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A Road Trip Across The Southwest

Weinie Dogs Explore Red Mountains And Indian Painted Vistas

By Barbi Quirk

Once every few years I get that dissatisfied feeling about my life that makes me feel like something is missing. Is it that I don’t have children, that I am not married, or that my job isn’t exciting enough? Or is it just that I need a good road trip? I have found that nothing makes me appreciate my home, my job, and my status as a single woman in America more than getting out on the highway and taking a trip across the United States in my car. The last time I undertook such an endeavor was in 1998 when I traveled to the Red Mountain Spa near St. George, Utah from my home in San Antonio, Texas. A few months ago I started to get that need a road trip feeling again and decided to return to the Red Mountain Spa for another visit.  Before I booked my stay I did a search for spas on the internet and found a couple that were not quite so far away as Utah. After some debate with friends and family who could not understand why I didn’t just fly somewhere, I realized that I really wanted to drive to Utah again, if for no other reason, than to prove that I could still take care of myself on the road.

There would be one major difference in my trip this time. I did not wish to leave behind my two miniature dachshunds, Yum-Yum and Gumbo. I had recently returned from a trip to Europe for a week during which I had missed them terribly, and I saw no reason to leave them for another week. The farthest Yum-Yum and Gumbo had ever traveled with me was to accompany me on occasional five hour drives to the beach at South Padre Island at the southern tip of Texas. They did seem to enjoy riding in the car with me, however, and one of my favorite road trips in the past had been a drive I took to Portland, Oregon with an English Bull Terrier I had named Molly. For me there is no better companion on a road trip than a good dog. I have learned from experience that traveling with another person who does not appreciate the open road is the fastest way on Earth to end a friendship. Dogs on the other hand provide great company and seem to enjoy being along for the ride no matter what endless road you take them down. They also provide a sense of security for a woman traveling alone, even if they are just there to bark when a stranger walks up to the car at a rest stop while you are sleeping.

Of course, taking dogs along can make a trip more difficult and should not be undertaken lightly. The main obstacle I have found in traveling with dogs is that most hotels, parks, sightseeing areas and other destinations do not allow pets.  You will need to be prepared to either sleep in the car with your animals, sneak them into a motel room, or board them at a kennel at your destination. You may also find yourself torn between leaving the dogs in the car at a particular sight seeing destination or foregoing seeing the sights in favor of staying with your pets. I was hopeful that the Red Mountain Spa would allow me to keep Yum-Yum and Gumbo with me in my room because they used to allow pets.  However, when I inquired about this they informed me they no longer allowed pets.  The woman I spoke with did say they had special rooms for guests with pets, but she did not think I would be allowed to keep them with me because of the new policy.  They recommended that I call a place in Ivins near the spa called Animal Tenders where I could board the dogs during my stay for about $15.00 each per night if they had all of their shots. I decided this arrangement would be acceptable because the dogs would only be boarded for a few days and I could visit them and play with them every day. The alternative would be to board them at a kennel at home for the entire week and not see them all week.

PREPARATION IS ESSENTIAL 

For anyone reading this and contemplating taking a long road trip, I highly recommend that you spend a few extra dollars and join AAA Auto Club.  I joined AAA for my last trip to Utah and I still had all of the maps and guidebooks showing the locations of service stations, motels, and interesting sites. AAA also comes in handy if you have car trouble on the road. The type of person who will enjoy a road trip is one who likes driving on the highway for long periods of time, feels confident handling any situation on the road alone, and enjoys being alone for hours at a time. I realize different people are cut out for and enjoy very different types of travel. If you are the type of person who likes to get to places in a hurry, doesn’t know how to change a flat tire, hates camping out in emergencies, or panics when you are alone in unfamiliar circumstances, this is not the trip for you. 

I have found three things to be true about long road trips.  First, anything good or bad can and will happen on a road trip.  This can make the trip exciting and challenging and can lead you to discoveries about the world and other people and can give you renewed confidence in your own capabilities.  Second, a road trip gives you a feeling that you have a place on this planet and that incredibly beautiful landscapes and interesting and diverse people are always there, within driving distance from your home for you to experience whenever you need them.  Third, a long road trip gives you a renewed appreciation for the comfort, companionship and familiarity of your home and work, and friends and family when you return to them. Even though I wanted to keep my trip fairly care free and unplanned, I told my brothers where I was going and when I planned to be back so they would be able to call the highway patrol if I did not make it back. I also made sure I called ahead to each of my destinations on my trip and let them know when to expect me so that someone would miss me if I did not arrive. I gave them my brothers’ phone numbers to call in an emergency.

