Today we are off to Fernley, NV, which is near Reno and Carson City. We hope to be able to do some dancing, a little gambling, and be citified for a short while for once.
Our route is Highway 50, "The Loneliest Road in America". One of the most interesting things we notice is gates and fences made from hundreds of antlers wired together. There is a wood-framed train tunnel cut through the mountain.
Bob gets excited to see Newark Valley, NV, between Ely and Eureka. That's where his kids grew up in Central New York. But there is nothing in sight save for a fence.
We see so many cattle guards where we see no cattle. Maybe at one time the ranches were bigger? Sometimes the locations make no sense. Could they be for some other purpose?
Everywhere we go, we see rocky outcroppings with a single tree hanging by one root, or a volcanic cone with a single tree precariously perched, or a boulder with a single tree growing out of the rock.
They all remind me of the art of my friend Ben Marlan. We call him "Master of the tiny landscape". It seems each tree has a story to tell, of survival against impossible odds, or of the creature that carried its seed there, or the storm that brought the burl from which it was formed.
Rain hanging from the clouds looks like wispy gray hair.
Austin, NV is the dividing line where US 50's name changes from Altman Street to US 50 on our GPS. This is the old Pony Express Trail, from 1860-1881.
We wonder who delivers the mail to these isolated towns off US 50 where there are anywhere from one to four mailboxes every 50 miles.
The Fairview Peak Earthquake Faults are 100 miles from Reno and Carson City off US 50.
There is a sign we can't interpret: US Navy Centroid Facility. There are low-flying planes and large areas of plain, with messages written at the side of the road with rocks. We imagine those are intended for the pilots to view from the air.
Bob thinks this is a B-17 bombing range for practice, based on the planes he sees.
Along the road there are scattered mining shacks and drilling or digging rigs.
We pass Sand Mountain, and a sign that says "Fallon, The Oasis of Nevada". Is it really? This is a good location for prisons - there are 3 state prisons here.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Day 41- Thursday 7/30/09 - SETTLED
We visit Great Basin National Park - elevation 10,000 feet, in Baker, NV, population 100.
We can see Wheeler Mountain, elevation 13,670 feet. Since it is so high, it creates its own weather. There is snow on Wheeler Peak. The other side is glacier - you can see the glacier if you are able to climb 9.6 miles of trails up the mountain. That would not be us.
There are examples of wildlife in Great Basin that are found nowhere else in the US, due to the isolation of the Great Basin.
On our nature walks, we see chunks of raw marble and limestone, and learn that they are both made of calcite.
We take the Lehman Cave tour. The cave was open without supervision until the 1920's when it became part of the National Park. People broke off stalagtites and stalagmites for souvenirs. They made campfires inside the cave and held dance parties in the "ballroooms".
In the evening in our campsite, we see trilling hummingbirds and an owl.
One of our favorite signs was posted at the Indian Trading Post: "Open 'til we close, Closed 'til we open".
I buy my grandson Nathan a coonskin cap. I tell my daughter Danielle that when he gets it, they can learn "Davy Crockett" and start singing it to him. My brother David used to have one and that's what we used to do to him when he wore it. (Of course he really was Davy......)
Still looking for that special little cowboy hat! Probably when we come to a youth rodeo, there will be some for sale. We seem to be always missing them by a couple of days. They take place either just before we get somewhere, or just after we are leaving.
We can see Wheeler Mountain, elevation 13,670 feet. Since it is so high, it creates its own weather. There is snow on Wheeler Peak. The other side is glacier - you can see the glacier if you are able to climb 9.6 miles of trails up the mountain. That would not be us.
There are examples of wildlife in Great Basin that are found nowhere else in the US, due to the isolation of the Great Basin.
On our nature walks, we see chunks of raw marble and limestone, and learn that they are both made of calcite.
We take the Lehman Cave tour. The cave was open without supervision until the 1920's when it became part of the National Park. People broke off stalagtites and stalagmites for souvenirs. They made campfires inside the cave and held dance parties in the "ballroooms".
In the evening in our campsite, we see trilling hummingbirds and an owl.
One of our favorite signs was posted at the Indian Trading Post: "Open 'til we close, Closed 'til we open".
I buy my grandson Nathan a coonskin cap. I tell my daughter Danielle that when he gets it, they can learn "Davy Crockett" and start singing it to him. My brother David used to have one and that's what we used to do to him when he wore it. (Of course he really was Davy......)
Still looking for that special little cowboy hat! Probably when we come to a youth rodeo, there will be some for sale. We seem to be always missing them by a couple of days. They take place either just before we get somewhere, or just after we are leaving.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Day 40 - Wednesday, 7/29/09 - ON THE ROAD
We are sad to leave Utah. We could easily have spent another week here.
Bob invents a Utah State ad: "Utah has everything from A to Z - Arches to Zion". Think he'll make his fortune selling it to the state?
We want to come back some day. There is endless beauty here and so many things we could have done if the weather had been a little cooler:
Take the 100 mile loop to the other side of the LaSalle Mountains
Drive River Road (Rt. 128) along the Colorado River
Rent a jeep - go further into Potash. See potash manufacturing plant.
See the remaining Arches which had hikes too long to do in the heat.
Explore the road in Dead Horse Point that lead to the potash beds.
PARADISE #2 - UTAH!
Although desolate, our current drive is endlessly fascinating. All the rocks remind us of giant chunks of chocolate sliced in half, or chocolate layered tortes. Who wouldn't want to hang around that imagery for another week?!
Driving West on I-70, mini canyons abound, with washes running through them, now dry. In NM they would be called "arroyos", in Israel "wadis".
Ranches seem to have their own exits off the Interstate, but the ranch names are not mentioned, and they cannot be seen from the road. Personally, I can't imagine surviving that degree of isolation.
To prevent rock slides falling into the road, the state sometimes puts what looks like cattle fences diagonally across the rock face, or else places the largest piece of chain link fence you have ever seen.
Climbing over 7000 feet elevation, our bag of Apple Chips nearly bursts from the pressure. We can hear the plastic crackling.
On the hill down I-70, 12 miles from I -89 N., there are two tunnels blasted into the mountainside, for an old road that we can see below. A little piece of history, one of many, passing before our eyes as we drive. We often visualize the rugged pioneers either building or traversing such scenes in the mid- 19th century. That road was probably used right up until the Interstate was built.
We eat lunch at Mom's Cafe' in Salina, UT. Her scones are actually fried dough. Mashed potato gravy is sausage gravy. Perhaps this will be the trend as we proceed West.
As we are driving, we see lots of double tanker trucks. The second tank is always smaller. They must have a total length requirement for flammable substances. The UPS trucks we see are sometimes triple trailers, though.
Beautiful green fields are interlaced with golden grass, interspersed with more scrubby desert. There are dust devils 30 feet high dancing around. When they cross the road, they are ghostly and scary, and somehow manage to pick up extra speed as they whirl across asphalt.
On our arrival in Baker, NV, we find a cool little store and restaurant a block from our campground. It is called The Electrolux Cafe'. Hanging from the ceiling are sculptures made from old Electrolux vacuums, like the one my Mom used to have in our house in Cincinnati.
They have a very eclectic collection of food in their case - soy milk, organic yogurt, homemade granola and hiking bars, gourmet cheeses, and other things I haven't seen since we hit the West.
The cafe' is also a motel, with 3 rooms, and they show free movies every night.
Bob invents a Utah State ad: "Utah has everything from A to Z - Arches to Zion". Think he'll make his fortune selling it to the state?
We want to come back some day. There is endless beauty here and so many things we could have done if the weather had been a little cooler:
Take the 100 mile loop to the other side of the LaSalle Mountains
Drive River Road (Rt. 128) along the Colorado River
Rent a jeep - go further into Potash. See potash manufacturing plant.
See the remaining Arches which had hikes too long to do in the heat.
Explore the road in Dead Horse Point that lead to the potash beds.
PARADISE #2 - UTAH!
Although desolate, our current drive is endlessly fascinating. All the rocks remind us of giant chunks of chocolate sliced in half, or chocolate layered tortes. Who wouldn't want to hang around that imagery for another week?!
Driving West on I-70, mini canyons abound, with washes running through them, now dry. In NM they would be called "arroyos", in Israel "wadis".
Ranches seem to have their own exits off the Interstate, but the ranch names are not mentioned, and they cannot be seen from the road. Personally, I can't imagine surviving that degree of isolation.
To prevent rock slides falling into the road, the state sometimes puts what looks like cattle fences diagonally across the rock face, or else places the largest piece of chain link fence you have ever seen.
Climbing over 7000 feet elevation, our bag of Apple Chips nearly bursts from the pressure. We can hear the plastic crackling.
On the hill down I-70, 12 miles from I -89 N., there are two tunnels blasted into the mountainside, for an old road that we can see below. A little piece of history, one of many, passing before our eyes as we drive. We often visualize the rugged pioneers either building or traversing such scenes in the mid- 19th century. That road was probably used right up until the Interstate was built.
We eat lunch at Mom's Cafe' in Salina, UT. Her scones are actually fried dough. Mashed potato gravy is sausage gravy. Perhaps this will be the trend as we proceed West.
As we are driving, we see lots of double tanker trucks. The second tank is always smaller. They must have a total length requirement for flammable substances. The UPS trucks we see are sometimes triple trailers, though.
Beautiful green fields are interlaced with golden grass, interspersed with more scrubby desert. There are dust devils 30 feet high dancing around. When they cross the road, they are ghostly and scary, and somehow manage to pick up extra speed as they whirl across asphalt.
On our arrival in Baker, NV, we find a cool little store and restaurant a block from our campground. It is called The Electrolux Cafe'. Hanging from the ceiling are sculptures made from old Electrolux vacuums, like the one my Mom used to have in our house in Cincinnati.
They have a very eclectic collection of food in their case - soy milk, organic yogurt, homemade granola and hiking bars, gourmet cheeses, and other things I haven't seen since we hit the West.
The cafe' is also a motel, with 3 rooms, and they show free movies every night.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Day 39 - Tuesday, 7/28/09 - SETTLED
We have to get the RV serviced - it's due for its 3000 mile check-up. We get Eggs Benedict for breakfast while we are waiting. What a treat.
Every time we go out to eat, we manage to stretch it to have another meal out of the leftovers the next day. Whether it's potatoes that come with an already huge breakfast or dinner rolls, fruit or vegetable garnishes, we don't waste a thing.
Sometimes it means being creative about resources. For example, combining leftover bleu cheese dressing and leftover BBQ sauce makes a nice salad dressing with a little kick.
