WOW WOW WOW

Now the West is done!

Monday and time for another trip. This should be the end of the tour as I’ve known it, the North East, Mid Atlantic, South East, Mid West and now the South West. It’s been a very interesting three months. So how do we wrap it all up? Phoenix here we come. I was told to rent a convertible if I was going to the desert and I did.

Arriving at 1PM I had a free afternoon to explore the city. In a planning blunder I missed the Cup race here last weekend. How did I manage to do that? Anyway I still shot out to the track to take a peak. Remember this is my first trip to the desert so to be out there near the mountains and at the track was pretty cool. I climbed up the side of the mountain where you can watch the race for $30 with the snakes and scorpions. Anything for a photo opp. Time for supper and research lead me to the TexAz grill, apparently famous for chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. Well, the ambience was pretty cool, not every night that I have dinner with a signed picture of Willie beside me but it didn’t help the steak out. Oh well, not every night is a home run. Back to the hotel after a tour around the city. Pretty cool here. Tuesday AM brought the show and after, a run to Tucson.

Here comes the first wow. Top down, 85 degrees, rolling thru the desert. Wide open spaces with mountains in the distance. Hard to pay attention to the drive. Stopped at a tourist trap near a state park took some pics, rolled past a huge airplane boneyard and on to Tucson. If you’ve been there, you know it’s amazing with the mountains and stuff. Dinner with friends and the four hour time change starting to take effect on me. Shopping to be done for the family and then the next show. Well with that out of the way it’s time to head for a desert dinner. Lil Abner’s is a cantina in the desert where you dine under the stars or inside. Not too fancy we’re talking picnic tables inside or out. But the bar-b-q over the mesquite fire. Good stuff. Lots of laughs and on the way home it’s time for the next wow.

About half a mile from our exit and then it happened first a squeal, then a smash next thing I know there are two sets of headlights coming right for us. Did I mention we were doing 75 mph and we were in a convertible on a bridge. Holy shit might be better than wow but anyway. I squeeze over to the right as far as I can, and I could have picked the bugs off the front of the jeep. I made it thru a little hole and the rest of the guys freaked. Two cars became four and soon it was a six car pileup. Un-freaking-believable. As I pulled off the highway and stopped at the light the adrenalin wore off. In the blink of an eye it can be all done. Big shout out to the big guy for sure!

Thursday was a free day as I had to fly late in the afternoon. That left most of the day and I spent it well. I toured the Sabino Canyon and hiked thru the state park for a few miles. Not a lot of canyons home to tour so I made the best of my time. After that I realized that my park pass also allowed me to visit Mt Lemmon as well. It rises up 10,000 feet above the desert floor and if you follow a very twisty road you can climb it. I thought the Sebring was going to die climbing it but I made it. Put those events together and you get a big wow.
Time to hop on a jet to Albuquerque for the last show. Had dinner at a great Mexican place. Did you know that honey will put fire out in your mouth? It’s true. Well, time check it’s 1:30 AM Halifax time and I’m here in Phoenix. I’m flying all night on a red-eye to NYC and then get to sit for 5 hours before I fly home to Halifax. Serenity Now!
Time to go. I hope you all had a great sleep. Cheers