Dec. 29: Random Thoughts

Dec. 29
   Today is our last day at the Zane Grey RV Park.  It has been a beautiful week here.  Sunny and warm everyday with chilly frosty nights. We  will be heading to Rancho Sedona Park in the morning.  We have been trying to buy an electric water hose to avoid the water from freezing every night.  So far, no such luck.  We’ll just keep checking out places as we travel along.
   January 1, will mark our two month travel adventure.  So far, we have not had one drop of rain, or fog.  In fact, the west is experiencing a 10 year drought which is quite noticeable in the land and the plants.  We have learned a lot on this trip.

 The RV experience:

•  Mark can hook up the RV at a campsite in about 10 minutes or less.  (This is down from the original 30 minute hookup)
• He can park the van in a regular parking space without me getting out to direct him. (Most of the time) 
• We have learned to pack things away every time we are finished using them.  Things are packed tightly in the cabinets to prevent rolling around or falling out when driving. 
• We keep the inside of the RV wiped down with disinfectant daily.  (There are three bodies living in this space, one is a dog) 
• We have chosen nice RV parks to date.  I choose them based on their ratings on their bathrooms and shower facilities.  Only one cold shower so far!  
• People in the RV parks are very nice, but not overly social.  They are a quiet group who stay to themselves.  We have always been the smallest van in the park so it is interesting to see how these big rig people live.  I am still trying to figure out why people in these huge vans stay in one place for such long periods of time.  
• Nothing major has broken yet.  A minor problem with our rear view mirror in the beginning but that is it so far.  Hopefully, nothing will happen in the next few months. 
• We cook our meals outside on a Gladiator Grill most of the time.  Mark has perfected sautéed veggies with chicken or steak and fajitas.  
• While we have been traveling through mostly desert territory with towns far apart, we keep a full tank of gas in the car. 
• We only drive about 2-3 hours at the most when we are traveling.  We learned this lesson early on- not to arrive at a park after dark.  
• We are traveling with a minimal amount of clothing.  Just enough to stay warm. 
• We need to drink a lot of water!! 

The Places: 

• Our travels through the south, south west and the west have been extraordinarily beautiful.  We are so fortunate to have been able to experience  the National Parks, Monuments, and sacred sites that are, for now, protected.  
• When we started out on this trip, we wanted to see as many of the National parks as we could.  We have seen many and have not been disappointed.  They all exhibit a strong history of our American cultures with landscapes impossible to see with one view. 
• We have learned to take our time sight seeing. We never need to be in a hurry.  We can spend the day at a site and read all about it.  We can climb steep staircases without rushing. (Thank goodness) 
• We have seen wide open spaces as far as the eye could see with nothing but sagebrush and mesquite.  Space is an interesting concept to think about.  We tend to fill up empty spaces in our lives with things. Things that are not terribly necessary. Things that will make us momentarily happy or satisfied.   I have been particularly aware of how little I need to be comfortable and happy.  I think we carry around too much in our emotional space, as well. We have been overwhelmed over the past year with a barrage of lies and news feeds that clutter our inner-mind space.  Because we have not been able to see the news everyday, the lies, controversies, the political arguments are not weighing so heavily in our daily thoughts. Our minds are filled with questions about the people we meet, the people of the past who occupied this land centuries ago  and. the geological structures that have created the most beautiful natural monuments on earth. 
• We are certainly learning about the concept of conservation.  So many times, we are reminded that water is life.  I have learned to brush my teeth in 2oz of water, wash dishes in one cup of water and rinse out a dirty rag in less than 3 oz. In New England we are used seeing water all around us in the ocean, the rain, the fog, the snow, sleet and all the other forms of water, that it is easy to not see that there is a severe drought (10 years) in the west.  California is burning and the desert is dusty and dry, with flowing rivers that we saw 20 years ago are now totally gone. We have seen Navajo communities that do not have a single blade of grass or a tree and the people need to go to town and carry all of their water home.  
• I have talked with people that have shared their ideas on religion and politics.  I have tried to be respectful and listen with an open mind but most conversations just ended cordially without either of us changing our viewpoints.  
• Simplify, conserve, and respect are perhaps the resolutions that I might focus on for the coming year. 

December 28: Verde Canyon Train Ride

Dec. 28,
   In the town of Clarksdale, there is a 4 hour train ride that takes tours through the Verde Canyon.  We decided to take the ride yesterday and it was a beautiful ride.  Personally, I love train travel.  Kate and I took a 3 day journey from Boston to Seattle when she left for college.  We then rented a car and drove to Eugene, Oregon.
   On this particular day, the weather was sunny, warm and dry. It got up to about 65 by mid-afternoon.  The train left around 1:00 and took us through the Verde Canyon.  The train was originally used to transport copper when the mines were still open in the early 1900’s.  Now, it is just a tourist excursion that took us through more of the gorgeous scenery that only deep canyons can provide.  We followed the winding Verde River shaded by Cottonwoods, Sycamores, Junipers, Mesquite, and sage brush.  The Cottonwood trees, although leafless,  had large clumps of bright green leaves high in their branches.  It turns out this is mistletoe, a parasite that appears this time of the year.  As the train continued through the valley and ascended into the narrower portion of canyon the vegetation gives way to rock formations.  The white basalt and red iron oxide form colorful layers on the sandstone.  On several occasions, we could see evidence of the sinaqua people who lived in the cave formed by the rock outcropping.  The sinaqua people lived in this area around 1100-1300AD and are thought to be ancestors of the Hopi Indians.  They were farmers who grew corn and a variety of vegetables.  It is thought they disappeared due to drought.  All through this area of Arizona, there is evidence of the sinaqua people and their petroglyphs.  What a hardy group of people who lived in these remote areas and climbed in and out of these canyons with ease!
  Rock formations through the canyon are stunning.  The afternoon light was constantly changing as the train moved through the canyon.  It was a brilliant light show of red rocks and deep shadows.
   The people on the train were tourists from all over the country, Massachusetts, Indiana, Michigan.  A woman sitting behind me was anxious to tell  me about the book she had just finished about a man who had died for 9 minutes, met Jesus who guided him through various rooms of hell.  She explained, for example, if one was an alcoholic when they died they would go to a room where alcohol was served constantly but they couln’t get any.  Whatever, your sins were on earth if you didn’t find redemption you would suffer that same way in hell.  This book describes his tour with Jesus through the various rooms of hell. She asked me what I thought of this idea.  A trick question!  I responded that I have read and listened to many Buddhist teachings and like what they have to say. That ended our conversation.
 
   We are still at the same RV park.  I take a twenty minute walk everyday down to Clear Creek.  It is a lovely spot to spend a few quiet moments.  Mark is getting much better at preparing our meals outside.  We need to cook in the middle afternoon around 2:30 when it is the warmest time of the day.  Once the sun goes behind the mountains, the temperature drops quickly.  Our water line still freezes every night which creates a minor problem for our toilet.  The electric heater we bought is working out great.  So far the nights have been toasty warm in the van.  Susan Ingalls had given me a long list of recipes for outside cooking and they have been great.  We had fajitas tonight which Mark was able to prepare perfectly.
   Jack is still on his best behavior.  He was due for some inoculations so we visited a local veterinarian who was I might add considerably cheaper than Maine.
  We have two more days at this Park then we are off to Rancho Sedona for 5 days.

Christmas Day: People of the Park

Dec. 25,
   We talked with the Gordon Family this morning and it was great fun to hear Sophie list off all of her presents.  Alexander was especially happy with his LEGO Boat that really floats.  They were having a snow storm which looked absolutely magical in the photos.  Truly a white Christmas in Maine. I loved watching Alexander ice-skate on their backyard pond that Gabe had cleared off for them
   I do miss being with them during the winter season.  It was always a special time for us to celebrate Christmas and the winter season at Sunday River.  I loved being out on the slopes early Christmas morning to ski first tracks.  There was a time when the Gordon’s, Cohens and Al and Maggie all skied together every weekend.  That was a magical time for us, watching our kids grow up skiing in a pack, shredding the Black Diamond trails.
  This year we are in Camp Verde, AZ and will be here until Dec. 30.  We will then move to an RV park a little farther north and closer to Sedona.  We have a time-share exchange that we will use in Sedona from January 6-13.  So we will be in Arizona for another couple of weeks.  Arizona is a beautiful state and we are happy to be here for awhile. Today is a warm 60 degrees and full sunshine. The dry air is pleasant but our skin is drying out.  Even Jack is itchy!
   This afternoon the RV park hosted a pot-luck and Yankee swap for the residents.  It started at 1:00 and finished around 3:00. There was an incredible variety of foods that were prepared in the very large RV’s that are here. Since I do not have an oven, we bought a cheese cake from the local grocery store as our contribution.
   Having participated in many Saturday night suppers and pot-lucks at the island, I was interested to see how this one compared.  It was well organized.  Several of the men in blue-jeans and cowboy hats set up the tables and kept the fire pit going.  The women dressed in red Christmas sweaters set up the serving table.  I could hear  several familiar voices in this crowd.  “Please put your casseroles here.”  “Desserts over there.”    “The line is formed over there. Use both sides of the table,”  We are not that far from home!
  The people in this park are long time residents.  Some have been coming here for 10 years or more.  A California woman was  asked when she got here she replied, “In May” then added “ Twelve years ago”
    Several others are from the mid-west who come for the winters and stay here until springtime.  There is a communal feeling here among the residents.  People are polite and cordial but not particularly interested in meeting new people, namely us.  We are clearly the transient ones.  We are simply passing through.  We are also younger than many of the RVer’s here..  It would not be my choice to live in one RV park for a long time. Travel is the lure for me.  It is a way to move around and see the variety in landscapes, ancient cultures, monuments, foods and not be confined to a time table. It is a way to see things we want to see in slow motion.  There  is no rush in our travel plans.  It is relaxing and purposeful.
  Christmas is a special time and I do miss our family very much.  It was a very different day having a pot-luck in an RV park in Arizona but all in all our day was pleasant.

