First Adventure of the Year – Road Trip from Indy to Cali along Route 66

Route_66_Arizona_United_StatesWhile most people were watching the ball drop in Times Square, fireworks, or singing ‘Auld Lang Syne,’ I was zzzzzzzzz, fast asleep. Even though I was in California (PST), I couldn’t make it to midnight in New York (EST).

What would make me, a forty-something, sleepy at 9pm (PST)?

The culprit was a week-long cross-country adventure of over 2,400 miles in a minivan.

Route 66 – Our Way

Heidi_Siefkas_Route_66_Road_TripAlthough my PIC and I didn’t start in Chicago, where the famous Route 66 starts, we hit all of the other major waypoints from Illinois to California with our start in Indianapolis, In. We came. We saw and went through St. Louis, MO, Tulsa, OK, Amarillo, TX, Albuquerque, NM, Flagstaff, AZ, and Santa Monica, CA. Some of the destinations were worth a little extra time, others not so much (sorry Tulsa and Amarillo).

Kinda like the Sinatra song, ‘My Way’, my PIC and I did Route 66 our way. This meant taking the faster interstate version, I-44/I-40, and adding some detours to Utah and Nevada (not on Route 66).

Highlights Along Our Way

Meramec Caverns in Missouri

Meramec_Caverns_Missouri_by_Heidi_Siefkas

Gliding in Moriarty, NM with Sundance Aviation

Heidi_Siefkas_Sundance_Aviation_Glider_Flight_Moriarty_New_Mexico

Hiking in Zion National Park (not on Route 66)

The_path_less_traveled_Zion_National_Park_by_Heidi_Siefkas

Sunset in Joshua Tree, CA

Sunset_Joshua_Tree_California_by_Heidi_Siefkas

Renting a Duffy (electric boat) in Long Beach, CA with Friends from Florida

Long_beach_view_of_mountains

Hiccups Along Our Way

Miami_Missouri_Sign

*Driving in the winter without heat in the minivan = bundle up, use the seat heaters, and purchase a 12-volt heater for our feet (I certainly wasn't in South Florida anymore.)

*12-volt heater led to a blown fuse which knocked out the radio = Pandora & Audible to the rescue

*Terrible snowstorm in Flagstaff, AZ = travel away from the storm to a lower elevation

*Numerous inconvenient closures due to the holidays, including rest areas, restaurants, and cargo pier in Long Beach, CA = au natural bathroom, many picnics (even Christmas night), and additional time in CA

Lesson from Our Way

Plan_B_Sign

Like any adventure, I returned home with a new perspective. I was grateful to be out of the van and warm again in South Florida. Removing myself from the norm allowed me to see my world, this New Year, and new decade differently, with new eyes. On Our Route 66, the challenges reminded me that Plan B’s are oftentimes better than Plan A’s could ever be. This is hard to process when all balls are dropping and the you know what is hitting the fan, but it is true. In this New Year and new decade, don’t we all need this Plan B reminder?

Here’s to looking up and Plan B’s!

1 Response

  1. I think you did pretty well considering going to plan B. Ive heard that some parts of the route consist of just a little concrete, not really a road at all! Best wishes always! Sacia

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