Friday, June 29, 2018

It was another 6-1/2 hours of driving for us today from Pecos to Amarillo. Most of the scenery was desert and flat.  As we reached Lubbock, Texas, however, there was more farm land, but it made the drive between Cleveland and Chicago look wondrous in comparison.

We had made a quick stop in Odessa,Texas to locate a giant hare statue and succeeded in finding it. Back in the 1930’s someone thought it would be a good idea for cowboys and cowgirls to try their hand at roping the critters as part of a rodeo. In the 60’s the practice was stopped because it was considered inhumane.  Supposedly the town was filled with colorfully painted hares, but we only managed to spot one before heading on our way. We also stopped to take a photo of a mural decorating the outside of an indoor gun range located in the center of the town.

Our next rest stop included Dairy Queen.  I’ve never seen so many DQ’s as I’ve seen in New Mexico and Texas, and every few days we stop to enjoy an ice cream.  Oddly we haven’t come across any local purveyors of our favorite treat.  Given how hot it is around “these here parts” one would think they would do a blockbuster business.

Dan did a lot of research before our departure on oddities that can be found along Route 66 and elsewhere.  Along with the hare mentioned above, another was called Ozymandias as in the poem written by Shelly.  The statue itself was not quite so eloquent as the poem however. (NOTE:  It is a pair of legs that have been vandalized by local college students; and are covered in graffiti. It is a hoax sculpture.)

Shelly penned his immortal lines, among them: “I met a traveler from an antique land; Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone; Stand in the desert…;   And on the pedestal these words appear: “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings,  Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair.””   This statue in no way corresponded with Shelly’s poetry.

Texas does things in a big way.  Everything is oversized including flags and statues ( hares, legs) etc.

Tonight, in Amarillo, we ate dinner at Tyler’s Barbecue; which is an award-winning barbecue restaurant. When we arrived at about 5:30 PM they had already sold out of barbecue chicken and pork, and our only options were brisket or sausage.  For the second night in a row we ate barbecued brisket, potato salad, and coleslaw.  We would have tried the beans but they were sold out of that too.  The owner told us that he only makes enough food for the day and when he runs out he closes.  By the time we finished our meal his doors were closed.  It was sooo good.

 

 

Thursday, June 28, 2018

We apologize for the blog delay, but we could not get the Wi-Fi to work at our last hotels.

Today we made the several hour trip from Artesia, NM to Pecos, TX.  We were a little nervous about the trip because one of the rangers from Carlsbad said the road was full of potholes made by the scores of large oil tanker trucks that used that part of Hwy 285.  Fortunately, the road wasn’t nearly as in poor condition as she had described, but the tanker truck part was true.  Never before have we seen so many tanker trucks either on the road or off it.  The scenery hasn’t changed much since yesterday’s car trip, and the oil business surrounds us.

Pecos was written up several years ago as being one of the fastest growing small towns in the US.  If so, it is only because of OIL.   There isn’t much to the town itself except lots of newly built overpriced hotels, large box stores like Walmart, and fast food restaurants.  There was no street with shops like we’ve found in all small towns throughout our travels. We did locate The West of the Pecos Museum that is in an old saloon built in 1896 and a hotel that had been added on in 1904.  The Chamber of Commerce is housed in an old train station.  In front of these buildings was a (as usual) an oversized statue of Pecos Bill riding a snake and colorful oversized cowboy boots similar to the guitars we had around Cleveland at one time.  But we didn’t come to Pecos for its beauty.  We came to Pecos for The West of the Pecos Rodeo.  It claims to be first rodeo held in the U.S. back in June 1883.  We had missed seeing a rodeo in Cody, WY by one day and were determined to see one before this trip ended.  We weren’t disappointed.

Before the rodeo, however, we visited the above-mentioned museum.  It was filled with collectible items that had been donated by the community over the years.  It was an eclectic mix of things from old photos and barbed wire collections to old silent movie projectors and telephone operator switchboards.  There was an electric hair curler machine that resembled an electrocution machine. If only I had a museum to drop off things that I no longer wanted, but just couldn’t bring myself to throw away.   We also managed to find a decent TexMex restaurant that wasn’t a fast food joint.  It was called Old Mill where we enjoyed what tasted like a home cooked meal of BBQ brisket, potato salad, beans, and Texas toast (which was just regular toast).

