Trains and Automobiles Anyway....

The drive from Cortez to Durango is so short and it was raining a bit so the journey was not committed to digital permanence.  When I arrived, there was much activity at the rail station as there always is.  The Durango&Silverton narrow gauge trains are a mini-industry here - lots of fairly high priced tickets sold every day.  I did not indulge as I will drive through Silverton tomorrow.  I have included a few photos lest anyone forget the huffing, hissing sounds, the feel of the ground moving and the slightly acrid smell of the smoke mixed with steam.  There really is nothing like a steam locomotive.

I settled at the General Palmer hotel - a very nice old hotel built by the guy who started the Denver and Santa Fe RR.  Dieter had a place of honor out front - actually a place of hopefully better security. 

Cool old hotel isn't it?

I may be appearing on TV - Durango's promotional channel that covers local businesses, etc. for cable TV.  I was enjoying dinner and sipping wine at a place called Ore House.  Highly recommended BTW.  Despite my undeniable charm (I was reading a book at the bar - OK if you must know a book by Alan Watts.)  So, though I was captured on film , rather, digital media no doubt, I do expect that fame will continue to elude me.

Today, for the first time on the trip, I began to feels as though it is time to wind it down.  Not the appeal of work I assure you.

It is just time.

Tomorrow, I am off to one of my favorite towns, Salida, CO, where people are uncommonly friendly, the pace of life is manageable, and the three fourteener's across the valley keep the spirit inspired.

Bluff, UT to Cortez, CO

Last night I dined at a steakhouse that was about the only option in Bluff.   A pistol in a case in the front counter with a sign "I ain't gonna be calling 911."  You get the idea.  Food - not Zagat rated.  So, stopped at a coffee/ice cream shop that seemed out of place and was for sale.  Had a chocolate shake for my real dinner.  Back to the hotel, fairly modern, just in time for the power to go out.

All this encouraged an early departure.  Had a chance to watch a nice sunrise on a cloudy morning.

Once the sun was up, I found myself in the most desolate surroundings in Navaho country.  The landscape was dotted with oil wells, which, judging from the number of pickups on the road very early, provides some substantial employment.  The landscape was both barren and lovely.

On to Mesa Verde National Park.  The cliff dwellings are at about 8000 feet, and one must wonder what the heck people were doing there.  There is a lot unknown, which makes it all the more fascinating.

I hiked a trail out to Petroglyph Point, where, guess what, the dwelling inhabitants left petroglyphs.   The hiking was fairly strenuous, moving along the cliff face, lots of up and down.  Some tight squeezes, which had me thankful that I have remained fairly slim.

Of course, no one really knows what the petroglyphs mean, but they are thought to represent the journey of the inhabitants from the point they emerged from the earth to their arrival on the mesas.  This is a sample.

So, it was a day with more time spent hiking than driving - which was a nice change.

Tomorrow, a short drive to Durango.

Cool Things Around Every Corner

Yes, this is a road trip through the West, so there will be lots of shots - in the West.  An excellent motoring day in that there were no scares with the car.  Everything went extraordinarily well.

The day started as it was getting light in Sedona.  Some regrets about focusing on the road trip aspects as I'd surely like to do some hiking here.  It will wait for a future trip - I am certain there will be future time spent in Sedona.

Northbound from Flagstaff on the way to the Grand Canyon.  More vastness of the West.  The lands along the highway were sparsely populated and travelled.  This is the day's picture with the car looking back toward Flagstaff.  The Flagstaff-Sedona area impressed me.  Will be back.

Nothing can prepare one for a first look at the Grand Canyon.  Grand does not cut it as a description.  Superfantacular perhaps. Ginormous.  Strangely, most of the conversations I heard around me there were in German, Chinese, French, or other languages.  An easy majority.

There are a few fires in progress in the canyon or around it, so photos are hazy.  A repeat of a perspective on the landmark that is familiar to most, perhaps because this view is so spectacular.  Could stare at it all day.

All of the visitors to the Park did not seem to disturb this resident.

Turn to the Northeast.  Headed now to Monument Valley Navaho Tribal Park, which covers part of Utah and Arizona.  Beautiful red sandstone formations.  Throughout Northeast Arizona and Southeast Utah, I have found something around each bend that was great.  Will have to pick up a book on the geology of the region.

Passing now through Mexican Hat, UT.  Amazing geology.  The red and white alternating striations you see in this picture appeared to be sedimentary layers folded in some sort of uplift into these patterns.  In the bluff further away, you can see the same layers remaining horizontal.  Again, research to do.

