Virginia (April 5-6, 2010):
Alabama (April 7-9, 2010):
- Cullman: Our Lady's Grotto (miniature sculptures)
- Irondale: EWTN Studio - Life on the Rock show
Mississippi (April 9, 2010):
Texas (April 10-12, 2010):
New Mexico (April 12-13, 2010):
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Some Photos Posted
I finally have some photos available from the trip. Flickr is giving trouble in grouping all of these together, so I'm going to have to temporarily do it via the blog.
Virginia (April 5-6, 2010):
Alabama (April 7-9, 2010):
Mississippi (April 9, 2010):
Texas (April 10-12, 2010):
New Mexico (April 12-13, 2010):
Virginia (April 5-6, 2010):
Alabama (April 7-9, 2010):
Mississippi (April 9, 2010):
Texas (April 10-12, 2010):
New Mexico (April 12-13, 2010):
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
April 17, 2010: Ronald Reagan Library and Mass at Mission Church
Today, the main focus was to see the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. I had chosen the Econolodge for the previous day because it was less than two hours from Simi Valley, where the library is located. The scenery going into this area was beautiful with mountains, hills, cacti, palm trees, etc. I would have taken lots of pictures if the roads did not have "Emergency Stopping Only" signs (of course I was also pressed for time as usual). Also, I had said in a previous blog that Birmingham, AL was the furthest point south I'd go in this trip. It appears Simi Valley is slightly further south than Birmingham. So, that's the furthest south I plan to be on this trip.
The route from Mojave, CA to Simi Valley took me on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Having watched the occasional police chase and seen how people drive around L.A., I was a little nervous. Fortunately, I was only on I-5 for about three or four miles and at that point it was only a four lane road, not nine lanes.
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The library is at the top of a large hill with gorgeous views. I took pictures of the surrounding area. As you enter, there is a lengthy winding drive up the hill with banners for each president up to the 20th, James Garfield. As you drive out, there are banners for the remaining presidents on the backs of the first twenty. The second set excluded Reagan, since there is a special banner for him. Other spaces included banners for the military as well as the Constitution.
This is the first presidential site I've visited for a president who was alive in my lifetime. Prior to this, the last chronological president whose site I had visited (in September 2008) was Harry Truman (#33). He died a few years before I was born. (Prior to Harry Truman, the only presidents who have sites available that I have not seen are Ulysses Grant (#18) and Herbert Hoover (#31). Zachary Taylor (#12) and Grover Cleveland (#22 and #24) do not have any homes or birthplace sites available to the public. There is a statue of Cleveland in Buffalo, NY, that I have seen.)
When I arrived, I was wearing a blue button shirt with a square pattern on it that was close to a western style shirt. I had a belt buckle I purchased in Texas. Some people who were dressed like they were from the old west spotted me and asked if I would like to be an extra in an amateur movie they were doing for a church. Several groups were assigned on a "video scavenger hunt" at various historical places focusing on different historical eras. These people had the Old West. I had to hold a sign asking "Where is Joaquin Murrietta?" They gave me a vest to wear and a hat, but the hat was too small. I had a cowboy hat so I used my own. They liked it better. They're not sure if this will wind up on the Internet or not, but they took my email address down to let me know if it's there.
I began by seeing the grave of Ronald Reagan, who died in 2004. After that, I got into a long line for admission. I saw a replica of the Oval Office during Reagan's time, including a small number of pieces that were in the office at that time. Apparently the Clinton Museum in Arkansas has a similar replica from his time in office. These are the only two presidential libraries with replicas of the Oval Office.
After the Oval Office replica, I saw and walked through the Air Force One plane used by Reagan. This particular plane was also used by Presidents Ford, Carter, both Bushes, and Clinton. It was retired and moved to the Reagan library during George W. Bush's term. Photographs were not allowed inside the plane. Although it was comfortably set up, it still gave me a claustrophobic feeling walking through. The style of the inside was made to look like the 1980s, during Reagan's term. Of course it likely had changed a bit for the 90s and into the early part of George W. Bush's presidency. There were jars of jelly beans everywhere since this was one of Reagan's trademarks. The kitchen area had fake chocolate cake, which was another one of Reagan's favorites. One of the docents explained that on February 6th (Reagan's birthday), all visitors get a slice of chocolate cake.
After seeing the plane, you could see the outside of the Marine One helicopter used by Reagan, along with the limousine and police vehicles used in his motorcade. After seeing these vehicles and the souvenir shops, I exited the building while talking on the cell phone. I basically forgot where I exited from, and could not find a way to get back in. There were steps to various parts of the building from the outside, but they all had chains across them. None of the doors worked. I couldn't find any employees around to find out how to get back in. Finally, I followed a bus up a hill and was able to get back to the museum area.
When I got inside the museum area, I was told that the museum exhibits were being refurbished and were not available. Friends of mine had seen the exhibits back in the 1990s and spoke highly of them, so I had been looking forward to them. However, this is no problem as it's an excuse to go back for Reagan's 100th anniversary in 2011. I've been to three presidential sites for 200th anniversaries (Franklin Pierce (14th president) in New Hampshire - 2004, Andrew Johnson (17th president) in Tennessee - 2008, and Abraham Lincoln (16th president) in Illinois - 2009).
Although the museum exhibits were not available, the "Inside the White House" exhibit was available. This is a highly detailed miniature of the White House. It has been maintained by a particular family for four decades. Whenever anything changes at the White House, the WH staff alert this family so they can update their model. Ronald Reagan had seen it and there was a picture of him posing next to it. When I first heard of this, I immediately thought of a doll house. This is much bigger and far more detailed than any doll house. It's at least fifteen feet long. Moving this and setting it up must take a tremendous amount of work. The White House model itself is just one part. There were numerous models of historical rooms in the White House also on display, including rooms from Lincoln's days, the Oval Office during Taft's (#27) administration, and even an animated model of workers initially building the White House (which was not known by that name at the time).
After I finished in Simi Valley, I headed to a hotel in Ventura. On most days, I have a two or three hour minimum drive to the next hotel. This time, it was about forty minutes. I wanted one hotel near the beach and this happened to be less expensive than others, even those far away from the beach. When I arrived at the hotel, I had to show my ID. When the clerk saw that I was from New York and heard that I drove to Ventura, CA, she was amazed. When I explained that this is my second cross country trip, she was even more amazed. She had done one cross country trip after college to Virginia. We talked for quite a while.
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I went to Mass at a mission church in San Buenavista, only about two miles away. The church was built in 1782. It was beautiful inside, though a little dark (meaning pictures are not so great). Outside, I liked the landscaping with cacti and lots of other plants not seen in the Northeast.
I thought about going to the beach after that, but it was getting cold and the beach was ten or fifteen minutes away on foot. It was also overcast and getting dark. I wasn't going to park my car there because that would cost $10 just for a few minutes. I decided to spend some time at the beach the next day before heading up to San Francisco.
The route from Mojave, CA to Simi Valley took me on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Having watched the occasional police chase and seen how people drive around L.A., I was a little nervous. Fortunately, I was only on I-5 for about three or four miles and at that point it was only a four lane road, not nine lanes.
View Larger Map
The library is at the top of a large hill with gorgeous views. I took pictures of the surrounding area. As you enter, there is a lengthy winding drive up the hill with banners for each president up to the 20th, James Garfield. As you drive out, there are banners for the remaining presidents on the backs of the first twenty. The second set excluded Reagan, since there is a special banner for him. Other spaces included banners for the military as well as the Constitution.
This is the first presidential site I've visited for a president who was alive in my lifetime. Prior to this, the last chronological president whose site I had visited (in September 2008) was Harry Truman (#33). He died a few years before I was born. (Prior to Harry Truman, the only presidents who have sites available that I have not seen are Ulysses Grant (#18) and Herbert Hoover (#31). Zachary Taylor (#12) and Grover Cleveland (#22 and #24) do not have any homes or birthplace sites available to the public. There is a statue of Cleveland in Buffalo, NY, that I have seen.)
