David Crowder and Shawn McDonald
A few of us went to Tallahassee on Tuesday for the David Crowder and Shawn McDoanld concert. It was great. Good music, good friends, and a lot of praising God.

We got to get our picture taken with Shawn, rock on!

Me, Cory Gann, Shawn McDonald, and Josh Corbitt


I tried to take some pictures of the concert itself but they didn't turn out too well.

David Crowder's goatee is almost as big as his hair.

I would rather have a clear picture, but this looks cool in an abstract way.


We had fun, and that's more important than good pictures.

Trip figures
Whew, there was no relaxing when I got back home! I came back and it feels like I haven't stopped moving yet!

I promised some numbers from the trip. I was surprised when I added everything up:

Transportation -
Airfare: $299.70
Car Rental: $592.33
Gas: $223.40

Total: $1115.43

Hotels, 8 Nights ?
Santa Monica, CA: $209.55 (2 nights)
Barstow, CA: $55.69
Williams, AZ: $105.52 (2 nights)
Albuquerque, NM: $50.39
Amarillo, TX: $71.42
Memphis, TN: $78.25

Total: $570.82

Entrance Fees ?
Parking: $15
Grand Canyon: $20
Meteor Crater: $12
Petrified Forest: $10
Elvis? Birthplace: $6

Total: $63

Food/Misc: $188.71

Souvenirs: $155.42

Grand Total: $2093.38

States: 10
California, Arkansas, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida

Miles Driven: 2974.1

Gas Mileage: 23mpg

Map from AAA Internet TripTik

It was worth every penny!

The Final Day ... Two Days Late
Okay, I'm back in PC. Sorry about not updating before this but I've been busy with getting back in the swing of things after my trip.

Saturday morning I left Memphis and stopped in Tupelo, Mississippi to see Elvis? birthplace. There was a nice little museum, the house his father built (they lived in it until he was three), and a chapel built as a memorial to Elvis after his death.

When asked what could be done as a memorial for him after his death he replied ?I guess build a chapel so my fans can pray there.? They did, and the chapel is a modest sanctuary for such use. In the corner it has the pulpit from the church he attended as a boy as well as a Bible that belonged to Elvis.

Elvis had a deep faith, always saying his voice was a gift from God. It seems fitting that he would ask for a chapel to allow his fans to speak to God.

After Tupelo it was the hard drive back home. Despite road closures and detours on US 78 through Alabama I made good time, getting to the house at just before 9:00pm. It was good to be back. I was ready to see my family and they were ready to see me.

Check back later this week for a tally of the trip: miles, gas, hotels, cities, states, and whatever else I can come up with.

Miles driven from LA to Southport: 2970.2

Day 8 Recap
Whew! I've put some miles behind me today! And the weather wasn't the best, either. It rained for nearly the entire day. It was mainly a drizzle, but there were three serious downpours I drove through. It brought traffic on I-40 down to 45 mph each time.

I didn't take too many pictures today. The darkness of the day and the wet roads made it risky to drive with one hand while taking pictures with the other. Water drops on the windshield and windows play havoc with the autofocus, too.

Before leaving Amarillo I stopped at a Target to pick up some extra things: Peanut M&M's, batteries, a new CD, some Red Bull, a washcloth and a small ice chest. I wasn't taking any chances of falling asleep at the wheel. The washcloth soaked in ice water is a trick Dad taught me to keep you awake. If you start to get drowsy, just wipe it across your face and neck and you're awake in no time. I've never had Red Bull. Frankly, it doesn't taste or work that good. I think I'll stick with Mountain Dew for my caffeine fix.

Just west of Groom, TX on I-40 is a giant cross. It is billed as 'the largest cross in the Western Hemisphere and a spiritual experience you will never forget.' I'm not so sure that a giant cross on the side of the highway really counts as a spiritual experience, but I guess I'll remember that there's a huge cross near Groom, Texas for the rest of my life. I guess if you were looking for a sign and were driving through Groom it could be called a spiritual experience. But who am I to question what God can use to get people's attention. If He can use a talking donkey or a bush that burns but isn't consumed, He can use a gigantic cross. Now that I think about it, I'm sure it has helped someone. And that alone is reason enough to have it. It would make a unique testimony.

