Cool

My little G niece with the shades I gave her. Her parents also have their shades on in the bigger picture, but I did not want to get in trouble in case they don't want the fame posting their likeness might bring. The baby won't complain.

The glasses strap on so they don't fall off, or the ear piece poke the baby in the eye.

Can't Get There From Here

These pics were not shot by me, but they combine to give the feel of the area where now I am.

There is more traffic and around the bend, a little more to the town. It is a tastefully arranged tourist trap, and not a bad place. Several lodging options of all kinds, and many eateries and bike paths and whatnot. This pic is misleading.


Soon, I will again consult a map. My goal is to get to the ocean some way which involves as little desert as possible. I'm in some of the red rock mesa canyon, wild country now. Kanab, Utah. The locals try to run over you, unless you are doing business of some kind with them. In that case they are friendly, competent, and accommodating.

The countryside is pretty spectacular. This is not too far from the north rim of the Grand Canyon, or from Zion national, whatever it is called. I've been both places. Three years ago I camped at the north rim in a fairly primitive campground

That was the place where a bus pulled in at midnight. Keep in mind this is not a place with lights or anything. Off marched the Harvard Glee Club, who immediately broke into a world class rendition of "In the Still of the Night". They definitely rocked. Then amid giggles and who knows what they arranged themselves on blankets and in sleeping bags all around the bus. They were toward the end of the place.

It was then that I accepted the fact that my life moves, often, in a dimension which seems slightly askew from the one you normally see. Either I died and this is the after life, or I dwell somewhere else much of the time. It is OK either way. That Glee Club thing kind of shook me, under the circumstances. I figure it is better to embrace the twilight zone, should you wind up there, rather than fear it.

So, I am not wanting to repeat the same experiences this time so much. I'm following whim, gut, intuition, and orders from unseen beings.

Right now I am going to pul up a map and see what looks the best course to take. Soon, I must go home. I do not believe anyone will pay me to do this forever, and I like my east county San Diego place. I hope they don't sell it for awhile.

Holy smoke!! I've wandered myself into a pickle. There is no good way to go unless I go way up high, then come down, and in that case I cannot imagine spending much time on the coastal highway. Deserts and salt flats.

Woe is me. I may go up toward Salt Lake City and up through Idaho.
The other option is to bite the bullet and do the desert at night. Tis may be the wisest choice even though I'd like to mae it u to Seattle. Maybe I can just fly there later.

Yep. I will take the quick way out. It is close to time that I want to be home. Mostly I want to get out of 4th of July canyon tourist crowds. It is already starting.

Some Gypsies Use Maps Sparingly

Today I realized that I am quite competent when it comes to reading maps, but I seem to see less need for them than one might expect. It is a lifelong habit. When I drove to NC for the first time to go to school there, I traveled according to a friend's directions; take 95 until you get to 52 and go left, then when you get to 49 go left and you'll see it.

52 goes a long way before you get there. In any case, I made it. All 800 miles or however far it is from Miami.

What puzzles me is why I decided to hit Jerome now and not later. I was up closer to CO and all that when I was down by the river up above Taos. I guess I thought I'd get it out of the way. I formulated two goals today; the one long standing goal of not wanting to die in Memphis, and the new goal of returning to San Diego without driving through a bunch of desert. The latter requires a northly path. If I can swing it--time and money--I'll come down the coastal highway.

Jerome is still pretty unique. I almost tried to see if I could sit in with a group playing in a tavern there. The music begged for it, although they were not at al bad, and the crowd liked them. The doorway smelled like beer, or more precisely like a drunk smells who got drunk on beer. Between that and the probability that the group was doing well with the crowd, and may wisely subscribe to the theory, "if it ain't broke don't fix it", I did not try to see if I could play.

I was disappointed that the store where I bought my moccasins is not the same place any more. I think shops close and open and change regularly, although many are just as they were.

This place is called Dead Horse Ranch State Park. My tent is in one of the shady spots. It was 99 today but breezy. It should drop to the 50's but after dark the wind died completely. I'm hoping for breeze but it may take awhile before it comes.

