Journey Day 12 and 13- 3 and 4 May 2010

As checkout time wasn't till noon, I took advantage of the washer and dryer available so didn't leave Albuquerque till after noon. I don't think I realized quite how far it was going to be to Carlsbad till I put in the Roswell UFO Museum (before Carlsbad) to the GPS. So off I headed east on I-40 to some place called Cline's Corners where I then turned south. I had been warned that the drive was 'pretty boring'.....talk about an understatement!!!! It was a combination of driving through Saskatchewan and Southern Alberta with glimpses of the Rockies. For a section, one could gaze across miles of flat grassland and see some mountains in the distance while the rest of it didn't even have the relief of the mountain vista! It was also closer to desert than grassland so seemed pretty long. I was often the only vehicle for miles with the occasional tractor trailer rig which I passed. Eventually, I reached Roswell which is much bigger than I had expected. Talking to another couple found they had the same reaction. The UFO Museum is quite fascinating. I don't remember the 'Roswell Incident' as it happened the day I turned 2 on July 4, 1947. However, my father told me about it each year on subsequent birthdays and encouraged me to keep an open mind and not to believe others opinions rather to form my own after doing some research. I liked the objective way the Museum presented all their information, leaving the visitor to form their own conclusions. They have a neat gift shop and are trying to raise funds to find a new home. Their current building is an old theatre and I think they need more room. And yes, I did get some souvenirs (grin).

By this time it was after 5pm and I was anxious to reach Carlsbad and the hotel I planned to stay at so I could get the hockey game. I soon got to the hotel and drove into the area for registration. Now try and picture this....I'm a female, travelling on my own so tend to use common sense. As I'm about to open the door, I suddenly have 3 guys and a gal standing at my door! So, I rolled down the window part way and the first question I get is 'Are you from Vancouver?' It took me a few seconds to realize it was my Canucks flag! Turns out this group were all Canucks fans and the first guy had lived in Van and was now living in Newfoundland!!! How weird was this?

When I got to my 'smoke-free' room, it absolutely reeked of smoke!! When I complained I was told they didn't have any other rooms. Not a great night while I coughed and choked most of the night. I kept the door open with the fan running till I went to bed which helped a little. Boy was I glad to pack up, go for the breakfast buffet and get out of there!

My drive to the Carlsbad Caverns was a surprise in a couple of ways. First it was much farther than I expected and, as I entered the park, I was astonished to find that I was going be climbing a mountain! It was very hot and I stopped at a couple of the pull offs to take photos of course(grin).

I finally made it to the top and the Visitor's Centre. It was scorching but what a view! So I headed inside and headed for the Info Desk. Fortunately,  I had read about some of the potential tours so was able to tell the Ranger what I was interested in. As it was well after noon by this time, time was going to be a factor as the last elevator up was at 4:30 and the King's Palace Tour that I wanted to go on was about an hour and a half starting at 1:45 to meet. Then I also wanted to make it around the Big Room as well. Each of these are a mile and with my photo obsession, I wouldn't be moving quickly(grin). We finally figured that if I took the elevator down, I'd have time to do half of the Big Room before meeting for the King's Palace Tour then should have time to do the rest of the Big Room after the Tour. So that's what I did......

This was my first glimpse into the Big Room and it only got more impressive. Then, when I took the Tour, it was simply amazing! This took me 80 feet down which of course had to come back up later(grin). I've got to tell you that after a week and a half of mostly sitting driving then spending time either standing or sitting at the Reunion, doing that walking was probably good for me however, I could sure feel it by the end. As well, I was also noticing the changes in elevation whether up or down as they were happening so quickly whether I was driving through the mountains or going down 800 feet into the Caverns. For someone who spends most of her time at or just above sea level, this is definitely hard on the bod!!!

One of the fellows on the Tour was from Hawaii and does cave tours there plus is an avid photographer - I have his card if any of you are planning a trip there anytime soon. After arriving back up above ground, I headed out to take some photos of the view while heading back to the car.