"I met Christ last summer at a 'Shane and Shane' concert a friend's church had. What about you?"
"Me? I was driving through Texas about two years ago and saw this huge cross on the side of the road outside of Groom. It kinda spoke to me so I stopped at the church nearby and asked about it."

It would definitely be an interesting testimony.

Oh, yeah. There is a leaning water tower to the east of Groom, too. The picture's fuzzy because of that water and autofocus problem I told you about. And because I was in a hurry, trying to take the picture before I passed the tower.

In Elk City I stopped at the National Route 66 Museum for a quick look-see. The museum is a walk through the history of Route 66 and the states the old road runs through.

The museum was pretty neat, and they have a piece of the original road there, too.

After the museum I hit the road again. Oklahoma has a couple of interesting towns if you're a country music or sports fan. Yukon is Garth Brooks' home and Henryetta is Troy Aikman's home. I had lunch at a Taco Bueno off Garth Brooks Boulevard in Yukon. Sorry, no lunch with Garth, just lunch by the street named after him. I wonder if having a street named after you changes your outlook on life.

After lunch I hit the road again and bid farewell to Route 66 as I passed through Oklahoma City. The old road turns north and runs through Tulsa before connecting through Kansas, Missouri and the Mother Road's starting point in Chicago, Illinois.

That's right, I was driving it 'backward.' Nostalgically, the road was traveled east to west by those looking for a better life in the Great Depression or looking for entertainment or escape. You only went back east if you were a trucker carrying a load, you couldn't find what you were looking for, or the law had given up on finding you or you were being chased back in that direction. The latter usually applied to gangsters. And all documentation on Route 66 goes from Chicago to LA, the way it is driven in nearly every story. The most famous of which has to be John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath.

After Oklahoma City I made a hard drive for Memphis, stopping in Arkansas only for gas and to use the bathroom. What a hard drive that was! I've put three states behind me today, and tomorrow I look to do the same with Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama.

Miles since rental: 2448.2

Day 7 Recap
Well, I'm in Amarillo, TX. I've covered about half of the distance home, and the next two days will be long rides to cover the rest. Dad helped me plan out the way back home. To Memphis, TN on Friday and then home by way of Birmingham, AL on Saturday. I hope to get back Saturday night, but if I have to stop on the way then Sunday afternoon isn't too bad.

Today I left Albuquerque and went to Fort Sumner, a little town about 35 miles south of Santa Rosa. The grave of Billy The Kid is there and I took a few pictures.

It seems that his tombstone is a hot item. It has been stolen twice. When they found it the second time, they shackled it to the grave for safekeeping.

After leaving Fort Sumner it was back to I-40 and the crossing into Texas. After about ten or fifteen miles into Texas the land flattens out quickly. One minute you're driving along and it hits you: the mountains are gone! Well, not entirely gone but they do become much less frequent.

Route 66 in Texas is not as well maintained as in California.

As a matter of fact, California has the best maintained rural sections I've seen. All parts of Route 66 in the towns are maintained well. And I've only seen the shields painted on the road in California. California may be a state full of odd people, but they sure know how to protect things!

Well, I'm going to bed soon. Tomorrow will be a long day.

Miles since rental: 1698.2

Whew, Done With The Recaps (For Now)
Okay, now I'm up to date. Remember that the posts run with the most recent on top, so you'll have to click back a little to find the earlier days. There's lots of pictures so it may take a while to fully load.

It's midnight here in Albuquerque and I'm kinda tired. It's a nice 59 degrees outside and tomorrow I head to Fort Sumner to see the grave of Billy the Kid. And after that, I'm not sure. I've got a lot of miles between me and Panama City and I've got to make it back by Sunday afternoon. I have to mind how long time I stop now, I can't afford to dawdle. We'll see what tomorrow holds, won't we?

I have had a blast so far. This trip has been great. Maybe I can talk someone into going with me next time. It should be easier to do now that I have some good road stories to tell and great pictures to show.

Goodnight all, I'll see you soon.

AL

Day 6 Recap
I left Willams on my way to Albuquerque and made a couple of side trips. The first stop was in Winslow. It was tthe corner made famous by the Eagles in ?Take it Easy.? Williams is a small town just off of I-40, spread along a nice stretch of Route 66. It reminded me of Southport, you just replace the bayous and fishing boats with the desert and the Santa Fe Railroad.