The rodeo was born when a dispute between the W. Lazy Y and NA ranches challenged each other as to who had the best ropers and riders.  Over 1,000 people came to watch the cowboys compete for a grand prize of $40.00.  Today, at the price of $10.00 per ticket we saw 2-1/2 hours of professional bareback bronco riding, team calf roping, steer roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, down roping, barrel racing, bull riding and an event that involved dragging someone on what used to be a skin, but now is a mat. One side show featured a Mexican cowboy, by the name of Tomas Garcilazo, who did amazing tricks on horseback while spinning a lasso.  Another side show was when young kids competed in what was called a boot race.  All of their shoes were placed in a pile and from the same starting point they all raced to find their shoes, put them on and returned to the starting point. The winner won a bicycle.

The competition began at 8:00pm—which made it a little cooler outside.   It was probably still in the mid-90s, but there was a nice breeze.  Only problem was that when the wind picked up there was a lot of desert dust/sand blowing along with it.  One other aside is that prior to the show there were a number of vendors selling goods and among the participants was a booth entitled Republican Mobile HQ.  Needless to say there was no Democratic presence.  And, if you are wondering why there was so much pink being worn it was because the rodeo was donating money toward Breast Cancer.

 

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Our calculations were a little bit off when figuring how long it would take to drive from Artesia to Carlsbad Caverns.  Instead of 30 minutes it took us a whopping 1 hour and 20 minutes.  The 10:30 tour we signed up for months ago was long gone, but the ranger was able to move us to a Noon time slot. (A lesson in staying closer to, or in National Parks.)

The ride from Artesia is interesting only in that it is so very flat and to our eyes, ugly.  Most vehicles on the road were fast moving pick-up trucks.  On the border with Texas you can see oil derricks littering the desert with some low set mountains in the distance.  The desert we had traveled through is called Chihuahua and the mountains the Guadalupe’s.  The mountains are apparently filled with caves and caverns. 

By the way, there is a difference between a cave and a cavern.  A cave is simply any cavity in the ground that is large enough that some part of it doesn’t receive direct sunlight.  A cavern on the other hand is a specific type of cave.  Inside a cavern one finds naturally formed insoluble rock with the capability of growing speleothems, which are formations such as stalagmites (rock formations from ground up) and stalactites (rock formations from ceiling down).

The tour we signed up for was called Kings Palace and lasted about 1-1/2 hours.  We then took the self-guiding tour through other areas of the caverns that took us about 2 hours.  The caverns were absolutely incredible.  The Big Room was 14 football fields long and large enough to fit the US Capitol building inside it two times.  Carlsbad Caverns had the usual stalagmites, stalactites, cave pearls, soda straws, popcorn, drapery formations, columns, etc., but many of them were gigantic.  Walking inside the Caverns felt as if we were walking in some alien landscape.  Dan and I have seen a lot of caves/caverns over the years, but we’ve never seen anything like this before.  This is by far the most spectacular cavern we have ever seen. The Cavern temperatures were a pleasant 56 degrees vs a blasting hot 102 plus degrees outside.

We’ve tended to arrive at most of our destinations not knowing all that much about them despite the fact we’ve purchased numerous books and googled almost everything at least once.  We had no idea that one major activity at Carlsbad was to wait until dusk to watch the Brazilian Free-tailed bats leave their bat cave. They migrate up from Mexico and South America and spend summers in New Mexico.   At least 7 species of bats roost at Carlsbad, but only the Brazilian Free-tailed bats leave at the same time every evening to feed, mostly on moths.  We ended up spending several hours hanging around the visitor center until the bat program began at 7:45 PM.  (The air conditioning had broken down in the cafeteria area and gift shop; so, we just sat around in other parts of the building; museum, book shop and theater. For dinner we split a dry turkey sandwich, all that was left in the cafeteria before it too closed due to lack of air conditioning.)  It was far too hot for us to take any of the nature hikes, and we didn’t feel like taking any driving tours of the area.  We are spoiled and knew we had already seen much more beautiful areas.  So, we just sat and relaxed. 

Of course, the ranger told us about the importance of bats for pollination and insect control, and how their numbers are threatened due to insecticides, loss of habitat, etc.  The number of bats flying from the cave was impressive, but sadly nothing like the swarms shown in photos.  Unfortunately, we were not allowed to use any electronic devices because it would frighten off the bats, so we have no pictures.  After about 45 minutes or so we left and made our back to Artesia traveling at 70 mph plus in the pitch dark, which was rather scary.

For the record, if you ever visit Carlsbad Caverns, and we recommend that you do, stay in Carlsbad.  It is an easy 30-minute ride to the Caverns from there. Just like everywhere else we traveled the tours sell out a year in advance in many cases, so book early if you can.  Tomorrow we are off to Pecos, Texas for a rodeo.

