Hannah the hiker

I recently moved across the country. And this post is going to be about the road trip and the move. It is not a hiking report by any means, but it was an adventure. So, in my book that constitutes a blog post.

On Friday May 9, I loaded up my car with as many of my belongings as it could fit. I had been packed for a couple of weeks, but had no idea what I could realistically fit in my Nissan Rogue. Space went quickly as you can imagine. I got down to my last two boxes and miscellaneous bags and had to call in the big guns, my mom.

My mom and stepdad had just finished helping my brother pack up his dorm room that day. Thankfully they didn’t mind a bit more packing. My mom got right to work and found spots for all the things I thought I’d have to leave behind. We were also able to save space for my dog Cash in the backseat, since he’d be making the move with me. We all want to celebrate Max finishing his junior year of college and my move/new job.

The last night in the apartment was bittersweet. My boyfriend and I have lived together for the past 8 months in that apartment. We have made a nice little life together, and it was bittersweet to be leaving that home we built. But I know we will be able to do the same again in the future, making new memories in a new place. Cash and I walked around the apartment saying our goodbyes to his favorite chair, our little kitchen, and our stoop.

In the morning we crammed the last few things into the car, strapped my bike on the back, and locked the Yakima box. We said goodbye to my mom, stepdad, and Max who drove out again. It was weird to say goodbye/see ya later. When I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (both “halves”) there was always an end date or end plan. I knew I would be going home and that I wouldn’t be gone that long. With this move, I am really not sure what that end plan looks like. I guess that is kind of the excitement of starting a new chapter.

Anyway, we said see ya later and Cash and I started our journey west. The first couple of hours were nerve wracking for me. I had never driven for hours on end, let alone with a full to the brim car! I was extra cautious going over any sort of bump or making any turn. Conner had left me a couple of cds for the trip, so I listened to Bob Marley’s greatest hits to calm my nerves. It worked pretty well. It seemed like in no time I was in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and finally Virginia. The driving became relatively easy and traffic wasn’t awful. I didn’t have to worry about running out of gas or needing a place to rest. It seemed like there was a gas station or rest stop every 20 miles. We stopped for the night just outside of Roanoke and tried our luck at a Motel 6. Surprisingly it wasn’t that bad. Cash and I were both pretty tired so we didn’t go out and tour the area. We drove about 610 miles that day.

On Sunday, May 11, we left the motel by 7:30 am and kept on crawling on 81. I stopped for breakfast at a gas station which was pretty disappointing. The sign said Dunkin Donuts, but when I got there it was just a self-serve “Dunkin express.” I made my coffee and looked at the little buffet of food they had in the store. I asked the cashier for a breakfast sandwich and instead got a small plastic container of scrambled eggs. So, not a great first breakfast on the road.

We continued on headed for Nashville. Unfortunately, I took a wrong turn and missed the opportunity to drive through downtown. I was trying to find a lunch spot but took the wrong exit and was instead on a road headed for Memphis by skirting downtown Nashville. I decided not to turn around since I thought it would take too much time getting back in with traffic. I was kind of bummed since I had hoped to stop and look around. I even wore my Nashville shirt for the drive that day. Its is a neon yellow shirt I bought at a garage sale in 2021, and I was hoping I could stop and see the restaurant on the shirt. But, maybe it wasn’t meant to be this time around. I will just have to go again some time when I don’t have a car loaded with stuff to worry about.

To make the most out of Tennessee we settled on stopping at a rest area outside the city, aptly named the Johnny Cash rest area. Conner gave me a heads up about this rest stop, and Cash and I were glad to get to it! I let Cash know that is who he’s named after, but I think he was just paying attention to all the other dogs at the rest stop. We sat outside for a little bit enjoying the weather and some snacks. Then we were back on the road headed for Graceland, Graceland… Memphis Tennessee. Driving through Memphis was neat. Traffic was fast and scary! But we saw the Bass Pro Shops pyramid store and crossed over the Mississippi River into Arkansas. At this point the driving changed quite a bit for me. The speed limit was 70 mph. I had been going 65 the whole way and was unsure about pushing it to 70. But, if you have driven through Arkansas you probably know that it is generally flat road, and very easy to drive fast(er).

We stopped for the night in Forrest City, Arkansas. I decided to try my luck at the Motel 6, which was not a smart idea. The place didn’t even look open when I drove up, which honestly should have clued me in that it wasn’t the place to stay. I got the key to the room and parked. I tried to find the room but for some reason none of the numbers were in order. I walked past several deserted rooms piled high with old furniture or boarded up windows. I found the room and immediately decided to try another motel in the area. The floor was dirty, there were a couple of dead bugs on the ground, and weird things falling out the bottom of the mattress. Cash was going to town sniffing, so I can only imagine what had been in there before us. We got a refund and found another nicer motel. I also went and got food from Shark’s drive thru. This drive-thru had lots of options. Catfish, frog legs, coleslaw, chicken tenders, and chicken wings! I opted for chicken tenders and sweet tea. I love sweet tea, and it helped take my mind off the atrocious Motel 6 in that town. We drove about 695 miles that day.

