April and I left on a Saturday morning from my current home in Atlanta, GA with a 91 Accord DX loaded down with just about everything she owns that she deemed valuable enough to move with her (furniture was thankfully not coming along for the ride). Note that the DX model is the bare bones, price leader model of the Accord so no cruise control (A/C is included though).

Anyway our route was as follows: take I-20 west out of Atlanta to Birmingham, AL. From there hop on US-78 and follow this northwest through Alabama and Mississippi to Memphis. I-40 is picked up just outside of Memphis, TN and this took us through Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and finally into California. We continued on I-40 West until we intersected with I-15 South and rode that until we hit I-10 and this carried us onto Los Angeles.

Something that seems like such a big deal, in the end really wasn’t. We made it there early Monday afternoon with no real problems. We didn’t stop and see any sites which was a shame considering we came within 100 miles of both the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. Even crossing the desert was not a huge ordeal. It wasn’t even really a desert in the Road Runner/Wyle Coyote sense until we hit California. I imagine if one took a more southern route things may have been different. Gas stations and places to eat were plentiful which squashed visions of nothingness for hundreds of miles that filled my head before we left.

Despite the convenience of gas stations and fast food restaurants, there was an overwhelming sense of space, not barren space, just space. From the flat farmland in Oklahoma and Arkansas to the mountains of New Mexico and Arizona and even the green rolling hills of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, I really got a sense of how big the United States actually is and there’s a whole northern half of the country that I didn’t cross.

The accord handled itself well be it cruising at 85 or even 90mph in the desert or cutting in and out of traffic in Los Angeles. I enjoy driving though. Yes my rear end and legs were cramped at the end of the day and I was ready to get out of the car, but I was ready to hop right back in it the next morning and push onward. Considering the cost of gas and accommodations, flying would have been cheaper and less time-consuming. Driving is so much more romantic though even if the trip isn’t quite the excursion it used to be. Driving was also necessary because of the amount of luggage and the need for a vehicle in Los Angeles.

The only real surprise on the trip was the variation in quality of the aforementioned accommodations. Our first stop in El Reno, OK (a little city west of Oklahoma City) was disappointing at best. Our room looked straight out of the late 70’s with a thick, absorbent carpet that looked like it had not been cleaned since the late 70’s. Neither of us walked on that carpet in our bare feet. This was for $40/night. Our second stop in Flagstaff, AZ not only cost us less but included a much nicer room, shower, and hosts. If I make the trip again I’m not stopping in El Reno.

And yes, I would make the trip again. Although next time I would try to make a few more stops along the way. It seems like a shame to pass by Las Vegas and not try to win back some gas money.  Cruise control would be nice too.

Related posts:

1. 1700 miles and four days
2. high tech lights for the accord
3. Road Trip Thoughts

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.