Besides free wireless Internet, I always judge the quality of a hostelry by the height of the showerhead and the healthfulness of its breakfasts. The higher the showerhead, the better quality hotel; it's axiomatic. Some places boast of hot breakfasts, which often turn out to be total heart attack food such as make-your-own waffles or bisquits and sausage gravy, but not a slice of fresh fruit in sight.
With my travel mug full of steaming coffee and some bananas and apples for the road, we got a fairly early start, which means around 9 AM no matter how hard we try.
Gas was $2.89 in Twin Falls, and most everywhere else except for a couple of gougers along the road that went a high as $3.19. Moscow was $2.99, which is at least under $3.00, but as usual, way more than in Lewiston 30 miles south, which I'll never understand.
I thought I would give the Pharos 143 GPS navigator a chance to redeem itself as it had been misbehaving badly, and I didn't want to have to write too terrible a review. So, I asked it to take us home, which is a simple maneuver with only a couple possibilities, I thought.
Ho hum, I expected it to tell me to take a left turn on I-84 and head west past Boise to Highway 95 north and take a right and go until you arrive in Moscow, 400 some miles later. To my utter surprise, it announced that I was to take a right and head east on I-84. The little rascal, I mused, it probably wants me to go up Highway 93 to Montana and turn left on Highway 12 over the Lolo Pass to Lewiston and north to Moscow, which is one of my favorite drives, but it adds 300 miles to the trip, and that wasn't an option. We were eager to get home after three weeks on the road.
You'll never guess what it had in mind. It wanted me to take I-84 to the I-15 into Montana and then head over I-90 west. You'd think it would then invite you to hang a left at Coeur d'Alene and go down Highway 95 to Moscow. Instead, it went all the way to Spokane and the down 195 to Pullman and over Highway 8 to Moscow. Talk about roundabout. That was a 760 mile itinerary.
The moral of the story is that GPS will always get you where you want to go--eventually. But, it might be a good idea to check a real map once in a while to verify the route, especially in strange territory. By the way, I'm not even going to waste the time to review that GPS unit, and I certainly won't be recommending it.
We got home, and most of our plants were still alive thanks to Jimmy Deringer, but there was a leak in the lower pond and it was completely dry. I guess the raccoons got the fish.
It was a great trip, but it's always good to get back home and put your head on your own pillow. Man, we got out of the hill country of Texas just in time. The place has been experiencing torrential rains and is now awash in floods with cars floating down the rivers and people dying. On top of that I have to worry about a hurricane headed that way. My family there seem to take it all in stride without much concern, so I guess I shouldn't worry. They think we are crazy for living in a place with black ice on the roads in the winter.
Oh well, we're headed to California before long, if it hasn't burned up from forest fires or fallen into the sea from earthquakes. Or, maybe it will declare bankruptcy and China will foreclose on it.
OK, end of moblog for now. I guess I'll pick it up again when we're headed to California. Meanwhile I may post a few of my favorite pix when I get time and if the spirit moves me.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
ABCDE
I call this picture ABCDE because it's of my five grandkids: Ariana, Brendon, Cameron, Daniela, and Ethan. Isn't it a great shot? My son took it and just emailed it to me.
Homeward Bound
There are basically three practical ways to get home to Moscow, Idaho from Las Vegas, Nevada. I checked them all out on my Tablet PC with Microsoft Streets and Trips, which, in my opinion, is the best mapping and laptop navigating software available. It even hooks up to GPS so that you can navigate live with it, but it's a bit awkward with a laptop. And they get hot, which is the last thing you need crossing the desert.
Perhaps the most direct route is straight north on Highway 95 through Nevada and nipping across a corner of Oregon before entering Idaho. It's a distance of 1054 miles. This can be a treacherous route in the winter. An appealing alternative employs mostly high speed Interstates starting on I-15 through Nevada, into Arizona, up Utah, and across Idaho on I-84 to 95 North to Moscow, which is surprisingly only ten miles longer. The third alternative with a variation is to take I-15 to Highway 93 North.
We opted for the Highway 93 route because it was only 928 miles, and it offers some interesting sites along the way, some of which we had not seen yet such as Cathedral Rock and the Great Basin National Park. There were some historic little towns along the way such as Caliente with its amazing and majestic mission style Union Pacific train station, which now houses city hall, the library, and an art gallery. We had lunch in Pioche, an old mining town still bearing the scars on the countryside nearby but currently a thriving little town with a lot of community spirit.
At the end of the day, we dragged our tails into Twin Falls glad to be back in Idaho knowing we would be home in our own bed the next night.
Perhaps the most direct route is straight north on Highway 95 through Nevada and nipping across a corner of Oregon before entering Idaho. It's a distance of 1054 miles. This can be a treacherous route in the winter. An appealing alternative employs mostly high speed Interstates starting on I-15 through Nevada, into Arizona, up Utah, and across Idaho on I-84 to 95 North to Moscow, which is surprisingly only ten miles longer. The third alternative with a variation is to take I-15 to Highway 93 North.
We opted for the Highway 93 route because it was only 928 miles, and it offers some interesting sites along the way, some of which we had not seen yet such as Cathedral Rock and the Great Basin National Park. There were some historic little towns along the way such as Caliente with its amazing and majestic mission style Union Pacific train station, which now houses city hall, the library, and an art gallery. We had lunch in Pioche, an old mining town still bearing the scars on the countryside nearby but currently a thriving little town with a lot of community spirit.
At the end of the day, we dragged our tails into Twin Falls glad to be back in Idaho knowing we would be home in our own bed the next night.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Hello Lost Wages
The drive from Lake Havasu, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada is an easy one--only 150 miles or so. However, you soon leave behind the relatively lush Arizona desert and exchange it for a more bleak landscape--mostly creosote--as soon as you cross the Colorado River where there is not a saguaro nor an ocotillo to be had anywhere. North of Havasu there is a ten mile stretch with signs warning you to be on the lookout for wild burros crossing the road--naturally, we didn't see any.
What I had sort of forgotten was that when you cross the Colorado River on I-40, you are in California, and then you turn north at Needles and head into Nevada on Highway 95. Yes, it's the same 95 that runs from the Mexican border to Canada and goes right through Moscow, Idaho.
So, we actually got to California on this trip unintentionally. As soon as we got over the bridge, I called my son and daughter who both live in San Diego. Of course they wanted to know what why we didn't just keep heading in their direction. We had just seen son Matthew in Houston, and we are planning to visit Erika next month in her new house in San Diego, but we need to get home first to take care of some things. We've been away long enough on this jaunt.
Before we knew it, the road began to widen and the traffic starting getting more dense. We were on the outskirts of Las Vegas. I was amazed to see more developments sprouting up out of the desert even though the real estate market has crashed big time as is has in Phoenix as well. It is certainly a buyers' market if you are inclined to live in Las Vegas, but you can expect increased property taxes until the tax payers revolt as they did in California.
