Day 66 - Walker Texas Riders
12 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Texas is huge. We drove on a road that is over 880 miles long and that is just the part that is in Texas. We have driven on plenty of long interstates already this trip but Texas just feels bigger in every way. Even the pick up trucks look like they are on steroids with many having four wheels on the back axle for an average sized pick up! What do they carry in those things? Well, not much from what I've seen. They rarely have anything more than a tool box in them. In Texas, pick ups are king!
On arrival in San Antonio we decided to have another Texan staple. Whataburger is a family run burger chain that is only available in Texas. Entering the restaurant reminded me of how McDonald's used to be, even down to the type of tables and chairs. There were pictures and photos of the owners who were proud to still run the company as they had since the 1950s. We both really enjoyed our dinner. The burgers were fresh, a good size and the fries were also tasty. We've had a few burgers in the US where they haven't measured up, for example In and Out Burger in San Francisco was over hyped for us as the burgers were greasy and quite small. If in Texas, we highly recommend this taste of nostalgia.
And that was about it for the evening. Tomorrow, we explore San Antonio.
Song of the Day:
The Monkees - What Am I Doing Hanging Around (has San Antonio in the lyrics)Leer más
Day 67 - Come And Take It!
13 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌙 16 °C
Where we were staying in San Antonio was close enough to take a bus into downtown. We are staying in an Airbnb which is a tailor made flat above a double garage. It has everything we could need and is nice and cozy.
On arrival in downtown we had a quick look in the Riverwalk Mall and then had Italian for lunch. We both had a pizza that set us up for the rest of the day. We sat outside during lunch and had a pleasant view of the riverwalk whilst the strong Texan sun reflected off the river's surface. The river dominates the city and has had a great deal of work on either bank to accommodate shops, restaurants and shaded seating areas. There is even a theatre, with the stage on one side of the river and the tiered seating area on the other. A really cool idea and it would be great to see a small production here. We went for a brief walk along the river and both Alice and I thought it had been constructed and maintained in good taste with plenty of information boards to remind the stroller of the area's rich history.
Speaking of which, our first activity of the day was to visit the Alamo. It was at this one time Spanish Mission that a thirteen day siege took place during the Texas Revolution. 'Come and take it!' was a slogan used on flags raised during the siege and we walked around the mission and the adjoining museum to find out more. Alice and I were glad to have seen this important site for Texans and learn about the role of Spain in the development of modern North America.
The sun was not letting up and so we continued our riverwalk under the shaded trees. It was still early and we decided on going to the cinema. I had wanted to see Dr. Strange and the timing for a 3D IMAX showing was perfect. Neither of us are big fans of 3D, however, the psychedelic imagery of this movie actually gives 3D a reason to exist. One moment the characters are talking and the next they are in a parallel world where buildings are bending over and the characters are running upside down. We both enjoyed the movie and we were given posters due to it being an IMAX movie. More goodies for the memento bag!
It was dark by the time we left the cinema and it was time for a spin on our earlier riverwalk, a riverwalk in the dark! We had noticed lights around trees earlier and had hoped they were lit for a romantic evening stroll. Unfortunately they weren't, but our stroll was romantic none the less. After a while we realised we still weren't really hungry from all the popcorn and sweets we ate at the movies and so we grabbed quick light meals and headed home.
Song of the Day:
Johnny Cash - The Road to the AlamoLeer más
Day 68 - On A Mission
14 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌙 16 °C
The day started at a leisurely pace as washing needed to be done again. Once chores were done, we got in the car and made our way to a number of missions in the area. The Alamo yesterday is one of five that the Spanish set up in the San Antonio region. The first mission we visited, San José, is the largest in the region with a lot of the original architecture intact, including the large Church. The walled area and the various connected rooms add to the details of the mission and the adjoining museum helped fill in the gaps. All the missions are free to enter and Alice and I have been impressed with the amount of services and information available to the public. Before we hit mission number two, we needed food.
We were both really hungry and so it was time to go big - Texas style. With a bar-b-q lunch at the B&B Smokehouse. We chose the two meat platter. Chicken and pulled pork for me and chicken and beef brisket for Alice. Oh my word! The meats were too good for words. We both had creamed corn as sides and I had rice and Alice had potato salad. If that was not enough, a slice of bread was thrown in for good measure. It was so good that I lost my internal stop sign and just kept eating. I was to regret that as I was not hungry for nearly a whole twenty four hours! My gluttony takes nothing away from the meal, a generous meal in portion size and well priced.