 

Dec 22-Dec 30 Zane Grey RV Park Camp Verde, AZ

Camp Verde, Arizona

  We have found a beautiful RV Park in Camp Verde, AZ, south of Flagstaff.  It is a bit warmer here and not as high as Flagstaff.  There are wineries, small canyons, National Historic Sites and Monuments.  The area is filled with history of Native Americans and how they built their homes in the cliffs.  We visited Tuzigoot National Monument, Montezuma Castle and Jerome State Park all within a few miles of each other.  We plan to stay here until Dec. 30, then we will move north to the Sedona area.
   At the Tuzigoot National Monument we climbed into the 800 year old Pueblo that was home to the Native population about 800 years ago.  It has been restored so that we are able to see how the sinagua (without water) people used this land to their advantage. Montezuma Castle is another example of the cliff dwelling that dates back to 1150.  It is quite amazing to see how those people climbed into the sides of cliffs and built their homes within the walls of the sandstone.  Agility beyond words!
   We also visited Jerome an old copper mining town.  It is located on top of Cleopatra Hill (5,200 feet). This town was once known as the wickedest town in the west.  It was a classic western mining camp that housed miners, their families, and the red light district that serviced the miners on Husband Lane.  When the copper industry began to die out, Jerome became a ghost town and today the town is making a revival by restoring the old buildings and bringing upscale art and shops as well as good restaurants.
   We  decided to take a day to regroup and take care of needs rather than touring.  Jack was in desperate need of a bath and a haircut.  We found a great spa for him and he is now smelling and looking good again.  Happy dog! Our laundry was piling up so we took care of that as well.  We found a local food market to restock our supplies.
   We have also cleaned the camper and reorganized a few things.  The weather here is quite cold at night, in the 20’s.  Our water pipe froze so we did not have running water until the sun came up.  By 10:00 the water was running fine.
   A few days ago we were pulling into a parking spot when another car was backing out. The woman did not see us and she hit our van on the passeger side.  We have a dent but her entire rear bumper was damaged.  It could have been much worse.  All things considered, we can have the dent repaired when we return to Maine in the spring.
   We will be spending the week at this park and will use the time to celebrate Christmas with our new neighbors.  There are several parties and a pot luck with a Yankee Swap scheduled during the next few days.
     Jack and I took the loop walk this morning that winds its way through a Sycamore and Cottonwood forest to Clear Creek. The Arizon Sycamore is tall with a white bark that gives the appearance of a soft suede finish.  The smooth black river stones reminded me of Susan Ingalls and her love of sticks and stones.  I would have love to pick one up for her but was reminded: take only pictures leave only footprints.  Once the sun comes up the weather is a delightful 45 dry degrees.
   This is a relaxing place to be for the holiday, the sites are more private than others we have been in.  Each site is fenced in with a perfectly manicured river stone wall.   The owners are friendly and we are ready to relax and enjoy just being in one spot for a few days before moving on.
   It is a time for a quiet reflection of our adventures thus far and be grateful for the opportunity to experience the natural wonders of this country, the unbelievable landscapes, the Native cultures of the past and present and to meet other travelers along the way who too are enjoying their retirement as we are.

Dec. 20. South of Flagstaff

Dec. 20
   Arizona is a land of many landscapes and we have decided to see as many points of interest as possible.  The weather is warmer a little bit south of Flagstaff so we will be camping again in the RV.
We both enjoyed the city of Flagstaff.  There is a diverse population here with a comfortable friendly atmosphere.  The mountains that surround the city are beautiful and green with pine trees. Flagstaff itself is about 7000 feet above sea level which makes it high and dry.  The days were warm and sunny but the nights are very chilly.  Leaving Flagstaff, we drove south to see two particular sites, Meteor Crater and Walnut Canyon.
   I was not particularly interested in seeing the crater but Mark was and I am very glad that I went along. It was a massive hole in the earth that was caused by an object from outer space 50,000 years ago.  A meteorite hit this arid landscape and created a hole that is one mile across and 2.4 miles in circumference and 550 feet deep.  The magnitude of the meteor hitting earth at 26,000 miles per hour has left its mark.  This is the best preserved meteor hole on earth due to the dry climate here. Many scientists come here to study the impact site and examine fragments of the meteor.  It is because this site is so intact that scientists have proven that this is, in fact, a meteor crater and have used this to prove other meteor craters around the globe.  Prior to 1960, most scientists believed that all craters were volcanic.  Eugene Shoemaker confirmed that this crater was not volcanic but a meteor.  He had studied underground atomic test sites and compared his data to prove that this was an extraterrestrial impact on earth.
   Astronomy has come a long way in understanding space since 1960 with so much yet to learn.  We were privileged to visit the McDonald Observatory in Texas and now to see the evidence of objects hitting the earth with such magnitude has deepened our curiousity about what understandings lie ahead in the field of astronomical science.
 
   Our next visit was to Walnut Canyon. This was relatively close to the meteor crater so we were able to see both in one day.  The canyon was established in 1915 by President Wilson to preserve the natural ancient cliff dwellings that are clearly visible.  There is an “island loop walk” that is steep and strenuous route that decends deep into the canyon.  In the center of the canyon is an outcropping of a large land formation referred to as the “island”.  The loop trail took us around the island with clear evidence of the cliff dwellers living spaces.  The 250 steps that brought us to the island were straight down.  It is difficult to imagine how these people carved a living here in these steep cliffs. We were able to walk down steps; there were no steps for these ancient peoples.  Their’s was a culture that lived in tight family groups and farmed the land on the rim of the cliff.  I can’t imagine the fortitude of these native people who climbed up and down all the while carrying food supplies to their cave-like dwellings.  It took me a half an hour to climb back up the staircase.  I was glad to have done the trail inspite of its difficulty.
   We have spent a lot of time in the area of the southwest known as Indian territory.  The beauty of this land is in the quiet landscapes. The monochromatic colors paint a stark scene seemingly void of life. Today Native Americans live in small communities in mobile homes with no sign of greenery.  The air is dry and the land is brown and dusty.  We are reminded often that water is life; it is not a renewable resource.  It makes me appreciate how much I take water for granted.
   From viewing the meteor crater to the homes of the cliff dwellers, we have reached back in time to further understand our changing earth.  Impacts from space and ancient people have brought us closer to knowing ourselves.  How will we save our cultures and this planet?

Dec 18-19 Flagstaff AZ

Flagstaff, AZ

   We sadly left the Grand Canyon this morning.  There was a beautiful morning sunrise that ever so slowly would brighten another towering land formation within the canyon. The whispy layer of clouds lower within the canyon walls floated like a magic carpet within the canyon.  The view from the rim this morning was like looking at a delicate water-color painting coming to life before my eyes.  The soft morning blues, purples, pinks, yellows greens, and beiges all painted a three dimensional landscape.  But there is nothing delicate about this view, the rock formations are hard, solid and strong.  They seemingly hold the beginning of time here in this canyon.  Their strength has been forming for billions of years and continue to form one of natures most dramatic landscapes on earth.
   Our time at the Grand Canyon was spent hiking and admiring every view we could possibly capture.  The crowds were sparse so we could be alone many times throughout our rim hike.  Many of the tourists were Asian or Indian (India).  They all took in this incredible place in different ways.  Some would walk to the very edge and stand with their backs to the canyon and take a selfie showing their friends they were here.  One more step back and they wouldn’t be here!  Others face-timed their friends or relatives and carried on long conversation with people for all to hear.   Some carried on laughing and trying to take silly photos of themselves.  The canyon elicits different reactions from everyone.  Personally, I preferred the silence and the opportunity to listen to the landscape, the wind, the ravens, the clopping of the mules as they carried visitors down the canyon, and the echoes of sounds far away.  It took me some moments to appreciate that everyone is allowed to interpret and enjoy this canyon in their own way.  My wish for silence does not out weigh someone elses joy, laughter or silliness.
 

   We drove south  to Flagstaff by way of the Wupatki Monument.  It is a Pueblo village that has been mostly restored showing how the Native Americans lived around the 1200’s.  Their red rock homes reveled how about 1200 people could live in this desert environment.  The land here is very different from other desert areas that we had driven through.  A volcanic eruption had occurred here about 100 years ago creating black sandy soil.  We drove to the crater and could still see the black igneous rock of the lava flow.  The pine trees have grown up to be beautiful and tall over the years but the soil remains blackened ash.
   Arizona is a state of vastly diverse landscapes and we are excited to see it all.  The weather has been beautiful and now that we are a bit farther south it is even warmer.  There has not been any snow or rain since we left home.  This is pretty extraordinary for this time of year but we certainly appreciate it.  I makes living in the van much easier.