Monday afternoon the building next to Standin? On The Corner Park caught fire and burnt out. On Tuesday the building collapsed, leaving the wall that the mural is painted on standing freely. The park was roped off and closed. I just happened to meet the fire inspector as I was finishing my last picture of the park. She gave me the story behind the closing. She introduced me to the head of the Standin? On The Corner Foundation, Glenn Howeth, who was waiting to see if the wall could be saved. They had brought in the best structural engineer in Arizona to check out the wall. He gave it a thumbs up. But the guy who owns the building the wall is painted on has contacted his own engineer to check its structural integrity. It looks as if the wall is safe for now, but there may be a legal battle in the future of the owner wants to tear down and rebuild. The wall is part of a historical monument, and is protected by federal law. It legally cannot be touched. The foundation is willing to fight if it comes to it, but they don?t think it should be too much of a problem. Glenn helped me get a few more pictures and gave me his card, which has the foundation?s web address on it: www.standinonthecorner.com. Here?s to their success in preserving the park. Maybe it will still be there when I try to go back. Speaking of going back, the foundation sponsors a free music festival the first weekend of every October. Sounds like a good time to go back, doesn?t it?

Well, I'm standing on the corner in Winslow, AZ. And such a fine sight to see!

After talking with Glenn, I went to a souvenir shop to buy my Route 66 memorabilia. It is a remodeled bank. They store their extra merchandise in the bank?s vault.

I was looking at a shirt and couldn?t decide what size to get. The owner said I could try the shirt on in the vault. So I did, then I asked her to take a picture of me in the vault. She just laughed and agreed to on the spot. It seem that I am the first person to ever ask to have my picture taken inside the vault. Everyone asks for the outside but no one asks for the inside. So I am a Route 66 first. Ha ha!

After Winslow I headed down I-40 to Meteor Crater, the world?s ?first proven and best preserved meteor impact crater.? Admission was $12. It would have been worth it had the wind not been blowing 50 miles an hour, preventing their tour of the crater rim. But I got a couple pf good pictures and I got to see something a little out of the ordinary.

A little further down I-40 I made a side trip to the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert National Park. Park fees were $10. It would have been worth it had I not just been to Grand Canyon the day before. I guess most things pale in comparison to it. Oh, great! I sound like a landmark snob. ?Oh, that?s nice. But you should see Grand Canyon.? Heh, heh.

Then a short while later I crossed into New Mexico and stopped at the Continental Divide. I didn?t know this but the Continental Divide is where precipitation is divided between the continent. To the east, rain water flows to the Atlantic and to the west, rain water flows to the Pacific. Neat, huh?

With my sightseeing out of the way for the day I pointed myself in the direction of Albuquerque and made my way. At the hotel I dined on PB&J and washed my dirty clothes before sitting down to update the blog with the happenings of the past few days.

Miles since rental: 1309.1

Day 5 Recap
I spent the day in awe at Grand Canyon National Park. Words cannot describe its beauty. I walked and took shuttle bus connections between most of the lookouts on the South Rim. Some interesting facts about Grand Canyon: Grand Canyon is the proper name. It is not The Grand Canyon as almost everyone calls it. The North Rim closes due to snow-blocked roads in mid-October and doesn't reopen until mid-May every year. The North Rim sits at a lofty 8000 feet, while the South Rim is roughly 7000 feet above sea level. The air is very thin at that height and for anyone not used to it, any activity can be strenuous.

The park literature stressed keeping hydrated, eating snacks and resting often. It doesn?t take long to realize that they know what they?re talking about. Just walking at anything above a normal pace will leave you winded. And for someone who walks fast out of habit, you won?t last very long. Needless to say, Grand Canyon slows you down. Out of sheer awe at the scenery, and because you just can?t go too fast. You run out of breath.

I'm only posting two pictures. I took many more but there isn't room for them here.

This is a taste of Grand Canyon's beauty.

This squirrel was definitely not camera shy. He posed for a few pictures, but this is my favorite.

The weather wasn?t the best in the world Tuesday. The high for Grand Canyon?s South Rim was 51 degrees. There was a persistent drizzling rain most of the day, with a couple of serious showers that lasted about five to ten minutes each. But that didn?t stop me. The sun did show itself a few times, and I was able to get some great pictures. The weather prevented a visible sunset, but there is always next time.