When I arrived, I was wearing a blue button shirt with a square pattern on it that was close to a western style shirt. I had a belt buckle I purchased in Texas. Some people who were dressed like they were from the old west spotted me and asked if I would like to be an extra in an amateur movie they were doing for a church. Several groups were assigned on a "video scavenger hunt" at various historical places focusing on different historical eras. These people had the Old West. I had to hold a sign asking "Where is Joaquin Murrietta?" They gave me a vest to wear and a hat, but the hat was too small. I had a cowboy hat so I used my own. They liked it better. They're not sure if this will wind up on the Internet or not, but they took my email address down to let me know if it's there.
I began by seeing the grave of Ronald Reagan, who died in 2004. After that, I got into a long line for admission. I saw a replica of the Oval Office during Reagan's time, including a small number of pieces that were in the office at that time. Apparently the Clinton Museum in Arkansas has a similar replica from his time in office. These are the only two presidential libraries with replicas of the Oval Office.
After the Oval Office replica, I saw and walked through the Air Force One plane used by Reagan. This particular plane was also used by Presidents Ford, Carter, both Bushes, and Clinton. It was retired and moved to the Reagan library during George W. Bush's term. Photographs were not allowed inside the plane. Although it was comfortably set up, it still gave me a claustrophobic feeling walking through. The style of the inside was made to look like the 1980s, during Reagan's term. Of course it likely had changed a bit for the 90s and into the early part of George W. Bush's presidency. There were jars of jelly beans everywhere since this was one of Reagan's trademarks. The kitchen area had fake chocolate cake, which was another one of Reagan's favorites. One of the docents explained that on February 6th (Reagan's birthday), all visitors get a slice of chocolate cake.
After seeing the plane, you could see the outside of the Marine One helicopter used by Reagan, along with the limousine and police vehicles used in his motorcade. After seeing these vehicles and the souvenir shops, I exited the building while talking on the cell phone. I basically forgot where I exited from, and could not find a way to get back in. There were steps to various parts of the building from the outside, but they all had chains across them. None of the doors worked. I couldn't find any employees around to find out how to get back in. Finally, I followed a bus up a hill and was able to get back to the museum area.
When I got inside the museum area, I was told that the museum exhibits were being refurbished and were not available. Friends of mine had seen the exhibits back in the 1990s and spoke highly of them, so I had been looking forward to them. However, this is no problem as it's an excuse to go back for Reagan's 100th anniversary in 2011. I've been to three presidential sites for 200th anniversaries (Franklin Pierce (14th president) in New Hampshire - 2004, Andrew Johnson (17th president) in Tennessee - 2008, and Abraham Lincoln (16th president) in Illinois - 2009).
Although the museum exhibits were not available, the "Inside the White House" exhibit was available. This is a highly detailed miniature of the White House. It has been maintained by a particular family for four decades. Whenever anything changes at the White House, the WH staff alert this family so they can update their model. Ronald Reagan had seen it and there was a picture of him posing next to it. When I first heard of this, I immediately thought of a doll house. This is much bigger and far more detailed than any doll house. It's at least fifteen feet long. Moving this and setting it up must take a tremendous amount of work. The White House model itself is just one part. There were numerous models of historical rooms in the White House also on display, including rooms from Lincoln's days, the Oval Office during Taft's (#27) administration, and even an animated model of workers initially building the White House (which was not known by that name at the time).
After I finished in Simi Valley, I headed to a hotel in Ventura. On most days, I have a two or three hour minimum drive to the next hotel. This time, it was about forty minutes. I wanted one hotel near the beach and this happened to be less expensive than others, even those far away from the beach. When I arrived at the hotel, I had to show my ID. When the clerk saw that I was from New York and heard that I drove to Ventura, CA, she was amazed. When I explained that this is my second cross country trip, she was even more amazed. She had done one cross country trip after college to Virginia. We talked for quite a while.
View Larger Map
I went to Mass at a mission church in San Buenavista, only about two miles away. The church was built in 1782. It was beautiful inside, though a little dark (meaning pictures are not so great). Outside, I liked the landscaping with cacti and lots of other plants not seen in the Northeast.
I thought about going to the beach after that, but it was getting cold and the beach was ten or fifteen minutes away on foot. It was also overcast and getting dark. I wasn't going to park my car there because that would cost $10 just for a few minutes. I decided to spend some time at the beach the next day before heading up to San Francisco.
Monday, April 19, 2010
April 16, 2010: First Visit to California and Death Valley National Park
My first stop today was Death Valley National Park. It's about 2 1/2 hours from Henderson, Nevada. After I got off the interstate (I-515), the GPS took me through the desert. Again, there were lush green plants. The road took me through the Palute Las Vegas Indian Reservation. There was a sign pointing to the tribal police building. The funny thing is that what it pointed to were scrub trees, sand, mountains, and a few other plants. There was no evidence that a building was ever present.
It was quite a long drive and the speed limit on these non-interstate roads was 70. In Nevada, there were lots of small joshua trees. Finally, I saw a small sign welcoming me to California. California is the first and only unvisited state on this trip. It is the 47th state I've seen, leaving only Louisiana, Alaska, and Hawaii unvisited. Shortly after I entered the state, I reminded myself that this is my 47th state. A couple of minutes later, I noticed I passed by mile marker 47 on the road I was traveling. That was an odd coincidence.
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While I did not have trouble talking on the cell phone in the Nevada desert, connections did not hold more than three minutes after I entered California. After a short time, I entered Death Valley (though not yet the actual national park) and there was absolutely no cell phone service.
Death Valley is beautiful with mountain ranges fairly close to the road. The temperature was in the mid 80s and flowers were in bloom. When I got to the fee area, it was a self-pay station. This annoyed me at first because I wondered how I'd use my national parks pass. The entrance fee was $20 and I'd hate to have to pay since I already bought the annual pass for $80. The instructions said nothing about annual passes. There was no cell phone signal so I could not call the park office. I tried to use a pay phone, but it would not accept quarters. Finally, I decided that since I came this far I'd pay and find a human being to argue with. The system did at least take credit cards (translating to hotel points). Thankfully, within the electronic system, there was an option to slide in the annual pass instead of a credit card. So, I was able to avoid double payment.
The first section I visited was Dante's View. It takes you up to the top of a mountain where you can see for miles in the park. The salt flats look amazing from that far up, as do the cliffs. I did get a cell phone signal, but it would typically cut out after thirty seconds if I tried to make a call.
After leaving that area and getting back on the main road, I stopped for more photos. One area had what looked like small rocks on the ground. As I got closer, I saw that these were actual plants clustered together and colored in such a way that they looked like rocks.
Driving further, I encountered the badlands. These were beautiful, though they still don't come close to the beauty and diverse scenery of Makoshika State Park in Montana that I visited in Summer, 2008.
I started to get very nervous about gas. I had half a tank (there were no stations around the east entrance of the park). But I had no idea how far I'd have to drive within the park and how far it would be once I left the park before I found a gas station. While I would never want to run out of gas in general, lack of cell phone service would only make the situation worse.
I arrived at Furnace Creek. This is a combination campground and tourist trap. One section has a hotel and then if you drive further, you see the restaurants, souvenir shops, golf area, etc. Just around the corner was a gas station.....selling gas at $4.09. This was really gouging as CA has gas around $3.13/gallon. But, I had to buy at least one gallon to be safe.
I visited the Badwater area, which is the salt flats. These were very interesting and created some very unique mud formations. With the salt on the edges, the mud formations are hard as a rock. There were areas with a little bit of water completely covered with salt, as if it was ice.
Many miles later, I came across Stovepipe Wells, which has apparently been a tiny town/village in the park since 1926. At this point it's just a tourist trap with a general store, restaurant, motel, and gas station. Gas went for $3.56/gallon. I didn't like that either, but I came close to filling up to be safe.
The temperature went up to 96. As I headed towards the west entrance, I saw some interesting sand dunes. People could go up to them, but with a three hour drive ahead of me to get to the next hotel, I simply lacked the energy. Beyond that, when I visited sand dunes in Idaho in 2008, sand got into the camera.
As I was driving further, I saw a warning sign that encouraged drivers not to turn on the air conditioner in order to avoid overheating. This suggestion was for the next twenty miles. I'm sure it was referring to summer, but I think it's probably not a good idea to be in this park at all during the summer.
