It Really is Grand!

On Thursday, we walked a large chunk of the rim trail. We all would have liked to go down into the actual canyon, but dogs are not allowed, unfortunately. I think a large part of what makes the canyon so grand is the light. The transient nature and the ever shifting movement; the play of the sun and the rock is really unbelievable. Every minute a new shadow emerges, or part of a wall becomes visible. It's pretty majestic. While we were there, they were doing some controlled burning outside of the parkwhich caused any distance view to be incredibly hazy. The misty distant mountains were mysterious and shrouded, which was gorgeous in it's own right, but I wish we could have experienced a clear view. The scale is really unimaginable, but even more so when part of your view is obscured. That night, we set up camp and took showers for the first time is four or five days. The combination of hot water and soap after a long hiatus from either is quite heavenly. Neither of us needed the whole of the eight allotted minutes of wash time, but dang it if we didn't enjoy every last second! Our lullaby that evening was a warm shower and a comfy fire. We awoke to two humongous mule deer bucks grazing, and borrowing a cool drink from the leaky spigot catty corner to our tent. They were perhaps twenty yards from us, and incredibly worrisome to Gunk. She shivered and growled at them until they were scared off, but what a treat and sight to behold while they hung around! After cleaning up camp and grabbing a bite, we headed south to Sedona. Everybody told us we would love this town, and perhaps we would have, if only we had taken a hike in the canyon instead of walking through town. It was okay, but it rather to reminded me of downtown Juneau in it's homogeneity and cheap touristy feel. That aside, there were a few really neat Indian style trading posts with buttons and skulls and old cowboy boots and the like. Anyhow, after we got bored of looking at the junk, we drove up into the mountains, and through Jerome on our way to Prescott. Jerome is a really funky ghost town. It's is littleterally built into the side of the hill, and apparently plays host to a very diverse arts community. Cool! Prescott was down the other side of the mountain and in a big valley. We set up camp south at White Spar campground, and took a hike up behind our sight and into the sandy cactus crusted Arizona wilderness. We hiked up and over a ridge and down to a little stream and rock pool. By then, we were getting hungry, though, so we heeded back to camp and then to Pam's house. Ben's boss from The Phantom Gardener had just happened to move out to Prescott recently, and wanted to cook us dinner. Road etiquette declares that one should never pass up a free meal, especially from somebody you really like to visit with, so we made our way to her lovely home for some grub, a good chat and a load of laundry When we finally crawled into our sleeping bags And switched off our headlamps, we though we were done for the day. Around 2:30 am, however, that assumption was shattered, when I awoke to something shuffling outside the tent while Gunk again growled and shivered inside. Pam had warned us that the javelinas traveled in packs and were not afraid to gore a dog with their sharp tusk-like incisors, but would leave humans alone. It only took me a second to identify the shuffling, snorting and rooting on just the other side of our canvas enclosure as a band of what were probably more then thirty javelinas. I elbowed Ben awake, and we calmed Gunk down so we could all listed to the pack as they scavenged their way through camp. All in all it took about half an hour for the beasts to pass, but we came out of it just fine, considering we were neither gored, nor sprayed by The javelinas. We woke up with The sun the next morning, and headed cross desert with a fury. It was scorching, bit eerily made a stop at the Joshua Tree National Park visitors center, only to realize that what we had been calling truffula trees were actually Joshua Trees. They are funny tufty little things that look a bit like palm trees with hairy trunks. At this point, we were both getting a little tired of the desert, so we high-tailed it through Los Angeles, and are currently on the side of highway one, headed for the coast. It feels like we are finally Alaska bound!

