Heading home with a detour July 6, 2004

July 6, 2004

We left the Grand Canyon this morning heading out over the East Rim and then through the reservations.  First a couple more stops to buy trinkets. 

Then out in to the wide-open spaces.  Our first reservation to go through is Navajo, then the Hopi and then the Navajo again.   The countryside is beautiful.  Red sand stone and the Painted Desert are all around us.  Hannah is driving again.  She put in over three hours on twisty roads with high cliffs. We stopped at the Hopi Cultural Center for lunch.   I had a Hopi Tostada, made with frybread, it was really good.  So tasty, it had been a long time since breakfast, so we were all starved and the food tasted so yummy.   After filling up our bellies we are back on the road toward Gallup.  We stopped in Ganado for gas and nice man named Earnest told us to go to Canyon de Chelly at Chinle.  Of course it is out of our way but he was pretty convincing so we turned north to see Chinle.  Got a room and hired a Navajo guide for tomorrow morning. We have just for a quick swim, well we did have to pull the car out front so that two local families could take a photo with the car, then time for sleep.

July 5, 2004

July 5, 2004

Hannah’s Birthday!  We really need to make some time if we are going to make the Grand Canyon.  The temperature is hot and feels best moving fast.  So, we packed up all our belongings and headed out.  NO STOPS.  Oh well, we did do laundry at a local Wash-o-Mat while the girls had breakfast at the El Rancho.

 

OK, one or two stops to buy jewelry from the local merchants.  Well, a third stop to pick up just one more piece of jewelry.

OK, we have to get gas.

OK, the Petrified Forest would be nice.

OK, the giant dinosaur is funny.

OK, your right lunch at Joe and Aggie’s is a must on route 66.

OK, a quick stop in “Winslow, Arizona such a fine sight to see.”

OK, time for gas again but really no more stops.

Wow, we made it to the Grand Canyon, Woo Hoo!!  And it was perfect timing for sunset.

The canyon was of course breath taking.  And at one of those stops we bought Twinkies and candles for Hannah’s Birthday.  Could there be a better place to make a birthday wish than looking out over the vistas of the Grand Canyon.  Kind of makes up for the fact that, its just twinkies.  Happy Birthday Hannah!!!!!

As the sun finally set we went to our car.  Only to be surrounded by a bus load  of Japanese tourist, who were more interested in our Pink Cadillac, than the canyon vistas.   After lots of photos and smiling, we were allowed to go on our way.

 

One more stop for dinner and a slice of cheesecake with a candle, before checking in to our hotel. 

Tomorrow we start to drive home????.

Happy Birthday Hannah

ITS HANNAH'S BIRTHDAY TODAY JULY 5, 2004
She is sweet sixteen and we will have lots of photo when we find another connection!

Leaving Tucumcari and reaching Gallup

July 4, 2004

We left the Blue Swallow this morning after highlighting Hannah’s hair. We made a quick stop at Teepee Curios for more and the scenery is changing quickly.  The vistas out the car windows are incredible.  We stopped in Santa Rosa for breakfast the food was wonderful but we caught them on a slow day.

Several miles down the road we pulled in to San Fidel, NM.  Our first greeter was Mike Molina at the White Arrow Garage; he was a charming man in an old pinto filled with dogs.  He was so happy to see the “pink Cadillac” he said “This is a fourth no one will get but me, Thank you wonderful people!”  We promised to send him a photo.   Next to the White Arrow, is Gallery 66.   It is a very quaint and charming gallery. The owner/artist Mary Trask is a New England transplant, who purchased the historic building and land off the internet three years ago.  She represents local artists and artist from around the world.  Her specialty is mosaic. work.  Her friendly and warm storytelling will entertain and delight the traveler looking for a break.  But for the traveler looking for local art and the stories to go with it, this is the place to go. She has a wide range of “Garden Art”, jewelry, pottery and mosaics and if you visit at the right time of the year she will send you on your way with fresh apricots from her orchard.

By nightfall we arrived at our hotel in Gallup, NW.  The El Rancho: Home of he Movie Stars, a fabulous old hotel full of character.  We paid 6 dollars more to get a room with a balcony!  The Hotel touts its self as having the “Charm of Yesterday, Convenience of Tomorrow” but no Internet service here. Not quite that advanced.

Gallup closes on Sundays so we had dinner in the Hotel.  After dinner we got directions to the fireworks show and took off to oooooh and ahhhhh with the locals.  I have to say the people of Gallup love their fireworks.  Besides the sanctioned fireworks, that were pretty darn good, the hills were filled with sprays of light all night long.  Another day on the road, another day of fun and laughter.

