Christmas is a time to travel to see friends and family… so
early (or not that early) Saturday, Christmas Eve, the dogs and I hit the road
southbound, heading for Tucson Arizona…
We had run the last of the Pajama Trains the evening before…
and of course the locomotive broke down as the second and last train was to
leave… we fired up a back up locomotive, and made the run, only a little late…
Note to self; We know what the first project will be on Tuesday when I return
to work…
It was a cold damp cloudy morning, threatening rain… not the
quick violent flash flood inducing rain that is common in desert summers, but
instead a continual all day rain… The
kind of rain common in Northern California, but thanks to the Sierra, rarely
found in Southern Nevada. Tradition
suggest I might call it a dark and stormy day…
Heading out of town, I grabbed a coffee at McDonalds in
Boulder City… across the street from the
railroad, but didn’t stop... A few minutes and only 10 miles later, a bit before 9:00, and only 21 miles from home I crossed the
Tillman bridge and the Colorado River into Arizona… The clouds were
low, and there was snow on the mountains, mostly lost in the clouds… As soon after crossing the border I started
to see Joshua trees… I was no longer in the Las Vegas Valley, but in a
different desert… The road, Hwy 93… was in poor condition… there were potholes,
and no shoulder… It felt like a minor
secondary road, but there was too much traffic… Soon it started to rain. At first a mist, but eventually just rain…
with wind…
North of Kingman I passed the sad remains of Santa’s Land… a
one time road side amusement park, now abandoned… Little remained beyond a couple of buildings
and a sign… A sad sight indeed on Christmas Eve. I stopped and took a couple of pictures… I
needed a jacket and a hat. It was cold
and wet…
By Kingman the rain was heavy, and the roads in town were
flooded… I didn’t take any time to
wander, but instead hopped on I-40 eastbound, climbing towards Flagstaff. Lighted freeway signs were warning of an
accident ahead and heavy snow… It
continued to rain…
Just before the Hwy 93 turnoff the rain changed… as the
signs had promised it was snowing… not yet sticking, but snowing… Just in time I took Hwy 93 south, towards a
lower elevation… A sign on the highway proclaimed
“Future I-11 Corridor” as I dodged
potholes… I saw my first Saguaro catus
of the trip… still a different kind of desert, then soon after a sign saying
that this was the “Joshua Tree Parkway”... Along the Joshua Tree Parkway, in Wikieup Arizona I paused at a unique sculpture… Snoopy
and his desert wandering brother Spike riding a rocket Slim Pickens style… Because nothing says this is an interesting
place like a comic book dog on a rocket…
The rain continued, and by now the normally dry desert
washer were carrying water, in most cases a trickle, but in some a mini maelstrom
of muddy angry water… As the elevation
dropped, and the land flattened the desert was awash in standing water…
Driving through Phoenix was slow… Hwy 93 is just a city
street with traffic signals and cross traffic… You pass by the gated and safe Sun City, then
though industrial areas with auto body shops, auto auctions and likely if not
Christmas Eve, good taco trucks.
Finally onto I-10, in the rain, with crazy drivers trying to
go too fast, and the visitors trying to figure out where they are, driving too
slow and suddenly changing lanes as they figure out they are in the wrong place…
It was a challenging mess to navigate.
Now south of Phoenix, on what is normally a fast drive… but
it is still raining, now raining harder, with high winds and the road is now
awash, and everyone’s tires are throwing water in the air, creating a near
whiteout. The big trucks are
particularly bad… their sprays of water hit with the force of a fire hose, scaring drivers and seemingly pushing you
sideways towards the shoulder. It was a
slow drive.
The storm finally breaks as I reach Tucson… just ahead the line
of clouds end, and there is sunlight peaking under… but it was a tease, for the
storm was moving south, and it soon caught up when I stopped…
I found my hotel, then went in search of some supplies… I
was out of dog poop bags… I found the needed bags, then picked up some other
goodies in time to check in and make it to Jay’s house… Of course I had forgotten the time change at
the Arizona border… so instead of early I was just on time to go to dinner… at
least its an hour I will get back tomorrow when north bound…
Now, its time for family, and a deep breath…
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