Cross Country Drive. Alone.
We finally had our home back and could begin remodeling. With it closing in on the second week of April, I needed to be back in Oceanside, CA, for my volunteer commitment. There was no way we were taking our home back to Oceanside, so we’d made the decision to purchase a plane ticket for me. That gave us a few days to get started. We started taking out the seats and couches, then the flooring. Before we got too far in ripping out the flooring, it was time for our trip to Chicago. I booked us a room at the 21c Museum Hotel for Tuesday, April 6th, and Wednesday, April 7th, for Tom and the girls. A four-ish hour drive typically leaves us hungry and ready to refresh so, after checking in, we went in search of a snack. We found the Rock Bottom Brewery with a rooftop deck nearby. Later, we met my friend Jen and her children for dinner and enjoyed visiting.
Knowing we would be in Chicago, I made dinner plans with my friend, Jen. I met Jen in the same Facebook group as my Galveston friend, 10-ish years ago. A group of about 10 of us grew close and have remained in contact through the years. We met at a time in our lives we needed the support each other gave, and we were in a small, private group that allowed us to get deeper. To share things we couldn’t share on our personal Facebook page. I hope to meet more of the women I love from this group as we travel. Lauri, near Galveston, TX is on the list still since we never made it in February.
After breakfast, the family dropped me off at the airport and headed out for some of their own adventures. (M’s POV here. Liv’s POV here.) I sat in O’Hare International Airport, waiting to board my flight. Finally, we were boarded and on our way to San Diego. Our friend, Richard, picked me up, and we discussed dinner. Before we made it back to his place, his daughter called and invited us to dinner with her and her kids. After dinner, we went back to Richard’s to get my car and head to the hotel. Moments after arriving, I locked my keys in the trunk and had to call AAA. One hour, one lovely AAA guy, and a few good laughs later, I was on my way. Luckily, the rest of my night was uneventful. I checked in to my hotel then went to bed after calling the family.
Thursday morning, I made it to my golf committee meeting, then went and got my hair did. Staying beautifully pink requires a lot of time, and since my hair looked so good after, it was time to meet our friend David for a drink at Pacific Coast Spirits. I love that Pacific Coast Spirits has a cocktail of the month. Part of the proceeds from the cocktail sale is donated to a local Oceanside charity. April’s was Earth Day colors and a slushie. How could I pass that up? It was an early night to bed, where I read and enjoyed the silence.
Friday brought food distribution and an afternoon of serving our military. Then a night spent relaxing in the bathtub and reading in bed. Saturday morning, I was up early for box packing with Operation America Cares. Since I was in Escondido, I had breakfast with David. Then I picked up breakable chocolate Easter eggs from DaniGirl Cake Pops, and discovered I had locked myself out of storage. I broke in via a locksmith then spent another evening relaxing. Sunday, I met our friend, Buggs, for a drink before heading back to the hotel to pack up for Monday’s departure. Richard had stored our 2008 Jetta, and I was driving it back to Illinois. Alone.
Initially, I thought I would stop in St George, Grand Junction, and Denver, then decide if I was stopping again or heading straight through to Illinois. After getting started, I decided to forego the stop in St. George, UT, and head straight for Grand Junction, CO. Partway through Utah, on I-70, my car started making a strange noise and freaked me out. I was in the middle of nowhere, and there was no traffic. It was the strangest thing I’d ever experienced. I drove miles and miles and never saw another human. I did see a donkey. I pulled off at an exit and climbed under the car to see if I could figure out the problem. There was a piece of plastic flapping and scraping. I went on down the road, and I stayed the night in Grand Junction, CO, then met one of my son’s old friends for coffee. In a previous life, the children and I lived in Grand Junction, and the two of them had gone to school together, and his family had lived just a couple of blocks away. It was great catching up with him, and he followed me over to Grease Monkey, where they fixed my scary noise problem. The skid plate had lost screws, so they screwed it back in, didn’t charge me anything, and sent me on my way a much happier camper. I hugged Patrick goodbye and pointed the car toward Denver.
Glenwood Canyon, just outside Glenwood Springs, CO, is one of the most beautiful drives I’ve ever driven. I stopped along the river for a few peaceful moments of rushing water, taking my time getting to Denver. I found an adorable hotel on the Booking.com app and was excited to check-in. I made it into Denver, checked in to Woolley’s Classic Suites, and drew a bath. When I climbed in, it was even bigger than it looked. Being as short as I am, I had difficulty not floating to the top. The bath was still amazing. The bathtub alone was worth the price of the room. I was up at o’dark thirty and on the road to Auburn. I’d made the decision to drive straight through. Because I was out so early, I didn’t get a chance to stop and see my friend, Doreen, whom I hadn’t seen in years. It was 11 hours to Auburn, and I’d rather get up early than arrive later.
I arrived in Auburn, IL, about 9 PM after a long, grueling day of driving in one of the world’s most uncomfortable cars. During that drive, I decided we were replacing it.
Tom and the girls had been hard at work on the RV remodel between work and school. We continued the remodel until May 1st, 2021 when we set back off for Oceanside. We would continue to remodel while we were living in it. The big things were done.
To see more about the RV remodel, go here.
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