We then drove to a further two missions that were a lot smaller in size but due to their close proximity to each other allowed a sense of scope for the reach of all the missions. We walked in, had a look around and then left. We checked the time and decided to go to our evening's entertainment early, another basketball game. This time we were watching the San Antonio Spurs take on the Miami Heat at the AT&T Center. There was a pre-game event involving a large number of young musicians which meant we had to wait around for a while. However, once inside, the buzz was slowly beginning to build. Compared to the Chicago Bulls build-up the Spurs build-up seemed subdued. Their mascot is a coyote with menacing green eyes and he just ran on and ran off at the beginning. The national anthem was performed by a group of young trombonists, maybe they were the winners from the pre-game event. The lights were lowered and the teams ran out and the game started. The stadium had a number of empty seats and this might have contributed to the flat atmosphere. It was still enjoyable for Alice and I and the Spurs raced into an early lead that they didn't lose. The crowd soon warmed up and it was quite a comfortable victory for the home team in the end. Basketball and Ice Hockey are fantastic spectator sports as the action doesn't let up throughout. There are also the breaks and time out entertainment to consider. The crazed mascot came on the court a few times and stomped his feet to a Spurs chant. There were also T-shirts thrown into the crowd although they did it a little different here to the last game we saw as a whole section in the stadium won a T-shirt as opposed to loads begin chucked into the stands. There was also another competition that was $25 to spend at a casino and on the big screen three numbers slowly revealed what section was to win. We were seated in 209 and the first number was a two, then it slowly revealed a zero and we both thought there was a good chance we could win and the last number that ever so slowly revealed itself was an... Eight! The section next to us all jumped up and down high fiving each other. Before the announcement we weren't interested in going to a casino but coming within one section made us feel like it would have been cool to have won it anyway. What's more, with the T-shirt throwing time out exercise, there was a guy not that far in front of us who was shouting out 'over here', ecstatically waving his arms about. From all the sports events we have been to so far the T-shirts never seemed to make it to us. Out of nowhere a wrapped T-shirt missile headed in his direction and he caught it! More high fives followed. It was nice to see how pleased he was with his prize. In the fourth quarter Alice and I decided to leave a bit early as the result looked certain and we had parked quite a distance away in one of the lots. We're glad we did as people were already streaming out and we would have been stuck for a while if we hadn't left then. A fun evening and probably the last sporting event we will watch whilst here in the states. They have all been high value entertainment and definitely worth a night out.
Song of the Day:
George - Amarillo Morning (we weren't in Amarillo, but we heard it at lunch and it mentions San Anton - as the locals call it)Leer más
Day 69 - Winging It In Austin
15 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌙 15 °C
A driving day today as we headed to Austin. The drive wasn't too long and once we arrived there we were too early to check in to our hotel. We decided on killing time by going to a shopping mall.
In Texas in particular, the intense heat (even in November) means a trip to a shopping mall is a opportunity to feel some air conditioning. This mall was also quite unique as it had a lot of alternative shops and not as many large brands. There was even a pokemon shop! We had already eaten at Applebee's just outside the mall and so we just wandered around the mall with cups of coffee in our hands.
When enough time had passed we drove to our hotel and decided on dinner. We were going for wings again. We felt we had had enough of a break from eating wings since the 'Buffalo experience'. We searched for a place with decent reviews and opted for Pluckers. I ordered 15 wings of three flavours; medium Buffalo, Mangonero (mango and habanero) and Honey BBQ. Alice had 10 wings with two flavours, Bakers Gold (mustard with not sure what else) and Spicy Ranch (which was a dry rub) with a side of waffle fries. They were all really good and restored our faith in the winged wonders. My favourites were the Buffalo and Mangonero and Alice's were the Buffalo and the Baker's Gold. An enjoyable dinner and a good start to the first of two days here in Austin.
Song of the Day:
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis - Thrift Store (wanted a shopping themed song)Leer más
Day 70 - Lost In Austin
16 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌙 19 °C
Today was another hot one. We had nothing definite planned for the day except to have a look around the city of Austin.
There is a liberal feel to the city that has only accelerated with the continued growth of the SXSW Festival. On the main throughfare, Congress Avenue, there are a number of alternative clothes shops and coffee shops. Sixth Street crosses Congress Avenue and it is on here that you will find the majority of the drinking venues that lay the claim to Austin being the home of live music. A short walk away and we visited a large book store, Book People. Another large, airy and well stocked store that Alice and I spent a good while browsing and enjoying the air conditioning. A bit further on and there is a large graffiti park that was larger than I expected. It appears that people are free to spray what they like (within reason I'm guessing) where they want to. One part of me appreciates the idea of collective spray painting and the community aspect, whilst the other thinks that the artistic aspect is lost in all the random basic doodlings, sometimes over other people's very impressive murals. However, I suppose that is the whole point of a free space for people to spray as they chose. An interesting space and talking point about art and the ideals of freedom of expression. Whilst walking back we popped into a large independent record store, Waterloo and had a look around.
