Buckets of Rain

September 30, 2010

What a day!  Rain by the bucket.  Not just an occasional rain by the bucket, but bucket after bucket, after bucket.  It was like going through the carwash without the soap.  I tried romanticizing it – like – Misty clouds rise and fall along the roadside landscape.  Freshly washed leaves the colors of brown and red and yellow shine as we roll through Pennsylvania.  BUT this was just a fleeting thought drowned out by the buckets of rain. 

We had a ray of hope when the rain stopped while we were at Monticello.  A tour of Thomas Jefferson’s home began in the rain, but as it ended there truly was just a light mist.  In just the brief time we had at Monticello I learned how little I knew about Jefferson.  At 33 he wrote the Declaration of Independence and served as Vice-President, Secretary of State, President, Statesman – that I remembered.  It seems his mind never rested.  He was continually inventing things to make life better like a coffee urn! He borrowed ideas he saw and customized them for his home use.  He installed dumb waiters in his home to deliver food from the kitchen to the room off the dining room; he designed a pivoting door with shelves that allowed food to be placed on the shelves.  When the door was rotated the food was available to the butler who then served the guests. As a farmer he was one of the first to see the depletion of continuous tobacco crops on the soil and began crop rotations.  He tried new plant varieties, loved books, collected originals in their original language and then read them voraciously. 

The remainder of the day was spent defying the logic of the GPS to actually deliver us to our destination.  We arrived, but not without a few a few side of the road negotiations and aerobic map reading exercises.  Locked in our own battle with the GPS, we managed to miss the road to the Manassas Battlefield where Jackson received the nickname “Stonewall”.  Then we arrived too late to see the Antietam Civil War  Battlefield site of the bloodiest single day battle in US history. 

Tomorrow we are definitely going to Gettysburg – this was our major destination and I have complete confidence we will be there when they open.

Saying Good-bye.

Day 22 September 29, 2010

North Carolina to Virginia

Fast morning.  There’s always more to last minute packing than I think.  And today it was harder than I wanted.  Needing to go and wanting to stay.  Driving away with Sara holding Analiese and waving good bye, I cried.

A Sentimental Day

A Sentimental Day

Our last day at Sara's began the same as they often do.  "Good morning Grandma!  Time to get up."  Even if I'm awake, I quickly pull the covers up and pretend to be asleep just to get this special treatment.  Sometimes we talk about what we dreamt about last night and sometimes we talk about what we're going to do today. It's a fleeting, special, cozy moment.

But today I knew our time here was soon to be over.  Joe's delayed flight yesterday meant that today would be another day of getting ready to say good-bye.  The day is anything but routine.  Analiese goes to pre-school for 'brown day' all dressed in her pink cowgirl boots, brown skirt, and green puppy          t-shirt.  She skips in happily and begins coloring brown cookies, monkeys, and barrels and we return home.  Everyone's packing, cleaning, working on computer stuff-we keep busy until pre-school's over.

Time after lunch moves at a quicker pace and soon it's time to head to the airport.  This has been a special time together.  Snuggle time, story time, play time, meal time, family picture time, not enough time.  We head to the airport and say our good byes.  A few tears, quickly brushed away, and Joe moves beyond the airport doors and we move on.  A few routine errands, dinner at the deli brings a sense of normalcy to the evening.

Back home it's pajama time - story time - snuggle time with Analiese.  Five Little Ladybugs and Hansel and Gretel bring her day to a close.  We learn how to send our wishes out at the end of the night.  She says, "I love mom and I love dad and Jasmine, and Nico, and Lena (the pets) and I love grandma and grandpa.  I wish everyone to be happy and safe."  She blows her kisses into the air and I catch some.  She throws her arms into the air and catches some kisses too.  "Grandma, you're the best!", she giggles.

The rest of the evening is wrapping up lose ends,  packing and getting ready to leave.  Photoshop consumes Sara and Jack's time.  We end the night with a little TV.  My heart wants to stay and help my 'little girl', but she's not a little girl anymore.  I will always be here for her when she needs me, but she's quite capable of moving through the coming months.  She's an adult.  A strong, capable, competent adult.

A Man Leaves for Work September 27, 2010

A Man Leaves for Work

From a peaceful land
A man leaves for work
To a distant place
Where peace
Has found no rest

He's been trained
to be one of the best
Is anyone out there
Who can find a way
Out of this mess?

