Re-newed after visiting family in Va. for a couple of days, I set off on Wed. morning West to get to PIR by Friday afternoon. Another daunting task. But I had learned a thing or two from my journey East. I had extra tape lines below the windshield banner for when the sun got low in the West and I had a bunch of tape lines across the back window (a night racing trick) to help with the blinding headlights at night.
Well, the first day is the one where you're in the best shape, so that is the day you have to make it as far as you can as fast as you can - hence the lack of pictures. I left Richmond, Va. around 6:30 AM on I-64 West and connected to I-81 South past Charlottesville. That takes you by Blacksburg, Va. (Va. Tech) and Bristol, Tenn. and connects to 40W at Knoxville. Very nice scenery of rolling mountians pretty much the whole drive until you get west of Nashville. Just the occasional looky-lue at a gas station asking "Who are you - are you famous?" :biggrin:
I get to Nashville around 3 PM on Wed. and take the north loop around the city that goes by the Grand Ole' Opry, etc. A little traffic, but not too bad, and then head towards Memphis. All the while, I'm noticing the Game Dept. picking up roadkill along the highway - everything from deer to racoons. Tenn. is a long state and it's nearly dark by the time I get close to Memphis. And the sun angle is very tough by that time with no sun visors, so I decided to pull off for gas, food and a power nap. At the truck stop, the lady at the register tells me to watch out for animals at night on the highway (I had just seen the Game Dept. all day picking stuff up). So as it turns night and I head toward Memphis and Arkansas, I spend as much time behind 18 wheelers as I can. I pretty much do that all night until I got West of Oklahoma City. Feeling good about making it that far in one day, I settled in at another truck stop for some sleep before the sun came up.
Woke up Thursday AM, but at this point time and days were all running together, but I grad a truck stop shower and hit the road. And the road hits back. I-40 across Ark. and Okla. is not in great shape and with a race car, you really feel it. But I make it across to Amarillo, Texas for late lunch at Starbucks. The crew there was really interested in the car and what I was up to.
Ah, almost on the home stretch and I have an invitation to visit MikeO in Santa Fe that afternoon/evening. It's a nice scenic drive from Amarillo to Santa Fe and I get to The Plaza in time for an early dinner.
Then we go to MikeO's beautiful home in the hills where a very weary traveller gets a much needed night's sleep. Thanks again - I certainly enjoyed my stopover in Santa Fe and hope to see it again some day.
But Friday was going to be a busy day, so I'm up early and off to Albequerque to meet up with Bimmer Magazine writer, Zach Mayne. On the way, I pass by the Balloon Festival. The picture below does not do justice to how many balloons were in the sky.
I get to Zach's before 10:00 AM and it's not long before we're rolling towards Phoenix and PIR race track (where Zach had never been to before). Again, very scenic drive across scenes from Western movies as we head toward Flagstaff. Even stopped off for some pottery and Kachina dolls
