So it has been awhile since I've updated. I am still in San Antonio and finding it quite enlightening and amusing at times.
Freddy's sister and her husband have been kind enough to let us stay at their house and make our selves at home. They are very accommodating and sweet to us. It's nice to be around family, even if they aren't mine. :)
I do still find it quite strange to be in a place for Christmas with no snow. This is completely foreign to me. It sure is different from the South Dakota and Alaska Christmas'. It still cracks me up to see people's decorations in the yard and no snow around them. It kind of just looks like people threw random things in their yard. They are pretty at night though.
Last Saturday, Freddy's mom invited us to a benefit for a community center that they built and for the girl scouts. We did attend and I had quite the good time. There were 3 comedians, a mariachi band and a couple Tejano bands. Completely oblivious to what they were singing about, I still had a great time. The music is just so upbeat and fun. It was like a dance hall from the movies. Everyone dances and has such a good time doing it. It was a sight to see. I'm not much of a dancer, no, I like dancing but don't feel confident enough until I have a few adult beverages. It was just as much fun to observe from afar.
On Sunday, I got to take part in a tradition that makes me very happy. Maybe it's the way that it takes place, maybe it's the people that I got to do it with or maybe it's the fact that I know how to make TAMALES now! So very exciting for me. It could have been the amazing ladies that I got to do it with also. :) It was his mom, sister, two aunts and his cousin. And the guys were watching football and checking on us every once in awhile.
Freddy has quite the sweet and humorous family. We started in the afternoon and didn't finish until the evening. Almost 20 dozen of these delicious little tamales and lots of laughs later, I was very enlightened. My tamales started out quite large, so everyone got a good laugh, I said they were Texas sized.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamale This is a good site, that explains them better than I.
This week we also had a funny experience when we went to pick Jody up at the airport; it was kind of a last minute thing so the actual travel information got a bit confused. We waited in the airport and when the time came that he was suppose to get in, he wasn't there yet. Upon talking to him on the phone and describing things that were around us, we discovered that he had flown into San Antonio. We got a good laugh out of it and Jody had a cute waitress at Hooters so it was all good after all.
Last night we went to a play at the Majestic. It is a beautiful theater, I'm not sure the age of it but it was a real treat to get to see it. The play was A Tuna Christmas. A Texas play, I guess the only way to explain it is a cross between Garrison Keillor and Red Green. Two guys played every part in the play. It was kind of silly, I guess you kind of have to have that kind of sense of humor though.
Tonight we are going to his cousin's house to BBQ so that all the cousins can see each other, they are all in town at the same time. Should be a good time.
And then Christmas shall arrive and we are going to hang out at an aunt's house and his mom's. I hope this finds you all full of Christmas cheer and you get to be with those you love this holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Peace.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
What to do?
So I'm still in San Antonio. I've had a pretty good time here. Met a lot of people and seen some of them again. Went to a couple birthday parties, had a couple akward moments, driven in the city, painted, found a dive bar, watched too much t.v., gotten a little tipsy on a $10 bar tab, eaten too much take-out, been massaged, had my toes painted, defensivly shopped at the grocery store, seen a life sized Elmo on a trampoline, these amongst other things.
I don't have a plan right now, I've looked at jobs here. I just don't know if I should stay here. I don't like cities so much, at least to stay in. I do like it here though. I just don't know if my heart is in it.
I feel like I have to keep going to add to this amazing trip. I have places that I really would like to at least see. I do feel a bit nervous, but think that I should pack that in my suitcase and head on down that highway. It may also be a needed break for my boyfriend to spend quailty time with his friends and family and do the jobs that he has lined up. We have been together non-stop since Alaska. I feel for him.:)
So there is nothing set in stone but that's where I'm at. Oh, and my body is having some crazy reaction to something. I have never been allergic to anything but something is not agreeing with me. I have crazy bumps and itch like crazy on my arms and legs. I really hope this goes away, it's kinda ugly. Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and get to gather with those you love, may your bellys be full and your hearts overflowing with happiness today and always. Peace.
I don't have a plan right now, I've looked at jobs here. I just don't know if I should stay here. I don't like cities so much, at least to stay in. I do like it here though. I just don't know if my heart is in it.
I feel like I have to keep going to add to this amazing trip. I have places that I really would like to at least see. I do feel a bit nervous, but think that I should pack that in my suitcase and head on down that highway. It may also be a needed break for my boyfriend to spend quailty time with his friends and family and do the jobs that he has lined up. We have been together non-stop since Alaska. I feel for him.:)
So there is nothing set in stone but that's where I'm at. Oh, and my body is having some crazy reaction to something. I have never been allergic to anything but something is not agreeing with me. I have crazy bumps and itch like crazy on my arms and legs. I really hope this goes away, it's kinda ugly. Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and get to gather with those you love, may your bellys be full and your hearts overflowing with happiness today and always. Peace.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
I blame not updating the blog on the distracting lights of Las Vegas.Well, that of course, is only an excuse since I've been out of there for over a week or so. It was the beginning of my procrastination though.
So I guess that's a good place to start.
It was my first time in Vegas, first time of seeing all the bright lights, hearing people's disappointments or excitement, seeing all the people in the streets and all over the casinos. I'm not much of a gambler but I am quite a good people watcher, thus making Vegas highly exciting for me. Creeps, high rollers, street performers, bums and people from all over the world. I decided at one point that I wanted to live in Australia, at least long enough to get a cool accent, after overhearing some guys accent. I don't think that's really going to happen, but a girl can dream.
Our first night there, Jody, Taylor and Paul took us, no shit, to a place called Hot and Juicy. Not what you think. It was a seafood kinda of restaurant in China Town, they served catfish, craw fish and some other stuff. I ate craw fish for the first time. I broke their little tails off and sucked the meat right out. It was kind of a strange and funny experience. They did not taste like lobster to me, as I was told but they weren't bad. There was no silverware or plates, straight out of the bag and discarded right onto the plastic checkered table cover.
We played penny slots and won some, lost some and even if we were ahead, I was up $50 at one time.We ended up playing all of it back but it was fun being in Sin City.
We saw the water shot at the Bellagio and walked around for hours just admiring how completely crazy the city was.
It wasn't all that much fun though. At one point I went to get cash out of the ATM and my card wouldn't work, I called stupid Wells Fargo and they informed me that they had cancelled my card and sent a new one to Alaska. I was pissed, pissed because, I had talked to 3 different people, on three different occasions and told them that I would be traveling. They said there was nothing they could do. I, in my genius way of thinking, decided that I would put money into Rico's account and then withdrawal it. This was a failure too, they shut his card off too. Scumbags! They could have at least called me, right? So we were at an Alberton's on a Sunday morning, Halloween, waiting for the Wells Fargo to open to get our temporary cards. How thoughtful of them to be open on a Sunday. They said they mailed our new cards at the beginning of the month, I got a email two days ago saying they mailed it on November 4th. But everything happens for a reason I guess.
We stayed in Jody's driveway and at the shop one night. The heat and sunshine would wake us up in the morning.
We ventured to the Hoover Dam, it was neat to see, it was a bit touristy and a bit of a rip off. You can't even see the museum or any information without flashing some dead presidents. I know it's a tourist attraction but it's also a national icon, let people learn. For free.
We went to Lake Meade, I even put on my swimsuit without caring how many grown men or small boys I scared, I was going to get some sun. And that is just what I did, I have tan lines now! It was super nice to lay there, the water crashing and the sun blazing down upon us. I was going to go swimming but no one else was, I thought maybe no one swam there.
We had to jump the van when we left.
We left Lake Meade heading to Henderson where Jody lives and the van started acting a little funny. We were stopping at a gas station to fill up and the van decided to take a little break, like in the middle of the busy street, on the uphill driveway. There is still a slight humiliation when this happens, but for the most part I'm over it. After so many times you just learn to laugh and remember this is the life that we lead right now.
After finally getting it started, we got gas. There was something that the guy we bought it from said, "when it clicks that it's done, don't squeeze those last few cents in." Well time goes by and you forget things. After those last few cents were squeezed in, I stepped back and seen gas pouring onto the stained pavement below. I stated what I seen out loud and asked what we should do, getting a not so nice profanity filled response.We got in and got the van started and left. (sorry gas station people for leaving a mess)
When things like this happen and Gertie is being dirty, there is no conversation, maybe a word here or there but for the most part silence and frustration fill the van.
We then got back on the highway right by a casino, with an uphill driveway, of course and she started acting up again. In the driveway that the semi trucks come in, really? Yep. So there we were, stuck uphill with a semi coming at us, cars passing, people staring, in a van that is not working. Sometimes when we leave her alone, she shocks us by turning on and running like a champ. Which she did and finally let us get into the driveway fully. At which time my boyfriend saw it fit to drive in huge circles in the parking lot to see what would happen.
I have to insert here that we have two batteries, if we don't plug in every couple days the battery drains. I still don't fully understand but refrain from asking why? This was the problem that was occurring that day.
The only way that she would stay running is to have the jumper cables hooked up to both batteries. So there I was in the back, the battery is under my seat, eating stale tortilla chips and slightly giggling in the heat.
We made it to Jody's shop finally and plugged in, then walked to Chinatown to find something to eat. That night we went to a party/car show at Hog's and Heifers with Jody. There were some awesome cars and bikes outside the bar and some scantily clad dressed ladies with mega phones in the bar. It was Coyote Ugly meets drill camp, kind of strange but got people's attention. At one point one of them told me to get up on the bar with her, um, no. Not enough PBRs in me and definitely not dressed for the occasion, not to mention my lack of doing anything physical since we left Seward. It was a good time though in good company.
