Defined by the Sky

Road Trip ~ Joshua Tree to Santa Fe #6

 
Santa Fe is known for its art (being the second largest art market in the U.S. after NY City), its film industry, its downtown square and marketplace, its architecture and history.  But for me, Santa Fe is defined by its sky.  An expansive, deeply blue sky often populated by the purest white clouds.  I was literally captivated by the light, and that feeling never abated the entire time we were there.

I can see why artists flock to the area to paint, sculpt, photograph.  I can see why the arts community has created the incredible, nonstop collection of galleries on Canyon Road and throughout the entire downtown.  I can see why serious collectors, wanna-be's, and admirers of the arts flock to Santa Fe.  I, too, am irresistibly drawn to the light and the art it inspires.

Choosing Better

Road Trip ~ Joshua Tree to Santa Fe #5
Sometimes You Gotta Change Your Plans

Our getaway from Phoenix was going to be fast, straight and boring, given that we had driven the highway north out of town a gazillion times.  Fast track past Prescott and Sedona, turn right at Flagstaff and off we go to New Mexico.  But sometimes, plans get changed when something better comes along.

"You just have to take the Rim Route.  Scenic.  Circuitous.  Far more interesting than the interstate."  We jumped on it and headed northeast through Payson, Arizona eventually meeting up with I-40 on its relentless charge due east to the neighboring state.  Fifty miles shorter than our original route but a half hour longer in time, and it was worth every mile of the trip.

Which brings me back to the word "better."  It's subjective on some level because I am sure there are travelers who cringe at the idea of changing plans, or leaving their beloved four-lane super-highways.  For us, however, the journey between destinations is fully a part of the adventure.  So driving a meandering highway off the valley floor where desert plants abound, and making our way up in altitude with its completely different scenery, was worth every mile of the "detour," making it "better" than our original choice.

So I ask you ~ when was the last time you chose "better" over safe or it's-how-I-always-do-it or the-plan-is-the-plan?  You might find that "better" opens your world in ways you never expected.    

By the Time I Get to Phoenix

Road Trip ~ Joshua Tree to Santa Fe #4
Beyond the Sites

The drive on I-10 from Joshua Tree to Phoenix is somewhat of a letdown after our glorious desert excursion.  Being on a four-lane highway driving 70mph+ with all the other transients on the road just isn't the same as the quiet, scenic tour-de-Joshua Tree. But Phoenix has an attraction that compels me to go.

 I have been to Arizona so many times that it's no longer about exploring the sites, discovering new restaurants, shopping for treasures and all the other usual touristy things.  I go now to engage in comfortable conversations that picked up where we left off, dine in familiar restaurants eating my favorite meals, stroll through certain neighborhoods to see who has made changes, and just generally enjoy the company of family and friends.

Sometimes trips aren't just about what we can see or experience.  Sometimes they are about stoking the fires of love with people who matter in our lives.

Other Worldly

Road Trip ~ Joshua Tree to Santa Fe #3
It's Not All About the Sand

 
If you have never visited a desert, then you can't fully appreciate the variety of life forms that have evolved over time to exist in its extreme and wildly fluctuating conditions.  Sure, you might see a cactus in someone's garden, but not until you see it in its natural setting can you fully appreciate its exquisite survival skills.  Not until you visit in the Spring after a good winter's rain, can you imagine the beauty of the flowers that briefly visit this harsh land.

Joshua Tree National Park offers an interesting intersection of high (Mojave) and low (Colorado) deserts, and with it, you can experience a wide range of desert plants.  The drive from the high desert western entrance to the low desert southern entrance is like none other as you experience a change in altitude, landscape and plant life.  An added bonus is an oasis that pops up throughout the park where land shifts have allowed underground water to rise to the surface.

 
 It truly is an other worldly experience.

 

Bits and Tips

Road Trip ~ Joshua Tree to Santa Fe #2
Sharing the Extras

There is no doubt that Joshua Tree National Park can stand on its own.  It's beauty and character speak for itself.  But a girl's just gotta have fun, so I'm sharing some of the bits and tips we discovered along the way. 

Located in Landers, CA off hyway 247 in the high desert above Yucca Valley northwest of Joshua Tree, is a white geodome that has perfect acoustics;  just what you need for an out-of-this-world sound immersion experience.  Makes sense since the man who built the place reports he was abducted by aliens who gave him the site coordinates and building instructions.  It's now owned by two doctors from NY.  Having experienced sound immersion from someone who has "played"  singing bowls at the Integratron, I was deeply disappointed that we weren't able to make an appointment to go in.  Believe it or not, this place was already on my bucket list, so now I will have to make it back here some day.   

