Richard and Suzanne and Duncan's Big 2012 Road Trip
Stage 3 - Spanning the Country
Orlando, FL to Phoenix, AZ


Note: Clicking on any of the pictures will bring up a larger version, in a click-thru album for that day. Enjoy!


Day 18 - Tuesday, June 26th, 2012
Orlando, FL to Perry, FL
218 miles

Our time in Orlando has been fun, but it's time to start making our way home. Cleaned up, hauled out, said goodbye to our faithful companion "Stacy" on the in-house Disney promotional TV channel (by this time, we had the entire 15-minute loop almost memorized, and were doing the four-park spiel right along with her.) We also performed our usual thorough "room sweep" (every motel, every time) to make sure we didn't leave anything behind (and found a couple rather interesting items abandoned by prior guests), plowed through the milling mobs of departing volleyballers and arriving reunion attendees, secured the latches on the cartop carrier, and set course for "thataway".

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Wrapping up Round 1 of license plates Bye bye, TV channel with endless repeating info on Disney World! We'll miss you!

We looped through the convoluted ramps leading from the freeway to the tollway while simultaneously tossing our cash out the window, and swiftly left Orlando far behind. About halfway to I-75, as we reached the final big toll booth spanning the entire highway, we did get a demonstration of the importance of highly-visible lane control signals. As we waited in a slowly-moving line of cash customers (most of them seemingly venting at the attendant for the toll increase that took effect a day or so earlier), we watched several large and fully-loaded semi-trucks approach in one of the transponder lanes, see the "lane closed" signal indication while only a few hundred feet away, and then treat us to the spectacle of locking brakes, skidding tires, rubber smoke, and swerving trailers as they attempted to change lanes in a very short distance. We eventually paid our share of the turnpike's upkeep and sped off before one of those trucks could take us out.

Immediately after the turnpike merges onto Interstate 75 is a most interesting roadside business - the I-75 Chrome Shop, which sells many a shiny object for vehicles large and small. If you ever needed a spare set of those "trucker gals" for your mud flaps, a big air horn (heck, they even have locomotive horns!), or just a set of sparkly valve caps, this is the place to go (or order from). A couple objects on display of questionable taste did puzzle young Duncan, and we did our best to explain (or distract him, or change the subject). And they even have a lounge for the busy driver to get away from the road for a bit, with auto-shaped upholstery, a traffic signal stuck on green, and a classic video game or two.

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If you want shiny items of questionable taste, this is the place to be! Cool chairs! Duncan sees the (green) light
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"Can we get this one for the truck?" New accessories for the Dunc "What are these, Dad?"

We resumed course northbound on the freeway, as another big bunch of menacing black clouds from Tropical Storm Debby began to build behind us. I-75 extends all the way from Miami to the eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula (as visited in our first 2011 trip), and we had fun asking Gypsy the GPS just how long it would take to get to the Mackinac Bridge if we stayed on this route all the way through Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Detroit (21 hours, 1380 miles - maybe some other time...) But instead we exited at Gainesville, home of the University of Florida, made a loop around the infamous orange & blue "Swamp" where so many dreams of SEC glory have thrived or died, and then set course on US 441 for some diagonal non-freeway driving.

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So this is what a Swamp looks like.

As we approached Alachua, a casual glance at the top of the windshield discovered two things: 1) we were just a bit overdue for an oil change and 2) Debby was about to whomp on us big time. The corrugated metal of Gator Automotive appeared by the side of the road, and we pulled in for a remarkably speedy and professional oil change, as our little speedster flew his Lego spaceship around the racks and barrels. We paid the bill (and bought a set of boots), backed out carefully as the rain pelted our vehicle, and proceeded northwest as the driving conditions deteriorated.

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3000 miles already? Oil change time in Alachua to keep the new engine happy. Zooming his Lego vehicle around the garage

Driving in the worst of a tropical storm can be a remarkably fatiguing experience, and we made frequent stops to clear our heads and assess the situation. Near Fort White, the bright yellow trim of a Busy Bee gas station brought us out of the rain for a bit, and we chuckled at the "un-bee-lievable" puns on all the signs within.

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Our local weather for the day. Ugly, ain't it? Gas station chain with "un-bee-lievably" bad puns

The water was flowing in sheets across the roadway as we approached the town of Branford on the famous Suwannee River, and the glowing neon of Sprinkles Ice Cream and Hot Dog Shoppe was a welcome sight indeed as we shook off the wetness and ordered up some excellent sandwiches and chili dogs.

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"Sprinkles" in the sprinkles A good meaty excuse to get out of the rain
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Yes, I'll have some sprinkles! ...and lots of 'em! Yummm!

As we were eating, Richard took another glance at the map to confirm our projected course - north to Live Oak on US 129, and then west on US 90 or I-10 for a while. And it was exactly at that moment that we heard the words "Live Oak" come from the TV set on the wall.

It was the Weather Channel, in full "Tropical Storm Mania" mode. And there was Jim Cantore live on the screen. And as anyone who follows the Weather Channel knows, if Jim Cantore is somewhere making a live report, you don't want to be anywhere near him.

And Mr. Cantore was standing in the middle of the very exact road we were planning on driving a half hour from now. And the water behind him was waist-deep, and climbing. Live Oak, our very next stop, was completely flooded by the intensity of Debby's inundations - and so were Lake City, Madison, and nearly every other place to the north of us.

