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Southwestern Summer 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Home again, home again, jiggety jig.
Well, we're home. It's really cold and moist here! When we drove into town last night we were wearing shorts and t-shirts. We got quite a shock when we got out of the car and were hit with the cold San Francisco wind. Ugh, I didn't miss that.
So... our trip. We drove to San Diego via Palm Springs and the Salton Sea. Mike had never seen Palm Springs and was curious. It was as I remembered it; full of palm trees and well-heeled people. We didn't stop, we just drove through. When we got to the city limits of Coachella, I suddenly remembered the Anthony Bourdain episode where he had a date shake in Indio. Too late! We missed the date shake place.
I had read about the Salton Sea and was curious to see it. I wanted to see it for the same reason why I want to see Detroit. I'm interested in decay. I don't know why. The Salton Sea may be a depressing environmental disaster, but it's a fascinating disaster.
We stopped at Desert Shores, Salton Sea Beach, and Salton City. We drove around and looked at the ruined buildings and took photographs. Some people still live in these places within ramshackle trailers and mobile homes. And oddly, there was a large amount of newly built homes in Salton City. I don't know why anyone would want to live there. It's not a very nice place and stunk to high hell from all the dead fish.
We arrived in San Diego around 4. San Diego drivers are awful! There were several times where we were almost killed. I had to pull over and let Mike take over, I was so freaked out.
A friend recommended we stay in Little Italy at the boutique hotel La Pensione. We stayed in a very stylish room on the third floor. There was a balcony that overlooked the Little Italy sign and a bunch of little cafes. I couldn't stop sighing with pleasure when I took a hot shower and washed off all the sweat, sunscreen, and bug spray. And that bed! It was so white and fluffy...I felt like I was sleeping in a cloud.
Even better was that we each had our own bed. I was able to stretch out and hog all the covers and kick all I want. Yes!
We walked over to the Gaslamp District for dinner. It was not what I expected. I thought it would be a quaint little historical district with a few small quiet eateries. No. It was a huge area jam packed with loud people. It seemed to be the San Diego party zone. I was okay with that. After spending several days surviving on peanut butter and jelly eaten while driving and gas station jerky, I was ready for a nice dinner amongst a crowd of people. We walked around for about 45 minutes, trying to decide where to eat. At first I thought I wanted to eat Middle Eastern, but that changed once we saw this beautiful Indian restaurant called Masala. It was more about how the place looked than the food they served. It looked like an exotic palace.
The next day we took the train to Old Town. Again, it was not what I expected. I was hoping to see historical buildings but instead it was just a giant tourist trap full of shops. A guide I had read recommended touring the Whaley House. It was supposedly haunted and quite spooky. It turned out to be a bunch of old stuff behind glass windows. What a rip-off!
San Diego's mass transit is really nice and made me a little jealous. Their trains are so modern and fast. Not like San Francisco's crappy old light rail system that is constantly breaking down and stranding me in subterranean tunnels. But I am not jealous of San Diego's modern, boring architecture. San Francisco has them beat with our beautiful old Victorians.
After Old Town we went to Balboa Park. It was a really neat place. We walked around and looked at the old Spanish style buildings and visited the Botanical Building. There were a lot of really talented street performers we stopped to watch.
Grandma told us that we had to check out Hotel del Coronado. It was really impressive! We thought it was so lovely that we decided to have dinner there. After that, we went for a drink at bar near our hotel called Starlite. It had a 70's space age theme. Very cute.
Yesterday we left for San Francisco. Driving home was AWFUL! There were two terrible traffic jams on the 5. At several points we were at a stand still for an hour. It was a relief to finally get home.
Overall, it was a wonderful trip. The only thing I regret about it is not getting a date shake. We want to travel around the Southwest again soon. There are still so many places we have yet to see.
Check back later to see our photos. I'm going to be uploading them over the next several days.
Thanks for reading!