We left Vegas with some money still in our pockets and without any stories that we couldn't tell our parents. We did have a really good time and met some of Jody's really nice and accommodating friends.
We awoke one morning and left the big city and continued our journey, straight into Arizona.
We went to the Grand Canyon, another tourist trap, but that's what we are now. I am the person that I used to deal with in Seward! We walked on the glass bridge, saw some lady freak out and rode around on the tour buses they provided. We both kind of loose enthusiasm quickly sometimes. We lived in a tourist town and being shuffled around kind of wears us out. We like things on our own time and our own terms. :)
It was indeed cool to see the actual Grand Canyon and some of the Native American arts. We skipped the last part of the tour and decided to keep driving.
We stayed at Fort Beals RV Park. It was small and quiet and the lady that runs it was really nice, even waving kindly to us the next morning when we left.
I was super excited to get on Route 66. I always really wanted to check it out. I still find it quite lame that most of it has been turned into freeways and interstates. I know times change. We got onto Route 66 outside of Kingsman. We found a cool VW repair shop on our way out of town and got a fuel filter, that was later changed in a rest stop outside of Winslow.
We stopped in Hackberry, a little cattle town with nothing left but a general store, post office and a old school house. There was an old cowboy sitting outside when we pulled up and I asked if this was his treasure chest he said no, he just hung out there. He was interesting, informed me of the drastic climate changes in Arizona. He said that most people who lived there just wanted peace and quiet and maybe a small garden on an acreage. I guess that would be the place for all of that. The afternoon sun was starting to warm everything up and the sky a wondrous blue with the fluffiest of clouds floating in it.
The store itself was a treasure trove of old and classic memorabilia from eras past. Elvis, Marilyn, Johnny Cash and many others graced the walls on clocks, signs and other objects. There was a bar set up, diner benches and mannequins dressed and posed to look like they were just hanging out there for the afternoon. Old cars and anything from outhouses, urinals and wagon wheels laid out in the yard. In the nicest, most decorative way.
The mountains looked as if someone just dumped small rocks at the peaks and layered them. Plateaus and rounded mountain tops were reaching up to a bright blue sky. Jet tracks streamed through the clouds, it's dry but full of life. Small farms and trailer houses keep popping up here and there.
There is something completely calming and peaceful about the desert. I guess the cowboy came to the right place.
I stood on the corner of Winslow, Arizona. Yep. Just like the Eagles song. We took some pictures and browsed the gift shop. We got coffee from the coffee shop/art gallery and walked back to the van admiring the old buildings in town. It seems like a pretty sleepy town that maybe thrives on "the corner" and maybe the interstates passing traffic.
As we got farther into Arizona and off Route 66, Arizona began to shock and amaze me. Call me naive but I never really knew that Arizona had such a beautiful side. I mean it's nice throughout but Tonto and Coconino National Parks were so amazing! It was such a beautiful drive, there were trees for miles and miles, great small towns (Strawberry, Pine, Payson) and such wonderful views. Fall is my favorite time of year and fall here was extraordinary! I've said before that things were on fire but this place was ablaze and so golden. Twists and turns and curves with bright tree tops, red rocks and cactus. It was such a strange but wonderful combination. I was shocked and totally stoked to see such a surprise. We had to stop a couple of times so I could take some pictures and roam around admiring our surroundings. The sunset wasn't so bad either.
There were some other folks at the gas station from Alaska who were also living out of their van. It's funny who will talk to you due to the license plates or stickers on the van.
We stopped at a campground and the lady wasn't very cool so we kept driving.
I decided that I wanted to go to Tortilla Flat, Arizona. Not really any reason, except that I googled it and it seemed like a silly little town. Six people live there. No lie. So we decided that we would just keep on driving. On the map we saw that there was camping right in the town.
We crossed the Roosevelt Dam on pavement but that soon changed into gravel. It was dark and a bit creepy to say the least. It seemed really pretty and I bet there would be great views during the day. It even had some appeal at night. The road was by far the worst that I have ever been on. Driving to and from Alaska has never been that bad.
It was curvy, floods in some parts, so chunks of road were actually missing, rocks piled high on the road and one lane bridges that the van barely fit over and everything miserable that you wouldn't want a road to have. We could see the silhouettes of cactus and reflections on the water, but everything else was black.
There was nothing, I mean nothing. Every so often a light would appear and then very quickly disappear. This led to creepy speculations and chills up my spine. When my boyfriend says he's creeped out, it doesn't really make me feel any safer. The van would rattle, we'd roll up our windows. Something would creek or shift and I would get teary eyed and start nervously laughing. I think it would take a certain kind of person to live out there.
We finally seen headlights, they were pointed straight at the mountain side and another car was parked next to it. Rico hit the breaks, I told him not to hit the breaks and had him convince that they would come after us. Then he said they put on the reverse lights, yep we were freaking out. I bet some sketchy shit does go on out there. Then a car that was coming at us just pulled off and turned off their lights. A white truck passed and I saw it as a creepy lady waving a creepy wave at us and cringed again. She was the waitress the next day.
We got to Tortilla Flat and everything was closed. I say everything but there really isn't much there. A bar, a gift shop that contains the post office and a general store. We pulled into the campground across the street. Apparently, you need tags to camp in some parks in Arizona, which we didn't have. The camp host was a wirey man, he emerged from his camper shirtless and seemed a little looped. He was very kind though. He saw the "I support Alaskan grown" sticker and said that anyone who supports local things must be good. He let us camp for free. Thanks Deanne!!!
We pulled into a spot and the ceepyness showed its ugly face again. Weird noises and made up scenarios kept popping into my head. I at one point, swore that I heard a rattle snake and jumped back into the van. I don't even know what one sounds like. We climbed into our bags and tried to make ourselves comfortable. I was reading and trying to avoid the strange sounds and footsteps outside. I finally closed my book and decided that I would try to get some rest. It worked for a little bit, but kept waking myself up with the weirdness outside.
I woke up the next day and grabbed my book and headed to the picnic table to read for a bit. It was very pretty and not really that creepy in the daylight. We were tucked in a little canyon, cactus' everywhere and the sun shining. Right as I sat down I heard something, not human, howling from somewhere. I shook it off. I didn't think whatever it was would drag me off and eat me in broad daylight.
I read and waited for Rico to awaken, we packed up the van and ventured over to see what Tortilla Flat was all about. Nothing in the town opens until 9 AM. We went and poked our heads into the museum, it was quite interesting. It really is a town too tough to die.
We went into the restaurant and the waitress declared that she passed us last night on the road and she said that she had family in Alaska. I listened to the waitress banter about someone who came back and wanted their shifts back. Small town banter. Really small town. There are no phones, no cell service and no one seems to mind at all. They all seem content with being in a small town and amusing tourists as they pass through.
We headed the van in the direction of Tombstone. We got there and were greeted by cowboys on the corner, main street was shut down to through traffic with horse and buggies rolling around. We went and saw a gun fight, kind of show thing. It was kind of funny, one of the guys guns ended up getting jammed and he would say, "bang, bang," which really wasn't the same but still entertaining. We walked downtown on the graveled main street, all the shops had almost all the same things; shirts, fake guns, chaps, hats, badges and anything else that they could put Tombstone, AZ on.
We didn't stay there very long. We had places to go and things to do.
When we were leaving we drove so close to the border it was kind of odd feeling. Not because we were by the border but watching the border patrol on the hunt for human beings. They were everywhere, walking, driving and patrolling everywhere. I guess being in Arizona made that experience a little different too.
We made it to New Mexico! We were in need of a shower and some sleep. We saw a Love's truck stop so we stopped and I took my first truck stop shower. I was more like a pressure washer, not complaining, it was a damn good shower. We were planning on staying in the parking lot there but decided to keep driving to the rest stop that was on the map. It was a nice one, we kind of behind the rest stop in our own little area. There was a sign that warned of rattle snakes, I didn't even think I saw or heard any here. :) It did get pretty cold in the night though.
I had read about White Sands National Monument and thought it would be cool to see the white sands in the desert. We got there on a sunny day and I saw a sign for sleds and had no idea what that meant, when I asked the lady she showed us a video of people sledding the sand dunes on saucer sleds. I got all excited and got my sled and was ready to go out into the dunes and find a good place to go down. They give you wax to make your sled faster. I waxed and waxed and waxed and looked for a good place to go down. I tried a few with no results but alas found the sweet spot and went down a couple of times. It was really fun. The lady said it is a busy place on spring break, she sold over 900 sleds last year. It was really pretty too. Who would have thought that it also doubled as a missal testing site? Bring on the radiation.
We got to Roswell in the early afternoon. We realized that the museum was only open until 5 and it was already 4:30 so we thought it would be good to just find a place to stay for the night. The ladies at the counter told us about Bottomless Lakes, I called and it was only $14 to camp for the night. We drove out there, about 12 miles outside of Roswell. It was really pretty and kind of in the middle of nowhere. Perfect place for aliens to find us.
They didn't come. Or I don't remember if they did. I may have a new implant that I'm unaware of?
We woke up and went to the museum. It was super neat to see all the documents that they have from people who were around during the time of the crash. It was eye opening and then some of it was repeats of things that I've already heard. It was all really cool though.
So without a alien sighting or abduction we headed to Texas. I seem cotton fields for the first time. Huge bales of cotton. It was kind of odd to see, I'm used to corn and beans and stuff of that nature.
We got to Midland, Texas and found a campsite. The man that showed us to our spot was super excited to see the van. We had a mellow night.
