Canyonlands, UT (by Sylvio)

1/23/12

Sunday we awoke in Dove Creek, CO in our motel room.  There was about 4 new inches of snow covering the truck.  We got on the road quickly after filling up our thermos' with free coffee in the lobby, under the glaring gaze of the miserly motel owner.   

Soon we crossed the state line into Utah.  We were then leaving the Rocky Mountains and entering the Canyon Lands.  This is an incredible area of red rock canyons, creeks and craters out in the desert.  We stopped at another roadside attraction: this one was a giant stripped mountain sticking up into the air, but what really set this one apart was the cave opening that we could see from the road.  So, we stopped.  After jumping the cattle range fence, entering the cave and taking Marcie’s requisite multitude of pictures we started to walk back to the truck.  As we walked we noticed that there was a police cruiser parked next to us.  Oh shit!  If there is one thing that ruins a good time it's a cop.  Luckily, it was only coincidence that Officer Porky was parked there trying to catch speeders.  So away we sped...

... Into The Needles section of Canyonlands National Park.  This remote part of the park was unstaffed and thus free!  The drive in was about 40 miles of breathtaking scenery until we got to the Squaw Flat campground where our hiking trail started.  At first Marcie did not want to start a 7-mile backcountry hike that late in the day (11am).  But, we went anyway.  The hike was through Squaw Canyon, up over the mountain separating it from Big Spring Canyon and looping back to our truck.  I have to say, I’ve done a lot of hiking and this one was right up there with Half Dome at the top of the list of my outdoor experiences (See Photos).

So back at the truck we drove back out through the park stopping at Newspaper Rock where there are magic symbols inscribed into the rock by ancient man.  These petroglyphs are over 2,000 years old and still as clear as they were on the day that those prehistoric Picassos carved them.  So significant!

Almost forgot... on the way out, near the park boundary, we saw a western mule deer on the road ahead of us.  As we slowed down to let it get off of the road we noticed that there was a bunch of deer in the bushes.  The more we looked the more we saw; 10, 20, 30 deer, until there must have been around 100 deer in a giant herd up on this high desert mesa!

Then, on to Moab, UT.  Stopped at the Moab Brewery for dinner and drinks with an old friend, Hot Karl Krebs!   Portions were huge, service was slow, beer was excellent, especially the Black IPA.  After dinner Hot Karl invited us back to his place at the Outward Bound house for more beers, dominoes, and a bed to sleep in.  Thanks Hot Karl!

Nuevo Mexico

 

1-21-12

After a lot of nothing while driving through Kansas and Oklahoma yesterday, we finally made our way into New Mexico.   The scenery was very different from the plains that we had been driving in, which are quite boring.  We wanted to reach Taos, NM yesterday and we got there at about 9pm.  We did almost run out of gas before we made it to Springer, NM.  We surpassed our record for most miles to a tank of gas.  New record: 331.  It was few and far between gas stations at that point.  After a quick dinner of sausage, brussel sprouts, onions and pear topped with parmesan, at a picnic table in an abandoned little league field, we headed up the mountain to Taos.  We got into town when it was dark but it looked like a pretty funky town with pueblo style buildings and gas for $2.89/gallon.   So, we went to the local Native American Casino, played a Dean Martin Slot, used the facilities, and climbed into the back of our truck in the parking lot to sleep.  It was 19 degrees that night but we were quite warm with our new blanket, courtesy of Lance Corporal White and family. 

We awoke the next morning at about 7am and used the electric start from our bed in the back of the truck to warm it up.  All of a sudden we heard a knock on the drivers side window, then a knock on the truck cap windows.  The Pueblo Casino security guards came to see what we were doing and tell us that we weren’t allowed to park there.  We politely told them we were leaving, which worked out since we were leaving anyway.  The security guys didn’t seem too upset and we got ready to leave, but I wanted to get a picture first for the blog – you know, right?  Well the nice little Pueblo security guard came running back down the empty parking lot to make me delete my picture because we were apparently on tribal lands and weren’t allowed to take pictures – ooops.

Next, we went to Taos Pueblo which is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. The multi-storied adobe buildings have been continuously inhabited for over 1000 years, they even still speak their own language of Tiwa.  They don’t have electricity and they walk to the small river running through the village every day to get their water.  We paid $17 to get in because I had to pay $6 just for my camera- dang!  It was worth it though.   

