Friday, February 29, 2008 - Home

We went there and now we are back again. We hit some bad weather in Ohio so we didn't get home as early as we thought. We drove about ten miles when we saw no traffic going in our direction. We don't know if there had been an accident behind us or what. We didn't even overtake any other cars or trucks. We saw several cars in the median but they didn't look like there were any injuries. We were glad to get home. It is still snowing hard here but the storm should be over by tomorrow. We decided to wait to pick up our mail until tomorrow.

I will post the final things in the next couple of weeks. Linda will be glad to see that I have corrected all of the spelling errors now that I am back home and have my spell checker

Thursday, February 28, 2008 - Dayton, Ohio

Another day of driving. Today was mostly across Midwestern prairie. After all the grain elevators we entered corn country. The farms are not the big conglomerate that we were seeing but smaller farms with white houses and white barns and several silos. After we entered Ohio we started seeing more red barns. The farms look very prosperous, unlike the farms in Pennsylvania which are often falling into ruins. The land here is very fertile and good for crops. Tomorrow we hope to arrive home around lunchtime or soon after. It has been a wonderful trip and I m so glad we did it but I wouldn't do it a second time. It was too long to be away from home and too far to drive. We saw so much though. In the next week I will do some recap things and upload my Joshua Tree flower pictures. I want to make sure of the identity of the flowers and to "photoshop" some of the pictures.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - Rolla, Missouri

It was warm this morning in Weatherford, but after heading northeast today we have gotten to cooler temperatures. The pickup trucks were gone from the motel when we arose at 7am (we were awakened at 6am by a steady roar of engines being started.) Most were owned by oil and gas drilling workers working locally. A small group was celebrating last night but was quiet by 10pm. Everyone is very friendly here.

We took a detour into Oklahoma City to see the Oklahoma City National Memorial. It is very impressive with an empty chair for each person killed - there are smaller chairs for the children who were killed. We didn't have time to go into the museum but the event is so recent we didn't really need to. There is a three quarter inch deep pool of water where the street was. It moves with the breeze and is meant to be calming.

After we got back on the Interstate we drove on through Oklahoma. We saw cows, cows and more cows, lots of grain elevators, oil wells and lots of flat landscape. As we entered Missouri there were more rolling hills but still cows, cows and more cows and more grain elevators. Tonight we are in Rolla. Tomorrow we expect to make it as far as Dayton, Ohio. Expect to be home on Friday.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008 - Weatherford, Oklahoma

By the time we reached the Texas Panhandle, the land was flat - the so-called Staked Plains region. It has been like that all across Texas and into Oklahoma. Once we got part way across the panhandle and into Oklahoma we were seeing lots of cattle and a lot of grain elevators. It really amazes us how different each part of the country is.

Neither one of us have ever been in Oklahoma before. It is the land of pick-up trucks. Here at the motel the parking lot is filled with mainly pick-ups, some SUVs and a very few cars.

We have been so lucky with the weather on our trip. It rained when we were traveling but the sun came out for our visits to parks etc. I think we will have sun until the last day and we will arrive home like we left - in the rain

Monday, February 25, 2008 - Santa Fe, New Mexico

We spent the day in Santa Fe sightseeing in the area. This morning we went to the Plaza and looked through some of the shops in Old Santa Fe. Lots of Mexican and Indian crafts for sale. After that we drove out to the Santa Fe Opera House. It is way out in the country and looks quite spectacular. Nearby is a housing area that would be perfect because of its proximity to the opera house. But the houses were very large and I'm sure very expensive. Then we drove out to Chimayo, a village north of Santa Fe, and the drive was very pretty with some different rock formations. There is a church there where a worker once noticed a glow coming from the ground. He dug up a cross that was buried there and ever since the dirt has been thought to have healing powers. People come from far away on good Friday to get a small vial of the dirt. It was a pretty little church. The fences around the church have many crosses that people have made out of sticks stuck in them. After that it was time to head back to our motel.

