Loose Ends ...

It seems like a good day to update you on various loose ends that don't fit in prior posts:

First loose end - Don requested some feedback on the fine SouthWest dining experiences I was having. So once I sorted through the Subway and Slotskies sandwiches, chips and salsa, cheap beer joints, crummy hotel restaurants, bad room service, I remembered a couple that stood out:



Stuffed sopapillas at Guadalupe Cafe in Santa Fe (ate there twice).




Huevos Rancheros at Plaza Cafe in Santa Fe (OK, I ate there three times).




Carne Adovada at La Plata in Albuquerque.





I did have other good meals such as The Shedd in Santa Fe (twice), Serious Texas Bar B Que in Durango, Italian in Sedona, Cafe Roka in Bisbee, Cafe Poca Cosa and El Charro (twice) in Tucson. But generally I was well into the meal before I remembered to take a picture and I am sure you didn't want to see it then.

Second loose end - As you recall at the beginning, I was tracking my shower cap average. Well after several days of no success, I figured it was wiser to quietly drop the issue rather than be embarassed by my failure. However, I have recently been reinvigorated in this quest. Five of the last six nights have resulted in shower caps.

I seem to be back on track.

Third loose end - Don thought my WhooPee comment about driving quickly across the desert was appropriate. I am not sure how appropriate he thought it was but here is an example:












Fourth loose end - When I arrived in Holbrook Arizona I realized that there was more of Historic Route 66 that needed to be shared. Please check out the attached pictures.

Fifth loose end - For any of you who may not know how to use one of these here is a thorough set of instructions. If followed closely your clothes will still fit (mine do) and they will come out their original color (mine did).



And you thought this trip was all fun and games didn't you?

Back to Arizona

After a couple days in Albuquerque, it is time to move on. My trip back to Arizona will be the first step of my heading home in time to fly to San Antonio with Pam. It will be nice to be home, however briefly.

My main objective is to visit Acoma Pueblo on my way to Holbrook. The Acoma Pueblo is the longest continuously lived in "city" in the U.S. As with most of the Pueblos in this area, the Franciscans brought the Church to Acoma. Our guide, Orlando, gave a fascinating history of the Pueblo, the relationship with the Franciscans, the relationships with other tribes, and life on the Mesa.

Before arriving at Acoma however, I passed another Pueblo named Pueblo de Laguna. Each Pueblo has its own tradition and pottery art forms. Laguna Pueblo is another Franciscan Mission.

Finally I arrived at the Acoma (Sky City) Cultural Center, a new building built with Casino earnings. Our guide, Orlando, spoke of the debate within the tribe about initially opening and now continuing the Casino's operations.

Now my trip to the Mesa. Had to buy a bus pass to the top. Could only visit when accompanied by a guide. Also had to buy a camera pass for any photography on the reservation. And then, couldn't photograph the cemetary or the inside of the Church. So once we got all the ground rules, we were off.

Ever wonder what people did with no plumbing, electricity and living on top of a big rock? Here is your answer:




Oh, the Kiva, which is reserved for men's religious ceremonies does have a generator, and the required large screen TV for sporting events (with no women allowed). Hey, I guess you do what you have to do.

I have attached a few pictures of the Pueblo (click here).

Finally, another buddy. I have always wanted to photograph a Roadrunner. I am sure this is brought on by years of Wiley Coyote and Beep Beep. Well after the Publo visit I had my chance. As I was exiting the freeway, on ran across the road in front of me. I slam on the brakes and slide to a stop. Grab the camera and jump out of the car. Well he had disappeared into the brush. So I climbed back in the car, put away all the camera stuff and headed out very disappointed.

Well, just around the corner, he ran across the road in front of me once again. I slam on the brakes and slide to a stop. Grab the camera and jump out of the car. This time I head into the bushes after him. There were no rattlesnake signs so why not? Well after another 30 minutes crawling around in the dirt and scanning the area with the binoculars, I give up and stand up to head to the car. And what do I see, but Mr.

