Vehicular Word Search

I had a work trip coming up, which always made my young son a little sad. So I got him a Laegendary Grando 1:10 Scale 4x4 Offroad RC SUV to distract him from my absence.

“This is so cool, dad,” he said when he opened it. With its brushed motor, long battery life, and maneuverability, it was sure to keep him entertained for a while. “Is the ‘Grando’ a real SUV?” he asked.

“I don’t think so,” I said, “but the truth is, I don’t know many SUV names.”

“Me neither,” said my wife.

After that, my son asked me about my trip. I told him work had me going to Albuquerque, but I hoped I might escape for a little excursion to Santa Fe.

“You’re such an explorer, honey,” my wife said.

I shrugged. “Oh, please. A trip to Santa Fe while in New Mexico? I’m no trailblazer!”

“Mexico?” my son said. “Will you need your passport?”

“New Mexico,” I said. “The state. No passport required!”

Of course, getting to the airport was quite the endeavor, with all the construction. At one point, I nearly went rogue and cut the wrong way down a one-way, but thought better of it. Soon enough, I got to the airport, then to the gate, then to my seat. The last thing I remembered before nodding off was the pilot telling us we’d reached cruising altitude.

Landing in Tucson, where I had a layover, I texted my wife to see how the kid was liking his new toy. She said he was enjoying its two speed modes for optimum handling at up to 328 feet. Weirdly specific, but whatever.

Since I had a couple hours to kill, I decided to find some dinner. Near my gate, I found an Italian place.

“I’ll have the ravioli,” I told my server.

“How many?” he said. “You have to order each one individually.”

Typical airport upcharges. I asked for four, and he shouted back into the kitchen: “Rav, four.”

When I finally landed in Albuquerque, I got my rental and set off. I’m quite the navigator (no need for a compass with me; when I get to a crossroad, I always know which way to go!), so it was no trouble to traverse the streets. Living in the northeast, I’d always romanticized the Southwest. For this reason, I was surprised to find it so suburban. But that’s how it is, isn’t it? You could go to Telluride or Acadia, or even mount an expedition into the Yukon, and you’d still see the same big box stores at the edge of town!

Anyway, that’s the story of how I, Atlas Durango, spent my day.

If you want, post a list of all the SUV names hidden in the write-up.