For some reason, we were still hungry for Chinese food and pulled into the first Chinese restaurant we saw. I guess we were eager to compensate for the terrible Chinese food we had in El Paso. I had a wonderful curry chicken and was completely satisfied.
When we got to Frank and Jerri's we had a short visit and then decided to go exploring. Our chosen destination was the Valley of Fire north of Las Vegas maybe 40 miles. It's amazing what can happen within 50 miles of that sizzling sin hole. You can be up in the cool mountains with lakes, steams, meadows, and wild horses to the West. You can visit archaeological sites and wildlife refuges, or be on a humungous lake.
The Valley of Fire is a breath-taking red sandstone anomaly in the midst of a bleak, brown desert that just emerges out of nowhere like a fantasy landscape on an alien planet. Flaming-red, sculpted formations spring up to welcome you and treat you an incredible landscape beauty that lasts for miles.
There are also some spectacular petroglyphs or Indian carvings in the stone. One of the sites we visited was Atlatl Rock where there are some carvings on a flat panel maybe 150 feet above the ground. In case you are not aware of the term atlatl, it is a Nahuatl or Aztec word that means throwing stick. The atlatl is an invention that preceded the bow and arrow by perhaps 20,000 years in the Old World. This ingenious artifact is a stick usually about 18 inches long with a handle on one end and two finger loops. At the other exteme is a hook against which the end of a spear shaft rests. With this spear chucker you get a fulcrum that gives extra leverage enabling you to get about three times the distance and thrust you would by simply throwing a spear by hand.
I've done a little experimenting with them and have been able to launch a spear over a hundred yards, but I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. That takes practice and skill. Son Matthew once put a nice hole in the side of our car with an atlatl-launched spear that we never got fixed because it was more fun to tell people that it was a bullet hole.
When we got back to Las Vegas that night we went to one of the casinos for a scrumptuous, actually an incredible buffet of international cuisines, but I"m happy to report that I didn't lose any money gambling. We shared the elevator with a pretty blackjack dealer who told us that in her opinion there were only losers in Las Vegas, and that's why it's called "Lost Wages,"--but you probably knew that already.
Hey, we're headed toward home tomorrow and expect to cross the border into Idaho, but we haven't decided on the route yet.
What I had sort of forgotten was that when you cross the Colorado River on I-40, you are in California, and then you turn north at Needles and head into Nevada on Highway 95. Yes, it's the same 95 that runs from the Mexican border to Canada and goes right through Moscow, Idaho.
So, we actually got to California on this trip unintentionally. As soon as we got over the bridge, I called my son and daughter who both live in San Diego. Of course they wanted to know what why we didn't just keep heading in their direction. We had just seen son Matthew in Houston, and we are planning to visit Erika next month in her new house in San Diego, but we need to get home first to take care of some things. We've been away long enough on this jaunt.
Before we knew it, the road began to widen and the traffic starting getting more dense. We were on the outskirts of Las Vegas. I was amazed to see more developments sprouting up out of the desert even though the real estate market has crashed big time as is has in Phoenix as well. It is certainly a buyers' market if you are inclined to live in Las Vegas, but you can expect increased property taxes until the tax payers revolt as they did in California.
For some reason, we were still hungry for Chinese food and pulled into the first Chinese restaurant we saw. I guess we were eager to compensate for the terrible Chinese food we had in El Paso. I had a wonderful curry chicken and was completely satisfied.
When we got to Frank and Jerri's we had a short visit and then decided to go exploring. Our chosen destination was the Valley of Fire north of Las Vegas maybe 40 miles. It's amazing what can happen within 50 miles of that sizzling sin hole. You can be up in the cool mountains with lakes, steams, meadows, and wild horses to the West. You can visit archaeological sites and wildlife refuges, or be on a humungous lake.
The Valley of Fire is a breath-taking red sandstone anomaly in the midst of a bleak, brown desert that just emerges out of nowhere like a fantasy landscape on an alien planet. Flaming-red, sculpted formations spring up to welcome you and treat you an incredible landscape beauty that lasts for miles.
There are also some spectacular petroglyphs or Indian carvings in the stone. One of the sites we visited was Atlatl Rock where there are some carvings on a flat panel maybe 150 feet above the ground. In case you are not aware of the term atlatl, it is a Nahuatl or Aztec word that means throwing stick. The atlatl is an invention that preceded the bow and arrow by perhaps 20,000 years in the Old World. This ingenious artifact is a stick usually about 18 inches long with a handle on one end and two finger loops. At the other exteme is a hook against which the end of a spear shaft rests. With this spear chucker you get a fulcrum that gives extra leverage enabling you to get about three times the distance and thrust you would by simply throwing a spear by hand.
I've done a little experimenting with them and have been able to launch a spear over a hundred yards, but I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. That takes practice and skill. Son Matthew once put a nice hole in the side of our car with an atlatl-launched spear that we never got fixed because it was more fun to tell people that it was a bullet hole.
When we got back to Las Vegas that night we went to one of the casinos for a scrumptuous, actually an incredible buffet of international cuisines, but I"m happy to report that I didn't lose any money gambling. We shared the elevator with a pretty blackjack dealer who told us that in her opinion there were only losers in Las Vegas, and that's why it's called "Lost Wages,"--but you probably knew that already.
Hey, we're headed toward home tomorrow and expect to cross the border into Idaho, but we haven't decided on the route yet.
LONDON BRIDGE
On our way north from Green Valley, I had hoped to catch two of my young nephews, Gerrit and Fletcher, in Phoenix, but it didn't happen. Instead, we visited Casa Grande a Hohokam archaeological complex with a three-story structure still standing in ruins and an unexcavated ball court influenced by Mesoamerican civilizations to the south. Starting in 500 BC, the whole development came to a sudden halt around 1400 AD for reasons not completely understood. Maybe it was the heat the got them--it was 120 degrees there.
Moving north to Lake Havasu, we were relieved that it was only 110 degrees. Do you know the difference between 110 and 120? In 110 degrees you can breath without it burning you. At 120, every breath hurts to breathe.
It's kinda spooky for my wife and me to have walked over London Bridge together in London and then many years later in Lake Havasu, Arizona where it was shipped and put back together stone by stone. Lake Havasu on the Colorado River is an artificial resort town built by a developer. It is amazing how it has flourished over the years. I've heard that there are over 35,000 inhabitants in the winter, but it boils in the summer. It was only 110 during our visit to my father-in-law whom we visit every year regardless of the temperature. He's a fabulous cook at 89. I just hope I'm doing half as well as he at his age. He's a real inspiration.
I can't say that I enjoyed our walk along the river and across the bridge in 110 degree heat, but we tried it again the next morning early, and it was much more pleasant.
