Skyscapes and Landscapes Deep in the Heart of Texas

Friday March 14, 2014 Roadway Inn Suite 408 San Angelo, Texas 5:38  PM CST

Covered over 300 miles today and had yet another lost hour as a result of leaving the Mountain Time Zone. Traveled in a sort of drifty mood noticing things like the appearance of the clouds over the flat, flat East New Mexico and West Texas landscape once we left Roswell and the New Mexico Military Institute, which looks like a huge castle on Main Street, behind. With nary a tree in sight it was interesting to see that the power company or telephone company, whichever erects the poles along Rt 70, provides nesting platforms every third or fourth pole and that the birds make use of them. Saw a couple of blackish birds courting at one and a lone blackish bird checking out a nest at another. Looking into the sun made it difficult to tell if they are raptors or not. In Western NY at Montezuma Wildlife Refuge the osprey make nests all along the power line and on platforms also provided them by the power company.

Much of the land between Roswell and Big Spring is flat and is used for agriculture, mostly cotton. I recognized the harvesting equipment I saw used last Fall in Alabama and sure enough we came to a coop gin and then fields in which last years chocolate brown stalks and some cotton boles still lay. Unlike in Alabama the stalks are left in the fields. With the flatness and the winds out here the topsoil would be lifted away if they weren’t a la the days of the Great Dust Bowl fiasco. The colors of the earth: chocolate brown, tan, golden, brick red, dull red are so intense and beautiful contrasting as they do with the Emerald green of the irrigated fields. The farmers are out already—harrowing, mounding, raking. Some they will be planting if they haven’t done some already. I could handle a place where the Spring is as long as our Winter, although the bugs are out, too and they don’t excite me that much.

In addition to agriculture, many of the same fields have oil rigs. Some only one or two but others around 20 or 30 and those areas smell like gas stations. We weren’t in Odessa or Midland this time, though not far from them. These are not the huge fields of rigs found in those places where the oil deposits are so very extensive.  We came into LaMesa from the north this time not from the east as we did when we were headed West. So we crossed our outward path at that point but continued on 87 to Big Spring and thence to San Angelo. This was a new route to places we’ve been on past trips. As a result we saw a different area in Big Spring with a hotel that looks to be from the 20’s or 30’s. In looking up the history of the Hotel Settles I found that I was indeed correct—it opened in October of 1930 and was the tallest building between El Paso and Ft Worth. It is seen in the opening scenes of Midnight Cowboy!  Thought it looked familiar—LOL! If you are interested in that kind of history and it is rather interesting here is a link to its story:http://www.hotelsettles.com/node/15

After Big Springs, which I am sure was probably a stop for cattle drives in the day, the land gets scrubby and seems to be range land. The flatness gives way to hills and mesas, not very high, but rolling. And this, in turn, gives rise to streams and washes, most of which are dry. The number of oil wells increases slightly and there are some agricultural fields mixed in.

After stopping at a historic sign—we missed quite a few because they are thin and parallel with the road so by the time you see them, even with a warning sign a mile before, you’ve sped past the pull out and it isn’t really sensible to backtrack—I happened to notice a strange circular pattern in the sky above the car. Sticking my head somewhat out the window I realize that the sun had a huge halo around it. Cirrus cloud ice crystals refracting the light caused a big ring around the sun with a bit of a rainbow margin. So neat. I’ve seen sun dogs on our trips and other sun, cloud images but this is my first halo outside our meteorology book and it is just the way the book says.

 After that we arrived in San Angelo—but I was so busy looking for the motel that I didn’t take pictures of the beautiful river that runs right through the center of town. We are in a Rodeway which is considered one of the lower echelon of Choice Hotels. This one, however, costs $145 for a suite so we used 16,000 points and have a two room apartment. It is every bit as nice as the other suites we’ve had in Clarion, Comfort and Quality—considered the top of the line in the chain. Have not a clue why it is classified as a Rodeway.

