We left Tehachapi on October 1 with the toy hauler loaded and headed for Hot Springs. Leon drove the toy hauler and I drove Hernando. We managed to arrive in Kingman, Az in time for an early supper at El Palacio, a favorite Mexican restaurant. We walked along Route 66 for a few minutes before heading east again.
The plan was to stop for the night at a roadside park at dark only to find it closed. We found a spot in Ash Fork, Az in an empty lot next to the Rancho Cafe and went in for a coke and bowl of ice cream. It was like we had walked on stage in a tv sitcom: a guy wearing a pistol and holster, 3 sheriffs, some perhaps truck drivers, and some of the locals. Leon thought it was quite noisy in the night with trains passing constantly – I heard nothing.
At 7 am we were on the road again and finally got to New Mexico where gas was $2.39 a gallon and that is a good thing! We planned to stop at a rest stop before Tucumcari at dark only to find it closed also. We drove on to Tucumcari and were delighted to find a Kmart full of RVers.
We enjoyed driving around town looking at the old Route 66 stops with their neon lights still glowing.We ate breakfast at Denny’s and waited for the sun to come up to leave. We weren't in a rush as we wouldn't make it to Hot Springs in one day, but we did!