I want to go back, because I saw only a small part of what is there. There is still the North Rim and the bottom of the canyon, as well as numerous trails. Maybe I can return. I hope to.

Wednesday I head east. I hope to get well into New Mexico before stopping. But not before driving a part of Route 66 in Arizona and making a special stop in Winslow.

Miles since rental: 907.1

Day 4 Recap
I left Barstow and headed east on I-40. At Ludlow I took the exit to my first drive down a rural section of Route 66. Ahh, Route 66 I?ve found you at last!

Santa Monica Boulevard is part of Route 66 and it runs through much of LA, but when you speak of the old highway you bring up images of a two-lane road connecting the main streets of the towns of America?s midwest and west. And there I was, driving along the most famous highway in America. And it was great! This part of the road winds through the Mojave Desert, sometimes parallel to I-40, sometimes as far as 30 miles from it. It also parallels the railway. Both the rails and the road cross each other every so often. It is a beautiful sight, the lonely road and the awe of God?s creation.

Every few miles on the old road a Route 66 shield is painted on the surface. This was too much to resist. I had to pull off and take pictures. It truly is a lonely road, traffic doesn?t even come close to light. Very few cars and trucks travel it today. I had two cars pass me while I was stopped. Once while I was putting the tripod together and once when I had finished. A guy on a motorcycle passed me smiling. We exchanged waves. I saw him coming and got out of the road in the middle of my photo shoot. Good times.

Along my drive I saw this huge cloud of dust off in the distance. I couldn?t figure out what it was. So I took some pictures and kept driving. A little further on I figured out what it was when I saw the flash and heard the concussion. The military was doing bomb tests in the desert. So what do I do? I pull off the road and take pictures.

A couple stopped behind me and asked what was going on. I told them, we talked for a minute and off they went. I loaded back up and took off, too.

Just outside of Amboy is Amboy Crater. It is the crater of a volcano in the middle of the Mojave. Naturally I had to walk to it and take pictures. I had lunch before I started my walk. Two hours later I was back at the car smiling from ear to ear at the sights I had seen. It was beautiful. But it carried the feel of another world. It almost felt like I was walking on the moon. Volcanic rock was strewn over the hard-packed ground, the volcanic crater looming over me. I tell you, I felt like I was standing anywhere but on planet earth.

Amboy, by the way, is a dead town. No one lives there anymore. No businesses are open. Just another forgotten outpost on the highway.

Every so often on the sid eof the highway there are rocks arranged to form words. Most are of the 'Jim and Peggy Forever' type. But one stuck out. It reads 'God Bless Our Troops.'

Naturally, I had to make my mark.

After the crater I returned to the highway and drove to Needles. Just before Needles I returned to I-40 and crossed into Arizona. Goodbye California, hello Arizona. The drive through Arizona to Williams was gorgeous. The rolling hills becoming mountains with plains in between. Very beautiful, this country is.

Every few miles there are areas the interstate passes over called washes. These are where water flows when it rains or floods. There was one wash in particular called ?Holy Moses Wash.? I laughed at the name until I looked beyond the sign. Guess what came out of my mouth? ?Holy Moses!? It was the most startling rock formation I had ever seen. Now I know why they called it that. Sorry, no picture. I couldn't get to the camera fast enough.

I got to my hotel just outside of Williams, checked in and headed to town for gas and food. I ate at Twisters 50?s Soda Fountain and Route 66 Cafe. The cafe is located on a surviving part of Route 66 that was turned into a loop in the middle of town. I had a James Dean, a BBQ pork sandwich, with fried zucchini. The sandwich was good, and the zucchini was surprisingly tasty.

Williams is 60 miles south of the Grand Canyon. Can you guess where I'm going next?

Miles since rental: 770.3

Day 3 Recap
I left LA and drove the Pacific Coast Highway north to Ventura, CA. It is a beautiful stretch of highway, and I saw only a small part of it.

This picture was taken at Point Mugu. Nice view, huh?