For any first time road trippers who happen to be reading this, let me assure you that I respect the risks involved in being a woman traveling alone on the roadway and prepare for my trips with safety in mind. For this trip, a good friend of mine who lives in Austin, Texas, Andrea Prestridge, happened to be in town and came over to help me organize my car. Andrea has a business helping people get organized and her help was invaluable. I had so many useless things in my car that I never would have been able to find any of my emergency gear if the need had arisen. Also, going through the gear with her reminded me of what I had and where everything was located. When she got through, all of my emergency gear was neatly situated near the front of my trunk on one side so that I could quickly access everything.  I had several bottles of water, a red flag, a neon orange safety vest, some road flares, a rain coat, a jacket with removable down lining, a blanket, an extra bottle of antifreeze/coolant, an extra quart of oil, an auto tool kit, a fire extinguisher, a pair of work gloves and work boots, a fix it yourself auto repair book for my make and model of car, a first aid kit, a spare tire, a jack, some rags, a new flash light, fresh batteries, and a small shovel. In addition to these items, in my purse I carried a cell phone with a cord for charging the phone, some pepper mace, a pocket knife, and a small battery free hand operated flash light. 

Before getting on the road, I took my car to the repair shop I regularly go to and told them I was making a long road trip and had the car checked out. I made sure I had receipts for my vehicle inspection and registration and a copy of my proof of liability insurance where I could find them. I went by my office and e-mailed everyone the phone and fax numbers Red Mountain had forwarded to me so I could be reached in an emergency. I tucked three hundred dollars worth of travelers checks into a zipper pocket of my purse to be saved for emergencies and to be sure I always had enough money on hand to buy gas for the trip home. I was not aware at the time just how important this money would be to my getting home later. (Read on to see what happened). I brought along my favorite pillow for sleeping in the car. I also packed for convenience on the road. I packed the items I would need at my destination in a larger suitcase. However, I also packed a small bag with overnight items and one change of clothes that I could take into a rest stop bathroom or motel while on the road without having to unpack my car. I put some essentials like toothpaste, toothbrush, brush, travel toilet paper, mouthwash, a travel sized bar of my favorite soap, some moist towelettes and makeup in a small bag in my purse so that I could freshen up quickly whenever I stopped for fuel.

I made the backseat of my four-door sedan into a play pen for my dogs. They are small enough that they can both sit comfortably in a medium sized kennel which they have gotten used to over the years. I put a vinyl exercise mat across the entire back seat, both for the dogs comfort and to protect the seat. I placed the kennel on one side of the back seat so they could get in and out of it easily. I put a soft-sided airline kennel/carrying bag next to the other kennel in case they did not want to share the kennel.  When my dogs were smaller I would use the soft-sided bag to sneak them into motels since it looks just like a piece of luggage. However, they now weigh between ten and twelve pounds each and bark constantly, making it impossible to sneak them anywhere. I threw several of the dogs’ chew toys and stuffed animals in the back seat. I brought along a bag of dog food, some plastic containers with lids to use as food and water bowls, some of their favorite treats, an extra leash and coupling leader so that the dogs could be walked on one leash, and paperwork from their vet showing that they had all of their shots to show when admitting them to a kennel. I made sure each dog had a secure collar with a tag showing my address and cell phone number with area code in case they got lost.   

FORESTED MOUNTAIN HIKE NEAR SANTA FE

In San Antonio in April the temperature can get up into the nineties during the day.  Since my car has no air-conditioning, I decided to take a northern route through New Mexico on my way to Utah and enjoy some of the cooler weather on the way. Also, I knew a friend of mine had a house near Santa Fe where I could stay. By the way, I was born and raised in San Antonio and am used to the heat. I do not recommend that anyone from a cooler climate try a summer road trip through the Southwestern United States without air conditioning in their vehicle. The heat becomes particularly unbearable and even life threatening in the months of June, July and August. Also, as those of us from hotter climates know all too well, never leave an animal (or child) in a vehicle alone during the day for more than five minutes in this part of the country.  Even on a cool day in the shade with the windows cracked open the heat could kill the car’s occupants or make them violently ill within as little as twenty minutes.