Roadrunner sitting on a concrete pedestal watching me. >?#)(*^$)@*!#))@$^&%*$(@ bird anyway!

So, this is as good as you get!

Salinas Pueblo Missions

I planned to head back into White Sands for some of the morning light today but when I woke up, it was a low cloud cover and gray which would not work for good photos so I headed north after putzing around for a bit. My hope for the day was to visit the three Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument sites, Gran Quivira Ruins, Abo Ruins, and Quarai Ruins. Each of these is the remnants of pueblos and Franciscan Churches representing their efforts to convert. Conversion was not a raging success; the villages eventually emptied and the Franciscans (who survived) moved on.


But before I got out of Alamogordo, I had to stop and see the Franciscan Mission Church that is still active today.

Then I am off and running again. As you can see by the map, lots of backroads without many people and even fewer cops. So pedal down and let it roll! Yippee! More on that another day.


The first stop, Gran Quivira Ruins (click for pics). I have become comfortable with rattlesnake signs everywhere but this one had a new twist. After a brief stop at the Visitors Center, the volunteers final words of advice on my way out the door, "careful, them rattlers are on the move". Well SHIT! Of course, in my world, this just turns it into a challenge to really find one.


My second stop was the Abo Ruins (click for pics). Most of the pueblo ruins surrounding this Franciscan Mission Church are still burried in the mounds around the Church. Have you ever felt like you were being watched? I did and I was!


Finally, a stop at Quarai Ruins (click for pics) before heading toward Albuquerque. Again, most of the ruins remain underground in the mounds surrounding the Church. A question remains about each of the pueblos I have visited so far, where did they all go? They still allow an occasional wedding at this location.

Tomorrow, a day of rest in Albuquerque, then the adventure continues.

Told you so!

Told you there were little green men hanging out here. This picture of a group of college students trudging accross the dunes is proof!

Roswell to White Sands

Up this morning and heading north (mostly). First stop after leaving Carlsbad ... Roswell, a close cousin to Area 51 in Nevada. If you don't believe in UFOs, skip down a couple paragraphs. If you are slightly interested, stick with me.

As the story goes, in about 1947, a UFO crashed outside of Roswell. A rancher collected some of the debris but was not able to get to town for a couple days. When he finally made it to town and showed the sheriff his booty, the sheriff called the military. Initially, the military issued a statement that there was a crash of some sort and that wreckage had been collected. Shortly afterwards, the story was recinded and it was reported that a weather baloon had come down. By the time acquaintances of the rancher returned to the site, the Air Force had it cordoned off and nobody was getting in while they cleaned it up. In the process they apparently discovered a couple green men. No, I am not making this up.

Flying saucers, little green men and all disappeared into the black hole of the Air Force. If nothing else, it created a great tourism base for Roswell which has very little else going for it. Check out the other Roswell highlights!

From Roswell I head east through Billy the Kid country. Initially, he was simply a cowboy working in the area until he joined one of the feuding sides (similar to the Hatfields & McCoys). He gained fame killing folks in the feud and hiding out in the hills. Kind of a grimey looking low life if you ask me. In time he took the pointy end of a bullet and had a highway named after him.

Final stretch is to Alamogordo and White Sands National Monument. The dunes are made of gypsum, a.k.a. sheetrock, and are a very light dusty "sand". While it is sort of a one trick pony, a drive in and walk in the dunes for sunset, is an interesting experince. Problem...

How does one find their way out of a horizon to horizon totally white vista, after the sun has set, and it is dark? Oh yea, remember that at the bottom of some of those dunes are lakes to get stuck in.

But the scenery and sunset were marvelous. Click here for some pictures of White Sands.

By the way that is a self portrait.

Brief Texas Interlude

Arrived in El Paso late and took off early so I could hit both Guadalupe National Park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

Guadalupe is a large mountain range that pops out of the Texas range. Minimal road access and primarily back country hiking. Pretty but nothing compared to my later stop. The Texas road portion reminded me of Kansas. Straight, horizon to horizon, and go FAST! WooHoo!