Dec. 19,

Dec. 16-17. Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon:
   It was just about 20 years ago that Mark and I went down the Grand Canyon in a raft with 14 other friends including the 2 guides, Art and Shelby.  We traveled 8 days down the river from Lake Powell to Lake Mead.  We hiked up through the narrow canyons, stood under water falls, ate fabulous meals, slept in the open air falling asleep to the brilliance of the night sky, being awaken at night by the smell of the night blooming Lilly,  and of course, experienced 240 white water rapids, ending with Lava Falls that drops 20 feet into the churning  water. That trip was an adventure both physically and spiritually.  I don’t think one can experience the grandness of the Grand Canyon without saying how it connects to one’s soul.  The power of being in this natural wonder is felt to my core.
   Twenty years later, we walk the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and see it again in all it’s majesty, this time from the top down,  The canyon brings to mind a sense of quiet peacefulness yet danger exits  with every step.  The paths down into the canyon are narrow, steep and this time of the year there can be ice.  It evokes a sense of quiet yet at any moment thunder could echo through the canyon walls creating flash floods with  extreme water falls.  The Canyon is extensive beyond words yet with a zen eye one can see into tiny crevices where small creatures live. It is a place that can only be described in extremes, peaceful and fierceful, humbling and bold, fluid yet unmoving.  It is a place of enormous contradictions.
   As we stand at the rim, an altitude of 7,000 feet, we see the mighty Colorado River winding its way through the canyon slicing and carving the bed  rock as it travels the 1450 miles to the Sea of Cortez (The Gulf of California).  It has been doing this amazing slow sliciing for over 4 1/2 billion years.  An interesting fact we learned is that when the Colorado River reaches sea level it will stop cutting through the rock.  In fact, that is true for all rivers.  This is something I never knew!
    The river is a dark green color and is miles down deep into the canyon.  We are in the home of giants and the river is like a beautiful jade necklace lying on the floor of this mansion.  Occasionally, we could see some of the white water rapids that we experienced years ago.  The rim hike is about a 10 mile hike with spectacular views from every point, purples, browns, beiges, and greens indicating the various rock formations embedded in the canyon walls.  The various land forms create a magnificent three dimensional display of color and depth.
  The mules that transport riders to the bottom take 7 hours for their trip.  It is a slow careful ride on the back of a mule over these narrow steep paths.  We are told that the mules are extremely sure footed and to date no one has fallen off or died on the mule ride.  (Another fact: a donkey and horse mate to create a mule)
  There has been a 10 year drought that has caused the water to be at a significantly low level.  This drought has caused a rippling effect in the neighboring farms as well as   implacting wildlife.  There is serious concern about the lack of water and the inability of the river to meets the demands of water usage throughout the Southern California and Nevada  areas in the near future.
   Mark and I have both noticed the effects of aging.  We are scared of heights, deep narrow rocky paths that fall off thousands of feet.  We could feel our knees shake and a sense of dizziness overwhelmed us as we approached the edge of a cliff. Twenty years ago there were moments on the hiking trails that I felt this same feeling, however, now it is much worse.  I don’t know how to deal with this fear. It is frustrating to acknowledge this and not know how to overcome it.  Stepping off the rim onto a descending  path made me quezzie and at the same time angry not to be able to calm my fears.  It truly is a humbling experience to walk the rim of this magnificent natural wonder.
 
   The weather is still very cold so we decided to spend the night at the El Tovar, the oldest hotel in the National Park.  It is a glorious hotel beautifully decorated for Christmas.  The restaurant was fabulous.  We celebrated with a Manhattan and a delicious dinner of duck and quail.  This will be our Christmas gift to each other!!!
 

Dec. 14-15 Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon

   The drive to Antelope Canyon took us from Zion to Kanab, Utah then on to Page Arizona.  We had lunch in Kanab at a lovely little sandwich place and ate outside in the sunshine and warm weather.  We met a lovely couple from Australia who was on their way to visit Zion and Bryce.  Their travels were similar to ours only in reverse.  We shared travel stories of being in Australia and how much we loved their country.  Meeting people has been one of the wonderful benefits of this trip.  Traveling opens our eyes to the nuances of how people think. They willing share thoughts on travel, food, experiences, and if we talk long enough they share their deeper beliefs, including the love for their families, and desire for a better life for future generations.
   We drove the next hour and a half through desert land. The town of Page is located just over the border into Arizona.  Page is a small city of mostly Navajo people who work and live here in this remote area.  The Glen Canyon Dam is the reason this town even exists.  In the 1960’s the Glen Canyon Dam was built to control the waters from the Colorado River to provide water to the four corners area of the country.  It also provides hydroelectric power to the area.  Today, the city depends on this dam not only for water and energy but it enhances the tourist industry.  Lake Powell was formed as the result of the dam and creates a natural summer boating and swimming area.
Twenty years ago, Mark and I went down the Colorado River from Lake Powell to Lake Mead at Las Vegas.  It was an 8 day excursion in a raft through the white water of the Colorado River.  Today, Lake Powell is about 54% capacity.  There has been a serious drought for the past 10 years causing the lake to be so low.  Although low, the lake is a beautiful deep blue set against the brown desert land.
   We scheduled a tour of Antelope Canyon on the morning of Dec. 15, Mark’s birthday!  We needed to be guided through this canyon by a Navajo guide.  It is a protected area and once inside the canyon it is easy to see why this needs to be protected.  The area known as Antelope Canyon is a narrow crack in the land formed by rushing water over thousands of years.  The water has created the most amazing twists and turns within the canyon.  The sunlight shines through small peep holes at the top of the canyon. The light reflects on the canyon walls creating beautiful images. One doesn’t have to be a good photographer to capture an amazing picture of color, movement and light.  In the summer, known as the monsoon season, there can be flash floods through this canyon sometimes as deep as the canyon itself.  We are happy to be here in winter avoiding the possibility of a flood.  Our time spent walking through this narrow canyon was a never ending display of beautiful light formations on the canyon walls.  At the end of our tour our guide played a beautiful Navajo love song on his flute for us, a very touching moment.
  Today’s tour was a birthday gift for Mark and it was truly amazing.
 

December 12,13 ZION

Dec. 12 & 13,
Zion:
   We decided to take the longer route from Bryce to Zion because we had been warned that the shorter route was a very treacherous route including paying an extra fee at a tunnel.    
  Entering Zion National Park was simply the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen.  Unlike Bryce, Zion is a geological area located at the bottom of the canyon.  The Virgin River runs through the canyon creating spectacular cliffs and rock formations.  The river is the source of life for this canyon.  The water flow from this river has sliced through these massive rock formations for millenniums and continues to do so today.  At the river’s bank, there is a diversity of pants and animals that thrive in this canyon oasis.  John Wesley Powell, in 1895 said “All this is the music of waters.”
   Our first hike was at the Temple of Sinawava.  Walking along the banks of the river we could look up the canyon walls that are at least 800 feet high.  The layered colorations of the cliffs once again formed magnificent natural art work.  We came face to face with 3 mule deer who were not at all bothered by our presence.  They simply stared at us and continued eating the green grasses at the river’s edge.  The hike took us to an area known as The Narrows.  We were told we could not go into the Narrows this time of the year because the water temperature was 34 degrees and the water was too high to wade through.  We did however, stand on some rocks in the river and could get a glimpse of the most narrow part of the river between two enormous cliffs.  In the spring and summer, hikers could walk through the river and into the Narrows and on to a longer hike.  I would love to come back and do the rest of this hike.  It was beautiful.
   The next morning we hiked the Pa’rus Trail.  The map indicated it would take 2 house but we took 3 to complete it.  The views were just so stunning that we needed to stop and admire them often.  There is a sense of being part of the landscape as we traversed through the bottom of the canyon.  We had a quick lunch at the Lodge then hiked the Emerald Pool Trail.  This hike took us up a winding narrow path that led to a small green pool that was being filled by a water fall about 500 feet above it.  What an amazing view.  The weather was incredibly warm at 60 degrees and full sun shine.  The sky was intensely blue.  The only white in the sky were streaks of jet streams that soared 30,000 feet above.
   This was the most extraordinary day of hiking I have had in years.  Walking through these canyon walls is like walking through time centuries ago and yet being present in the moment of creating a new landscape as the river rushes by.  Being present at this moment is awe inspiring.  There are many hikes through this natural wonder some easy some very difficult.  I am grateful that I was able to experience up close and personal the beauty of this natural park. Zion means “promised land,” and this park is not just “promised” but has given a sense of a truly sacred place.
 

Dec 10-11 Bryce Canyon

Sunday -Monday Dec 10-11

   The drive to Bryce Canyon took us through The Grand Escalante and the Dixie National Forest.  The Dixie National Forest is an area of intense green pine trees.  It was amazing to see so much green after driving for so long in desert brown territory.  These ponderosa pines are tall with copper colored thick heavy bark.  They stand tall and straight filling the landscape with lush greenery and the smell of pine.  It was a familiar scent,  the scent of home.
   Driving through the Grand Escalante was hair raisingly scary.  The road was winding and narrow.  There were no guard rails along the sides of steep cliffs. For about an 8 mile section we drove over the top of a canyon.  It was like driving on the knife’s edge of Kattadin.  Mark has a bit of vertigo and he was definitely having a white knuckle experience.  We were driving about 5 miles an hour and hoping that no one would come toward us as were situated in the middle of the two lane road.  Mark doesn’t usually keep his cell phone nearby, often forgetting where he put it.  However, on this most narrow frightening part of the road he received a message on his cell.  He forgot that his cell phone was in his breast pocket and it was vibrating.  “I think I am having a heart attack!”   Amazingly, he continued to drive carefully down the road without having a real heart attack.
   We slowly decended off the “edge” and wound our way through an Aspen forest.  Aspen trees are similar to birch only their bark is more of a cream color.  They grow in large clumps close together and I believe their root system is actually one tree system.
   There is such pleasure in the open road.  It is a classic American adventure.  It represents freedom to go wherever, whenever one wishes.  We are truly enjoying this open road freedom.  Where else can anyone drive almost 3000 miles from coast to coast with no roadblocks.  There is always a place to stay and eat, and meet friendly people along the way.
   We made a stop to admire another landscape and to give Jack a pee break.  There were 2 ravens hanging around our car.  They were not scared off by Jack’s bark; they just flew a few feet higher than he could reach.  They were beautiful birds, large with shiny black feathers.  They stared at us for quite some time.  They watched us get back into our van then, as if on cue they worked in tandem to stop us from driving on.  One flew right next to the drivers side sat down on the road and proceeded to “talk” to Mark.  He rolled down his window and responded in his version of Raven talk.  The other bird was on my side of the van talking to me.  Mark slowly started moving when the Raven on his side of the car flew right in front of us and sat in the middle of the road.  As we approached closer, he refused to move.  Slowly, we crept closer until the other bird joined him in the middle of the road.  We continued to move slowly toward the birds when all of a sudden one them took off seemingly heading off in the wooded area.  We laughed and thought how clever these birds were to try to stop us and perhaps provide a treat.  As we made the sharp turn down the road who was waiting for us right in the middle of the road.  That Raven cut us off by taking the short cut.  He knew we would be coming around the bend.  These birds are really clever.
   Since the nights are still well below freezing we booked a room at Ruby’s Hotel in Bryce Canyon.  The days are warm, reaching into the mid 50’s and full sunshine.  The weather couldn’t be better for hiking and viewing the canyons.  We scoped out the park and planned our day to experience the beauty of Bryce in the morning.
   We walked the rim and Mark walked the Queen Garden path down into the canyon.  I started down the path but got a feeling of vertigo and shakey knee syndrome.  I remember hiking in the Grand Canyon 20 years ago and having similar feelings.  Years later, these feelings don’t go away, they get worse.  I have had my share of panic attacks in my life, most notably one in Aruba with Joe and Anna while ATVing.  Not a pretty sight, except for being rescued by Carlos.  Anyway, I did not want to have one here. The area known as the amphitheater was an unimaginable outcropping of rock formations called Hoodoos.  The Native Americans thought that these were the remains of bad Indians that the coyotes had turned into stone.  The colors are spectacular, light orange, beige, white, greys and cream.  It is a most extraordinary geological landscape.  While Mark traversed the bottom of the canyon I had a very peaceful meditation on the illusion of permanence.  As much as I might wish for things to remain the same, change is constant even if every so slowly.  These monumental structures are a beautiful reminder of that.
  Bryce is a natural wonder!

