For October 29, 2008
Kelly and I started the day in Yuma, Arizona. I was recovered from a blazin' hot wing from Buffalo Wild Wings. My face turned coke can red for a short time, but I'm doing well. Kelly and I started the day at the Cracker Barrel off of 16th st. & I-8. Cracker Barrel rules!!!
From the Cracker Barrel we moved Southbound on U.S. 95 (16th st) and then the hwy took a 90 degree turn to really go due South towards the Mexican Border. I passed through towns I've never crossed in the short time I lived in Yuma in 1987. I passed through Somerton, Gadsden, and then San Luis, Arizona. Me and Kelly got ever so close to the border before we crossed. As a matter of fact, we didn't cross and we took a right (paralell to the border fence). I was in Awe of what was on the other side of the border (a Circle K and a Pemex gas station). It made me want to cross into Mexico at that point.
We stayed in Yuma to go to the Yuma Territorial Prison (a tourist attraction today, a hellhole in the early 20th century). I'll visit there again someday. I could see I-8, the Colorado River, and the State of California. I stayed in Yuma some more for some beef tacos over at Las Palapas. I recommend that place for great tacos anytime.
After our stay in Yuma ended, we headed West on I-8, straight to San Diego.
On Interstate 8, it was a 2 lane freeway from Yuma to El Cajon, California. Kelly and I took a brief detour on a road that led to some sand dunes in Imperial County, California. I told Kelly that parts of "Spaceballs" was filmed in those parts of sand. Now we were on our way to San Diego.
We passed through El Centro and then started our windy jaunts around the mountains of San Diego County on I-8 and encountered elevations as high as 4,000 feet. Kelly was fascinated by the roadside stops where you could get water (that was designed for the summertime heat for cars to survive). Finally in El Cajon, the road would expand to 3 and 4 lanes and we saw civilization. We saw things like gas stations, Denny's, shopping centers, and some traffic. I was so glad to have Kelly with me on our journey to San Diego. I've been to San Diego now 4 years in a row.
Sadly, I got lost in the city I know. I got off the freeway at the Hotel Circle exit because I thought that it would lead me to my hotel destination. Sadly, I landed on a Dead End. Luckily, I remembered that The hotel was on Camino Del Rio South. For some reason, I thought that the 2 differet Camion Del Rios (North and South) were one way streets. I was wrong. I now know that the hotel is on the side where I-8 drivers go Eastbound.
In San Diego, Kelly and I took a drive from the hotel to the Gaslamp District. Driving directions: I-8 West to I-5 South towards Downtown and then I got off the freeway at the Front Street Exit. That would lead me to 2nd avenue towards downtown. A few one way streets later, a parking deck and some dinner in the gaslamp. Cafe Sevilla, here we come.
After dinner at Cafe Sevilla, I convince Kelly to come with me to Gharardelli Ice Cream shop for some dessert. I didn't disappoint (and neither did the ice cream).
Dessert put me over the top. Now, time to call it a night, for there would be a fun day in store in San Diego on Thursday, October 30, 2008.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
From the Grand Canyon to Yuma
Me and kelly left the Grand Canyon on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 early in the morning. We drove south on Arizona 64 for about an hour. Then we went West on I-40 for such a short drive. We then took a detour off the freeway for a sense of spirit on Driving the old "Route 66". We got on to Route 66 at Exit 139 and seemed to get off the freeway in the middle of nowhere.
On Route 66, we saw miles of Fields and Fields. We saw a sign for Road Kill Cafe and I got a few decent pictures of it. After lunch we stayed on Route 66 until we hit Kingman, Arizona. We got to a place called "Terribles" and I bought drinks and scratchers tickets before hopping back onto I-40.
The Westbound I-40 took me and Kelly from Kingman, Arizona to just outside Needles, California. It was Kelly's first time in the Golden State.
