Where To Next?!?

To be continued...

2008-07-14T11:52:00.002-04:00

We are pleased to announce that we are less than one month away from our departure for our RTW trip!!!

Everyone please have a look at our new blog, http://turtlestravel.wordpress.com/
Right now we have posts regarding our routing and preparations. We will be keep everyone up to date with photos and tales of our adventures!

Over the River and through the Woods

2008-07-04T13:17:00.005-04:00

The Dutch Iris Inn, Granby, CT

After visiting Grandma and dining at the Parthenon restaurant in Agawam, we head to Granby, CT and the welcoming Dutch Iris Inn. The owners and hosts, Bill and Nancy Ross, greeted us warmly and gave us a tour of their lovely 1812 colonial home. We stayed in the Mary Edwards Room on the second floor, named for a former owner and donor of land to the town. The room was cozy and comfortable, and after several rounds of backgammon, chosen from among the games in the living room, we got some rest. There was a guest fridge downstairs with bottled water, iced tea and soft drinks that came in very handy. Breakfast was a true treat and included fresh fruit with an orange strawberry sauce, an amazing breakfast strudel and a fresh orange currant scone. We chatted with a few of the other guests, and head out for a morning of exploring and geocaching. Granby and the surrounding areas of Connecticut are a great spot for a getaway, with many historic homes, a Wine Trail, farm stands, brilliant foliage in the fall, and lots of small town charm.

Highlights included turning away from a local park after being informed by the Fish and Wildlife Officer that a mother bear and four cubs had just walked by on their way to the stream. (She assured us this was not a typical siting.) We also visited Old Newgate Prison. This former copper mine was transformed into a prison for serious criminals, including Tories and Loyalists during the Revolutionary War. It served as a prison from 1773-1827. During most of that time prisoners made nails and later shoes. They had quotas to meet, and if they didn't they were either tied and lashed (max 100 times) or rations were withheld. At night, prisoners climbed down a ladder to the tunnels originally dug for mining copper. It was damp, dark and a constant 52 degrees Fahrenheit. The accompanying educational video in the old Guard House said the prisoners were actually healthier overall than the average population above, but it didn't seem like it would be the least bit comfortable to me!

Outta Here (for now)

2008-06-10T10:21:00.005-04:00

Twenty-one years after arriving as a Freshman at Columbia University, I have officially given up residence in New York City. Any season would have been tough, but I found it especially so in late spring/early summer. The calendars of upcoming events had been published. There were street fairs and festivals every weekend, theater and concerts in the parks, and restaurants set their tables out on the sidewalks.

We took full advantage during the time we had left, filling up on a different cuisine nightly (see some reviews on Yelp), and attending a number of events. There was Indian, Ethiopian, Moroccan, Turkish, BBQ (believe it or not, pretty good for the North) Thai, Chinese and, of course, Japanese. We saw lots of friends and said some temporary good-byes. Hopefully there will be lots of opportunities to make new memories in the future.

In the meantime, we are on Cape Cod for the summer. My sister just had a new baby, and we've been having a great time helping out and entertaining big brother.

There are some extended travel plans in the works for after summer, so stay tuned!

The Beacon

2008-05-09T22:21:00.005-04:00

On the way back north from Atlanta, we made a stop by Donny's Mom, Greta's family home in Chesney, South Carolina. Her parents' home was recently sold, and it was time to get to the sad, final task of clearing out the last items from the storage area in the garage. Her parents have been deceased for many years, and the house had been rented. Greta's sister and her family live just next door.

It's always nostalgic to visit the place you grew up. Greta pointed out spots she remembered, and told stories of the town and the land when she was a girl. The green pastures, wildflowers, tall trees and white fences were beautiful. We had a tasty home-cooked meal prepared by Greta's niece, and heard more colorful family stories over dinner. It's a wonder we still had room, since we had gorged earlier at the landmark Beacon Drive-In in Spartanburg.

According to their site, "The Beacon stands for old-fashioned things...God, country, family, friends, children, and a decent meal at a fair price." The Beacon has been there 60 years, serving up barbecue, burgers and plates "a plenty" which come with a sandwich and a serving of fries or onion rings that could easily serve 4 or 5! They're also famous for their iced tea, making 62,500 gallons a year! We were greeted by the manager, who gave us a brief rundown on the difference between "lowcountry," "outside" and regular barbecue. Then we were sent on to JC, who asks you to "Call It!" He's been calling orders Beacon for over 50 years.

Atlanta Highlights

2008-05-04T20:24:00.003-04:00

We're in Atlanta for work and play, so never having seen some of the notable tourist attractions, I've been taking that project on as well. This past weekend Greta and I stopped by a Powerade event Donny was working and were slipped in a back door to the new World of Coke! The museum featured a couple of short films (one in 4D), lots of artifacts, memorabilia and history of this 120 year-old beverage, a gallery, store, bottling line and a tasting room at the end with over 60 Coke products from all over the world to try. Favorites included Bibo Candy Pine-nut from South Africa, Fanta Blackcurrant from Hong Kong, Smart Apple from China, Simba Guarana from Paraguay. There was also a great Fiesta Atlanta Festival going on across the street, where we sampled some products, listened to some music and I won a package of tortillas!

Later, we stopped by The Varsity, designated The World's Largest Drive-in Restaurant in 1950 when 100 carhops in 1950 greeted folks with their famous "What'll ya have?" Originally set up with nearby Georgia Tech students in mind, they have been serving customers in Atlanta since 1928. The chili cheeseburger, hotdogs, fries and onion rings all greasily hit the spot.

Click HERE to view some photos of the day.

Yabba Dabba Doo. Enjoy the Cave

2008-04-12T23:06:00.003-04:00

Sunday we got in our Jeep and took off to explore. Resorts are comfy and relaxing, but we wanted, as much as possible in a place so heavily reliant on its tourist infrastructure, to see what Aruba was like away from the tourist hotels, beaches and malls. Aruba, along with Bonaire and Curacao are part of the Netherlands Antilles. The population is very mixed, and Arawak, Dutch, Spanish and African heritage is clearly evident in many areas.

Dutch is the official language in Aruba, but Papiamento is most commonly heard. It’s a creole dialect made up of elements of Dutch, Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, a number of different African languages, and Arawak. In these examples you can see the different influences. I understand dushi being sweet (from dulce) but I’d really like to know how sushi came to mean garbage!

Bon dia: Good Morning

Bon Bini: Welcome

Danki: Thank you

Con ta bai: How are you?

Mi ta bon: I am fine

Pasa un bon dia: Have a good day

The temperature is always around 82F (28C), and there is very little rain. Aruba is outside the hurricane belt. The interior of the island is dry and desert-like, complete with cacti and iguanas, while the coasts are graced with beautiful beaches. The protected south and west coasts are calm and sandy, while the north and east are more rocky and rugged. Watapana or divi-divi trees are sculpted by constant trade winds.

South of the airport we passed through San Nicolas and Charlie’s Bar, in operation since the 1940s. The big red anchor at the entrance to Seroe Colorado has a plaque in Charlie’s memory. After a swim and a snack at the famous Baby Beach (with the Valero oil refinery in the background), we went off-road into Arikok National Park. The area is filled with trails and paths, rock outcroppings, caves, and encompasses each of the three geological features of the island: a lava formation, a quartz diorite formation and a limestone formation. We used our GPS to wander and locate several geocaches in the area, as well as the former site of the Natural Bridge (which fell in 2005).

One small sign led to the Tunnel of Love cave. Having heard about cave drawings and such in the area, we were interested, but it was deserted when we pulled up, until a rough-looking leathered man pedaled up on his bicycle holding a bottle of Sprite in one hand and a small plastic bag in the other. He led us over to what appeared to have been an entrance at some point in the past. There were no flashlight renters or fee takers to be seen, and the entire cave entrance was covered with a re-bar cage. Tough luck? Not with our hopeful guide shuffling over to a corner and peeling up a section of rusty metal to let us down. Even at the time it seemed like a risky decision to follow him down a hole into a cave that clearly had been closed for some reason, but we threw caution and common sense out and went for the experience. The guy, who spoke a muffled version of English/Papiamento was named Francisco, but he went by Joy, a name bestowed on him by doctors at a local hospital where he recovered miraculously from some accident or illness. He told us the cave was closed when some Dutch tourists had gone in alone and gotten lost. Once we started to descend, he pulled a rag (which must have been soaked in something that burns slowly) from his plastic bag, wrapped it around a stick, and lit it. Adding to the ambiance, throughout the walk, as if to keep up the conversation, Joy repeated, “Yabba dabba doo; Enjoy the cave. Yabba dabba doo. Enjoy the tour. Enjoy the cave.”

Well, the torch served its purpose, as Joy pointed out a drawing on the ceiling, rocks forming the shapes of animals and, of course, the Virgin Mary. Unlike many caves we’d been in, the temperature didn’t drop at all, but without the wind it was muggy and moist. The multitude of fruit bats, disturbed from their slumber, didn’t seem to mind the climate a bit. They swooped around our heads in groups of 10 or 20 at a time. After a bit more climbing, I asked Joy if we’d have to return the same way. He seemed to size us up and told us to keep following. Since no one had jumped out and ambushed us yet, we trustingly complied. Finally emerging into the light, Joy explained that if we climbed a pile of rocks and put one arm up through the small square of re-bar first, we’d be able to exit straight up. Miraculously, it worked. We happily paid Joy a generous tip, and wished him the best of luck.

The rest of the afternoon we bounced around in the jeep, stopping for a cold drink and visiting the Bushiribana Goldmine Ruins and Alto Vista Chapel. Our last stop of the day was the Ayo Rock Formation with huge boulders, mysteriously incongruous with the surrounding landscape.

One Happy Island: Aruba

2008-04-12T13:23:00.005-04:00

Looking toward Baby Beach, Aruba

After more or less successfully resisting the temptation to join the crowd of grumblers during our three hour delay at JFK, we finally took off. Landing in Aruba four hours or so later was enough to make everyone all smiles. The Marriott Aruba Surf Club is quite new, and we spent the first evening and next morning exploring its grounds as well as the sister properties: the Ocean Club and Stellaris casino next door. Although there were a lot of people around, it didn’t seem overly crowded. American tourists dominated by far, and there were many older couples and families with children. We took the bus to downtown Oranjestad and had a quick look around. It didn’t take long to see that this was the place to be if you were looking to shop. All the big-name players were there selling high-fashion, clothing, sunglasses, jewelry and watches. Malls abound, and if you’re looking for good bargains on European imported luxury items, Cuban cigars or Dutch treats, you’re in luck.

There were several large cruise ships docked on the wharf, and the day trippers were loaded onto colorful, loud party buses for a spin around the island. We walked in the opposite direction, and hit the local supermarket to stock up for the week. Food shopping itself was a highlight. We took our time selecting Dutch cheeses, fresh bread, handmade sausage, seasoned chicken, organic eggs, coffee, fruit and pasta. Reading labels to figure out flavors and calculating how many grams of ham to ask for were challenges we greatly enjoyed. Oh, and we got a great deal on a case of Venezuelan Polar, Donny’s beer of choice on our last trip there. We made a great dinner that night including our hot and spicy kip (the chicken), pasta with cheese, and the bottle wine the front desk manager sent up after we had some issues checking in. The casino provided the after-dinner entertainment, and our winnings inspired us to rent a jeep the following day.

Click HERE to link to the photo album from Aruba.

