2geonomads

In signing off on my Route 66 blog I omitted to acknowledge the sterling work of my better half, Gail, who has been mainly responsible,( with some help from Craig in the early stages) for getting all of the many photos posted on the blog. Her technologically-challenged husband is yet to learn how to do this but he has committed myself to an intensive course when he gets back to Australia.
Apparently the process is quite straightforward as it will need to be!

Previous blogs have not included photos and from the comments received you have all welcomed the relief from the ramblings of an increasingly obese ferret.

The Obese Ferret

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The last day of Route 66!

Confronted at breakfast by the mocking Messieurs Field and Rogers who have picked up on the blog that the line- up of amigos in the photo taken at Calico Ghost Town is incorrect. Following my previous attempt at getting into the wrong car the previous Day I accepted that I had made an error and set off back to my room to do a mea culpa on the blog. On checking the photo emailed it turned out, much to the chagrin of M and D,that Gail had incorrectly transcribed the details when adding the photos to the blog.

With at least MY reputation intact we set off to find the famous McDonalds Museum, but all to no avail. We initially blamed Jerry but we the pick up the fact that the Museum was in fact at the corner of 14th and E Streets and not 14th and I streets. Fred sort of admits his error and we head off out of San Bernadino.

Photo op at the Wigwam Hotel in Rialto and shortly afterwards Fred, in a screech of tyres treats us to a bit of drag racing as he moves off from the traffic lights. A sign of things to come.

We then proceeded through a number of attractive suburbs and at Upland we stop to photo what is apparently the twelfth and last of the Madonna of the Trail statues along Route 66. Thanks to Jerry we had not been aware of the previous eleven!

David at the 12th Madonna of the Trail Statue

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madonna_of_the_Trail

On through Claremont, Laverne,San Dimas,Glendora,Azusa,Duarte ( where we do 2 U-TURNS ) to Monrovia where we find an excellent coffee shop, Friends Cafe.

Of the other supposedly notable sights in Monrovia the historic Shell Service Station has gone but we do locate the impossibly ugly Aztec Hotel. The hotel was designed in a style the architect termed ‘ Mayan Revival’ but the name Aztec was used because it was thought that the Americans would consider it less obscure and more readily identify with it! The ever- pragmatic Americans.

Continue on through Pasadena and the north-eastern suburbs of LA and it would be remiss of me not to mention the amazing driving job Fred does, calling on all his previous experience of living in LA.
We finally travel along iconic Sunset, Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards to arrive at the Palisades Park at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and the ocean.

Good Coffee at Studio City LA.

Santa Monica Boulevard

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Photo op in front of the Route 66 marker.

Memorial to Will Rogers at the end of “The Mother Road” in Santa Monica

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Rogers

Mick will head home on Saturday and the rest of us will stay for a couple more days in this frenetic city. What better way to end the blog than to report that on arrival at the hotel in Pasadena we are informed that each room only has one single king-sized bed. Much hilarity and I won’t even go near some of the jokes flying around! However, we accept our fate and look forward to an interesting night’s sleep.

As this is the end of this blog it’s an opportune moment to think back on the last 3 weeks.

Firstly, the practical things. More than a third of my clothes have remained unused, among them 2 pairs of long pants, 2 sweaters, 1 fleecy top, board shorts, 1 sleeveless top, 1 rain jacket, another heavier jacket and 3 t-shirts ( as distinct from polo tops ). I have recently come to the conclusion that, given the ravages of time and Dr Sharma’s work on me in February, t-shirts are no longer the go for me. My neck has become a victim of gravity and on sunny days of which there have been plenty on this trip, I bear more than a passing resemblance to a turkey with sunscreen on!

We all have our own highlights to savour. Mine are probably being terrified on the Sandia Peak Tram, the ageless and awe-inspiring view of the Grand Canyon, Santa Fe and the engineering miracle of the Memorial Bridge at the Hoover Dam. On a humorous note was the close call that Fred had at Emma Jeans’s Cafe when he asked the waitress “what size are your” only for her to walk away in mid- sentence. He assures us that he was referring to the burgers on offer but we could have had a nasty incident.

However, what will live long in my memory is the remarkable camaraderie which four mates, with their disparate personalities and idiosyncrasies , have been able to foster during 3 unforgettable weeks.
What the Americans, with what one has to say is their never-ending kindness and courtesy, have made of our banter goodness only knows but we have arrived without being arrested or shot at so we must have done some things right.
The blog would not be complete without a mention of our little red Dodge Grand Caravan which has withstood being driven over kerbs, rutted roads, screeching to a halt and having go through innumerable U-TURNS. We could not have asked for a better mode of transport.

As the last person to sign up for what has been for me the trip of a lifetime I would like to say a huge ” thank you ” to the 3 Amigos for giving me the opportunity to travel across this magnificent country. If one could bottle what we have experienced during the past 3 weeks the world would be a far better place.
Finally, thanks to the blog-followers for their encouragement and comments. Writing a blog is inevitably somewhat self-indulgent and in my case a bit prolix ( I can see Gail and Craig nodding in agreement ) but I hope that it has given you all an insight into the adventures of 4 old amigos.

Signing off until the next trip

Cheers

The Obese Ferret.

