Fom Bakersfield Ca to Gallup New Mexico in Several Days

Hello ZigZags, Today started out very strangely indeed. First of all, I've been having trouble sleeping more than a couple of hours a night and, having a roommate, I cannot turn on a light and read until drowsy. Nor can I go outside in my nightclothes. Barb has been complaining about a headache for several days but, since she says she gets them often and they eventually go away, except for feeling sad for her discomfit, I haven't been unduly concerned. Last night, she, too, couldn't sleep, so at 230 or so we sat watching TV with the light on. I eventually went to sleep at around 4 and awoke at 630ish. She wasn't in her bed but I thought she was in the bathroom and went back to sleep. Woke again around 730 and she wasn't in bed or the bathroom but I figured she was having breakfast and went back to sleep. Woke up at 8, got dressed, and called down to the desk to ask if she were in the dining room. The desk clerk said Barb told her to tell me that she took an ambulance to the hospital! No note, the TV still on, her purse gone. I went down and rented the room for tonight again and called Bill. What to do? The hospital is not far but I didn't want to drive in a snow squall and traffic, plus the hospital is a big place and wasn't sure if she was still there or on her way back. Called her cell and it kept going to voice mail. Finally texted her--by this time it was almost 930. She told me to stay put--she was being released. At 12 15 she showed up here. They said it was vertigo and her blood pressure was through the roof. Did a CT scan--today's version of listening to your heart with a stethoscope--always a CT scan no matter the symptoms. They said nothing about the headache nor did they give her anything for it. Take it easy, keep to a schedule and eat normally. She's been sleeping since she got back--so I called Perry Null and told Karen we probably wouldn't be seeing her this trip after all. She was headed out at 2--she and her husband are off to Morocco for two weeks. On top of all that the temp is 42 degrees and the sun has just appeared at 235pm I have a reservation in Socorro tomorrow night but don't know if we'll make it or not. Sigh. But, it seems she's okay to go so hopefully, we'll be on our way again soon. When last I wrote we were in Bakersfield California. We left there at 915 in 62 degree weather and for half the drive had decent weather. We took 58 East and passed through the usual oil fields, fruit/nut trees etc but looming ahead of us were pretty high mountains and it seemed as though we were aimed right for them. Indeed we were and for many miles we rose higher and higher into them and moved alongside the railroad, whose cars looked like toy trains going through tunnels in the adjacent mountainsides. As we climbed the clouds began to thicken and darken and the winds grew stronger. Luckily, though this went on and on with the road snaking every which way, there was never any real drop-offs to contend with. Eventually, we arrived in Mohave and as its name implies we found ourselves on the floor of the Mohave Desert. For as high and rugged the mountains had been the desert is flat, flat, flat. Off in the distance, with no signs to name them, we saw the boneyard of old planes that John had told us about. Tails of airlines we never heard of--sitting there to be sold cheaply or to be used for parts. A strange site those tails like colorful sails billowing on a sea of sand. Lots of wind farms here on the desert just as in the huge pass near Tehachapi--I really loved that one--different configurations of grouped pinwheels and different sizes, too. All trying to catch whatever breeze from whichever direction might go up, down or across that system of folds and crevices. On a clear day you lose all sense of distance out here in the West. A plane takes off and you watch it rising and banking and flying away. It remains in sight forever and there is no way to tell how far away it is. Nor, where it took off from. After about three hours of driving we arrived at Barstow and the beginning of I40 which goes all the way to Wilmington NC and if you don't believe me, the first sign posted once you enter the freeway, as they call it here, announces that it is 2554 miles to Wilmington, NC. It is the third longest interstate highway in the US behind I 80 and I 90. From Barstow to Oklahoma City, it either parallels or replaces old Rte 66 and for that reason has many places that play up the association with that Mother Road. Many of the places are falling apart old curio shops or signs for motels and/ or restaurants that have long since rotted away. Yet, if you grew up with stories of Dad going out to California in the 20's and sometimes traveling on dirt tracks of those that went before rather than a marked highway with pavement, the imagination puts you with him as you gaze at these things and wonder if he saw them or passed by this same way. I cannot describe the changing topography along the length of I 40 any better than Wikipedia, although I had found a more poetic description the other night. Nevertheless, we followed it for its length in California, Arizona ( except for a digression yesterday through the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert) and New Mexico to Gallup. We will probably pick it up again a bit in Texas and Louisiana but it is too soon to tell. Here is the link to the Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40 The long miles to Kingman continue through high desert country with lower mountains off in the distance both north and south. One of my favorite cacti--the cholla began to appear as we drew within a 100 miles of our destination. My favorite also appeared--the occatilla but was not in its lovely red flowered bloom at this time of year. There were some Joshua Trees back near Needles, too but it was more or less at Needles that we left California behind and entered Arizona. There is no daylight savings time here so though in the Mountain Time Zone the time difference between