I may be AWOL for a few weeks.

[Gofirstclass]

Greg, no, we haven't been to Tombstone. I think that's a place we both would like to go.

Here's where we went for dinner tonight. This Barrio Queen is the third in a locally owned chain and it just opened recently. The first one opened in a rather seedy neighborhood and the first time we went we were a bit hesitant about going in side. The second one opened in an area nearer downtown Phoenix and was quite a bit nicer. This third one is in a large Mall complex and is great. The food is terrific in all 3.

Here's my dinner. I can't tell you the name because my laptop doesn't speak Spanish but I know it's pork that is cooked overnight in a banana leaf and spiced just so.

Tina's dinner was Carnitas (see, I told you my laptop speaks Spanish!) and it's good, but nowhere as good as mine was.

One of the things I like about the part of the Phoenix area we live in are the great restaurants. Our favorites include Vietnamese, Italian and of course, Mexican. It's no damn wonder I can't lose any weight down here.

 

[Gofirstclass]

The past few days have been pretty relaxed. Goofing off during the day, dining out at night. Life is good. Friday nite we met some friends for dinner. Funny thing, they live in the same area in WA that we do but we never seem to get together until we're down here. We all agreed we're going to have to fix that.

Today we've been busier than a one-legged man in a cat kicking contest. We're leaving tomorrow morning to head back to WA so we've been busy cleaning, packing, etc.

Funny thing, we usually stay in Best Westerns but tomorrow night we'll be a Sunset Station casino in Las Vegas. Not sure how that'll work with the dog but we'll just make it work somehow.

The next night we were going to stay in Lehi, UT but in a text with Joint Custody, he mentioned that might not be to our liking. Said it's more run down and kind of a "rent by the hour" place. A quick call to BW reservation system and we switched to a BW in Sandy, UT. Thanks, James.

We've never had a problem staying in hotels with the dog. Well, we do have one issue--he does not like elevators. He's not used to the floor shaking like it does in an elevator. Sailor is a registered Therapy Dog so hotels can't refuse us a room because of him and also can't charge a "dog fee". That would be a violation of existing ADA laws and the hotels are aware of that. Makes traveling with poochie a lot easier.

We plan to leave here around 10 a.m.. It's a 5 hour drive to LV so we should be there early afternoon.

Adios mi amigos

 

[Nater Potater]

I assume you'll be traveling 84 through Idaho. Stop by and say "hi" if you have the time.

 

[JHornsby3]

We have had a series of squalls hit the Oregon coast and heading that way. Winds and cold along with nasty amounts of rain. Might want to stay there until at least April.

 

[Gofirstclass]

I assume you'll be traveling 84 through Idaho. Stop by and say "hi" if you have the time.

Nathan, I appreciate the invite but after being on the road for 2 long days (6+ hours today) and another long one tomorrow, we'll likely be too pooped to be much company.

We left AZ yesterday around noonish and drove 4.5 hours to Henderson, NV (south of LV) and stayed at Sunset Station Casino. After checking in we hit their seafood restaurant and had dinner. Their braised oysters are dynamite!

Then we hit the gambling for a bit. I dropped $32 real fast, GW picked up about $70 at the blackjack table while I watched her pile increase. After a couple more hours we went back to the room and crashed.

We got an earlier start this a.m. and gassed up at Costco first, then hit Starbucks for breakfast then to Lee's Discount Liquor to pick up a few things then headed north. Smooth sailing all the way to where I-15 crosses the NW corner of AZ. This is probably the most beautiful stretch of highway I've ever driven through and this time I had GW video our trip through the canyon. The video is about 5 minutes long but only captures the first part, but most beautiful part of that short drive.

We drove straight through, stopping only once at a rest area then stopped for gas in Provo. We got here about 6:00 p.m. and got checked in. The front desk clerk gave me two keys which I gave to Tina after I parked so she could take a couple of bags on. When she opened the door she was surprised to find there was already a couple occupying the room. Oops. Back to the front desk for the correct keys. She just ordered dinner via Uber and I'm hungry enough to eat whatever she surprises me with.

So far the new car has been doing well. The first day we averaged 27.2mpg and today averaged 27.4. Both days we had a bit of headwind and I've been cruising about 75-78mph. It certainly is more comfy to drive than the Terrain was. It's also more roomy then the Terrain because it's a little wider, and the suspension is much more forgiving of bumps and cracks in the road. So far it seems like a good purchase.

We're going to make it a short night tonight because tomorrow's another long day...5.5 hours to the hotel in Boise. These long days are getting a bit wearing on this tired old body which, BTW, turns 75 on Friday!

So I'm going to hang up. Adios amigos, or maybe I can't say that anymore since we're not down in the southwest any more. Oh well, sleep tight.

