MoDayTrips

The return trip from Little Rock

2012-01-29T14:32:00.002-06:00

I returned from the conference on Friday, 1/27. On the return, I confirmed that it was Goat Gap, not Goat Cap. Another interesting sign was the Hound Dawg Holler Flea Market north of Clinton, AR.

Little Rock's River Market area has some attractions, but is mostly bar/restaurants of all types. Just to the west of it is the Old State Capitol museum; to the east is the President Clinton library. I did take a short tour of the Library at a Wednesday evening function; it's mostly an exaltation of his presidency, which I guess one should expect. I couldn't believe the extravagance of the gifts from foreign potentates (these belong to the US, not to any president). Guess I'll have to go back to the Truman Library for a comparison.

The return trip was 337 miles, 36 on Thursday and 301 from Conway to home. Best gas prices I saw in Arkansas were at Clinton, about $3.19 (in Warrensburg, it was $2.99; many AR places were $3.39). Smith's Restaurant in Collins still has great food - but bring cash.

Little Rock, 1-22-11

2012-01-22T19:13:00.004-06:00

Here I am in Little Rock for an Innkeepers Convention. The trip down took 6:20 for 332 miles, including a 30 minute lunch at the Dixie Cafe in Harrison. Now, I'm on the 11th floor of the Peabody Hotel overlooking the old (& the current) state capitol bldgs, illuminated by occasional lightning. Yes, the Peabody has ducks - 1 mallard drake & 4 hens today.

Watchword of the trip is FOG. Definitely thick, too thick to drive at the speed everyone was driving. Temp in the foggy areas was generally 37-38; much colder and it would have been ice fog. Whew. Since Sandra wasn't with me, I had to watch for signs on my own: The Goat Cap (or was it Goat Gap) cafe is closed in Pindall AR. The Bluegrass Cafe (I didn't catch the town) has Bear Wiz on tap. The Lost Cherokee Nation HQ is north of Clinton, AR.

Now, to read thru what's going on the next few days & pick my workshops!

Northwest trip, Day 18

2011-07-22T18:56:00.004-05:00

Dateline HOME. Yep, we're home. No pictures or adventures today. Piles of mail, do the accounting, pay the bills, start going thru the emails I didn't delete while on the road. Oh, and pick up the cats from the vet's - boy, were they ready to come home! Scruffy is having problems, so if he's not up in the AM we call the vet as an emergency.

236.3 miles on the day, 5479.5 for the trip, averaged 20.3 mpg in the Buick Rainier SUV. Already planning another trip next Spring, maybe hit Gathering of Nations Pow Wow in Albuquerque, stop at Chaco Canyon for our 35th Anniversary, and attend the Libertarian National Convention in Las Vegas. Can you tell we like to travel?

Northwest trip, day 17

2011-07-21T19:43:00.003-05:00

Dateline Abilene KS: Today was mostly travel. We left at 6:45 AM MDT and headed east on CO-94, watching the rear view mirror to see how long we could still make out an outline of Pike's Peak - said goodbye about 80 miles out, which makes it well over 100 from the mountain. By Firstview, we were already 50 miles across the prairie from our last view. Took a little break at a nicely-done city park in Cheyenne Wells, and went on to Oakley.

Oakley's main attraction (other than a huge Buffalo Bill statue) is the Fick Museum. This museum has fossils, mostly of fish & mososaurs from back when Kansas was a sea of water rather than grass. Also paintings done by Mrs. Fick, many using the fossils she walked the prairie to pick up. These included millions of shark teeth (the shark picture is made up of teeth!). One of the eagles and the painting are done with shells, and the other eagle with rattlesnake rattles. Sandra escaped the wild(?) buffalo threatening her in the museum.

Ended up in Abilene at 104 F, where we found a great old restaurant where the original proprietor paddled Ike on his birthday. They were having a Third Thursday event downtown, and we drove around the Eisenhower library. We'll miss the carousel, but maybe another trip.

Today: 433 miles, 5243.2 for the trip. Tomorrow we head home!

Northwest trip, day 16

2011-07-20T20:47:00.004-05:00

Dateline Colorado Springs - Today definitely had a high point - 12,095 feet at Independence Pass, and I'm still short of breath from that altitude. We got there after climbing a narrow winding road out of Aspen. We got to Aspen by sitting in a long traffic jam, which will keep me from ever going to Aspen again. We took a lot of mountain pictures, to make up for the ones we didn't get on Going to the Sun Road at Glacier NP. Went through the aspen trees, the tall evergreens, past the ghost town, the short evergreens and finally the tundra above the timber line.

Came down the other side into areas that Bill knew from his time at the Academy, except he didn't recognize anything since it changed a lot from 1965! Ate at a semi-green diner in Buena Vista (pronounced byou-na vista around there), where they actually had a short-order fry cook. Also original art for sale on the wall.

Had to go out to USAFA, since I hadn't visited my alma mater since 1974. It's changed, too. There is an alumni center where nothing was going on and a fancy visitor center. New facilities on the cadet side, too, including athletic buildings. Didn't stay long, since it was raining.

Checked in at the HIE Airport, and went to a Mexican restaurant - saw a beautiful double rainbow en route, and of course the cameras were in the room.

For the day 330 or so miles, 4800+ for the trip. Tomorrow it's boogie across the prairie on back roads to Oakley, KS, thence to Abilene KS for the night.

Northwest trip, day 15

2011-07-19T21:18:00.004-05:00

Dateline Grand Junction, CO: Whew, we did some traveling today, all the way from Elko. LOTS of traffic, especially in construction on I-15 south of Salt Lake City and again on US-6 between Price & Green River UT. We did have some scenery to shoot, including the Bonneville Salt Flats (you know, where the land speed records are set), the Green River at Green River (duh!) and lots of shots out the window of cliffs and rain.

Sandra was a-mazed by the collection of large casino hotels in the middle of the desert at West Wendover, NV, right across the state line from Utah. Apparently Utah does harbor a good supply of gamblers, no matter what the LDS says. She also found the 24' slice of watermelon at Green River to be tasty. "High" point of the day was a 7600+ foot pass, but all the land is high around here.

Today's miles: 510.8, total for trip 4477.8 (looks like we'll go well over 5000 miles). Tomorrow is Glenwood Springs, Aspen, Independence Pass (12,065 ft), Buena Vista and on to Colorado Springs. Hope to see the USAF Academy for the first time since May '74.

Northwest trip, day 14

2011-07-18T22:24:00.003-05:00

Dateline Elko, NV: A routine day turned into a real adventure. It started out well enough, leaving Klamath Falls at 7:07 AM and making good time thru mountains and forests and deserts. We were happy to get to Nevada, with a reasonable speed limit (70 vs 55) and without that stupid Oregon law requiring the station to pump ones' gas (honest, no pump-your-own, and boy, do you pay for that service!). We had long runs without seeing a shred of settlement, other than scattered ranches in the distance. Virtually all volcanic landscapes, basin and range country. The most exciting climb was up the side of a sheer cliff, which is used as a hang glider launching point. Got to Winnemucca in time for lunch (Sandra said "Now 'I've been everywhere' and I didn't even get dusty").

It was 30 miles out of Elko that the adventure hit. I noticed a bit of shimmy in the car, and found the right rear tire was way down. I aired it up at a rest area using the in-car pump, and proceeded on. Heard a thump - oops, now I had a flat! Started getting out the spare & as I was looking for the jack point, a couple of Highway patrolmen stopped and changed it for us. I would have gotten it done, but it would have taken a LOT longer. On to Elko, dropped off the tire's remains at Wal-Mart, and $170 later was as good as new (I think).

