It has been several days since I have posted.  Not much happened after we left Logan, NM.  We crossed the panhandle of Texas with no problem.  I had hoped to get to see a college roommate from Midland, TX but the distance was just too great for us to connect.  Sorry that didn't happen, Margret, but we will get together another time!  

Joe and I arrived in Oklahoma City for the AACA (Antique Auto Club of America) tour on Thursday.  We were one of the first to arrive as the tour doesn't officially start until tomorrow (Monday).  Joe spent Friday investigating an oil leak on the car while I did 4 hours worth of laundry.  The hotel only had one small washer and one dryer.  I don't understand how just 2 people can produce so much laundry, especially when we only have 3 or 4 sets of clothes with us.  Everything was just dirty at one time.  We are used to going to a laundromat and using several machines and dryers at the same time.

This moning before it got hot, Joe and I washed the car in preparation for this week of touring.  Our car was really looking pretty grubby after about a month of dirt roads and just everyday travel dust and dirt.  Our light gray wheels were almost black. Everyone else's car has been brought all shined and we looked like something the cat had drug in.  Today was an optional tour day which included the Science Museum, an Infantry Museum and a lot of driving in town.  After driving long distances on the open road with beautiful scenery everywhere you look, driving in town past shopping malls and through residential areas just doesn't compare.  I think we are spoiled!

The great thing about the Glidden tour is that you get to see people you haven't seen all year and get to see some great cars - all pre WWII.  Generally about half the cars are Ford Model A's and the bulk of the rest are from the 1930's and early 1940's.  There are several early cars on this year's Glidden.  The variety is exciting to see - everything from an early Pierce-Arrow to some spectacular classic convertibles and trucks.

THE STEERING COLUMN

We are finally down out of the hills for a while.  A week ago, for several days we were at elevations of 7-8,000 feet continuously.  The first time you drive an old car at an elevation over 7,000 feet, you will absolutely swear there is something wrong with the car.  It will run smooth but it won't have any power.  You might have a 50 percent power loss, and if you only have 30 horsepower to start with, that doesn't leave much.  I've experienced this on past tours, so I knew what was happening.  The air becomes thin and the engine is simply starving for air.  The carburetor mixture can be leaned out a little bit, and that will help, but you will reach a point where the carburetor simply can't suck enough air in.  You might be on level ground or even on a slight downgrade and give it full throttle and it feel like you are just pulling away in slow motion.  Not much can be done about it except just put up with it until you get down to a lower elevation.  I remember one time a few years ago, we took the car up the highest paved road in North America, which was Mt. Evans in Colorado.  The elevation was 14,265 feet.  It was a long gradual ascent, otherwise we would not have made it.  I'd gone 30 miles in 2nd gear and stopped twice on the way up to adjust the carburetor.  Near the top I had dropped down into 1st geat and the car was struggling all the way.   It kept slowing down until I wasn't sure we were going to make it.  It did make it, but barely.  When you run out of power in1st gear, you are pretty much done.  I recall trying to blow the bulb horn.  I know it's hard to believe, but there was no way to make the horn sound.  The air was too thin.

..........AND THAT'S ALL PART OF MOTORING........

     
   

Friday morning we went west out of Taos to the Rio Grande River Gorge.  I am a  NOT fond of high bridges and this one was really high over the gorge.  We crossed by car and then walked out on it to take pictures.  All I could think of was a big gust of wind coming along and over we would go.

Rio Grande River Gorge from HIGH ABOVE!

On the West side of the Gorge was this hippy style refreshment van.  Love it!

One of many shops in Taos and Santa Fe were filledh imports from Mexico.  It was like going into Nogales, MX in the 1960's.  I was in heaven.  Joe is slowly coming around to an appreciation of folk art from Mexico.

We headed east from Taos toward the Angel Fire and Eagle Nest ski resort areas. Beautiful country!

After we came down from the mountains, we entered the Kiowa Grasslands area and started spotting pronghorn antelope in small herds in fields of grass and sunflowers. I had been hoping to see antelope but thought that Flagstaff was my only chance.  We saw 70 plus through this area.  Amazing sight!   There was a stretch of road where you could see from horizon to horizon and nothing moved.  We were really out there on our own.  No problems, beautiful country, but the thought did pass through our mind, "How long would it take for AAA to come if we needed help". 