Corinne decides she has to get her hair cut. It's risky, since she's just started with a new style and finally found someone at home in Ithaca who can do it the way she likes it. But sun, wearing hats and bike helmets have not worked with longer hair, and so she finds a place that does it quite nicely for only $20.
Corinne sells a high-heeled shoe business card holder and two photos to the owner of the beauty salon. She has just opened up and she is happy to have some more decorative items.
The young woman who manages a second-hand clothing store next door is very interested in my hats and high-heeled shoe bracelets. She buys one of each and places a special order for a hat and matching bra for Halloween. Corinne will have to rush that one, because she'll just be arriving home on October 18th, where her materials are stored.
Bob decides he'll grow his hair out long, cowboy style, and shave his beard in preparation for growing a handlebar mustache. Corinne is excited by the possibilities of seeing his cheeks and chin for the first time.
We both are exhausted. We take naps and catch up on our rest. It is 99 degrees, too hot to go hiking today, or too hot to be motivated to hike, anyway.
Every time we go out to eat, we manage to stretch it to have another meal out of the leftovers the next day. Whether it's potatoes that come with an already huge breakfast or dinner rolls, fruit or vegetable garnishes, we don't waste a thing.
Sometimes it means being creative about resources. For example, combining leftover bleu cheese dressing and leftover BBQ sauce makes a nice salad dressing with a little kick.
Corinne decides she has to get her hair cut. It's risky, since she's just started with a new style and finally found someone at home in Ithaca who can do it the way she likes it. But sun, wearing hats and bike helmets have not worked with longer hair, and so she finds a place that does it quite nicely for only $20.
Corinne sells a high-heeled shoe business card holder and two photos to the owner of the beauty salon. She has just opened up and she is happy to have some more decorative items.
The young woman who manages a second-hand clothing store next door is very interested in my hats and high-heeled shoe bracelets. She buys one of each and places a special order for a hat and matching bra for Halloween. Corinne will have to rush that one, because she'll just be arriving home on October 18th, where her materials are stored.
Bob decides he'll grow his hair out long, cowboy style, and shave his beard in preparation for growing a handlebar mustache. Corinne is excited by the possibilities of seeing his cheeks and chin for the first time.
We both are exhausted. We take naps and catch up on our rest. It is 99 degrees, too hot to go hiking today, or too hot to be motivated to hike, anyway.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Day 38 - Monday, 7/27/09, SETTLED
Laundry day. We wrap and mail more gifts while the laundry "cooks".
On the recommendation of our broker, Arnie Schwartz, we head to Dead Horse Point, home of fond memories from 1975 for Arnie.
Scrinchy views for us. Ask Bob what that means.
It is called Dead Horse Point because legend has it that a band of horses corralled on the Point without water died within view of the Colorado River 2000 feet below.
The views of the Colorado River are unsurpassed, bordering a butte that looks like an aircraft carrier.
From the top, we see 400 acres of turquoise evaporating fields for the manufacture of potash. They jump out at us as we round the corner due to their unusual color.
This area is called the Pygmy Forest because all the trees are so stunted and twisted, some growing right out of rock.
In the evening we drive to Potash to see the Petroglyphs, and to try to find the factory where the potash evaporators we saw from above originate. We watch with fascination (and maybe a bit of envy) as rock-climbers of all ages rappel with the help of guides to the tops of the cliffs along the road.
The Petroglyphs are the best we have seen. What a shame when tourists or local vandals deface rocks by carving or grafitti, where Native tribes have drawn their pictographs thousands of years ago.
Around sunset, we head up to Spanish Trail Drive, near our RV park, to watch the sunset from a huge rock overlooking The Moab Golf Course. What a contrast between green, heavily irrigated, groomed grass, and the surrounding desert.
On the recommendation of our broker, Arnie Schwartz, we head to Dead Horse Point, home of fond memories from 1975 for Arnie.
Scrinchy views for us. Ask Bob what that means.
It is called Dead Horse Point because legend has it that a band of horses corralled on the Point without water died within view of the Colorado River 2000 feet below.
The views of the Colorado River are unsurpassed, bordering a butte that looks like an aircraft carrier.
From the top, we see 400 acres of turquoise evaporating fields for the manufacture of potash. They jump out at us as we round the corner due to their unusual color.
This area is called the Pygmy Forest because all the trees are so stunted and twisted, some growing right out of rock.
In the evening we drive to Potash to see the Petroglyphs, and to try to find the factory where the potash evaporators we saw from above originate. We watch with fascination (and maybe a bit of envy) as rock-climbers of all ages rappel with the help of guides to the tops of the cliffs along the road.
The Petroglyphs are the best we have seen. What a shame when tourists or local vandals deface rocks by carving or grafitti, where Native tribes have drawn their pictographs thousands of years ago.
Around sunset, we head up to Spanish Trail Drive, near our RV park, to watch the sunset from a huge rock overlooking The Moab Golf Course. What a contrast between green, heavily irrigated, groomed grass, and the surrounding desert.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Day 37- Sunday - 7/26/09 - SETTLED
Corinne meets with Rose at Wild Rose's Import shop to show her my hats, bags, high-heel shoe jewelry and business card holders. She says my work belongs in a gallery, and sends me to Olga.
On the way to Canyonlands, we see a gondola system going up to an abandoned mine. We wonder when it was active and what they mined there. Maybe it was a tourist attraction.
We see evidence of drilling for minerals near Canyonlands.
It is 77 degrees. This morning at Islands in the Sky in Canyonlands, there is hard rain and thunder.
We hear of a ranger study which shows that most people won't walk more than 100 yards from their car to a viewpoint. They don't know what they're missing.
Walking in Canyonlands, gooseberry thorns catch Corinne's camera strap and pull her back, as though God doesn't want her to leave the trail just yet.
There are dirt roads that go down to the Canyonlands floor, for miles and miles. They are roads that the miners used to use.
It is not recommended that cars like ours, low to the ground and without 4 wheel drive, travel those roads. We are disappointed, because it sure looks like fun and the views are stunning.
The views of the Colorado and Green Rivers are amazing - clear and close.
On the way to Canyonlands, we see a gondola system going up to an abandoned mine. We wonder when it was active and what they mined there. Maybe it was a tourist attraction.
We see evidence of drilling for minerals near Canyonlands.
It is 77 degrees. This morning at Islands in the Sky in Canyonlands, there is hard rain and thunder.
We hear of a ranger study which shows that most people won't walk more than 100 yards from their car to a viewpoint. They don't know what they're missing.
Walking in Canyonlands, gooseberry thorns catch Corinne's camera strap and pull her back, as though God doesn't want her to leave the trail just yet.
There are dirt roads that go down to the Canyonlands floor, for miles and miles. They are roads that the miners used to use.
It is not recommended that cars like ours, low to the ground and without 4 wheel drive, travel those roads. We are disappointed, because it sure looks like fun and the views are stunning.
The views of the Colorado and Green Rivers are amazing - clear and close.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Day 36 - Saturday, 7/25/09 - SETTLED
The park shower has two temperatures: Cold and Not So Cold. We decide in the future we will turn on our hot water heater and use our own tiny internal shower in the RV.
We meet our "Sam Eliot", the Utah Cowboy who comes to fix the electrical quirk in our RV refrigerator. Unfortunately, he's a Smoking Man.
"Sam" lives in the RV Park part-time. His wife grows a hibiscus on the fence and there are Annie's Humingbirds feeding off the flowers. I ask him if it's OK if I hang out by the fence to photograph them, not wanting to tresspass.
"Ain't no trespassin' 'round here", he says cheerfully. "We all is just neighbors". 'Preciate that, "Sam".
Starting to feel a little claustrophobic in the camper with the blinds closed for privacy. Bob doesn't want them open due to sun heating up the RV, so we compromise and open the ones on the shady side.
Our canopy is up. It's fun eating meals under it, and it's a good rain shelter. It's 100 degrees out.
I go into Moab and meet with Kathy at the Moab Knitting Shop to try to sell my hats to her. She recommends instead an art gallery which is more "avant garde". Her sense of Moab female fashion is that noone dresses up except for perhaps putting on a batik dress for a really fancy occasion.
We meet our "Sam Eliot", the Utah Cowboy who comes to fix the electrical quirk in our RV refrigerator. Unfortunately, he's a Smoking Man.
"Sam" lives in the RV Park part-time. His wife grows a hibiscus on the fence and there are Annie's Humingbirds feeding off the flowers. I ask him if it's OK if I hang out by the fence to photograph them, not wanting to tresspass.
"Ain't no trespassin' 'round here", he says cheerfully. "We all is just neighbors". 'Preciate that, "Sam".
Starting to feel a little claustrophobic in the camper with the blinds closed for privacy. Bob doesn't want them open due to sun heating up the RV, so we compromise and open the ones on the shady side.
Our canopy is up. It's fun eating meals under it, and it's a good rain shelter. It's 100 degrees out.
I go into Moab and meet with Kathy at the Moab Knitting Shop to try to sell my hats to her. She recommends instead an art gallery which is more "avant garde". Her sense of Moab female fashion is that noone dresses up except for perhaps putting on a batik dress for a really fancy occasion.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Day 35- Friday - 7/24/09 - SETTLED
Cool in the morning. Nice sitting outside our RV drinking coffee.
Arches National Park - 106 degrees. Rock formations and arches look like they were dropped out of the sky by God.
How do the flat surfaces of some of these vertical buttes get so flat? It looks like millions of years ago there were two plates and they just cracked apart.
The sand at Arches looks like coral pink sand, but only because of our rose-colored sunglasses. Really, it's yellow.
Hiking in sand is very hard work. We are learning to pace ourselves better. We are trying not to take any hikes over 0.5 miles round trip when the temperature is over 100 degrees. More than that, and we wilt. But that means that we miss about 7 arches which can only be reached by foot.
We learn a new scientific term: "Cryptobiotic Crust". It means the hidden life that is growing in the desert here which we must be very careful not to disturb in our hikes. Here it looks like crunchy, somewhat irridescent green lichen from a distance.
It's a sacrifice we must make, because, as Bob's son Jim (the comedian in the family) says: "You're old!"
Corinne is feeling stronger every day, but the heat and the altitude still slow her down. Considering she has two chronic health problems, she considers herself very fortunate to be able to do what I do.
On the way "home" we stop at the local grocery store. We are very impressed that they have "Senior Citizen Parking". What a concept! We take full advantage, of course.
In the evening we go to see "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince". They just keep getting better and better. The Quidich scenes, though, we find unnecessary and not very interesting.
Arches National Park - 106 degrees. Rock formations and arches look like they were dropped out of the sky by God.
How do the flat surfaces of some of these vertical buttes get so flat? It looks like millions of years ago there were two plates and they just cracked apart.
