New Mexico - oh how I have missed you.

A Very Large Array

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Fleeing the subzero temps that plagued us through Texas we finally arrived in the high desert of central New Mexico. This state holds a very special place in my heart. It was here that as a young couple, with a new baby and two dogs, we were able to find a sense of place and begin to stitch our lives back together after a, seemingly insurmountable, loss. Sometimes I feel that the vastness of the horizon, the magical colors of the sunsets, and the clear view of the heavens above made us that much stronger.  

Every time we return to this area I feel comfort in the red clay earth, the pinion and juniper, and the snow capped mountains that rise above the high Chihuahuan desert. And there is nothing like the sweeping expanse and the drop dead, picture perfect sunsets! 

Valley of Fires Recreational Area

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We are currently staying the week at the Valley of Fires Recreation Area which is maintained by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Located just outside the town of Carrizozo, NM and at an elevation of 5,200’ the days are sunny, averaging between 50/60 degrees, while the nights can dip below 30. Surrounded by the Sacramento Mts to the east (snow capped Sierra Blanca rises to 11,973’) and the San Andres Mts to the west we are sitting in what is known as the Tularosa Valley. This valley is also home to White Sands National Park, located @ 60 miles to the south, and the Trinity atomic bomb site, @ 25 miles to the west. 

Lava folds

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Within this large valley sits the Tularosa Basin and it is here where the Valley of Fires is located. Approximately 5,000 years ago lava spewed from volcanic vents at the northern edge of the valley and flowed into this basin creating what is now called the Malpais Lava Flow. This lava flow is the youngest flow in the continental U.S. and is 4-6 miles wide, 160’ thick and covers 125 sq. miles! From a distance the Valley of Fires looks like barren black rock. However, as one walks through the nature trails you see many varieties of cacti, trees, flowers and bushes that have sprung up from the many collapsed lava bubbles, pits and fissures. The area is also home to many species of birds including roadrunners, cactus wrens, great horned and burrowing owls and golden eagles.

Happy campers! ❤️

A 400 yr old juniper tree

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An array of The Large Array

Yesterday we drove 2.5 hours west to visit the Very Large Array (VLA) run by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. It was a long ride for a day trip but well worth it! 

The VLA is made up of 27 HUGE white dish shaped antennas that together create a huge “telescope”. These antennas are tuned to a kind of light on the spectrum that eyes cannot see - this invisible light comes to us in the form of radio waves. Cosmic radio waves are very faint and can travel for billions of years across space and can give scientists the data necessary to construct a timeline of the universe. 

The VLA project began in 1972 and had 6 working arrays by 1977. By 1981 all 27 were completed. The antenna were all recently retrofitted (2012) in order to replace the old wiring with fiber optics and a new super computer was added. Each dish  measures 82’ across and stands over 90’ tall. Motorized drives can steer them up and down in order to point them in the precise direction needed. Every 4 months transporters lift and relocate each dish to one of 72 new positions along a Y- shaped railroad track adjusting the scientific capabilities as needed. 

Built on the Plains of San Agustin, at over 7,000’, the natural fortress of the mountains that ring the area protect the site and keep out much of the radio interference that can occur from cities even hundreds of miles away. As a visitor you are told to turn off all cell phones, watches, GPS, Wi-Fi, and other devices. 

I guess I never fully understood that radio waves could be seen….. 

mind exploding. 

The night sky has been phenomenal this week and it has been so quiet and peaceful here. It will be a bit sad to leave ….. but we have more to discover! 

 

Some days are simply perfect.

Tom’s Wall

The last few days have been like that - perfect in every way. Our first morning in this NW corner of Alabama arrived with the sun shining and balmy temps perfect for exploring the area around the city of Florence along the Tennessee River. Our second day here began with rain but ended in a picture perfect sunset. 

Bookends.

