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Florida Trip - 2012

Part-3  :  Returning Home

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After the wonderful birthday party and 3 enjoyable days of good rest with Young-Hyuk/Yo-Yoon family in Apopka, we left Apopka at 08:20 AM
 on 3/14, the 11th. day of the trip, for Atlanta Georgia to take Interstate Highway 40 to home which we have never driven. 
Atlanta was 1996 Olympic site and they still have this Olympic symbol and huge parking lots nearby.

Next day on 3/15, we drove to Memphis, TN, which every body knows as the place of Elvis Presley. Since we passed Memphis during our last 4th. cross continent trip crossing Canada in 2008 and visited memorial site of Elvis Presley already, we just stayed in the hotel taking dinner at this Japanese Restaurant Sekisui, not too far from our hotel.

Next day on 3/16, we left Memphis at 08:10 AM and there was a very heavy storm passing by. It was so dark with heavy rain when we left the hotel and we could not see any further than 30-40 feet. I found a crazy car driving at almost 70 mph in this terrible situation and followed him far away behind but I could still see his tail lights barely. I followed him for almost 2 hours and, finally, the sky was getting brighter. It was one of the worst driving day in my life. 

 As I have experienced short breath at El Paso, I have ordered an altitude meter to Amazon.com which was delivered to Apopka before we arrive there. It showed 5,195 feet above see level at Oklahoma City Holiday Inn Express room where we stayed on the day of 3/16. 
Though it was not as serious as in El Paso, I felt some amount of short breath at here too.

We went to this Korean Restaurant in Oklahoma City where I was told there are about 2,000 Korean population in Oklahoma City. This restaurant was operated by owner couple only perhaps and there were not too many customers. And the food was ..... in one word, terrible.

Next day on 3/17, the 14th. day, we drove from Oklahoma City to Albuquerque, NM. On this day, there was a gusty strong wind for most part of the day and I could feel the car slipping often. I couldn't drive any faster than 50 mph often during the day. As we got into Texas, speed limit of Interstate Highway 40 was increased from 70mph to 75 mph and I could drive faster again as wind was not as strong as the morning. This picture is the first Rest Area in Texas and it was beautifully built. A wind power generator at lower left picture indicates wind is mostly strong here too. 
Anyway, it was another hard day to drive due to gusty strong wind.

When we got into New Mexico state from Texas, there was a beautiful "Souvenirs and Fireworks" shop with a gas station at the Highway 40 road side. It was selling all kinds of souvenirs of old western time (John Wayne era?) as well as Indian products.

The real problem of this trip was 3/18, the 15th. day. We left Albuquerque hotel at 08:00 AM, little early, heading for Phoenix, AZ. However, heavy snow was forecasted in Flagstaff, AZ, area according to my internet Weather Channel forecast. Well, after about 2 hours of driving, there was electric sign board on Highway 40 warning all lanes of Highway 40 is closed !! OK. We are already tired due to heavy rain and strong wind for 2 days, let's take a rest for a day here. We took next exit which happened to be Gallup, NM. Right there at exit, there was a "Sleep Inn".

We checked in "Sleep Inn" after I confirmed the internet connection is available and sent e-mails to everyone waiting for me in Palm Springs, San Diego and Irvine informing it became inevitable to delay a day now on. Then, the snow started in Gallup too which was at altitude of 6,700 ft above see level. The snow stopped by 6:00 PM but more snows in the night. We were sorry to friends waiting for me but we took a good one day rest there.

This was Weather Channel forecast on 3/19 morning and outdoor temperature indicated in the car at 6:57 AM. 
The Weather Channel forecasted snow at Flagstaff area at 3:00 AM but no more by 7:45 AM. It also forecasted 11F for the night in Flagstaff.

In addition to the snow problem, we found someone hit hard our car parked on the motel parking lot last night and windshield glass was also cracked across the whole windshield because frozen windshield glass got too strong shock too. We have no idea who did it. I have immediately reported to the insurance company and got fast response that they will fix it after $500 deduction.

Mr. Yoon-Keun Choi in Phoenix strongly suggested to drive through this Petrified Forest National Park which is located very soon after we drive into Arizona from New Mexico as it will not take too long time. However, considering snowy weather and cold temperature, we drove to visitor center which is very close to Highway 40 Rest Area but had to give up to drive through.

