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slowdriving.us 2004 Trip A much longer version with more pictures is also available here.
Total Miles: 8047 Gas used: 466.4 gal Miles per Gallon: 17.25 Driving time: 205.35 Hours Average speed: 39.18 mph
Day 1 Jamul N32 43.0276 W116 52.6291 to Lordsburg N32 20.617 W108 42.689 Day one, Sunday April 18, I drove 529 miles.
I had a good breakfast in
El Cajon, before I headed East on Interstate 8. This was my first long trip in the car and I was apprehensive.
The engine died as I pulled up to the pump at a station on Ave. 12 in east Yuma. I was out of gas. I pumped the gas into the car's 10 gallon tank, and was amazed to see that the pump indicated I had purchased 10.1 gallons, indeed I had been out of gas. I did carry a two gallon can of gas on the rear baggage carrier.
Lordsburg N32 20.617 W108 42.689 to Carlsbad N32 22.605 W104 13.687 Day two, Monday April 19, I drove 314 miles.
By noon on the 19th I was in El Paso, Texas.
On the way to Carlsbad I came upon a wide load, a truck hauling a large tank coming the other way. Fortunately the road was wide enough for both of us. I waved at him and he hung his head out the window to see the car. When I arrived in Carlsbad I went straight to the Motel 6 and procured a room, I was not about to sleep in the car again. Unfortunately I did not realize that the best time to see the caverns is at night fall, when the Bats come of of the cavern. I had a great meal that night and talked to several people interested in knowing about the car, and where I was from, and where I was going.
Carlsbad N32 22.605 W104 13.687 to Big Springs N32 15.887 W101 29.3105 Day three, Tuesday April 20, I drove 219 miles
I got up early, packed the car and drove to the caverns, the walk down into the cave was interesting, a little steep and hard to see in the dim light, but worth the trip. At the bottom were elevators to ride back up to the Gift shop and National Park Headquarters.
By the time I got out of the caverns, it was almost noon and I was itching to get back in the drivers seat, and get on the road. I headed toward Hobbs still on route 180. The wind was strong from the south and the sky looked almost black to the north, someone was getting rain. I was headed southeast away from the rain. Hobbs came and went. Lamesa was where I turned south on Texas 87. The large dry farms looked all the same, a small house near the road with farm implements that had been replaced by new ones scattered around the buildings. I headed for the days destination, Big Springs Texas.
Upon arriving in Big Springs, I went to a Motel
6 again and got a room. There was a diner next door,
Big Springs N32 15.887 W101 29.3105 to Fairfield N31 43.0109 W96 10.5676 Day four Wednesday April 21, 360 miles through Texas
When I awoke on the 21st I noticed the car cover was wet, it had rained a little over night, or the motel sprinklers were out of adjustment. I took the car cover to the laundry room and put it into the dryer for a few minutes. That was a bad idea. The car cover material melts at high temperature, and a few places were melted. Oh well, at least it is dry now. I drove out of Big Springs continuing south on route 87, a great road with little traffic on it, some sections are four lane. When I got to route 158 at Sterling City, I turned east and continued on through large farms and oil wells. When I got to Ballinger I turned east on 67 which took me to 84 just outside of Brownwood. I stayed on 84 through Waco to Fairfield where I stopped for the night. Some of this is very pretty country, rolling hills and small trees. I did notice a continual smell of petroleum in the air as I drove through here. I stopped and checked the gas line, it was not coming from the car. The smell must have been from all the wells nearby.
Fairfield N31 43.0109 W96 10.5676 to Natchez N31 39.0098 W91 24.1831 Day five, Thursday April 22, I drove 226 miles.
I decided to stay on Highway
84, there was not a lot of traffic, and it was scenic. East Texas is not like
West Texas.
It is covered with lush forests. Most of the traffic I had was logging trucks.
They all blew their horns and waved as they passed me by. I crossed the State line
at Logansport. Once across the Louisiana line the trees became taller and
thicker. There were several small lumber mills along the road where the trucks
were going. Everyone waved to me as I went past.