The drive took me through some really steep mountain roads with spectacular scenery. Unfortunately, there was no place to stop off and take pictures. There was also such low light that the photos would not have been any good.
After leaving the park, it seemed like an interminable drive in the middle of nowhere during the dark. I had at least two hours to get to my hotel in Mojave, CA after leaving the western exit from the park. Often there were no other vehicles. Once in a while there was a gas station, but not that often. I'm glad I fueled up in the park, even at $3.56/gallon.
View Larger Map
When I got into Mojave, I found a gas station with a price of $3.05/gallon. Every other station was at least $3.13/gallon. If it's too good to be true... When I pulled up to a pump, they did not have the credit card readers. I went inside and was told to swipe my card. When the attendant found it was a credit card and not a debit card, she explained that they only take cash or debit. I have never heard of a gas station that does not take credit cards. Anyway, I told her I would have to go elsewhere (I want the points for this and every other purchase I make on this trip) and she continued to argue with me about why I wasn't using my debit card. I had to explain I don't have one.
When I finally arrived at the hotel, I was exhausted. This was an Econo Lodge. It both saved some money, and more importantly, was one of the closest and least expensive (at 3 hours and 20 minutes from Furnace Creek) Choice Hotel affiliates from the park. More importantly, it was closer than others to my next stop which was Simi Valley, CA. While this hotel had good ratings, it definitely looked old and had stains all over the rug. There were almost no electric plugs available in the room. I had to be very creative with my laptop to be able to plug it in. On a full charge, the battery typically lasts about twenty minutes before dying.
It was quite a long drive and the speed limit on these non-interstate roads was 70. In Nevada, there were lots of small joshua trees. Finally, I saw a small sign welcoming me to California. California is the first and only unvisited state on this trip. It is the 47th state I've seen, leaving only Louisiana, Alaska, and Hawaii unvisited. Shortly after I entered the state, I reminded myself that this is my 47th state. A couple of minutes later, I noticed I passed by mile marker 47 on the road I was traveling. That was an odd coincidence.
View Larger Map
While I did not have trouble talking on the cell phone in the Nevada desert, connections did not hold more than three minutes after I entered California. After a short time, I entered Death Valley (though not yet the actual national park) and there was absolutely no cell phone service.
Death Valley is beautiful with mountain ranges fairly close to the road. The temperature was in the mid 80s and flowers were in bloom. When I got to the fee area, it was a self-pay station. This annoyed me at first because I wondered how I'd use my national parks pass. The entrance fee was $20 and I'd hate to have to pay since I already bought the annual pass for $80. The instructions said nothing about annual passes. There was no cell phone signal so I could not call the park office. I tried to use a pay phone, but it would not accept quarters. Finally, I decided that since I came this far I'd pay and find a human being to argue with. The system did at least take credit cards (translating to hotel points). Thankfully, within the electronic system, there was an option to slide in the annual pass instead of a credit card. So, I was able to avoid double payment.
The first section I visited was Dante's View. It takes you up to the top of a mountain where you can see for miles in the park. The salt flats look amazing from that far up, as do the cliffs. I did get a cell phone signal, but it would typically cut out after thirty seconds if I tried to make a call.
After leaving that area and getting back on the main road, I stopped for more photos. One area had what looked like small rocks on the ground. As I got closer, I saw that these were actual plants clustered together and colored in such a way that they looked like rocks.
Driving further, I encountered the badlands. These were beautiful, though they still don't come close to the beauty and diverse scenery of Makoshika State Park in Montana that I visited in Summer, 2008.
I started to get very nervous about gas. I had half a tank (there were no stations around the east entrance of the park). But I had no idea how far I'd have to drive within the park and how far it would be once I left the park before I found a gas station. While I would never want to run out of gas in general, lack of cell phone service would only make the situation worse.
I arrived at Furnace Creek. This is a combination campground and tourist trap. One section has a hotel and then if you drive further, you see the restaurants, souvenir shops, golf area, etc. Just around the corner was a gas station.....selling gas at $4.09. This was really gouging as CA has gas around $3.13/gallon. But, I had to buy at least one gallon to be safe.
I visited the Badwater area, which is the salt flats. These were very interesting and created some very unique mud formations. With the salt on the edges, the mud formations are hard as a rock. There were areas with a little bit of water completely covered with salt, as if it was ice.
Many miles later, I came across Stovepipe Wells, which has apparently been a tiny town/village in the park since 1926. At this point it's just a tourist trap with a general store, restaurant, motel, and gas station. Gas went for $3.56/gallon. I didn't like that either, but I came close to filling up to be safe.
The temperature went up to 96. As I headed towards the west entrance, I saw some interesting sand dunes. People could go up to them, but with a three hour drive ahead of me to get to the next hotel, I simply lacked the energy. Beyond that, when I visited sand dunes in Idaho in 2008, sand got into the camera.
As I was driving further, I saw a warning sign that encouraged drivers not to turn on the air conditioner in order to avoid overheating. This suggestion was for the next twenty miles. I'm sure it was referring to summer, but I think it's probably not a good idea to be in this park at all during the summer.
The drive took me through some really steep mountain roads with spectacular scenery. Unfortunately, there was no place to stop off and take pictures. There was also such low light that the photos would not have been any good.
After leaving the park, it seemed like an interminable drive in the middle of nowhere during the dark. I had at least two hours to get to my hotel in Mojave, CA after leaving the western exit from the park. Often there were no other vehicles. Once in a while there was a gas station, but not that often. I'm glad I fueled up in the park, even at $3.56/gallon.
View Larger Map
When I got into Mojave, I found a gas station with a price of $3.05/gallon. Every other station was at least $3.13/gallon. If it's too good to be true... When I pulled up to a pump, they did not have the credit card readers. I went inside and was told to swipe my card. When the attendant found it was a credit card and not a debit card, she explained that they only take cash or debit. I have never heard of a gas station that does not take credit cards. Anyway, I told her I would have to go elsewhere (I want the points for this and every other purchase I make on this trip) and she continued to argue with me about why I wasn't using my debit card. I had to explain I don't have one.
When I finally arrived at the hotel, I was exhausted. This was an Econo Lodge. It both saved some money, and more importantly, was one of the closest and least expensive (at 3 hours and 20 minutes from Furnace Creek) Choice Hotel affiliates from the park. More importantly, it was closer than others to my next stop which was Simi Valley, CA. While this hotel had good ratings, it definitely looked old and had stains all over the rug. There were almost no electric plugs available in the room. I had to be very creative with my laptop to be able to plug it in. On a full charge, the battery typically lasts about twenty minutes before dying.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
April 15, 2010: I-70 in Utah and Zion National Park
This was my third visit to Utah. The original plan for today was to head east to briefly see Canyonlands and then head west again to get to the next hotel in Henderson, Nevada (just outside Las Vegas). Since I bought the national parks pass, the entrance fee was covered and I could spend three hours or so there without feeling like I wasted the entrance fee. However, since it would take more than an hour to get there, and then it would be seven hours to get to the hotel in Nevada, I decided to save Canyonlands for another time. I was to exhausted to have eight hours of driving today.
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Oil Change
I also decided to have the oil changed today. When I rented the car, the Avis agent told me to get the oil changed when I got up to 4,000 miles. (I normally change my own car's oil at 3,000 miles.) I was getting close. Finding a place to change oil in southeast Utah is an adventure. In looking at the phonebook, I only found places ninety minutes east of the hotel. That was worse than trying to visit Canyonlands. In speaking to one of the garages, the guy nonchalantly suggested I go up to Salt Lake City when I said I was heading west. Out here, people truly think nothing of a four or five hour drive. However, Salt Lake City is four hours NORTH (and slightly west) and into the I-80 corridor. I needed to get to Las Vegas, which is west via I-70 and then southwest via I-15. I saw Salt Lake City on my 2008 cross country trip and don't plan to include it on this trip.
In searching around online, I found that after going two hours west on I-70 (which was the interstate I needed to take), there were several cities with Walmarts that could change oil. No appointment was necessary. Problem solved in terms of finding a place (though getting the oil changed still wasn't smooth).
