OK I'm officially heading home. I see the West in my rear view mirror.
An amazing surprise just north of Phoenix,
GREEN HILLS.
AMAZING GRASSY GREEN HILLS.
This is what I love about the desert. Within several miles you can see an incredible diversity of landscapes, rock formations, colors and vegetation. Seguaro catcus come in forests, then disappear completely for weeks on your drives here and there. Then the appear again somewhere as most of the other desert plants. Most all of these photos were snapped going 70 MPH so I take a lot in hopes that one or two might come out ok. There isn't anything like this in New England, we have pretty much the same forests and feel until you get into northern Vermont or south into the Carolina's. Here it's a matter of miles or even minutes at times before you see these dramatic shifts in landscape.
Back to barren but still beautiful.
Rock formations reminiscent of Joshua Tree just south east of Tuscon on I-10. I saw these on the way in but didn't have time to photograph them. This time I did.
A cloudy day in the desert always presents itself with incredible color and mood.
Two truckers drag race up the hill neither of them would yield to the other so we all had to watch this testosteronic display and be stuck behind them.
An interesting pyramid-like hill formation outside of Phoenix.
And after all this splendor, then there's the worst city in the United States, El Paso, or what I am now calling "El Pitso". It is beyond belief how ugly and sprawling and shabby this town is and it goes on for MILES and MILES as far as the eye can see.
PLUS I was kicked out of my boondocking place at 12 midnight there in a casino parking lot that I thought was ok. I guess I've been initiated, everyone goes through that, but it sucks. Two security cops shone their nasty headlights into my windshield and I dragged myself to a Motel 6 for three hours of sleep. It was rainy and cold and that really sealed the deal for me on El Pitso.
Choochi doesn't care one way or the other, she naps through most of the driving and relocating parts. That's her seat belt she's hooked in to.
I was dreading the drive through Texas and Louisianna, but I've softened significantly on that. I think I must have been driving most of it in the dark on the way out, or just really grumpy. I'm intrigued by Texas now, especially San Antonio and the gulf coast. That's next on the list of where I'll visit next time. Texas is actually, along Route 10, rather lovely. You can feel a pride in the way people keep their properties that I haven't seen in a while in the desert. Desert people tend to like to hoard junk. I didn't see any evidence of that in Texas on route 10 anyway. And it's a lush landscape, with the deciduous trees just budding. Also there is that Gulf Coast all the way from Florida out to Texas that is calling "next time!"
I had my first really solid overnight boondocking success at Walmart in Beaux Bridge, Louisiana last night. I re-read my blog from the beginning and remembered the challenge of falling asleep and staying asleep all night, and I concluded shorter naps was the way to go. So I quit driving before sunset so I can just settle down for a while before I try to sleep. Then get into bed by 8 so waking up in the middle of the night is ok, and I don't have this pressure feeling of having to stay asleep. So I got about 7 hours. Worked great last night.
Daybreak at Sam Walton's place in Bourne, Texas.
It's so funny to be developing fondness for Walmart parking lots and rest stops, but you do get to have your favorites and this Walmart is one of them for me. Even has a little park and picnic tables. And a HUGE lot.
My neighbor from Quebec with a very cool pop up Chevy base van. So Euro.
Gassed up for cheap and ready to roll!
One more day until I make it to Amelia Island again to spend the last week or so on the beach. I even get to stay inside in a real bedroom too at my new friend Mike's place who hosted me the first time from the "Boondocker's Welcome" site. I keep promising Choochi that she'll get to run on the beach again really soon.
I have been cast in the new Connecticut Playmaker's show and will be going back to start rehearsing for the opening at the end of April. Really looking forward to it!
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