We were getting hungry by now and decided on getting lunch at Wholefoods. In the UK you might find the occasional salad bar in a Tesco or at a dedicated small organic food store, but Wholefoods take salad bars to another level. We had salad for lunch as we've eaten a lot of meat recently we were keen to jump on anything remotely green and crunchy. There were rows and rows of options and as tends to be the case we assumed that it wouldn't be filling and so picked up the largest boxes available. Salad isn't really filling until you start pilling in grains, bread, pasta and chickpeas as just the lowest level of the box. It suddenly has more heft, and heft also leads to a double take at the cash register. Wow, those were some expensive salads. However, our bodies were crying out for a non-fried meal and we were happy to oblige.
Having ticked every hipster daily routine box possible (to-go coffee, visiting alternative shops, an independent book store and record store, admired some graffiti and ate our freshly picked lunch) there was only one thing left to do, lounge by the pool. We headed back to our Super 8 Motel, got into our swimming gear and meandered over to the pool. The pool was shaded by the L-shaped motel and seemed like an ideal time to be going for a dip as it was blisteringly hot. The water turned out to be ridiculously cold. Alice braved it by literally inching her way to the deeper end of the pool starting at her knee height. I just sat in the middle with my legs dangling into the water. By the time Alice had made it to me, with the water at her shoulder height, we both felt as though we were losing sensation in our feet. We lounged in the sun, warming up for a bit and then went back to the room to get ready before going out.
We went for a world known local combination, the Tex-Mex. Pappasito's was packed which was a good sign for a Thursday night. We found out later on that it was fajita night. We weren't sure what that meant as we had already ordered by that point, ribs for me and enchiladas for Alice. Alice was sure that the meal she received was not what she had ordered as it should have been a combination plate, but we really enjoyed what we had anyway. We finished our meals and before considering whether we should have dessert we were given a dessert for free, a sponge cake with cream and milk. We're still not sure why we were given it, maybe the waitress realised she accidentally gave Alice the wrong meal or that our wait for our mains was a bit longer than usual. We weren't bothered and didn't make a fuss about those minor things and it felt glib to ask why she gave it to us. Maybe fajita night is free cake night! It was a pleasant surprise anyway and we left happy and full.
Song of the Day:
The Mystery Jets - Lost in AustinLeer más
Day 71 - Texan Steaks... via Oz!
17 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌙 21 °C
A big drive today to Lubbock in Texas, six and a half hours away. We had also passed the 9 000 mile mark too.
The drive was fine and the empty roads in the heart of Texas gradually led to dry and dusty surroundings, reminding me of that first drive out of Las Vegas all that time ago. We still have a few weeks of the South West to explore further, with much to see and learn, however, at the same time, the loop is slowly being completed.
We were just staying the one night in Lubbock as it was a stop off point on the way to New Mexico. We were hungry and keen to ensure our last meal in Texas was... Texan. We had already eaten a BBQ and yesterday a Tex-Mex. Today it was time for a steak. The nearest steak house to us was a chain called Outback. An Australian themed restaurant based on its quality steaks in the state known for its steaks! We felt it had to be good to have a location here. We both ordered the filet mignon and they were excellent. Browsing the menu I noticed that the chain was established in 1988. I guessed that it must have something to do with the movie Crocodile Dundee. When we got back to our motel, I did a bit of googling and it turned out the three founders rode the wave of the second most popular movie of 1986 in America. What made us laugh was that none of them have actually been to Australia and the signature dish called 'bloomin' onion' (a deep fried onion cut so that it could be plucked) is not Australian and was invented by one of the founders in New Orleans. To cap it off, there are seven locations... in Australia. Bloomin' marvellous! We relaxed for the rest of the evening at the motel before another big drive tomorrow.
Song of the Day:
Weezer - Buddy Holly (Buddy Holly was from Lubbock)Leer más
Day 72 - In the Area of 51
18 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C
Today's drive involved entering another new state, New Mexico, although judging by the scenery little has changed.
The day started with a familiar IHOP. We will miss you dearly. Once we crossed the state border, we realised that we were travelling on a section of the historic Route 66 which was a nice surprise. We were also about an hour away from Roswell and having looked in the sky and all around I can confirm we spotted nothing unusual... except the price of gasoline had rocketed since leaving Lubbock, although I'm not blaming little green men for that one.