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As soon as I got on I-70 from Green River, there was a warning sign indicating that there were no services for the next 100 miles. It's good that my gas tank was full. There were few exits and each one had a "No services" sign on it.
Scenery Along I-70
I-70 in southeast Utah is basically like its own national park. The rock formations are beautiful. There is a section called the "reef" and the road passes through a narrow area between giant rock formations. I-70 was extended into southern Utah in the late 50s/early 60s and they of course had to blast through the rocks. It was quite an expensive project. There are numerous viewing points along the interstate and even trails to look at canyons nearby. Obviously, unlike a national park there are no park rangers or anyone else to help, so it's best to be very careful. Cell phone service is very limited. In one of the viewing areas, there was a sign indicating no soliciting or vending. The funny part is that literally below that sign were table cloths featuring turquoise jewelry, pottery, and other items for sale.
The viewing points had the usual signs explaining the area. In one case, they talked about some of the more infamous old west outlaws using the canyons to hide out. They unfortunately even took Native Americans into slavery and sold them for $200 apiece.
Getting the Oil Changed
Getting the oil changed was an adventure. First, the GPS sent me down some service road along I-70 to a business that was clearly not Walmart. Finally, I drove around a bit and found Walmart on my own. The vehicle was so new that the make and model (despite this being a model that has been around for a while) was not in their system for the 2010 year. A manager decided to just list it as a 2009 even though it was a 2010 vehicle. At first they were suggesting I might have to purchase oil filters at a garage somewhere else for them to do the work. All of this for a simple oil change. (During my 2008 trip, I do recall being turned away by a garage in Wichita, Kansas --- a city of 350,000 and the largest city in the state --- because the vehicle was too new.) Then I had to sign a waiver that they were not responsible for loss of any items in the car. So, I hauled the various electronic items out of the car and watched the vehicle like a hawk as they did the oil change. After the experience with my friend Dan having his laptop stolen at the hotel in Birmingham, I was not taking any chances. They may have felt I was rude, but too bad.
After finally having the oil changed, I decided to see Zion Canyon so I could at least see something else before the hotel. This would be my first return visit to a big national park in the West. (I've visited the Adams and Van Buren Presidential homes --- which are national parks in the Northeast --- multiple times.) My previous visit to Zion was in August, 2007.
Kolob Canyons/Zion National Park
When I arrived, I noticed the more prominent name was Kolob Canyons. I didn't remember the park being called anything other than Zion National Park last time I visited. Things looked very different from what I remember. Still, the scenery was nice and some of the rock formations had snow on them. I remember Zion had two entrances last time I visited. I expected to drive through one and come out the other side. However, what I found instead was a road that ended in a cul-de-sac and visitors left from the same entrance they entered. Evidently, this is a subunit of Zion NP not connected with the main part of the park. I set the GPS to get me to the main section of the park. However, it was getting later in the day. It would be a half hour of driving after the exit from I-15 just to get to the park entrance. Then there would be time in the park plus another half hour drive to get back to I-15. I decided to skip it. I just wanted to get to my hotel.
Getting to Nevada
As I saw that I crossed the Utah state line on I-15, I kept wondering why I was not seeing a sign welcoming me to Nevada. As I turned a corner, I noticed a sign welcoming me to Arizona! I hadn't planned on visiting Arizona at all in this trip. I had forgotten that I-15 runs through AZ. In my 2007 trip, I drove this route heading towards Utah. This was another case where they had to blast through mountains to build the interstate. But the scenery looked far more beautiful than I remembered. I was only in Arizona briefly before I got into Nevada.
Nevada Desert
Once in Nevada, I was in the Pacific Time Zone. I gained an hour on my trip for the final time. When I switch time zones in the future, I will be losing an hour each time. As there was still some light, I noticed that despite this being the desert, the grass and other plants were lush green. All previous trips to the American desert were in the summer, and everything was brown and spent by then.
Lights of Vegas
As I got further into Nevada, darkness came. When I got closer to Las Vegas, I got to see the lights. I had never seen the Vegas lights from so far away before. While I had briefly been to Las Vegas at night in 2007, I only saw a few casinos lighted up. I didn't see the entire area from a distance. It was amazing. No wonder they say it can be seen from space.
Cheaper Gas
Gas was much more reasonable in the Las Vegas area. They had 87 octane for regular as we do in the Northeast. The price was $2.83/gallon.
While it had been cold at night in many of the other areas I had visited, it was very pleasant in Henderson. The hotel (Comfort Inn) was relatively inexpensive, but it was one of the nicest hotels I have been in on this trip. It's only a year old. If I'm ever in the area again, I would definitely go to this one.
View Larger Map
Oil Change
I also decided to have the oil changed today. When I rented the car, the Avis agent told me to get the oil changed when I got up to 4,000 miles. (I normally change my own car's oil at 3,000 miles.) I was getting close. Finding a place to change oil in southeast Utah is an adventure. In looking at the phonebook, I only found places ninety minutes east of the hotel. That was worse than trying to visit Canyonlands. In speaking to one of the garages, the guy nonchalantly suggested I go up to Salt Lake City when I said I was heading west. Out here, people truly think nothing of a four or five hour drive. However, Salt Lake City is four hours NORTH (and slightly west) and into the I-80 corridor. I needed to get to Las Vegas, which is west via I-70 and then southwest via I-15. I saw Salt Lake City on my 2008 cross country trip and don't plan to include it on this trip.
In searching around online, I found that after going two hours west on I-70 (which was the interstate I needed to take), there were several cities with Walmarts that could change oil. No appointment was necessary. Problem solved in terms of finding a place (though getting the oil changed still wasn't smooth).
View Larger Map
As soon as I got on I-70 from Green River, there was a warning sign indicating that there were no services for the next 100 miles. It's good that my gas tank was full. There were few exits and each one had a "No services" sign on it.
Scenery Along I-70
I-70 in southeast Utah is basically like its own national park. The rock formations are beautiful. There is a section called the "reef" and the road passes through a narrow area between giant rock formations. I-70 was extended into southern Utah in the late 50s/early 60s and they of course had to blast through the rocks. It was quite an expensive project. There are numerous viewing points along the interstate and even trails to look at canyons nearby. Obviously, unlike a national park there are no park rangers or anyone else to help, so it's best to be very careful. Cell phone service is very limited. In one of the viewing areas, there was a sign indicating no soliciting or vending. The funny part is that literally below that sign were table cloths featuring turquoise jewelry, pottery, and other items for sale.
The viewing points had the usual signs explaining the area. In one case, they talked about some of the more infamous old west outlaws using the canyons to hide out. They unfortunately even took Native Americans into slavery and sold them for $200 apiece.
Getting the Oil Changed
Getting the oil changed was an adventure. First, the GPS sent me down some service road along I-70 to a business that was clearly not Walmart. Finally, I drove around a bit and found Walmart on my own. The vehicle was so new that the make and model (despite this being a model that has been around for a while) was not in their system for the 2010 year. A manager decided to just list it as a 2009 even though it was a 2010 vehicle. At first they were suggesting I might have to purchase oil filters at a garage somewhere else for them to do the work. All of this for a simple oil change. (During my 2008 trip, I do recall being turned away by a garage in Wichita, Kansas --- a city of 350,000 and the largest city in the state --- because the vehicle was too new.) Then I had to sign a waiver that they were not responsible for loss of any items in the car. So, I hauled the various electronic items out of the car and watched the vehicle like a hawk as they did the oil change. After the experience with my friend Dan having his laptop stolen at the hotel in Birmingham, I was not taking any chances. They may have felt I was rude, but too bad.
After finally having the oil changed, I decided to see Zion Canyon so I could at least see something else before the hotel. This would be my first return visit to a big national park in the West. (I've visited the Adams and Van Buren Presidential homes --- which are national parks in the Northeast --- multiple times.) My previous visit to Zion was in August, 2007.
