Road trip Mesa AZ to Home.

[RetiredSeabee]

Back on the road again……….hmmm wonder if I could make a country song out of that?
Left Mesa AZ Monday morning had little to no traffic most of the day. Traveled to Gallup New Mexico by way of Winslow AZ. Yes we had to stand on that corner.

001F480C-ED66-4327-A360-565607EB6870.jpeg (1.47 MiB) Viewed 1201 times

Back on the road after lunch next stop/drive through Painted Desert and Petrified Forest. Note to travelers if driving east on 40 enter the Park at the west/southern entrance. Had the gps set for the park and it took us to the main entrance. Drove back to the far end then back up.

4AA2E67C-2EAE-4076-81D5-79308CB7C053.jpeg (1.74 MiB) Viewed 1201 times

E66FC668-CD9E-4B4D-BF35-0A55AFC8223A.jpeg (1.48 MiB) Viewed 1201 times

D4A1C271-3E6B-4680-8BF2-A3CD273DCECD.jpeg (1.01 MiB) Viewed 1201 times

E94BB202-E53F-4505-8D71-11C46EF23D41.jpeg (801.04 KiB) Viewed 1201 times

BED0BA83-3A99-402D-9319-156ECBF058EC.jpeg (1.35 MiB) Viewed 1201 times

FC06F6BB-5141-4CB1-90D8-F58E20A47C4D.jpeg (1.09 MiB) Viewed 1201 times

F4C803E8-D99B-4A24-9ED2-0E7DFE3AB0B4.jpeg (960.5 KiB) Viewed 1201 times

Next stop hotel in Gallup then dinner at the El Rancho Hotel and Restaurant. Cool old place opened for business in 1939. Was used by many stars during the era of awesome western movies.
A note on New Mexican cuisine: When the waiter says it is a little bit hot (spicy)…he is lying. My taste buds should begin to recover in a day or two.

397723CB-A8CF-4C54-90D5-56D9E24CD323.jpeg (935.12 KiB) Viewed 1201 times

And back on the road again ….. I still think there may be some western lyrics in there.
I-40 from Gallup to Albuquerque should be renamed highway from hell. They must have hired the paving company that did the roads in Memphis.
Destination Holloman Air Force Base Almagordo. Long road through the wilderness decent roads mostly a few rough sections. Beautiful scenery but wouldn’t want to break down out there.
White Sands was interesting Wife loved it and got out to get some sun. She tans really fast.

88474201-530C-4B7E-BB82-DA2380766A74.jpeg (742.63 KiB) Viewed 1201 times

4DB6C36F-E31A-4D12-A7E6-E860795F22E2.jpeg (1.02 MiB) Viewed 1201 times

05FDCC02-A168-4F85-98F3-A880BA08A5C7.jpeg (783.12 KiB) Viewed 1201 times

[BigAl52]

Nice pics Seabee looks like a great time. Highways from hell exist in Colorado where every road is a joke

[Sir Henry]

Looks like you two had a great time. I’ve been to all them places.

[Hatchdog]

Nice pics Seabee looks like a great time. Highways from hell exist in Colorado where every road is a joke

Got a neighbor from the Denver area who went back last year and then eastward with his 5th wheel. He told me the worst road in the world is east of Denver, he said he had dishes and other cabinet items all over the floor of his fiver.

Great pictures RetiredSeabee, looks like a wonderful time and your wife has that million dollar smile.

[RetiredSeabee]

Day two Almagordo NM to Weatherford Ok by way of Roswell. Eight and a half hours on the road 530 miles. Total time eleven hours with stops. Some good pavement along the way. But far more not so good and a good many miles of have they heard of pavement out here?

A brief stop in Roswell for coffee and stretch the legs. Some strange looking folks hanging around.

F631E688-BCF0-493A-B1CC-9B9AB1ABB062.jpeg (1.03 MiB) Viewed 1166 times

4701E9EF-1C13-41D8-8616-3D48C9D2A285.jpeg (1.29 MiB) Viewed 1166 times

DB8726F3-5191-43B9-B393-FF8783558353.jpeg (1.18 MiB) Viewed 1166 times

CAF5B5A7-7227-4308-A717-E99899C31E67.jpeg (1.12 MiB) Viewed 1166 times

Long rough roads from Roswell up to I 40 there sure are a bunch of cattle on that route. Passed through Hereford TX "Beef Capital of the World" huge stockyards full of beef on the hoof.
Also saw multiple loooooong trains.
Finally arrived in Weatherford west of Oklahoma City about 7 pm. Found a decent place to grab a bite and a beer at Lucille's Roadhouse.