Driving into Santa Fe there was a distinctively Spanish and Native American blend to the area's architecture that was striking. The area felt artistic and liberal and it will be fun to explore the city further. First things first, we settled down in our hotel for a short while before heading out. The temperature was decidedly chilly and we went to a local Indian restaurant for dinner. The owner of Raaga, Paddy Rawal, came over to our table and on learning we were from London told us about the restaurant he opened in Chelsea, London in the 1980s. He was very friendly and the food was lovely. We walked back to our hotel and watched TV for what was left of the evening. Bizarrely, an old episode from 1994 of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was on and the episode was about the family considering to sell their home to an unknown wealthy buyer. At the end of the episode, Donald Trump walks into the house to large cheers from the audience. When asked by one of the characters why weren't they informed that it was him offering to buy the house, he replied 'I like to keep a low profile'. Oh how we laughed...
Song of the Day:
Arianna Grande - Side to Side (this song is on a T-Mobile commercial that we have heard countless times and it has now worked it's way onto this blog. She is also the passenger in a car driving through the desert which helped with the decision.)Leer más
Jan Kitto BurkeI think Santa Fe has a lovely church with a circular staircase that is unusual. Can't quite remember what though!
Progress Map - New Mexico
19 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C
Number thirty three.
Day 73 - Winter Is Here
19 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌙 5 °C
What felt chilly last night was positively cold this morning. With a fresh start to the day we ensured we didn't miss a hot breakfast at the hotel.
We layered up on clothing and made our way to downtown. We crossed railway tracks on the way in and came across an art market. It was a Saturday and the small market was bustling with what looked like a mix of locals and tourists. Further down the track there was another small market, this time selling local food produce. We grabbed a coffee to stay warm and continued to walk.
Downtown has the familiar Spanish feel of a town plaza and roads spiralling out from there. The unique adobe architecture, that is a building requirement in Santa Fe, is warm in colour and smooth in nature. Without a right angle in sight, I was reminded of the Gaudi buildings in Barcelona. We snaked in and out of the shops in the area and decided on getting lunch at a cafe. Alice had mac n cheese and I had a chicken burger, both were warmly received. Now that we were full, we embarked on discovering a bit of history.
The New Mexico History Museum has a few floors covering the history of the state as well as temporary exhibitions on varied topics such as cigar boxes. We were interested in the region and we were both impressed with the displays and information covered throughout. The Native American History of the region is covered with artefacts and personal accounts and the Spanish involvement in the area began around 1610, just three years after the Jamestown settlement began and ten before the Mayflower landed. The most important Spanish building in Santa Fe was the Palace of the Governors which was constructed in 1610. The building is still there and is the oldest continuously occupied public building in the United States. As part of the admission to the museum we were also able to walk around the Palace which also had a number of displays and information boards. Back in the museum, other aspects of New Mexico's history were covered including information on the Manhattan Project and the numerous atomic tests that were carried out in the state. It is a revealing and proud museum that is highly recommended. We browsed the gift shops for both the museum and the Palace and then headed home.
For dinner we went to a local Modern Japanese Restaurant. We both ordered the Teriyaki Chicken that was beautifully presented, although it was basically a grilled chicken breast on top of vegetables with the teriyaki sauce in a small cup next to the plate. That must be the modern twist. It was tasty nonetheless and also a generous serving. We then polished off the jasmine tea and headed home for the evening.
Song of the Day:
Beirut - Santa FeLeer más
Day 74 - Canyon Road
20 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌙 10 °C
Time to go highbrow and enjoy the finer things in Santa Fe.
Art is available to view everywhere here and the city's reputation is well earnt. There is one road that typifies this tradition and that is Canyon Road. It was a quiet Sunday as we headed to this road, a short walk from our hotel. For art lovers and in particular those who appreciate statues of every style, this road is teeming with walk-in studios and you could spend hours just visiting a fraction of those. The weather was warmer than forecast although just right for strolling and taking photos. We soon came across a handy cafe called the Tea House where we had sandwiches and drinks. They had an impressive list of teas and lived up to their moniker. I was pleased to see flat white on the coffee list and went with that whereas Alice had the mint green tea.
We then headed back down the street and to the local Wholefoods Store to get food for dinner. Our hotel had a cooker and we were determined to cook and not eat out again. Whilst walking back we passed a milkshake shack, Shake Foundation, and the much under-represented aspect of this blog, the shake bit, needed to be addressed. Alice ordered the chocolate mud shake and she says it was delicious and very thick. The straw however was barely up to the task. We're gonna need a wider straw!
Dinner was a fish, chorizo and chickpea combo that was expertly cooked of course. We thought about going to the cinema but decided on a quiet night instead.