We spent the night in the little town of Mosquero, NM.  On the map, it looked like a fair sized town but when we arrived about 4 PM there was no one about.  Eventually a gentleman came over and we started talking and he said everyone was at the dedication of the new Equestrian Center near downtown.  It was tricky arranging for a place to spend the night and finding oil for the car.  Sheriff Gutierrez was helpful in trying to reach people who might have a room available.  

We decided to walk over to the Equestrian Center to see what was going on and to look for some people we had been told might have a room available.  The town had a free BBQ that was exceptional and they held a dance as dark approached.  It had been forever (my early college days ) since I had been to a western dance.  I was itching to get out on the dance floor and 2-step but Joe is not a dancer.  After all those years, I would have probably have looked like a fool, but the desire was there to 2-step.  This was a gathering of people from about a 40 mile radius and these were not the "rhinestone" cowboys but were the working cowboys and we felt honored to be there.

Arlene and Bobby Cordova graciously opened their home to us so we didn't have to sleep in our car.  Arlene and Bobby were childhood sweethearts and you could just see the committment and love that has gotten them through a lifetime of hard work and the joys and pain it brings.  Many thanks to you both!!!

Arlene and Bobby and their son and grandson.

Joe and I traveled on through open grassland that looked like it had seen plenty of rain and then, as the elevation dropped, we entered grassland with cholla cactus, but still it looked that they had had sufficent rain for the cattle.     

We spent part of yesterday and today in Logan, NM.  I had come down with a doozy of a summer cold and just needed to hit the bed and sleep it off.  It seems to have worked as I feel fine today and ready for more adventure.

Santa Fe is an extremely old town, - the earliest inhabitants were Pueblo Indians what were living in what is now the Old Town about 1000 AD.  The Spanish came in the 1600's and Santa Fe as the town we know it began.  The area went through many transitions - a Pueblo revolution, back to Spanish rule, then US rule.  Through all, Santa Fe has survived and thrived. The Old Santa Fe Trail came through town and so did Historic Route 66. 

Old Town Santa Fe was busy with tourists but the architecture and artwork was worth wading through the masses.  Joe and I separated to cover more ground as our pace of strolling and shopping and exploring differs and our interests in art differs.  I am always looking for the unusual items that people have made in jewelry and fiber arts (weavings) and he is interested in things mechanical and more practical.  I love adobe buildings and some pretty "far out" artwork and he is attracted to more realistic artwork.

  
I visited the Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assisi in downtown Santa Fe which is the 3rd of three catholic churches built on the same site.  The earliest was built in 1626.  The docent in the church said that there were confirmed to be 3 layers of graves beneath the floor of the sanctuary but that they were not able to identify any of the bodies. 

The inside of the church was stunning and off to the side was a small chapel where I happened to witness a statue of the Virgin Mary being removed very carefully to be redressed in native american garments for an upcoming festival.  I sat quietly with a group of about 10 older ladies as they watched her being removed from the top of this display and then taken back into a  back room to be redressed and later restored to her place.

After a day of sightseeing and shopping, we moved on today to Taos to the north along what is called "The High Road to Taos".  This is a 56 road which winds through high desert, the Sangre de Cristo mountains, small farms and old Spanish land-grant properties and through small villages and pueblos.  There are a number of small towns with art galleries and weaving and wood carving studios.

The car was sluggish on the long grades but we figured it was probably altitude issues.  Joe stopped several times to check both water in the radiator and oil levels and corrected as needed.  While he did his checks, I was checking out the rocks along the side of the road.  I can't resist.  I found a few to add to my collection ( a box that is about the size of a shoe box)!  This is really rough for a confirmed rock hound. I could fill up the back of the car and I am restricted to being extremely selective and picking up small rocks for my "shoe box". There is some satisfaction, though, in trying to find the best "small" rock I can find.

Not far out of Santa Fe along the "High Road" we passed what they call "Camel Rock".  He really did look like a camel lying down.  We were impressed.

One of my favorite stops was the Santurario de Chimayo which was built about 1815. The church complex is quiet and shaded by catalpa trees with a gurgling, running brook in front of the church.  The inner courtyard is a cemetary and the simple interior of the santucary is cool in the hottest weather due to the thick adobe walls. There is a small chapel on the grounds that is lined with crutches and pictures that have been left by pilgrims from all over the US and Mexico.  Easter is especially significant as up to a thousand pilgrims visit.  

