The Return Part 2: Caution! Dust Storms!

I hadn't really bothered reading the signs at first, but I slowly realized that they were repeated every 5-10 miles or so.  When I finally took the time to read them, I saw that they were instructions on what to do in a dust storm.  We so don't have these in Tennessee.  Culture shock!

It was unnerving to think that there was the possibility of dust storms.  I was worried for my kids.  I did not want to lead them into danger.  We drove on.  El Paso was soon behind us and we entered into New Mexico.  I pointed to the left of our car.  "See those hills and stuff?" I asked my wife.  "That's Mexico!"  She was awestruck.  She'd never seen the border before.  It was pretty neat seeing another country so close, but we pressed on.

Our plan of having the boys eat and then sleep on the way to our next stop, Deming, New Mexico did not come to fruition.  No, they remained awake the entire way.  Every time a rest area came up, they had to stop.  It made for a slightly longer trip, but we made it to a hotel (this time a Hampton Inn, our favorite while traveling) well before dark.  I made a quick supply and gas run to Walmart and then headed to our room for some food.  We brought with us, in addition to all the snacks and lunch foods, a healthy supply of camp food.  We figured it would save money, which it did.  I had lasagna.  It was surprisingly good.  After our bags of dinner, we swam a little and then tucked the boys into bed.  Mama and I weren't too far behind them.

Sunday, day 4 of our adventure.  We packed the car and ate the always awesome Hampton Inn breakfast buffet.  Instead of continuing west, we took a detour to the southeast to a state park called Rock Hound State Park.  One of the unique things about this place is that they encourage visitors to collect things.  The only thing is is that you have to go off the train a ways to find the good stuff.  We found a couple shiny rocks, but nothing too notable.  We wandered up a path a bit and enjoyed the lizards and cacti.  I was hoping to see a snake so I could get a picture, but that didn't happen.  After about an hour or so of roaming around and an awkward conversation with what seemed to be an arguing couple, we headed back to Deming and the interstate.

The next leg was slightly more grueling that the previous ones had been.  We were deep in the desert.  The threat of dust storms keeping me in reality as I drove us towards Tuscon.  My mind kept going back to what if one hit.  I guess we'd just pull over and wait it out.  Or at least that's what the signs made it sound like we were supposed to do.

Tuscon crept ever closer.  The boys either watched videos on their blessed DVD players or played with the few toys that they had brought or read.  My wife and I bantered about trivial things like what we'd do once in San Diego and stuff like that.  I think the conversation of "what would you do if we won the lottery?" came up a couple times.  I wanted to go to Saguaro National Park, but for some reason I hesitated.  I think I was tired and wanted to make it to our next hotel.  We passed the exit for Saguaro National Park East.  No worries I thought, we'll just go to the western one.  Well, that turned out to be for naught as it would take us at least half an hour off the interstate to get to the park.  I decided that we needed to just get to our next spot.  We couldn't risk being too far from San Diego on our last night before our hotel reservation started.  So on we pushed.

The evening was spent with camp food and TV but this time I felt weird.  I think the excess of salt was messing with me.  I didn't finish my meal.  The boys delighted in about 30 minutes of swimming and then it was bed for all of us so we'd be ready to make our final push toward our destination.

Upon waking up, we went about our routine for the trip: get dressed, eat breakfast, pack the car, have the kids empty their tanks, get in the car, head out.  I made a quick trip to Walmart to get new sunglasses as my "nice, expensive" ones broke in my pocket (I still have no idea how they broke, they just did).

The desert was beginning to get old.  Just shades of browns, blacks and other earthy tones.  I was also anxious as I did not want to miss check in at our hotel.  Shortly before lunchtime we arrived in Yuma.  Yuma was an old west town and a place I had been once before way back in 1997.  One of its main draws was the old territorial prison.  Again, I had been there once before and thought it was cool so I thought the boys would like it.  They were slightly too young, but they enjoyed it anyways.  In the last decade or so I've become fascinated with the old west so being able to once again see this place and actually appreciate it was welcomed.  It's a cool museum and has exhibits outside where they have recordings of "inmates".  Pretty cool and a little creepy.  If you're roadtripping through the Southwest, I recommend it.  It's a pleasant little spot and has lots of cool history and old west things.  Go here to check it out.