Song of the Day:
The Commodores - Easy (Like Sunday Morning)Leer más
Day 75 - Wetworld
21 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ ❄️ 2 °C
Today was the wettest day of the trip so far. Luckily, our main plan for today involved driving, the destination being Taos.
There is an impressive Native American Pueblo that we hoped to see whilst using the town as a stop of point on the way to Durango. However, the light rain for most of the drive turned into a heavy pouring as soon as we arrived at Taos. We thought we'd hanker down in the hotel room for a couple of hours and wait and see if the rain would stop. In the meantime we caught up with the HBO series Westworld and saw episode eight. Although not our first choice for entertainment today, it is a fantastic series and is building up nicely.
With all hope of doing anything outdoors dashed, we went to the nearest restaurant for dinner. The Burger Stand was opposite and we made a quick dash for it. A Chilli Cheese Burger for Alice and a Catfish Po'boy for me with plenty of Cajun Fries. We were soon feeling much better. Back at the motel we continued to watch TV and later in the evening we peeked a look out the window and the rain had turned to snow. Enough was falling to settle on the cars but the ample rain earlier ensured it melted on most of the ground. There was only one thing for it. We popped over to the reception, collected mugs of hot chocolate and cookies, made our way back to our room, and continued to watch yet more TV.
Song of the Day:
Wet Wet Wet - Sweet Little MysteryLeer más
Day 76 - Let it Snow
22 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C
There were remnants of snow on tops of cars and shaded areas as we awoke to a cold but not freezing morning. It wasn't raining and so we decided on visiting the Taos Pueblos. The Pueblos are considered to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the United States. We paid to enter the site and it was fascinating to walk around and explore. However it felt odd to be wandering around an area where people live whilst looking at their houses and taking photos as though in a fishbowl. It was a worthwhile visit although brief as we had to hit the road again.
We were driving to Durango in Colorado and it was a four hour drive away. After an hour nothing remarkable occurred and then we had to cross the San Juan National Forest which involved a number of mountains. As we climbed the mountains and got higher and higher the snow on the ground became thicker and thicker. Before we knew it we were driving through pelting snow. It was like we had entered a mini winter wonderland at the mountain top as we drove up and down and round and round. There were hardly any cars around adding to the sense of isolation and it felt like we were on the dark side of the mountain, hiding from the rising sun. It required quite a lot of concentration to navigate the roads but whenever possible the snowy scenery had to be glanced at and admired. The car even warned us that the outside temperature was minus two. Ever since we've driven the car, all the messages appear in French with no apparent way to change the language and so Alice quickly translated the message with her phone and we were relived it wasn't alerting us to an emergency. As we descended, the snow stopped falling and the surrounding snow thinned out. It was a relief to not have to drive through those conditions for much longer, although the scenery was fantastic.
The rest of the journey was fine and we reached our motel before the early evening. We went for an easy option for dinner, a pizza restaurant five minutes away. Apart from the long wait for the food (we were hungry and so time seemed to stop) we were very pleased with our huge and heavily topped meal. We finished our beers and made our way back to the motel.
Song of the Day:
Madonna - FrozenLeer más
Progress Map - Colorado
22 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C
Number thirty four.
Day 77 - Actually Really Good Day
23 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌙 -1 °C
Durango is a fairly small city and has a pleasant and relaxed feel to it. It is busy in the summer as temperatures are not too extreme and in the winter local skiing resorts ensure that as long as there's snow, there will be visitors. Our motel owners, Nigel and Tammy, were incredibly friendly and welcoming and told us all about the area in general and activities to do.
We actually had plans for the morning and afternoon, and that involved getting on board a steam train. The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railway has run continuously since 1881 and although it is now a tourist and heritage line hauling passengers, it is one of the few places in the U.S. which has seen continuous use of steam locomotives. Enough with the facts, on with the journey. We left bang on time and the train slowly started to gain momentum as it pulled out of the station and made its way to the mountains. There was a number of families around us who in typically American fashion began conversing with each other in a matter of minutes and before long were swapping stories and histories. Alice and I were mainly spectators and joined in a few conversations but we were pleased to sit back and admire the view. The train progressed very slowly and the views on either side of the train increased in drama and beauty. At times we slowly crept over bridges where some passengers were too afraid to take photos. It took two hours to reach our destination, Cascade Canyon, which consisted of a cabin hidden in the mountains, surrounded by a river on one side and a mass of trees and a rising mountain side on the other. We had under an hour to wander around or eat our lunches in a covered area with a log fire. Alice and I had both ordered the sandwich box from the concession carriage which contained a sandwich, sweet potato chips, a cookie and an apple. A topic of conversation heading to the canyon was the incredible value of a refillable cup of soda for eight dollars and on the journey back our fellow passengers were initially skeptical about the unbranded chips, but there seemed to be a unanimous reversal of opinion as they were now deemed actually really good once eaten. Alice and I agreed on both these points but we didn't opt for the refillable drink.