 

 

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Santa Fe was hard to leave.  It could be because in my mind all of our future stopping points are one step closer to returning home, or because it is such a lovely place.  Before hitting the road, we spent two hours or so at the Museum of International Folk Art.  The Museum’s exhibits were unique and quite wonderful. One room featured “Tramp” art which was carved and layered wood made into objects such as jewelry boxes and picture frames.  One picture frame contained peach pits that had been carved into delicate patterns.  The art form didn’t have much to do with tramps except that many of the pieces exhibited had been created during the Great Depression and were made out of cigar boxes. Another exhibit presented bead work from all over the world. The largest exhibit contained thousands of pieces of hand crafted items many of which were placed in intricate dioramas. It was an amazing place. We both felt that we would want to visit this museum again. Even the gift shop was fascinating, offering a unique assortment of items from all over the world.  Before leaving we also enjoyed some gazpacho soup at a cafe on the museum grounds.  In the same complex there was also a Native American Arts museum, and botanical gardens.

Heading South toward Carlsbad, NM the land was relatively flat, dry, and scrubby. We stopped for a break at Clines Corners which turned out to be on Route 66 and was filled to the brim with stuff including Minnetonka Moccasins, fudge, fancy knives with inlaid handles, route 66 souvenirs and jewelry. Prices were reasonable so we did a little shopping, filled up with gas and continued on our way.  Route 66 shops are great for tourists; they are the original “Stop and Shop” shops.

Because we had spent so much time at the Museum, we almost missed one of our prime objectives–reaching Roswell before the International UFO Museum and Research Center closed. In all honesty, we were more interested in getting to the gift store on time. Roswell is renowned as being the site of an alleged UFO crash in 1947 that is believed by many to have been covered up by the U.S. Government.  We arrived fifteen minutes before closing, and the man at the admission booth was kind enough to let us in for free.  We raced around trying to take it all in, but much of the information was in the form of lengthy written accounts that we simply didn’t have time to read. I’m happy to report that Dan, who often tells people he is from the Andromeda Galaxy, planet Edo, (both of which do exist, you can look them up) was able to connect with his alien relatives and arrived at the gift store in the knick of time. Mission accomplished.  (This does explain a lot.)

It was surprising to us that Roswell did not appear to be taking full advantage of its alien history.  Very few signs or businesses featured little green men.

Artesia, New Mexico is an oil town located about 30 miles from Carlsbad and is where we are staying for 2 nights. In fact, the air is pungent with the smell of oil.  Just past the downtown area is an oil derrick in full operation.  The town also featured some huge cowboy and oil drilling-oriented statues.  We’ve noticed that there is an abundance of statuary throughout the West, most of which is oversized.   Using YELP, we found a good restaurant called The Adobe Rose Restaurant.  A nice guy and his wife we met while waiting for a table told us it was the best place in town.  He seemed to be some local government official. We both got salads which were quite good.

Tomorrow we plan to visit Carlsbad Caverns.

June 24, 2018 and June 25, 2018 

Sunday, June 24, 2018

As much as I wanted to spend the day with my cousins, I also wanted to see two Albuquerque friends.  I met Molly Bell and Denise Cabrera about 25 years ago.  Rio Grande Display and Packaging was Beachwood Packaging’s largest account with us selling them truckloads of boxes throughout the year.    Molly Bell’s family owned Rio Grande until they sold the business to Berkshire Hathaway a few years ago and Molly is still a key player at the Company.  Denise Cabrera is one of their key buyers and someone I had worked with for many years.  Being so close to their home turf, I wanted to see them both if at all possible.

Molly, Denise and Molly’s husband Charles picked Dan and I up at our hotel.  We had transferred out of the condo into a Best Western Plus hotel since we were unable to extend our stay at the condo.  With Charles at the wheel, we headed out to Bandelier National Monument located 48 miles from Santa Fe near Los Alamos.   Molly had picked up a delicious picnic lunch which we all enjoyed upon reaching the park.  You have to take a shuttle offered by Atomic City Transit into the Park. We thought that the buses must have been fueled by nuclear power since the drivers drove way too fast along a twisting narrow road.

Bandelier is an archeological site and the ancestral home of the Cochiti, San Felipe, Santo Domingo, Sal Ildefonso, Santa Clara and Zuni.  The Park itself is large consisting of 50 square miles of rugged canyon and mesa country.  Remnants of Pueblo and cliff dwellings are all that remains of a community that was home to about 2,000 people, 7 to 8 hundred years ago.    We followed a 1.2-mile path that took us past ruins of a huge kiva and the town center.  We were also able to climb ladders into some of the cave rooms the residents had carved out of the soft rock face of a mesa wall.  The valley was very fertile and numerous crops were grown, i.e. varieties of corn, squash, beans, and tobacco.  Ultimately the soil could no longer support their farming and the people moved on.  It is interesting to note that the Pueblo people are some of the very few Native Americans that did not lose their homes to the Spanish or the U.S. government.