Kolob Canyons/Zion National Park
When I arrived, I noticed the more prominent name was Kolob Canyons. I didn't remember the park being called anything other than Zion National Park last time I visited. Things looked very different from what I remember. Still, the scenery was nice and some of the rock formations had snow on them. I remember Zion had two entrances last time I visited. I expected to drive through one and come out the other side. However, what I found instead was a road that ended in a cul-de-sac and visitors left from the same entrance they entered. Evidently, this is a subunit of Zion NP not connected with the main part of the park. I set the GPS to get me to the main section of the park. However, it was getting later in the day. It would be a half hour of driving after the exit from I-15 just to get to the park entrance. Then there would be time in the park plus another half hour drive to get back to I-15. I decided to skip it. I just wanted to get to my hotel.
Getting to Nevada
As I saw that I crossed the Utah state line on I-15, I kept wondering why I was not seeing a sign welcoming me to Nevada. As I turned a corner, I noticed a sign welcoming me to Arizona! I hadn't planned on visiting Arizona at all in this trip. I had forgotten that I-15 runs through AZ. In my 2007 trip, I drove this route heading towards Utah. This was another case where they had to blast through mountains to build the interstate. But the scenery looked far more beautiful than I remembered. I was only in Arizona briefly before I got into Nevada.
Nevada Desert
Once in Nevada, I was in the Pacific Time Zone. I gained an hour on my trip for the final time. When I switch time zones in the future, I will be losing an hour each time. As there was still some light, I noticed that despite this being the desert, the grass and other plants were lush green. All previous trips to the American desert were in the summer, and everything was brown and spent by then.
Lights of Vegas
As I got further into Nevada, darkness came. When I got closer to Las Vegas, I got to see the lights. I had never seen the Vegas lights from so far away before. While I had briefly been to Las Vegas at night in 2007, I only saw a few casinos lighted up. I didn't see the entire area from a distance. It was amazing. No wonder they say it can be seen from space.
Cheaper Gas
Gas was much more reasonable in the Las Vegas area. They had 87 octane for regular as we do in the Northeast. The price was $2.83/gallon.
While it had been cold at night in many of the other areas I had visited, it was very pleasant in Henderson. The hotel (Comfort Inn) was relatively inexpensive, but it was one of the nicest hotels I have been in on this trip. It's only a year old. If I'm ever in the area again, I would definitely go to this one.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
April 14, 2010: Arches National Park
I forgot a few things in my previous blog entries...
Although I have driven 75 mph in states where it is allowed on previous trips, I learned that this particular car does not like it. It went through gas like crazy. Driving at 70 seems to be okay, but definitely not 75. There are quite a few states on the return trip that allow 75 mph on the interstates.
In Colorado, they have electronic warning signs about wildlife. They actually detect when something big is near the road and alert drivers that they have been detected. The sign warned me and I saw a small group of antelope feeding. One of them looked up and locked his gaze on my car. I kept hoping he would just stay down and keep on eating at least until I went by. Thankfully, he did.
Back to Wednesday, April 14th. I started out in Durango, Colorado. My goal for the day was to visit Arches National Park in southeast Utah. It was over three hours from my hotel. Yes, there had been some Choice hotels only two hours from the park, but I was too exhausted from the Santa Fe activities to drive the extra hour the previous night. Plus, I definitely did not want to drive to far into the night in such a rural part of Colorado. I didn't want a collision with some huge animal. Colorado actually had moose warning signs.
Durango is a nice historic city. I wish I had had time to see it. I did try to go through the downtown historic district, but it was under such construction and I couldn't get around. So, I got to at least see the architecture a bit and then got back on the road to Arches. Gas in Colorado was at $2.93/gallon for 86 octane. So, I had to pay over $3/gallon for 88.
The GPS took me on a number of rural roads. Cell phone service was spotty at best and when trying to make calls, I was frequently disconnected after three minutes or so. There were many patches with snow on the ground (not on the road, thankfully) and many snow-capped mountains fairly close to the road.
View Larger Map
After going through mountainous areas, I suddenly got into totally flat areas. Montana is like this too. It can go from badlands in the east to suddenly flat land for a while, and then more mountains going further west.
Of course, with flat land, there were a number of farms. At one point, of all things I actually saw a camel in someone's yard. I never expected to see one of those in Colorado.
As I drove further, there was a beautiful mountain range in the distance. I took several photos of it. Before I knew it, I was in Utah, and still hadn't passed the mountain range. So, I was looking at a mountain range for miles in Colorado that was in a different state.
Gas in Utah was well over $3/gallon. There was still the 86 octane issue, so I had to pay around $3.24/gallon for 88.
As I got closer to the park and to Moab, UT (the tourist city near the park), the scenery became spectacular with red rock formations. I of course had to stop several times along the road to take pictures.
Moab is one giant tourist trap. There are all sorts of souvenir shops, overpriced hotels, gas stations, restaurants, etc. I could not justify the costs of the hotels there and I couldn't justify the amount of points required for one night, so I had a hotel about 50 miles west of Arches NP.
I purchased an annual National Parks Pass when I entered Arches NP. The cost of an annual pass is $80, but it's well worth it if you plan to see a number of parks in the west. Parks like Yellowstone (Wyoming), Glacier (Montana), Zion (Utah), and Bryce Canyon (Utah) all cost $25 apiece to enter. Arches and the nearby Canyonlands cost $10 each to enter. But having the pass allows entrance to most national parks without havint to pay the entry fee. I will definitely get a value of more than $80 in national park visits before this trip is over.
Arches National Park has some great displays of red rocks along the main loop road. It's not a huge park (compared to others in the West), but it could take more than a day to see. I had less than a day to see it.
Competing with the interesting rock formations were the interesting people I encountered. First, there was the guy from the Czech Republic. He asked me to take his picture using a basic digital camera. I can take decent pictures of still objects (rocks, plants, etc.). But I can't do well with people or animals. On top of that, I prefer a camera where very little is automated and the camera operator can control almost everything. Thus I don't do well with basic digital cameras. So, we had to do three retakes. The guy kept standing in the middle of the main road to pose for the pictures, despite the fact that I advised him that was not such a good idea. The speed limit was 55. On the third take, he finally just said he liked it and moved on.
We happened to both be at another viewing area at the same time. I offered to take his picture again and did a better job on the first try. We talked for a bit. He explained that he was visiting from the Czech Republic and had seen Washington, DC, New York City, Wyoming, Florida, and now Utah. He was very interested in history and political science. Though he didn't like big cities, he had to see DC for the historical areas. I explained my interests and where I had been on the current trip, etc. Then I really dated myself. In the early 90s, before the Internet was available to average people, I had snail mail pen pals all over the world, including one from the Czech Republic. To someone at least ten years younger than me, the concept of "before the Internet" probably was meaningless. He seemed bored and annoyed to hear what I had to say (after I had listened to him) and wanted to just get out of there.
At Balanced Rock, a man was walking around in a kilt. Then he brought out bagpipes and started playing them. While it was interesting listening, somehow the bagpipes did not fit the environment of canyons, red rocks, and landscapes that would be seen in a western movie.
As I drove further, I found a sign indicating a side road for Delicate Arch. This is the most famous arch in the world, and is used as a symbol on Utah license plates. It's sometimes called "Cowboy Chaps." There were two hiking paths for it. I took both. The first one I took just allowed people to get a closer look, but not actually go anywhere near the arch. This was at least a half mile, though it was fairly easy.
The second trail was 1.5 miles long, each way. It was strenuous and not well marked. I continued to get lost, as did other people. I did not even realize I was lost until others started to recognize they were going the wrong way. I suspect I walked at least a half mile off the trail.
The most ridiculous part of this is that I forgot to bring water with me. I had purchased a 2 litre bottle specifically to hike in Arches National Park and I left it in the car.
When I finally got close to the Delicate Arch area, I was exhausted. The final part of the path was fairly narrow and there is a long (and deadly) drop if you lose your balance. In some parts, two people could not be side by side. Once I got up to the arch area, it was much wider, but as the surface was slightly inclined, it was still possible for one to lose their balance and fall to their death. Being so exhausted and not having had any water, I was not my best, and that made me quite nervous about possibly losing my balance.