On the journey back some of us noticed an eccentric looking woman waving a stick of ribbons as we passed her near the lower ground after Canyon Creek. About twenty minutes later, there she was again, enthusiastically waving her stick of ribbons and we all began to laugh as we realised that she must have driven up ahead of us to wave again. Then one of the passengers spotted her again, this time in her car as she passed us on a parallel highway. Yet again further up the line there she was waving away with a wide smile on her face. She changed the side of the train on which to wave this time, adding some variety to the exercise at least. Some of us laughed in a head shaking kind of way, whilst others stuck their hands out of their window to clap at her dedication to the cause of waving at a steam train. I think she was spotted another two times until we reached Durango. And of course she was there at the platform on arrival. I'm sure she was disappointed that today's journey was at an end, although there is always the next day's service.
The journey and experience of the whole trip was memorable. It was long as well and by the time we left the train station it was already late afternoon. We had a look at the shops around downtown and admired the picturesque setting of large mountains as the backdrop. We were getting tired by now and decided to head back to the motel, have a rest and then go for a quick and easy dinner. We went to Dennys which was just what we were after. A quiet diner setting at night with attentive staff and comforting food was another reminder that we were still in the U.S. Having been here for so long, it is easy to get complacent and forget how amazing this whole experience has been. With that in mind, we both relaxed in our booth seats and talked over our day's adventure.
Song of the Day:
Bob Marley and the Wailers - Stop That TrainLeer más
Day 78 - Giving Thanks
24 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C
Happy Thanksgiving! More or less everything would be closed today and so we had very few plans outside of lunch.
We woke up and started watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. With us being in a different time zone to the parade we got our timings mixed up and only caught the end. Handily, on another channel it was starting again with a time delay. There were lots of floats, including one with a sinister looking Ronald McDonald floating in a static crawling motion. The one thing more sinister than a huge leering Ronald McDonald was someone dressed as Ronald McDonald waving to the crowd in the back of a large red shoe. Yes, I find clowns sinister. I'd say my favourite float was the large turkey and Alice's was Pikachu. Then there were the floats with famous and maybe famous but I don't know them singers, all singing different songs as they pulled up outside Macy's with the word love prominently featuring in the lyrics. It looked cold but everyone was happy. Then there were the marching bands which I enjoyed the most. Dancing in the cold whilst playing and carrying a heavy brass instrument is no mean feat. I'm guessing. And just as we were getting into the parade, the TV station suddenly switched the feed to skijoring! No that's not a spelling mistake, skijoring is 'a winter sport where a person on skis is pulled by a horse, a dog (or dogs) or a motor vehicle' (Wikipedia). We must have been watching the parade on a local TV station as the skijoring was taking place in Colorado. It looked pretty cool actually but the disappointment in not being able to watch the middle of the parade, as we had by now watched the end and the beginning was a shame. Ah well.
On arrival at the motel yesterday it was suggested to us by the owner to walk to downtown by following the Animus River. We took them up on that suggestion and left with an hour to spare before lunch. It was a fantastic suggestion and we took our time taking photos and reading the small number of information boards along the way. The few people that we saw all greeted us with Happy Thanksgiving and we duly replied. We reached our lunch reservation with time to spare and of course, it was turkey. It was a buffet and Alice and I were both impressed with the selection on offer. We had the turkey and beef with all the trimmings. Alice really liked the cheesy mash, just regular mash for me. It was all really nice but the fresh cranberry sauce really stood out. So that's how good cranberry sauce can taste! We had one of the numerous desserts on offer whilst we continued to sip our seasonal wine which contained cinnamon and orange peel. Bursting at the seams, we left the restaurant and visited the only shop in downtown that was open before slowly making our way back along the river again. Back at the motel, we got into elasticated pants (not the same one btw) and gorged on Thanksgiving TV and Movies.
Song of the Day:
Boyz II Men - Thank YouLeer más
Day 79 - The Searchers
25 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌙 2 °C
A landmark day today, passing the 10 000 mile mark (whoop whoop). A familiar four hour drive, this time heading straight into the desert.
The mountains made way for hills, which made way for shrubs, which made way for dirt. It was fascinating to see the terrain change so quickly. There was one thing we wanted to see on the way and that was the Four Corners where New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Utah meet. It was a little off track from our route and when we got there we were disappointed to find that it was closed. We were not the only ones surprised that it was closed as other drivers were at the entrance double checking that it was indeed closed. We didn't think to check as it was Thanksgiving yesterday, but it turns out that it is Family Day today. Fair enough. We got back in the car and continued to our destination, Monument Valley.