Woke up the next morning and started our stretch of the journey to San Antonio. We passed through small Texas towns filled with old buildings, small town kindness and farms/ranches abound.
We did go through the Hill Country. It was really nice, very nice homes and ranches. It seemed like a slow pace and very nice scenery. Last time we were here we only saw a tiny bit of the Hill Country, it was nice to see again.
We made it to San Antonio to his sister and her husband's, Jen and Albert, house. We got to see his mom, she stopped over for awhile. They are all so nice, it's always nice to talk to them. It was good to see everyone.
We went to the botanical gardens and the McNay Museum yesterday. The gardens were so beautiful. There was a lady with a little radio flyer wagon who told us a lot of information about plants from south Texas. It was a warm day but had a really nice cool breeze to make it a beautiful day.
The McNay was cool too. It was nice to see art from many different decades and different styles. It was a good day.
So we are still in San Antonio. I don't know how long I'll be here. His dad is coming this weekend so I'll meet him and then decide if I'm going to keep driving or where I'm going to go.
Life is still a beautiful journey, hope this finds you all happy and healthy. I think I need a nap. Peace.
So I guess that's a good place to start.
It was my first time in Vegas, first time of seeing all the bright lights, hearing people's disappointments or excitement, seeing all the people in the streets and all over the casinos. I'm not much of a gambler but I am quite a good people watcher, thus making Vegas highly exciting for me. Creeps, high rollers, street performers, bums and people from all over the world. I decided at one point that I wanted to live in Australia, at least long enough to get a cool accent, after overhearing some guys accent. I don't think that's really going to happen, but a girl can dream.
Our first night there, Jody, Taylor and Paul took us, no shit, to a place called Hot and Juicy. Not what you think. It was a seafood kinda of restaurant in China Town, they served catfish, craw fish and some other stuff. I ate craw fish for the first time. I broke their little tails off and sucked the meat right out. It was kind of a strange and funny experience. They did not taste like lobster to me, as I was told but they weren't bad. There was no silverware or plates, straight out of the bag and discarded right onto the plastic checkered table cover.
We played penny slots and won some, lost some and even if we were ahead, I was up $50 at one time.We ended up playing all of it back but it was fun being in Sin City.
We saw the water shot at the Bellagio and walked around for hours just admiring how completely crazy the city was.
It wasn't all that much fun though. At one point I went to get cash out of the ATM and my card wouldn't work, I called stupid Wells Fargo and they informed me that they had cancelled my card and sent a new one to Alaska. I was pissed, pissed because, I had talked to 3 different people, on three different occasions and told them that I would be traveling. They said there was nothing they could do. I, in my genius way of thinking, decided that I would put money into Rico's account and then withdrawal it. This was a failure too, they shut his card off too. Scumbags! They could have at least called me, right? So we were at an Alberton's on a Sunday morning, Halloween, waiting for the Wells Fargo to open to get our temporary cards. How thoughtful of them to be open on a Sunday. They said they mailed our new cards at the beginning of the month, I got a email two days ago saying they mailed it on November 4th. But everything happens for a reason I guess.
We stayed in Jody's driveway and at the shop one night. The heat and sunshine would wake us up in the morning.
We ventured to the Hoover Dam, it was neat to see, it was a bit touristy and a bit of a rip off. You can't even see the museum or any information without flashing some dead presidents. I know it's a tourist attraction but it's also a national icon, let people learn. For free.
We went to Lake Meade, I even put on my swimsuit without caring how many grown men or small boys I scared, I was going to get some sun. And that is just what I did, I have tan lines now! It was super nice to lay there, the water crashing and the sun blazing down upon us. I was going to go swimming but no one else was, I thought maybe no one swam there.
We had to jump the van when we left.
We left Lake Meade heading to Henderson where Jody lives and the van started acting a little funny. We were stopping at a gas station to fill up and the van decided to take a little break, like in the middle of the busy street, on the uphill driveway. There is still a slight humiliation when this happens, but for the most part I'm over it. After so many times you just learn to laugh and remember this is the life that we lead right now.
After finally getting it started, we got gas. There was something that the guy we bought it from said, "when it clicks that it's done, don't squeeze those last few cents in." Well time goes by and you forget things. After those last few cents were squeezed in, I stepped back and seen gas pouring onto the stained pavement below. I stated what I seen out loud and asked what we should do, getting a not so nice profanity filled response.We got in and got the van started and left. (sorry gas station people for leaving a mess)
When things like this happen and Gertie is being dirty, there is no conversation, maybe a word here or there but for the most part silence and frustration fill the van.
We then got back on the highway right by a casino, with an uphill driveway, of course and she started acting up again. In the driveway that the semi trucks come in, really? Yep. So there we were, stuck uphill with a semi coming at us, cars passing, people staring, in a van that is not working. Sometimes when we leave her alone, she shocks us by turning on and running like a champ. Which she did and finally let us get into the driveway fully. At which time my boyfriend saw it fit to drive in huge circles in the parking lot to see what would happen.
I have to insert here that we have two batteries, if we don't plug in every couple days the battery drains. I still don't fully understand but refrain from asking why? This was the problem that was occurring that day.
The only way that she would stay running is to have the jumper cables hooked up to both batteries. So there I was in the back, the battery is under my seat, eating stale tortilla chips and slightly giggling in the heat.
We made it to Jody's shop finally and plugged in, then walked to Chinatown to find something to eat. That night we went to a party/car show at Hog's and Heifers with Jody. There were some awesome cars and bikes outside the bar and some scantily clad dressed ladies with mega phones in the bar. It was Coyote Ugly meets drill camp, kind of strange but got people's attention. At one point one of them told me to get up on the bar with her, um, no. Not enough PBRs in me and definitely not dressed for the occasion, not to mention my lack of doing anything physical since we left Seward. It was a good time though in good company.
We left Vegas with some money still in our pockets and without any stories that we couldn't tell our parents. We did have a really good time and met some of Jody's really nice and accommodating friends.
We awoke one morning and left the big city and continued our journey, straight into Arizona.
We went to the Grand Canyon, another tourist trap, but that's what we are now. I am the person that I used to deal with in Seward! We walked on the glass bridge, saw some lady freak out and rode around on the tour buses they provided. We both kind of loose enthusiasm quickly sometimes. We lived in a tourist town and being shuffled around kind of wears us out. We like things on our own time and our own terms. :)
It was indeed cool to see the actual Grand Canyon and some of the Native American arts. We skipped the last part of the tour and decided to keep driving.
We stayed at Fort Beals RV Park. It was small and quiet and the lady that runs it was really nice, even waving kindly to us the next morning when we left.
I was super excited to get on Route 66. I always really wanted to check it out. I still find it quite lame that most of it has been turned into freeways and interstates. I know times change. We got onto Route 66 outside of Kingsman. We found a cool VW repair shop on our way out of town and got a fuel filter, that was later changed in a rest stop outside of Winslow.
We stopped in Hackberry, a little cattle town with nothing left but a general store, post office and a old school house. There was an old cowboy sitting outside when we pulled up and I asked if this was his treasure chest he said no, he just hung out there. He was interesting, informed me of the drastic climate changes in Arizona. He said that most people who lived there just wanted peace and quiet and maybe a small garden on an acreage. I guess that would be the place for all of that. The afternoon sun was starting to warm everything up and the sky a wondrous blue with the fluffiest of clouds floating in it.
The store itself was a treasure trove of old and classic memorabilia from eras past. Elvis, Marilyn, Johnny Cash and many others graced the walls on clocks, signs and other objects. There was a bar set up, diner benches and mannequins dressed and posed to look like they were just hanging out there for the afternoon. Old cars and anything from outhouses, urinals and wagon wheels laid out in the yard. In the nicest, most decorative way.
The mountains looked as if someone just dumped small rocks at the peaks and layered them. Plateaus and rounded mountain tops were reaching up to a bright blue sky. Jet tracks streamed through the clouds, it's dry but full of life. Small farms and trailer houses keep popping up here and there.
There is something completely calming and peaceful about the desert. I guess the cowboy came to the right place.
I stood on the corner of Winslow, Arizona. Yep. Just like the Eagles song. We took some pictures and browsed the gift shop. We got coffee from the coffee shop/art gallery and walked back to the van admiring the old buildings in town. It seems like a pretty sleepy town that maybe thrives on "the corner" and maybe the interstates passing traffic.
As we got farther into Arizona and off Route 66, Arizona began to shock and amaze me. Call me naive but I never really knew that Arizona had such a beautiful side. I mean it's nice throughout but Tonto and Coconino National Parks were so amazing! It was such a beautiful drive, there were trees for miles and miles, great small towns (Strawberry, Pine, Payson) and such wonderful views. Fall is my favorite time of year and fall here was extraordinary! I've said before that things were on fire but this place was ablaze and so golden. Twists and turns and curves with bright tree tops, red rocks and cactus. It was such a strange but wonderful combination. I was shocked and totally stoked to see such a surprise. We had to stop a couple of times so I could take some pictures and roam around admiring our surroundings. The sunset wasn't so bad either.
There were some other folks at the gas station from Alaska who were also living out of their van. It's funny who will talk to you due to the license plates or stickers on the van.
We stopped at a campground and the lady wasn't very cool so we kept driving.
I decided that I wanted to go to Tortilla Flat, Arizona. Not really any reason, except that I googled it and it seemed like a silly little town. Six people live there. No lie. So we decided that we would just keep on driving. On the map we saw that there was camping right in the town.