In addition to the a couple pictures of the Guadalupe Mountains, I heard a thump, thump, thump on a tree and found a Ladderback Woodpecker working on a tree. Those pictures are attached.

The next stop was Carlsbad Caverns. My first disappointment was that all guided tours (except 1) scheduled for Sunday and Monday were already booked Saturday afternoon. So I headed off on the self guided tour. I expected a big hole in the ground but this was a really big hole in the ground. Today's quiz: can you identify the pictures with people in them?

This thing goes on and on for about two miles. Well worth the tour but enough is enough so tomorrow I will head to White Sands rather than wait around until Monday for a guided tour. After all a hole in the ground is just a hole in the ground right? Check out this hole in the ground.

This was a long day. So looking forward to a soft warm bed I headed to the City of Carlsbad. The days sights were nothing compared to my stay at the local Best Western (supposedly 2 diamonds) and dinner at Chilis, the local biker bar. Six, big women Harley riders enjoying their suds. I am sure one was Jolee Turner and another was surely Rosanne Barr from TV.

Finally the sun sets on the day.

Gila Cliff Dwellings

I have been so busy I haven't had a chance to update this. Today I promised Pam that I would get something new to look at posted.

When I last reported, I had gone across Arizona and stayed the night in Lordsburg, NM. The trail to Gila Cliff Dwellings will be long and interesting. Forty four miles of one lane, curvy, hilly driving. As I expected the trail was interesting, and very beautiful. Lots of mountains and Ponderosa Pine forests and very few people. On the 44 miles each way, I encountered 6 other cars. And that 44 miles takes about two hours of driving.

But as you can see from the attached pictures, the drive was worth the effort.

The weather this day was about perfect, 78 and sunny. So a couple beers and some chips and salsa were required at a campground in the woods. Good book, sunshine, light cool breeze, almost perfect (it needed Pam to be perfect). Anyway, headed back out and finally reached the freeway at Deming.

A quick stop at a rest area seemed in order before making the last run to El Paso. I was immediately greeted by the sign at left. I must admit it did cause a bit of concern about where I might sit or stand. But no varmints encountered so off I went.

One must look for the silver lining - I was indecisive long enough to enjoy a great sunset.

I hope you enjoy the pictures.

A Day of Transition

Today was mostly moving from Pheonix to New Mexico to begin the National Park search anew. So I drove pretty direct south to Tucson and then east to Lordsburg where I landed this evening. I did manage to make a couple stops on the way however. First in the Saguaro National Park, then the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum and finally a stop for lunch at El Charro for their Carne Seco.

The real reason for the Desert Museum stop is that they have a hummingbird aviary. Currently it only has four species of hummers but it is constant ducking and dodging as they whirl around. This time of year several were sitting on or building nests. This place is a real hoot! I have attached pictures of some of my new buddies.

I had to confess to Pam that I had eaten at El Charro. It is one of two of our favorite restaurants in Tucson. The other is Cafe Poca Cosa. El Charro's Carne Seco is dried beef and was selected as one of the 50 best plates in the US by USA Today.

After that a straight shot to Lordsburg.

Tomorrow, Gila Cliff Dwellings.

The Apache Trail & Tonto NM

Well this is my last day and night in Phoenix. It is time to move on. Three things have become clearer during my Phoenix stay; 1) I like 83 degree weather, 2) I like eating outdoors in 83 degree weather, 3) I like sitting outside during the evening of an 83 degree day.

I have been doing regular stuff like laundry and wandering around a bit. I suspect you noticed that I write more blog entries when Pam is not here. I wonder what that says?

Also, looking at the calendar I have decided to make a change of plans. Pam and I were planning on meeting in San Antonio in a couple weeks. Rather than meet there and spend the final six or so days slogging home before heading back to work, I will be back in Portland the Wednesday before we leave (both on an airplane) for San Antonio. That will give me a week around Portland after the trip to relax and wrap up my time. And realistically, it all sounds pretty lonely without my daughter

Daughter you say? Yes, when Pam and I were in a local Safeway last week doing our occasional shopping, the clerk asked Pam - "are you his daughter?" I must say, that provided the subject matter for many miles of conversation.