Ended up in Bluff, UT tonight.  Will go on in the morning to Mesa Verde.

I'm loving this sabbatical.

Of Boiling Radiators and the Wide, Wide, West

Got a reasonably early start from China Lake. The driving was initially fraught with concern over plunging oil pressures, so I had one eye on the road and the other on the gauges.  There is not much between China Lake and Goffs, CA.  Not much but desert heat that got worse as the day went on.  So the gauges message was not about oil pressure, on which more later.

It was almost four hours to Goffs.  Not much there.   It has a historic restored schoolhouse, which was closed when I was there.  It also has a general store, closed some time ago, and in disrepair, even relative to the condition depicted in internet pictures.  I had hoped to capture "Goffs General Store" which was emblazoned on the second story facade.  Not to be.  Here it is today.

No residents were to be seen, though some live there, or nearby I think. 

On the West edge of town, there is a railroad switch with a sign that says West Goffs.  I'd have taken a picture, but it seemed a bit silly because I could run the length of town in about a minute.  There is no Welcome to Goffs sign, an oversight of the Chamber of Commerce no doubt.

At the West edge, I did take a shot of the view to the north, which is a about the same in any direction.

The remainder of the day's driving was quite slow, because on the climb east out of the valley of the Colorado, it was 107 degrees and miles of climbing.  Having been in Stuttgart, Deiter's designers had no concept of the conditions in the American west.  I was fortunate enough to be near a truck stop when the gauges started rising rapidly and the coolant began to spew.  No damage.  An hour wait, some new anti-freeze and on the road again.  I made a couple of other stops after long climbs to allow things to cool

The wait was worth it.  End point today was Sedona, AZ.  Words can't begin.... so...

Uncommon Challenges

This has been a challenging day involving a car with low oil pressure and a computer that will not download any more.

Will focus on those problems and post more tomorrow.

I did want to post two pics that show the beauty of Yosemite followed by two that attempt to capture the vastness of the Owens Valley to the East of Yosemite.

Resting on the Russian River

Today was Labor Day - and no travel of any kind was undertaken.  We spent the day hanging out at the Russian River with Sherean, Vanessa, and their wonderful circle of friends.  So I'll share just a couple of pics.

The weekend had a pirate theme and while there was no actual looting and pillaging, there were good intentions.  Here Sherean and some of her friends give a good "Yaaaaarrrr".

After the sun was high enough to warm the air a bit, our merry gang set sail.  I can tell you the locals were suitably fearful and locked up their sheep.

While it appears here that the Reverend Joe is preaching to the wayward, he is actually gathering orders for take out.

Bottom line..... Sherean is as lucky to have these folks as friends as they are to have her.

Tomorrow, on the road at 5AM - hoping to make China Lake by 6.

Wine Country

The trip east from the redwoods and fog of Monte Rio in the Russian River to the vineyards and sunshine of the Alexander Valley wine country was a study in contrasts.  Both ecosystems, and economic geography.  The area of Monte Rio I suspect is pretty dependent on tourism.  Just a few miles east in Guerneville, one enters the Russian River wine region and density of vineyards and contrasts of wealth increase as you drive into the Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys, two major areas of the Sonoma Valley.  Top was up while still early in the Alexander Valley.  Top came down shortly after.

Lunch was at Willie's in Healdsburg and was delish.  I becoming spoiled by California eateries.  Healdsburg exists, apparently, to support the big industry, wine, and its accompanying oenotourism.  There is a downtown square that is vibrant and full of higher end shops and restaurants.  Not generally where I see myself shopping.

We made several stops at wineries and bought a couple of bottles - not much room in the car - nor, I suspect, will conditions be right in the car for the wine to travel well through the deserts ahead this week.

Last evening, in the neighboring town of Duncan Mills, there was much fun listening to the Fargo Brothers, a blues/rock rock band.  While some pictures were taken, I won't be publishing any in the name of good taste ;-) and because I fear my companions.  Many thanks to Sherean, Vanessa, and their many fine friends for the hospitality of the last few days.

There is no plan for the day today.  Repack the car for the eleven remaining days of the rolling sabbatical.  Check things out well because the heat of the next couple of days will be extreme.  The route tomorrow takes us to SFO, where I drop off MJ, then just me through Yosemite, then south, through the hot and dry Owens River valley.  Once a garden, now a wasteland due to the unrelenting water ravenousness of LA in the last century.  Next couple of days will be the toughest challenge for my 40-year-old wheels.  Wish me luck.