 

[JHornsby3]

Don't forget a stop at The Stage Stop for the best iced tea or sweet tea this side of the Mississippi. Or the Glencoe exit for the best price on Mortars and fireworks north of Vegas.

 

[Nater Potater]

Nathan, I appreciate the invite but after being on the road for 2 long days (6+ hours today) and another long one tomorrow, we'll likely be too pooped to be much company.

The offer still stands. We're right off of the freeway.

 

[JHornsby3]

Nate, have you taken the 300DA to Lake Lowell or up to Arrow Rock/Lucky Peak yet?

 

[Nater Potater]

Nate, have you taken the 300DA to Lake Lowell or up to Arrow Rock/Lucky Peak yet?

No, it's up north on Pend Oreille. With an eleven foot beam, she doesn't lend herself well to traveling Hwy 95. It's that, or travel the freeways down through Washington and Oregon, and all the permits that would involve.
"Lake" Lowell is really just a wide spot in the New York canal. With the runoff from all the farming around here, it turns into a green moss pond early on in the summer. 'Not the sort of place I'd like to run my boat, and definitely wouldn't swim in!

 

[JHornsby3]

Oh come on! There is nothing to worry about in that lake. The New York keeps all that water nice and clean. And the occasional field worker getting washed down only keeps the fish fed. We had a guy down the road from us that used to get in the canal with his PWC and run it until he got caught. Then would wait a few weeks and run the other way. What a way to spend the weekend when your a 26 year old air traffic controller.

 

[Gofirstclass]

Goooooood Mornin' Vietnam.

Oops, it's not Memorial Day yet. My bad, but I hope you enjoyed the wake up call.

A few notes before we head out this morning.
-These western states with their 80mph speed limits really rock!
-Everybody with a triple axle motorhome or FW is headed south. I've never seen so many looooong RV's
-In Utah, with the 80mph limits, every male in his 30's owns a Ram 1-ton truck but they can't read. They think the 80 is really 90 and they come roaring up on your ass to force you to do something so they can get back up to 90mph. Or faster.
-Let's go Brandon.
-No offense if you live in UT, but these people are nutty in the way they drive. They get in the HOV lane and drive 65-70 and you're not supposed to get out of the HOV lane until you reach an access point. That is, unless you're a 30 YOA male with your Ram 1-ton, then the rules don't apply.
-The area in the NW corner of AZ and the SW corner of UT are just plain beautiful. Stunningly.
-I saw a billboard yesterday advertising the "cuddly" education you get at this one college. Now ain't that just what we need--a generation of stoopid, but cuddly kids graduating from college. A bigger and better Woke Generation. Go figure.
-Let's go Brandon.
-The average mpg we're getting with the car is amazing to me. Driving 80mph, loaded, up and down hills and it still gets over 27mpg. We passed one sign yesterday showing the elevation at 6000'. The car does well climbing the hills with the cruise set.
-One thing I don't like about the car's cruise control is there is a forward-looking radar of some sort. When you're coming up behind a slower moving car and you can't move to the left lane to go around it because of traffic, the cruise control automatically slows you down. I'm OK with that but when you're climbing a looooong hill and you move to the left lane to go around a 40mph semi, and the road curves to the left, the radar thingy sees the truck as being in front of you and rapidly decelerates. Not what I want when I have a head of steam and heading up a long hill. Gotta figure out how to permanently disable that.
-This will likely be the dog's last trip down to AZ. He doesn't like being in the car on long trips so we drug him up (or down???). He doesn't eat his dog food for a few days while we're traveling and that concerns me. This morning I got him a plate of eggs and sausage so he'd have something in his stomach. He loved that.
-Traveling this route makes keeping track of time confusing. At first we thought it was going in and out of Daylight Savings Time but it's not. It's going back and forth from Mountain Standard Time to Pacific Standard Time.

So that's it. Time to pack the car and head to Boise. 5.5 hours. Another long day.

Later gator.

 

[JHornsby3]

Ad for the dodge diesel owners. We have noticed that if you want to turn a nice guy into an asshole, give him a dodge diesel. Instant asshole. If you want to make a super asshole, give that dodge owner a silver twinkie on wheels. Or a lifted Furd diesel.

 

[Joint Custody]

Hey Mike ,
we drive that way to keep you all from moving here!
LOL

All the RV heading south is the annual migration of Canadians, and US retired heading to the AZ desert for the winter. They all like to get there before Thanksgiving.

