Day 22 - End in Coachella

We woke up to cook waffle for breakfast. Tom took a quick shower then he walked to his old working place (Weiser Lock). Me and Lawrence were in the trailer and helping him to do his math, while waiting for Tom to return. Tom told me his work place had been replaced by Pella Corp.

We drove our trailer to the San Xavier Misson Chuch. Lawrence did not want to go with us, so only we went inside. The Church was in repairing state and we walked through the side door and they had a new museum.





After that Tom took us to see his old house at East Glenn St. It was occupied with tenant. So we parked on the outside to have a few pictures.We walked around the house and took a lot of pictures.


On the way there we saw a house on the same street was put out for sales. I went over there and took the sales paper and the house was listed for $325,000.

We drove to the Tuscon Mall. We have Chinese food inside the mall and cost us $13.00. Tom wanted me to take some pictures of him. Lawrence was showing me his big tommy and I told Tom and he said he was just like his father. We walked out the mall and went back to I-10 West.


Lawrence told Tom that we should not go to Laughlin caused we would be about 50 miles longer if we only slept there for the night. Tom said also it did not worth it to drive over there, he changed it to Indio and tried to find a casino. There was a casino before Indio, so we change the direction to Coachella city at Highway 86.

By the time we drove thought the parking lot, we saw a lot of trailer in RV parking section and we pulled over next to a class C trailer. Lawrence was already sleeping in our truck, caused it was 1:20 a.m. We set up Lawrence bed and our bed very quickly and pulled Lawrence from truck to the trailer. Then me and Tom went over to casino and have a quick look around. I put in 3 quarters in the slot machine, but we did not win. Then we went back to our trailer and slept right away.

Day 21 - End in Tucson

By the time we all woke up, it was passed 10 A.M. . We all went to the WalMart and use their restroom and then I bought some apples, bananas and 4 donuts for breakfast. I went back to the trailer and cooked macroloni and drink the orange juices. Then I cleaned up the place and went to take a quick shower. After I was done. Tom told me he wanted to wash his feet, then I asked Lawerence to take a quick shower too. Tom went to the gas staion, he told me there was a shopping mall nearby and he would take me there. He drove around the street and got lost, so he turned around and go back the way he came. Then he went back to I-10 west, it was a sunny day and temp. was about 58F degree. We stopped at the New Mexico Welcome center to check on the brochures.


We drove our car to Pilot and get some gas and also wanted to cook dinner. Before dinner I tripped over in front of the Pilot gas station, I hurt my nose and knee, caused I was looking at the water hole next to the front door. Then I went back to the trailer and get ready to cook dinner, after we ate we went back to drive.

When we drove to rest area we went to the restroom, also looking for water for the trailer. But we did not find any, so we just released the gray water. After we drove another 100 miles, before we reached Tucson I saw a TA gas station in front of us and Tom pulled over and look for water, we were lucky to find it this time. I filled our fresh water tank all the way up, and drove to Tucson. The road was downhill most of the time so we did not use up a lot of gas, even our trailer was heavier. By 11:00 p.m. we reached WalMart at the edge of Tucson. We walked around the store and bought some green tea and waffle for the next morning. Then we went back to the trailer and get ready to sleep.

Day 20 - End in El Paso Texas

We woke up in the morning and the sun came shining, and we all went to the WalMart for the restroom. Then we went back to the trailer to cook breakfast (eggs, ham for us and Lawrence had the Waffle.)

We cleaned up the trailer and got some gas which cost us $2.13 a gal. We drove to I-30 and Tom continued the driving, caused it was very windy ( it was 30 mph) and Lawrence was study Chinese and I was knitting in the car while Tom was driving. We wanted to search the gas, so we asked Lawrence to check on the GPS to find the gas station within the miles. But Lawrence did not do a good job, he gave us the wrong location. We got our gas too soon when we still had 4 gal. which would cause problem later in the day. I took a lot of pictures in Dallas, TX.


Then we went to the rest area and Mel took over the driving. We switched to I-20 west. I kept driving and our gas was getting low and Tom told me to go to the Tobar but there was no gas station at all. We were driving and the gas light was on and we were worried we would have to use the gas in the plastic gas tank in the truck. We had to slow down our speed to 45 mph, but there was a uphill and we got more worry. Luckily I saw a Chevron gas station in front of us, I drove over there and get the gas, it cost of $2.50 gal (DRIVING IN WEST TEXES MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH GAS TO VANHORN OR YOU WILL BE IN TROUBLE). Lawrence went to poop in the trailer while Tom getting gas. While we were waiting for Lawrence to done pooping. I saw the trailer brake flashing like crazy, so Tom look at the menu, but suddenly the brake light stop and got back to normal.

We were happy and we tried to get to the exit, but Tom missed the turn and he had to make a U-turn. I had to get out of the car and tell him how far was the ditch. Finally we were back on the road.