On day 3, Monday May 12 we left the motel around 8 am. I was able to have breakfast in the motel which was a step above the previous morning. That morning had a lot of rain which made driving a bit scary. 70 miles per hour in a downpour is not my favorite thing. Luckily it didn’t last long, and we soon passed into Oklahoma. Oklahoma was beautiful driving, the speed limit ramped up to 75! There were lots of signs for the different nations we passed through which sparked my curiosity into learning more about the state. There were lots of signs for Route 66 starting through here until the end of my drive. In Oklahoma I also started to notice that rest areas, cities, and gas stations were less frequent. It was a bit more spread out than the east coast I had just driven through. We drove all the way to Amarillo, Texas that day.

I was going to stay at the Big Texan Inn, but it was completely booked! I had seen signs for at least 100 miles about their free 72 oz steak. I was getting kind of excited about sharing that with Cash. It looked like such a cute place to stay, but maybe next time I’m going through I can book a room and get one of their free steaks at the restaurant. We stayed at the Motel 6 which was a nice place. There was a Mexican restaurant across the street and I ordered some chicken tacos, and rice and beans. It was sooo delicious!! We drove about 680 miles that day.

Day 4 started out with Cash and I enjoying Amarillo by morning… and getting breakfast at the Black Bear Diner. I was able to order food for pickup and drive over to Cadillac Ranch to eat. I got a huge biscuit with my breakfast, I guess things really are bigger in Texas. Cadillac Ranch was neat. I saw people spray painting some of the cars while we were there. There was spray paint along the side of the road and on the ground. Cash seemed to enjoy all of the smells in the area. We took some photos and then headed back to the car.

I really began to notice the landscape changing after Amarillo. There were less tall trees lining the highway, smaller brush, more yellow grass.

A car from Maine passed me and the passenger waved enthusiastically, and since there was nothing obviously wrong with my car, I assumed it was a friendly “hey we are from the northeast too!”

We passed into New Mexico which was gorgeous. We went through some hills, and could see mountains in the distance. This part of the drive was scary for me. With the wide open landscape, there came lots of strong winds, and signs about those strong winds! I could feel my car moving with the wind, the big roof box didn’t help. It was tough to go 75 mph without feeling like I was going to be lifted off the road by a gust! I tried to calm myself down with some music, but ultimately I just had to do a lot of self talk. Lots of “okay I can do this,” and “alright this is f*****g scary, but I’ll just go slow!”

Albuquerque was the worst city for me to drive through. The highway just wound around almost as if I was driving through a mountain pass. Cars were whizzing past me. It just seemed like one giant downhill windy road. I went pretty slow. I had planned on stopping to get out and check out the Petroglyph National Monument. But, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to get into the right lane to exit, or that I wouldn’t be able to get back on on my way back. Honestly I was just so nervous with the driving I didn’t want to add more stress trying to navigate. So I kind of just stole some glances at the city and mountains amidst some few choice exclamations. I drove about 30 minutes outside the city and finally pulled up to a rest stop. I stayed at this stop for a while. I was so stressed about the driving, it was windy, cars and trailers were passing me left and right, I just wasn’t sure if I would get to Gallup safely. And the only route was taking the highway, there aren’t any other roads to take since it is mostly tribal lands. So I just decided to queue up a nice playlist and take it slow(er). The drive to Gallup was so scenic. I tried to enjoy it as best I could in that state of stress.

There were a couple of interesting signs through here. Ones that said “beware hitchikers might be escaped inmates.” Not that I was going to pick up anyone I saw on the side of the road (they wouldn’t have anywhere to sit), but it did make me think. Honestly it would be impressive if someone was hitchiking on a road that is 75 mph, I could hardly hitchhike in a parking lot in some parts of the PCT. We got to Gallup and got a nice little motel room again. I tried to recuperate after such a stressful day of driving. When Cash got into the room he jumped on the bed and promptly fell asleep, I think he was a bit stressed too. We drove about 422 miles that day.

Day 5 was the last full day of driving. I packed the car up and drove into town for breakfast. Gallup reminded me of an old western town. There were lots of “Indian trade shops,” western wear clothing stores, and some abandoned businesses. I managed to find a small bakery/coffee shop. I got a cinnamon roll bigger than my hand and an old fashioned donut. Quite the “on the road” breakfast.

We had a short drive until we passed the Arizona border. Cash and I got out at the rest stop and took a picture with the sign. This was an exhilarating moment. It felt like wow, we really drove here. We really made it to Arizona. Cash and I really drove across the country in 5 days. I did the actual driving, but Cash was a big emotional support for the journey. He was the perfect road trip partner.

