Sun Valley

It is November 2nd and we have started to head back towards the East. We all (Tarjei, I, Jabba & Boots) have adapted to the gypsy rhythm of packing up every few days, hopping into the car, and driving for 5 - 10 hours, then making camp (or checking into a hotel or BnB) for a day or a few days.

When we drive, the dogs snooze in the back of the station wagon while Tarjei and I sit up front. The dogs appear perfectly happy to be along with us — providing we stop every few hours for them to jump out, sniff around, and of course heed nature’s call (whether Nature is calling them to pee/poop, or run after a cottontail rabbit which are abundant around here).

Tarjei usually drives —because he likes to drive and I like to sleep. He is the world’s worst passenger — jumpy, white-knuckled, constantly pointing out the obvious traffic hazards (“Watch for the red truck pulling out ahead”. “That light is going to change color Soon! Look out!”). He is unable to sleep in the passenger seat, even if he is exhausted. The ONLY time that he slept there in last 14,600 km was when I was driving and pulled up to a road construction site in the Rockies. “Sorry, Ma’am, it’s gonna be 15 minutes before you can drive — might as well just sit tight!” I turned off the ignition and — presto, Tarjei was asleep. He awoke immediately when I started the car as they reopened that stretch of road.

While we drive, if I am not sleeping, we watch the scenery — very different from home. We often talk or drink coffee or consult the map to plan the next part of the journey. Sometimes we listen to music that Tarjei has downloaded from Spotify — classical or road songs or Leonard Cohen. In Canada we often listened to CBC, but in the USA we usually cannot find NPR. Lately I have been downloading Audiobooks — currently we are bouncing between SAPIENS by Yuval Harare (history of humankind — brilliant) and DEATH OF A DUSTMAN by M. C. Beaton — (Scottish Highlands mystery — brilliant but in a different way entirely). I wish I had written either of them.

After driving we try to go for a long walk, and if possible I swim— either at the hotel or the local community pool. It keeps us from seizing up.

I like this routine and will miss it when we get home.

So over the last few days we have explored Flagstaff Arizona (beautiful high elevation university town), hiked the South Rim of the Grand Canyon (dogs are not allowed below the rim), travelled to Santa Fe New Mexico (every building adobe in soft pink, coral, gold, or shades in between), and then visited Los Alamos (where the atomic bomb was developed). We have eaten lots of Southwest food — chili, tortillas, corn, squash, and beans enough to make us roll down windows as we drive.

Now we are going South to visit Roswell for another type of “Scientific” discovery — the UFO Center.

PS. Nov 3 today. We spent last night at a very tiny Air BnB — about 4X5 meters, in a tiny New Mexico village. We made spaghetti and drank red wine. It was lovely. Picture below.Read more