I started my journey on IH10 traveling Northwest from San Antonio at noon on a Sunday, about a day behind schedule.  At the last minute I had decided to have an Easter party at my house for my family on Saturday. One unplanned for benefit of having the party was that my sisters-in-law Sarah and Amber helped clean up my house afterward and I could look forward to coming home to a clean house after my trip. It also gave me cute memories of my nieces swinging at the piñata and looking for Easter eggs to keep my company on my trip. It was a beautiful day and I couldn’t resist stopping at Cooper’s Bar-B-Que for lunch while driving through the hill country. The dogs and I had bar-b-que at a picnic table under a shade tree and enjoyed a breeze which was blowing the scents of blooming trees across the hills. Patches of  Bluebonnets and Indian paint brushes were blooming by the highway and made for a beautiful drive.  

I kept a large map of the United States next to me and tried to stay on major highways as much as possible.  However, I was interested in driving through Roswell New Mexico just to see if there was anything interesting going on there.  I took some of the smaller highways indicated on my map by red lines which led me up to Highway 285 through the center of New Mexico.  I quickly discovered the disadvantage of driving on the smaller highways.  Although they appear on the map to be a faster route to your destination, they are typically much slower speed limit roads which take winding routes and often have very little accommodation for passing slower vehicles on the roadway.  I was surprised when 9:00 p.m. rolled around and I still had not reached Roswell.  When I did get to Roswell everything was closed up and I was only able to drive by the shop windows with their blow up alien dolls and alien memorabilia.  I still think its an interesting place if you are at all fascinated by U.F.O. stories. 

It took me about twelve hours to reach Santa Fe, probably largely due to the numerous stops I made to let the dogs sniff the scenery. I filled up with gas four times spending about $15.00 each time. Most of the gas stations were charging between $1.29 and $1.39 a gallon for regular unleaded. I made sure to take the extra time to check my oil, water and tires at each stop. I kept the car windows cracked open and Yum-Yum and Gumbo took turns standing on their hind legs and sniffing the air outside. I could see the occupants of the cars next to me mouthing the words, “Look, weinie dogs, how cute!” Each rest stop was slightly cooler than the one before until finally I had to put on my warm jacket as the sun went down. The cool air felt great and I took deep breaths to fill my lungs with as much as possible. Yum-Yum and Gumbo happily nestled into their blanket and went to sleep.

I had called my friends, Mike and Carol Hodge, from the roadway on my cell phone to ask if I could spend the night at their house near Santa Fe. I warned them that I had small dogs with me, but they did not seem too concerned. I had told them previously that I might call them if I was in the area. They live in San Antonio and occasionally rent the mountain house out to vacationers. The house was actually about an hour drive into the mountains outside of the town of Las Vegas, New Mexico which was about an hour drive from Santa Fe. By the time I arrived it was too late to phone my friends, so I drove through the wooded subdivision trying to follow the directions they had given me to no avail. I parked at the security gate and waited until morning to call them. I was able to make a pretty comfortable bed for myself with the blanket a pillow I had brought along by reclining my seat. In the morning, I was unable to get service on my cell phone so I drove back out to the nearest store and called from a pay phone.  Mike drove out to meet me and as I followed him to the house I knew I never would have found the house on my own.

When I saw the house I knew it was really worth the trip. It was on top of a hill and had a giant picture window and two balconies on stilts facing a picturesque butte across an expanse of forest. Mike and Carol were leaving that day, but gave me permission to bring the dogs into the house and provided instructions for closing up the house so I could get some sleep and see some of the scenery before hitting the road again. The house was the perfect get away from civilization. I contemplated asking my friends if I could rent the house from them for the week and cancel my entire trip to Red Mountain. After all, that is one of the great things about being alone on the road. You can do whatever you want to do at any given moment and change your plans at will. I decided to sleep on the idea since I did not have to be at Red Mountain until Tuesday afternoon and it was still early on Monday.