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When Jim Cantore of the Weather Channel is standing by waist-deep water on the very road we were planning to drive a few miles north, that's Not A Good Thing

As we quickly began to plot a completely different course, townspeople began to trickle in, and the talk took on some urgency as there were warnings that the nearby river could go well beyond flood stage in the next several hours. But they did take time to apologize for the weather and offer some suggestions - "apparently, Perry is in good shape. Have you ever been there?"

Yes, yes we have. And it looks like we're heading back there again. After finishing our ice cream, we walked out of Sprinkles into the downpour, turned back south and west, and sloshed our way through Mayo (hey, where's "Relish"?) on US 27 back to the familiar sights of Perry. Even though we'd only done a bit over 200 miles, it felt like twice that to the driver, and we quickly found a room at the Gandy Motor Lodge, one of the historic motels still in business along US 19. The room was spacious and comfortable, and Richard plopped exhausted on the bed while Suzanne & Duncan stayed outside to enjoy the post-storm coolness and play with the beetles & other bugs disturbed by the rain. We were too tired to even think about going out for dinner, so we raided the bins of leftovers in the cooler, watched bad TV movies, and hoped for better weather in the days to come.

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Is there one for "Ketchup" or "Mustard", too? An early rest out of the rain at a classic motel on US 19

And now for a Very Special Bonus Part of the Road Trip: - Here is "Duncan's Window Adventure", as told to him by the windshield wipers during today's travels:

Big thick lines on windshield
Like skinny rectangles of water

Big explosion - little lines all over

Everything started to flood!

Raining up with millions of clouds sideways
A giant hose shot water up and down
Millions of lines coming from it
Rained upside down, hose still running
Raining all over the world

Rainbows flood above the whole town
Rainbows started to fade
Can barely see them

Raining cats and dogs, hippos and rhinos!

Then a real rainbow
But the rain was nowhere near stopped
Or the flood or hose
And it flooded upward

Eventually two million people died, but the rain stopped, rainbow came out, and all was well.

The End.


Day 19 - Wednesday, June 27th, 2012
Perry, FL to Grove Hill, AL
330 miles

There was not a cloud in the bright blue morning sky above Perry, and we were very happy that our detour had finally taken us out of Debby's drenching path. Duncan played on the green lawn outside as the clothing and other items were organized, and then time to turn out of the parking lot to find a morning meal and start the day's travel enjoyment.

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"Dad's wearing the hamper again..." Here's Perry!

Just north of the historic downtown bypassed by the 4-lane highways, Perry has a very inviting city park, where colorful play structures are found under the Spanish moss draping the branches of the stately trees. Just perfect for a picnic breakfast, where we could munch in the shade, enjoy the morning air, and let Duncan (and his dad) swing, slide, and climb to their hearts' content. A local family also visited the park at the same time, and we exchanged stories of adventures as all the kids crawled through the tunnels as part of their impromptu games.

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Stately trees heavy with Spanish moss line the streets of Perry Perry's pleasant park
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Breakfast alfresco in the shade of the trees Wanna see me climb this?

We puttered out of Perry in a northbound direction (and definitely WITH the camera this time!), and continued on US 19 around the silver-domed courthouse of Monticello and across the Georgia line, ending our 15-day stay in that state. Looped around the historic burg of Thomasville and set course westward on US 84, a US highway that still serves as a primary transportation corridor all the way from the Georgia shore to the mountains of New Mexico. Our time in the Peach State was brief, though, as 84 quickly conveyed us across another boundary and into the eastern reaches of Alabama.

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Not a cloud in the sky all day A flower for Mom The shiny-domed courthouse in Monticello, Florida

Just over the state line is the town of Ashford, bypassed by the four lanes of busy 84. We turned off onto the old highway seeking some hearty Southern-style cooking, and we figured a fine town like Ashford might be able to provide it. And as we drove down the main street with its diagonal parking spaces (Duncan: "it looks just like L'Anse!"), we saw the green awning of the Broadway Cafe, and stepped inside to see what was cookin'.

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In CSX country Downtown Ashford, Alabama

A long-time mainstay of Southern roadside cuisine is the "plate lunch", where a big hunk of meat such as a pork chop or meat loaf is accompanied by regional vegetable specialties such as creamed corn or green bean casserole, and maybe even some homemade cornbread on the side, topped off by sheet cake or Jell-o. Yummy, y'all! And if you're not hankering for those things, maybe a burger or chicken fingers can fill your tummy (although if those gigantic hunks of meat are the "fingers", we don't want to get on the bad side of the rest of the chicken!)

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The Broadway Cafe in Ashford - fine food & friendly folks "Y'all come in!" Breaded pork chop, salad with mayo, ham, & bacon, green beans, creamed corn, and homemade cornbread - it don't get more authentically Southern than that!

We were wished well by the Broadway's staff as we waddled back out to the car, not even stopping at the soda fountain at the drug store across the street (in hindsight, perhaps a minor error). Back on US 84 west, looping around Dothan on the bypass route while trying to follow the confusing forest of signs (231? 431? no, 84!) and watching herds of helicopters buzzing all across the clear blue sky from nearby Fort Rucker and the Army Aviation School.

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Which way do we go now?

Through the 1800s and into the early 1900s, the economy of south Alabama was very dependent on cotton as a cash crop, and variations in the market prices could bring wealth - or disaster. But in the early 1900s, a foreign pest completely wiped out the cotton crop, forcing the farmers to diversify their plantings - which resulted in ever greater wealth. And so it was that the grateful residents of Coffee County erected a monument to honor their six-legged nemesis, and to this day the Boll Weevil Monument still stands proudly in the middle of a busy intersection in downtown Enterprise (but sadly since it is in the middle of said intersection, it's a bit tough to get a family photo in front of it without risk of serious bodily injury).