Tom was driving for a couple of hours and he felt sleepy, so I took over the driving, it was 20 miles before the WalMart in El Paso . There were three WalMart in the city, we wanted to exit the first WalMart, but the ramp was closed for road work, so we were keeping on driving to the next location, but the 2nd one was not closed to the highway, so we went to the last one which was at the end of the city limit. I had to drive another 10-15 miles to get there. We did not get there until 1:00 A.M., then we just hurried up and set us our bed and went to sleep. The electricity was low so we could not turn on the heater.

Day 19 - End in Dallas Texas

We woke up early in the morning at WalMart near West Memphis. I took a quick shower then started cooking the waffles. Tom drove on the I-40 west for another 30 miles, then I took over to drive for 100 miles and changed to freeway I-30 west. We saw Long John Silver on the freeway sign near Bryant Arkansas. We got off and could not find it, so we use my cell phone and called for location. We almost missed the Long John Silver, luckily Tom saw it on the right hand side, we went inside for lunch for $11.11. Before that we saw sonic too. I went to get Lawrence a Kid's meal for $3.29 and two train toys.

After the lunch Tom found a Shell gas station for $2.19 and put in 15.55 gal of gas. Then we went back on I-30. Tom drove to the Flying-J and got some gas and try to get on the internet, but unable to do so. Tom decided to keep on driving. We planned to arrive in Dallas TX tonight.

The rain was getting heavier and Tom were still keeping on driving. We wanted to stop by the WalMart Supercenter, but we kept missing the exit. The reason was once you missed the exit it was very hard to turn around. It would take a long drive before we can turn around, therefore, Tom decided to keep on going. Luckily, we found another WalMart next to the freeway. We tried to get some gas form the WalMart gas station, but they already closed for the day. We went inside for the restroom, then we went back to the trailer to cook. But I did not feel good with my tummy, so I did not cook dinner that day. Tom cooked us some noodles for dinner, we were watching TV and ate noodles. Then we all went to sleep.(around 2:00 a.m. in California time) (2 hrs different)

Day 18 - End in Memphis Tennessee

We woke up in Cookeville, TN WalMart parking lot. It was very rainly, so we stayed and ate dinner right here. It was hard to drive at night when it was pouring rain. I bought ……2 bags of popato chips, 2 cans of clam chowder soups, grease for the trailer, and the lds slipper was on sale for $2.00 a pair instead of $4.88 a pair.

We missed the shopping mall when we got out of the highway 240, we went to the Dollar General to buy me a safety free pads $3.00 and water valve $2.00 then we went to Graceland where Elvis Presley's home was and took a lot of pictures. On the way there we missed the road, we had to drive around to get there. The Graceland was already closed when we arrived, but the security guard was very nice, he let us parked in the parking lot.


We took some pictures,then we went to the front of the Elvis house outside the fence to take more pictures. After that we went back to the freeway, we got lost and drove around the road next to the Mississippi River, finally we saw a WalMart right next to the freeway in West Memphis, so we drove there and cooked dinner. I went inside and bought some meat and ice cream for tonight. Tom was too sleepy to drive, so we stayed for a night.

Day 17 - End in Cookeville Tennesssee

We woke up in Flying J gas station. Tom told me to cook breakfast, but I wanted to eat at Arby's on next street caused I saw they have 5 items for $5.98 . So Tom drove to next door, but this Arby's does not have any curly fries and 5 items only for 5 burgers only not 5 different items, therefore, we went back to the trailer and cook eggs, ham for breakfast. Then we drove to I-40 West for couples of miles and stopped by the information center of Tennessee for maps then we went back to the trailer for apples.


We went back to the freeway, I saw Long John Silver on the road sign, but we could not find it anywhere that day. Then we saw Sonics at Colonial Height. We could not park in their parking lot, cause it was too small. Tom have to drive across the street little bit further down. Tom found a gas station across the street, so he get some gas, while I went to Sonics.


When we went back to the freeway we hit the rain, we past Knoxville and I was scared driving between the 2 big 18 wheelers and rain got harder . So I went to the closest rest area and had Tom took over the driving. Then rain got more and more heavy so Tom asked Lawrence to look for the closest WalMart so we could stay for the night. We ended up in Cookeville Tennessee. Tom's ex-roommate in Univ of Texas in Lubbock was studied here.

Day 16 - leaving D.C. - Virginia/Tenessee border

This was the last day we visited Washington DC. We stayed at Cherry Hill Park. It cost us $45 a night (included electricity & water). I woke up early that day to clean up the trailer then I went to took a shower before we left. We were in the Highway 81 West. We were looking for the Flying J gas station. We saw Hess gas station instead so we got gas over there, and then we saw the Flying J next to us.