I’m going to take my Coke and sit out on the patio overlooking the pool to catch the last rays of the day. High today was 81—in the air conditioned car that wasn’t too bad. Have a lovely evening—will catch you up in San Antonio. Night all. KandB

Heading East so Retracing Steps to Roswell, New Mexico

Thursday March 13, 2014 Suite 129 Comfort Inn Roswell, New Mexico 4PM MST

Few pictures today since we are retracing some of our steps East. There are just so many ways to leave New Mexico to get where we want to go in Texas. We’ve been on every one of them, either East or West so not much new to record pictorially except maybe the weather conditions. When we came this was heading West a few weeks ago there was snow on Apache Peak, over 7000 ft. Today, not even a small patch. As we left Alamogordo we looked up at Cloudcroft which we considered climbing to Artesia but it is over 10,000 ft. and Bill wasn’t sure he wanted to submit this older car with lots of mileage to such thin air. I was reluctantly willing to try it, since he’s wanted to go that way for at least five years and I’ve always resisted. Can’t say I was upset when he decided to take the car’s feelings into consideration.

We had planned on going down to Carlsbad and revisiting the Caverns but when counting the days til we have to be home and what we really wanted to do between now and then we decided we didn’t want to use two of the remaining days to go to a place we spent many hours visiting several years back. Instead we want to go to the scene of the Battle of Goliad in Texas which, according to my friends in Corpus, was a much more serious battle than the Alamo. We have never been there and would like to go to someplace new, rather than repeat a visit.

Of course, I say that, but it is also on the agenda to spend a few days in Lafayette and return to the Swamp to see if Stumpy is still going strong. For those who haven’t been on the trip with us before that probably doesn’t mean much. If we go, all will become clear. Also Abita Spring Brewery has just released its annual production of Strawberry Lager, a seasonal. Have to get some for home.

And,if all goes well, we may honkey tonk in Nashville and hit Smoky’s on the way home. So, the pictures today look at Sierra Blanco in Ruidoso New Mexico with the only snow for miles around. A wave at the new welcome sign to Tularosa, a couple of signs that play right into the book I just finished about a man who claimed to be Billy the Kid, rather convincingly, I might add and several shots of the rolling hills that lead us out of the Rio Bonito Valley into a high mountain plain before dropping us into Roswell.

Grabbed a lunch at Pepper’s Grill and Pub and then checked into our suite for which we used 16,000 points of the over 100,000 which we have accumulated so far.  Bill is watching Judge Judy so I’m going to catch up on the silliness. Tomorrow into Texas and loss of yet another hour. No wonder I’m tired!  Take care, all KandB PS: New nail job--didn't consciously choose to do Blue and Gray but how apropos for Texas and the Confederacy! LOL

A Rest in Alamogordo, New Mexico

Tuesday March 11, 2014 Suite 155 Quality Inn Alamogordo, New Mexico 5:53 PM MST

Slept poorly last night, though the bed was super comfortable and the room was nice and airy. Had left the window open in anticipation for the overnight cool down but the traffic proved too noisy so closed the window and turned on the A/C. For some reason Bill was blocking the flow and so, with just a sheet I was cold but with the down comforter I was too hot. Went to bed at 10 only to be awakened by neighbors who came in at midnight—talked at normal voice in the hall and never heard of holding doors so they don’t slam. Wish I knew what room they were in, would have loved calling them at 6 when I was awake for the day! But, at least, as I lay in bed at 6:30 deciding I might as well get up, I watched the day begin through the window and had a lovely red reflection on the ceiling of the sunrise.

We took I-10 from Benson to Las Cruces, New Mexico, losing yet another hour. Decided I didn’t care about Chiricahua National Monument near Willcox so on we rode. In 2000, when Barb and I came to this area there was one little winery in Elgin—I had my first Shiraz there—now the whole area around Willcox is filled with pecan trees, walnut trees, pistachio trees and lots of wineries, though I didn’t see any vineyards.

From I-10 route 70 runs over San Augustin Pass onto the White Sands Missile Testing Area. For the first time in ages we were directed to a Customs’ and Border Patrol inspection station. Nice Patrolman merely asked if we were citizens and we were off. Stopped at the National Monument to use the restrooms. What a difference two weeks makes—a regular zoo! Hoping to go over at 8 am tomorrow and see the Sands in early morning light.

