WHEN YOU’RE HOT, YOU’RE HOT!

June 22-28

Friday-Saturday.  We took US 60 almost entirely from Grove to that crossword puzzle favorite, Enid, OK.  The road was much better on the stomach than yesterday’s drive and the scenery through northwest Oklahoma is certainly pleasant enough.  This wasn’t a high-mileage day so we just took it easy.

Not a lot to choose from in Enid, but the High Point RV Park was adequate.  I had to park cockeyed as there were a lot of depressions to avoid if we wanted to be level.  It had power for the A/C (the heat is steadily rising as we motor west), and good cable with ESPN so I can watch the Euro Cup final tomorrow between Spain and Italy.  Unfortunately, the wifi signal at our site is the pits, so I have to wander down to a hotspot and sit out in the heat if I want to get on.  The place isn’t much to look at, but the trees provide some shade.  Loni, of course, worked her magic in the kitchen.  Enid is the home of the Railroad Museum of Oklahoma, but on Saturday we just wanted to flop.  It was too hot to be walking around outside looking at rolling stock, no matter how interesting it might be.  Besides, the Euro Cup final should have been a corker.  Too bad Italy was a no-show.  Spain, 4-0.

Sunday.  Once again trying to avoid the interstates, we stayed on US 60 all the way from Enid to Amarillo.  Although the skies were clear, the wind was blowing to beat the band.  Although I certainly could feel it, and had to correct-steer a lot, our relatively low profile compared to the SOB’s kept it from being a white-knuckle affair, despite the meager road shoulder.

Once we got to Amarillo we stayed at an old favorite, Fort Amarillo RV Resort at the western edge of the city.  The evening forecast didn’t auger well, but we’d be in the rig the whole time and the cab air cools well.  We won’t suffer until we have to get out.  These temps will look cool to us in just a short while.

Monday.  We got up extra early to get a start on the drive before the sun did its work, not so much for us but rather so that the engine could have some relatively cool air for a while.  We don’t have a Scan Gauge, but we’ve never seen any problem on the rig’s gauges vis-à-vis overheating.  This portal is always a welcome sight, as New Mexico is one of our favorite states to drive through.  After leaving Amarillo, we just hunkered down on I-40 to make time.  Besides, it’s views aren’t shabby.

Doesn’t look like much in the above picture, but the vistas soon are pretty impressive and you know you’re in “the West.”

In Albuquerque, as we did on the way east, we stayed at the American RV Park to the west of town.  In fact, we got the same site as before.  The temps are really climbing, but they have a very nice pool which we made good use of for a couple of hours.  We looked like prunes getting out, but it was worth it.  Loni’s finishing up her biography of Andrew Jackson, American Lion, while I perused less weighty matter.

Tuesday.  I forgot to set my alarm clock for Mountain Time, so got up at 5:44 instead of 6:44.  Needless to say, we got a nice, early start for what we had planned to be a stop in Holbrook, AZ.  But we got there before noon, so decided to keep on going to Flagstaff.  We stayed again at the KOA, which is OK, but a challenge to get level in.  Had to abandon the first site they assigned us.  The second was almost as bad, but we got level “enough.”  It had been a fairly long driving day, so I was willing to settle.  To add insult, this KOA uses Tengo as its internet provider, which I hate.  I’ve had nothing but bad times with Tengo, from awkward logging in to crappy connectivity at various parks throughout the country.

Wednesday.  Fairly short run today to the Avi Resort, our “go to” stop on almost all of our outbound and return excursions in this direction.  Again, nothing to look at, but it does have a multiplex theatre and a decent dining room.  But the temps!!

By our thermometer, we’re at 112!  You better believe we made a beeline for the theatre and the restaurant until the sun went down.  Didn’t cool off much.  I don’t think the A/C ever got us lower that the mid-80’s, but that felt just fine.

Thursday.  Straight shot into L.A.  Oh, god, we’re home.  Let’s turn back.