After visiting with my friends for a couple of hours, I was so tired I don’t even remember getting into bed to take a nap. I woke up with the noon sun shining in through the window. I went to open the door to my room and it would not open. I noticed that the door nob looked fairly new and one of the screws was not screwed in completely. It appeared something had slipped out of place and was stuck. My friends had left and the dogs were in the room with me, so it was up to me to find a way through that door. I tried everything I could think of and was just about to unscrew the hinges when it occurred to me I could crawl out of the window. Of course, I had left my pants in the bathroom on the other side of the door and was sleeping in my shirt. Luckily no one but the bears were there to see this pantless woman climbing out of the window and jumping to the ground and then going around to the doors of the house trying to find one that was unlocked. I finally found a door that was unlocked and went back in only to realize my dogs were still locked in the bedroom. Eventually, I was able to unstick the door mechanism with my credit card and let the dogs out. We were careful not to close that door again.

Anxious to take in some of the beauty of the area, I went on a long hike through the woods with Yum-Yum and Gumbo, collecting the giant pine cones which seemed to be everywhere. The dogs were very excited by the new environment and tugged on their leash for me to go as fast as possible. We saw all kinds of beautiful birds and even watched a cow have a baby (from a distance). After hiking for several hours I realized I had gone farther than I expected and would be going back up a long steep hill well after dark. To make matters worse, Yum-Yum was limping and the street signs for the subdivision were either confusing or non-existent. I was not sure which way to go to get back. Just as I was telling myself I could do this if I systematically walked over each section of the hill for the next several hours, I spotted a construction worker who was apparently getting off work late after finishing up work on one of the new homes in the subdivision. He was nice enough to give me a ride, and as I directed him up hill after hill looking for the house where I was staying, I realized how close I had come to being hopelessly lost in the woods all night. I thanked my dearly departed father and my Irish luck for once again saving me from my own lack of planning. My Aunt MaryLee sometimes tells me with a twinkle in her eye when I tell her about my adventures that it’s a good thing God sends special angels to look after children and idiots. Luckily, my rescuer knew the area well and was able to find the house after I described it to him. I said good bye, went into the house and sunk down into the covers of my warm bed with the puppies, happy in the knowledge that there are always good people out there who will take time out of their day to help a stranger find their way.

MULTI-COLORED MOUNTAINS AND THE GRAND CANYON

I awoke at about 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning, suddenly aware that I had slept well past the hour by which I would need to leave to get to Red Mountain on time. I jumped out of bed, threw on my clothes and put the luggage and the dogs in the car. It took me a while to go through all of the house closing procedures and make sure the water was turned off in the dark. As I pulled out of the subdivision I remembered I had used up almost all of my gas driving around looking for the house the night before and I started looking for a gas station. I knew I could drive at least thirty miles after my gas guage hit the red warning line. (Please do not assume this unless you know it to be true for your car.) Each gas station I passed was closed and dark. I got onto Highway 25 heading for Santa Fe knowing it was more than an hour away, but thinking I would find an open station along the highway.

There were no gas stations along that highway. Each time the exit sign listed a gas station I would get off only to find a sign which said to drive twelve miles further to the gas station. I drove down to a couple of these remote stations and found them closed and looking like they did not keep regular hours if they opened at all. Now a smart traveler would have stopped at the point where they knew they were going to run out of gas and waited to see if the gas station was going to open later in the day. However, I kept thinking that I would come upon an open gas station at any minute. I began coasting down all of the hills in neutral, hoping to prolong the life of my gas fumes. It must have worked because I got all the way to Santa Fe.

As I was pulling into the outskirts of Santa Fe it was not yet 5:00 a.m. I was trying to no avail to find a gas station near the highway that I could coast into if I ran out of gas. I finally decided that I would just take the next exit that indicated there was a gas station whether I could see the station or not. I took the next exit and felt the car beginning to stall just as I pulled onto the exit ramp. I slipped into neutral and coasted down the ramp hoping the gas station would be close by. My heart sank as I saw an old closed down gas station with the windows broken out just off the highway. There were no other stations in sight. The exit ramp turned onto another major roadway which led across a long bridge and in the distance, on the other side of the bridge and down a side road I could barely make out the road sign for a Comfort Inn. I set my heart on coasting to that Inn and held my breath.