Rock out.  Peace out.  Far out.  Pappy & Harriett's in Pioneertown, CA on hgwy 247 between Landers and Yucca Valley.  Located in what was once a fake western constructed by Gene Autry and Roy Rogers for their cowboy movies, this saloon/restaurant/concert venue is a happening, hopping place.  Whatever you do, don't come sporting your white tennies.  There must be something hip in your wardrobe you can wear ~ something casual but screamingly cool.  Food is good.  Alcohol plenty.  Reservations highly recommended.

If nature/natural/organic are words that describe food worthy of your time, check out these two venues.  Both are in the town of Joshua Tree, east of Yucca Valley near the western entrance to the national park.

I can't talk about the local attractions without mentioning art.  So here's a list of venues in the area where artists interpret their own Joshua Tree experience.

P.S. Sorry for the sideways photos.  Blogger doesn't always cooperate unless you are using their Picasso. 

Love Shack

Road Trip ~ Joshua Tree to Santa Fe
Stepping Out, Feeling the Love

With winter behind us and the weather warming up, we packed the car and set out on a two-week road trip.  This time we are heading to familiar places but with the idea of experiencing them in new ways.

First stop, Joshua Tree National Park, California in the high desert north of Palm Springs.  Having lived in the LA basin for 11 years, this intersection of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts was one of my favorite places to camp, hike and just soak in the unique qualities of the desert.  So how do we make a new experience out of a place I've been to many, many times?

It starts with our accommodations.  We usually like a bit of spontaneity in our travel, not always making overnight reservations, which can sometimes hamper our style.  But since this trip will bump into Memorial Day, we decided to not take chances.  After reading an article in a recent Sunset Magazine, I jumped at the chance to book a bona fide Airstream trailer.  Yes, those silver bullet land yachts that are uber hip and cool.  It was on our bucket list to own and/or rent one, but who knew we could just spend a night or two in the high desert?

 Six of these sleek beauties are nestled on a plof of land that gives a sweeping view of a desert valley.  They are decorated inside in different themes, none of them the factory original.  Not only are we staying in a very cool trailer in a quiet yet accessible location, the kicker is they belong to Kate from the B`52's rock group.  Yep, we are staying in our very own Love Shack.

..
 The caretakers of this divine trailer park have known Kate ever since the Love Shack video was filmed at their house.  I mean the connection is totally cool, but what makes it is the Airstream itself.  Wild.  Colorful.  Out of the ordinary.  Definitely a different way to experience Joshua Tree.  Oh, and occasionally we hear jets from 29 Palms military base that are training for desert warfare. This is going to be a great adventure!

P.S. Don't get the idea that these land yachts are luxury accommodations.  Just know that they are funky and fun and just too hip for words.  And the sunset is killer.

 

Colorado Bound ~ When Expectations Don't Match Reality

Sunday ~ March 3, 2013
Road Trip ~ Colorado Bound ~ Day 4

I think it's important to get a few definitions on the board before I continue .....

Expectation (n) 1. the act or state of looking forward or anticipating

Reality (n) the real thing or fact 

My husband and I were full of expectations for our almost two-week road trip.  Being avid skiiers, having never skied Vail or Beaver Creek, hearing stories of epic powder, and how the picturesque the Vail Valley area is, we were eagerly looking forward to our time in the Rockies.

So let's check in to see how reality met our expectations so far.

Expectation ~Taking US 80 to Salt Lake City and then heading southeast through Utah, the drive through Nevada and Utah would be a bore until we reached eastern Utah.

Reality ~  I've harped on Nevada many times before, so this is not news to my blog readers.  But it occurred to me on this trip that while it's not the most scenic route, perception is everything.  Nevada could be a dream drive to a geologist, miner or builder of highways.  The Great Salt Lake is an amazing site to anyone who appreciates stark beauty, is curious about natural history or likes Morton salt.  Salt Lake City is a "nothing" but everyone living there has access to the Wasatch Mts, killer ski resorts (also with epic snow) and the Sundance Film Festival.  And as you head towards eastern Utah, the eerie red rock formations begin to emerge (especially the transition on hgwy 6 past Helper); not stunning but an intriguing tease as to what treasures are held in southeastern and southern Utah.  

