Though our time in San Diego could not have been better between great medical care, cool weather, and a very accessible community, today (Thursday) it was time to leave. One last stop at the doctors office the day before and we were cleared for take off! Anticipating a long drive through the desert heading in the direction of the Grand Canyon I woke up at 530 am thinking I would get a jump on the day and travel before it got too hot. What I didn't fully plan on was the fact that we would actually reach the desert and the hottest part of our drive in the afternoon. We only overheated twice (doesn't this happen to everyone?) but as long as I reminded myself to downshift in order to keep the rpms up high to cool the engine we were not force to pull over. However, as soon as the lube pump alarm went off I drove to the side of the road in a hurry. When I got out to check that it was just a flaky alarm and the pump still worked (and it did) I felt the sweltering heat coming off the back end of the RV and onto the front of the car. I couldn't even touch the grill cover to close it because I burned my fingers as soon as I did. Now I see how people can fry eggs on the hoods of their cars.
We pressed onward and drove with our generator on and room AC cranked. At least that cool air would not overheat the engine like the air in the dash. I had planned on stopping in Lake Havasu City near a reservoir I heard about from some Canadians I met in the laundry room, but instead we decided to turn left and head to a casino town called Laughlin, NV for a little night life. It is a mini-Vegas posing city literally sitting on a river that flows to or from Lake Mead. Adam found a casino campground that had 700 spots! I guess they have a lot of space in the desert. We arrived after office hours and after studying the campground map I finally figured out where to go. The campground was kind of terraced on the side of a hill and they managed to plant and grow a few trees. But, as soon as I stepped outside I couldn't believe the heat! I think it was 110 degrees outside at 6pm at night. Our car said it was 122, but I found that hard to believe. If this is what it is like to live in Arizona or the desert in the summer I think I'll pass. What are we doing going to the Grand Canyon at this time of year? I almost want to go back to San Diego where it was a consistent 68 degrees. It was paradise (minus the fact that we were living in a park on the side of a major highway and could not hear ourselves talk when standing outside). I take the good with the bad.
After a fairly edible dinner in a TexMex restaurant at Harrah's we just headed back to our cool abode to unwind for the night. The early rise and long drive and unbearable heat left us feeling beat and somewhat nauseous.We have set a course for ourselves to finish up our country tour with the National Parks of the Grand Circle. We are heading to the Grand Canyon and then back towards Denver by way of Bryce and Capitol Reef National Parks. We've been to Moab and Arches several times so I expect we'll skip it this time. We are anxious to get back to Denver for a homecoming stopover before heading directly back to MD. We've done that drive so many times that neither of us are really excited about stopping anywhere along I-70, but we are always open to suggestions. If anyone knows of some fabulous not-to-miss attractions along the way (other than the world's largest ball of twine), please let me know! We expect to be back in MD by the end of July and ready to begin the next new chapter of our lives. It will be different not living within our 200 square foot aluminum walls, but I'm starting to feel claustrophobic, so I take that as a sign that I'm ready for more space!
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