ROAD TRIP! California & Arizona 2023 - 1 thread - Day 18 Yuma, the eccentrics and home COMPLETE!

[anji]

Pre-Trip is here https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/sho...7#post15985137

I'm earmarking posts for each day so it's easier to navigate.


DAY 1 - Travel to Heathrow and Overnight stay

Best laid plans and all that ….! The idea for today was to take Pepper to the cattery at 10am and then come home to pack, leaving around 4pm for the hotel at Heathrow.

We were just going to visit my Mum in her nursing home on Saturday afternoon when Gary from the cattery phones to say would it be ok to bring Pepper at 5.45pm next day. I’d not even considered that as it was a Sunday the hours would be different, so a late trip to the cattery and straight to Heathrow instead. We were just worried about freaking Pepper out during the day as she ALWAYS KNOWS when she’s off in the carrier somewhere.

We did our packing and sorted the house out. We got her in the carrier ok and I went out into the garden to feed the birds. Suddenly she’d escaped the carrier and was heading down the garden with Will shouting after her! Nooo! I dived at her and managed to grab her by the scruff and pick her up just as she was about to disappear into the bushes! She wasn’t impressed. Phew. I don’t know what we’d have done if she’d got over the fence and away.

Off to the cattery and settled her in. She’s gone there for all of her 12 years, so they know each other well. Then a good trip up to the Premier Inn on Bath Road. We only live 75 minutes away, so a straightforward journey with little traffic. I think it being a Sunday evening helped.

We checked in and were upgraded to the posher Premier Inn rooms top floor – thank you! I paid our £15 to park for the night so that we didn’t have to bother about if next day.
We had dinner in the Thyme restaurant and it was lovely. I had Butter Chicken and Will went for Gammon, Eggs and Chips. Also a bottle of Jack Rabbit rose to help the sleeping!

We watched a bit of TV before getting a good sleep in the very comfortable Hypnos bed. We’d always stayed at the Travelodge on Bath Road before and parked at Purple Parking. This was a BCP deal including meet and greet parking, for £166 for 19 days and less than Purple Parking alone. I’d definitely choose Premier Inn in the future – great building and atmosphere, lovely room and meal.