Grand Canyon and Historic Route 66

South from Kanab, UT, I stopped at the south rim of the Grand Canyon. I'd been to the north rim almost 40 years ago and remember how breathtaking it was.  It still is - I can't imagine another place in this country that can match the Grand Canyon!!  I used my phone camera because I just wanted to drink it in, and not worry about figuring out how to use my better camera at that stage of the game.  Lady made friends (as she always does), and someone took a picture of us.  There is no picture, no professional photograph even, that I've ever seen that does justice to seeing it in person.  All I can say is, if you haven't gone, put it on your bucket list. Now!

From there, I drove south again ...

Nat King Cole had the most popular version of the song "Route 66" which is why I've chosen to put it here, but so may others have done it that it's worth looking up on YouTube to see! Everyone from Chuck Berry to The Rolling Stones to John Mayer!  Even Depeche Mode. (I know, right? Hope you're reading this, Viva!).

I started on Route 66 in Flagstaff, AZ.  Not a lot there except a short strip, so thought I would catch more down the road. Historic Rte 66 runs tandem with the "new" I-40 and, while I had read there was still a lot to drive on, most is gone.  Next stop was in Winslow, AZ where I stopped at the information center to see how far I could go on Rte 66.  Alas, there wasn't a lot.  However, I have to say that of all the towns I stopped in to catch a glimpse of "America's Highway," Winslow cornered the market. Most of it has to do with the Eagles "Take It Easy" (standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona) and they don't care - they are taking advantage of it! This is a live version when they were young - but a little trivia a lot of people don't know - Jackson Browne actually wrote the song (and if you know me, you know how much I love him!).

I'll pause here for a moment to explain why Route 66 has so much meaning to me.  My parents divorced when I was 2 or 3 years old, and they'd lived in LA since the late 1940's.  My grandparents (Mom's parents) lived in Garden City, KS. I think almost every year of my life until I was 14 we moved from California to Kansas, or vice-versa, and of course the only road then to travel on was Route 66.  I don't remember a lot - mostly that I rode in the backseat of a pretty packed car, and stopped at places like Stuckey's and fresh bing cherry stands, and an occasional Native American stand. I think that's when I developed my wanderlust.

So ... next night in Albuquerque, NM, then on to Amarillo, TX.  I was mostly on I-40 because I just wasn't sure where or how to find the old road, except in cities/towns that had a little piece still preserved.  Going through Gallup, NM was almost just like I remembered as a kid - a place I never cared for. Although I couldn't name the reason then, I think it was because of the poverty I saw there more than most places.  But the fun part was Elk City, OK (after leaving Amarillo) where I got to see another cousin, Glenna (a first cousin to my mother) who owns a café and gift shop on Route 66 (The Country Dove - stop and tell her I said hi), and her French Silk Pie recipe is found in the Route 66 cookbook. It was as delicious as I'd hoped it would be! We had such a great time catching up on family, and reunions, and what cousins are up to - I just wish I'd had more time to spend there! We talked about how much fun another reunion would be ... Here are pics of us, and one she took of Lady who was a good traveler, but getting tired of the backseat:

Next stop was back to Emporia, KS to see my High School bestie again!  Only got 2 days this time, but had to start working my way back home.  Just before I got there, her husband Steve had shoulder replacement surgery, and I have to say he was doing really well.  Shelley did a great job of taking care of him, which helped.  It was sad to say goodbye, but I'm hoping I can talk them into coming to NY for a visit in the not-too-distant future!

So the next 3 nights (Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania) have all been stops just to get me closer to home.  I'm in Erie tonight (yay - finally caught up on my blog!) and tomorrow I'll go to Syracuse to go "full circle" - seeing friends from the beginning of the trip.  It will feel good to get home ... I'll add a few pics from Syracuse, and a couple of "thoughts" about this trip as a "PS" once I'm home, unpacked, and have started to rest and do laundry.  I know Lady will be SO excited to be in her own backyard again! 💗

Starting East

How can I not start my post about Las Vegas without "Viva Las Vegas" by Elvis?  I admit, I was more a part of the Beatles generation, and didn't care for Elvis until on one of my Thelma & Louise summer trips with my friend Sally, we stopped at Graceland in Memphis.  Loved it! And I developed a whole new appreciation for what a beautiful voice he had, which was stifled by his manager in terms of pigeon-holing him into stupid movies.  Another favorite song about Vegas is "Let's Go to Vegas" by Faith Hill.  It always makes me think of a friend (who shall remain unnamed) - but a fun way to get married.  Ironically, both of those songs are about the Vegas strip and the stereotype we have about "Sin City" but my cousins Kristie and Randy don't live near there, and only go when company wants to go. I saw enough of the strip driving by on the way to their house (although Kenny and I went twice and both times saw the Beatles' Cirque du Love - highly recommended!) 