We are staying here for a couple of nights to rest. May go over Cloudcroft or through El Paso—each equally bad—to revisit Carlsbad.Should be a new Visitors’ Center since 2007 when they were operating out of trailers. Then we head across Texas to Goliad and the worst massacre of the War for Texan Independence. Next our favorite Louisiana Area for a little while. The time is slowly running out and soon we will be headed home in earnest. Don’t want to rush the last leg of the journey.

Looking forward to R and R tomorrow when we get back from the Sands. Have to find a copy of The Blue Tattoo—should have bought it in Santa Fe. Oh, well, there is always Amazon. Time to put up my feet and watch NCIS. Later KandB

Saguaro West and East

Monday March 10,2014 Room 245 Comfort Inn Benson,Arizona 6:22 PM MST ( 3 hrs difference from Vt)

Slept like a log last night—went to bed at 9:30, got up twice but fell right back to sleep and slept until 8 this morning. Felt really great today. Having stayed in North Tucson it was a mere hop and jump to Saguaro National Park West. When we went out to dinner last night the young man on the desk googled the back way to the Park from the motel so we had a wonderful upward climb into the Park and through magnificent old Saguaro all the way to the Visitors’ Center. When we were here in 2007 it was in a cold rain which was icy at times and at the heights brought us snow flurries. This  was  a much nicer day—sunny with temperatures in the low 80’s. We watched the 15 minute video again and loved when it ended and the screen lifted as the curtains opened onto a view of the Cactus Forest climbing the hill.

The loop in this section is rather short but there are an incredible number of Saguaro of all ages and conditions. According to the literature, after 15 years the cactus may have reached a height of 12 inches. Around 30 years old it will flower and bear fruit. When it is 50 years old it may be seven feet tall but it will not sprout any arms until it is around 75 years old. By 100 it may be 25 feet tall and will get its biggest at about 150 years old.  They die of old age, or by wind or lightening damage or drought. There is also cactus poaching, invasive species and vandalism as well as damage from cold winter temperatures.  So as you look at these pictures you can see some pretty old guys and gals among the young folks and the ocotillo , barrel cacti, staghorn cholla and jumping jack cholla, mesquite and creosote and hedgehog cacti and prickly pear. One of my favorites here, too, are the fishhook cacti.

Plenty of other desert growth however and at last I saw something other than the yellow wildflowers—a particularly beautiful red flowering staghorn.  Other cacti are putting out new colorful thorns including a particularly lovely fishhook.

We had gotten directions to the Eastern section of the park from the volunteer lady, who assured me that Gates Pass would be fine for me, since the mountain would be on my side. She was right but look closely at that sway backed mountain in several pictures—there are very tiny cars and trailers climbing on the very outer edge of the road up into the Pass. I was fine but never looked to my left though the view of Tucson from the top in front was a bit unnerving too. Fortunately, the whole thing was about a mile, up and down and so was over pretty quickly.

We had to go through Tucson and the University of Arizona campus on Speedway Boulevard which was a bit stressful for Bill once more, but upon reaching Old Spanish Trail we were in the country again and the entrance to this part of the Park.At the visitors’ center a delicate pink barrel as well as a dark maroon hedgehog were part of the landscaping.

The driving road here is paved and is 8 miles long. While there are zillions of cacti climbing the mountains, there are not many at the elevation of the road. It was fun to see the various nests in the arms of saguaro as well as in the holes dug out by various birds.

We left by way of Houghton Road upon which the map showed an Air Force boneyard. We never saw it but my friend, Ruth says it is visible from I-10. We had taken back roads between the two sides of the Park so missed that portion of 10 which cuts through Tucson and so missed this huge dead end for various planes.

Arrived in Benson at the Comfort Inn which has just barely become the Comfort Inn. Got the feeling that the desk clerk felt this was a comedown from the Desert Rose Lodge that it had been. Haven’t lowered their prices at all—this room is $145—used 16000 points instead. Going to do my hair and watch TV. Ate in tonight—sometimes I just feel like calling it a day—sardines and crackers are a favorite and easy.

