Southwest Trip 2009

January 4, 2009

Ola and Happy New Year, everyone!

I worked New Years Eve toasting 2009 with fellow nurses and a glass of sparkling grape juice. I also worked New Years night, however, at 730 Am I headed home, made a few last minute preparations in the condo camper, then off we went on our next great adventure. There are many areas in the South West we didn’t have time to investigate last January so we hope to take up where we left off.

After two long days of driving we made it to our first destination, Big Bend National Park in Texas. Big Bend is a land of borders. Situated on the boundary with Mexico along the Rio Grande, it is a place that merges natural environments, from desert to mountains, creating a great diversity of plants and animals. The desert here is so beautiful, like someone planted and tended to it as if it were their own garden. The park covers over 801,000 acres of West Texas in the place where the Rio Grande makes a sharp turn, hence, Big Bend. We heard it can get as hot as 116 degrees in the summer...guess we made a good choice to visit now. Our first hike brought us to Boquillas Canyon carved out by the Rio Grande River. We were serenaded by a friendly Mexican man who greeted us, “ola, como esta”. Apparently he canoed over from the Mexican side of the river to sell his wares and share his music. As I look around this remote, rugged, yet diverse landscape, I try to picture what the earth looked like 29 million years ago as magma spewed forth from volcanic vents molding and shaping the landscape we see today. Evidence of these events, manifested in the mountains, rock formations, and lava beds, are all around us.

Our next stop was Guadalupe National Park in TX. While hiking up the landmark mountain of El Capitan, a jet fighter soared thru the canyon nearly level with our vision. Now that was awesome. However powerful the fighter plane may seem there is still no comparison to the permanence and strength of the mountains…for they will win.

“For purple mountains majesty” keeps singing thru my head as we traverse this great country of ours. Mountain range after mountain range appears over each new horizon and each unique in color and contour.

We stopped at Carlsbad Caverns on Jan 8th. Oh, my gosh…75 stories down = 750’ = 10’ per story. What an amazing underground landscape existing in darkness for millions of years, illuminated for man to witness briefly. We walked thru miles of cave, decorated with stalagmites, stalactites, and other unique formations. A must see if you are ever in this area…photographs cannot possibly begin do this creation justice.

On our way to Tucson, AZ, we stopped at White Sands National Monument, NM. Here, great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert. Perhaps God poured His bucket of sand on this place and the winds have sculpted the landscape, reminiscent of giant snow banks. It appears that they plow the roads of sand, driven by strong southwest winds, so we can all view this amazing vista.

We met Randy’s brother Bob and wife Kimi in Tucson and revisited the Saguaro National Park together. I finally got to see the spectacular petroglyphs or rock art down a remote desert trail…love this desert setting dominated by the giant cacti…a very spiritual environment and we witnessed the full moon rising after sunset, greeted by howls of coyotes…they really do bay at the moon!..me too!

What we have learned is a new respect for the courageous people that explored the southwest under extreme conditions and lived to tell us about. We also encourage visiting any National park that you can….I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Love you all,
Julie




January 13, 2009

Randy and I are taking lots of pictures...each night we sit down, plug in our camera to the TV, and sort thru the hundreds of pictures taken in an effort to explain this ancient, majestic scenery surrounding us...a very enjoyable ritual we have developed. Yes, eventually we will be posting them on snapfish.com for all to see. The weather has been fabulous boasting 50's and 60's for highs with plenty of blue skies and sunshine...the lack of humidity creates a very comfortable environment this time of year, although my dry skin would argue that point.

Leaving Tucson, we took the scenic highway and came upon the breath taking area of Salt River Canyon, AZ. A maze of switch backs weaving back and forth around the mountains…we could view the road from one side of the canyon to the other and marvel at the roller coaster ride of our lives. Randy’s “big ass red dually truck” reigned supreme as she hauled us up and down the mountain grades. We spotted a few vehicles that had driven off the road to an unthinkable fate, flattened on the rocks far below, left to become a permanent part of the unforgiving landscape. We finally arrived to the little community of Holbrook once known as the toughest, most rugged and lawless town of the old west. Tomorrow we will visit the Petrified Forest.

Sometimes places are not what we envision…the Petrified Forest is one such place. We pictured an actual standing forest of trees. However, these trees lived over 225 million years ago and have fossilized into stone, strewn about in fallen log sections as though someone came along and took a chain saw to them. We did a lot of hiking, discovering more petroglyphs along the way (my personal favorite), and marveling at the diverse desert flora. We also took in amazing views of the Painted Desert, also referred to as the Bad Lands. This varied palette of eroding mountains boast colorful hues of blues, purples, grays, pinks, and reds, depending upon the mineral content. Beneath the modern park, the ancient one waits to be discovered. Petrified wood is only one type of fossil found in the area.

