Night 5 - Amarillo, Texas!

Beautiful Sunrise Gallup, NM

 Whoah! 

I feel like I'm flying.

You know what they say about the best laid plans - good thing I'm willing to be flexible!

So.. I spent last night at the Elks Lodge in Gallup, New Mexico.  I had a FABULOUS view all to myself and a great night's sleep.

Got up and hit Starbucks to use their internet and grab a bagel and for some reason my CarPlay wasn't working. I posted a "help" notice on Facebook and about the time my friends Dean and Carol Sprague called to help me, I had just figured it out. Well, honestly, I didn't figure it out. I just did something (I have no idea WHAT) and it fixed. Hahaha!

Since breakfast was just a bagel, I decided to have a more substantial lunch. I stopped at a place called Russel's Cafe in Endee, New Mexico and had their famous meatloaf. I have to say, it was probably the best meatloaf I've ever eaten! That and a root beer and I was a happy girl

I remember Thumper's mother saying, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all," so I'm just going to say Texas has better roads than New Mexico.

Oh! And I had a CRAZY experience first thing on the road this morning leaving Gallup. There was a LOT of traffic and some wild man came up behind us doing about 100 mph (literally)!!! He wove in and out of traffic, even driving on the SHOULDER to the left of the middle lane, several times going around people on the wrong side, throwing rocks all over everyone's windshields. People were swerving to avoid him hitting them. He chipped my windshield, the jerk! I said to myself, "That guy is going to kill someone or kill himself!" 

About 3 minutes later, I passed him. He had crashed his car into a semi. The semi was just pulling over ahead of his car, which was smashed up and laying sideways on the right shoulder against a wall. I could see the guy still in the driver seat, so he apparently was wearing a seatbelt. Don't know if he was alive or not but was glad to see no other cars involved. 

The rest of the trip was uneventful and I MEAN uneventful! I'm so happy I drove Route 66 a few years ago. And now, I'm sort of over it. Every place I passed was falling down, covered in graffiti, or just plain worn out. If you plan on doing Route 66, you'd better do it fast because I don't think most of it will survive another year. I'm reconsidering my trip after Rob's house - maybe I don't need to go the way I planned.

So... tonight I'm in Amarillo treating myself to a nice hotel.

Tomorrow I plan to sleep at the Elks Lodge in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Tuesday, I will arrive at my cousin, Vonda's house in Harrisonville, Missouri. I'll spend a couple of days there visiting my cousins and seeing my mother's sister. 

Then on to my son's house in Chatsworth, Georgia. I'm not sure how long I'll stay there. We'll see. During that week, he'll be at work during the days so I can figure out a new schedule. I think my trip will be shorter than originally planned. I'm a bit worn out and thinking I can skip some of the places I thought I wanted to visit. Home is looking pretty darned good! But... I know me, and that can change after a good rest. So stay tuned.

Signing off. 

There's a BATHTUB here!

Happy Trails!

Annie

Life is So Funny!

 

View from my van tonight at Gallop Elks

I had a very restful night at the Elks Club in Winslow, Arizona.  There was a nice big RV camped to the west of me that gave me blessed shade.

I stopped by a Safeway to pick up some cabbage and some garbage bags, then filled up with gas and headed out to a campground suggested by a local. But my weird off-luck is holding and they were FULL!  And on the way back to the highway, I got a notice that my credit card had been hacked.  :::maniacal laughter:::

Luckily, I think that was a mistake and so I headed up the road to Holbrook, where I thought I might stay at the Wigwam Motel. But they didn't open until 3 pm and I'm not willing to wait to see if they have space. So I took a few photos and drove to Painted Desert where I have camped before. 

The campground at Painted Forest was busy. LOTS of people are out and about for the weekend. 

A beautiful sample of petrified wood!

 I cooked up some cabbage and onions for breakfast. Man, that was good! Then I spoke with my cousin Vonda and asked her if there'd be a problem if I showed up early. I'm about a week ahead of schedule now. 

I thought I'd camp here for a day or two, but it's hot and dusty and so...

I thought I might go to the Albuquerque Temple, so I called to see if they had a hospitality center with a shower. The woman who answered was very nice. I told her my name was Deborah Carvalho and I was traveling in my van, and after a minute she said, "Is this Annie?"