All checked in, we went to the recommended Mexican restaurant, Sergio's, for supper. Ahead of us in line - those same two highway patrolmen! So we joined htem for dinner.

For the day, 444.8 miles, trip to date 3966.7. Tomorrow it's boogie thru Nevada and Utah to Grand Junction, with fingers crossed.

Northwest trip, day 13

2011-07-17T20:18:00.003-05:00

Dateline Klamath Falls, OR: Today was Crater Lake. We entered from the north side and found that much of the east rim road was closed - too much snow. We got good looks from the overlooks from north, west and southwest. We did one silly thing - we wore shorts! It was not nearly as crowded as other parks we've been to this trip.

This morning we left about 6:20, and drove through bare lava-flow mountains (well, not quite bare, but all their corner posts were wrapped rock piles. After the park, we had lunch at a very good small Mexican restaurant (El Rodeo) just south of the OR-62/US-97 junction. We're in the HIE in Klamath Falls.

Today we drove 270.5 miles, a bit over 8 hours on the road. To date 3522.1 miles.

Tomorrow: Travel day, 430 miles via Lakeview, Winnemucca to Elko NV.

Northwest trip, day 12

2011-07-17T17:29:00.002-05:00

Dateline Maupin, OR (OK, it's a bit late - couldn't get on last night): This was Mt Rainier day - that's said rain-i-er, as we never did see the mountain due to rain & fog. So, no fancy pictures of a shining mountain, but lots of pictures of lesser mountains wreathed in clouds, plus some where we're looking down on the clouds. Yes, it was cold.

We left early and headed up a canyon toward the mountain, lots of switchbacks and very rugged terrain. Our first stop was the Sunrise visitor center - which wasn't open yet, and all the trails were deep in snow. So, we went on down to the rain forest visitor center, where we had a "small world" moment - a CMSU grad saw Bill's Ag Dept jacket, turns out he lives in Vancouver and was Dr. Emerson's disciple in Geology. Next we headed for Paradise - another snow covered visitor center, packed with people in ski garb. They had 900" there this year, that's 75 feet!

Left there and headed back toward Yakima, stopping for lunch and at a fruit stand for a pound of fresh-picked cherries which Sandra immediately scarfed down. Thwn it was down US-97 to the Columbia River and The Dalles, thence on to Maupin, a rafting resort town on the Des Chutes River. Stayed at a small but clean River Run motel, and had a great pizza - actually we could have shared one personal pizza (guess what we're having for supper Sunday).

Miles to be posted later,

Sunday is Crater Lake and on to Klamath Falls.

Northwest trip, day 11

2011-07-15T20:50:00.002-05:00

Dateline Yakima WA: We took a leisurely departure from Sandra's cousins in Kamiah, ID. First stop was a visit to the Nez Perce NHP visitor center where we learned more about this tribe that was friendly & peaceful to white folks until their reservation was unilaterally shrunk in 1877. Worth reading about.

Much of the day was taken with driving up and down hills & canyons that looked like all other hills & canyons we'd visited - no pics whatsoever. Crossed the Snake River twice, and passed through Lewiston & the Tri-cities en route. What we passed through was mostly old volcanic landscapes, highly eroded, However, we did see Mt. Rainier in the distance about 30 miles before Yakima. Tomorrow we pay it a visit - in our Buick Rainier - seems fitting that we brought the SUV on this trip.

Today was 287.8 miles, 7 hours on the road. To date 2873.1 miles.
Tomorrow a round trip to Mt. Rainier, then south to The Dalles and on to Maupin OR.

Northwest trip, day 10

2011-07-14T23:13:00.004-05:00

Dateline Kamiah, ID - we left Bigfork early, too early as it turned out since the attractions we wanted to see weren't open yet. Stopped at Lolo & did laundry, then up the Lolo pass. This is country that the Nez Perce went through on their attempt to escape to Canada in 1877, and the Lewis & Clark expedition had passed through in 1805-6. Scenic, but low hanging clouds made it hard to see anything. We did pass Ft. Fizzle (Sandra will tell more on that, I'm sure). Stopped at the USFS visitor center at Logan Pass, then descended for almost 100 miles until we reached Kamiah. Stopped along the river we were following and picked up some rocks.

When we arrived at Sandra's cousins (thanks, Garmin), we got to tour some of their property up the hill a bit - very good views, and we talked hunting. Even got a ride on a four-wheeler. Pictures include Sandra before & after her 4-wheeler ride (guess which is which), the river we followed, and a view from her cousin's hillside farm.

Today about 260 miles, total 2568. Tomorrow, it's through Lewiston and on to Yakima, getting ready to go to Mt. Rainier the next day.

Northwest trip, day 9 pictures

2011-07-14T23:01:00.004-05:00

OK, here are some pics. We entered from the east side - found this bear statue where we got gas just outside of Great Falls. Stopped at the visitor center where there was a lot of info about the various tribes that had once shared the Glacier NP area. Then, a nice drive past the glacial (natural) lake & up the Going to the Sun Highway - until the first traffic jam, waiting for traffic downbound to clear the single lane area. At the visitor center Logan Pass, more waiting as the center itself wasn't open yet, the porta-potties subbed for the real thing, and the bighorn ram posed for photo ops. Downbound, two more waits for the upbound cars to pass the two choke points. Finally came out the other side and headed for Bigfork, MT & Sandra's cousin. Great scenery, unnerving traffic - the winter did a lot of damage to the roads.

Northwest trip, day 9

2011-07-13T20:58:00.003-05:00

Dateline BigFork, MT. Today was Glacier NP day and the Going to the Sun Highway was just opened for through travel. Boy, was it crowded. Construction (and repairs) made for long waits at single laneing places and it seems there is a local custom of taking it on opening day. Kind of made it hard to get to all the turnouts we wanted, but it was still super spectacular. Now visiting a relative of Sandra's on the west side of the mountains.

Tomorrow it's through Lolo Pass and on to other relatives in Kamiah ID.

Oh, you wanted pictures? Maybe tomorrow - have to process them first.

Northwest trip, day 8

2011-07-12T21:31:00.003-05:00

Dateline Great Falls, MT. This was museum day. We were at the door of the Museum of the Rockies at 8:00 AM - the dinosaur exhibit is curated by the well-known Dr. Jack Horner and is very well interpreted. They have lots of T-Rex and Triceratops artifacts. Also Indian, also well done. Sandra liked the frogs.

Next, on to Helena, where we found the Montana Museum with an excellent traveling Charlie Russell exhibit, and lots of info on plains Indians. Another great museum, if poorly marked as far as directions to it are concerned. Finally, to Great Falls and the C.M. Russell Museum complex - another 2 hours looking at art & Indian artifacts (most actually owned by Russell). Finally, found the HIE and time to get the blog updated.

One comment on the floods - they're not quitting, as the Missouri is out even up here, with the tributaries running at bank full.

Only 203 miles today,10 hours (mostly in museums). For the trip, 2076.5. Tomorrow is Glacier NP on the opening day for the year of the Going to the Sun Highway. Ought to see some really high snowbanks. We'll head for Kallispell area & a cousin of Sandra's for the night.