At a Target in Ventura I bought an ice chest and some provisions for my evenings at the hotels. Gotta save money, eating out gets expensive. Speaking of eating out, I had my first veggie burger today. It was a McVeggie Burger and it tasted like cardboard soaked in barbecue sauce. Not a good taste at all. If that?s what it takes to make a vegetable patty taste decent, I?m going to stay away from them. Yech!

I then headed south on Highway 101 to skirt the north part of LA to hit I-15 north to Barstow. I had intended to get to Needles on the California-Arizona border and cross into Arizona Monday morning. It didn?t happen. Traffic wasn?t bad but I always found myself unable to get into the right lane when my exit came up. That and some exits weren?t labeled with the street name I was looking for. I was forced on to I-5 South, and was carried all the way through LA to Anaheim. I took the Disneyland exit and got back on I-5 North. I then hit I-10 East to I-15 North. I was finally going in the right direction again! Hey, I survived LA and got to see most of it, too. It wasn't all that bad.

Check out the prices for gas in LA. A little different than ours at home. We still hover at the two dollar mark.

After leaving the city of angels behind me, it was a drive through the San Bernardino National Forest and into the Mojave Desert. It was getting dark when I left LA, so pictures were out of the question. What I could see of the forest is mainly scrub trees and brush.

I ended my day in Barstow.

Miles since rental: 403.4

Day 6, Gettin' My Kicks
Well, I'm still alive. The road, the sights and the experiences are all great. I've been without internet access until now, so I'll update you as best I can. It will be a series of posts, one for each day. So by the time you get to this post you will have caught up to me in reverse. So let's get to it shall we?

By the way, if you happen to be looking at this while I update, be patient. The updates will come as soon as I can get them posted.

AL

Day 2 Highlights
11:10pm PDT, 61 degrees
Miles driven since I got the rental car: 75

The rain finally came about 10:00 tonight. The morning was cloudy and cool. Late in the afternoon the clouds let the sun come out for a while.

I've done a lot of driving and walking today. My dogs are barkin'! But today has been a good day. I made a nice round-trip tour or the western LA area. First off was a drive around Santa Monica, ending at the pier.

I took a walk around the place, snapped more pictures than I should have, and did some barefoot walking on the beach. The sand is a grainy, cinnamon and sugar combination. Noting like our sugar white sands on the Emerald Coast. But it doesn't stick to you like our sand does. It brushes right off.

A gentleman of the Asian persuation came up to me as I was putting on my socks and shoes and asked me a question. 'Walking in the sand with no shoes, is it better?' It took me a second to realize what he was asking. I smiled and said 'yes, it is better.' 'Does it make you feel better?' It took only a second more for me to say 'yes, it makes you feel better.' 'Thank you,' he said and took three steps away from the boardwalk and took off his shoes.

I left him to discover the feel of beach sand on his feet and went about my way. I saw him a little while later walking back to the boardwalk. He was still barefoot. I hope he found the joy of having sand between his toes, and didn't think the guy he just spoke to was well on his way to the loony bin. I'd like to think I helped brighten his day.

Back to the pier, it is set up as an amusement park first and a pier second. Think of putting the most popular rides at a fair on a pier while leaving the last third open for the fishermen. Kind of like relocating part of the Miracle Strip Amusement Park to our county pier. It is definitely a unique experience.

Next up was the drive to Hollywood. I think the great philosopher Dave Matthews sums it up well with some words from the song Too Much: 'Ooh, traffic jam! Got more cars than a beach got sand ...'

Hollywood was a letdown. The city of dreams is a tourist trap of the worst kind. I suspected it going in, but this was unreal. I didn't have the time or money to go to the museums or exhibits, so I walked Hollywood Boulevard most of the afternoon. People watching has never been so weird before. Openly gay couples, openly straight couples, the homeless, the tourists, the residents, the shops, the street performers, they were all there. And it all jumbled together. By the way, Hollywood and Vine is no longer the happening place it used to be. That intersection has been left behind in favor of Hollywood and Highland. This is now the happening place. It is also the site of Mann's (or Grauman's - it depends on who you ask) Chinese Theater. The most sought after movie theater in Hollywood for studio premieres. The plaza out front was full of people trying to either get in or get their picture taken with the movie characters in full costume out front, so I didn't get a chance to see the hand and foot prints of movie stars in the theater's forecourt.