We ate lunch in the parking lot and continued on.  I forgot how beautiful the eastern edge of Southern California was.  The boulder encrusted mountains were breathtaking and amazing.  It was like driving through another world.  It had been some time since I had last driven through mountains so I was taking my time and letting all the maniacs fly by me.  The oldest boy began complaining about his ears so we taught him the old trick of pinching your nose and blowing.  As we climbed higher and higher I kept my eyes peeled for something I ran across on Google Maps, a tower.  I was beginning to think that we had passed it, but nope, I caught sight of it up on a ridge.  Signs soon pointed the way and within 5 minutes we were climbing out of the car.

The Desert Tower is a bit campy and a lot interesting.  I can't remember how much we paid, but there is a small charge to go up.  It's worth the expense.  The views are gorgeous and it provides a nice reprieve from the road.  The boys loved it so much that they didn't want to go back down.  Finally we did and took the chance to explore the caves (just passages between giant boulders).  I hiked around a bit alone because there was a beehive nearby and the boys don't like bees (bad experience).

The Desert Tower now behind us we headed further and further west, the miles on the signs getting smaller and smaller.  Finally the GPS chirped with instructions to get to our hotel.  It led us through interstates and highways and around curves and loops.  I had a bit of trouble following it.  I was not very familiar with the area since I had left it nearly 28 years ago.

We pulled into the Best Western Marina Gateway.  We had made it.  After five days of driving we had made it.  We spent the evening resting.  We found a little park nearby for the boys and had dinner at the next door restaurant.  I was amazed at how chilly it was there.  Though I had not called that place home for nearly 30 years, something felt familiar and right about it.

We all pooped out early.  Not a problem as we wanted to be rested for exploring.

The Return Part 1: The Largest Spring Fed Swimming Pool in the World

San Diego.  The place of my birth.  A place that I had not been to since the summer of 1997.  Since connecting with my oldest and dearest friend, Pierre, back in 2011, I have. yearned to go home, to go back to this place I hear so much about and yet know little about.  So in January of this year my wife and I decided to do it.  Go back to San Diego and see the land of my youth.

I hate flying with my kids.  Why? You ask.  Simple.  I have to carry all their stuff: the backpacks, the car seats, the snacks, the stroller and whatever other crap my wife says the kids need/want.  I did it once with one kid and I swore a private oath that I'd never do that again.  At least not until they are older and don't require so many support items.  No.  We would be driving West.  That's the way I was raised to travel and that's how I want my kids to travel.  Not only do I have more control when driving, but you get to see more of the world and create more stories and memories.  I think this is more important than quickly traveling to places.

We departed somewhat early on a Thursday.  We were fortunate to miss the rush hour traffic of Memphis and to make it through West Memphis, Arkansas with very little issue.  The road went by in greens and browns and grays. Little Rock came and went and we finally stopped for lunch.  To save money we packed sandwich fixings and a ton and a half of snacks.  We pulled up to a rest area and began our first lunch on the road.  The kids were happy with the sandwiches and stuff that they usually don't get to eat in their day-to-day lives.  Back on the road.

The hours went on.  The sun was getting dangerously close to the western horizon and we weren't near Dallas yet.  The oldest boy began to get restless and wanted to stop.  We pulled over and got gas and saw the golden arrow of In-N-Out Burger.

Some may say this place is overrated.  Say what you will.  We don't have these in Tennessee and I have great memories of eating here when I was a kid.  Whenever I get a chance to stop at one, I take it.  We popped in and in no time we were eating those delicious burgers with animal style fries and sweet sweet Coca Colas.  It was awesome.  The feeling of being on vacation finally started to spread through my mind.

Another plus to our dinner stop was that by the time we got back on the road the dreaded Dallas rush hour was over.  Huzzah!  We made it through Dallas and then Ft. Worth.   I was surprised that there seemed to be wilderness between the two as I always thought they basically clumped together into one mega city.