Northwest trip, day 7 recap (with pictures)

2011-07-12T20:47:00.004-05:00

Now for the details of our visit to Yellowstone:

We hit the east entrance before 7 AM and arrived along Yellowstone Lake an hour later. First stop (other than pictures) was at a visitor center, where Sandra bought the cards she's busy writing so folks will get them before we get back. Then, we followed the lake around, stopping at a geyser field in the West Thumb area. On to Old Faithful, which was finishing its display as we arrived - as the song goes, "Old Faithful Ain't Faithful any More" now waiting 90 minutes before spouting off again.

Now, we headed for paint pots - gotta have those pictures of mud bubbles popping (but you don't get to see them). The Norris geyser field is not as active as when we were last here in '74 - could be some earthquakes had something to do with it. On to Canyon to see some falls - but first, lunch at one of the vastly overpriced eatery options, the "deli." Shared a table with some folks from San Diego and their dog, which was a britdachsbasswhatever and looked like a long-haired dachsund with freckles - they knew because they'd had its DNA tested.

On to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the FALLS! Inspiration Point was changed, because it lost 20+ feet of walkway when it slid into the river during the '75 earthquake - as per a nice young ranger who had the nicest North Carolina accent.
We headed for the other side and Artists' Point where we ran into a traffic jam. Folks stopped in the middle of the road, abandoned their cars and ran to an opening in the woods with their cameras. Yep, it was a bear. Sandra joined them, then, as the cars got moving again, got some shots out the window. I think those who called it a grizzly will be disappointed, as my telephoto makes it look more like a black bear. Oh, yes - we did get someone to take our picture at Artists Point.

We headed for Tower Falls, which we didn't see in '74. En route we went through a pass that had snow along the road. I thought Sandra had had more than enough of snow back in February, but she had to stop and make snowballs. We decided we'd had enough, and headed for the north entrance (with a stop for scenic shots), then on to Bozeman following the valley of the Yellowstone. What a day!

Northwest trip, day 5 pictures

2011-07-12T20:41:00.003-05:00

OK, I didn't get pictures posted because of time. Here's some from Day 5. A couple of pictures of the Big Horn Canyon (of the Big Horn River). Then, some of the direct Spanish line wild horses isolated in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse refuge. Enjoy.

Northwest trip, day 6-7

2011-07-11T23:34:00.002-05:00

Dateline Bozeman - We had a long day - 13 hours - visiting Yellowstone. Yesterday we stopped early (4 PM) at Pahaska Lodge right outside the east gate. More on that place later. Hit Yellowstone at 6:50 AM & finally left at 6:30 PM. Got here at 8 PM. We took lots and lots of pictures, saw a grizzly bear and Sandra threw a snowball. I will try to post pictures tomorrow, since I don't want to stay up late tonight.

Tomorrow is museum day, with 4 museums spread over 3 cities: Bozeman, Helena & Great Falls.

Today: 250.3 miles, trip to date 1870.3.

Northwest trip, day 5-6

2011-07-10T11:45:00.002-05:00

Dateline Cody, WY. Yesterday was visit friends & family day. I had to find a wifi hotspot in Cody this AM, so won't post pictures until maybe tomorrow night, from Bozeman. We visited old USAF friends Mike & Rosie Kilroy in Billings, met Sandra's cousins (a whole bunch of them) in Ralston WY, drove into a wild horse refuge where we saw two mustangs mating, and generally had a party.

Today is Bufffalo Bill Center in Cody, then to a lodge just outside Yellowstone for the night (wifi may be very spotty). Tomorrow is Yellowstone all day and spend the night in Bozeman. Should have lots of pictures by then.

Northwest trip, day 4

2011-07-08T22:58:00.003-05:00

Dateline Billings, MT: What were those tones in Close Encounters? I swear I could hear them in the wind as we visited Devils Tower. Watched the prairie dogs on the way inn and were surrounded by a couple of tour buses of Japanese tourists as we walked part way up the trail - enough to see the climbers far out and above us - they sure looked tiny, and they'd barely gotten started.

We took the "scenic route" on US-212 across southern Montana for 62 miles without on cruise control. Had lunch at a bowling alley/cafe/arcade/casino at Broadus, then many more miles until we reached the Little Big Horn battlefield. Took a tour (with a Crow tour guide - his people served as scouts for Custer), then drove the route, getting a much better idea of how rash and stupid Custer was.

Finally, it was on to Billings, where the QI didn't have a Jacuzzi (TM) like the one in Spearfish. Got our plans for visiting an old friend in Billings and a cousin of Sandra's in Ralston WY.

Todays mileage: 365, total 1410. Time on road/siteseeing about 11 hours.

Northwest trip, day 3 (Postscript)

2011-07-08T07:40:00.002-05:00

Boy, was I tired last night. I completely forgot to tell you about our stop in Hill City, home of the Black Hills Institute - a fossil-hunting organization that discovered famous T-rex Sue, which is now at the Field Museum in Chicago after the Feds moved in and took it from them. Now they have Stan. Both the Black Hills Institute and Crazy Horse are privately funded, without relying on the government - I like that.

Northwest trip, day 3 (Part 2)

2011-07-07T22:44:00.003-05:00

More pictures: After Custer SP, we drove the Needles Highway - boy were there a lot of motorcycles around. Then it was on to Crazy Horse, with a storm a'brewing. That was definitely a shelf cloud, we folks from Missouri know. The place was a combination of great information, tribute to Lakotas of the past, art & artifacts, and the usual tourist trap stuff. Some great photo ops, though.

We left heading for Deadwood - right into the hail core of that storm. Must have been 2 inches of it on the ground, but it was all small stuff. Sandra wa amazed at Deadwood - kept asking where the casinos were, and I told her that all the places were casinos. Overwhelmed, so we didn't stay. It was a cross of Eureka Springs and Durango. Finally, we took the scenic route to Spearfish, stopping at a couple of waterfalls.

Took us almost 11 hours to go 197 miles. Trip to date 1059.4.

Tomorrow it's Devil's Tower and the Little Big Horn, then on to Billings.

Northwest trip, day 3 (Part 1)

2011-07-07T22:27:00.003-05:00

Dateline Spearfish SD. Two part dispatch to keep pictures sort-of sorted. Left Rapid City about 7:00 AM heading for Mt. Rushmore. Roads sure a lot better when we last came through here in '74. Got there early, took lots of pictures, most of which you won't see until we get back, but rest assured, George & the boys are still up there.

Then we drove one of those snaking mountain roads heading for Custer State PArk & the wildlife loop, Didn't get too far on the loop before we hit The Herd. As the song said, you definitely can't go roller skating in that crowd. Buffalo (American bison) didn't give a darn about us - generally ignored us as they went about their business (turning grass into meat). Lots and lots of pictures - thru the window, out the sun roof, but definitely not out of the car.

A bit further along we met the burros. They may be "wild" but they are definitely mooches. Also saw a deer and several pronghorns. Went into Custer for lunch - they have painted bison (ala painted cows, etc) around the town. For the rest of the day, see Part 2.

Northwest trip, day 2

2011-07-06T22:13:00.003-05:00

Dateline Rapid City, SD. A long day again. Left O'Neill at 7 AM, and headed for our first stop, Martin SD, to drop off something a Lakota had given Sandra years ago. Left 30 min earlier than planned, made it 30 minutes faster than I'd expected, and forgot about the time change. Oops - ended up waiting there for the editor of the Lakota Times, so headed for the Badlands an hour later than expected. That ran us into a nice thunderstorm.

