The long road ahead. . .

Day One of Our Baseball Trip Phase 2:  The view from our car. . .a long, lonely road in the Mojave Desert.
Outside it's 111 F.  Too hot to leave our Prius.  However, desert-lover Axel has to have a photo so, as he pulls over to the side of the road (note sand in photo), the car quietly slides into the desert. . .oops.  From the window, I take the photos while he starts digging out the wheels with his hands - in the heat.  Then he pushes and I steer, pulling out onto the highway while carefully managing to avoid the stream of traffic (sic).  Our first mishap and it hasn't been 4 hrs since we left Chris and family in Lakewood.  Should I be worried?

Our first night on the road is a cheap one - well, maybe.  We stay in Laughlin, NV - the poor man's Las Vegas - at the River Palms Hotel/Casino - clearly, a home for the elderly.  Who, us?  The room is free with my gambling points and has a great view of the majestic Colorado River.  We walk to the Crab Shack for dinner in the 109 F heat (who could live here?) then, as Axel  relaxes in the room, I gamble.. .and gamble.  So, at the end of the day, our room is not free - in fact, it's very expensive!

Day Two:

Axel wanted to eat here!

 On Day Two we drive from Laughlin to Flagstaff, AZ where we decide to do 'indoor things' as it was still hot enough 'to fry an egg on the sidewalk!' (thanks, Dad, for that one).  So, we track down the Museum of Northern Arizona filled with archeological Native artifacts, fine art and red hot ethnology.  My favorite and firmly believable, universally applicable description of the matrilineal  clan is that the 'elder head mother's wishes and opinions are considered as the most important in the clan'.  Got that, kids?  (so speaks, elder head mother)

Storm pattern Indian rug from  the Museum

 Spent the night in Winslow, AZ - yep, the Eagles sing it, ' 'Standin' on the corner in Winslow AZ with blah blah'  - though it is a profoundly depressed town after being bypassed by the highway, no longer a train stop and without air access.  But there is one place worth seeing - the La Posada hotel - one of the last great railway hotels that has been beautifully restored - a bit like the Ahwanhee in Yosemite.  Well worth the visit.

Hallway in La Posada (tho doesn't do it justice)

 No place to eat in Winslow except a Denny's - however, the senior meal always works.  We luck out with a brand new Best Western. . .


Day Two 1/2 and Three:

And, HELLO, Santa Fe!

 Three nights in a suite (it was a 3 night deal) at the Best Western in SF - we each have our own TV!  Our first night we eat at the La Fonda hotel - enormous amounts of fabulous Mexican food - chile rellenos on my plate.  Then, trying to work off the calories, we walk, revisiting the old town plaza and wandering into the above shop - so much color - which is one of the reasons I love Santa Fe.

Next morning, up at 7:30am (really 6:30am our time - ouch!) for a quick breakfast then off to the Santa Fe Opera for the 9am tour - $5 for an hour tour - BARRRgain!  It is, according to the fact-intense docent 'opera-ites', one of the finest summer opera companies in the world.  The building is stunning - outdoors but with an overhang that keeps the rain out - Each seat faces a screen on the back of the chair in front of it that scrolls the translation of the singer's words - in English and Spanish.  We explore the opera's work rooms back stage - where costumes and wigs are made along with the monstrous props, while dodging orchestra members preparing to practice.

Santa Fe Opera  (not allowed to take photos inside - boo hoo)

Next, off to Taos to visit the famous Pueblo - over 1000 yrs old and still inhabited, though no electricity or running water  - a UNESCO World Heritage Site which has been on my bucket list for a long long time.  Wish I could include all our photos (had to pay $6 to bring a camera into the pueblo besides admission fee) but didn't want to exceed my 'are you borin' 'em yet?' limit.

We ate Indian tacos in the little room behind the white sign along with several native workers who were speaking Tiwa.

Lots of shops selling jewelry, drums, pottery, pictures, etc

NO - the dog isn't 'd e a d' - just sleeping.  It's hot!

Next on our list to visit is the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge - which spans a deep gorge carved out by the river.  Standing in the center of the bridge, looking down - gives me chills.

The Rio Grande Gorge - slashed deep into the earth from a very flat surface - so that is looks like the land was pulled apart, leaving jagged lines.

For our final tourist stop of the day, our guidebook promises to lead us to the memorial site where British author DH Lawrence lived and wrote in the 1920's - maybe creating his famous, frisky heroine, Lady Chatterley while in the wilds of New Mexico!  His ashes are scattered here.  So, we follow the driving directions, ending up in the mountains on a long and winding gravel road. . .but were stopped cold by a Private Property sign on a gate.  We could only think that the current  Lawrence ranch owners were tired of relentless, dewy-eyed English majors tramping through their property.  Sigh. . .too bad but, when traveling, you can't always expect successes.

THERE HAS BEEN A REQUEST FOR MORE PHOTOS SOOOO I JUST SPEND AWHILE SETTING UP A WEB ALBUM WITH PHOTOS.  I'M WORKING ON THE LINK SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO JOIN GOOGLE TO SEE IT!