The final day of the road trip, and I had to make my way back to Phoenix, Arizona from Oceanside, California. Nothing eventful happened today except I almost ran over a motorcyclist. I woke up at 7:30 a.m. and needed to be in Phoenix at the Advantage Rent-a-Car by 4:30 p.m. to catch the 6:55 p.m. flight.
The guy sleeping in the adjacent car had his engine on and window slightly rolled down- probably to run the heater because the night was cold. He was sleeping in a t-shirt.
I woke up many times during at the rest stop. Anytime someone walks and talks or when the adjacent vehicles closed their doors I would wake up because I've always been a light sleeper and can pick up noises fairly easily.
I decided to take Highway 76 east and ran immediately into a casino, it looked like an Indian reservation casino. I didn't have any intentions of playing, I just needed to use the washroom. Then I circled the table game area once and left. At this point, I didn't want to risk delaying my trip back to Phoenix. I still have to account for any possible lost time due to car trouble, especially a flat tire.
After the casino, I decided scenic Highway 76 might take too long to travel, so I headed by to Highway 1 and took Highway 78, which took me all the way to Interstate 10, albeit the long way. Half of Highway 78 was mainly desert, which just resulted in more dirt inside and outside the Spectra after I had wiped the interior clean a week ago. (Highway 76 does eventually connect to Highway 78 to continue the scenic route.)
During the desert drive on Highway 78, there are some recreational areas for motorized sand vehicles, such as dune buggies and dirt bikes. At one point, a biker was coming off the sand and getting into the highway, but he made his turn too wide and was in the opposing traffic lane, where I almost hit him had I not slowed down and swerved a bit to the right. As I passed, in the rear view mirror, I saw him look over his shoulder, realizing he just escaped serious injury or death.
By the time I arrived in Blythe, California, I was at least an hour ahead of schedule. In the town of Ehrenburg, Arizona, I purchased just enough gasoline to make the rest of the 125 miles into Phoenix. (I purchased a full tank of gas at rental time and could return the car on empty.)
Since I was a little early, I decided to stop by the local bookstore, which was a shack. The first thing of notice was the owner, who was wearing only a speedo as he talked to an elderly couple shopping around. The guy had a long beard, really tanned body (from overexposure to the sun), and looked to be in his 50's. I wouldn't be surprised if he has some sort of skin cancer. Even though I didn't really want to bog myself down with stuff on road trips, I decided to buy a couple of books, which would help the local economy, and they were items I could resell.
The only other stop was at a rest stop so I could package up my check-in stuff, such as the tent. I bought a Dr. Pepper from a vending machine and headed on out in the blazing hot weather, which was tolerable since there was little humidity.
At 4:15, I made it to Advantage and returned the Spectra a little bit dirty. There was a chip on the windshield at pick-up time, but I didn't write it down and so I had to fill out some paperwork. When I rented the vehicle, I noticed the chip, but figured it was already reported since it was very noticeable. I won't make that assumption again. They didn't charge me any extra.
I arrived at the airport via the shuttle and checked in with plenty of time. In fact I was one of the first ones there for the flight. I ended up sitting on the aisle seat next to a very skinning woman with her nose pierced. She and her friend sitting in the window seat slept most of the flight.
My dad picked me up at the airport around 11:30 pm in my mom's Isuzu Rodeo, and that was the conclusion of the road trip. I was glad to know a change in the transmission oil solve the transmission problem on the Rodeo, it seemed it may have somehow lost some fluid. I still think the Rodeo is a piece of junk.
The next road trip far from home will probably be Thanksgiving weekend in 5 weeks.
I still listen to Strange World and it reminds me of the road trip. Even though I went broke, the trip was very fun, there wasn't a moment I regret or met a person I would rather have not met. Although I would prefer not to fly into Phoenix next time. A road trip using a similar route will probably be taken in the future.