Continuing east on 84, I went through Mansfield, Coushatta, Campti, Winnefield,
Tullos, Jena and
Vidalia before stopping on the other side of the Mississippi
River in Natchez Mississippi at about noon. I stopped at the visitors center right after crossing the river and asked about lodging and dinning. They recommended I go downtown to the newly remodeled Natchez Eola Hotel. It is a nice older building. The visitors center also gave me a discount coupon for one night.
After driving around the area, I checked in to the Hotel and got a shower. I went back downstairs in an elevator that made lots of noises as it went by floors. I asked the desk clerk where I could go to eat. He recommended either their dinning room or the Kings Tavern down on Jefferson street. The Kings Tavern is supposed to have historical significance, so I chose it as the place to eat. I was tired of driving and decided to walked to the Tavern. It was getting dark, and there were not many street lights. I was not sure where I was going, but I found it by chance. The food was great. Kings Tavern is the oldest building still standing.
Natchez N31 39.0098 W91 24.1831 to Loxley N30 39.285 W87 45.5763 Day six Friday April 23, I drove 428 miles.
I headed east on route 84 again. I found Mississippi to be a beautiful state. The road was cut through the forest. I could not see much, except the road and the trees. I had spent so much time in Natchez, I wanted to go as far as I could this day. What I didn't realize was, many of the towns on the map were of four or five buildings, no motels or gas. I passed Laurel Mississippi at seven thirty. I felt that was too early to stop at any of the many motels I saw there.
I drove through Mobile looking for the motels on the other side. By now it was a quarter to twelve at night, all the motels had their no vacancy signs lit. I found another truck stop on Interstate 10 in Loxley, and slept in the car again.
Loxley N30 39.285 W87 45.5763 to De Funiak Springs N30 41.7848 W86 07.2101 Day seven Saturday April 24, I drove 126 miles
I deserved a slow day, after another uncomfortable night in the car. This morning I drove the short distance to Pensacola to see the Aircraft Museum at the Navy Base. The museum is a very nice one.
I found a Motel at the intersection of 331 and I-10 in De Funiak Springs. It was still early, I did not care what the room cost, I wanted a shower and a bed to sleep in. I was done for the day.
De Funiak Springs N30 41.7848 W86 07.2101 to Ellenton N27 31.6983 W82 30.860 Day eight Sunday April 25, I drove 420 miles.
There was very little traffic on I-10. I turned south and headed for the Keys. The road was in great shape and I was making good time. Florida is a long state like California, some states I crossed in a couple of hours. I continued on to Ellenton and looked for a Motel, it was hot and I was tired. I hoped I could make it all the way to Key West tomorrow, or I would have to turn back before getting there.
Ellenton N27 31.6983 W82 30.860 to Key West N24 32.9421 W81 47.5175 Day nine Monday April 26 I drove 364 miles
The air conditioner barely kept the room cool, but I slept until about seven. After a short breakfast, I headed south again. Highway 19 disappeared back in Saint Petersburg and I was on route 41. When I got to Naples I had to decide if I could make it to Key West or should I turn east and go back up the coast through Fort Lauderdale. I decide to go for it. I may never get down here again. As I drove through the Rio Cypress National Preserve, I noticed strong fences along the road, and signs about alligators. Great I thought, if the car breaks down here I'll get eaten by a gator.
I arrived in Key West about five in the afternoon. I found a Hotel guide at a store and a coupon for twenty dollars off. I called the Motel to see if they had any vacancies. I was in luck, they did and would honor the discount if I got there in less than an hour. I was just a couple of blocks down the street, so I hurried over. It was a nice older Motel off of the main streets in a quiet residential neighborhood. Like many places the parking area was full. The office attendant said just park it on the grass under the sign, which I did. The car became a tourist attraction. After showering and changing clothes I walked back in to the downtown Key West Party. Every night there is a party at the end of the Keys. The idea is to drink as much as you can, then look at the setting sun to see if you can see the green flash as the sun goes down. I figured if I drank that much I would see a green flash even if I wasn't looking at the sun. After enjoying the street fair, I walked back to the tourist shops to buy presents for wife. I ate at one of the street diners, and regretted not having eaten where the Motel attendant suggested, just down the street from the Motel. Time is not important in Key West, drinking in public is tolerated if not encouraged. Soon it was almost midnight and I had a full day ahead of me again tomorrow. I walked back to the Motel, and went to sleep.
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