New Mexico - The Land of Enchantment

After leaving the southern area of Arizona, our plan was to head North and visit Winslow, Flagstaff, Sedona and then up to the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest……our plans changed! North means cold……and boy did we notice a big change in temperature as well as some rainy weather. We are trying to escape cold weather! The road construction and closures in the Petrified Forest would have also made our travel plans a little more complicated so we decided to move on and head east towards New Mexico. Don’t worry, Arizona, we will definitely be back!

We DID make it to Winslow, Arizona however and stood on that famous corner with the flat bed Ford that The Eagles made famous in their smash hit Take It Easy.

We also visited Meteor Crater which happens to be the best preserved meteorite impact site on Earth before moving on. 50 000 years ago a meteorite estimated to be around 150 feet across and weighing several hundred thousand tons, struck the northern Arizona rocky plain with an explosive force. The crater it left behind is large enough for 20 football games to be played on its floor all at the same time.

To the very far left of the photo above, you can see the Visitor Centre

New Mexico, known as the Land of Enchantment, was already home to Native Americans for the last 20 000 years when Spanish explorers arrived in the 1600’s. Home to 19 Pueblos, there are more cows and sheep in New Mexico than people! This was certainly evident as we drove the I-40 towards Albuquerque! The vast amounts of grasslands and odd rock formations told another geological story of this area. One such place we visited 52 miles North of Albuquerque and 35 miles South of Santa Fe was Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. The cone shaped tent rock formations this area has become famous for are the products of volcanic eruptions that occurred 6 to 7 million years ago that left pumice, ash and tuff deposits over 1000 feet thick. Boulder caps sit precariously atop many of the hoodoos. The canyons we traversed through are the result of wind and water erosion creating an interesting landscape and spectacular scenery. The 3 mile hike through Canyon and Cave Trails was a feast for the senses. 

And yes!! We made it to the top where there was snow!!

The hike in and out was truly a remarkable experience and we were in awe the entire time! The video below shows a portion of the trail known as "the slot".

Bandelier National Monument located near Los Alamos in New Mexico was another fascinating site we visited on the following day.The monument preserves the Ancestral Pueblo homes and territory of prehistoric people dating back 10 000 years. What makes this site so fascinating is that the homes were carved into cliff faces and we had an opportunity to get inside and really learn about how these people lived.

Steve climbing into a dwelling. The people painted the roof of the cave with black soot to harden the sandstone. 

Steve took this pic as I was climbing up the ladder into the cliff dwelling. Below, in the field, are the remnants of other housing and gardens where crops were grown. 

The vertical holes seen in the picture above were used for floor support beams. Archaeologists are able to determine how many stories each dwelling was. 

                    The sign here says it all!!! Four ladders to the top!!

It's safe to say we certainly had our exercise at both these National Monuments. Time to head south now for warmer temperatures (hopefully) and a little fun! Here we come Roswell, New Mexico......or should I say "Beam me up!"

Arizona Cruisin'

After leaving Joshua Tree we headed east into Arizona to visit with family in the Glendale area. We always enjoy seeing family who we don't see often, meeting new people and, of course, getting a first class tour of the area from the experts. It's a time when we can sit back for a while and really enjoy our stay without having to google our way around. Of course we also appreciate a washer and dryer that doesn't take coins, home cooked meals cooked in an oven and a much bigger bathroom than the one in our RV!

Enjoyed a great hike at White Tank Mountains with Aunt Diane

3000 year old petroglyphs could be seen in the rock faces all along the trail

       

We also enjoyed meeting up with Aunt Diane's friends for a 4 mile group hike. It was a spectacular trek through the desert and a great opportunity to see the various kinds of cacti that live here. 

                                      

And no family visit would be complete without a host of home cooked meals shared with family and friends. 

My father, Gary and Aunt Diane, and of course, Steve! Nothing like roast chicken dinner on our last night with savoury dressing from Newfoundland. 

It was nice to see Uncle Randy and share dinner with friends Gary and John!

After 5 days in Glendale we decided to head south and made a stop in iconic Tombstone. Known as the "Town Too Tough To Die", Tombstone got its start in 1871 as a silver mining claim. It became a bustling boomtown of the Wild West and provided entertainment to the miners in the way of saloons, theatres, brothels and casinos. It was fascinating to see the real places where gunslingers like Wyatt Earp engaged in brutal gun fights at places like the O.K. Corral and where the longest poker game in history took place. It ran for over 8 years, with $10 million dollars exchanging hands during that time. Our stroll along Allen Street took us back to another era where cowboy hats and stagecoaches were the norm and we became one with the heroes and villains of the day. 

It was also fun to take in a gunfight at a local saloon. These guys certainly seemed like the real deal. 

Though Tombstone is now very touristy it was interesting and relaxing and just a great place to visit!

After Tombstone, we continued south to Bisbee, Arizona and then looped back towards Kartchner Caverns and Tucson to visit the Titan Missile Museum. 