B56CA4A5-301B-4390-9EE4-F0C58991CAC3.jpeg (801.64 KiB) Viewed 1166 times

5048159D-FAEE-4065-AE17-0DF94888DA6D.jpeg (4.44 MiB) Viewed 1166 times

[fortyshooter]

That looks like a long but FUN drive thru the South West! Did you have your six shooter along for the trip? Wife and I took a week long trip out to Scottsdale area back in 2007 and really enjoyed it especially driving some canyon roads like the Apachie Trail which after 20 miles of paved turned into just desert sand/gravel roads! However we chose to fly there due to my vacation time... still working back then!

[RetiredSeabee]

No six shooter on this trip. Staying on Navy and Air Force bases have too many restrictions.
We have really enjoyed this trip. Considering flying out and renting an RV next time.

[HenryFan]

RetiredSeabee -

Don't know about roads out west but they couldn't be much worse than South Carolina roads.

South Carolina recently instituted a new driver's test. If the applicant can drive for one hour on South Carolina roads without hitting a pothole, the driver's license is issued.

Wishes for a safe trip the rest of the way back home.

[Redthies]

Great photos. We’ve been to a lot of those places too.

Whoever took the “inslow” photo should be slapped

[RetiredSeabee]

Great photos. We’ve been to a lot of those places too.

Whoever took the “inslow” photo should be slapped

Nice lady volunteered but didn’t give me a chance to review her photography certification.

[RetiredSeabee]

Much shorter road trip today. Six hours of highway time with a two hour break at Tinker AFB. Wife wanted to drive leaving Weatherford OK it was a little foggy with light rain when we started. We had already planned to stop at Tinker in Oklahoma City. When the rain and wind picked up she insisted on driving through it. She does not like driving in bad weather but refused to turn it over to me. Weather cleared up just as we got to Tinker.
She wasn’t quite white knuckling the wheel but close. I was hoping for Carrie Underwood’s Jesus take the wheel would come on the radio.
She did let me drive the remaining 4 hours to Little Rock AFB.
Tomorrow we hit the road again for another 6 hour road time to Tullahoma TN. Overnight at the Air Force Wingo Inn.

6242921F-4145-4B71-AA7A-70D373D2D9ED.jpeg (850.81 KiB) Viewed 755 times

FFB29919-4135-4929-B8D3-2C0780F260A1.jpeg (805.51 KiB) Viewed 755 times

B987FF09-4E3F-486D-A4D5-21FD331D4D73.jpeg (468.24 KiB) Viewed 755 times

[Redthies]

When I was living in a big tourist trap, (and a pro sports photographer) I’d have people ask me to take their picture almost daily. This was in the era of actual film, so I’d always take a picture that was just from the eyes up so they got a laugh when the processed the film. Maybe the nice lady did the same thing?

[RetiredSeabee]

One more night and on the road in the morning. Six days on the road and I’m gonna make it home tomorrow night. Sounds vaguely familiar might be a song lyric in there.
My lady did all the driving today. I got out of bed this morning and the old man apparently showed up while I was sleeping. I had that old man with bad back walk so she laid down the law. It was nice to be the passenger and sight see. And the weather was good and traffic mostly light. Little Rock AFB to Arnold AFB Tullahoma TN a little over 6 hours on the road and an hour break. We have found a real gem at this Air Force recreation facility. On a 3,600 acre reservoir with a lodge, cabins, campgrounds, marina, and golf course. We are definitely going to make this a vacation getaway in the future.
A couple of pics from the road and a few of the base deer.

80658FC8-1C97-4298-AC34-A2F6D06214B8.jpeg (893.91 KiB) Viewed 739 times

1CECFC31-654B-4A11-8944-70DFD4283D8B.jpeg (474.84 KiB) Viewed 739 times

0F461D98-C9F7-4F02-A67A-F10954C2FA28.jpeg (2.99 MiB) Viewed 739 times

A6346C39-1591-42A7-9D67-7B56B255486E.jpeg (2.32 MiB) Viewed 739 times

47592F8E-267B-4473-A526-36DD9C457CC4.jpeg (4.14 MiB) Viewed 739 times

[RetiredSeabee]

Finally home total of 17 days away. 13 days on the road 5,779 miles in my wife’s Lexus. It is a smooth riding car but the roads gave it a workout. I don’t want to think about how miserable it would have been in my truck. It is good to be home and I look forward to laying my head on my own pillow. Hotel pillows are not the same.

[BigAl52]

Finally home total of 17 days away. 13 days on the road 5,779 miles in my wife’s Lexus. It is a smooth riding car but the roads gave it a workout. I don’t want to think about how miserable it would have been in my truck. It is good to be home and I look forward to laying my head on my own pillow. Hotel pillows are not the same.

Neither are the beds. They flat suck in most cases. Glad you’re home safe and sound.

[Hatchdog]

Fun trip, thanks for taking us along!