Think we’ll be back in New Mexico tomorrow—somewhere around Alamogordo probably. Looking to see how to miss El Paso into Texas. Might go to Carlsbad again. Stay tuned. Good night for now. KandB

Kingman to Tucson by Way of Phoenix and Some Ruins

Sunday March 9,2014 Suite 104 Comfort Inn North Tucson, Arizona 6:25 PM MST

Started the day by calling Betsy at home, though there is a three hour difference as long as we are in Arizona. We had a time zone change from PST to MST yesterday when we left California but Arizona does not use Daylight Savings Time, so until we reach New Mexico we have only lost one hour. Called her at 8 am our time but of course she’d already left for Jay Peak. Sang Happy Birthday to her on the answering machine then called her cell. She and Fred had just gotten to Jay and were on their way out to the slope—glad I caught her.

We went to get gas at the same station we used four days ago and they’ve raised the price 5 cents per gallon to $3.54. A few miles east and the gas was $3.39/gallon. Crazy! Today was a drive from Point A to Point B day so the pictures are basically the scenery on a diagonal from Kingman to a town called Wickenburg 108 miles away. Through canyons, over washes and mountains, through valleys. I’m getting so I know the name of these cacti. Though we saw lots of Joshua Trees and creosote bush and smoke trees, we have entered the habitat of the Giant Saguaro. We followed the power lines into Phoenix on route 60 and then took 303, a loop around the worst of the city traffic. Past the Home of the Angels—the ballpark filled with people in the broiling sun—part of the Cactus League. We’d thought about getting tickets for a ball game but decided against it.Ticket prices are quite reasonable, as NBL tickets go—the highest is $38, but the aggravation of the traffic and the probable high cost of a room, though we could use points, were deterrents. Bill had a fit driving through what seemed easy traffic to me, in that it was a straight shot without over or underpasses.

After Phoenix which is a really large town even after a loop by-pass, I noticed a sign to The Casa Grande Ruins and suggested we take the big u-loop from and back to I 10, as sort of a traffic break and also a walking break. It was well worth it—the sun is blinding here and the temp was almost 80 but the wind was cool and so the walk around the grounds was very pleasant. The Ranger who checked us in grew up in Saco and went to Bates. Her job here ends in April and so she is transferring to Calais, Maine—some island in the St Croix River administered by both American and Canadian National Parks. Have to look it up.

From the Ruins we continued back to the Interstate and to North Tucson. Ate at Texas Roadhouse, right across the street. Tomorrow Saguaro National Park and then on to Wilcox for the night. Very tired tonight—up early and covered over 300 miles—unusual for us—we usually go about 150 or so miles a day. Don’t like days when we race without stopping anywhere. Looking forward to the Park tomorrow—it is divided into two sections—one west of Tucson and the other east of Tucson. We will start with the western section and then proceed to the eastern one.  For now, have to see what is on TV. Until tomorrow—nightie night and another Happy Birthday to our baby.  KandB

Back to Kingman,Arizona

Saturday March 8,2014 Room 243 Quality Inn Kingman Arizona 7 PM MST

So we lost an hour today by returning to Arizona from California. Fortunately, Arizona does not go on DST so we won’t lose another hour until we go back into New Mexico which we be several days from now. It seems Barstow California has been destined to be the farthest West we will be on this trip. But that is more of California than Bill has ever been willing to explore before. That State just gives me such a headache—it is so expensive for everything. Paid $3.71 a gallon for gas and just down the street at I 15 it was $4.29!  Yet, here in Arizona it is $3.29. It has ever been thus. At any rate, we are now turned around and our travels will take us mostly South and East for awhile before heading back to the Northeast once more—but that is still three weeks away.

Once more we had to discuss our next step. We had thought to go to Organ Pipe since I was a bit disappointed by the lack of flowering of the desert plants and thought perhaps the more Southern Park and different cacti might provide a more spectacular display. But that is almost into Mexico and due South—so still very West. We talked about heading to Tucson and Saguaro but Bill has wanted to go to Guymon, Oklahoma as do I for steak at Eddies and to take in a rodeo as well as hit our favorite jerky seller. But then we want to spend a week around Lafayette before heading North. Decisions, decisions. So I went on the Internet—no rodeos in Guymon until April—decided on Tucson. We’ll hit Guymon again next year.