Dec. 9 Capitol Reef

Dec. 9 Capitol Reef

We left Moab, Utah early this morning on our way to see Capitol Reef.  We have decided to stay as far north as possible and see as many of  the National Parks in Utah as possible before the snows arrive.  We have been incredibly lucky so far with absolutely no rain.  It has been quite cold so, full disclosure, we are staying in dog friendly motels along the way.  Trying to camp in the cold was difficult.  Mark did manage to cook a steak one  night  but the wind and the cold was too much.  It was mostly too much for the van.  We had water and heat so we were ok inside but we were really afraid that the water pipe on the van would freeze and then we would be in deep sh..t to say the least.  So, we drained the water in the van and decided to stay in motels until we could get to warmer areas.  The Utah parks are unbelievably beautiful and we are heading to Bryce then Zion before we go farther south.  So far the weather reports are not predicting any snow.

Capitol Reef National Park is about a 2 hour drive south west of Moab.  We hiked a trail that was too difficult for us.  I backed out earlier than Mark but he eventually turned around as well.  The hike trail was very narrow with cliffs on one side and canyon walls on the other.  Slippery loose rocks made walking difficult. There were warning signs of dangerous falling rocks overhead.  Anyway, we got the feel of walking through the steep part of a canyon.

We continued to  marvel at the colorations of the canyon walls.  The reds are deep and dark with layers of white sandstone. As each striated layer was formed, spectacular natural art work was painted on the canyon walls. The sun is low in the sky this time of year causing changing shadows to create moving tessellated art. There is an incredible silence here.  There are so few people traveling this time of year that we are able to walk alone and hear the quiet of the canyon.

Rows of Cottonwood trees are noticeable along shallow creeks or small water ways.  They have lost their leaves but they have many tiny branches that give the tree a smokey appearance, silvery and feathery. In the early morning sunshine the branches glisten with a bit of frost.  These trees are survivors in this arid land.  They seek out water and continue to mature and grow in spite of desperate dry conditions.  Water is life!

Our trip started out to be an adventure of seeing the beautiful sights of the National Parks in America.  It is turning out to be much more.  Mark and I have had many travel experiences and each one has been a wonderful trip in its own way.  This trip is not designed to go somewhere but to be someplace.  It is a slow and careful experience of seeing America and seeing ourselves in the process.  We are approaching 50 years of marriage and our paths have been colored like the layered striations in the canyon walls, the reds, the deep browns, the bright white all forming a picture of our time together.

Dec , 7 & 8 CanyonLands & Arches National Park

December 7CanyonLands

CanyonLands is a wide open space of natural geological structures.  Red clay giants fill the canyon for miles.  Driving through the canyon was another example of the vastness that was once an inland sea.  The walls of the caverns are amazingly beautiful.  The geology that created these canyons is an ongoing slow process of change.  Having the opportunity to see these beautiful canyons is a wonder that I treasure.

December 8th Arches National Park

Arches National Park in Moab, Utah is another amazing National Park.  It was one of Mark’s wishes to see as many of the National Parks in the southwest as possible.  Arches did not dissappoint; we hiked all of the trails and saw as many of the arches that were open for the public to see. The hikes were exhausting but well worth the effort.  There were “windows” through massive rocks that took centuries to form.  The formations were spectacular.  Once again the geological formations were beautiful.  The red spires throughout the park tells a long story of geology, wind, water, pressure and time. All together these elements continue to create magnificent structures.  Arches National Park is our favorite probably because we hiked through the park and were part of the scenery.  It was so much more participatory than just driving through and looking at the structures through a car window.  Standing next to these amazing land forms makes us feel incredibly small and insignificant.  It is just another reminder of man’s responsibility to care for these parks and save these extraordinary landscapes.

Monument Valley December 6

December 6 Monument Valley, Utah

Monument Valley is a geological wonder.  It is part of the 130,000 square mile Colorado Plateau. The heights of the these monuments range from 100 feet to 1500 feet tall. What made this place famous was the filming of western movies with John Ford directing John Wayne in many classic western movies.  However, this landscape was known to inhabit a group of Navaho Indian people who have sustained a living here for hundreds of years.  There are families here today who eek out a living on the valley floor.  There homes are primitive and they have no running water.  They need to drive about 12 miles to get their water from a well in Goulding’s. The Goulding’s were a British family who settled here in the 40’s.  They dug a well, which is still supplying water to the Navaho people who live here, for free.

The monuments are deep red reflecting the iron oxide in the soil. Clay is the element within these rock formations that actually holds them together. Many of the monument have holes that appear through the structure, these holes are air bubbles that have escaped. I remember when Robin and I took a pottery class and we needed to work out the air from the clay so it wouldn’t explode in the kiln. This is a magnification of that process.

Many of the monuments have names of animals that are evident in their shape like elephants, or the three sisters.  I prefer to see the faces of the ancient people who lived here.  It is easy to see a face looking up at the sun or moon.  Sometimes the faces are smiling, some mouths are open wide as if singing.  I like to imagine these ancient faces are whispering secrets to the people who live here now.

Sage brush plants are prolific on the valley floor.  They are green grayish color mostly but on a closer look some are spring like green with tiny yellow flowers.  When looking out into the distance, they can give a blueish hue almost like a water scape.  These plants are not for human consumption but are a food source for the small animals that live here.  Sage plants grow right up to the base of the monuments brushing away the sand stone like tiny whisk brooms and ever so slowly and patiently changing the monument noticeable in a millennial time period.

The Navajo are a beautiful people and have a special connection to this land.  Our guide pointed out the Bears Ears Monument off in the distance. Sadly he commented, “They continue to take away our land.” Just a day or so ago, Trump took this land away for the right to mine minerals there.
We asked how the Navajo felt about Trump and all he would say is that most of the people did not vote for him.

It has been a beautiful adventure  to visit this extraordinary geographical site but it has been an honor to know that this land is loved and cared for by the Navajo people.  As Chief Seattle once said,” Man does not weave this web of life.  He is merely a strand of it.  Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”  Hopefully, their culture will live on for centuries to come.

I have been reminded throughout our time in Indian Territory to take a closer look at the small things, the gray sage plant is beautiful and colorful close up. The forces of nature are ever present, the sun is bright and warms the day, the moon is bright and lights the night.  But the most important is water.  Water is life in this desert terrain.  I appreciate the slow movement of geological time and know that small changes take place every moment.

Dec 4, 5th Chaco Canyon & Canyon De Chelly

Chaco Canyon:
We were excited to get to see Chaco Canyon which is a sacred area of the Navajos.  The drive was to be only a couple of hours so we left the campsite around 8:00 and headed out to the Canyon hoping to be there around noon or before.  We entered the Navaho Reservation territory only to find that the roads were horrible.  They were gravel, bumpy and quite scary considering there was no one in sight. the landscape is completely flat, no gas stations, no water, no electricity, nothing. We continued to drive thinking the canyon was just a short distance away.  It was not far according to the GPS, however, we could only go about 3 miles per hour.  The RV starts to rattle and bang around with things falling out of the cabinets.  Mark is getting a bit nervous!  Around 3:00 in the afternoon, we still had 30 miles to go on the rough road.  We were getting very worried that we would lose daylight and we could be in very serious trouble.  We decided to turn around and slowly make our way to Gallup, NM.  It was another 3 hours arriving there around 6:30.  The van seems to be in good shape all things considered.  Lesson learned, do not drive on reservation gravel roads, ever.

Cathy and Bill had told us about a great hotel in Gallup that used to house Hollywood actors and actresses back in the 40’s when they were filming cowboy movies.  We called ahead and booked a room.  We were tired, cranky, and dirty.  We hadn’t had a shower in 4 days.  The hotel was wonderful.  It was full of cowboy memorbelia and photos of the actors that had been there.  We stayed in Betty Grabel’s room.  The shower was hot and felt perfectly wonderful.  The restaurant was playing Christmas music, cowboy and Mexican style!