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The Boll Weevil Monument, smack-dab in a busy Enterprise intersection

Coming out of Enterprise, we "opp-ted" to depart US 84 for a few miles to take an "opp-tional" shortcut on a more-direct route west. We "opp-erated" the car along the narrow winding roads, seeing the "opp-ulence" of the nearby farms.

(OK, you see where this is going...)

And yes, we hopped into Opp, the "City of Opportunity". We "opp-ted" to "st-opp" at the Rite Aid, where we restocked our diminishing supplies of licorice and Angry Birds fruit snacks, and Duncan asked if we could purchase a little plastic fishing kit. Although we didn't think much of it at the time, it turned out to be a wise investment, providing many hours of angling entertainment.

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We "opp-ted" to take the "opp-tional" route for a "st-opp" in Opp

West of here, US 84 becomes a two-lane road curving over the rolling hills of Alabama red clay as the occasional lollygagging driver in a chugging car or puttering pickup tested our overtaking abilities. The sun was getting low in the woods of the western part of this state as we began our search of our mom 'n pop motel directory to find a room for the evening, and a listing was revealed for a place in Grove Hill on the old alignment of US 43. We saw the colorful cow-topped sign of Deavers Motel and rolled in to investigate. And although the room's door looked like it had had a very difficult life, and the furnishings weren't exactly new, it was clean, roomy, and most of all inexpensive, and we moved in and hoped the air conditioner would eventually overcome the heavy Southern heat. And as thoughts of dinner crossed our mind, we headed uptown to the local grocery past the boarded-up and overgrown service stations, but the store closed up mighty early. So more not-so-bad leftovers and ice cream from the mini-mart across the street, and another restful evening in another small town.

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Grove Hill - a nice place for an evening's stay Nature redecorates an old gas station
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Cow head on the sign: always a sign of quality Sunset reflected in the motel window

Day 20 - Thursday, June 28th, 2012
Grove Hill, AL to Winnfield, LA
338 miles

Our morning at the Deavers: Duncan was overjoyed to see that the Pez Fairy had miraculously refilled the Disney-themed dispenser he got in Orlando (how does the fairy find us on our travels so unerringly?), and he was happy as a clam using his new fishing kit from Opp - until we peered out the window and spotted the Giant Grasshopper of Doom lurking on the screen outside. Egads! We eventually determined that this outsized specimen of orthoptera was not the vanguard of a mutant invasion, and so we let the big guy be as we prepped and packed. Just down the tree-lined streets of Grove Hill is a Burger King, which seemed like a good idea for breakfast. And it would have been, if they'd got the order right. But we improvised on the eating, commented on the website (here's your code for a free Whopper) and resumed our westward wandering.

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The Pez Fairy arrived! Fishin' hole in the motel room Terrorized by the Giant Grasshopper of Doom

As you'll recall, we joined US 84 yesterday back in Thomasville, and we're planning on taking it across five states. This segment of the highway has been dubbed the "El Camino East-West Corridor" for purposes of boosterism, and signs have been placed just beyond each town or major junction proclaiming this fact. The states apparently have big plans for this highway, as it's far from existing east-west Interstates and could develop into an even more major route in the future. But for now, it still has many quiet tree-lined two-lane segments, and we drove over the arch bridge gracefully spanning the Tombigbee inland waterway with few cares.

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US 84 - our route in 5 states Big bridge over the Tombigbee

Several miles later, we crossed the border into Mississippi, and the 4-lane manifestation of the highway reappeared, to be continued all across the state. In Waynesboro, we crossed US 45, another important highway in our historic journeys (see the 2008 and other trips for examples), and again we asked the GPS how far to the northernmost point of 45 up in Ontonagon (only 1180 miles!).

We looped into Laurel and saw $2.66 gas, and a quiet downtown with wall-size posters proclaiming the famous folks who got their start in this southeast Mississippi city. Then a drive down streets lined with impressive homes brought us to Daphne Park, where the playground next to the old steam train gave Duncan the ability to burn off some of that youthful energy - even if the temperature and humidity were rather close to triple digits.

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Laurel laureates
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Loving the Laurel playground, in spite of the heat "Wooden" you want to play too? Woo woo!

Collins, Mississippi, is where the equally-busy US 49 crosses 84, and is a good-sized town in its own right. We stopped in the Ramey's market for snacks, but stayed for some heaping-big plate lunches from the food counter. Next door, Family Dollar had a few low-cost, high-yumminess items as well (we'll start eating right once we get home, we promise), and we continued westward on by (and occasionally through) the bypassed towns, while Allidilla the alligator chomped on the steering wheel and kept us on course.

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Allidilla helps with driving across Mississippi

The historic city of Natchez is where we met up with US 61 ("The Blues Highway"). And on the outskirts was a Dees Oil station, advertising low fuel prices and clean restrooms. Everything was entirely routine for most of the fillup on pump number 1, until Richard stopped the flow at an even dollar amount and removed the nozzle.

And here's where things got strange. Even though Mr. Moeur was holding the pump nozzle in his hand, and no liquid hydrocarbons were gushing forth, the numbers on the pump just kept rolling up. And up. And up.

Let's go inside and have a chat with the management, shall we?

The clerk behind the counter denied that the events were even occurring, and stated that I must have erred in removing the nozzle after overshooting the target amount. When I explained this was not the case, they changed their story to "this has never ever happened before".

