As I write, we are just passing into Arizona, the Grand Canyon State. Alas, I did not have my camera ready to take a picture of the welcome sign. Ashlee is jealous of the state flag.
For my Havasu peeps, it was fun entering Arizona on the 40 because we crossed the Colorado River right at the end of Topock Gorge, which was the end destination of so many childhood river runs. In fact, I’m pretty sure that underneath the bridge we crossed is the rope swing that I was always fascinated with, yet way too scared to try, as a kid.
Ah, our “National Park Trip.” We left Walnut today bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 6:30am. I think my dad was a bit jealous because, for him, it’s just another Monday, complete with his breakfast of oatmeal and eggbeaters.
The first leg of our trip stretches from Walnut to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. According to the map that Ashlee put together, we’ll be covering 470 miles today – roughly 7 hours of driving. The drive so far has been lots of desert – duh. We only hit a spot of traffic just 20 miles out from home in Ontario at the junction of the 60 and the 15. Just as on our last trip where we “discovered” the Grape Vine, we now know what the Cajon Pass is. Hamish tackled it like the warrior he is.
Mr. Troutman, I just wanted to let you know that after driving through Victorville, I now know why you idealize the Pacific Northwest, with its rainy climate and lush greenery.
The 40 has been kind to us. It’s quite a nice road – a divided four-lane highway that is nice and straight. Large portions of it have been recently resurfaced, so it has been a very smooth ride. We did hit a few patches of road construction – they must be getting ready for the summer crowds – and there were a couple long 60mph stretches that seemed to go on forever. It’s funny that the difference between 60 and 70mph feels so great.
For most of the way, good ol’ Hamish chugged along at 70mph. We still got passed by a number of vehicles, including a monster F-350 towing a trailer with two jet skis whose driver I could practically feel glaring at me. Since the speed limit for autos with trailers is 55mph, I felt particular satisfaction 20 miles down the road when we saw the same truck pulled over to the side of the road by the CHP. Boo yah!
Our first stop of the day was beautiful Needles, CA, the vacation destination of the Pacific Southwest. We stopped to refuel and change drivers – Ashlee’s got the wheel now. I was hoping to catch a Starbucks in Needles, but the city looks way bigger on the map. I settled for a can of Starbucks doubleshot from Chevron. Almost like my tall iced double latte….
Like I said, Ashlee’s at the wheel now. She’s in a very bubbly mood grooving along to Eric Hutchinson. She’s currently using a very loud “outside voice” and she’s a little freaked out at all the wildlife (birds, lizards, and butterflies) “darting” out into the road. She also laughed for almost a full minute after seeing a sign announcing a town called Shinarump. I guess it is a funny word.
We plan to stop in about 20 minutes for lunch in Kingman. Ashlee wants a burger, but I’m fancying a sandwich. After lunch, we’re planning to jump onto Historic Route 66 in search of the Grand Canyon Caverns. I’m not exactly sure what it’s all about, but I think it was a Grandpa Jon recommendation.
More to come later.
P.S. – Our favorite song of the trip so far has been Rascal Flatt’s “Life is a Highway.”
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