On Our Way in the USA: Dances with Snake!

An eventful first day of travel after roosting in Tucson, Arizona, since November of last year. We did have a wonderful four wintery weeks in Massachusetts with our #1 daughter, Elisia, son-in-law, Kevin, and our two super adorable grandsons, Duncan, now aged five and Tobin, who was three in January.

One evening before we left having had a delicious BBQ meal and a “Mexican Train” domino game afterward with #2 daughter, Anthea, and son-in-law, Todd, we parted with lingering hugs and kisses of farewell. On departure day, an “au revoir” but no good-byes to our dear neighbors, Berry and Gus, and their two dogs, Zoe and Oscar.

We left Rincon Country East RV Resort at 9:00 on a sunny Wednesday, 20 April 2011 with a temperature showing of 73℉ (23℃). Our mileage, after almost 4 years, was only 50,138. So, we have two trip mileage records, one for each day and the other to record our future total mileage from Arizona heading north to Canada and back into the USA until we reach New Hampshire at the end of June. At least, that’s the plan for now but with this lifestyle, plans often change.

Central Tucson

one of many decorated bridges in Arizona

Passing Picacho Peak, north of Tucson on the I-10, traffic heading south was nose to tail for about 10 miles due to a major crash. Seeing a huge plume of black smoke ahead on our side of the Interstate, we drove past a vehicle completely gutted by fire. We also passed several men picking up trash along the edge of the road and a truck with a sign which read, “Don’t stop - inmates at work”.

Picacho Peak

After 93 miles, Howard stopped at the first rest area and, as always, pulling into the truck and trailer parking lot. In desert areas, the ground is often landscaped with gravel, various cacti, shade trees and other desert plants. Walking back along the cement path and holding a small paper cup of coffee I’d just got from a vending machine, we heard a small noise similar to a cricket or some bird. Being my usual curious self I thought it might be up in the branches and stepped onto the gravel to look. The noise became a bit louder and suddenly Howard shouted “SNAKE” and I, not knowing where the thing was, danced up and down with coffee flying and almost stepped on a rattler! Really, he could have acted more calmly but he was so shocked because I was only three feet away from it. It was indeed a baby rattlesnake about two feet in length but still as venomous as a larger one and we hadn’t recognized the sound because it had smaller rattles and blended in so well with the background that we hadn’t seen it.

We stopped once more at “Sunset Point” rest area after a 6% climb uphill for about 7 miles and had a small picnic overlooking a panoramic view of grasslands and distant mountains.