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Day 7

I just couldn't acclimate myself to the time difference. I woke up at 10:00, my time, my body thinking it was still 9:00 California time. Once again, I packed up Misty and our things and got back into the bus. I was supposed to call my parents first thing this morning because we were having concerns over my route. All the directional companies (Mapquest, Good Sam, AAA, etc.) had suggested taking 101 south to L.A., then heading east on I10. My parents and I decided I should take I5 to Bakersfield, then 40 into Arizona and head south there to I10, that way I could avoid the horrendous freeway system in L.A. On the map, my dad and I highlighted route 93 as the way to turn south. But as I got closer to 93, it looked to have very few services (gas-food-lodging), so I continued on towards Flaggstaff. But once I nearly reached Flaggstaff, I couldn't decide if I should turn south on HWY 17 or if I should keep going along HWY 40 for a few states, since, as a relative pointed out, it would be much cooler. The problem with that option is that there seemed to be many more mountainous roads between Flaggstaff and Albuquerque. So, should I turn south on HWY 17 and drive through temperatures to make Hell seem cool, or do I take the mountains and hope the bus will make it over the top?

After much consulting of maps, and a very lengthy phone call a few miles outside Flaggstaff, and yet another interview with a local gas station attendant, it was decided that I would brave the heat and turn south at HWY 17. There were less mountains, and most of it was downhill, since Phoenix is somewhere around 1000 feet and Flaggstaff was at 7000. However, Phoenix is a huge town with a lot of traffic and the temperature guage topped out around 104 degrees by the time I drove through it. And it was hotter in the bus, believe me!

Sometime later, I came across a "photo opportunity", as the sign said. So I took a chance and pulled over. The sign was right.

Taken from inside the bus
	Taken from inside the bus.
Taken from inside the bus

Too bad the pictures didn't do the vista justice!

At about 5:00 I couldn't take the heat anymore and I stopped at a rest stop somewhere between Phoenix and Tucson. I could have made it to Tucson before dark, but I had to get out of the bus. It was so pleasant there in the shade, with the breeze and lots of cold water to drink that I decided to stop for the night, even if it was early. Maybe I could finally get to bed early and wake up when the morning is still fresh. Maybe I'll get a lot farther than the couple hundred miles I only traveled today, if I start out earlier. Then I could take my dinner early and turn in again around sunset tomorrow too. Of course, this is assuming I can sleep in the bus with its oppressive heat!

Day 6 - - Table of Contents - - Day 8

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