    
Another portion of the Chimayo complex with rosaries and candles.

Further along the highway in Chimayo was the Ortega Weaving Studio which is home to Eighth Generation weavers.  It is believed that the Navajos learned to weave their rugs from the weavers in Chimayo.  As a weaver, I was fascinated with their work and carefully scrutinized the setup of their loom and the threading of the heddles.  I think I will try to duplicate their work when I get home.  Having only been weaving one short year, my attempt to duplicate their work of 8 generations will probably come off a far second, but I will do my best.

Scenery along the "High Road to Taos.  The Sangre de Cristo Mountains were beautiful.

One of the high mountain meadows along the "High Road".  I watched for elk and deer but no luck.

Another small church along the High Road.  Communities were small and quaint and for the most part, buildings were adobe and the pace of life slow.

This is an outdoor oven called a "horno" which you see in the yards of many homes along the "High Road".  These ovens speak to me of New Mexico.  They are one of my favorite sights.

I spotted this painting of an old adobe wall and blue door in a galley in Chimayo.  I loved it but I know Joe doesn't because it is more impressionist and he likes art to be realistic.  Oh well, I have a photo of it so can still remember and enjoy it.

After a day traveling along the "High Road to Taos", we entered Taos late in the afternoon.  As we were scouting out downtown Taos, I saw this painted on the wall of a building.  I love it as it colors "scream" southwest to me.  Joe looked at it and said he would like it if the horse was sorrel, the sky was blue and the ground was brown. In other words - realistic.  To me a green horse was quite acceptable.

Tomorrow we get to explore Taos and the surrounding area.  

I believe the little computer "devils" have departed after taking the laptop to both Best Buys' Geek Squad for 2 hours and Staples for 5 minutes.  Best Buy couldn't figure out where Staples in Albuquerque had moved my picture files after 2 hours of working with the laptop.  ?????!!!! I took it to Staples in Santa Fe and the gentleman there figured it out in less than 2 minutes, so in and out of the store in 5 minutes.  It is sure nice when you finally get someone who knows what they are doing.  I have been about to pull all my hair out with frustration for several days now.  Clay, I am now calling my electronic device, "That DAMN thing" too.   Maybe we need to be sure both our devices never get together and procreate many more little "Damn things".

Now, to bring you up to date picture-wise since I can now FIND them again.

This was the view of our road headed out across western NM after leaving Springerville, AZ a couple of days ago.  That road just went on and on, but was through amazing scenery.  This road cut was through a hill that was capped by an old lava flow (the dark rock on top on each side).  The valley below was grassy and studded with juniper while off in the distance you can see the road begin to climb and a mesa (flat topped mountain)  to the left.  Everywhere you looked there was evidence of volcanic activity eons ago.  Some of the high hills were, in fact, cinder cones.

   
This is a picture taken near the little New Mexico town of Pie Town.  Yes, you've got that right, Pie Town.  Amazing scenery.  I love it!

Once you get to Pie Town, this is the cafe to go to for absolutely wonderful pie.  love the color of the cafe, too.  Pink and blue are so "southwest".

The blog the other day told you our breakfast in Pie Town was PIE!.  TWO pieces of PIE apiece makes for a tasty breakfast.  Can't do that every day, but we sure enjoyed it that day!

Somewhere along our travels in western New Mexico we passed this windmill museum.  There were dozens of different windmills relocated from around the area - all sizes and configurations.  It was really like a big sculpture garden.

I had mentioned a couple of days ago that Joe had stopped in Albuquerque for a couple of days to make arrangements to get the loose neck to the radiator soldered. Here he is busily working away while I sat in the shade reading my book.  Such a great division of labor!

  
After leaving Albuquerque, we traveled along Route 66 and then up the Turquoise Trail and into the little town of about 200 called Cerrillos.  This is the town that used to have 21 saloons in it's boom town mining days in the 1880's and has been used for many old western films.  Notice the old buildings and the dirt roads.  This is Main Street, Cerrillos, folks.  Quiet, sleepy and just as it was in the old days.