Ready for Spring to Spring

2008-03-28T18:26:00.002-04:00

It's been a few years since I've spent such a long stretch on the East Coast. By now I feel like I should be back out on the road, somewhere much warmer. Spring is taking much too long to arrive, and even though we've barely slowed down I'm getting itchy. A contract was signed on the New York City apartment just last night, so things are looking good on that front. On the other hand it's a bit daunting to be on the verge of homelessness. For now we'll be squatting in the City converting the inflatable mattress each day to an inflatable couch and trying to keep a little income flowing in any way we can.

It was nice to be able to spend Easter with family on Cape Cod. Dad is getting very into Geocaching, so we were able to enjoy getting out and doing that together. A trip to Atlanta allowed time with Donny's family, while tornadoes in the area were the weather highlight. The long drive there and back was therapeutic, I think. Now we're gearing up for a quickie trip to Aruba next week. In case you didn't imagine there's more to come soon on that.

Oh, and the tree above is an amazing old weeping beech behind the post office, near some nature trails in Yarmouthport on Cape Cod. Maybe more on that too. . . --HT

Shorakkopoch

2008-03-07T10:57:00.002-05:00

If the Lenape had known the kind of bargain Dutch colonist Peter Minuit was negotiating when they exchanged the island of Manhattan for beads and trinkets, the deal never would have gone down in 1626. In fact, the Lenape had no concept of private ownership and probably saw the transaction (valuing 60 guilders, $35 or so today) as a temporary agreement rather than a true purchase. Many say it's more likely the deal happened further south, since Inwood was still largely wilderness then, but Shorakkopoch Rock, southwest of the Inwood Hill Urban Ecology Center (Indian Road and West 218th Street), was placed to mark the spot. Shorakkopoch means either "the wading place," "the river's edge," or "the place between the ridges."

Inwood Hill Park encompasses 196 acres of wilderness, hiking trails, part of the Hudson River Bike Path, the last natural forest and salt marsh in Manhattan, along with ball fields, tennis courts and playgrounds. Carbonized food and pottery under ash in caves discovered in the park in the late 1800's show the area's use by Native Americans in the 17^th Century. In the 17^th and 18^th Centuries settlers from Europe lived and worked here. Later, the area held several large estates and philanthropic institutions. Part of the foundation of the Straus family estate still lies in the park. (Isidor and Ida Straus lost their lives on the S.S. Titanic's maiden voyage.)

The Department of Parks and Recreation has held the land since 1916. Workers during the depression helped build many of the walls and pathways throughout the park. The Inwood Hill Park Urban Ecology Center was opened in 1995, and highlights many of the park's natural features. More recently, in 2002, the Urban Park Rangers launched a five-year bald eagle release project in the park.

In the summer, the park is filled with birthday and other family celebrations, happy kids in the playgrounds and fierce competition on the baseball fields, soccer fields and basketball courts. You can hike far enough to forget you're in the City, and emerge by the Hudson River. Start and the Blue Bridge and walk to the Dyckman Marina. Inwood Hill is a treasure in the neighborhood and for the City.

For a few photos of our walk, click HERE.

Maine Trip Part 2

2008-02-08T00:17:00.000-05:00

Northern Maine was wicked awesome. Locals including our friends Steve and Becky told us it had been warm and rain had melted a few layers of snow away, but there was still plenty to enjoy. The scenery was beautiful, and Steve and Becky gave us a great tour, including a pass by my Dad's childhood home in nearby Caribou. One night we were treated to a homemade bean supper followed by a very funny comedy show of Downeast Humor at the Caribou Inn. See www.garycrocker.com for details on that. Highlights included the camp at Lake Madawaska (New Stockholm) and keeping lookout for the ever-elusive (to us) moose. Oh, we did some geocaching as well. The pics were part of the set on the previous entry. (http://picasaweb.google.com/heathertamara/MaineTrip)

Maine Part 1

2008-01-15T23:17:00.000-05:00

We set off from Cape Cod heading for northern Maine. There was no rush, so we made brief stops along the way. New Hampshire is just north of Boston. There are outlets at Kittery and after a hot coffee, we diverted from Rte 95 to the more scenic Rte 1.

York, Maine is home to Neddick (Nubble) lighthouse. It was a classic Maine scene, with rocky coast and a churning channel between the lookout and the light. Ogunquit is a popular summer escape, but quiet this time of year. It was hard not to stop in Portland, Maine’s largest city, old seaport and hip, urban enclave. We pressed on a little further and spent the night in Ellsworth, not far from Acadia National Park. Dinner just had to include lobster: sautéed and dipped in butter for me and over linguine for D.

The morning was sleety and cold, and the summer resort town of Bar Harbor was mostly empty, save a coffee shop and a café. We saw the fishing boats in the harbor and many others in dry-dock, wrapped and stored for the winter. From there, we head to Acadia.

The main loop road was closed for the season, but a back portion allowed us to reach the well-known Sand Beach, starkly beautiful in its desolation. We took advantage of the rare opportunity to walk alone on the shore. A short hike ended in sleet, so we pressed on to Thunder Hole, where the sea forces its way through the rock at certain times of day, the rush causing rumbles and crashes that resulted in the name. We had to turn back at Otter Cliffs to head on around the bay at Southeast Harbor. To be continued. . .

For photos, click HERE.

Outermost Cape

2008-01-14T23:21:00.000-05:00

The windswept dunes and sandy shores of the Outer Cape hold a special charm in winter. There’s no need to worry about traffic and crowds, and it’s a luxury to have the beaches to yourself. Our leisurely drive began in Yarmouth and bypassed the elbow of Chatham north to Eastham and Wellfleet up along the National Seashore. In Truro, we visited Cape Cod Light (aka Highland Light), which was moved back from the cliff’s edge in 1996 to prevent it from falling into the sea. The lighthouse is surrounded by a golf course. A couple of golfers were just heading out with their clubs to play a round, and they nodded a curious greeting, probably wondering who would choose a blustery January day for a tourist stop.

The beaches on this part of the Cape, especially in winter, always make me want to reread Outermost House, Henry Beston’s chronicle of his solitary year spent in a cottage in the dunes on Nauset Spit, part of Coast Guard Beach.

There are some great walking and bike paths near Provincelands heading out toward Race Point, and we took a walk through the marshland, which was being redeveloped. Provincetown itself was incorporated in 1727, but it’s history is much older. It was the site of the first landing of the Mayflower, and the Pilgrims signed the Mayflower compact in the harbor. Later, Provincetown became the Cape’s whaling and fishing center. MacMillan Wharf is still hopping with fishing boats. Commercial Street was deserted, and we only came across one or two shops that were open for business. Winter seems to highlight P’town’s split personalities: fishing village, artists’ colony, gay-friendly tourist destination. We walked out on the jetty at the west end of town to see the one of the other lighthouses across the bay. Believe it or not, there was another car with Georgia plates parked right in front of us, though we never ran across its occupants.

In the bar at the Governor Bradford, no one was quite sure where might be open for dinner. The local fishermen were having a late afternoon brew, and couldn’t resist asking where we non-locals were from. One had a good time ribbing Donny for a bit, but he stood his ground, and they backed down when they learned I had grown up on the Cape.

Dinner later at Michael Shay's included an all you can eat salad bar, tasty fresh seafood, a professional waiter and a cozy wood-burning stove.

Click here to view some photos.

Bautizo

2007-12-26T17:38:00.000-05:00

I'm oficially a godmother again. The first time was for my nephew, Colton. This past Saturday was the Baptism of my goddaughter Kaelyn. I arrived in Florida almost a week early to spend some time and help with preparations for the big day. The weather was beautiful and warm, and Kaelyn and I had a great time playing in the park and watching Dora the Explorer every day. My comadre and compadre made me feel right at home, and sleeping in a bed was sure a welcome change from the hardwood floors of my almost empty New York apartment. The ceremony was in Spanish, and held in a huge Catholic church in Naples. A number of children were being baptised that day. They were all very well behaved, and the ceremonies lasted about an hour. The godfather is one of my closest friends, and the baby's father is his cousin.

After some photos inside, and outside with St. Peter, we head back to the house to continue the cooking that had begun the previous night. There was baked chicken, potato salad, stewed chicken, roast pork, meatballs (a big hit), stuffed rolled beef, mountains of rice, green salad and, of course, the cake. The cake was two levels made by a very talented Bolivian lady, with the bottom layer tres leches and the top pineapple. People started arriving to dig in at around six, and over the course of the evening 100 or so friends and family gathered to dance, sing, visit and play. Ages ranged from 5 mos. to 75 years and everyone had a blast! I was able to see friends I hadn't seen in years, including a number of teens I used to easily carry and who now tower over me.

It was an honor to be asked to take part, and I look forward to many years of celebration with my new extended family.

Tis the Season

2007-12-07T11:58:00.001-05:00

It feels strange to be back in New York, but it's a nice time of year to be here. Most of my Christmas shopping has been foiled by the masses of Euro-wielding guests looking for bargains. I really prefer just looking at the windows anyway.

Macy's is all done up for the holidays. The 2007 Holiday display is of Santa's Big Night. It features Santa Claus' travels across the world fighting Jack Frost's snowy chills, and celebrating back at the North Pole after a long night's work.

I love riding the old wooden escalator in Macy's. The clickety clack is a nostalgic sound. They have apparently been in operation here since 1927. The same model, according to Otis' website was "Australia's first escalator, installed in 1924 in the Lavender Bay Railway Station in Sydney. The one there has since been retired. For excessive detail on Macy's escalators, visit http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/wood.escalator/wooden.html.

The Kenseth Collection

2007-11-15T23:17:00.000-05:00

At a Roush Show Car Garage
Liberty, NC
On the way back to Chicago

Scottsdale Hike

2007-11-07T23:23:00.000-05:00

Our final week of the tour in Phoenix was hectic, but we made time for a hike in McDowell Mountain Park, near Scottsdale. We did some geocaching along the way, and were able to drop off a Jeep travel bug we'd picked up in Texas. It wasn't a strenuous hike, but Phoenix afternoons are still over 90F/35C, so it was a warm one. On the way home, we stopped by Fountain Hills and saw (supposedly) the world's largest man-made fountain.

Another highlight? We seriously doubted we would be able to find great sushi in Phoenix, but we were wrong, wrong, wrong. Yasu, sushi chef at Yasu Sushi Bistro was a master working with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Along with our standard tekka (tuna) and Kappa (cucumber) rolls, we ordered a soft shell crab roll, plus nigiri or sashimi: octopus, chu-toro, mackerel and salmon. Specials included striped jack, fluke, and Kumamoto oysters. I think my favorite of the night was the fluke. It was served with ponzu instead of soy sauce, allowing the light, subtle flavor to shine. Check out the full review on yelp.com or click here to get there directly.

Click here for a few photos from the Scottsdale area.

Highlights from the drive between Houston and Phoenix

2007-10-30T23:23:00.000-04:00

That's 130 km/h for all our international readers...fast for the US!

But no advice on what to do in that case. . .

This was has always struck us as a bit odd. . .like they may not exist after 10 miles?

Giraffe Drool at Fossil Rim

2007-10-16T23:13:00.000-04:00

Peek-a-Boo

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is 1800 acres of animals animals animals (over 1000 representing 50 or so species). Although we love animals, most of you know neither of us likes zoos much. The drive-thru style can be almost as sad as the cages, but Fossil Rim has lots of space for addax, bongo and the scimitar-horned oryx to roam along with more familiar species such as deer and elk, zebra and giraffe. The animals are plentiful and seemingly happy. We didn't opt to get a bag of feed, but the animals didn't know that, so they approached the truck to check us out. One of the giraffes was so excited he drooled all over the driver's side arm-rest and Donny's shorts.