Rain subsided, so we got to the Badlands dry and drove around taking lots of pictures - some possible contest ones thanks to the clouds. Also saw a bighorn ewe and a couple of young rams, not fazed at all by people stopping and leaning out windows to take pictures. I took some thru the open sun roof.

Finally, it was off to Wall and one of the grandest tacky tourist traps of all - Wall Drugs. We couldn't even start to describe it, so you'll have to see for yourself - and make sure you ride the giant Jackalope!

Tomorrow it's off for the Black Hills - Mt. Rushmore, Needles Highway, Crazy Horse, Deadwood, and more. Yep, that's a full day!

365 miles, 12 hours on road. 863 total on the trip so far.

Northwest trip, day 1

2011-07-05T18:37:00.002-05:00

No pictures today - it's a travel day. Here we are in O'Neill NE after an uneventful trip , as I stayed on cruise control most of the day. Left at 6 AM, arrived about 4 PM, 497 miles. Took a chance on the Missouri River and crossed at Lexington & St. Joe - it is surely up & out, but not far enough to cause travel problems on US-36. The Platte was also up at York.

Highlights were food - had a great lunch at Mom's Cafe (honest) in Geneva about 20 mi. south of York. Supper was at an authentic Mexican restaurant in O'Neill - La Herradura. Gas was high; here it's $3.55 for 10% ethanol, $3.65 for real gasoline (yes, they have it!).

For details, you'll have to wait for Sandra's journal, after we get back.

Tomorrow we head for Martin SD to drop off something a Lakota left with Sandra years ago. Then it's the Badlands, Wall Drug, and Rapid City. Stay tuned.

Heading Northwest

2011-07-04T12:19:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow we head out for our big trip northwest. Major attractions include Badlands, Black Hills, Devil's Tower, Little Big Horn battlefield, Yellowstone, Glacier, Mt. Rainier, Crater Lake and other interesting points in between. Watch for daily posts (& even some pictures).

Anniversary Gallivant, April 30, 2011

2011-05-02T13:12:00.002-05:00

We took a little 175 mile trip to Blackwater, Arrow Rock, Slater and Van Meter State Park, and back home to Warrensburg after dinner at El Tapatio in Sedalia. Sandra wrote a little story about the trip. Enjoy.

The Tale of the Hard Hat

2011-04-20T21:00:00.002-05:00

Sandra writes - I haven't finished my travel journal, but just had to pull this story out of my other trip adventures. I think I should send this story to Star Journal or even the Lake Charles newspaper. Let's call this story - The Hard Hat That Blew Away.

Bill and I had planned to visit Holly Beach aka Cajun Riviera. southern La. This area south of Lake Charles was hard hit by hurricanes. We remember Holly Beach as clustered with residents, vacationers, and partyers. It's a pretty beach, but only 5 houses or so built high off the ground and a few trailer campers remain. So, we arrived at Holly Beach about noonish during one of the days we were in Lake Charles for Bill's 50th h.s. reunion. We walked along the Beach (very windy and the Gulf ocean was grey in color). Suddenly, I saw a hard hat. Of course, Bill took a picture of it for an artsy photo, and I picked up the hat to bring home as a souvenir. When we arrived home, I noticed a name on the hat plus by the words on the hat, the hat belonged to someone who worked for a contractor at the oil stations/rigs off shore. I looked up the name on facebook: P.J. Redus. I wrote to him and here is his reply. What a surprise:

"Hey Sandra this is P.J. wow I lost that thing about four weeks ago we were about 150 mile out cant believe you found it! but no I don't need it back but thank you for asking. All the guys out here on the rig got a kick out of it at lest now we know where they go when they blow off our heads lol hope you have a good day and thank you again."

That hat had traveled 150 miles in the ocean! To us that hat would have traveled in 150 miles from Warrensburg to Branson! P.J. is on an oil rig, and he wrote right back.

This is P.J.'s other reply: "Thank you for cleaning it I still can't believe it washed up I got a promotion so i don't need it any more I guess it was gods way of letting me know i was going to get it lol. But keep it might make for a good story to tell your guest about when they come and stay at your B&B"

So, the end of the story is "How far does a hard hat travel on its own across the ocean?" Now, you know!

Reunion trip, Day 8

2011-04-19T17:02:00.003-05:00

We are home! Back home to winter, that is. The temperature dropped from 82 at noon in Clinton to 45 at 5 PM here. It was a great trip, saw people I hadn't seen for up to 50 years, saw a lot of interesting places, and ate way too much good food.

Miles today: 294.0, for the trip 1854.2. The Malibu got 31.2 mpg at an average speed of 47 mph.

Reunion trip, day 7

2011-04-18T19:27:00.005-05:00

We left Hope AR about 7 AM and headed for Crater of Diamonds State Park, passing the famous FEMA trailers at Hope Airport - yep, they still have some there. We got to the park as it opened, and joined the others in digging for diamonds. 3 hours later we checked our treasures; they say jasper polishes up quite well, which is good since that's what we're bringing home.

We had lunch in Murfreesboro AR (not too far from Nashville AR) with a great traditional chicken fried steak, then wandered off to the local commercial tourist trap, Ka Do Ha Village. This is a set of ancient mounds, with casts of the skeletons placed as found in the excavations of the mounds. They do have a nice, if small, museum telling about mounds and describing the various artifacts found there & elsewhere. One highlight was a search through a field for finders-keepers artifacts; one lady found 4 small points, we found small pieces of quartz. Oh, and they claim to have the "World's Largest Diamond" - its facets are welded together.

Then, it was drive through the mountains for about 3 hours to a new HIE in Van Buren. Tomorrow we get home!!!

Miles for the day: 199.1 For the trip: 1559.9. Time on road 3:47, plus 5:40 site seeing & lunch.

Reunion trip, day 6

2011-04-17T20:09:00.005-05:00

Off early this morning, heading toward home. First stop was Hodges Garden State Park, a formal southern garden with extensive water features. Azalea season is over, but we had a nice walk around and took some pictures.

Then it was on to the Adai-Caddo Cultural Center. The Adai were a group within the Caddo tribe and were converted to Catholicism by the Spanish very early. It's a worthwhile side trip.

Our final enroute stop was our friend Janie's wedding venue in Shreveport - she's a former innkeeper who sold her inn and created a stunning place for weddings. Janie is a classic Southern Lady.

Tonight we're in Hope Arkansas, where we missed former President Clinton by a day - fortunately for us since we just want to do our travel thing without interruption.

Miles for the day - 281.0, for the trip - 1360.8. Time on road (including 4:13 in stops) - 11:59

Reunion trip, day 5

2011-04-17T06:21:00.002-05:00

Day 5 was spent with LCHS reunion activities. It started with watching a Kilties (girls' marching group reunion) and the 'girls' can still drum with a flourish and march with that shuffling gait even after 50 years. Then, balloons were released for the 26 class members who have died over the 50 years (including a Viet Nam Medal of Honor winner). The evening was spent with a dinner at the Pioneer Club. All in all, about 80 of the surviving 126 class members attended one or more events. Pictures will be made available to classmates later.

Monday includes visits to Hodges Garden, a Caddo Indian cultural center, and a visit with an innkeeping friend in Shreveport. We'll soend Monday night in Hope AR, where we will NOT visit anything to do with either Bill Clinton or Mike Huckabee.