The sand at Arches looks like coral pink sand, but only because of our rose-colored sunglasses. Really, it's yellow.
Hiking in sand is very hard work. We are learning to pace ourselves better. We are trying not to take any hikes over 0.5 miles round trip when the temperature is over 100 degrees. More than that, and we wilt. But that means that we miss about 7 arches which can only be reached by foot.
We learn a new scientific term: "Cryptobiotic Crust". It means the hidden life that is growing in the desert here which we must be very careful not to disturb in our hikes. Here it looks like crunchy, somewhat irridescent green lichen from a distance.
It's a sacrifice we must make, because, as Bob's son Jim (the comedian in the family) says: "You're old!"
Corinne is feeling stronger every day, but the heat and the altitude still slow her down. Considering she has two chronic health problems, she considers herself very fortunate to be able to do what I do.
On the way "home" we stop at the local grocery store. We are very impressed that they have "Senior Citizen Parking". What a concept! We take full advantage, of course.
In the evening we go to see "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince". They just keep getting better and better. The Quidich scenes, though, we find unnecessary and not very interesting.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Day 34 - Thursday, 7/23/09 - ON THE ROAD
We pass a ranch with bison, llamas, bulls and cows. It is called The Silverado Boys' Ranch. We wonder if it is a Correctional Facility.
The sky is so big, you can see around you for 360 degrees. Storms look so dramatic. There is a cloud close to the top of one of the mountains. We joke that if it drops down, the mountain peak would look like it had snow on top.
Rarely do we see a commercial fence. Mostly they are hand-made from tree branches or small trees wired together.
There is PVC pipe surrounding a ranch field near the Sevier River. It is pumping water from the river to irrigate grazing land for cattle.
More grandeur. We are certainly not jaded yet.
Bob says: "I want to ride a horse. I want to become one with the horse". I say: "Nope, that doesn't sound right".
What looks like snow on the mountain peaks in the Paiute Reservoir must really be white rock. The water is so turquoise.
Now I know two things: what a hairpin turn really is, and what those vistas I admired from an airplane so many times look like up close. Some of the rocks are so yellow and so craggy.
There is no name for these peaks that we can find in our Atlas. Were they so insignificant to cartographers, yet they are so magnificant to us?
There is a goat farm at the intersection of Rt. 89 and I-70 E. They are selling alfalfa. What a funny word: alfalfa. Say that 5 times really really fast.
We see a sign warning us of dust storms in Moab along I-70. The town of Moab reminds me of small rugged towns I have been to in Australia. There is a little of everything, but most businesses cater to tourists.
One can rent ATV's or Jeeps, hire horseback rides, helicopter rides or rafting trips, and take airplane rides.
There are several upscale adobe houses (or fake adobe out of cement).
The sky is so big, you can see around you for 360 degrees. Storms look so dramatic. There is a cloud close to the top of one of the mountains. We joke that if it drops down, the mountain peak would look like it had snow on top.
Rarely do we see a commercial fence. Mostly they are hand-made from tree branches or small trees wired together.
There is PVC pipe surrounding a ranch field near the Sevier River. It is pumping water from the river to irrigate grazing land for cattle.
More grandeur. We are certainly not jaded yet.
Bob says: "I want to ride a horse. I want to become one with the horse". I say: "Nope, that doesn't sound right".
What looks like snow on the mountain peaks in the Paiute Reservoir must really be white rock. The water is so turquoise.
Now I know two things: what a hairpin turn really is, and what those vistas I admired from an airplane so many times look like up close. Some of the rocks are so yellow and so craggy.
There is no name for these peaks that we can find in our Atlas. Were they so insignificant to cartographers, yet they are so magnificant to us?
There is a goat farm at the intersection of Rt. 89 and I-70 E. They are selling alfalfa. What a funny word: alfalfa. Say that 5 times really really fast.
We see a sign warning us of dust storms in Moab along I-70. The town of Moab reminds me of small rugged towns I have been to in Australia. There is a little of everything, but most businesses cater to tourists.
One can rent ATV's or Jeeps, hire horseback rides, helicopter rides or rafting trips, and take airplane rides.
There are several upscale adobe houses (or fake adobe out of cement).
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Day 33 - Wednesday, 7/22/09 - SETTLED
Our adventure for the day is the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. The sand is quartz.
Infinite colors of greenery grow out of the sand. We are lucky enough to find two dead rare tiger beetles, which we bottle and plan to bring home to our Little Scientist granddaughter, Anya.
In our 1 1/2 hour trek in the sand, we see tracks from kangaroo rats and rattlesnakes, and the dung from a jackrabbit. It is 91 degrees and rough going slogging in the sand.
We watch the OHV's (what we call ATV's) on the dunes. There is a Grandma whose vehicle gets stuck and she can't get it unmired. Her grandsons are on a nearby dune but can't hear her calling due to the noise of their vehicles. We offer her water and stay with her until her grandsons finally realize she hasn't returned and come to help her.
On our way home, we encounter Moqui Cave. The owner bought it in the 1950's from a rancher and made it into a museum with dinosaur tracks and fluorescent rocks. The bar is made from geodes and other rocks with a veneer of laquer. It used to be the site of dances. The owner's grandson now runs it.
We see irrigation in odd places and wonder why the water is being sprayed on.
There is a pond (or a sinkhole?) right at the base of Red Rocks. There are lily pads blooming in it. They seem very out of place, albeit lovely.
Infinite colors of greenery grow out of the sand. We are lucky enough to find two dead rare tiger beetles, which we bottle and plan to bring home to our Little Scientist granddaughter, Anya.
In our 1 1/2 hour trek in the sand, we see tracks from kangaroo rats and rattlesnakes, and the dung from a jackrabbit. It is 91 degrees and rough going slogging in the sand.
We watch the OHV's (what we call ATV's) on the dunes. There is a Grandma whose vehicle gets stuck and she can't get it unmired. Her grandsons are on a nearby dune but can't hear her calling due to the noise of their vehicles. We offer her water and stay with her until her grandsons finally realize she hasn't returned and come to help her.
On our way home, we encounter Moqui Cave. The owner bought it in the 1950's from a rancher and made it into a museum with dinosaur tracks and fluorescent rocks. The bar is made from geodes and other rocks with a veneer of laquer. It used to be the site of dances. The owner's grandson now runs it.
We see irrigation in odd places and wonder why the water is being sprayed on.
There is a pond (or a sinkhole?) right at the base of Red Rocks. There are lily pads blooming in it. They seem very out of place, albeit lovely.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Day 32 - Tuesday 7/21/09- SETTLED
We stop at a scenic overlook and buy art souvenirs from local Navaho vendors.
The clay, as I understand it, is from the white soil they have in UT, AZ and NV, which contains a lot of limestone. I just found out yesterday that limestone and marble are related, since they are primarily calcite. That accounts for the white color and also the hard, porcelain-like quality.
When the horsehair is applied, in the final firing, it leaves the black color, but the hair itself is singed away. Therefore the smooth finish. I imagine they do a final polishing with a polishing stone, all by hand.
The other Native American black pottery which we love is polished similarly. It's far too expensive for us to buy. The black pottery is fired like Raku, with a special hand-built kiln on the ground lined with cow dung and rocks, with a tin lid. The black color is from the smoke.
The firing is such a delicate process, involving precise timing and extreme vigilance.Then the polishing is so extensive to achieve a sheen. Even a 1" pot costs over $20. There is a local artist, now deceased, Maria Martinez, who is world-famous for this type of pottery.
We see the Greenland Lake Sinkhole. There are many tiny lakes and ponds like it.
The burned trees in the Kabob National Forest we see look like totems.
We stop and visit some Anasazi ruins where all that is left is the first set of rocks on the walls of the rooms.
There is a very narrow passageway called Bright Angel point. The dropoffs are, as Bob describes them: "Scrinchy". We walk out to the end of it, in disbelief that people are letting their pre-school age children wander it without holding anyone's hand!
We spring for a fancy ending to the evening and reserve an early dinner seating at The Grand Canyon Lodge. We are there for the beginning of sunset, which is stunning. The young waiter who served us, with his slicked down long hair and handlebar mustache, looks appropriate for the time when the Lodge was built, 1928. He seems surprised when I mention it.
In the lodge, we appreciate the antiques on display, including real radios with tubes, which had a chip implanted to play old-time music.
As we are leaving, we smell the sweet honey scent of the Desert Rose. We watch as the shadows creep up the canyon with the setting of the sun. The golden light on the peaks changes from moment to moment.
The clay, as I understand it, is from the white soil they have in UT, AZ and NV, which contains a lot of limestone. I just found out yesterday that limestone and marble are related, since they are primarily calcite. That accounts for the white color and also the hard, porcelain-like quality.
When the horsehair is applied, in the final firing, it leaves the black color, but the hair itself is singed away. Therefore the smooth finish. I imagine they do a final polishing with a polishing stone, all by hand.
The other Native American black pottery which we love is polished similarly. It's far too expensive for us to buy. The black pottery is fired like Raku, with a special hand-built kiln on the ground lined with cow dung and rocks, with a tin lid. The black color is from the smoke.
The firing is such a delicate process, involving precise timing and extreme vigilance.Then the polishing is so extensive to achieve a sheen. Even a 1" pot costs over $20. There is a local artist, now deceased, Maria Martinez, who is world-famous for this type of pottery.
We see the Greenland Lake Sinkhole. There are many tiny lakes and ponds like it.
The burned trees in the Kabob National Forest we see look like totems.
We stop and visit some Anasazi ruins where all that is left is the first set of rocks on the walls of the rooms.
There is a very narrow passageway called Bright Angel point. The dropoffs are, as Bob describes them: "Scrinchy". We walk out to the end of it, in disbelief that people are letting their pre-school age children wander it without holding anyone's hand!
We spring for a fancy ending to the evening and reserve an early dinner seating at The Grand Canyon Lodge. We are there for the beginning of sunset, which is stunning. The young waiter who served us, with his slicked down long hair and handlebar mustache, looks appropriate for the time when the Lodge was built, 1928. He seems surprised when I mention it.
In the lodge, we appreciate the antiques on display, including real radios with tubes, which had a chip implanted to play old-time music.
As we are leaving, we smell the sweet honey scent of the Desert Rose. We watch as the shadows creep up the canyon with the setting of the sun. The golden light on the peaks changes from moment to moment.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Day 31- Monday, 7/20/09 SETTLED
Traveling to Bryce, we go through Red Canyon and it is really red. There is a paved bike trail alongside Highway 63. It goes for miles and miles, elevated above the road so there is no interaction with traffic. What a luxury.
