It's not the same.

 

We miss The Wanderer! While traveling in The Beast is quicker (3-1/2 days vs. 9 days) and one could argue a bit more comfortable, especially for Captain, we tired quickly of hotels and restaurants. And we missed meeting other travelers at Harvest Host stays.

One thing we have learned is, all Hampton Inns are not the same. Having made many trips over the past 30+ years to Captain’s hometown in College Station, TX , we were familiar with the one in Texarkana, AR, so that was a no-brainer. However the one in Las Cruces, NM and the one in Midland, TX (a TRU hotel) are on our Never Again list.

Traveling the familiar route to Arizona, a lot of our conversations were about previous trips, so we revisited a couple of our past Harvest Host proprietors.

It was not the same as our memories were of sipping wine on the patio visiting with other travelers after the winery closed.

Our memory of this Harvest Host stay was sleeping in the parking lot, waking to a construction crew.

We did find an interesting brewery in Midland, TX.

On the other hand, there are pluses to traveling in a SUV over a motorhome, other than using a lot less gasoline; there is no worry about parking spaces; consistent high speed internet; and no need for dumping stations.

Even though we miss our “home”, in the vacation rental we enjoyed the full size shower, no laundromats and a full kitchen.

Our Airbnb in a retirement community was very nice with all the modern conveniences and many miles of walking trails.

We missed seeing the beautiful western sunsets, the view of the mountains, camaraderie of other travelers and the familiarity of our tailor-made creature comforts. But we were conveniently located near Fry’s grocery, Trader Joe’s and many other commercial entities. Most importantly, we were located midway between our friends in Gold Canyon and family in Chandler, and we had the opportunity to share our space with other friends and family.

To live life to the fullest as we age, we are embracing the changes.

Follow up,  February 28 - March 2, 2026

Our friend, Roger, joined us on for the return trip home which took us through scenic Salt River Canyon
in Arizona.

    

As I-40 follows the historic Route 66, we stopped for dinner at the iconic Del’s Restaurant which remains popular for folks passing through. We arrived just in time to avoid the long wait list.

We found the Fairfield Inns in Tucumcari, NM and Fort Smith, AK to be more comfortable and enjoyable  than the Hampton Inns we encountered on our westbound journey.

 

 

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