Yesterday morning we left Pio Pico at just a few minutes past 8, heading for Tucson, Arizona. For those that have been following our blog this year, you will remember that the fuel gauge on our Tradewinds let us down, showing a quarter full as she chugged to a full stop on the I 10 in Alabama. So since then I have been monitoring the mileage as a guide to when we need to refuel. We had done 625 miles since our last fuel stop, so it was definitely time to fill up. We headed out on the 94, through Jamul and west towards Spring Valley. Despite our best efforts we were unable to find a gas station that not only sold diesel, but that was accessible with our rig. So we headed north on 54 to join the I 8, thinking there would be a truck stop or suitable gas station near the interstate. No such luck, though we did get onto one station forecourt, only to find the way in and out were one and the same. We managed to get out, without buying diesel, and without having to unhook the toad. There was another sign at an exit for diesel, which we took, but after travelling some 4 miles, no other signs appeared. We were in the middle of nowhere, so I took the decision to turn round and get back on the interstate. We almost made it.....the "U" turn that is...... we needed about 4 inches more road and we would have been round. Oh well.!!! Unhook the toad, manoeuvre the coach, re connect the toad. Oh I almost forgot, while doing this a helpful cop stopped by to ask what we were up to. He informed us there was a truck stop 8 miles further east on the interstate, and drove off. I think the British accents scared the poor guy.
Back on I 8, and sure enough, 8 miles further on, a truck stop, and 2 gas stations. One selling diesel at $3.29 a gal., the other $3.19. We went for the $3.19 a gallon.
By now we had travelled 685 miles since our last fill up, very close to our 800 miles max, ( we ran out on 850 you remember)
Of course knowing us the story doesn't end there. We fill up our tank with 76 gallons. The clerk inside, a friendly young lady, swiped our debit card, and again.....and again......and again. Well you get the picture. NO it wasn't our card that was at fault, ( I know what you are all thinking ) the machine was unable to make the necessary call to make the transaction. After many attempts, and serving other customers in between with cash sales only, she said she would take our card details, and enter them manually when it came back on line. I felt we had no other option, ( I didn't have $250 cash on me, and the ATM in the store wasn't working now either as the phone lines were down,) so we left our card details with her, she promising to call us when she makes the transaction. To date we have had no phone call. I have checked my bank balance on line, and no payment has yet been made. Could I be so lucky?......
Well all this fuel finding and payment attempts all took time, and by now we were over and hour behind our schedule. It was also approaching lunch time.
We crossed the state line from California into Arizona, and continued into Yuma, arriving at about 12.30, CA time, 1.30 AZ time. Jane spotted a sign for Cracker Barrel, so that's where we had lunch. The rest of the journey was relatively uneventful, with both of us admiring the magnificent scenery. We arrived near our destination just after 5pm, AZ time. I say near, because our Tom Tom wanted us to go up a dead end street, so we called Sandy, told her where we were, and she came to meet us. I had put the wrong street number in the GPS. We were close though, about 400 yards.
We travelled 421 miles. Nearly double our usual daily drive, but the traffic was light, the roads were good, the scenery breathtaking. And the reception and meal prepared by our hosts? Priceless. We are now parked on their driveway, 30amp electric, water and sewer. Sandy has a great itinerary planned for us, Nando is the nicest guy, and both are excited to show us round their town.
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