In Cerrillos, we went into an old museum and I spotted these hanging on the wall.  I have never thought of hanging the broken necks of old bottles like this, but I really like it.  Now I am going to be on the look out for old bottle necks to collect.  Joe already thinks I collect too much junk, but really, how can I resist??  Just look at all the colors and shapes.  The museum also was a rock shop and those who know me, know I can't resist rocks.  I am always on the search, especially for agate.  Joe told me I could get anything I wanted in the shop so I did - some copper ore, a fossil fish from Wyoming and an abalone shell from California.  All have been shipped home and it will be like Christmas all over again when I get to unpack the box.

Another view of Cerrillos.  Dirt street, quiet, no traffic, adobe buildings.  Think 1880's.

We have spent the last 2 days in Santa Fe, puttering around, sightseeing and getting the computer straightened out and medications refilled.  Santa Fe is full of all the wonderful and colorful imports from Mexico that I remember seeing in Nogales south of Tucson, AZ when we visited in the early 1960s and 70s.  It was the kind of stuff I was expecting to see at the Jackalope in Albuquerque and they didn't have anymore. This was a courtyard entrance near the main Plaza in Santa Fe.  The courtyard was full of little shops - Mexican imports of pottery, tile and tin mirrors, paper flowers, chili ristras (strings of red chili peppers), Native American silver and turquoise jewelry, beautiful woven garments, art.   Just color everywhere you looked.

Another courtyard near the Plaza in Santa Fe.  This one was part of a restaurant.  The building was an old historic adobe two story building.  Like most old Spanish homes, it was plain adobe on the outside with a long porch but lush with plants in the center courtyard where all the rooms opened.  I could easily get used to living in a place like this!

Sample of the adobe architecture in the old part of Santa Fe.  The walls are made of adobe (mud and straw bricks) and covered with stucco.  I love this type of architecture.

Architectural detail on old building.  Note the clay tile bricks on the roof.

More about Santa Fe tomorrow.  Our plans are to travel north tomorrow through the Rio Grande Valley through Espanola, Chimayo and other small villages up to Taos and then on east toward the Texas border.  Joe has never visited this area and it has been a real eye-opener for him.  I've been here many times and absolutely love this area of New Mexico.  I can't wait to get his reaction to Chimayo and Taos. 

THE STEERING COLUMN

I see that Betty has already mentioned the loose solder joint on the radiator neck.  I suppose I could have waited until I got home to fix it, but I like to take care of little issues like that right away.  A stitch in time.........you know the rest.

As you can tell, we've had plenty of computer issues.  It seems ironic to me that we can't depend on a 3 year old computer which is doing minimal work to report that a 103 year old car, which is traveling many more miles than it was ever intended to, is doing fine.  What is wrong with this picture?

That reminds me, I have a friend back home who, just last week, bought a new computer.  It sounds like he immediately bonded with it because he has already nicknamed it.  He affectionately refers to his new electronic device as "This DAMN thing".  I don't want to mention his name, but his initials are Clay Green.  He and I would both much prefer to depend on a century old mechanical device than a brand new electronic one.    

Still no photos.  We didn't have time after Joe got the radiator fixed to get back to a Staples to have them figure out what they did to my computer that is blocking the transferring of photos from PhotoShop to the blog.  We are in Santa Fe tonight, so maybe we can get things straight tomorrow.  Hope so!!!

Yesterday Joe took the radiator off and soldered the radiator neck that had come loose.  That took the morning.  He worked while I sat in the shade in the car and
read a book and sipped cool water.  It was hot in Albuquerque but was quite cool under the shade of the tree and the car top.

After he finished up the radiator job, we headed to the Jackalope, the store I was so anxious to visit after so many years.  I had read on the internet that it had changed and, let me tell you, it had CHANGED!!!!!!  It was nothing like I remembered it.  A salesperson asked if they could help me find something, and I was so frustrated that I said, "The place has changed so much that there is nothing here I need or want".  I am sorry I said it, but when you have thought about returning to a place for 20 plus years and it's NOTHING like it was, it was a supreme disappointment.  I just shouldn't have said it out loud. 

To get me out of the doldrums, Joe and I went thrift store hopping.  I was in thrift store number 2 when I heard a gentleman talking to the clerk about someone in the store belonging to the 1912 E-M-F out in the parking lot.  I spoke up and said, "That would be me" (Joe was across the street at an upholstery shop getting a strap made). The gentleman in the thrift store happened to be Bill Scorah, the HCCA member Joe had called In Albuquerque for a recommendation of a good radiator shop.  Bill just happened to be turning down the street with the thrift shop and saw our car in the parking lot.  Albuquerque is a huge city.  Just think of the chances of him turning down a street and by chance, seeing our car.  He was delighted and so were we.  He had Joe went to Starbuck's for something to drink and I went to another thrift store.