Although this is called "Delicate Arch," it's hardly delicate. There are no signs or barricades preventing people from going right up to the arch. Some people stood under it to have their picture taken. I went up to it and took pictures from the sides and below the arch. If you walk through to the other side, there is not a lot room to go before a steep fall.
After spending quite a bit of time in the Delicate Arch area, I finally decided to head back to the car...and get some water. Since the trail was mostly uphill, going back was a lot easier --- and I did not get lost.
I drove the rest of the main road of Arches NP. I saw a couple of other arches, but many of the others (Arches NP has around 2,000 natural arches) are only available on hiking trails. I was far too exhausted and it was getting far too late to do any further hikes. Also, I think hikes are best if there are at least two people together. It's safer and certainly less boring. I have to go back to Arches NP someday with someone.
It was about an hour to my hotel from Arches NP. The hotel was located in Green River, UT. My original plan was to stay there and head back east to the Moab area to see Canyonlands on Thursday. Then I would have to head west again to get t0 the Las Vegas area for the next hotel.
View Larger Map
When I arrived at Green River, I had not had any dinner and after walking so much, I was hungry. It was just after 9pm. They had full restaurants but I did not feel like waiting. About three miles from the hotel was an Arby's. I normally stick with Subway and Quiznos, but it was either Arby's or the restaurant.
Although I have driven 75 mph in states where it is allowed on previous trips, I learned that this particular car does not like it. It went through gas like crazy. Driving at 70 seems to be okay, but definitely not 75. There are quite a few states on the return trip that allow 75 mph on the interstates.
In Colorado, they have electronic warning signs about wildlife. They actually detect when something big is near the road and alert drivers that they have been detected. The sign warned me and I saw a small group of antelope feeding. One of them looked up and locked his gaze on my car. I kept hoping he would just stay down and keep on eating at least until I went by. Thankfully, he did.
Back to Wednesday, April 14th. I started out in Durango, Colorado. My goal for the day was to visit Arches National Park in southeast Utah. It was over three hours from my hotel. Yes, there had been some Choice hotels only two hours from the park, but I was too exhausted from the Santa Fe activities to drive the extra hour the previous night. Plus, I definitely did not want to drive to far into the night in such a rural part of Colorado. I didn't want a collision with some huge animal. Colorado actually had moose warning signs.
Durango is a nice historic city. I wish I had had time to see it. I did try to go through the downtown historic district, but it was under such construction and I couldn't get around. So, I got to at least see the architecture a bit and then got back on the road to Arches. Gas in Colorado was at $2.93/gallon for 86 octane. So, I had to pay over $3/gallon for 88.
The GPS took me on a number of rural roads. Cell phone service was spotty at best and when trying to make calls, I was frequently disconnected after three minutes or so. There were many patches with snow on the ground (not on the road, thankfully) and many snow-capped mountains fairly close to the road.
View Larger Map
After going through mountainous areas, I suddenly got into totally flat areas. Montana is like this too. It can go from badlands in the east to suddenly flat land for a while, and then more mountains going further west.
Of course, with flat land, there were a number of farms. At one point, of all things I actually saw a camel in someone's yard. I never expected to see one of those in Colorado.
As I drove further, there was a beautiful mountain range in the distance. I took several photos of it. Before I knew it, I was in Utah, and still hadn't passed the mountain range. So, I was looking at a mountain range for miles in Colorado that was in a different state.
Gas in Utah was well over $3/gallon. There was still the 86 octane issue, so I had to pay around $3.24/gallon for 88.
As I got closer to the park and to Moab, UT (the tourist city near the park), the scenery became spectacular with red rock formations. I of course had to stop several times along the road to take pictures.
Moab is one giant tourist trap. There are all sorts of souvenir shops, overpriced hotels, gas stations, restaurants, etc. I could not justify the costs of the hotels there and I couldn't justify the amount of points required for one night, so I had a hotel about 50 miles west of Arches NP.
I purchased an annual National Parks Pass when I entered Arches NP. The cost of an annual pass is $80, but it's well worth it if you plan to see a number of parks in the west. Parks like Yellowstone (Wyoming), Glacier (Montana), Zion (Utah), and Bryce Canyon (Utah) all cost $25 apiece to enter. Arches and the nearby Canyonlands cost $10 each to enter. But having the pass allows entrance to most national parks without havint to pay the entry fee. I will definitely get a value of more than $80 in national park visits before this trip is over.
Arches National Park has some great displays of red rocks along the main loop road. It's not a huge park (compared to others in the West), but it could take more than a day to see. I had less than a day to see it.
Competing with the interesting rock formations were the interesting people I encountered. First, there was the guy from the Czech Republic. He asked me to take his picture using a basic digital camera. I can take decent pictures of still objects (rocks, plants, etc.). But I can't do well with people or animals. On top of that, I prefer a camera where very little is automated and the camera operator can control almost everything. Thus I don't do well with basic digital cameras. So, we had to do three retakes. The guy kept standing in the middle of the main road to pose for the pictures, despite the fact that I advised him that was not such a good idea. The speed limit was 55. On the third take, he finally just said he liked it and moved on.
We happened to both be at another viewing area at the same time. I offered to take his picture again and did a better job on the first try. We talked for a bit. He explained that he was visiting from the Czech Republic and had seen Washington, DC, New York City, Wyoming, Florida, and now Utah. He was very interested in history and political science. Though he didn't like big cities, he had to see DC for the historical areas. I explained my interests and where I had been on the current trip, etc. Then I really dated myself. In the early 90s, before the Internet was available to average people, I had snail mail pen pals all over the world, including one from the Czech Republic. To someone at least ten years younger than me, the concept of "before the Internet" probably was meaningless. He seemed bored and annoyed to hear what I had to say (after I had listened to him) and wanted to just get out of there.
At Balanced Rock, a man was walking around in a kilt. Then he brought out bagpipes and started playing them. While it was interesting listening, somehow the bagpipes did not fit the environment of canyons, red rocks, and landscapes that would be seen in a western movie.
As I drove further, I found a sign indicating a side road for Delicate Arch. This is the most famous arch in the world, and is used as a symbol on Utah license plates. It's sometimes called "Cowboy Chaps." There were two hiking paths for it. I took both. The first one I took just allowed people to get a closer look, but not actually go anywhere near the arch. This was at least a half mile, though it was fairly easy.
The second trail was 1.5 miles long, each way. It was strenuous and not well marked. I continued to get lost, as did other people. I did not even realize I was lost until others started to recognize they were going the wrong way. I suspect I walked at least a half mile off the trail.
The most ridiculous part of this is that I forgot to bring water with me. I had purchased a 2 litre bottle specifically to hike in Arches National Park and I left it in the car.
When I finally got close to the Delicate Arch area, I was exhausted. The final part of the path was fairly narrow and there is a long (and deadly) drop if you lose your balance. In some parts, two people could not be side by side. Once I got up to the arch area, it was much wider, but as the surface was slightly inclined, it was still possible for one to lose their balance and fall to their death. Being so exhausted and not having had any water, I was not my best, and that made me quite nervous about possibly losing my balance.
Although this is called "Delicate Arch," it's hardly delicate. There are no signs or barricades preventing people from going right up to the arch. Some people stood under it to have their picture taken. I went up to it and took pictures from the sides and below the arch. If you walk through to the other side, there is not a lot room to go before a steep fall.
After spending quite a bit of time in the Delicate Arch area, I finally decided to head back to the car...and get some water. Since the trail was mostly uphill, going back was a lot easier --- and I did not get lost.
I drove the rest of the main road of Arches NP. I saw a couple of other arches, but many of the others (Arches NP has around 2,000 natural arches) are only available on hiking trails. I was far too exhausted and it was getting far too late to do any further hikes. Also, I think hikes are best if there are at least two people together. It's safer and certainly less boring. I have to go back to Arches NP someday with someone.
It was about an hour to my hotel from Arches NP. The hotel was located in Green River, UT. My original plan was to stay there and head back east to the Moab area to see Canyonlands on Thursday. Then I would have to head west again to get t0 the Las Vegas area for the next hotel.