He's needed at home
That''s where he'll be
Thirty days
With his family

The days go by
One by one
Doing routine things
That all get done

Time for fun
The beach and the sun
Walked history's path
Remembering the rath
That brought freedom
to his own homeland

A little girl
Just turned four
Birthday party, balloons
Mermaid cake and more
She's got sparkle and shine
Glitter make up so fine
She spreads it about
Her face and the couch
It collects on us all
Her joy and delight

How is it that time has gone
And once again he must leave the peace
And shelter of his own home
To try to bring some of it to those
Who have known
So little

A little sparkle on his backpack
A note in his pocket
"I love you dad."

Now as you leave and
While you're far away
A small, simple prayer
That you're protected
From all manner of harm
May god bless you
And all you know
Protect you and
Surround you
In every way
Every day
And bring you home
Safely.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Moving much more slowly than we had been, the day started with everyone sleeping in and slowing waking up to the smell of bacon, eggs and biscuits made from an old recipe inherited from Jack's mom.  The day moved along in slow motion.  Joe did a lot of work to get ready to return to work tomorrow.  Jack did a little power sanding on the deck.  Just as he was finishing a few raindrops fell and turned into a torrent with big thunder claps in the distance. 

After lunch Analiese opened her presents from us and her folks.  As today was her real, true birthday, we saved our gifts until now.  Opening them after lunch gave her lots of time to open and enjoy each one.  A cast of Disney's favorite princesses and a Princess Castle consumed quite a bit of her time.  Dressed in fairy wings and a cheerleading T-shirt she was quite content to explore her new toys as we all watched contentedly.  It's quite a joy to watch a child's imagination at work. 

The day drifted on quietly.  My big contribution to the day was to shorten the bathroom curtains.  Sara painted a bathroom wall and Joe worked on his to do list.  It was a peaceful day.

Saturday, September 25, 2010 - Analiese's birthday party

We started the day a bit slower than yesterday and had an easy slide into the party time.  Sara had been up until 1:30 to finish the cake, but the delight on Analiese's face when she saw it made  it all worthwhile.  It was a gorgeous aqua blue cake with a little mermaid sitting atop and surrounded by candy sea life.  It was a sight to behold.

Once people started arriving, the momentum built until the house was full of kids and moms and dads all visiting, playing, eating BBQ chicken,salad, veggies and chips and having a great time.  The crowd gathered to sing "Happy Birthday" and the beautiful cake was cut and consumed.  It tasted as good as it looked.  Opening presents was a bit of a group effort with kids hovering around each bag trying to see the next gift.  Gradually, in smallgroups parents gathered their sons and daughters and began to leave.  After it dwindled down, a small after party continued with three other parents visiting and three little boys playing with Analiese in the backyard.  They ran through the sprinkler and slid down the wet slide until even that part of the party ended.  As they were all leaving, the neighbors returned from a trip to grandma's and came over to help put the final touches on the party.  Analiese and Kaylee played with the new toys as the parents visited and talked army stuff - a language that I don't fully understand.

Finally, all were gone.  Analiese cuddled a few minutes, put on her silky pajamas and slipped into birthday dreams.  We were all tired.  We visted and reviewed the highlights of the day and drifted off to our own birthday dreams.

Analiese's Favorite Castle

Happiness Found

Birthday Cake for a Princess

Blue Ridge Parkway @ 5,000 feet elevation

Mary Jo meets The King

Elvis Lives in Nashville

Nashville Broadway District

Grandnpa's Spray On Tan September 23, 2010

How To Spend The Day With The Family

"Good morning Grandma.  It's time to get up"
Shower and get dress-
Eat a little breakfast
Off to pre-school to paint and play
Grandpa's gonna paint the fence today
The sun is shining
Paint spray flying
Grandpa's got a spray on tan
A little lunch,then tap and ballet
Shuffle step and grande jete
Back home it'sa princess movie
And pretend animal play
Mom and dad have a night away
Snuggles, hugs and Eskimo kisses
Snug as a bug in a rug and
Sweet dream wishes.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Crisp September air-
Slivers of sunlight slip through
the cloudy haze on the horizon.
Colors in the canopy show
Autumnn's coming rainbow.
Burnished reds and
oranges fade to yellow.
Mountain ranges rise and fall
in green misty layers sprawling
across the valley.
The road twists and curves
delighting the eye with every turn.
A rare blaze of yellow
or maybe red-
hints of coming changes
in the weeks ahead.