Next stop was Albuquerque, NM and the Sandia Mountains. We spent a few days here and visited the Petroglyph National Monument…climbing among the dark colored rocks in Boca Negra and Rinconada Canyons we observed hundreds of rock carvings of animals, insects, people, and geometric designs dating hundreds of years ago. We also rode the world’s longest aerial tramway up to Sandia Peak. Climbing nearly 2 Miles above sea level, we witnessed amazing views of the ever changing mountain terrain. We had lunch at the High Finance restaurant before heading back down to earth.

We are now in Santa Fe, New Mexico and enjoying staying in one spot for more than a few days. One of my very special things on my must see list was to visit the Georgia O’keeffe Museum. Ta-da! We did it and I loved it. Sometimes our expectations are so high that we meet with disappointment…not so in this case. I was fascinated by the 18 paintings, 34 photographs, and insightful words by Ms. O’Keeffe. “This exhibition explores the essential role that photography played in establishing her reputation, promoting her career, creating her public persona, and it demonstrates how her work developed in parallel to these issues. Using photography as a means to an end, an art she learned from Stieglitz (her husband), O’Keeffe constructed a public image of herself on her own terms: as a self-assured loner, pioneer, and self made artist.” Georgia is my idol! She fell in love with Northern New Mexico and I have too. She liked to collect rocks, shells, bones, and all matter of flora…ME TOO!

After visiting a friend of a friend, I’ve decided I would love to live in an adobe with a gorgeous Indian area rug and a kiva fireplace in every room (Georgia did). Patricia invited us to tour her historical adobe style home, pointing out the fact that in true adobe style there are no hard edges…from the amazing raw beamed ceilings to the thick tiled floors, every detail shouted vintage southwest. Peering out a window, I saw a very rustic fence made of branches and wire…my hostess said it’s called a coyote fence…uh, yah, to keep out the coyotes, of course. We took Patricia’s advice and ate at a local haunt called The Shed. We enjoyed margueritas, salsa and chips, enchiladas and tacos, Santa Fe style…it was excellent, nice and spicy.

Today we plan on taking a day trip to Taos, about an hour from Santa Fe. Randy would like to see Los Alamos before we leave this area and I would like to drive out to O’Keeffe country which includes Ghost Ranch and Abiquiu…we’ll keep you posted.

Love,
Juls



Hello all…my last e-journal, (January 20, 2009)

We left our condo camper in Santa Fe this morning and took the “High Road” to Taos. This scenic by-way, winding thru the mountains and small villages, provided us with magnificent views. However, this particular mountain road did a whole lot of twisting and turning, up and down…us flatlanders were glad to finally make it to Taos. It was recommended we eat lunch where the locals go, Michael’s Kitchen…We opted for southwest cuisine again and were not disappointed. The Sopapilla, a kind of soft fried dough served with honey butter, was outstanding…yeah baby. Next, we were directed to an unexpected treat just outside of town, called the Rio Grande Gorge. This giant crevice in the earth is unbelievable. One wonders what is more spectacular, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge that spans the deep, steep chasm or the Gorge beneath it. After some shopping in Taos, we decided to take the “Low Road” back to camp, gently guided by the Rio Grande River.

Happy Inauguration Day for our 44th president, Obama. We delayed leaving for our day trip to watch the swearing in and speech. God bless this country and the American people!! Now off to experience O’Keeffe country. We arrived first in the village of Abiquiu where Georgia’s winter home is nestled on a cliff. We had the pleasure of meeting Joyce G. Lopez, a local, at the tour office of the G. O’Keeffe Museum. She had a wonderful photograph, perched on a table, of her parents on their wedding day smiling at Ms. O’Keeffe. Joyce remembers Georgia’s frequent morning visits with her parents at their home. What a great memory.

No tours this time of year, so we took the self guided tour of the Ghost Ranch area (location for her summer home and art studio). It is so quiet here, scarcely another vehicle goes by, so lovely. Quite by accident we came upon Echo Canyon, an amazing wall of rock forming an amphitheater of sorts. So many colorful sedimentary rock formations I photographed, sketched, and tried to commit to memory. Hey, is that Georgia’s blue, flat-topped mountain I see?

We decided to stay an extra day in Santa Fe in order to take one more day trip. Randy wanted to see Los Alamos, the final home of the Manhattan Project where the atomic bomb was developed and subsequently used in WWII. We checked out The Bradbury Science Museum in Los Alamos. More than a history lesson, we are impressed with the ongoing science and research that is being conducted today in the Los Alamos National Laboratory. Such things as brain mapping using MRI and radio telescoping used to view far off nebulas. It would seem that even out of the worst circumstance, good things can come. On the other side of the spectrum we visited Bandelier National Monument…such magic in the air requires loving investigation…and I’m just the gal to do it! The Swiss cheese appearance of the Frijoles Canyon walls is due to compacted volcanic ash called tuff. The ancient Pueblo people who lived here hundreds of years ago, found the rock carveable enough to build their cliff dwellings, cave rooms, and multistoried stone homes. We spent several hours hiking up the side of the canyon, climbing kiva ladders up into some of the cave rooms, and photographing this grand place. The sun shone warm in my face and I was happy.