This little town is bustling with every store, restuarant, and hotel you can imagine with a boat or two in every driveway in the homes that have popped up everywhere like wildflowers after a desert rain. Frankly, it's not my kind of place. The throb of the powerful boat engines resonantes in your chest and that coupled with the noise of the music (?) everyone seems obligated to blair is a major turn-off. But, there are people who obviously enjoy it.
We had a pleasant visit, but we are eager to be moving toward home. Our next stop will be Las Vegas to visit my wife's brother Frank and his wife Jerri. It's kinda nice to have a hospitable relative in Las Vegas as there is just no way I would go there and pay those outrageous hotel rates otherwise. I don't even like to gamble. I sort of do enjoy strolling along the strip at night when it's cooler and doing some people watching and taking it the sites. I even get a kick out of strolling through the casinos with their extravagant settings, but I can't take it for too long.
Moving north to Lake Havasu, we were relieved that it was only 110 degrees. Do you know the difference between 110 and 120? In 110 degrees you can breath without it burning you. At 120, every breath hurts to breathe.
It's kinda spooky for my wife and me to have walked over London Bridge together in London and then many years later in Lake Havasu, Arizona where it was shipped and put back together stone by stone. Lake Havasu on the Colorado River is an artificial resort town built by a developer. It is amazing how it has flourished over the years. I've heard that there are over 35,000 inhabitants in the winter, but it boils in the summer. It was only 110 during our visit to my father-in-law whom we visit every year regardless of the temperature. He's a fabulous cook at 89. I just hope I'm doing half as well as he at his age. He's a real inspiration.
I can't say that I enjoyed our walk along the river and across the bridge in 110 degree heat, but we tried it again the next morning early, and it was much more pleasant.
This little town is bustling with every store, restuarant, and hotel you can imagine with a boat or two in every driveway in the homes that have popped up everywhere like wildflowers after a desert rain. Frankly, it's not my kind of place. The throb of the powerful boat engines resonantes in your chest and that coupled with the noise of the music (?) everyone seems obligated to blair is a major turn-off. But, there are people who obviously enjoy it.
We had a pleasant visit, but we are eager to be moving toward home. Our next stop will be Las Vegas to visit my wife's brother Frank and his wife Jerri. It's kinda nice to have a hospitable relative in Las Vegas as there is just no way I would go there and pay those outrageous hotel rates otherwise. I don't even like to gamble. I sort of do enjoy strolling along the strip at night when it's cooler and doing some people watching and taking it the sites. I even get a kick out of strolling through the casinos with their extravagant settings, but I can't take it for too long.
Hello Arizona
We had a splendid visit with our friends the Brierleys with whom we have previously explored all the sites for miles around Central, Arizona. Two of their grandkids were there too, and that was fun. They invited us to see their new home in Globe, Arizona, so caravaned over there the next day. Globe is an interesting old mining town with an historic downtown and a Pueblo Indian ruin on the outskirts.
We learned that Hatch chilis that we thought were only grown in New Mexico but flourish here as well and that they will be harvested in abundance at the end of next month. We expect to receive several gunnysacks full.
The drive south from Globe over highway 60/177/77 is a scenic wonder of Arizona landscape with saguaro forests, ocotoillos, mesquite, creosote, cacti galore with handsome, red rock formations, giant copper mining operations and little towns all the way into Tucson.
Tucson has succumbed to ugly urban sprawl. I swear it took us an hour and a half to get from one side of it to the other. All the freeways are torn up, and it's a total mess that I was happy to leave behind as we headed toward the Mexican border and Green Valley where we stayed with our friends Richard and Judy Watson who had just moved into a new house in October. We saw the building site last year and were eager to see the results.
We are not going to get to Mexico on the trip because we forgot to bring our passports, but when we go to California on our next junket we'll be sure to take our passports and dip into Mexico for sure.
The Watson's new house was a masterpiece of Southwest architecture set on a penninsula between two arroyos to assure that no one else will build nearby. Look across the valley to the East are the rugged, gorgeous mountains. I missed my photo opportunity with the light on them from the West and had to settle for a shot the next morning. The spacious interior with huge beams and high ceilings was tastefully decorated and the grounds landscaped with native scrubs for a natural setting, appealing look. They have been busy.
On the way to the Watsons we saw our first road runner of the trip. In fact, we almost ran over it. But, I'm afraid that will be the last road runner we'll see on this journey. The Watsons are dedicated bird watchers and live a wonderful transitional zone with exotic birds from Mexico. We vowed to stay longer next time and take in some of their favorite birding spots such as Patagonia and preserves in the mountains to the east.
We will be heading north tomorrow.
We learned that Hatch chilis that we thought were only grown in New Mexico but flourish here as well and that they will be harvested in abundance at the end of next month. We expect to receive several gunnysacks full.
The drive south from Globe over highway 60/177/77 is a scenic wonder of Arizona landscape with saguaro forests, ocotoillos, mesquite, creosote, cacti galore with handsome, red rock formations, giant copper mining operations and little towns all the way into Tucson.
Tucson has succumbed to ugly urban sprawl. I swear it took us an hour and a half to get from one side of it to the other. All the freeways are torn up, and it's a total mess that I was happy to leave behind as we headed toward the Mexican border and Green Valley where we stayed with our friends Richard and Judy Watson who had just moved into a new house in October. We saw the building site last year and were eager to see the results.
We are not going to get to Mexico on the trip because we forgot to bring our passports, but when we go to California on our next junket we'll be sure to take our passports and dip into Mexico for sure.
The Watson's new house was a masterpiece of Southwest architecture set on a penninsula between two arroyos to assure that no one else will build nearby. Look across the valley to the East are the rugged, gorgeous mountains. I missed my photo opportunity with the light on them from the West and had to settle for a shot the next morning. The spacious interior with huge beams and high ceilings was tastefully decorated and the grounds landscaped with native scrubs for a natural setting, appealing look. They have been busy.
On the way to the Watsons we saw our first road runner of the trip. In fact, we almost ran over it. But, I'm afraid that will be the last road runner we'll see on this journey. The Watsons are dedicated bird watchers and live a wonderful transitional zone with exotic birds from Mexico. We vowed to stay longer next time and take in some of their favorite birding spots such as Patagonia and preserves in the mountains to the east.
We will be heading north tomorrow.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Crossing Texas and New Mexico
From Houston, we never seem to make it beyond Fort Stockton. It's sort of an oasis in the middle of nowhere and the only logical stop. As a result, most major motel chains are now represented there and most of the local motels are on the way out. I was pleased to see that most of the properties advertise free wireless Internet. I can remember not too long ago that you couldn't even get online with an AOL dial-up account.
When we got to town, I pulled over and did a POI (points of interest) search for hotels in Ft. Stockton and came up with a nice list on my Mio 520 GPS screen. All you have to do is tap on the listing and an info page pops up. To phone the property, you need only tap on the phone number and the Mio, which was connected to my phone via Bluetooth automatically makes the call and you can talk over the speaker. After learning that all my first choice hotel were already booked, I grabbed a room at the EconoLodge, which promised Wi-Fi.