I was getting tired.  The boys were getting tired and so was my navigator, my wife.  We had originally thought to camp along the way, but our gear wouldn't fit in my wife's car with all the other stuff we needed to bring.  So we abandoned that idea before departure.  We pulled off the interstate in Weatherford, Texas, a place that I had been to a few times as my grandparents used to live in a town close to it.  We found a Super 8.  It was decent.  The rooms were clean, they were close to shopping and food, and the staff were friendly.  Also, the free breakfasts are worth it.

Day two saw us depart a bit earlier than the day before and we drove into West Texas.  Desolate.  Hot.  Brown.  That sums up this region of the Lone Star State pretty nicely.  Not that it's not without it's own beauty, but it is a stark place.

By lunchtime we were rolling through Abilene.  Using the modern miracle of the smart phone, we found a nice little park to eat lunch.  It was actually right next to the Abilene zoo, but we did not stop there.  The play ground allowed the boys to run off some of their massive energy stores and gave me time to make their sandwiches.  We ate, ran some more and went to the bathroom before heading back West.

As the hours ticked by I became a bit more worried about our accommodations, or the fact that we had no plans for such.  I made a couple phone calls just before reaching Pecos, TX.  A gruff voice answered for the second number I called.
Hotel guy:  "Yes?"
Me:  "Yes, I'd like a room for the night."
HG:  "What?"
Me:  "...A room?  For tonight?"
HG:  "Oh.  How many folks you got?"
Me:  "Me, my wife, and two little kids."
HG:  "Weeellll.  I only have one queen bed left so..."
Me:  "We can squeeze in.  The boys are small."
HG:  I don't know.  I don't mind kids, but I don't y'all to be uncomfortable."
Me:  "It's fine.  We just need it for one night."
HG:  slightly irritated "Well okay.  About when can I expect y'all?"
Me:  "We are just about to Pecos and will cut down state road 17.  I guess we'll be there in about an hour or so."
HG:  "Y'all be careful on that road."
Me:  "Thanks"

It didn't click with me about what he said until about 1-2 minutes later.  Why did he say that?  Suddenly visions of The Hills Have Eyes started playing in my mind.  I could just imagine us getting a flat and ending up the main course in house full of mutants.  Great.  I white knuckled the steering wheel as we drove down the lonely road.  Trucks would pass us.  Oil derricks pumped rhythmically as we wound our way south toward Interstate 10.  Finally, we turned down another small desert road and soon found our way to the town of Balmorhea, Texas.

I had been there once before in the late 80s.  My grandparents took my mom and I there on the way from San Diego to their home in Mineral Wells, TX (the aforementioned town near Weatherford).  I loved to swim and somehow my Granddad found out about this pool near Balmorhea that was absolutely huge.   It's the largest spring fed swimming pool in the world.  It's located in Toyahvale, TX and is housed in the Balmorhea State Park.  This thing is pretty big.  It's shaped somewhat as an L with a large circular pool where the two arms meet.  The circle is about 20 feet or more deep.  I think it's actually 25-30 feet, but can't quite remember and I don't know where my notes are for this trip.  People were scuba diving in there.  There's also turtles and fish living in it.  I loved it then and have spent the last 30 years talking about it.  It is one of my best childhood memories.  It's something I wanted to do with my boys since before the oldest one was born.

We found the hotel and checked in.  It truly was small, but only $74/night it wasn't bad at all.  We had been pretty good about not buying food out so we decided to do dinner at a restaurant.  We chose a Mexican place down the road called La Cueva de Oso and it was pretty tasty.  Food sizes were good and it wasn't too expensive.  Since it was about a million degrees we decided an ice cream treat was in order.  We walked down the road to the small ice cream shop and each got a cone.  By the time we got back to the hotel most of us has rivers of melted dessert flowing down our arms.  My youngest son also had the cutest chocolate goatee.

