“A life spent hurtling around in a car creates a profound disconnect. The everflow of strange thoughts during those timeless drives boggles me.” – Old Sean
Rainbow Road
After finally turning around in Sacramento, I began the steady drive back to Texas. I had only rented my car for a month or so and time was nearly up.
However, instead of heading straight back, I made a point of stopping in Phoenix.
The drive to Phoenix went by fairly quickly. I was hit with rain showers on a bi-hourly basis as sinfully green landscape rolled by.
Looking to my left during periods of cloud breaks, I saw many rainbows that day. In total, I ended up spotting seven rainbows on that drive. Ten, if you count the three that were technically double rainbows.
Slouch in Phoenix
Eventually, I rolled into Phoenix and did a bit of work, sorting through pictures, contacting my company and generally catching what rest I could get. Once I was confident I was ahead of paperwork, I packed up once more and drove downtown.
My main reason for visiting Phoenix before going home was to visit a friend of mine from high school. I stopped by to see Laney, her boyfriend and their daughter.
I knocked on the door and waited to say hello.
I was immediately… I’m not sure of the right word. Wrap-tackle-hugged? Well, something along those lines as we said our hellos and caught up on the last quarter decade.
Literature Visits
When I was in high school, I followed the modern-fantasy series of quips and canines by Kevin Hearne known as the Iron Druid Chronicles. And in said book series, there’s a certain Irish pub by the name of Rula Bula. It’s mentioned as having the best fish and chips in 30 states.
It’s at least 35 states. Rula Bula is supreme. After I expressed my wishes to visit the pub, we munched away while casting oblique glances towards the towering projector screen showing the Super Bowl.
Static Sand
After eating, we bought tickets to the “Electric Desert” at the Botanical Gardens.
This was an excellent nighttime activity. Psychedelic churning lights lanced out from hidden projectors, carving hypnotic patterns on hills of cacti. Meanwhile, meditative music resounded throughout the garden. It was a very good time.
The following day was much more relaxing.
We made a few random visits to various museums, headed out for a quick trip for some snacks, made a run to the local college, enjoyed some DnD conversations and I whittled away at a whole lot of paperwork.
And that concluded my time visiting Phoenix.
I finally prepped for the drive home, a fifteen hour slog against some of the emptiest dry plains in the world.
For all of tomorrow, I’ll be driving through the flatlands leading back to Dallas.
I’m loaded up on snacks, my phone is overstocked with music and podcast downloads and I’ve piled caffeine in the backseat to forcefully erode highway hypnosis.
So until Texas,
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written February 4th 2019
Read more about visiting Phoenix and seeing the world by visiting Leftfade Trails Destination Info.
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