Sunday, February 24, 2008 - Santa Fe, New Mexico

This morning when we left Gallup it was raining but before long we were in beautiful sunshine. It is so interesting to see the changes in the landscape as we travel. We passed through an area near El Malpais National Monument where there was a lot of black lava rock. We also saw a lot of red coloring. When we left Gallup we weren't sure if we would take a detour to Jemez Springs but since it looked good we did. We were so glad because we stopped at the Laughing Lizard Cafe and had a great lunch. Susan and Ed had eaten here so that is where we heard about it. It was very good.

When we left the Laughing Lizard and drove up higher we began to hit a lot of snow. There were pull off parking areas all along the highway and a lot of people were parked there. Most of them were cross country skiing but in one area we saw people sledding including using a mattress for a sled. The road was snowy but no worse than Massena in the winter. As we drove down the mountain we eventually came to rain again. We stopped at Bandelier National Monument. It is an area of pueblo dwellings from long ago. After leaving there we drove on down to Santa Fe where we will be for two nights. It will be nice not to have to pack up tomorrow.

Saturday, February 23, 2008 - Gallup, New Mexico

There was about three inches of new snow on the Jeep this morning. We had a our scraper so between that and the sun it was no problem. It was so pretty because the trees were snow covered and the sun was shining.

Last night and tonight we are staying at hotels on Old Historic Highway 66. Today when we got off the interstate at Holbrook to go to the Petrified Forest we passed the Tepee Motel where they have cars from the forties and fifties parked in front of the tepees. Somewhere I have seen a TV program about Old Highway 66 and saw that motel so it was fun to see it in person. Who remembers the song about Route 66 and the TV show? I guess that dates us, doesn't it?

Friday, February 22, 2008 - Williams, Arizona

Today we traveled in a little sun, a little snow and lots of rain. We were lucky that the rain stopped when we were in Lake Haversu City, Arizona to see London Bridge. In the early sixties a real estate developer bought London Bridge (which really was falling down) and moved it stone by stone and put it back together as a publicity ploy. It really doesn't look any different than some old bridges elsewhere (except for the Union Jacks flying overhead) but it was fun to see it.

Tonight we are in Williams and it is snowing and blowing. There is about a foot of snow on the ground. From now on on no more warm weather but we have the clothes for it and if it gets to be bad driving we will just hole up somewhere. We also have a space blanket and the candle and matches that Paul recommended to us.

Thursday, February 21, 2008 - Joshua Tree, California

This was perfect weather - sunny, not too much wind and comfortably cool temperatures. We spent the entire day in Joshua Tree National Park. It is awesome as the kids say. There are lots of Joshua trees in the area where we entered - the west entrance. Soon after we entered we took the Nature Walk in Hidden Valley. It is a one mile loop through an opening that a rancher blasted many years ago for his cattle to get into Hidden Valley. I don't know what he did if the cattle over-ate and were too big to fit through the openings. We saw people climbing on the rocks which is something we wouldn't want to do - I would never do it and Richard might have done it in his younger days.

When we entered the park we asked about food in the park. When we were told there wasn't any food or water we bought sandwiches in the restaurant attached to the park building. If you ever go there they are really good. I had chicken salad on whole wheat bread (real whole wheat bread) - it had nuts and apples in it. Richard had a turkey sandwich on a good bun. We ate them after our walk. We ate them at a table near the nature walk.

We stopped at Keys View to see the surrounding mountains and the Salton Sea. We also took a dirt road (four-wheel-drive recommended) called the Geology Tour, which featured several unusual rock formations. Then we drove on south through the park to the Cottonwood Springs entrance. How many husbands would make a sixty mile round trip out of the way so I could see wildflowers. That is something Richard does for me. The wildflowers were beautiful.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008 - Yucca Valley, California

Today we started the "Back Again" portion of our trip taking the scenic route to Joshua Tree. We drove across the high desert and into the mountains and were pelted by sand, rain and snow. We left Santa Barbara under cloudy skies, or was it low lying clouds or just plain fog? Anyway we drove through such heavy fog at one time I couldn't read the road signs. There were two ABC TV News trucks on their way somewhere and I was afraid it was a big pile up. Luckily we turned off the Interstate and the fog cleared up. We drove a long way through desert past a lot of Joshua trees. We decided to drive up to Big Bear Lake, which is in the San Bernardino National Forest, since we had the time. The road is all hairpin turns and about halfway up it started blowing and snowing. When we got to Big Bear Lake we stopped for gas and Richard had to stand out there in sleet to pump the gas. About halfway down the mountain it dried up and the sun shone off and on. Tomorrow we will go into Joshua Tree National Park.

