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Thoughts and Observations After the Trip

 July, 2024      No Mileage We saw, talked, and thought about a lot of things on our trip. We'll try to share a little of that here. One of our first observations during the drive to Oklahoma was how much forested property/undeveloped space lines the interstates in the southeast. After we left Oklahoma, more of the same, except open plains. The mountains in Colorado, mostly undeveloped. Then, through the basin and range/mountains & wide valleys of Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico - lots and lots of wide open, empty land. At times, the size and scale was a bit staggering. Go over a mountain pass, down the other side to the valley, and travel slightly downhill for 15 or 20 miles, then imperceptibly begin to head up the other side, slightly uphill for 15 or 20 miles until you began to climb the next mountain. Repeat. And we found that if you get within 30 miles or so of the southern border, you're hit with "Mexican car insurance" ads, billboards, and businesses....
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Day 23 Gainesville FL to Dunedin FL

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July 4, 2024    Mileage   Start:  30110  End:  30287  Total:  Day/Trip  177/7576! Happy Birthday, America! Got up, ran a few errands with Amy, then hit the road about 11:30 and were home by 2. Traffic was amazingly minimal, especially for a holiday. Yay. 2533 Indigo Drive looked awfully good.  Matt held down the fort and Diesel remembered us, all is well. We're going to rest and digest for a few days, then add some final thoughts on our trip.    
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Day 22 Hammond LA to Gainesville FL

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July 3, 2024    Mileage   Start:  29557  End:  30110  Total:  Day/Trip  553/7399 More miles on the road, another severe thunderstorm, lots of trucks...typical southeast day. However, we were shocked at how little traffic was on I-10 most of the way and were generally, outside of  a few bouts of weather, able to make good time. Left about 9:30 and got here about 6:30, with the time zone change it was 8 hours on the road. Checked in and went to get Amy and go to dinner at Yummy House. It's Chinese and an old favorite in both Gainesville, with Amy, and Tampa, where I used to go to lunch with my Aunt Jo. Spent a few hours there, then headed back to the hotel - we're beat. Got a nice pic with Amy, though: All that's left is the familiar I-75 drive back to Tampa, and across the bay to Dunedin.
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Day 21 San Antonio, TX to Hammond, LA

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 July 2, 2024   Mileage   Start:  29046  End:  29557  Total:  Day/Trip  511/6846 Another driving day. Finally getting back to some green surroundings, we've spent a lot of time in the desert. I started the day driving through San Antonio (7th largest population in the U.S.), and by lunchtime was driving through Houston (4th largest). Last week I drove through L.A. (2nd largest). All 3 were I-10. All 3 were crazy. 12 lanes. 16 lanes. Exits from both sides. Multiple lane exits. There has to be a better way.  No sightseeing today, just a couple things from the road: Encountered a first in east Texas today - a total touchscreen gas pump. Next, it's not very good, but it's an on-the-fly from the car - the Mississippi River at Baton Rouge. Everywhere I've ever crossed that river - St. Louis, Memphis, here, New Orleans - it's been impressive. And the bridges are BIG. It's harder and harder to get up, we didn't get on the road until 9:...
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Day 20 El Paso TX to San Antonio TX

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 July 1, 2024   Mileage   Start:  28497  End:  29046  Total:  Day/Trip  549/6335 A day in the car, 9 a.m. to a little after 6 p.m., including the time change to Central. 80 mph speed limit helps the miles go by faster, though the windy conditions a good part of the way kept you on your toes constantly. A few different landscapes, but mostly long stretches of them, and desert-like. To break up the monotony, and prove to Rita I work hard to include culturally significant stops on the trip, we paid a visit to Paisano Pete.   Fort Stockton, Texas bills him as "long the largest metal roadrunner in the world, Pete is now the second largest in the world".  Never get another chance. Plus, we filled up and picked up lunch. Cruised into San Antonio a little after 6 p.m., traffic not as bad as I had feared. We went to dinner at Back Unturned, a craft brewery  downtown about a half-mile from the Riverwalk.. The first is a helles ...
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Day 19 Sunsites AZ to Chihiracua National Monument to El Paso TX

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 June 30, 2024   Mileage   Start:  28153  End:  28497  Total:  Day/Trip  344/5786 Today we traveled to Chiricahua National Monument, billed as a wonderland of hoodoos and balanced rocks. I had originally planned to also visit the Cochise Stronghold, where Cochise was rumored to have hidden and escaped multiple times, but it rained last night! Many of the trails are dirt, and they advise don't go after a rain, so we opted for the safer choice. More on that later. About an hour after leaving the hotel, we were in the park, and it was near empty. And awesome! Rocks, canyons, trees...scenic. Forthwith some evidence: Hoodoos! Hundreds and hundreds of hoodoos! And balanced rocks everywhere, easily accessible. Most of these pictures were taken from Massai Point, at the top (elev. 6870') of the scenic drive. When we got up there, it was breezy and 74 degrees - great break from the desert! It is one of several small ranges they call "is...
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Day 18 Gila Bend AZ to Organ Pipe and Saguaro to Sunsites AZ

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June 29, 2024   Mileage   Start:  27808  End:  28153  Total:  Day/Trip  345/5442 It's Cactus Day! Besides being in the desert, again, we visited Organ Pipe National Monument and Saguaro National Park before stopping for the day. While both contained saguaro, cholla, barrel, and prickly pear cactus, the only organ pipes were in...Organ Pipe. Saguaro also had several varieties of cholla. There were rock formations, but the highlight of these 2 parks were the cacti. First picture is the namesake of the first park - the organ pipe cactus. There are a couple of smaller ones around it, and a few saguaros in the background. One of the 2 new varieties of cholla cactus here. Many signs warning people to stay clear of them and carry tweezers to remove the spines. We just kept our distance, thank you very much. Next shot is a double arch from Organ Pipe, look closely at the top to see the second arch "piggybacked" on the first. A view with saguaros...
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