View Larger Map
When I arrived at Green River, I had not had any dinner and after walking so much, I was hungry. It was just after 9pm. They had full restaurants but I did not feel like waiting. About three miles from the hotel was an Arby's. I normally stick with Subway and Quiznos, but it was either Arby's or the restaurant.
Friday, April 16, 2010
April 13, 2010: Santa Fe and Chimayo, NM
This trip to New Mexico is my first "real" visit to NM. I had been to the state once in 2007, but it was one of the silliest token visits possible. I was with a UAlbany student who worked in the office where I used to work. I literally walked to New Mexico in that visit....via the Four Corners Monument. (The states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah all come together to form four corners. The corners are in the Navajo Reservation, so they maintain the monument.) I stood in all four states at once and got my picture taken like everybody else. But, that was not all. We had a hotel room in Flagstaff, Arizona for the night. But I insisted we take the long way and drive through New Mexico just so I could really count it as a visited state (#25). What did we do in New Mexico? We bought gas, postcards, and sandwiches at a grocery store. It night time so we didn't get to see any of the beautiful scenery typical of New Mexico. There were lightning storms, so we could briefly see rock formations when they were lighted up. That was it.
Back to 2010. The day was absolutely beautiful. The sky was a perfect blue without a cloud anywhere. Much of Santa Fe is surrounded by mountains, which provided a beautiful backdrop. The city requires all buildings to be in the adobe style, giving the city a unique atmosphere. It was interesting to see McDonalds, Walmart, etc. in this style.
Santa Fe seems to have a Mexican restaurant on every block. It was tempting, but as I am trying to lose weight --- and I really didn't have time to eat at a regular restaurant --- I passed. Mexican food is delicious, but the best food is not really healthy. Since Mexican food is much better out west then it is in the east, I would of course go for the unhealthy but delicious items if I actually went to a Mexican restaurant here. But, I just don't even want to cross that line once. I'm afraid that if I do, I'll want more in the future and that's going to mess up my diet. In previous trips, I've had far too much Mexican food.
I had limited time in Santa Fe as I had to get up to Durango, Colorado for the next hotel. That's around four hours away. Santa Fe has strong Catholic, Native American, and Mexican influences. I like all three cultures. Once you get to the downtown historic district, you really get to see impressive architecture. (The chain stores and restaurants do their best at adhering to city code, but the bottom line is that they still look like themselves, just "framed" in an adobe style.)
The downtown area is condensed into a close space. The city provides inexpensive parking (easier than worrying about meters) and then you can just walk around the downtown. It seemed quite safe and there are plenty of other people around. The photographic opportunities just for the architecture alone were great.
I visited the Cathedral Basilica of Santa Fe, which is dedicated to St. Francis of Assissi, and was built in the 19th century. They also have a large statue of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, who is from Montgomery County, NY.
After visiting the Cathedral Basilica, I visited the Lorretto Chapel. This contains a circular staircase with no visible support. Science has yet to explain it. The Chapel is no longer in use; it is now a private museum, primarily because of the staircase. I took lots of photos of the staircase, from every angle. I hope to get some photos up by this weekend.
Finally, I visited the San Miguel Mission. This is the oldest Catholic Chuch in the United States. It was originally built in 1610 (note that the Mayflower landed in 1620). This too is a museum primarily, though Latin Mass is celebrated at he Mission on Sundays.
In looking at the guest book for April 13th, it appeared that a couple from Albany, NY had been there the exact same day. I spoke with the man who ran the gift shop and took admission. He is from the Bronx and moved to Santa Fe after college. He had a long chat with the couple from Albany. He told me a bit about the area, including what the people are like, the temperatures, etc.
I visited some of the shops. There are a wide array of jewelry shops featuring turquoise, of course. There are also some shops selling pottery among other things. The environment of Santa Fe was very nice. I wish I had more time because I think one could spend days going through everything available, plus things in the surrounding area.
After Santa Fe, I headed towards a small shrine in Chimayo, NM. The scenery along the way was spectacular. I had to stop several times to take pictures of the beautiful red brown rock formations.
View Larger Map
Chimayo's small shrine was in the GPS as a point of interest, but the GPS got it wrong in terms of getting there. Thankfully, there were enough signs so I could do it without the "help" of the GPS. Apparently over 300,000 people visit the shrine each year. This is out in rural New Mexico, so people really have to want to get there to actually find it. I only spent a short time there as I was getting exhausted and still facing a four hour drive. But, more information is available about the shrine.
After leaving Chimayo, I began the journey up to Durango. The GPS took me through all sorts of local roads and finally onto US routes. The views were spectacular and once again, I had to stop many times to take pictures. An area I liked in particular was the Ghost Ranch area. The ranch is open to the public for information about geology and other things. But, I didn't have time to stop there.
View Larger Map
As I came closer to the New Mexico/Colorado line, the elevation became higher and higher. The temperature dropped to around 50, though it still did not seem that cold. There were several snow-capped mountains, but also snow on the ground on either side of the road. As I went further, I saw more and more of it. Thankfully, there was no snow at all on the roads.
After leaving New Mexico, the snow only increased. The road twisted and turned quite a bit. Cell phone service was not available or very low power throughout this area. I got to the hotel a little after 8pm and was totally exhausted.
Back to 2010. The day was absolutely beautiful. The sky was a perfect blue without a cloud anywhere. Much of Santa Fe is surrounded by mountains, which provided a beautiful backdrop. The city requires all buildings to be in the adobe style, giving the city a unique atmosphere. It was interesting to see McDonalds, Walmart, etc. in this style.
Santa Fe seems to have a Mexican restaurant on every block. It was tempting, but as I am trying to lose weight --- and I really didn't have time to eat at a regular restaurant --- I passed. Mexican food is delicious, but the best food is not really healthy. Since Mexican food is much better out west then it is in the east, I would of course go for the unhealthy but delicious items if I actually went to a Mexican restaurant here. But, I just don't even want to cross that line once. I'm afraid that if I do, I'll want more in the future and that's going to mess up my diet. In previous trips, I've had far too much Mexican food.
I had limited time in Santa Fe as I had to get up to Durango, Colorado for the next hotel. That's around four hours away. Santa Fe has strong Catholic, Native American, and Mexican influences. I like all three cultures. Once you get to the downtown historic district, you really get to see impressive architecture. (The chain stores and restaurants do their best at adhering to city code, but the bottom line is that they still look like themselves, just "framed" in an adobe style.)
The downtown area is condensed into a close space. The city provides inexpensive parking (easier than worrying about meters) and then you can just walk around the downtown. It seemed quite safe and there are plenty of other people around. The photographic opportunities just for the architecture alone were great.
I visited the Cathedral Basilica of Santa Fe, which is dedicated to St. Francis of Assissi, and was built in the 19th century. They also have a large statue of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, who is from Montgomery County, NY.
After visiting the Cathedral Basilica, I visited the Lorretto Chapel. This contains a circular staircase with no visible support. Science has yet to explain it. The Chapel is no longer in use; it is now a private museum, primarily because of the staircase. I took lots of photos of the staircase, from every angle. I hope to get some photos up by this weekend.
Finally, I visited the San Miguel Mission. This is the oldest Catholic Chuch in the United States. It was originally built in 1610 (note that the Mayflower landed in 1620). This too is a museum primarily, though Latin Mass is celebrated at he Mission on Sundays.
In looking at the guest book for April 13th, it appeared that a couple from Albany, NY had been there the exact same day. I spoke with the man who ran the gift shop and took admission. He is from the Bronx and moved to Santa Fe after college. He had a long chat with the couple from Albany. He told me a bit about the area, including what the people are like, the temperatures, etc.
I visited some of the shops. There are a wide array of jewelry shops featuring turquoise, of course. There are also some shops selling pottery among other things. The environment of Santa Fe was very nice. I wish I had more time because I think one could spend days going through everything available, plus things in the surrounding area.
After Santa Fe, I headed towards a small shrine in Chimayo, NM. The scenery along the way was spectacular. I had to stop several times to take pictures of the beautiful red brown rock formations.