perfect day

What a perfectly surprising day it has been! We woke up early this morning, before sunrise, roused the dog and walked down the hillside to the side of Navajo Lake. It is always surprising to come upon a large body of water in the middle of the desert, and this was no exception. After west Texas, Santa Rosa and Santa Fe desert, this was pretty incredible. We played on the rocks and admired the vastness of the lake in the pre dawn light, then stopped to observe the sunrise. I was ready to start the day's drive, but Ben convinced me to hang around for just a bit longer, and for good reason! Before I knew what exactly was happening, he was on one knee, asking if I would marry him. He gave me a wooden ring, carved from North Carolina drift wood as a place holder, and we drove to Farmington to find a replacement with a little more finesse. The ring we picked out was made by a local Navajo, and inlaid with desert turquoise, to serve as a constant reminder of where we got engaged, and also each other, as the dual tones of the stone are the colors of our eyes. After picking out the ring, we headed further west to the four corners (Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico). We each took a turn standing in all four states at once, and read a bit about the surveyors who created the monument. Driving through this barren, bone dry area, it really hit home some of the most negative consequences of westward expansion. It became apparent how little European Americans cared little for the legacy and culture of Native Americans. Our forefathers gave these ancient tribes the least productive/desirable tracts of land for their reservations. The Navajo Nations land consists of little but rock and sand, as far as the eye can see. Despite the harsh historical realities we were facing, neither of us could stop looking at the ring we had picked out, or thinking about the future. After the Four Corners, we headed into Arizona and made a b-line for the Grand Canyon. My fiancee and I made it just in time for sunset over Desert View on the south rim. At the end of a long day, full of joyful and beautiful firsts, we camped, just as we had many nights before. My engagement ring!

Dust, Guns and Cactus

After Austin, we settled in for the night at Abeline State Park. It was pretty amazing how quickly it got dry and cool just north of Austin. We set up camp and got a toasty fire crackling just as dusk rolled in. We made a little campfire music and listened to the coyotes howl all around. In the morning, we headed into Buffalo Gap to the Buffalo Gap Cafe and general store, where we enjoyed the most delicious breakfast we had had in a while. If you ever pass through this part of the world, stop in, because it is an incredibly sweet establishment, with lots of cute stray kittens and cats and a whole lot of small town charm. After we got our coffee quota and our bellies full, we high-tailed through the rest of Texas and into New Mexico. Just a few miles over the border noticed a profound difference in the landscape. It was still desert, but the land started to rise, and it became considerably more desolate between towns. The dust turned reddish and we knew we were finally in the west. Our ultimate goal that day was to make it to Santa Fe. That, however fell by the wayside as late afternoon crept in and we neared Santa Rosa, a town with a tripartite state campground. We pulled into the park, which was little more then sand, scrub and scorched earth, around four. In the morning, the three of us took a walk down the horse trail and got a breathtaking sunrise view of Santa Rosa Lake. Then, we went into town for huevos rancheros New Mexico style that rivaled breakfast in Buffalo Gap, and hopped on old route 66 to Santa Fe. It was interesting how relatively low and homogenous the city is. It seemed like nothing in Santa Fe was above three or four stories and everything was made of fake adobe. That being said, the lack of height made it feel like less of a city and more of a smaller desert town. this perception was probably heightened by the relative isolation of the region. There really isn't anything but desert between habitations in New Mexico. The highlight of Santa Fe was going shooting with our buddy Jesse. I made the mistake of drinking a late afternoon cup of coffee on our way out of town, resulting in us driving six hours through the night to Navajo Lake, where we are currently camped. Apparently it's trout season, so the campground is surprisingly full of fishermen. We are looking forward seeing the lake in the morning light! Ben and his six shooter

Louisiana & Texas!