Note:  We had always known about the terrible treatment Native Americans have received from the white man.  This trip only reinforced that understanding in the many places that we have recently visited and as I’m sure you all know; the problems for Native Americans have not gone away.    The only positive note is that the museums we visited don’t hide how poorly Native Americans have been treated in this country.

After spending several hours exploring the Park and taking part in a ranger tour, we headed back to Santa Fe.  We made a stop at a charming little restaurant along the way and enjoyed some delicious guacamole and very powerful margaritas.  Luckily Charles had ice tea and was our designated driver.

Dan and I had a wonderful day and really appreciated Molly, Denise and Charles spending their Sunday with us.  Staying in touch with old friends is one of life’s pleasures.

 

Monday, June 25, 2018

We got to spend today on our own.  We tried reconnecting with my cousins, but it just wasn’t meant to happen.  After breakfast we headed into Santa Fe with the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum being our first stop.  It isn’t a large museum, but it basically follows O’Keeffe’s artistic development throughout her life.  There was also a short film which featured an interview with O’Keeffe when she was in her 90’s.  Her strength of character was clear and it wasn’t hard to see that it would take someone like her to become a groundbreaker in the use of “abstraction” in her art.  To me her paintings were able to communicate the beauty of the natural world to the viewer whether she was depicting scenes from her apartment window in New York City or from her home in New Mexico.  Her use of color and the magnification of nature makes her work not only come alive; but creates a feeling of a greater reality.

One of the many people we met along the way had said he had really enjoyed an exhibit about the development of the atomic bomb at the New Mexico History Museum.  The regular exhibits themselves were interesting because the history of New Mexico was rife with conflict i.e. Spanish conquistadors, Spanish American War, the Civil War, Indian Wars, etc.  We hurried through that part of the museum, because with only one day to spend in Santa Fe we didn’t want to spend it all in museums.  The exhibit regarding the development of the atomic bomb , the Manhattan Project, was interesting because it incorporated personal stories of people who were part of the program from the scientists themselves to the locals who provided them with housing and entertainment.

It was time to head to Canyon Road, the heart of Santa Fe’s art galleries.  Dan wasn’t too interested at first, but he learned it was a fun place to wander around.  Flowers and sculptures are everywhere, and the doors to all of the galleries are open and inviting.  We saw some beautiful things, and some not so beautiful things, but it was an enjoyable experience.  One exhibit in particular caught Dan’s attention.  Wiford Gallery sold the kinetic works of Lyman Whitaker. Witaker is a renowned sculpture credited for “capturing the spirit of the wind through his kinetic art.”  If you have seen those sculptures that turn in the wind at craft fairs, they are based on Whitaker’s designs.  Tucked behind other buildings we were WOWED by the large number of beautiful sculptures turning in the wind, along with some lovely water sculptures.  It was if the air all around us was alive.

We stopped for a cold drink at a cute little place and relaxed a bit before moving on. Santa Fe is full of shops that specialize in Native American art including pottery, weaving, and jewelry.    I noticed a little pottery shop right next door, “Pottery of the Southwest” which had some absolutely beautiful pieces.  I have a small collection of Native American pottery and ended up buying a small piece along with some turquoise earrings.   It’s hard not to buy something when in Santa Fe.

Buying those earrings started a bad precedent, I wanted more.  Molly had told me of a fine jeweler called “Ortega’s on the Plaza”.  They are one of countless places selling jewelry, but I felt comfortable purchasing there with Molly’s recommendation.  The selection of jewelry was amazing, but I managed to find an interesting bracelet that I purchased under the guise that our anniversary is coming up next month.

Our last stop for the evening was dinner at the Coyote Café.  It was on a rooftop and offered Southwestern style food.  I would have been happy splitting 3 fish tacos with Dan, but for some reason he ordered fancy nachos.  I don’t remember the last time we ordered that “healthy” dish, but it was huge.  We made it through the tacos, but the nachos looked about the same when they took the plate away as they did when they arrived at our table.  Good thing we had to walk back to the car before heading back to the hotel.  Tomorrow we are off to Roswell and Carlsbad.

June 22, 2018 and June 23, 2018

 Friday, June 22, 2018

We had breakfast with Jessica and the kids on our balcony and Jessica then headed to Las Vegas to spend quality time with Grandma Joannie.  It was sad saying goodbye, but we will see them in Cleveland in a few weeks.  We are having a party for Jonathan and Dana on August 5^th, and Jessica and the children will be coming in for the event.  As for us, we had a full day of driving to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  In fact, it was the longest drive time we’ve had clocking in at about 9 hours.