I was so nervous that something would happen preventing us from getting here, and seeing the sign was a big relief. Seeing the sign made the trip seem that much more real.

The scenery was exceptionally beautiful. The rocks were so fun to look at, and I could actually look at them since the wind had died down.

I stopped to get gas and met a guy who had just started a cross country bicycle trip from Flagstaff to Chicago. Unfortunately his bike tire was flat and he needed a ride to Gallup to pick up a new set that he sent himself. I had no room in my car and felt pretty bad when I said I couldn’t drive him. I’ve been in a similar boat of needing a ride and no one could help. I offered him some money and some snacks for his wait for a ride but he wouldn’t take anything. We chatted for a bit about cross country trips- hiking and biking. I wished him luck, and I hope someone was able to give him a ride!

I decided to drive to Flagstaff and then head south down into Phoenix. Flagstaff was beautiful. Great big mountains that seem to be following you the whole way. We drove through Flagstaff and stopped at a park for a walking break. Technically the park was closed when I got there for an overland event, but one ranger told me that as long as I only stayed for 20 minutes I could go in. This park reminded me so much of parts of the PCT in California. Great big trees with pine needles scattered on the ground. After leaving this park I was blessed with another scary road to drive down. I should have realized that climbing up into Flagstaff meant flying down into Phoenix. There was a 20 mile downhill that quickly followed my park break. There were numerous signs saying “stop here to test your breaks, downhill upcoming.” And then the downhill started, and every couple miles there would be a sign saying “X miles to go.” And then there were signs in the rare flat spots saying “downhill resumes in 1/2 mile, save your breaks.” I didn’t have a lot of concern about my car making it for this trip, but this road started to make me doubt everything. Cars, trucks, trailers, cars pulling trailers, trucks pulling trailers, etc. were whizzing past me. I was going the speed limit but it seemed like most people were just flying down the road like its a regular thing for them, and maybe it is. I have made my fair share of comments about people unable to drive with a dusting of snow on the ground, or people who have a hard time driving in the Adirondacks. But this road made me want to take all those comments back, driving in new places/environments is scary! It was no joke for me.

Eventually, there came a rest stop. I stopped, stretched, took in the view, took a deep breath, and prepared myself for the last hour and a half of driving. There was still some significant downhill, but now there were great big cacti lining the road and the traffic was getting heavier, and I was getting closer and closer to Phoenix.

It was a little overwhelming at first. There was so much traffic, road work, signs lining the highway. I ended up missing my exit, and missing a turn to get to my motel. I am obviously not use to heavy traffic.

Eventually we made it to an okay motel near where my apartment is. My move in was scheduled for the following day.

I was a bit panicked that afternoon. I had never lived in a big city, all I’ve really known is Northern New York. I started to doubt if I’d ever get the hang of things. Of traffic, of where I’d grocery shop, where I’d go out to eat, where I’d run. It all seemed so new, and it was. It took me a little bit before I could realize that this is what I have been looking for. A big change, a new place to discover, a new lifestyle, a new opportunity. It was easy to think of everything that I am seemingly losing in this move. Losing the proximity to friends and family, my lunch time walks to the library, swimming in the St. Lawrence, hiking in the Adirondacks. But, I reminded myself that I am gaining a lot in this as well.

So, after a couple of hours of calming and evaluating, Cash and I ventured out to explore the neighborhood a little bit. We got some ice cream and drove around in the dark (it was significantly cooler) to see my new neighborhood. Once I saw my apartment complex I really felt settled, it looked so welcoming.

We drove 282 miles that last day. I could hardly sleep that night, filled with excitement about moving in and being done with all the driving.

I moved into my apartment the next morning. It took me a while to unload my car between the heat and three flights of stairs, but I managed. Cash seemed to know this was our new home when we got here. He had been pretty chill the entire trip, just sleeping and lounging around the motel rooms. But when we got into the apartment he started sniffing away and then got the zoomies. He zig zagged across the carpet and just seemed so excited. That felt good to see.

The road trip was a bit different than I imagined it would be. I thought we might camp a night or two, or that we would be exploring the downtowns of cities, or going for a little hike. But I realized that some of that wasn’t feasible with my car fully loaded, and the heat coming in. But nevertheless, it was amazing to see the US on the road. And I think having that experience of just seeing the country sprawled out before me along this road was unbeatable. I would still prefer to walk the entire way, but that wasn’t really an option for this trip. But, hopefully in the next couple of years I can do another thru hike through some of the states I passed through.

We haven’t been in Phoenix long, but so far it seems like a great fit for us. I am less than a mile from a mountain preserve, there are nice places to walk around my apartment, and Cash is really enjoying all the new smells. I am sure this transition will have its difficulties that will only appear with time, but I think if I can drive those crazy mountain roads and make it through relatively unscathed, then I can get through whatever this big adventure throws at me.

So, now I have to update this blog to say I am an Arizona based hiker! Hiking reports will be coming, once things cool down.