So... our trip. We drove to San Diego via Palm Springs and the Salton Sea. Mike had never seen Palm Springs and was curious. It was as I remembered it; full of palm trees and well-heeled people. We didn't stop, we just drove through. When we got to the city limits of Coachella, I suddenly remembered the Anthony Bourdain episode where he had a date shake in Indio. Too late! We missed the date shake place.
I had read about the Salton Sea and was curious to see it. I wanted to see it for the same reason why I want to see Detroit. I'm interested in decay. I don't know why. The Salton Sea may be a depressing environmental disaster, but it's a fascinating disaster.
We stopped at Desert Shores, Salton Sea Beach, and Salton City. We drove around and looked at the ruined buildings and took photographs. Some people still live in these places within ramshackle trailers and mobile homes. And oddly, there was a large amount of newly built homes in Salton City. I don't know why anyone would want to live there. It's not a very nice place and stunk to high hell from all the dead fish.
We arrived in San Diego around 4. San Diego drivers are awful! There were several times where we were almost killed. I had to pull over and let Mike take over, I was so freaked out.
A friend recommended we stay in Little Italy at the boutique hotel La Pensione. We stayed in a very stylish room on the third floor. There was a balcony that overlooked the Little Italy sign and a bunch of little cafes. I couldn't stop sighing with pleasure when I took a hot shower and washed off all the sweat, sunscreen, and bug spray. And that bed! It was so white and fluffy...I felt like I was sleeping in a cloud.
Even better was that we each had our own bed. I was able to stretch out and hog all the covers and kick all I want. Yes!
We walked over to the Gaslamp District for dinner. It was not what I expected. I thought it would be a quaint little historical district with a few small quiet eateries. No. It was a huge area jam packed with loud people. It seemed to be the San Diego party zone. I was okay with that. After spending several days surviving on peanut butter and jelly eaten while driving and gas station jerky, I was ready for a nice dinner amongst a crowd of people. We walked around for about 45 minutes, trying to decide where to eat. At first I thought I wanted to eat Middle Eastern, but that changed once we saw this beautiful Indian restaurant called Masala. It was more about how the place looked than the food they served. It looked like an exotic palace.
The next day we took the train to Old Town. Again, it was not what I expected. I was hoping to see historical buildings but instead it was just a giant tourist trap full of shops. A guide I had read recommended touring the Whaley House. It was supposedly haunted and quite spooky. It turned out to be a bunch of old stuff behind glass windows. What a rip-off!
San Diego's mass transit is really nice and made me a little jealous. Their trains are so modern and fast. Not like San Francisco's crappy old light rail system that is constantly breaking down and stranding me in subterranean tunnels. But I am not jealous of San Diego's modern, boring architecture. San Francisco has them beat with our beautiful old Victorians.
After Old Town we went to Balboa Park. It was a really neat place. We walked around and looked at the old Spanish style buildings and visited the Botanical Building. There were a lot of really talented street performers we stopped to watch.
Grandma told us that we had to check out Hotel del Coronado. It was really impressive! We thought it was so lovely that we decided to have dinner there. After that, we went for a drink at bar near our hotel called Starlite. It had a 70's space age theme. Very cute.
Yesterday we left for San Francisco. Driving home was AWFUL! There were two terrible traffic jams on the 5. At several points we were at a stand still for an hour. It was a relief to finally get home.
Overall, it was a wonderful trip. The only thing I regret about it is not getting a date shake. We want to travel around the Southwest again soon. There are still so many places we have yet to see.
Check back later to see our photos. I'm going to be uploading them over the next several days.
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Salt
June 10th, 2011
I wrote the previous entry last night. We are currently just below the Salton Sea and headed towards San Diego. More later.
I wrote the previous entry last night. We are currently just below the Salton Sea and headed towards San Diego. More later.
Kielczyski
June 9th, 2011
We are currently in Joshua Tree National Park at Jumbo Rocks campground. This is one of the coolest campsites I've ever had. The campground is full of jumbo rocks and various desert plants like Joshua trees, cholla, ocotillo, and prickly pear. My tent is surrounded by giant sloping rock walls. Last night we climbed them and watched the sunset. In about half an hour I'm going to climb up those rocks again to watch another sunset. Yes! This is the life.
