I am sitting at my desk in Vail on a beautiful June day. The sky is blue, trees are green, and wildflowers are coloring the landscape. It's supposed to be 80° and sunny today.
I REFUSE TO WRITE A STORY ABOUT A SNOW VACATION TODAY!!
So, I'll talk about one of those 'mandatory' trips.... How about picking up your college freshman and bringing her home for summer break?
Her Stuff...
How did ALL this fit into a dorm room? And why are we traveling with skis in June in Las Vegas? Are there ANY clean clothes, or is everything 'my laundry'?
An Old Broken-in Car...
I bought that car new when the now-college-age-kid still needed a car seat. It's no longer pretty; the purple paint is peeling, the seats are torn, and there's a smell (maybe that's the laundry?). NO AIR CONDITIONING!!! It's 115° in the desert, OMG! But it's a safe car; reliable, maintained, and perfect for a person who does not yet earn their keep :-)
An Executable Plan...
Drive a total of 16 hours over the course of 2 days. Leave early in the morning to avoid the 'heat of the day'. For all stops, park in the shade. Take lots of breaks and cool down in air-conditioned shopping malls and restaurants.
Highly Essential Mental Game...
Road Trip..... Away Game... Have Fun??? YIKES!
And Off We Go....
Do you know how loud the volume must be to even hear the radio when traveling 80 mph with the windows open? And how LOUD it becomes when you make an intermittent stop? There's the excuse for so many youth who drive with excessively loud music, right?? And what psycho-minded meteorologist claimed the term 'wind CHILL'??? C'mon...
The wind (filled with bugs) in my hair, the desert air (dirt and debris) on my face, the truck driver tan on my left arm (start a new asymmetrical trend in women's fashions?)... And many cold drinks initiating extra bathroom stops (Where is that next town?)...
Viva Las Vegas...
We decided Las Vegas would be best to spend the very hot afternoon. It probably has the most cubic feet of air conditioning of any place on earth. We wandered in a LARGE (they all are) casino to 'dry' off and then enjoyed lunch INSIDE, absolutely NOT on the 90° restaurant patio.
More wandering through the various shopping vestibules.. No buying stuff, however. There's no room in the car to carry much more than a postcard.
We finally came upon the Flamingo Hilton and found a bird sanctuary. Then we told all of the relatives that we went 'birding' today. We called it our mini-vaca' and posted the photos.
Onward...
Whoever told you that the desert cools off in the evening was not being truthful, but we needed to move on. And why is it that when the AC fails, the thermostat continues to work perfectly and flash the outside 3-digit temperature in the driver's face endlessly?
We found another shopping mall for a late dinner and were careful to sit far from any other patrons so as not to impose our 'sweat' of the day upon others. We finally arrived at our hotel and ran straight to the showers, yay!
The End...
We arrived safely the next day. The ride through the higher altitudes was cool and comfortable. The car, the skis, the stuff, the 'laundry' and all applicable aromas are now home in Vail... where it makes perfect sense to not replace broken air conditioning in your car, whew!
And the Future...
We think that the fall semester start date should align with a drop in the desert temperature. But if that doesn't work out, we'll grin and bear it! :-)
Make your journey a pleasant one, always! :-)
Joyce
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