 

July 3 Hillbillys and more deadends

July 3, 2004 

We left Clinton, OK bound for Amarillo and the Cadillac Ranch. We also wanted to see Debbie, the Maid of Honor in our wedding 20 years ago. We haven’t seen each other in 15 years.  Amarillo is also the very first paper I ever worked. I was the first woman photographer they had ever seen.  I didn’t last long in Amarillo.  Although it was filled with the nicest folks you could ever meet.  It was just a whole lot different than what I grew up with.  Most of you have heard the stories so I won’t bore you here.  Before arriving in Amarillo however, we stopped off in Erick, OK.  Where we met “The Mediocre Music Makers” Harley and Annabelle.  If you ever find yourself in Erick be sure to stop by for an attitude adjusting, mind bending, musical treat.  You can’t avoid Annabelle’s blue eyes, or Harley personality.  Harley says she stopped for a “break from the highway 20 years ago and never left.”  .If your lucky their friend Jim Hicks will be there and share with you his “thirsty stones” and Indian artifacts collection. They can be found in the historic “City Meat Market”, where the drinks are on the house and the antiques and entertainment will keep you talking for miles and days later

Well, after escaping Erick we turned down old route 66, towards Alanreed, only to see that the road turned into a bumpy gravel pothole infested ranch road.  After the second cattle guard crossing at Trew Ranch we chickened out and turned around. After much discussion we decided if we were ever going to make the Grand Canyon we would have to make a quick visit with Debbie in Amarillo and keep heading west.

We stopped to get cold water and ice cream bars, having a hard time finding real ice cream cones.  We met a junior champion bull rider.  Matthew Keyes says he doesn?t like horses, prefers to ride bulls.  He also says one day we will see him on the rodeo circuit.  His folks were very nice, made me remember all the kind people I met in Amarillo during my short stay, 25 years ago.  We also took some time out to sign the VW Bug ranch.  A tourist rip off, of the Cadillac ranch, but still fun. We will catch the Cadillac ranch on our way back home.  It was a short hello at the Amarillo Globe News where Debbie works now and a warning that we were heading west towards a thunderstorm.  Introductions were made to Ella whom Debbie never met and a few stories told of my time at the Globe-News and we took her warning and headed west.  We made a short stop in Vega, Texas to look at the boot bush and dot?s mini route 66 Museum. We drove through Adrian, Texas the Midway point on route 66, and again we were chased out of town by a dog this one was named Peanut.

We hit some rain and the most beautiful sunset you could imagine the kind that makes you realize why New Mexico is the ?land of enchantment?.

We pulled into Tucumcari just as the sun was setting.  What luck ?The Blue Swallow? had a room.  This just might be the most stunning neon motel on the Route 66 stretch so far.  The rooms have been wonderfully restored and if your not driving a 22.5-foot long Cadillac you have a private carport to park in. This is a must see if you ever arrive at sunset. It was also the perfect backdrop for Hannah to entertain all of us in the vintage circus outfit.  We have all laughed alot on this journey.  We all loved Tucumcari.  After a nice dinner at Del?s and downloading the days photos we all went to bed early.

July 2, 2004

We stayed in Claremore, OK at the Will Rogers Inn.  It was an interesting Hotel, But the room was clean and the pool refreshing. The girls spent some time swimming at the pool with the Enid, Oklahoma baseball team.  Then on the road early to the J.M. Davis gun collection Museum.  (if you like guns I recommend stopping.) Then up the hill to the Will Rogers Memorial, this one was really interesting.  Then on the road again, through Tulsa, Catoosa, OK City, Yukon.  

We met Paul W. Brown and his wife Geraldine.  It was her birthday!  He told stories and sent us to Hugo’s for a hearty home cooked breakfast.  (Did you know in Oklahoma, an order of Eggs Benedict, means eggs with Velveeta? I do now!) 

We stopped in Catoosa at The Blue Whale.   To bad you can’t swim there anymore.   We are still doing ok with out air conditioning but it is getting hotter.  Hannah drove for over two hours today while Rick rested in the back. Then on to The Cherokee gift shop in Weatherford, OK.  Where cowboys still ride in on horseback to “git a drink of tea.”  It was dark so not photos of the cowboys. Spent the night in Clinton, OK.  We plan to be at the Cadillac Ranch today!! 

July 1, 2004

July 1, 2004

Back on to Old 66.  We left Springfield, Mo. late this morning after the rain stopped.  First stop was a quaint little town called Halltown.  Chatted with Mike and Jerry they own a gift and antique shop on the old road.  The girls found purses, while Rick chatted with the boys; we were chased out of town by a mangy mutt. Farther down the road we found some of the original cement road, in what was Spencer, Missouri. We stopped in Carthage, Mo. to walk through some antique shops. While in the town we used the public bathrooms in the county courthouse, but not before taking a ride in the historic elevator still operated by a county employee.  While in Carthage we drove out to the Route 66 Drive in, the girls tried out the playground.  After a few spins it was off to Iggy’s diner for lunch.

Back on the Road. If we keep stopping at everything that catches our fancy we may never get home……..