We knew that it was time for us to head north because:
- Our “baby” would be graduating soon from the university at the end of the week and it would be time to celebrate. He’s got a double degree: electrical engineering and computer science. I hope he’s found a job.
- The outside temp on Friday of last week reached 109°F. I didn’t think it was so bad but my husband disagreed.
- There was no more cold water coming from the tap (only warm or hot).
- I needed to add ice cubes to the water to rinse my salad greens.
As we left for our trip northward, we had to stop and get one last look at this beauty a few houses up the street which had just opened more blossoms.
We would be driving through desert country and I was hoping for a glimpse at more Saguaro blooms. I was not disappointed.
Another amazing discovery along our route was finding the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook. Sometime we will have to stop here for the night.
Check out the license plate.
I just had to find out which came first: the movie or the motel.
We weren’t able to peek inside but were reassured that each 21 foot wide teepee was a fully equipped motel room. A regular motel in the back of the property contained rooms for those less adventurous spirits. The motel opened in 1950 and I suspect that someone from the first Cars movie stopped by here.
The highlight of my trip northward was veering slightly off course to visit a new friend. We first met in person at the Tucson Quilt Festival in February. She graciously invited us to stop and we had a short but wonderful visit. There were many miles still to drive and rainstorms threatening overhead.
Yes, that’s Melva who blogs at Melva Loves Scraps. She stopped her sewing and gave me a tour of her sewing room. I saw some really quilting goodness on her design wall and got an up-close look at her Quilter’s Laundry Day mini quilt. It truly is gorgeous. She explained that those mountains in her quilt could really be seen by driving to the top of the hill on the road beside their house. We did that after we left and agree that they are beautiful, as beautiful as they could be on a gloomy, rainy day. The only ray of sunshine on Tuesday was found in Melva’s sewing room. I suspect from her smile that the sun shines often in her house.
What I Learned Today:
- Quilter’s make the best friends.
- 1,597 miles is a long time to sit.
- It’s nice to be home again. Although I call my other place home too.
- Once a baby, always a baby (or at least mine).
- Don’t say it. Don’t even think it (pertaining to road construction). We saw a lot of it. Not at first but after I thought about it and then said, “I guess road construction season hasn’t started yet.”
Question: Do you like road trips or do you prefer to fly to places far away? I prefer road trips but I may be rethinking that come next year when we make our annual migration.
Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats 
Who knew there really are tepee hotels!? The cactus blooms are beautiful! Have a safe trip home & thank you for blogging!
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I prefer driving over flying and I always have to add a 3 hour round trip driving in the day also as we have no airport in our town – it makes the day extra long anyhow
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I loved your post and all of your shared pictures. You always make me smile with your comments! Enjoy your summer months in your ‘northern’ home :)!
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I love a good road trip. But sometimes it is go to jump on a plane and be there.
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Awwww… you are so sweet. I am so glad that you stopped by! I prefer road trips over flying. I always pass the time with hand-quilting projects. I know that some are unable to do such projects because of motion sickness, but I would be totally lost without them! Dave & I enjoy listening to some audio books as well. Our recent series is The Chronicle of Narnia (and it has to be said with an English accent to say it right). 😉
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Your posts are so cute 🙂 Congratulations to your baby, too! Hope you get settled in and stitching away soon!
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Awe thanks.
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I always love a good road trip. But sometimes there just isn’t enough time to drive when you have limited vacation time, so we fly. As far as the people of Cars driving through the area, you are correct. This Disney/Pixar nut can verify that many hours were spent on the road traveling between towns to give the movie a feel that matched the open road in that area.
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I also suspect that Williams, AZ was also used as an inspiration for the Cars movie. Both are on Route 66.
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Quilty friends ARE the best! Looks like you & Melva had fun!
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We sure did but time together was short.
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We’ve done both in recent years. It depends on the destination and how much time we have. It takes sooooo long just to get through Chicago (or around Chicago). I would love the luxury of a leisurely driving trip so that I could stop at whatever took my fancy (antiques malls, flea markets, quilt shops, small-town museums). Those aren’t on my husband’s itinerary.
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Usually we both have to compromise during our travels; he goes along to quilt shops and I go along to computer stores.
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