This morning we happily moved on from Albuquerque (much too big and busy a city for our tastes).  We followed historic Route 66 out of town until we hit Rt 14, The Turquoise Trail, a National Scenic Byway.  The Turquoise Trail heads north from Albuquerque to Santa Fe for about 50 miles through very scenic countryside with a breathtaking view from the Sandia Crest and goes through the old mining towns of Madrid and Cerrillos.   Madrid is a tiny community that had a population of 204 in 2010, but it is full of artsy shops, galleries and is really worth a stop for lunch.

We headed on to Cerrillos which has been a mining area for 1,500 years as Native Americans mined lead and turquoise in the area.  Gold and silver were later found in the area and for about 6-7 years, there were about 3,000 miners in the area - a real boom town.  The railroad came to town and town prospered for a while and supported 21 saloons!  Now it is a sleepy town of about 200 with dirt streets, small adobe houses, a church and a few old buildings from the 1880's.  It is just exactly what you would think of as a western town in the movies.  It was the sight of films like Young Guns and John Wayne's film, The Cowboys, was shot just north of town.  If you are ever in this part of New Mexico, you HAVE TO GO TO CERRILLOS!!!!!!

As we drove into Santa Fe, we spotted two shops that turned out to be much like the Jackalope in Albuquerque hat I had remembered from the 1990's.  I was in "heaven" again as I poked through pottery, glassware, weavings, paintings, furniture and outdoor garden art from Mexico.  Tomorrow is another day in Santa Fe and then probably on to Taos.  Life doesn't get much better!

Since our last posting (no wi-fi last night), we have driven through the Springerville area of northeastern AZ at an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet and on into New Mexico.

Springerville was officially named for Henry Springer's trading post in 1876. Remember the shoot-out at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, AZ involving the Earp brothers and the Clanton boys?  Ike Clanton who was present at the shoot-out was killed in Springerville in 1887 by detective Jonas V. Brighton when he resisted arrest on charges of cattle rustling.  The wild west was real, folks, and Arizona and New Mexico were full of action.

We spent the night in the small New Mexico town of Quemado where I had a tamale and Sopaipillas and honey, something I haven't had in 25 years.  They are a type of fried puff pastry that taste a lot like Navajo fry bread but are hollow inside - just perfect to drizzle a bit of honey inside.  It is not a treat that is easy to eat - honey is liable to drip everywhere, but when it tastes that good, who cares. 

In the little town of Pie Town, NM, there is definitely P-I-E!  Joe and I had pie for breakfast and it was so good we each got 2 pieces.

I can definitely say that the last couple of days, for me at least, the food has been the highlight of the trip.  I would say for Joe, the food highlight would have been the King Crab legs in Juneau, AK.  My vote is for Navajo fry bread, sopaipillas, tamales and P-I-E.  Now we will definitely have to settle down and be good and eat as we should.

We stopped in Magdalena which used to be like Witchita, KS in that it was a railhead for cattle shipments.  We traveled along what was the last regularly-used cattle trail, formally called the Magdalena Livestock Driveway over which cattle from eastern Arizona and western NM were driven to the railhead in Magdalena for shipment to market.  Being a history buff, I can easily put myself back in time and imagine instead of a paved road, a mass of cattle lowing, dust billowing from hundreds of hooves being driven in the heat of the New Mexico sun.

In Magdalena, we stopped for gas and to our surprise, a young boy by the name of Zeb Apachito came up to admire the car.  He had seen it in Springerville the day before and hadn't had the chance to tell us how much he liked it.  He had been so disappointed in Springerville, so you can imagine how excited he was to see us again.  Joe took him for a ride down the main street of Magdalena and blew his car whistle - the one that sounds like a train whistle.  That was one excited boy.  Maybe someday he will get the opportunity to return the favor of a ride for a young boy in his old car.  

Our travels this afternoon brought us along parts of old Route 66 into Albuquerque. Joe is going to have the neck to the radiator repaired tomorrow morning so we'll probably spend the night again in Albuquerque or close by.  My only request is that we go to the "Jackalope".  This is a fantastic store in Albuquerque that I have known for about 30 years.  It is full of folk art from Mexico and all over the world, pottery, rugs - really unusual stuff.   