OK, time to call the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce at the number conveniently posted on the pump. Yes, ma'am, there's a problem. You'll have an inspector out this afternoon? Exxxxcellent. :)

Time to cross back over the Mississippi on the twinned trusses of the US 84 bridges - the only ones, in fact, between the crossings up in Vicksburg and the new bridge way down south in New Roads, Louisiana. And into Louisiana we go.

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Another big bridge, this time over the mighty Mississippi at Natchez

North-central Louisiana gave us an enjoyable late afternoon drive, cruising through Jonesville, Jena (in the news in recent years for all the wrong reasons), and Tullos, as Monte's odometer rolled up the miles.

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Monte hits 44444.4 miles on US 84

And as we wobbled into Winnfield, home of the legendary (or should that be infamous?) Huey Long, we figured we'd look for a motel before the swamps got too dark.

Another digression: In all our years of road tripping, we've become reasonable adept at making a one-minute inspection of a prospective motel room to determine if it's right for us (and you've read our writing about it when we got it wrong). And very seldom do we get sent to two consecutive bad rooms. But at a place on the east side of town (we'll just say it rhymes with "Fleetonomy"), we were first sent to a room - but one that was still occupied by a weekly renter (oops! retreat!) And then the second room we looked at was worse, with Richard walking into a giant spider web even before getting to the too-high beds (and the off-putting smell). So, no, we didn't stay there.

But where? The Best Western in Winnfield was rather busy, but they were able to fit us into a very nice room, and at a price we could somewhat afford, and the government discount was a plus (and yes, we are traveling from an official meeting...) We zipped over to Fred's variety store for some late-day shopping and snacking, and then unloaded and relaxed at the motel while Duncan watched "The Princess and the Frog" on the TV, which seemed only fitting as we are in the center of Louisiana. And then a nighttime splash and swim with Duncan in the very warm pool, as other guests chatted and closed deals by the water's edge. Then off into bed, and a good Best Western rest.

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A "Winn-field" situation - ice cream yumminess at Fred's

Day 21 - Friday, June 29th, 2012
Winnfield, LA to Rockwall, TX
292 miles

We woke up in Winnfield feelin' powerful hungry, so Richard was dispatched with alacrity to the Best Western's restaurant to rustle up some vittles for the family, including, of course, some piping-hot Southern grits. Then time for everyone to get dressed and ready - including prying some little kid out of his pajamas.

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Gee, I'm a good-looking guy, ain't I?

As we were loading up the car, Richard spotted an interesting-looking sporting goods store across the street. Upon further investigation, Nichols turned out to be a craft / hardware / collectible / hunting / clothing / outdoor store, with many items for home and field tempting our eye and wallet. But today, budget and space constraints won out over desire - maybe next time, if we have the truck...

Time to wing out of Winnfield eastward on US 84 through the green Louisiana countryside. Did see quite a few inviting little cafes along this stretch, but didn't stop. Did pause a bit in Mansfield for Slim Jims and other unhealthy snacks (yes, as we said earlier, we'll eat better when we get home). And not too long later, we were over the Sabine and back in Texas for what might be quite a spell.

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Pee-yoo! US 84 in Joaquin, Texas - watch for falling horses!

And then: BOOMflappetaflappetaflappeta. Immediate stop. Out of the car for a full walkaround. But... no damage. At all. And although we feel bad for the unfortunate unseen vehicle, we're still a bit relieved it isn't us in the predicament this time. And down the road a piece, a few construction delays - gotta keep the roads fixed up, even if it means we get to stare at the blinking lights of a pilot car for a while.

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Can I follow you all the way to Arizona?

We eventually needed to veer off 84 somewhere in east Texas, but figured we'd do it somewhere east of Mount Enterprise. A few miles west, some barricades completely across the road for a complete construction closure made the decision for us, and so we drove the winding back roads, finally popping out onto bigger highways and changing course to the northwest.

A glance at the map reminded us we'd soon be out of prime barbecue territory, so we'd best be pigging out while we had the chance. And Danny's in Athens provided precisely that opportunity, with beans and sauce to spare. And did you say complimentary ice cream? Well, if you insist... :)

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The best follow-up for Texas BBQ! Why yes, I am pleased with the conclusion of this fine meal

Time to finish up the day's drive. North toward I-20, then west on old US 80 through Terrell. Right turn. Over I-30. Getting close. Past the city limit sign. Down the farm road, then to the gate. May we enter? Yes.

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Great to be here - and it's a superior water system!

And as we circled the entry drive of Spannbrook and were welcomed by Gail and Jim, it was nice to have such a welcome at the halfway point on our return trip.

Unloaded into their remarkably posh guest quarters, greeted the goats, pups, and other interesting animals, and then commiserated on many topics over a delectable dinner of beef stew. The Spanns are involved in an amazing variety of interests, including national-level cycling advocacy and world-class mineral collecting. And although the conversation could have gone all night, our road-weariness eventually won out. So out with the lights, good night to the goats, and let's get some sleep.

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Happy to be visiting the Spanns Dogs frolicking in the pasture at hyper-speed They gots goats!
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King of the mountain! Oh, you're a cutie! The lil' sugar glider gets his munchies
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Who's ready to play Legos? Sun sets on another busy day on the road

Day 22 - Saturday, June 30th, 2012
in Rockwall, TX
12 miles (in the Spannmobile)

Woke up this morning rested and ready for some exurban fun. First it was time to tend to the piggies in their cozy home, and then to walk the goats around the pond. The Spanns have rescued several pot-bellied pigs from unfortunate homes, and give them the bristly-haired love and attention they deserve.

