Our motel was clean and it blasted A/C directly at Pike and Jesse’s bed and I was able to dry most all our newly washed clothing by hanging it around the room, but I felt a little ripped-off with the price and was looking forward to the prices of Motel 6, where we had planned to stay the rest of the trip. The boys were focused on reaching California and had no desire to see this or that or dwaddle along the way. They had been such amazing traveling companions, getting up before and at dawn, rarely complaining, helping me, taking Kilo for walks and playing with him in the car, going wherever I wanted in Mexico and never complaining when I stopped (yet again) to take a picture, that I was very happy to endulge them in their desire.
We left Sanderson around dawn and headed out into the hills of West Texas. I love this area of Texas. The hills are amazing in color and composition and jut up out of the ground like nothing I’ve ever seen. We arrived around 8:30 and asked (who later turned out to be the cook) if we’d arrived at the drugstore. He was amazingly unhelpful, asking me if I needed a drugstore to my reply of, “no, I’m looking for the drugstore that is a place to eat.” I tried explaining how the website described the place as an old drugstore but it was also a restaurant. Not sure if I was in the right place, he left and behind him I immediately saw a sign welcoming me to the “OLD DRUGSTORE”. Go figture.
Jody and crew were soon on the scene and it was so lovely to meet them again. Unfortunately, soon after meeting Jody, our keys got locked in the car but the waitress at the drugstore we were eating at assured us the Sheriff would be along shortly to accomodate us. So we ordered and ate. The poor waitress was incredibly slammed with customers, she was running all the tables in the place plus the cash register and counter. It wasn’t until I was well finished with breakfast that I had a 2nd cup of coffee. People came and left, unable to purchase what they desired, but it wasn’t until late in our meal that a couple arrived to run the cash register and another to run the counter. Unfortunately for our poor waitress, they worked about 15 minutes before LEAVING HER ALONE once again! I finally had Jesse walk over to the Sherriff’s office as the waitress too slammed enough with work to be able to contact the Sherriff’s office and they suggested a locksmith who walked over with his granddaughter. He was a little hampered by the anti-theft sytem in the Ford but finally opened the van and I was able to retrieve Jody’s long journeying bottle of Havana Club 7-year rum. It’s a good rum. We left them to explore Ft. Davis and meander up to the Colorado mountains as we headed west.
I finally exhausted my backroad travel just east of El Paso and we pretty much stayed on interstates for the rest of the trip. We pulled into Wilcox, AZ and the boys hit the swimming pool while Kilo and I explored the town. Wilcox had a lovely city park with pool and running/biking trails and playground and more. I put them to good use the next morning for a nice run and walk. I find it much easier to exercise first thing in the morning and their city park was a lovely place to do so. We were burning up the miles and expected we’d get into CA much earlier than expected. The boys were very pleased.