Kristie is a cousin I grew up with in LA - we all lived in the South Bay (beach) area - they were in Manhattan Beach.  She has 2 sisters (that unfortunately I didn't get to see on this trip), Lorie and Jodie. Kristie and I were trying to figure out exactly what kind of cousins we are - my Mom and her Dad were first cousins; my grandmother and her grandfather were brother and sister.  Again, a missed opportunity for a selfie, but below is the family picture of our grandparents, their parents, and all their siblings.  There were 16 children; 2 died in infancy and one at age 16 - the other 13 all lived in southwest Kansas, or the Oklahoma or Texas panhandles, and were very close to each other.  Kristie's grandfather (my great Uncle Emmett) was top middle with the curly hair.  My grandmother (Lona Belle) is standing next to her mother with the cute pigtails.

So Kristie and I spent a lot of time catching up, and sharing family memories.  We even got cousin Treva on the phone from Denver to tell more stories of family - and Kristie was able to share some things that Treva didn't know.  We went out for Mexican food (I tried as many Mexican restaurants as I could on this trip) - which was delicious! The second night I was there I got to meet her granddaughters (who came to dinner with Mom & Dad), Ellie and Piper and they were adorable! I hope to get back there again and spend more time with them. And did I mention she has a fenced in yard so Lady was beyond happy?  

I drove north from Vegas to Salt Lake City where I was asked to work at the OPALS/MediaFlex booth with Julie and Ann (two recently retired librarians) and Harry (owner/CEO) and his daughter, Andrea. Numbers for this year's national AASL (American Association of School Librarians) conference were low - I didn't get numbers but probably 25% - 33% of their usual participants, largely due to the pandemic we're still dealing with. Even so, quite a few interested librarians stopped by the booth to chat.  What I learned is the amount of work that vendors have to put in to setting up and taking down their booths!  Next time you're at a conference, hope you'll take time to appreciate that!  OPALS is the library automation system that we supported at WSWHE BOCES where I retired as the School Library System Director - it's a great system, and the service and support that we get from Harry and Andrea and their staff is phenomenal!

I had planned on boarding Lady during the conference, and put her in the first day but was really distressed at it (cold concrete floors, small spaces, a LOT of loud, barking dogs) so when I found out the hotel I was in was pet-friendly, I sprung her as early as I could the next day. (Did I mention I cried when I was driving away?) She had to stay in her crate in the hotel room while I was gone but I took her for a good walk each morning before leaving, came back for another walk at lunch, another when I got back in the afternoon, and another night walk. Needless to say, I got more exercise than I had planned on - but worth it!

After AASL, I headed south to get on Route 66 (next post). I stayed in a town called Kanab, UT which was so picturesque; in fact, they're known for several western movies shot near there.  It had a great park for Lady to walk, and the scenery was beautiful. I'd have to say that, other than the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Utah as a whole had some of the best natural beauty - recommend taking a trip there if you haven't already.

Next up - Route 66.

California - Part 2

 Southern Cal:

Driving south on 101 as much as possible, I have to start with Jackson Browne's "Running on Empty" - and not just because of his reference to that, but also because when I look back, I find myself wondering the same thing - I don't know when the road turned onto the road I'm on ...

Spent one night in San Luis Obispo - I think I would have enjoyed it more if I'd arrived before dark, but was late getting out of San Fran area.  The traffic out of the city was awful, but once I got far enough away, out on the Pacific Coast Highway, it got much better.  Looking out at the endless Pacific Ocean always soothes the soul for me! I followed my GPS instead of my instincts (should have stayed on 101) at the top of LA and, again, traffic was crazy.  But eventually I made it to down to Orange County where I stayed near the John Wayne Airport.  My niece and nephew live in OC, and I wanted to be close to them for my time in LA.