After dinner and a walk through the historic district I settled in for a pleasant evening online, but the system was down and never got back online during our stay. Bah! I made do with my Treo and checked email in a disgruntled mood.
Breakfast the next morning wasn't much to writ home about. There was not one healthful item offered. It was all carbs and sugar. Not a piece of fresh fruit or protein in sight--not even orange juice!
By lunch time, we were in El Paso and starving having passed on breakfast. One of my favorite firms in the whole world is the El Paso Saddle Blanket Company that sells interesting imports from all over the world. I noticed that they had moved since my last visit with easy freeway access, unlike their last location, which flummoxed most GPS systems.
In the men's room there, I had a little shock when I opened the door. There was a woman standing at the sink. She was quite attractive too. Naturally I looked at the door to make sure I had entered the men's room. Indeed I had. Oh well. Just to prove it, I had my picture taken with her. She wouldn't tell me her name. Maybe that's because she was a mannequin.
Now we were really ready for lunch. We hadn't had Chinese during our trip, and we glad to spy a Chinese Buffet. It was absolutely the worst place we've ever eaten bar none. It gives all Chinese food a bad name. Everything was greasy and cold. There was only one vegetable dish--soggy broccoli and rubber beef. It make our Super China Buffet in Moscow really super. Yuck, and they only had about eight choices instead of a hundred or so that we expected. Double yuck.
As we crossed New Mexico, I remembered the sacred mission I had been charged with to bring back Hatch chilis. I finally found some canned ones in Las Crusces at an Albertsons, which is an Idaho company, and it was on Idaho Avenue. Ha! I've arranged to receive gunny sacks of fresh Hatch chilis when they are harvested at the end of September, even ristras. So, if you want any, let me know.
Next we took a detour to the charming Spanish colonial town of Mesilla for some photos in the main plaza, which was filled with cars. What a shame. They should ban autos.
Just before crossing the border into Arizona on Highway 90 we scored some gas at $2.41 a gallon, the lowest on the trip so far.
All across New Mexico, the desert was brown and forlorn looking as opposed to the greenery of Texas. However, as soon as we crossed into Arizona, it looked as if someone had turned the sprinklers on--everything was green and lush. Barrel cactus were in bloom, ocotillo were leafed out, and the saguaros were magnificent. However, I noticed just the skeletons of dead chollas of various species. Arizona is recovering from a drought and the chollas didn't make it. What a shame.
Of course, we didn't see a single saguaro or ocotillo in New Mexico. I remember as a kid watching cowboy movies and stating proudly when a movie was filmed in Arizona because of the unique sahuaros and ocotillos. However, I was amazed to realize that I had seen a few ocotillos in the desert just before El Paso. Strange. How did they get there, and why aren't they in New Mexico? I suspect it's a function of altitude with most of NM over 4000.
We arrived at our distination at the end of the day for overnight with friends in Central, Arizona. They have Wi-Fi, but it's hard wired, and I'm too pooped to monkey with it. Maybe I'll find a hotspot in the morning.
When we got to town, I pulled over and did a POI (points of interest) search for hotels in Ft. Stockton and came up with a nice list on my Mio 520 GPS screen. All you have to do is tap on the listing and an info page pops up. To phone the property, you need only tap on the phone number and the Mio, which was connected to my phone via Bluetooth automatically makes the call and you can talk over the speaker. After learning that all my first choice hotel were already booked, I grabbed a room at the EconoLodge, which promised Wi-Fi.
After dinner and a walk through the historic district I settled in for a pleasant evening online, but the system was down and never got back online during our stay. Bah! I made do with my Treo and checked email in a disgruntled mood.
Breakfast the next morning wasn't much to writ home about. There was not one healthful item offered. It was all carbs and sugar. Not a piece of fresh fruit or protein in sight--not even orange juice!
By lunch time, we were in El Paso and starving having passed on breakfast. One of my favorite firms in the whole world is the El Paso Saddle Blanket Company that sells interesting imports from all over the world. I noticed that they had moved since my last visit with easy freeway access, unlike their last location, which flummoxed most GPS systems.
In the men's room there, I had a little shock when I opened the door. There was a woman standing at the sink. She was quite attractive too. Naturally I looked at the door to make sure I had entered the men's room. Indeed I had. Oh well. Just to prove it, I had my picture taken with her. She wouldn't tell me her name. Maybe that's because she was a mannequin.
Now we were really ready for lunch. We hadn't had Chinese during our trip, and we glad to spy a Chinese Buffet. It was absolutely the worst place we've ever eaten bar none. It gives all Chinese food a bad name. Everything was greasy and cold. There was only one vegetable dish--soggy broccoli and rubber beef. It make our Super China Buffet in Moscow really super. Yuck, and they only had about eight choices instead of a hundred or so that we expected. Double yuck.
As we crossed New Mexico, I remembered the sacred mission I had been charged with to bring back Hatch chilis. I finally found some canned ones in Las Crusces at an Albertsons, which is an Idaho company, and it was on Idaho Avenue. Ha! I've arranged to receive gunny sacks of fresh Hatch chilis when they are harvested at the end of September, even ristras. So, if you want any, let me know.
Next we took a detour to the charming Spanish colonial town of Mesilla for some photos in the main plaza, which was filled with cars. What a shame. They should ban autos.
Just before crossing the border into Arizona on Highway 90 we scored some gas at $2.41 a gallon, the lowest on the trip so far.
All across New Mexico, the desert was brown and forlorn looking as opposed to the greenery of Texas. However, as soon as we crossed into Arizona, it looked as if someone had turned the sprinklers on--everything was green and lush. Barrel cactus were in bloom, ocotillo were leafed out, and the saguaros were magnificent. However, I noticed just the skeletons of dead chollas of various species. Arizona is recovering from a drought and the chollas didn't make it. What a shame.
Of course, we didn't see a single saguaro or ocotillo in New Mexico. I remember as a kid watching cowboy movies and stating proudly when a movie was filmed in Arizona because of the unique sahuaros and ocotillos. However, I was amazed to realize that I had seen a few ocotillos in the desert just before El Paso. Strange. How did they get there, and why aren't they in New Mexico? I suspect it's a function of altitude with most of NM over 4000.
We arrived at our distination at the end of the day for overnight with friends in Central, Arizona. They have Wi-Fi, but it's hard wired, and I'm too pooped to monkey with it. Maybe I'll find a hotspot in the morning.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Hello to Houston Again and Goodbye
Our all-too-brief weekend foray into the scenic Texas Hill Country ended as we returned to Houston on Monday. Brother Terry and Kimberley came to son Tim's house for dinner that Matt and I prepared with the help of the fantastic Fiesta grocery stores that are like visiting Mexico. What a treat. We had carnitas, chile verde, rice, beans, homemade tortillas, with salsa verde con pina, pico de gallo and guacamole. It was a toss-up between mole verde and chile verde. There wasn't much room left for the key lime pie dessert though.