When I got back to the car, there was a group of motorbikes parked in the 2 spaces next to me. The guys were just getting ready to leave so I stopped to speak to them as a couple of them had bikes the same as my daughter & son-in-law. I took a couple of photos of them and then they left and I followed soon after. So, I was now on my way to Albuquerque more than 200 miles north. Boy was I stiff by the time I finally got there after sitting that long. I did stop at a rest stop on the way. It was after dark by that time and I saw a woman waving me down. Hmmm, the suspicion flags were immediately raised, however, I opened the window and the poor gal was trying to find someone with a cell phone as their alternator had quit, her hubby was in a wheelchair & she had her 2 kids in the van as well. I immediately offered my phone and we couldn't get a signal there at all (this is very common through Arizona & New Mexico, especially with prepaid service - a term I use VERY loosely). After trying to get a call through with 3 truckers, finally the 4th one worked. I was about to offer to drive her into Albuquerque to get help if nothing else worked.

Finally, about 10:30 that night, I made it to the hotel (same one I'd stayed at for the Reunion) and gratefully took an aspirin for the stiffness and fell into bed....... Oh, except that I hadn't eaten since breakfast so I was just in time for room service so ordered something for lunch/supper.

Man, that was a looooonnnnngggg day but very much worth the time & sore muscles. I have some really unusual photos from that day for sure.

JOURNEY - Day 5 - 26 Apr 2010

First thing when I got up was to fire up my computer as I hadn't been online since I was in Merced CA. Then we had breakfast and Bob and I headed out to see the London Bridge. This is the original London Bridge that Lake Havasu bought, dismantled it stone by stone, brought to Arizona, dredged out and built a canal from the Lake over which to put the bridge, then reassembled it stone by stone and there it now stands!

This was taken from a restaurant garden which is right on the side of the canal beside the bridge. Bob and I had gone to the beach/park area of the canal first then come to this restaurant to have lunch and to give me the super photo ops(grin). Part of these lovely gardens includes a waterfall and fountain. Now I'm not sure whether this is intentional or done by a prankster, however the colour in this photo is for real!

Definitely different, that's all I can say. We ate outside overlooking the canal and bridge and the food was good also! Not only that, but I was able to get UNSWEET Iced Tea. I sure wish they'd smarten up in Canada and make that available (sigh).

Bob then drove me around to another park where the locals get to enter for free while non-residents pay and one that's currently being built. All in all, a very attractive city. Oh yes, he also took me up the mountain where the 'elite' have their residences. I was stunned to see that even these million dollar plus residences are being built right on top of each other with no privacy whatsover! He asked me if I had to leave that day or if I could stay over another night so I decided to take advantage of his offer of hospitality and extend my visit another night. The next day, I packed up to leave for Williams and the Grand Canyon.

Journey Day 3 and 4 - 24 and 25 Apr 2010

After my exploration of the Merced countryside the previous night, I had arrived at the motel running on fumes! I spotted a gas station sign across the busy 4 lane road from the motel so I asked at the desk while checking out if there was one on the same side. Well, says he, is there a problem with the one next door? Seems from where I'd looked I was unable to see any part of it so I thankfully just turned from the motel driveway to the next one.

For those who haven't travelled in the States recently, there is a challenge if using a credit card for gas. Many of the self-serve pumps where you have to prepay, you cannot do that as you don't have a zip code. In this case, you have limited choices. You can charge a specified amount to your card or should you wish to fill the tank you can estimate the amount and the change will be made after you've filled it. The option that is least acceptable is leaving your card with the clerk while you fill the tank or put your amount of choice in the tank. I've also not found any place able to accept a debit card that isn't a Visa or Mastercard. I haven't tried an ATM yet so will try that tomorrow.

I continued on Hwy 99 until I reached Hwy 58 just before Bakersfield and started my trek across the desert. This took me past Edwards Airforce Base as well as the huge airplane wrecking yard.....even from a distance, this is a stunning sight! I had seen photos of it and tv shots but neither prepared me for the quantity of planes nor the sheer size of them. All this and my first sight of a desert as well. There is something totally AWEsome about a large desert area, similar to the effect a large ocean area evokes....emphasizes the insignificance of a human being. I found myself trying to imagine crossing that vast area a couple of centuries ago whether on foot or horse or mule or even burro....the mind boggles at the thought. I immediately take another sip of water, almost as reassurance that I was fine (grin). Eventually, I reached Barstow where I got gas and hit the washroom before starting across another section of desert on my way to Indio to visit Rolande. This was along 247 the Yucca route that allowed me to see the huge windmill farms with literally hundreds of windmills all turning like mad in the stiff winds that were buffeting my car(grin). Then onto Hwy 82 to I-10 into a full scale traffic jam before reaching Indio. Eventually I reached the hotel I planned to stay in only to have the last available room I was checking into be rented instead by the other desk clerk to someone on the phone!! Meanwhile, more people were arriving looking for rooms and the clerk was referring them to another hotel. Outside parked next to me, were 2 women who were phoning around looking for a room. Turned out that the hotel that the clerk was sending people to was already full! Fortunately, I had reclining seats in the car plus a blowup bed and sleeping bags if needed. So I phoned Rolande and had a nice visit with her and Fred along with another couple then another visit and tour the next morning. Here is Casa Kimmons taken by Rolande with my camera that morning.