Whoah!  I said yes, and come to find out she is one of the people on my Facebook Camino page and we've been chatting about planning her camino!  What a small world!  That was pretty funny!  Anyway, as my luck goes, the Temple is closed tomorrow. I COULD drive there today.  I thought I'd try, but my GPS took me on a wild goose chase and by the time I reached Gallup, I knew I wouldn't make it to Albuquerque in time.

So, I'm camped tonight at the Gallup Elks Lodge and let me tell you, it's a wonderful place!  The view out my van door is gorgeous. It's quiet. There is electricity, though I don't need it. And SHOWERS!

Tomorrow my plan is to go to Albuquerque, but the way things are going, who knows?

So far, all the plans I made for this trip have been for naught...  I sometimes wonder if the Universe isn't telling me to turn around and head back home?

I will at least go to Rob's and spend some time, but after that, I may be done.  I'm too old and tired for all this flexibility and excitement! 

We'll see...

Happy Trails!

Annie

Night 3 - Winslow, AZ

Another LONG day trying to beat the heat. 

I woke up around 3:30 am and got a shower at the Flying J. $16.

Then jumped in the van and headed to Kingman, Arizona, where I went to the Visitor's Center. I'd been there before so it was a short stop. I took some cool photo-booth photos but it appears I've lost them, which is a bummer. Hoping I can find them somewhere in the van.

After Kingman, I followed Old Route 66 and realized it's really returning to the earth. There's just not much to see. All the sites are crumbling. Even from just 2 years ago when I drove this route.  Twin Arrow is now One Arrow...

I stopped at Hackaberry's for a Route 66 Root Beer.

Then I headed to Seligman. The road is really beaten up and even when I got off 66 and onto 40, it was rough road. That combined with Arizona's 75 mph speed limit made for a bumpy day.

I always wanted to eat at the RoadKill Cafe.

Now I have.

Thank Goodness, I don't need to EVER do it again! ::laughing:: 

It looked like Road Kill.

Didn't taste too bad, but I only ate the meat.

The rest ... well, I passed.

From there I went to Flagstaff, thinking I'd boondock.

But the road into the place I'd tagged was meant for 

a 4 wheel drive and I was afraid of getting stuck.

I then decided I was SO tired, 

I needed to get a hotel.

I got on Booking.com and rented what was advertised

as a very clean, "natural" hotel.

Well... I walked into the room and my eyes started swelling,

and I couldn't breathe.

They'd mopped the floor with FABULOSO!!!

If you've never smelled that stuff, 

it'll bring tears to your eyes.

The housekeeping lady came in and 

'washed the floor with only water,'

which meant

she rinsed out the Fabuloso mop,

put it into water,

then proceeded to spread the Fabuloso

all around the floor again

with the same mop.

After she left,

I used a towel and tried to get it up.

This was the result after wringing out the towel twice.

The floor was filthy.

I requested a refund

and left.

I got gas, and got back on 40 

and drove to Winslow, Arizona

where I am now camped out in the RV lot

for the Elk's Club.

This heat wave

 has pushed me ahead 5 full days,

and my reservation in Tucumcari 

is not until NEXT Friday.

So I need to get online tomorrow

and figure out where to spend a few days camping.

I've done the Grand Canyon,

plus it's behind me now.

But I do see a few options to look at.

Well that's it.

While I try to be positive,

I have to admit that tonight

I'm exhausted and feeling down.

I'm sure a good night's sleep will fix it.

More later,

Happy Trails,

Annie

Night 2 - Tehachapi, California

Well, to say it's already been an adventure
would be an understatement.

 After changing all my plans because of SNOW
on the Northern route,
I'm being chased by a FREAK HEAT WAVE
on the Southern route!

I had plans to stay with my mom's friend
in Hanford, California tonight,
but upon checking the weather,
discovered there was a freak heat wave pushing through
and the temperatures there would be in the 90's!!  

I'm carrying my son's prized guitar
and a 'hatch-kitchen' full of food that wouldn't survive
being shut up in the van while I lounged in the air conditioning . . .
so I decided to drive further up the trail.

I went to the Cemetery in Armona

and put some of mom's ashes 

with her mom and dad. 

She had asked me to do that, 

so I am happy to have been able to do it.

Then I headed to Bakersfield,

and up the hill.
  
I stopped for the night at a Flying J in Techachapi
because it's about 20 degrees cooler here tonight.
It won't be comfortable but it won't be unbearable.
By 8 pm it will cool down into the low 60's. 

