Thinking it was going to be a long day, we were up, packed, and on the road by 5:43 a.m. Our first stop was for gas and two apple fritters—fuel for the car and fuel for us. From there, we took Loop 303 to US 60 for the drive to Wickenburg.
US 60 between Surprise and Wickenburg isn't the most scenic stretch of highway, so driving it in the dark seemed like the perfect way to begin the trip.
One bright spot was that Wickenburg has a Starbucks, making it a welcome stop before continuing north.
From Wickenburg, we followed US 93 for 122 miles to Interstate 40. Someday, US 93 is supposed to become Interstate 11, but I doubt I'll live long enough to see it. The northern half is a beautiful four-lane divided highway that looks and feels like an Interstate. The southern half, however, alternates between two and four lanes, making for a less consistent drive.
After a short stretch west on Interstate 40 to Kingman, we continued north on US 93 toward Las Vegas. Just before the always slow drive through Boulder City, we picked up the completed section of Interstate 11, which makes getting through Las Vegas much easier. By the time we reached the northwest side of town, it was definitely time for lunch—and that's when the day started to unravel. Barb searched her phone for a place to eat while I concentrated on navigating the traffic. She finally found a Subway that wasn't two exits behind us, but when we pulled into the parking lot, one look was all it took for both of us to decide to keep driving. Our next plan was to find something in Mesquite, Nevada.
After a little more searching, Barb found a restaurant inside a motel. Once we were seated, we realized we were actually sitting in the motel's breakfast room. We were just about to get up and leave when the server came around the corner to take our order. Fortunately, we stayed. The hamburgers were excellent, turning what looked like a questionable choice into one of the pleasant surprises of the day.
A short drive later, we arrived in St. George and checked into our hotel. Dinner that evening was at a Mexican restaurant that won't be making our list of places to revisit.
Despite a few bumps along the way, it was a good first day on the road. Tomorrow we'll begin touring a couple of independent living communities and get our first real look at what St. George has to offer.
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