Reunion trip, day 4

2011-04-16T07:20:00.004-05:00

Day 4 would be the first major reunion activity, but that wouldn't start until evening - so we decide to gallivant some more. First we had a great Southern breakfast at the Pitt Grill, an institution here in LC. Then, it was off to Cameron via Big Lake (what the map calls Calcasieu Lake). First real stop was the visitor center for the Cameron Nat'l Wildlife Refuge, where a diorama showed some of the wildlife that inhabits the marshes. Push a button and a couple of animated Cajun's show up to talk about life on the marshes - you know they're Cajuns because they talk like stereotype Cajuns.

On to Cameron, where houses, government and industrial structures are being rebuilt after Rita & Ike - no commercial development yet, though. Had to wait to cross the Calcasieu since only one ferry is running, so we took a few pictures. Then, along the coast 20 yards from the beach we had to wait on some paving trucks. Finally got to Holly Beach, aka the Cajun Riviera, It was essentially eliminated by the hurricanes. Walked the beach, picked up shells (& even a hard hat). People are rebuilding houses, but most of the streets are empty.

Back to Lake Charles, where we had a good, if late, lunch and Sandra got to visit some thrift shops. Found some books. Evening brought an informal party at the Country Club (where many of our dances were held). Saw folks I hadn't seen for 50 years. Turn out was good, and lots of talking and catching up. Sandra's new camera has its limits!

Saturday is some functions at old Lake Charles High and the LCHS memorial at Lock Park. Then we're off to get caught up before the big dinner tonight. Tomorrow we start home, with a stop at Hodges Garden & Shreveport.

Reunion trip, day 3

2011-04-14T22:11:00.003-05:00

We left Eunice about 7:30 and drove thru Crowley (Louisiana's rice capitol) to Gueydan (the duck hunting capital), where Bills grt-grandfather W.L. Truman, wrote his memoir. We talked with the newspaper editor and the Baptist preacher's wife (W.L. Truman founded the Baptist Church in Gueydan). Also visited the cemetery & took pictures of the graves of Bill's grt-grandfather & grt-grandmother plus his grandmother, all buried in the same plot.

Then it was on to Lake Charles for reunion activities. First we stopped at the "barge") as l'Auberge du Lac casino is called locally); Bill walked out $10 ahead, to make up for the $10 Sandra lost. Drove past all Bill's old schools & neighborhoods, with a stop at the visitor center at sand beach. Would you believe they have live alligators next to the visitor center? Yep.

This evening we met at a restaurant for a drink & dinner. Ran into a couple of classmates Bill hasn't seen for 50 years. Over 40 classmates & spouses showed up at this prelim event; the reunion really takes off tomorrow evening.

Tomorrow we visit the Cajun Riviera and some wildlife refuges, with maybe a side trip to Texas.

Pictures are Bill at the family plot and a view of Lake Charles' skyline across the lake.

Only 154.9 miles today, of which 32 was around Lake Charles. Total miles for the trip: 897.

Reunion trip, Day 2

2011-04-13T19:54:00.005-05:00

Pictures are referenced 1-A to 5-B, top left to bottom right. We left Poplar Bluff early to reach Poverty Point in time for the first tram tour. When we arrived just before 9:30, we found that the rides were preempted by a school group from Monroe. Just as well, we talked with the rangers and looked at all the exhibits, then took the driving tour of the site. If you're interested in pre-history, it's a cool place to visit, dating from 1500 BC! Pictures include one of the ridges (4-A), a smaller mound (3-A) and the large Bird Mound (4-B).

Then, it was on to Columbia, LA, which we learned about in William Least Heat-Moon's book Roads to Quoz. We visited the art gallery and had a beer at the Watermark Saloon (3-B & 5-B)- so called because of the watermark from a flood on the Ouachita (2-A).

Final en-route stop was Mamou, the "Cajun Music Capitol of the World." We ate supper at Frenchie's Restaurant (2-B), gumbo & a po-boy. Frenchie's is across the street from Fred's Lounge (1-A), which is the Cajun music equivalent of Preservation Hall. Next door to Frenchie's is a pocket park with bandstand & dance floor, and the mural of an old time Cajun wedding (1-B).

We're spending the night in a new HIE in Eunice, LA. It's full of oilfield workers, from close off-shore drilling. Today's miles: 337.1, total for the trip: 742.1. Time on road & site-seeing, 10:49.

Tomorrow, it's Gueydan and on to Lake Charles for an informal get-together.

Reunion trip, day 1

2011-04-12T18:54:00.002-05:00

We left Warrensburg at 7:50 this AM, after dropping off Topsy & Cisco at the vet's for boarding and shots. Headed south on MO-13 to Springfield, then US-65 south for the rest of the day. No site-seeing, no photography, on a beautiful day.

Lunch was at the Dixie Cafe, Harrison AR. Great chicken fried steak - I had collard greens & Sandra had deep-fried corn on the cob. Both said "yum." Tonight we are in Poplar Bluff, with one of the saddest downtowns we've seen. Dinner was at a BBQ place called Rooster's; lesson - do not order beef in pulled pork country,

Tomorrow's highlights are Poverty Point State Historic Site near Epps, LA, a stop at an art gallery in Columbia LA, and dinner at Frenchy's in Mamou.

380.4 miles on the road (405 overall), 7:54 travel time (including stops).

2011 travel coming soon

2011-03-09T13:20:00.002-06:00

For 2011, we have trips planned to SW Louisiana and the Pacific Northwest. Pictures and accounts will be posted as we travel (if we're not too tired at the end of the day!).

Almost home

2010-05-08T18:32:00.002-05:00

Today we drove to Miami OK with only rest stops. Cruised downtown, saw the famous theater, hit the hot tub at the HIE, and will crash early. Tomorrow we drive home, only about 175 miles, pick up the cats, try to get caught up on mail, and plan to mow the lawn. At least it was cool & sunny today.

So far, 2979.1 miles on the trip. Highest gas prices paid were $3.22/ (only bought $10 worth, in Alpine Texas!). Texas prices, in general, were higher than any other state we've been thru,and we drove 880 miles in that state. KS was about 405, NM about 1200.

Friday

2010-05-07T20:38:00.001-05:00

No post yesterday, because Bill got heat exhaustion from the trip to Big Bend NP in 100+ temps. The place is spectacular, and one day isn't enough. Today we drove to Lubbock, saw the Buddy Holly Center, then on to Altus OK. Tomorrow we may make it home, skipping the museums that were on our list previously, as Bill is still recovering.

Ruidoso, Roswell and Ft. Stockton

2010-05-05T20:51:00.002-05:00

Left Alamogordo at 7:15 for Ruidoso, where we stopped at the Hubbard Museum to take pictures of the horse statues and see the New Harmonies exhibit (yes, the same one we had in Warrensburg). They also had a special exhibit on prehistoric New Mexico, which made it worth the stop even if they didn't have New Harmonies.

Next it was on to Roswell for the Roswell Art Museum - A very worthwhile stop. We learned of another place we should see in Roswell, which is quite an art colony, if unheralded. No, we did not stop at the UFO museum - they've gotten way to proud of their collection and upped the entry ante.

Drove south thru Artesia and Carlsbad, then a long straight and empty highway to Pecos, then another stretch to Ft. Stockton. Ate Mexican in honor of Cinco de Mayo and explored a bit, finding the remains of the old fort. Staying at a new HIE, 2 nights so we can do Big Bend NP tomorrow without loading all our stuff. Will take plenty of water, Gatorade, and pictures.