I am pretty sure I can pay for a shower here,
so that will be nice!

I plan on getting up around 4 am and heading to Flagstaff,
where it will also be a bit cooler.
Hopefully, by then, I'll be ahead of the heat wave.
I may hunker down in Flagstaff for a couple of days
before heading to Holbrook, since I'm ahead of schedule anyway.


 I'll just have to play it by ear.
A few days camping in the pines actually sounds nice. 
I don't have any reservations anywhere until Sunday,
May 5 at Tucumcari - so I have some flexibility.

That's all for now.
Want to save my Hot Spot. 

Happy Trails!

Annie

Night 1: Williams, California

Note to self:  

It takes about an extra hour to get to I-5 going through Corvallis.
Next time, just go through Salem. But the drive was pretty.

I left about 9 this morning and just arrived in Williams, CA
 about 5 pm.  I was originally going to sleep in Yreka
and make a short day of it, but it was early when I got there.
In addition, there's a heatwave headed this way
and I want to try to get ahead of it.
So I drove twice the distance I planned. 

I'll get up at O-dark-thirty in the morning and go to Hanford,
hopefully getting there early enough to escape the heat.
 I have to drop by the cemetery to put some of mom's ashes
on her parents' graves, then to mom's friend Marlene's house,
where I'll also meet up with MARLA! 

 Marla joined my group starting out on the Camino last year,
and she had such a great time,
I think she was there about 3 months!
I can't wait to hear all about it.

Gas in California is crazy expensive!
In Yreka, I paid $4.99/gallon!!!

On the brighter side, my van is getting 23 mpg,
even as loaded down as it is.
So hopefully as I head East, the price of gas will go down.

I'm staying the night at a motel we often stop at.
 It's called Traveler's Inn.
For the price I'd pay for two nights at the Elks,
camping in my van, I have a nice room,
with air conditioning, a shower, a microwave, a TV, internet,
and a fridge! Can't beat that! 
And it's clean as a whistle.
I love this place!

There's a cute little bathroom and a desk as well.

All for about $89.

I'm going to do my best to stay on Keto once I get past Hanford,
but I know Marlene is cooking,
so I'm going to wait to be strict.
Plus it's hot as Hades.
So I'm enjoying a root beer tonight
along with my two 1/4 pound burger patties from McD's
(just patties and pickles).

I guess that's it. 
Gonna go watch some tv.

Life is good!

I'm happy!

Love,

Annie

Gas today:  $81.41
Hotel:     $89.00

Changing plans

 As always, fate steps in and reminds us that nothing is set in stone (Pardon the pun, son.)

So, in January I ordered a new headstone from Santa Barbara Monument Company for my mother's grave at the cemetery in Cayucos, California, where her husband and son were buried.  I paid up front and it wasn't inexpensive, but I thought it was very pretty.

Since then, I have called and called to see if the stone was finished and delivered to the cemetery. 

Two and a half weeks ago, I called again, asking WHEN the stone would be delivered. I planned on visiting mom's grave with a few friends and taking flowers, then heading down the coast from there to start my backwards Route 66 trip. He told me, "It's on the truck right now and we're delivering it today!"

"Great," I thought.

Well, yesterday I called the cemetery to be SURE the stone had been placed only to find out it still had not been delivered!!!

Upon calling the Monument company, I was told, 'I don't know WHY it didn't get delivered but I promise it will get there tomorrow."

Well, now it's only 4 days until I was going to visit the gravesite, and doesn't look like there will be enough time for the cemetery to schedule the placing. They have to remove an old gravestone as well as placing the new one.

So, I'm changing my plans. I am going to put off visiting Cayucos until I leave for the desert in the Autumn. That means I won't be staying in the Tipi Motel in San Bernardino (bummer) but I'll also save $$$$. Instead, I'll head straight to Barstow and Calico Ghost Town and pick up Route 66 there. It also gives me an extra day or two in the Painted Desert. 

These days, it pays to be flexible...

See you on the road,

Annie

Stocking the Pantry for my Trip

 

Heading East on Route 66

Then back home

I started stocking the pantry for my trip today. 

I'm taking a lot of dehydrated and freeze dried food this time,
hoping to save a bit of cash on the nights I'll be camping.

I ordered a few items from Auguson;
Chicken Fettucini, Creamy Chicken Rice, and Broccoli.  

