Every region in the country has bad drivers, but they all seem to be bad in different ways. In California they tend to tailgate and drive fast. In Oregon they drive too slow and block the passing lane. In Utah they can’t do 4 way stops. It’s amazing to watch them. They just flat out can’t do it.
I woke up in Salt Lake this morning to a huge torrential storm. It delayed me at least 3 hours. When I finally decided to leave half the power in town was out. That meant that a lot of traffic lights were out. Watching people trying to negotiate an intersection without a working traffic light drove me up the wall. No one knew when to go. People sat there, other people drove out but froze halfway through the intersection. It was madness.
I finally got out of Salt Lake and made it down to lovely Aztec, New Mexico. I actually don’t know if it’s lovely or not. I got here in the dark. The countryside on the way down was greener than I’ve ever seen it before. I used to drive the stretch between Salt Lake City and El Paso a lot. I’ve done it at least 20 times. It’s really bizarre to see everything so green. The rivers are bright red too from all the run off.
I got lost in Monticello. Usually you hang a right at Monticello and get on Highway 666. Everyone calls it the “Triple 6”. I made the turn and found out I was on the 491. It’s been five years since I’ve driven through there so I figured I made a mistake. I flipped the bitch and drove through town a couple times. Monticello is not a big town. I still couldn’t find the Triple 6. I asked at a gas station and they told me that they renamed the Triple 6 the 491 because people were always stealing the signs. It confused the bejeezus out of me. I also got another mosquito bite.
My odometer flipped the 1000 mile mark. I think I have about 1500 miles to go. I should be in El Paso tomorrow afternoon. Maybe I can find an internet connection.