Looking back...

Big Red got a new experience: running 80 mph... nothing in tow.  We covered plenty of miles and are settled in the Phoenix area for a few days in our daughter and son-in-law's home.  Traveling without "home" behind the truck is certainly faster, but not as comfortable; it's a different mindset.

It felt odd looking down at the tach, seeing the RPMs around 2,000.  Big Red is happiest towing at around 1500-1600 RPMs, running 60 mph (+/-).  She felt like a sports car, running solo.  We picked our route based on "best time" rather than most scenic or most direct.  Along the way, we reminisced about RV trips we've made through this area over the last three decades... the southwest was where we first came to escape the cold South Dakota winters through much of the 90s.  It's been a few years since were were through St. George and Mesquite - population booms!  There used to be an unpopulated area between Las Vegas and Henderson... now, it is one continuous mass of homes, businesses, roads, and traffic.

It is warm in the desert.  Looking at national weather, we left the Pacific Northwest before the big storms arrived, even though we drove through rain for the first couple days.

The view from Big Red as we rolled through the Virgin River Canyon...