I look up and there is a raven, sitting proud before the ancient landscape, beckoning us to take a closer look. Tour guide or scrapper, either role suits. Likewise, the wild and scenic Rio Grande River may suddenly emerge in the landscape rushing by our window. We travel over it, along side it, as it pushes, trickles, meanders, and sparkles. Both have become our spiritual companions on this journey.

On January 22nd we started the long trek home. We have traveled thru parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, before finally reaching Florida. We did stop in Northwestern Arkansas to visit Randy’s brother Ed and family. It was very cold there and we were fortunate to head out before the freezing rain occurred. We do plan on staying in the panhandle area for a few days…probably at a state park (my fav), before getting home around the first of February…there is no place like home, right?

Keeping a journal is a personal endeavor because each of us views the same events with such a unique perspective. I’m quite sure that Randy’s interpretation of our 2nd great adventure would give you very different information. I encourage you to try your hand at journaling some time…it’s a good thing!

Love,
Jules and Randy too

Southwest Trip 2008

January 7, 2008

Happy New Year everyone...Yee..Haaa! We are really doing it...Randy and I have begun our great adventure together, touring this great country of ours! I flew into San Diego on January 3rd...Randy and his brother met me at the airport...we spent a few days with kin and moved on up the coast heading north...San Diego..LA...Santa Barbara...San Simeon....toured Hearst Castle...Big Sur...and now in Carmel on the Monterey Peninsula. We headed up the coast on California Highway 1 winding through the Santa Lucia Mountains and the Los padres National Forest. We did run into rain and wind up there on a two lane road with our "big ass red truck and fifth wheel" in tow. Words cannot express the breathtaking views where sea meets mountains! Around every curve was another spectacular view! We even stopped to see the migrating elephant seals napping on shore and viewed whales from our vantage point high on the mountain roads. Today we watched the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. Tomorrow we head out on our journey to the Sequoia National Forest.Love to you all and I will try to keep you posted...many times we end up in areas with no communication service so days may go by before I can update.

Love you,
julie



Monday-January 14, 2008

Hello to all our family and friends!

Thanks for all your well wishes...we have seen an amazing amount of sights in just a short period of time. I believe my last e-mail was from the Monterey Peninsula. From there we drove thru the central valley (very agricultural and full of moo-moos) and camped at a place called Millerton Lake...we were one of three campers and had the glorious park all to ourselves. Using that point as our base, we drove to high altitudes and witnessed the beauty of Yosemite National Park...Oh my gosh!..breathtaking comes to mind...it was a winterwonderland and the first time seeing snow in several decades. The following day we drove thru even steeper mountains to visit the giant forest and the awesome sequoias, the largest living things on our planet. They almost didn't seem real and nothing prepared us for their wonderous majesty. The following day we headed out for Las Vegas...the country side went from lush pacific coast to giant mountain forests covered in snow...to expansive, barren desert. California is diverse and has so much to offer...I'm quite sure we will return someday. I have enjoyed the excellant produce in the markets and can only hope that Nevada will offer the same.

As we drove thru the Mojave Desert I was looking at the map and said, "hmm, we should be driving by Edwards Air Force Base and see it on out left". As I looked up there it was...how cool is that...the place where our space shuttle lands when it can't land at Cape Canaveral. We camped that night in a town near Calico and the following morning checked out an authentic ghost town reminiscent of wild west days. We toured on foot the old silver mines and walked thru the streets full of original structures. We made Vegas that night and spent the next day touring the strip....we walked thru quite a few of the grand hotels and I did a bit of gambling in each one. My favorite hotel was the Bellagio with its amazing botanical gardens and water fountain show at night. The city is as spectacular during the day bathed in desert sunshine as it is at night with the dazzling lights. Yes, I would definitely like to come back again.

Today we head out to camp near the Hoover Dam so we can visit it tomorrow on our way to the Grand Canyon. Our great adventure is only half over...feels like I've been gone from home for longer than a few weeks.

Love you all,
julie



Monday - January 21, 2008

Hello My Sweethearts!

From Vegas we headed to Lake Mead and enjoyed the most scenic campsite yet. We overlooked the lake and mountains with no obstructions…such quiet beauty. We visited the great Hoover Dam the following day and took the tour. When we were hungry we decided to eat there and Randy had a “Dam Dog” while I had the special a “Dam Burrito”…oh, my gosh…that burrito was huge…as big as our dog Lana….I couldn’t believe I ate the whole thing (well, Randy did help a little). That night we enjoyed a campfire shared with the coyotes…yep, they were real close.

