2012 – How Not to Get to Amarillo

by Ann on June 4, 2012

in 2012,Ann

You know it’s going to be an interesting day when you have been in two Walmarts in two separate towns all within the first hour of driving. And one of them required backtracking.

Planned Route: Flagstaff, AZ to Amarillo, TX
Actual Route: Flagstaff, AZ to Albuquerque, NM

Why we couldn’t get anywhere today:

  • Walmart, Flagstaff, AZ – Hair ties, magazines, Aleve, and a neck pillow. I’m sure you can determine who needed which items.
  • University of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, AZ – Drive By
  • A Corner, Winslow, AZ – photo op
  • Wig Wam Hotel, Holbrook, AZ – photo op
  • Sonic Burgers, Holbrook, AZ – emergency pit stop
  • Walmart, Holbrook, AZ – CB radio
  • Walt’s Hardware, Holbrook, AZ – new transistor for the CB and rewiring the jury-rigged car lighter plug in so we don’t blow out any more transistors.
  • Radio Shack, somewhere along RT 40 – CB radio antennah (who knew?) “We need a Radio Shack…hey look, there’s a Radio Shack!”
  • Arizona/New Mexico Border – stopped but didn’t get out due to “The Creepy Man”
  • New Mexico Mile Marker 12 – Photo stop for anyone in the car aged 12
  • New Mexico Mile Marker 50 – Photo stop for anyone in the car not aged 12
  • Navajo Service Mart – Subway sandwiches and gasoline.

Dad called to back-seat drive me from Florida (thanks Dad!) saying we were nuts to try to get to Amarillo as it was about 5:30 pm and we still had 300 miles to go. And yes, Dad, you were right. Wait, let me put that in bold – YOU WERE RIGHT :-) Contacted our hotel in Amarillo and they waived our non-refundable deposit – being a rewards member for almost 30 years finally paid off!

Found a hotel in Albuquerque. This is the second time either of us have ever stayed in Albuquerque and neither time it was planned (ie. the infamous Tucumcari not-flyby…but I digress). We decided that makes Albuquerque our most spontaneous city and will forever make perfect sense whenever we watch that Bugs Bunny cartoon.

One of my favorite memories was walking around the parking lot and along all the little sidewalks between the buildings of our hotel with Emily while she rip-sticked. Great day! – Ann

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