Day 8 of the Road Trip
No Sleeping In—A Tee Time in Phoenix Awaits
It may have been the weekend, but there was no sleeping in for us. We had a mission—make our afternoon tee time in Phoenix, Arizona, which meant hitting the road early for a five-hour drive from Gallup, New Mexico.
Getting ready at El Rancho Hotel came with some minor hiccups. First, we had already discovered that the bathroom might have been the tiniest hotel bathroom ever. Did they make people smaller in the ’40s and ’50s? Maybe. At just 5’1”, even I found it challenging.
Second, the shower faucets seemed to have a mind of their own, with the hot and cold working in reverse. But hey, that’s part of the charm of staying at a historic hotel, and if these were our biggest problems, we were in good shape.
Before hitting the road, we grabbed breakfast at The Silver Screen, and I’m so glad we didn’t skip it. My huevos rancheros were just as delicious as my dinner the night before, and Tina’s breakfast burrito didn’t disappoint either.
With a quick pit stop in Winona, AZ for gas and a bathroom break, we stayed laser-focused on our goal—making our tee time.
Tee Time at Aguila Golf Course
Of all days to hit traffic, it had to be today—the one day we were actually on a time crunch. A little bit of panic set in, but luckily, we pulled into Aguila Golf Course with time to spare. Phew!
Golfing in Phoenix was exactly how I had imagined it—beautiful landscapes, mountain views and the most perfect temperature. I was in heaven.
We were paired with another female golfer around our age. Although she lived in the area, she had never played Aguila before either, so the course was new to all of us.
One thing about playing in Phoenix during peak season? Crowded courses. And with crowded courses sometimes comes impatient golfers, case in point—the group behind us.
However, it was too perfect of a day to let them ruin the vibe. We kept pace with the group ahead of us, sipped on some drinks, and soaked in the moment.
We also had an unexpected treat—our first roadrunner sighting! We were so in awe watching it that neither of us even thought to grab our phones for a photo. Too caught up in the moment!
At the halfway house, we grabbed food to go, and as we walked out, we noticed the impatient group behind us were leaving after their nine holes. We’d be lying if we said we were sad to see them go.
Chasing Daylight
We continued on with our round, getting in as many swings as possible while racing against the setting sun. I wished I had packed my glow balls from my night golf experience at Eagle Ridge Golf Club back in NJ, but they were miles away, so we made do with what we had.
By hole 17, I hit what felt like a great drive, but it was just dark enough that I completely lost sight of my ball. At that point, I called it quits while Tina and our new friend finished out the hole.
We may not have played all 18 holes, but it didn’t take away from the experience one bit. The views, the sunshine, and the company made this round unforgettable. I hope to return to Phoenix one day to explore even more courses.
The Final Leg Awaits
By the time we got to our hotel, we were exhausted—but also grateful for the day. We were officially down to one last day of driving, and then we’d be at our final destination: San Diego!
Final Thoughts on Day 8
With every mile we drove west, the reality was sinking in—our road trip was almost over.
Tomorrow, we’d cross our final state line and complete our cross-country adventure. For now, I just wanted to soak it all in—a beautiful desert course, perfect weather, and a day spent doing what I love with great company. I couldn’t have asked for a better day.
Bonus Photo: Funny Signage near El Rancho
Comments