WHIRLWIND ROAD TRIP

I looked at the calendar August 15, blinked twice, and realized that ten days ago we were in heavy traffic through San Antonio and Dallas, headed north toward Lake Tenkiller in northeast Oklahoma.  The reason for that part of this trip was to retrieve our Leisure Travel Van RV that was stored at wife’s brother’s house in Goodson, OK.  We are selling it and were taking it to a son’s house in Norman, OK where he will show and sell it.

This trip began on August 4 in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, the first night at La Posada Hotel in Laredo, TX where we had stayed and enjoyed previously. It’s an historic hotel on the old plaza adjacent to the bridge and border crossing. https://www.laposada.com/history

The next day was that drive north mentioned in the first paragraph, spending the night in Denison, TX .  From Goodson, we drove to Norman, me in the RV and DW following in the car. Deposited the RV and drove up to Oklahoma City and Sunday night, August 6, at the Waterford Renaissance Hotel.  Thus far, some 1500 miles.

Monday, August 7, we head for our home in Tubac, AZ, spending the night in Alamagordo, NM, and arrive around noon, another 978 miles. While in Tubac, we attend to the mundane, car serviced, dental appointment, ordering a new HVAC unit ($10K) and think about renting the house for the winter while we are in residence in Mexico. We make arrangements with neighbors and our housekeeper for their care while we’re away, pack up some more stuff and after three and a half days, we start the trip back to SMA on Saturday, August 12.

The first night, after 582 miles, we are in Ft. Stockton, TX and the next day we finally cross the border at Solidarity Bridge in Columbia, west of Laredo after a wrong turn in the opposite direction that took an extra hour.  Extremely annoying at the time but in the whole scheme of travels, a minor inconvenience.  Let it go, got over it and the crossing was without stopping for any kind of inspection, checking or documents.  Guess they were busy elsewhere!  Traveled on to Saltillo, just west of Monterrey and after a night there in a Hampton Inn, motored on south, arriving home in San Miguel around 1 PM on Monday, August 14.

12 days, with 3.5 days in one place, and approximately 3,900 miles, 112+ gallons of gas, countless meals, 6 nights in different hotels, conversations with numerous, diverse, fellow travelers, sights and scenery along the highways through mountains and valleys, small towns and large cities, a few dead animals and vehicle crashes delaying traffic, and what to make of it all?  We are veteran road warriors and it’s a good thing we both like to travel by car or formerly RV, and would rather drive than fly when possible.  We are not opposed to flying and will soon take one or two of those trips.  We are both early risers and like to set off early and get some miles behind us by late afternoon. Highlights of this trip would include seeing family and friends, spectacular and varied scenery, sunrises, the freedom, ease and convenience of traveling on our own schedule, historic places of interest and origins, the forgotten and abandoned buildings of so many small towns, and accomplishing what spawned this trip.

A friend of mine is writing about his travels and his interviews with some of the marginalized families in different parts of the United States.  I want to recommend you have a look at Grant Lichtman’s good work, “Wisdom Road” that you can find on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/644722986591021

And “Happy Trails to you until we meet again…”