Another powerful memory of my first trip here was that my Granddad loaded us all up in the car a little while after dinner and drove into the middle of the desert.  He had us get out and look up and bam!  The Milky Way!  It still stands out in my mind.  It's something that I didn't fully appreciate or understand at the time, but now it's something that thrills me.  So I wanted to check out the stars.  After our ice cream trek, my wife went about bathing our monkeys and I went looking for a place to see the stars.  It was still fairly light out so I wanted to track down a place so I could find it.  I asked the guy in the office where I should go and he directed me down the road to a chapel.  I found it with no issue and returned to the hotel.  I helped put the kids to bed and read for a little bit.  After awhile I could tell that it was dark out so I got ready and headed out into the desert.  The little chapel was perfectly charming...in the daytime.  Now, however, it looked like something out of a horror story.  The wind whipped through the dark desert and carried with it the cries of coyotes.  I stared up into the heavens.  I couldn't see the Milky Way just yet, but several stars were visible.  It was beautiful.  I wanted to take some pictures, but the eeriness of being by myself out there and the potential for not-so-friendly critters lurking about gave me the drive to get out of there.  I got back in just a few minutes.  I wanted to be well rested for the pool.

The water was cold.  Don't know how cold, but it was teeth chattering cold.  We all splashed around and swam.  I dove in a few times and BSed with the dads near us.  It was fun trying to stand up because the ground in the pool is covered by a slimy film.  I towed my oldest son out to the circle so he could see the turtles.  I loved being there and sharing it with my family.  It was so great and fun.   The boys, being small and skinny, got cold quickly and wanted to leave (Where's their sense of adventure!?).  We made lunch and ate while we dried off.  We were back on the interstate and heading west by 12:30pm and began our third day of travel.

Something important to note is that Balmorhea State Park advises you to buy a day pass.  I highly recommend it.  By the time we arrived at the park, there were already signs out saying that the park was full.  If we did not have the pass, we would not have been able to get in.  Here's a link to their website.

Great Trip to the West: The Return

Our great trip was quickly drawing to an end.  We had been on the road for over 2 weeks and we were beginning to get drained.  We were also debating on how we should go home.  We took I-40 out most of the way to California, and we had originally thought that we'd go back on I-80, but it was a bit longer and we were tired.  We decided to go back the way we came.

But then we thought that it might be nice to see a "different nothing" on the way home.  So we again changed our plans and decided to go the northern route.

This way was new to me.  I had never been up that way before.  I had no idea what it would be like so I was pretty excited.  I'm always up for new and different experiences.

We began our trek at around noon PDT.  We headed north to Lake Tahoe.  I had heard stories about Lake Tahoe and they did not disappoint.  It was gorgeous.  Tons of Ponderosa Pines and the lake was a vivid blue.  I could look back at the mountains that we went through just a week before.  It reminded me of the Lord of the Rings.  We took a few pictures and jumped back into the car to head back into Nevada.  We filled up in Reno and it was a good thing we did, for Reno is basically the last bit of civilization until you get to Salt Lake City.

We drove along the lonely highway past house that stood in the middle of the desert.  We stopped at a closed rest area, something that seemed normal in those parts.  We continued to Winnemucca, a town that wasn't much more than a few restaurants and hotels.  We thought about stopping, but I woefully felt energetic and thought we could go on to Battle Mountain.  Which is what we did.

Now you might think that a city named Battle Mountain couldn't be anything other than awesome, but you would be wrong.  There were about 2 or 3 exits to this town and when we pulled off at the second exit we swung in to the hotel there, eager for beds and rest only to find that it was booked.  Not only was that hotel booked, but every hotel from there to Salt Lake City was booked.  I was stunned.  There I was with my pregnant wife in the middle of the Nevada desert with no prospects of getting a hotel room.  I wasn't quite sure what to do.  The very nice lady at the front desk was sympathetic and offered to allow us to sleep in the parking lot.  She said we could use the toilet facilities and help ourselves to the coffee.  She also called around for us, trying to find a hotel room.  I wanted to mention her by name, but I can't find her business card.  She was an angel in that wasteland.  Eventually she did find a place in Elko, about an hour and a half away.  He held his last room for us and we shot off into the night.  I thanked her profusely before we left and vowed to never forget her.