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Hog heaven Nice place! Surrounded by chubby happy porkers*
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"Here, let me show you my good side" Wagging tails for yummy chow "Can we take him home?"
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Pond on a warm summer morning All sorts of interesting things to sniff over here! Gamboling with the goats*
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Watching the morning munching* Locked on target! I'm a goat too!
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We'll see about that...* Zipping around the green grassland So what the heck is going on out there?

* Photo credit: Gail Spann

But more action afield. Rockwall has a weekly farmers' market surrounding the Art Deco county courthouse, and Gail thought it would be a good idea to drag the visitors along in her big white SUV (Texas plate "CARBK" coming soon). And indeed the stalls had bountiful goods from farm and ranch, with baskets of juicy berries, plump pies, and croissants comprised of all sorts of indulgent items. You could even take home a puppy or two from the local shelter! Also at the Rockwall square is a piece of the actual rock wall for which the county and city are named - a mysterious underground feature for which many origins have been postulated: Natural formation? Ancient civilization? Alien visitors? As for us, we're certain: "Platypuses".

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At the Rockwall Farmers Market on the town square* Baskets of berryliciousness* "LooghwhaIgatinmamouff!"
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Strolling the stalls The rock wall of Rockwall*

* Photo credit: Gail Spann

Rockwall sits near Lake Ray Hubbard, a place of considerable beauty in spite of its awkward name. They've built a harbor with upscale shopping and restaurants on the shore, and we enjoyed some durn good Tex-Mex, while watching someone taking his pet duck out for some fresh air on the promenade.

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I-30 rumbles across Ray Hubbard Lake Lunchtime at the harbor
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Ketchup - the latest fashion accessory! Wanna pet a duck?

But Duncan was much more interested in the plaza, where every so often whooshing jets of water gush from the concrete to the delight of those caught in the crossfire. Dunc eventually emerged happy and wet, and then ice cream for everyone to keep our moods cool.

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Pressurized water + Duncan = happiness! A little behind in the fountain department Our little squirt
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Intercepting splashy parabolic arcs The pure joy of ballistic moisture* And now... more ice cream!

* Photo credit: Gail Spann

Later in the day (after a well-deserved siesta), our son was hankering for some more water-based enjoyment. The pond was a bit too murky, but the swimming pool was perfect for an afternoon dip. Richard jumped out to check something or other - and inadvertently stirred up a whole gang of fire ants in the process. A pity we didn't have a radar gun on the speed of his re-entry into the pool...

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Who's up for more water fun? Mr. Cool in the pool

That evening, over grilled chicken and pasta salad, we discussed more interesting items and issues, as the Tour de France reruns played on the TV in the background, the mineral collection glinted and sparkled in the display cases, and Richard nursed some angry-lookin' welts on his feet. Then a bit of pack-up for a head start on tomorrow (including the kitty?), and another peaceful night.

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Oh yeah, there are a few rocks here and there around the house... Cat... In A Box!!

Day 23 - Sunday, July 1st, 2012
Rockwall, TX to Amarillo, TX (via a chunk of southern Oklahoma)
476 miles

Richard was awake well before dawn to prepare for what was promising to be a very long day of travel. He stepped out quietly onto the meadow sloping down toward the pond and past the goats eyeing him with sleepy yet wary eyes, looked up into the eastern sky, and was rewarded with the scene of magnificent red clouds heralding the start of another day.

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Sunrise at the Spanns

As for everyone else? They were smarter in getting more sleep.

Soon, the house was bustling with folks hauling things out, about, and around. We were preparing to depart, and the Spanns were preparing for some serious remodeling - demolishing garages and structures, and adding many thousands of square feet for living and entertaining. So bags, boxes, cats, piggies, furniture, people, and puppies were flying to and fro as the Monte was reloaded and doomed rooms were evacuated. This was interrupted briefly for an enjoyable breakfast of pancakes infused with blueberries from yesterday's farmers market, and then back to the frantic preparation & relocation.

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Lovin' the hogs! Pondering the piggies

Eventually, the car was ready to roll, parting gifts were bestowed, and we enjoyed a final few minutes of tree swinging and hugs before the key was turned and the fully-laden car rolled out the driveway and out onto the open road.

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A swinging time in the front yard A nice Arizona-themed parting gift for our gracious hosts One more big thankful hug!

The Interstates looping around and through the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex were remarkably busy on this Sunday morning, but we motored determinedly through the Texas traffic on by the big airport and over near the superspeedway. But an unexpected complete road closure on route 114 had us going out of our way more than we preferred, so we jumped though Justin, shot north to 380, dived through the wacky ramp to US 81, and fireballed north across the Red River into Oklahoma.

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OK, does lane 4 go to "President", lane 5 to "George Bush", and lane 6 to "Turnpike"? :)

About half an hour from the Red on 81 is yet another town sharing our son's name - the city of Duncan, Oklahoma. Duncan was right tickled they named this place after him, and he proudly posed in front of nearly every single sign.

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Duncan finds another town on this trip named after him!

After a refuel, we moseyed downtown and visited the few stores open on this quiet Sunday, including an impressive three-story antique and collectible mall. Within were many wonders, including a wondrous plethora of Fiestaware, vending machines of all shapes and sizes, interesting baskets and furniture, and even some items of very immediate interest to a growing boy, including a display full of cool colorful Hot Wheels cars (no son, we can't buy them all...).