I have always wanted to visit New Orleans, and this week, I finally got my wish! After a lovely visit with the step grandparents in Biloxi, Ben and I drove straight for the city of jazz. Though none of our Louisiana friends were in town, we had a great time walking the length of Bourbon Street, sipping Abita and taking in the local color. Gunk thoroughly enjoyed strolling down the city streets and dozing on the cool restaurant floors. As we headed out of town, we grabbed a couple of shrimp po'boys to munch on the drive to find a campsite outside the city limits. Our route took us over a thirty mile bridge across Lake Ponchitrain and past two campgrounds that were closed due to damage from the last hurricane. Though we were rather tired and verging on cranky, we persevered and drove straight into the heart of the swamp. Much to our dismay, the state campground was full upon arrival. Luckily, Lizard Creek, a privately owned site still had space. We set up camp and then set out to explore. They say the mosquitoes in Alaska are the state bird. Well, what the swamp bugs lacked in size, they more than made up for in ferocity and tenacity. All three members of this travel group came out with myriad mosquito created welts. Surely they couldn't have been the product of the lovely river complete with boat launch and fishing dock!? In any case, after a rough and humid night, we packed up and hit the road again. We were Texas bound, and nothing could stop us! Not even the impending thunderstorms threatening to overtake us. Before reaching Austin, we had to drive through miles upon miles of Louisiana swampland. Now, we have made every attempt to stay off the interstates, as one tends to find more interesting and authentic types of places on county roads and national highways. Southern Louisiana, however was necessarily an exception. We spent some time studying the road atlas, trying in vain to find an off interstate route through this marshy part of the country. It seems, however that one does not exist, or if it does, it involves intimate local knowledge of the area, and perhaps a boat, as many of the small towns in this region seem to not have roads leading in, out or even through them. How one gets to and from many of these far flung communities remains a mystery. I-10, main-dragness aside, was quite beautiful. It was raised above the swamp on giant concrete pillars, and the east and west lanes were two separate platforms. One was able to look down through the middle and out to the sides over miles of swamp trees and brackish inlets. As we left the swamp for the less porous Texas mainland it got hot. And humid. We stopped to stretch our legs and get a sticker and map at the Texas welcome center. Then, we drove on into the flat, nondescript land of oil rigs and cow farms. As we approached Austin, a MONSTER storm bore down on our little car. Driving westward, we watched the clouds grow massive, roiling and purple. Finally, twenty miles or so outside of the city, the heavens opened and it straight deluged, to the point we were beginning to worry the interstate would flood. We slowed to a creep, and hunkered in the car as thunder crashed all around us. Just as we got into town, the rain abated and the lightning stopped. The forecast, however, called for the storms to continue into the wee hours of the morning, so tired and somewhat jangled from the storm, we rolled up to an extremely comfortable hotel in north Austin, compliments of Pam (thanks!!). The morning dawned clear and humid, and we had the good fortune of meeting up with our friend David for a canyon hike through Bull Creek Greenbelt. It was beautiful and lush, not something I expected to find sitting in the middle of a south Texas city. The hike left us hungry and hot, so we went to the County Line bbq restaurant for some true Texas barbecue and a Lonestar beer. I ate pulled pork for the first time in fourteen years, and let me tell you, even though I could only manage about a third of what they served me, it was delicious! The restaurant itself was lovely. We ate on the patio, which was situated creekside, and watched the turtles lounge in the hot southern sunshine. After a successful bite, we dropped David at ACL, and took off for Abeline State Park, but more on that later!

cruisin'

We have covered a lot of ground since the last post! After leaving Georgia, we headed to Rocky Bayou State park on the panhandle of Florida for a night of camping and delicious fish tacos. Gunk, Ben and I enjoyed a post-dinner hike on a sandy palm-lined park trail by the bay in the muggy southcoast dark. The next morning, we took a meandering route to Biloxi via highway 90 with a lovely little stop beside Mobile Bay in Fairhope, AL for a walk and a cup of unsweet tea. In Biloxi, we had the pleasure of staying with Millie and Leon, Ben's step-grandparents. They live on the banks of the Tchoutacabouffa (pronounced "choog-ah-la-buff" - that's Cajun for ya!) River. I caught my first catfish on their dock and got to hear it oink like a pig! Ben caught a Brim, but both were too small to keep. We spent the afternoon downtown checking out some of the 6, 000 cars out for Cruise The Coast, an annual gathering of reconditioned classic vehicals. Studabakers, El Caminos and Thunderbirds abounded. Because we were on the gulf, we were obliged to stop in and check out one or two of the myriad casinos. Millie and Leon treated us to a buffet lunch at The Isle. We filled up on all the southern fixin's and got a great opportunity to gawk at gaudily dressed gamblers. After lunch, we headed to the Beau Rivage (also a casino) to look out over Biloxi and watch as the pellicans dove kamakazi-style into the bay from the top of the parking deck. This particular establishment had what is called a promenade, a walkway of sorts through the shops, and leading to the slots. It was more elegant than one might think, lined with lush, opulent flower arrangements, indoor gardens and massive crystal chandeliers. That same evening, we drove down to Ocean Springs to visit Drew and Amanda, friends from Georgia who moved for a job. We had a great time eating tacos, drinking Mississippi pecan beer and watching the vice presidential debates. It was with much dragging of heels and a long Norwegian good bye that we left Biloxi the next day. Gunk was sad to leave her friend Mac, the dog next door who helped her rip her tie out rope and leash into four separate pieces the first day they met. We were also sorry to leave him behind, because it was so much fun to watch the two of them swim in the river and wrestle in the mud nonstop for the days we spent in Mississippi. The three of us are out on the road and headed to Austin...more on that coming soon!