One thing I'll say for Dead Horse, they have clean showers and such. And they don't charge much. They shouldn't for just a tent. Near Ballistic Mountain in California I checked a state campground and it was something like thirty bucks just to pitch a tent. What's the point? I'm mostly trying to keep costs down, and I do like getting out in the middle of nowhere some. The fairest rate was on the Hondo river. You crazy enough to camp here--have at it. Gratis. I wonder if the converted school bus that was at another pull of there was housing homeless people or real deal nomad gypsies. With that set up, you could live pretty cheaply.

Well, I thought I'd write because I could, and to kill time waiting for a little breezy coolness. I pitched the small tent this time because it is only one night and it goes up quick. I'm not sure the other one would have fit as well under the low limbs of my shade tree.

Who would ever have thought I'd be friggin camping, and be carrying two tents? I did have three but the other one had issues so I got rid of it at the outer banks. It worked well enough in Mississippi. Mostly, since it was up, I made do.

The peculiar part of this trip is that I could just wander indefinitely and not feel like stopping for good. More accurately I guess that is the peculiar part of being me. I envy those who put down roots have giant families and people always around, yet I could be a nomad. Maybe it is like second best and since first best is just not there, I work with what I got.

The above best is relative to me and may not apply to anyone else.

For a long time on this journey I spotted no other CA plates. Once I returned to this side of the Mississippi that changed, but I still only started seeing them once I got to New Mexico. They are usually like me, a little arrogant, although I'm more polite than most. I think we look at each other and wonder wy we decided to drive away from all that and into an oven. In my case it is due to things on another plane in another dimension--what Sedona wishes it could do.

What a country!!! We are really lucky. And I know I am quite fortunate to have the chance and good enough health to be doing this. I cannot explain the reason, but it feels like there is a profound purpose as regards things in my life that may need tweaking.

Quick Arizona Trivia

Arizona does not do Daylight Savings time, because they have no need to save daylight. The sun actually never sets in Arizona until it has baked and blinded everyone on the highway. If traffic is slack, the sun never sets at all, it just dances around like a boxer waiting to take a shot at your eyes.

Sometimes you can trick the Arizona sun by wearing sun glasses on top of your head facing backwards, as well as a pair worn the normal way. But if it gets just a glimpse of your eyes, it will go for them. Beware!!!

Town Review: Gallup, AZ

So, decided to head toward Jerome, AZ, then decide whether to hit some of CO or what. I did not research it or consult the map. Why not just let the GPS lady in a box do the work? She is kind of boss, but I like her and she rarely disagrees with anything I say.

Anyhow, I thought, "Why not spend the night in Gallup?". After that I could decide whether to take very back, back roads or follow GPS lady's suggestions.

Some miles before arriving there was a sign which read, "Gallup, New Mexico's adventure capital!". There are various types of adventure. You can pretty much file any of them one of two ways; good adventure or bad adventure. I believe there is good reason that the sign did not specify.

I'm assuming there is some sort of historical value having to do with Rte 66. Motels abound. Pure garbage abounds. Worst of all, they think they are such a hot tourist trap that even good name chain motels play bait and switch with their signs.

The competition is great enough that many of them post the rate on one of those moving light signs. So, I saw one I liked, and since it also claimed discounts for being old, or AAA, figured I'd get them locked into the ad rate, then ask how senior is senior. Usually the look and say you have to be over 55, or 50. It is flattering. But then they try to mouse out of it.

This place, however, said, "oh, I'm sorry, the only rooms we have left are ($10) more than the advertised rate. I'm not one to argue about it. When I don't like the way they do business, I do not do business with them. I also happen to know that this chains rooms are all the same. Maybe they sometimes have a king instead of two smaller beds, but they've never charged me a different rate for that.

I looked at some other places then said "hell with it, this place is named Gallup for a reason". I'm guessing that in the old days, if it was as unappealing as today, a sensible cowpoke would gallup away as fast as he could upon seeing the hell hole he'd happened upon. Of course today they even have lower speed limits around the town on the interstate and everywhere just to test your discipline.

I toured the town and am now maybe 50 or 70 miles west, near Chambers, at the Chieftan Inn. Sounds like a condom name.
At any rate, they charge a fair price, don't BS you, and I like the ambiance of this dive. Where Chambers is, is anyone's guess.