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Historic downtown Duncan A rainbow of Fiestaware at the Duncan antique shop These aren't antiques - they're even better! Can I have one (or more?)

Still more Dunc-tacular fun to be had - we found a playground out near the Halliburton plants with slides and swings. Duncan and his dad decided to have a waterful shoot-out to cool things off, so the squirt bottles were unholstered and the well-aimed droplets and streams sputtered forth, resulting in no casualties except for the dryness of our clothes.

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Duncan having a great time in Duncan When engaged in a squirt bottle battle with Dad, use cover and elevation to one's advantage

We ducked out of Duncan on the western bypass, and joined low-numbered but high-speed highway 7 for an afternoon drive. At I-44 we zigged and zagged into Lawton, rolling down the main street until the big pink scoopy sign of Braum's loomed into view. We figured we deserved some dairy deliciousness, and dug into our festive mix of flavors before merging onto US 62 to resume our westbound wandering.

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The only thing blue about a visit to Braum's is the tongue!

Oklahoma has a reputation for being... flat, and much of this oddly-shaped state is indeed very planar in nature. But the red-hued Wichita Mountains in the south part of the state do break up the levelness of the landscape, and provide a bit of scenery in between the cornfields, grasslands, and military bases. Rather quiet out here as we zigged and zagged our way on state routes and county roads, and a relaxing drive for the Monte and its occupants.

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Hills of western Oklahoma in the rear view A few minutes of peace and quiet for Mom & Dad on US 283

Only a few miles east of the state line sets the town of Erick, where we're rejoining the alignment of Historic US 66 for most of our remaining journey. We've spent many a pleasant moment here, and our visit to Puckett's Market yielded us even more tasty snacks and fond memories of the friendly folks. The Sand Hills Curiosity Shop was locked up tight for the day, but the house behind it has certainly been redecorated in a manner that meets our complete approval. :)

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Happy to be back on historic US 66 Like what you've done with the place!

It's time to slip back into Texas, and we crossed the Panhandle at near-maximum velocities. We may have slipped by Shamrock and missed McLean (both places we've thoroughly explored on prior trips), but as we zoomed into Groom, the spirit of stopping came upon us as we beheld the mighty white cross standing in the afternoon sun. In recent years, they've added quite a bit to this attraction, including a secluded grotto filled with the calming sounds of flowing water, rooms for contemplation and counseling, and an air-conditioned shop filled with tasteful items of an ecclesiastical bent.

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And behold, a cross did appear along the superhighway A place of peace and quiet

Let's git rollin' to 'Rilla before sundown. We squinted into the windshield as the mileposts counted down, and soon exited (that exit! NOW!) into the bustling parking lot of the Big Texan Motel and Steakhouse. We checked into our room, out in the back near their "Horse Motel", and saw many four-hooved guests settling into their stalls for the evening (I don't think they get cable TV, though). Another notable feature of the Big Texan, aside from the 4-pound steaks, is their pool shaped just like the Lone Star State, and in no time Duncan was playfully swimming from the Rio Grande to the Gulf Coast up to the Texarkana area, over to far El Paso, and all wet points in between.

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Yee haw! Our rootin-tootin place to stop for the evening The Texas-shaped pool looks mighty inviting after almost 500 miles on the road

Day 24 - Monday, July 2nd, 2012
Amarillo, TX to Santa Rosa, NM
186 miles

The sun began peeking through the wooden shutters of the Big Texan's room, and the clopping of hooves (and the occasional irate shout) from outside let us know that maybe we should be awake and moving too.

Becky Ransom, a friend of ours, works at the Big Texan, and we met her for breakfast at the bountiful buffet. Over bacon and sausages we heard Becky spin a wonderful story of how she and a few other extremely fortunate Route 66 folks were personally invited by the Disney folks to attend the special preview and grand opening of the brand-new Cars Land at the California Adventure theme park in Anaheim. This area is based on the movie "Cars", which itself is based on the very real places and people of Historic US 66 - several of which we are exceptionally fortunate to call our friends (including Becky). And Duncan was a lucky boy indeed, as Becky showered upon our son some very special gifts brought back from the opening festivities ("thankyouthankyou!!")

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More big-time fun at the Big Texan Gonna git me another smooshed penny! Hungry as a... bear!
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Becky is just TOO nice to Duncan! Loveitloveitloveit! (and the buffet isn't bad either!) Always great to see Miz Ransom

A glance at the watch, though, reminded us that it was dangerously close to check-out time (a bit past, perhaps?) and we hurriedly tossed our junk into the Monte before we got on the Texans' bad side. One more "thanks" to Miz Ransom, a fillup at the truck stop, and westward ho we go!

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Our pit crew works on the red sports car

About an hour west of Amarillo is the small town of Adrian, home to a couple of hundred souls and the world-famous Midpoint Cafe long-written-about in our travels. But changes have come, in that Fran Houser, the long-time proprietress of this pleasant place (and the model for "Flo" in "Cars"), has sold the entire cafe to Dennis and Donna Purschwitz, long-time Route 66 aficionados who are looking to maintain the high standards of food and friendliness set by Fran. We sat down to juicy burgers and delectable chocolate cream pie, as we chatted with the Purschwitzes about their recent activities and future plans.

And look - there's Fran herself, popping in the door with a big smile and immediately giving big hugs to all of us, especially the little guy she hadn't seen in two years. Turns out she's rehabilitating the old gas station next door into a western wear emporium, and she invited us over to see the progress she'd made in remodeling and rebuilding. In fact, she's planning on being open for business later this summer! "Gus", Fran's faithful truck, is still parked nearby, and Duncan made a point to climb once more on the tailgate and running boards completely covered with signatures of visitors from all around the world.