Our visit to Santa Fe was primarily focused on a surprise birthday party for my cousin Tracy.  Now that the event is successfully concluded, I can write how I had to deceive my cousin.  Originally, we were going to see Tracy and her husband Bruce at their home in Durango, Colorado on June 24.    Shortly after hearing from Tracy approving our timing, I received a call from Bruce saying he was planning a birthday party for Tracy in Santa Fe and asked that I tactfully change my visit time.  He invited us to the party and said it would really be special if we showed up at their Santa Fe condo the same time as Tracy’s sister Jodi and brother-in-law, Dave.  They were flying in from Cleveland.

So, I told my cousin we couldn’t be in Durango until June 26^th.    I then coordinated meeting with Jodi and Dave so we could knock on Tracy’s door jointly.  Bruce thought this would be enough of a surprise for Tracy that she wouldn’t suspect that another surprise was coming her way on Saturday night.  When we knocked on their door Tracy couldn’t believe her eyes.  She is extremely close to her sister, and Jodi and Dave’s appearance (as well as ours) clearly made her very happy.  She didn’t have a clue on the surprise visit.  We also met Tracy and Bruce’s supper sweet puppy, Walter.

Tracy and Bruce’s condo is adorable, beautifully decorated and very cozy.  It is located on the edge of a park called Fort Marcy on top of hill overlooking the main square of Santa Fe.  It was quite a walk down (and then up) the hill, but it was doable.  Bruce treated us all to a Mexican dinner at The Shed.  He had also arranged for Jodi, Dave, Dan and myself to stay at a condo in their complex.  It was a lot of fun being roommates with them.  The condo was lovely and very comfortable.  I think we all slept well that night.

 

Saturday, June 23, 2018

So far, so good.  Tracy did not suspect a thing.  She was so surprised at our appearance at her door that she really was not anticipating any other surprises.  However, Bruce had to keep her out of town so she wouldn’t see any of their 25 friends who were driving in from Durango for the party that evening.  As a result, we left early in the morning for a hike at Pecos National Historic Park. We first stopped at Trader Joe’s for picnic and breakfast food and drinks.

Pecos Pueblo was located on a trade route between the people of the Rio Grande Valley to the West and the Plains Indians to the East.  It grew into one of the largest and most powerful pueblos and was home to some 2,000 people.  Starting in 1541 Spain was determined to colonize the land, convert the tribes to Catholicism, and destroy the Pueblo culture.  In 1680 several of the pueblos united and actually succeeded in driving the Spanish out, but in 1692 the Spanish returned.  This time, however, they were not quite as oppressive as in the past.  The site we were visiting had the ruins of the pueblo village, as well as the churches built by the Spanish.  Lots of history took place in this area including a Civil War battle.

Even with our early start, it was very hot outside, we had a quick picnic and then headed back to our condos.  While the others napped, relaxed or read, Dan and I did a laundry.  Not too sexy an activity, but a much needed one.

At 4:00 pm we re-grouped.  Again, we walked down the hill into town and had drinks on the rooftop of the Drury Hotel.  It was then time to head to the restaurant, Sazon.  When we entered, the Chef Fernando Olea greeted us and directed us to a table for six.  He then offered to do something better and led us to a backroom where Tracy was greeted by 25 of her closest friends cheering SURPRISE!!!  It was an extremely touching moment.  She was totally surprised , happy and seemed to be just amazed at the moment.

Dinner was fantastic.  The chef gave everyone a blessing by pouring a bit of mescal on the floor (in the shape of a cross) and led us in a toast for health and happiness with Silver Mescal.  He also wished us, bon appetite.  We enjoyed appetizers (that included yellowfin tuna tartar, avocado, cucumber and spicy Tacuba sauce); soup (cream of poblano soup with lump blue crab, amaretto foam and dusted with chocolate); salad; an entre choice of beef tenderloin with Mole Poblano, sea bass or vegetarian dish; and dessert of Guanabana and Mamey ice cream with Silver Mezcal.  If you ask me what Tacuba sauce is or what is Guanabana and Mamey ice cream, I have no idea.  I would have to google it.  What I can say was that everything was delicious.  In addition, the service was impeccable and something Dan and I had never experienced.  More than 8 servers hovered over us placing dishes and removing them in unison.  It was a WOW evening on all levels.