As we approached the familiar looking monuments they can't fail to impress. Out of a seemingly desolate environment, these huge monoliths have a great deal of character. Due to their size it seemed to take an age before we were near to them. The monuments themselves are in Navajo territory and today we passed them as near as we could. We would be getting a lot nearer tomorrow as we had a three hour tour planned.
For the rest of day, we checked into our hotel room and put our feet up for a bit. We also had a balcony with a sublime view of the monuments that we ensured we admired. We then decided to stretch our legs and pop to a local store that seemed much closer than it actually was. It was good exercise and resulted in aquiring another memento from the trip. When we got back to the hotel I noticed a two dollar bill in my wallet! At first I thought I had been done by the oldest trick in the how to fool a tourist handbook. It looked genuine enough. A look online and it turned out they are legal tender with only about 1.5 million in circulation, thereby turning them into something of a party piece with many Americans unaware of their existence. I then got carried away thinking it was incredibly rare due to the year it was circulated but that turned out to be a misnomer and it is still worth a total of two dollars. Either way, a cool addition to the mementos and sorry America, you've only got 1,499,999 two dollar notes left. With all this excitement, a quiet evening ahead was needed.
Song of the Day:
The Proclaimers - 500 miles (closest to a song about 10 000 miles!)Leer más
Progress Map - Arizona
25 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌙 33 °C
Number thirty five.
Day 80 - The Sound Of Silence
26 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
Our tour around Monument Valley was to start at 2:30pm and we had zero plans for the morning. I was pretty pleased to find that we had NBC Sports in our room and I could watch a Premier League game in bed. A great start to a promising day.
We had a big lunch before heading off as the tour was scheduled to last for three hours. Yesterday it was warm in the sun and cold out of it. Today the sun was hiding behind a blanket of clouds which meant Alice and I ensured we were layered up as we assumed it would get cold. When the pick-up truck with seats, a roof and exposed sides pulled up to whisk us into the desert, we were pleased we had all those layers on. It was the drive to the Valley itself that was the coldest part because on entering the park, the gravelly road meant we weren't able to drive fast and therefore increase the chill factor.
Our first stop was the visitor centre where we had a nice panoramic view of some of the most recognisable monuments here, including left mitten and right mitten. We had ten minutes to take photos and look around before we were back in the pick-up. Our tour guide was a local who was very informative throughout, doling out facts and trivia which were relayed to us in the back. He also had a wit that was as dry as the dirt around us and if it wasn't for his chuckle that followed each retort I dont think the others on the trip would have realised they were jokes. Only Alice and I seemed to appreciate the humour. The tour from this point on mainly involved driving for five minutes, letting us out of the back to take photos and then rounding us up and putting us back in again, each time getting further into the park. The tour guide pointed out interesting things to look at, like the monument that looked like snoopy on his back or the monument that looked like a sleeping dragon. It was a monument version of magic eye that once seen was both impressive and rewarding. The one that took me a while to get was near an area called Big Hogan. Here we were led into an exposed area of rock and we were asked to lean against a slanted layer of rock so that we were looking skywards at a hole in the exposed rock. The tour guide said if you look carefully you can see an eagles head, side profile on with the hole as the eye. A few furrowed brows later and there it was, as clear as... an image of something in the rock. It was fantastic to see and added a great deal of character to the various areas we visited.
As part of the tour we were taken to a private part of the park where families lived in hogans which are house made from wood and layers of earth. We watched a woman spindle some yarn incredibly quick as we were informed about how rugs were made traditionally. The woman also braided the hair of a girl who was one of the tour group in a knot that was unique to her tribe. The tour guide explained that the warm hogan that we were in was made from wood timbers, layered with the bark of that wood on top of the timbers and then earth on top of that. There were no joins or gaps as we each inspected the interior and marvelled at its build. The cold hit us again as soon as we were out and back in the pick-up. A few more stop-off points later and it was beginning to get dark. One of the most interesting things that we saw before the darkness engulfed us were wall paintings that were from the Anasazi people who lived here a thousand years ago. They were mainly of antelope and the sun and the moon and they were pretty amazing. The drive back from our furthest point in the desert was noticeable for its lack of sound and increasing darkness. Our tour guide at one point said he would sing to us a tradition song of his people, and he begun singing jingle bells. A chuckle later and he started to sing a soft, slow chanting song that was fitting for the mood.