September 22,2010

Short Lessons on a Long Drive

September 21, 2010

Scenic Road and Byways will definitely take you longer, but are worth every minute.

There’s a lot of freight moving east and west in this country.

When you’re in a hurry the freeway is the fastest, especially if you can catch the back draft of a freight truck.

It can take you a long time to find your way back to a turn or exit you missed in just the blink of an eye.

It’s easy to miss Vince Gill at The Station when you’re walking the streets of Nashville.

A few verses of sing-a-long with Willy’s On the Road Again will quickly revitalize you.

It’s a pretty big and pretty rich country that can pave an old foot trail and Indian path for a Scenic Byway.  (Natchezz Trace, NC)

You don’t hear lyrics like, “I’m home getting hammered while she’s out getting’ nailed.”, unless you’re listenin’ to Outlaw Country XM Radio.

Every state seems to be seeking volunteers to keep sections of the highway clean.

If there’s a fire in smoky in the Great Smoky Mountains does that mean we’re in the Smoky Smokies?

Kudzu vines grow all over the vegetation, telephone poles, wires and anything it can get its tendrils on making the countryside look like a scene from fairyland.

Elvis Graceland Museum

Ben, Mary Jo & Elvis Private Jet

Remembering Elvis

Day 12 – Memphis, Tennessee

Simply put – it was a fun day.  We met up with Ben and a friend at the hotel last night and visited.  This morning his friend left to return to Wisconsin and we spent the day with Ben.  Graceland and Elvis sightings were the big goal of the day and they were easily accomplished. 

Sadly, without proof of age, Jack and I got a senior discount on our tickets.  But after that it was all good.  We toured the Graceland mansion home of Elvis.  In some ways the house is a simple floor plan.  But with the Elvis influence it as anything but traditional.  The house is grand and elegant and flamboyant in a way that could only be Elvis’ house.  Each room or area of the property has a distinctive look.  You definitely feel that people lived and played in this house. 

I’d forgotten how prolific his recording  career had been until I saw the countless gold and platinum records that covered the walls.  Memorabilia from his movie career was also on display – he’d made something like 30 movies.  The tour ends at a meditation garden complete with fountain and statues and the burial site of Elvis.  Flowers and other memorials arrive from all over the world at Graceland daily and are put on display around the meditation area. 

He certainly was a mover and a shaker during his time.  He brought a new music to the world that integrated blues, gospel and early rock and roll.  He influenced a generation with his music and his style.  Lesser know is his tremendous financial generosity to friends and organizations. 

We had fun going down memory lane to a time when we were younger and peeking into the life of one of our generation’s musical icons. 

Along the road to Nashville

While watching tobacco and cotton fields pass by, I listen to an Elvis CD.   He’s jamming with Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis.  Their session, recorded without any editing, definitely has the feel of an unedited jam, talking, singing, laughing, mixing up the words and starting over.  They seem like friends. The songs tend toward a blues, jazz mix with a strong influence of old time gospel.  Many of the songs are unfamiliar.  I recognize a few.  The fun they have just singing, some joining in, not always together makes me think of the power of song during the days of slavery to lift spirits and bring people together. 

Elvis stays on my mind.  According to the story told at Graceland, he recorded so many songs, but wasn’t really a songwriter and sang songs of other writers.  Another old friend and music coach of his told the story of helping Elvis reach some high notes.  He said Elvis didn’t even sing on key when he began, that Elvis knew it.  His success was in the passion that in his singing.  What he lacked in technique he made up for in delivery and personality.  Technical skill came with success.   In today’s world of TV competitions for pop culture I wonder if Elvis could have become the next American Idol, or would he  have been too ‘pitchy’ for Randy and Simon?

President Clinton's Library - Little Rock, Arkansas

We are pressed to see Ben in Memphis, but I really wanted to see the Clinton Library.  Speed limits are fast and traffic is faster, so we push on.  Arriving in Little Rock with an hour to tour the museum we begin with great anticipation.  A replica of Clinton’s oval office inspires awe and respect for the people who have led this country.   Videos are narrated by President Clinton or the First Lady, Hilary Clinton.  Their stories of the history of the White House recall not just their tenure, but details of other presidents – Lincoln’s bedroom was really his office.  But, after his assassination it was felt that it should be set aside in his honor and so was decorated with bedroom furniture his wife had bought for him.