From there, I headed out along I-10 to 177 and 62 which of course led me through yet another route through the desert. You really have to wonder about some of the routes that a GPS will lead you onto!(grin) However, I eventually crossed the Colorado River and the state line into Parker, Arizona on my way to Lake Havasu to visit a cousin there.  Of course I didn't have his address so I called him and he came down to lead me to his place. I had the pleasure of a lovely evening with Bob and his 'Jewel' of a wife then off to bed.

Journey Days 9 to 11 - 30 Apr to 2 May 2010

Well, as I wearily stumbled into the lobby of the Albuquerque Marriott hotel, here is what greeted me before I even checked in:

Next, I received a call from Maureen, the only cousin that I'd been in contact with and she along with 2 other cousins came and joined me in my room as I had my much-delayed lunch and supper (grin). We of course shared some wine as well and arranged to meet the following morning to head over to the house where the Reunion was all happening.

I followed them to the house and began the process of meeting dozens of cousins (grin), literally, while struggling to recall at least a few of the names. We definitely needed name tags!!! Not only that but the tags should also identify with whom one belongs...... By the time we were all heading out on Sunday and Monday, I was just starting to figure out who belonged with whom and, sometimes even knew their name!!

Over the next few days, there were times when 45+ of our family members were shoehorned into this home....

All on the main floor only as the upstairs is a separate apartment.

There were attendees from the states of Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Tennessee, Texas and Washington as well as me from British Columbia, Canada. It was most interesting to discover definite family resemblances between 'cousins' as remote as 5th cousins once or twice removed or even 6th cousins and clearly, many of us had the same 'twisted' senses of humour (grin). Meals were shared, both the eating, prepping and supplying not to mention the cleaning up afterward and attendees included both kids and dogs.

It was a lovely break not to have to pack up each morning to drive another day and find oneself in another hotel that night. Although I'm enjoying the adventure, it was definitely a treat to have the break as well as a great deal of fun! Did I mention there was a wee bit of drinking and late nights going on? Seems most odd given our Scotch Irish ancestry (lol).....

Although we were all tired when it was time to leave, it was also sad to say goodbye to everyone.

Now I'm back to my daily travels for a few more days till I have a break while in Salt Lake City at the end of this week. Must get packed up & do yesterday's blog (grin)

Joan

Journey Day 8 - 29 Apr 2010

Well, the weather gods paid more attention to me than the forecasters.....sort of. The I-40 was reopened for travel although there were still strong winds and the possibility of some 'Crazy Canuck'-style weather.....snow at the end of April.....in Arizona?????

As I was getting my bags ready to take to the car, I looked out the window, shook my head and looked again. Yes, it really was snowing! Very tiny, dry flakes but definitely snow. Ooooohhhh boy, this is going to be one of those days the Chinese proverb told us about 'interesting times'......

The wind was blowing, sun was shining and snow had stopped as I left the Best Western Inn at Williams (located on Route 66 by the way). I was starting on a trip that would take about 5.5 hours and the wind was definitely a factor which made for a much more nerve-wracking drive. Soon, I had my sunglasses off as it was now snowing. Then the sun came back out for a few more miles and the snow started again. This time it became a total whiteout! I found it absolutely mind-boggling that the traffic was still barrelling along at 120kph +!! After getting through the blizzard, I only had a few more snow showers to contend with along with some pretty strong winds until I got just east of Gallop, just into New Mexico. At that point, the 2 lanes of traffic came to a total halt and ultimately became a 10-mile long traffic jam!!! It took 2.5 hours to get through that 10 miles! We got some more snow showers and more wind but finally made it to Albuquerque and found the hotel in spite of the GPS trying to take me elsewhere.....