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One of our favorite places anywhere Donna, Fran, and Dennis (and some kid in the front getting in the way) Thanks, Fran, for Jeff Gorvette - and John Lassetire!
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Time for some yummy Texas-size burgers at the Midpoint Duncan's happy to be at the Midpoint counter again And Dennis knows his RPN!
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Back on Fran's big red truck "Gus" again People from all over the world have signed Gus - here's our contribution from 5 years ago Fran shows off the under-construction interior of her new Western store

We'd spent several very nice hours in Adrian, but Phoenix isn't getting any closer on its own, so we said 'so long' for now and continued west. We passed under the impressive yellow sign spanning the highway as we entered New Mexico, and about half an hour later were in Tucumcari, where some local folks are taking some of the old abandoned gas stations lining Route 66, cleaning them up, and painting them in colors and insignia reminiscent of the ones they wore when their driveway bells dinged and the attendants dispensed fuel, oil, and advice. We'd had the privilege of staying in Tucumcari several times in the past, and have visited many of the attractions and parks. So this time we thought we'd try something different - a stop at Flora May's, a second-hand store housed in a converted corrugated garage. Richard found a useful pocket tool and some safety goggles, and Suzanne discovered that perfect wooden chicken for our home.

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Only one more state to Arizona Happy motoring!
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Break time in Tucumcari at an eclectic place on Route 66 Now, if we'd brought the truck... :)

Back onto the open highway for a little while longer. Seems our schedule would allow us to make an overnight layover in Santa Rosa - plus, an early stop would allow us some recreational opportunities.

We cruised down the main drag, looking at some of the motels we'd stayed in on previous trips. Thought we'd try a different one this time, and the very impressive sign of the Sun 'n Sand Motel brought us in for a second look. Seems like they've upgraded the rooms a bit, and we moved in as they delivered a spare mini-fridge for our use.

The Sun 'n Sand does not have a swimming pool; however, this is not a problem, as only a couple of blocks away, Santa Rosa ("The City of Lakes") has a city park with a big spring-fed lake (fittingly named "Park Lake"), complete with a beach, a water slide, and a diving board. Who needs a motel pool?

Duncan and his dad splished and splushed for hours with all the other kids and their kin, jumping off the board, tossing the beach ball in the desert breeze, and squeezing the mud through the toes. And even after the sun finished its shift and headed over the horizon, Duncan still wanted to play - sorry, son, time to get out...

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Park Lake in Santa Rosa - before... ...and after. Who needs a motel swimming pool?

All that swimming had built up an appetite, and the counters and chairs of the Route 66 Restaurant looked mighty inviting. The food was good, and even though it was near to closing time we enjoyed an unhurried meal. Then back to the glow of the Sun n' Sand's neon sign, and some sleep.

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Post-swim dinner time on historic US 66 A sign of happy eating (in button-copy, too)
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Definitely sittin' on 66 Let's have authentic New Mexico cuisine - like spaghetti Signing the picture book
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Full moon over eastern New Mexico Slumber under the neon at the Sun 'n Sand

Day 25 - Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012
Santa Rosa, NM to Holbrook, AZ
360 miles

The Santa Rosa sunshine at the Sun 'n Sand was mighty bright by the time we were ready to deal with another day's activities. Into the car and down the street all the way to... McDonald's (hey, we're on a budget). After that, a drive directly to the cross roads of Clines Corners - a place with almost everything for the discerning traveler, and impressively new clean restrooms built to handle medium-size mobs. Although we didn't purchase the family-size sombrero or any of the seeming millions of moccasins, we did pick up a Route 66 soft football, tons of taffy, a slingshot (for when someone is OLDER), and a small buckaroo (immediately named "Tiny Cowboy") whose packaging promises he'll be a much taller hombre after 3 days in a jar of water.

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Can we get an expanding cowboy today? Can we? Huh? Shade for you - and the whole family

Need to put some miles under these wheels. Nonstop past Moriarty into the mountains, and down into the freeways of Albuquerque, where we spotted the bright green sign for Carlisle Boulevard, and contended with several maniacal drivers hurtling at triple-digit speeds whose recklessness almost put a premature end to our travels.

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Finally - something named after Mom!

We climbed up and over the ridges surrounding the Rio Grande valley, and entered the lands of red cliffs comprising the western part of the state. The roads thread their way amid the mesas, pueblos, and casinos as they carry cars & trucks to and by the green chile burger stands and quiet villages.

The city park along the historic business route in downtown Grants is the site of many happy family memories (well, except for that day that Duncan took a big tumble when he was a toddler), and so we made sure today's schedule would accommodate much sliding, climbing, and swinging, as the parents stretched and recuperated from being cooped up in the Monte most of the day.

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The city park on Route 66 in Grants - always a favorite place for us to stop Father & son just hangin' out Whee!
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Totally tubular A swingin' time in New Mexico Mount Taylor in the rear view

Several miles west of Grants is the Bluewater Junction tourist stop run by the Bowlin's folks. Like many other Bowlin's locations, it has a Dairy Queen restaurant, and frozen treats seemed like a good follow-up to our previous play. Duncan selected a bright-red Dilly Bar, which met with much approval, and we struck up a conversation with a family from Tennessee who were heading east in much the same way we were heading west.