The display is massive with towering columns doubling as storage for the archives from Clinton’s Library.  Bound in blue and stamped with the presidential seal thousands of these books are stored behind the clear casings.  Displays show varied aspects of the Clinton presidency.  Gifts from foreign dignitaries fill one display while others show accomplishments in the areas of economy, environment, education, foreign policy, human rights and technology.  There are many letters.  Letters from friends, heads of state, entertainers and others ranging from the Dalai Lama to Sheryl Crow.
Two catch my attention.  One is a touching letter from a child in Bosnia thanking President Clinton for playing an important role in bringing NATO forces to Bosnia to bring freedom to her and other children.  The other is a letter from John F. Kennedy, Jr. thanking the president for some time they shared together.  He apologizes for the delay in writing, but explains that he wanted to send a thank you gift and had to search for the right thing.  He has sent Bill Clinton a photo of his own father, whom he says reminds him of President Clinton.  In ways, both of these presidents presided over Camelot eras in our history.

In a video of his political life Clinton reminds us that he was the youngest governor ever elected.  He reminds us that he was also the youngest ever ex-governor because he didn’t listen well enough to the people of his state.  Rebounding from the loss he teaches and then runs again for governor and is re-elected four times before his successful campaign for the presidency. 

Of course, this is his legacy library.  The troubles that plagued his time in office are not the highlights of the display.  But the force of his personality and his accomplishments shine through.  With the struggles of today’s economy and political adversity it’s hard not to miss the Clinton years of economic prosperity and political consensus that changed so dramatically following 9-11.

Hard Work - Unfinished thoughts

On our first day traveling we stopped at a logging museum just north of Klamath Falls.  Now called Collier State Park, it is a collection of old time logging and sawmill equipment.  Taking up about six acres of land, this differs a bit from the 14 Flags display.  However, both share a story of a simpler time when work was really labor. These and other museums remind us how technology has changed our lives.  The work we do today has somehow become separated from actually producing a product at days end.  I’m still thinking on this.

Three in One: Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee in one day!

14 Flags Museum

Quite often we think we should have started earlier and today’s no exception.  There’s a bit of a schedule to maintain on the eastbound leg of this journey.  That requires making a certain amount of progress each day.  Interstate 40 E becomes the main route of travel with scenic byways taking second place.  Nevertheless, we find a few opportunities each day to see something of local interest or history.

Today is no exception to that rule.  With lots of miles to go to reach our destination of Memphis, Tennessee we head east.  Sometime later tonight we’ll arrive and meet with Ben and his friend for some Elvis sightings.

Oklahoma is rich with Native American history which, unfortunately, we will largely miss.  Scanning the travel book for a small side trip along I 40 E we find a little museum called 14 Flags.  In Sallisaw, Oklahoma with

Cherokee Avenue

along the front and  railroad tracks along the back sits a row of historical log cabins.  These full size dioramas light up when you enter the alcove.  Mannequins wearing period dress stand in rooms showing life in simpler times.. A rag doll sits on a patchwork quilt covering a rustic bed.  Rough hewn boards make a table set with simple utensils.  A dry goods store front shows produce that may have been sold and the shelves are filled with dusty boxes of Ball Dome canning lids, liquid bluing, bar laundry soap that would be grated before scrubbing the clothes, tin cans of baking powder, bulk coal oil, and other necessities of life.

Staged neatly in front of the buildings are an old car and an even older buggy reminding us how far we’ve come technologically. This little museum stands as a testament to a few dedicated local people who decided to save each of these buildings.  Stories framed on the front of the buildings tell how each was saved, transported, or rebuil using materials from other older buildings in the area.  Someone has carefully saved the many artifacts displayed in the cabins.  Others have gathered these items arranging them for travelers and locals alike to see. 

14 different national flags have flown over the territory that is now the state of Oklahoma.  Of these 14 flags, one is of the Cherokee Nation.  The flags of Spain, France, Texas, Mexico, and the United States are represented along with the Oklahoma State Flag which replaced the Confederate Flag in 1911.  The Confederate Flag had been flown since 1861.