Either there was a downhill slant to that roadway or my Aunt’s angels were watching me again because my car coasted for a distance of at least three miles and didn’t stop until I turned squarely into the middle of the driveway of the Inn, blocking their customers from coming or going. I left the dogs in the car and walked into the Inn. I was filled with utter amazement that I only had to walk a few feet to ask for help when my car could have stopped at any number of remote places that morning, leaving me stranded. I was equally dumbfounded when I explained my predicament to the night clerk and he said there were no gas stations around but he had a can of gasoline on the premises. He went to get the gas and put it in my car. For all of my foolishness that morning I thought, “It cannot be this easy.” Surely enough, he did not know how to operate the gas can and most of the gas spilled out on the roadway. My car started, but chugged to a stop again. Imagine my complete surprise when he said, “No problem, I ran out of gas recently on a trip and I know how it feels. You can use my car to drive to the nearest gas station and get gas.” “This has got to be that pay it ahead concept,” I thought to myself as I drove to the gas station, waiving at my confused dogs watching Mommy leave them in another car. There are people I know really well who will not lend me their cars and here this perfect stranger just hands me the keys without even batting an eye. I felt tears rolling down my cheeks as I thought to myself, “This is the kind of thing I love about a road trip; just when everything seems to be going to Hell, you find out the capacity of people to be good to their fellow man in need.” I made a note to myself to try to pay some good deeds forward to make up for my good fortune. I got the gas and learned how to operate the gas can with no further incident. I thanked the night clerk at the Inn and tipped him for his trouble. It seemed like there was nothing I could do to express to him how much he had helped me out and I hoped he would be paid back in full by the kindness of another stranger the next time he needed help.

At this point, I needed to decide whether I would stay on the major highway and take the southern most route through Las Vegas or take the smaller highways indicated by the red lines on the map through the northern most route across the northern end of the Grand Canyon and into Utah. Although I knew the smaller highways would turn into endless winding never ending paths, I decided to take the longer route because of the spectacular views which really cannot be matched anywhere else in the United States. As I was driving through New Mexico, I kept feeling my eyes closing and catching myself jerking awake again. I was unable to pick up a radio station on the radio and the silence made it that much easier to dose off. After about three of these incidents I knew I had to get off of the road. Two of my family members have had serious accidents falling asleep at the wheel. In fact, my father died in a one car accident late at night a few years ago which may very well have been caused by his falling asleep at the wheel. I kept going looking for a rest area. Suddenly, the song, “Fastball, The Way” blared out of the radio, snapping me into awake mode. This song is one that always reminds me of my father and I had not heard it in a long time. I felt it was a message from him that I needed to get off of the road. I pulled into a souvenir shop parking lot and put my pillow under my head. I did not think there was any chance that I would be able to fall asleep in that uncomfortable position. I woke up two hours later with my puppies curled up on my stomach and lots of tourists going in and out of the store. I went into the store to freshen up and the clerk yelled, “The bathrooms are that way,” as I entered. I guess the drool on my face was a dead giveaway. The store was one of those ones with hand made Indian jewelry, stuffed animals, t-shirts and various items with “New Mexico” emblazoned on them. I ended up purchasing a cool t-shirt with iguanas on the front. I also bought a tin and tile mirror which looked suspiciously like one I had wanted to buy in Mexico recently. I asked the clerk whether the mirror came from Mexico or New Mexico. He sheepishly admitted it was made in Mexico. I decided not to purchase a camera for the road because I have learned from prior trips that the picture cannot begin to capture the beauty and awesome size of the incredible vistas I was about to drive through.

As I left New Mexico and entered Arizona, I entered into the land of multi-colored majestic mountains. For as far as the eye could see, there were towering cliffs of spectacular shades of pink. Each pink mountain rose up out of seemingly flowing giant rock beds made up of brilliant blue, green or purple hues. Other brilliant colors were striped into the rock formations at different levels making the entire combination of colors and shapes seem like a symphony for the eyes laid out by a giant hand. I found myself wishing for a human companion who could share the awe I felt for this timeless beauty. The dogs just looked out the window with seeming indifference to the majesty unfolding around them. As I drove through the middle of one seemingly endless expanse of color I thought about how much longer those rocks had been there than humans had been on Earth. I realized those rocks will be there long after I am gone and all of the worrisome details of my life did not seem nearly as important as they had before I entered that magical place. I stopped to let the dogs out and they found the rocky ground entirely unsuitable for their purposes. They looked up at me with worried faces. I had to laugh. “It all depends on what you are looking for,” I thought. And I knew I had found what I was looking for at the moment; a place of incredible beauty and majesty where I could contemplate the meaning of life and other things one doesn’t have time to think about during the hustle and bustle of everyday living.