I am taking other food I freeze dried this year: 

roast beef, chicken, eggs.

I'm taking canned chicken and coconut milk to make curry 

and canned corned beef to eat with eggs. 

I cooked about 2 pounds of bacon today. 

I roll it up and put it in a tea canister and it keeps forever.  

I can pick up tomatoes and lettuce for BLTs and salad.  

Grabbed a few cans of tuna.

I'm also taking beef jerky, quest brownie bars, and snack olives. 

I'm taking my small ice chest with 3 pounds of linguica 

(to take to my son) 

and some boiled eggs for egg salad. 

I can keep some Tillamook cheese sticks in there,

 some yogurt, and a cold drink or two.

I'm only taking 4 gallons of water on this trip 

as there will be plenty of places to fill my jugs. 

Just a few things to add and I'll have all the food packed. 

I packed up the inside of the van except for my clothes, 

which I will put in on Wednesday. 

I got my Elk's membership card today 

so I can stay at the Elk's Lodges when they're available. 

(Thanks Karylee)

I'm taking this great lightwood TOGO 100 Watt solar panel to charge my Jackery, my phone, my shower, and my laptop:

I've made reservations all along the way, 

and I'm getting pretty excited!

It's been a while since I took a van trip -

this will be the first one since my mom passed away.

My first stop will be to take some of her ashes

to put on her parents' graves,

and then to visit the gravesite in Cayucos

where her husband and son are buried, 

and where I put the remainder of her ashes

under a new headstone. 

I hope she is happy with it.

And then I head down the coast to Santa Monica

to take my photo at the end of Route 66,

and I'll be on my way East.

I hope you will follow me!

See you on the Road!

Love,

Annie

New Tires!

 

I took my van to Les Schwab today to have them do a trip check and to check the tires. I haven't been getting very good traction and I want EXCELLENT tires for my trip.

Turns out the wheels were not aligned and two of the tires that looked good were almost bald on the inner side.  So I am putting four new tires on for my trip.  I had two choices and decided on the best quality with a great guarantee.

Total for 4 new tires, rebalancing and adding siping for better traction:  approximately $800

Ouch!  

However, it was time for new tires and I want to feel confident on my trip, so I'm satisfied with that. 

Just another reason you should have a repair/emergency stash if you are a van dweller.

Changed My Plan - Doing it Backwards

I worked for two days on my van trip plan, only to call Martin's Cove for a camping reservation and found out there were still FEET of snow on the ground. Brrrrrr!

So I decided I'd better start in the south and come home on the northern route in June.  I spent another couple of days making changes and was grateful I was able to change all of my motel/hotel reservations fairly simply.  

I've joined the Elk's Lodge so I'm able to stay in their lot occasionally, which will help with lodging costs. I went to my orientation last night and had a great time. Wonderful group of new friends!

Here is my current plan:

Joe will be home around the 19th or 20th so I won't have to leave the house empty.

I'll take off around the 27th. 

I'll head down to Hanford first to put some of mom's ashes with her parents' graves, see the Portuguese exhibit at the museum there, and visit a friend or two. Then over to Cayucos to take flowers and see the new headstone I bought for mom and Ken. The fellow who made it assured me it would be set by then.

From Cayucos I'll head down to Santa Monica to see the End of the Trail Route 66 sign. Since I'm going backwards, I want to start at the very end. 

From there I'll head to San Bernardino and the Wigwam Hotel. I've always wanted to sleep in one of those wigwam hotels! When I was younger, Lance and I bought an 18 foot tipi and loved camping in it. This should bring back some memories!

From San Bernardino I'll follow Old Route 66 all the way to Springfield, Missouri, where I'll take a detour to visit my cousins who live there. 

Then down to Georgia to visit my son for a few days. 

Then to Annapolis to visit my grandson.

From there, I'll head up to Vermont, New York to visit some LDS sites. I'll stop for a night at Niagra Falls. Then to Chicago and down Route 66 back to where I left off at Springfield. 

From there, I'll shoot up to Nauvoo and see Winter Quarters, Martin's Cove, and Salt Lake City. Then back home. 

I figure the trip will take about 6 or 7 weeks. 

For those who'd like to follow me, just save the blog address and check in every few days. I don't believe Blogger still notifies you when I make a new post - which is annoying as heck - but I don't have time to change platforms.  Can someone who is following please let me know? Thanks.

Happy Trails!

Annie