But before I get ahead of myself with extolling all the awesome virtues of Joshua Tree, let me tell you about what happened before we got here.
When I last wrote, I was in Scottsdale and just about to head out the door to see Grandma and Grandpa in Sun City West. It takes about an hour to drive there and we got there around one. Grandma was on a mission to fatten us up and served us a fun lunch of cheese, crackers, fresh fruit, chips, carrots, hummus, sausage, toast... and much more. Grandma gave us a tour of all the family member photographs in the house. Later in the afternoon, we took the golf cart to the swimming pool. I just love driving that thing. I don't know why. It felt really nice to cool off in the water. Also, I didn't feel insecure in a swimsuit for once since everyone else there was old enough to be my grandparent. Ha!
Grandma insisted I take some of their books before I left. I spent quite awhile looking them, picking out what I wanted. My favorites were the old ones. There were all kinds - comics from World War 2, a 1970's Chicago travel guide with really cool graphics I plan on using for inspiration in my own design work, a '60's era book full of gorgeous color illustrations about outer space... and lots more. Oh how I love books! When we moved to California we put most of them in storage which I regret. We would certainly have the room for them if we bought bookshelves.
It was hard to part from Grandma and Grandpa. I don't see them as often as I would like to due to the distance. I hope to visit them again soon.
One thing I regret about the Phoenix leg of our trip was not having enough time to explore the city proper. Most of our time was spent in the peripheral suburbs, so we didn't get the proper flavor of the city. One of the nights we were able to meet up with our friend Allison at her hotel in downtown Phoenix and from what we saw, it seemed pretty hip. We picked up the local weekly, and from what I read in it Phoenix seems to have lots of cool music venues, galleries, and restaurants. Maybe next time we'll have more time to explore.
We got up pretty early the next morning to pack up and tidy up the Scottsdale townhouse. Wayne, if you are reading this... you are either a popular guy or have neighbors who really watch your property closely. We must have met 6 different people who came over looking for you and introduced themselves to me. Or maybe people are just friendly in Scottsdale? I'm so used to living in the big city where your neighbors either totally ignore you or give you a brief "hello."
We took 10 to Joshua Tree. It was a pretty dull drive and I had to drink some diet soda to keep awake. Yuck. At least we had Uncle Keith's tales to keep us entertained.
We arrived at the southern end of Joshua Tree around 6. It wasn't impressive at all. But, we knew there had to be a reason why it was so popular so we drove on. Every National Park I've been to has some wow factor.
The first campground we came upon was Cottonwood Springs. I had done my research and knew JT had 9 campgrounds total. Only two of which had drinking water, and Cottonwood was one of them. We were not impressed with Cottonwood and decided to move on and check out the other campgrounds, even though we were losing valuable daylight. It was a decision that wasn't easy to make since water is so important to have in the desert.
I had read on Tripadvisor.com that Jumbo Rocks was both super cool and full of drunken dude bros so I knew it was a gamble. When we arrived, the campground was almost empty and we had a great selection of sites to choose from. After we set up camp, we climbed up the rocks to watch a very colorful sunset. It was the first time in my life I'd ever seen a purple sunset. I tried to photograph it but the color didn't turn out.
We were terribly low on food so we drove to the tiny town of Joshua Tree outside the park and found a dive-y taqueria. The food was cheap and excellent. When the cook started singing along with the Banda music we looked at each and remarked on how much we loved traveling.
We slept really well. I woke up at 6 am to eat breakfast and have my tea before the temperatures went into the 90's. Around 10 am the shade disappeared, the insects came out in full force, and it got ridiculously hot. We got in the car and drove into town to kill the time during the hottest hours of the day. Around 3 we hiked a bit around Keys View and Barkers Dam. We've seen a lot of guys on this trip; a sidewinder snake, a less harmful snake, jackrabbits, hummingbirds, lizards, some other crazy reptile, beetles, kangaroo rats, and pocket gophers. JT is abundant with life of all sorts. Don't be fooled by thinking that the desert is a wasteland.