here and home is three hours not two. Also around Needles the Colorado River and its lovely bridge made a brief appearance. It is not difficult when looking at the mountains around it to determine how Needles came by its name. Along we came to Area 66. I don't remember any Roswell like activities in this part of the country so I googled it and here is the answer to What is that thing and What is Area 66?https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/area-66 It is eye-catching. As were the clouds that looked like toddlers that had done a face-plant and were crawling toward each other AND the hill that looked like a face. At last, after 6 hours and 343.1 miles we arrived in Kingman, Az and a sunny 76 degrees. After checking in we headed to the Dam Bar for steaks and drinks. Happy to see Bill's Vermont plate has joined the collection. Said howdy to John and enjoyed dinner before heading back to watch TV and rest up. The next morning we asked for late checkout so we could do some errands downtown before leaving. Went to the PO where Barb got soaked running from car to door to get some priority boxes to send some stuff home. I waited in the car for a break in the downpour--still got wet but not soaked. The roads were running with muddy water and cars were sending up bow waves that would make an ocean liner proud. Torrential. Got back and packed up the boxes but decided to get out of town since we had many miles to go once more. This time to Winslow Az. So off we went at 1035. To say the ceiling was low is a true understatement--I think we were above the ceiling most of the way if not right smack dab in the middle of it. I 40 climbs steadily from Kingman to Flagstaff and reaches its highest point in the US just West of it at over 7000 feet. I think the pictures paint the conditions in which we drove quite well. At one point of partial clearing there was a mountain that looked to us like a young girl with streaming hair lying on the floor at the foot of the rest of the range. For those of you familiar with the area, let me tell you, we NEVER laid eyes on the San Franciscans--they were totally obscured as was the road and all around us. We drove totally blind past them--let us just say the Gods were furious and sent a maelstrom at us to make their point. Yet , by Winona, though still wet, we could see once more. We took the quick detour for Barb to see the Meteor Crater. No tours outside today because of all the lightening hits. As we returned to I-40 I looked back toward Flagstaff sure the SF's would be visible--nope. For those of you not familiar with the area, the San Franciscan Mountains mark one of the four corners of Native American sacred ground and they are visible in all direstions for miles and they are always snow capped. Not this time. About 14 miles from Winslow the traffic was backed up as far as we could see. Bored I took pictures of whatever caught my eye. We were bumper to bumper moving at about 5 miles an hour for about 22 minutes and covered about four miles. A truck headed West, I think but not sure, went off in the median--could have been going East and jack-knifed. Anyway, there was a tow truck and another truck removing the wrecked truck's cargo and a pretty beat up cab. No ambulance or driver--I imagine already headed to a hospital. Scary. But trains kept right on chugging by. Got to Winslow ( after 224 miles and 6 hours; ordered pizza in) and had a room that must have been invaded by aliens. Couldn't get the Wifi to work, the A/C made a huge racket but cooled nothing off, the refrig set at the highest setting melted our ice packs, the TV turned off every 5-10 minutes and then didn't want to come back on again, the alarm clock kept blinking and we couldn't figure out how to set it so unplugged it. Total disaster. When we were checking out the lady in front of me complained that her TV came on at 5 am!! and they couldn't use the pool because the heater didn't work. She left a list of complaints and so did I. But I went a step farther, I mentioned my status as a Diamond Elite and that I would be voicing my displeasure to corporate and Travelocity and family and friends and requested a full refund. When I called Bill that afternoon he said the guy from the Winslow Quality called to apologize for our stay and was refunding the full amount. We, of course, would receive no points for the stay either--harrumph! I got an email to confirm the refund. Next morning we went downtown for Barb to Stand on the Corner, then took off for Gallup. Got off the Interstate and took the 22 mile loop through the two National Parks which we've both visited before so didn't really stop very often. Met the couple from California with the '64 Pontiac GTO. Chatted about the car and the Skyline Blue color and the red striped tires made especially for those cars. Also talked about our respective travel experiences. Were told to watch for the red '67 GTO from Canada, which we did see in passing--they were driving west in the park as we drove past them to the east. Then it was back to I 40 and something we hadn't seen in awhile--torrential rain all the way into New Mexico--but stopped as we crossed the line. I played peek-a-boo with a rainbow that just couldn't decide whether to form or not. I also we terribly intimidated by the huge pink underbellied cloud directly above us that seemed to come lower and lower as we drove. Longer day time wise--7 hours--but shorter distance--only 152 miles. Went down to Applebees where we sat at the bar--the only women among Native men. Don't think the Native barmaid approved but the men seemed fine--we chatted together and only said a few things to the gentlemen on either side who were really quite nice--travels with one and sports with the two on the other side. Just in passing not long conversations. She got a good tip even though she was not particularly friendly. LOL And then, our ordeal commenced. I made reservations in Socorro tomorrow night--we'll see what we shall see. Until then, that's all from the road for now. Barbzig and Katzag