We got off the freeway on a road that would lead us to U.S. Hwy 95. We would be on U.S. Hwy 95 for about an hour and a half and I was a lucky passenger seeing to my left the beauty of the Colorado River. Kelly did the driving and we encountered some dips on the road along the way. After going south on U.S. 95 for an hour and a half, we hit Blythe, California. It was there that I would make my initial phone call to my friend in Yuma, Arizona, Mike Mogan to make plans for the evening.
It was in Blythe that I got a great idea for another scenic route. Kelly and I would go on I-10 Westbound until we exited onto California Hwy 78 (The Neighbours Blvd Exit) and begin our southern decent into Yuma.
78 would take us South and then West for about an hour. It was getting darker at night and we would have to be alert to see what was going on. It was still daylight outside when we were South on Hwy 78. Going west on 78 would take us from sunlight to darkness. As long as there was daylight, we saw alot of agricultural fields and smelled some of them along the way. There were not many buildings along this road. There were just miles and miles of fields. My eyes were keen on seeing a sign that said Orchid Road. That was our ticket to get to our next spot, Interstate 8.
On Orchid Road, a sign read "16 miles" to Interstate 8. It was very very dark at night and I didn't see anything except what was in front of me. I saw whatever was in front of my headlit vehicle going Southbound until I finally saw the sign for Interstate 8.
I was on the California side of I-8 going Eastbound until I got to Yuma, Arizona. Kelly and I were listening to a radio station that had Mexican speaking DJs while they were playing English playing music. Before crossing the Colorado River into Arizona, we saw signs for Casinos and the bright lights on them were cool. We made our destination, Exit 2 (16th Street) to check into our Days Inn.
Later this night in Yuma, I'd meet my friend Mike Mogan and burn myself with some blazin' hot wings.
I love you Kelly!!!!!
On Route 66, we saw miles of Fields and Fields. We saw a sign for Road Kill Cafe and I got a few decent pictures of it. After lunch we stayed on Route 66 until we hit Kingman, Arizona. We got to a place called "Terribles" and I bought drinks and scratchers tickets before hopping back onto I-40.
The Westbound I-40 took me and Kelly from Kingman, Arizona to just outside Needles, California. It was Kelly's first time in the Golden State.
We got off the freeway on a road that would lead us to U.S. Hwy 95. We would be on U.S. Hwy 95 for about an hour and a half and I was a lucky passenger seeing to my left the beauty of the Colorado River. Kelly did the driving and we encountered some dips on the road along the way. After going south on U.S. 95 for an hour and a half, we hit Blythe, California. It was there that I would make my initial phone call to my friend in Yuma, Arizona, Mike Mogan to make plans for the evening.
It was in Blythe that I got a great idea for another scenic route. Kelly and I would go on I-10 Westbound until we exited onto California Hwy 78 (The Neighbours Blvd Exit) and begin our southern decent into Yuma.
78 would take us South and then West for about an hour. It was getting darker at night and we would have to be alert to see what was going on. It was still daylight outside when we were South on Hwy 78. Going west on 78 would take us from sunlight to darkness. As long as there was daylight, we saw alot of agricultural fields and smelled some of them along the way. There were not many buildings along this road. There were just miles and miles of fields. My eyes were keen on seeing a sign that said Orchid Road. That was our ticket to get to our next spot, Interstate 8.
On Orchid Road, a sign read "16 miles" to Interstate 8. It was very very dark at night and I didn't see anything except what was in front of me. I saw whatever was in front of my headlit vehicle going Southbound until I finally saw the sign for Interstate 8.
I was on the California side of I-8 going Eastbound until I got to Yuma, Arizona. Kelly and I were listening to a radio station that had Mexican speaking DJs while they were playing English playing music. Before crossing the Colorado River into Arizona, we saw signs for Casinos and the bright lights on them were cool. We made our destination, Exit 2 (16th Street) to check into our Days Inn.
Later this night in Yuma, I'd meet my friend Mike Mogan and burn myself with some blazin' hot wings.
I love you Kelly!!!!!
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