Gumbo on the Road - Day 1 (Cali to Tuscon)

Well folks, I'm heading to Atlanta to see my sister and I'm on my longest road trip ever. I'm currently in Tucson, Arizona about to crash for the evening so here's some quick takes from Day One. 

This is on the side of our truck. Total irony of us going to the South with a shout to the Underground Railroad on here. That's why I've nicknamed it the Overground Railroad (or Reverse Underground Railroad as my friend LeAnn put it).

The Cali roads are all desert and its pretty boring but still amazing to see. And no, I took this from the passenger seat, not the driver's seat.

Where we stopped in Buckeye, AZ. Almost as shocking as the $3.29 gas price in the area? The BK had Fox News  on the channel (for the uninformed, that's total sarcasm if you know Arizona and its politics)

More of the Cali high desert. 

This was cool. Rain clouds in Palm Springs. That rain came down so hard but it felt so good coming out the window. Almost like a bunch of kisses that you couldn't help smiling over

Wind energy is at a premium out here in Palm Springs. And yep, you can see me taking that shot through the mirror.

Downtown Phoenix sunset. Tried to get closer but it was absolutely beautiful. 

I also got the see evidence of the San Andreas Fault in Indio. I pity the folks who drive out to Coachella though cause that's one long drive that makes Riverside seem easy. I'll post that tomorrow cause I'm pooped. It's crazy hot and the devil's breath is hard to adjust to but for the most part, the drive was smooth. Getting used to driving a big truck instead of my Volvo is rough.

Day 2 tomorrow. The long-awaited drive through Texas! Can you feel the excitement! Can you feel the sarcasm! Seriously though, we're supposed to roll through Odessa and if you watch Friday Night Lights, you'll know how cool that is. We should be ending up somewhere outside of Dallas so that'll be nice.

Til then, your humble correspondent says goodnight from Tucson, AZ. Where 5 Guys, Whataburger and In-N-Out live in harmony. (And since I'm here, special shouts to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords who made her town and country proud today with her return to Washington to vote on the debt ceiling plan.)