I'm going to sign off now. Time to relax next to the fire and crack a beer. Tomorrow we leave for San Diego!
We are currently in Joshua Tree National Park at Jumbo Rocks campground. This is one of the coolest campsites I've ever had. The campground is full of jumbo rocks and various desert plants like Joshua trees, cholla, ocotillo, and prickly pear. My tent is surrounded by giant sloping rock walls. Last night we climbed them and watched the sunset. In about half an hour I'm going to climb up those rocks again to watch another sunset. Yes! This is the life.
But before I get ahead of myself with extolling all the awesome virtues of Joshua Tree, let me tell you about what happened before we got here.
When I last wrote, I was in Scottsdale and just about to head out the door to see Grandma and Grandpa in Sun City West. It takes about an hour to drive there and we got there around one. Grandma was on a mission to fatten us up and served us a fun lunch of cheese, crackers, fresh fruit, chips, carrots, hummus, sausage, toast... and much more. Grandma gave us a tour of all the family member photographs in the house. Later in the afternoon, we took the golf cart to the swimming pool. I just love driving that thing. I don't know why. It felt really nice to cool off in the water. Also, I didn't feel insecure in a swimsuit for once since everyone else there was old enough to be my grandparent. Ha!
Grandma insisted I take some of their books before I left. I spent quite awhile looking them, picking out what I wanted. My favorites were the old ones. There were all kinds - comics from World War 2, a 1970's Chicago travel guide with really cool graphics I plan on using for inspiration in my own design work, a '60's era book full of gorgeous color illustrations about outer space... and lots more. Oh how I love books! When we moved to California we put most of them in storage which I regret. We would certainly have the room for them if we bought bookshelves.
It was hard to part from Grandma and Grandpa. I don't see them as often as I would like to due to the distance. I hope to visit them again soon.
One thing I regret about the Phoenix leg of our trip was not having enough time to explore the city proper. Most of our time was spent in the peripheral suburbs, so we didn't get the proper flavor of the city. One of the nights we were able to meet up with our friend Allison at her hotel in downtown Phoenix and from what we saw, it seemed pretty hip. We picked up the local weekly, and from what I read in it Phoenix seems to have lots of cool music venues, galleries, and restaurants. Maybe next time we'll have more time to explore.
We got up pretty early the next morning to pack up and tidy up the Scottsdale townhouse. Wayne, if you are reading this... you are either a popular guy or have neighbors who really watch your property closely. We must have met 6 different people who came over looking for you and introduced themselves to me. Or maybe people are just friendly in Scottsdale? I'm so used to living in the big city where your neighbors either totally ignore you or give you a brief "hello."
We took 10 to Joshua Tree. It was a pretty dull drive and I had to drink some diet soda to keep awake. Yuck. At least we had Uncle Keith's tales to keep us entertained.
We arrived at the southern end of Joshua Tree around 6. It wasn't impressive at all. But, we knew there had to be a reason why it was so popular so we drove on. Every National Park I've been to has some wow factor.
The first campground we came upon was Cottonwood Springs. I had done my research and knew JT had 9 campgrounds total. Only two of which had drinking water, and Cottonwood was one of them. We were not impressed with Cottonwood and decided to move on and check out the other campgrounds, even though we were losing valuable daylight. It was a decision that wasn't easy to make since water is so important to have in the desert.
I had read on Tripadvisor.com that Jumbo Rocks was both super cool and full of drunken dude bros so I knew it was a gamble. When we arrived, the campground was almost empty and we had a great selection of sites to choose from. After we set up camp, we climbed up the rocks to watch a very colorful sunset. It was the first time in my life I'd ever seen a purple sunset. I tried to photograph it but the color didn't turn out.
We were terribly low on food so we drove to the tiny town of Joshua Tree outside the park and found a dive-y taqueria. The food was cheap and excellent. When the cook started singing along with the Banda music we looked at each and remarked on how much we loved traveling.