White Sands

2010-05-04T22:34:00.003-05:00

Today, May 4, was Las Cruces & White Sands day. In Las Cruces we visited 2 city museums and the NMSU museum. All very interesting - small but informative. Also visited a massive used book store - they have quite a few by authors Bill is collecting, but he forgot to bring his list. Will email it to Uncle Murray and see if he can bring the needed ones up when he visits in June.

We hustled on to White Sands and found out that the evening walk was on. Then into Alamogordo to check in and go to dinner, then back to the sands for evening pictures. Sorry, Bill doesn't have time to process his pictures tonight to show them off - too many to look thru.

Tomorrow we stop at the Hubbard Museum in Ruidoso Downs for some photo ops and to see the music heritage display we worked on in Warrensburg. Then it's on to Roswell for a stop at the art museum (& maybe, the UFO one) and shop for cheap UFO t-shirts. From there, about 4 hours to Ft. Stockton so we can be ready for our trip to Big Bend on Thursday.

On to Las Cruces

2010-05-03T21:30:00.003-05:00

Today we left Belen early so we'd have plenty of time. Toured downtown Socorro, then took NM-1 south along the bosque to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Took pictures in the cactus garden to test the macro capability of the new camera - they leave something to be desired, or I've not figured it out. Took a partial tour and then headed south to Truth or Consequences (or TorC as locals call it). Town has always been sort of a resort, so lots of tourist traps along the street.

On to Hatch, famous for chiles (that's hot peppers). Ate an an excellent restaurant called Pepper Pot, then crossed the street to buy some chiles. Then took the back roads to Deming for the Luna-Mimbres Museum. Learned a lot about Mimbres pottery and geodes.

Got to Las Cruces about 4 PM, called Sandra's Uncle Murray, who withhis friend Peggy picked us up and took us to dinner at La Posta in Mesilla (that's the old Spanish town, now touristy). The restaurant has talking parrots - Sandra taught one to cluck like a chicken. They will regret letting her in.

Tomorrow, Uncle Murray and Peggy take us to see a lot of local museums, then it's on to White Sands and Alamogordo.

Albuquerque

2010-05-02T21:27:00.002-05:00

Today we toured museums in Albuquerque. First stop was the Museum of Natural History, where they have some excellent exhibits of the age of dinosaurs, including a new T-Rex. The we hurried off to the Pueblo Cultural Center for the Spring Dances. They did a combination of eagle, butterfly & sheep dance. Then they did a circle dance & asked for people to participate - Sandra did. They have a good museum, as well, and the place has been updated with a new gift shop and galleries.

Next stop - lunch at the Frontier Restaurant, a 24/7 institution near UNM. Bill had a bowl of posole and Sandra enchilada plate. Back to the Albuquerque Museum of Art & History, where we saw paintings - Blumenschein, Hurd, but no O'Keeffe. Also history of Albuquerque. Walked thru Old Town, but it was raining off and on, so we didn't spend much time there.

Drove down to Belen for the night. Almost every restaurant is closed on Sundays. We found one that was open - food just O.K., but sopapillas were excellent. Tomorrow, we follow the Rio Grande with stops at Socorro, TorC & Hatch, a side trip to Deming, and on to Las Cruces to meet Sandra's Uncle Murray.

Second Day

2010-05-01T08:53:00.003-05:00

Ever looked down on a bluebird? Try walking the rim of Capulin Volcano, in NE New Mexico. Going from 800 feet to climbing at 8000 in a bit over 24 hours - but we made it. Took lots of pictures, here's a few samples. Then it was on to Raton, where we visited Mr. Sanchez who presides proudly over the new museum facility, all done without a cent of state or federal money. Lunch at La Cocina in Raton and supper at Raphael's in Las Vegas (the one without casinos). We are stuffed and happy.

Santa Fe visit

2010-05-01T08:36:00.009-05:00

Yesterday was Santa Fe day. We toured 5 museums - the state art museum, Georgia O'Keeffe museum, new state history museum attached to Palace of the Governors, Indian art and the only gallery open at the Folk Art museum. Skipped the reenactment because it was late & cold. We highly recommend the Culture Pass - one visit each to many museums & sites over a full year. Ate at The Shed (again); dinner at Garcia's in Albuquerque.

Pictures are from downtown Santa Fe, including a shot some nice folks took of us, a scene from the Plaza, and a bird at the art museum.

Today is Albuquerque museums - art, natural history (new T-Rex exhibit), Pueblo Cultural Center (it's Spring dance weekend). Lunch at the Frontier, and tonight down to Belen. Weather doesn't look good, as the clouds are covering Sandia Crest.

first day

2010-05-01T08:36:00.006-05:00

Tidbits of 1st day:
- Met a man who was including a Betty Boop doll in all his pictures. Met him at Emma Chase Cafe in Cottonwood Falls (see bottom picture).
- Chase County Courthouse spiral stairway - what a slide that would make! (see 2 pictures above it)
- Want more - read the book PrairyErth
Mullinville
- Met artist Erika Nelson with melted dinosaurs all over her truck (See top pictures)
- Visited with artist Mr. Ligget; saw that he had put a steer named Maverick depositing cow patties in a prominent place in Greensburg, protesting the changing of the team mascot from Ricky Ranger. The locals are not amused. He has something to say about almost everything.

From Las Vegas NM

2010-05-01T07:41:00.002-05:00

Yep, we're on a trip to the SW again. On the 29th we drove 470 miles to Liberal KS, with stops at Chase County KS (PrairyErth) and Mullinville. The 30th (our 33rd Anniversary) we added 360 more miles, with the big stop at Capulin Volcano National Monument and a visit to some specific spots in Raton. Good food - everywhere! More details after I have a chance to set up some pictures.

Almost on the road

2010-04-27T09:39:00.002-05:00

This trip will feature stops in Chase County KS (see the book PrairyErth by William Least Heat-Moon), and a folk artist in Mullinville, before stopping at Liberal for dinner at the Cattlemen's Cafe and overnight. Next day includes Capulin Volcano and Raton NM. Day 3 is Santa Fe, Day 4 Albuquerque, Day 5 ambling along the Rio Grande to Hatch and Deming. Day 6 is Las Cruces and on to Alamogordo. Day 7 will include Ruidoso, Roswell and on to Ft. Stockton. Day 8 is Big Bend NP (& maybe a float). Day 9 Lubbock and the Buddy Holly Museum. Day 10 includes stops at Norman & Oklahoma City and on to Ponca City. Next day is home.

Bill's new 12MP camera will get a good test this trip.

Planning our next trip

2010-04-06T15:30:00.003-05:00

We'll visit the Flint Hills of KS, Capulin Volcano NM, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Alamogordo, Roswell and on to the Big Bend country. All we have to do is decide when.

No trip lately

2010-01-25T11:05:00.001-06:00

That's right, we've been at home, with nothing but non-scenic day trips, since July. This year's trips planned - PAII in Austin in March, Big Bend and Armed Forces Skeet Shoot in San Antonio in May, and (weather permitting) a little jaunt north of the river for Sandra's birthday.

Day 13, Home in Warrensburg

2009-07-20T13:38:00.002-05:00

Well, we made it back last night, after a 500 mile drive from Guymon. Despite the long drive, we did make a couple of "sightseeing" stops. First one was at Mullinville, KS, home of a folk artist who makes what he calls "totem poles" out of various pieces of metal. They mostly have a message of some sort, and he doesn't like politicians very much. I'll post a few pictures after I recover.