We drove on through New Mexico over the mountains and through the plateaus into Colorado.  We passed over the Rio Grande River Gorge on a really old bridge and cooked a hot breakfast at the rest stop there.  We passed an interesting village called Earthship which is composed of buildings made completely of recycled material and off the grid.  Interesting, but we decided not to pay the $7 per person for a tour.  We stopped and snuck into Salmon Indian Ruins which were pretty amazing and then hiked around an un-designated roadside trash dump in the rock canyon that also had quite amazing sandstone rock formations, and we didn’t pay for either of those.  We drove through the Pueblo, Apache, and Navajo Indian nations today, and got some cheap gas in the Apache nation.  We also patronized a native food truck to buy some Jumbo Fry Bread, which was excellent for $3 and the 12 year old girl who sold me the bread was wearing a Steelers shirt – coincidence?  We also bought some girl scout cookies, Somoas!!!!!  

We planned to drive straight through to Moab, Utah today, but got hit up by a wicked bad Rocky mountain snowstorm and decided to stop at a cheap motel in Dove Creek, CO until tomorrow when it’s supposed to lighten up.   I can use a warm place to cook dinner and a warm bed to sleep in tonight.  Tomorrow, off to Utah. 

FYI- Jon has been editing these and I think he has been putting Steelers bashing comments on these!  So, beware, but remember I still love the Steelers. 

Taos Pueblo, NM

Rio Grande River Gorge Earthship Home

Salmon Ruins                                                             

Roadside Rock Walk

Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas

 

1/20/12

It’s been several days since I have last posted after leaving New Orleans. 

We left New Orleans on 1/17 after a nice workout in the gym at our hotel and a stop at Whole Foods for some groceries.  It was expected to storm pretty good this day so we were a little concerned because we had wanted to do a Cajun swamp boat tour.  These tours are pretty loosely operated and we had to wait for callbacks from several companies as to whether the weather would affect us.  We were able to go on a really nice 3-hour tour with Cajun Country Swamp Tours.  Our guide, Sean, was a local Cajun good ol’ boy and really knew his environment.  I was really impressed because the Southern waterways are also my specialty, but he knew all his facts and he had a charming accent.  We saw alligators, turtles, lots of birds, a banded-water snake, which I spotted, and some nutrias.  We were always watching the radar though because a storm was on our tail.  It worked out that we got back just as it began to rain…perfect timing.

We drove through that evening and ended up sleeping at a nice little truck stop/gas station/casino/bar outside of Shreveport, LA.  I did do a little looking for Eric Northman and Fangtasia but sadly I didn’t find him. 

The next day we drove into Arkansas to Hot Springs National Park where we did a little hike around.  We found out that Bill Clinton is from there and the bathhouses at the National Park use to be frequented in the late 1800s- early 1900s for medicinal reasons, by famous gangsters and movie stars. We wanted to try the bathhouse but it cost $30 per person, which is a little out of our daily budget.  So we checked out the display hot spring and then headed on our way. 

We drove through Arkansas and Oklahoma the rest of that day.  We cooked our dinner at Cherokee Landing State Park in Oklahoma and enjoyed an electric peach sunset.  We continued to drive through to Independence, Kansas where we slept in the parking lot of their Wal-Mart.  It was really cold but we were able to use Wal-Mart’s facilities the next morning.

On the 19^th, we drove the short distance from Independence to Wichita where we planned to meet up with our old neighbor from California, Lance Corporal White.  We spotted a sweet YMCA though, so we stopped to see about a day pass and purchased a family-day pass for $18.  We played basketball, racquetball, and exercised as well as showered!  It was a premier YMCA and had a very nice facility.  After, we met Lance Corporal at his office, went to dinner, and then went back to his place where we met his very sweet wife, Emily and their super precious baby Sullivan.  They were very hospitable and solved our problem for being too cold at night by giving us a goose down comforter that they got as a wedding present but are allergic to - thanks guys!   It was nice to catch up with LC since we haven’t seen him in about 4 years, but he’s still the same old lovable guy.

This morning we left LCs to depart Kansas and head into New Mexico this evening.  Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas don’t seem to have too much going on by way of entertainment but I have noticed lots of cows so I thank you Kansas for growing my cheeseburgers. 

Heron Nutria

Banded Water Snake Slider

LA Gator

Hot Springs, AR

Dinner in OK Sunset in OK

Kansas is weird

I dig the Bayou

January 15, 2012
We left lovely Gulf Shores, AL today after a rematch at Pirate's Island Mini-Golf on the Blackbeard course.  I won again.... I also drove most of the way today.  We took the old highway 90 and it was a pleasant  drive along the coast with virtually zero traffic.  It is crazy to see all the destruction from hurricanes that still exists.  Some towns almost seem like ghost towns.  One town that did seem happenin' though was Biloxi, MS.  We just passed through it but it seemed to have a lot of people there, is right on the ocean and they had some casinos. I'd spend a couple nights there.    I was also really excited to see the Live Oaks along the beach.  Seeing those majestic trees growing right out of the white sand gives you a feeling that you are in another time.  Another thing that I really enjoy is the sound of words that the people in this geographical region use, such as the word "bayou."  I really dig that word - it just rolls right off your tongue.