Presidential Library

Oklahoma Transportation

Panhandle Museum

Oval Office Replica

Yellow Rose of Texas

Today's Pioneers

Panhandle Pioneer Museum Diorama

Banana Plant

Back in the Saddle III

Thursday

Volunteers are friendly people and this was true at the museum.  We were given directions to Fat Boys BBQ – just three blocks away.  We felt we tasted a bit of local Texas cuisine.  The sign on the front door said “Cash or Checks Only-No Cards”  another indication of the local flavor of the restaurant.  Most of the customers were known by name and knew each other.  Local gossip and prayers for sick family members were exchanged.  Proud art poster collages filled the walls and honored soldiers, firemen, police and local teams.  The food was great, the atmosphere greater.  We left completely filled

At 2,465 miles from home we crossed into Oklahoma.  We made our way to Shawnee when the gods blessed us with a 1950s era motel complete with a huge indoor swimming poor.  We took full advantage until closing time. 

Back in the Saddle II

Thursday: 

Back in the car, we program the GPS for the Panhandle Pioneer History Museum.  Only fifteen minutes away we find the site with little problem.  As we approach the big oak and glass doors about 50 fourteen year old students tumble out and ride the handrails to the sidewalk.  Following closely are two teachers, complete with ID badges.  Ah-h-h to be in the classroom again.

Not the usual dusty museum with small artifacts identified in tiny, faded print.  This museum tells the story of the Kiowa, Paiute, Apache, Comanche, Kiowa-Apache and other regional tribes.  Another story is that of Coronado’s discovery, or invasion, depending on your point of view, of this region and the subsequent Spanish rule that ultimately led to the independence of Texas.  A Kiowa legend foretold the decline of the buffalo warning the tribe that when these vital animals were gone, their own history would soon be over.  By the last quarter of the 1800s piles of buffalo bones lined the railroad track for miles.  Commercial buffalo hunters had eradicated the mighty bison.  The legend had come to pass as the tribes, who appeared on this landscape some 14,000 years ago, fought and lost many battles with the early pioneers and the U.S. Army.  These tribes were collectively relocated to reservations in Oklahoma.   Their lifestyle gone, they became dispirited and suffered from lack of food and loss of culture.

Back in the Saddle Again

Day 11; September 16, 2010; Amarillo, Texas to Oklahoma

Another day!  After the struggles of last night, we had a slow morning.  We ate our free bowl of raisin bran at the Motel 8 and worked and re-worked the map and schedule to better prevent another long day.

At last, we head out to the Amarillo Botanical Gardens.  A literal oasis after the long  day of desert driving yesterday.  Blossoms, blooms, butterflies and bugs in abundance, the path wound in and out of a variety of flowers, herbs, plants and benches placed to give a meditative break.  The air was heavy with the fragrance of the flowers, especially the yellow roses.  Could that be a coincidence here in Texas?  On the edge of the garden sits an enclosed tropical garden.  Towering palms and bougainvilleas chase the sun through the glass enclosed ceiling.  Bananas with a ripe red seed pod hang heavily.  Blossoms abound around every corner.  Sitting on a bench facing a small pond complete with a waterfall it’s easy to breathe deep.  The oxygen almost has a texture in the heavy, damp air of the enclosed garden.  It was a needed breather.

New Mxico Images 2

New Mexico Images

Today's Lesson Part 2: What's that smell and are those bed bugs?

120 miles is the difference between stopping at 5 or stopping after 7.  It didn't seem like such a big deal at the time, but once we left Tucumcari I knew it would be a long sprint to Amarillo.  By the time we actually arrived in Amarillo we were both tired and hungry.  That's a bad combination in an unfamiliar city.  We relied on our trusty GPS to find a restaurant, but after negotiating our way through the freeway system and into the downtown area we drive in circles only to decide that Jerry's BBQ is probably no longer in business.  The stress of negotiating our way through unknown street with the GPS coaching us to turn here, turn there was building.  We knew we'd passed many restaurants and motels on the freeway and Jack successfully negotiated our way back to I-40 East.  From there we easily exited and found a suitable Mexican restaurant and a good meal.  Jack passed on the beef tongue tacos and the beef cheek enchiladas for something more conventional.  Then the task of getting a room.  Expedia had a good offer, but we turned it down for a local budget hotel.  You could smell the room deodorizer from the parking lot.  After listening to the Bed Bug expert on NPR I felt compelled to check the bed.  When I lifted the mattress from the box spring the little critters darted out and so did we.  We checked in to the nearby Motel 8.  The towels are thin, the sheets thinner, but it's clean and we each have our own double bed.  That's probably for the best tonight. 