Next stop was in Greensburg, KS - the place that was hit by the massive tornado a couple of years ago and is rebuilding "green." Almost all the debris has been removed and new houses are going up, but the landscape is still barren. Dillon's has opened a combo supermarket/C-store on a major corner, and the new school is going up.

Hit Warrensburg about 4:30 PM, ate dinner & shopped a bit, got Quicken caught up and crashed. Still need more sleep - and to free up some memory on the laptop.

Our slightly-used '09 Malibu performed very well and was comfortable. Here's the stats:
Total miles: 3809.
Gas Mileage: 31.3 mpg
Avg speed: 50 mph

Day 12, Guymon OK

2009-07-18T21:11:00.002-05:00

A long day, today. En route to Taos we stopped at an overlook for the Rio Grande gorge bridge outside of Taos. Then we walked around, bought t-shirts, sat on the plaza & looked at art. Then it was up the hill, down the hill, up the hill and down again to Cimarron, where we visited the museum at the Philmont Boy Scout ranch. We had been reading about Lucien Maxwell who put the whole property together in the 19th Century, then the area of the ranch ended up under the ownership of Waite Phillips (same guy whose Tulsa house is the Philpott Art Museum). Yes, he was the brother of the man who started Phillips Petroleum and an oilman in his own right.

Drove through a lot of empty space - not a single town for over 90 miles from Springer & Clayton, and not many between there and Guymon. We did run through the edge of a thunderstorm - yes, the 4-cyl Malibu runs easily at 85 mph on level ground as we tried to get through the hail we were caught in. One dent in the roof. Damn!

Tomorrow, who knows. We may drive straight through home, or we may take an extra day. Depends a lot on how I feel in the AM.

Day 11, Alamosa

2009-07-17T21:04:00.002-05:00

Today is Friday, and we're in Alamosa CO. The prime purpose of today's journey was to visit Madge & Larry Harrah at their 'cottage' in Platoro, CO, elevation 9760. But first, we stopped in Chama NM to take a look at the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR making up their daily train. Then it was up a long gravel (speaking generously) road to Platoro. This was a gold/sliver mining community off and on from around 1900 (I think) until 1970s, when the mine flooded.

Platoro Reservoir is America's highest man-made lake, not real big but very scenic. They bought us lunch at the local lodge - rustic indeed. When we left, another long drive on gravel roads past 12,000 ft mountains. Scenic, of course. The San Juan mountains are volcanic in origin so Sandra picked up some rocks. I hope that's the last of the rocks as we're running out of space for them.

Tonight in Alamosa we ate a Mexican buffet dinner at Cavillo's. We're stuffed. Highly recommend it if you ever visit Alamosa.

Tomorrow, it's on to Taos, Cimarron and after that I'm not sure.

Day 10, Pagosa Springs

2009-07-16T21:12:00.003-05:00

Here we are in Pagosa Springs, CO, after another day looking at rocks. After a real breakfast (bacon, eggs, toast & hashbrowns) at the Moab Diner, it was off to Arches NP. Did I say looking at rocks? Red rocks, yellowish rocks, rocks in spires, rocks with long crevices, rocks with holes in them (big holes, naturally). Last time we were here in 2002 our visit was cut short by a violent thunderstorm - felt sorry for the people out hiking who didn't watch the skies. This time it was dry, not even clouds for photographic background.

Then we took a two hour drive back to Monticello and on into Colorado to Dolores. Big surprise - lots of farming in a relatively flat area between mountain ranges; some wheat & alfalfa, but they were harvesting a cereal grain while green - maybe oats? The stop was Anasazi Cultural Center outside of Dolores, the BLM's only museum. A big dam was put on the Dolores River, and the ancient sites were excavated and/or documented first. It also had an art display by the Plein Air Artists of the Four Corners and a display on the Old Spanish Trail trade network from Santa Fe to California.

Next stop, Durango. Traffic was terrible and the train was not in the station. Skipped the tourist traps and went to Walmart to get some things for Madge & Larry Harrah, who we'll visit tomorrow. Then to Pagosa Springs, home of the Fred Harman Art Museum. He was a self-taught artist and illustrator, western subjects. He also did comic strips - ever hear of Red Ryder? I had a Daisy Red Ryder bb gun and broke my glasses just like Ralphie in "A Christmas Story." He was good!

Tomorrow it's on to Chama, through some 10,000 ft passes, and up a forest service road to the old mining town of Platoro (from the name, can you guess what they hoped to find?) & a visit with Madge & Larry Harrah. Madge wrote the award-winning children's book on Blind Boone, and many others. We'll end the day with a Mexican buffet at Alamosa.

Day 9, Moab Utah

2009-07-15T22:04:00.002-05:00

Here we are in Moab after another full (& hot) day on the road. We left early without breakfast and took a look at the Goosenecks of the San Juan State Park - river meanders entrenched in a deep canyon. Then we climbed the side of a high mesa using the Moki Dugway, a set of gravel switchbacks, and went on to Natural Bridges National Monument. Lots of nice views, but little contrast in rock colors.

We hit Blanding about 10:30, so visited Edge of the Cedars State Park - one room displayed horse pictures by a couple of sisters, another had photos of various rock art around the region - with stories of each. Upstairs showed artifacts as well as historic interpretation. They had panels describing how local people had made outstanding finds and had reported them for preservation instead of looting (Hillerman book, A Thief of Time). Then we had lunch.

Drove on to the Needles area of Canyonlands National Park. It's a long drive into the park, but the route takes you by Newspaper Rock, a panel full of rock art (the pictures is a small portion). More red rock. Sandra "rescued" a lady left at the visitor center (with two lapdogs) by her husband who was helping someone who got stuck in sand. The rescue? Giving her a cigarette.

Got into Moab about 4:30 (early for us) and had a good Mexican dinner. Then caught up pictures and the blog, and get ready for tomorrow - Arches NP, and drive on to Pagosa Springs CO.

Day 8, Monument Valley

2009-07-15T21:31:00.002-05:00

Gee, I'm not posting this until Wednesday evening - the motel in Mexican Hat had very limited bandwidth, hard to even check email. At Page, we took a Navajo-guidedd tour of Antelope Canyon slot canyons, really something. Needed more time and a better tripod to take really sharp, focused pictures. We rode in a contraption with 11 other people in the back of a pickup truck, which turned into a really bumpy ride; Sandra loved it. The big excitement was a baby rattler in the canyon.

Then, it was off to Monument Vally. We stopped in Kayenta at the Blue Cup (I think) for a Navajo Taco, really outstanding. When we got to Monument Valley, a Navajo woman offered us a tour of the back country for $65/person. No thanks, we'll drive the open area ourselves (maybe I should have offered her half that). It was definitely picture time, trying to get better versions of what we took in 2004. We met some folks from Germany who were on the same trip as us, as well as a Navajo who was originally from the Lukachukai area & knew the people at the trading post whom we met on previous trips (& whose daughter waited on us at a casino buffet near Phoenix). Small world revisited.

Spent the night at Mexican Hat Motel, in Mexican Hat (naturally). It overlooked the San Juan River gorge, which we could have walked down to if we hadn't been worn out from previous adventures. The only drawback was the terrible bandwidth problem; they were on dish which can't handle the kind of traffic they had. Dinner? A Navajo taco.