We slept really well. I woke up at 6 am to eat breakfast and have my tea before the temperatures went into the 90's. Around 10 am the shade disappeared, the insects came out in full force, and it got ridiculously hot. We got in the car and drove into town to kill the time during the hottest hours of the day. Around 3 we hiked a bit around Keys View and Barkers Dam. We've seen a lot of guys on this trip; a sidewinder snake, a less harmful snake, jackrabbits, hummingbirds, lizards, some other crazy reptile, beetles, kangaroo rats, and pocket gophers. JT is abundant with life of all sorts. Don't be fooled by thinking that the desert is a wasteland.
I'm going to sign off now. Time to relax next to the fire and crack a beer. Tomorrow we leave for San Diego!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
It's hot in the desert.
June 7th, 2011
Wow, has it really been 5 days since I last wrote a nice long blog? I guess so. I have a lot to update you on.
When I last wrote, we were headed to the Grand Canyon. We woke up relatively early in Kingman and had a breakfast in our room of bagels, jam, and peanut butter. Let me tell you... after this trip I am done with the combination of peanut butter and jelly and Thomas brand bagels for quite awhile. When you're road tripping, you want to keep a supply of non-perishable food in the car during long drives to prevent having to stop to eat and waste valuable driving time. We've been surviving on the aforementioned pb&j and bagels, dried fruit, nuts, granola bars, apples, Nutella, cheese crackers, juice boxes, and LOTS of jerky. In fact, almost every time we stop for gas we pick up some jerky sticks. They're easy to eat and have lots of protein.
We've also been drinking gallons of water. It's very hot and dry in the desert so you've got to constantly be drinking water to stay hydrated. It seems like I can't drink enough. I'm always thirsty. The problem with this constant thirst is that I constantly have to go to the bathroom. Argh!
We got to Grand Canyon National Park around noon. By then the main campground Mather had filled up. The ranger told us there were 30 empty spots during last count in Desert View campground, which was about half an hour away from where we where. We debated for awhile about what to do... see if there were any spots left in Desert View and camp there for a few days or check out the canyon for a few hours and then head towards Phoenix. Mike had camped in Mather before and told me it was a disappointment. But, I really wanted to camp so we decided to chance it at Desert View. After all, our car was packed with camping supplies.
When we got to Desert View, we discovered it was really nice. It was very quiet and had lots of plant life. We chose a site that was relatively secluded and set up camp. The campground had a little general store where we picked up some firewood, beer, and weenies to roast for dinner.
We spent the rest of the day checking out the Watchtower and going on a little hike around the rim. Mike liked to scare me by walking perilously close to the edge of the canyon. I told him I was not ready to be a widow at the age of 34.
I had read on Tripadvisor.com that the Desert View area was a great place to watch the sun set. Definitely true. I tried to take pictures of the sun setting over the canyon but no still photograph can do justice to how the canyon looks in reality. While we watched the sun sink over the horizon, we took in a ranger talk about "park-itecht" Mary Colter, the woman responsible for designing the Watchtower and the Hopi House.
The wind died down after the sunset and we had a pleasant night's sleep. The next morning we had a leisurely pancake breakfast. By the time we were ready to go for a hike, it was about noon. As I am sure you all know, we both move at a slow speed. I even set the alarm for 7:30. I'm not sure why it takes us so long to get anywhere.
We wanted to hike down into the canyon, but it's not a good idea to hike down into it after 10 am. The unbelievably hot temperatures are very dangerous during strenuous hikes. We decided to deal with the hellish heat and walk down to the first station anyways. I wanted to be able to say I hiked into the canyon- yah know, check it off my life list.
