I seem to remember saying I might rue my lack of air conditioning in Kermit, and I kind of am a bit. Having said that, I cheerfully rationalise my decision on the basis that only in about 10% of cases of old 'vettes advertised as being fitted with A/C, does it actually work, so I'm better off by virtue of having one less system to go wrong. Or so I keep telling myself :-).
Monday morning saw me leaving Jackson, TN [1] at the usual 11:00, and straight on to I 40. And so it went for the next three days - green, scrubby, flat and hot. It wasn't really until western New Mexico that there was much variation in the scenery. I've been making good progress though, and that is the name of the game at this point, so I can then enjoy the last few days without too much time pressure. I've averaged 330 miles per day over the last four days, and it has worked out pretty well - six hours per day average travel time, with about an hour of rest/gas/food stops mixed in.
Monday night was spent at the Super 8 Motel in Clarksville, Arkansas [2], with dinner at the adjacent Pizza Hut - too tired to be bothered looking for anything more exotic.
Tuesday was Goodbye Arkansas, Hello Oklahoma, with the night spent at yet another Super 8, this time in Clinton, OK [3].
Wednesday saw the end of Oklahoma, and a brief interlude in Texas, including a random stop in Groom, TX for lunch at the Route 66 Steakhouse. As I got out of the car, I was accosted by a couple of very sharp looking Texas State Troopers. I dunno how they manage it - it was 90 degrees, and their uniforms still had razor sharp creases, their hats were perky, and there was not a sweat stain to be seen. They sported matching sunnies and sidearms, and looked very much like you wouldn't want to mess with them! All they were interested in, predictably, was Kermit. Phew! They also confirmed that the Steakhouse was a good spot for lunch, and so it proved.
A slight digression: Since leaving Kentucky, it wasn't until reaching Arizona this afternoon, that I managed to find any sort of eating establishment with a liquor license. Not even for beer! Not altogether a bad thing at lunchtime, but a bit sad that you can't enjoy a beer or glass of wine with dinner. You'll never guess what I've been substituting (thanks to the influence of Judy Koester): Iced Tea, with lemon. Its really nice!!!! And refreshing. And this from a confirmed tea hater of many years standing. Will wonders never cease?
Anyway, back on I40 / Route 66. I continued westward through Texas, skirting Amarillo, and then popped into New Mexico. I had a quick detour off I40 onto Route 66 through Tucumcari, then back onto the interstate for the run through to Santa Rosa [4], ending up at yet another Super 8 for the night. This one not so super, as the advertised WiFi connectivity was not up to par in my room.
I went across the road for dinner, to a restaurant recommended in the motel guide. Well, if you are ever in Santa Rosa, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES patronise the Sun ' n ' Sand Restaurant. Of all the eating experiences I have enjoyed in the States (cheese aside), this was without doubt the worst, both in terms of food and service. The only thing half decent was the salsa, and I bet that was out of a bottle!
The other 'interesting' thing about New Mexico, and also this afternoon in Arizona, has been the altitude. Santa Rosa is at 4616 feet. The continental divide, passed late this afternoon, just before entering Arizona, is at 7275 feet, and a considerable part of the day was spent at elevations over 6000 feet. Tonight's stop, at Holbrook is at 5083 feet, darn near as high as good old Marias Pass in way back in Montana. All I can say is thank goodness for the oxygen concentrator. I would not have coped without it. It certainly vindicated my decision to get it, that's for sure!
Today has been considerably more interesting and pleasant than the previous three. For starters, the scenery in western New Mexico was more varied than I had seen for a while, with rocky red dirt, and flat topped mesas breaking up the landscape. Also, as mentioned, a good cloud cover, coupled with higher elevations dropped the temperatures from too damn hot to very comfortable. Nice!
Today's lunch stop was at another 'Truck Stops of America' or 'TA' service centre. Grant, a good friend of mine from Glenfield, had spend a year in the states driving an 18 wheeler all over the show. Once piece of good advice amongst many he gave me, was to check out at least one of these Truck Stops. Well I've been to a few now, and they are awesome. As well as an opportunity to check out some of the rigs up close, you get restaurants, convenience stores (think of a dairy, a hardware store, a pharmacy and an auto parts store all rolled into one) and restrooms, showers and laundry facilities. Not to mention full truck servicing facilities and a gas station. All you could possibly need to keep you going on your road trip. Good cheap food too. Today was chicken and chips, and two cups of coffee for $8.62 including tax. Plus a $2 tip for the waitress, and she deserved it.
Speaking of tipping, I have to say I initially thought it was going to be a right pain, not to mention a bit of a rort. From what I gather, wait staff don't get paid well in terms of their base wage, and they do rely on tips to make a half decent living. The result of this is that generally (Santa Rosa aside), you do get a much better standard of service than we are used to in NZ. It is as much about attitude as anything, and I've really enjoyed tipping generously when I think it is deserved, which is more often than not. You get to enjoy a friendly manner, prompt service with a smile, and occasionally a good chat. And it actually feels quite genuine in most cases. Not at all what I was expecting, and given the cheapness of the menu prices, no financial hardship at all.
Anyway, onto I40 yet again, and onward into Arizona. Tonight's stop is in Holbrook, AZ [5], another small town in the middle of nowhere much. After settling into the Econolodge, and recharging my, and the O2 machine's batteries, I went off in search of dinner, and found another little treasure: Mr. Maestas - Another Route 66 icon, full of period memorabilia (Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Native Amercian Curios), and nice food, and .... red wine! At last, a civilised State! The place was run by a Navajo family, and I got chatting to the head lady. She was a hard case, but really sweet. John would like her, as she is a rabid Ford Fan, but she had to concede my Chev was pretty damn nice too.
One wee challenge I've had on this trip, is finding the right presents to bring home for the whanau. The guys have been no problem, the ladies, a bit more challenging. I think I've cracked it at last though - I hope y'all like turquoise & silver jewelery, 'cos that's some of the nicest Native American stuff I've seen. The trick is finding the right piece for the right person, but my Navajo lady this evening solved another little piece of that puzzle for me... Patience, possums! Only a few more days to go.
Right, It's midnight, and time for some zzzzs. Tomorrow - the Grand Canyon!
P.S. I've just discovered - if you click on the map, it links through to a larger, more legible version - enjoy! I assume the same applies to the photos &c.
1 comment:
WOW! We are most impressed with your descriptive journalism and the great adventures you are enjoying. Keep going west young man! The young is from our perspective! You are certainly making fast progress and will be very interested to read the next episode.
Lots of love T & J
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