ARIZONA and NEW MEXICO NOV 9 - 12

ARIZONA

 A LOT OF CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE AT BOULDER DAM SINCE 9/11.  THE NEW BY-PASS BRIDGE JUST DOWNSTREAM WITH HIGH BARRIERS SO YOU DON'T GET A GLIMPSE OF THE DAM,  DIVERTS TRAFFIC FROM THE OLD ROAD ON TOP OF THE DAM.  THE SECURITY CHECKPOINTS TO APPROACH AND VISIT THE DAM ARE MORE STRINGENT THAN AT THE MEXICAN BORDER. 

OLD ART DECO DETAIL

WHAT USED TO BE A THRILLING EXPERIENCE, WINDING THROUGH THE RED ROCK CANYON AND SUDDENLY SEEING THE HUGE DAM, THEN CROSSING ALONG THE RIM WITH ALL THE SPLENDID ART DECO DETAILS IS NOW REDUCED TO AN OUT-SIZED AIRPORT SECURITY ANNOYANCE.

VISUALLY THE NEW FACILITIES, ACCORDIAN WIRE TOPPED FENCES, CRUDELY CARVED OUT PARKING LOTS, UGLY THREATENING SIGNS, PILES OF CONSTRUCTION RUBBLE AND THE MASSIVE VISITORS GARAGE MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE VISITING A HUGE PRISON IN THE DESERT.

BOULDER DAM TODAY





OH WELL, I GUESS THAT'S PROGRESS. I TRIED TO SUPPLANT THE FRUSTRATING HOUR OF  SITTING IN TRAFFIC JAMS, SEEING THE DEFACING NEW CONSTRUCTION AND AVOIDING SWARMS OF TOURISTS RACING FOR THE NEW GIFT SHOP TO BUY DAM TOKENS MADE IN CHINA, WITH PLEASANT MEMORIES FROM EARLIER VISITS TO THE MASSIVE STRUCTURE.

ANYWAY, WITHIN MINUTES I WAS IN ARIZONA CRUISING DOWN A "ROAD TO INFINITY" AND GETTING FURTHER AWAY FROM BOULDER DAM, PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY  AS FAST AS I COULD.     AHHHH! THE OPEN ROAD!

JUST PAST KINGMAN, AZ WE TURNED OFF THE INTERSTATE ONTO BACK ROADS THROUGH THE HAVASUPAI RESERVATION AT GRAND CANYON AND FOUND OURSELVES ON THE REMNANTS OF OLD ROUTE 66.

 

THE TWO-LANE ROAD WAS DESERTED, BUT OCCASIONALLY WE RAN INTO NOSTALGIC SCENES FROM THE PAST LIKE THIS GAS STAION AND GENERAL STORE.

AS THE SUN SET BEHIND US WITH NEW SNOW ON THE MOUNTAIN TOPS, WE CRUISED INTO FLAGSTAFF FOR THE NIGHT.

I REMEMBERED THE TOURIST CENTER AND INN AT THE PAINTED DESERT FROM A TRIP OVER 50 YEARS AGO WHEN I DROVE MY FATHER-IN-LAW, JOE KENNEDY FROM CLEVELAND TO LAS VEGAS. HE WAS BLIND AND WE STOPPED OFTEN ALONG RTE 66 (PRE-INTERSTATE DAYS). HE'D GET OUT WITH HIS CANE, STRAIGHTEN OUT HIS HAT, STARE BLANKLY AHEAD LOOKING QUITE DAPPER AND ASK, "SO, WHAT ARE WE SEEING?", AND I WOULD DESCRIBE THE SCENE.  IT MADE THINGS MORE VIVID FOR ME AND HE SEEMED TO ENJOY IT.

PAINTED DESERT OVERVIEW

PETRIFIED TREES

DEEP WASH IN THE DESERT

wood replaced by minerals and crystals showing growth rings

THE PETRIFIED REMAINS OF A PREHISTORIC FOREST IN THE MIDST OF A VAST DESERT IS FACINATING AND FUN TO EXPLORE.