Susan and Ed are in Orlando for Kelly's funeral on Friday. She was only fifteen and had such a short life.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008 - Santa Barbara, California

Yesterday was a full day. We went to the water hole again so that I could see it. The boys and Kevin tried the rope swing. Then Nico did some more boogie boarding by holding on to the rope swing. A picture was posted previously showing him doing that. Aidan spent the time there in a big drain pipe. He had taken a huge light so he could explore it. After coming back home so Aidan could take a shower we went to La Super Rica for lunch. They have Mexican food, but the real thing, not Tex-Mex.

After lunch we went to the monarch butterfly preserve. There is a picture of the butterflies hanging on a tree branch. Soon on sunny days they will be flying around and mating. We also did some geo-caching while we were there. We didn't bother to download from the web site but just used the GPS to find the the place. Linda actually found all of the geocaches - she is good at this.

Last night We had grilled salmon and tonight we are eating leftovers from the last meals along with the brownies Linda made.

Yesterday I just didn't get around to writing. Linda and I had a Ladies' Day Out and went up to Solvang - a Danish settlement north of Santa Barbara. She had something she wanted to buy and I wanted to look in some needlepoint shops. Solvang has a lot of really nice places and a lot of junky tourist trap type shops. It's fun to go to. We had a nice lunch at the Solvang Restaurant. We split their specialty for dessert - Aebelskivers. They are made from a pancake-like batter that is baked in a pan with round depressions so they come out as little round balls. They have raspberry jam inside and a dusting of powdered sugar and raspberry jam on top. Sort of like a jelly doughnut but lower in fat because they are baked rather than fired. They were really good.

The guys went to the local water hole to play with Nico's remote-controlled boat and swing on a rope.

Linda barbecued a pork tenderloin for dinner and made squash and I made a warm spinach salad with goat cheese and pancetta. After dinner we all (including Freddy and Felix) watched Ratatouille. It's a good movie although I am not fond of animated pictures.

Today we went for brunch at the East Beach Grille. We always like to go there when we are here. Richard always has the Santa Barbara omelet and I have the ham and cheese omelet. It is such a beautiful site looking out on the ocean and watching all of the people on the beach. There aren't really any swimmers as the water is too cold - it never really does warm up

This afternoon we went down to the yacht basin to see the new Firestone yacht. The masts tower over all of the other yachts in the harbor. A beautiful boat.

We got the news from Susan today that Ed's niece was in a serious car accident and not expected to live. A sad end to a young life. We feel so bad for their family.

Friday, February 15, 2008 - Santa Barbara, California

Today in sunny Santa Barbara we went to Lotusland. It was built in 1882 by a nursery man who started the gardens as part of his business. After a few other owners, a Polish woman with operatic aspirations, named Ganna Walska, purchased it. She planted more gardens while living there. She never lived in the 8,000 square foot main house as she was afraid of earthquakes. She lived in the attached one story addition called the pavilion. Ganna planted a lot of subtropical and tropical plants that grow so well in Santa Barbara. I have been there twice but have never seen the lotus in bloom. It is a beautiful place to visit.

Tonight we went to a good fish restaurant. Kevin got up at 4:30AM to go to Los Angeles and spent four hours driving home but he got back in time to meet us at the restaurant.

Thursday, February 14, 2008 - Santa Barbara, California

Happy Valentine's Day!

From here on our car will be emptier. We took a lot of things from home to Susan and then we brought things form Susan to Linda, including a large painting she did in college. This morning we left Indio and drove through Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City, Palm Springs and some other areas near there. Most of what you can see is the beautiful landscaping along the public streets, walls and gates into the various communities. There do seem to be a lot of restaurants and shops.