All I see is this motel complex and a spiffy gas station, and little convenience store. And it beats the hell out of Gallup, AZ!!!!

In A Tent; DOWN BY THE RIVER!!

It would be a good place for a homeless person who had a car and a tent. It is secluded but close to a road, right by a rapidly moving very shallow, clear cool refreshing river. I did not try it, however I could see the river serving many purposes, including nature's bidet!

There are a handful of places between Arroyo Seco and Taos ski valley ski area where you can pull off onto a sort of dirt road in the trees and camp right by the river. On the other side of it the peak rises very steeply. It is hard to believe the trees can grow on such vertical terrain, but it is heavily wooded almost to the top, then it is stone, waay up there. On the opposite side of the road it just rises up to another ridge, but not as steep.

I thought I'd get the eary weekend crowd but I did not. The place where I pulled in ony had room at each end so the other people were about 100 yards downstream, with some large, and small, trees between us. I couldn't hear them for the rush of the river and all the rapids.

It is shallow enough to walk in without geting swept away, and, of course, it has all those cool, smooth river rocks. In a couple of places there were even little islands of river rock, just barely above or at river level. I stepped in where it was mostly ankle deep and never up to my knees. Very cold, but it felt great.

No cell signals were to be had there so it was a good place to clear my head and pay attention to casting out the stupid worries I carry, and all that sort of stuff. I saw no UFOs, and BigFoot never dropped by even though I telepathically invited Mr/and/or/Mrs/and/orMiss/and/orMs BigFoot to come have some Cuban coffee. I heard the are quite intuitive and all that. Could be a language barrier, even telepathically.

I've thought of man things to mention but I forget most of them if I don't make a note. I made some notes earlier in the trip, but I am not sure where the note pad is.

Here's a pic down by the river

Temporarily Off In Another Dimension

Made it to Taos.
May hang in the vicinity a day or more.
Other than that, nothing to say, and that's about it.

Lot of traffic in Taos proper. Some great streams and camp locales up in the hills.

Don't Pick Up Hitch Hikers around Here

Today was spent driving through northwestern Oklahoma. It is not a highly populated place, unless you are a cow or grasshopper. I drove for miles and miles through relatively flat amber waves of pastureland--most dead grass, I think. Then I see a yellow warning sign telling me not to pick up hitch hikers because they may be escaped convicts.

I'm thinking, "Well, what if it's Cool Hand Luke? I'd have to figure a way to make room for him". Then there is the "correctional" facility. Probably a misnomer. I wonder how much actual correction goes on, or how much goes on that is civilly and morally correct. I'm not one who likes the set up, nor am I one who thinks the "soft and cushy" treatment of prisoners is why we have crime on the streets and repeat offenders. Actually, I do not think the people who consider anything more than bread and water, and an 8x8 cell with a roommate is cushy, have the slightest clue what they are talking about.

Anyway, I saw no hitch hikers. But the next sign pointed left to a lonely and long looking little road. It said, "cemetery". I guess that is where the last guy who wanted to hitch hike home from the cushy prison is.

It seemed to fit; the warning, the Big House, the bone yard. I was in hard core blues country.

Oddly enough, I saw the same warning in New Mexico, but their Big House was less big, and if there is a cemetery to go with it, they don't put signs up so you know.

Finally, I see just a hint of mountainous terrain in the distance and made it to New Mexico. I need to look at the map to get the name straight, but I believe the spooky town was called Singer. There were some cars parked here and there, and of course an abundance of pick up trucks. There was a cafe/hotel that had a sign which said "open". A tiny town with sidewalks and such but absolutely no sign of human activity.

I parked and got out to check out the Brown's Hotel and Cafe closer, but everything looked old and unfriendly through the window, and it looked like you had to go through a foyer or something to get to whatever was there; no easy escape. I'm not sure if you can check out, and who knows if they have you for dinner. That is, if real people live there. Maybe zombies.

Not one other person on the sidewalks, any cars just drove past. No one else stopped. A dog in a fenced in yard half a block away barked at me, half heartedly. Probably a zombie dog.

