The long drive home!

MONDAY, OCTOBER 31

Navidad and I came home last Tuesday, October 25^th – a week earlier than my planned return date of November 1^st.  Having abandoned all plans, due to Hurricane Matthew, to visit my brother Welby in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area and to continue to travel further south to North Carolina’s Outer Banks and Ocracoke, I had to alter the “third leg” of my camper trip – the drive back west to California. 

On October 11^th, instead of being at the First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, VA and enjoying that historical seaside environment, Navidad and I were at the Lee Hi Campground in Lexington, VA where our view overlooked a sea of trucks at that facility’s truck travel center.  At that point in time, I had exactly three weeks to travel this “third leg” and I thought I would make up for the lost week at the coast by visiting several state parks along the way westward.

I changed my mind, however, as I observed Navidad’s demeanor and had a heart-to-heart talk with him.  His IBD condition had been flaring up now and then and he was showing obvious signs of “camper travel fatigue.”  The decision was made to cut the trip short and drive no more than four hours a day on I-40.  Onward home, these were our stops –

   Oct. 12 – Lakeview RV Park, Bluff City, TN

   Oct. 13 – Spring Lake RV Resort, Crossville, TN

   Oct. 14 – Same place (did laundry!)

   Oct. 15 – Parkers Crossroads RV Park, Yuma, TN

   Oct. 16 – Memphis KOA, Marion, AR

   Oct. 17 – Outdoor Living Center RV Park, Russellville, AR

   Oct. 18 – Rockwell RV Park, Oklahoma City, OK

   Oct. 19 – Oasis RV Resort, Amarillo, TX

   Oct. 20 – Albuquerque Central KOA, Albuquerque, NM

   Oct. 21 – USA RV Park, Gallup, NM

   Oct. 22 – Route 66 KOA, Seligman, AZ

   Oct. 23 – Lake Havasu State Park, Lake Havasu City, AZ

   Oct. 24 – Riviera RV Resort, Blythe, CA (dumped all tanks here)

   Oct. 25 – Home!

Navidad and I traveled nearly 8,000 miles in 55 days.  He’s been everywhere!  I don’t know another cat who can boast the same!

   1^st Leg: (CA-NV-ID-MT-ND-MN-MI-Ontario-Quebec) - 3,279 miles

   2^nd Leg: (NY-PA-WV-VA-MD-DC) - 1,585 miles

   3^rd Leg: (MD-DC-VA-TN-AR-OK-TX-NM-AZ-CA) - 2,983 miles

  

Navidad and me, heading on home...

At dusk, the Stage Coach 66 Motel, a Route 66 landmark, Seligman, AZ.

At dawn, my truck camper, just off Route 66, Seligman, AZ.

The setting sun, as seen from my camper, Lake Havasu State Park, AZ.

My camp chair, waiting for me...Lake Havasu State Park.