Amy's Rear View Mirror

Phoenix, AZ to Hallandale, FL ...
June 2000

My original contract was completed, but the client wanted to extend my contract for more work. It got too hot to stay in Phoenix any longer. I was having trouble keeping the coach cool enough for the dogs during the day since the high for the day was reaching 104. I explained my situation to the client and they agreed to let me work remotely by dialing into their computer so I could move to a cooler climate.

Jim's contract was still in full swing in the Miami area and the temperature was only a high of 88. So we decided I would make my way to Miami, FL.

5/27 Phoenix, AZ to Show Low, AZ

I took AZ-87 through Payson and then AZ-260 to Show Low. I left Phoenix at 7:30 AM and pulled into Show Low around noon. The ride to Payson did have a few bad mountain climbs ... 6% grades which slowed me down to 25/30 mph. The scenery was great ... just wish there were some large pulloffs so I could have taken pictures.

I stayed at K-Bar RV Resort which was very nice ... lots of trees and cool temps!! It's such a relief to get out of the Phoenix heat. I decided not to do any sightseeing and just hang out in the campground. The Sitgreaves National Forest looked like a good place to spend some time. The night air was cool enough I turned off the a/c and slept with the windows open. At 3 AM a critter decided to play on the roof directly over the bed and woke me up.

Show Low was named from a card game ... Marion Clark and Corydon E. Cooley, a famous Indian Scout, were partners and homesteaded their land in 1870, fencing off 100,000 acres with barbed wire. Part of their ranch is the present town of Show Low. Some years later, the two partners had a disagreement and decided to dissolve their partnership with a game of cards called "Seven Up" - the winner would buy out the loser. The partners played all night. On the last hand Cooley needed just one point to win. At that moment, Clark is reported to have said, "You SHOW LOW and you win!" Cooley cut the deck, and came up with the two of clubs, thus winning the game and the town, and providing the name for the future town of Show Low. The main street is called 'Deuce of Clubs'.

5/28 Show Low, AZ to Albuquerque, NM

I took AZ-77 north out of Show Low to Holbrook, AZ on I-40. I-40 went through Navajo country with many Indian markets. I stopped at the rest area at the AZ/NM state line ... the dogs had a great time running around the pet area. Since no one else was around I let them off the leash to run and play for a few minutes.

Around 3PM I pulled into Enchanted Trails Campground on I-40 just west of Albuquerque. The campground is really nice ... most of the sites have a big shade tree. I intended to go sightseeing after I got settled, but I got into the campground too late. I was delayed by a traffic jam on I-40 just west of the exit for the campground by an RV fire ... it was an older model class A ... I don't know how it got started, but I did hear on the CB that the people and their pets got out safely.

The temperature was cool enough over night that I turned off the a/c and slept with the windows open. Boy, I sure could get used to this!! There was a cool gentle breeze blowing across the campground all night. The time change from AZ time to MTN timehad me all messed up even though it was only 1 hour. I did everything an hour later than intended.

5/29 - 6/4 Albuquerque, NM to Amarillo, TX (Joe & Jacque's Wedding)

I took I-40 all the way to Amarillo, TX. It was a tiring drive since the winds from Santa Rosa, NM all the way to Amarillo were really strong ... blowing me all over the road. It was a good thing I drove through the worst parts early in the morning ... not many drivers out on the road. I had made reservations in Amarillo at Village East RV Park for the week. The campground and hosts were very nice and helpful. Jim's son, Joe, is getting married on Saturday. I didn't get to do much around town - there was too much still to do for the wedding.

We got to see the home Joe & Jacque bought. It's older, but in good shape ... it will look nice once they redo the interior ... it's in old 70's decor.

We all - Joe, Jacque, Jacque's parents, Jacque's grandmothers, myself, Jim and his mother once they arrived in town - went out to dinner every night after a full days work completing wedding plans.

On Wednesday I picked up Jim and his mother at the airport.

On Friday we spent the day decorating the wedding chapel - a cute little building on Texas A&M campus in Canyon. The rehearsal dinner went well ... not too many leftovers and All the Fixin's Catering did a great job. The wedding on  Saturday was very nice with the reception at Jacque's parents' house.

On Sunday after I took Jim to the airport, I took his mother to Palo Duro Canyon ... Joe, Jacque, and her grandmother came with us. It reminded me of Sedona with red rock formations.