As we enter, we see a group of teens on mules being led down the canyon by 3 real cowboys. The skies look threatening, but what the kids are most worried about is that the mules keep stopping to pee on the trail and they are embarrassed when it happens to their steed. It seems that once the scent is established, each mule wants to urinate in the same spot. The odor really is strong.
We want to hike, but after getting caught at the first overlook by a sudden thunderstorm which included pea-sized hail, we opt for the Shuttlebus. We are soaked. Huddling under a pinion pine tree does not do much good in torrential rain. The temperature drops from 82 to 68 degrees.
With winds blowing around us, we are freezing the rest of the day and never really get dried out. We try to stand under the dryers in the restrooms, but there is only so long you can stand there before someone else wants to use it.
I find an old, thin navy blue airline blanket that I had stashed in the car and wrap it alternately around my legs like a sarape and my shoulders like a shawl. It helps a little, even if it looks funny.
You do what you have to do. We eat lunch in the car so we can turn on the heat.
We see two birds we have never seen before. Very dramatic - a violet-green swallow with a red head. Bob's son Bobby would be proud. He's the birder in the family.
The vistas are amazing, with hoodoos everywhere.
Four hours later, we shelter in our car again and eat the second half of our sandwiches. We notice that the same family is exiting the lodge now as the one that exited the lodge 4 hours earlier when we ate the first half of our sandwiches.
Are we having a deja vue? Or are we again in our own video game and the Video Guy is arranging all this?
Next time when we go to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, we'll bring jackets and long pants. I guess we're still in South Rim climate mode.
After finishing all the Shuttle stops, we drive our car to Pariah, Swamp Canyon and Fairview Points. We are lucky enough to see Pronghorn Antelope in the meadow below us.
We see a forest fire for 3 miles on the way to Fairview Point.
We see many varieties of wildflowers - Indian Paintbrush, Nootka Rose, Sego Lily, Manzanita, Arrowleaf Balsamroot, and Rubber Rabbitbush.
At the end of our adventure, we see a group of deaf teens signing, being guided through the park by a signing interpreter. We feel very connected, since Bob's nephew Ryan is profoundly deaf.
We have dinner at the Home Plate Diner, run by the local baseball coach and his wife. Nice place, but they are new and have a lot to learn. The food is good and plentiful.f
There are dummy cops in Glendale and Orderville. They park old cruisers alongside the road, and put manequins in the driver's seat. I guess when you're understaffed, it's a good way to get people to slow down in town. Better than the cardboard cops we had seen in Alaska years ago.
As we enter, we see a group of teens on mules being led down the canyon by 3 real cowboys. The skies look threatening, but what the kids are most worried about is that the mules keep stopping to pee on the trail and they are embarrassed when it happens to their steed. It seems that once the scent is established, each mule wants to urinate in the same spot. The odor really is strong.
We want to hike, but after getting caught at the first overlook by a sudden thunderstorm which included pea-sized hail, we opt for the Shuttlebus. We are soaked. Huddling under a pinion pine tree does not do much good in torrential rain. The temperature drops from 82 to 68 degrees.
With winds blowing around us, we are freezing the rest of the day and never really get dried out. We try to stand under the dryers in the restrooms, but there is only so long you can stand there before someone else wants to use it.
I find an old, thin navy blue airline blanket that I had stashed in the car and wrap it alternately around my legs like a sarape and my shoulders like a shawl. It helps a little, even if it looks funny.
You do what you have to do. We eat lunch in the car so we can turn on the heat.
We see two birds we have never seen before. Very dramatic - a violet-green swallow with a red head. Bob's son Bobby would be proud. He's the birder in the family.
The vistas are amazing, with hoodoos everywhere.
Four hours later, we shelter in our car again and eat the second half of our sandwiches. We notice that the same family is exiting the lodge now as the one that exited the lodge 4 hours earlier when we ate the first half of our sandwiches.
Are we having a deja vue? Or are we again in our own video game and the Video Guy is arranging all this?
Next time when we go to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, we'll bring jackets and long pants. I guess we're still in South Rim climate mode.
After finishing all the Shuttle stops, we drive our car to Pariah, Swamp Canyon and Fairview Points. We are lucky enough to see Pronghorn Antelope in the meadow below us.
We see a forest fire for 3 miles on the way to Fairview Point.
We see many varieties of wildflowers - Indian Paintbrush, Nootka Rose, Sego Lily, Manzanita, Arrowleaf Balsamroot, and Rubber Rabbitbush.
At the end of our adventure, we see a group of deaf teens signing, being guided through the park by a signing interpreter. We feel very connected, since Bob's nephew Ryan is profoundly deaf.
We have dinner at the Home Plate Diner, run by the local baseball coach and his wife. Nice place, but they are new and have a lot to learn. The food is good and plentiful.f
There are dummy cops in Glendale and Orderville. They park old cruisers alongside the road, and put manequins in the driver's seat. I guess when you're understaffed, it's a good way to get people to slow down in town. Better than the cardboard cops we had seen in Alaska years ago.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Day 30 - Sunday, 7/19/09 - SETTLED
We need a vacuum badly. The little 12V thing we had before doesn't have strong enough suction and our rug is yucky. The only store big enough around here is Walmart, so we give in and go to Cedar City to find it.
After finishing our shopping, we eat lunch in the car. True vagabonds - pumpernickel, hunks of salami and ripe cherries.
There are meadows full of various grasses and purple wildflowers. Very tranquil. In 10 minutes, the terrain can totally change.
Navaho Lake is a beautiful teal color. Next we come upon an overlook to Zion National Park in Dixie National Forest. Very exciting. Along the way we stop at Kolub Canyan, which is part of Zion National Park.
After seeing a photo of a house-sized rock that slid down the canyon side in 1984, Bob says: "Wouldn't want to have a rock like that fall on our car. It might crush our new vacuum". Priorities, priorities.
Cedar Breaks National Park: 8000 ft - 97 degrees; 9000 feet - 82 degrees, 10,000 feet - 68 degrees. Wild flowers galore. Many hoodoos (tall vertical rock formations that Native American legends endow with magical powers).
We want to hike to Alpine Pond, but at 10,460 feet, we are too short of breath. Stunning views greet us at sunset - lightning, rays of sun visible from the clouds, trees with knees, fields of lava rock along the roadside.
We walk down to Aspen Mirror Lake, a lovely little hideaway where people have been fishing quietly all day.
After finishing our shopping, we eat lunch in the car. True vagabonds - pumpernickel, hunks of salami and ripe cherries.
There are meadows full of various grasses and purple wildflowers. Very tranquil. In 10 minutes, the terrain can totally change.
Navaho Lake is a beautiful teal color. Next we come upon an overlook to Zion National Park in Dixie National Forest. Very exciting. Along the way we stop at Kolub Canyan, which is part of Zion National Park.
After seeing a photo of a house-sized rock that slid down the canyon side in 1984, Bob says: "Wouldn't want to have a rock like that fall on our car. It might crush our new vacuum". Priorities, priorities.
Cedar Breaks National Park: 8000 ft - 97 degrees; 9000 feet - 82 degrees, 10,000 feet - 68 degrees. Wild flowers galore. Many hoodoos (tall vertical rock formations that Native American legends endow with magical powers).
We want to hike to Alpine Pond, but at 10,460 feet, we are too short of breath. Stunning views greet us at sunset - lightning, rays of sun visible from the clouds, trees with knees, fields of lava rock along the roadside.
We walk down to Aspen Mirror Lake, a lovely little hideaway where people have been fishing quietly all day.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Day 29 - Saturday, 7/18/09 - SETTLED
Taking a day off. We sleep late, take naps, and laze around. We are truly beat.
Later we decide to toodle around in the nearby shops. There are Rock Shops everywhere, featuring some amazing local stones, mined in Orderville. We buy some souvenirs for family members.
At last it rains, and the temperature drops 20 degrees. At night Bob writes all his wedding thank-you notes. I'm impressed. I write 6 of mine.
Later we decide to toodle around in the nearby shops. There are Rock Shops everywhere, featuring some amazing local stones, mined in Orderville. We buy some souvenirs for family members.
At last it rains, and the temperature drops 20 degrees. At night Bob writes all his wedding thank-you notes. I'm impressed. I write 6 of mine.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Day 28 - Friday, 7/17/09- SETTLED
We're in a nice small RV Park, Bauer's Canyon Ranch. We wake up to a braying mule from the ranch next door. There is an apple orchard over the fence.
Zion National Park is beautiful, but hot! It is a tough day. The heat is giving us headaches. It is too hot to hike, at 113 degrees, but we push on. The buses are not air-conditioned here either.
Once we reach Weeping Rock, we get relief, as cool water drips down on our heads. There are hanging gardens growing under the rock which are very impressive.
Emerald Pool is not as dramatic as we expected, but there are little waterfalls, ferns and flowers there.
The Court of the Patriarchs and Temple of Sacrifice are two rock formations named by early explorers. Bob has been looking forward to Angel's Landing, which has been recommended by a friend as a "must-see". However, we realize it would be too difficult for us in this heat. Everyone who told him it's the best hike is 20 years younger than we are.
We never seem to be able to get out of our little sanctuary before 11 AM, so unfortunately we are usually starting our adventures in the hottest part of the day.
The River Walk to the Narrows has also been recommended as a cooler place to hike, and with dramatic views between narrow rocks, but we are too worn out from the heat and decide we will have to come back another time.
Zion National Park is beautiful, but hot! It is a tough day. The heat is giving us headaches. It is too hot to hike, at 113 degrees, but we push on. The buses are not air-conditioned here either.
Once we reach Weeping Rock, we get relief, as cool water drips down on our heads. There are hanging gardens growing under the rock which are very impressive.
Emerald Pool is not as dramatic as we expected, but there are little waterfalls, ferns and flowers there.
The Court of the Patriarchs and Temple of Sacrifice are two rock formations named by early explorers. Bob has been looking forward to Angel's Landing, which has been recommended by a friend as a "must-see". However, we realize it would be too difficult for us in this heat. Everyone who told him it's the best hike is 20 years younger than we are.
We never seem to be able to get out of our little sanctuary before 11 AM, so unfortunately we are usually starting our adventures in the hottest part of the day.
The River Walk to the Narrows has also been recommended as a cooler place to hike, and with dramatic views between narrow rocks, but we are too worn out from the heat and decide we will have to come back another time.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Day 27 - Thursday, 7/16/09 - ON THE ROAD
We wanted to stay one more day in Williams, to rest our sore hiking muscles, but this coming weekend is free admission to all the National Parks, so there is no room and we must move on.
We decide to push on to Utah, to see the North Rim of the Canyon, Bryce and Zion. As we get closer to UT, there are grasslands, then red mesas as far as the eye can see. It's a vast change of landscape.