I continued to enjoy the view throughout the morning until the terrain became more desert-like. The heat started to get uncomfortable in the middle of the day. I noticed the dogs were panting and laying on top of their carrier to keep cool. Their water container was empty and I stopped to fill it up. They drank it up as fast as I filled it back up again. I was really worried about the heat now. It hadn’t occurred to me that it would be this hot in April. Suddenly, I could see the highway was approaching a lone hill. The sign said we were approaching Flagstaff, Arizona. As we climbed the hill the air started to cool. Soon we were surrounded by traffic on the streets of Flagstaff and I had to watch the road signs carefully to be sure we turned toward the north rim of the Grand Canyon. I stopped to get gas at a bustling station near some fast food restaurants. I intended to stop for food, but the traffic was very heavy and I decided to get back on the road as I was running late for Red Mountain. A lot of the cars seemed to be heading the direction I was, toward the camp grounds at Lake Mead. As we drove up into the hills and the lake area I could see why. The terrain instantly changed into green forests and  blue lakes and the climate cooled dramatically. There were large patches of snow visible through the trees from the highway. I wished I had left more time for the dogs to discover snow or for me to stop at some of the Indian road side stands, but I knew I had to use my time sparingly.

After driving through the forest for some time we descended into a valley which led to the northern ridge of the Grand Canyon. In fact, at this location the Grand Canyon is much smaller and shallower than on the south rim and the highway crosses the Canyon. I decided to get out and walk across the bridge over the Canyon and buy some post cards in the gift shop. For some reason, the Grand Canyon, especially the smaller north rim, does not inspire me nearly as much as the nearby mountains. However, I did enjoy walking over the bridge and looking down into the Canyon. If you are particularly interested in seeing the large part of the Grand Canyon, you may wish to call the National Park Service and making a reservation to camp out in the park on the south rim of the Canyon. There are also numerous tours available at the south rim location for people who want to hike into and around the Canyon. The most beautiful aspect of the north rim is not the Canyon itself, but the incredible red mountain landscapes on the drive to the Canyon. 

RED MOUNTAIN SPA

We arrived at the Grand Canyon at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. The park ranger showed me a map of the remainder of my route and indicated I had two or three more hours on the road. I was shocked that I still had so far to go. That next couple of hours seemed to take an eternity. I called the Red Mountain Spa on my cell phone and told them I would be getting in late and would not be able to take my dogs to the kennel. They made arrangements for me to stay in a room with tile floors so that I could keep the dogs with me for the night. When I got to St. George, Utah I called again and they gave me exact directions and told me not to worry that I could still get dinner when I arrived.

When I arrived at the spa I was relieved at how accommodating the staff was toward my desire to check in quickly and get some sleep. I took Yum-Yum inside with me because she had started shivering as the air got cooler with the night fall. The staff all said how cute she was. They made it clear that they were there to help me relax and unwind and I instantly knew I had come to the right place. I had paid for three nights in advance with my debit card and I gave them my debit card to use as security for any charges I made while at the Spa. They were running a special for $269 a night for a deluxe room, but I was told I was getting a single room at the same price I would have paid for a duplex because of a special they were running. This was great for me since the last time I came to the Spa my roommates complained that I snored. Things at the Spa were much more luxurious and organized than they had been on my earlier visit which had been at a time when the Spa was owned by the Franklin Quest Institute. My room had a view of the Red Mountains that was incredible. The room itself had a luxurious feel to it with lots of storage space and a large bathroom. I picked up some delicious fish from the dinner staff, took it to my room, put on the plush robe I found in my room and settled in with my dogs to watch some t.v. before falling fast asleep. It was the perfect end for the first half of my road trip.

Of course, my first morning at the Spa was spent dealing with my dogs and my car. I took the dogs to Animal Tenders and had my vet in San Antonio fax them the dogs vaccination history. I paid in advance for three days (they charge per day, not per night) with my debit card. It ended up costing around $150.00 due to the cost of an extra vaccine each dog needed. However, I was later given a ten percent refund for long term boarding. I walked the dogs back to their kennel and made sure they had their kennel from home, their own food, their toys, and their treats. I told them I was going to work because I figured they would understand what that meant. I came back each day to play with them in the outside play areas. These are large grassy areas with toys and a table and chairs where the dogs are walked and owners can come and play with their pets during working hours. I don’t think my dogs were particularly happy to be there, but they seemed to enjoy running in the play areas and were acting normally when I picked them up at the end of the week, so I would probably board them at that place again.