We crossed the Roosevelt Dam on pavement but that soon changed into gravel. It was dark and a bit creepy to say the least. It seemed really pretty and I bet there would be great views during the day. It even had some appeal at night. The road was by far the worst that I have ever been on. Driving to and from Alaska has never been that bad.
It was curvy, floods in some parts, so chunks of road were actually missing, rocks piled high on the road and one lane bridges that the van barely fit over and everything miserable that you wouldn't want a road to have. We could see the silhouettes of cactus and reflections on the water, but everything else was black.
There was nothing, I mean nothing. Every so often a light would appear and then very quickly disappear. This led to creepy speculations and chills up my spine. When my boyfriend says he's creeped out, it doesn't really make me feel any safer. The van would rattle, we'd roll up our windows. Something would creek or shift and I would get teary eyed and start nervously laughing. I think it would take a certain kind of person to live out there.
We finally seen headlights, they were pointed straight at the mountain side and another car was parked next to it. Rico hit the breaks, I told him not to hit the breaks and had him convince that they would come after us. Then he said they put on the reverse lights, yep we were freaking out. I bet some sketchy shit does go on out there. Then a car that was coming at us just pulled off and turned off their lights. A white truck passed and I saw it as a creepy lady waving a creepy wave at us and cringed again. She was the waitress the next day.
We got to Tortilla Flat and everything was closed. I say everything but there really isn't much there. A bar, a gift shop that contains the post office and a general store. We pulled into the campground across the street. Apparently, you need tags to camp in some parks in Arizona, which we didn't have. The camp host was a wirey man, he emerged from his camper shirtless and seemed a little looped. He was very kind though. He saw the "I support Alaskan grown" sticker and said that anyone who supports local things must be good. He let us camp for free. Thanks Deanne!!!
We pulled into a spot and the ceepyness showed its ugly face again. Weird noises and made up scenarios kept popping into my head. I at one point, swore that I heard a rattle snake and jumped back into the van. I don't even know what one sounds like. We climbed into our bags and tried to make ourselves comfortable. I was reading and trying to avoid the strange sounds and footsteps outside. I finally closed my book and decided that I would try to get some rest. It worked for a little bit, but kept waking myself up with the weirdness outside.
I woke up the next day and grabbed my book and headed to the picnic table to read for a bit. It was very pretty and not really that creepy in the daylight. We were tucked in a little canyon, cactus' everywhere and the sun shining. Right as I sat down I heard something, not human, howling from somewhere. I shook it off. I didn't think whatever it was would drag me off and eat me in broad daylight.
I read and waited for Rico to awaken, we packed up the van and ventured over to see what Tortilla Flat was all about. Nothing in the town opens until 9 AM. We went and poked our heads into the museum, it was quite interesting. It really is a town too tough to die.
We went into the restaurant and the waitress declared that she passed us last night on the road and she said that she had family in Alaska. I listened to the waitress banter about someone who came back and wanted their shifts back. Small town banter. Really small town. There are no phones, no cell service and no one seems to mind at all. They all seem content with being in a small town and amusing tourists as they pass through.
We headed the van in the direction of Tombstone. We got there and were greeted by cowboys on the corner, main street was shut down to through traffic with horse and buggies rolling around. We went and saw a gun fight, kind of show thing. It was kind of funny, one of the guys guns ended up getting jammed and he would say, "bang, bang," which really wasn't the same but still entertaining. We walked downtown on the graveled main street, all the shops had almost all the same things; shirts, fake guns, chaps, hats, badges and anything else that they could put Tombstone, AZ on.
We didn't stay there very long. We had places to go and things to do.
When we were leaving we drove so close to the border it was kind of odd feeling. Not because we were by the border but watching the border patrol on the hunt for human beings. They were everywhere, walking, driving and patrolling everywhere. I guess being in Arizona made that experience a little different too.
We made it to New Mexico! We were in need of a shower and some sleep. We saw a Love's truck stop so we stopped and I took my first truck stop shower. I was more like a pressure washer, not complaining, it was a damn good shower. We were planning on staying in the parking lot there but decided to keep driving to the rest stop that was on the map. It was a nice one, we kind of behind the rest stop in our own little area. There was a sign that warned of rattle snakes, I didn't even think I saw or heard any here. :) It did get pretty cold in the night though.
I had read about White Sands National Monument and thought it would be cool to see the white sands in the desert. We got there on a sunny day and I saw a sign for sleds and had no idea what that meant, when I asked the lady she showed us a video of people sledding the sand dunes on saucer sleds. I got all excited and got my sled and was ready to go out into the dunes and find a good place to go down. They give you wax to make your sled faster. I waxed and waxed and waxed and looked for a good place to go down. I tried a few with no results but alas found the sweet spot and went down a couple of times. It was really fun. The lady said it is a busy place on spring break, she sold over 900 sleds last year. It was really pretty too. Who would have thought that it also doubled as a missal testing site? Bring on the radiation.
We got to Roswell in the early afternoon. We realized that the museum was only open until 5 and it was already 4:30 so we thought it would be good to just find a place to stay for the night. The ladies at the counter told us about Bottomless Lakes, I called and it was only $14 to camp for the night. We drove out there, about 12 miles outside of Roswell. It was really pretty and kind of in the middle of nowhere. Perfect place for aliens to find us.
They didn't come. Or I don't remember if they did. I may have a new implant that I'm unaware of?
We woke up and went to the museum. It was super neat to see all the documents that they have from people who were around during the time of the crash. It was eye opening and then some of it was repeats of things that I've already heard. It was all really cool though.
So without a alien sighting or abduction we headed to Texas. I seem cotton fields for the first time. Huge bales of cotton. It was kind of odd to see, I'm used to corn and beans and stuff of that nature.
We got to Midland, Texas and found a campsite. The man that showed us to our spot was super excited to see the van. We had a mellow night.
Woke up the next morning and started our stretch of the journey to San Antonio. We passed through small Texas towns filled with old buildings, small town kindness and farms/ranches abound.
We did go through the Hill Country. It was really nice, very nice homes and ranches. It seemed like a slow pace and very nice scenery. Last time we were here we only saw a tiny bit of the Hill Country, it was nice to see again.
We made it to San Antonio to his sister and her husband's, Jen and Albert, house. We got to see his mom, she stopped over for awhile. They are all so nice, it's always nice to talk to them. It was good to see everyone.
We went to the botanical gardens and the McNay Museum yesterday. The gardens were so beautiful. There was a lady with a little radio flyer wagon who told us a lot of information about plants from south Texas. It was a warm day but had a really nice cool breeze to make it a beautiful day.
The McNay was cool too. It was nice to see art from many different decades and different styles. It was a good day.
So we are still in San Antonio. I don't know how long I'll be here. His dad is coming this weekend so I'll meet him and then decide if I'm going to keep driving or where I'm going to go.
Life is still a beautiful journey, hope this finds you all happy and healthy. I think I need a nap. Peace.
Friday, October 29, 2010
This is the life...
10/29
Well we are still in San Diego. I can't even say that we've done amazing things here. We went to Goodwill this morning, so Rico could get a shirt they wouldn't sell him yesterday and I witnessed 6 store models being stripped of their outfits. I guess they sold the Halloween costumes today. It was complete madness. He got his shirt. We've found our favorite, so far, coffee shop.
I'm not even going to make anything amazing up, we've been loafing. Couches, cable and a beautiful house (Thanks Scott, Cathy and Megan!) to hang out in has made us a little lazy. I even got to cook, in a real kitchen. There are enough channels that everyone in my hometown could have one, maybe two. It's a bit overwhelming, who the hell needs that much t.v.? By the time I figure out one show to watch, a commercial comes on and quickly forces me back into channel surfing. I've been slacking on my reading and my eyes are getting sore. It's sure nice not to have an agenda to make all this channel surfing possible.
We are heading to Henderson, NV to see a friend of Rico's, Jody. I'm not sure when we'll get there, leave here or what the plan is but it's not far from here whenever we do hit the road again. I've never been to Vegas so I'm kind of excited to witness the chaos. I better start scraping the pennies from the van...peace.
Well we are still in San Diego. I can't even say that we've done amazing things here. We went to Goodwill this morning, so Rico could get a shirt they wouldn't sell him yesterday and I witnessed 6 store models being stripped of their outfits. I guess they sold the Halloween costumes today. It was complete madness. He got his shirt. We've found our favorite, so far, coffee shop.
I'm not even going to make anything amazing up, we've been loafing. Couches, cable and a beautiful house (Thanks Scott, Cathy and Megan!) to hang out in has made us a little lazy. I even got to cook, in a real kitchen. There are enough channels that everyone in my hometown could have one, maybe two. It's a bit overwhelming, who the hell needs that much t.v.? By the time I figure out one show to watch, a commercial comes on and quickly forces me back into channel surfing. I've been slacking on my reading and my eyes are getting sore. It's sure nice not to have an agenda to make all this channel surfing possible.
We are heading to Henderson, NV to see a friend of Rico's, Jody. I'm not sure when we'll get there, leave here or what the plan is but it's not far from here whenever we do hit the road again. I've never been to Vegas so I'm kind of excited to witness the chaos. I better start scraping the pennies from the van...peace.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Images of happiness.
Canadian photo fun.
Sand shadows on the beach.
Most photographed lighthouse in the U.S.
Mr. Fishheads
Beer love.
Tilamook Cheese Factory. We love Cheese!
The short time van pet.
I love this pic. The best of everyone.
Even the kids in Portland protect their bikes.
Best grilled cheese Ever!
walking in Portland.
treetops.
Mt. Hood
heart.
Sucky.
shop time.
Newport sealions.