Sorry, folks.  No pictures tonight.  We went to Staples to have something checked on the computer and now I can't retrieve the photos I KNOW are saved and named. Maybe my mind will be fresher in the morning and I can figure it out or maybe we'll just have to go back to Staples and have them figure out what they did to sabotage my computer!   

It's been a day of adventure, thrills and chills.

We left Flagstaff this morning after spending the night with Evergreen B & B member Betsy Hale.  We appreciated her hospitality and enjoyed playing with her German Shepard, Sasha.  

Our destination for today was to be Holbrook, AZ to the east.  Since traveling on interstates is only done in cases of dire necessity, we chose "another, less traveled" route.  Maps are funny things - sometimes roads look pretty good on paper but turn out to be much different when you get down to the "nitty-gritty".  Today, "nitty-gritty" was the operative word, as in D-I-R-T!

We chose a road that took us through part of the Navajo Reservation and wide open range with cattle guards and free range cattle. We stopped in Winslow for lunch and a much needed haircut.  I spotted a food cart with a sign that said, "Navajo Fry Bread, $1.00).  I hadn't had Navajo Fry Bread in decades.  It is like a puffy deep-fried pancake and tastes like "heaven"!  I sat in the shade and felt thoroughly decadent and that fry bread tasted just as good today as it did the first time I had it in 1963 at the Indian Pow-wow in Flagstaff while sitting in the shade of a tall Ponderosa pine tree.

We took what was to be a back road to Heber and then on to Holbrook.  Our road was beautiful, and wound through first juniper, then Ponderosa pine forests, aspen and oak in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.  There were posted sign for Elk time and again and finally I spotted  several off in the woods. 

You cannot imagine my excitement!  These were pretty close to the road and I was actually able to get out of the car and, keeping the car between us, able to snap off a couple of pictures.  The last elk I had spotted in the Redwoods of CA were barely visible as they were in a ditch and in high grass.  As we drove along, I spotted another 4 elk.  

Our paved road became dirt and rough and was like riding on square wheels - bump, thump, bump, thump.  Luckily, it had rained this afternoon and there was no dust. The scent of pine was heavy in the air due to the recent showers and it was apparent from the lush green of the grass and the many wildflowers that the area has seen plenty of rain this season.  The trees with white trunks are aspen and in the fall, the leaves turn golden and shimmer or "quake" making them a real spectacle.  

What appeared to be an easy, reasonable road on paper became a bit of a trial as our progress was measured in hours as Joe kept the speed down to a slow "stroll" to keep the car from shimmying to pieces.  Getting to Holbrook for the night quickly became a dream.  If we made it to Heber by dark, we felt we would be lucky.  We had to stop at one point when the pavement gave out to be sure we were still on the road to Heber.  Tommy and Debbie Martinez from Winslow were camping nearby and confirmed that the road did, in fact, after a couple of turns, end up in Heber.  Without their kind assistance, we would still be out in the woods with the bears, the elk and deer and probably a few skunks, wondering where we were.  

Our ride along this road was slow, absolutely breathtaking and never would have happened if we'd tried a 'proven" road.  You just never know what nice people you will meet or adventures you will find in unexpected ways.

Our dirt road finally came out onto a main highway with a 65 mph speed limit.  It being a late Friday afternoon, the main road was absolutely "packed" with drivers coming up from the heat of the desert.  Cars were going 65 mph plus.  It felt like we were on a raceway and we were the "rabbit" being chased by a pack of wolves on a 2 lane road.  When we were able to pull over, twenty plus cars would race by.

We made it to Heber by about 6:30 and were mighty glad to take the first motel that came into view.  To heck with going out to dinner.  Joe did go for a walk to see if any restaurants were near by.  He came back with a box with 2 ice cream sandwiches and 2 other ice cream products - our dinner, and we were quite happy.

Life is an adventure and we had it all today - Indian Fry Bread, elk in abundance, beautiful scenery, helpful people when needed, and ice cream for dinner!      

