Things learned

After my trip out west, I thought it might be fun to make a list of things I learned while in Phoenix and San Diego.

1. No matter how you slice it, 115 degrees is H-O-T, hot, hot, hot! People say, "Oh, but it's a dry heat.". My reply is simple. "So is an oven."

2. If you need rocks for any reason (landscaping etc...), Arizona is the place to be. If you can figure out how to transport them home, the supply is endless.

3. And speaking of landscaping, there are actual road signs in Arizona that announce to motorists, "Landscaping Ahead" and "End Landscaping Area". I'm still baffled.

4. It IS possible to experience a temperature difference of 45 degrees in less than one hour of driving. The road trip from Phoenix to San Diego proved it. Amazing!

5. If you like to cook and eat roadkill, don't go to Arizona... you'll starve! I didn't see one dead animal in the roadway during the entire trip. Very unusual for a midwesterner like me.

6. If litter bothers you, move to Arizona. They had some of the cleanest roads I have ever seen. The litter around here bothers the daylights out of me.

7. If you ever find yourself homeless, somehow make your way to San Diego. There is a large population of homeless people there. I'm guessing it's the weather.

8. If a street performer causes you to stop in your tracks and watch, apparently you should give them a dollar. Who knew? BTW--- there were some cool street performers in San Diego.

9. If you don't have at least a MINOR understanding of Spanish, you may have a tough time in the southwestern United States.

10. It pays to know people. A family member works for Marriott and got us the employee rate on a really fancy hotel room. We never would have stayed here without that special rate.

11. Just because a hotel is swanky, doesn't mean it has free wi-fi in the rooms. We learned this the hard way.

12. Never underestimate the power of a good map. We had several maps provided for us on the trip and they were invaluable. Map of Phoenix, map of downtown San Diego (especially valuable due to the absence of free wi-fi in the hotel room).

13. You don't have to spend a ton of money to have fun. Walks on the beach and boardwalk offer lots of free entertainment.

14. Expensive restaurants are overrated. Keeping it simple where food is concerned really keeps expenses in check when traveling.

15. Plan, plan and plan some more. Traveling doesn't have to be stressful and difficult. Making detailed plans and executing the plans minimizes travel woes.

16. There's always something new to see. Rock formations, sand dunes, motels that are blasts from the past, a real naval aircraft carrier to name just a few.

17. A long drive in the car with just your spouse can be a lovely thing. It's amazing how nice a drive can be when there are no kids yapping or complaining from the backseat. Pure enjoyment :-)

18. Some people have more money than they know what to do with. The yachts in San Diego were mind boggling. Who has a yacht with a helicopter and full size speed boat on it? Sheesh!

19. Seeing all the navy ships still causes me to swell with pride. We still live in the greatest nation on earth.

20. Things change. I saw a Japanese Destroyer enter the harbor. With all the WWII stuff in the area, it seemed almost surreal. I know the war ended nearly 70 years ago, but that just struck me.

21. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence (or in San Diego). As nice as it is, I wouldn't want to live there. Yes, it's beautiful and the weather is nearly perfect year-round, but the midwest is my home and I love it here (except when it's cold and snowing).

22. People in Phoenix complain about the summer heat the way we complain about winter cold. Apparently the people in San Diego never get the pleasure of complaining about the weather. They don't know what they're missing!

23. It doesn't matter how old you are. It's still fun to walk barefoot on the beach, dip your toes in the surf and gather interesting seashells. That never gets old.

24. God created a marvelous and beautiful world. I will never see all of it, but I will continue searching for new things to see.