The Road Trip

On Friday, March 11, Gracie and I drove from Beaumont to Austin.  There were still a few things to do at my apartment, like cleaning and packing the last few items, before we could leave town.  Instead, we spent my last afternoon and evening in Austin by seeing friends and running errands. 

After a somewhat more adventurous night than I had planned on, we went to bed early-ish on an air mattress in my apartment, setting our alarms for 4:00 a.m.  True to our word, we got up on time, loaded up the last few items that were to be delivered to storage, and drove to north Austin, where my storage unit is located.  However, we got all the way up there (20 minutes from my old apartment) to realize that the gate was broken, and there was no way we were getting in there at 5:45 a.m.  There was a "24 Hour Call Line" listed on the gate, but, of course, not only did no one answer, but I have YET to receive a return call.

I called Becky in a panic, "I can't get into my storage unit and my car is FULL.  What do I doooooo?"  We had somewhat of a schedule to stick to because of the long day of driving ahead of us.  Before I could impose on her, Becky offered to let us drop the stuff off at her house.  She also ended up taking in my plants, as I realized in a last minute tizzy that I hadn't set up a foster housing situation for them.  I tend to think that I'm organized until stuff like this happens.

Shoving in the last few items

Becky in our "backseat bungalow"

 Running just an hour or two behind our originally planned schedule, with a "packed to the gills" car, we finally hit the road around 8:45 a.m.  After getting up at 4:00 a.m., it had already been a long day!  We started out strong, though.  We were great about switching drivers at fuel/bathroom stops.  We had plenty of snacks to keep us sated.

We stopped for lunch in Sonora, Texas, where I checked in with the big guy (a.k.a. Drew) while Becky and Gracie ordered.  We weren't the only people with the idea to stop at Dairy Queen.  That place was packed (probably because it was the only place to eat in Sonora)!

At lunch, we were still in good spirits, evidenced by the fact that I jokingly threatened to leave Becky's suitcase in Sonora because we couldn't get everything to fit back in the car.  Driving the rest of the day became tiring, despite our enthusiasm.  Even with us switching drivers and taking breaks often, the trip was starting to wear on us by the time we reached El Paso in the early evening.

Finally entering a new state!

Seeing Juarez, Mexico, and crossing the state line perked us up a little.  It finally felt like we were getting somewhere!

We still had a long drive ahead of us to Tucson, and in New Mexico it was starting to hit pretty hard.

Fueling up and feeling tired in New Mexico

As the sun set, we drove across New Mexico, one of my favorite states for its natural beauty, and by the time we crossed the state line into Arizona, it was dark outside.  We arrived in Tucson at 11:00 p.m., Mountain time, which felt like midnight to us.  We were achey and sore from riding in cramped quarters for so long, and very grateful for the comfy beds and the hot shower.  Almost as soon as we laid our heads on our pillows, we were asleep.

Morning came early, and we were confused about the time for most of it because our families were saying they were two hours ahead of us, while we were sure we had only crossed one time zone.  Eventually, Becky remembered that Arizona does not participate in Daylight Saving Time.  Problem solved! 

While at the hotel, we were treated to a complimentary breakfast, which was surprisingly scrumptious.  They served waffles, eggs, sausage, bagels, toast, cereal and juices among many other options.  We left feeling fueled for our second day of driving.

Outside our hotel room on driving day 2

The last sign of reasonably priced gas

Luckily, a gas station was located just down the road from our hotel.  We took the opportunity, while we were fresh from a good night's sleep, to get gas and clean up the car.  Gracie and Becky also looked around for souvenirs from Arizona and got to know the local flora.

The first of many Saguaro cacti in AZ

Sunday was a beautiful day for driving, and the time passed quickly with our music pumping.  Gracie volunteered for the first shift of driving, and Becky took over after she awoke from a nap feeling refreshed.  We made our way across the rest of Arizona, stopping for Slushees in Phoenix, and into California, where we were stopped at our first and only inspection station.  We were asked if we were bringing any plants, fruits, vegetables or animals into the state.  A quick, "no!" and we were back on the road.

We stopped for a late lunch after we crossed the border into CA, where we discussed our strategy for driving for the remainder of the road trip.  Becky took us to the next stop for gas in Coachella, California, after driving most of the day (poor girl!), and, at that point, I took over to close out our second day of traveling.

We passed a wind farm, with gigantic wind turbines placed all over the mountains for what seemed like miles and miles.  We drove on tiny, twisty roads through more mountains, and finally found ourselves in the HOV lane arriving in Los Angeles just in time for dinner.

 

Becky and Gracie were so excited to be arriving at our destination!

The traffic in LA was initially very stressful for me, especially when we arrived in Los Angeles proper.

Action shot of me driving in LA for the first time

But, after a couple of weeks of practice, I think I am getting the hang of it, and making great use of my Garmin (thanks, Dad!!). 

Drew had dinner waiting for us (with beautiful orchids for me!) when we finally got to my new house in Hollywood, and I can honestly say that we've been having nothing but fun since I got here, despite my last minute trepidation.

Next time: touring Los Angeles with Becky and Gracie.

XO