Day One: White Mountain Lake to Yuma Arizona!

Our journey begins! We set off this morning at rough 10:30 am, in an unusual caravan for vacationing. The fire department's Type III engine was in desperate need of some repairs on its foam system, and since we were heading in the direction of Phoenix anyway, Lionel decided that he would drive it down for them. What a guy!! So, we gathered up the family....Mom, Dad, the Sis, the Mist, the mutts, and the cats, and away we go!!!

First stop, to drop off our beloved kitties, Mouse and Squeek, at the neighborhood kennel, or as we prefer to call it, the "cat hotel". There, they will be well cared for and loved while we are away. They don't really do cars very well, and until we have the RV making trips to Baja, the cats will vacation at the cat hotel :)

Next, we start our caravan through Taylor, and then to Heber. In Heber, we stop for gas and a potty break. As we drive out of Heber, 49 miles from our house, there is a major accident. A car is on its side, quite a distance from the road. From the looks of things, the accident has just occurred. Of course, one can't very well pass an accident, especially when in a caravan with a fire engine! So we pull off the roadway and Lionel runs over to see what he can do to help. He brought blankets to the victim, and stayed with the group until the Heber Fire Department arrived. No one appeared to be seriously injured (thankfully) and as soon as help arrived, we were on our way again. Yay, Lionel!!!

Next stop was in Payson, 90 miles into our trip, to fuel the fire engine and grab some lunch at Sonic. Jr. Deluxe Cheeseburgers for Lionel and Bobo, a corn dog for Mister, and a Chicken Wrap for me...oh, and tots, too. Lots of tots! I love those things!!!

The trip as thus far been uneventful. A bit of rain coming through the White Mountains, and now as we pass through Payson and drop down into the Sonora Desert, the foliage is magnificent. It is a rare treat to see the desert in its full springtime glory. The wildflowers along the sides of the highway are brilliant shades of purple, yellow and orange, and the desert is as green as I have ever seen it. Just beautiful!

Finally, we drive into the Valley of the Sun, and the temperature is definitely a change from where we had come. Fire in the fireplace this morning, to take off your jacket, kick off your shoes, and put your hair up this afternoon. We drop the fire engine off for its repairs in Peoria, then continue our trip with the entire family in tow.

Another gas stop in Gila Bend - 246 miles into our day. Just an aside, if you are coming into Gila Bend from the east, don't stop at the first gas station to fill up. They have a major price difference between cash and debit/credit and its not very well signed. We have been burned here before, and now we go to the Circle K further into town.

The kids have been great thus far, although every time we stop, Bobo has to ask, "Are we at the hotel yet? How about now? Now?" It was funny, maybe, the first time, but....yeah, no, its pretty annoying. But, she knows that, and that's half the fun! Mister has had a lovely nap, waking up in time for lunch. He is currently sleeping again...what a life!

We are 32 miles east of Yuma, where we will turn in for the night. You have got to love Verizon's Mobile Broadband....as I am blogging as we drive. No, not as I drive. I am the passenger!!! By the time we get to our hotel, we will 378 or so miles in today. Whew! It's been a long day, but we are that much closer to Baja! I will not be able to blog on the road tomorrow, as we will be crossing the Border and "roaming". But, I will attempt to blog, at least a short one, from La Fonda, either tomorrow evening or Sunday morning.

Thanks for traveling with us!!!
The BajaFam