Well it seems like ages since I last sat down at my computer to post, but after a day and a half of laundry, housework, uploading photos, and digesting the the road trip across America and back... here I am, excited to be reconnecting with my friends and family. What a wonderful trek it was, the scenery along the Interstate across NJ, PA, WV, OH, IL, IN, MO, OK, TX, NM, AZ to CA was incredible to say the least. I have taken about 400 photos, but because we rarely stopped, many of them were taken through the car window at the average cruising speed of 75 MPH (most of it legal). We had one little snafu on Sunday (day 2) when our car broke down in a small town off I-44 called Miami (pronounced Me-ama) and would not start again. Some computer chip to the fuel pump burnt out and so poor Gerry spent a day at the nearest Subaru dealership while Colin and I ambled to the nearest casino to lose some cash... hey we had to do something! As it turned out I am glad we broke down in that little town because we met the absolute friendliest people in the world! I will do a whole blog on our new found friends (yes, we will be returning there) but suffice it to say that the dealership people in Joplin, MO were just as friendly and accommodating as well. You see, they had to order the parts for the fuel pump issue and so they rented us a big new minivan so we could continue our trip out west. If you could believe it, we were only charged about $200 total for the use of this luxury vehicle (no miles!). It was a blessing as our Subaru was so jam packed with his things that we could not see out of the back or rear windows and the front passenger had to give the OK of when to change lanes. The back seat had just enough room for sitting up straight. Colin was starting a new job the following Tuesday and needed to get his apartment in order and buy a car, so we really had no time to spare. The new van afforded us the ability to drive without window obstruction and the back seat was cleared for the passenger to curl up and take a nap if they chose. We were driving in comfort and style, which takes a lot coming from me who swore I would never drive a big dumb mini-van! I will eat my words... they are great for road trips and big families. Once we got Colin settled, we did get a chance for some sight seeing on the way back. The highlights included Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, and several superb eateries on Route 66. For the most part we stayed at Econolodges (low rent hotels) and ate at fast food places (as I suspected and dreaded) so I think I can say that we roughed it at least a little in preparation for our future extended road trip. Gerry and I had fun and there was only a little unpleasantness when I got hypoglycemic and there was no place to stop to eat. It was my own fault, as I should have had the sense to carry some cheese and crackers as Gerry suggested. Otherwise, I loved driving 75 miles an hour, singing to my hearts content, listening to rural country music stations, and gaping at the most incredible scenery I have ever seen. Today is just an overview... I will tell stories in more detail next week!
Oh, the pix is of the "men" assessing the car situation in OK. The man in the straw hat is our friend Justin (known as "cowboy" by the locals).