Tuesday we just had a fun day hanging out at Tim's playing with the kids until time to take Matt to the airport to fly back to San Diego. It seems that the story of my life these days is that I just get used to having my kids/grandkids around, and it's time to leave.
After dropping Matt off at IAH, we headed to Terry's house for a gourmet dinner cooked by Kimberley and overnight. We stayed up too late talking and got off to a late start on Wednesday.
No matter what, I never get much farther than Fort Stockton when we head west from Houston and that's where we ended up again tonight after a fairly uneventful day of driving. Gas has been fluctuating between $2.55 and $2.95.
I can remember not that long ago that you couldn't even get an AOL dialup Internet connection here. Now, almost all the hotels, even the dives, offer wireless. Isn't competition wonderful. They even have a Holiday Inn Express, Best Western, Days Inn, and Comfort Inn here now as opposed to the local non-chain motels in days of yore. Hooray for Fort Stockton. Now, all they need is a canal with some shops along it to compete with San Antonio.
I don't know how far we'll get tomorrow, but we're hoping to make it all the way to Central, Arizona to visit friends.
Tuesday we just had a fun day hanging out at Tim's playing with the kids until time to take Matt to the airport to fly back to San Diego. It seems that the story of my life these days is that I just get used to having my kids/grandkids around, and it's time to leave.
After dropping Matt off at IAH, we headed to Terry's house for a gourmet dinner cooked by Kimberley and overnight. We stayed up too late talking and got off to a late start on Wednesday.
No matter what, I never get much farther than Fort Stockton when we head west from Houston and that's where we ended up again tonight after a fairly uneventful day of driving. Gas has been fluctuating between $2.55 and $2.95.
I can remember not that long ago that you couldn't even get an AOL dialup Internet connection here. Now, almost all the hotels, even the dives, offer wireless. Isn't competition wonderful. They even have a Holiday Inn Express, Best Western, Days Inn, and Comfort Inn here now as opposed to the local non-chain motels in days of yore. Hooray for Fort Stockton. Now, all they need is a canal with some shops along it to compete with San Antonio.
I don't know how far we'll get tomorrow, but we're hoping to make it all the way to Central, Arizona to visit friends.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Texas Hill Country
After checking out Austin a little more, we headed west, deeper into the Texas Hill Country with the goal of spending the night in Fredericksburg, an historic German community with unique stone architecture.
Hill Country is a lush, green region of dense scrubby growth on a sedementary limestone base webbed with streams and rivers. It rains a lot, which explains the green and the water, but it doesn't get all that hot or cold, and it's not humid like Houston. Consequently, more people are discovering it. Housing developments are starting to pop up like wildflowers after a rain in the Spring.
Property values in this area are bargain. For $150,000 you can get a 2500 square foot, two story home in this area. My son's 900 square foot condo in San Diego is worth over $500,000, to give you a comparison.
We took a detour to hike along the Pedernales River to a series of falls or cataracts carved out of the bedrock.
It was a fairly rugged hike over unimproved trail, which my wife Romana declared the worst she’d ever been on in her life. We even lost the trail at one point and had to navigate by dead reckoning without any GPS, if you can imagine. I had brought my GPS watch just for such occasions, but forgot to put it on.
Along the trail, we saw several exciting species of birds. I’ve never seen so many cardinals in all different stages of development. They are one of my favorite birds. Another favorite that is more beautiful than a diamond glistening in the sun is the painted bunting. I can only remember seeing two others. What a treat. We saw a couple of ladder backed woodpeckers and heard more. But, we have yet to see the elusive scissor tail flycatcher, which is the Texas state bird. I hope we’ll see at least one in its erratic flight pattern before we leave Texas behind.
In Johnson City, a small burg not far from Fredericksburg, we visited Lyndon Johnson’s modest boyhood home. On a previous visit we visited his ranch, which was quite a bit more impressive except for his raising exotic African range animals for his friends to shoot.
Finally reaching Fredericksburg, we had lunch in a German restaurant and explored the town.
The highlight of the day was in the evening, at dusk, as nightfall rapidly descended upon us, outside an old railroad tunnel, out in the boonies, about twelve miles east of Fredericksburg. With little light left in the sky, after the fireflies had already started sparking, the first bats begin emerging from their diurnal domicile. At first, there was just one or two zig zagging madly. Then more and more and more and more until it was like a swarm of angry bees. It was like watching popcorn pop in an air popper when at first just one or two kernels burst open and start swirling around soon followed by others until the whole container is a roiling vortex.
I thought it would be a feeding frenzy on the poor fireflies, but, apparently bats do not feed on fireflies, to my relief--I really like fireflies. Why don’t we have fireflies in Idaho? Maybe I’ll catch some and import them, along with some armadillos and turtles. I’ve yet to see an armadillo on this trip. Maybe they all got barbecued.
Our plan tomorrow is the meander back to Houston, visit one of the incredible Fiesta Mexican supermarkets, buy something exotic that Matt and I will cook for dinner at my other son Tim’s house. Terry and Kimberley will be there too.
Keep connected <<>>
Hill Country is a lush, green region of dense scrubby growth on a sedementary limestone base webbed with streams and rivers. It rains a lot, which explains the green and the water, but it doesn't get all that hot or cold, and it's not humid like Houston. Consequently, more people are discovering it. Housing developments are starting to pop up like wildflowers after a rain in the Spring.
Property values in this area are bargain. For $150,000 you can get a 2500 square foot, two story home in this area. My son's 900 square foot condo in San Diego is worth over $500,000, to give you a comparison.
We took a detour to hike along the Pedernales River to a series of falls or cataracts carved out of the bedrock.
It was a fairly rugged hike over unimproved trail, which my wife Romana declared the worst she’d ever been on in her life. We even lost the trail at one point and had to navigate by dead reckoning without any GPS, if you can imagine. I had brought my GPS watch just for such occasions, but forgot to put it on.
Along the trail, we saw several exciting species of birds. I’ve never seen so many cardinals in all different stages of development. They are one of my favorite birds. Another favorite that is more beautiful than a diamond glistening in the sun is the painted bunting. I can only remember seeing two others. What a treat. We saw a couple of ladder backed woodpeckers and heard more. But, we have yet to see the elusive scissor tail flycatcher, which is the Texas state bird. I hope we’ll see at least one in its erratic flight pattern before we leave Texas behind.
In Johnson City, a small burg not far from Fredericksburg, we visited Lyndon Johnson’s modest boyhood home. On a previous visit we visited his ranch, which was quite a bit more impressive except for his raising exotic African range animals for his friends to shoot.
Finally reaching Fredericksburg, we had lunch in a German restaurant and explored the town.