Lions club mascot at the mushroom festival.
Sprocket, Captain and the cat.
Sunset goodness.
There was actually a door that you go in.
Again, sucky.
The sealife is the best life.
My rock climber.
Ugh!
And it's the drive-thru tree. We didn't fit.
An early morning.
The Golden Gate.
Neil Young and sand between my toes.
10/23
I woke up with butterflies in my stomach and was filled with excitement about the show.
We got to the show around 1:45, just so we knew where it was. The gates didn't open until 3, we found parking and walked up towards the gate. As we stood in line there was a complete buzz around us, everyone seemed just as excited about the show as I was. We heard the sound checks going on and I got a little teary eyed. I knew then that it was gonna be good.
It was funny listening to people around us talking about who they had seen previous years and what they thought would happen at this show. The guy behind us had been to all but one of these shows, 23 total with this one.
I was trying to contain myself, I let out some squawks and giggles here and there. I was texting my friends trying to maintain. We inched our way along until finally, we made it in the front gates. We got the program with the line up and I about died. I already knew who was going to be there but seeing it in front of my face, in my hands was different.
My friend Chad and his lady friend, Whitney and their baby on board met us in the bar. Chad and I had the love of Neil Young in common when we met. Even danced to Harvest Moon one night at the Pit. So if there was anyone who should be there it was him. I also saw my first Neil Young show with Chad and Whitney's unborn baby. :)
We found our way to a grassy spot that Chad says, in all the years he'd been going to this show has the best sound, I think he is right.
I don't know where to begin to tell you about how absolutely fantastic this show was. I got to see the man that I have loved for a while now and music has meant so much to me. Someone that I've read about, dreamed of seeing and finally he stood on a stage in front of me, with many other great musicians. They were all so raw and real due to the show being only acoustic.
Neil came out upon that stage; tears in my eyes, my hair blowing across my face and the occasional rain drops splattering my glasses. I was just sure I was going to be one of those Michael Jackson fans who pass out, I didn't but very well could have. I don't think the feeling of that day will be going away any day soon. I got to see Neil Young with good friends, the boy I'm fond of and other people who enjoyed the music as much as I.
We didn't have blankets or ponchos, we obviously are not the most prepared concert goers, but rain and all it was a beautiful evening. Seven hours of pure ear-gasmic music.
We did end up spending the night in the parking lot in the van, I found a porta potty that hadn't even been used in the morning. Jackpot! It's the little things.
We got back on 101 and stopped to get a new windshield wiper, which was much needed, the wind and rain was sucking pretty bad. It was nice to be back on the road with no real plans. I had that song stuck in my head for a long time, "it never rains in California, but girl don't they warn ya, it pours, man it pours."
Palm trees and some funny shaped shrubbery and farm land passed by on the sides of the roads. There is the random shopping center here and there.
We got to farm and orchard area. Onions and garlic filled my nose. There are fields and fields of fresh produce and colors changing depending on whats growing, deep greens, dark purple, bright greens and browns where the crop had just been reaped.
The mountains looked dry, they seem like the perfect backdrop for a western movie. I could see John Wayne riding over that range.
Huge bunches of grapes dangled from the vines, they looked so ripe and delicious.
There was a spot that had quite a few oil rigs and huge plumes of smoke filled the air from the buildings beside them. There were deer roaming around on the other side of the highway.
The clouds were lingering low and seemed to threaten rain, it was quite a bit warmer though.
As we continued on I was like a kid on Christmas morning, looking at all the fruit that was dangling from the trees and laying underneath. There were rows and rows of; lemons, limes, apricots, oranges, pomegranates and avocados. I wanted to stop a few times and jump the fence to gather some fruit that looked like it would go to waste anyway. Instead we stopped at an avocado stand and bought some for, get this, .50 a piece! I say this because I love avocados and they weren't very cheap in Alaska. So I scored.
I walked in the water and on the beach in Malibu and giggled just because it seemed so funny to think that we were in Malibu.
We stopped at the Santa Monica Pier and walked around, played some games and I finally got my boyfriend to go on the ferris wheel. It was pretty neat.
We stopped at Knotts Berry Farm, we didn't really know what to expect. It was late, so we just walked up and I spotted Pink's, a hot dog hot spot in L.A. that I wanted to try. Their sister restaurant was there in the park so we got some spicy sausages and enjoyed it thoroughly.
One of the only things that Rico wanted to do is go to Sante Fe Springs, to Moon Eyes. It's a car parts and accessories store and they have car shows through out the year. It has to be one of his favorite stores. A man named Leonard was kind enough to give us a tour of the shop. He even let Rico sit in their race car, I don't know that I've seen him happier. It was cool to see everything being made and learn about how they made all the parts. They had some cool cars and a couple of cool bikes. I've been seeing their logo on t-shirts and things for 2 years. It was neat to see the source.
We drove through Huntington beach where they wanted $60/night for camping. We drove on. Through all the little beach towns that looked fun and finally got to Carlsbad to the state campground and parked not very far from the ocean. It was a little campground but nice.
10/26
The 22nd day on the road and here I sit, awaiting that glorious sun to roll upward into the sky. The moon is fading above me and the birds still asleep, I have no idea what time it is. The ocean fills me with awe; no matter the time, or weather it still roars on with so much passion and power.
The sounds of waves rolling and crashing are that of which no one cam make up. It's so deep and mighty and twists and turns fill my sould with sheer solitude. The sky is changing above me, colors are rapidly changing and clouds roll around making way for the sun. People are starting to awaken with the sun's calling, walking by, running by and letting their pets out. The can is sitting with dew filled windows and my boyfriend sleeps inside it.
The highway behind us is getting busier. The world is awakening...Peace.
10/27
We made it to San Diego yesterday morning. We went to the San Diego Zoo because Rico's cousin Cathy had a job interview (that she got!) so we wanted to kill some time. Us and about 500 little kids, must have been field trip day. It was kind of overwhelming, the zoo is huge. I think we both liked the polar bears the best. They have a pretty cool exhibit for them. The whole thing was very cool though.
We got to Cathy and Scott's early afternoon. Scott is out of town. We chatted it up with Cathy for awhile, she had to do some errands so we went with. We picked their daughter Megan up from school and went to the grocery store on base. My first military base. We came back and she cooked some awesome pasta and we just chilled out.
We got up today and took Cathy to the airport, then went to a cool little coffee shop. We have been taking full advantage of hanging out in a house today, we've just been doing some laundry and watching t.v. I think we're staying here until Friday. Hope everyone is awesome! Peace.
I woke up with butterflies in my stomach and was filled with excitement about the show.
We got to the show around 1:45, just so we knew where it was. The gates didn't open until 3, we found parking and walked up towards the gate. As we stood in line there was a complete buzz around us, everyone seemed just as excited about the show as I was. We heard the sound checks going on and I got a little teary eyed. I knew then that it was gonna be good.
It was funny listening to people around us talking about who they had seen previous years and what they thought would happen at this show. The guy behind us had been to all but one of these shows, 23 total with this one.
I was trying to contain myself, I let out some squawks and giggles here and there. I was texting my friends trying to maintain. We inched our way along until finally, we made it in the front gates. We got the program with the line up and I about died. I already knew who was going to be there but seeing it in front of my face, in my hands was different.
My friend Chad and his lady friend, Whitney and their baby on board met us in the bar. Chad and I had the love of Neil Young in common when we met. Even danced to Harvest Moon one night at the Pit. So if there was anyone who should be there it was him. I also saw my first Neil Young show with Chad and Whitney's unborn baby. :)
We found our way to a grassy spot that Chad says, in all the years he'd been going to this show has the best sound, I think he is right.
I don't know where to begin to tell you about how absolutely fantastic this show was. I got to see the man that I have loved for a while now and music has meant so much to me. Someone that I've read about, dreamed of seeing and finally he stood on a stage in front of me, with many other great musicians. They were all so raw and real due to the show being only acoustic.
Neil came out upon that stage; tears in my eyes, my hair blowing across my face and the occasional rain drops splattering my glasses. I was just sure I was going to be one of those Michael Jackson fans who pass out, I didn't but very well could have. I don't think the feeling of that day will be going away any day soon. I got to see Neil Young with good friends, the boy I'm fond of and other people who enjoyed the music as much as I.
We didn't have blankets or ponchos, we obviously are not the most prepared concert goers, but rain and all it was a beautiful evening. Seven hours of pure ear-gasmic music.
We did end up spending the night in the parking lot in the van, I found a porta potty that hadn't even been used in the morning. Jackpot! It's the little things.
We got back on 101 and stopped to get a new windshield wiper, which was much needed, the wind and rain was sucking pretty bad. It was nice to be back on the road with no real plans. I had that song stuck in my head for a long time, "it never rains in California, but girl don't they warn ya, it pours, man it pours."
Palm trees and some funny shaped shrubbery and farm land passed by on the sides of the roads. There is the random shopping center here and there.
We got to farm and orchard area. Onions and garlic filled my nose. There are fields and fields of fresh produce and colors changing depending on whats growing, deep greens, dark purple, bright greens and browns where the crop had just been reaped.
The mountains looked dry, they seem like the perfect backdrop for a western movie. I could see John Wayne riding over that range.
Huge bunches of grapes dangled from the vines, they looked so ripe and delicious.
There was a spot that had quite a few oil rigs and huge plumes of smoke filled the air from the buildings beside them. There were deer roaming around on the other side of the highway.
The clouds were lingering low and seemed to threaten rain, it was quite a bit warmer though.