In the morning, we visited Window Rock.  It is located where the Navaho tribal members meet.  It is a large windswept hole appearing in an outcropping of red rocks.  Nature has done an extraordinary job of creating lovely landscapes.  As we strolled around we saw a statue in honor of the Code Talkers of World War II.  These men used their language and created a code system that was unrecognizable by the Japanese who were quite adept at decoding secret messages.  They are credited with saving thousands of lives.  We talked with a Navaho man on his way in to the meeting.  We told him what a lovely spot this was to honor those men.  He was wearing his Vietnam jacket and told us he proudly served in that war.

The 2 hour drive to Canyon De Chelly was well worth the drive.  We drove through the Navaho Forest, a protected area of forestry.  It was the first time in many days that we were in a forest of tall pine trees.  The elevation slowly increased to  a height of 7000 feet.  The air thinned out and was noticeable cooler.  The sun is still warm and we are thankful that the days are sunny.  The temperature is about 25 at night but climbs to about 40 in the sun during the day.

Canyon De Chelly is in Arizona just over the border from New Mexico.  Having left the Navaho Forest, the land once again flattens out to unbelievable scenery of nothing but scrub brush with mountains off in the distance.  Not a tree in sight for miles.  There was a moment we thought that we were not on the right road and there no sign of a canyon.  We did arrive at the visitors center and decided to take the south rim tour, about 2 hours.  The canyon was amazing. The windswept corridors of the canyon walls were red with shades of white. Swirls formed on the walls from the weather beating winds of the area.    It is the location of ancient canyon dwellers.  They farmed the land at the bottom of the canyon about 800 years ago.  There were remnants of their dwellings still there.  One particular area was called the White House due to the limestone remains of the building.  We hiked wherever we could to see deep into the canyon. At some places the drop off was 700 feet deep.  These native peoples were amazing architects, farmers, and family people creating communities of small groups.

We found a campsite near the canyon.  There is no one here.  We did come prepared with water and we have a generator for heat which we will need later tonight.  The temperature will drop into the 20’s tonight so I think we will be using our generator.  Mark cooked a steak on the grill with roasted veggies in tin foil.  It tasted great but eating outside was really chilly.

I have grown very fond of the lands known as Indian Territory.  It is a harsh, flat, brown, sandy, dry land.  The people here though do not reflect this harsh environment.  They are warm and wonderfully friendly.  How amazing to live in this desolation and yet remain so kind and thoughtful.  I do not want to ignore the fact that alcoholism is a major problem and poverty is evident everywhere.  There is a sadness here but a pride in their heritage and a love for their families and communities.

Santa Fe:

December 1,2 & 3
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe is the beautiful capital city of New Mexico.  The elevation rose gently as we traveled north from Roswell.  The vegetation grew greener and the scrub pines were taller.  The distant Sangre de Cristo Mountains encircle the city with their soft peaks and tall pines.  The air is cool and dry with a copper colored sandy soil.  Cacti plants are the preferred landscaping around the adobe style one story level homes, reddish brown with soft rounded edges.

The central architectural building in the city of Santa Fe is the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.  In 1598 Franciscan friars came to what is now New Mexico.  These priests joined the Spanish colonists who had migrated north from Mexico City.  No building in Santa Fe can be built taller than the Cathedral giving it a majestic appearance.

There is a central green space in the center of the city, reminiscent of downtown Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  We stopped at a local bakery  for coffee and sat in the park to watch the people walk and play on this early morning Saturday.  We had a sweet conversation with mother of a 7 year old blonde little girl named Sophie.

The shops of Santa Fe were filled with silver and copper  jewelry, native pottery, ponchos and sarape’s.  There is an area adjacent to the park where Native American’s were selling their jewelry.  They had extraordinarily beautiful pieces.  I bought I pair of earrings from a young man who indicated he had just finished making them the night before.  He was delighted to share his art work.
In contrast to the art of Donal Judd in Marfa, the native arts are colorful, reds, yellows and turquoise. The triangle and square shapes dominate many painted art works.  The pottery is equally colorful, however, I preferred the Acoma style.  It is incredibly detailed with a repetitive decign, mostly in black and white but some have brown images The Acoma is native to the Pueblo Indians and is among their most prized pottery styles.

The Georgia O’Keeffe museum is located downtown featuring her works.  Ghost Ranch is located about 60 miles north of Santa Fe, which is where she spent 40 summers doing her work.  “When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment.  I want to give that world to someone else.”  Her role in the American art movement contributed to the development of American modernism.
“The power of Georgia O’Keeffe’s artwork derives from her master of essential elements of art making: line, color, and composition.” A brilliant colorist, O’Keeffe created strong, vibrant works with colors that glow with energy and vitality.”  (The museum)

Evidence of the Pueblo culture is embedded in the city of Santa Fe, their homes, language, food, customs, hair styles, and clothing.  These native peoples are direct descendants of the Anasazi people that had lived in this area thousands of years ago.  The Pueblos are one of the oldest cultures in the nation.  Their name is Spanish for “stone masonry village dweller”.  Today there are 19 Pueblo tribes in New Mexico.  The Zia Pueblo regard the Sun as a sacred symbol “Their symbol, a red circle with groups of rays pointing in four directions, painted on ceremonial vases, drawn on the ground around campfires, and used to introduce newborns to the Sun.” This symbol is the design on the state’s flag and on their license plates.

On Sunday, we were invited to a lovely brunch at Cathy Ansheles and Bill Stanton’s home. Beth and Don along with their brother Buzz and his wife Gail were there.  Friends of Cathy and Bill’s, Connie and Robert were there as well.  We had met Connie and Robert on the island last summer.   It was a delicious feast and such fun catching up with the Ansheles family.

The  Rancheros De Santa Fe Campground just outside of the downtown area has been our home for 3 nights. It is typical of the area with cactus plants all around.  They do not have shower facilities so we improvised, a little bit chilly.  The weather here is delightful, sunny and warm in the daytime but a bit frosty at night.  We needed to use the heater in the van.

Santa Fe is absolutely lovely, very livable!!!

Roswell, NM

Friday December 1, 2017

Roswell New Mexico is a desert area in the south of New Mexico just a bit north of Carlsbad.  It is known as the site of an alleged 1947 UFO crash.  The town is filled with tourist UFO attractions.
We found a small campsite located at Bottomless Lake.  The lake is a greenish-blue color created by aquatic plants giving the illusion of great depth. Mark and I had a bit of fun imagining that this a UFO abduction site.  Since we were pretty much alone at the park is was an easy jump to imagine a scene of spaceships landing here. No ambient light was evident  so  the the night sky was bright with billions of stars.  Who knows who is watching us?

We cleaned up the camper and drove 3 hours to Santa Fe.  We are here for three nights.  The campsite is lovely, however there are no shower facilities.  The weather is warm and sunny, a bit chilly at night, around 38 degrees.  There was a bit of frost on the picnic table in the morning.

Desert Landscape: A few notes

     From the time we left Dallas and just outside of Fort Worth, Texas the landscape flattens out and the roads become long and straight.  The western desert land is miles of open space, flat land, and big sky.  The colors are simple, beige with hints of dark green scrub and cactus plants.  I am not sure how far one can actually see but it feels like if I stood on my tip toes, I could see the curvature of the earth.  
The cactus plants are spiny and short, I need to research the names of some of them.  Jack found out how sharp the thorns can be when he decided to take a pee up close to one of them.

     We saw deer one evening around dusk just outside of Fort Davis. We were told about a clearing of Cottonwood trees where the deer and sometimes elk would wander around in the open space just before sunset.  We did not see elk but a herd of deer made their way into the clearing.  We got a beautiful look at these white tail deer.
 
   On a few occasions we spotted Road-Runners on the side of the road, some alive, some not.  They are actually very cute with their waddle.  It was sad to  see a few coyotes that had been hit by cars.

     The desert truly is its own beauty and part of the beauty, for me, is the silence.  The quietness at night is remarkable. I feel very small in the vastness of space that is all around.  Tonight the sky is dark with a few clouds so the stars are not all that visible but when we do see the entire night sky is sparkling with crystals.

     One of the sights we did not encounter was the so called Marfa Lights.  Evidently, at some times of the year and certain geological conditions the sky around Marfa gives off a light show.  It is similar to the northern lights, they say.  Some even say it is people from outer space.
   
     On our drive from Texas to New Mexico, the natural landscape does not change much but it is evident how humans are impacting it.  The land is now exploding with fracking companies.  Huge oil rigs, water pipes and containment facilities are everywhere.  Trucks in and out of the sites were busy carrying whatever they are transporting from one location to another.  Small motor home facilities were popping up to house the workers.  These trailer camps seem to be a modern day version of the coal patch towns of the early 20th century.  On a personal note, there is so much wind and sun here, I don’t understand why there aren’t giant wind or solar farms.  The energy these companies are using to find gas and oil is unbelievable, especially considering the lack of water here.

     The desert space is wide open, simple and flat, ginger colored grassses with dark green cactus dot the land.  The desert sky is deep blue with whispy clouds in daylight. The night sky is black with millions of glistening stars.  I would venture to guess that we are not alone in this vast universe.

Carlsbad, New Mexico

Wednesday November 29 & 30, 2017

Carlsbad, New Mexico
Saying good-bye to Libby and John was a bitersweet fairwell.  We had a wonderful time with them in Dallas and our travels through the western part of the state in Alpine, Marfa, and Fort Davis.  We will miss Libby’s expertise on art and literature, and John’s quips and insights into all things Texas.

