Traveling "south of the border" ...to Arizona

Within the next twenty four hours, my sweetfatu and I are going to Arizona for the Father’s Day weekend. During the last few times we visited Arizona, we had been driving on I-15 South to Las Vegas, then Hwy 95 - which I dread because of its sinuous nature and lower speed limits - and then connecting to I-10 East to Phoenix. Total driving time is usually a maximum of 13 hrs (same time it takes to fly from LAX to AKL, NZ), and a minimum of 11-12 hrs.- that is if I keep letting the pedal kiss the metal. This time though we will be doing something different; we will take Hwy 89, which is shorter since it runs a direct North-South course as opposed to the detouring curve of Interstate 15 to Vegas.

Sometimes I wish there was an autobahn - as in Bundesautobahn, regarding open speed limits - between Utah and Arizona. Speaking of autobahn, it reminds me of travel stories from countries of the Eastern Bloc of yesteryears and how a traveler's papers should always be “in order” to guarantee safe and hassle free transit.  Arizona, with its new and controversial immigration laws, is like a newly-minted Eastern Bloc country, and therefore might as well be on “south of the border”. And so as visitors, we feel a bit apprehensive and somewhat paranoid, even as perfectly legit and legal US residents.  I hope we don’t get into some nightmarish experience like being at a Beirut war zone roadblock.  Arizona is a beautiful state nonetheless - it’s got the Grand Canyon and has mostly nice weather like Samoa.  Anyway, along the way, I'll be humming and singing the song: “Arizona, take off your rainbow shades.  Arizona, have another look at the world....Arizona, hey won’t you go my way!”