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Our first stop was Tom’s Wall. The largest un-mortared stone wall in the U.S. and the largest memorial to a Native American woman, this wall was built, over a period of 30 years, by the great, great grandson of Te-lay-nay, a member of the Yuchi tribe. 

The Yuchi tribe lived along the banks of the Tennessee River, which they called the Singing River. Between 1830 and 1860 over 60,000 people from the 5 tribes that lived in the southeastern part of the country were forced to “relocate” to the Oklahoma territory. This 800 plus mile walking journey is known as The Trail of Tears. Te-lay-nay, a young girl at the time, was one of those people. When she finally arrived in Oklahoma she said that the streams and rivers did not sing to her and she longed for her home and her own “singing” river. It took her five years and many obstacles but she made it back. 

In the 1980’s Tom Hendrix, her great, great grandson, whom had heard all the family stories met with members of the Yuchi Tribe to have her journals translated. It was then he knew how to honor her. 

The wall stretches out, circuitously, for a mile. The height varies anywhere from 3’ to 5’ high with multiple widths along its path. There are stone benches set in small curves and there are many personal offerings left by visitors along the way. Each stone that he laid represents one step of his great, great grandmother’s journey. The changes to the shape, height, and width represent the various obstacles that she encountered along her route. In the process he "wore out three trucks, 22 wheelbarrows, 3,800 pairs of gloves, three dogs and one old man.”

Our visit was inspiring, humbling and emotional.

 "All things shall pass. Only the stones will remain."

Yuchi Tribe elder

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Our next stop was the Rosenbaum House. Built in 1940 this is the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in Alabama and (I believe) the only Wright house that commissioned Wright to add an addition to it 8 years later (adding 4 kids will do that!). Needless to say, it was spectacular! 

Living room

Dining room

Long hall to the master bedroom

The 1948 addition included this 4 bunk bedroom / play room for the children

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Mary Wallace Kirk 

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We saw a sign advertising a quilt show at the Kennedy-Douglas Center for the Arts and decided to make a stop there. Located in downtown Florence right next to a small park the center was housed in two adjoining buildings that were once stately homes. There were two exhibits going on - The Piecemkers Quilt Guild Exhibit and an exhibit, This House Was Full of People, by a local artist, Mary Wallace Kirk (1889-1978). Kirk’s etchings and engravings were detailed renderings of her rural surroundings. Although devoid of people each one of these small etchings were so full of life! I wish I could render the world like that……

Mary Wallace Kirk 

Mary Wallace Kirk 

The quilts were also amazing. Mostly from a private collection many were dated between the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. 

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Next on our itinerary was to visit the home and factory of Alabama Chanin. I have been obsessed with this designer, Natalie Chanin, since at least 2010 when I saw a collection of hers at Barney’s NY. All the construction, printing/painting as well as the finely detailed handwork is done entirely by local artisans. She has evolved; sells her clothing only online now and runs a makers workshop, and has continued to keep it all local.

No close up pics of the clothes….. go check it out online…. They are AMAZING!

As we toured the factory and store we “ran into” Natalie - (I was kind of gob-smacked) and we just chatted away about kids and downsizing and what is really important in life.  Yeah growing older really centers us all. 

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Bunyan's

So you can’t be in the south - or traveling with us - without searching out the best local barbecue. Bunyan’s Bar-B-Q hit all the marks. Pretty much just a take out place, I had read that the line at lunch time was always out the door and into the parking lot. We arrived around 3 to order and pick up dinner and there was a constant 4-5 people waiting at all times. The pulled pork was perfect - smoked dry and so full of flavor. Our new discovery was hot slaw! Hot as in spicy. Crazy that we have never come across this before! Based on what I have read so far it originated in this area of the south probably starting in Tennessee. Chopped cabbage, carrots, and peppers with a strong vinegar based dressing of mayo (?) and hot sauce. So so good!!

Brew master Zach!

