We drove to DeAnza yesterday so we could get an early start on today's drive. Leaving DeAnza, we kept on I-8, only stopping for gas. We drove through to Yuma and on to Gila Bend, where we turned north on Highway 85 toward I-10 and Phoenix. I called Laura from the cell phone to wish her a Happy Birthday since this is her day. Once we were on I-10 we decided to have lunch before getting into the Phoenix traffic, we stopped at Avondale and had a good meal at Denny's. Then on the road again, taking 101, the Agua Fria freeway bypass around Phoenix. We linked up with I-17 to Flagstaff, our destination today, and after a few miles the drive was scenic, especially the Black Canyon area.

We arrived in Flagstaff about 3 PM and had difficulty finding the motel where we had reservations. Even though we stopped so John could look up the directions on the computer, we still drove around lost for awhile. Finally we got on old Route 66 through the downtown area, we couldn't take a left turn into the motel because of traffic, so we drove a few blocks further to find a stoplight where we could turn. On one corner of the road at the light was another 'Parkside' motel, we were now confused and turned into it to inquire if this was our motel for the evening or was it the first one we saw. Sure enough, it was the first one where we couldn't make a turn, so we drove back to it. When we pulled into the parking area a car followed us in, a grouchy old couple told us our trunk was open and we lost things 'all over the road' when we pulled out of the 2nd Parkside. John walked back to it while I checked us into the motel. Then I started walking back to meet John since he wasn't back, I met him halfway. The only thing we'd lost was a bag of produce, potatoes, onions, bananas and a bit of bread, John said it was mashed all over the street from the traffic. He did retrieve one of my Birkies which had also fallen out.

We had a light dinner in the motel and went to bed, relieved that we hadn't lost more from the trunk. John had apparently not latched it securely when he put the computer back in earlier in our drive, and when we came off the curb at the motel it jiggled it open.

It was a long day of driving, and not a good start to our two week trip!