We went through some of my favorite parts of Arizona yesterday - the old mining town of Jerome and Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona.  Jerome is an old mining town that was nearly abandoned in the 1960's.  I remember that they were giving away the buildings just to keep the town from completely dying.  Many artsy types and hippies moved to the area.  In the 1970's and 80's it was a fascinating place to visit.  The old school had been turned into a shopping mall, mostly antiques and even had a restaurant in the library.  The tables were placed among the stacks and you could take down a book and look at it while your food was being prepared.  Really unique.  

Quaint street in Jerome.  The town is built all over the hillsides and some of the buildings seem to cling to the hills.  

This old storefront is just like it was at the turn of the century.  

Old mine tailings near Jerome.

The Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon drive of about 14 miles has been named by Rand McNally Maps as one of the 5 most scenic drives in America.  I remember the first time my family visited the area in the early 60's.  My dad had first found Oak Creek Canyon while doing field research on native plants when he was a professor at the University of Arizona in Tucson.  He came home raving about this really neat place he'd found so the next weekend we all piled in our turquoise and white 1957 Chevy station wagon, picnic lunch and swimsuits and suntan lotion and 3 kids and headed for Oak Creek Canyon.  What a day!  We were out of the desert heat. in the shade of the oaks along Oak Creek Canyon and sliding down a natural slide rock into a sparkling, cool pool.  What fun!  I went down that natural slide so many times that my new swimming suit became threadbare on the back side -had to put on jean cut-offs to stay decent.

   
Entering as we did from the southwest on Rt 89A from Prescot and the old mining town of Jerome, your first hint that something special is coming is the sight of towering red rock formations in the distance.  As the road winds, you see more and more red rock.

Amazing!!  Formations such as these are in every direction.  It's hard to decide which way to aim your camera. 

The town of Sedona lies at the base of these incredible rocks.  It used to be a sleepy little community but is now a prime retirement location and the town is full of people, traffic and the like.

Everywhere you look, the view is more spectacular than the last.

We are spending the night in Flagstaff, up in the high country where there are Ponderosa pines and cooler temperatures - a nice break from the desert heat.  

Joe noticed a broken neck on the radiator yesterday and he will be checking with a club member in Flagstaff to see about getting it fixed.  We may have to stay another day.    

THE STEERING COLUMN

So what's it like driving through the desert for a week?  I guess the first thing that most people think about are the "what ifs" - what if you don't have cell phone service, what if you have a flat tire, what if you break down - won't it be hot?  The last few days have probably been 108 degrees, but it is not as bad as it sounds, if you keep moving.  A car with a cloth top like this one and open on the sides, is much cooler than a modern car would be without air conditioning.  A good breeze comes through.  
Now as far as the "what ifs" go, we don't think about those, we are having too much fun motoring along.  Driving secondary roads through the desert is some of the most enjoyable and easiest driving I have ever done.  There is very little traffic, the roads are pretty much flat and straight, traffic can pass easily, nobody is being held up, nobody is upset and there is no noise.  Most of the time I am driving between 35-40 mph which is a little faster than I prefer, but in most parts of the country traffic "pushes" you to go faster.  Out in the desert, you don't have any of that.  My favorite speed is 30 mph, I can just sit back and relax, set the hand throttle which is nothing more than a manually operated cruise control, and completely relax.

When we left the last town, we saw a sign that said "no services for the next 100 miles".  We just didn't worry about it.  We started out with plenty of gas, oil and water for both the car and for us, and I suppose driving a little slower, might slightly decrease your chances of a break-down.  Anyway, I like peace and quiet  and to get away from the rat race.  We had ice with us, iced tea was in my cup holder and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.    

Last night we entered Arizona at Parker where Parker Dam is located.  This is a big recreational area but the actual town of Parker is really small.   We have definitely been in the desert the last two days.  Yesterday it was 105 in Parker and I know it was at least that today as we traveled east through more desert.  It is actually not bad as long as the car is moving since we sit up high and have a breeze blowing through the car.  It is only when you stop the car that the heat really becomes a factor.  The same thing happens though if you are in a modern car - stop it and get out and it is H-O-T.