My car was another story, but I am lucky it decided to act up after I arrived, rather than on the road. It was chugging and jerking forward as I took the dogs to the kennel. I had noticed something developing on the road but had tried not to think about any problems. I took my car to a place called Auto Metrics on Sunset near the Spa. The owner said he test drove it and there was nothing wrong. I was incredulous when I drove it and the problem was gone. I asked him if he had fixed something without telling me and he simply walked into his office and closed the door. I thought he must be a Mormon because I had heard that Mormon’s think and act differently about money matters than typical Americans would in the same circumstances. I decided not to concern myself and drove the car back to the Spa only to have it overheat, spewing antifreeze everywhere. A maintenance man from the spa who knew about cars came over and told me to let the car cool down and he would try to help. I decided to take in my first class in the swimming pool to cool off. It was the perfect combination of cool water, vigorous exercise and gorgeous mountain view from the outdoor pool to put me in a good mood again to handle my car. The maintenance man left a message on my phone that he recommended I take it to the shop. He said a thermostat part would cost around $60. I called the owner of the shop I had taken it to before and told him to send a tow truck to get my car and fix whatever was broken. I called the tow shop and they said they would bill the shop for the $40 tow fee. I decided to forget about my car and enjoy the rest of my day.

I tried the beginner’s bike riding class which I had loved the last time I came to the Spa. However, I did not get far before I was out of breath and had to turn around. I knew the exercise this time would be more of a challenge because I was more out of shape than I was last time. That is one of the reasons I chose this Spa, I knew they had a wide variety of exercise opportunities at different fitness levels and my doctor had told me to exercise cautiously. I decided this time I was going to stick to the easiest hike group in the morning, the morning water fitness class, an occasional yoga class and spend the afternoons in health and nutrition education classes. The first two days I had trouble even completing the easiest hike, but by the third day I felt stronger and was able to hike in the middle of the easy group. I was glad I stuck with the hikes because we were shown some truly interesting petroglyphs which I had not seen on my first visit to the Spa. Of course, hiking in the red mountains in the area provides spectacular views on all of the hikes. I scheduled a test of my resting metabolic rate and a nutrition consultation to draw up a meal plan and recommended calorie intake. The results were e-mailed to me and waiting when I arrived home so that I could continue my healthy lifestyle changes at home.

During my stay at the Spa I felt it was just the combination of exercise, healthy food, nutrition education and relaxation I needed. I decided to extend my stay to Saturday. Eventually, I was able to pick my car up in good working order from the repair shop. They charged me less than $100 to replace the thermostat, including the towing charge. That means they did not charge for labor. I told the owner I appreciated his reasonable price and he did not respond. As with the clerk at the Inn who loaned me his car, I hope he is repaid in kindness by someone who is there when he needs help.

Each evening of my stay at the Spa I planned an interesting event. Wednesday night I arranged to have a massage and went to sleep thoroughly relaxed. Thursday night I started to attend an event called the silent dinner, but changed my mind and went to a pottery class instead. The group leader at the dinner started us out by asking us to think of what we would really like to eat for dinner. Mexican food kept going through my head and after that, nothing on the menu was appealing. The food at the Spa was really delicious and I had plenty to eat. I especially liked the fresh fruit and juices that were always available at meals. However, I ended up sneaking away the next day to Taco Bell to satisfy my appetite for Mexican food. That was interesting in itself because the man at the Taco Bell did not give me a receipt. When I asked him for the receipt he calmly tore all of the paper off of the cash register and wadded it up and threw it on the floor. He politely said there was no receipt, the machine had not printed one and he had no idea why. I wondered if this was another Mormon whose religious beliefs I insulted by asking for a receipt. I had to smile to myself at how different people can be, particularly when the tacos and enchirito I ordered were exactly like the ones I had the week before in San Antonio.

I found pottery very interesting and relaxing. Two other girls from the Spa and I had a lot of laughs learning to use the pottery wheel. I made two pots which are being shipped to me. There is something so great about making something with your hands. Friday night I joined a group from the Spa for an even more interesting star watching outing. I had just been looking out of my car window on my road trip and wishing I knew more constellations than the big dipper. We learned several constellations, stars and planets and were able to see some of them up close in a telescope. It was like my journey was being completed with a little side trip even to the stars.