6/5 Amarillo, TX to Russellville, AR

Jim's mother, Mary, decided she wanted to ride with me in the motorhome for a few days instead of taking her plane back home. We took I-40 going east and near Groom, TX we passed the largest cross in the Northern Hemisphere. We went to the Flying J for lunch which was interesting to Mary - she's got 4 sons who are over-the-road truck drivers - it showed her a little bit of the truckers life she hadn't seen before.

OK is full of one indian reservation after another as you cross the state. The terrain changes from plains to rolling hills which lead to the Ozark Mountains.

We stopped at another Flying J where there was a hot rod show and Mary spent some time walking around taking pictures of some of the cars.

I-40 in AR is one of the roughest roads I've driven on, way worse than I-10. I got off the interstate and tried US-64 for a while ... it was just as bad. If I'm gonna be bounced around I might as well be going 70 mph, so I got back on I-40.

In Russellville we stopped at Outdoor Living Center RV Park for the night. The campground was clean and very quiet, gravel roads and parking pads, grass between the sites.

6/6 Russellville, AR to Memphis, TN

When we finally got to the TN state line I got on I-55 and headed to Graceland. We stayed on the west side of Memphis at the Graceland KOA.

Mary & I spent the afternoon walking up and down Beale Street.  I got some gifts for friends I'd be seeing at our next stop.  We had dinner at Elvis Presley's Memphis Restaurant. It looked like a 50's nightclub inside and they played Elvis movie clips on a large screen. There was a stage for bands to perform.

6/7 - 6/11 Memphis, TN to Crane Hill, AL

We toured Graceland in the morning. It was more interesting than I expected it to be. You get to tour the house, cars, planes, and museum. It all took about 3-4 hours. Elvis got alot more awards and did more charity work that I knew about.

Around noon we headed down US-78 to Jasper, AL and then up AL-69 to Big Bridge Campground in Crane Hill. It was nice to be home!! Big Bridge is where we spent most of our weekends in the motorhome while we were still living in the house. The owner, Mr. Mike, had reserved our favorite site for us and had spread the word to the other regular campers about us being there. So it was kinda like a coming home party. Elsy had made dinner for us so we wouldn't have to cook right after setting up. The potluck dinners all weekend were great!!

On Friday I picked Jim up at the Huntsville airport so he could spend the weekend with us. Mary had gotten home sick and decided to rent a car and drive home (she lives 5 hours away in the panhandle of FL).

On Saturday more friends, Bob & Marty Morgan, arrived to camp with us for the weekend. So there was more catching up to do.

On Sunday more friends, Phil & Diane Rohman,  showed up to visit for the day. We played several games of Hand & Foot, just like we used to. Phil & Diane live near Huntsville so they took Jim to the airport for me on their way home at the end of the day.

6/12 - 6/17 Crane Hill, AL to Tampa, FL

By this point I didn't want to drive anymore, but I had to go to Tampa for a warranty appointment on the coach at Lazydays.

It took me 2 days to make this drive. On the first day I took I-65 from Crane Hill to Birmingham, then US-280 to Columbus, GA, then US-82/GA-520 to Tifton, GA, then I-75 south. I stopped at the Flying J at the GA/FL state line for the night.

In the morning I continued down I-75 to Tampa and pulled into Lazydays RV Rally Park for the night. This new campground isn't as nice as the old campground. The sites are close together, short, very unlevel and no real trees to speak of.

Wednesday morning the service appointment started and wasn't completed until Saturday morning, so we (I picked Jim up at the Tampa airport on Thursday) slept in the motorhome in the service bay. The service bay had full hookups for us and enough room so we could open the slides. The dogs were allowed all over the property, including in the buildings, except for in the cafeteria and in the rigs for sale. Many folks getting service done had their dogs walking with them and sitting in the waiting room. All the workers were really great, friendly, and helpful ... our entire list of items got completed.

On Saturday we went back to Rally RV Park for the night.

6/18 Tampa, FL to Hallandale, FL

Jim drove this stretch of the trip and was I ever glad to get out of the driver's seat for a while. It was about a 5 hour trip to Hallandale. Jim had arranged for reservations and a phone line at the site at Holiday RV Park on Hallandale Beach Blvd just off I-95. The front of the property is a trailer park with mostly seasonal owners. The campground is hidden in the back.

This will be home for a while ... at least until Jim's current work contract is completed.
 

Sorry there weren't many pictures of these places. I had taken pictures all along the way at every campground and sightseeing spot I stopped in, but my camera bag which contained my digital camera and the diskettes of pictures was stolen at the beach in Hallandale in July. I had not yet copied the pictures onto my computer except for the wedding pictures, so I lost them all.

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