As we continued on I was like a kid on Christmas morning, looking at all the fruit that was dangling from the trees and laying underneath. There were rows and rows of; lemons, limes, apricots, oranges, pomegranates and avocados. I wanted to stop a few times and jump the fence to gather some fruit that looked like it would go to waste anyway. Instead we stopped at an avocado stand and bought some for, get this, .50 a piece! I say this because I love avocados and they weren't very cheap in Alaska. So I scored.
I walked in the water and on the beach in Malibu and giggled just because it seemed so funny to think that we were in Malibu.
We stopped at the Santa Monica Pier and walked around, played some games and I finally got my boyfriend to go on the ferris wheel. It was pretty neat.
We stopped at Knotts Berry Farm, we didn't really know what to expect. It was late, so we just walked up and I spotted Pink's, a hot dog hot spot in L.A. that I wanted to try. Their sister restaurant was there in the park so we got some spicy sausages and enjoyed it thoroughly.
One of the only things that Rico wanted to do is go to Sante Fe Springs, to Moon Eyes. It's a car parts and accessories store and they have car shows through out the year. It has to be one of his favorite stores. A man named Leonard was kind enough to give us a tour of the shop. He even let Rico sit in their race car, I don't know that I've seen him happier. It was cool to see everything being made and learn about how they made all the parts. They had some cool cars and a couple of cool bikes. I've been seeing their logo on t-shirts and things for 2 years. It was neat to see the source.
We drove through Huntington beach where they wanted $60/night for camping. We drove on. Through all the little beach towns that looked fun and finally got to Carlsbad to the state campground and parked not very far from the ocean. It was a little campground but nice.
10/26
The 22nd day on the road and here I sit, awaiting that glorious sun to roll upward into the sky. The moon is fading above me and the birds still asleep, I have no idea what time it is. The ocean fills me with awe; no matter the time, or weather it still roars on with so much passion and power.
The sounds of waves rolling and crashing are that of which no one cam make up. It's so deep and mighty and twists and turns fill my sould with sheer solitude. The sky is changing above me, colors are rapidly changing and clouds roll around making way for the sun. People are starting to awaken with the sun's calling, walking by, running by and letting their pets out. The can is sitting with dew filled windows and my boyfriend sleeps inside it.
The highway behind us is getting busier. The world is awakening...Peace.
10/27
We made it to San Diego yesterday morning. We went to the San Diego Zoo because Rico's cousin Cathy had a job interview (that she got!) so we wanted to kill some time. Us and about 500 little kids, must have been field trip day. It was kind of overwhelming, the zoo is huge. I think we both liked the polar bears the best. They have a pretty cool exhibit for them. The whole thing was very cool though.
We got to Cathy and Scott's early afternoon. Scott is out of town. We chatted it up with Cathy for awhile, she had to do some errands so we went with. We picked their daughter Megan up from school and went to the grocery store on base. My first military base. We came back and she cooked some awesome pasta and we just chilled out.
We got up today and took Cathy to the airport, then went to a cool little coffee shop. We have been taking full advantage of hanging out in a house today, we've just been doing some laundry and watching t.v. I think we're staying here until Friday. Hope everyone is awesome! Peace.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Neil Young, I'm coming for you!!!
10/21
The van is on the highway again! The guys at the shop were super helpful and very knowledgeable.
We got on Highway 1 and were in for a bit of video game mentality driving. Curvy and narrow roads, that made me giggle for quite some time and then just zone out completely. Nothing for long stretches and then a couple houses or a little town would pop up.
We did get to see some beautiful coast that we could have slept at but I thought we should keep going. We even passed up a KOA.
And then there it stood the sign for one of the most famous trees ever. The one you can drive through. So we headed there and the van didn't fit but we took some pictures and browsed the out dated gift shop.
We continued and continued. It started to get dark and we were both a bit tired. We kept hoping that maybe the next little town would have somewhere to pull out. We did go to a state park but camping was almost $40. Lame. California must really be broke. So as we twisted and turned with the road looking over the dark edge that could have left us plummeting to our deaths, we decided to pull into a vista point and stay there for the night. We discovered that we can fit everything in the front seats and still pull the bed down, without popping the top. This would have been helpful on hell night at the rest stop.
So we ate the dinner of champions, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and hit the hay.
Friday.10/22
We got up super early and packed our stuff and decided to get on the road.
More curvy weird roads with roaring waves crashing way below us, down the cliffs. It was over cast and raining off and on.
We crossed the mighty Golden Gate for a whopping $6. It was foggy so didn't see it at it's fullness but you kind of get the jest of it, when something is so very large. We didn't really have any plans of staying in San Francisco, all though I do love the city and the short time that I have spent there.
We got to a stop light and the van didn't seem to want to idle on it's own. It was restarted and then again. Then it became Rico putting on the e-brake and revving it. Red-Green Show type of fix its only last so long. We got it running again and were going to pull over to check something out and right there in the bus lane in on coming traffic. It died. I jumped out and got the jumper cables and we tried to jump it. She got running again and we got back on the freeway. After, of course, finding our way there from the jumbled mess of streets that we had gotten ourselves into. I wanted to laugh out loud the first couple times, thinking, this is the story of us right now, but I knew that someone wouldn't and wasn't finding the humor in anything right then. I think he may have thrown his hands up and called it quits. :)
We got on the freeway, not saying a word and got to Mt. View. Pulled the van over and he popped the engine hood and there flapping around was a hose that had some how had broke free of it's zip tie. So after piling all of our belongings on to the street, he got it back on. This after a bunch of Asian people kept walking by and shaking their heads. Maybe in disgust that we were repairing a vehicle in their clean streets, maybe in sympathy. I once again had to hold back laughter.
So we headed out to find a place to stay. We first went on the search for mythical campsite number one. For anyone who thinks Highway 1 is a little curvy, we hit some really, really fucked up roads. Some parts were so narrow you couldn't fit two cars on it. I just kept thinking about the blurb of the spin off of Ice Road Truckers that I had seen at the previous hotel, when they were driving the Himalayas. I finally turned around when I realized on the map there was no little tent, so I figured it was just trails anyway.
So we back tracked and went on many more mythical campsite adventures. *People don't put little camper signs if you have NO camping!* Not one person in any town knew of any either. That could be lack of knowledge of the places surrounding them.
So after countless hours of crabbiness at the signs and each other and the people who didn't have a clue what we were talking about and the just wanting a shower and to flop our melons, we broke down and pulled into Watsonville and got a hotel. I took two showers just to make it count! Whatever, it was a bed and shower.
And I had time to book our tickets for at least the first day of the Bridge School Benefit Concert. Neil Young better have some security, I'm coming for him! Not to mention all the other cool bands that will be there. Yay!Yay!Yay! *Insert jumping heel click*
We decided that we are just going to sleep in the van after the show so we don't have to go on any wild goose chases for a place that just may not be there...Peace.
The van is on the highway again! The guys at the shop were super helpful and very knowledgeable.
We got on Highway 1 and were in for a bit of video game mentality driving. Curvy and narrow roads, that made me giggle for quite some time and then just zone out completely. Nothing for long stretches and then a couple houses or a little town would pop up.
We did get to see some beautiful coast that we could have slept at but I thought we should keep going. We even passed up a KOA.
And then there it stood the sign for one of the most famous trees ever. The one you can drive through. So we headed there and the van didn't fit but we took some pictures and browsed the out dated gift shop.
We continued and continued. It started to get dark and we were both a bit tired. We kept hoping that maybe the next little town would have somewhere to pull out. We did go to a state park but camping was almost $40. Lame. California must really be broke. So as we twisted and turned with the road looking over the dark edge that could have left us plummeting to our deaths, we decided to pull into a vista point and stay there for the night. We discovered that we can fit everything in the front seats and still pull the bed down, without popping the top. This would have been helpful on hell night at the rest stop.
So we ate the dinner of champions, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and hit the hay.
Friday.10/22
We got up super early and packed our stuff and decided to get on the road.
More curvy weird roads with roaring waves crashing way below us, down the cliffs. It was over cast and raining off and on.
We crossed the mighty Golden Gate for a whopping $6. It was foggy so didn't see it at it's fullness but you kind of get the jest of it, when something is so very large. We didn't really have any plans of staying in San Francisco, all though I do love the city and the short time that I have spent there.
We got to a stop light and the van didn't seem to want to idle on it's own. It was restarted and then again. Then it became Rico putting on the e-brake and revving it. Red-Green Show type of fix its only last so long. We got it running again and were going to pull over to check something out and right there in the bus lane in on coming traffic. It died. I jumped out and got the jumper cables and we tried to jump it. She got running again and we got back on the freeway. After, of course, finding our way there from the jumbled mess of streets that we had gotten ourselves into. I wanted to laugh out loud the first couple times, thinking, this is the story of us right now, but I knew that someone wouldn't and wasn't finding the humor in anything right then. I think he may have thrown his hands up and called it quits. :)
We got on the freeway, not saying a word and got to Mt. View. Pulled the van over and he popped the engine hood and there flapping around was a hose that had some how had broke free of it's zip tie. So after piling all of our belongings on to the street, he got it back on. This after a bunch of Asian people kept walking by and shaking their heads. Maybe in disgust that we were repairing a vehicle in their clean streets, maybe in sympathy. I once again had to hold back laughter.
So we headed out to find a place to stay. We first went on the search for mythical campsite number one. For anyone who thinks Highway 1 is a little curvy, we hit some really, really fucked up roads. Some parts were so narrow you couldn't fit two cars on it. I just kept thinking about the blurb of the spin off of Ice Road Truckers that I had seen at the previous hotel, when they were driving the Himalayas. I finally turned around when I realized on the map there was no little tent, so I figured it was just trails anyway.