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Red Dilly Bar at Bluewater Junction

The skies were getting stormy as we drove west toward the Arizona state line (did we see a U of A billboard in New Mexico?), and showers began to pelt the roadway (our first rain since Debby, in fact). We re-entered our home state, got back our final hour (yay!), and made a rainy roll on by the smiling dinosaurs lurking beside the tourist traps and trading posts on the exits and frontage roads.

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Starting to look a bit monsoony As happy as we are to see this sign, we still have 13 miles of New Mexico left... (Bear Down anyway!)

We exited into the town of Holbrook and parked in front of the Wayside Cafe on the west side of town. Frankie and Rosemary (aka "Peewee") and their family have managed this Route 66 mainstay for decades, and we set ourselves down for some spicy satisfaction as the sun set behind the clouds, framed in the western windows.

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Supper time at the Wayside Cafe in Holbrook Cars, gators, and crunchy cowboys at the Wayside Good to see Peewee and Frankie again (and eat their great food, too)

If one needs a satisfactory place to sleep in Holbrook, there are several options, but our favorites are on Hopi Drive around the 800 block west. Tonight we chose to sleepee in a tepee - the legendary Wigwam Village Number 6, seen in many a poster or ad campaign, and an inspiration for the "Cozy Cone" motel in the film "Cars". After a run across the street to Safeway for soft drinks and frozen delights, we settled into the circular confines of room number 2 for our final night's rest away from home.


Day 26 - Wednesday, July 4th, 2012
Holbrook, AZ to Phoenix, AZ
234 miles

After awakening in our wigwam, we wandered among the classic cones and cars of this historic property. We have been very fortunate to stay here many times, but we still appreciate all the hard work the Lewis family puts into keeping this 60+-year-old landmark in conical condition.

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Fourth of July on Route Sixty-Six Happy tepees all in a row Been riding this dino since I was a wee one!

A good place for a hearty Holbrook breakfast is Joe & Aggies, which has served locals and travelers for well over 60 years. Today's meal was tinged with a bit of sadness, though - Alice Gallegos, the daughter of the original owners and the matriarch of the current clan, had died just the day earlier, and a very nice small memorial had been set up on the display counter. We had met Alice many times on our visits and travels, and she will be deeply missed by many.

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Joe & Aggies for breakfast Sad news - Alice Gallegos of Joe & Aggies passed away :(

We checked out of the Wigwams and started back into town to see what was going on for Independence Day doings. A sign on the side of a bright red fire truck gave the answer - come on over to the firehouse for a big barbeque fundraiser lunch! The plates were piled high with savory meat and baked beans, and even though there were promises of refills if we were brave enough, just one helping was entirely satisfying (we even skipped dinner after all that!)

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Follow the fire truck to good eatin'! Welcome to the Holbrook 4th of July barbeque Serving up some excellent grub
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Where's the fire? Where's the earth-shattering kaboom? Who put the traffic signal next to Mr. Pow Wow? (oh wait, Richard did...)

West of Joseph City, Historic US 66 runs alternately north and then south of the Interstate, and after several miles you can see off by the railroad tracks that blazing yellow (and freshly-painted) bunny-equipped "HERE IT IS" sign known around the globe as announcing the location of the Jackrabbit Trading Post. We chatted with Tony Jacquez about how things were going with the business and family, while Duncan headed directly for the most-fragile stuff on the shelves (put that DOWN!) The hat that Richard's been wearing for most of this trip originated here at the Jackrabbit, and we bought a spare one just in case, along with a rubber tomahawk that our young brave could use when on the warpath.

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Quiet old Route 66 Here it is! And there's Duncan, too!
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Taming the wild bunny at the Jackrabbit Tony Jacquez keeping a close eye on our lil' desperado

Between Winslow and Flagstaff is the Meteor Crater Rest Area, where wind-eroded red sandstone boulders create natural climbing challenges for kids of all ages. This is one of Duncan's very favorite places to stop in all of Arizona, and he spent over an hour on this day creeping through the crevices and leaping from rock to rock as the rain clouds re-formed above. Then an unexpected bonus: some other travelers brought their sugar gliders out to play, and Duncan was able to hold and pet one of the cuddly flying fuzzies.

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Romping on the rocks at Meteor Crater Rest Area Sandstone silliness "I'm king of the world!" (or at least the hill)
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Look at these cool rocks too! Meeting a new friendly sugar glider also traveling the highway

The final miles of our 5,275 mile trip were quite uneventful. We turned south from Flagstaff down the familiar freeway lanes of I-17, and descended from the pine trees to the cactus patches, where very unseasonal temperatures in the 80s greeted us (much nicer than the usual 100+ heat). One more sunset as we entered the Valley of the Sun, and then into the driveway (hello puppies and truck - didja miss us?) and off with the engine (and then to see if we could find our child in that pile of stuff in the back seat...)

But there are still a few hours left in the 4th of July. Until a few years ago, Arizona banned fireworks entirely, and only in recent years have the items of kaboom had limited legality (and fire restrictions mean no flying explosives for right now). But we did have some incandescent excitement with sparklers and spinny jets of colorful combustion (although the dogs were not amused), and then off to our own beds for the first time in almost a month - and back to work first thing the next morning!

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That can't be right - only in the 90s? Brrr! The sun sets on the final few miles back into Phoenix Look who's happy happy happy to see us!!
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"Duncan, are you back there?" Time to excavate the mess out of Monte's interior... Fourth fun in our own backyard We had a sparkling good time on this road trip!!

All done! See you next year!


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Latest Historical Revisionism 01 August 2012

Scripting: Richard C. Moeur
rcmoeur@aol.com

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