I had the BEST time seeing them, catching up, and spending quality family time.  I spent time with Viva and Terry (her husband) and their kids, Max and Eve - such a lovely, loving family! We went to Baskin Robbins almost every night after dinner (hoping that I am now the kids' favorite auntie - ha!). Lady and JuJu, their dog, were best friends after Lady finished her Cujo act! We watched the first Paddington Bear movie, and now when I get back I look forward to watching the second one with Hugh Grant as the villain! I met my nephew Jordan's girlfriend, Hayley, when we went to dinner.  She and I bonded over our love of murder and mayhem - we just leave the middle-man out of it now and text directly. I loved having quality time with both Viva and Jordan who I absolutely adore, and don't get to see nearly often enough!!  Here are pics of me with Viva, and one of Jordan and Hayley:

I also got to spend time with my sweetheart of a sister-in-law, Barbara, and went down to where she has a couple of booths at an antiques mall, and snagged a couple of fun things. Here she is with Viva and me:

Of course, I have to share one of Lady and JuJu playing together.  They wore each other out!  It was great - not enough energy to bark at other dogs - ha!

And last, but not least, San Diego!! This was just about halfway through the trip, and I wanted to spend a few days (4) in my favorite place for "R&R" - just for me. I booked a room at the San Diego Mission Bay Resort and got a room with a patio. Sure, the view was of the parking lot, but it was a short walk to a large park, and to Mission Bay. This was far from The Eagles' "Hotel California" but it has to be included in here - and this is my favorite version - from their "Hell Freezes Over" tour after they got back together.

Lady and I spent time exploring some of my favorite places - Balboa Park, La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach (where I lived when I was stationed there) and Mission Beach.  I did a little fun "house hunting" in Senior Communities (modulars) and looked at a lot of condos online.  Alas, that will have to wait until I win the lottery ... A pic from my patio, and one of what would have been a beautiful sunset except I was waiting at the light because I knew I wouldn't make it back in time before it was gone. I think I need to spend more time there!!! (In San Diego, not stopped at a light).

Again, not impressed with the pictures I've taken, or the few numbers.  I was just enjoying as much as I could, and kept forgetting to capture for posterity!

Next up - Las Vegas and Salt Lake City ...

California - Part 1

 Northern California:

I think the best way to introduce my travels from Denver to California is with Led Zeppelin's "Going to California."  I realize not everyone may be a fan of theirs, and apologies that there are no pictures (but you can also see live versions on YouTube) but I think it's fitting.

After finally getting out of Denver, I spent my first night in Rock Springs, WY and the second in Elko, NV.  While neither of those knocked my socks off, I must say that the scenery was, for the most part, beautiful and rugged. John Wayne country, for sure!  I arrived late afternoon/early evening at the Berkeley Marina. It was 3 long days of travel, and Lady and I were both grateful for a couple of days in one place, without too much time in the car.  I spent my first day with my lovely friend, Devon, to whom I owe so much!  She took me in when I left Kansas just after turning 17, and was kind and generous and let me find my way in the world. I was there for 8 months the first time, and returned about a year later for another 4 - 6 months (can't remember exactly).  It was there that I joined the Navy in search of self and a college degree, and she was most supportive and encouraging!  True friends do that.  

After I picked her up in Oakland, we went over to San Francisco to see her son, Cosmo, who I've known since he was not even 2 years old.  When he was little one of my favorite things to do with him was to sing along (and pantomime) to Paul McCartney's "Admiral Halsey/Uncle Albert" - such a sweet kid! We had a great time catching up, and went to lunch just down the street from his apt. Before we left the city to return to Oakland, I took him to pick up his daughter from Middle School - she's lovely!  I only got a couple of pics, and the one of Cosmo and his daughter he took for me after we left.  I'm pretty bad at remembering to get selfies - having too much fun and conversation!  Here are pics of me and Devon, and Cosmo and Espy:

I also met my cousin, Linda, and had a great couple of hours with her.  I didn't get a selfie of us, but here's a pic she took of me and Lady on her back deck.  She has a great house - lots of windows, and a wall of (mostly her) artwork - also pictured below:

My friend Christine, a former student from Queensbury HS, came over to where I was staying in Berkeley and we enjoyed a drink by a fire in the bar. After, she told me it was the first time she'd been in a restaurant since the pandemic first shut things down, so was glad it was a quiet evening, with nobody sitting near us.  On my way out of town, I stopped to visit Judith, a friend of Devon's who I knew from the 70's - also a wonderful artist! - and have recently gotten reacquainted with through Facebook.  Love her posts!

Next post - heading to Southern Cal!

Hmmm ...

 Guess if I'd read my last post earlier, I wouldn't have repeated myself.  Oh, well!  

Catching Up - Again!!