The highlight of the day was in the evening, at dusk, as nightfall rapidly descended upon us, outside an old railroad tunnel, out in the boonies, about twelve miles east of Fredericksburg. With little light left in the sky, after the fireflies had already started sparking, the first bats begin emerging from their diurnal domicile. At first, there was just one or two zig zagging madly. Then more and more and more and more until it was like a swarm of angry bees. It was like watching popcorn pop in an air popper when at first just one or two kernels burst open and start swirling around soon followed by others until the whole container is a roiling vortex.
I thought it would be a feeding frenzy on the poor fireflies, but, apparently bats do not feed on fireflies, to my relief--I really like fireflies. Why don’t we have fireflies in Idaho? Maybe I’ll catch some and import them, along with some armadillos and turtles. I’ve yet to see an armadillo on this trip. Maybe they all got barbecued.
Our plan tomorrow is the meander back to Houston, visit one of the incredible Fiesta Mexican supermarkets, buy something exotic that Matt and I will cook for dinner at my other son Tim’s house. Terry and Kimberley will be there too.
Keep connected <<>>
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Austin
Austin is the silicon valley of Texas. Son Matt is interested in checking it out for job possibilities as a computer engineer. We visited the Capitol Building, the University of Texas with an enrollment of over 50,000 students and roamed around downtown with its blend of old and new before heading West into the Hill Country.
African Art
All of this African art is for sale. Let me know if you're interested. Prices range from $1500 to $50k per piece.
One of Terry's Picassos
If you want to know the name of this Picasso, you'll have to email me and have a note from your mom.
Day 5 & 6
I’ve been way too busy to blog the past few days hanging out with my brother and checking out museums and art galleries in Houston and checking up on some art investments. He also gave me a tour of Rice University where he used to hang out when he was the director of the Sara Campbell Blaffer Art Foundation. I got some great architectural shots, particularly of the interior of the Engineering Department building, which reminded me of Karnak in Egypt.
Here’s a snap of one of my brother's Picasso’s. See post above.
Here’s some of my art work. See post above.
Five grandchildren can also use up a little energy. I swear I don’t know how my son and his wife do it. I think the secret is that they have trained the kids to all help out. They are a pretty good team.
Yes, it has been hot in Houston with a few sprinkles and some thunder and lightning, but nothing serious, and the locals say that it has been mercifully cool for this time of year only in the 90s with relatively low humidity.
As promised, I’m including some shots of my grandkids, but instead of stills, I’m going to share some video clips. I know, they are really terrible. I blame the camera.
The kids enjoy romping in the pool several times a day to keep cool. Here's a short clip of Ethan 3 and Ariana 8 in the pool in the backyard. www.synergetics.org/moblogpix/IMGP2647.AVI
Here’s 12 year old Brendon who just read the last Harry Potter book in two days playing the piano. Check it out here: www.synergetics.org/moblogpix/IMGP2650.AVI
At age ten, Cameron is an expert on the culture of Native Americans and likes to make arrowheads. He makes moccasins too. Here he is demonstrating an amazing talent that I believe he created all by himself—playing the recorder with his nose. Follow this link: www.synergetics.org/moblogpix/IMGP2722.AVI
Three year-old Nathan is a troublemaker with a smile that melts your heart so that you can’t really get mad at him. Here's the little dickins in action: www.synergetics.org/moblogpix/IMGP2658.AVI
Ariana at eight years should be on American Idol. Here’s she’s performing with a dead microphone for a prop. www.synergetics.org/moblogpix/IMGP2688.AVI. Her performance is really a lot better than her grandfather's cinematography.
One year old Daniella is just starting to play the piano. Her enthusiasm exceeds her ability at the moment, but she certainly has the spirit. See for yourself: www.synergetics.org/moblogpix/IMGP2733.AVI
Today Matt, Romana, and I drove to San Antonio and hung out along the San Antonio River that meanders through San Antonio lined with restaurants, hotels, and shops. It’s teaming with tourists. Tourists eager to learn the area’s colorful history cruise the river listening as the raconteur boat drivers regale them with tall tales.
I really think Moscow’s Economic Development Committee should seriously consider creating a river that flows through town and using reclaimed sewer water to supply it. Moscow could be a major tourist attraction in the Northwest.
We also spent some time at the Alamo where so many Americans met their end in the battle of 1846. Swarming with tourists and impeccably groomed grounds make it difficult to imagine the tragedy that occurred here.
The Mexicans may have won that battle but ultimately lost the war—or did they? Mexican culture is very much alive here today and it is probably better to be able to speak Spanish than English. I’ve been getting a lot of practice speaking Spanish.
After exploring Austin tomorrow, we plan to head for the Texas Hill Country.
We haven’t seen a single armadillo yet, which surprises me because in the past we would have seen hundreds by now. We did see a few squished turtles, which is always sad and one live one that I moved out of the road and sure destruction. Perhaps we’ll see some armadillos in Hill Country today.
Sorry about the lack of images. Blogger is not allowing me to post any AVI files. When I get time, I'll publish them elsewhere and put links to them here.
Keep connected <<>>
Here’s a snap of one of my brother's Picasso’s. See post above.
Here’s some of my art work. See post above.
Five grandchildren can also use up a little energy. I swear I don’t know how my son and his wife do it. I think the secret is that they have trained the kids to all help out. They are a pretty good team.
Yes, it has been hot in Houston with a few sprinkles and some thunder and lightning, but nothing serious, and the locals say that it has been mercifully cool for this time of year only in the 90s with relatively low humidity.
As promised, I’m including some shots of my grandkids, but instead of stills, I’m going to share some video clips. I know, they are really terrible. I blame the camera.
The kids enjoy romping in the pool several times a day to keep cool. Here's a short clip of Ethan 3 and Ariana 8 in the pool in the backyard. www.synergetics.org/moblogpix/IMGP2647.AVI
Here’s 12 year old Brendon who just read the last Harry Potter book in two days playing the piano. Check it out here: www.synergetics.org/moblogpix/IMGP2650.AVI
At age ten, Cameron is an expert on the culture of Native Americans and likes to make arrowheads. He makes moccasins too. Here he is demonstrating an amazing talent that I believe he created all by himself—playing the recorder with his nose. Follow this link: www.synergetics.org/moblogpix/IMGP2722.AVI
Three year-old Nathan is a troublemaker with a smile that melts your heart so that you can’t really get mad at him. Here's the little dickins in action: www.synergetics.org/moblogpix/IMGP2658.AVI
Ariana at eight years should be on American Idol. Here’s she’s performing with a dead microphone for a prop. www.synergetics.org/moblogpix/IMGP2688.AVI. Her performance is really a lot better than her grandfather's cinematography.
One year old Daniella is just starting to play the piano. Her enthusiasm exceeds her ability at the moment, but she certainly has the spirit. See for yourself: www.synergetics.org/moblogpix/IMGP2733.AVI
Today Matt, Romana, and I drove to San Antonio and hung out along the San Antonio River that meanders through San Antonio lined with restaurants, hotels, and shops. It’s teaming with tourists. Tourists eager to learn the area’s colorful history cruise the river listening as the raconteur boat drivers regale them with tall tales.
