Day Two - Phoenix to Yuma

But not on the 3:10 (it would need a bit of a film buff to get that sub-title so it's in there for Adam obviously)

We check out of the motel and find our neighbour has returned and now settled in a scene of peace which is nice. Perhaps we have somehow managed to bring a spirit of British compromise to their relationship difficulties through the walls of our room. 

I noticed two of our smoker residents remain in the same positions as I found them last night and ponder if their professionalism has carried them through since we first saw them? One has acquired a bucket and brush and is washing away the detritus of his endeavours from around his chair. I feel I should compliment him on his dedication but wimp out with just another cheery "Hi". 

Phoenix is a busy city and the traffic is heavy which is not an ideal start to driving on the 'wrong' side of the road, with unfamiliar car, signage and rules. However, my navigator starts the trip in top form and guides me to our first stop, breakfast in the Pomegranate Café, a top-rated hipster vegetarian on-line find of Adams, a short drive away.

I chose a vegetarian burrito and Adam went for the very American biscuits and gravy (which are like our suet dumplings - but obviously bigger - with what looks like Ikea meatball sauce poured over them) with quorn things and Mediterranean vegetables; all good choices. We sat outside in the shade and a very healthy start was made to the first day of being on the road, although the biscuits proved too much of a challenge and one remained on the plate untouched. Portion size is a theme that will reoccur in the following days. We leave and I can't help thinking that Adam may also be leaving a vegetarian oasis behind in this meat-loving country, in fact ranked world number one with the UK at a lowly number thirty.

Always planned as a gentle day, this leg of our trip was the golfing equivalent of hitting the ball in to a good position to leave a short approach shot on to the green.

 There was some admin to be done along the way as we needed to purchase a National Park pass to gain access more economically than paying for each one individually - plus it lasts for a year. These you buy from BLM (that's Bureau of Land Management and not Black Lives Matter - remember we are in America) offices dotted around the country. With Adam's online skills, the Yuma BLM building was located just off the road we were taking into the town. Indeed, I found throughout the trip that everything was to be found 'just off' the road. It seems America builds a road to either connect an existing place to the network or builds the road in the expectation 'they will come', to quote another cinematic reference.

Although on an industrial estate and looking a very utilitarian building, we stepped in to a plush air-conditioned, marble-floored office where we were immediately issued with masks as this was demanded in Arizona state public buildings. That came as a bit of a shock as we had seen little evidence of people wearing masks and a reminder that we still live in a time of Covid. We bought our 'America the Beautiful' pass - yes that is what it is called. I wonder if the National Trust should consider renaming their equivalent along similar lines, maybe 'Britain the Old' or 'Preserving the Nation'? Americans just have a direct way of conveying the message.

 We checked in to our motel - just off the road of course - and waited for the heat to fractionally ease before setting out for dinner, the impact of our breakfast finally beginning to wane. We found a fish restaurant which, upon stepping in, gave the appearance of a converted Baptist church with stained glass windows now containing images of the fare on offer rather than the previous worshipped owner. Pleasant atmosphere, nicely decorated and, of course, attentive staff. I chose 'drunken Alaskan cod' which had a Bourbon-infused sauce (again the name conveys all) and Adam selects a cheese-based pasta dish. I glance at the drinks menu and notice that there are now other options appearing than just the staples of Coors and Miller Lite. What's this? Craft beer has arrived in America and I go for a locally-brewed IPA which is really very good especially after coming in from the Yuma heat. I resolve to seek out more on our trip. Our meals finished, we leave replete and head off to bed.