We packed a lot of water and some snacks and made our way down. Watching the panting and sweating people hiking back up worried me. There were quite a few signs warning of death which didn't help to assuage my fears. After a very steep hike downwards, we ran into a ranger who told us were only half way to the first station. I didn't want to wuss out, but I felt like it wasn't worth it. Besides, we were both feeling a bit dizzy even though we had been drinking a lot of water. I had heat exhaustion once before in my life and I didn't want it again. We turned back. Once we got up to the top we decided to hike around the rim for a bit. It was blisteringly hot, but we got to take in some very dynamic views.
That evening we made Hobo Dinners. We cut up a bunch of vegetables and covered them with spices and a few pats of butter. We wrapped this all up tinfoil and stuck it into the campfire for awhile. Delicious! That's living, my friends.
On Sunday we hit the road. On our way out, we stopped in the Navajo Reservation to check out their handicrafts. I picked up a beautiful turquoise and coral silver ring. It reminded me of digging through Mom's jewelry box as a child. In fact, any Native American arts and crafts make me think of Mom.
As we drove, we continued to listen to Keith Richards autobiography audio book. It's been so entertaining and have made the miles fly by. Ask me to do my Keith Richards impression for you.
The Phoenix area is surrounded by National Monuments, Parks, and Forests. When we drove past Wupatki National Monument, We decided to pull over and check it out. I have never seen Native American ruins, a lava field, or a crater... and here was my chance! If you ever find yourself in that region, definitely check that park out. The lava was crazy. It was a large area of large, twisted chunks of lava and black fields of cinder. The ruins were fascinating and beautiful. However, do not hike up the crater. After spending half an hour climbing a steep grade in 100 plus degree heat to see a subtle depression in the earth, I was quite disappointed.
We drove through Oak Creek Canyon and had dinner in Sedona. I haven't been there since I was a teenager. I had hazy memories of it being very red and full of t-shirts shops and new age crystals places. My memory was correct. It was pretty awesome to be back among civilization and eat something substantial, but we were ready to go after some lady tried to put the hard sell on us to stay in a fancy hotel for the night for the low price of $14 in exchange for enduring a timeshare marketing pitch. Mike had no idea what she was doing but I saw right through her. Besides, all I could think about was getting to Phoenix to see Grandma and Grandpa.
It was quite a haul to Scottsdale to Wayne and Leslie's townhouse. We arrived around midnight, showered, and fell asleep right away. I cannot thank W&L enough for letting us stay in this great place. It's been so comfortable and nice.
Yesterday we spent the day with Grandma and Grandpa in Sun City West. It was wonderful to see them! Which reminds me... I need to finish this blog and get over to see them again today.
Blog at you again soon!
Wow, has it really been 5 days since I last wrote a nice long blog? I guess so. I have a lot to update you on.
When I last wrote, we were headed to the Grand Canyon. We woke up relatively early in Kingman and had a breakfast in our room of bagels, jam, and peanut butter. Let me tell you... after this trip I am done with the combination of peanut butter and jelly and Thomas brand bagels for quite awhile. When you're road tripping, you want to keep a supply of non-perishable food in the car during long drives to prevent having to stop to eat and waste valuable driving time. We've been surviving on the aforementioned pb&j and bagels, dried fruit, nuts, granola bars, apples, Nutella, cheese crackers, juice boxes, and LOTS of jerky. In fact, almost every time we stop for gas we pick up some jerky sticks. They're easy to eat and have lots of protein.
We've also been drinking gallons of water. It's very hot and dry in the desert so you've got to constantly be drinking water to stay hydrated. It seems like I can't drink enough. I'm always thirsty. The problem with this constant thirst is that I constantly have to go to the bathroom. Argh!
We got to Grand Canyon National Park around noon. By then the main campground Mather had filled up. The ranger told us there were 30 empty spots during last count in Desert View campground, which was about half an hour away from where we where. We debated for awhile about what to do... see if there were any spots left in Desert View and camp there for a few days or check out the canyon for a few hours and then head towards Phoenix. Mike had camped in Mather before and told me it was a disappointment. But, I really wanted to camp so we decided to chance it at Desert View. After all, our car was packed with camping supplies.