This was an awesome 1 hour guided tour of one of the most destructive weapons ever built. Watching a simulated launch was a literally terrifying experience even though the program was based on a peace by deterrence model.

Onwards to the North we go towards Winslow, Flagstaff and Sedona! Perhaps one of the nicer drives we have taken was along Highway 60 after leaving Globe, Arizona. I think you would agree that the Salt River Canyon was spectacular.

As the sun begins to set outside our trailer window at Meteor Crater RV Park, we are excited about the many sights and sounds yet to be explored in Arizona.

Back To the Desert

At a crossroads where the Mohave and Colorado Deserts meet in Southern California is Joshua Tree National Park. Characterized by stretches of desert plains, rugged mountains, boulders and oddly shaped trees known as Joshua Trees visiting this place made me feel as though I were trapped in an episode of The Flintstones or at least a character in a Dr. Seuss book. Camping out in Twentynine Palms, a small city where the park headquarters is located, we explored all that the park had to offer. Here's a look at the weirdly beautiful Joshua Tree Park.

Skull Rock

Massive rocks just seemingly placed wherever, sometimes perfectly balanced atop an enormous pile of boulders.

As we explored the desert landscape we had to watch out for snakes and tarantulas. It was a common occurrence to see lizards scoot by and to hear coyotes howling in the middle of the night. 

Hundreds of people visit the park during this cooler busy season. They love to climb over the boulders and can even be seen rock climbing in places. 

Time to hit the road once again. We really enjoyed the serenity of the desert and the big open land and sky. Heading east now towards Phoenix, Arizona to spend time with family. 

La La Land

Looking out over LA from Hollywood Bowl

“Life is a highway I want to ride it all night long” is the famous line in Tom Cochrane’s 1991 smash hit. However, we suddenly found ourselves on a highway that we quickly wished to exit as we entered Los Angeles County from

the relaxed vibe of the Pacific Coast. A maze of whizzing traffic 8-10 lanes deep, interchanges at every turn, Steve went from tourist to  professional Nascar driver as he snaked all 38 feet of our RV between lanes of traffic. With his head on a swivel and hands white knuckling the steering wheel, we finally crossed the finish line when we arrived at Walnut Grove RV Park. Needless to say, a celebratory cocktail was in order. 

Settled in in the community of Northridge, just 23 miles outside of Hollywood,

we decided to stay for a couple of days and take in the sights and sounds of Tinsel Town. Hollywood certainly caters to the tourist and there were an abundance of tours that we could have taken but when you travel with your own wheels and you’ve got Google who needs to spend money on touristy stuff like that? So off we went on the motorcycle in search of the best place to see the infamous Hollywood sign!  Mulholland Drive, which coincidentally is also where many actors and actresses live, had a great lookout over Hollywood Bowl and the city of Los Angeles. After touring around the area we decided to

head straight for Hollywood Boulevard and take in the Walk of Fame. We walked both sides of the strip admiring all the stars of film and music, stopped into an Irish Pub and then headed on down to the Chinese Theatre. 

The sights along Mulholland Drive 

                   

The Walk of Fame

      

Located on Hollywood Boulevard, just a stones throw from the site of the Academy Awards, is the TCL Chinese Theatre. Known as the most iconic movie palace in the world it is  home to the most prominent red carpet movie premieres and special events and the place where ordinary people became Hollywood celebrities. Located just outside the doors to the theatre are the cement hand and footprints of major movie stars from past to present. It was

fascinating to stroll amongst the cement platforms, reminiscing about the

contributions these people made to the theatrical world and to our enjoyment. Many paid a huge price for Hollywood fame and some have seemingly escaped the cruel world of glitz and glamour. This stark reminder was most notably evident in the streets before us as construction crews and other “important people” were erecting the set of the upcoming Academy Awards and Yes!!! we did get a chance to walk the red carpet (while it was still covered in plastic)!

Home of the Academy Awards - The Dolby Theatre

Exciting times!

Time to head back to the RV. What should normally take a 25 minute drive ended up taking us a little over an hour and half because of the enormous traffic. Our second day in the LA area was a day to relax. We didn’t feel like battling that monster of steel and rubber again. Steve was still thinking about his missed opportunity to buy a factory made Taylor guitar and ironically enough The Guitar Centre was just up the road so we took a walk up “just to have a look” and came home proud owners of a new guitar and a free ukulele just for me! So now we are getting ready for OUR Hollywood debut! 

We were happy to have visited the Los Angeles area but we were just as happy to leave. Hollywood is Hollywood, nothing grandiose or extra special, in fact it really appeared old and dilapidated. In fact the sad reality was that just metres away from Hollywood Boulevard, under an overpass, were rows of tents and shopping carts holding the life possessions of homeless people. The thick smog that hugs the mountainside mansions of their overpaid occupants masks the true reality of the many ordinary people of Southern California. Time to head east!

Back to traffic once again!

Our navigation system as we leave Los Angeles!