NEW MEXICO

IN ALBUQUERQUE, ANNIE POWDRELL RUNS THE SMOKEHOUSE BAR B Q THAT HER GRANDADDY  STARTED IN THE 60's.  TENDER, TASTY BRISKET AND RIBS. SHE WAS QUITE CORDIAL AND SAT DOWN TO CHAT. WHEN SHE LEARNED ABOUT BUNGEE OUT IN MY CAR SHE WENT INTO THE KITCHEN AND BAGGED SOME CLEANED RIB BONES FOR HIM WHICH HE WAS OVERJOYED TO GET.

THE HIGHWAY RAMPS IN ALBUQUERQUE PICK UP THE NEW MEXICO LANDSCAPE COLORS.  THAT SHADOW IS MY SUBARU.

FRONT PORCH OF A SHOP ON THE ROAD OUT OF SANTA FE TOWARD GEORGIA O'KEEFE'S GHOST RANCH.

COOL LOGO FOR AN UPSCALE SOUTHWEST ART AND ANTIQUE SHOP IN SANTA FE.

 ON THE BACK ROAD TO LOS ALAMOS THE LOS OJOS RESTAURANT HAS GREAT FOOD AND LOTS OF CHARACTER.

THE BURRITOS ARE BIG ENOUGH TO SERVE A WHOLE FAMILY AND THE ROARING FIRE FELT GOOD ON A NIPPY LATE FALL DAY.











BANDELIER NATIONAL MONUMENT HAS FASCINATING CLIFF DWELLINGS AND RUINS IN A PICTURESQUE CANYON.

REMAINS OF PUEBLO IN BANDELIER

I WENT OUT TO CHRIST IN THE DESERT, A REMOTE AND BREATHTAKING MONASTERY  23 MILES DOWN A ONE -LANE GRAVEL ROAD THAT RICHARD AUSTIN INTRODUCED ME TO SEVERAL YEARS AGO. WHEN I ARRIVED THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF LIFE, NO VEHICLES AND ALL THE DOORS SHUT TIGHTLY. WHILE BUNGEE AND I WERE EXPLORING THE GROUNDS, SOMEONE CAME OUT OF THE MONASTERY DOOR SUDDENLY AND I WAS VERY PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO SEE FATHER BARTOLOME WHO I MET IN HIS HOME TOWN OF QUERETARO, MEXICO LAST APRIL. WE HAD A WONDERFUL REUNION AND HE ASKED ME TO COME BACK AND STAY WITH THEM IN THE FUTURE AS HE SAID HE WILL NEVER LEAVE THIS SPOT AGAIN.

I CAN'T BLAME HIM AS IT IS THE MOST SERENE AND BEAUTIFUL SPOT I HAVE EVER SEEN, EVEN IN IT'S WINTER FORM.

AS I SAID GOODBYE TO FATHER BARTOLOME, I PROMISED TO RETURN AS WELL AS SAY HELLO TO SOME OF HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHEN I GET DOWN TO MEXICO IN JANUARY.

IN FRONT OF THE MONASTERY
THE CHAMA RIVER WINDS THROUGN THE VALLEY TO MEET THE RIO GRANDE NEAR TAOS AND HAS GREAT CAMPING, RAFTING AND HIKING TRAILS.

THIS IS GEORGIA O'KEEFE COUNTRY AND YOU CAN EASILY SEE WHAT INSPIRED HER ALMOST SURREAL PAINTINGS.

THE GOVERNOR'S PALACE COLONNADE IN SANTA FE IS JAMMED WITH JEWELERS

NATIVE AMERICANS SELLING THEIR WARES

TURQOUIS SELLER

"Q-TIP" CLUSTER, COMMON TO SANTA FE AS IT IS ONE OF THE MOST VISITED CITIES IN THE SW AND HAS A LARGE NUMBER OF RETIRED FOLKS

SANTA FE HAS BECOME A TOURIST MECCA, BUT RETAINS CHARM AND SMALL-TOWN CHARACTER.

I CAN EASILY SEE WHY PEOPLE GET HOOKED ON NEW MEXICO, IT CERTAINLY IS A "LAND OF ENCHANTMENT" AND ONCE YOU EXPLORE THE STATE, IT HAUNTS YOU TO RETURN. TOMORROW WE HEAD OUT THROUGH TUCUMCARI ON OUR TRIP BACK TO THE BERKSHIRES.