Slept somewhat late this morning but managed to get to the Restaurant in time for breakfast. Then we hit I40 to get back to Kingman—merely as a sleeping place on the way to somewhere else. The scenery was as usual spectacular and I tried my best to show the size and breadth of the distances along the road. Trains look like toys beneath the towering mountains way across the valley from our road. The moon looks like a white dot above the mountains in a cobalt blue sky. The golden and white flowers did form long mats along the sides of the highway and one lovely tree in a rest area was hung with chains of dainty yellow flowers. Most of my pictures are taken from a moving car and sometimes I’m astounded by the beauty of some of them—others not so much.

Called for our reservation from the road and then called the motel and asked for our room on the patio once more. Ate at the Dam Bar where the young lady remembered our drinks, at a very crowded bar, from the other night. Good waitress= good tip, although we always give between 18-20 % gratuity unless the service is absolutely awful.

Once more we arrived early enough to sit in the sun on the patio and read. God, I’m loving this sunny, mild weather.  After a rather uneventful day of travel, we are going to watch a couple more House of Cards installments. Almost finished this season and things are really unraveling for the Underwoods but they are so slippery they’ll probably pull through just a bit bruised. I do wish they’d stop with the gratuitous sex themes—what other perversion can they think of to make it more disturbing?  Gag!

Early bed and early to rise tomorrow for a new road through the mountains. Looking forward to the new sights. Hope you are, too. Later, KandB

A Day in the Desert or Joshua Tree National Park

Friday March 7, 2014 Room 120 Quality Inn Barstow, California  4PM PST

As we left our hotel in Blythe we were amused by the tiny sign in the front garden. Unless one got right up to it there was no way to know that it was a warning sign about carcinogenic chemicals in the hotel. You’d think it was a warning not to dig and disrupt a water, electrical or sewer line. Only in California!

Last night we discussed going to Death Valley but decided it was farther north than we wanted to go and that Joshua Tree National Park which sort of straddles the Sonoran and Mohave Deserts would have blossoming desert life as likely as would Death Valley. So, this morning, I was up by 6 and eating breakfast by 6:30 since the Park is about two hours from Blythe and the Visitors’ Center opens at 8. Not exactly sure how hot the day was likely to become and what the drive would be like it was our hope to be pretty well finished by noonish and the hottest part of the day.

We took I-10 through the mountains and mining areas of them to the exit for Joshua Tree. There were several pull outs, similar to those in Organ Pipe, explaining the various types of desert and the plants common to each. On maps the Sonoran and Mohave deserts are subdivided into smaller areas and upon entering the Park from the South we discovered that we were entering the Colorado Desert, a subdivision of Sonora. I loved a stone outcropping that reminded me of the way Bets used to sleep as a baby—on her stomach with her butt stuck up in the air. Little did I know, that though this was not one of them, there would be many rock outcroppings in the Park given fanciful names. I would call this one Baby’s Butt.

After several miles we encountered our first blossom and what a beauty it was—an Arizona Bluebell. Unfortunately, this was the only cluster of these that we saw. Throughout the Park there are several dirt roads that we can explore but for the most part it is suggested that you have four wheel drive. We do not, and, though curiosity does urge us to try, we use common sense and resist. The best I can do is take a photo in the general direction of the road and hope to imagine the mine etc that lies just out of sight. There are also several washes as there are throughout this arid part of our country. They are always dry except during Spring rains and snow melt, though they haven’t been frequent out here in the last few years. There was some heavy rain just about a week ago in the area which explains the widespread greening up and blossoming. The plants have to hurry up once water comes and get themselves pollinated and photosynthesizing before the water all dries up and they have to go dormant once more. I love the names of some of these areas. Fried liver is in the region where some guy thought he could establish a going turkey farm. Didn’t work out and I wonder if this name derives from his frustrating failure.