On arrival back at the motel, Alice and I were exhausted even though we hadn't actually done much. Maybe it was all those trips in and out of the pick-up. We decided on an early one. Today was another fun and insightful day that will live long in the memory.
Song of the Day:
Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound Of SilenceLeer más
Day 81 - The Vertical Desert
27 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C
Four hour drives are the norm and so that norm continued today.
Not far from our starting point was a natural sight that had to be seen. Horseshoe Canyon is indeed a canyon in the shape of a horseshoe and after a ten minute walk to the precipice the scale of this sight is truly bewildering. Glancing down at the Colorado River as it hugs this hairpin corner is breathtaking. From this great height, a few parked cars can just about be made out on the river's edge, like a few ants by the side of a puddle as viewed from a standing height. It was worth the short detour to get here from our main route.
Driving from Horseshoe Canyon to Zion National Park had a familiar air to the previous drives to National Parks, namely Yosemite and Yellowstone. After driving through a predominately flat terrain for a while the roads and scenery change dramatically. Before long we are dwarfed by huge mountains and stalled by people deciding to randomly stop in the middle of the road and get out and take photos. Zion on first impression has more in common with Yosemite than Yellowstone although the deep red layered slate looking stone here appeared unique as outcrops overhung various parts of the road. We arrived at our cabin just before the evening. The cabin was cosy as in it had a fire, not as in ridiculously small. No TV alert! We had found a haven from modern distractions in the middle of the mountains. The literature described Zion as a 'vertical desert' and 'magical' in the snow. We were to test both these descriptions as walking trails were planned for the next day and bang on cue, sleet began to fall. Would it be cold and dry enough to form? Would it snow so much the trails would be closed? Would we be snowed in and have to entertain ourselves without a TV? Has this unnecessarily suspenseful end to today's post ensured you will tune in tomorrow?
Song of the Day:
Lauryn Hill - ZionLeer más
Progress Map - Utah
27 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌙 1 °C
Number thirty six. And the last new state of this trip!
Day 82 - Magical Zion
28 de noviembre de 2016, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C
Yep. Agreed. Magical.
When we woke up there was plenty of snow around and it had stopped snowing at some point in the night. We went to get breakfast and made sure we were ready to tackle Zion.
Our first walking trail was to see the Emerald Pools that seem to be named after their difficulty in getting to; lower, middle and upper. The trail winded around a mountainside and the higher we got the more we admired the wintry effect of snow resting on trees and ledges. The snow also begun to fall the higher we got and I suddenly felt like I was seeking enlightenment at the mountaintop from a wise man. The lower pool involved a cascading waterfall pooling a long distance below. We had to walk under it to progress up the mountain. The middle was next (of course) and I particularly liked this small pool that seemed to disappear over a cliff hedge. There was a large rock in the pool which perfectly accentuated the spiritual nature of the surroundings. The climb to the upper pool was harder as the walkway became more precarious and the snow increased with the ascent. The ice on the pathway added to the excitement and anticipation of the journey to the upper pool. Once reached it was definitely worth the trial. The upper pool was the most hidden of the three, with the pool facing away from the cliff side and against the mountain with a stream snaking its way past a few trees before finding its way to the cliff's edge. Looking inwards towards the large pool only added to the serenity and introspective nature of the area. The lack of tourists on our route up the mountain due to the time of year was another blessing. We soaked in the moment and the falling snow, telling each other what we already knew. This was another special moment of the trip.
We worked our way back down the mountain and the snow began to peter out. We took a different route down at the halfway point, ensuring yet more photo opportunities. We returned to our cabin and turned both the fire and the kettle on. A cup of tea later and we decided to head out again as we were bound to get comfortable and stay in. Whilst in the cabin we spotted deer out of the window just wandering by and nibbling from trees here and there.
We drove to another two walking trails. The first was Weeping Rock that was a short walk to an unusual rock formation where the rock face appeared to weep. The sun seemed to be coming out and so we proceeded to the next walk that was further away, the Riverside Walk. Bizarrely, as soon as we started on this trail the snow started again. It was also a lot harder than the snow seen earlier, even at upper pool. Luckily as it was a riverside walk and not a mountain climb we continued as the conditions worsened. Thirty minutes later we reached the end of the trail and saw some people wading around in the middle of the river barefooted. I repeat, it was snowing heavily. They seemed to be enjoying the experience but just looking at them made me feel colder. We turned around and hurried back as we realised we should get a move on in case the National Park decided to close the mountain road we travelled on to get there. Back in the car and the road was beginning to be layered in snow. Safe and sound back at the cabin, we had another tea before going to the restaurant in the park for dinner and talking over our eventful day.
Song of the Day:
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - Ain't No Mountain High EnoughLeer más