We arrived in New Orleans, went to Whole Foods to get some groceries for the next few days, and checked into our hotel the Maison Dupuy on Toulouse St.  We stayed here on one of our previous visits to NOLA and we really like it.  It's in the French Quarter and has valet parking in a garage, which really works for us from a security standpoint.  Tonight we are going to the famous Howling Wolf to see the Hot 8 Brass Band.

January 16, 2012

The Brass Band never happened.   We walked there but they weren't there even though the bartender said they were supposed to be, so in good New Orleans fashion, we didn't let that bother us and just left to walk back to Bourbon Street where there is ALWAYS a party going on.  We spent the rest of the evening, until around 1am, walking around the French Quarter, playing Dominoes, and drinking rum drinks....yum.  This morning, we packed a breakfast & lunch and drove to the Audubon Park where we unloaded the bikes, rode around for a little while then went to the Audubon Zoo.  I've always wanted to go there.  It was a really nice zoo actually because their exhibits were put together very well and they had a nice assortment of animals.  We came back to the hotel to do a hot tub session and get ready to go out for dinner and music this evening. Dinner was approached in a way for us to try as many things as possible and not going over our daily budget.  First we went to the French Market for Char-grilled Oysters - we get these every time we come here...they are so decadent.  After we came back to our hotel for some drinks, then proceeded to Remoulade where we shared the Louisiana Sampler.  This consisted of 3 new dishes for us which were all excellent; Natchitoches Meat Pie, Louisiana Snapping Turtle Soup, and Crawfish Etouffee. More delicious than I can describe.   New Orleans is just an experience to please the taste buds and to over indulge oneself in pure gastrointestinal decadence.  After dinner we walked around the French Quarter listening to snippets of music from each bar or restaurant...the air was charged and electrical this night because of the storm coming in tomorrow and the voodoo vibe scene that goes on here anyway.   We depart tomorrow for Louisiana Cajun Country and Arkansas.  Sans Souci. Adieu.

I really liked this guy.

So many colors on this one.

We are walking in High Cotton.

Watch out!

Night time at St. Peters

Mardi Gras Prep

And they all asked for you. Fleur de lis

Bourbon Street The Knight

Sweet Vacation Alabama

 

January 14, 2012

We are spending our last night in Alabama tonight in the hotel room watching the playoffs, which has been exciting to say the least. The previous two days and nights we have been in Alabama and it has been a nice place to escape the cold weather.  It has been unusually cold here as well, but I have been comfortable in a light jacket and it’s sunny.  The first night we spent in Mobile in a cheap motel. 

The next day we got the oil changed and had the geek, Daniel, at Mobile Best Buy check our car stereo because it keeps shutting off.  He did this for free and said it looks great, however, it did shut off again.  Not sure about this problem but it doesn’t happen all the time and it turns right back on - so we’ll see.  Then we went and parked in downtown Mobile to walk around for a little while and have lunch.  The Fort Conde visitor center is very helpful and there is an interesting street next to it that looks like a movie set of a Southern city. After lunch we drove back east underneath Mobile Bay in the tunnel and down the coast to Gulf Shores.  We stopped on the way down at Clear Point Park and walked out to the end of the pier.  We arrived in Gulf Shores where the wonderful welcome center had free coffee and cookies.  The ladies there were also very helpful.  Next door to the welcome center was a Pirate’s Island Mini Golf Course, so we had to play.  Jon gave me 9 strokes for the Jean Lafitte course and I only needed 6 because I got 2 holes in one and won us a free game so we are going back tomorrow to do the Blackbeard course.  Should I still take the 9 strokes?  Yesterday ended with a barefooted sunset on the beach.  It was cold but the sand was so soft and white; so we both went barefoot.  A tri-colored heron, a sandpiper, and a plover of some sort all spent the amazing sunset hopping around the beach with us.

Today, we tried to have an active day and we biked around Gulf State Park on the Rattlesnake Ridge Trail.  A lot of this area was tidal and forested but much of it seemed to have had prescribed burning.  The trails had many people utilizing them today, on foot and bike.  We did yoga this afternoon as well, which was a little easy for my liking but a nice class over all.  For sunset we drove to Fort Morgan and since it was so late in the day they let us in for free - score!   The fort was used mainly during the Civil War and had very steep stairs.  There was also a scout group spending the night and probably telling ghost stories and eating smores - yum. The Patriots seem to be kicking the Broncos butt, but I know what happened to the Steelers last week.  Tomorrow, we head to NOLA, one of our favorite vacation destinations.  Check back in a few days.

Fort Monroe

The second

Looking through

Heron

Not too cold to go barefoot

Burned