The further east we traveled into Arizona, the more vegetation we saw.  At first it was only scattered low bushes like the ones in this photo, then a few taller palo verde and mesquite trees began to mix in along with a variety of cholla cactus.  Cholla cactus look like jointed sticks and the jointed portions break off easily if brushed up against and then the spines attach themselves to you.  Don't ever walk out in the desert where there are cholla cactus in sandals or tennis shoes.  You will regret it!  That is not to mention the rattlesnakes and scorpions, etc.  Best to just keep moving in your old car!  This photo also shows two of the neatest desert plants - the tall saguaro on the left is hundreds of years old and the funny taller plant toward the right is an ocotillo. The saguaro will only reach a height of about one inch in its first 10 years and will only begin to produce side arms after about 75-100 years.  They can reach a height of up to 45 feet, have up to 25 arms and live over 200 years.  Ocotillos, which look like an arrangement of spiny dead sticks for much of the year, become covered with small green leaves after a rain and the tops develop bright crimson flowers that look like flames.  I have seen fences made out of ocotillo stalks that looked dead but took root and bloomed.  It is really quite a sight.

    
Just before we started our climb out of the desert up to Prescott, AZ, the clouds were beginning to form over the mountains and the sight was just beautiful.  The desert may seem stark to most people, but if you have ever lived in the desert as I have, you find that it has a special beauty all it's own.  I lived in Tucson for several years and I miss the splendor of spring in the desert with all the cactus in blooms of red and yellow and white and the ground carpeted in wildflowers.  Of course, summer comes and it all dries up and turns brown, but you know with only a little rain it will flourish again. When we reached Prescott up in the mountains, the temperature was 87 and it was lightly raining.  As we climbed the mountains, you could see the same clouds in the picture above become darker and see the lightning strikes.  The power of nature in the desert is awe-inspiring.    

I am finally at a place where I have reliable wi-fi service.  The last few nights the wi-fi would come and go so no posting happened.  Also, it seems that the photo issues are resolved.  I'll catch you up to date with photos then do regular posting.

Avocado trees near Ojai, CA.  Beautiful California Live Oaks in the background.

Two classy vintage vehicles at the Ojai, CA cruise-in.  I've never seen a truck like this one and the VW beetle was just like one my family took to Brazil in 1966.

Kurtiss race car at the Ojai cruise-in.  This was sleek, elegant and one of only two made for a Mexican race.  I can see myself running around town in this one!

Windmill in Solvang, CA, settled by Danish.  Solvang retains much of its architecture and heritage and is a very popular tourist area.  There are not many places only an hour or two from a major metropolitan area that can put you this close to another culture.

Danish bakery in Solvang.  Note the stork's nest on top.

  
Citrus grove near Ojai.  The southern CA area used to be covered in citrus groves, but many have gone by the wayside and now housing takes its place.

   
Having left the citrus and avocado groves of the Ojai area, we entered desert and kept climbing through some pretty rugged terrain.  At one area, not far from Ojai, we saw crude oil trickling out of the ground.  Oil wells were a common sight in some parts of the Los Angeles basin way back and crude oil still seeps to the surface at the  La Brea Tar Pits in LA.  This photo shows the rugged mountains in the area - this one an old lava flow - and Joshua Trees, the funny looking tall plants.

East of Palmdale we stopped in Pearblossom where they have apple, peach and nectarine orchards - just beautiful in the spring - looks like a cloud of pink in the distance.  This sculpture caught my eye - a cowboy sitting under a saguaro cactus.

East of Palmdale and Victorville, north of the LA basin, we entered the Apple Valley where the rock formations are incredible.  Apply Valley was where Roy Rogers and Dale Evans lived and some of their movies were filmed in the area.  I remember going to an event in Apple Valley and both of them were there to give a speech.  Roy Rogers looked so handsome in his western suit and his white hat.  He never seemed to age.  I did get Dale's autograph, but wasn't able to get Roy's.  I'll always regret that!
He was my childhood hero and I never missed an episode of their shows.

In Victorville, we traveled a portion of the historic Rt 66.  There is not much of it still intact, so it was pretty special.  While in Victorville, we stopped at El Pollo Loco (The Crazy Chicken) a fast food chain that specializes in citrus-basted chicken.  It is absolutely the best there is.  I had been thinking about that stop for hundreds of miles.  I need an El Pollo Loco restaurant in Wrightsville!!!

This little house is one of many scattered through the desert near Victorville and in other areas of the eastern portion of CA deserts.  There was a time when you could gain title to a small plot of land in the desert if you erected and occupied an improved dwelling on the land for a specified period of time.  Most of these little buildings are now abandoned and falling down, but it is tribute to the homesteading and pioneer spirit and the desire to have title to your own little plot of land.