April 1st 2018
Introduction: the Last (?) Road Trip from Tucson to West Virginia
I am currently in Alamogordo NM. Why am I here?
About a year ago Betsy and I were taking our last hike in the Tucson mountains where we spend the winter. During this hike we had a discussion about what might be in store for us over the coming years. One of the things we talked about was how we would manage our "dual citizenship" between Arizona and West Virginia and exactly how many months we would stay in each place.
Should be maintain the status quo - drive out each October, spend 6 months, and then drive back each March as we had been? Or, should we consider the other option - flying back and forth which would allow us both to decide how long we both wanted to stay in either WV or AZ.
In order to make the latter option practical we would need to have a vehicle in both WV and AZ. After thinking about this we decided to work out a way for that to be possible. And, if it was not to our liking we would revert to the back and fort driving scenario.
And so it was this past October (2017) Betsy loaded up her car (a Buick formerly owned by her dad) and I loaded up the van and we headed our separate ways.
Betsy headed south to Morgantown to visit friends for few days and then north and west to Indiana to visit family there. Then on to Hannibal, Missouri (Mark Twain cave, etc), San Antonio and then Tucson.
My route was a bit different. Down the east coast to Florida, then west along the gulf states and onto Arizona.
So, this year we both drove out and we now had two cars is Tucson. The plan now was come March 2018 I would drive the van home and at the end of April Betsy would fly home leaving the Buick in Tucson.
And then in October (2018) we would both fly to Tucson. No more driving back and forth. At least for now. Then when spring of 2019 rolls around we can each decide when we are ready to head back to West Virginia. Since Betsy has and aversion to chilly and gloomy weather she will no doubt stay in Tucson until the West Virginia weather warms up and the last traces of the dreary winter weather are gone.
Me? I kinda like a bit of the dreary weather. Although I love the Sonoran desert after 6 months of being away from the West Virginia woods I really start to get homesick and I find myself longing for cool, cloudy and damp walks in what remains of the woods in winter.
And, after just enough dreariness then comes that first blush of green in the trees. I would hate to miss that and all the other beauties of Spring.
And that is why I am in Alamogordo NM the first stop on the drive back to my West Virginia woods.
I am hoping to send out trip reports for what might be my last drive from Arizona to West Virginia. For the most part I will be taking a route I have been on before and always enjoyed. So this will be a trip down memory lane of sorts. But, for the start of the trip at least I am in some new territory and will do a bit of exploring.
This is to be my route back. You can see the details here: https://goo.gl/bRZmsv
The first leg of the trip: Tucson to Alamogordo.
My route take me through White Sands National Monument where I will do some exploring. I will stay two nights in Alamogordo and while there I plan to hike Dog Canyon in the Sacramento Mountains. The trail head is about 40 minutes from Alamogordo.
More later...?
~Mike