We got to Elko and I called the hotel.  He told me to get off of the interstate and go left.  I did.  I eventually  wound up in the desert.  I called him back and he kept telling me to go left.  Finally I went right and sure enough found his hotel in just a few seconds.  We checked in and helped ourselves to a late dinner of cup noodles and orange juice (our stores were running thin).  After a few minutes of unwinding, we turned in for the night.  Early the next morning I attempted to take a shower before we headed back on the road.  I pulled the knob of the shower and nothing happened.  I tried wiggling it around.  Nothing.  I played with it for a few minutes and then gave up.  We quickly packed up the car and I went to the office to check out.  Before I left I told the guy that the shower wasn't working.  He immediately became defensive and basically implied that I was an idiot.  That was the last straw.  "Hey!  I was just letting you know that your shower was f***ing broken!  I don't give two s***s about it.  I was trying to be nice so that the next customer doesn't flip out on you and kick your ass!"  He apologized and we concluded our business.  I left pissed off and just wanting to get out of Nevada.

The trip was long.  The scenery didn't really change until we went through Salt Lake City.  Once through that city, the background went from desert brown to more of an alpine feel.  I could see some trees again and the mountains were very picturesque.  But that was short lived because we soon made the climb north to Wyoming.

We pushed through the great grassy vistas of Wyoming.  We stopped at a gas station just a few miles in the state and it was a good thing we did because after that stop there wasn't much else for a long long time.  We were no long interested in seeing the local sights, we just wanted to go home.  I was pretty burned out on driving and sleeping in hotels and in other beds that were not my own.  We had come a long way and now home was calling our names.  Also, we needed to be home in time for my wife's monthly OBGYN appointment.  The wife slept as I pushed on.  Mile after mile went by.  Cheyenne and Colorado crept ever closer.  Finally we made the turn south and soon were in Colorado, our tenth state on this adventure.  We were going for the east side of Denver, but I was tired and my wife was tired so just south of Fort Collins, we stopped and got a hotel.  We spent the evening watching TV and eating Taco Bell.  It was much more restful than the previous night had been, and it was desperately needed.

Monday was a cheery day.  We were well rested and our spirits were high.  I made a quick call to my wife's doctor, hoping that we could postpone a day or so so that we could explore Denver, but sadly, it was not to be, either we saw the doctor on Tuesday or it would be a two week wait.  We decided not to wait (we had tons of questions for the doctor that we wanted answers to sooner rather than later).  We climbed into the car and headed out.

Kansas passed by.  For some reason it felt like it took a very long time to get out of Kansas.  We stopped only a couple times and not for very long, but it seemed that Kansas took forever to get out of.  Not only did we have to go through most of the state on I-70, but we had to go south through another half of the state on I-35.  The clock was ticking and I was bound and determined to make it home in time for the doctor's appointment early the next day.  By 9 o'clock we were both tired and I knew that it would be better to sleep then and wake up early than to keep going and risk an accident or not being able to find some place to rest.  I was still unnerved by our experiences in Northern Nevada.

Just east of Oklahoma City was our last stop of our trip.  We got a room, took showers and went to sleep.  At around 3 am Tuesday my alarm went off and we made a mad dash around the room to get ready to head out.  We were done within 15 minutes and back on the road.  I nervously checked the time.  The minutes ticked by.  I would silently calculate our ETA in Memphis at every mile marker.  Finally we crossed the Mississippi bridge and into Memphis.  Twenty minutes later we were in our doctor's office (we were 10 minutes late, but I had called several hours earlier to alert them to the situation).

Our great trip was at an end.  We had a lot of fun and learned a lot.  I learned a little humility in trip planning (especially with a pregnant wife!) and to not underestimate the distances between places.  Overall we rode approximately 5,268 miles and were gone for 22 days and saw 11 states.  This trip really allowed my wife to see just how big the US is (she's from Japan and could quite grasp how huge the US is).  We will certainly do other trips, but nothing can compare to this first trip cross country.

America the Beautiful Pass purchased!

I've been pretty lazy about buying this, but it's done!  I have purchased the America the Beautiful National Parks Pass.  It's 80 bucks, but it allows you into all the National Parks for one year.

Not all parks charge an entry fee, but some do.  After calculating the prices for the parks we are intending to visit, I decided it was best to get the pass.  Now that we have it we can go to any National Park we want to whenever we want.  It's pretty sweet.

This will not only make our trip a little easier, but we now have the option of seeing more.  Since we have no real itinerary, we can basically do whatever we want and see whatever we want.  Having this pass will just open up the country a little bit more.