Mark and I did have one interesting experience with a couple of “real” Texans.  We needed to visit the laundromat in Fort Davis.  We aren’t carrying many changes of clothing so we get to see several laundromats along the way.  It is actually a great way to talk to the locals and hear their stories.  In Fort Davis the laundromat is a small white stucco building with 10 washing machines and 10 dryers.  There was only one other couple in there when we arrived and they had been using about 5 of the machines.  We didn’t mind because we only neede one.
“Where are y’all from?” The man dressed in Texas style shirt, blue jeans, and a hand carved leather belt with a Texas hat, asked.
“Maine.”
“I met someone from Vermont once.  I think it’s near there, right.”
“Yes, it is”
“Is this your first time in west Texas?”
“It is”
“Well, let me tell you about west Texas.  I grew up on a farm south of here, right on the Mexican border.  My family had been there for years.  We raised corn, cotton, carrots, and all kinds of other vegetables.  But I got old and tired so I retired up here a bit farther north.  Too many Mexicans coming across the border, about 11 million a day, I’d say.  Those wet-backs bring nothing good to the United States.  They come with their babies and drugs.  They just want a free ride here.  That wall should have been built a long time ago.  Nothing but bad comes from the other side of the border.”

The man’s wife interrupts him: “Those that come here bring babies, born out of wedlock.  God is watching them and there will be hell to pay.  He is watching, you know. That wall needs to built fast. That other president just let them all come in to this country and gave them citizenship.”

Fortunately, Jack was with us and he needed to pee.  Quick excuse to take the dog for a walk.

“So nice to meet you both.” We left the laundromat.

Mark and I provisioned the RV for our 2 hour drive to Carlsbad New Mexico and Brantley Lake State Park.  The landscape was flat and very desolate but not in like the rest of trip through Texas.  The desert has it’s own beauty.  We were very much alone at the camp site with high winds blowing all night.  I got a text from Mike letting us know that we are now in UFO country.  Awesome! The darkness and the complete silence of the landscape is actually quite inspirational.

Mark was excited to visit the Carlsbad Caves.  After Mammoth, I was not interested at all.  He took a two hour tour while Jack and I  and spent time outside the cave.  I had a great conversation with my good friend Agnes.  We had pretty good reception, so we were able to catch up on family events.

Fort Davis, TX

November 27, 28, 2017

Fort Davis is a classic western Texas town with friendly people, the grocery store doubling as a sandwich shop and the drug store with its perfect 1950 soda fountain area with music to match.  The one Main Street in town was about 3 blocks long with no traffic.

The Limpia Hotel was our home for two days.  We shared a condo-like 2 bedroom suite with kitchen, dining room, and 2 baths.  Our bathroom had the old fashioned claw footed bath tub, meant for smaller folks back in the day.  In the morning we went to the drug store for breakfast.  It was Texas style: two eggs, 3 pancakes, hash browns, and bacon or saugage.  Mighty good!!

The town is named for the Fort that is located just outside of the town. Fort Davis is a United States National Historic Site. It was established in 1961 to protect one of the best remaining examples of United States Army Fort in the southwestern U.S.

The Fort was originally established in 1854 and has been slowly renovated with some of the buildings staged to show what life was like at the fort in the mid to late 1800’s.  The fort was designed “to protect emigrants, mail coaches and freight wagons on the trans-Pecos portion of the San Antonio-El Paso Road and the Chihuahua Trail, and to control activities on the southern stem of the Great Comanche War Trail.”

One important historical aspect of the fort was the activity of African Americans in the West and in the military. The 24th and 25th US Infantry regiments and the 9th and 10th Cavalry regiments, were all-black regiments known as the buffalo soldiers. Henry Ossian Flipper was an American soldier and former slave.  He was the first African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1877. He was the first nonwhite officer to lead buffalo soldiers of the 10th Cavalry.  He was met with constant racial injustices and was court martialed and dismissed from the US Army.  In 1994 his descendants demanded a review of his court martial and he, posthumously was  pardoned by President Bill Clinton in 1999.

Day 2
Libby had arranged a full day of activities at the McDonald Observatory about 30 minutes from Fort Davis.  She scheduled a 2 hour tour in the morning then a twilight lecture in the early evening followed by a Star Party at night.  What an incredible day!

The Observatory is part of the University of Texas at Austin, housing two incredible telescopes. The Harlan Smith Telescope is a 107” and the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, 360”.  Two magnificent pieces of equipment meant to observe the stars, and planets.  The Hobby-Eberly Telescope is designed specifically for spectroscopy, the separation of light into its various colors which is used to decode distant galaxies, exploding stars, black holes and uncovering the mystery of dark energy.

Astronomical Science is clearly way beyond my comprehension, however, just to see the magnificent structures was awe inspiring.  Astronomers from all over the world schedule time here at the observatory to collect data and search the night skies.

When we returned for the evening events, the wind had picked up dramatically and the skies were just a bit cloudy but the Star Party was still fabulous.  We walked around the observatory and got to look through four telescopes that had been set for us on specific sightings.  The moon was the most dramatic.  It appeared as a Waxing Gibbous form with the crater, Copernicus, clearly visible.  Another telescope showed twin stars, one blue and one yellow.  I can’t remember what they were called but the color was intense.  Although the weather was windy and cold at 4,000 ft, the experience of being at the top of the mountain and seeing what the naked eye could never see was amazing.

Marfa, TX

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Marfa, Texas is the town of Donald Judd.  He was an American artist know for his minimalist style.  His work is adequately displayed at the Chinati Foundation here in town.  One expression of his works is a collection of large cement open ended squares purposefully placed to offer symmetry with each other and the shadows they create.  To me, his work is the ultimate example of form no function. There was a simplistic beauty in his work as it was displayed in the field outside of the Foundation’s building.  As the sun moves across the sculptures, geometric shadows form for short periods of time changing the optics of the sculptures. Other buildings there housed his metal works which were equally minimal in their design and structure.

Due to the art of Donald Judd, Marfa, located in west Texas, is now known as an artists hub.  Many people from New York, who are interested in this style of art visit here.  The art actually fits the landscape in his simplistic style and lack of color.  Squares and solid shapes define the structures matching the flat land with its beige grasses and spiny cactus.

The Hotel St. George is an elegant one located on the Main Street.  The style of the hotel reflects the art interests of the people who visit, minimalistic design.  It had a New York art attitude about it.

We took a drive to see the Prada Store located outside of Valentine.  The store is a statement of “you build it; they will come”.  It is an art display of shoes in a store window.  People come from all over to take photos.  Commercialism at its best!

The Cochineal Restaurant was a delightful place for dinner.  It served small plates with wonderful desserts.  (Cochineal is a small insect used for dying fabrics red)

It is such a pleasure traveling with Libby and John.  Libby is a fountain of knowledge and John is full of fun with hysterical comments along the way.

Marfa is also know for the Marfa lights which we did not see due to overcast.

Alpine, Texas

Saturday, November 25
Texas is a giant of a state.  The 7 hour drive from Dallas to Alpine was long and flat.  We filled up with gas prior to driving because we weren’t sure how many gas stations were possible along the way.  Towns were few and far between.
We started driving at 6:00am and arrived in Alpine around 2:30.  John and Libby arrived about an hour ahead of us.  John is a a fast driver!

The scrub plants dotted the landscape for as far as the eye could see.  Mesquite, cottonwoods, tumble weed, cactus and various grasses were all one could see. It was a continuous sea of beige grasses with dots of dark green bushes.  Far off in the distance was a mountain range, Chinati Range. The mountains were brown rock formations lining the horizon.

We had dinner at Reata’s.  This was a classic west Texas restaurant, recommended by Bob Mittle, a law partner of Michael Asen’s who evidently lives nearby  part time.

Alpine is a small town.  There is a stark beauty here with a life style that is hard to imagine.   It is set apart from other towns by about 50 to 80 miles.  Homes are small, white or beige matching the landscape.

Dallas, Texas

Tuesday, November 21
The four hour drive to Dallas was uneventful.  Some traffic around Waco due to road construction but otherwise it was fine.  We arrived at the Zerner’s around 2:00pm.  It was really fun to connect with them.  It is such a pleasure to have friends willing to put us up for a few days then travel with us to the far west of Texas.

 Their home is absolutely lovely filled with Libby style eclectic art.    We had our own suite on the second floor.  It felt like a resort compared to the RV space we had been in for the past 20 days.

John had organized a delicious Texas style rib dinner, including roasted cauliflower, kale and avocado salad, and wine! It was perfect.

Wednesday, November 22
The Zerner’s were gracious enough to drive us all around Dallas.  What a beautiful city!  The neighborhood streets  are lined with mature live oaks creating cool canopies over the roads and sidewalks. The homes were beginning to decorate for the Christmas holidays so the spirit of the season was clearly evident.
We planned to have Thanksgiving dinner at Jay and Meridan’s home.  Libby was assigned 2 side dishes, roasted Cajun spiced carrots over lentils and sautéed asparagus with harissa sauce, both delicious.

Thursday, November 23
Following a light breakfast, Libby finished preparing the side dishes then we drove to Jay’s house.  It was a lovely time with the Zerner family.  Lang and his mom along with his mom’s brother and wife and their son were there. A long time friend of Jay’s was also there.  Dinner was a classic Thanksgiving meal with a Texas flair.  Turkey, ham with side dishes of sweet potatoes with marshmallows, corn bread stuffing, green beans, rolls, and the two sides from Libby.  Jordan read a delightful Thanksgiving poem to remind us all why we were celebrating.  Following the meal, we collapsed in front of the TV for the Dallas Cowboys game, which they lost.  We went back to the John and Libby’s for an early night.

Friday, November 24
This was another touring day of Dallas.  We visited the downtown area where President Kenndy was assassinated.  It was more moving than I had expected.  There is a big green X in the middle of the road where he was hit.  President Kennedy was killed when I was a Junior in high school in Bethesda, Maryland.  I remember going to the funeral procession in downtown Washington.  The streets were lined with people weeping as the horseless carriage passed by.  In Dallas, the window where Oswald shot the fatal blow is marked with a white box on the sixth floor of the Book Depository Building.  It was surprising to see how close Oswald was.

Central Market was wonderful.  It is a food market near the Zerner’s that is filled with every type of food imaginable.  We strolled through the market sampling just about everything.  Really fun!