High voltage electric towers look like aliens in the distance and make us think we are on another planet. We often joke about being in our own video, which is not our real life, and this is one of those moments.
We pass an Anasazi and Navajo Trading Post. The vendors operate out of tiny little cabins or trailers, with solar panels as big as the side walls of the residence. We are told that most of the artesans live in Tuba City which is miles away.
There are little communities of five houses every 5 or ten miles. Seems quite an isolated way to live. Sometimes they look quite economically depressed, with ancient RV's, or even empty tractor-trailer containers to live in.
One surprise is a little Baptist church, with not a house around for miles. There are no schools. Where are the schools? There must be children in those communities.
This is the most impressive drive of the whole trip. Many of the peaks we pass look like the inside of the Grand Canyon.
There are dust-devils as big as an upturned bus, slowly swirling. I would love to photograph them, but there is not enough contrast between them and the surrounded rocks. When they cross the road, it is truly spooky, as though they are anthropomorphised and make a decision, hesitating before jumping across the highway.
We eat lunch on the road, biting the ends of celery hearts off and spreading cream cheese on with the stem of a plastic fork. We wash our celery with bottled water and a Kleenex. Feels like we are truly pioneers.
Some of the pull-offs for scenic views are poorly designed. It is very hard to see around the curves for our RV to feel safe pulling back onto the road.
The road cuts right through the middle of the Red Mountain. It is a deer migration area.
Near Kanab, UT there is a fake movie set of an old town in the West. There are storefronts with no backs. Wonder what movie was filmed here?
Most the modern residences here at the foot of the Vermillion Cliffs use Xeroscape, where their entire front yard is rock. Virtually nothing grows here that is not impossible to maintain. Some are adobe, some modular, some with all glass fronts, depending on the view.
There are coral-colored rocks embedded in the sand dunes. There are dune-buggy tracks everywhere. They are red at the bottom, grey in the middle, and yellow ochre at the top, almost appearing man-made.
We see a walking bridge over a dry river at Cameron Ranch. They have one llama, one Shetland pony and one mule.
A little Navaho girl that we encounter calls the small lizards we see "dinosaurs". Her Mom left Tuba City to do her silversmith work at her roadside stand because "there was too much chaos at home." Competing artesans are set up side by side. They ignore each other.
We decide to push on to Utah, to see the North Rim of the Canyon, Bryce and Zion. As we get closer to UT, there are grasslands, then red mesas as far as the eye can see. It's a vast change of landscape.
High voltage electric towers look like aliens in the distance and make us think we are on another planet. We often joke about being in our own video, which is not our real life, and this is one of those moments.
We pass an Anasazi and Navajo Trading Post. The vendors operate out of tiny little cabins or trailers, with solar panels as big as the side walls of the residence. We are told that most of the artesans live in Tuba City which is miles away.
There are little communities of five houses every 5 or ten miles. Seems quite an isolated way to live. Sometimes they look quite economically depressed, with ancient RV's, or even empty tractor-trailer containers to live in.
One surprise is a little Baptist church, with not a house around for miles. There are no schools. Where are the schools? There must be children in those communities.
This is the most impressive drive of the whole trip. Many of the peaks we pass look like the inside of the Grand Canyon.
There are dust-devils as big as an upturned bus, slowly swirling. I would love to photograph them, but there is not enough contrast between them and the surrounded rocks. When they cross the road, it is truly spooky, as though they are anthropomorphised and make a decision, hesitating before jumping across the highway.
We eat lunch on the road, biting the ends of celery hearts off and spreading cream cheese on with the stem of a plastic fork. We wash our celery with bottled water and a Kleenex. Feels like we are truly pioneers.
Some of the pull-offs for scenic views are poorly designed. It is very hard to see around the curves for our RV to feel safe pulling back onto the road.
The road cuts right through the middle of the Red Mountain. It is a deer migration area.
Near Kanab, UT there is a fake movie set of an old town in the West. There are storefronts with no backs. Wonder what movie was filmed here?
Most the modern residences here at the foot of the Vermillion Cliffs use Xeroscape, where their entire front yard is rock. Virtually nothing grows here that is not impossible to maintain. Some are adobe, some modular, some with all glass fronts, depending on the view.
There are coral-colored rocks embedded in the sand dunes. There are dune-buggy tracks everywhere. They are red at the bottom, grey in the middle, and yellow ochre at the top, almost appearing man-made.
We see a walking bridge over a dry river at Cameron Ranch. They have one llama, one Shetland pony and one mule.
A little Navaho girl that we encounter calls the small lizards we see "dinosaurs". Her Mom left Tuba City to do her silversmith work at her roadside stand because "there was too much chaos at home." Competing artesans are set up side by side. They ignore each other.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Day 26 - Wednesday, 7/15/09 - SETTLED
Today we take it easy. We decide to take the Shuttlebus the whole way to the end, Hermit's Rest. The whole route takes 4 hours, looking at the all the trails into the canyon from above.
At the end, we see the Tovar Hotel, where 2 days ago a guy drove his blue Mazda over the edge of the canyon and committed suicide. The rescuers rappelled down to retrieve the body. They are still figuring out how to get the car out. We couldn't see it, since it probably landed in a grove of trees a few hundred feet down from the rim.
Most of the architecture in the Canyon area is by Mary Colter. She loved rustic stone and log cabins.
We eat dinner at "Cruisers on 66" on historic Route 66. Opting for the economic choice, we get the Family Dinner, with enough BBQ beef and pork ribs and BBQ chicken to last a week, along with coleslaw and Ranch Style beans. The family at the nearby table look at the two of us with amazement, until we explain that we are taking most of it with us as leftovers.
At the end, we see the Tovar Hotel, where 2 days ago a guy drove his blue Mazda over the edge of the canyon and committed suicide. The rescuers rappelled down to retrieve the body. They are still figuring out how to get the car out. We couldn't see it, since it probably landed in a grove of trees a few hundred feet down from the rim.
Most of the architecture in the Canyon area is by Mary Colter. She loved rustic stone and log cabins.
We eat dinner at "Cruisers on 66" on historic Route 66. Opting for the economic choice, we get the Family Dinner, with enough BBQ beef and pork ribs and BBQ chicken to last a week, along with coleslaw and Ranch Style beans. The family at the nearby table look at the two of us with amazement, until we explain that we are taking most of it with us as leftovers.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Day 25 - Tuesday, 7/14/09 - SETTLED
The Grand Canyon South Rim is amazing. The views are spectacular, the rocks an amazing variety of red and golden colors. It is so hot! The shuttlebuses have no air conditioning, but the drivers are very helpful and often narrate what we are about to see. It's amazing to think that 300 million years ago, most of this was underwater.
As we are walking in to our first viewpoint, we hear a teenage girl talking on her cell phone: "Mom, I'm all alone! IN THE GRAND CANYON! How could you have left me here?!" It's comical in a way, and we're sure she will get picked up soon.
At our second viewpoint, we see a couple sitting on a rock with an open can of tuna fish and a bottle of wine. What a feast at sunset.
Later we encounter a Jewish group from United Synagogue Youth. They are saying the evening prayers. They are from USY on Wheels, a summer program which takes youth from all over the country on tour around the US. They ask if we'd like to join them, but we are about to jump on a bus to our next viewpoint, so we politely decline. I feel honored, though, and of course am excited to see my Landsmen at the Grand Canyon!
We go to Hopi Point, the recommended best viewpoint for sunset. It is a cloudy evening, but the sunset through the clouds is beautiful nonetheless. There is a half rainbow on both sides of the cloud behind which the sun is setting.
As we are going to our car, we are stopped by a young Korean couple. The man is anxious and the woman is sobbing. It is dark, and they can't remember where their car is parked. We finally understand that it is in the same lot that ours is in. We offer to lead them there. She pushes the button on her keyless door opener and the lights flash in their car window. She has been calm, but now she begins to sob again, jumping up and down with joy. Her husband leads her to the car, still sobbing.
As we are walking in to our first viewpoint, we hear a teenage girl talking on her cell phone: "Mom, I'm all alone! IN THE GRAND CANYON! How could you have left me here?!" It's comical in a way, and we're sure she will get picked up soon.
At our second viewpoint, we see a couple sitting on a rock with an open can of tuna fish and a bottle of wine. What a feast at sunset.
Later we encounter a Jewish group from United Synagogue Youth. They are saying the evening prayers. They are from USY on Wheels, a summer program which takes youth from all over the country on tour around the US. They ask if we'd like to join them, but we are about to jump on a bus to our next viewpoint, so we politely decline. I feel honored, though, and of course am excited to see my Landsmen at the Grand Canyon!
We go to Hopi Point, the recommended best viewpoint for sunset. It is a cloudy evening, but the sunset through the clouds is beautiful nonetheless. There is a half rainbow on both sides of the cloud behind which the sun is setting.
As we are going to our car, we are stopped by a young Korean couple. The man is anxious and the woman is sobbing. It is dark, and they can't remember where their car is parked. We finally understand that it is in the same lot that ours is in. We offer to lead them there. She pushes the button on her keyless door opener and the lights flash in their car window. She has been calm, but now she begins to sob again, jumping up and down with joy. Her husband leads her to the car, still sobbing.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Day 24 - Monday, 7/13/09 ON THE ROAD
On Rt. 40 West there are silver sculptures of yucca cactus which light up at night with solar energy. The colors change. There is lots of solar usage here. Casinos are everywhere. Most, but not all, are Native-American run.
We are driving in the middle of nowhere, and suddenly, to our surprise, there will be an RV dealer.
There are mesas extending for miles. The soil is yellow and sandy.
I play seamstress and try to take in the armholes of one of my shirts that is too big. I brought it along on the trip anyway, because I love it, and it is very lightweight, which will be very useful in the heat. Ever try to thread a tiny needle while in a vehicle going 65 mph?
We see a working mine. Are they looking for turquoise?
The railroad goes through a tiny town in the middle of the desert called Los Lunas. We understand now why certain towns developed where they did.
Wait! There is something on the side of the road! Is it a giant snake? No, it's a sewer hose from a camper. Someone is not going to be very happy when they get to their destination.
Laguna is an interesting little village we pass. Most of the buildings are adobe, with a white Spanish church.
There are Native American artists selling their jewelry at the Rest Area. We feel badly for the fact that they drive long distances to get to the place where they can sell their wares. We are in our air-conditioned RV and they are out in the hot sun all day.
We pass an Asplundt Tree Service truck on I-4o in the middle of the desert. Where are the trees?!