When I was leaving and about a half mile out of the eerie place, I encounter some chubby girls walking hell dogs in the middle of the road, walking toward me. Smack in the middle of my lane. I moved to the left lane since there was no traffic. They had to hold the dogs which were straining as if they wanted to attack my car. Crazy. I was going 50 and the speed limit was 55. The girls and their dogs appeared abnormal, and not in a good way. They were headed toward the zombie town. I guess I could have turned around and followed them but I am a coward. Curious as I am regarding where they would go and if maybe all the vehicles in town are theirs, fear caused me to keep on truckin'.

So, I wound up in Cimarron. I stopped too much along the way. Once I stopped and Glass mountain park--maybe that is the name--and hiked up a mesa like thing. They have a trail cut and even steps cut in and such. I met a rattle snake and called an end to the hike. We both lived and neither of us offered the other any formal or informal greeting.

Cimarron presents itself as an artsy place, and I guess it is in a way. All the people I've met here seem like they may be on LSD. Nice enough, but kind of crazy. Hard to explain, but it would not surprise me to see people here running in circles trying to catch their tails, all the while shouting undecipherable threats at their pals. What I've seen is not too far off from that. But they are fairly nice to strangers. I have the feeling they aren't sure who is a stranger and who isn't. Charming thing in its own way.

I walked up the road and bought some books from a guy who keeps his motorcycle inside the used book store, and has about thirty overpriced used bicycles outside. All priced at $100 each. They aren't terrible but I don't think they run much more than that new. Used cheap bikes, not cheap used bikes.

I needed some reading material. One book by Michener, I know I haven't read. Prince of Tides by whatshisname, I am not sure. I may have read that one.

Once again I am bowing money on an Inn. This is the canyon Inn and it is OK. I think the tenants and owners are all on LSD like the rest of the townspeople I've seen. To her credit, the angry lesbian two rooms down is a looker, when she isn't sneering with a look that says, YOU ARE A MAN, YOU MUST DIE! AND I KNOW YOU WERE LOOKING AT MY ASS. PIG. I don't know, something about the sneer said all that, so I looked at her ass when she turned back around.

Needless to say, I like it here, but doubt I'd want to live here. There are various artsy crafty shops here and there, and that is good. Maybe the candle shop melts down people from Singer, the zombie town, to produce their art. Remind me to consult a map to be sure of that name. It is not a place you'd want to run out of gas or break down in after dark, or even before. Thinking of that place at night gives me the creeps big time. How could there be absolutely no activity, yet vehicles were placed as if someone should exit one of the shops? I so no activity behind the store windows, but you couldn't see much. Zombies never clean their windows.

That's alright because Cimarron's active populace makes up for it. None of the activity here makes sense to me. It seems to please the tail chasers though. I'm going to risk drinking the water so if I seem radically different next time anyone hears from me, you'll know why.

Tomorrow, provided the water does not induce insurmountable obstacles, I will hit the tried and true Taos campground. I look forward to it.

Foggy Phone Pic

Since Mr and Mrs N1 are being quite slow in sending me pics from visit, I decided to post, without permission, the one from my phone. Since they and the Mrs' parents were snapping away, I thought I'd have access to images and no need to run the Flip or take pics myself. Brats, all of them!

Baby daddy in background trying to run away and leave the child with afore mentioned abandonment issues. The horror of it leaves me too sad to write more.

I Lied: not on the road yet

One more day, and that's it. Then I will head west. I'll leave early tomorrow.

Today I started off late, then communed with the spirit of Standing Bear at standing bear monument and park. The message was clear--go back, book just one more night, go to the noon gathering of other souls who've been to hell and back, pay homage to the Pioneer Woman monument, seek out a coin laundry.

All that is left is the laundry part. I'm not sure why I like this pace so much. My old great aunt-by-marriage also is of the opinion that Ponca City is one of the best towns ever. She's never been much of a world traveler but I guess she knows. She was familiar with the shoe repair place--The Bootery.

I guess I'll change into my Speedos and see if I can pick up chicks in the park. Lots of parks here, so I can sashay around in all of them. I'll bring chocolate and nylon stockings for the local wimmins. That ought to work well. After all, some of them may be French.