Singin’ River Brewing Co. is the ONLY craft brewery in this entire area. Brew master, Zach, a chemical engineer by degree, was a terrific afternoon companion at the bar as well as a really great brewmaster. Tim and I each had a flight of 4 beers and there was not a one among them that we did not enjoy immensely! Both Zach and the woman who poured our beers, a Seattle transplant, were so friendly. It was such a pleasure to spend the end of the day with them. 

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Our final stop was  Muscle Shouls Sound Studio. So much of the music that was recorded in this tiny cement block studio is the background music of our lives. The studio was founded by a local group of session musicians called The Swampers. Their distinctive sound can be heard on recordings by Aretha Franklin, Etta James, The Rolling Stones and so many more. 

Muscle Shouls Studio

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We tried to visit Green Ivy, the birthplace and home of Helen Keller, but it was closed for renovations. Maybe next time….

Thank you Alabama. 

Oh the places you will go!

 

Home Depot

Bowling Green, Kentucky 

Ahh, those gorgeous Instagram #vanlife posts. 

Picture this - a rumpled cottage core quilt wrapped around you as you gaze out the wide open back doors of the van looking out upon that perfect sunset over (fill in the blank) a crystal clear ocean, a pristine mountain scape of snow, the deep lush woods of the PNW. 

NOPE!

We have been traveling, on and off, in our van for 8 years. Yes, there are lots of times that you need to pinch yourself to realize that you are actually witnessing something so breathtaking. We would not keep traveling this way if that was not the case. However…. In probably equal proportion are the moments when you just want to slap your head in disbelief because of the part that broke or failed.   

   Case in point. The day before we were scheduled to leave New England we had a major part failure. The inverter for the onboard solar system died. It was only 2 months old! Knowing that if we had a new one shipped to us it would not get there in time to get us out of dodge before the approaching storm! We had it shipped to a friend’s home in Nasville which was on our planned itinerary. For the 2 nites on the road prior to our arrival we would rely on propane heat. All seemed good and off we went.

But the van gremlins had mayhem up their sleeve. Stopping at a truck stop to empty the waste water tank the hose unspooled and came totally unattached! Oops. Frantic opening of some back walls, removing the busted spool, capping off ends….. and frantically trying to figure out how to solve this problem.

The next morning found us in a Home Depot parking lot. It took 2 hrs but we got it done. 

We are a good team. 

The other part of #vanlife that never gets discussed is all the time necessary to plan the routes, check the weather conditions along the way, and find interesting places to explore. We are always looking for good prices on gas, places to dump the waste tank and fill up on fresh water and propane. An entire day can be spent just on this kind of infrastructure re-stocking! It’s definitely not glamorous or Instagram “ready”! 

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Once we did make it to Nashville we did get to spend 4 wonderful days with our friends -  catching up and getting to know their four boys ages 9 to 1, their dog and their 23 chickens. Needless to say, we were both quite tired at the end of each day! Wow!  But it was so much fun! 

Our new inverter arrived on schedule and it was a straightforward swap out with no issues. On our way out of town today we repackaged and sent back the broken one. Fingers crossed for smooth sailing.

Ummmm….. seems one of the wires for our rear view mirror camera has gone kaput. Wire ordered from Amazon and we’ll pick it up at a drop box in Little Rock, Arkansas on Saturday. Every step……

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Tonight we find ourselves in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The sun has finally come out for the first time since we have been on the road and the night sky is perfectly clear. Tomorrow will be sunny and in the mid 50’s - perfect exploring weather. 

Keep on moving on. 

❤️

In the POD - and we are Home!

Beam me home Scottie!

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 Once you make up your mind that you are heading home…… all you really want to do is just be there! Besides, we had promised Rosie that we would be home in time for her birthday. And we made it with time to spare.

So that’s what we did! It took us 6 days of relatively modest driving to get home, stopping @ 4 pm each day for a night at a campground or a truck stop. We made one morning excursion to our favorite BBQ place in Winchester, Virginia - Bonnie Blue BBQ! BBQ for Breakfast! Smoked Kielbasa, white grits, and eggs…delicious. Of course we also ordered some smoked brisket to take with us…..

