L.A. to Tucson-Road Trip

The plan was simple

Set out at the crack of dawn, have lunch in Phoenix and dinner in Tucson.
--- estimated "pulling in the driveway time" -- late afternoon.

The reality ---
Set out at the crack of dawn, run into fog, a detour caused by a jack-knifed semi, get stuck behind a motorcycle charity ride, have lunch at a rest stop on the I-10, stop at a "please can we see the ostriches....PLEASE PLEASE" farm and dodge construction barrels and barricades of a interstate widening project.
--- "pulling in the driveway time"-- after midnight.

Directions ---
When it comes to giving directions the world is divided into two types of people, those that can give directions and those who can't. Trust me, if you're ever given directions that use the phrases
"about a mile maybe two", "right turn at the gas station/McDonald's" and the ever prophetic "don't worry you can't miss it", immediately add hours to your arrival time and print out MapQuest, because this "latter day Sacajawa" has no concept of distance, doesn't know his right from his left and has only seen their "can't miss it landmak" at high noon on a sunny day.
Additional piece of advice --- Never try to read MapQuest directions from the bottom up, because transposing rights to lefts is not as easy as you think and never ends well. :rolleyes:

Next --- The Mall & #22.

Do not miss the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum it is great.
Have a good trip.

The Mall & #22
The Mall -Black Friday (Nov. 23) survivial of the fittest!

It's 7am, parking spaces are at a premium. Cars s-l-o-w-l-y prowl the lot. My eyes dart between the mall doors (waiting to trail exiting shoppers) and looking for white back-up lights.
Then I saw it, white lights one lane over, I make a quick turn.... only to be stopped by a driver in a passenger van making a 19 point turn in the middle of the road----GO #22 was graffitied all over the passenger windows. Trust me, I was #22's most vocal GO-GO-GO-O-O-O-O-O, fan. AHHHHHHHHH!

Next Columbine, a Super Guppy and a Starfire ;)
Will upload photos to the gallery as soon as I read the instructions. :D

Thanks Z, more desert. :D :D

Pima Air & Space Museum

The Pima Air & Space Museum, airplanes, airplanes, airplanes, over 275 aircraft, including Air Force One (1961-1965) a Super Guppy, and MIGs. http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...DIR#>/wink.gif

A great way to spend a couple of hours, or (if you are, or are with a aviation enthusiast) the entire day.
There is a guided shuttle tour of the grounds, but if you're an enthusiast, you'll want to walk over, under, around and through everything on your own.
Word to the wise--wear closed toe shoes and watch out for snakes.
Admission $13.75-discounts for seniors/AAA/military.

Nearby is AMARC (Aerospace Maintenance And Regeneration Center) "the boneyard", a aircraft storage and maintenance facility- adjoins Davis-Monthan AFB. The Pima Museum offers bus tours ($6.00) of AMARC but we opted to walk the fence line on Valencia. http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...DIR#>/wink.gif
Side note --- B52's are left in full view (some cut up) so Russian satellities (per terms of strategic arms reduction treaties) can verify their destruction.
Additional side note --- The boneyard was our "you can't miss it'" landmark. Trust me, you can miss it; what can I say, it was night, it was dark, there are no street lights, or houses, or lights of any kind and I wasn't drving. http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...#>/biggrin.gif

Despite my best efforts I still haven't figured out my camera's "stitch assist mode'. I also can't figure out how to upload photos to the Forum's gallery sooooo ImageShack will have to do.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/3...ationtwat8.jpg
L-049 Constellation (Lockheed) Restored in TWA colors--Tail # N90831

http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/2...closeupvq5.jpg
NASA Boeing B-377 SG Super Guppy (sealed for heat and dust) Tail # 940

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/1...9611965dg2.jpg
Douglas VC-118A Liftmaster Tail # 33240
Presidential Aircraft (Air Force One-1961-1965) Used by presidents Kennedy and Johnson when flying into smaller airfields (Hyannisport Mass./LBJ's Texas ranch)



Next- The Loop

Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park, cactus, cactus....lots of cactus. http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...DIR#>/wink.gif Saguaro Park is divided into two sections, the east and the west.
We visited the east section, because..... well, it was closer, and it's where our friend the ''physical fitness fanatic'' likes to ride his bike. (Z, I lobbied for the west section near the Sonora museum, but I was out voted. --democracy in action http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...DIR#>/wink.gif )