Today's adventure involved a drive over the Apache Trail from Phoenix to Roosevelt Resevoir. Then a stop at Tonto National Monument before looping back to Pheonix.

Click here for some images of today's trip.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

Short post. Mostly a test to see if Darlene is keeping up. I am sure you know that Jim and Darlene are baseball fans. So, I had to go see Barry Bonds and the Giants play the LA Angels in the Cactus League. Great way to see a game. Only 6,700 plus fans, players up close and personal, cold beer, and sunshine. So, to Darlene and Jim...

Nanner, Nanner, Nanner.

(Mature aren't I)

Now to the game.

Last of the Southern Loop

After Willcox, Chiricahua, Gleeson and Tombstone we finished the loop back to Tucson. Two primary stops along the way (excluding the bird watching reported earlier). First a visit to Coronado National Memorial. This is the worlds largest memorial to an individual. The highlight is the view at right which is of the San Pedro River valley, the route that Coronado took north when he explored the Southwest and as far north as Kansas. Not much to it except the ride to the top, dirt road carved from the mountainside with straight drop offs.

Then we visited Bisbee, an old copper mining town. When the mines closed, it became an artists colony. We had a great dinner at Cafe ROKA, and met some of the locals:

Yep, thats a cat riding on the dog. And yes again, thats a rat riding on the cat riding on the dog. You should have seen their owner!

Check out other Bisbee pictures.

And the last stop, Tumacacori. Home of Fr. Kino, S.J. an early Jesuit missionary. And ...

Santa Cruz Chile and Spice Company. Oh what fabulous green chile salsa!

Wildlife

Every vacation Pam and I try to find some of the local flora and fauna. The trip to southern Arizona was no exception. We visited the San Pedro Riparian Preserve, Ramsey Canyon Wildlife Preserve, Patagonia (with minimal luck), and Madera Canyon. San Pedro, Ramsey and Madera are worth another visit on a return trip. As is usually the case, "if only we had been here last week" or "they should be here next week" is the common response to where are they?

In spite of ourselves we managed upon a few critters of note. Particularly:

Mr. Javelina

Notice he is kind of out of focus? Reason for that... This guy has a bad sense of humor and is in a foul mood. Bill and Pam, exit stage left.

Click here to see some of our search results.

Alone Again

With a tear in my eye, I waved goodbye to Pam as she headed down the airport terminal. She is headed home while I figure out what to do with my time between now and March 22 when she comes to San Antonio. Whoa! That's seventeen days.

It sure has been nice having her giving me directions versus the GPS machine. Also, someone who answers when I talk to myself in the car. I am not sure I am ready for this constant on the road retirement business.

Last I wrote we had arrived in Tucson and were preparing to head to southern Arizona. Weather has been sunny but highs only in the mid-fifties. We headed east from Tucson with our first stop intended to be among the 30,000 Sandhill Cranes that winter around Wilcox. Two things became obvious, first there were no cranes so they must have heard we were coming and second the fine wetlands around which they gather are the Wilcox sewage treatment ponds.

Our next stop was Chiricahua National Monument. As you can see at left, the entry was quite inviting and looked to hold lots of interest. Yea right!

But don't let initial impressions cloud your vision. This place was cool and kind of earie. I have posted some pictures of the place.

After the monument we headed toward our final two stops for the day, a ghost town named Gleeson and the famous Tombstone. An acquaintance in Death Valley suggested that a saloon in Tombstone (Big Nose Kates) was the best saloon in the country so of course Pam and I had to give it a try. I am glad I didn't get his name because if I had I might have had to tell him he was full of sh--. I know I was after eating a burger. It's a regular old saloon in a tourist trap with live local music and cold beer. Don't bother with the food.

Have a look at some pictures from Gleeson and Tombstone.

He's back...

