I have been on the road a week as I write this. Here is my look back at the highlights:

Best stop

Organ Pipe National Monument in southwestern AZ. I could have stayed longer but it was just too hot in the afternoon. I am thinking it is best to visit before April and after November!

Organ Pipe Cactus<br />(Stenocereus thurberi) standing amidst fields of yellow Mexican Poppies, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona

Biggest “Doh” Moment

Guess what? When you camp on the beach, you get sand everywhere. Everywhere.

Best Grocery Store

Kanab, UT is an awesome small town surrounded by Red Rock mesas. Besides that, they have an awesome grocery with reasonable prices, something extremely rare in small towns. I found some healthy treasures there too, including tempeh!

Best technology moment

Charging computer from the car battery

Ugliest Sight

Mine tailings around Ajo, AZ.

Most Unexpected

Ajo, AZ is a sweet little town with a beautiful central square and a charming historic district. It has such a Mexican vibe to it, but with artists and coffee shops. In many ways, the perfect retirement destination for me, but the mine south of town is so disgusting I don’t think I could stay all winter. I wonder about the water quality too.

Best New Routine

On bad weather days/nights, I listen to books from Mom’s Audible library. Yes, Mom is gone, but my brothers kept her Audible account open so I could chow down on all her good stuff. In addition to Mom’s little car, her Audible library has been a great gift. I am signed into her account on my phone and signed into my Audible account on my Kindle. Works great!

Most humorous event

I will deny this if anyone asks: I reorganized the car again. After my night in the car, while the ranchers were at church, I spread out my giant tarp and unloaded the car. I recently discovered that the back seat of the car could be lowered using a latch inside the trunk. I wanted to see if that would free up a little space. Things are encroaching into the space behind the driver’s seat, which makes it difficult to lower that seat and sleep. I did free up a few cubic inches inside the car but can only put the driver’s seat halfway back because the back seat is in the way. That may work though. The trunk space is much better, though.

Best travel food

Kashi high protein cereal (original) and cartons of Almond milk. On travel days, that is my breakfast and dinner. Healthy!

1 quart, shelf stable cartons are a staple on this trip. Calcium, protein! Yumminess!

Worst creep

The rancher who thought it was okay to sneak up on me from behind in my campsite

The most annoying me

To the motel owner: Are you sure your Internet is good? Are you sure? Are you sure? I need really good Internet. It is really important. She restated that it was fine, not like in Salt Lake City, but fine. Are you sure? She was right, the Internet was just fine. I simultaneously downloaded Audible and Kindle books on my phone and Kindle while being online using the computer. It was fine.

What I should have asked: do you have a room with a shower head high enough that I do not have to crouch under it to wash my hair.

Quickest Weather Change

About 45 mins north of desert-hot Kanab, I was near the mountains and the weather was chilly. By night it was near freezing and rainy. Since I am essentially in or near mountains for the duration, I am officially rotating the warmer layers to the top of the clothes duffels. Socks too, darn it.