I hate driving through construction areas where there is a concrete wall on the edge. I get quite claustrophobic. Now we are driving through an area like that with a rumble strip in the middle of the lane. If you drive to the right of the lane to avoid the rumble strip, your wheels are dangling off the shoulder. Aargh! I do love it when the construction vehicles remind me of tiny Tonka Toys from a distance.
Crossing the Continental Divide is very exciting. It feels like a momentous occasion.
200 miles from Flagstaff, the terrain begins to change. The rocks are smoothly etched by the wind into giant triangular shapes. They look like they are sliced rather than eroded. It appears that God took a bite out of the mesa.
Chaiku:
ARIZONA HIGHWAY
Metallic blue truck
Sparkles like a sapphire
In my side view mirror
We are in the high desert. The wind is so strong it almost blows us and everyone else off the road. Storm clouds hang in the sky with rain pouring out of them, but the rain never seems to reach the ground.
We see some commercial beehives in the desert. Very surprising.
There are electric poles that seem to lead to nowhere.
Meteor Crater, at 5000 ft. elevation, is one of the highlights of this leg of the trip. It is 700 feet deep. An explorer named Berringer lived there in a tiny stone house with a root cellar and studied it for 26 years. The Berringer family still owns the ranch, and has opened it to the public for their education. Sceptics believe that it was caused by a volcano, and not a meteor. Berringer tried to mine for iron ore there and sold it to the railroad. On the road to the edge of the crater we are shown pulverized limestone, sandstone, and fossils of coral, shells, and giant prehistoric worms.
From this distance up, clouds with sunrays emanating from them look like UFO's.
The closer to the Grand Canyon we get the greener the grass is, the more fir trees we see, and the more dark brown the soil appears. The Grand Canyon is in Tuscayan, AZ.
Mule rides in the canyon have to be booked far in advance. Bob wanted to go Standby.
Our campground is very nice. It has all the amenities. If we want, we can go use the pool at the hotel next door. I doubt we will be thinking about pools once we see the canyon.
We are driving in the middle of nowhere, and suddenly, to our surprise, there will be an RV dealer.
There are mesas extending for miles. The soil is yellow and sandy.
I play seamstress and try to take in the armholes of one of my shirts that is too big. I brought it along on the trip anyway, because I love it, and it is very lightweight, which will be very useful in the heat. Ever try to thread a tiny needle while in a vehicle going 65 mph?
We see a working mine. Are they looking for turquoise?
The railroad goes through a tiny town in the middle of the desert called Los Lunas. We understand now why certain towns developed where they did.
Wait! There is something on the side of the road! Is it a giant snake? No, it's a sewer hose from a camper. Someone is not going to be very happy when they get to their destination.
Laguna is an interesting little village we pass. Most of the buildings are adobe, with a white Spanish church.
There are Native American artists selling their jewelry at the Rest Area. We feel badly for the fact that they drive long distances to get to the place where they can sell their wares. We are in our air-conditioned RV and they are out in the hot sun all day.
We pass an Asplundt Tree Service truck on I-4o in the middle of the desert. Where are the trees?!
I hate driving through construction areas where there is a concrete wall on the edge. I get quite claustrophobic. Now we are driving through an area like that with a rumble strip in the middle of the lane. If you drive to the right of the lane to avoid the rumble strip, your wheels are dangling off the shoulder. Aargh! I do love it when the construction vehicles remind me of tiny Tonka Toys from a distance.
Crossing the Continental Divide is very exciting. It feels like a momentous occasion.
200 miles from Flagstaff, the terrain begins to change. The rocks are smoothly etched by the wind into giant triangular shapes. They look like they are sliced rather than eroded. It appears that God took a bite out of the mesa.
Chaiku:
ARIZONA HIGHWAY
Metallic blue truck
Sparkles like a sapphire
In my side view mirror
We are in the high desert. The wind is so strong it almost blows us and everyone else off the road. Storm clouds hang in the sky with rain pouring out of them, but the rain never seems to reach the ground.
We see some commercial beehives in the desert. Very surprising.
There are electric poles that seem to lead to nowhere.
Meteor Crater, at 5000 ft. elevation, is one of the highlights of this leg of the trip. It is 700 feet deep. An explorer named Berringer lived there in a tiny stone house with a root cellar and studied it for 26 years. The Berringer family still owns the ranch, and has opened it to the public for their education. Sceptics believe that it was caused by a volcano, and not a meteor. Berringer tried to mine for iron ore there and sold it to the railroad. On the road to the edge of the crater we are shown pulverized limestone, sandstone, and fossils of coral, shells, and giant prehistoric worms.
From this distance up, clouds with sunrays emanating from them look like UFO's.
The closer to the Grand Canyon we get the greener the grass is, the more fir trees we see, and the more dark brown the soil appears. The Grand Canyon is in Tuscayan, AZ.
Mule rides in the canyon have to be booked far in advance. Bob wanted to go Standby.
Our campground is very nice. It has all the amenities. If we want, we can go use the pool at the hotel next door. I doubt we will be thinking about pools once we see the canyon.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Day 23 - Sunday, 7/12/09 - SETTLED
I have sore muscles from climbing the kiva ladders at Bandolier into the sacred caves, so we take it slow.
In the late afternoon we head down to Old Towne to the small boutique shops to buy souvenirs for family. We watch a Navajo silversmith hammer a sterling silver bracelet. It is very intricate work. We can see why the items end up being so expensive.
There is a Navajo artist there who has a sign up requesting that his picture not be taken. Others will let you take their pictures for $1.
At the end of our day, we stop in a very high end shop where the bolo ties made by Navajo artists are in the $2000 range. The saleswoman tries not to act insulted when we ask if she has anything in the $50 range.
Many of the shops in Old Towne are actually art galleries. We stop in one with interesting paintings. It is run by a young artist and his wife who are contemporaries of my son Ethan. We talk about Ethan's blown and carved glass and the guy is very interested.
We finish our day with dinner with Uncle Arthur Byers, Nancy Greiff and her husband Robert at The Range Cafe' in Albuquerque. My dessert, Death by Lemon, was outstanding, and so rich that I had to take half of it home. Robert had lived in Utah and Arizona, so he gave us a lot of advice about what to see and do on our trip.
In the late afternoon we head down to Old Towne to the small boutique shops to buy souvenirs for family. We watch a Navajo silversmith hammer a sterling silver bracelet. It is very intricate work. We can see why the items end up being so expensive.
There is a Navajo artist there who has a sign up requesting that his picture not be taken. Others will let you take their pictures for $1.
At the end of our day, we stop in a very high end shop where the bolo ties made by Navajo artists are in the $2000 range. The saleswoman tries not to act insulted when we ask if she has anything in the $50 range.
Many of the shops in Old Towne are actually art galleries. We stop in one with interesting paintings. It is run by a young artist and his wife who are contemporaries of my son Ethan. We talk about Ethan's blown and carved glass and the guy is very interested.
We finish our day with dinner with Uncle Arthur Byers, Nancy Greiff and her husband Robert at The Range Cafe' in Albuquerque. My dessert, Death by Lemon, was outstanding, and so rich that I had to take half of it home. Robert had lived in Utah and Arizona, so he gave us a lot of advice about what to see and do on our trip.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Day 22 - Saturday, 7/11/09 - SETTLED
We are on our way to Bandolier National Monument. The bridges are decorated with lots of Native American symbols. There are lots of sculptures scattered all over town, most large, colorful metal.
The cedar trees stand tall and symmetrical in long lines. Mountain landscapes seem to vary between greenery and sparse scrub.
On our climb up the mountain to Bandolier, there is a steep rock wall to the right, a very curvy road up the mountain and a cliff dropping off to the left. Yikes!
Albuquerque is a good (or bad?!) example of suburban sprawl.
Cousin Nancy Greiff tells us that she has an arroyo (drainage ditch) behind her property and floods her yard from the larger city arroyo perpendicular to it whenever she needs to water her plants. There is a control valve she can operate. Her street, as a result, is one of the few that has actual planned landscaping in the backyards.
On the way to Bandolier, we pass "Camel Rock". It is a huge formation, which from one angle, looks just like its name. Pretty impressive.
We stop at the San Ildefonso Indian Reservation. There is a big craft fair going on today. We are in need of souvenir gifts for our families, so this is a good place to start.
On the way to the gym where the fair is held, we see that the fences in the yards on the Reservation are made from small trees. No need for commercial products.
Bob is getting excited about all the money we are saving with our National Park Senior Pass. He begins to keep a records of all our savings.
When we arrive in Bandolier, we notice at one of the overlooks that Rangers are explaining to people about the fire we saw when we came into the park. It started with a lightening strike two weeks ago and is presently burning 900 acres. We can see the flames with the Rangers' telescope. They call it The San Miguel Wildlands Managed Fire. There are signs nearby that say "Managed Burn. Do Not Report".
The Ranger explains that when these fires occur naturally, they are often used as controlled burns to help regenerate the land and prevent uncontrollable massively destructive fires from occurring.
At Bandolier, we see several sets of ruins: The Longhouse, The Cistern, The Alcove, The Cliff Dwellings. Many involve long hikes and steep climbs. It is in the 80's that day and Bob and I find ourselves quite fatigued by the end of the day. We are grateful that the last part of the hike is in shady woods along a stream.
While taking a photo, holding my hat against my side, I accidentally drop my hat into the water while I am releasing the shutter on the camera. I don't notice that my hat is missing until a few moments later when I go to put it back on. A kind passerby has found it, though, and on hearing me ask everyone if they have seen a blue hat, soon returns it to me intact, but muddy.
We stop at a Scenic Overlook to view the Rio Grande.
That evening, we meet Corinne's old friend Paul Rubinfeld at Harry's Road House, a well-known and very crowded eatery close to Paul's house. They are famous for their pies, but not only are we too full after dinner, but they are out of the ones we wanted: rhubarb and blueberry.
The cedar trees stand tall and symmetrical in long lines. Mountain landscapes seem to vary between greenery and sparse scrub.
On our climb up the mountain to Bandolier, there is a steep rock wall to the right, a very curvy road up the mountain and a cliff dropping off to the left. Yikes!
Albuquerque is a good (or bad?!) example of suburban sprawl.
Cousin Nancy Greiff tells us that she has an arroyo (drainage ditch) behind her property and floods her yard from the larger city arroyo perpendicular to it whenever she needs to water her plants. There is a control valve she can operate. Her street, as a result, is one of the few that has actual planned landscaping in the backyards.
On the way to Bandolier, we pass "Camel Rock". It is a huge formation, which from one angle, looks just like its name. Pretty impressive.
We stop at the San Ildefonso Indian Reservation. There is a big craft fair going on today. We are in need of souvenir gifts for our families, so this is a good place to start.