I’ve written about this place before; located in an old gas station with the pit smokers right outside.  Everything is sooooo good! We discovered it on our BBQ and Beer Adventure ( see Dec 2016 / Jan 2017) and have been returning every time we head south. 

Bonnie Blue

Winchester, VA

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So, this adventure is now in the books and it truly was as delightful as we wanted it to be. We got to see friends that we couldn’t see in person for over 2 years! Being together filled a huge void for each and every one of us. We were able to visit new museums, see new areas of the country, experience more national parks and monuments, and sometimes just stare into the vastness of this diverse country. The topography, geology and weather in the U.S is so different from one place to another. And so too is its cultures, social constructs and backgrounds, and ethnicities. That is what makes this country so unique and  is, ultimately, its strength.

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By the numbers:

80 days on the road.

Over 10,000 miles.

17 campgrounds/state parks

10 driveways

16 truck stops/rest stops/BLM land

4 National Parks

5 National Monuments 

6 Museums

……. And a WHOLE lot of beautifulness! 

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In the POD - Back in the Southwest

 

Lukachukai, AZ

Route 13 heading NE between AZ and NM

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A few more stops in the Southwest were on our list although, being in the northern high desert, all would be totally dependent on the weather. We knew that temps would be in the low 40’s during the day/low 20’s at night which was perfectly fine for us. The POD is very warm! We have 2 options for heating - electric for when we are plugged in at a campsite or propane when we are off-grid. Both systems heat the radiant heating pipes that run through the floor and walls of the van. Our main concern was snow and ice on the roads and having lived in this area once before we understood that a lot of snow can happen quickly. 

We headed east out of southern CA on a perfectly beautiful sunny day. As we drove north on route 15 up to Barstow we were surrounded by the snow capped Mount San Antonio (clocking in at an astonishing 10,066’) to the west and Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear to the east. We began our climb into the high desert of the Mojave and settled in for our drive across route 40. This area, so open and flat, is a great spot for train watching! Barstow is a major rail hub and trains from all directions of the country converge here loading and unloading goods from the ports of southern CA. In the past, we have often chosen to spend the night in Barstow, on a hill overlooking the valley, just to watch and hear the trains. Yeah… super geeks!

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Homolovi State Park in Winslow, AZ is an archaeological site in the high grasslands of northern Arizona. From the 1200’s - the late 1300’s this area was inhabited by the Anasazi - known today as Hopi. In 1986 the Hopi people, together with state parks system, established this as a center for continued research, hiking trails and camping. 

The other “archeological” site we visited was a certain corner in Winslow, Arizona! 

“Standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, such a

fine sight to see….”

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Old Relic Brewing 

Winslow, AZ

We also just happened to find a local brewery on the block! Okay, that’s not true because I tend to search for breweries in whatever town we happen to be spending some time in. This place was fantastic! And the food was even better….. Tim had a Rueben that he declared the best pastrami he’s had in a long time and I had a burger that was topped with roasted green chilies and a saracha slaw. We split an order of onion rings that were coated in a cornmeal crust! 

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The Navajo Nation Indian Reservation fills the Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona. We headed north and then east to Chinle, AZ home of Canyon de Chelly National Monument, a labyrinth of canyons totaling84,000 acres within the Navajo Reservation. People have lived in these canyons for over 5,000 years. Today, they are home to the Dine, the Navajo people. 

Canyon de Chelly 

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You can drive both the North and South Rim trails and there are multiple overlooks, some with short trails, that you can stop at and look into the canyon. At its deepest the canyon is 1,000’ and as you look over and across you can see multistoried villages dotting the canyon alcoves and slopes. 

Canyon de Chelly

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I was blown away by the beauty of this canyon! Obviously it is much smaller than the Grand Canyon but this is just as impressive. One feels much closer to the beauty here and, big point, there are way less people visiting here. 

