A photo journey in Arizona

We have wheels!

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So I have successfully negotiated the minefield of vehicle rental and obtained the use of a Jeep Liberty for the UnHipRoadTrip.

And it’s a big thank you Dollar Car Rentals for offering the best deal and also having the same kind of SUV that I drive at home, which is reassuring. I always find getting into a rental car a bit disconcerting as the controls are always reversed from my own car, so I start by putting the ashtray into reverse gear and lighting up the road ahead with the windshield wipers.

Actually, the rental details say the vehicle is a “Jeep Liberty or Similar” – I hope I don’t end up driving a Similar as I’ve had bad experiences with them in the past. I think Similars are made in one of those factories that used to turn out tanks for the Red Army – the view of the road ahead is through a narrow slit and you turn left or right by pulling on a lever and having your passenger lean out of the appropriate rear window.

We shall see. Maybe the 2008 model year Similars have had a facelift and an engine and gearbox licensed from Volkswagen – so perhaps I shall be pleasantly surprised…

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Planning? What planning?

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It’s all going awfully well.

We think we have a route (well, Mr. T does, at least – I have no clue), and we almost have a vehicle. We’ll be travelling in style (I hope) in some kind of SUV so that we can make intrepid detours off the highways into uncharted territory…

You would think that figuring out vehicle rental would be simple, but no.

There are different rates depending on whether you rent from a concession at the airport, or elsewhere in town, which means I’ve been calculating whether it’s better to stay somewhere near the airport so I don’t need a car to get to and from the first and last hotels of the trip, or rent at the airport and drive further out of town to somewhere cheaper.

Plus there are deals on websites like Expedia, and discount codes to try. Plus you have to figure out if taxes are included or not.

So far I have six sheets of paper covered in notes….

But fear not – we will have wheels – hiking is not an option!

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