Hi folks, finally seem to have mostly kicked the cold and cough and very kindly shared it with Pam. At least now I can begin to catch you up with my travels and pictures.

While in Sedona we stayed at the Amara Resort. A 4 star resort doing its darndest to become a 3 star. Of course it didn't help that I was basically holed up in the room for three days self medicating. If it could go wrong at this hotel, it probably did; wrong room type from that reserved, promised a move in a couple hours that took all day, three days of increasingly unique service in the restaurant, blah, blah, blah. Thank goodness we have a sense of humor.

In any case, off we went. We will be back. Sedona is a beautiful place, just not back to the Amara. The evening before we left I finally felt up to going out and attempting some sunset pictures. They are attached.

After leaving Sedona we headed to two National Monuments in the area, Toozigoot and Montezuma Castle. Both were fascinating examples of puebloan life. Monetazuma Castle is remarkably well preserved.

A caution however, one must keep their eyes out for some of the natives who I happened to catch a picture of at left. They can easily lead on astray if you are not attentive. Check here for pics of the two places.

So finally, back on track. Check out tomorrow as we head to Chiricahua NM and Tombstone, home of the OK Corral.

Pam has arrived ...

and none too soon! Not many pictures to share, but a new hospital story.

Pam arrived Saturday in Phoenix and I met her at the Courtyard Motel that evening after a seven hour drive from Santa Fe. We immediately went for dinner and began plans for our adventure together. Pam already had some high points identified. Sunday morning off we go.

Somewhere during the week in Santa Fe I caught the cold that was going around. No biggy right? Wait and see.

Our first stop was at the Hassayampa Wildlife Preserve. I made Pam's birding an extra challenge as every time we would sneak up on a bird, I would start a coughing fit and scare it off. One should not go birding with a cold and cough. We were lucky enough however to see the Vermillion Flycatcher above and the hummingbird at left. The hummingbirds black head shimmered bright yellow when he spread his neck and head feathers. It was great fun.

After a bit we headed to Yarnell for lunch at the Buzzard Cafe. No beer, but great mesquite smoked pork to sooth the throat and postpone the cough. Pam did spot a shopping mall she wanted to stop at in Yarnell as well. Although interesting, I struggled with hauling "dead stuff" all across the country with me.

Finally the last segment of our day. Off to Sedona to photo some sunsets. I handed the reigns of the Highlander to Pam so I could take a nap. As you all know, I have a strategy to visit a hospital in every city I visit. Why should Sedona be any different?

So, the bride tells the story: Bill wakes up from his nap and immediately starts a major coughing attack, then all goes silent. The light turns green and I start driving, looking over at Bill who has slumped in his seat. I drive and call his name with no answer. I call his name much louder with no answer. I drive and scream his name with no answer, so I reach over and shake him with no response. I drive, scream and shake him and then he finally raises his head, looks toward me bug eyed and starts to shake all over. When he stops shaking, he looks at me and says "what?" and then the sweat starts to roll off his face. He has no idea that he had passed out and I have no idea how I didn't wreck the car.

I see a sign for the medical emergency center and since I am driving, that's where Bill has to go. The doctor says with Bill's history, the elevated blood pressure and the 101 degree fever, that tests are in order. After blood tests, EKG, chest xrays and a significant amount of poking and proding, the doctor's diagnosis is viral bronchitis. It seems that you can cough hard enough to stop the flow of blood to your brain (of course, neither Bill nor I can remember the technical term for it) and you pass out. Dr says it's not uncommon to shake all over as you are coming out of it. Easy for him to say. So, we left with a prescription for codeine cough syrup to this beautiful sunset outside.

Needless to say, the Sedona piece of this trip has been a scratch. No hiking, no shopping, no drinking, minimal eating, no scenic driving, no picture moments. Tomorrow we start anew.

Long Week

Well it has been a while since I have been here to visit. And you all thought I was on vacation. Little did you know. Away on a trip like this, the laundry needs to be done, the groceries need to be brought in, the oil changed in the car, the car washed, etc. etc. That took up Sunday, except for a little diversion to the Guadalupe Cafe for brunch.