Two things about Hollywood didn't disappoint me: the sign and the stars on boulevard. More on the sign later. The stars on the sidewalk were great. I noticed George Burns' name three times. I think they space them out and duplicate a few so people can have a better chance at seeing them. I took a few, but the best one by far belongs to The Three Stooges.

If you do find yourself in Hollywood there is one thing you should do. Drive down Hollywood Boulevard, turn on to Laurel Canyon Boulevard and take a right on to Mulholland Drive. This road takes you through the Santa Monica Mountains and the Hollywood Hills. The views you are offered from the tops of the cliffs are breath taking. The Hollywood Vista Park overlooks Los Angeles. You see the Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood, and the rest of LA from one side of the overlook. The other side gives you a great view of the Hollywood sign.

For the trip back to Santa Monica I drove Sunset Boulevard at sunset. It was getting dark and traffic was bad so I couldn't snap any pictures. I couldn't tell much from the road aside from the fact that I could never afford to live in any of those houses. Yeesh, the money it would take to live there is mind-boggling!

After returning to Santa Monica I went back to the pier for some night photography. The pictures didn't turn out too bad.

Well, that wraps up most of what I did today. At least that's the interesting stuff. Today was a good day, I'm looking forward to where the road takes me tomorrow.

Seeya,

AL

Even the weather is different here ...
8:25am PDT, 63 degrees
Day 2 officially begins.

I just woke up and checked the Weather Channel's website. Tonight's forecast has the first real rain for the Los Angeles area in months! Check out parts of the weather advisory:

... FIRST SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL OF THE SEASON EXPECTED FOR SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...

RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ACROSS MOST COASTAL AREAS SATURDAY NIGHT... SPREADING INLAND THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. PRELIMINARY RAINFALL TOTALS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE BETWEEN ONE TENTH AND ONE HALF INCH ACROSS COASTAL AND VALLEY AREAS... WHILE FOOTHILL AND MOUNTAIN AREAS ARE EXPECTED TO RECEIVE BETWEEN ONE HALF AND ONE INCH.

THE LAST TIME MEASURABLE RAINFALL OCCURRED AT DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES WAS APRIL 18TH... WHEN (.01) INCHES WAS RECORDED. AS A RESULT... THE 181 CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF NO RAINFALL AT DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES WILL LIKELY COME TO AN END. THIS WOULD BE THE SIXTH LONGEST TIME PERIOD OF CONSECUTIVE DRY DAYS DATING BACK TO 1921. FOR MORE SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AT DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES... ONE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO MARCH 2ND... WHEN (.27) INCHES OF RAIN WAS RECORDED.

SINCE THIS WILL BE THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL OF THE SEASON... ROADS WILL BE VERY SLICK. MOTORISTS SHOULD REDUCE SPEED AND USE EXTRA CAUTION ON WET ROADS. THE RAIN COULD ALSO CAUSE SOME DEBRIS FLOW OR MUD SLIDES IN RECENTLY BURNED AREAS.

That's a long time without rain. I drive carefully as a rule, but I'm thinking that I'm going to drive with a little more caution than usual. We're used to seeing rain a few times a month, but less than a half inch of measurable rain from March to October is amazing.

I made it to LA! But it wasn't easy.
1:30am PDT
Day 1 is now behind me.

Things got off to a rough start. After getting the confirmation email from AirTran and double-checking the departure information we loaded my luggage into the car and hit the road to Pensacola/Gulf Coast Regional Airport. When we get to the unloading zone and unload my suitcase the skycap has some bad news for me. My flight to Los Angeles International Airport had been canceled. All of AirTran?s evening flights out of Pensacola had been canceled. And they had been canceled for some time without notice to their passengers the skycap told me. Naturally we call up the customer support line and ask about the flight. Wonder of wonders, good ole AirTran had scaled back their flights from Pensacola to two a day. I had been rescheduled to Saturday afternoon?s flight. Without my notice. Talk about an inconvenience! Well it turns out that the company did try to call me, and they did leave a message on the answering machine at home. But they called after we had left the house to go to the airport. A lot of good that did me, I?m standing at the airport with a car rental reservation in LA that had to be picked up that evening, with no flight out, with no way for AirTran to even place me on another airline?s flight out, and my parents telling me to ask for a supervisor and demand my money back while I was trying to let the poor man on the other end of the line explain things and look for other alternatives.