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Chimayo's small shrine was in the GPS as a point of interest, but the GPS got it wrong in terms of getting there. Thankfully, there were enough signs so I could do it without the "help" of the GPS. Apparently over 300,000 people visit the shrine each year. This is out in rural New Mexico, so people really have to want to get there to actually find it. I only spent a short time there as I was getting exhausted and still facing a four hour drive. But, more information is available about the shrine.
After leaving Chimayo, I began the journey up to Durango. The GPS took me through all sorts of local roads and finally onto US routes. The views were spectacular and once again, I had to stop many times to take pictures. An area I liked in particular was the Ghost Ranch area. The ranch is open to the public for information about geology and other things. But, I didn't have time to stop there.
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As I came closer to the New Mexico/Colorado line, the elevation became higher and higher. The temperature dropped to around 50, though it still did not seem that cold. There were several snow-capped mountains, but also snow on the ground on either side of the road. As I went further, I saw more and more of it. Thankfully, there was no snow at all on the roads.
After leaving New Mexico, the snow only increased. The road twisted and turned quite a bit. Cell phone service was not available or very low power throughout this area. I got to the hotel a little after 8pm and was totally exhausted.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
April 12, 2010: Palo Duro Canyon to Santa Fe, New Mexico
I explored Amarillo a bit and really liked the western flavor and ambiance. While the original plan for the trip was to go out to California via the south (generally, the I-40 corridor until hitting Colorado) and then come back via the north (generally I-80 and I-90 corridor, with a brief drop down into Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri), I've decided to alter that plan. I want to see more of Texas or at least spend more time in the areas I have already see. I'll still see some of the northern Rocky Mountain states, but I may skip the Dakotas and Nebraska entirely.
The major attraction for the day was the Palo Duro Canyon, just south of Amarillo. This is the second largest canyon in the United States, after the Grand Canyon. Palo Duro Canyon is absolutely beautiful. The rocks have some of the same colorings as the Grand Canyon. The canyon has one large hoodoo, but it's barely visible from the park road. (Photos will be posted soon.)
People are free to hike the canyon. But, I didn't have time for that with a five hour drive coming up after I was done. I also would prefer to have someone with me before doing that.
The canyon got me back into taking better pictures. It seems I do best with areas that can typically be found in the Rocky Mountain west (canyons, other rock formations, sagebrush, twisted trees, desolate areas with hardy clumps of grass, etc.). It was great to finally see these kinds of features again. The last time I saw them was on my 2008 cross country trip where I spent basically a full month in the west.
After leaving Palo Duro Canyon, it was time to begin the long drive to Santa Fe, New Mexico. However, I also stopped to see the city of Canyon. It's a fairly nice place. There is a small state college located there.
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I noticed that gasoline is different starting with my visit to Canyon. They have a gas station with octane ratings of 86, 88, and 90. My car needed a minimum of 87, so I had to buy the "plus" variety, which of course was more expensive. These ratings seem to be the same in all the gas stations for which I've stopped have these same ratings.
As I drove west on I-40, after leaving the vicinity of Amarillo, things started to transition to the features seen in the Rocky Mountain west. Fields started being dotted with sagebrush. Everything continued to be flat, but the amount of sagebrush continued to increase.
Finally, I entered New Mexico and gained an hour since it's in the Mountain time zone. Immediately after crossing the state line, the speed went from 70 (in Texas) to 75. I put the car up to 75...and it cost me. The car is fine at 70, but it really eats gas at 75. Any savings of time is costly in terms of having to fill up the gas tank.
New Mexico is beautiful with desert features. The sagebrush increased, but the flat land as seen in Texas gave away to rocky formations (nothing spectacular, but still better than flat land).
Along this stretch of I-40, there is an exit just for a souvenir shop and gas station. It's a numbered exit and goes nowhere else. The gift shop owners have numerous billboards. Practically every different type of product they sell has its own billboard. This is sort of like a watered down version of the Wall Drug signs (Wall Drug is in western South Dakota). They have so many signs that you have to stop to see what the place is about.
I visited the city of Tucumcari. In 2007, I thought I'd be driving through New Mexico and expected to stop at a hotel in Tucumcari for the night. I'm glad I didn't try it last time when the schedule was even tighter. The historic Route 66 runs through Tucumcari, so I briefly drove Route 66.
As I was getting off I-40 and onto a US route that would take me to Santa Fe, I turned on the radio. To my pleasant surprise, the station was playing Native American music. As I have some Native American ancestry (along with a number of other ethnic groups), this was great to hear.
The scenery was very nice, though nothing like what I would see the next day. As I got closer to Santa Fe, I noticed houses and other buinsses done in the adobe style. Santa Fe has a law that all buildings be in adobe style.
I've been wanting to see Santa Fe for three years now. I'm looking forward to exploring the city the next day.
I explored Amarillo a bit and really liked the western flavor and ambiance. While the original plan for the trip was to go out to California via the south (generally, the I-40 corridor until hitting Colorado) and then come back via the north (generally I-80 and I-90 corridor, with a brief drop down into Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri), I've decided to alter that plan. I want to see more of Texas or at least spend more time in the areas I have already see. I'll still see some of the northern Rocky Mountain states, but I may skip the Dakotas and Nebraska entirely.
The major attraction for the day was the Palo Duro Canyon, just south of Amarillo. This is the second largest canyon in the United States, after the Grand Canyon. Palo Duro Canyon is absolutely beautiful. The rocks have some of the same colorings as the Grand Canyon. The canyon has one large hoodoo, but it's barely visible from the park road. (Photos will be posted soon.)
People are free to hike the canyon. But, I didn't have time for that with a five hour drive coming up after I was done. I also would prefer to have someone with me before doing that.
The canyon got me back into taking better pictures. It seems I do best with areas that can typically be found in the Rocky Mountain west (canyons, other rock formations, sagebrush, twisted trees, desolate areas with hardy clumps of grass, etc.). It was great to finally see these kinds of features again. The last time I saw them was on my 2008 cross country trip where I spent basically a full month in the west.
After leaving Palo Duro Canyon, it was time to begin the long drive to Santa Fe, New Mexico. However, I also stopped to see the city of Canyon. It's a fairly nice place. There is a small state college located there.
View Larger Map
I noticed that gasoline is different starting with my visit to Canyon. They have a gas station with octane ratings of 86, 88, and 90. My car needed a minimum of 87, so I had to buy the "plus" variety, which of course was more expensive. These ratings seem to be the same in all the gas stations for which I've stopped have these same ratings.
As I drove west on I-40, after leaving the vicinity of Amarillo, things started to transition to the features seen in the Rocky Mountain west. Fields started being dotted with sagebrush. Everything continued to be flat, but the amount of sagebrush continued to increase.
Finally, I entered New Mexico and gained an hour since it's in the Mountain time zone. Immediately after crossing the state line, the speed went from 70 (in Texas) to 75. I put the car up to 75...and it cost me. The car is fine at 70, but it really eats gas at 75. Any savings of time is costly in terms of having to fill up the gas tank.
New Mexico is beautiful with desert features. The sagebrush increased, but the flat land as seen in Texas gave away to rocky formations (nothing spectacular, but still better than flat land).
Along this stretch of I-40, there is an exit just for a souvenir shop and gas station. It's a numbered exit and goes nowhere else. The gift shop owners have numerous billboards. Practically every different type of product they sell has its own billboard. This is sort of like a watered down version of the Wall Drug signs (Wall Drug is in western South Dakota). They have so many signs that you have to stop to see what the place is about.
I visited the city of Tucumcari. In 2007, I thought I'd be driving through New Mexico and expected to stop at a hotel in Tucumcari for the night. I'm glad I didn't try it last time when the schedule was even tighter. The historic Route 66 runs through Tucumcari, so I briefly drove Route 66.
As I was getting off I-40 and onto a US route that would take me to Santa Fe, I turned on the radio. To my pleasant surprise, the station was playing Native American music. As I have some Native American ancestry (along with a number of other ethnic groups), this was great to hear.
The scenery was very nice, though nothing like what I would see the next day. As I got closer to Santa Fe, I noticed houses and other buinsses done in the adobe style. Santa Fe has a law that all buildings be in adobe style.
I've been wanting to see Santa Fe for three years now. I'm looking forward to exploring the city the next day.
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