Heading West and Outrunning the Big Storm

The trip began as usual. We left for Columbus at 9:45 pm after my rehearsal in Berea. We got to the Cracker Barrel a little past midnight. There we discovered our propane tanks were not working so we could not use our furnace (lifting the cover broke the connections). It was about 20 degrees outside. Fortunately, there was a Comfort Inn next to the Cracker Barrel, and they had a free room. It was very comfortable, we got showers in the morning, and it cost only $100.  

In the morning, we had a lovely visit with Thome. 

Leaving this weather behind

Breakfast with Thome

Then we headed west. The first night was planned for Fenton, Missouri, but Scott felt good and we drove for another hour to the next Cracker Barrel in Sullivan, Missouri. It was very nice.

People kept warning us about the Storm of the Century. It was going to drop a lot snow and get very cold. We were smug at first, hahaha we were leaving that all behind us, but then we realized we might actually run into the storm in Albuquerque in a couple days, if not Oklahoma the next day. 

So we decided to skip the Oklahoma stop altogether and drive through to Albuquerque. We drove for 18 hours, with a one-hour stop for dinner. It was a grind, but it was a great call. We did beat the storm and we would have been stuck had we n0t raced to outrun it.

​We slept for a few hours and had breakfast in the Albuquerque Cracker Barrel.

Our route to Phoenix took us through the Sitegreaves National Forest. I don't remember going this way before or the landscape. It was beautiful. Unfortunately, it is elevated so it's not an option for our February trips. It was cold and snowy when we drove through. 

Closer to Phoenix, we went through Tonto National Forest again, only this route looked different than years past. Really beautiful, but not as windy, mountainous, or scary as before.

Skipping a layover meant arriving a day early in Mesa, which was a concern because the KOA did not have a spot for us. Last year we had a hard time finding an ad hoc spot for the night in Phoenix—Cracker Barrel and Walmart wouldn't allow it—so I was anxious this time. We decided to try Usery Mountain Regional Park first. They have an overflow lot that we stayed in the first time we stopped in Phoenix. If that didn't work, we were going to try Love's around the city.

Well, the park had gotten rid of its overflow lot because of the usual idiots. But they suggested we try a nearby grocery store, Bashas'. 

First we had to have dinner. Nando's! People, it was so nice out that we ate outside. It was delicious.

Then we headed to Bashas'. All these stops, Usery, Nando's, and Bashas', were all within 10 minutes of each other. 

Scott went in to the store and asked for permission to stay. They said "no problem," and we had a relaxing, quiet night with a beautiful mountain in view. 

The next day, we drank coffee and then did some shopping at Bashas' and Walmart, where we hung out for the last few hours before checking into the Mesa / Apache Junction KOA.