The Long Trek Home

After a late night watching all the election returns we still managed to get up early. We had some decisions to make, mainly are we heading home north thru Colorado and Utah or taking the southern route. A quick review of accuweather cemented the decision for us. The Southern desert route it is! While were hoping to get in some more hot springs, we were not willing to risk driving thru snowstorms in the Rockies and Sierras. So we begin our long trek home.
Yesterday was a pretty uneventful 11 hour drive in the car. How do you know you have a good marriage and are with a great partner? Well, let's just say when a certain know-it-all woman behind the wheel claims she can make it to the next gas station and is oh so short by a mile or two, and her husband just laughs it off, things are pretty solid. Plan B was a spontaneous picnic lunch on the side of the road as we waited for AAA. As my hubby and I now say, "We'll always have Flagstaff." Check out the picture of me eating crow...
Early last night we pulled into Shady Lane Rv park in the beautiful outskirts of the crossroads of Barstow. The highlight of the evening was a gorgeous sunset. We conked out immediately and slept 9 hours! Today as we are driving in the deserts of Southern California we are so glad we decided to take the southern route home and not risk the mountain passes. We stopped at Murray Family Farms in Bakersfield and were amazed at how much the temperature had dropped and the winds picked up. Looks like that storm is going to happen. Knowing that we had empty cupboards at home we stocked up on pluots, persimmons, avocados, pomegranate juice, dried pears and mango, and some popcorn, of course. Old habits die hard.
We drove thru a lot of precipitation going up the valley. When we finally reached the foothills of home we were greeted with fall colors, cold and wet weather and lots of chimneys going. Yep, summer is officially over. At home there was a package waiting for me from Megan. It was my birthday present (a t-shirt saying I climbed half dome). What a perfect way to end my birthday road trip! Time to build a fire, curl up with my honey and embrace the change in seasons.