According to their website, here's the mission: "Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is dedicated to conservation of species in peril, scientific research, training of professionals, creative management of natural resources, and impactful public education." They are involved in the Red Wolf Recovery Program, have internships and educational programs for teachers, kids, and home-schoolers.

Apparently, the current director has brought the park back from near bankruptcy with some shrewd business decisions, but since this place is pretty far off the beaten path, they could probably benefit from some more patrons (not too many though...it was really nice not to be rushed through). Click here for photos.

Dinosaur Valley

2007-10-16T12:19:00.000-04:00

Located just outside Glen Rose, TX, this state park reportedly has some of the best preserved dinosaur tracks in the world. The tracks (from the Cretaceous period) can be seen mostly on the rock ledge in the bed of the Paluxy River. It's been raining for a few days, so the water was high and a bit murky, but even so the clawed theropod tracks and big, round sauropod (brontosaurus) tracks were pretty amazing.
Maybe because it was so misty and deserted it was easy to imagine dinosaurs lumbering around when these were the shores of an inland sea. There are also some nature trails in the area, and you can camp and birdwatch. Click for pics of the tracks and the river.

Granbury

2007-10-15T23:17:00.000-04:00

We spent our few days off (making up for working weekend) in Granbury and the surrounding area. Granbury is a town of about 7,600. It was settled in the mid-1800s, and many of the buildings in the historic town square look much the same as they did when the town was up and coming. There's some active recreation on Lake Granbury, including a riverboat, but since it's October, there wasn't much happening on the lake. Downtown Granbury was nice for a walk. Most of the stores around the square are full of antiques or western novelty items and souvenirs. The Courthouse Tower is tall and imposing. The Old Jailhouse has a museum, and Granbury Cemetery is the final resting place of Jesse James. We also had a delicious lunch at the Nutshell Bakery and Cafe. Donny's grilled cheese was served with Granny Smith slices in the sandwich! Mmmmm.

Cowtown

2007-10-06T18:53:00.000-04:00

Fort Worth got the name "Cowtown" for the millions of head of cattle that passed through as they were herded north (over 4 million between 1866 and 1890). It was the last major stop for rest and supplies on the Chisholm trail to Kansas and the rails there. After the railroad arrived in Ft. Worth, it became a major shipping point itself, leading to the construction of The Ft. Worth Stockyards in 1877.

There are a number of interesting historical buildings in town, as well as restaurants, shopping and all the standard trappings of "old town" anywhere, but with a western twist. Cowtown Coliseum's 100th Anniversary was today, so we got to hear the mayor say a few words before the daily cattle drive down the main street. Later, we went to a rodeo at the coliseum. Here are all its firsts:

1908 - First Exhibition Round-up of Cattle ever held under a roof in the United States.

1908 - First Night Horse Show in the United States

1918 - World's First Indoor Rodeo

1923 - World's First Live Radio Broadcast of a Rodeo

1934 - Bull Riding Introduced to the world of Rodeo

The sculpture above shows Bill Pickett, the first black cowboy to be inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame. He was a top act at the coliseum. He was the first to introduce bulldogging to the masses. His trademark move was biting the lip of the steer to bring it under control (a move he picked up from the clever ranch dogs). Click here for pics.

Big Tex

2007-09-29T21:07:00.001-04:00

We spent the day at the Texas State Fair, held at the same site, Fair Park (itself a National Historic Landmark), since 1886. Today was the second day of the month-long fair, but we arrived pretty early so the crowds weren't too bad until people started arriving for the Grambling State vs. Prairie View game at the Cotton Bowl (also onsite). We rode the Texas Star Ferris wheel (tallest one in the US), saw livestock exhibits, a dog dancing show, a Tango demonstration and did lots and lots of people watching. Thankfully (sort of) we successfully avoided everything on the list of 2007 Big Tex Food Award Finalists: Mama's Fried Sweet Potato Pie, Zesty Fried Guacamole Bites, BW's Original Fried Banana Pudding, Texas Fried Cookie Dough, Country Fried Peach Cobbler on a Stick, Deep Fried Latte and Fernie's Fried Chili Frito Burrito. We did however eat a jalapeno cheese corn dog, a Coors light, pizza, a tamale, watermelon lime agua fresca, a free ice cream sample and a lemonade. I don't know if that's much better, and I still wonder how they do a fried Coke?! Click here for some photos.

Sixth Floor Museum

2007-09-27T21:12:00.000-04:00

The former Book Depository in Dealey Plaza, downtown Dallas, TX, houses the Sixth Floor Museum, chronicling the events leading up to John F. Kennedy's assassination. The museum includes film, audio, photos, some Kennedy family history and other artifacts. You can see the sniper's perch, where police found piles of boxes where Lee Harvey Oswald allegedly hid and shot from. This corner of the Sixth Floor is plexiglassed in to preserve it. The window is open. The Seventh Floor had an exhibit pertaining to Texas Law Enforcement, including the suits two of the detectives were wearing when Jack Ruby shot Oswald in the basement of police headquarters. Outside you can walk around the grassy knoll.

Historic Guthrie

2007-09-26T22:10:00.001-04:00

We wanted to get a head start on our drive back to Dallas from Wichita, so we ended up stopping at a known quantity: a Sleep Inn and Suites in Guthrie, OK with a relatively big parking lot just off the highway. It didn't hurt that there was a Braum's within walking distance. What we hadn't discovered on any of our previous three overnights in Guthrie, is that its downtown is a sprawling National Historic District. Armed with this knowledge overheard during dinner at Johnny's Original Rib Shack, we delayed our morning departure for a brief visit to downtown Guthrie.

In 1889, Unassigned Lands (about two million acres of Indian Territory) were opened for settlement by non-Native Americans in what was called "Harrison's Hoss Race" or "The Great Land Run of 1889." At high noon, cannons were fired. During the next six hours, an estimated 50,000 settlers grabbed sections of land up to 160 acres, and claimed their new homes. In an afternoon, the city of Guthrie became one of the country's largest cities west of the Mississippi. This first land run was a free for all, and numerous legal battles ensued over who was where first. Incidentally, the term "sooners," now used for the fans of OU football, was used to identify those who hid out early, before the "official" time, to then pop up and snatch up the prime homesteading spots. Residents continued constructing buildings of brick and stone, a mass transit system, and perhaps most interesting: underground parking for horses and carriages. You can still see the foundations of many downtown buildings extending below the street. Tunnels connected many of these buildings. In 1907, Oklahoma was admitted as the 46^th state to be admitted to the union. Guthrie was the first capital of the new state, but this was also its downfall, as politics within the state government succeeded in moving the capital three years later. The city lay quiet for many years, until historic conservation efforts recently restored many of the old buildings.

Guthrie's National Historic District (one of the largest in the US) now contains 2,169 buildings, 1,400 acres and 400 city blocks. One favorite was the Post Office, built after the newly appointed Postmaster spent many months under a tent passing out mail by hand with the help of volunteers to hundreds of people anxiously waiting for news of when the wife and kids would arrive. The Oklahoma Frontier Drugstore Museum houses an amazing collection of turn-of-the-century medicines, tonics, pills, advertisements, prescriptions and an authentic soda fountain. Mark Ekiss, the proprietor, is a pharmacist himself, and can provide a wealth of information on the collection and its history. Click here for some photos of Guthrie.

Standin' on a corner

2007-09-21T22:37:00.000-04:00

Eagles fans will know why we finally took a rest stop in Winslow, AZ on our last long drive (California to Texas). It was a quick overnight after a long day, but there was a county fair going on in a big parking area across the street from our hotel, so we couldn't resist a little walk.

Ever been to a Braum's?

2007-09-21T22:04:00.000-04:00

We'd seen Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Stores on past visits through Kansas and Oklahoma. A visit proved to be surprising and tasty. In addition to the ice cream, they had Braum brand cold cuts, eggs, juice, and a grill with old-fashioned burgers and chicken sandwiches.

Braum's is unique in its industry, owning its dairy herd, farms and ranches, processing plant, bakery, retail stores and delivery trucks. It also has the largest milking parlor in the world. According to their website, "Three times a day, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, Braum's is milking 10,000 cows!" They grow alfalfa and corn to feed them, and buy local soybeans, wheatstraw and other crops. They also don't use any hormones or antibiotics. The farm-to-table operation is still family owned and run. Way to go!

Labor Day on the East Coast

2007-09-10T11:25:00.001-04:00

Vacation at last! Long hours in the airport were well-worth a long-awaited vacation. It was a whirlwind that felt like a lot more than five days. Stepping out of the airport may have been a highlight of the whole trip. The air was cool and refreshing, a drastic change from inland California's daily triple digits. It was nice to be in a real city, instead of the strip mall-Applebees-Chilis- on-every-corner outskirts usually mandated by our schedule and the size of our vehicle. We went straight from JFK to a tasty home-made breakfast of yuca, platanos, salchichon, eggs and the best coffee we've had for six months, all lovingly prepared by the best friend a girl could have, Arismendy. Later that afternoon we went to a picnic in a newly-renovated park in the Bronx. There were 30 or 40 of us, with food to feed twice that many. The kids had fun playing and running around, and there were some impromptu soccer and volleyball games. It was great to see everyone. Excessive dancing at the after party led to an appetite for leftovers. Since several people mistook him for a cop (due to his quiet observation of the whole affair), Donny's going to practice his merengue skills for next time. The photo below is Adonis and me. I can't believe I used to carry him around on one hip, and now he's starting high school. I guess it's true: time does fly.

Sunday night we head to a small club in Brooklyn for the pre-wedding "Labor of Love" party for my friend Kavitha and her husband-to-be Chewy. As an added highlight, we got my good friend Joe to meet us there. The two bands and DJ were worth coming out for on their own, but it was also nice to be able to see Kavi before her big day. The music was modern jazz, later transitioning into some urban funk. The wedding will have elements from Hindu and Christian, Indian and African-American traditions, and that includes the food. I'm sorry to miss the greens and samosas. I know it will be a beautiful day.

Monday we drove up to Cape Cod, MA. Dinner at Dad's the first night was sirloin tips on the grill, mushrooms and onions, squash and potato, asparagus and salad. Mmmm. The meal and visiting was followed by a round of miniature golf where someone beat someone else by three strokes on her home course. I won't give Donny the satisfaction of going into detail. The next day, we walked around the harbor, played at the 6A playground, and did the boardwalk at Bass Hole. Salmon on the grill was for dinner at my sister's, then we got my brother-in-law Tim hooked on geocaching during a walk in the dunes the next day. We were even able to snag a coveted Jeep Travel Bug from a cache in Mashpee. (For more on this see http://www.jeep.geocaching.com/.) Our last night of vacation we all got together for a New England seafood dinner by the Hyannis Harbor at the Black Cat. Thanks to Tim and Caroline we got a ride to the airport in Boston after a walk and lunch on Newberry Street on the way. For pics from Cape Cod, click here.

Coronado Island

2007-08-26T02:34:00.000-04:00

Coronado Island is connected to the City of San Diego by the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge. It's also accessible by ferry. The area includes some nice beaches, shopping and dining. There are bike paths along the tidal pools and beaches. Silver Strand State Beach seems to be especially popular with kite-surfers and campers.

Further along, just a few miles from the Mexican border, Imperial Beach is the most southwesterly community in the U.S.

The atmosphere there is more laid back, with a fishing pier, lots of rental beach houses and a few restaurants. Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge and Border Field State Park are nearby for walking and wildlife viewing.

The Hotel Del Coronado, a National Historic Landmark dating back to 1888;

Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon filmed "Some Like it Hot" here in the '50s.