After that we got on I10 and soon we were passing windmills and more windmills - thousands of them. There were a lot more windmills than we saw in Texas. We also saw the dinosaurs that Linda had told us to watch for.

We just got back from watching Aidan at Cotillion. He danced with the pretty girls and looked handsome. Now we are going to have the chicken Linda put in the crockpot before we left.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 - Indio, California

We entered Arizona yesterday morning and when we got near Tucson we went to Saguaro National Monument. Saguaros are the big Cacti that you see in cartoons often with a sombrero on top. There were so many and you could see them up close. It was very impressive.

Last night we were in Green Valley, Arizona, south of Tucson. We stayed with Fred and Gladys Collins. Fred was Richard's boss while we were in Massena so they had a good time talking about everyone they knew. We went out to dinner at the nearby Cow Palace where Gladys, Fred and Richard had Papricka beef and I had a steak sandwich. It was a good meal.

This morning we got an early start and drove though more desert - we have been in the dessert since Sunday and I will be glad to see some green in Santa Barbara. We are now in Indio, California, which is near Joshua Tree National Park on I10. We won't go there now as we want to get Santa Barbara tomorrow since the boys are off school Friday and Monday. We will catch Joshua Tree on the way back.

Here are things we have seen since we left home in no particular order. Horses, cattle, cacti, rice fields, cotton fields, white sand, brown sand and more brown sand, a CapRock Communications center in the middle of nowhere (Susan used to work at CapRock), produce fields, pecan trees, trucks, motor homes and trains with containers. We have seen a lot more but that is a start.

Monday, February 11, 2008 - Las Cruces, New Mexico

This morning on our departure from Ruidoso we decided to go to Cloudcroft where Susan and Ed had gone hiking in 2002. Richard plotted it out on DeLorme and then put it on the GPS. Everything went fine, we found the road, IR 10, (IR stands for Indian Reservation) and we drove along a road with only a few houses and some horses not fenced in. After five miles on this road we came to a sign that said "No Trespassing Fire Closure." Apparently a major fire had swept through the area. So we turned around and drove all the way back and took another road. We saw several burned areas along there. Some of them came within a couple of hundred feet of homes. Cloudcroft is at the top of a mountain and there isn't much to the town but the drive down (on another road) is beautiful. We saw an old railroad trestle bridge (the railroad is what made Cloudcroft). We got our first glimpse of White Sands National Monument which I thought was snow at first.

The drive to the White Sands Visitor Center wasn't very long. We watched a short video first which explained how the dunes form from the gypsum (that is what is in plaster) that washes down from the mountains. Then it dries out and blows, forming dunes. We took the loop drive and enjoyed seeing the gypsum sand - it is unbelievably white. We watched people sliding on their rears down the dunes (it's allowed) but we didn't do that. The plant life is also very interesting - they keep growing to stay above the sand. The animals also mutate into light colors so predators can't see them.

Delorme and Richard chose the final scenic approach to Las Cruces (Baylor Canyon Road) which started out paved and then turned into a road that was just the scraped dirt and rock. We like roads like this. I thought at first there were fires but then we realized it was the dust behind cars far away.

Tomorrow (after finding a car wash) we head to Tucson where we will stay with the Collins. I am not sure I will be able to post but will the following evening.

Sunday, February 10, 2008 - Ruidoso, New Mexico

When we left Brownfield we drove through mile after mile of the chocolate brown fields again. It was so flat and the only thing sticking up were the huge sprinklers that run on wheels through the large fields. There were also gas wells (we got very tired of smelling natural gas), and the large tanks the gas goes into. There were very few curves - Richard would announce the curves when there was one. In both Texas and New Mexico the towns seem to be dying and a lot of the businesses are boarded up.

When we entered New Mexico things started to change. The soil was sandy and we could see mountains in the distance. Eventually we were driving over small rolling hills. We stopped in Roswell, New Mexico to see the UFO Museum. I think that is the main industry in town as everything seems geared toward it. The street lights are alien heads and there a lot of gift shops. Since I am not a gift shop person we didn't go in any of those. It was fun to read everything about the purported UFO. Personally I think there was one and the military covered it up.