  

2 weeks since the last post!  While I want to add more as I go, when I'm visiting friends and family, I often don't get back until late and so have those visits as a priority.  But let's talk about what's happened since I last posted ...

After a wonderful few days with Shelley and Steve, and Candy and Keith, Shelley and I drove to Denver together.  We left later than planned (shock!), and then stopped in Oakley, KS where there is a huge statue of Buffalo Bill (Jones).  That's important because he was very influential in my hometown of Garden City, but also because of his efforts to save the buffalo (a herd he had in Garden City), he was able to give a lot of them to parks, including Yellowstone, and is responsible in large part for increasing herds across the country.

While we were in Denver, we had lunch with my cousin Treva and her husband Homer and their son Steve. Lady pulled her "Cujo" with their dog, but after a few minutes wanted to play, and was so "enthusiastic" that their dog, Bailey, finally found a place to hide from her!  Treva and I caught up on some family memories of reunions in Adams, Ok.  My grandmother (Lona Belle) and Treva's mother (Nellie) were sisters - in a family of 16 children, 13 of whom lived to adulthood.  We used to have family reunions every summer around my great-Grandmother (Florida Jane's) birthday.  Often there were over 100 people there ranging in age from newborn to 80's or 90's.  A favorite activity each year was the auction where people brought anything and everything from sandhill plum jelly to costume jewelry to sell. A great uncle and a couple of cousins were auctioneers for a living, so made for a lively evening.  Those were a very special part of my childhood, and it was great to share those memories.  

I got Shelley to the airport on time on Monday morning, though the light for low tires kept coming on and I couldn't figure out how to get them aired up (I know how, but the machines they have everywhere were a mystery to me).  As it turned out, I had a screw in one of the tires, and I'm not sure why the 6 tire places nearby all had a 2 - 3 hour wait for a fix, but it delayed my leaving.  The nice thing is that there was no charge (but I tipped Veronica who fixed it), and Lady and I set off for a night in Rock Springs, WY.  From there, on Tuesday, we headed to Elko, NV and on Wed evening we got to the Bay Area near San Francisco.  They were 3 long days of travel, and each night we were exhausted - then had to get up and do it again.  But it was the only way to get to San Francisco!

Because all of the friends I wanted to visit lived in Oakland or nearby, we stayed at the Double Tree at the Berkeley Marina.  Very nice - but the road to get there was in such disrepair that it made the road into camp seem like a paved highway!!  I'm posting a picture below of the marina.  We had a view of the parking lot, but it didn't bother us.  Two funny stories from there:  My room had a small patio where I went out.  One morning I saw a woman leaving out of the room a couple patios down - carrying an overnight bag and her shoes, and climbing over the patio wall.  Hmmm ... Then the following evening a young man was out on the patio next to mine looking very frustrated.  Apparently, when he closed the sliding glass door, the security bar accidentally fell and he couldn't get back in. He had the room key, but had bolted the door before he went out to the patio!  The maintenance guy was there for about a half hour before he gave up - the person who had the tool to get the bolt unlatched wasn't on duty until the next day, so they had to give the poor kid another room for the night - with none of his stuff with him.  Better to have observed than have it happen to me!

Next post(s) will be my California visits in Oakland (San Francisco), Los Angeles (Orange County) and San Diego. After that will be Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and current. Hope to get those done sooner than this one!  

A Week in Kansas

Note: Since I haven't posted in over a week, this may be a bit long to catch up - I'll either make it 2 posts, or just apologize in advance.  We'll see ...

When I left my friend John and Patty in Terre Haute, I headed to Hamilton, MO - home of Quilting Mecca!  I didn't spend too much time there, but it was wonderful to see!  Hoping I may get back there again on my way home.  Not sure I can fit much more in my car, but there is always the "We Ship" way to go. 😉

Next stop was Emporia, KS where I met up with my High School BFF, Shelley, and her husband Steve.  As I was driving there, I was trying to think about how long we've been friends, and realized this summer was 50 years!!! I had such a great time there - great food (thanks, Steve!) and great conversations trying to catch up and at the same time just picking up where we left off.  Before the pandemic, we talked every few months, but since Zoom became such a great option, we've been "seeing" each other more often.  Yet we never run out of things to say or to laugh about!  I arrived on a Friday and Shelley and I spent Saturday as a jammies day - out on the porch in the Kansas heat, and decided somewhere around 3 or 4 in the afternoon that it was 5 o'clock somewhere, and opened the wine.  They have a fenced in back yard, but early Saturday morning Lady spotted a deer, and when I looked up I thought "Hmmm ... she looks like she's on the other side of the fence."  Sure enough, she found a place to dig under, and when she spotted a Mama Deer and her 2 babies, off she went!  Good news is after about 10 minutes of whistling and calling her, suddenly she reappeared with a happy grin and wagging her tail.  I was not as happy - but at least she came back.  We blocked the hole, but she had a couple more minor incidents of escape (out the garage door then the front door) - and all ended well.  Still makes me nervous ... silly girl - she's a runner!