Expectation ~ Vail Valley would be nestled in the mountains like some European village, or at least a Disney wonderland.

Reality ~ Let me begin by saying the drive on US 70 along the Colorado River was quite nice, particularly the engineering feat of making it an almost two-tiered roadway through the narrower parts of the canyon.  Avon, site of Beaver Creek Resort, Vail Village and the other smaller burbs are all picturesque BUT a major, four-lane highway (70) bisects the entire Vail Valley.  And this is one busy freeway with cars screaming along both directions.  I honestly was not prepared for this.  True, once you are in the heart of any of the towns or at the ski resorts, the sound of humming tires fades away but still ~

Expectation ~ Having a slim budget and not needing fancy amenities, we were pleased to book a stay at the Comfort Inn in Avon.  The best part? The ski bus picks you up at the front door of the hotel and takes you right to the "front door" of Beaver Creek ski resort. And with Vail just 8 miles up the road and accessible by a $4 shuttle or by our car, we figure we had it made.  After all, we are here for the skiing not the apres skiing.

Reality ~ Okay, first I must confess that if one waits until the week before one's trip, and one has a slim budget, you get-what-you-get.  The Comfort Inn sits right along the highway, the one I mentioned that has cars screaming in both directions 24 hours a day.  That in itself isn't so bad if you have a room that faces the mountains, but if you wait until the eleventh hour, you end up with a room facing the traffic ~ a room without sound proofing windows.  Not all is lost, while a bit worn, the room is large and has a nice heating unit that helps drown out the sound of the cars. And we get a free breakfast, and the local grocery store has a nice hot food deli section so we don't have to go out to restaurants for dinner, and we still have access to that nice shuttle bus.

Expectation ~  We would ski every single day we were here.

Reality ~ On what would have been our second day, Rich's allergies knocked him for a loop without much energy to do much of anything.  So we will spend the morning buying our souvenir t-shirts, and maybe, just maybe, hit the slopes in the afternoon ~ after all, it's expected to start snowing later in the day and snow trumps allergies.     

After all  expectation is also the degree of probability that something will occur.

Road Trip - Colorado Bound

California State-of-Mind

As much as we wanted to fly through Nevada and leave it behind, we stopped in Winnemuca (am I even spelling it right?) for lunch.  I mean, really, this is a nothing town.  Or so I thought.

As we ordered, my husband, sensing she wasn't from these parts, asked the waitress what brought her to Winnemuca.  Her simple reply, "My husband's job."  Now I know times are tough and jobs scarce, so I pitied her for being the dutiful wife and following her hubby to parts unknown for employment ~ especially after she told me they moved from the fairly civilized city of Portland.  

As I was feeling sorry for her in an imperious way ~ after all I didn't have to follow my husband out of the wonderfully delightful Bay Area for his job ~ she then said, "My husband worked for his company for 10 years and when an opening became available, we jumped at the chance to move.  We love it here.  No traffic.  Clean air. Warm sunshine.  A simple life."

My pity-you-girl party came to a screeching halt. She actually liked it in Winnemuca.  What I, in my "superior" California-state-of-mind couldn't see, was a quality of life that greatly appealed to this woman and her husband.  They didn't need what I thought was the fulfilling life.  They brushed aside what the world told them they should want and listened to their hearts.  Whoa.  I was humbled and a bit embarrassed, thankful that she couldn't read my mind or that I hadn't made some sideways comment about her chosen home. 

Next time we drive through Winnemuca I will tip my hat to the waitress who taught me a lesson in humility and following my own compass.

 

 

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Road Trip ~ Colorado Bound

We are leaving tomorrow for a two-week road trip to Colorado.  The main reason is to ski Vail, but we are driving instead of flying because there are so many sights and adventures along the way for us to explore.  Unfortunately, this requires driving across Nevada.  Those of you who have followed my road trips in the past know that the long stretch through this state is not my favorite; in fact, it's downright boring but I always try to find some redeeming quality.  We thought of trying highway 50 instead of 80 for some new scenery, but all signs point to a no-go this time of year as 50 is a little rougher and has few amenities along the way.

The car is packed, overpacked.  My husband calls it car camping, meaning we can take everything including the proverbial kitchen sink.  In our case it's ski gear for every possible weather "event" and 5 pairs of skiis (yes, for two people).  "Real" clothes get relegated to a small bag and crammed into a corner between ski stuff. 