 

June 17-21

Sunday, June 17, 2018

No internet is a blessing of sorts. It gives us the excuse of not blogging, but on the other hand if the purpose is to journal our trip—not so good. Now is catch up time.

On Father’s Day we had a lovely brunch at The Old Place. Joey’s uncle Ronnie joined us with his girlfriend, Michelle. She is a very nice woman who has ties to Cleveland through her step children. We filled up on gourmet pancakes, cinnamon rolls, and omelets. Joey isn’t able to join us because he is still recuperating from back surgery and has work obligations, so we dropped him home first then left for Las Vegas.  Dan drove our car, and I accompanied Jessica and the kids.

The ride was uneventful with lots of potty breaks. The most interesting stopping point was in Baker, CA. The town considers itself the “Gateway to Death Valley,” and has the world’s tallest thermometer.  It showed a toasty 97 degrees that day.  Baker is also home to a gas station/gift store called Alien Fresh Jerky.  It had an extensive offering of jerky of every type, moose, deer, beef, turkey, etc.  More importantly it had aliens as a theme.  We liked that much better than the jerky, which none of us were interested in purchasing.  It was amazing how long the checkout line was to purchase that stuff, but the bathrooms were just fine and the alien theme provided a fun diversion.

Immediately upon arriving at our Las Vegas hotel, the Sunset Station, we saw Jessica’s mother-in-law Joannie Malah along with her husband Dave. It’s always nice seeing them, and we enjoyed dinner together.

Monday, June 18 2018

The next morning day we had a huge breakfast buffet at the hotel with Joannie and headed to the south rim of the Grand Canyon.  It was amazing in that as soon as we arrived at the Maswick Lodge, so did Jonathan and Dana.  They had spent a few days earlier hiking at Antelope and Glenn Canyons.  I knew that the Lodge rooms would be nothing to write home about in that they were not air conditioned and the entire complex was going to be torn down and replaced in November.  We actually had stopped at a Walmart and purchased a few small fans, but it turns out they were unnecessary.  Each room had two powerful fans blowing.  While basic, the rooms were comfortable, with the exception of the last night when the temperature during the day hit the high 90’s.

After checking in, our first stop was the visitor center to sign the kids up for the Junior Ranger program and to get help as to what we should do over the next few days. We also got our first look at the canyon.  Mickey was really cute when he yelled out, “It’s huge!” It was too late to explore much that first evening, but I had made dinner reservations at El Tovar for 7:30 PM.  Our dinner was very good and enjoyable.

 

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

We grabbed breakfast at the Maswick Lodge cafeteria.  (The food at the national parks tends to be rather mediocre and pricey.)  Our first activity was a 9 AM fossil hunt led by a park ranger.  After a short hike along the canyon rim the ranger led us to an area filled with fossils from an ancient sea.  She provided all of the kids with a checkoff list of fossils to look for and it was amazing how serious all of them took their assignment.  One interesting point we learned was that no dinosaur bones or fossils have been found at the Grand Canyon, because all of the rocks you see are much older than when dinosaurs wandered the earth.

We then took a hike down Bright Angel Trail.  The idea was to hike about ½ mile down before it got too hot outside, but we were already too late.  The further you walk into the Canyon, the hotter it gets.  Bria wasn’t worried about falling into the Canyon and was our trail leader, but Mickey was very nervous. After a bit, he and Dan went back up while the rest of us trucked on for a while keeping in mind that what goes down must go back up. On our way back, someone pointed out some petroglyphs we had missed earlier.
None of us held up that well in the heat, so after our hike we intended to head back to our toasty rooms and relax and figure out our next plan of action.  That didn’t happen so quickly.  We ended up having ice cream followed by lunch at the snack shop at Bright Angel Lodge.  We also bumped into the Campbell family who were camping for a few days.  Two of their children go to school with Bria and Mickey and the kids were excited to see each other.  We also paid a visit to several of the gift shops that surrounded us.

When we finally reached our rooms, Dan played with the kids while the rest of us went shopping at the Park’s General Store.  We picked up sandwich stuff for dinner, peanut butter and jelly and bread for a picnic lunch the next day, and milk, yogurt, fruit and cereal for breakfasts. In addition, we purchased a wide assortment of drinks.  One thing you do out West is drink a lot because it is so hot and dry.

On the balcony near both Jonathan and Jessica’s rooms were several chairs. Because there was always a breeze it was quite comfortable outside as long as you were in the shade.  This is where we ate several of our meals and enjoyed two relaxing evenings sipping wine and talking while the kiddles were sleeping.

