slowdriving.us

2004 Trip

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 said goodbye to my wife, (Patty) after 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. As I climbed the hill past Alpine, only 15 miles east of my starting point, I was relieved as no problems arose yet. This feeling of insecurity continued all the way up the mountain to In-ko-pa, where the highway begins its steep winding decent to the desert floor below.

There had been rain in the weeks before and the desert was abloom in wild flowers. The drive across the flat sandy expanse to Arizona was uneventful. I don't like to stop for gas or the toilet when I am making good time and the gas station is a long distance off the main road. I did not stop for gas in El Centro but continued on to Yuma. I knew there was a easy access station at the east end of Yuma and hoped I could make it there, that way I would have a full tank as I headed on east toward Tucson. As I approached the Avenue 12 off ramp the engine sputtered, the light was green so I went on through to the gas station. The engine died as I pulled up to the pump. 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 10.01 gallons, indeed I had been out of gas. I did carry a two and a half gallon can of gas on the rear baggage carrier to use if needed, that is why I had the nerve to stretch it all the way to avenue 12 in east Yuma. I never did need the spare gas for the entire trip, but I did learn to fill up after about 150 miles of driving.

As I left Yuma headed toward Tucson, which was my intended destination for the day, I became more relaxed and began to enjoy the trip. As cars passed, they would often honk or wave, most people like the old car.

After having almost run out of gas in Yuma, I decided to fill up in Gilla Bend, I needed only six and a half gallons. This was the most expensive gas for the trip.

A long haul truck driver taking his required break, came over to me while I was filling up. He liked the car and encouraged me to continue on, as the road was good all the way east, except for some bad spots in Texas. I completed my pit stop and headed back to the road. I drove right through Tucson without stopping. Interstate 8 ends near Eloy and merges with little notice into Interstate 10, the weather was perfect, warm with a clear sky, why stop.

By the time I reached Benson I was hungry. I stopped at a new gas station, motel, restaurant at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Arizona 80. I took a much deserved long break. I checked the Motel prices and decided they were too expensive. I looked at my watch it was only five thirty, why stop so early, I have been on the road only eight and a half hours. So I continued east. With the sun setting behind me, I made the truckers nervous as I drove 50 mph in the right lane, they were all going much faster and passed me with a friendly short toot of their air horns.

It was a quarter to nine when I pulled into Lordsburg, New Mexico. The first couple of Motels I saw had their No Vacancy signs on. I was so tired I pulled behind a truck stop gas station and went to sleep in the car. After several hours of back breaking rest, I gave up and headed for a restaurant for breakfast, swearing I would never sleep in the car again no matter how much the motel cost. That first day I traveled 529 miles in about eleven hours.

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. I was making much better time than I had expected. Interstate 10 is easy to drive on. I stopped at the Wal-Mart and bought some CD's for my CD player. The Model A has no radio, and the wasteland of New Mexico and west Texas was getting to me, I needed some entertainment.

After a short break at the Wal-Mart shopping center, and a good deli sandwich for lunch, I headed north on highway 180 to Carlsbad, New Mexico to visit the caverns.

On the way to Carlsbad I came upon a wide load, a truck caring 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 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.

The gas I got in El Paso seemed to be better than that in California, I was getting about 20 mpg an increase of about 3 mpg over California, I don't think Texas puts grain alcohol in the crude oil gasoline. This was a good day, I drove 314 miles in about eight hours.

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, where I had a home cooked Texas meal. I was eating too much for someone who is sitting all day in the drivers seat. One would think truck stop diners would have salads and lite meals instead of goulash and chicken fried steak. None the less I went to my room too full to do much of anything else. Today's adventure was only 219 miles.

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. I drove through some interesting towns, Robert Lee and Bronte. 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 had a truck stop restaurant and several motels. I tried the Motel 8 and another discount motel, they were all full. Workers from a highway road crew were renting most of the rooms. The only place with a room was over one hundred dollars. Ouch, I could buy a lot of gas with a hundred bucks.

