For those of you who don’t know what it’s like to travel in the American West I wanted to provide you a few details of yesterday’s drive from Santa Fe to Costa Mesa. I’ve done this drive hundreds of times, but I have to admit, I’m over it. For future trips I will be finding new ways, including leaving my truck in New Mexico and flying back and forth to California. I have also routed a much longer, much slower, but far more interesting route that avoids all highways. I would gladly spend two days, drive slower and see more of the back country than continue to do this drive on the Interstate. Yesterday’s “event” was a reminder of how crazy this place can be.
Distance: 850 miles
Time: 13 hours
Lowest Temperature: 55
Highest Temperature: 118
Highest wind gust: 60mph, 40mph sustained for at least 150 miles
Rain: Yes
Hail: Yes, quarter size and came after emergency radio announcement to take cover
Dust Storms: 1
Brush Fires: 1
Rollover accidents: 1
Miles of Traffic: 50
Wrecks witnessed which were caused by blown tires: 3
There is a savage beauty in a trip like this, but the rush to get to the destination is what I’m becoming averse to. “Did you stop and shoot?” she asked. “Nope, never time to stop.” I’ve been by the meteor crater at least one hundred times and have yet to stop. I know if a great place to camp near Flagstaff yet have not returned to this location in twenty-five years. This must be remedied. Working on it.
Comments 4
Mad Max!
I’m with ya on staying off the interstates. My last trip I did the same thing and it was much more pleasurable. It was also so much less stressful. My only way to do it these days.
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Larry,
I always think about foreign people as I’m driving the Interstate. I want to apologize to them. The bad food, hotels, dirty restrooms, bad tourist stuff. It’s so not great.
We should also swap notes on routes if you want.