Canyon de Chelly

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We decided to continue north along state route 13 and head into New Mexico passing through the Chuska Mountains. As we began our climb the many red rock formations we encountered along the way were just as stunning as those around Sedona, AZ. 

Lukachukai, AZ

And climb we did! The red rock formations turned into alpine trees, the altimeter kept going up, the snow on the side of the road got deeper and deeper…… The summit maxed out at 8,500’ and then we started down the other side, a bit slowly, but all in all a successful adventure! Once we emerged from the mountains another high plains vista was laid out spectacularly before us! 

In the far distance was Shiprock, a slim rock formation that literally rises from the earth topping out at just over 7,000’ at its center and then fanning out slowly on either side for miles creating what looks like the back of a triceratops. Geology just kills me!!

Shiprock

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Eventually we worked our way down to Santa Fe, NM and stayed in a very familiar campground…. a KOA on Old Pecos Trail just south of town. It was the campground we lived in for about 8 months (in our 26’ GMC) with an infant and 2 good size dogs from the Fall of 1986 - Spring 1987. Needless to say, the campground is quite different and so is Santa Fe.

Old school…..

Pecos Trail KOA

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35 years is a lot of time and knowing how much we’ve  grown and changed personally…..it’s only natural that communities do too. 

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In the POD - Memories are tricky things

Saying goodbye to the Pacific Northwest (for now)

Mount Shasta 

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Over the past 6 weeks we have been mostly “driveway” camping. California and the Pacific Northwest is home to many friends and family whom we want to spend time with while here. Of course we add in a few stops for new exploration; a serendipitous day trip, a new national park or historical site - but mostly our time here is filled with seeing and catching up with loved ones. And what better thing to do other than hang out, go for walks, cook together and, yeah, reminisce. 

9 driveways in 3 states. Family. Friends that go back 60+ years. Newer friends that we’ve been close to for  10+ years. Co-workers, roommates, and even bosses! Each and every one is part of our history and we are a part of theirs. So many shared moments - some of them life changing - and strangely enough, …. Therein lies the rub.

During these visits I’ve been continually shocked by the memories that I thought I had. That I thought were exactly the way it all happened. And yet, here I am, re-examining my own recollections and my memory. Try it! Spend some time reminiscing with old friends and bring up a specific party or event, an old relationship and I bet their retelling will be very different than what you remember. A totally different house, a totally different kind of day, and even some moments you had simply not bothered to record! 

We are all getting older and, yes, the concept of time is a young person’s game. Maybe we are all just holding on to what feels right or safe. Or maybe we have always just put to memory the things we needed to in order to justify the moment. Could be anything and everything. But at this point, I’m just going to go with it and acknowledge that we all see the past differently. 

Basically, whoever is around the longest will get to have the final say. 

It doesn’t really matter. I’m just so happy and satisfied to have all these amazing people in my life. 

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In the POD - All that coastline!

Pescadero, CA

Santa Barbara, CA

With over 1,200 miles of coastline California, Oregon, and Washington are the perfect follow up to the ochre, russet, and sage green vistas of the Southwest. I love the Southwest for its colors, the arid climate, the desert landscapes and the huge expanse of sky. 

But….. give me an ocean!

 It’s life force and energy, it’s tidal pools and churning coves, the rocks to climb and the miles upon miles of beaches that stretch out ahead comfort my soul. The shoreline has stories of the past, present and future. There is history in every step and yet so much more to discover. How can one not stare out into the vastness of the open ocean and not realize how big the universe is, how powerful nature is and just how tiny we are. 

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The west coast is home to friends and family and our travels along its shores included visits with all. We stopped first in Southern California to visit old friends and colleagues staying for a few days in Palm Springs and then Pasadena. Covid has curtailed travel for so many people and we are thrilled to be able to travel safely in our little POD bubble and catch up with dear friends! 