Sunday Shelley's sister Candy and her husband Keith came by on their way home from a KC Chiefs football game (so jealous!). They'd won tickets and were in the 19th row near one of the end zones.  I thought it was close enough to go down and give Mahomes a few tips ... 

On Tuesday, Shelley and I set off (with Lady in the backseat sharing space with a suitcase) to my hometown, Garden City, KS. There we stayed with Candy and Keith, and for the most part Lady was on her best behavior. We had a great time, and I got to see my brother, who came from Atlanta. Of course, we had lunch twice at our favorite Mexican restaurant, El Zarape and I'm hoping to have a souvenir t-shirt waiting for me when I get home.  We also had lunch with my brother at "Traditions" which is an old-fashioned soda shop, formerly known as Myers in my day.  Not sure when they opened - maybe the '50's??  Anyway, it's gone through a couple of owners and currently the owner is a classmate of ours from the Class of 1973, and they still have great grilled tuna and cheese sandwiches and chocolate malts.  When we were done there, Keith drove us around (in his amazing most cowboy pick-up truck I'd ever been in!) to show us all the changes that our town has gone through since we left in the 1970's.  Of course I've been back several times since (our class has had a reunion every 5 years since graduations and I've attended a lot of them), and my grandparents were there until they passed.  We drove to the cemetery where my brother and I visited our grandparents' graves (see pic below).

Of course I had to go to the local quilt shop - A Quilted Crow - which is wonderful and I highly recommend if you go to southwest Kansas! We ran into a friend who worked there who I haven't seen since high school!  I also got the chance to visit another friend I've known since elementary school, Velda (I can't believe I didn't get a selfie of us!) - she moved there from Lubbock, TX and had a pair of turquoise cowboy boots that made me very envious in 4th grade.  😍  We also went by to see Buzz, a friend since high school but he was in my brother's class.  He stopped by Candy's later and it was so much fun to listen to them talk about all the people and gossip of GC - some things about small towns never change!

Here's a picture of Candy & Keith, and Keith with his "Cowboy Hall of Fame" induction that a friend of his made to honor him.  Keith was a working cowboy (on horseback - none of this 4-wheeler stuff!) for over 30 years. And I don't think there are many people in Garden City that he and Candy don't know.  He serves on the board of the Historical Museum, and will be happy to tell you the story of the Fleagle Gang, who came from Garden City. I didn't get the chance to see it, but apparently there's now a room at the museum dedicated to Garden City's most infamous crimes - the Fleagles, and of course the murder of the Clutter family which was documented by Truman Capote's In Cold Blood which created a new genre of "Non-fiction novel."  Sometime I'll tell you about my family connections to that, but will give you a hint with the picture below of Truman with my niece, Viva.

Finally, Shelley and I went to Denver to see my cousin Treva and her husband Homer.  Their son, Steve, also joined us for lunch and it was so wonderful to catch up! Of course, Lady had to go all Cujo with their dog Bentley through the screen for a few minutes, but once they were friends, she would not leave him alone.  Poor guy ... Treva had just gotten a few items from another cousin that included a guest book from several of our family reunions. My grandmother and Treva's mother were sisters - 16 siblings altogether!  13 lived to adulthood, and every summer since the 1940's (actually I think they started earlier than that), the whole family - all the siblings and their kids and grandkids - got together for a long weekend in July.  I went to several as a child and teenager, then as an adult we had one in Garden City to celebrate my grandmother's 90th birthday (the last surviving child), and two more in Denver.  Such wonderful memories ...

So - now you're caught up and sorry for the long read!!  After Denver, Shelley went back to Kansas, and Lady and I spent a night in Wyoming and now a night in Nevada before heading to San Francisco tomorrow.  It's the longest day of driving yet - almost 8 hours (I try to keep it to around 6 a day but how can you be 2 hours from the City by the Bay and not keep going??).  Stay tuned - more to come from a little over a week in California starting tomorrow.