We arrived in Ruidoso about lunch time and had a quick lunch. Then we drove up to the Apache ski area. Even though it was 46 there were people skiing. It's actually quite a large ski area as the mountains here are high. It was a long drive up there around many hairpin curves with steep dropoffs and no guard rails. On my side of course and I don't like heights. We gained an hour again today so we checked in about three since we were tired. And of course I suffered from the altitude up at the ski area. Since we weren't there long I am okay now.

Saturday, February 9, 2008 - Brownfield, Texas

Before we left Susan and Ed's house Ed made us delicious pancakes. The pumpkin flavor and seasoning tasted so good. Luckily he loves bacon so we also had bacon with the pancakes. We departed Dallas this morning and made it as far as Brownfield, Texas, just south of Lubbock. The fields around here really are brown. Along the freeway from Dallas there was mainly brown grass, short, stunted trees and lots of billboards. After we got off the interstate onto a state highway we saw miles and miles of cotton fields. It looked like there is snow along the edge of the road but it was just cotton. There was also mile after mile of windmills lazily turning and making electricity. The ranches or farms are huge nowadays and like the Dakotas the old farm houses are abandoned and falling down or boarded up. There are lots of gas or oil wells in the fields. We could smell the gas a lot as we drove along.

I am reading one of the "cozy" mysteries that I love so much and this one takes place in Weatherford, Texas in Parker County. I didn't realize it was so close to Dallas and not long after we left Fort Worth we drove by it. Parker County Peaches are supposed to be the best in the state. The book is about a murder that happens at their peach festival and the book includes the recipes from the cooking contest.

Every morning one of the first things that Richard does is check our credit card to make sure all of the charges are ours. One day this week when he tried to do that he was denied access. He called the number on the page and was told the card was cancelled and we would be mailed a new one. He finally reached a real person and explained we would not be home until March and planned on using that card and needed to make a payment before we returned home. We are allowed to use it but he had to tell them what states we would be in and what kind of charges we would be making. They will let us make the payment late with no penalty. They had a lot of their cards compromised and had to cancel them.

Friday, February 8, 2008 - Dallas, Texas

This morning I started the washing and Richard washed the Jeep in preparation for our leaving tomorrow,

In the later morning we drove to White Rock Lake to go for a bike ride. Richard and I didn't make it all the way around the lake because we weren't used to the seats on these bikes and they became very uncomfortable. It is a beautiful place to ride bikes and we want to go back again on another visit to Dallas. I wish we had brought our bikes as they fit us better. Maybe we will drive down here again and then we can do that. Susan rode on to the car and then came back and picked us up.

We were all starved after riding bikes so we went to Dodie's Seafood Cafe for lunch. Ever since eating fried oysters once in Brownsville, Texas. I have been searching for their equal. I found it at Dodie's. Richard and Susan had the oyster Po-Boy but I had the Oyster Plate. I want to go back there every time we visit here. I guess you have to be in Texas to have good fried oysters.

Last night we ate at York Street. We walked there as it is only a little over a block away so no trying to park and no worry about having a drink or wine. The food was wonderful. We all had something different and each of us was very happy with what we had ordered. I would imagine Susan and Ed will go there often as it is so close.

Thursday, February 7, 2008 - Dallas, Texas

This morning Susan and Richard washed the salt and road grime off the boat. Then they partially rigged it so Susan would know how everything goes together. She has the Texas plate on it so it is now really a Texas boat. Lizzie supervised from inside the house as you can see. Tonight we are walking to a neighborhood restaurant for dinner. Weather is sunny and brisk.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008 - Dallas, Texas

This noon we picked up Ed and went to a barbecue place. You can't come to Texas and not eat barbecue. It was good - I had brisket and the best potato casserole which had jalopeno peppers in it.