That evening, however, the kids stayed up late and we took one of the shuttle buses up to Hermit’s Rest to watch the sunset.  We all got a kick out of the bus driver who announced at each stop how that particular view was the best place to watch the sunset.  Each advancing stop got higher rave reviews from the driver, but at the end of the line, our stop, he admitted that there were no bad places to watch the sunset.  He also made an offhand comment saying anyone looking directly into the sun would be staring into oblivion.  Maybe you had to be there to find this funny, but the guy was hysterical without meaning to be funny.  The sunset was awesome.  While there were lots of people surrounding us, it was almost a religious experience.  Everyone was quiet simply taking in the beauty.

After sunset we waited in line for a shuttle bus to take us back to Maswick Lodge.  For some unknown reason, the driver closed the door right after Jonathan got on despite the fact that there was still plenty of room.  Dana and I were going to be left behind.  Instead of telling the driver to open up the door to let us in, Jonathan gave us a big smile and waved goodbye. The driver did open the door again.  For some reason we all found this to be very funny and laughed all the way back.  In retrospect I have no idea why but we were all laughing like crazy people, but we couldn’t stop until we got off the bus.  I’m not sure what the other riders must have thought. (NOTE: We seemed to break out every night into streams of laughter.)

 

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

 

After having a quick breakfast on our balcony, we headed off for an early morning hike.  Fortunately, we all fit into Jessica’s ‘Pacifica’ minivan.  One of the rangers had told Jessica and Dana of a “secret” trail that was suitable for children that led to a beautiful view of the Canyon.  It was a nice easy walk through pine woods that opened up to the Canyon.  There is no bad view of the Grand Canyon, but this one was a little special because you could get up close and personal to a “balancing rock.”    An added bonus, was that the area offered bathrooms.

We all jumped into the van and headed toward Desert View and Watchtower, where we enjoyed our peanut butter and jelly picnic.  It was then time to check out The Watchtower that was designed by architect Mary Colter in the “Ancient Puebloan style.”  The Tower as built in 1932 and rises 70 feet above the Canyon rim.  We all climbed to the top of the tower where the view of the Canyon, The Colorado River, the San Francisco Mountains, and the Painted Desert was spectacular.  Inside the tower it was interesting as well, with painted murals and re-creations of Native American petroglyphs.

On our way back to the Maswick Lodge we made several stops along the way. At Tusayan Museum and Ruin there were ruins and artifacts from early Puebloan people.  Another interesting stop was at Yavapai Point and Geology Museum.   The museum offered exhibits that described the geological history of the Canyon and had a small but interesting gift shop.  It also offered another vantage point of the Canyon.  We then had dinner at the Maswick Lodge cafeteria and headed to the Canyon rim to view another fantastic sunset.  Then off to bed with the children and wine, conversation and nighty laughter time for the adults.

 

Thursday, June 21, 2018

 

Dana and Jonathan had to head back to Phoenix today so we picked an activity outside the park.  After breakfast we headed to Bearizona, about 2 hours away including construction tie-ups in the Park.  Bearizona is kind of a combination zoo and drive through wildlife park.  Driving through you see bears, reindeer, bison (brown and white), wolves, and other North American animals.  At the zoo, there was a beautiful jaguar, porcupines, racoons, fox, beavers, otters (that the kids threw fish to), etc. Everyone seemed to enjoy the place.

Jonathan then found a very nice place for lunch called Kicks on Route 66.  It was the best meal we’ve had since eating at El Tovar.  After lunch, however, we had to say our goodbyes to Jonathan and Dana.  The rest of us headed into the town of Williams.  There is a well-known train ride you can take from Williams to the Grand Canyon and a re-enactment of a gun showdown in the evenings, but we did neither of these things.  We just visited a few interesting shops including a Western wear store where Jessica purchased a pair of “fancy” jeans and the kids tried on a million cowboy hats.  We also visited a few more typical Route 66 style stores.   We treated the kids to ice cream before heading back.  Dinner was leftover picnic goodies on the balcony. Continue reading “Grand Canyon” →

Saturday, June 16, 2018                                       .

Just wanted to sneak in a quick blog tonight.  Dan and I are enjoying every moment we are spending at the Meyer household.  We are catching up on our sleep, as well as our laundry.  We are also eating better than we have in weeks and are getting plenty of exercise playing with Bria and Mickey.

Last night we enjoyed Shabbat services with Jessica and Joey’s congregation Or Ami.  It was just slightly different than our typical service since it was a picnic ON THE BEACH!!!   It was very musical, with much of the music having been written and performed by their Cantor, Doug Cotler.  Cantor Cotler and Rabbi Kipnis both knew our clergy from Fairmount Temple very well.  In fact, Rabbi Kipnis had just texted with our own Rabbi Nosenchuk.

