Southern Crawl

A 100-day adventure by Geezers in Paradise Read more

Follow Insights Calendar Photos Share

Southern Crawl Traveler
Lunch at Elisa's
November 13, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F
We stopped for lunch here in Deming. Elisa and her husband sold their business in West Seattle 7 years ago and headed for Belize, but they only got as far as Deming. So far, they have been very happy with their choice.

The restaurant is in a 114 year old building that was originally a carriage house. The food was Southern Soul, made with Mr. Elisa's small batch BBQ sauce ... made fresh twice daily. The bathroom is outside, through a (lovely) courtyard, off a dark hallway in the main house. Reminded us of many a lovely experience in Indonesia or Bali. Unfortunately, though, no room for pie.Read more
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Silver City KOA
November 13, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 48 °F
We have made it to Silver City! Billy the Kid lived here as a child.
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Silver City NM
November 14, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 45 °F
Small but nice KOA. Mom's painting again.
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Trail of the Mountain Spirits
November 14, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F
Up through the Gila National Forest on twisty roads too narrow to have a dividing line.
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Gila Cliff Dwellings
November 14, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F
You can walk right into these cliff dwellings, still relatively intact from when they were built around 1300. Just a mile walk, straight up at times. Can you see Gordon taking the ladder down? (Just don’t look down!!)Read more
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Emory pass
November 15, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 43 °F
Mr Toads wide ride up to the pass. We are trying to stay head of the rain, but arent succeeding.
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Mr Toad's Wild Ride!
November 15, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 45 °F
Twisty windy road in the rain.
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
The road to Albuquerque
November 15, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 43 °F
This trip has been the trip of WEATHER for us, and now we are being chased by a cold front carrying snow from the West. We are not ready to leave New Mexico yet, and searched high and low for a place to ride it out that would be on the mild side of events. We opted for Albuquerque, where we can stock up at Whole Foods and sit tight if need be. (There is even a small brew pub abutting the campground if we get desperate!) If the weather cooperates, we there is plenty to see here.

Just for the drive here, it was an inspired choice. First of all, Gordon got a great view of one of the mines this area is famous for. Even the tailings are gorgeous, though I think he mainly had eyes for the heavy equipment at the bottom of the pit.

Moving on, even the looming weather could not dampen the majesty of the mountainous road traveling East out of Silver City. We enjoyed every minute, even though at times we were down to 10 mph around the hairpin turns. I was convinced some of them were actually “O” turns. Fall is gold, brown, and black and copper around here, and smells of juniper.Read more
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Bernolillo KOA
November 16, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 36 °F
We've had rain, sun, rain, hail, rain, and finally we're getting snow. Havig stocked up with nutritious and tasty groceries at Whole Foods on the way in yesterday, we are cozy in our little geezer mobile. We are really enjoying our first "down" day soncegeting back on the road agsin!Read more
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Brrrrrr
November 17, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 41 °F
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Bernolillo Ulti-Med
November 17, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 41 °F
Poor Gordon. His index finger had been hurting. Heather will add a fuller explaination of the really cool splint that looks like a shark. But the good news is that it is not broken.