The 5.5 hour drive had taken me 9 hours including a brief stop for gas (thank goodness I did that or I'd have been in trouble like several others while in that traffic jam). Of course, while sitting parked, I was able to take take few photos with my point & shoot. Here's one taken near the Navajo Casino showing how the rocks are disappearing in the snow squall.

Obviously I have some power lines to remove.......

And here's another that caught my eye - I know it's sage brush, however it looks so much like my dreaded broom when one sees it up close, plus I chuckled at the sheep in the background as I took this between 2 big rigs parked beside me in the jam.

Upon entering the lobby of the hotel, I was somewhat shocked to be greeted by a large sign (which I will take a photo of today) saying "Welcome McIlmoyle Reunion" or words to that effect! Then, needless to say, my first request at the desk was directions to the washroom after that prolonged drive. Once I got to my room, I received a call from one of my cousins (the only one with whom I'd corresponded via email) and she & 2 other cousins then came to my room to visit while I had something to eat, having missed both lunch & dinner. I'm now awaiting contact to find out what the agenda for today is.

8-)
Joan

Journey Day 7 - 28 Apr 2010

Started off the day by packing up everything in preparation to checking out prior to going on the Grand Canyon Tour then had breakfast and loaded up the car.

Got picked up at the hotel by our tour guide....there were 3 of us - a couple from Oregon & DC then another couple from Virginia were picked up in the Grand Canyon Village.

Our guide told us that there was a chance we'd have to cancel the tour due to the high winds. I think we all thought this sounded rather silly till we were actually on the road up to the Park. This goes through some desert-like country and the gusts of wind just hammer the vehicles. Once we were there, it didn't seem too bad however, we were pretty well surrounded by trees until we were actually standing at the rim of the Canyon. Again, our guide warned us that at the further viewpoints, this might be a factor in cutting the Tour short.

After being given a huge amount of information and taking multiple photos at 2 different outdoor spots plus the inside Observation Building, we proceeded back to the van to move on to the next. This brought us out of the shelter of the trees and suddenly the wind was a big factor! A gust blew my jacket off the strap of my backckpack where I'd tucked it and, as I lunged to grab it, another gust hit me in the back and down I went, doing a perfect faceplant. Fortunately, I had my camera around my neck which took the brunt plus the ground was soft and 'peaty'. The only damage I suffered was a small bruise on my hand which I'd obviously put out to stop myself plus some dust on the lens shade of my camera. Phew! Even my glasses, also around my neck, were saved by the camera.

Once dusted off, and back at the van, a ranger came to our guide & said that one of the highways coming up to the Park had been closed due to high winds and dust storms. As this was where we were going to be going, the guide reluctantly suggested that we might be better off to call off the tour at this point. As we all recognized his knowledge of the area, we sadly agreed. By the time we got back to the hotel, it turned out that the I-40 which was the route I needed to travel to Albuquerque had been closed due to the winds.

This meant that I had to book another night at the Williams hotel and revise my arrival date and reservation in Albuquerque.  I was lucky enough to get the same room back plus changed my booking early enough that there wasn't any charge in Albuquerque. So, I had a chance to look at my photos from the Canyon plus have a nice leisurely dinner at the inhouse steakhouse then spend some time in the lounge chatting with a couple from Scotland. A nice unexpected evening all round. The big question was whether the winds would let up enough the next day so I could complete the first leg of my Epic Journey!

It is important to note that although we all thought the price of the tour was very inexpensive ($98 including lunch, soft drinks, Park fees plus the formidable knowledge of the guide) he insisted on charging us a minimal amount due to cutting the tour short. The name of the company is American Dream Tours Inc and I would highly recommend them to anyone who has the opportunity to be at the Grand Canyon. The guide we had (Kevin) is also an extremely talented photographer so knows the spots for some great shots.

JOURNEY - Day 6 - 27 Apr 2010

Yes, yes I know there's a whole bunch of days missing in between.....however, with the totally intermittent connections that seem to be the norm at most of the hotels, I've simply been unable to even access the blog for any length of time before getting bounced. So, while I'm able, I'll do yesterday's then work my way backwards to catch up.

