Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Petrified Forest-Grand Canyon (North and South Rim)-Zion National Park, Utah-Las Vegas, NV-Death Valley, CA

We've arrived safely in Southern California after having traveled many miles through New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and now California. The car has done amazingly well, and we're grateful for that. The southwest has amazed us with its vast expanse of deserts and incredible canyons, cliffs, sand dunes, and odd rock formations. Again and again we have been amazed as we rounded a bend in the road and found ourselves looking at an entirely different scene than just a few miles before; also, there were times when we'd be baking on the valley floor of a desert and suddenly ascend up into a lush mountain meadow complete with Alpine climate and aspen trees. Yesterday morning we awoke to 30 degrees, and later in the day it was about 100; talk about extreme! What an amazing part of our nation the great southwest is! Noteworthy happenings: We passed through Flagstaff, Arizona just a few hours prior to the beginning of the disastrous fire that has burnt many thousands of acres in the past few days since it began (see posted picture); we were blessed to have seen a male elk with a great rack of antlers in Arizona; as we were leaving the Grand Canyon we came upon a rare sighting of a herd of wild Buffalo! Las Vegas left us with many stirring thoughts and feelings; after having been out in the beauty of natural creation, it was quite a contrast and culture shock for us, to say the least. What a propped up, superficial, greedy city without a firm foundation that is. We left Las Vegas this morning and headed over through Death Valley; the temperature was a very stifling 117, the hottest either of us have ever experienced. Tonight we're sleeping in Victorville, California before heading into Los Angles in the morning and having a look around. We'll join Randy Roy and his family tomorrow night for a visit before heading north into Visalia/Exeter to stay a few days with the Otis family; while there we will spend time with my sister Lynda and a handful of others; we greatly look forward to spending time with these people and being in their homes.

Don't forget to check out the newly posted pictures through the link below~

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Carlsbad, NM to Mexico to Pinetop, AZ

The caverns were incredible, as were the White Sands. Yesterday was an amazing day as we were blown away by the beauty of New Mexico-thanks Amy and Steven for recommending those two places to us! (if you haven't seen the posted pictures yet of these places, check the link below)

This morning we got up and drove south from Las Cruces, crossing the border on foot into Mexico via El Paso; needless to say there were not very many other tourists there, so we received a lot of attention as we walked through the streets of the city. We spent about three hours in Mexico, and then we headed back to the car and northward. We decided to make a push for Pinetop, Arizona, driving through very rural roads rather than the main highway; it was breathtaking the entire way! I have fallen in love with this part of Arizona; it reminds me so much of the Alps in Switzerland.

We'll be camping for the next four nights; we'll be in Ponderosa, AZ tomorrow night, on the south rim of the Grand Canyon the following night; the night after that we'll stay on the north rim; finally, on the fourth night we'll camp in Zion National Park in Utah and then southward for a night in a hotel in Las Vegas; we may not have internet for a few days, so check back sometime later for updates. Don't forget to check out the new pictures on the link below~

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Cleburne, TX to Carlsbad, NM

The remainder of the time in Texas was delightful in every way. Jeff and Deb showered us with care and love from the start to the finish of our visit. We met many wonderful people, and we enjoyed the time we were able to spend together with them. Jeff and Travis took us over to Dallas for the day on Monday, and we had a look around at the city, especially things having to do with JFK; it was very informative and enriching. In the evening Deb and Jeff prepared a wonderful BBQ and invited a handful of very special people to join us.

We departed Cleburne by 10 in the morning, and we arrived last night at around 4:30 here in Carlsbad. The drive across was incredible in the sense that the terrain changed dramatically as we progressed west, but otherwise the journey was uneventful. Today (Wednesday) we're headed over to have a look at the Carlsbad Caverns and the White Sands area; we plan to sleep the night in Las Cruces.

PS...check out the awesome photos that Bastian just posted-amazing places and people!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Here in Texas


We've had good times here in hot Texas. Every day is the same as far as the weather goes; it's hot, humid, and windy. Where the weather lacks, the hospitality excels in every way; Deb doesn't let a plate stay empty long before she insists on something else to enjoy. We've had a great time with family; Jeff and Deb are grandparents now, and we've gotten to spend time with both grandson and granddaughter. Bastian and Deb have enjoyed many a wild ride on the four-wheeler, throwing stones as they tear like lightening through the driveway around here. Last night Bastian and I took a drive over to the famous Stockyards in Ft. Worth; it's definitely a different culture, wow. Today we're planning the next phase of the journey, tomorrow we'll spend in Dallas with Jeff, Deb, and perhaps Travis and Sarah, and on Tuesday morning we'll bid this hot place adieu. Onward, ever onward!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

First Leg: Charlottesville, VA - Cleburne, TX


Us two well rested buddies started out on Wednesday morning, June 6, from the Myers residence in Charlottesville. Wishing well to our host, Ham, we quickly hit the road towards our quarters for the night in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee right next to Loretta Lynn's birthplace. After ten hours of driving through blinding thunderstorms and navigating between thousands of reckless driving 18-wheelers, our half-way-to-Texas place to stay finally appeared through the curtain of rain. We got settled, grouched about the antiquated WiFi connection- one shed his discontentment relaxing on the king size bed, one jumped in the pool for a quick swim, after having a funny chat with the barely english speaking mexican portier. The next day we headed out early for another ten hours drive through the "Natural State" of Arkansas and its quite primitive and "natural-left" highways, having lunch at the equally primitive Wendy's Burgers. In the afternoon, daylight vanished from one second to the other, building up a tense feeling of soon being crushed under the black, heavy clouds, which looked very close to forming a tornado coil. By the time it opened up, we were able to see part of the damage the storm caused, driving by three car accidents in 15 minutes. Later we found out about the severe flash flooding, which happened during the same time in that area, unfortunately taking at least 20 peoples lives.
The incredible heat of Texas was welcoming us soon after, spotting huge ranches along the way and noticing the increase of super-heavy duty pickup trucks as well as the feeling of sheer vastness of the "Lone Star" state. The freshly overhauled Volvo soon showed the first symptoms of the stresses and strains by losing air in one of the back tires, but we eventually made it to the "promised territory" of the Roy's, a welcoming little oasis in Cleburne.