On the way to the gym where the fair is held, we see that the fences in the yards on the Reservation are made from small trees. No need for commercial products.
Bob is getting excited about all the money we are saving with our National Park Senior Pass. He begins to keep a records of all our savings.
When we arrive in Bandolier, we notice at one of the overlooks that Rangers are explaining to people about the fire we saw when we came into the park. It started with a lightening strike two weeks ago and is presently burning 900 acres. We can see the flames with the Rangers' telescope. They call it The San Miguel Wildlands Managed Fire. There are signs nearby that say "Managed Burn. Do Not Report".
The Ranger explains that when these fires occur naturally, they are often used as controlled burns to help regenerate the land and prevent uncontrollable massively destructive fires from occurring.
At Bandolier, we see several sets of ruins: The Longhouse, The Cistern, The Alcove, The Cliff Dwellings. Many involve long hikes and steep climbs. It is in the 80's that day and Bob and I find ourselves quite fatigued by the end of the day. We are grateful that the last part of the hike is in shady woods along a stream.
While taking a photo, holding my hat against my side, I accidentally drop my hat into the water while I am releasing the shutter on the camera. I don't notice that my hat is missing until a few moments later when I go to put it back on. A kind passerby has found it, though, and on hearing me ask everyone if they have seen a blue hat, soon returns it to me intact, but muddy.
We stop at a Scenic Overlook to view the Rio Grande.
That evening, we meet Corinne's old friend Paul Rubinfeld at Harry's Road House, a well-known and very crowded eatery close to Paul's house. They are famous for their pies, but not only are we too full after dinner, but they are out of the ones we wanted: rhubarb and blueberry.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Day 21 - Friday, 7/10/09 - ON THE ROAD
Got car off the dolly with help from friendly Michigan neighbor at RV Park. He is about to drive away and sees Bob struggling to figure out what to do. He stops his vehicle and, explaining that he has been in many similar predicaments before, gets out some wooden blocks and jacks up the front of the car.
He will not allow his wife or I to help push the car off. Putting the car in Neutral, they let the car roll backwards off the blocks. As a result of all the pushing, Bob ends up with bruises the size of a pear on his arm and chest. But I guess you don't argue with a gift horse.
We see lots of housing developments with houses so close together it looks like a prison or military complex. No trees soften the landscape.
Giant irrigators fascinate us. There are many types,that spray from both bottom and top. They rotate and move along the field automatically. As a result, the corn is so much greener than we have seen before. It is such a contrast with the brown and scrubby land around the fields.
More windmill farms. It is very windy today. We are beginning to see mesas in the distance. There is something on top of the mesas. Are they windmills or radio towers?
There is no evidence of solar energy use. That surprises us. One thing that is pleasing, though, is that there have been no billboards for over 100 miles.
The terrain dramatically changes from TX to NM. There are grey grasses.
We are on Historic Route 66. At Dell's Restaurant, there is a giant cow on the roof.
Along the roadside, we see train tracks with double container trains on them, possibly heading for a shipping port where they will be loaded on a tanker.
I start calling this area "Mesa Land". Did wind shear off the tops?
We see some antelope on the range. Reminds us of a song......
There are lots of 1940's and 50's cars rotting in the sun, in the middle of a vast field of scrub.
We have a nice relaxing dinner with Uncle Arthur Byers at Olive Garden in Albuquerque. We are able to treat him to dinner courtesy of one of our generous wedding guests.
He will not allow his wife or I to help push the car off. Putting the car in Neutral, they let the car roll backwards off the blocks. As a result of all the pushing, Bob ends up with bruises the size of a pear on his arm and chest. But I guess you don't argue with a gift horse.
We see lots of housing developments with houses so close together it looks like a prison or military complex. No trees soften the landscape.
Giant irrigators fascinate us. There are many types,that spray from both bottom and top. They rotate and move along the field automatically. As a result, the corn is so much greener than we have seen before. It is such a contrast with the brown and scrubby land around the fields.
More windmill farms. It is very windy today. We are beginning to see mesas in the distance. There is something on top of the mesas. Are they windmills or radio towers?
There is no evidence of solar energy use. That surprises us. One thing that is pleasing, though, is that there have been no billboards for over 100 miles.
The terrain dramatically changes from TX to NM. There are grey grasses.
We are on Historic Route 66. At Dell's Restaurant, there is a giant cow on the roof.
Along the roadside, we see train tracks with double container trains on them, possibly heading for a shipping port where they will be loaded on a tanker.
I start calling this area "Mesa Land". Did wind shear off the tops?
We see some antelope on the range. Reminds us of a song......
There are lots of 1940's and 50's cars rotting in the sun, in the middle of a vast field of scrub.
We have a nice relaxing dinner with Uncle Arthur Byers at Olive Garden in Albuquerque. We are able to treat him to dinner courtesy of one of our generous wedding guests.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Day 20- Thursday, 7/9/09 - SETTLED
It is my daughter Danielle's birthday. I miss her.
We visit Palo Duro Canyon, a little-known State Park with beautiful rock formations. It is 128 degrees when we enter. Unfortunately, we were unable to get an early start. When we get there at 11, most people who have arrived when the park opens at 8 are already coming out. We have a half-gallon of water for each of us.
Trying to make it to The Lighthouse, the key formation 2.8 miles in, we find less and less shade. Our water is getting hot, like drinking hot tea. At the viewpoint halfway in, we (wisely) decide to turn back. Even the bushes which shaded us on the way in are now in full sun. The rest benches are hot and no longer shaded.
I am feeling weak and getting slower and slower, overcome with the thought that I must sit or even lay down. Bob bravely urges me on, minimizing the distance that is left to motivate me to continue. He is thinking he may have to leave me and get a ranger to bring a vehicle out to get me. But in the end, I make it. He is my hero!
We go to see Ice Age after eating at the disappointing Wrong Way Cafe'. It is all about the ambience, but the veggies were frozen and tasteless. The movie would have been better with Bob's granddaughter Anya there!
9 pm: Bob is putting the car back on the tow dolly in preparation for leaving tomorrow. He accidentally drives the car too far forward, and the wheels are now dangling over the front edge.
AAA won't come out: "It's not what we do". We offer to pay them, but they still won't come. "It's not covered on your plan". After momentary panic and annoyance, we decide that the worst that can happen is that we end up staying an extra day to figure this out.
We visit Palo Duro Canyon, a little-known State Park with beautiful rock formations. It is 128 degrees when we enter. Unfortunately, we were unable to get an early start. When we get there at 11, most people who have arrived when the park opens at 8 are already coming out. We have a half-gallon of water for each of us.
Trying to make it to The Lighthouse, the key formation 2.8 miles in, we find less and less shade. Our water is getting hot, like drinking hot tea. At the viewpoint halfway in, we (wisely) decide to turn back. Even the bushes which shaded us on the way in are now in full sun. The rest benches are hot and no longer shaded.
I am feeling weak and getting slower and slower, overcome with the thought that I must sit or even lay down. Bob bravely urges me on, minimizing the distance that is left to motivate me to continue. He is thinking he may have to leave me and get a ranger to bring a vehicle out to get me. But in the end, I make it. He is my hero!
We go to see Ice Age after eating at the disappointing Wrong Way Cafe'. It is all about the ambience, but the veggies were frozen and tasteless. The movie would have been better with Bob's granddaughter Anya there!
9 pm: Bob is putting the car back on the tow dolly in preparation for leaving tomorrow. He accidentally drives the car too far forward, and the wheels are now dangling over the front edge.
AAA won't come out: "It's not what we do". We offer to pay them, but they still won't come. "It's not covered on your plan". After momentary panic and annoyance, we decide that the worst that can happen is that we end up staying an extra day to figure this out.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Day 19 - Wednesday, 7/8/09 - ON THE ROAD
Six hours to Amarillo, which Corinne insists on calling Armadillo. Big thunder and lightening as we start out.
Black-Eyed Susans line the highway. Very dramatic.
I'll bet all that brown grass is grateful for the rain. We're told it's unusual for rain in OK in July. That's usually when the farmers make hay.
Tent caterpillars freak me out. They are gross and scary, for some reason, like an alien force taking over a tree and consuming it.
We see an oil well, but it is not pumping.
Oklahoma City is called Rocktown or Bricktown, yet the roads on I-40 are in terrible shape.
There is a controlled burn of a field on Mile 117. The soil is very red all of a sudden.
In Weatherford, OK, we see a wind farm with over 100 windmills. It is a beautiful sight, but very other-worldly.
A cattle truck from Amarillo rides alongside us for several miles.
THINGS THAT SURPRISE US: In TX, the signs say: Share the Road with Motorcycles.
There are no slowdowns around construction sights.
We see the largest cross in the Western hemisphere.
There is a water tower about to topple over. We call it "The Leaning Tower of Water" (this is how we entertain ourselves on the road!)
SPECIAL EVENT: We go to dinner at The Big Texas. Great food. Three elderly cowboys, fully decked out, playing fiddle, guitar, and bass, serenade the guests.
Five people are trying to get a free 72 oz. steak by eating it, along with a baked potato, 3 shrimp, salad and a roll within one hour. Everyone gathers around to photograph the contest and watch.
None of them make it. We hear one young man "losing it" in the bathroom shortly thereafter. The third woman in 3 years is among today's contestants. If they don't eat it all, they have to pay $1/oz. for the steak.
Going uphill over a bump, our RV engine kicks out of Cruise Control and stalls.
Black-Eyed Susans line the highway. Very dramatic.
I'll bet all that brown grass is grateful for the rain. We're told it's unusual for rain in OK in July. That's usually when the farmers make hay.
Tent caterpillars freak me out. They are gross and scary, for some reason, like an alien force taking over a tree and consuming it.
We see an oil well, but it is not pumping.
Oklahoma City is called Rocktown or Bricktown, yet the roads on I-40 are in terrible shape.
There is a controlled burn of a field on Mile 117. The soil is very red all of a sudden.
In Weatherford, OK, we see a wind farm with over 100 windmills. It is a beautiful sight, but very other-worldly.
A cattle truck from Amarillo rides alongside us for several miles.
THINGS THAT SURPRISE US: In TX, the signs say: Share the Road with Motorcycles.
There are no slowdowns around construction sights.
We see the largest cross in the Western hemisphere.
There is a water tower about to topple over. We call it "The Leaning Tower of Water" (this is how we entertain ourselves on the road!)
SPECIAL EVENT: We go to dinner at The Big Texas. Great food. Three elderly cowboys, fully decked out, playing fiddle, guitar, and bass, serenade the guests.