When we got to Desert View, we discovered it was really nice. It was very quiet and had lots of plant life. We chose a site that was relatively secluded and set up camp. The campground had a little general store where we picked up some firewood, beer, and weenies to roast for dinner.
We spent the rest of the day checking out the Watchtower and going on a little hike around the rim. Mike liked to scare me by walking perilously close to the edge of the canyon. I told him I was not ready to be a widow at the age of 34.
I had read on Tripadvisor.com that the Desert View area was a great place to watch the sun set. Definitely true. I tried to take pictures of the sun setting over the canyon but no still photograph can do justice to how the canyon looks in reality. While we watched the sun sink over the horizon, we took in a ranger talk about "park-itecht" Mary Colter, the woman responsible for designing the Watchtower and the Hopi House.
The wind died down after the sunset and we had a pleasant night's sleep. The next morning we had a leisurely pancake breakfast. By the time we were ready to go for a hike, it was about noon. As I am sure you all know, we both move at a slow speed. I even set the alarm for 7:30. I'm not sure why it takes us so long to get anywhere.
We wanted to hike down into the canyon, but it's not a good idea to hike down into it after 10 am. The unbelievably hot temperatures are very dangerous during strenuous hikes. We decided to deal with the hellish heat and walk down to the first station anyways. I wanted to be able to say I hiked into the canyon- yah know, check it off my life list.
We packed a lot of water and some snacks and made our way down. Watching the panting and sweating people hiking back up worried me. There were quite a few signs warning of death which didn't help to assuage my fears. After a very steep hike downwards, we ran into a ranger who told us were only half way to the first station. I didn't want to wuss out, but I felt like it wasn't worth it. Besides, we were both feeling a bit dizzy even though we had been drinking a lot of water. I had heat exhaustion once before in my life and I didn't want it again. We turned back. Once we got up to the top we decided to hike around the rim for a bit. It was blisteringly hot, but we got to take in some very dynamic views.
That evening we made Hobo Dinners. We cut up a bunch of vegetables and covered them with spices and a few pats of butter. We wrapped this all up tinfoil and stuck it into the campfire for awhile. Delicious! That's living, my friends.
On Sunday we hit the road. On our way out, we stopped in the Navajo Reservation to check out their handicrafts. I picked up a beautiful turquoise and coral silver ring. It reminded me of digging through Mom's jewelry box as a child. In fact, any Native American arts and crafts make me think of Mom.
As we drove, we continued to listen to Keith Richards autobiography audio book. It's been so entertaining and have made the miles fly by. Ask me to do my Keith Richards impression for you.
The Phoenix area is surrounded by National Monuments, Parks, and Forests. When we drove past Wupatki National Monument, We decided to pull over and check it out. I have never seen Native American ruins, a lava field, or a crater... and here was my chance! If you ever find yourself in that region, definitely check that park out. The lava was crazy. It was a large area of large, twisted chunks of lava and black fields of cinder. The ruins were fascinating and beautiful. However, do not hike up the crater. After spending half an hour climbing a steep grade in 100 plus degree heat to see a subtle depression in the earth, I was quite disappointed.
We drove through Oak Creek Canyon and had dinner in Sedona. I haven't been there since I was a teenager. I had hazy memories of it being very red and full of t-shirts shops and new age crystals places. My memory was correct. It was pretty awesome to be back among civilization and eat something substantial, but we were ready to go after some lady tried to put the hard sell on us to stay in a fancy hotel for the night for the low price of $14 in exchange for enduring a timeshare marketing pitch. Mike had no idea what she was doing but I saw right through her. Besides, all I could think about was getting to Phoenix to see Grandma and Grandpa.
It was quite a haul to Scottsdale to Wayne and Leslie's townhouse. We arrived around midnight, showered, and fell asleep right away. I cannot thank W&L enough for letting us stay in this great place. It's been so comfortable and nice.
Yesterday we spent the day with Grandma and Grandpa in Sun City West. It was wonderful to see them! Which reminds me... I need to finish this blog and get over to see them again today.
Blog at you again soon!
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