Spent an additional night at my cousin Bob's in Lake Havasu AZ. As we'd been without internet the entire day before, we both were online early this morning. I also had a number of photos to download as Bob had kindly taken me to the London Bridge and around Lake Havasu so I of course was snapping madly. Bob & his Jewel of a wife along with the 4-legged members of the family, Freckles & Spike, were all extremely welcoming and I thoroughly enjoyed both the visit and the break.

By the time I left, it was close to 11 am. I headed up Hwy 95 and made a stop at a new mall outside of town to purchase a couple more light tee shirts as I had left one of mine at home & with the heat, definitely needed more. I was surprised at the relatively short distance to reach I-40 though the lack of traffic made it possible to travel quickly.

One thing that I wasn't prepared for and am still marvelling at is the mountainous topography around and in the various desert areas that I've traversed over the past several days. It was something that I'd never seen photos of that identified them as being in the desert so I had this picture in my mind of tabletop flat expanses of sand.......NOT EVEN CLOSE! I actually did see a couple of small areas like that but that was it. I was climbing into mountains that exceeded 5000 ft then you'd fly down the other side only to climb nearly the same amount at the next one. Fortunately, my car seems to thrive going uphill with enough torque to allow me to actually increase speed when needed (especially necessary when one of the idiot truck drivers pulls alongside another so that both lanes require one to slow enough to drop down at least 2 gears. When this has happened (and Murphy of course ensures that it's at the worst possible section of the climb), I still had lots of 'umph' to pass them both once the idiot pulled back into the slow lane.

Driving along I-40 from the junction of Hwy 95 to Williams (where I am at this moment - in a hotel right on ROUTE 66!), I was regularly amazed at the starkness of the land......fairly numerous pine trees but nothing else for miles......yet people lived out there with ranches. Every so often there would be a sign that the next exit was for 'X' Ranch Road and if you looked way out, you could usually spot a building or two.

My GPS adventures have been unbelievable!!! Sometimes I wonder exactly where the info is coming from. More often than not, the route chosen is the most convoluted you could imagine. Then it will tell you to turn in the wrong direction or onto the wrong road!!! As I approached Williams yesterday afternoon, I got off on the correct exit and the GPS wanted me to turn left at the T intersection. Fortunately, I had studied the map closely for the location of the hotel so I knew this was incorrect. Then of course we had to 'recalculate'. It finally caught up with where we were & then informed me that the address  was on the left when in fact I could see the sign clearly on the right!!!! Thank goodness I'm not often relying on it exclusively. Talking with fellow travellers, it seems this is normal and none of us are quite sure whether to laugh hysterically or be furious.......

I did indeed find the hotel and it is lovely. Too bad their wifi wasn't functional! When attempting to find the Phoenix/Detroit hockey game on tv, I was astonished to realize that it simply wasn't being broadcast! This was Game 7 of the Playoffs!!! No wonder the Phoenix team has been going broke! As I have a subscription to NHL Live which allows me  to watch most NHL games online, I figured I was ok & could watch it. Well, not exactly with the erratic wifi. Went out to the desk to see if there was anything to be done. The suggestion was to bring my computer to the lobby & see if it was better. Meanwhile, I'd checked in the lounge to see if they had a broadcast.......they'd had no luck finding a station carrying it either. So I asked if they wanted me to bring my computer in to watch it. This was greeted with jubilation so that's what I did. Bottom line? Completely unable to get the game due to the wifi vagaries however was able to get the radio broadcast so we were able to listen to the game at least. This led to a pretty inexpensive supper & evening's entertainment and company.

All the miles that I've travelled in the past week, I've been mostly careful to stick somewhat close to the posted speed limit or at least with the traffic flow. I've now traversed 4 states and have seen the grand sum of ONE cop car! That was a CHIPS car going the other way. Strange......

One thing that was very strange......yesterday morning in Lake Havasu it was warm (not unusual) and HUMID......this is desert country......there's not supposed to be any humidity!!! It wasn't till I got to I-40 that the temp dropped significantly to a comfortable 18C and once I got here, it was more like temps at home with some wind as well. This morning, it's windy however, contrary to the weather report, the sun is shining and it's beautiful. Hopefully, it will hold for the Canyon Tour.

It's time I took the rest of my stuff out to the car. I won't be back from the Tour till around 5:30/6:00pm so of course am checking out now & will be picked up at 10.

I definitely will be too tired to do any catchup or new posting tonight so it will be tomorrow at least before I post more.

8-)
Joan