Winter Vacation 2014 - Final Chapter

December 15th we left paradise and headed home to Illinois.  Winter was moving very fast into the Midwest and it was hard to decide which route to take.  Going north through Flagstaff was definately out because the snow was already arriving and we have no chains, or the desire to face that challenge.  The southern route takes you down along the Mexican border and the mountains are easy driving, so that's where we are going.  Extra miles??? Yes, but safest choice.  Now the second challenge was how to pack up the car.  It always seems we buy too much and exceed the space limit, so just like every vacation I'm packing up a BIG box to UPS home.  

Every time we opened the back door or trunk something fell out.  And shopping along the way was interesting.  I just can't resist the urge to pick up just one last thing for the kids.. 

We left our rental house on Monday December 15th and enjoyed the first day driving south throughTucson, then down through southern New Mexico, and into Texas.  Beautiful first day drive.  The mountains were so beautiful and it was a sunny warm day to enjoy our journey home.  (This too will change). 

First night El Paso, TX with climates in the low 60's and still very sunny.  Lucky us, there was a Rudy's BBQ right next door and we love the food there.  It was a long drive so we walked over and back.  Our weather app tells us that a storm is going through Kansas, but we aren't in a hurry so our plan is to take our time and be safe. As we leave El Paso we drive along Interstate10 which runs right along the Mexican Border.  I can see the Border Patrol vehicles along the dirt roads and it makes me feel a little sad.  What must it be like to have such a horrible life that you would try crossing the border into the US out here in the wilderness??  Not just adults but whole families including young children.  All of a sudden it was very real to me.  

Along that route we were stopped at a checkpoint where an officer looked in our car and asked if we were US citizens.  

Speed limit on this part of highway 10, wow, I'm cruising.  

Night two was in Abilene, TX.  It took two full days to get out of this HUGE state.  The weather stayed very mild until we arrived for our 3rd night stay in Mulvane, Kansas.  It had begun raining and the temperature was dropping.  As we got off of the highway for the night there was icy rain, but we were safe.  We woke up for our 4th day of driving and we found snow and ice on the car.  

John and I had been sharing the drive until now.  It was very foggy and predictions of ice and snow at our last destination before home, Des Moines, made me nervous.  Black ice is what I worry about most and in our first couple hundred miles we saw at least 5 semi's in ditches.  We were getting tired of the drive and wishing we were home, but we knew this was our last night in a hotel.  We found a very big indoor mall where we walked and walked, and of course stopped at the Cheesecake Factory for dinner.  Iowa was clear and dry, but cloudy.  Our deal is that John drives until we get through the city then I take over.  Last gas up was in Altoona.  

And the price was just right..  I'm in the driver seat now and it's clear sailing home.

Welcome to Orland Park, gas prices.  $.40 higher..  

It was a wonderful 47 days, but the first thing I said when we got home was "I don't ever want to drive to AZ again". It was a very beautiful drive, but once is enough.  We talked about our next adventure but haven't decided anything.  One decision for sure is that if we return to AZ I think we would stay closer to the Scottsdale area.  THE END