After he said that all he could do was guarantee me a seat on the Saturday flight I asked if I could get a refund if I could find another flight with a different airline. He said yes. ?Great, I?ll call you back when I find out something,? I replied. So the helpful skycap directed us to the Delta booth while he checked fares at the other airlines. Delta wanted $499 for a one-way to LAX. The skycap came back and said that Continental could do better than that, much to the Delta guy?s dismay. So off to the Continental counter we went.

The lady at the Continental counter was very helpful, and quoted a reasonable fare. $289.70 one-way to LAX with a $10 counter purchase fee. I took it. I called AirTran back, canceled my ticket with them ($164.20) and got a full refund. Continental Airlines: 1, AirTran Airlines: 0.

So I?m not happy with AirTran at all. The gentleman at the customer service line was courteous and helpful, but AirTran?s lack of follow up after cutting service was unacceptable. I can?t say I will be flying with them again or recommending them to anyone. Continental, on the other hand, has impressed me and I will definitely look to flying with them again. And at only a difference of $135.50 between flying on the cheap and actually getting to where I want to go, I think I can safely say that I will fly mid-priced airlines or better from now on.

Here's an important piece of information: If you purchase a ticket prior to your departure date you are randomly selected for screening at the security checkpoint in airports. But if you purchase a ticket for a flight that same day you're automatically flagged for the 'deeper screening' as the security guys lovingly call it. It's not a big deal, they just go through your luggage thoroughly and then go over you thoroughly. No body cavity checks, though! Just the security wand and a pat down. It didn't bother me one bit. If that's what it takes to ensure I get to where I want to go in one piece, then I'll do it every time. And I made it a point to thank the security guys when they finished with me. I think it made their day. And it helped that we shared a few laughs at AirTran's expense.

The rest of my little jog to LA went off fairly well. I had window seats on both flights, despite being near the lavatories. Yech! My rental car was waiting for me at Hertz, and the Comfort Inn I wanted to stay at in Santa Monica had a room open for me. Not too bad, even if I almost didn't get to leave on time.

Well, I've written a lot and it's really late. It's almost 1:30am Pacific time, which translates to 3:30am Central. Well past my bedtime. I'm going to sleep. Maybe tomorrow I'll have some nice pictures to post.

Seeya,

AL

Departure creeps closer ...
Roughly two days left. I'm getting excited. I've started to try and pack everything early to avoid that last minute rush.

You know, it really is hard to try and pack a decent amount of clothes, extra shoes, the camera, a jacket and those 'personal necessities' in one suitcase and a carry-on for a ten day trip. And the laptop takes up my second carry-on bag. But I think I've got it under control. I will pack less shirts and count on hitting a laundromat about halfway home. And you can't rule out an 'I Survived Route 66' or 'The Grand Canyon: America's Most Famous Hole In The Ground' t-shirt. That will free up some room for the camera's tripod.

I'm sure my folks will love that one.

Seven days and counting ...
A week to go. Time is moving fast. I'm looking forward to this trip. Fly to California, rent a car, drive back. Most people think I'm crazy. Maybe so, but I'm doing something that I will remember for the rest of my life.

It's funny, but it always seems that the weeks leading up to a vacation are always extrememly busy at work and around the house. You've go to get things packed and make sure that everything is taken care of before you leave. And you've got to make sure that your co-workers can keep your stuff from going to pieces while you're away. Sometimes I think it takes so much work to get away from work that unless you're doing something big it almost doesn't seem worth it. But hey, you are getting away from it all. So a little extra effort in preparation for your absence makes it all worthwhile, right?

Route 66, I will see you soon.

12 days to go ...
Well, departure is only 12 days off. Time sure moves. But I have to confess that I have one worry. I may have a financial 'something' happen that prevents me from leaving. We'll see what happens. In the meantime I'm counting the days until I leave!

Route 66 Bound
Well, the time has almost come. Soon I will be taking a little road trip. I'm gonna drive down Route 66. I'll be leaving on October 15 and run the road until about October 24.

I'm so excited. I just can't hide it. I'm leaving on a jet plane. Then I'm gonna head out on the highway.

I'll fly to LA and then drive as much of the old road back as I can. I'll keep you posted on the countdown and the trip.

Seeya!