The Road trip back - Day 1

By now, most of you are aware that we made it back in one piece. But... we made it back to the east coast in one piece! Even more surprising, we made it back on schedule with minutes to spare. Anne and I packed the Liberty to the gills and were fresh off 2 hours sleep when we got on the road. We didn't get more than 6 blocks from the house, we before turning around, realizing that a few items were left behind. Finally, at about 5:30 A.M., I got the Liberty on the I-8, cruising East through Mission Valley, El Cajon (once referred to by the Nashville Marriott as "El CaJohn") and into the Imperial Valley. I drove into San Diego on the same route but developed a greater appreciation for how vast California is on the way out. Quickly, one realizes that California could be the World's 5th largest economy. Farmland stretched for miles across an area I assumed to be desert and the towns were surprisingly large despite the vast area between them.

We got to Yuma, Arizona without any issues, and after gassing up I made a predictable pit stop at the Yuma, AZ McDonalds. Several months have passed since I last enjoyed the hearty canadian bacon and mass produced egg product delicately placed between two soft english muffins. As expected, it did not disappoint. Preceded by a warm Hash brown, the Egg McMuffin was chased by a frosty large orange juice. The #1 breakfast meal at McDonalds is second only to quality Eggs Benadict in my book, but it's a strong second. We passed through a couple Immigration checkpoints on the highway before coming up on a Homeland Security border patrol agent on the left shoulder with flashing lights. I started slowing down immediately and then noticed an agent getting out of his vehicle and walking towards oncoming traffic waving his arms in the air. As we approached the agent it appeared he was attempting to halt traffic. I couldn't stop the Liberty before we passed the agent so he waved us on and then stepped into th e center of the left lane halting traffic behind us. While it was strange, there didn't appear to be any emergency directly ahead so I continued driving. After roughly a mile, traffic came to a halt and people were getting out of their vehicles. Fortunately, I haven't been subject to these situations often and hesitated opening the door to check out what commotion lay ahead. However, like any other male, my curiosity was too great to tame and I got out and walked up to the next car hoping to see something. Sure enough, a helicopter was parked in the center of the highway and emergency vehicles were attending to a car off the left side of the road. While all this commotion transpired ahead, a grey Toyota Prius plunged off the road on the westbound lane before re-gaining control and spinning onto the road. The driver pulled onto the shoulder, collected his thoughts and then got out of his car, walking back towards the minivan parked on the shoulder behind him. As the gentleman got closer he began shouting and pointing his fingers in the air at the minivan. So not only did we have a critical accident on the east bound lane but some maniac was getting ready to pick a fight with another car on the side of the road. Within seconds, two border patrol agents arrived and disrupted that situation but it appeared as if the driver of the Prius had a legitimate complaint against because the agent left his car and had an animated discussion with the people occupying the minivan. Half an hour passed before the helicopter took off and traffic resumed it's normal flow but one thing I can surmise from this event; the Border Patrol agents responding to the accident hadn't seen this much action in a very long time.

Despite that setback, Anne and I made it to her cousin Liz's house in Phoenix before noon; not terrible time considering the hour long pit stop on I-8. Liz made a wonderful lunch for the two of us and her adorable 5 year-old son Max. Max is the man. Not only does he read at a 4th grade level but he's got sick freestyle dance moves he eagerly displayed and a deep admiration for all things superhero. I'm pretty sure when he grows up, Max wants to be a combination of Ironman and Spiderman. Liz, Max and Anne went to the pool while I took the deepest nap possible. It was 112 degrees outside and the pool seemed like a great idea, but getting some rest after 2 hours of sleep on a twin air mattress that only fit Anne and my right shoulder was the wiser choice. When the group got back, everybody showered and the 4 of us grabbed sushi at this very hip restaurant outside of Phoenix that served with blue wasabi and delicious cocktails for the ladies that were incredible. Normally, blue wasabi would be enough to shock the senses, but more astounding were the people willingly sitting outside. Sure, the restaurant had a mist machine on top of the tables but it was 112 degrees outside. Some may remark that the heat is "dry heat" but it's still 112 degrees of dry heat. Safely inside, we enjoyed a a delicious meal before heading back home to get some sleep. A couple hours later, I met up with my buddy Greg for a couple beers and our annual political discussion before calling it a night and preparing for the 12 hour drive to Denver. Day 1 in the books!