Heading Home With Charlie 🦮

Originally I had planned to take I80 home and leave on Thursday to get home in time for my appointments and treatment. After tracking the weather and seeing how many problems they were having on I80 I decided to take the long way home and take I40 and maybe one last trip down Route 66. 



I’ve traveled many miles and have many memories of Route 66 and certainly thought a lot about them on this trip. One recurring thought was whether this would be my last trip of any length on “The Mother Road”. If so it was a nice drive. Because of how easily I tired I decided to leave on Monday a few days earlier than planned and keep my mileage under 500 daily. 

The first night we stayed in Yukon, Oklahoma at a really nice extended stay Motel 6 that even had a small kitchen and in room coffee. The best part is that they had FS1 on cable so I was able to watch the Red Sox game. It looked like they were on their way to the World Series their offense seemed unstoppable. 





The next day on the way to Santa Rosa, New Mexico I made a U turn west of Amarillo and stopped at the historic Cadillacs on Route 66. I had never stopped before and thought I should on this trip. 





We got to Santa Rosa and I couldn’t find a place where Charlie could eat on the patio so I went with a New Mexico classic…Allsup’s burritos! 😊

The next stop was going to be in Williams, Arizona a town with a lot of Route 66 history. We stopped at the Malpais National Monument for a short walk and bathroom break. 



When we got to Williams we walked to an historic restaurant where the had dog friendly patio seating. The food was good and the singer was outstanding. 



The Red Sox? I never had cable with FS1 the rest of the trip and they never won another game so no World Series this year. 

The last two nights were going to be in Bakersfield and Corning, California. I made one more stop on 66 in Ludlow, California a place where we actually lived back in the late 50’s attending a one room school that is now a private residence. I had hoped to get a blizzard at Dairy Queen but it was closed for construction so I settled for a gas station grilled cheese at the Chevron on 66. I was surprised that they had postcards. 





I only had about 40 more miles on 66 before turning off on highway 58 to go over Tehachapi Pass to our next stop in Bakersfield. 



Finally started getting rain in the San Joaquin Valley and pretty much all the way home. So needed!!!

Charlie and I made a bathroom stop at the Rouge River State Park rest area and despite the rain the leaves were beautiful. The foliage from Northern California all the way home was breathtaking. The best of the entire road trip. 






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