Therapeutic Beachdays

2007-08-20T02:11:00.000-04:00

In a last hurrah before being exiled back to the stifling Inland Empire, we spent a sunny weekend not too far from the coast. This allowed not only a relaxing afternoon at the beach, but time spent with good friends in Orange County. In addition to having dinner at a dining room table instead of in a restaurant, Donny got to add to his poker winnings. We were even able to have some visitors at one of our events later in the week! The photo above is Crystal Cove. The one below is near Newport Harbor.

I-70 Drive

2007-08-15T12:00:00.000-04:00

It was a long way from Springfield, MO to LA, so a hundred extra miles was worth avoiding I-40, its construction, need for repairs and generally less than appealing scenery. We opted to drive back through Kansas to Denver, then across I-70 through Colorado, Utah, and a bit of AZ and NV before arriving in California. It was a good choice. We spent one night in Hays, Kansas, and one in Dillon, CO (an hour or so before Vail, Aspen, etc.) Halfway through Utah, at a truck stop. we coincidentally ran into Del and Connie, a couple we know who haul around one of the Tony Stewart Home Depot showcars. When we found out we both planned to spend the night in Cedar City, we arranged to meet for dinner. The steak at Rusty's on Canyon Road was decent; the company was better. We'll see them again when we work together in LA.

Click here for some photos of this portion of the drive.

The last stop was Primm, NV, south of Las Vegas at the last exit in Nevada before entering California. We stayed at Whiskey Pete's, where once again I lost more than I wanted to. Donny hit for $100 on a quarter slot to even things out. As an unsurprising welcome to LA, it took almost as long sitting in traffic as the drive from Vegas. We'll be here for two more weeks 'til we finally take vacation.

Cedar Breaks National Monument

2007-08-14T23:09:00.000-04:00

Cedar Breaks National Monument is located east of Cedar City, in southern Utah. It's a giant amphitheater dipping over 2000 feet from the Colorado plateau from a height of over 10,000 feet. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared it a National Monument in 1933. Inside the bowl are columns, arches, pinnacles and canyons resembling a smaller version of Bryce Canyon. The range of reds, oranges and purples inspired Native Americans to call Cedar Breaks the "Circle of Painted Cliffs." Bristlecone and ponderosa pine, along with aspens and alpine meadows with summer wildflowers fill the Dixie National Forest surrounding Cedar Breaks. The location, a bit off the typical Zion/Bryce Canyon route means less of a fight with the pesky tourist train for those (like us) who really want a place to themselves. It's a beautiful area, and definitely worth a visit. Take a look at the Cedar Breaks area, including a short walk to the Alpine Lake, HERE.

Pythian Castle

2007-08-11T00:11:00.000-04:00

The Pythian Castle was built in of cut limestone blocks in 1915 by the Grand Lodge of Knights of Pythias, a fraternal order, as a home for aged members and orphaned children of members. In 1942, the property was sold to the US government during World War II. The few remaining orphans ad elderly residents were placed in private institutions, while the building served as a popular spot for USO dances and shows. Bob Hope appeared on stage there, among others. POWs from several nations were held there at times as well. The building later became a part of O'Reilly General Hospital and then it was used for a number of years by the Army Reserve. It is now owned privately by a family who is restoring it and renting it out for various functions. For those who believe in such things, the castle has been certified haunted by several paranormal organizations. It was even featured on a Sci-Fi Channel show on haunted places. People report hearing unexplained noises, and orbs have been detected in several areas of the building along with temperature changes and voices caught on tape. Click here to see what showed up in some of our photos and judge for yourself.

Branson

2007-08-10T17:41:00.000-04:00

We didn't realize Springfield was so close to the live music mecca of the Ozarks: Branson, Missouri. We took care of work stuff early, and head on down. It was a must to see a show while in town, especially since outdoor activities were not an appealing option in the 100 degree weather. From among options like Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, the Baldknobbers Jamboree Show and Yakov Smirnoff's Dynamite Russian Comedy, we chose the New Shanghai Circus Acrobats of China show. After a look around town, a frozen custard and a quick photo with the world's largest banjo, we head to the theater. Branson has over 40 of them, with 60,000 seats and over 70 live shows.

The show was impressive. It included amazing feats of balance, strength, contortion and coordination. The acrobats spend eight months a year right there in Branson, returning to China for the other four months. Click here for some photos of Branson.

Colorado to Missouri

2007-08-08T11:16:00.000-04:00

It might not seem to make much sense to stop in Springfield, Missouri on the way from Denver to LA, but apparently someone in Springfield has some pretty persuasive powers. I guess we can think of it as being very, very wanted.

Since there really is no direct route between the two cities, we ended up on some very rural highways toward the end of the drive. We passed mostly hay bales, cornfields, and an occasional cluster of cows munching for the last few hundred miles. It was really very pretty.

Mt. Rushmore

2007-07-26T03:26:00.000-04:00

Rapid City, SD, was a convenient place to stop for the night on the way to Sioux Falls. Even though it was a short visit, we made a late afternoon run to visit Mt. Rushmore, just 15 miles away. It was pretty impressive. Check out some photos here.

Awesome Example of Classic Americana!

2007-07-26T02:56:00.000-04:00

Stops like this are truely what make driving the country worth the hours. For anyone who has driven I-95 think of South Of The Border mid-west style. There are signs for hundreds of miles as you approach this icon.

"The Wall Drug Store got its start during the Depression years by offering Free Ice Water to
thirsty travelers. From their beginning in 1931 to today, the family-owned and run business
continues what their reputation was and is built on — giving friendly service to the public." (http://www.walldrug.com/)

Click here for some amusement.

Here is a link to a cool article.

A long, long drive

2007-07-25T03:11:00.000-04:00

After work on Tuesday, July 24 we dove immediately into our whirlwind 1700-mile drive from Burlington, WA to Sioux Falls, SD, where we had another event at a local dirt track (the I-90 Speedway). Here are some photos from eastern Washington, nothern Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota.

16 oz Almond Joy with Soy Milk Please

2007-07-24T02:31:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things about the Pacific Northwest is the ever-present coffee hut. They are everywhere! Most are geared toward drive-through, while some you can walk up to as well. Even though I refuse to pay for anything but the $1.69 coffee of the day at Starbucks, I can't resist the flavors, sizes, milk choices and extra shots at these little shacks of espresso heaven. It feels better somehow to patronize the small business owner, too. At this stop I opted for coffee with an extra shot of espresso, iced, with Almond Joy flavor and soy milk. Donny had an iced Chai Spice.

Extra Large

2007-07-24T02:28:00.000-04:00

Seriously, what kind of vehicle requires tires this big?

Mt. Rainier Hike

2007-07-22T18:48:00.000-04:00

At 14, 411 feet, Mt. Rainier is the highest peak in Washington. It is also an inactive volcano, now with a mantle of snowfields, glacier and dense forests. It is a Northwest icon, with over 300 miles of trailes throughout the park. We decided on an approach from the Northwest (closest to where we were staying). Some of the other areas of the park look beautiful as well, and they are on our list of future places to explore. Over ninety percent of Rainier's land is under wilderness protection. In 1997 it was designated a national historic landmark for early examples of “parkitecture” structures. Since the route over the Carbon Glacier was washed out due to flooding, we head up toward Mowich Lake. The trail we hiked led to Lake Eunice, surrounded by summer wildflowers. The rain and fog only enhanced the peaceful atmosphere. Click for more photos.

Seattle

2007-07-20T18:41:00.000-04:00

In contrast to last year, we saw lots of rain this trip to the Pacific Northwest. We did catch the Bite of Seattle this time. It featured lots of food, live bands and chance meetings with some friends who were in town working either at this event or nearby.

Mt. St. Helens

2007-07-15T19:21:00.000-04:00

Mount St. Helens erupted at 8:32 Sunday morning, May 18, 1980. Shaken by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale, the north face of this tall symmetrical mountain collapsed in a massive rock debris avalanche. Nearly 230 square miles of forest was blown down or buried beneath volcanic deposits. At the same time a mushroom-shaped column of ash rose thousands of feet skyward and drifted downwind, turning day into night as dark, gray ash fell over eastern Washington and beyond. The eruption lasted 9 hours, but Mount St. Helens and the surrounding landscape were dramatically changed within moments. In 1982, the President and Congress created the 110,000-acre National Volcanic Monument for research, recreation, and education. Inside the Monument, the environment is left to respond naturally to the disturbance. (Source: http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/)

It's amazing to see how much natural recovery has taken place. We were especially lucky to see many summer wildflowers blooming. The several rest stop/information centers along the route we took through the monument each offered a different perspective, and were all quite informative. One highlight was viewing, from far above, the herd of elk that has returned to the area. Click HERE for photos of Mt. St. Helens.

Sorry, Mt. Baldy

2007-07-14T14:30:00.000-04:00

We neglected to post anything about our visit to Mt. Baldy on 7-7-07. While our hotel was taken over by a huge Filipino wedding party, we escaped north to this highest peak of the San Gabriel Mountains (western San Bernardino County, between Los Angeles and the Mojave Desert). We took the chair lift to the ski lodge, then hiked northwest another 800 feet or so to the top of Chair 4 (about 8600 feet). On the way back down we made a detour to San Antonio Falls to cool off before ending the day with a root beer float at the "Original Movie Slope Snack Bar." Click HERE for photos.

Mt. Shasta

2007-07-11T20:26:00.000-04:00

Mt. Shasta, northern California, 14,161 ft. (4317 m)

Pea Soup

2007-07-11T01:14:00.001-04:00

Best Western is a membership association of independently owned and operated hotels. (I looked this up, and it says so in their FAQs.) With more than 4,100 hotels in 80 countries, they call themselves "The World’s Largest Hotel Chain." Many are the standard place name like Best Western Dallas North or Best Western Falls Church. The really interesting ones are those that are themed, and there are many. The theme often doesn’t match the surrounding area, as in the case of the Best Western Swiss Clock Inn, in Pecos Texas. The design includes dark wood beams and a tall white clock tower visible from the highway. The Best Western Pecos Inn, on the other hand, is in Artesia New Mexico. Sometimes, the hotel takes its theme from a landmark already in place. This is true of the hotel we stayed in last night on the way to Portland from LA. It is the Best Western Peasoup Andersen’s Inn in Nella Village, CA. A Danish man and his French wife started drawing tourists with the original Pea Soup stop further south in CA, but this Pea Soup II has been there a LONG time as well. The sourdough bread bowl full of pea soup with 5 toppings (croutons, ham, bacon, scallions and cheddar) at the restaurant next door was delicious. . . and 10% off with our coupon from the Best Western. There are numerous other examples that don’t quite fit. I guess you can find driftwood by a river, but it’s not the first thing you think of. Nevertheless, the Best Western Driftwood Inn is in Idaho Falls, while Big Country is in Coalinga, CA. Other memorable stops include the Best Western Cherokee Strip in Oklahoma with above average Mexican food and nothing but highway and cows in view. Curious names we’re keeping an eye out for: Best Western Icicle Inn in Leavenworth, WA, Best Western Locomotive Inn in Laurel, MT, Best Western Lodge at Purgatory in Durango, CO and the Best Western Treehouse Inn in Mt. Shasta, CA.

San Diego Wild Animal Park

2007-07-04T01:57:00.001-04:00

Hmm. I wonder where they keep the bananas?
The 1,800-acre Wild Animal Park is located north of San Diego near Escondido. Part of San Diego Zoo, the Wild Animal Park is a destination of its own. It's operated by the not-for-profit Zoological Society of San Diego. The sanctuary is home to more than 3,500 animals of 429 species, including the largest crash of rhinos in any zoological facility, and one of the only California condor exhibits in the world.

Click here for wild animal photos.

