By Ron Scheevel
Preston, MN
After weeks of enduring cold weather and countless hours of snowplowing, we finally made the great escape from the endless winter to travel to the southwest for a short vacation.
Before we left we were bragging to others about how easy it would be to get to Mesa, Ariz., using our recently aquired smartphones. As we hit the road we realized that our phones had lost their way and we would have to rely on our MapQuest road atlas. As it turned out, we had to detour in central Nebraska because of flooded roads. We arrived in Mesa slightly later than planned, then used the phones to call my cousin to have him direct us to their home. Our first task the following day was to find a Verizon store to find out why our phones wouldn’t navigate. We found a store at a nearby mall and, upon entering, we were greeted by several young, polite, and well dressed salesmen.
The store was small, white in color, with enough LED lighting to easily light a small town.Everywhere there were countless numbers of new phones and other gadgets all under glass. I was impressed and a little bewildered by all of this and wondered how this might turn out for a technically inept old soldier. The young salesman took each of our phones and in less than one minute each, had restored data and Google Maps. Many of you readers may have the ability to do the above reboot procedure yourself, but I was quite impressed. All of this process was completed in less than five minutes at no charge, (all included in the monthly Verizon bill).
Before we left the Mesa area, we had a chance to go 4-wheeling in the mountains near Globe, Ariz. We rode several hours on the rocky mountain trails, covering nearly 40 miles. Breathtaking views up in the snowline near the summit and “breathtaking” views into the valleys from several thousand feet from a narrow, unguarded trail. A great way to spend the day but not recommended for those who fear heights.
As we left Arizona for California with our phones providing directions, the navigation process was much less stressful. The stress level returned when we arrived in California.
Arriving in Orange County on Sunday night on Highway 91, in 10 lanes of traffic, it was comforting to have Siri in the cupholder saying move left or right as required. One puzzling thing to me is why motorcycle riders choose to split the lanes of traffic traveling at 70 mph.
As we filled with gasoline in Anaheim at a price $1.20 higher than in Preston, it only reaffirmed my choice to live in southeast Minnesota. While the desert southwest has some scenic beauty, there are many beautiful views right here at home.
Enough for now.
“The Old Soldier”
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