I met my goal! I drove through Flagstaff, AZ, and made it all the way through to Albuquerque, New Mexico, albeit at 3:00AM. I was already prepared to find a motel, and came across a string of budget motels as soon as I crossed Albuquerque city limits.
Unfortunately, the first Motel 6 — my budget motel of choice — couldn’t rent to me since I’m 19. The front desk worker referred me to another Motel 6 five miles up the interstate. They were out of rooms. I was referred to another Motel 6 closer by that would rent to me, about two miles. I called ahead this time and asked if they had any rooms available. The front desk worker said dryly, “Yes, but all I have is a smoking room upstairs.”
One of my rules about lodging is to stay on at least the second floor and above. Statistically, more hotel crimes happen on the first floors due to escape routes. So after hearing this, I just told him, “I’m on my way!”
Turns out, not only was there a rodeo in town Saturday, there was also a convention in town (which explains the teenagers sitting outside all three). Lucky me. Just my luck, especially since I was making fantastic time and was in Albuquerque a day early.
I did drive through Amarillo, TX, and applauded when I saw the price of gas. $2.49 compared to the $2.99 in California is a huge difference! Definitely feels good on my bank account.
Throughout my drive to Shamrock, where I’m at now, I’d hop on Route 66 and check out some of the old businesses that are still running. One thing I was amazed by was the fact that some of the businesses advertised being “American-owned.” What world we live in, honestly.
One of the coolest things I saw was one of the famous Wigwam Motels in Holbrook, Arizona. I stopped there assuming I’d be tired enough to sleep for the night, but I ended up pressing on because I was still wide awake. The office was closed, unfortunately, but I definitely would’ve stayed there if it was open! I didn’t get any pictures, though; it was too dark to see anything.
Also, I have some tips for those of you who might be thinking of making the trek across the U.S. — or any long trips, for that matter:
- Keep a small box handy for things you might need specifically for the drive. I have a box just for that purpose to keep everything at arm’s reach: my atlas; car chargers for my iPod, GPS, and phone; snacks; proof of insurance and car registration, in case I get pulled over and I don’t have access to my glove compartment; blanket; notebook; and CDs.
- Podcasts are amazing! Some people suggest eBooks, but honestly, the conversational tone of podcasts keep me more alert than someone reading pages from a book. It makes you feel like there’s more people in the car with you. Also, if you listen to podcasts about things you want to learn about, it’s also educational! I’ve been talking to friends on the road and giving them random tidbits I’ve been learning. iTunes was a little bit too congested for me to find a lot of podcasts, but if I could, I’d recommend the HowStuffWorks.com podcasts that you can search for on iTunes. I personally would not be able to get through this trip if it weren’t for the “Stuff You Missed in History Class,” “Tech Stuff,” and “Stuff Mom Never Told You” podcasts. (I’m actually in the middle of writing an email to Cristen and Molly, the two girls from “Stuff Mom Never Told You.”)
- Be sure to check out places along your route! Even if you’re on the way to a certain city. Get out frequently and re-energize yourself, even if it’s just getting out and taking pictures at a rest stop or historical district of a small town. I drove the longest on my first day — 12 hours in one day — because I stopped frequently and got plenty of opportunities to stretch. I didn’t feel all that tired!
- Keep in touch with someone while you’re going. In case of something happening, you should give whoever you’re close to a general idea of where you are. Call that person when you leave a town, and when you make your stop for the night. Let them know what route you’ll be taking. It sounds tedious, but you’ll be bored on the road anyway. You might welcome the conversation.
- A car survival (read: emergency) kit might be ideal if you’re driving through desert or extreme winter conditions. This Instructible has some great guidelines for your kit, and it’s not that expensive or time-consuming to put together.
- If you get into a hotel particularly late (aka 3AM), ask for a late check-out. Most places I’ve stayed at, even if I come in around 11PM, still allow me to check-out up to two hours later than normal check-out time. And I’ve never been charged extra!
There’s some of my tips for those of you who like to travel like I do. I personally find these long drives a great time to think and discover new places, particularly places that have been standing for a long time. Especially as an American, I feel like I should go to places that are a great part of our history!
Now that I’m in the luckiest (or drunkest and Irishest) place in the United States, I think I’m gonna get some sleep before my luck runs out.
1164 miles driven, 628 to go.
He asked if my phone had flash (my camera died mysteriously) right before the picture was taken. After it took the photo, I said, “That’d be a yes!” He laughed and said, “I guess so!” Such a sweet guy!
