Tombstone Road Trip ~ Tombstone to Home ~ Nov 11-13, 2012

Nov 11th ~ Breakfast with our same mates at the Bordello and then we're off on the journey home. We continue to make it up as we go: northwest on I10 then west on I8 towards Quartzite. When it's time for fuel (for the Honda and us) we picked a random off ramp and arrive in Tonapah, AZ (population 60). There was a little Mexican restaurant at the gas station so we decided to take a chance. Seems like the hole in the wall places have the best food. 

We're sitting across from two women, Sandy and Phyllis, who are on their way from the El Dorado to southern AZ for the winter. Sandy asked where we were from. When I said Sebastopol she got this big smile on her face and said "I grew up in Santa Rosa, my family owns Teevax Appliances". "Oh" I said "That's where we purchased our washer, dryer and dishwasher". She laughed and said "That was probably my brother who installed them". I no longer question these chance connections, they are a part of the fabric of my life and always entertaining.

Off again towards Quartzite and then north on Hwy 95 along the Colorado River and back to Laughlin for the night. We arrived in the afternoon and took a walk along the river. We had wanted to see Las Vegas, but we're going to save it for another trip so we can explore the area. Tomorrow we head for the California coast, one trip through the Central Valley is enough.

Nov 12th ~ The numbers game today ~ Hwy 95 to 40 to 58 to 101. The traffic is light and the weather clear. It's a long drive but not a boring one, We pick up Hwy 58 near Barstow, once past Bakersfield we find the proverbial long and winding road with a little bit of everything: oil, cotton, long horns, solar farms, rivers, large ranches and small towns: desert to golden oak covered hills.

Late afternoon just east of Paso Robles on Hwy 58

We're toast by the time we reach Paso Robles so we opt for an overnight at the Best Western and dinner at Bad Bubba's BBQ next door. A good call on all accounts.

Nov 13th ~ After breakfast we head west on Hwy 46 to Cambria and north on Hwy 1. The weather is clear and it's warm on the coast. Though I love exploring the desert and mountains it's a delight to again see the Pacific.

Elephant Seals ~ Another Roadside Attraction

A Constant Roadside Attraction

 Lunch View in Monterey and 70 degrees

Once we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge it was only an hour to home. We left everything in car, had a bowl of cereal for dinner and relished the thought of being in our own beds.

This was a great adventure. We travelled blue highways to new places and back in time. Tombstone's Archivist, Nancy Sosa, got me totally hooked on what she calls the "love of the chase". My next adventure is looking further into family history. It seems "characters were indeed welcome" in my family tree.