San Diego Sunday

2007-07-01T01:06:00.000-04:00

Our first California Coast dive was La Jolla Cove Ecological Preserve. If only we could have gotten a photo of ourselves in all the gear. Since we're used to water temperatures closer to 80 than high 60s, we were equipped with thicker wetsuits, hoods, gloves, etc.

These photos are pretty much what we looked/felt like. Buoyancy control was more of a challenge, and visibility was very limited (about 5 feet). Our dive guide said it was the worst she'd ever seen. We navigated around some tall columns of kelp, which were pretty cool-looking, but with the surges increasing, we head to more shallow water. We did see a few garibaldi fish (like big, chubby orange goldfish) on the way in, and a harbor seal playing around at the surface. All in all it was a good experience. The Cove was very pretty, and there were some cool sea caves to explore nearby. Oh, and breakfast at on the Coast Drive was delicious.

After watching the NASCAR race and taking a nap, we head back out to the coast to eat and watch the sunset. As you can see, it was pretty amazing.

Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo and his National Monument

2007-06-30T22:01:00.000-04:00

Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo led the first European expedition exploring the what is now the US's Pacific Coast. He arrived in San Diego bay in September of 1542 and declared it a "very good, enclosed port." The National Monument commemorating his journey was established in 1913.

The Old Point Loma Lighthouse is a short walk away from the statue of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo. The lighthouse was built 422 feet above sea level. It seemed like a perfect spot to serve as both a harbor light and coastal beacon. Unfortunately, the light was often obscured by low-lying fog and clouds. The lighthouse was in service from 1855-1891, when construction of a new lighthouse on lower ground was completed. You can walk through the old lighthouse and see how the Keeper and his family lived when the kids had to row a boat across the bay to Old San Diego to get to school.

At the western entrance to Cabrillo there are also outlooks from which, in season, you can see the annual migration of Pacific Gray Whales. Tide pools below are home to anemones, octopus, troglodyte chitons, sea hares, crabs and a wide variety of mollusks among a variety of other creatures.

Click here for additional photos.

Punta Reyes National Seashore

2007-06-24T16:18:00.000-04:00

San Francisco has lots to offer, and I'll be sad to leave without eating my bread bowl of chowder and cioppino on Fisherman's Wharf, but we again decided to use our limited time to do something we'd missed on past trips. Punta Reyes National Seashore is just north of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. This ancient home of the coastal Miwok also has interesting maritime and ranching history. The bases of craggy cliffs and rolling hills are pounded by timeless waves. Spanish explorers and merchants later navigated this shoreline, some ending up one of the wrecks that dot the coast. Others transporting goods for gold miners, dairy farmers, and lumbermen. The Point Reyes Lighthouse was built in 1870. It was interesting to read excerpts from the lightkeepers' logs. It's hard to imagine living and raising a family in those days in this windiest, foggiest place on the Pacific Coast. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1975 when the U.S. Coast Guard installed an automated light and turned over other operations to the National Park Service. Also in the area is a refuge of reintroduced Tule Elk. Depending on when you visit, you can sometimes watch migrating whales and an elephant seal colony. We saw a big harbor seal swimming below the lighthouse, and a few deer. Oh, and there were lots of happy-looking California dairy cows wandering the cliffs as well. Click here for some pictures of this beautiful area.

Joshua Tree National Park

2007-06-17T18:35:00.000-04:00

"Strolling on, it seems to me that the strangeness and wonder of existence are emphasized here, in the desert, by the comparative sparsity of the flora and fauna: life not crowded upon life as in other places but scattered abroad in spareness and simplicity, with a generous gift of space for each herb and bush and tree, each stem of grass, so that the living organism stands out bold and brave and vivid against the lifeless sand and barren rock." - Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire

Joshua Tree National Park was amazing. Click here for some photos.

San Diego I

2007-06-14T21:48:00.000-04:00

We didn't have much spare time in San Diego this year, and we visited many of the big attractions last year, so we picked an area we'd never visited before to check out one afternoon. Click HERE for a few pictures of San Diego's Mission Bay area and up to La Jolla. The most popular things to do in town are, of course, the world-famous San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park (not to be missed), Tijuana, the Gas Lamp District, Old Town, Legoland and Sea World. It looks like we may be back here before the 4th of July, so there may be an update to come. Next stop: The Inland Empire.

Wichita to Cali

2007-06-11T21:26:00.000-04:00

With 3 short days to drive from Wichita to San Diego, we decided to get a head start and get going directly after work on Saturday. These are some shots from Arizona and California along the way.

Wichita, KS

2007-06-06T00:33:00.000-04:00

The City of Wichita grew from trading posts set up at the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers in the late 1800s. The "Keeper of the Plains" still stands watch from this spot where the rivers flow together. There are lots of parks and museums in this area, and we visited several, including the Mid-America All-Indian Center Museum.

Brick-lined streets, historic buildings and lampposts, good restaurants and informative signage make up Wichita's Old Town. It's set where the old warehouse district was located, not far from the Santa Fe and Rock Island railroad tracks. The original names are still visible on a number of buildings (see below).

"The Keen Kutter brand of tools was created in 1879 by E.C. Simmons of St. Louis, MO, a pioneer in the use of catalogues as a major sales tool. The tool manufacturer was owned by Morton-Simmons Hardware Company of St. Louis, MO and sold tools throughout the country. Today, the building has been restored to a 115-room hotel in the heart of Old Town, with the façade and distinctive brick tower true to their original form." --Credit: Historical information excerpted from Wichita Century (Wichita Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 1969) and the City of Wichita Historic Preservation Office.

One night we saw the new Pirates of the Caribbean at the Warren Theater. It's a regular movie theatre with extra wide aisles and a call button on the seat to summon a waitress to bring a fresh salad, pizza, cold beer (in an actual glass), or more traditionally more popcorn and candy.

For some additional photos, Click HERE.

Tulsa Life

2007-05-30T21:48:00.000-04:00

We admittedly didn't put in as much effort into Tulsa as we had other places to find interesting things to do. Maybe we were tired, maybe it was the weather, who knows? In all fairness, Tulsa is a decent little mini-city. It's known mostly for its Native American roots and former oil glory days when many residents got rich on "black gold" and built palatial mansions along the Arkansas River. A number of people we spoke to reflected on those days. More recently, there has been an effort at urban renewal, with lots of parks by the the riverfront, a variety of restaurants, a zoo and museums.

We had the opportunity to visit the Tulsa Air and Space Museum, as it was one of our event sites for work. I called on my limited teaching experience to give brief talks to school groups visiting the museum for the day. The main topic was, of course, the race car, and how it tied in to their visit through aerodynamics, motors and engineering.

Just because it was so novel, I wanted to include the photo below, apparently a liquid nutritional supplement chock-full of naturally derived minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants.

For the rest of our visit to Tulsa we were primarily engaged in losing small amounts of money to the penny slot machines at the Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino, The Creek Nation Casino, and The Cherokee Nation Casino and Resort. Next stop: Wichita, KS where, fortunately, there are no casinos. --HTM

Beyond Graceland

2007-05-26T18:12:00.000-04:00

Memphis: home of Fedex, The Piggly Wiggly, one of the busiest cement terminals in the country, and Pork Barbecue Capital of the World. We started with a HUGE pork shoulder sandwich at Neely's. This may have been the best taste yet, and the price was right too!The other food highlight was ribs at Rendezvous, in a downtown Memphis alley. Beale Street had live music and lots of activity, since this was the final weekend of the annual Memphis in May.

Memphis' music heritage touches a number of different genres: from WC Handy writing the first blues song in 1909 to rock-and-rollers Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis. Isaac Hayes recorded his Academy Award Winning "Theme from Shaft" here too. You can visit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Rock-n-Soul Museum, Memphis Music Hall of Fame, Sun Studio Museum and, of course, Graceland to experience these rich muscial traditions.

The National Civil Rights Museum is housed partially in the hotel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Dr. King's and several other rooms, as well as the balcony outside, were kept intact at the Lorraine Hotel.

Out final stop was the Crystal Shrine Grotto, built by Dionicio Rodriguez, a self-taught sculptor, in the 1930s. The Grotto, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places is a hand-carved cave of biblical scenes located within a local cemetary. It's a peaceful place, and quite unusual.

Click HERE for photos of Memphis and its sites.

Music City

2007-05-24T22:25:00.000-04:00

Since neither of us had ever spent much time in Nashville, we wanted to get a taste of what it has to offer. With the Nashville: Music City All-Access Pass, we were able to choose four major attractions (plus bonus entry to the Parthenon). We did a whirlwind tour, and accomplished quite a bit.

Nashville is known for its ties to country music, and there are dozens of live music venues downtown and in the surrounding areas. We passed by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which features artifacts such as Gene Autry's guitar, along with photographs, original recordings, videos, and other media. Nashville is also home to the Grand Ole Opry and Opryland. The light and water show inside the Opryland Resort was a treat.

In the evening we took a cruise on the 300-foot paddle wheel riverboat the General Jackson Showboat. It featured live music, a cruise down the Cumberland river, and great views of the Nashville skyline at night. The only negative was the price of a drink: $12.50 (though we did get to keep the souvenir glass).

Our visit to The Hermitage included the grounds and gardens, mansion, mausoleum and outlying buildings of Andrew Jackson's (7th President and Hero of New Orleans) plantation. Perhaps most interesting were some exhibits on the lives of the approximately 140 slaves who worked the land and maintained the household. Very little was documented, but archaeological exploration has lead to many fascinating discoveries. The day we visited fourth graders from a nearby elementary school acted at docents in the museum and several other areas, and they did a great job!

The Belmont Mansion is an Italianate-style villa, built as a summer home to Adelicia Hayes Franklin Acklen Cheatham (1817-) and her family. Adelicia was a shrewd business woman who used her wits to conspire with both Confederate and Union forces to emerge from the Civil War with her fortune intact. The home is one of the most elaborate and unusual homes in the South, and a remarkable number of the pieces inside are original. According to our knowledgeable guide, there was a deer park on the grounds and even a pet bear for a while (hopefully not too close to one another).

One fun and silly stop we made here in Nashville was the Cooter's Dukes of Hazzard Museum. It was mainly a retail outlet for all things from Hazzard County. There was also a collection of all of the old collectibles as well as a few original vehicles: Daisy's Jeep, Roscoe's cop car and of course a General Lee.

Last but not least we visited The Parthenon, built as part of Nashville's 1897 Centennial Exhibition. It's a full-scale replica of the Parthenon in Athens. The upper level Naos houses a 42 foot statue of the goddess Athena, recreating the sculpture Phidias was to have made.

Nashville food highlights:

Nashville barbecue is influenced by several regions, but the specialty is pork. Downtown at Jack's, the sauce was tangy and on the spicy side.

Rotier's near the Parthenon served a cheeseburger on French bread that was amazing. Thanks to a tip from my great friend Bill for that one!

Click here for the Nashville photo album.

Bad Luck For Some, Good Luck For Others

2007-05-22T15:52:00.000-04:00

So as it turns out the car being stolen ended up being a good thing for us. We were in Atlanta for Mother's Day as well as Donny's mom's birthday. We won't say the years but let's put it this way, it was a BIG one. We were able to visit family and friends which made the extra miles and headache worth it. We were very happy to see all of the Atlanta contingency, thanks for all of your hospitality!

Stop, Thief!

2007-05-13T20:47:00.000-04:00

Last week, the East Coast team walked out of their hotel to head to an event to find their truck, trailer, and race car missing. The whole unit had been stolen from their Atlanta hotel parking lot. Since thier set-up is identical to ours, we were called in from Texas to fill in. Everything should be back to normal in the next week or so. In the meantime, we've been able to visit friends and family in Atlanta. Donny even go to do Mother's day, which was a great surprise for all.