I fell in love with a spindly tall plant in Organ Pipe seven years or so ago. It is called Ocotillo and I have no idea why it appeals to me so much. It isn’t a cactus but rather a deciduous woody shrub and looks deader than a doornail without water—downright unattractive. But when it is green it is lovely and this time we saw it in blossom—wonderful red plumes, blowing in the wind. When it is green the whole length of every branch is covered in tiny spring green leaves.

Another favorite is cholla which is a cactus. There are several varieties one of which is called the Teddy Bear cholla and it does LOOK cuddly though the spines are pretty painful. They were so aggravating, teasing with lovely yellow and cream colored blossoms which they had not yet opened—I looked and looked for just one opened but NOOOOO.

Soon we came to the transition zone where two different altitudes, temperatures and precipitation patterns meet and overlap. The differences in abiotic conditions result in differences in the flora and therefore the fauna of the different zones within the Park.  This northern section of the Park was littered with huge boulders of granite at the foot of hills and mountains of gneiss. They were as fascinating and attention getting as the plant life around them. The vegetation here was quite different—lots of Mohave yucca and the species of yucca which give their name to the Park.

The Joshua Tree was named by the Mormons who felt the limbs of the plant, pointing in every direction, reminded them of the prophet Joshua, welcoming them to the Promised Land.  In places there were so many Joshua Trees that it seemed to be a forest, though the plants were far smaller than those we are used to forming forests around us. Here we came to some purple ground cover flowers, which, in only one spot, actually formed a noticeable carpet. In this area there were several hiking trails to see such rock formations as The Saddle and The Skull and The Oyster Bed. Also, here we found several groups of people scaling the smooth crevices of the rocks.

We saw only a couple creatures and boy are they fast. A pair of coyotes crossed the road in front of us—I couldn’t see them with the glare of the sun and the difficulty of seeing the display in bright light. But I shot blindly into the brush on my side of the car and did get each of them fleetingly in two separate shots. The jackrabbit that flew across the road in front of us just before leaving the park disappeared instantly in the brush and forget the little rodent that scurried among the rocks. We reached the exit of the  Park around 11:30 having entered at 8;30. The Visitors’ Center at our entrance was NOT open when we got there. At the exit they ask for your pass of receipt and I have a Golden Age Pass so pay nothing at any of the National Parks etc. The Joshua Tree Visitors’ Center is outside the Park and we stopped to get some Post Cards and then went to the Post Office to buy stamps and mail them.

Continued to Yucca Valley and headed North on Ca 247. Climbed high into the mountains on an unbanked two lane road and then descended into the long, long Johnson Valley, green with the run-off from the surrounding hills. We weren’t very far from San Bernadino, one of the suburbs of LA but avoided it all by swinging north out of Yucca Valley. Came to an area that obviously once was plowed and planted but is parched and dry—very great evidence of the drought that California has been experiencing for several years now.  Went over and around the mountains here to the windward side and the difference was unbelievable.

Traveling through this fruitful valley we came to Barstow and Rt 66 once more. Every light post has the name of some fellow from Barstow serving in the military. As is the case in most of the towns on 66 that served the people traveling the Mother Road there are old motels, restaurants etc. Some are closed and falling down others are still functioning, some seedier than others. We arrived at the Quality Inn and were given a very nice room on the courtyard. The weather was so inviting we sat outside our room reading in the sun for several hours. As an Elite I was given a nice box of POLISH chocolates,which we munched as we sunned.

Eventually, we headed over to the Mexican Restaurant where we sad at the sunken bar and visited with some of the locals. My favorite was a Spaniard from San Sebastian in Spain—he is actually a Basque, who raises sheep as he did in Spain. It is all I’ve ever known he told me. We talked wines and cities and museums and the horrors of Los Angeles and the glories of NYC. He and I really enjoyed visiting, while Bill talked sports with a couple of other guys. They did chat as well, about sheep raising etc.

I added this last around 730 and am going to watch a bit of TV before an early sleep—quite tired—a long day. The food tonight was delicious--had a tostada salad after a cup of albondigas soup. YUM! Goodnight KandB