So tomorrow, the house is left in good hands, the temps will be in the low 70's and Spring will be itching to blossom.  We will leave it all behind for the winter adventure lies ahead.    

Time, Adventures, Reality

I started out doing really well keeping up with my recent road trip reports, but soon the reality of the landscape and experience I was immersed in, overrode any time or desire I had to post in virtual reality.  I will do some retro posting to catch you up on my awesome adventure, but for this week, I am stuck between two markers in time. 

Yesterday was Mom's 96th.  Yes, that's in years.  I must admit that I have become a bit casual about the reality of Mom's long sojourn on this planet.  I mean, she's almost 100 years old for pete's sake, but she's still just a blink in eternity, a wisp in time.  I am both thrilled and terrified of her reality.

This Saturday will be the 5th anniversary of Dad's passing.  Now that's a number that I do not get casual about; no, I get downright shocked that so much time has transpired since he left us.  He dwells forever in my heart, but sometimes, I just want him right here, in the flesh, cracking one of his off-handed one-liners and making me feel like his little princess again.

So excuse me if I deign to live in the real world and am not so immersed in the virtual any more.  I just want to soak it all in before my time, my adventures, my reality morph into an other-worldly existence.
  

Big Feet. Big Numbers. Big Thoughts.

Road Trip ~ of Dinosaurs and Monuments continued

Day 4.  Today we ventured to the other side of Dinosaurland to see the dino racetrack, so named because there are dozens of dino footprints embedded in now-rock/ then-mud.  149 million years ago these guys were meandering along the soft edge of a stream and left their mark long after they had left the planet.  Spring is not a good time to view these fossilized tracks as the reservoir is full of snow-melt and they disappear under water.  We did manage to see this 12 inch beauty.  It was kind of eerie and brought up all kinds of thoughts..

Thoughts like how does one grasp one's mind around 149 million years?  What was it like having bunches of dinos roaming around?  Why is life so fleeting, particularly mine?  Will I leave a footprint to be seen or felt throughout eons of time?  Why do I care?

Travel Tip:  Red Fleef State Park off Hgy 191 going north out of Vernal is where you will find the dinosaur race track along with a terrific place to camp and/or launch a small boat onto the reservoir.  Keep heading north on 191 toward Montana and the climb to 8,000 feet will bring sweeping vistas and a changing landscape.  Keep going to Flaming Gorge and hike the 9 mile round trip for a spectacular sight of this impressive gorge.  And when you arrive back at Vernal tired and hungry, The Quarry Restaurant is the place to chow down.








 

Thor and Wee Wee Do Dinosaurland

Road Trip ~ of Dinosaurs and Monuments continued

Day 3.  Dinosaur National Park, unofficially known as Dinosaurland.  I will let the photos do the talking.  One note:  the building is super cool.  It has been built over an actual outcropping of layer upon layer of dino bones.  It is theorized that at one time this area was lush and green.  So many bones ended up in the same place because they were washed down river to a spot where they collected.  Dinosaurland is still an active excavation site, in fact, this summer it's rumored that a team will be working on a newly discovered, yet-to-be-named, dino.  Exciting stuff. 

 

 

 

 

My What Green Hills You Have

Road Trip ~ of Dinosaurs and Monuments continued

Heading east out of Elko, we were surprised to come upon a lush, green mountains.  Well, okay, not lush by let's say, Hawaii's standards but certainly greener than anything we have encountered since driving east out of Reno.  Of course, it helps that we were driving through a 6,000+ foot pass and there was still snow clinging to the mountain tops, but never-the-less, it was a pleasant surprise.

 

Drop down off that pass towards the Nevada/Utah border and it  becomes sorely dry and brown.  And then the mirage appears.  Snow white land as far as the eye can see.  Turns out it's not snow but salt from the Great Salt Basin west of Salt Lake City.   Skipping right past the city, we headed to the cool, just-experiencing-Spring mountains of Park City.  Sweet.  I've only seen this place in the winter with its epic snowfalls and equally epic skiing. I don't know why ski mountains always look less intimidating in the warmer weather.  Maybe it's because fresh green graces the trees and wild flowers dot the landscape.  Frankly, as pretty as it is, I'll take these mountains with their snow blanket and challenging ski runs.

 

 

We settled down for the night in Park City with our traveling companions, Thor Troll and Wee Wee.  Thor is happy to be back on the road with us, and Wee Wee is excited for her first adventure with us since Tacky Tourist weekend (but that's a story in itself).