before I could check in at my hotel, so Frisco and I went to the historical park on the edge of town.  It was a nice place with a pond and an old mill for grinding corn meal, a nice calliope for the kids, and some historic buildings. We went for a nice walk and enjoyed the cool, breezy day.



After checking into the hotel, I took a nice nap, had a quiet dinner, and enjoyed just vegging out for the rest of the day.

Sunday's drive was also uneventful and I stopped for the night in Albuquerque, NM.  I've spent quite a bit of time on the phone with Ken and Gerta, Rene, Sharon, and a FaceTime conversation with Ben and Charlotte.  There were some good storms through the night and lots of rain was splattering on my window.

I took my time getting ready this morning and even had some breakfast at the hotel, although I probably would have done better eating my own yogurt and granola or evening having a McMuffin at McDonalds - the waffle I had probably wasn't too healthy.  The clock in my car said it was 8:30 when I left, although when considering Mountain Standard Time, it really was 7:30.

The entire drive from Albuquerque is nice - the mountains in the distance and the red rock country is beautiful.  The most uninteresting stretch is from the Arizona state line to the turnoff at Holbrook.  From there to Mesa is absolutely gorgeous.  I pulled into my carport at about 2:00 and began the process of unloading and unpacking.  It feels good to be home.

This entire trip has been such a pleasure - although a bit of a drag at times without my sidekick.  You all helped me to get through it and I now know that - I can do it.  Also, living from a suitcase on the 3-day plan and visiting with family and friends can become a bit tiring, but believe me, it was well worth it.  It was so nice to see everyone and I thank you all for your wonderful hospitality and great company.