We needed to retire early because we were all heading  to West Texas at 6:00am.

Dallas was grand and our hosts were the grandest of them all.  What a treat to see this beautiful city through the eyes of local residents.  Our time in Dallas was special not only to see the city but to spend time with good friends.  Thank you Libby and John!  Now off to Marfa.

Austin, TX page 2

Monday: November 20

We spent the day strolling around Lady Bird Lake with Jack.  The pathway was busy with bikers, runners, walkers and dog walkers.  The river was colorful with people in red, blue, yellow and green canoes and kayaks rowing under the bridges of the city.  We found a lush dog park for Jack.  He had a great time playing with a lovely silver colored Australian Labadoodle.  I think he remembers his friends, Annie and Larry.

The river park that runs through the city is a quiet well maintained area for locals.  It is a large green space in the middle of the city.  The Lady Bird Lake is a reservoir that used to be called Town Lake but was renamed in Lady Bird’s honor a few years back.  The tall modern buildings of Austin create a magnificent background to the park.

The people of Austin are very friendly.  Anytime we needed information people were willing to help and gave great detail on places to eat or how to get somewhere. We had BBQ for lunch at Black’s BBQ. This was the first BBQ in Texas and it did not dissappoint.

We need to spend some time reorganizing the RV and cleaning it up a bit tonight because we will be spending the next few days in Dallas and then off to Marfa, TX with the Zerner’s.

A relaxing day in all but well worth the walk in the river park.  It was beautiful.

Austin, Texas

November 19,
The drive from San Antonio to Austin was about 2 hours.  The locals call this the Texas hill country.  It is a bit more hilly than the flat land south of here but compared to New England this is not hilly.  The grass is beginning to die off and turning a soft ginger color.  The live oaks remain leafed out and green.    They have a beautiful wide canopy that creates a welcoming shade from the sun.  The weather has turned cool, sweater weather, as we say in New England.

Austin is the capital of Texas and for such a giant state the capital city is rather small.  The University of Texas is located in the center of the city.  It has a lovely “quad” where college students hang out.  On this Sunday morning, there were students riding their bikes through the campus area and sitting on the grass reading. There is a lovely view from the campus bell tower to the capitol building with a statue of George Washington looking at the capitol, reminiscent of the Washington Mall. The college neighborhood is very multi-cultural.  There are many Asian, Indian and Pakistanian students bringing a delightful “color” to Texas.  The motto of the school, “A cultivated mind is the guardian genius of a democracy” was engraved on one of the buildings.  It would be my hope that these young cultivated minds offer their genius to guard a greater democracy for their future.

We hung out in a nearby restaurant,  Kerbey’s, having coffee and observing the students enjoy their Sunday morning breakfasts. The restaurant was very energized with young people.  Large groups of students sat together, laughing and sharing stories with one another. We were clearly the oldest people in the restaurant; could be grandparents to some.  It was a pleasant reminder of our own college days in Miami almost 50 years ago.  I wonder how our generation will be viewed by these students.  Did the cultivated minds of our generation offer our genius to guard a greater democracy?

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

November 18,
San Antonio, TX

We spent the morning taking showers and doing laundry which seems to take no less than 2 hours every time we do it.  Now that we are all clean as well as our clothes, we went to town.
First stop, the Alamo.  it is located right in the center of the city.  Hotels, and mega-malls surround the Alamo.  It is a bit difficult to imagine what it looked like back in the day of Davy Crockett.
The River Walk was only a block away from The Alamo so we headed over there.  It was charming.  We walked all around enjoying the ambience of River.  We had lunch on the sidewalk (we have Jack) at Landry’s.  Mark is on a quest to try out gumbo where ever he goes.  Texas Gumbo does not compare to Louisiana gumbo.  He should have known that but he wanted to try it out anyway.

The day was a relaxing one aside from the walk around the city.  We strolled along the River and thoroughly enjoyed the sites.  San Antonio is a beautiful city.  It is clean and full of tourists.  The restaurants are numerous and looked very delicious.  We certainly enjoyed our lunch at Landry’s.
There was a noticeably large number of families with their young Air Force sons and daughters.  We never found out exactly why but perhaps it was  due to Thanksgiving break.  Many of the mothers had pins indicating their pride in their sons or daughters.  I must be getting old but the Air Force men and women looked very young.

TEXAS: THE LONE STAR STATE

November 17th

It is a long drive from Lafayette, Louisiana to San Antonio, Texas.  We made it in about six hours.  The land is flat and this time of year the grass is brown.  Scrub trees, live oaks and sugar cane grow throughout this area.  We did not plan to stop in Houston so we drove right through rather easily, I might add, as the traffic was light at that time of day.  On to San Antonio where we are camping out at the Admiralty RV park.  It is about 20 minutes outside of the city.  The outskirts of the city are not attractive.  There is tremendous construction all around the city.  New homes and condos are popping up all over the place.  The RV park is very nice but almost everyone has a mega bus-style RV.  The sites are very close together.  One interesting thing we have noticed is the quietness of the parks.  People tend to stay in their own “homes” and not hang out outside very much.  We did notice mosquitoes here so after our cookout we didn’t stay outside much longer either.

We did manage to talk to a few people and learned that at this particular site many of the people live here permanently.  I spoke with a woman walking her dog. It seems she and her husband have been here for 5 years.  I am not sure what drew them here from Michigan other than perhaps warmer weather but they plan to stay.  Next to us is a family with 2 children.  They eat out every night for dinner and breakfast in the morning.  They have a storage compartment that is attached to the back of their rig where they keep the kids’ bikes and other toys.  It is an interesting life style.  I haven’t quite got a grasp on the attraction of living in a RV park in a half-a-million dollar rig when one could have a lovely permanent home for a lot less than that amount of money.  The people behind us are not yet retired but they have a 44ft bus style RV in which they plan to retire in.  Actually, I would love for someone to invite me into their big bus so I could see for myself what they are like inside.  I just might like it!

A Bit of a Problem:

November 16th

The first problem we noticed was a slight smell of gas when turned on the hot water.  This is not something to ignore.  The second problem was moisture on the floor of the RV next to the kitchen sink area.  We looked up a Camping World RV Service Center and found one in Lafayette, LA.  We called and drove from Natchez to Lafayette, about 21/2 hours.  We arrived around 11:00 and they worked on the car until 4:00.  The service people were very nice to us giving us a ride to the nearest Chili’s so we could have lunch.  It was close enough so we could walk back.  Jack also made himself at home in one of the salesman’s office while we went to lunch.  Jack had befriended everyone in the office.  He is clearly settling into RV life of making friends everywhere.

The service center fixed the gas leak problem.  It was a two way regulator that had clogged. They had difficulty finding the cause of the water on the floor.  They sealed all around the refrigerator.  We hope that will solve the problem.  It would be a pain to have to go to another service center in Texas.

We found an RV park about 10 miles out of Lafayette in Duson, LA.  We will leave early in the morning and try to get as close to San Antonia as possible.  It is a long drive but we will see how far we get.
All in all the day was a long waiting around in the service center.  I finished a book I was reading.

Natchez, Mississippi

November 15
Antebellum homes are magnificent.  We visited 4 today.  The mansions were built by wealthy landowners during the mid 1800’s.  Many had made their money from owning cotton plantations in Mississippi and Louisiana.  Cotton was the crop that was so plentiful in this area that only 30% of the cotton could be sent to the north for production.  The other 70% was sent to Europe make fancy garments for the wealthy in England and throughout Europe.  Cotton was “king” and became known as “white gold”.  Slavery, of course was the reason cotton could be so plentiful.  Although the soil was conducive to cotton growing, the slaves made it happen.  The money continued to flow into the south and the plantation owners grew exceedingly wealthy building homes to show it off and their social stature. Because of the cash crop that grew here, Natchez became one of the wealthiest cities in America just prior to the war. (Civil War, War Between the States, The War of Northern Agression).

Each home, of course had slave quarters that were located near the “big house”.  Each slave had a different chore to do at the home.  Some worked in the kitchen, others were house cleaners, still others worked caring for the animals.  They were at the beckon call of their owners everyday anytime of day.  We have visited plantation homes elsewhere and each time we see the slave quarters it is such a vivid reminder of how poorly the slaves were treated. The photos of beaten slaves that were posted in the slave quarters was to say the least a disturbing reminder of the horrors of the time.

The Mississippi River flows by Natchez giving it a wonderfully pleasant ambience.  The word Mississippi means “Father Waters” taken from a Native American language.  I grew up in St. Louis, about 4 hours north of here.  Watching the barges move freight up and down the river brought back pleasant childhood memories of growing up on the banks of this mighty muddy river.

Mark and I had lunch today in a small restaurant in an area that used to be called Natchez underground.  He had a delicious gumbo and  fried oysters.  I had fried oysters also.  I love fried oysters and these were prepared perfectly. Our waitress said her name.  It sounded like Liam with a K instead of an L.  Then I looked at the spelling of her name: KIM.  Some accents are really hard to hear!

In an earlier post I commented on how we are continuously making space in the van a priority for convenience.  Mark had bought a very soft dog bed for Jack before we left.  Every time we needed something anywhere in the van, we needed to move the bed.  Jack did not seem to be using the bed as  we drove around so today we gave it to a dog shelter.  Jack doesn’t seem bothered and we have significantly more room.  Who knows what will be gone tomorrow!

Germs

A footnote on Germs:
It seems I have become a bit OCD about the cleanliness of the RV.  Of course, I don’t want us to get sick so every morning after breakfast I wipe down the entire living area with a disinfectant.  The living area is tight and there are 3 of us bringing in those deadly germs.
I am reminded of the book Guns, Germs, and Steel.  We have no guns, don’t want any germs and we live in a steel box!  What a life.

