On the Road

Anna Mae and I are traveling to Yuma, Arizona to see my Aunt Jean. We left Soulsbyville at 12:55pm yesterday and spent the day driving, driving, driving. We only stopped 3 times to stretch (my sciatic nerve dictating the need).

We alternated between chatting about all kinds of things and listenting to the first Harry Potter book. This was Mae's first time with Harry Potter. We got permission from her mom who also read Anna Mae a review of the book by a high school Catholic homeschooler. After each CD, we discussed our responses to the book: what was going on and JK Rowlings writing style and how the book related to the review. I felt like I was in a college class discussing literature.

We had planned to go over Sonora Pass, but then it snowed so we had to go down Highway 99. The problem was I had a motel reservation in Ridgecrest on 395 for the first night, so we had to cut over at Bakersfield and travel 58 over the Tehachipi Mountains with every big rig in California. One of our stops was in Tehachipi where, as luck would have it, we took an off-ramp that led directly to the library. How's that for a coincidence: two avid readers ending up at a library for a rest stop?

Then we got back in the car and started our search for Highway 14 which was where we were going to cut across to 395. We found it, but it was the one place where the Map Quest instructions went a little awry. Anna Mae was reading the directions in the back seat where she has to sit because of her small stature and the VW airbags, but there is no light back there since the VW convertible has no ceiling light. She managed to read them fine with the visor light turned on, but the road they wanted us to go on was nowhere to be found. Finally, I just decided to head north as I knew this was the spot where we had to back track and it was the right decision. Highway 14 is, however, dark and desolate and there was almost no traffic. I was relieved when we were finally able to see the lights of the Ridgcrest in the distant valley below.

It was still awhile before we got to Ridgecrest, but we finally rolled into our hotel about 7:30. After we got settled, we went to dinner at an Italian Restaurant and had pasta. When we came back to the motel, we went to the hottub. The warm bubbling water felt great on my back and Mae had this minor shoulder injury that was also soothed by the soak.

Back in the room, I read while Mae wrote email to her family, and then we both read for awhile before going to sleep. We are getting ready to check out the continental breakfast that comes with our room and then we'll be off again! We should reach Yuma late today.