You can find info about the America the Beautiful Pass here.  I will review the pass once I have used it a couple times.

Getting ready for the summer trip

Traveling with someone requires a lot more planning and effort than traveling alone.  When I was single I'd usually make a plan, inform people who lived in or near my destination that I was coming so we could hang out, and then go.

Now, I have to make lists and have a more defined plan.  The wife doesn't really want to fly by the seat of our pants, and I guess that's cool.  It is nice having a list so that I don't forget stuff.  Once I almost flew back to the United States without my computer charger.  That would've been horrible.

Since the planning began we've researched possible destinations, sights and places to eat.  The wife has been pretty diligent in thinking about what we need to bring and other logistics.  I've basically been in charge of our "flight plan" so to speak.  I absolutely refuse to make reservations at hotels along the way as the time to get to a certain destination may not always be what we think it will be.  I have a lot of friends tell me stories how they made reservations for their long car trip only to get delayed and miss the reservation.  To make matters worse they often times would have paid the full amount prior to departure.  I don't want to spend money on something I may not be able to use.  I know I run the risk of not finding a hotel where I want to, but there are plenty of hotels along the way and I'm sure we'll find one.  Another reason I dislike hotel reservations is that you never know where you might need to stop.  Sure it's easy to look at a map and have a destination in mind, but you may get tired earlier or you may have more energy and decide to press on.  There are dozens of factors when it comes to car travel and I feel that they all dictate the necessity of having open ended plans.  I also really like just knowing the end date and figuring stuff out on the road.

The wife and I purchased some stuff for the trip such as some dehydrated camp meals.  We really want to save money and so we're going to eat in most of the time we're traveling.  We'll probably eat one meal out a day, but we'll see figure that out later.  I do, however, have a couple places that I absolutely want to eat at.  One of these places is the Big Texan in Amarillo, Texas.  I've seen it on TV and read about it online.  I have to try one of their steaks.  I'm not going to do the 72 oz challenge.  That's a young man's endeavor...

So far we've got our list of gear we need and an outline of places we want to go and by when we need to be there.  I think we're good for our trip.  Now to just wait out the next two weeks and pack and we'll be good to go.

Summer plans finalized

One of the nice things about being a teacher is the summer vacation.  I'll get roughly 2 months off and it is something that I will greatly enjoy and treasure.  I don't want to just sit around my apartment watching Netflix all summer, so the wife and I are going to do some traveling.

We toyed around with several possible destinations like Yellowstone National Park, Florida, Colorado and Mammoth Caves.  However, we settled on San Francisco, California.  We couldn't decide on a destination.  Until this past Sunday.

Talking to my cousins about my upcoming parenthood the discussion came to our trip (we were originally going to California, but money was becoming a problem).  My cousins offered us a gift of money in order to make the trip.  I was floored.  I hadn't expected this at all.  My excitement level jumped and I had a hard time staying focused.  I wanted to start planning.

Since we are driving I wanted to see as much as possible without doing too much.  We decided that our first stop for the evening will be Amarillo, Texas.  At first it was just a reasonable place to stop and get some sleep.  However, after looking around on the internet I discovered that Amarillo is home to The Big Texan.  We will definitely dine there on our first night out.  I always enjoy eating at famous places or places that have a novelty.  Besides, I hear that the steak is good.  I will, however, not be doing the 72 oz. steak challenge.  I know when to quit.

After The Big Texan we will have a bit of a drive to our next destination:  The Petrified Forest.  I've wanted to see this for about 15 years and finally it seems that I'll be able to see it.  Since the wife's condition we will not be doing any super hiking or anything too strenuous.  I figure we'll spend an hour, two at most at the Petrified Forest.  Our second bed spot will be Flagstaff.

Day three will see us at the Grand Canyon.  I've seen it once, but it's definitely worth another look.  It's also on my wife's list of places she wants to see in the US.  I wish we were able to hike down to the bottom, but that will be for another time.

Our last leg alone will be from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas where we'll meet up with my cousins Mike and Ben.  From there it's up to the Sierra-Nevada Mountains, Yosemite and then finally San Francisco.  I'm sure it'll be a great trip and I'm very excited.

If you have any suggestions or comments, please feel free to contact me.