Tomorrow - we're taking it a bit slower, and definitely planning ahead to avoid the bed bug shuffle.

Today's Lesson Part I: But Mostlly We Drive.

This morning Jack thought we could make it from Springerville, Arizona to Amarillo, Texas.  Hmmm, I thought, but didn't put up much protest.  The endless beauty of the drive made the first several hundred miles slip by.  For the most part, the landscape nearly hypnotizes the traveler.  It moves along, largely uninterruped, the changes gradual and subtle.  The scrubby brush and juniper fill the lowlands while painted mountains rise along the horizon.  The clear, blue sky wraps down to the ground and we travel in a bit of a bubble.  For 300 miles or so - that is.  That's when I start to question the wisdom of really trying to get to Amarillo.  I take my turns driving and hint that it might be too far, but we continue on. 

While the scenery is beautiful there are few places to pull over and take a few pictures or stroll the countryside.  We take advantage of the few along the way and meet a fellow trying to save the world from sin and see a telescope that is set up in an array - the world's largest telescope.  But, mostly we drive.  At Tucumcari  I'm pretty sure we should stop driving and spend the night, but don't really protest when we drive on after a walk around their local museum.  It was after 5 and they were closed, but we could easily walk along the fenceline and see some of the pioneer display in the yard.  We drive on...

Too Long in the Saddle

Yesterday was easy, breezy, beautiful!  We took our time, stopped, saw little towns, took pictures and just leisurely traveled about 180 miles.  Somehow we lost all that great traveling energy today.  For some reason we travelled nearly 500 miles from eastern Arizona through Texas and into the panhandle of Texas to Amarillo!

We fell into it easily as the route we took through the southern third of Arizona and New Mexico is just one big rolling carpet of a landscape.  The fields roll along with the patterns changing subtely.  From speckled juniper trees to scrub brush to painted mountains the miles slip away.  An occassional fence line  or cattle grazing reminds one that there are residents somewhere nearby, but homes aren't visible from the road.  The invisible boundaries are nicely marked reminding you that you've just left Arizona or that you are now entering New Mexico - The Land of Enchantment, or that you've finally, at long last, entered Texas.  But without the welcome signs one would never know that they've traveled through so many distinct boundaries.  I pondered long about this illusion of boundaries and the impact of drawing lines on a map that says this is mine and that is yours, but those thoughts will perhaps come another time. 

Today's big lesson is about remembering yesterday's big lesson and that is to take some time to enjoy the ride. 

Photos of our trip...

Catching up!

It’s hard to believe we’ve been on the road for six days.  Time, like the miles, has flown by.  It’s been 1500 miles from home to Phoenix.  Our return trip via Canada has been deleted due to the complete expiration of our passports.  Fortunately, we checked them before we packed otherwise we’d have ended up at the border with outdated documents.  We considered trying to renew them while traveling, but abandoned that idea as it became increasingly complex. 

Only 1600 miles under our belt and we've already celebrated Lisa's birthday, met Teresa in Vegas and  had dinner and a morning swim with my sister Julie.  What could be better.  After hearing about Lisa's home for years it was so nice to finally visit.  From the hike to the  party and everything inbetween it was all fun.  The big surprise was the arrival of my sister Teresa who flew from Florida to Vegas and then drove the desert trail with all its curves and dips to get to the party.

We left Bshop heading to Death Valley.  A detour to the Bristlecone Pine Forest took us on a .75 mile trail through the world's oldest trees, including one tree that was 4600 years old and many that are 4000 years old!  Amazing story and surely some great luck for the discovery of these trees.  Though there's a tendency to think that big trees are the oldest, in fact it's the small trees that have achieved this great age.  They grow at 10,000 feet and because they grow with high density and high resin which increases their durability and resistance to disease.  I was just glad to make the trail at that elevation and not be gasping for air the whole time. 

Our original plan was to spend a day in Death Valley, but with the detour to the Bristlecone Forest we arrived a bit late.  We traveled along the eastern border of Death Valley amazed at the moonscape look of this amazing area.  We were told that, in fact, this area has been used in films to depict lunar landscape!  http://www.nps.gov/deva/

A Report from Arizona

We arrived last night to visit Julie and Gary, impressed by how hot it is in Arizona.  We leave today to continue our voyage to the North Carolina and points in between.

MJ