I really think Moscow’s Economic Development Committee should seriously consider creating a river that flows through town and using reclaimed sewer water to supply it. Moscow could be a major tourist attraction in the Northwest.
We also spent some time at the Alamo where so many Americans met their end in the battle of 1846. Swarming with tourists and impeccably groomed grounds make it difficult to imagine the tragedy that occurred here.
The Mexicans may have won that battle but ultimately lost the war—or did they? Mexican culture is very much alive here today and it is probably better to be able to speak Spanish than English. I’ve been getting a lot of practice speaking Spanish.
After exploring Austin tomorrow, we plan to head for the Texas Hill Country.
We haven’t seen a single armadillo yet, which surprises me because in the past we would have seen hundreds by now. We did see a few squished turtles, which is always sad and one live one that I moved out of the road and sure destruction. Perhaps we’ll see some armadillos in Hill Country today.
Sorry about the lack of images. Blogger is not allowing me to post any AVI files. When I get time, I'll publish them elsewhere and put links to them here.
Keep connected <<>>
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Day 4
As expected, we made it to Amarillo and spent the night. We got off early for the big drive to Houston, which was somehow less eventful that the previous portions of our trip. Do you have any idea how flat it is around Amarillo for hundreds of miles? A bale of hay is a topographical event, if you don’t count windmills. And, that’s exactly what we did for entertainment. I could tell you exactly how many windmills there are between Amarillo and Wichita Falls. I could even tell you how many were actually working, but I won’t because I wouldn’t want to ruin your fun if you ever take that route.
Another thing we like to do for entertainment on the road is count the license plates we see from Idaho and then try to guess the county of origin. I keep a list of counties in my Pocket PC for this purpose. You can imagine how engaging this game was across Texas. I think the last Idaho plate we saw was in Montana.
Actually, I have plenty to keep me entertained and occupied even over the most uneventful stretches. I always have at least three different GPS systems going at the same time because I need to test them and its fun to compare the differences.
The one I’m currently reviewing is the Mio Digi/Walker C520, and it’s a beaut with a large screen and pre-loaded maps of the U.S. and Canada with millions of Points of Interest. It has an SD slot so that you can slip in your favorite tunes, movies, photos, and audiobooks to listen or watch.
To my surprise and delight it even hooks up to your mobile phone via Bluetooth and acts as a car kit so that you can talk safely on the road in a hands free environment. It really works amazing well. It’s available online at http://www.buygpsnow.com/ for only $399.
A must have for any road trip is satellite radio. I have Sirius permanently installed in my car stereo system. But I also brought along a Pioneer portable XM radio that I can hook up to my car speakers through either a wired or wireless FM modulator. Without satellite radio, it’s a pretty dismal experience with the paltry choice of stations (country or evangelical) that fade in and out as you go. With satellite, you get a strong, continuous signal with excellent clarity everywhere.
Of course my wife and I also have MP3 players that we haul out from time to time for listening to our favorite tunes. I also use my phone for this purpose sometimes.
I always welcome a photo opportunity along the road. Yesterday it came in the form of a herd of camels—well, dromedaries to be exact. To my delight, I spied a herd of a couple dozen of the beasts out in the middle of nowhere along Highway 287. Naturally I stopped to click a few pix. One old guy even let me pet his nose.
It reminded me of the time I rode camels in Egypt—and got bitten and spat upon.
Another thing we like to do for entertainment on the road is count the license plates we see from Idaho and then try to guess the county of origin. I keep a list of counties in my Pocket PC for this purpose. You can imagine how engaging this game was across Texas. I think the last Idaho plate we saw was in Montana.
Actually, I have plenty to keep me entertained and occupied even over the most uneventful stretches. I always have at least three different GPS systems going at the same time because I need to test them and its fun to compare the differences.
The one I’m currently reviewing is the Mio Digi/Walker C520, and it’s a beaut with a large screen and pre-loaded maps of the U.S. and Canada with millions of Points of Interest. It has an SD slot so that you can slip in your favorite tunes, movies, photos, and audiobooks to listen or watch.
To my surprise and delight it even hooks up to your mobile phone via Bluetooth and acts as a car kit so that you can talk safely on the road in a hands free environment. It really works amazing well. It’s available online at http://www.buygpsnow.com/ for only $399.
A must have for any road trip is satellite radio. I have Sirius permanently installed in my car stereo system. But I also brought along a Pioneer portable XM radio that I can hook up to my car speakers through either a wired or wireless FM modulator. Without satellite radio, it’s a pretty dismal experience with the paltry choice of stations (country or evangelical) that fade in and out as you go. With satellite, you get a strong, continuous signal with excellent clarity everywhere.
Of course my wife and I also have MP3 players that we haul out from time to time for listening to our favorite tunes. I also use my phone for this purpose sometimes.
I always welcome a photo opportunity along the road. Yesterday it came in the form of a herd of camels—well, dromedaries to be exact. To my delight, I spied a herd of a couple dozen of the beasts out in the middle of nowhere along Highway 287. Naturally I stopped to click a few pix. One old guy even let me pet his nose.
It reminded me of the time I rode camels in Egypt—and got bitten and spat upon. 
Another photo opportunity arose in Memphis, TX a small rural town was all the streets entirely paved with red brick.
In Houston, we’re staying with my brother and his lady friend who have just moved into an incredible new house. They are both art dealers, and it shows. A few of the artists hanging on their walls include Chagall, Miro, Picassso, Lichtenstein, Tamayo, and DeKooning—and those are just the ones that I recognize as a country bumpkin from Idaho. This place is like a three-story museum, but it doesn’t have wireless Internet yet, so who cares about all the art?
I’m going to have to go find a coffee shop with Wi-Fi so I can check my email and submit this story. I can’t even use my AOL dial-up account because I didn’t think to install AOL on this new Toshiba Tablet PC I’m using on this trip. I never dreamed I would need dial-up but now I have to go hunt down one of those pesky AOL disks that you always see everywhere except when you need one. Now they must be collector’s items because we are having a difficult time finding one.
My son Matthew is flying in to Houston tomorow. I’m going to pick him up and then we’re going to other son’s house and a romping visit with five grandkids. Expect some grandkid pix.
Keep connected <<>>
Monday, July 30, 2007
Day 3
After all the star gazing last night, we didn't get off to a very early start. Before leaving Ft. Collins, we visited the Colorado State University campus and enjoyed walking around its park-like grounds. 
I suppose this is what our English Cottage Garden next to the Japanese garden could look like--if we never went on road trips.As we passed through Denver and the heavy traffic, which is not even close to Los Angeles, I remembered why I moved to Moscow where it doesn't even take five minutes to get across town during rush hour--which lasts about ten minutes. It was good to leave Denver behind and be back in the countryside again where we saw more antelope off and on the rest of the day as we cut across the top corner of New Mexico past volcanoes on a mile high plateau to Texas.