I fell back on my promise to myself and tried to sleep in the car. I found a place in the over flow lot. The wind was blowing so strong from the south the car was rocking. Dust was getting in the windows. I tried to put the car cover on to keep the dust out, but then it got too warm. I could not sleep. About 3am, I drove over to the truck stop and asked if the shower room was available so I could take a shower. The attendant said "I don't think so, there is a guy sleeping in there. You can go wake him up if you want to." I decided to let the poor guy sleep, he was probably in the same fix as me. I walked out and found a place on the north side of the station to park out of the wind. This worked for about three hours and then the trucks began to slowly pull past me out of the lot for the road. This continual roar of the big engines and the squeak of the air brakes woke me up.

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 went to the restaurant and ate eggs and bacon, with lots of coffee. I felt rested enough to travel on.

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 traveled through towns with the names of, Maydelle, Rusk, Mount Enterprise, Timpson and Tenaha. 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. Some history of the Hotel is below:

The Natchez Eola Hotel in historic Natchez, Mississippi

Built in 1927, renovated in 1998, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Natchez Eola Hotel offers its guests the ambiance and charm of the Old South with the convenience of modern amenities.

The Natchez Eola Hotel is graced with elegant interiors, arched doorways, crystal chandeliers, marble trim, stately columns, Mississippi River view balconies, and a New Orleans courtyard with an original fire-and-water fountain. Grand and stately, the Eola Hotel is furnished throughout with fine antiques, original oil paintings, statuary, fountains and lush with flowers. Featuring 3,995 sq. ft. of meeting space, the Eola offers event planning and catering.

Step out of the Eola's courtyard into the heart of historic downtown Natchez, where you'll discover Natchez Under-the-Hill, riverboat gambling, and the city's renowned Antiques Row, all within walking distance of the Eola. Horse-drawn carriages will deliver you to the door of magnificent antebellum mansions graced with innumerable white columns, rich Italian marble, and moss-laden trees.

After driving around the area, I checked in 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 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 found it by chance. The food was great.

I found the following History in a write up of the Tavern.

King's Tavern is the oldest building in Natchez, Mississippi, having been built in the latter half of the 1700's. The first U.S. Mail that came to Natchez, in fact, was delivered to the tavern's doorstep, where the townsfolk would gather to get their letters. The fellow who owned the tavern, Richard King, prospered and enjoyed his status in the town as something of a celebrity. By most accounts he and his wife led normal lives and held a position of respect and prominence in the community. With such prominence, however, came temptation.

Around 1789 a young girl named Madeline came to work in King's Tavern as a serving girl. She was beautiful and flirtatious and soon caught the eye of Richard King. It wasn't long before Madeline noticed and became attracted to her employer as well. They engaged in a brief, although steamy affair that was cut short when King's wife discovered them. Enraged, she sought out the services of unscrupulous men and had the girl murdered. Then, to keep her good name clear, she bricked the body and the murder weapon up into the fireplace in the main room of the tavern.

Up until the 1930's the story of Madeline was thought to be purely legend. However, when the building was taken over by new owners and a renovation began, a grisly discovery was made: Inside the chimney wall. Workers found the mummified remains of not one, but three, bodies. Two of the corpses were men. One, however, was that of a girl, just the right age to have been the lovely Madeline. Lying next to her body was the dagger that was used to end her life.

Though the bodies were removed and given a proper burial, questions remained. Who were the other two bodies, and who put them there? The first question was the subject of rumor and conjecture, with everyone seeming to have their own theories as to the corpses’ identities and trespasses. Of the second question, however, there was little doubt. King's wife seemed to have taken exception to more than just poor Madeline.

Following the discovery, people began to notice strange things going on in the tavern. Waiters would find wet footprints across the upstairs floor, and lights would flicker at the most inopportune moments. Most startling, however, was that the old, out-of-commission fireplace would be warm, as if having been lit. This was the same fireplace in which Madeline and the other two were entombed.

After learning about the Tavern and the fireplace, I was not sure I wanted to walk back to the Hotel on the dimly lit street. I did make it back ok and did not see any ghosts on the way.