Right now I am back in the laundry room washing so I can pack later tonight and head to Phoenix tomorrow after class to meet my lovely bride.

The Santa Fe Workshops class has been amazing and a real workout. It started with a session going late into the night Sunday and has started every day at 8:30, gone until 2 or 2:30 then photo assignments and back for evening sessions. The only evening with nothing on the plate was Tuesday. Today, Friday, we have another evening session with non-competitive (yea right!) slide shows between the five different classes currently going on. How non-competitive? Well the expectation has been set that we will "kick their ass".

The pictures I have submitted have been some good some bad. The class has participants from Germany, France, and South Africa. To say nothing of the big hitters. One guy was a fashion photographer in New York and did LandsEnd catalogs. The French guy specializes in equine photography. There was a woman from Spokane who got the altitude sickness and had to head home. Dan Hoffman from Wisconsin shoots for boat company ads. Etc., etc., etc. I am clearly the rookie but for the most part have held my own.

To top it off the instructor is Patrick Donahue of Corbis. He has an incredible amount of knowledge and understanding of the stock photography market and is very generous with his time. In addition he is a darn nice guy. I would take another class from him in a heartbeat!

So what was our only night off? Fat Tuesday of course! After a relaxing dinner at The Shedd (chicken enchilada, beef burrito, red & green chile sauces and margharitas) I started to walk back to the car. Yes, even here in Santa Fe they celebrate Mardi Gras. So I followed along for a bit. About 20 to 30 folks in various stages of public drunkenness going from bar to bar with music. Check some of them out.

Well I will sign our for now. I am back on the grid. I will head out in the morning. Weather report/forecast -

SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY IN EFFECT
UNTIL 5 AM MST SATURDAY
Wswabq

Urgent - Winter Weather Message... Corrected National Weather Service Albuquerque NM 245 PM MST Fri Feb 23 2007... Snow And Blowing Snow Advisory For The Northern Mountains Above 7500 Tonight...A Late Winter Storm Moving Across Northern New Mexico And Southern Colorado Will Generate Snow And Strong Winds In The Northern New Mexico Mountains Overnight. Northwest Mountains Including Jemez-Sangre De Cristo Mountains- Including The Cities Of... Chama/Los Alamos... Red River/Taos/Santa Fe 245 PM MST Fri Feb 23 2007

WooHoo! Could be an exciting drive.

Last Travel Day For a While

Well this is the last travel day for a week. Today's challenge seems rather uncomplicated. What time is it really? When I arrive in Gallup, the alarm clock in the room is one hour ahead of what I thought the time should be. But how could the time have changed? So I assumed that the hotel clock was right and set the alarm for 6. So up I hop, flip on the TV and discover that the local coverage is not yet on. Oh well, shower, shave and oh never mind. Finally, the local newscast comes on and I see that the room clock is wrong. Now I am up and ready to go much earlier than necessary. So I might as well get on the road.

Rather than going straight to Santa Fe as I had planned I figured I could hit a couple more National Monuments that I figured I would miss. So off I head to my first stop El Morro National Monument. Not knowing what to expect I was surprised by this stop. I am fascinated by this kind of stuff. As a result, I used up any extra time earned from the alarm clock. Now you all have to put up with my silliness since I am sure I put up too many pictures. But tough!

It basically is a big wall of graffiti. This place had a water hole that attracted early Native Americans, Spanish Conquistadors, Camel caravans, California bound folks, and railroad planners. Each group marked their name and arrival time in the sandstone wall. So petroglyphs of unknown origin, Spanish soldiers conquering the land for Spain, experimental use of camels for transport, emigrant trail users, and Union Pacific Railroad planners. Some of these early grafitti artists were pretty impressive.

I gave my blog address to the Ranger at El Morro. I hope she will correct any of my memory errors.