Before making a beeline to Amarillo, our goal for the night, we stopped in Pueblo, CO for a stroll through the historic Arkansas Riverwalk district and some lunch. Talk about gentrification. Pueblo took this forlorn, dismal area and completely transformed it into a riverfront of vibrant shops and lots of foot traffic paralleling San Antonio. I wonder what a little water would do for revitalizing downtown Moscow. Maybe some of that reclaimed sewer water would do the trick. We could have gondoliers and everthing. Moscow could become known as the Venice of the West. But, instead of Gondoliers, we'd have Vandaliers named after our football team.
Even though the light was wrong, I couldn't resist a picture of the magnificent Pueblo railroad station built in 1890 when the robber barons reigned supreme. It sort of puts the station at Kendrick, Idaho to shame. This one's for you, Janice, and there's a municipal court across the street so you would feel right at home.
It has been a trip of trails starting off with Lewis and Clark and Chief Joseph in Idaho and Montana. Then the Oregon trail in Wyoming. Today we crossed the Kit Carson trail and the Santa Fe trail. We even visited the site of the famous LP ranch in Texas where just about every desperado and cowboy hung out for novels to be written about them including Billy the Kid.
Gas prices so far were the lowest in Coeur d'Alene and pretty much consistent elsewhere at $2.99 with an occasional dip to $2.85. We've paid as much as $3.19, however. Expecting gas to be really cheap when we hit Texas, it wasn't--at least in the hinterlands. And that is in the land where I think gas was invented. However, in Amarillo where we are spending the night tonight gas seems to be about $2.87.
I wonder why they call Amarillo "am are rill o" when it really should be pronounced "am are ree yo". I guess it's for the same reason that in Idaho a llama (yama) is called a "lam a"--as in Dalai Lama.
Roadkill count for the day was a mere two racoons and a skunk. I think the people in Colorado eat their roadkill quicker than the people in Wyoming and Montana. We're expecting some armadillos tomorrow or as they call them here, Texas road bumps, as we head to Houston.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Full Moon
It's a full moon tonight in Ft. Collins, Colorado, which is over a mile high and that much closer to the heavenly bodies in the sky on a crystal clear night. I just happened to have installed AstroNavigator II from http://www.vitotechnology.com/ on one of my GPS enabled Pocket PCs.
I grabbed my trusty pocket pal and went outside for some star gazing. It has been a long time since I have been involved with identifying stars and constellations. Actually, I think it was when I was working on my astronomy merit badge or was it astrology?
I sure wish I had AstoNavigator then. It's a delightful way to star gaze, and I recommend it. All you have to do is connect your handheld device with a GPS receiver and point in any direction in the clear night sky, and the exact picture of what you see will appear on your screen.
Simply tap on an item on the screen, and information about it will pop up. You can search for individual planets, stars, or constellations. It's sort of like having a smart telescope in the palm of your hand. Check it out.
Day 2
Heading South on I-90 we had a history-filled day visiting forts and battlefields, the most significant of which was Custer's Last Stand at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Sheridan is a charming, well-preserved old West town, but my favorite place is Buffalo, Wyoming. There is not a plot in a Zane Grey or Louis L'Amour novel or a Western movie that didn't happen in Buffalo, Wyoming. You could easily spend a week in the local historical museum delving into the fascinating events that transpired in Buffalo.Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam, and the deer and the antelope play. We saw scads of deer and antelope--more antelope than deer. I tried to imagine what the environment would have been like teeming with thousands of buffalo before they were all needlessly slaughtered. Lamenting that they were all gone, we happened to pass a field full of buffalo, a herd of maybe a hundred or so. Hooray!
We also crossed the Oregon Trail in places and visited Independence Rock where Oregon-bound pioneers carved their names. The arch above is about a mile south of the Oregon Trail and quite a scenic spot.
Across the vast landscapes of Eastern Montana and Wyoming, you can see almost forever. Twice, in the distance, we saw dark clouds reaching the ground in an otherwise blue sky, which, of course, meant rain ahead. We wondered if we would drive right through the squalls or miss them completely as the road meandered unpredictably. Naturally we hit both of them, and they were ferocious. I had to slow down to 30 MPH and could barely see the road, but, fortunately, they didn't last long.
Roadkill count for the day included two deer, two black calves, three porcupines, one badger, three rabbits, a coyote, three raccoons, and several lumps of unidentifiable species at 75 MPH.
I haven't seen too many birds with the exception of a couple of magpies, a great horned owl, and ubiquitous starlings.
We're spending the night tonight in Fort Collins, Colorado, the home of Colorado State University, which we will tour in the morning before continuing south.
Day 1
We got under way by 7 AM when I hoped to be gone by 6, but you know how that goes. We left the ripe, rolling hills of the Palouse behind expecting them to be all harvested by the time we return. We headed north past Lake Coeur d'Alene turning east to Montana a place of many fond memories for us.
This is a picture of Cataldo Mission built in 1846, the oldest building in Idaho. After I took this picture, the battery in my camera went dead--no more pictures today.
My plan was to stop in Billings, MT for the night, but there several big deal events taking place there, and the hotels had doubled their rates. Forget about it. We drove on to Hardin and scored a hotel at half the price with free high speed wireless Internet.
Actually, there are very few hotels that do not offer it these days. I notice that most Motel 6 properties still only have dial up service. My son called to say that he was staying in the Huntington Sheraton Hotel in Pasadena, CA, which is a fairly snooty hostelry, and it charges an exorbitant daily fee for wireless Internet.
I will be testing several navigation systems on this trip. The one I used today is the Mio Digi/Walker c520, a dedicated device that uses a windshield mount and costs less than $399 (the normal retail price) from www.buyGPSnow.com.
I was unprepared for all the features this incredible unit offers. It has a built-in antenna, so all you have to do is turn it on, and it automatically connects to the satellites. Maps for the US and Canada come pre-loaded with millions of Points of Interest.
Let me just mention a few of its features without going into detail. It has an SD card slot so that you can insert your own data and listen to your favorite tunes, an audio book, or watch a movie on its ample sized screen.
What really blew me away was discovering that it will hook up to your cell phone via Bluetooth. When your phone rings it automatically answers it. You just start talking in a safe, hands free environment while driving. Of course, you can also initiate calls and talk on it as well, and it works great. Perhaps the speaker could be a little louder. It also talks to you and tells you what turns to make so that don't even have to look at the screen.
When you get off route, it reroutes you extremely quickly and efficiently. I highly recommend it.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Day before Day 1
This is an experiment the day before departure to test and setup a moblog site via my mobile phone. In case you're not familiar with the term, "moblog" just means mobile blog. It seems to have worked. This is a picture of the bridge between Lewiston, ID and Clarkston, WA where I enjoyed a bike ride along the river and blackberry picking.
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