Day 7, 7/13/09

2009-07-13T23:03:00.002-05:00

Here we are in Page, AZ, where it's 9 PM when it's 11 to us. Today's prime attraction was Grand Canyon north rim. As usual, lots of walking at altitude & heat, and lots of pictures. I said before I left that I'd probably take around 400 pictures; I'm already at over 600 with many photogenic stops. We started the day at Kanab, 3500 ft, got up to 9000 at the north rim, down to under 4000, back up to well over 6000, back down to about 3400 at Lee's Ferry, up to over 6000 crossing the Echo Cliffs, and back down to under 4000 at Page.

Did I say Lee's Ferry? Yes, we visited this historic site where we talked to some folks who will run the river tomorrow. 6 day trip is about $2200/person, but sure looks inviting.

Tomorrow will be Antelope Canyon (slot canyons, very scenic) if we can arrange a trip. Then on to Monument Valley where we hope to get a guided trip again. Tomorrow night, Mexican Hat UT on the San Juan. That looks like it'll be only 200 miles, as opposed to 260 today. Today's gas mileage was well over 30 mpg, with all the downhill travel.

Day 6, 7/12/09

2009-07-12T21:41:00.003-05:00

Greetings from Kanab, AZ, the gateway to the North Rim. Today was red rock day, at altitude. Lots of climbing and descending, with great views on the way up and down. Saw deer, cattle (open range) and lots of red rocks. Took much longer than I'd anticipated, so we skipped Petrified Forest SP and shortened our stay at Kodachrome Basin. Most of the afternoon was spent at Bryce Canyon NP, where the two displayed pictures were taken (along with over 100 more shots). Clouds were excellent, providing good contrast of light & shadow - plus a few raindrops.

Two good meals today - a home-made pizza for lunch in Tropic and some good Mexican food in Kanab.

Tomorrow is north rim and I bet I take another 150 pics.

Today, 256 mi, 1782 for the trip.

Day 5

2009-07-11T22:31:00.004-05:00

Dinosaurs to rocks - another great day of touring Utah. Our two dino stops were the Eastern Utah College museum in Price, and the Museum of the San Rafael in Castle Dale. We skipped 9 Mile Canyon because of tiredness & time, and a good thing we did, since we spent 3 hours going thru Capitol Reef (wow!).

Surprises of the day - canyons - between Duchesne and Price, I-70 & Fremont, each topped with a 9000' pass. Indian lands - Uintah & Ouray (Northen Ute). Deep coal mines (Carbon County, duh!), "Scones" at a pizza place in Castle Dale (reminded me of sopapillas with honey & powdered sugar). Don't eat at Casa Rio in Vernal (don't ask why) - matter of fact, skip Mexican in northern Utah/Colorado.

The weather was partly cloudy, which made for some interesting photography. We keep trying to reproduce the red rock & spectacular clouds we took in '02 (see our 2002 shots).

Tomorrow the big attraction is Bryce Canyon. We'll try to stop at some state parks - Petrified Forest, Kodachrome Basin & Coral Pink Sand Dunes. Tomorrow night is Kanab. Today we did 260 miles.

Day 4, Vernal UT

2009-07-11T07:07:00.002-05:00

Well, actually it was yesterday that we went thru Dinosaur National Monument and got lots of sun and saw lots of rocks. No lunch. Took over 90 pictures between the scenery at the east end, dinosaur stuff at the west end, and a museum in Vernal. We overdid it a bit (understatement), but survived. I can't believe how built up these towns are, mostly around 10,000 population or less, compared to Warrenbsburg.

Had Mexican food last night, but I don't think it's a good idea in Utah! Decided to be easy today and skip 9-mile canyon. I'm not sure we (or the car) can handle it. It's museums in Price and then on to Torrey and Capitol Reef, where we'll take lots of pictures of red rocks. And maybe post a few.

Day 3, Rocky Mountain NP

2009-07-09T21:49:00.003-05:00

A real high today - about 12,000 feet along Trail Ridge Road. Hit every visitor center & museum, took lots of pictures. Pretty tired puppies tonight. Windy & cold up there in the alpine region; good thing we wore jeans instead of shorts.

At Steamboat Springs we took a walk to see a spectacular waterfall. The rest of the town was a major tourist trap. Drove thru lots of other mountains, some 9K foot passes, saw the upper reaches of the Colorado River.

We're now at the Holiday Inn in Craig, which is larger & busier than we expected. Big industry around here seems to be cutting the top off a small mountain to feed power plants. Dinner was at El Ranchero; nobody else there but great food.

Tomorrow is Dinosaur National Monument. More pictures!

Day 2, Hays to Loveland

2009-07-08T21:34:00.004-05:00

Left Hays at 7:30 AM CDT and drove to Oakley KS. Its claims to fame are the Fick Fossil Museum and Buffalo Bill. The Fick is a typical local museum enhanced by a good collection of local marine fossils. Mrs. Fick 'painted' scenes using fossil shark teeth. There's a big statue of Buffalo Bill shooting a bison, based on the fact this is where he won a buffalo-shooting with another claimant to the name.

Then it was on to Colby, where another couple had collected a massive number of things - call them eclectic collectors - china, dolls, dresses, toys, and more than I can count. Sandra had a ride on the mechanical pony that once stood outside the local grocery store, a ride on merry-go-round, and an abbreviated game of hopscotch.

Next stop was the Kit Carson County Carousel in Burlington CO. Wow! Hand carved and painted animals from the early 20th Century and a mechanical organ. It works. On our second (yes second) ride, the background music was "Dixie" and I rode a dapple gray I immediately dubbed "Traveler" - Sandra rode a paint.

Took some back roads to Loveland rather than going thru Denver & fighting I-70/25. Got here at 5 PM MDT. It was mid-nineties and didn't feel particularly hot. The HIE has a water slide in the pool - what fun!

Two good Mexican meals today. Tanking up on the good stuff. Tomorrow is Rocky Mountain National Park, with a stay across the mountains at Craig. 411 miles today, 776 total, and we're getting about 30 MPG. Gas prices are close to $2.50 here. I'll watch the sunset behind the mountains & sign off for today.

Day 1, Hays KS

2009-07-07T20:27:00.004-05:00

Here we are at a Comfort Inn in Hays KS. We bypassed KC by going through Ottawa & Council Grove, before picking up I-70 at Salina. Lots of empty roads thru the Flint Hills and beyond. Saw oil wells & wind farms. Had a burger for lunch at Country Cafe in Gypsum KS. Gas prices were around $2.40 (unless you were right on the interstate).

Hays is slightly bigger than Warrensburg, but seems to be much larger - guess it relates to their being a regional commercial center. It's about 2000 ft altitude, so we'll be going up a lot more tomorrow. At Hays, we drove thru downtown, visited the Historical Society museum, and Ft. Hays State Hist. Site. The latter was a large fort but only a few buildings left; it's where Custer left from for the Washita. The high point was the Steinberg Museum - dinosaurs! Gotta see it! Even an animatronic T-rex with a kindly expression behind those ferocious teeth.

Dinner was a Mexican restaurant next door to the hotel - El Dos de Oros. Good food & way too much.

Tomorrow: Fick Museum in Oakley KS (more fossils), carousel in Burlington CO, and lots of backroad driving to Loveland.

Starting a new blog

2009-07-04T07:35:00.000-05:00

This will be our travel blog, where we post comments and pictures of our travels. We won't post them on our old cedarbnb blog, which is now reserved for the Bed & Breakfast.