Tucson 2022

2/13/2022

Moving day: 511 miles from Santa Fe to Tucson according to Google Maps and Google's hardly every wrong. Around 6:30A and well before sun up, I departed my beloved Santa Fe. And except for nearly running out of gasoline, I experienced a mostly uneventful, long-assed drive. I was poking along at ~60 mph which is recommend (I forget by who) for my particular 1989 throwback RV. I had previously determined that the RV got just about 200 miles with a full tank. But I was able to squeeze 211 miles (a solid white knuckled experience!) A long drive can put one in a driving trance of sorts, lost in thought, hypnotized by the white lines. So when I glanced at my GPS by chance, it showed that the next gas station was 60 miles away. I had a quarter tank of gas left. The math did not add up. I had a two gallon container of gasoline with me, but it was locked with a heavy duty bike chain in my cargo carrier and I began to panic because I thought I might not remember the combination! (I did) And there, just in the nick of time, at 211 miles (11 miles further than ever before on a full tank) was a Love's Gas station. It was Love at first sight! I pulled in, shut the engine off, and filled up to the tippy top. This Love's gas station felt awful familiar and I'm pretty sure it's where I encountered a woman three years ago on a previous road trip who asked for money, ! blew her off, had second thoughts, found her, and gave her a few bucks. I remember she was wearing a hospital bracelet.

I traveled on the great American sporting day, Super Bowl Sunday. Rams versus the Bengals. I'd done the"time math" and figured I'd get to Tucson in time to watch the game, to possibly see the kickoff. Still don't know if driving into another time zone or any other calculations were off, but I barely made it into a Walmart parking lot for the start. I did it with just a few minutes to spare (see first photo).

I have been in Tucson a week now. I have spent every one of my nights at a Walmart parking lot (nice Walmart by the way. Big and clean). It seems that this Wally World is completely welcoming when it comes to overnight parking, and not just RV's but any one staying over night in their huge parking lot (in spite of the numerous signs stating it's forbidden). Big RVs, small RVs, vans, cars, come one come all. Tucson has 16 Walmarts, and at first I thought I may have to move around, play it safe. But there is no reason No security driving around taking names and plate numbers, the regular stuff that makes all boondockers antsy. Huge bonus, too, for staying here at the Walmart is wifi, which I take advantage of liberally. Weather has overall been great. Mid uppers 70s daytime with plenty of sun, cool to cold at overnight.

It's my first week so I have not ventured too far. Starbucks one day but found it unnecessary. I do go to a Julian Wash Archeological park every day and take a long, long walk. Most days 3 miles. Yesterday I did 6. Today I may go on a bike ride. I'm making Tucson up as I go along so stay tuned...