Next stop will be the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

We spent the night in Kingman, AZ at our hotel of choice for this trip, Best Western.  It was an exhausting day of driving, but we accomplished one of our trip goals and that was to reach our daughter and her family’s home in Agoura Hills, CA.

Before we arrived in California, Dan and I both had sights we wanted to see before getting on the highway.  I wanted to visit the Route 66 museum in Kingman, which we did.  It wasn’t as good as it could have been given the topic, but it did give us an appreciation of what it must have been like to travel the road back in the time of the Great Depression. Terrible!  The museum also had a small exhibit of electric cars going back to the 1920’s.

It was at this point we made a mistake.  I told Dan I wanted to stop in Oatman, AZ, a town on Route 66 known for having burros wandering the streets.  Little did Dan or I know that the road to Oatman went through the mountains and was one of the most twisting and turning roads we had been on.  The 28 miles didn’t take a half hour as expected, but closer to 2 hours, including the time it took to get back on Route 40.

In all honesty, it wasn’t worth the time traveling to Oatman.  While the burros did walk the streets, it was basically a tourist trap full of souvenirs shops and a smattering of antique stores thrown in.  Since we weren’t in the mood for shopping, we essentially drove through town and left.

The next stop was on Dan’s wish list.  When he studied at the University of Manchester he walked across the London Bridge in London, and he wanted to see it in its new location.  The bridge had been completed in 1831 but had not been designed to withstand today’s automotive traffic, and as a result had begun to sink.  It went up for sale in 1967.  In 1968. Lake Havasu City founder and entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch placed the winning bid of $2,460,000 (not including dismantling, shipping or rebuilding).  The bridge was taken apart stone by stone and shipped through the Panama Canal.  In October 1971 the bridge was opened in Lake Havasu City.  It crosses a man made river and cars drive over it – of course one of those cars was ours. (Dan thinks that they thought that they were getting Tower Bridge, rather than London Bridge.)

Now we were finally on our way to Los Angeles. Since we were arriving at rush hour, which based on my observations is almost all day long, we took a longer route around the city. That strategy seemed to work for us as traffic was relatively light.  We arrived at about 7:00 PM for our first home cooked meal in three weeks.  Jessica made chicken piccata which was delicious.

We then spent a pleasant evening with Jessica, Joey, Bria and Mickey.  Bria performed one of her own choreographed dance routines and Mickey showed us his thriving vegetable garden.

Note:  Because we are visiting family for the rest of this week, we will be taking a blog vacation.  All of us head to the Grand Canyon and other nearby sites for a week or so.  We aren’t certain if we will have internet connections at the park and elsewhere, so it may be some time before we get back in touch, so don’t worry.  We’ll be back.

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Today was a long drive, so after a quick breakfast we headed out to Kingman, Arizona.  The transition of the landscape was very interesting.  At first, we were driving along the flat plain and red rocky mesas that we had seen from the North Rim yesterday.   One area we passed had odd boulders, several of which were turned into homelike structures.   Much of this land belongs to the Navajo Nation and there were quite a few places one could stop to purchase jewelry, pottery, etc.  At the point where we crossed the Colorado River there was a place to pull off the highway and walk across a pedestrian bridge spanning the river.  Most of the ride was across flat desert with miles of straight highways, and temperatures reaching into the 100’s F.

We picked up Route 66 starting from Flagstaff, Arizona. To break up the monotony of the drive we stopped in Seligman, AZ.  Route 66 was created in 1926 and is a 2,448-mile-long road that runs from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California.   Route 66 has been called the “Mother Road” and the “Main Street of America”.  There was even a TV show called ‘Route 66’ from 1960 through 1964, but we are dating ourselves.  We had lunch at a place called Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In that has been serving food since 1953.  It is known for playing practical jokes on its customers.  When I ordered our turkey burgers they squirted fake ketchup on me, which I’m embarrassed to admit caught me off guard, twice.  Then when I ordered a small drink they gave it to me in a miniature plastic cup.  The place was filled with quirky signs and junk, and the door you entered to place your order had two doorknobs.  Even the bathroom had its unique charm.  The place also appeared to be popular with the motorcycle crowd, including one group of French bikers.

We then took a quick walk down the hot and windy street and visited a few of the Route 66 shops.  Dan had purchased a colorful t-shirt from the Snow Cap, and I picked up my own Route 66 t-shirt.  Now we are comfortably settled in our Best Western hotel for the night. Tomorrow we are off to Jessica, Joey, Bria and Mickey’s home in Agoura Hills, CA.  We plan to make a stop to see London Bridge along the way.