Vicksburg, Mississippi

November 14th
The Military Park at Vicksburg is an incredible area where the battlefield was carefully marked with monuments commemorating those who fought for the Union.  Many of the Union soldiers were from Illinois, Ohio, and Wisconsin.  Interesting that Wisconsin had only been a state for 20 years at that time. The Military Park was a beautiful setting to remember the siege that was held here.
Mark had remembered his history a bit differently than what actually happened. He knew that Grant had won the battle, however, he had imagined that it was in some heroic fight that led the Union troops to victory.  Actually, the battles lasted for 47 days and with supplies cut off to the Confederate Army, Pemberton’s army was dying of malaria and starvation.  Also The Union owes a great deal of gratitude to the black men who fought for the Union.  The black soldiers fought heroically and with such determination that 200,000 black soldiers joined the Union Army after the battle at Vicksburg.   With his Conferderate Army dying of starvation and dysentery, Pemberton surrendered!

We continued our drive to Natchez on the Natchez Trace and arrived in time to have lunch in town and set up the RV in daylight.  We have learned our lesson about daylight setups.
Lunch was a delightful surprise of a spinach salad with fried oysters on top and a spicy hot sauce for dipping.  Mark had an oyster PoBo.  Both were delicious.

We settled into the Riverview RV park in Vidalia, MS across the Mississippi River from Natchez. We can see Natchez from our camp site.  I love looking across the River to see the lights of the city.  The manager of the RV Park is named Cappy and his daughter lives in Yarmouth, Maine.  Could the world get any smaller.  He even offered us a free night to stay here tomorrow because of the Yarmouth connection.  First the Elmira connection, then Yarmouth.  Wow!!

I have become more used to the space we are living in.  I am aware of putting everything we have in its own space. Mainly because it makes it easier for us to find things but there is a constant reminder that we can get along with less.  And with less we can appreciate more.  Constantly filling up our spaces hinders our ability to see what is already here.  Before we left Maine, I bought a collection of canisters that I had neatly packed into the RV.  We don’t need them so I gave them away.  Food comes in its own packaging and is easily stored that way. We don’t buy a lot of food at a time so we have plenty of room without those damn canisters. I have also given away some pieces of clothing which I found to be just too much. Not needed, not wanted.
Metaphorically, space provides a vast opening in my mind for me to think clearly without all of the interruptions and clutter that occupies a busy mind. There is a sense of calm that is very welcoming.

Natchez Trace To Vicksburg, Mississippi

November 13,
Willie Nelson’s On The Road Again, set the mood for our drive today through the Natchez Trace.  The Natchez Trace is a 400 mile road that winds through the countrysides of Tennessee and Mississippi.  It was the buffalo trail that the Native Americans followed centuries ago.  Today the road meanders through lovely hard wood forests.  We stopped to view a few historic sites including Native American mounds that were used for ceremonial and/or burial purposes.

The three hour drive terminated in Vicksburg where we plan to visit the National Park tomorrow.  Mark is particularly interested to see where Grant won the battle that took place here.

Hot Springs, Arkansas

November 12, 2017
Hot Springs, Arkansas

When I was about 10 my parents took us to Hot Springs Arkansas for a short vacation.  I remembered  seeing the white bath houses all in a row down the Main Street of the downtown As we drove into town the white bath houses were still there.  Main Street was lined with magnolia trees dropping their granade-like seeds this time of year.  Mark and I took a bath at the Quapaw Bath House.  The water in the area we went was just under a hundred degrees..  The warmest pool was 104.  A bit too hot for us.  The last time I took a public bath in mineral water was in Bepu, Japan.  I remember being told that no clothes were allowed in the Japanese baths.  It was embarrassing as I am tall and I felt like the giant in the land of Lilliput.  Hot Springs was not like that.  Everyone had bathing suits on.  It was a very relaxing time.  We met a couple from New York.  In fact, the man grew up in Elmira, NY, the hometown of Bobbi Gordon.  What a coincidence!  When we got back to the car, I called Bobbi to let her know.  She was going to call her aunt to see if she would remember the name.

I had a good conversation with Mike tonight.  He gave us some tips on living in a small van.  The one tip that I will remember is take time in between places to notice the small things.  He warned against focusing on the next stop and not appreciating what is right in front of us in the moment.  He also suggested to be sure to talk to people along the way as everyone has a story and there is much to learn from everyone.  Thanks Mike.  I will try to take your advice all along the way.

We are in Tupelo, Mississippi tonight.  Tomorrow we will begin our drive on the Natchez Trace.

Little Rock Arkansas: Clinton Library

November 11th Veterans Day

Little Rock is a much smaller city that I imagined.  We visited the Clinton Library. It is an impressive building set on a lovely landscaped campus.  The Clinton School of Public Service is located next door in an old brick train station.  It is set nicely in juxtaposition to the very modern glass Clinton Library.  The tour was very interesting and brought back good memories of good political times.  We noticed particularly in all the photos of Bill how charismatic he was, smiling and touching people he was speaking to.  He was a very engaging president. Whether we agreed with everything that he did as president, he was a gifted politician.

There was a visiting exhibit that I found to be impressive.  It was a photo journalistic essay of Nelson Mandela.  It was a view of his birth place, family and time as a leader South Africa leading his people against the horrors of Apartheid.  His words are very important today as we are living in difficult political times.
Some of his words that were particularly poignant:
“The lack of human dignity experienced by Africans is the direct result of the the policy of white supremacy.  White supremacy implies black inferiority.  Legislation designed to preserve white supremacy entrenches this notion.”
“If we don’t forgive them (former captors) then that feeling of bitterness and revenge will be there forever and we are saying, ‘Let us forget the past, Let’s concern ourselves with the present and the future’ but to say the atrocities of the past will never be allowed to happen again.”

The friendship that existed between President Clinton and Nelson Mandela was real and an important one that set a model of respect and leadership between these two world leaders.

One final exhibit posed two questions that I believe will set the focus for some reflections on this journey west: What will you forgive? What will you fight for?  Perhaps I will answer these in some measured way in future posts. We are striving for Ubuntu!

Memphis, TN: Graceland and Beale Street Blues

November 10, 2017

We drove to Memphis, TN in about 3 hours.  It was an easy drive  but a bit longer than we expected.
The tour through Graceland was all that one would expect. It was an extravagancza of Elvis everywhere.  His home was decorated as it would have been in the 70’s.  Green shag rug, blue curtains, gold and white flamboyant decorations.  Elvis was singing in every room with family photos  all around.  The home was actually a lovely country home with horses in the back.  Except for the decorations, the home could be a beautiful southern estate.  The house was being decorated with Christmas decorations.  All BLUE, a tribute to his song, I am sure.

The best part of our Memphis visit was the evening walk on Beale Street and listening to Blues Music.  I had Red Beans and Rice at the Rum Boogie Cafe.  Mark had Gator Gumbo.  This was the best Cajun food we have had in a long time.  The music was energetic and fun.  Personally, I enjoyed the Blues music much better than the Country Music of Nashville.  The musicians seemed to be enjoying themselves and sharing their talents personally with the audiences. It was an amazing evening of good food and great music.

Reflections: Week One

Before we started out on our tour of America, there were several things we had in mind.  Mark wanted to see the south west, the National Parks in particular.  He wanted to see some of the south’s Civil War monuments, Vicksburg in particular. He also wanted time to be off the grid and less time focusing on news.  I wanted to see America slowly and observe the people and places that we would see with a thoughtful eye.  We have traveled together and have seen many places over the years but each trip was limited by time.  This trip will be a six month journey through America.  We will try to stay warm by traveling mostly through the south heading west then north through California, onto Oregon and Washington then returning to Maine through the northern states in the spring.

Our first week was a learning experience in living in a very small space.  We had to figure out how to pack the van so that we could find everything we needed without opening up every cabinet.  I have one and a half cabinet for my clothes.  Mark has the same.  The kitchen area has room for a couple of pots, 2 dishes and 2 cups, a drawer for silverware, a refrigerator and a small stove and sink.  We have managed to set up the van to our convenience and so far no major issues.  (A few discussions on where we put things but generally not a big deal)

Although we have been traveling for only a week, we have managed to move around the small space quite well.  Just to note that every time we need to do anything, we need to move several things around.  For example, we keep our outside chairs in the rear end of the van, so when we are going to bed we need to move those chairs to the front of the van so we can turn the couch/bed into a bed for the evening.  We store some food items in the microwave, so every time we use the microwave, we need to take everything out and place it in the sink.  In other words, using two things at once is a bit tricky.  I am trying to make things more accessible but haven’t been that successful yet.  We need to put things away tightly into the cabinets when we drive or things will bang around and may fall out when we open the cabinet.  (Forget “may” they fall out)

We have driven through some of the most beautiful landscapes throughout the south so far.  West Virginia is an extraordinarily beautiful state.  The hardwood forests were particularly colorful this time of year, shades of gold and rust against a grey sky.  We listened to John Denver’s song about West Virginia as we drove.  “Almost heaven, West Virginia.  Blue ridge mountains, Shenandoah river.  Life is old there, older than the trees. Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze”.

Kentucky was also lovely with rolling green hills and elegant horse farms with black fences that went for miles.  The horses were sleek and shiny.  We were told that the land does not have iron in it so it is perfect for horse farming and distilling bourbon.  What a great state!

The people we have talked to at the various parks have been very friendly.  A few interesting notes we have discovered is that there is a group of people who live in their RV’s who are retired but continue to work either as part timers in stores or at the parks for extra money.  RV’s are also very quiet.  The park’s have a quiet time usually around 10:00pm.  However, things are quiet long before then.  This is actually very nice.  We were not looking to party.  This is a different atmosphere than what we experienced when we were living at Sunday River at the ski condo.  It was definitely a party place.

All in all, a great first week of travel.