Next stop this evening was another pub just down the street from the Hotel where I meet several locals. One recommended that on my way out of town I stop at Longwood Plantation. He was sure I would enjoy the house. I walked back to the Hotel about midnight, and fell into bed.

Natchez N31 39.0098 W91 24.1831 to Loxley N30 39.285 W87 45.5763

Day six Friday April 23, I drove 428 miles.

Before I left Natchez I walked around the downtown area and took pictures.

In this area I saw several nice old houses.

This is the house of the Methodist minister.

Sure looks like a southern home.

The plaque below tells about this Bank building.

After looking around town I headed to Longwood, just a few miles away. I found the following description of the Longwood plantation in an article about Natchez.

In the Mississippi city of Natchez, deep among forest trees dripping with Spanish moss, stands an unfinished "Oriental Villa" known as Longwood. Planned in 1859 for cotton barron, Dr. Haller Nutt by Philadelphia's fashionable architect, Samuel Sloan, this eight-sided castle was begun in 1860.

Work halted abruptly in 1861, when the Confederate bugles echoed across the South. The Pennsylvanian artisans, busy on the Arabian palace, heeded Mr. Lincoln's call-to-arms and immediately dropped saws and hammers, heading North to pick up rifles and bayonets, never to return. The house is unusual, with its octagonal design and sixteen-sided cupola topped with a Byzantine onion-shaped dome; yet its novelty and luxury reflected the wealth, prestige and creativeness of the affluent Dr. Nutt. The unique Muslim plan had captured the Natchezian's imagination and he proudly predicted that "after this the Octagon shape will be the style!"

Of the home's envisioned thirty-two rooms only nine on the ground floor were completed. One traveler to Natchez, writing in 1863, stated that "the house itself is rather like a pagoda, but it is beautifully furnished." The twentieth, century traveler will agree.

On the walls are the architect Sloan's drawings of the mansion as it was to have been, a six-story structure of brick, plaster and marble with eight rooms on each floor centered around a rotunda. Indirect lighting was to be provided by large mirrors in the dome reflecting sunbeams to smaller mirrors to light the gloomy interior below. Orders to France, England and Italy had been sent for elaborate furnishings, mosaic floors, marble mantels, statues and stairways, and splendid tapestries. Many of these costly pieces were in route on the high seas and were seized by the Federal blockade. Today some of these items are in national museums.

When the war that suddenly burst upon the nation deprived him of his workmen and subsequently his wealth, Dr. Nutt dejectedly settled his family into the lower floor. Although a Union-sympathizer, the doctor, nevertheless, saw a million dollars' worth of rich cotton land burned or confiscated by Union soldiers. A broken man, he died of pneumonia in 1864 leaving, still incomplete, his Longwood, the remembrance of Eastern magnificence which looms up against the mellowed azure of a Southern sky.

Nutt's descendants occupied the basement rooms for the next one hundred Years. In 1970, the house was presented to the Pilgrimage Garden Club which is lovingly maintaining it. Now a National Historic Landmark, it is open daily to the public, its eight-sided elegance marking art and to an era. It is standing as a ghostly monument to the heart rending result of the war between the states.

It was after noon by the time I left Longwood. 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.

It was ten in the evening by the time I got to Silas, Alabama. There had not been a town with any services for miles. It was raining off and on, and I could not see that well at night in the rain on a poorly marked blacktop road. To make it worse there were several cars behind me driving with their bright lights on. I saw only headlights when I looked in the mirror. I was very happy when I arrived in Silas and found this gas station still open at the intersection of 84 and 17. I pulled into the station, the cars behind me pulled in too. The doors opened and several men stepped out, and headed toward me and the car.

I got out and was thinking to myself, how's a northern boy like me gonna whip a whole bunch of southerners in their own back yard. I didn't think that too long. One of the guys said "I tried to pass you several times, but you were going too fast, and a corner came up and I had to back off. What kind of car is that? You got a big engine in it? Where are you from? Where are you going? " I proudly replied that it was a 1928 Ford, and the engine is mostly stock, I started in San Diego and was going to Florida to see my sister. The guys said wow, its really neat, see ya, we gotta go. And with that, they drove off into the night.