After finishing the walk at El Morro I headed to my next stop, El Malpais National Monument. Being from volcano country, another monument with cinder cones, lava flows and lava tubes doesn't take a lot of time to explore. The Ranger however gave me a great idea for a later stop; the Acoma Pueblo. I will try to catch it some time in the trip.

Finally, I headed to my perch in Santa Fe. One place for seven days, I won't know what to do.

On the Road Again...

Well, I left the Grand Canyon and headed east. I planned to get as far as Gallup, New Mexico so I had time to make a couple stops between here and there.

First stop, Wupatki National Monument. This is the site of several pueblo ruins. Perhaps they were related as they appeared to be in several different clusters. The website is attached as well as several pictures.

After leaving Wupatki NM, I visited Sunset Crater National Monument. You won't find any pictures of this one. When you live in the heart of volcano country another cinder cone and lava field does not cause one to waste many digits (i.e. since I shoot digital, not film).

Finally, I thought I was on my way heading down the homestretch but...

About 4 miles outside of Flagstaff, I saw a sign for the Walnut Canyon National Monument. Wasn't planning to stop but since I had plenty of time why not? I didn't even know the reason for this monument. As it ends up, it was cliff dwellings throughout the canyon. I have always been intrigued by these so this was a real bonus. Want to see what I saw? Check out the pictures.

Not only was it cliff dwellings, but it was a test of the ticker and new hip. Two hundred twenty steps down the canyon wall to the mile long trail. Doesn't sound too bad right. Well once you walk the mile you have to climb all those stairs back out. Huff and puff but all parts worked fine.

Fine Dining

Eating in a National Park is always an adventure. When you avoid the hamburger/hot dog cafeteria, and try to find a sit down meal all bets are off. So I end up in the Arizona Room of the Bright Angel motel. Steak, pork chop, chicken and lasagna. The waiter (from Lake Oswego) wrinkled his nose when I asked about the lasagna so it looked like a meal of meat would be preferable.

So I chose the pork chops and accompaniments. As I described my meal to Pam, she was horified that they served both a potato and canned corn, two starches in one meal.

I was very proud to call her the next night and explain that two starches was nothing. At a restaurant in Tusayan, outside the park, my pork chops were accompanied by 1) potato, 2) corn on cob, 3) roll, and 4) baked beans.

Oh and both nights, ice berg lettuce salad!

The Big Ditch

Arrived at the Big Ditch (Grand Canyon) at sunset on the 14th and spent the 15th exploring the length of the park. Beautiful place but after a bit each pullout began to remind me of Greece. While in Greece we visited a number of ancient temple ruins. The first few were exciting but by the end of the week it became just another stack of old rocks. Now each pullout is becoming just more ditch.

But imagine all the poor folks who had to dig this sucker.

Anyway, it is a beautiful and breathtaking place. Now I head to Gallup with a couple stops on the way.

One observation that I wanted to share:


Don't believe I have ever had an inclination to have a drink, much less need to be warned off by a sign.

Cheers!

He shoots, he scores!

Upon arriving in Gallup New Mexico this afternoon, I first searched the room for a shower cap. Once again disappointment. But...

In the fine print it says they have them at the front desk. So down I went and asked. The faces of the two desk clerks indicated some surprise at my request. But a shower cap they did produce.

A significant improvement in my average - 2 for 6 or .333. My hopes for recovery are reignited.

Scorecard Update

Thinking it was a sure bet for the shower cap collection, I decided to stay at the Holiday Inn Express at Tusayan, near the Grand Canyon. I checked in for two nights, thinking that the averages would improve significantly. On arrival I searched the room and found NONE! What a dissapointment. And to think I am stuck here for two nights.

In an effort to make amends, I snuck down the hall this morning and cased the cleaning carts in the hall. NO SHOWERCAPS! Panic is beginning to settle in.

So now...

One shower cap from five nights of motels. If this dosen't improve soon, I will be camping.

Updated shower cap average - .200. Clearly will not make the all star team at this pace.

The Mother Road - Route 66

Taking the backroad from Needles to Williams and then on to Grand Canyon. Most of Route 66 has been covered over by new highway. However, some of it remains.

