The Road Home from Vegas


 September 2021 Road trip with Minal

Day 10:
Sunday September 12th
The Home stretch :

Woke up at 4:45 am. I was already feeling the blues and wanted to leave the place as fast as I could. I was missing Minal on one hand and the kids on the other. Showered and waited for Abhay to get ready. If anyone wants to know the difference between Mumbaikar and Punekar you should see us on our trips in the morning ๐Ÿ˜œ
Had planned to leave by 6 am. Finally with much whining and bickering hit the road at 7:30 am. I was getting impatient because the kids would leave home if we reached late. When there is time crunch I get behind the wheel ๐Ÿ˜‰

Filled up gas and rejoined the traffic on I-15 South.
Desert scenery is unique. Miles and miles of Joshua trees, mountains with an array of colors in shades of red, orange, yellow and tinge of green against red soil, the open blue sky and the long road going up and down the slopes is more than what a free mind could ask for! Behind the wheel I felt on top of the world except for a small glitch. My trip partner was not quick enough when I asked for pictures of the scenery. At one point I confessed that I wished I had eight hands like Durga to drive and take pictures and do more ๐Ÿ˜‚

Not too far out of Vegas we crossed state lines and it warmed the heart to see the “ Welcome to California “ sign. We passed Baker, a small town that boasts the tallest thermometer. This is the place where one can take the exit to visit Death Valley ! 

Once into Barstow I moved automatically into the right lanes to take State Highway 58 going to Bakersfield!
Still further I spotted another sign that spoke of getting closer to home “ Entering Kern County”.  Here we passed by Edward Air Force Base and NASA Flight research center in Mojave. The Mojave desert offers a huge expanse for the launching and landing for many space shuttles. It is also a parking lot for many commercial airlines. 

Heading further west we drove past  rows of windmills on the hills of Mojave-Tehachapi. My blood was gushing as I steered the curvy and steep slopes past Tehachapi to enter the very familiar territory on the outskirts of Bakersfield.
Reached home by 11 am. I hadn’t eaten a morsel since waking up in Vegas. Aai made fresh aloo parathas. They were totally worth the wait! 
Enjoyed a few hours with both kids before they had to each leave, one to LA , one to SF. Whatever little time I got with them was precious.

After they left I watched the one sided US Open Men’s finals. Unpacking,laundry and other chores could wait till the next day ! It didn’t take much to fall asleep !

A mulberry silk in blue from West Bengal with jamdani buttis on body and an elaborate Jamdani pallu. 

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