While "Mr fitness fanatic" took off pedaling, we drove one of the scenic loops -- just gorgeous, a forest of giant cactus. It was during this drive, that, what is now known as the "cactus incident" ( a highly exaggerated version of the event is now circulating through my family) took place.
Here are the facts: We saw a beautful giant saguaro standing maybe 20 feet high, just off the side of the road, but..... the sun was in the wrong place. So, we pulled over, I grabbed my camera and set off to get the perfect postcard shot. Now I did get poked a little trekking through the sage, but this was for that perfect shot soooo I journeyed on. Now do I even have to tell you what happened........ uh-huh....... cactus needles right through the jeans. Now my family...... in the car, thinks this is too hilarious, they are just laughing their heads off. I on the other hand, despite some discomfort and having to stare down, a snake, (make that five snakes, all with huge fangs) take my picture and limp back to the car.
Now those are the facts, I categorically deny, leaping around wildly smacking at the cactus needles with my bare hands. I tell you some people exaggerate so. *nods head*

Next the 202 loop

The 202 loop--Phoenix

Why we took the 202 loop I don't know, it certainly wasn't mentoned in the directions.
But never the less, there we were, merging onto the 202 loop because "someone" thinks mapquest directions are "too roundabout". After transitioning from the 202 loop onto the 101 loop and still no sign of "Scottsdale Road", me and Mr. "can't a person just drive around a bit without being lost", come to an understanding......we'll ask for directions. Guess what........we should have bypassed the loop.
Since we were now off the freeway and were told the surface street we were on becomes Scottsdale Road, we decided to take it to the hotel. Now you can call it karma, a lucky break, or payback for all that laughing, but this new 'happenstance route" took us right through the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, uh-huh, right pass shops, restaurants and art galleires. Trust me, I laughed all the way through dinner. http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...#>/biggrin.gif http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...#>/biggrin.gif http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...#>/biggrin.gif

Homeward Bound
Phoenix-L.A. took eight hours-holiday crush, bumper-to-bumper

My Road trip tips---http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/au...smiley-003.gif
1---Planning, also don't forget to check gas prices. We used Gasbuddy, in our case we saved 40 cents a gallon by filling up in Arizona instead of California.

2---Snacks

3---An easy-going approach to sightseeing. Hey, you never know when you may see an ostrich farm or airplanes shimmering in the sun.

4---No Miles Davis (or any one artist) for hours and hours, unless everybody L-O-V-E-S them!

5--- (And this is critical) Ban all musical instruments from the vehicle. Trust me, after a while you'll be stopping the car, grabbing that guitar/tamborine and threatening the "musician" with grievous bodily harm. (uh-huh, believe it.)

Well that's it, hope you enjoyed my musings from the road.

Keep'em Flying

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Migflanker @ Nov 29 2007, 03:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Quote:

---

Now those are the facts, I categorically deny, leaping around wildly smacking at the cactus needles with my bare hands.[/b]

---

Whatever http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...IR#>/laugh.gif http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...IR#>/laugh.gifhttp://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...IR#>/laugh.gif

Looks like such a good place for a "Road Trip" commercial ....
(sorry, but a guys got a make a livin&#39;)

The Nonrev Network now has a great tool to help plan your road trips!

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His Road Trip.....Her Road Trip
http://bestsmileys.com/cars/23.gif

Hers:

Pulls off at wrong exit.
Opens window.
Asks directions.
Arrives at destination presently.

His:

Pulls off at wrong exit absolutely postive it&#39;s the correct one.
Drives five miles into the wilderness, still thinks he&#39;s right.
Drives an extra five miles just in case.
Finally rolls down window just to get fresh air.
Pulls up to a 7-11.
Gets three hot dogs, a large slurpee and beef jerky.
Asks person behind counter how to get back onto the highway
Gets back into car.
Laughs at the idea of looking at a map as he pulls away from the 7-11.
Drives down a dirt road with no street lights insisting this is the way because guy from 7-11 said it was.
Almost hits a deer.
Curses the night.
Curses the large slurpee
Drives and fiddles with radio.
Admits he didn&#39;t want to go to viist your sister anyway.
He hates your sister.
Ever since she called him a pernicious weasel.
He had to look up pernicious.
Couldn&#39;t find dictionary.
Finally found a dictionary.
Couldn&#39;t spell pernicious.
Seethes at the memory of it all
And of course you&#39;re still lost.

I am happy to report we have gone high tech and bought a TomTom GPS!