I will say living here all my life no mater what the posted speed limit is on the highways and freeways most of us will drive 10 over as the cops dont really pull you over until your about 15 over. It is a bad habit of all of us.
For the HOV lane you have to watch out for all the mini vans carry six kids and mom on her phone only doing 62 mph.
As for all the A holes in there trucks they play that game of ridding your ass all the time ... its only the timid that actually move over

 

[JimG]

-One thing I don't like about the car's cruise control is there is a forward-looking radar of some sort. When you're coming up behind a slower moving car and you can't move to the left lane to go around it because of traffic, the cruise control automatically slows you down. I'm OK with that but when you're climbing a looooong hill and you move to the left lane to go around a 40mph semi, and the road curves to the left, the radar thingy sees the truck as being in front of you and rapidly decelerates. Not what I want when I have a head of steam and heading up a long hill. Gotta figure out how to permanently disable that.

That's called adaptive cruise... you should be able to adjust the distance at which it activates, or turn it off completely.

 

[Gofirstclass]

Jim, I just found that on Youtube and will turn it off in the morning. Thank you so much!

 

[highslice]

That's called adaptive cruise... you should be able to adjust the distance at which it activates, or turn it off completely.

I love my adaptive cruise. Although I do keep it turned to the shortest separation distance. I have never had it slow down for a car in the other lane whether the are curves or not. Unfortunately the shortest separation is still a bit far for people dawdling in the left lane to get the idea that it's time to move over. So sometimes I have to get on the gas a bit.

 

[Gofirstclass]

Thanks, Jim. I found out on Youtube how to turn it off and will do that in the a.m.

Today was a much easier trip than yesterday. 5.5 hours, lighter traffic, even going through SLC. We filled up the car in Sandy and that got us almost all the way here. I would have chanced it if I were alone but not with GW and the dog. We stopped somewhere out in the middle of absolutely nowhere at a truck stop to grab some lunch then back on the road.

We got into this area a bit after 4:30, filled up again before we got to the hotel so we didn't have to do that before we left tomorrow, then checked in.

Where we're staying is The Riverside Hotel in Boise. It's a Best Western property but it's definitely a step or two above the usual BW or BW Plus. At check in I got a free room upgrade to a larger room, 2 bottles of water and 2 hot chocolate chip cookies. When you travel it pays to stay with one hotel chain if possible.

Tomorrow is our last day and also shortest day at 4.3 hours. It'll be nice to be home, sleep in my own bed, check the mail, pet the cats and walk Sailor down along the river. We both like that.

Nite all.

 

[Gofirstclass]

We're Hooooooome!

A fairly easy drive today. Ran in to some rain heading out of Boise then it stopped. Traffic wasn't too bad and we cruised right on. I thought I had turned the wipers off and they quit sweeping. Until it started to sprinkle again and all of a sudden they started working again without me turning them on.

Seems we have some type of Rain Sensing Wipers. Anyway, they scared the bejesus out of me when they came on. So I just left it in that setting. Pretty cool.

The ride home was a piece of cake. We got here about 2:30 then unloaded the car and put stuff away. Easy Peasy.

I have some thoughts on the trip that I might share but that'll have to wait. I'm on my second gin & tonic and probably will have another before dinner.

Happy Veteran's Day to all you vets. It's about damn time the country was starting to honor those of us who gave up some time (and in some cases their lives) to protect the country. So, to all of you on here who served in one way or another, Thank You.

 

[Gofirstclass]

I screwed up and posted this in the gun thread. My bad. Here's where it's supposed to be.

It's sure nice to be home. I woke up this a.m. and had the dog on the bed with me and also one of the two cats was lying across my arm. We got up so I could walk the dog down by the river and we both enjoyed it. There were hundreds of geese flying around and lots of Coot swimming in front of us.

Sailor took his time and piddled on everything to mark his territory and it took him a lot longer than usual.

It was very different being out in the 40*, rainy weather. Quite a change from them 80*, sunny weather we enjoyed every day in AZ. It felt good though. There's a certain comfort that comes from being on your home turf. Lots of things to do today to get the house and yard back in shape. The lawn needs to be cut but that'll have to wait until the rain stops. Also have to fill the hot tub, pick up a few branches that blew down, just the usual stuff.

Of the things I enjoy about where we live are the neighbors and the neighborhood. Yesterday was garbage day so one of the neighbors came over while we were on our way home and raked the leaves off the lawn, put them in our 2 large roll around cans and put them out at the street so they would get picked up. I've never lived in a neighborhood like this and we both love it. Blessings come in may forms.

The trip is done. It had its ups and downs but all things considered it was a good trip. Tina loves the Infiniti and I must say it's a pleasure to drive. Different from the Terrain in many ways and more comfortable.

So I'll close by saying this.....

Let's Go Brandon!!!

 

[Gofirstclass]

One final note for those who are as OCD as I am....

~1200 miles
148.7 gallons
$524.11 total fuel cost
$3.52 average cost/gallon

Let's Go Brandon!