Had a great trip to the southwest in the remnants of the summer heat. But hey, at least it is a dry heat! It was very hot back home in Missouri too, and very humid.
Our customer was in Tempe and I got to stay at a nice, nearby Hilton hotel. Traveling on Southwest airlines was without incident and the 3 hour flight went by quick.
The purpose of this trip was to inspect a tool before getting it crated up and sent back to corporate for an upgrade. We oversaw the packaging of the equipment and I was very impressed with the work the rigging crew did. The tool arrived safely home a few days later and is being prepared for upgrade.
I have always enjoyed being in the Phoenix area. This time was extra special because I got to visit my friend Greg, whom I met many years ago in college. He treated me to my first ride in a Waymo, a driverless taxi. It took us from our meetup luncheon location to hole in the rock.
After a brief hike and incredible views, we arranged for pickup and a few minutes later our car arrived to take us back. What a ride! I really liked how it knew the speed bumps were coming up and slowed down just right for them. The car also never went over the speed limit. If it was 40mph, it would do 40mph and hold it steady, only to slow for traffic, stop lights, or turns. I was impressed. We also enjoyed a long scenic drive out the Apache Trail to Tortilla Flat, AZ.
I also enjoyed another excellent performance at Organ Stop Pizza, this time taking a co-worker for their first experience. Such a neat place to stop at. Then we headed back to hole in the rock for a sunset viewing spectacular.