To read the news article: click here.

Click here to watch the video.

Cinco de Mayo: Toronto Bluejays @ Texas Rangers

2007-05-05T20:16:00.000-04:00

Carlsgood

2007-04-29T23:26:00.000-04:00

The Guadalupe Mountains on the Texas-New Mexico border reach heights of almost 9,000 feet. Not far away, deep beneath the surface, are hundreds of caverns formed when sulfuric acid dissolved surrounding limestone. The limestone is what remains of a coral reef of an inland sea from around 250 million years ago. There are over 113 caves within Carlsbad National Park but only two are open to the public. The temperature in the caves is always about 56 degrees F. There's a very good, detailed article by the NPS HERE.

We entered through the Natural Entrance and descended a gradual mile along the traditional explorer's route to a depth of around 750 feet. The caves were used in the early 1900s to harvest bat guano, a rich fertilizer. It was open to tourists as early as the 1920s. From May to October over 400,000 (down from 8 million once) Mexican free-tailed bats live in one of the passageways of the caves. They leave at dusk and return to rest during the day. They migrate to Mexico for the winter. Native Americans knew about the caves long before, and artifacts including an ice scraper of an Ice-Age hunter and two spear points dating from about 10,000 years ago have been found nearby.

The "Big Room" at the bottom is over 8 acres (the size of 114 football fields). Among the many amazing features is Iceberg Rock, a single 200,000 ton boulder that fell from the ceiling thousands of years ago. There was also an overwhelming array of cave formations: stalactites, stalagmites, flow stone, soda straws, lily pads, draperies, columns, popcorn, cave pearls and mirror pools.

Click HERE for some photos, and PLEASE leave a comment here on the blog from time to time. It makes our day, and lets us know someone is actually checking it out.

Desert Blooms

2007-04-27T00:08:00.000-04:00

If some of you having been following our blog since last year, you would have already seen some photos from the Franklin Mountains outside El Paso. Well, we were back in the area and decided to go for a hike in a different part of the Texas State Park. We had a four and a half mile hike winding up switchbacks and finally reaching Mundy's Gap. At that point you can see three different states in two countries (Texas, New Mexico and Chihuahua, Mexico). In addition to the views, we took the time to stop and smell the flowers, literally, as you can see in these pictures. Click here.

Puro Sabor de Juarez

2007-04-26T00:16:00.000-04:00

Our last visits to El Paso focused primarily on history and nature (see entries from the Mission Trail, Hueco Tanks, Franklin Mountains, White Sands Natl. Monument). We had never really seen much of downtown, never mind crossed the border. El Paso's downtown has lots of interesting gunslinger history, some neat old buildings, museums and cultural spots. Later, we walked over the Santa Fe Street Bridge into Juárez, Mexico. In some ways similar to another pair of border cities, Tijuana-San Diego, Ciudad Juárez-El Paso creates a binational, bilingual megalopolis. This one is the biggest in North America (twice as many people live on the Juárez side). Juárez is a major player in international business, with plants owned by Lear Corporation, Proctor-Silex and Siemans, among others. The two cities were one until the 1840s, with people being separated only by the Rio Grande. They were separated finally under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. These days, most tourists cross the border here for inexpensive shopping, legendary nightlife and cheap authentic eats. We took a walk, had a look at the Cathedral of the Virgen of Guadalupe and some other buildings, and eventually moseyed on back across the border.

Click HERE for a few photos.

We're Not in Kansas Anymore

2007-04-26T00:08:00.000-04:00

Storm Watchers in TX

A few shots on the drive from Topeka to El Paso. We took a shorter route on a slightly smaller highway, avoiding passing through Albuquerque and seeing a few new sites along the way.

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

2007-04-21T22:03:00.001-04:00

"Whatever else prairie is – grass, sky, wind – it is most of all a paradigm of infinity, a clearing full of many things except boundaries, and its power comes from its apparent limitlessness..."

— William Least Heat-Moon, PrairyErth

Hoping to use our new National Parks Pass for the first time, we set off into the Flint Hills region of Kansas, home to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. It was established in 1996 and extends almost 11,000 acres. (These prairies once covered as much as 400,000 square miles in North America.) It's also the first national park dedicated exclusively to protecting America's prairie heritage, and the only park devoted to grasslands. The prairies are a subtle but amazing ecosystem of sweeping vistas, rolling hills and an endless sky. In the spring, they conduct controlled burns to get rid of encroaching trees and expose the earth below to rain and sun, enabling grasses to return. The grasses used to nourish herds of bison, which may be re-introduced sometime in the future.

Along the way, we also passed through Cottonwood Falls (Chase County Courthouse, est. 1873, the oldest still in use in KS, made of native limestone and walnut), Strong City (see photo of Main Street), and Council Grove (where we ate at Hays House, built in 1857 by Daniel Boone's great grandson, and the oldest continuously operating restaurant west of the Mississippi).

Some links:

Our pictures from the day's trip: http://picasaweb.google.com/heathertamara/KansasTallgrassArea

This slide show is definitely worth a look. The photography is beautiful! http://www.nature.org/magazine/spring2006/files/tallgrassprairie.swf

The Preserve is featured in this month's (April 2007) National Geographic. Check it out here: http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0704/feature5/index.html

For a good, detailed history of the area: http://www.parktrust.org/tpnp/education/history.htm

Kansas Highlights

2007-04-20T20:50:00.000-04:00

On a hike through the Herbert Reinhard Green Memorial Wildlife area, just outside Topeka, the photo above is some old farm equipment that would have been drawn by horses. The house in the photos on the link is was built by the Green family from the native stone remnants of Uniontown in 1877. The whole area is located where Uniontown once served as a trading post for the Pottawatomie tribe, and later as a crossroads of every major trail in the area. On one of the trails, the Oregon Trail is clearly visible because of the depression left by so many feet and hooves passing along it. The most interesting natural feature of the area: pink quartzite carried along by glaciers from Minnesota. This is the southernmost area these rocks can be found. Click here for some photos.

Donny tries to steal Lewis and Clark's chest.

In 1803, Thomas Jefferson sent his secretary, Meriwether Lewis, and William Clark on an expedition to explore this area of the Missouri River. The sculpture portrays the two of them, as well as Sacagawea, York (Clark's servant), and even Seaman, Lewis's Newfoundland dog. Here's how Clark described the area the sculpture now stands, and their activities there.

Clark’s JournalMonday, the 15th of September 1806

we set out early with a Stiff Breeze a head saw Several deer Swimming the river soon after we Set out. At 11 A.M. passed the entereance of the Kanzas river which was very low, about a mile below we landed and Capt Lewis and my Self assended a hill which appeared to have a Commanding Situation for a fort, the Shore is bold and rocky imediately at the foot of the hill, from the top of the hill you have a perfect Command of the river, this hill fronts the Kanzas and has a view of the Missouri a Short distance above that river. We landed one time only to let the men geather Papaws or the Custard apple of which this Country abounds, and the men are very fond of. we discovered a Buck Elk on a Small Island, and sent the 2 fields and Shannon in pursute of it they Soon Came up with and killed the Elk, he was large and in fine order we had his flesh Secured and divided... We passd Some of the most Charming bottom lands to day and the uplands by no means bad, all well timberd...”

(http://www.lewisandclark.mo.gov/sculpture.asp)

Lunch at Arthur Bryant's, a KC institution. This BBQ legend was founded in the early 1920's, by Charlie Bryant, Arthur's older brother. The tradition lives on, and we feasted on plates of slow-cooked pork on Wonder bread with greasy fries (d3), beans (HT) and lots of messy sauce, made, of course, strictly according to the secret Bryant recipe.

Poor Pete

2007-04-19T20:15:00.000-04:00

In the few days since we arrived in Topeka, Kansas, a sad situation has arisen. An industrious bird (I think it's a house sparrow.) has started building a nest under the front of our trailer. Kate in our office has named him Pete. Donny has had to disassemble Pete's nest twice now, but he keeps putting it back together. The most pitiful addition so far is the decorative flower in the nest. He was trying so hard to make things pretty. We're just hoping we don't come out some morning and find eggs. (Update: after taking the nest apart for a third and final time, Donny spit on the site, confirming what he believed about birds not liking the human scent. Remember what they say about touching a baby bird? It worked! Hopefully Pete has found a better location for his nest-building activities.)

Texas Motor Speedway

2007-04-15T20:05:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Maura in our TSMGI home office, for getting us to the NASCAR Nextel Cup race at the Texas Motor Speedway! We had a blast, especially during the last few laps when Kenseth was in the lead. If he had to be passed by someone (in the last half-lap, no less), at least it was Jeff Burton, who seems like a pretty nice guy. Maybe we have some residual allegiance to Cingular as well. Donny also got to invite an old friend (from as far back as kindergarten) and his wife, which made the day even more enjoyable. Here are a few pics.

Not Just Oil and Football

2007-04-14T13:55:00.000-04:00

We finally made the time to explore downtown Dallas! The Arts District was great, with all the museums within walking distance of one another. Supposedly, it's the largest urban arts district in the country. Our favorite was the Crow Collection of Asian Art. We did a drive-by of Dealey Plaza and the Dallas County Administration Building (formerly the Texas School Book Depository). Here are a few photos.

Happy Easter!

2007-04-07T12:51:00.000-04:00

With snow in the forecast, Easter this year in Dallas won't be balmy (like last year). We'll be thinking of all of you tomorrow. Have a beautiful day. Thanks to Mom-Greta for supplying our long-distance Easter basket filled with not just candy, but some healthy snacks as well. Yeah Trader Joes!

Never "Board"

2007-04-06T20:30:00.000-04:00

It had been much too long since we'd seen friends Teeg and Amy. After trying Teeg's favorite beer in Omaha, we head home for an amazing home-grilled meal across the bridge in Council Bluffs, IA. There was steak, sweet and yellow potatoes, salmon, asparagus, peppers, squash, and portabello mushrooms the size of your face.

Everything was beyond delicious, and we thoroughly enjoyed the leisurely meal. After dinner, we broke out the board games and played a rousing round of Wavelength. It was wonderful to be able to visit, and we hope to be able to do it again soon!

Gentlemen (and Lady), Start Your Engines!

2007-03-30T10:48:00.000-04:00

We've had a great week catching up with old friends and getting to know some new ones in Chicago and Milwaukee. Here's TSMGI's crew for the 2007 USG Tour, this year including a Canadian unit. Details to follow as we head to Texas next week!

Garlic Ranch Cheese Curds from the Brat Stop....Guess Where?

2007-03-28T12:48:00.000-04:00

Jose the Bronx River Beaver

2007-02-27T11:28:00.000-05:00

A North American beaver has been spotted recently swimming in the Bronx River. They named him Jose after U.S. Rep. Jose Serrano's work to revive the river. The beaver was once abundant, and important to the economy (It's even on NYC's official seal.) but it hadn't been seen in the area for over 200 years. Click here for the full story on Planet Ark.

Kauai's Chickens

2007-02-23T21:36:00.000-05:00

In Kauai, chickens rule. They stop traffic in downtown Lihue and beg like squirrels in local parks. You can find them at the beach, in the forest, and crowing outside your window at all hours. Their population is much higher than that of humans. The most common theory is that though the mongoose was introduced on the other Hawaiian islands in the late 1800s to control the rat population, when the mongoose crate arrived in Kauai either it was swept out to sea or a mongoose bit a deckhand and he dropped the crate in the water. In either case, while the mongoose gnaws away at the chicken population on other islands, the chickens live in bliss on Kauai. They live on fallen fruit and other scraps, and aren't very good to eat themselves, so though they are considered a nuisance, people generally leave them alone. Their mixed ancestry (cross-breeding with Filipino fighting cocks) is more obvious in the roosters. For many visitors, including us, they are a constant source of entertainment.

