Austin, Texas, November 25, 2019 (Travel day)

6AM alarm, rise and shine, all packed, coffee on, last minute checking of this and that. I anticiapate I forgot one or two things, probably over-packed, my entire pile stacked by the door. In the dark of the morn I move my stuff inside the ATXBreeze Van which I've parked not under my carport but on the driveway for easier access. One last pat on kitty's head, crank 'er up, back into Wilson and head for 290W. Not crazy long first leg to El Paso, but not short either 576 miles, 8.45hrs.

Getting through the first parts of the outskirts of south Austin on 290 heading west is a whole lotta stopping a

You sort of get going, then comes "the Y", then Dripping Springs, next up Johnson City and just when you got a head of steam going comes Fredricksburg to slow thing up real good. (small towns are sorta like speed bumps for the long distance traveller and annoying).

Finally, open road.

I had to stop to use the facilites well into my trip and pulled into the same very nice rest stop I stopped at last year (perfect timing!) The only other time I stopped was to gas up on a side-on-the road Exxon along Fort Stockton - again, at the same gas station I gassed up at last year. And in case your wondering, last year I drove my 2003 Forester (4 cylinders) while pulling the "orignal" ATXBreeze trailer. This year I'm taveling by converted van, a 2002 Toyota Sienna (6 cylinders). Altho the Van has 2 additional cylinders (and loads of power!) I got slightly better gas mileage with the van!

The trip, supported by a long-assed stretch of 80mph speed limit road (which everyone, including me, drives at 85) went smoothly right up to the time I was suddenly cruising along in big El Paso traffic on a modern highway. I got off the highway when instructed by the Garmin, did a couple of rights here and a left there, was guided right to Robert's condo's on Stanton, where I pullled over. But didn't turn off the engine, just put it in park. I was getting my neighborhood bearings. I put the van back in drive, drove to the Starbucks I camped out at last year (about 3 blocks away) and waited for Bpbby to finish his work day at TT and join me.