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12:00am |
Much like the catch-phrase of the
70s, we've kept on truckin'... The odometer reads 100,976, which gives
us 1,137 miles for the day. And of course, the odometer is spinning
faster now, since Arizona is a pretty consistent 75 MPH speed limit
(but exceed it by more than 10 MPH and you're arrestable, just make
a note of that). |
2:01am |
We cross over from New Mexico into Arizona, having sponged up the
165 or so miles of I-10 in no time flat. |
2:14am |
Without too much argument, Tubby hands
over the keys to Robin, and heads off to make sleepy eyes. Which seems
like a reasonable thing, I s'pose. |
3:32am |
With a stop in Tuscon, Arizona for gas (18 gallons across 317 miles,
or a 17.7 miles per gallon), a liter of Pepsi for Tubby and some 20s
for Robin and Rachel, we're back on the road again with Robin still
at the wheel. |
4:28am |
There's nothing new to report. I just
like typing to stay awake. |
5:19am |
Robin passes the conn over to Tubby as we enter the southern Phoenix
area. |
5:38am |
Rachel suggests Tubby actually tries
to sleep, and kicks him to the back; she drives. |
7:18am |
There are times that I feel like a Muppet. Today was one of them,
having driven under a
rainbow, and yesterday, seeing the Pot
of Gold on Royal Street. |
7:29am
6:29pm (PST) |
We cross over both from Arizona to
California, and from Mountain standard time to Pacific standard time.
The home-ness of being home (at least relative to time zone and state)
sets in. |
8:01am |
It's a bio break in La Quinta (at least I *think* it was La Quinta),
but with gas starting at $2.23 a gallon, we opt to push ahead to see
if we can't find it for a "cheaper" $2.00, say. It begins
to lightly rain. |
8:08am |
The rain begins full
on, and the radio is mentioning flash flood warnings and such
as we pass through the Orocopia Mountains along Interstate 10. Our
speeds drop to a dismal 65 MPH, in the interest of safety and general
annoyance to me (I'm one of those fast-flying ducks). |
8:34am |
The rain lets up, first going to a light drizzle, then a mist, then
just road spray before we return to dry road surface. |
9:05am |
We veered off of Interstate 10, leaving
it behind forever (on this trip) and are heading back up I-215 toward
I-15 for the last 360 mile leg of the trip. Rachel goes off duty,
and Tubby has the conn. (I was supposed to drive, but it's raining,
and I'd prefer not to drive in inclement weather; you understand,
certainly.) |
10:20am |
A stop in Barstow gives us a new high for the amount paid for a
gallon of gas -- $2.08 -- but the good news is, we only needed 23
gallons to fill up... wait, that wasn't good news at all. Dang. Tubby
takes the wheel here, too. |
1:02pm |
Jack-in-the-Box becomes a meal point
on the final leg of the trip, and we pause here long enough for snacky
cakes and beverages. |
3:48pm |
We make a final touch-down at the travel annex, dropping off Robin. |
4:02pm |
The travel vehicle is put in park
for the day (and several days later, I suspect), and I'm going for
a nap. |
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Trip
Stats |
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Trip
Summary - Mardi Gras, February 2004 |
Well, this is probably my favorite part. Summarizing
it all like a snapshot of 13 days of my life into a couple of bullet
points. Fun, eh?
- Cheapest Gas Price - The Shell station at exit
175, Interstate 10, in Arizona, weighing in at 17.9¢
(due to what I expect was a math/decimal error on the clerk's
part).
- Most Expensive Gas Price - Just south of Barstow,
California, at $2.08. (We saw it for as high as $2.23 a gallon,
but refused to pay that much, so we didn't actually spend more
than $2.08.)
- Most Disappointing Dining Experience - There
were several to choose from, but I'd have to go with Krystal Burgers,
on Bourbon Street at Canal Street. The employees were disinterested
in customers, service, or getting the orders right, and the food
(once it was right) was neither particularly yummy or visually
pleasing. And, it was quite pricey (burger, fries, drink was $9).
- Newest Favorite Snack - The beignets from Cafe
du Monde. Anything that's doughy and covered in powdered sugar
is okay with me.
- Cutest Girl Encountered at Mardi Gras - Without
a doubt, the unnamed girl from New
Mexico. Adorable, just adorable. (Yes, those are the duck
beads we were giving out.)
- Cutest Girl Encountered beyond Mardi Gras -
Well, doesn't that go without saying? Latest Frank's Chick Manda.
- Longest Day - The drive from home to Meridian,
Mississippi, at a total of 42 hours and change of sitting in the
car (with only briefly breaks as we stopped for gas and stuff.)
- Rainiest Day - Monday, 23 February, in New
Orleans, with the tornado warnings and such. The runner up was
the drive home.
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