So we back tracked and went on many more mythical campsite adventures. *People don't put little camper signs if you have NO camping!* Not one person in any town knew of any either. That could be lack of knowledge of the places surrounding them.
So after countless hours of crabbiness at the signs and each other and the people who didn't have a clue what we were talking about and the just wanting a shower and to flop our melons, we broke down and pulled into Watsonville and got a hotel. I took two showers just to make it count! Whatever, it was a bed and shower.
And I had time to book our tickets for at least the first day of the Bridge School Benefit Concert. Neil Young better have some security, I'm coming for him! Not to mention all the other cool bands that will be there. Yay!Yay!Yay! *Insert jumping heel click*
We decided that we are just going to sleep in the van after the show so we don't have to go on any wild goose chases for a place that just may not be there...Peace.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
The VW van Gods have shined their goodness on us...
10/21
Got up this morning and decided just to drive back to Eureka to find the VW shop with the crashed out van like ours. On our way there, Bill called. I told him we were on our way to the shop, he said, "neat." I think in a non sarcastic way.
They are men of the VW world. They seemed to know exactly what was going on, or at least most of it. We did end up getting some parts from the crashed out van that they had there at the shop. Sad for them but good for us. This should be yet another example that driving while chatting it up on your cell phone is bad people!
We are at a pizzeria that has wi-fi using up their Internet connection. We ordered drinks to sit here. Hopefully when we go back they will have the ignition switch put on and we can hit the black top again.
I talked to my friend Chad who was telling me about this great concert outside of San Fransisco. It was kind of funny because before we left Alaska I almost bought tickets to the same concert. It's a benefit concert that my crush of a lifetime helps put on every year, Mr. Neil "awesome, amazing, wonderful" Young. Hopefully, if we get there we can get some tickets. This is the first time Buffalo Springfield will be together since the late 60's I think. And the list of bands goes on and on.
Today is a great day folks! All that lucky penny rubbin' must have paid off...Peace.
Got up this morning and decided just to drive back to Eureka to find the VW shop with the crashed out van like ours. On our way there, Bill called. I told him we were on our way to the shop, he said, "neat." I think in a non sarcastic way.
They are men of the VW world. They seemed to know exactly what was going on, or at least most of it. We did end up getting some parts from the crashed out van that they had there at the shop. Sad for them but good for us. This should be yet another example that driving while chatting it up on your cell phone is bad people!
We are at a pizzeria that has wi-fi using up their Internet connection. We ordered drinks to sit here. Hopefully when we go back they will have the ignition switch put on and we can hit the black top again.
I talked to my friend Chad who was telling me about this great concert outside of San Fransisco. It was kind of funny because before we left Alaska I almost bought tickets to the same concert. It's a benefit concert that my crush of a lifetime helps put on every year, Mr. Neil "awesome, amazing, wonderful" Young. Hopefully, if we get there we can get some tickets. This is the first time Buffalo Springfield will be together since the late 60's I think. And the list of bands goes on and on.
Today is a great day folks! All that lucky penny rubbin' must have paid off...Peace.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Road Ramblings.
My dirty feet are resting on the dash, toes pressed against the windshield.
The hole in my jeans reveals that I haven't shaved very well for awhile.
The haze over the ocean feels like my it's seeping into my head.
The rock formations seem so out of place, standing in the middle of the ocean.
Yet they seem to fit so perfectly.
The waves crash against a seamless beach.
The sun seems to highlight every detail of each roaring wave.
The cool air from being tucked between the mountain and the trees feels good in my messy hair.
I see a sign that said ELK, obviously to watch for them.
Instead it makes me think of home and where I actually belong.
Maybe no where, maybe everywhere.
The beads and trinkets hanging from the rear view mirror are making shadows on my boyfriends hand as he holds the steering wheel.
The hole in my jeans reveals that I haven't shaved very well for awhile.
The haze over the ocean feels like my it's seeping into my head.
The rock formations seem so out of place, standing in the middle of the ocean.
Yet they seem to fit so perfectly.
The waves crash against a seamless beach.
The sun seems to highlight every detail of each roaring wave.
The cool air from being tucked between the mountain and the trees feels good in my messy hair.
I see a sign that said ELK, obviously to watch for them.
Instead it makes me think of home and where I actually belong.
Maybe no where, maybe everywhere.
The beads and trinkets hanging from the rear view mirror are making shadows on my boyfriends hand as he holds the steering wheel.
Engine troubles, foamy beer bubbles.
10/19
We picked the van up and it was kind of running right. Still not shifting as it should, but working.
Southern Oregon is just as beautiful and magical as the north.
We made it to Brookings! Oregon that is, not really on purpose but I wanted to check out Harris Beach. Which was by far one of the best beaches in our travels so far.
The sun seemed to be shining oh so perfectly through the rock formations in the water and reflecting off the remnants of the waves crashing into the shore.
We got to the beach by following this crazy little narrow path that switched back and forth, over and around rocks in our way. Rico at one point told me to climb up on this huge bolder, I asked if he had taken out a life insurance policy on me before we left? He didn't think it was as funny as I did. We walked around, my flip flops in hand, I poked and explored the sea life, while enjoying it immensely. Starfish gathered in packs on huge rocks, mostly purple and then the odd ball orange one every once in awhile.
We sat at one point and watched two guys in a kayak, try to make it past the waves to go fishing. Which they finally did do but their attempts keep everyone on the beach watching. And we actually clapped and applauded when they did.
It was quite relaxing and comforting to have sand squished between my toes and walking in just far enough to the ocean to get the bottoms of my rolled up pants wet.
We walked into town to check out the Brookings on this side of the country. (There is a Brookings, SD, that is only 17 miles from where I grew up.) We followed the little trail, watching the birds and little critters cross before us. Got a bite to eat in town, most everything was closed already and the one glass of wine I had made me a little sleepy. It sure was tasty though.
10/20
After a wonderful night on the beach in our campground, we awoke and got the van started and our stuff packed. I said, "It sounds like it's knocking," he said, "it is." What a shitty way to start a day.
We drove the couple miles to town and found a shop. Once again, no good news. Sheesh! The nice mechanic fairy has to come along sometime.
He said that we could continue driving it but the knocking in the engine would probably get louder and it would just blow up. Really? I love this van, why can't it just love me back?
We made a team decision and kept on driving. Did I mention that we are having trouble with the ignition still? So the steering column cover is now just off, so the wires can be wiggled when it needs to be started.
Outside of the repair shop I found a lucky penny. I've been rubbing the hell out of it. The knocking noise has remained away for now.
We crossed the California border! We were trying to get to Eureka, the guy said there is a VW repair place there.
We saw the Trees of Mystery outside of Klamath. It is quite amazing to see trees growing so huge for one and in such messed up formations for another. It was intriguing. They had a really neat Native American museum. We took the tram up went to the observation deck. It was a pretty foggy day so we didn't really get to see all that we had hoped. There were some chipmunks up there who were entertaining.
And of course, as we were getting ready to leave the van didn't want to start. So a jiggle of some wires and we were off. Seriously, if I rub this penny any harder I might have a penny fused into my fingers. Great something else to worry about. Melissa-penny-fingers.
So we made it to Eureka but kind of just kept driving through because we didn't know where Mr. VW Genius was located. We ended up just outside of there in some small town at the camp grounds. They do have a brewery here that we went and got a couple of frothy beers at, I think we both though we deserved one after the past few days. They say that they are the first organic brewery in the U.S. They were good beer and very wholesome I'm sure.
While waiting for laundry, Rico found who could just be Mr. VW Genius guy. About two minutes later as I browsed Craigslist looking for parts and whatnot, I found a van that had been smashed into and was being parted out. Guess what? It's the parts we need. And guess who's selling them? Yep. Mr.VW Genius guy. How strange. I'm really hoping that he still has the van and the parts. This is why I believe that everything happens for a reason. :)
We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of vans...Peace.
We picked the van up and it was kind of running right. Still not shifting as it should, but working.
Southern Oregon is just as beautiful and magical as the north.
We made it to Brookings! Oregon that is, not really on purpose but I wanted to check out Harris Beach. Which was by far one of the best beaches in our travels so far.
The sun seemed to be shining oh so perfectly through the rock formations in the water and reflecting off the remnants of the waves crashing into the shore.
We got to the beach by following this crazy little narrow path that switched back and forth, over and around rocks in our way. Rico at one point told me to climb up on this huge bolder, I asked if he had taken out a life insurance policy on me before we left? He didn't think it was as funny as I did. We walked around, my flip flops in hand, I poked and explored the sea life, while enjoying it immensely. Starfish gathered in packs on huge rocks, mostly purple and then the odd ball orange one every once in awhile.
We sat at one point and watched two guys in a kayak, try to make it past the waves to go fishing. Which they finally did do but their attempts keep everyone on the beach watching. And we actually clapped and applauded when they did.
It was quite relaxing and comforting to have sand squished between my toes and walking in just far enough to the ocean to get the bottoms of my rolled up pants wet.
We walked into town to check out the Brookings on this side of the country. (There is a Brookings, SD, that is only 17 miles from where I grew up.) We followed the little trail, watching the birds and little critters cross before us. Got a bite to eat in town, most everything was closed already and the one glass of wine I had made me a little sleepy. It sure was tasty though.
10/20
After a wonderful night on the beach in our campground, we awoke and got the van started and our stuff packed. I said, "It sounds like it's knocking," he said, "it is." What a shitty way to start a day.