After dropping Ed off at Wells Fargo we went to Dealy Plaza where John F. Kennedy was shot. We have seen so many pictures of it and it looked just like I imagined it would. They have an X in the street where each shot hit Kennedy. There is now a museum (The Sixth Floor Museum) that covers everything in detail. It is a very well done exhibit and you get an audio tour which explains things. There were the pictures that we have all seen so many times but they were all in order and explained very well. That was a day I will never forget even though it was so long ago.

After the museum we went to the Dallas Farmers Market to get grapefruit. Then we went to a needlepoint shop Susan wanted me to see. They had some beautiful canvases. Because they were hand painted they were very expensive but it was fun to look at them.

Tonight we are going to see Persepolis.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008 - Dallas, Texas

Today we did boat things. Richard and Susan got the boat trailer turned around in the driveway with it ready to be pulled out. After an early lunch we went to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Deparment and got the boat transfered over. They had to call Pennsylvania to confirm that in Pennsylvania we did not need to have a title, because in Texas you do have a title for a boat. Then we went to AAA and they sent us on to the county tax office where the trailer was turned over to Susan. Now there is a Texas plate to be put on the trailer and numbers to be put on the boat. Tonight we are going to see Richard's cousin Lois and her husband. The weather has been variable. Yesterday was warm and slightly muggy. Today a cold front came trough with gusty winds and falling temperatures. The rest of the week looks good - sunny and in the 60's.

Monday, February 4, 2008 - Dallas, Texas

Last night Ed cooked the most wonderful ribs. He used three different sauces and of course we had to try the three different type of ribs. Susan made Houston's cole slaw which is so good. The peach pie for dessert was not needed but we all ate it.

After a leisurely breakfast we unloaded everything the was in the boat and then Susan took us on a driving tour of Dallas. We saw the lake where our boat will sail and race and the trail around the lake. We also drove by Herman's house and Richard's cousin Lois' house. We will call Lois sometime this week but I do not plan on getting in touch with Linda as it would have been Herman we wanted to see. I still can't believe that she didn't let us know about Herman's death.

We had lunch at a nice little deli and then did some more driving around Dallas. This part of Dallas is really beautiful and fun to drive around. When we got home we walked to the coffee store to buy more freshly roasted beans. There are a lot of little places to shop within walking distance.

Sunday, February 3, 2008 - Dallas, Texas

We got another early start this morning after a large breakfast. We had a coupon for breakfast so ate a larger breakfast than we usually do. But that was nice because we didn't have to stop for lunch. The drive was uneventful, although boring at times. We were glad to arrive here safely with the boat.

When we arrived we unloaded everything that was in the Jeep but haven't done the boat yet. Now Susan and Ed have more boxes to unpack and they will have to find places for all sorts of new things. Now our house is much emptier.

Saturday, February 2, 2008 - Forest City, Arkansas

We were so tired last night after the stress of all the rain etc that we turned out our lights at nine PM. We were wide awake this morning about 6 AM so we got and early start. It was still cold here so Richard started the day by scraping frost off the car. Then when we started the sun was in our eyes and we couldn't see to read the signs. We got lost twice until a very knowledgeable gas station attendant guided us back in the right direction. We arrived here in Forest City (near Memphis) early because we gained an hour by going into the Central Time Zone. Tomorrow is on to Dallas

Friday, February 1, 2008

I am copying Bilbo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings and calling this journal "There and Back Again." That's because it is a long trip and we are going all the way to California and back again.

We had hoped to leave home at 8 AM (well that was our plan.) However about 2 AM the freezing rain started and then later the ice pellets. When Richard went up to get the papers it was very slippery walking up the driveway and the Township had just come by with the salt truck. While we ate breakfast it started raining and the temperature was rising so he drove the Jeep up the driveway as a test, with no problems. By a little after nine the ice was mushy and we pulled out a 9:21 AM with the boat and trailer in tow. We had heavy rain and fog all the way to Zanesville, Ohio.After that there was light rain and later light snow with gusty winds. I thought we were heading south but it is below freezing here in Kentucky - colder than home was when we left. Tomorrow is going to be better though.

If you look at the Flickr pictures you can see how we laid out everything in the living room to make sure it would fit in the car. We'll be posting more pictures as we travel. Just click on the to see the larger views