Tahiti and Moorea

2007-02-11T15:29:00.000-05:00

Tahiti and Moorea are part of the Society Islands, one of five archipelagos that make up French Polynesia, which sits about halfway between South America and Australia. Faa'a Airport is about a six hour flight from Honolulu, almost due south. It was here that the French painter Gaugin created some of his most famous works, and the area is most well known for postcard pretty scenery, overwater bungalows, coconut and vanilla plantations, tropical blooms and relatively little tourism. Not speaking French was a bit of a challenge, but it's amazing how far a smattering of other romance languages can get you in a pinch.

TAHITI HIGHLIGHTS:

Diving with a dozen or so black-tipped reef sharks circling too close for comfort

A four-wheel jeep tour of the island's lush, green interior, with countless waterfalls and misty peaks (think Jurassic Park)

Eating by the port in Tahiti's capital, Papaeete where a dozen or so modified Sprinter vans served up local cuisine, pasta, Chinese and fish at picnic tables with plastic chairs.

Favorite dish: Poisson cru au lait du coco (Raw white tuna , Tomatoes, Cucumber, Onion, Salt, Lime juice, Fresh coconut)

Moorea is 11 miles from Tahiti (30 minutes by ferry, or about a 7 minute flight...we tried both). Some think Moorea is what Tahiti was 30 years ago. Hopefully it is able to maintain its laidback vibe and peaceful beauty. The most striking geographical features are Cook's and Opunohu bays (said to have been created with a thrash from the tail of the yellow lizard that gave Moorea its name). Mount Rotui is the tallest, at 899 meters, while Mouaputa mountain is called the "pierced" or "sacred" mountain, due to the hole in its peak. The reef is very healthy, and inhabited by an abundance of fish, corals, dolphins, whales, and turtles, among a multitude of other creatures.

MOOREA HIGHLIGHTS

Views of Cook's and Opunohu bays from Belvedere Lookout, surrounded by mountain peaks

Bicycling the coastal road, stopping along the way for fresh juice, spectacular looks at pristine white beaches kissed by aqua waves

The hospitality of our host Auguste at Pension Motu Iti, and the comfort of our bungalow 3 feet from the water's edge

Looking at some of the reportedly 500 fish species while diving in the lagoon

Fruit!!! Coconuts, mangoes, limes, papaya, oranges, grapefruit, and of course PINEAPPLES! Moorea is the pineapple-growing center of French Polynesia, and if it's possible to OD on a fruit, we at least came close.

Click to view photos.

Island Dreamin': Kauai

2007-02-09T14:08:00.000-05:00

Once again it's been much too long since the last post. Vacation in Kauai, Tahiti and Moorea was amazing. Since our return, I managed a project at Fashion Week in New York, which just concluded, so I will have time soon for a vacation round-up. (The delay may also have to do with the disappointment of always seeing 0 comments on each post. Is anyone out there? Is anyone following the blog? Do I post for myself? If you didn't get the hint, a few comments now and then would be GREATLY appreciated. GHL--you are exempt since you're so good at showing us you're there.) In the meantime, while you're waiting, here are some photos from Hawaii!

CLICK HERE.

Holly Days

2006-12-24T00:18:00.000-05:00

It's been much too long since the last post. After wrapping up the season, we had a whirlwind drive from El Paso to Liberty, North Carolina to drop off the race car. From there, it was a race with the empty trailer directly to Chicago/Milwaukee, then flights back to the East Coast (ATL for Donny; Boston for me). Thanksgiving flew by catching up with family and before we know it Christmas will be gone as well.

It seems strange not going to work, and stranger still not exploring some new city, mountain or lake each weekend. Being in one spot has allowed us to spend time face to face with friends and get dressed in something that wasn't pulled from a suitcase or worn at least twice a week, every week this year. Phew. I am taking on an odd project now and then to keep some sort of income rolling in for the interim. The last one was part favor for a friend and part crazy way to get in the holiday spirit. It was a promotion for Yahoo that involved being filmed and photographed in Times Square with 160 other Santas. (That's me in the middle to the left, above. We got to keep the suit, making it more than worth it!)

We've got some travel plans in the works, however. The next adventure will be pure vacation, and not a side trip from work. No hints for now, but we're both VERY excited. In the meantime, we hope everyone has a joyous and peaceful holiday. Stay tuned for more to come in 2007!

Gypsum Dunes

2006-11-19T22:17:00.000-05:00

As an all-too-appropriate last outing for this tour, we visited the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. These massive dunes of gypsum sand fill 275 square miles of the Tularosa Basin at the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert. Gypsum is hardly ever found as sand because it dissolves in water, but since the basin has no rivers to drain it, the gypsum basically stays put. Not many plant or animal species have been able to adapt to this harsh and ever-changing environment, but a few, including a pocket mouse, two lizards and several insects, have evolved a white coloration to blend in with the sand. The pictures of them in the museum looked like they had all been bleached. The dunes themselves are impressive. We felt like just over each next one we should see the beach, but it was more like the deserts where people could easily become disoriented and hopelessly lost. We were lucky to have a cool day for our hike. We also got a good shot of the US Gypsum truck among the gypsum dunes. Addl. pics click HERE.

Bomb Your Beer

2006-11-12T13:05:00.000-05:00

Our week in Phoenix leading up to the NASCAR race was pretty hectic. We did however get a chance to have Japanese food twice while we were there. We discovered a trend by accident. After ordering a beer the waitress came out with the beer plus a bottle of sake. At first we thought she didn't understand our order. Upon further investigation it seemed that every beer she brought out was coupled with sake.

So our second night out for dinner at another restaurant we noticed on the menu that you could make any beer a "bomber" for a dollar more. We both had heard the term before but it seemed like the Phoenix area was crazy for the Sake Bomb.

VIVA!

2006-11-01T13:36:00.000-05:00

If anyone noticed the gap in posts after we visited Zion, it's probably due to our week in Sin City. Being limited by the size of the trailer, and since most of our events were in North Vegas, we checked in to the Fiesta Hotel and Casino. This is one of the "Station" group, known to be more local and not as flashy as the casinos on the strip. We signed up and got an Amigo Card right away, so we could start accumulating bonus points along with our winnings.

Embarrassing as it is to admit, we raced home from work each day to plant ourselves in front of the penny video slot machines. Since it had paid off in Reno, Donny stuck with the Goldfish game. If you bet ten extra credits, the Bubble Bonus is randomly initiated. Different fish swim down and you play various bonus games. There's also a fish food bonus where you have to match cans before picking a turtle at the end. He also boldly stepped up to the table and abused the novice dealer in Texas Hold 'Em.

My system was a little different. I played Coyote Moon for my sister Caroline, the Adonis game for a young man by that name, anything with a water theme (Mermaid Treasure, Dancing Dolphins, Lobster, Shrimp and Crab Mania, etc.), and Hexbreaker in honor of Halloween. Ultimately, as the casinos count on, we came out losers, but we got many hours of entertainment, countless free drinks, and stayed pretty much within budget. Oh yeah, we were able to afford breakfast on the last day with the points from our Amigo Card.

Zion's HIdden Canyon Trail

2006-10-29T12:05:00.000-05:00

On our second day in the park we decided to try to get away from the crowds. We read about a Hidden Canyon trail and thought it sounded right on.

The trailhead starts at Weeping Rock, which produces some pretty amazing hanging gardens. According to our shuttle driver the water takes 1200 years to penetrate through the rock and feed the greenery.

Our hike started with a well maintained path and slowly turned into sand and rock. Before reaching the mouth of Hidden Canyon you must use several anchored chains to make your way around some cliff edges. There was little danger of actually falling but there was always a small feeling in the back of your mind, what if...
The floor of the canyon itself is a dry creek bed. This probably has some run off during spring from snow melt, but when we arrived it was like walking on the beach. Hidden Canyon was narrow and steep-walled. The sandstone was carved out by the wind and water in some pretty interesting formations. Near the end of the canyon there is a free standing arch that was about twenty feet across.

The canyon gets more and more narrow until no amount of climbing and scrambling without canyoneering tools will get you any further. We ate our gas station ham and cheese sandwich with a granola bar and a swig of water while sitting on a fallen log, and made our way back.

For more photos, click HERE.

Don't Look Down

2006-10-27T23:27:00.000-04:00

With all of the amazing national and state parks we've seen on this trip, Zion really needed to shine to impress us. It shined indeed . . . and glowed, sparkled and dazzled while it was at it. There were a few unique features we really liked. Zion requires visitors to ride a free shuttle along the scenic route from the main entrance. There is another road that crosses the park through a tunnel heading toward the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, but large vehicles require an escort to get through the tunnel. You can get off the shuttle at any point, and the driver gives some general history and tips along the way. We chose to do the 5 mile Angel's Landing hiking trail. It was steep, with some areas passed only by holding onto chains in the rock while looking straight down thousands of feet.

Later in the afternoon, as the sun got lower, we walked the Emerald Pools trail. This hike was more woodsy, with spectacular fall foliage (who knew you could find that in the southwest?). The contrast between the colorful leaves and the stark red rocks was striking. Add to that the Virgin River flowing below, and you really couldn't ask for more. See photos HERE. For a couple quick elk duels click HERE.

Green Cacti, Blue Angels

2006-10-22T21:28:00.000-04:00

It's back to shorts weather after the Pike's Peak Colorado snow! Phoenix is still in the low 90s
in the October afternoon. We did a challenging hike in the White Tank Mountains, and placed
our Jeep (see "Green Jeep Bug and Bugling Elk" entry from 10/8) in a new geocache for someone else to find. Click HERE for some lovely desert photos.

For the next activity of the weekend, we scored some VIP tickets to the Goodyear Balloon and Air Spectacular through a coworker in the office. Her brother is Public Relations Officer for the Blue Angels. It was a great show! Those photos are available by clicking HERE. Watch a couple of videos HERE.

Super Hairpins

2006-10-15T22:50:00.000-04:00

From Colorado Springs, it's a short drive to Garden of the Gods. There were some neat rock formations, and lots of climbers, but we'd been spoiled recently by Moab, so we opted for a quick look around and continued on. The next stop was the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. These are authentic representations of Anasazi culture over 700 years old. The attraction has been open to the public since 1906! Construction on the three-story building below the cliff dwellings, which now houses the museum and shop, was begun in 1898. Various additions were made over the years, and the buildings were occupied until 1984.

It's about 20 miles up the partially paved Pikes Peak Highway to the summit, 14,110 feet above. The peak is the second most visited in the world, second only to Mt. Fuji. In the mid-1800s, Pikes Peak was a symbol to the gold seekers heading west. "Pikes Peak or Bust" became their slogan. The road has very few guard rails, and the hairpin turns that run the whole way up are truly hairy. The drive offers dramatic views, though, and impressive, sweeping vistas. Travelers are cautioned to watch out for sudden changes in the weather. We got caught in some light snow on the way down. Check out some photos of the trip by clicking HERE.

Green Jeep Bug and Bugling Elk

2006-10-08T11:09:00.000-04:00

Just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park, we started what was probably the most challenging hike of the season. The trailhead was a few miles down a dirt road, and unmarked. We only found it because its coordinates were listed as a good place to start searching for a geocache. This cache contained one of the much sought after 2006 Green Jeep Travel Bugs. This item just had to be in our log, and a photo of the jeep, with the theme of "Adventure" would also give us an entry into this month's challenge.