Five people are trying to get a free 72 oz. steak by eating it, along with a baked potato, 3 shrimp, salad and a roll within one hour. Everyone gathers around to photograph the contest and watch.
None of them make it. We hear one young man "losing it" in the bathroom shortly thereafter. The third woman in 3 years is among today's contestants. If they don't eat it all, they have to pay $1/oz. for the steak.
Going uphill over a bump, our RV engine kicks out of Cruise Control and stalls.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Day 18 - Tuesday, 7/7/09 - SETTLED
Relaxing, napping, and cooking two meals "at home".
In the evening we go out for dinner. Corinne gets liver and onions, which she has not had since about 1983. It's perfect!
Cloudy, 87 degrees. We spend hours watching our campfire at night. There are some leftover fireworks in the distance. No mosquitoes in OK!
Chaiku
OKLAHOMA CAMPFIRE
Flames phosphorescent
We, mesmerized by the coals,
Say nary a word
Bob asks: "Does anything happen in Oklahoma?" He catches a bass, though, so that's something.
I -40 sucks.
In the evening we go out for dinner. Corinne gets liver and onions, which she has not had since about 1983. It's perfect!
Cloudy, 87 degrees. We spend hours watching our campfire at night. There are some leftover fireworks in the distance. No mosquitoes in OK!
Chaiku
OKLAHOMA CAMPFIRE
Flames phosphorescent
We, mesmerized by the coals,
Say nary a word
Bob asks: "Does anything happen in Oklahoma?" He catches a bass, though, so that's something.
I -40 sucks.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Day 17 - Monday, 7/6/09 - ON THE ROAD
Back to OK to hook up with our RV.
We buy some fresh produce at a roadside stand in Cheney, OK. Not cheap, but beautiful.
The weather broke in OK two days ago after a shower. Temperature dropped from 105 to 85 degrees. Now it is breezy and lovely.
On the highway, we spot our first oil rig in Ashland, OK.
The bottom of the clouds are different than we have ever seen before. They are dark and flat, as though God had sliced them in half and turned half upside down, like an omelet pan.
Driving back along Lake Eufala again, we notice many islands of various sizes full of trees.
Unfortunately, we also experience armadillo roadkill for the first time.
Too many billboards.
We buy some fresh produce at a roadside stand in Cheney, OK. Not cheap, but beautiful.
The weather broke in OK two days ago after a shower. Temperature dropped from 105 to 85 degrees. Now it is breezy and lovely.
On the highway, we spot our first oil rig in Ashland, OK.
The bottom of the clouds are different than we have ever seen before. They are dark and flat, as though God had sliced them in half and turned half upside down, like an omelet pan.
Driving back along Lake Eufala again, we notice many islands of various sizes full of trees.
Unfortunately, we also experience armadillo roadkill for the first time.
Too many billboards.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Day 16 - Sunday, 7/5/09 - ON THE ROAD
Heading back to Dallas. We stop at the Historic Farnthorpe Inn, a stagecoach inn from the 1880's, in Anderson, TX. The stagecoach is not running today, but the Ranger gives us a guided tour of the Inn, which includes all the furnishings and acoutrements that a traveler would have needed in those days.
We climb up in the stagecoach. Before we leave, the Ranger gives us a simulated demonstration of how it would have felt to be inside the stagecoach on a bumpy road. Cool! A step back in time.
There is a short-lived dramatic thunderstorm as we are driving, with booming thunder and huge lightening. The temperature drops in a matter of moments from 103 to 76 degrees. What a relief. There are huge thunderheads and frightening winds, though.
We pass lots of cattle ranches which have very interesting and unique entry gates. Each one tries to be more ornate or artistic than the next.
We climb up in the stagecoach. Before we leave, the Ranger gives us a simulated demonstration of how it would have felt to be inside the stagecoach on a bumpy road. Cool! A step back in time.
There is a short-lived dramatic thunderstorm as we are driving, with booming thunder and huge lightening. The temperature drops in a matter of moments from 103 to 76 degrees. What a relief. There are huge thunderheads and frightening winds, though.
We pass lots of cattle ranches which have very interesting and unique entry gates. Each one tries to be more ornate or artistic than the next.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Day 15 - Saturday, 7/4/09 - SETTLED
More smoothies! This time Corinne gets one. Delish!
We've been on the road more than two weeks now! We miss all our friends and family.
In the evening we meet Bob's friend from the Air Force, Johnnie Warner. He has not seen him since 1965. Johnnie brings his wife Elizabeth, who is very personable. Johnnie is just the same, with his characteristic expression: "Gollee!"
They treat us to a Tex-Mex dinner and then to the Texas Opry in Magnolia, TX. They are regulars once a month and this is the Fourth of July Special Celebration. All is decked out in flags and most of the patrons as well as the singers are wearing red, white and blue.
The Opry is very cool. A DVD is filmed and Johnnie will be mailing it to us. All patriotic songs, or songs about the states. Very moving, actually. Bob jokes: "I'll make a conservative out of you yet!" Yeah, right!
We are treated to home-made apple pie at the Opry. We get one of the last remaining pieces.
There were very limited fireworks here last night because the area is in a drought and overhead fireworks were forbidden, although a few snuck through.
Good show, good times, and good friends that Bob hasn't seen in 44 years.
Tomorrow we head back to Dallas for an overnight to help my mother-in-law Ruth Stern with some more paperwork and have dinner with Uncle Arthur and Aunt Helen Stern.
We've been on the road more than two weeks now! We miss all our friends and family.
In the evening we meet Bob's friend from the Air Force, Johnnie Warner. He has not seen him since 1965. Johnnie brings his wife Elizabeth, who is very personable. Johnnie is just the same, with his characteristic expression: "Gollee!"
They treat us to a Tex-Mex dinner and then to the Texas Opry in Magnolia, TX. They are regulars once a month and this is the Fourth of July Special Celebration. All is decked out in flags and most of the patrons as well as the singers are wearing red, white and blue.
The Opry is very cool. A DVD is filmed and Johnnie will be mailing it to us. All patriotic songs, or songs about the states. Very moving, actually. Bob jokes: "I'll make a conservative out of you yet!" Yeah, right!
We are treated to home-made apple pie at the Opry. We get one of the last remaining pieces.
There were very limited fireworks here last night because the area is in a drought and overhead fireworks were forbidden, although a few snuck through.
Good show, good times, and good friends that Bob hasn't seen in 44 years.
Tomorrow we head back to Dallas for an overnight to help my mother-in-law Ruth Stern with some more paperwork and have dinner with Uncle Arthur and Aunt Helen Stern.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Day 14 - Friday, 7/3/09 - SETTLED
We sleep very well at Ron and Carmen's.
Corinne sleeps in. Meanwhile, Ron makes a papaya, mango, banana smoothie for breakfast. Bob has never seen such a huge papaya. Great!
Ron's son "Young Ron" and his kids come over for BBQ. Young Ron cooks up a major feast, with chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs, ribs and salads.
We have been looking forward to Carmen's tamales with eggs in the morning, but she has a wrist injury acquired while using a cane after knee surgery. Unfortunately, she is not up to cooking yet. She is on month four and her recovery is slow, at age 75.
The kids wear us out. Carmen, especially, still suffering from pain in her knee, is unable to do much with them. We try to help by playing cards most of the day. How many times can an adult say "Go Fish!" before wanting to scream! Then there's War, which can go on endlessly. Ron and the kids have come up with their own rules, which are a strategy for ending the games early.
Corinne sleeps in. Meanwhile, Ron makes a papaya, mango, banana smoothie for breakfast. Bob has never seen such a huge papaya. Great!
Ron's son "Young Ron" and his kids come over for BBQ. Young Ron cooks up a major feast, with chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs, ribs and salads.
We have been looking forward to Carmen's tamales with eggs in the morning, but she has a wrist injury acquired while using a cane after knee surgery. Unfortunately, she is not up to cooking yet. She is on month four and her recovery is slow, at age 75.
The kids wear us out. Carmen, especially, still suffering from pain in her knee, is unable to do much with them. We try to help by playing cards most of the day. How many times can an adult say "Go Fish!" before wanting to scream! Then there's War, which can go on endlessly. Ron and the kids have come up with their own rules, which are a strategy for ending the games early.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Day 13 - Thursday, 7/2/09- ON THE ROAD
Before leaving, we suggest to Ruth that she hire her friend Cindy to help her get her papers in order. There is no way she is going to be able to handle it herself. I find the perfect expandable organizer for her at Staples.
I stop at Temple Emanuel to show my Gippot (Yarmulkes for women) to the gift shop buyer. She says her congregation does not wear them. However, she is intrigued by the designs.
My brother-in-law Allen comes over to eat pancakes that Bob is making and visit with us. He is very interested in the family geneology, but not at all interested in helping Ruth with her filing.
We head out on the road towards Houston, where Bob's brother Ronnie and his wife Carmen live. At a picnic stop in Mustang Valley, we eat our home-made sandwiches in 106 degree heat. A preview of things to come. Whew!
I stop at Temple Emanuel to show my Gippot (Yarmulkes for women) to the gift shop buyer. She says her congregation does not wear them. However, she is intrigued by the designs.
My brother-in-law Allen comes over to eat pancakes that Bob is making and visit with us. He is very interested in the family geneology, but not at all interested in helping Ruth with her filing.
We head out on the road towards Houston, where Bob's brother Ronnie and his wife Carmen live. At a picnic stop in Mustang Valley, we eat our home-made sandwiches in 106 degree heat. A preview of things to come. Whew!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Day 12 - Wednesday, 7/1/09 - SETTLED
Nice to sleep in a real bed, albeit twin beds separated by a nightstand. Things that are also different than our camper: quiet AC which you could not hear going on and off and no insects.
This afternoon we are treated to a nice lunch by cousins Toni Gernsbacher and her children Leigh and Jordan. Very interesting conversations with a college aged student and a ten-year old who is interested in the same things Bob's granddaughter Anya is interested in.
In the evening we take Ruth to her neighborhood Greek restaurant, Zizikis, where they have wonderful moussaka and gelato for dessert.
When we return from dinner, we begin the overwhelming task of trying to help Ruth organize and thin out her massive amounts of paperwork, accumulated over half a decade, at least.
This afternoon we are treated to a nice lunch by cousins Toni Gernsbacher and her children Leigh and Jordan. Very interesting conversations with a college aged student and a ten-year old who is interested in the same things Bob's granddaughter Anya is interested in.
In the evening we take Ruth to her neighborhood Greek restaurant, Zizikis, where they have wonderful moussaka and gelato for dessert.
When we return from dinner, we begin the overwhelming task of trying to help Ruth organize and thin out her massive amounts of paperwork, accumulated over half a decade, at least.
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