VW Road Trip
Day 5: Friday, July 6th
The day was all about getting from Santa Fe to Las Vegas. We got later a start than we wanted from The Inn of the Turquoise Bear. A unique bed and breakfast in the spirit of The Bob Newhart Show… “I’m Larry, this is my brother Darryl and my other brother Darryl.” It was expensive and charming with cats, dogs, and guests roaming about the property and every corner was like discovering a prize in a box of Cracker Jacks. Put it on your list when in Santa Fe.
Off Tim and John went after filling up the Beetle TDI for the dive west. New Mexico got progressively more beautiful as the trip unfolded. First stop was The Petrified Forest and Painted Desert. (Yes, it is not just a 10,000 Maniacs song.) Pictures do not do justice to the vast land and vistas, but we tried. Check out the pics on Facebook under our community page, Focus Group Radio.
On to Holbrook Arizona and the Wigwam Hotel. Tucked between a gravel pit and active railroad track are the concrete teepees of the Wigwam Motel along Historic Route 66. As luck would have it, we ran into the Great, Great Grandfather of our current Beetle and we were able to get some family snapshots. We tried to eat healthy for lunch and stopped at a Subway in Winslow. Other than a man standing in the corner, the Subway person was wiping up left over lettuce and olives from the counter and throwing the goods back into the bins. We left and headed to McDonalds were we had chicken salads. Not bad, but there is no reason to ever go there for a salad—in Tim’s mind at least. Our Beetle TDI was now averaging about 42 mpgs. We were delighted to be getting the best mileage ratings of the trip, and figured it was the 72 degrees versus the triple digits of the previous days that accounted for the better fuel economy.
During a fuel and nature break, Tim spotted magnets of the states. John suggested they each get a set of the states they traveled through the last 5days. 16 states in all, which was too bad as Tim’s lucky number is 17. Tim and John are still puzzling about what happened next. The trip had been flawless. Never a wrong turn or mishap. It was only 100 miles to the Luxor in Vegas and the journey would be complete. Not sure how it happened, but we missed a turn and ended up in California. Tim and John could not believe their eyes. John took his foot off the accelerator, daring the VW to not cross into California. Tim just looked at John and said, “We don’t have that magnet.” So we were off track by almost two hours, but added a state, which now made 17—Tim’s lucky number and not a bad way to start our weekend in Vegas! Our Producer Katie and John’s partner Bob greeted us as we arrived at the Luxor. Our rooms are great, and we are enjoying a much-needed respite for the weekend. We are broadcasting from the Temptation Sundays Pool Party so come see us…and may luck and success follow you like it guided Tim and John across this great land called America.