We drove the couple miles to town and found a shop. Once again, no good news. Sheesh! The nice mechanic fairy has to come along sometime.
He said that we could continue driving it but the knocking in the engine would probably get louder and it would just blow up. Really? I love this van, why can't it just love me back?
We made a team decision and kept on driving. Did I mention that we are having trouble with the ignition still? So the steering column cover is now just off, so the wires can be wiggled when it needs to be started.
Outside of the repair shop I found a lucky penny. I've been rubbing the hell out of it. The knocking noise has remained away for now.
We crossed the California border! We were trying to get to Eureka, the guy said there is a VW repair place there.
We saw the Trees of Mystery outside of Klamath. It is quite amazing to see trees growing so huge for one and in such messed up formations for another. It was intriguing. They had a really neat Native American museum. We took the tram up went to the observation deck. It was a pretty foggy day so we didn't really get to see all that we had hoped. There were some chipmunks up there who were entertaining.
And of course, as we were getting ready to leave the van didn't want to start. So a jiggle of some wires and we were off. Seriously, if I rub this penny any harder I might have a penny fused into my fingers. Great something else to worry about. Melissa-penny-fingers.
So we made it to Eureka but kind of just kept driving through because we didn't know where Mr. VW Genius was located. We ended up just outside of there in some small town at the camp grounds. They do have a brewery here that we went and got a couple of frothy beers at, I think we both though we deserved one after the past few days. They say that they are the first organic brewery in the U.S. They were good beer and very wholesome I'm sure.
While waiting for laundry, Rico found who could just be Mr. VW Genius guy. About two minutes later as I browsed Craigslist looking for parts and whatnot, I found a van that had been smashed into and was being parted out. Guess what? It's the parts we need. And guess who's selling them? Yep. Mr.VW Genius guy. How strange. I'm really hoping that he still has the van and the parts. This is why I believe that everything happens for a reason. :)
We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of vans...Peace.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
10/16
We arrived at the shop around 9 A.M., after getting Dutch Brothers coffee. Not recommended. We got the pressure sensor and I sat in the sun reading my book waiting for it to be done. Kind of a tranquil way to spend a morning. Baby spiders creeped across my pages and flies landed on occasion. Cars passed on the highway and tools clanged on the stubborn old van. We got running again and Dan gave us our bill. (He was very good to us.) Highway 34 Towing is amazing. They treated us very, very well and did a good job. Even Gail at dispatch made me feel safer the night in the rest stop.
We got back on the highway and headed to the coast. We entered into Newport in the afternoon and found a spot to park down by the bay. It is a very touristy little town. Lots of people walking up and down the sidewalks enjoying the days sun. They were popping in and out of all the little shops along the way. We did this later. The nostalgia of it all wears off fast though. Every shop has kind of the same things. Just like any other touristy town.
The smell of fresh seafood lingered up and down the streets and the barking of sea lions echoed. We had some time to walk around before the underwater sea show thing. We went down and laughed at the sea lion fights going on below the docks. We went back and watched the underwater show, it was about ten minutes of a diver picking up sea life and some kid narrating what it all was. Not that great.
We ping ponged around, coming in and out of some little shops. Then continued driving.
There were lots of people on the beaches as we passed, sure looked beautiful. The trees on the highway coming out of Newport looked like they were picked straight from a Salvador Dali painting. The ocean front houses are magnificent. Some are painted calm soothing colors and others can't be missed with all their bold colors. The aroma of great smelling wood in campfires fill our noses.
We decided to stop in Yachats at the mushroom festival, I had just read about it in a newspaper. It was a lot of little local vendors and a room filled with more varieties then I knew existed. We bought some apples, a cucumber, of course Rico got some baked goods and some lotion. It was cool to see all the little local artists and their arts. It said it was for all fun-guys and fun-gals. :)
We were walking back to the van and saw a place called Cheese and Crackers. When we walked in you couldn't miss that delicious bakery smell. Some nice man there gave us samples of four different cheeses. One of which tasted like and old attic but actually had a lot of flavor after the old taste went away. We took a few for the road. I heart cheese!!
We just picked up two little hitchhiker kids, Sprocket and Captain. They were on their way to New Orleans for Halloween. Sprocket had a little kitten traveling with him, wearing tie-dye and sporting some dreads. Captain was quieter of the two. They offered to get us stoned, we declined. They then told us a kind of pointless story about hot boxing in a tent on Newport Beach the night before. We let them out when we got to the sea lion caves. I gave them some granola bars that they seemed quite elated about and headed back towards the road.
We went to the sea lion caves, which contained not one sea lion. We did get to go in a cave 200ft underground though. Still not as exciting as I thought it would be. We did have an excellent view of the most photographed lighthouse in the U.S. apparently.
We found a campground outside of Dunes City and set up for the night. It was quiet and had pressure washer showers.
Got up around 8 A.M. and thought we would be in California sometime today. Thought is the key word here. We were leaving the campground and he said that it wouldn't shift. We drove to Reedsport and found a Napa. I thought it would be a good idea to stop at least in a place that had a shop and Napa. He went into Napa and the guys suggested a shop but it is Sunday and no one is open. We drove the van to the shop that they suggested and no longer then 10 minutes had passed and the sheriff pulled up. I told her that we were having car troubles to which she said someone had called us in. So small town.
So here we are holed up all day in a hotel. It's alright. We have cable, a heated pool, that I took a dip in earlier and we don't have to walk through any kind of woods to get to the bathroom or pee in mother nature! I still wish we were in the van somewhere. I am keeping a good attitude and hope that it's not anything too big. Keepin' the faith. Peace.
We arrived at the shop around 9 A.M., after getting Dutch Brothers coffee. Not recommended. We got the pressure sensor and I sat in the sun reading my book waiting for it to be done. Kind of a tranquil way to spend a morning. Baby spiders creeped across my pages and flies landed on occasion. Cars passed on the highway and tools clanged on the stubborn old van. We got running again and Dan gave us our bill. (He was very good to us.) Highway 34 Towing is amazing. They treated us very, very well and did a good job. Even Gail at dispatch made me feel safer the night in the rest stop.
We got back on the highway and headed to the coast. We entered into Newport in the afternoon and found a spot to park down by the bay. It is a very touristy little town. Lots of people walking up and down the sidewalks enjoying the days sun. They were popping in and out of all the little shops along the way. We did this later. The nostalgia of it all wears off fast though. Every shop has kind of the same things. Just like any other touristy town.
The smell of fresh seafood lingered up and down the streets and the barking of sea lions echoed. We had some time to walk around before the underwater sea show thing. We went down and laughed at the sea lion fights going on below the docks. We went back and watched the underwater show, it was about ten minutes of a diver picking up sea life and some kid narrating what it all was. Not that great.
We ping ponged around, coming in and out of some little shops. Then continued driving.
There were lots of people on the beaches as we passed, sure looked beautiful. The trees on the highway coming out of Newport looked like they were picked straight from a Salvador Dali painting. The ocean front houses are magnificent. Some are painted calm soothing colors and others can't be missed with all their bold colors. The aroma of great smelling wood in campfires fill our noses.
We decided to stop in Yachats at the mushroom festival, I had just read about it in a newspaper. It was a lot of little local vendors and a room filled with more varieties then I knew existed. We bought some apples, a cucumber, of course Rico got some baked goods and some lotion. It was cool to see all the little local artists and their arts. It said it was for all fun-guys and fun-gals. :)
We were walking back to the van and saw a place called Cheese and Crackers. When we walked in you couldn't miss that delicious bakery smell. Some nice man there gave us samples of four different cheeses. One of which tasted like and old attic but actually had a lot of flavor after the old taste went away. We took a few for the road. I heart cheese!!
We just picked up two little hitchhiker kids, Sprocket and Captain. They were on their way to New Orleans for Halloween. Sprocket had a little kitten traveling with him, wearing tie-dye and sporting some dreads. Captain was quieter of the two. They offered to get us stoned, we declined. They then told us a kind of pointless story about hot boxing in a tent on Newport Beach the night before. We let them out when we got to the sea lion caves. I gave them some granola bars that they seemed quite elated about and headed back towards the road.
We went to the sea lion caves, which contained not one sea lion. We did get to go in a cave 200ft underground though. Still not as exciting as I thought it would be. We did have an excellent view of the most photographed lighthouse in the U.S. apparently.
We found a campground outside of Dunes City and set up for the night. It was quiet and had pressure washer showers.
Got up around 8 A.M. and thought we would be in California sometime today. Thought is the key word here. We were leaving the campground and he said that it wouldn't shift. We drove to Reedsport and found a Napa. I thought it would be a good idea to stop at least in a place that had a shop and Napa. He went into Napa and the guys suggested a shop but it is Sunday and no one is open. We drove the van to the shop that they suggested and no longer then 10 minutes had passed and the sheriff pulled up. I told her that we were having car troubles to which she said someone had called us in. So small town.
So here we are holed up all day in a hotel. It's alright. We have cable, a heated pool, that I took a dip in earlier and we don't have to walk through any kind of woods to get to the bathroom or pee in mother nature! I still wish we were in the van somewhere. I am keeping a good attitude and hope that it's not anything too big. Keepin' the faith. Peace.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Some snap shots of the world around us.
Leaving AK.
No one was too happy about the snow.
Wild beasts galore.
The Northern traveling bible.
Sign Post Forest.
And they got pretty close.
Hoku in the rearview.
Peanut butter and jelly dinner.
Rough start in beautiful Liard.
We left a mark on the way down.
These came in very handy. Thanks Tony and Ann.
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