Finally out of Texas! Day 2

Saturday July 28th, 2012

Longest Day EVER.

1:30am We leave Fort Stockton, TX.  Still have a ways to go before we get out of Texas!!  No wonder I feel like I never leave Texas.  It's because it takes so long to get anywhere.  Everything is about 2 or more hours away from Houston.  This is one thing I don't like about Texas.  When I lived on the east coast, you could easily drive to popular destination.  I lived 4 hours from NYC, 6 hours from VA Beach, 8 hours from Niagara Falls, 1 hour from DC.  It takes 12 hours of driving just to get through West Texas.  And you only pass through 1 major city - San Antonio.  That's just crazy.  So we decided it was better to just drive drive drive until we are outta Texas!

Stella had been driving since San Antonio, so in Fort Stockton at 1:30am, I took the graveyard shift.  I drank my N.O.Xplode - Blue Raz flavor and hit the road.  Let me just say WOW, that drink had me WIDE AWAKE.  It's super sour, full of caffeine and the taste isn't bad.  I would definitely suggest N.O.-Xplode if you need to stay awake for any reason, but read the warning.  It's not good for people with medical conditions.  I actually like to drink a half portion before working out because it gives me extra energy.

I was rocking out to the music on my Iphone.  All Stella remembers about the music is "my chains bump my chest".  It took me a while to figure out what song that was from.  MIA - bad girls.  I love that song. 

MIA - Bad Girls Youtube Video

5:00am I wake Stella up because she wanted to see Mexico.  It was crazy.  Mexico literally lit up the night sky with all of it's lights.  We passed Mexico driving through El Paso, Texas.  We needed gas, to use the restrooms and wanted something to eat but we really didn't want to stop in El Paso because we've heard that it's not the safest place especially since we are two girls alone on the road really late at night.  My uncle told me that your car will get stolen and before you realize it's gone, it's across the border and gone forever!  Yikes.  Well we made it through El Paso before stopping at a gas station.  There was a donut place beside the gas station that Stella wanted to stop at but it was closed.  Good thing, cuz I hate donuts.  I even hate the smell of donuts.  I know I know, you must think I'm crazy.  Just one of my quirks I guess.   

The GPS says we will arrive at Black Canyon KOA by 1pm.  How can this be right?!  I didn't think we'd get there until late Saturday.  We must be making good time!! Yay.  Oh wait, we also go through two time changes.  Fall back one hour in New Mexico, and then fall back another hour when we get to Arizona.  Did you know that Arizona doesn't change times like the rest of the country? 

New Mexico Rest Stop at 4:30am

4:30am Mountain Time (MT) What what?  We are FINALLY out of Texas!!  Potty break!  We stopped at the rest stop for restrooms and maybe some coffee but it's all closed up.  Guess we are up too early for them. 

Petunia at NM Rest Stop

I'm still wide awake and ready to drive some more.  Might as well because I can't sleep until this drink wears off! 

6:00am  MT Stella is awake and now I'm starving.  I hope we find food soon.  Denny's!! Yay.  Okay, so anyone that knows me, knows I'm not a morning person....even if I've been up all night.  So I was pretty grouchy because now I'm starving, and the drink is wearing off so I'm tired now too.  Sorry Denny's, you will receive the wrath of morning Petunia.  The was food was good and now I'm ready to get to the car and get outta here...like 5 minutes ago.  We get out check, go up to pay and they say their register isn't working and it will be at least another 30 minutes until it's fixed.  Oh, uh uh.  I don't think so.  Being grouchy Petunia, I say no.  We have to leave NOW.  I whip out some cash, enough to just leave the change for their tip, and we are outta here.  Can't wait on these people any longer.  Get it together Denny's!

Even ICEE was on edge at Denny's

7:00am MT  Stella's turn to drive.  I hate sleeping in the car but I'm so tired right now that I think it will be easy to sleep, even though the sun is out already.  I wrap myself up in a blanket, adjust the pillow and I'm out.  Something wakes me up, I feel like I've been out for hours.  I ask Stella if she's still okay to drive.  She's fine....I look at the clock.  OMG, I was only asleep for 30 minutes!!!  That's crazy.  I felt rested and now I'm wide awake again.  Man, that must have been a good 30 minutes.  Oh well, I'm up again.  The scenery is finally changing and I don't wanna miss anything cool.

7:30am AZ We are finally in Arizona.  :)  We fall back another hour.  I feel like I'm in the twilight zone or groundhog day.  I've seen 7:30am too many times today.  I'm so happy that other states aren't as wide as Texas. 

View from creepy motel off I-10. Thanks for the restroom.

7:45am AZ  Stop giving Stella water!  She chugs it and has to use the restroom every hour.  lol.  Bathrooms are hard to come by when you are in the middle of no where and it's still early.  We had to use a creepy motel bathroom because everything else was still closed.  Stella dragged me out of my cocoon to go inside with her.

8:00am AZ Nice a huge W on the side of a mountain for Willcox, AZ, but I like it because my last name starts with a W.  :)  I-10 Mile Marker 343
How much longer??

On the Road

To be continued......