I have fallen in love with Sedona and the desert! We have spent 3 days here and have seen so many wonderful sights from National Monuments of ancient pueblo ruins to Red Rock Mountain Majesty. I visited several vortexes…for those that don’t know…Sedona is said to contain a curiously high number of vortexes or swirling centers of subtle energy…one of the few places in the world that possesses all three types of energy emitted from the earth. Electrical = masculine, magnetic = feminine, and Electromagnetic = neutral.

Using Sedona as our base we took one day to make a loop, visiting Sunset Crater Volcano, the pueblo ruins of Wupatki National Monument, viewed the Painted Desert, and finally got to the Grand Canyon in the late afternoon. One of the earth’s most powerful, inspiring landscapes – overwhelms the senses. I was able to take some fabulous shots of the canyon boasting rich reds and purple shadows…yes, it was a bit chilly…high teens…luckily we were dressed warm and the sky was a brilliant blue.

The moon is almost full and I shall be dancing under it in the company of the desert.

Love you all,
julie

PS I have a lava rock from Sunset Crater Volcano…my favorite rock yet…I figured one little rock from acres of them would be OK…



1/23/2008
I'm trying to type as we bounce down the road, meaning there is a lot of vibration when pulling the 5th wheel. I have gotten pretty good at writing and painting in my sketch book...then, after we set up "camp", I rewrite my journal notes in another book. To answer your question about warm clothes for cold weather, we have done well by layering our clothes...for example, I might wear my silk long underwear top, followed by a sweater, layered with a down vest and finished off with a lined parka…topped off with hat, scarf, gloves, and hiking boots. This garb worked well for up in the mountains, removing layers as needed when the sun warmed the landscape or the truck warmed up…anyway, not bad or a couple of Floridians. Besides our propane furnace, we have been using extra space heaters to keep warm at night. There was one night when we were camping up in the mountains in Flagstaff, AZ and the temperature got down to 6 degrees...Randy woke me up at 0330 and said we got to go before our water system freezes...the water was at the slush stage...we drove out of the higher elevations until we arrived at the temperature of 34 degrees (2 hours later) so the system could thaw...in about 4 hours we had water again and nothing broke. With a little foresight on Randy's part we have managed to avoid winter storms.Thanks for your support dear friends...more, later.

Love you,
Julie and Randy



Hi All! January 29, 2008

Upon leaving Sedona, we changed our itinerary from Albuquerque/Santa Fe, New Mexico to San Antonio, Texas. We opted to take a more southern route due to heaps of snow arriving in the northern region of New Mexico. Perhaps we will get to see Santa Fe on another great adventure. In the mean time, we did stop to investigate more National Monuments/Parks…as you may have surmised by now, we have become National Park Junkies…that’s right, I search them out on our map and beg Randy to stop!!! The Agua Fria N.M. was nothing but rugged terrain and dirt roads…we were towing our 5th wheel making it impossible to enter the monument. As luck would have it, Peggy and her Husband are volunteers and offered to take us in their vehicle after I mentioned how much I wanted to see some petroglyphs. Petroglyphs are marks either pecked or scraped into rocks by ancient cultures as symbols of communication…also known as rock art. So off we went in search of some “glyphs”…they drove us to a newly discovered site. As we hiked up a small hill, Randy came upon a stone with markings…that’s right, he actually discovered a new petroglyph and Peggy dubbed it “Randy’s Rock”. How cool is that? Our tour guides pointed out some more before we headed back to our rig.

We stopped at Saguaro National Park and saw cacti as far as the eye can see. The Saguaro Cactus has been described as the monarch of the Sonoran Desert, one of the hottest and driest regions on the continent with <12” of rain/year…good thing we are here in January. However, the lushness and variety of life in this desert far surpasses all other North American Deserts. On our next stop, I bought a hanging bundle of home grown (no not pot) red hot chili peppers from a little town called Mesilla…well, we’re not getting very far down the road so we need to make some time!

We made it to San Antonio, welcomed by overcast skies and cool temps. We debated whether or not to stay, but despite the weather, decided to take in some sites. “Remember the Alamo”…located a short drive from our campsite in the heart of downtown San Antonio…a short walk from there brought us to the famous River Walk…and we also drove to four Spanish Missions making up the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park (NHP).

New Orleans, here we come…well, who knew that we would be arriving in NOLA during the first weekend of Mardi Gras…so we did get to sample a taste of the festivities, including a parade called Barkus…that’s right, it was a dog parade…we sat for several hours in fascination with all manor of dogs and costumes and owners. I loved it.

This is my last e-mail update, for alas we are nearly home. “Our Great Adventure” was indeed the experience of a lifetime…the question is, can we do it again next year?

Love,
Julie