LAS VEGAS AND THE TRIP HOME

I could have stayed at that Spa for a month, but knowing I was going home, by Saturday, I was anxious to get on the road again and complete my journey.  I made some friends at the Spa, but I missed my home and the companionship of my close friends and family back home. I was even starting to miss my job (one of the truly miraculous results of a well-planned long road trip). I purposely did not tally up exactly how many hours it would take to get home, but I knew it was more than twenty and I had to be at work on Monday. I had originally wanted to stay in Las Vegas and/or camp out at the Grand Canyon for the weekend, but since I had extended my Spa stay, I would not have time for another overnight stay. That meant a lot of uninterrupted driving. I decided to get down to IH10 as quickly as possible and drive straight through. I checked out at noon, writing a check to pay for my extra room charges, and drove the two hours to Las Vegas. I had the feeling something was not right, but I could not put my finger on it

One real highlight of this trip was driving over Hoover Dam. It was very crowded with tourists and I decided not to stop, but it was spectacular anyway. I also stopped in Las Vegas in the parking garage of a hotel and made some calls just to see what it would cost to stay overnight. I had been looking forward to watching a show and hoping I could get into “Le Mystere, Circus, Circus” which was showing at Treasure Island. I had seen this show once before and found it fascinating. Because it was a busy Saturday, the cheapest room I could find at any of my favorite hotels on the strip was around $150 at Excalibur. Every other time I’ve driven through Las Vegas I’ve been able to get a room at Excalibur for less than $50. Also, none of the hotels take dogs. I was given the number for a kennel which offered to keep both of my dogs for the night for $20. I decided it was not worth it to kennel the dogs again. I could return to Las Vegas sometime without the dogs when I had more days to spend. I thought about eating at the buffet at the Mirage before getting back on the road, but the buffet was $16.00 and I wasn’t planning on eating that much on my new healthy eating plan. Instead, I ran into the casino and put one quarter into a slot machine just so I could say I had gambled in Las Vegas. Of course, I didn’t win anything. 

I missed the turn off onto the highway I needed to cut over to in Las Vegas and stopped at a gas station outside of town to fuel up and get directions. I put my debit card in the slot on the gas machine. It would not take the card. I went inside to the ATM machine and checked my balance. I had zero dollars in the account connected to my debit card. Suddenly I realized what had been bothering me when I checked out of the Spa. I had expected to pay all of my charges incurred since I checked into the Spa by a check written on a separate account so I could use my debit card for gas money. The check I had written at checkout was only for a small amount. All of the rest of the charges from my stay must have been taken out of my account with my debit card. The only other account I had was one with a $250 minimum check amount. It was Saturday night, and no one was going to cash a large check like that for me until Monday. Then I remembered the $300 in travelers checks I had hidden in my purse for emergencies. That would be more than enough to get me home if I didn’t stay in any hotels. Gratefully, I filled up my tank and got back on the road. It seemed to take forever to get to IH10 and the scenery was not as attractive as on the way up. Once I got to IH10, the speed limit was 75 m.p.h. most of the way and I drove straight through until I hit Tucson, Arizona at around midnight. I was extremely tired and called several hotels. All of them were either booked or were priced at $59 or more. None allowed pets. I found a rest stop outside of town and slept in the car.

The next day I booked it across IH10 as fast as I could go. The scenery was becoming more and more bland, and the temperatures were climbing higher and higher. We had one interesting moment when the clerk at Carl’s Jr. gave the dogs dog biscuits to play with while I ate my hamburger. Finally, just as the sun was setting I entered the hill country area two hours out of San Antonio. The most spectacular lightning show I have ever seen danced across the sky complete with rainbows. The dogs and I got out at a rest stop to watch. They were ecstatic to be on green grass again and went crazy with excitement. It began to rain, and I drove to my house. I took the dogs inside first and they were beside themselves with obvious happiness at being home. I brought my suitcases in and got a fish filet out of the freezer. I fixed it up just the way I like it with lemon juice, lemon pepper, green tomato slices, mushrooms, garlic, red onion slices, and soy sauce and put it in the microwave for a few minutes. I poured myself my favorite mixture of ice cold cranberry juice and water and pulled out one of my crossword puzzles and snuggled into my warm bed with my puppies. The ultimate lesson I learned from my road trip was, there’s no place like home.

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