We headed north up the coast passing the oh so familiar wide and sandy beaches of the sun bleached south. Much has changed in SoCal since we lived here, but those beaches and sparkling ocean still sing the songs of dreams.  As one approaches Moro Bay the coastline slowly becomes rocky, there are more coves and small bays and the ocean gets wilder. 

Pismo Beach, CA

We spent a night at Pismo Beach State Park - which, unfortunately, was not on the beach but we did - at least - get to watch the sun set on the beach before heading back to the campground. Heading inland for a bit we traveled small roads through farmland and cattle

We stopped for a few days to visit friends in Pleasanton, CA. and we did a day trip to a section of the CA coast that neither Tim or I had ever been. Between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, just south of Half Moon Bay, Hwy 1 winds along the coast through glorious farmland offering a multitude of places to stop, picnic, climb the rocks and wander the beaches. I loved seeing the farmland, filled, at this time of year, with tiny yellow wildflowers, which ran all the way down to the edge of the sea. 

Tidal pools at Pescadero, CA

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Crop circles?

Seal Rock, OR

Came across this magical artwork one morning! There were no footprints…… just these perfectly drawn circles. You just never know what you will find along the beach - shells, heart shaped rocks, a bit of magic? 

With the incoming tide it will be washed away. 

None of the coastline in Oregon is privately owned. At some point in the 1930’s the coast itself was declared a “highway” - Oregon Coast Highway No. 9 - and the state became its steward. The state is a wonderful caretaker of this magical coastline.

Heceta Head Lighthouse, OR

We have continued to have terrific weather on the journey. Even as we passed into the wet forests of Northern California and the even wetter forests and coasts of Oregon and Washington the sun kept shining on us! Our mornings in Oregon began with the perfect picture postcard version of fog - just enough to make it interesting.

The marina at Newport Beach, OR

Under the bridge at Newport, OR

Stopping in Newport, OR to visit another old friend. The beaches in Newport are very SoCal like…. Wide and expansive. The tides were extremely low while we were there so we were able to explore the tidal pools under the bridge and there were three pods of sea lions frolicking in the bay! I had never seen sea lions being so playful….. they were acting like dolphins! 

Oregon Dunes at South Beach State Park

South Beach, Newport, OR

This area of the Oregon coast actually has a series of dunes! As we walked the beach a kite surfer skimmed across the horizon while dogs ran circles on the sand. We even saw a horse and it’s rider enjoying the gusty winds, brilliant sun and flat expanse. 

Boiler Bay, OR

Wow! This spot was wild, windy and oh, so wonderful! The sound of the surf mixed with the wind was almost deafening and there were holes in the volcanic rocks that stretched out into the bay that caught and spouted waves into the air. 

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Haystack Rock

Pacific City, CA

Traveling the coastal roads we looked for small breweries (with outdoor seating!) for our lunch stops. Newport Brewing in Newport, OR, Pelican Brewing in Pacific City, OR and North Jetty Brewing, Long Beach, WA. All had interesting beer to sample but Newport had the best fish (lingcod) tacos! And Pelican had the BEST view - sitting on the beach overlooking Haystack Rock!

Before we crossed over the Columbia River into Washington we stopped at the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park in Astoria, OR. The park rings the mouth of the Columbia River in both Oregon and Washington. The Chinook and Clatsop Indians have made this area their home for thousands of years. In 1805/06 Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery visited here at the end of their 4,000 mile trek across the Louisiana Territory. The expedition was the idea of President Thomas Jefferson who wanted the team to explore the Missouri River to its source, record the flora and fauna, and to learn the languages of, and befriend the Native Americans. The team accomplished all that and more.

I wonder what changed…….

In our past travels it has always been important for us to engage with people along the way; locals or fellow travelers. Just to strike up a conversation while visiting a park, a historic site or sitting at a bar. We have found it both enlightening and meaningful. On this trip we have tried our best to continue that but, between Covid and the state of our politics, it has become much more difficult and that has been so disappointing.

Pacific City, CA

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