Well, it has been a long, fun week of visiting Ben's relatives down in Kennesaw, Georgia. We spent the majority of our time at the Rhoden/Prewett family compound, camped in the pool house loft on the Cadillac of all air mattresses. I'm talking double height, oxygen filled, grey suede heaven! We somehow managed to get a few adventures in even with all the eating and hanging out, including a full eighteen holes of disc golf at Oregon Park with cousin Witt and the dogs. When offered the opportunity to attend my but very first Talladega with Ben and a couple of his buddies from highschool, I jumped at my chance to get a "real" southern experience. While we didn't go to the actual race, we got in more than our fair share of people watching, and had a lot of fun playing cornhole and the like. One of the coolest things we did In Kennesaw was visiting The Southern Museum in downtown. It was chock full of civil war information and artifacts. We got a full sampling of photographs, guns, clothing, gear and letters from both the U.S. and the Confederate States. There was also a big section on Glover Industries, a large train builder and machine working company based out of Marietta, GA. And of course, the much loved General, one of the trains involved in The Great Locomotive Chase, was on display at the end of the museum. All in all it was a very cool little sampling of southern/Georgia history. Today, we left Georgia to delve deeper into the south. We are currently barreling through a corridor of scrubby pines and other sand-dwelling flora towards a beach in Santa Rosa, FL on the gulf of Mexico. We will spend another night amongst dunes on the Atlantic. Tomorrow we head to Biloxi, MS to visit Ben's step grandparents and another highschool buddy, then on to Louisiana and west! Looking forward to seeing more friendly faces in the near future!

Southern Motion

Hi folks! I'm writing from the deck of the m/v Carteret somewhere between Ocracoke, NC and Cedar Island, NC. We have been on the road for almost a week now, and finally feel like we are adjusting to life on the move. It was a frantic dash to pack up the Red Hook apartment and get going, but it's all starting to feel worth it. We spent our first night just across the river from our Red Hook apartment at Lake Onteora. After a sad but exciting good bye with old friends who decided to tag along for the first little leg of travel, we hit the road and drove three hours west to Ithaca. Though our first "real" stop was in the wrong direction, it felt necessary to visit a close friend and former roommate before heading out of New York for good. We spent most if our time upstate cooking, reading, hiking gorges, and generally relaxing. After a two day detour, the real journey began. We hit the road with a fury, and drove all the way from New York to Virginia. The Blue Ridge Mountains beckoned to us, but not before Ben's second, and my first stop at The Thunderbird Cafe for a bite. Once we both felt satiated, it was up to the Skyline Drive and over to Loft Mountain for a cool, windy night of fireside chatting and folking (thanks for the pumpkin beers, Joanna!). One of the few things I really looked forward to seeing on the East Coast was the Outer Banks of North Carolina. So, without much ado, we rolled out if the mountains in the early morning light to zig out to the Atlantic for a breath of fresh salty air. The first night we ate seafood sitting sea side, and camped on the dunes just south of Nags Head. In the morning, Ben, Gunk, and I walked down a stretch if windswept beach, littered with pelicans, shells, and anglers. Later that day, the three of us made our way down coast via vehicle and ferry to Ocracoke Island where we walked, longboarded, and ate more seafood. That brings us neatly to this morning during which we woke before sunrise to hop another ferry back to the mainland! I think I'll sign off so I can soak up some sun and salt before the long haul to Atlanta today. Hope everyone is healthy and happy. Looking forward to seeing many of you in the coming weeks!

A gorge in Ithaca

Fall foliage

Sunrise over ocracoke island