Unfortunately, when entering the cache's coordinates into the GPS, the last two digits were transposed, and we did an extra mile at least climbing through boulder fields and bushwacking through dense underbrush and trees on the steep slopes of Palisade mountain. Cell phone service was restored at the summit, and thank goodness our day's savior, Ramon, was able to log into geocaching.com remotely to give us the proper coordinates. The first few photos in the web album (see link below) are from that hike.

Needing to slow the pace a bit, we head into Rocky Mountain National Park. The park has over 350 miles of hiking trails itself, and is home to elk, mule deer, moose, bighorn sheep, black bears, coyotes, cougars, eagles, hawks, marmot and more. Our timing was perfect to see large groups of elk coming down from the mountain to graze in the late afternoon in the meadows. Fall is also time for the elk rut, and we heard several males bugling in an attempt to gather a harem. The bugle indicates a bull's size and physical fiteness. Once he has his cows, the bull keeps them in line, herding them in the direction he wants them to go with warnings and bumps with his rack when necessary. Check out this informative article on the elk rut.

Check out the day's photos by clicking HERE.

Also by popular request here a couple videos of the day. Video Link

Holy Moab

2006-10-04T00:53:00.000-04:00

Moab, UT is one of the most beautiful spots we've been this year. We wish we'd had more time there. It may even deserve a return trip someday. Just a short trip from downtown Moab you can reach Arches National Park as well as Canyonlands National Park. Nearby Dead Horse Point State Park is where Thelma and Louise took their famous plunge. All three are worth a look. Special thanks to Desert Highlights and our guide Ben who made our canyoneering trip so memorable.

Here is a link to our Moab photos-

http://picasaweb.google.com/heathertamara/Moab

Long-Awaited Coast and Falls Pics

2006-09-28T22:37:00.000-04:00

Here they are at last. Take a moment to click the links below and see some beautiful photos of the Oregon Coast, the Trail of Ten Falls at Silver Falls Park and the Multnomah Falls area near the Columbia River Gorge.

Coast-
http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/d3loeber/Oregon/Coast/

Falls-
http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/d3loeber/Oregon/Waterfalls/

Oregon Coast

2006-09-02T23:57:00.000-04:00

This is just a teaser. We took some gorgeous pictures of the Oregon coast from Tillamook up to Seaside. A link to the photos will appear here soon.

Portland's Gardens

2006-08-27T23:39:00.000-04:00

Portland's Forest Park has miles and miles of hiking trails. After wearing ourselves out with a 12-mile hike on Saturday, Sunday was for a little relaxation. The Japanese Garden at the edge of the park was beautiful and very authentic. It includes five formal gardening styles: a pond garden (see above), a natural setting garden, a sand and stone garden, a flat garden and traditional tea garden. Just down the hill, the International Rose Test Garden bursts forth row after row of fragrant flowers. Ever since its founding in 1917, the garden has received the best roses from around the world.

Totally Tubular

2006-08-19T23:11:00.000-04:00

At about a mile deep, the Lava River Cave is the longest lava tube in Oregon. It was created by lava from volcanic eruptions flowing through to feed the front of the lava flow. The temperature in the cave is a cool 40°F year-round. There are some geologic formations similar to other caves, and some specifivally volcanic. Hollow cylindrical “soda straws” were formed by escaping gases, and other cone-shaped formations were created by remelted lava dripping down from the ceiling. Toward the back of the tube, sand gets thicker and thicker until it completely blocks off passage. We made it as far as hands and knees would allow.

Boise Area Adventures

2006-08-13T21:44:00.000-04:00

Idaho in general has proven to have much more to offer than we'd imagined. After a single event in Sun Valley (most of which is owned, supposedly, by Demi Moore and Bruce Willis), we arrived in Boise. We made the most of the weekend. Saturday was for mountain biking in the foothills. The way up was a killer, but we were rewarded for all that work with a speedy, breezy descent.

Sunday we went whitewater rafting on the Payette River. Cascade Raft Co. showed us a great time on it's tour called "The Rush," which included Class III and IV rapids. Our guide, Dustin, was professional, passionate about the outdoors, and not hesitant to share his opinions. I liked his pro-wolf water bottle that said "Little Red Riding Hood was wrong."

Bikes, Bison, Bears and Bacteria Mats

2006-08-08T23:52:00.000-04:00

Waterfall from the Broadway Bridge

The city of Idaho Falls began with miners, trappers, fur traders and early settlers. It's location along the Snake River ensured its survival, and adds to its appeal today. The falls themselves are created by the diversion of a dam that provides hydroelectric power. The original dam was built in 1909. Idaho Falls' three hydroelectric power plants produce 50% of the electricy needed. People, including us, enjoy strolling, jogging and biking along the 6 mile Snake River Greenbelt. 20 miles north of Idaho Falls is the Yellowstone Bear World. We got up close and personal with Stiltz the moose as well as lots of other wildlife. We actually drove the truck through the different habitats for the hooved animals as well as the bear area. For some additional pics: http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/d3loeber/Idaho/Idaho%20Falls/

Only 100 miles away, Idaho Falls is also a gateway to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Grand Teton's pinnacle is 13,770 feet, but the park as a whole has twlve peaks over 12,000 feet. (For more info on Teton, visit the National Parks Service site). Elk, moose, mule deer, bison and pronghorn roam both parks, as well as black and grizzly bears. Our big sightings were bison and elk. Yellowstone is the first and oldest national park in the world. It covers 3470 square miles in three states (Idaho, Wyoming and Montana). The park is famous for its geothrmal areas including the super-famous geyser Old Faithful. We took tons of pictures. Check them out at: http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/d3loeber/Idaho/Tetons%20and%20Yellowstone/

Montana Blow-Out

2006-08-04T23:33:00.000-04:00

From Spokane to Idaho Falls, we had to pass through some seriously mountainous parts of Montana. Somewhere near Missoula (thank goodness!) we had a blow-out. Not to worry, we didn't even notice it 'til we exited the highway to find something to eat. (There are two tires next to each other on each side of the trailer.) Red's Towing Service saved the day, and, since there wasn't a single hotel room to be found in Missoula, we were back on the road in a few hours. Check out the rest of Montana's highlights, including the tiny town of Dell, pop. 35, here: http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/d3loeber/Montana/

Chinook Pass

2006-07-30T22:14:00.000-04:00

The way to the top of Chinook Pass (5,430 feet) is designated an All American Road. It was historically used as a trading route over the Cascade Mountains. On our drive up the temperature dropped from the high 80s to the high 40s! We hadn't felt anything that cold for months, and there was snow at the top of the pass. We came back down a bit and did a geocaching hike to a waterfall a few miles above the mouth of Menatchee Creek. It was a great hike that included having to cross the creek over a fallen log.

For more photos click here: http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/d3loeber/Washington/Chinook%20Pass/

Rumble on the River

2006-07-29T20:03:00.000-04:00

For the last 41 years, Pasco, WA has hosted an annual event on the Columbia River featuring the world's fastest race boats. Several classes of hydroplanes compete for the Atomic Cup during this action-packed weekend. Civilian and military aerial performances by a Navy F-18 Super Hornet and and F-16 Viper, among other aircraft, provided additional excitement between heats. The event generates publicity, attracts visitors and focuses attention on the water, climate and recreational aspects of the Tri-Cities area. For more pictures of the day, click: http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/d3loeber/Washington/Tri%20Cities/

Larrabee State Park

2006-07-19T01:01:00.000-04:00

This beautiful area is a bit over 100 miles north of Seattle, near Bellingham, WA. It includes 8,100 feet of saltwater shoreline, two freshwater lakes, tidelands and deep wooded forests from sea level to 1940 feet. There are also lots and lots of hiking trails. The one we took was supposed to lead to "Lost Lake." As far as we are concerned, it's forever lost. We walked and walked, but never found it. What we did find were lovely views of Mt. Baker, the San Juan Islands and Samish Bay; fragrant paths lined by cedars, firs and birch; moss covered rocks; curious squirrels and countless chatty birds. In case you history buffs, were wondering, the park was officially named in honor of Charles Xavier Larrabee (whose family donated the land). It became Washington's first state park in 1915. See more photos here: http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/d3loeber/Washington/Larrabee%20State%20Park/

A New Hobby: The Seattle Kick-Off

2006-07-17T21:22:00.000-04:00

Two weeks in Seattle and it's already a blur. Our events were on the slow side, but we kept busy on the weekends. While we were there, Seattle was having a heatwave. (We may have brought it with us.) It was in the upper 90s for days on end, and Seattleites were suffering. Some tried to beat the heat downtown at the Seattle Center. See more pictures here:

http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/d3loeber/Washington/Seattle/

One of our USG reps is an avid hiker. She told us that the purpose of a recent hike was to recover a "geocache," a hidden treasure somewhere on the mountain. These geocaches are found using a GPS device after you visit a website (http://www.geocaching.com/) to find whether there are caches near you. Each cache has its coordinates listed, along with a description and sometimes clues. A typical cache contains a few small toys, stickers, keychains, etc., as well as a logbook to sign and date. Usually you take something out and leave something behind. After a find, you log it on the website and comment on the experience. Since then, we have become avid cachers. We've gone on a number of hikes we never would have known about, and explored parts of cities we wouldn't have seen otherwise. The photo below is from Cougar Mountain, site of an early find!

Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park is near the community of Issaquah not far from Seattle. It covers more than 3,000 acres, and is famous for its more than 36 miles of trails for hiking, and over 12 miles for equestrians. We did a loop that covered a number of different trails. Some of them are said to have been used 8000 years ago by Native Americans as an overland route to Bend and the Cascades. Believe it or not, we started at a Nike missile site left over from the Cold War. After World War II, anti-aircraft guns were placed on Cougar Mountain to protect Seattle and Puget Sound. They were later upgraded to Nike missle and radar sites. Other points of interest on the trails included a mine shaft used starting in the late 1800s by miners who produced coal for steamships, railroads and the city of San Francisco and Anti-Aircraft Peak. From the natural world: wetlands, salmon-spawning creeks and forest. We didn't see any of the resident mammals (black bear, black-tailed deer, bobcat, and coyote) but we did see lots of birds including, we believe, a Bald Eagle. See Cougar Mountain pics at:

http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/d3loeber/Washington/Cougar%20Mountain%20Wildlife%20Reserve/

On the Way to Seattle: Mt. Shasta

2006-07-13T00:38:00.000-04:00

Old Sac

2006-07-09T00:16:00.000-04:00

Old Sac is a National Registered Landmark and 28-acre State Historic Park, on the river, in downtown Sacramento. It includes the museums, steam train excursions, the Delta Queen (which used to travel daily to San Francisco in the late 1920s), shopping, restaurants, and memories of the area in the time of the gold rush.

If you're fond of sand dunes...

2006-07-04T20:46:00.000-04:00

The 4th of July weekend was a great escape to Old Cape Cod. We arrived in Boston only a half hour late after having lost an engine on the redeye from San Francisco and being diverted through Detroit. After a quick side trip to visit grandma, we crossed the Bourne Bridge.

It was a great weekend of nature, exploration, family and fun in real Cape style: beaches and lighthouses, kayaks, lobster rolls. On the 4th, we head to Boston for a homestyle barbecue at Sally's. Sally always has the best meals, and she should since she works hard to put things together! We feasted on tasty appetizers that could have been the whole meal, beer can chicken, amazing grilled vegetables, pasta salads, bread, and much much more. All this was followed by a great view of downtown Boston's fireworks from high in the Arboretum. Check out more pictures from the weekend at http://s78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/d3loeber/Cape%20Cod/