Actually, that's about it. We decided to spare you photos of the enormous needle full of anti-inflammatories they stuck in his backside. Gordon is making lemonade, though, and is planning to draw teeth on his splint and add a little fin on top.Read more
Mark FoardWhat happened?
11/17/15Reply
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Albuquerque Old Town
November 18, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F
Here is Heather in front the oldest continually operating church in New Mexico. It was built in 1793. We wandered around the old plaza, slipping in and out of stores. We even stopped into the turquoise museum. But the tour wasn't going to start for another hour, and the tour lasted a hour and a half, so we just looked at the gorgeous jewelry in the gift shop.Read more
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Albuquerque Rattle Snake Museum
November 18, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 52 °F
What a find. So many, many snakes! We especially appreciated the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake that was enshrined on the New Hampshire state flag (Don't Tread on Me).
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Gordon Gets Heather a Present
November 18, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 52 °F
We found a very cute hat store across the street from the Rattlesnake museum. Gordon looked at the hats, but decided that he had the hats that he needs, no need for a bowler or a top hat at this point. But when we got to the women't hats, Gordon was in heaven. He kept giving hats to Heather to try on. They were all so very cute. Unfortunately, there were "no photos" signs posted, so I was unable to create a record of all the hats that Heather tried on. But she did allow me to buy her one hat... isn't she nice to me?Read more
1 like
Southern Crawl Traveler
On the road again
November 19, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 48 °F
We are out on the road again after a very restful stay in Albuquerque. The scenery is an awe-inspiring collection of buttes, mesas, and flat lands.
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Old Route 66
November 19, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F
We got off of Interstate 40 as soon as we could and got onto the old Route 66. We love the route for it’s history, the lack of traffic, and the chance to be more intimate with the scenery.
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Continental Divide
November 19, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F
We getting closer to home! We are now on the Pacific side of the Continental Divide. The land here is pretty flat. I would imagine that this would have been a good route for settlers to come back in the 1880s. Well, except for the heat, lack of water, and the Indians.

Looking at the weather in the Pacific Northwest right now, it's a pretty good route for us as well!Read more
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Red Rock Park
November 19, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F
A park with lots of red rocks just outside of Gallup, NM. You'd think we'd get tired of them, but we love them every time we see'em.
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
El Rancho Hotel for A Late Lunch
November 19, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F
We had lunch at the El Rancho. Built by the brother of D.W. Giffith, everyone who is anyone has stayed or eaten at the El Rancho: John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, Jane Wyman, Spencer Tracy, Kirk Douglas, Katharine Hepburn, and many more. And now us. There should be a plaque.Read more
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
USA RV Park Gallup, NM
November 19, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Heading North
November 20, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 50 °F
We are off to Monument Valley via a trading post where weaver's who work in the traditional manner sell their rugs.
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Toadlena Trading Post
November 20, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F
The trading post was about 10 miles off the main drag, but it was paved up to the last 300 yards. Then... well let's just say that Heather refused to drive across the bridge as she feared she had suffered a concussion from the potholes preceding it.

Thelma Brown, the young lady who helped us at the trading post was very nice, and also a rug weaver. She showed us the two rooms with rugs, the "master weaver's room" and the "more contemporary room". Heather immediately went off into the former. In this room, every rug was created using only the natural colors of the sheeps' wool, except for the black. Thelma showed us a couple of rugs that woven by Mae Lewis who, alone, does not even dye her black. Thelma also shared a couple of rugs woven by her mother Violet. The rugs were gorgeous, but Heather and I finally decided on Mae Lewis' rug that was hanging on the wall.

Apparently it was the 2nd rug Mae had woven after her husband died. The weavers believe that every thought and feeling that takes place at the time of a weaving goes into the rug. Every rug has a single visible strand, not part of the design, leading from the center of the rug out to the edge. This is called the "Weaver's path" and is what allows all those feelings to pass on, out of the rug.

Both Gordon and I felt mom was in the room with us, urging us to go ahead and spend the money on something truly beautiful that could give us joy for the rest of our days. As a parting gift, Thelma gave us a photo of Mae holding the rug when she brought it in. We feel honored to have it.Read more
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
On to Shiprock
November 20, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F
There were some amazing rocks on the way. We did finally figure out which stand of rocks was Shiprock. But that brings up a question... a group of birds is a flock, a group of whales is a pod, a group of cows is a herd, but what is a group of rocks?Read more
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
A Small Corner of Arizona
November 20, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F
We look like a couple of bobble heads traveling through this country!
0 likes
Southern Crawl Traveler
Monument Valley Utah
November 20, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 48 °F
Made it! I have to say, the winter sun coloring is fantastic!
0 likes