Until we drive close to Flagstaff, there was no snow at all and I wondered whether I was cheated by weather forecast. However, when we approached to Flagstaff by about 10 miles, we saw very heavy snow though the road was clear (all melted.) and, very soon as soon as we passed Flagstaff changing the road from Highway 40 to Highway 17 heading south, the snow started to fall, sometimes quite heavy. It looks like we were driving somewhere in Lake Tahoe in winter day. It was another hard day for driving until we drove about half way to Phoenix from Flagstaff.

Well, when we arrived Phoenix finally at 1:15 PM (arrived early because we started from Gallup, not from Albuquerque), we saw clear sky without any cloud at all. Now, the worst is over and we shouldn't face any bad weather any more. At Phoenix, we had a great Mexican dinner at this wonderful Mexican Restaurant Abuelo's.

Next day on 3/20, the 17th. day of the trip, we left Phoenix little early at 07:50 AM and arrived at Palm Springs, CA, at 11:50. AM to have lunch with Mr./Mrs. Jay Kauh, our old golf/poker friends who lived in San Jose area long time and moved to Palm Springs many years ago. They are living in this beautiful house in Arnold Palmer designed PGA Golf West golf course. By this time, actually from Phoenix, my short breath was gone as the altitude here is 1,570 ft only.

Original plan was to drive to L.A. to Johnny from here and return home next day on 3/21. However, Jane's good friend Mrs. Yang in Irvine insisted to visit them and stay one night there. Therefore, we changed plan adding one more day to travel through San Diego to meet Mr. Won-Ki Choi and Dr. Seung-Moon Yang in San Diego additionally.

After a nice lunch with Mr./Mrs. Kauh at Palm Springs, we drove to San Diego to stay at the Mr. Won-Ki Choi's house for the night arriving at 6:50 PM, little late from the schedule as we left Palm Springs little later than schedule. Mr. Choi was the Quality Assurance Manager of Samsung Electronics Microwave Oven Division (Later, General Manager of Samsung TV Plant in Tijuana before to quit Samsung) and we have worked together to improve the quality of Samsung Microwave Oven. They have really welcome us and Mrs. Choi cooked wonderful dinner and breakfast next day.

 On 3/21, we left Mr. Choi's house at 10:30 AM and drove to La Jolla, 30 min. drive to north from Mr. Choi's house in Chula Vista - south of San Diego  - to visit Dr. S. M. Yang for lunch together. Dr. Yang worked in KMI, Korean Microsystems Inc. in Bupyung, Korea, together with me right after college graduation in Korea, came to U.S.A. after we moved to U. S. A. in 1973 and got Dr. degree at U.C. Berkley. 

We went to a beach near San Diego downtown and saw many seals and sea birds just as 17 miles drive in Monterey. 
It was amazing to see seals so close to downtown of San Diego.

We had a great lunch at a restaurant "Brockton Villa" overlooking Pacific Ocean and the beach just passed by.

 After the lunch we drove to Irvine to visit Mr. Won-Suk Yang, who was an Administration Director of Samsung Electronics in Korea and AST Computers in Irvine which Samsung acquired but failed and sold after about an year of operation. We worked together in Samsung and became a very close friend since. Mrs. Yang and Jane were also very close friends and insisted us to stay at their home one night.

After a night of stay in Mr. Yang's house, we left Irvine at 09:30 AM and arrived home at 4:30 PM returning home safely but tired.

It was quite an adventure trip with crowded slow Highway 10 between Houston, TX, and Mobile, AL, on 3/9 and various weather problems such as heavy rain on 3/16 at Memphis, TN, gusty wind on 3/17 at Oklahoma City and heavy snow and road closure at Flagstaff, AZ, on 3/18. However, we could visit and meet all these good friends on the way and back because we drove a car. If we flew to Orlando, FL, we would not be able to see them at all though we would not have Highway 10 problem and all kinds of weather problems. Anyway, it was a hard driving but we enjoyed trip very much.

Well, I believe this would be our last cross-continent driving and I am very happy to achieve 10 times of cross-continent trips in my life. 
Jane says we might have to report to Guinness Book and list there which might be possible !!

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