Described as perhaps the most beautiful section of the route, it begins flat but quickly enters the desert hills. Big country, desert, mines, and quirky places. Heck, I felt right at home.

First stop, Oatman, old mining town reinventing itself for folks like me.

In Oatman I met a number of the local residents. Some smelled better than others. So a quick refresher in the Oatman Hotel Bar, and added a dollar bill to the wall (among thousands of others). Escaped town before the gun fight erupted.

Initially, watching my budget, I thought I would stay the night near Peach Springs. No chance for a shower cap here as the facilities were down the hall. After briefly reviewing the options, and determining that a midnight trip to water the cactus was risky, I decided to head on.

Some of the businesses along the route make the most of the notoriety of the highway. A number of pictures are attached including some Oatman residents and a number of businesses encountered.

Off the old highway to Williams then north to Grand Canyon for a couple nights. More on that later. Enjoy!

Keeping Score

Just before my departure from home, I accidently (yes, it was an accident) knocked Pam's shower cap into the cat's litter box. Knowing the odds of Pam picking up the shower cap and placing it back on her head were slim to none, I committed to collecting (i.e. stealing) motel shower caps on my trip. I am beginning to realize that providing guests shower caps is a direct reflection of the quality of the lodging.

So far:
AAA 3 diamond hotel - one shower cap
Unlisted Death Valley hotel, negative 3 diamond hotel - no shower cap and had to hide my previous theft so others would not borrow it.
AAA 2 diamond hotel - no shower cap

Cumulative result: currently 1 for 3 or a batting average of 333. I will keep you updated.

Change of Plans

Woke up this morning to socked in clouds and rain. It's not supposed to do this in Death Valley. Further confirmed my choice not to stay put for another night.

Began my journey into the park hoping the weather would improve. First stop is about 21 miles off the main road near the town of Wild Rose. One house, one Rangers office, and two outbuildings does not a city make. Six miles of washboard gravel beyond Wild Rose are the Charcoal Kilns. Why did anyone ever decide they need a charcoal business way way out here? Remember rain at the beginning, up here it was snowing. I know I have a good hat and gloves in the car somewhere.

Returned to the main road and headed on to Stovepipe Wells. Near here are the sand dunes that are so often photographed. Crummy sky, bad light, and big wind convinced me that a hike among the lizards and diamondbacks was not really necessary.

So what do I do now and where will I stay tonight?

Of course! I head to the Mojave Desert. At least it sounds dry and warm.

This one feels much more like what I imagined as a desert. Lots of nothing and big skys. Warm and dry? Not necessarily so.

Actually, rain all around and lots of flash flood warning signs. So a couple pics and then on to the fine metropolis of Needles, California.

Tomorrow I plan to head up Old Hwy 66 from Needles and end up in the snow at the Grand Canyon. Shorter drive and I plan to perch there for a couple days.

A Long Hard Drive

Today was a long day with a couple short breaks. Mostly I wanted to get in the Death Valley area to continue the exploring we started a year ago. However, along the way I had to see some sights.

First, Lava Beds National Monument. This parks primary claim to fame is its large number of lava tubes. So if that is what floats your boat, you can crawl around with a flashlight and a hard hat in the mud. Being a bit claustrophobic, I can't say that sounded like a barrel of laughs. So I went down the one that was lit, had a sidewalk and a ladder. Much more civilized.

The second stop was at Mono Lake. This is an odd place with Tufa spires. What is a Tufa spire? That is today's lesson.

I finally ended the day at Panamint Springs. It looked good on the internet. Don't believe everything you see on the internet! I think this just may be the decendants of Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters waiting for Jerry Garcia to arrive and begin a sing-along. Kinda earthy. Get this, no public phones but this place does have WIFI. Paper thin walls. I think the guy next door had too much party this evening and has been worshiping the porcelin God. I originally planned to stay two nights but after a bit (a very short bit) of reflection, I'll be moving along.

I did get a couple pics however. Have a look.