The gas station did not have automatic pumps, I had to go inside to pay first. Just as I was starting to walk away, another car load of local people drove up and wanted to see the car. One of them said to another, "I like it, let's take it." Then he said to me "do you think I could start it?" I replied no, it is not like a modern car, besides that, I'm almost out of gas, you wouldn't get very far.

With that comment, one of the guys said, "leave him alone, I was in the Navy in San Diego, they treated me alright. We don't want any trouble." I shook his hand and said goodbye and hurriedly went into the station to pay for my gas. The attendant said "I was about to call the police, was them guys given you any trouble" No, I said, "they just wanted to talk about the car".

I went back out and filled the tank, as I was checking the oil, a car that was along the side of the building drove over to me. A man and his wife said they were watching the whole thing, he said "them boys are up to no good, you are lucky they left." The couple then offered me lodging at their farm up the road a few miles. By now all I wanted to do was find civilization again. I thanked them but said no, and went on south down highway 17 and then 43 into Mobile. I like to stop beyond a large city so I don't get into early morning traffic when I leave. 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. Soon I began to think I should have taken the man and his wife up on their offer to stay at their farm.

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 an 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. The following picture is from the museum web site.

Curtis NC-4

Manufacturer: Curtis Aeroplane and Motor Company and Naval Aircraft Factory
Dimensions: Length: 68 ft., 3 in.; Height: 24 ft., 6 in.; Wingspan: 126 ft.
Weights: Empty: 15,874 lb.; Gross: 26,386 lb.
Power plant: Four 400 horsepower Liberty 12 engines
Performance: Maximum Speed: 85 M.P.H.; Service Ceiling: 4,500 ft.; Range: 1,470 miles
Crew (on transatlantic flight): Aircraft commander, pilot, co-pilot, radio officer, engineering officer, flight engineer.

A view from of the Pensacola beach.

Driving to Destin and a nice beach.

The beach was not at all crowded, the weather was warm and the sand was white.

I walked out and sat down for a short nap, I needed it. After relaxing for a while I drove through all the little beach towns on highway 98. They looked like all the other beach towns, too many cars with no place to park and buildings too close together. I found a restaurant with an available parking place and got something to eat. I headed back onto interstate 10, the beach road was stop and go traffic. I turned north on 331 and drove over a long bridge across a bay. I saw lots of Hurricane route signs. It was April so I was ahead of Hurricane weather.

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. Before Patty got on the Plane to come to Jacksonville she told Teresa, a co-worker that I had stayed In De Funiak Springs, the woman almost fell over. She is from there and has family still in the town.

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.

I was scheduled to meet Patty at the airport in Jacksonville, on April 29th. I decided I was enough ahead of schedule that I could make it to Key West and back in time to pick her up at the airport.

I had four days to get to Key West and back. I would need to take good roads and drive, in order to make it on time. I headed east on I-10 to Tallahassee where I turned south on Florida Route 19.

There was very little traffic on the road, 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. Just past Ingals, the car started to backfire. I pulled into the first large parking lot, stopped and opened the hood to see what was wrong. After testing all the wires with no success I decided the problem was the condenser in the distributor. The distributor is a Mallory and a standard condenser would fit. After asking several people as to where an auto parts store was, I slowly drove the car across the street and down a block to an auto parts store. When I asked the clerk for a condenser, he wanted to know the make, model and year of my car. I told him, he quickly said he did not have a part for that car. I knew he was going to say that, so I asked to look at the condensers he had, as long as it would fit I would take it. I looked through a box that had several condensers in it and found one that would fit. After installing the condenser I continued south, with a smooth running engine.

I began to wonder if I was making the right choice to continue south. I went through Largo, and on the bridge over Tampa Bay. Everything was going great it was Sunday evening and the traffic was lite. 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 stopped in Campstown for gas and Homested for gas and lunch. There was no turning back now. It was an eye opening drive across the Keys, I had never seen so many bridges over so much water in my life. I was really enjoying the drive. The temperature was near perfect. I discovered several small towns on the Keys There were a lot more trees than I would have expected.

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 Patty and her family. 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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