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Doug driving and Fred navigating today and we set off shortly before 9.00 to first visit Calico, a ghost town which Fred has advised us is on the way to the Tanger Outlet Shops.
F then admits that Calico is in fact in the opposite direction to the shops which now become our first port of call. Good selection of shops including such brands as Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Timberland, Rockport and many more. We all manage to pick up some good bargains but as Fred pointed out the prices have certainly gone up markedly in recent years.
Mick gave the word ‘outlet’ a whole new meaning with his digestive problems!
Before leaving Barstow we try to visit the Railroad and Mother Road Route 66 Museums but they are both closed.

Mick and Fred outside Railway Museum Barstow

Fill up with petrol in town and Doug manages to provide us all with a very bumpy exit from the service station as he avoids the driveway and runs over the rather high kerb.

Mick suggests that it was probably because the kerb was obscured by the ‘ Mind the kerb’ sign!

Finally, we arrive at Calico, an old mining town, which has re-invited itself to become an oft-visited tourist location. It turned out to be well worth the detour, although Calico has far more of a ‘ manufactured’ feel to it than Oatman. However, the surrounding rocky outcrops make for a superb setting.

At Calico. For blog followers the line-up from left to right Fred Mick Doug Dave (Obese Ferret)

We ask a tourist to take a photo of the four of us but I am almost totally obscured by Fred’s Route 66 cap. Nothing wrong with the cap as I have one myself but people are starting to think I am not on this trip ( I am taking most of the blog photos, with some help from Mick ).

Calico – The minerals are inside the building!

Between Helendale and Oro Grande we stop to photo Elmer Long’s Botttle Tree Ranch. This creation is composed of countless bottles arranged on trees ( really poles). Elmer does not charge any fee to view the ‘ ranch’ as he just does it for the hell of it.

At Victorville we try to visit the California Route 66 Museum but to the surprise of us all it is closed!
We do , however, come across Emma Jean’s Holland Burger Cafe which was first opened in 1947 Great food in a traditional diner and we manage to have a short chat with one of the owners, Shawna Gentry.
I provide the 3 Amigos with much entertainment when on my return from the restroom I try to open another vehicle while they are sitting in the correct one. I don’t really have much of a defence case as it is a Lincoln and not a Dodge but at least it was the same colour and shape ( well, sort of ).

Drive over Cajon Summit through some superb scenery and with increasingly heavy traffic.
Lengthy drive on I 15 before turning off to San Bernadino and initially we try to find the McDonalds Museum, site of the first Macs cafe. However, after ending up in one cul-de-sac too many we decide to head to the Days Inn ( fine at $ 78 per room).
After drinks in the hotel bar we stock up with foodstuffs at Walmart and have ham and cheese sandwiches for dinner in our room. We are truly the last of the great spenders.
Fred books ahead to secure rooms in Pasadena for the following night and we turn in for our last night on Route 66.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret

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Reasonably relaxed start for the long trip to Barstow ( although not as far as indicated in Mick’s very well-researched notes -more on that later )
My turn to drive and D the navigator. First U-TURN when M and D want to change more money and we have passed the ATM headed for the way out if town.
From the infamous Jerry’s notes Sitgreaves Pass on the way to Oatman was a cross between the Kyber Pass and the infamous road from La Paz to Coroico in Bolivia. It turned out to be nothing of the sort and approaching the end of the trip we are getting used to Jerry’s switching from hyperbole one minute to classic understatement the next. The pass, in fact , did provide us with some stunning landscapes but nothing to justify Jerry’s comments, and I quote ” the road gets REALLY hairy after Ed’s with hairpin curves and sheer drops coming hot and heavy. Note the interesting variety of stone or cable guardrails ( or LACK thereof) that offer faint comfort”
No wonder we had set off from Kingman with white knuckles and probably faces to match.

Sitgreaves Pass – 3 Amigos

Oatman, on the other side of Sitgreaves Pass, was an unexpected delight. Set against a backdrop of very impressive craggy peaks this former gold mining town has re-invented itself and has become a tourist Mecca with gunfights at 1.30 and 3.00 pm each day, all performed by entertainers who rely on tourist donations for their reward.

Oatman Arizona

http://www.welcometooatman.com/

We have the same effect on the mules!

Gift shops line the single main street and the tourists share the road with the many mules who wander up and down this thoroughfare. Establishments such as ‘ Fast Fanny’s Place’, The Ore House’ and the sign that reads ” Oatman residents and Businesses exercise their right to carry weapons ” give an indication of what awaits the tourist in this fascinating town.

We stop for a drink in Olive Oatman’s Cafe and the sign ( one for the ladies )near the bar reads ” Men are like tiles. If you lay them right the first time you can walk all over them forever.”

On to Golden Shores and the border with California, where we stuff ourselves full with fruit ( supposed restrictions on bringing fruit into California- Fred’s warning based on previous experience). We were then waved through by a smiling Customs Officer, who was obviously unaware of our attempt at the Guiness Book of Records attempt on fruit consumption a few hundred yards up the road.

After travelling through Needles we are thwarted in our efforts to follow Route 66 by a ramp off the I 40 being closed but we manage to negotiate our way through the maze of roads, and courtesy of Doug’s fine navigation ( I have been told to show my more benevolent side in my comments ) we proceed with any undue problems.
Press on through Essex to Cadiz Summit which used to be the site of cafe/ station/garage. This is perched just before the pass through the Marble Mountains. We now enter an area of ‘ Public Art’ ( Jerry’s Term ) where travellers have written their names or initials, mainly with stones, on the road side. We join them and leave our initials DMFD for posterity.
At Amboy we finally find one of Jerry’s famous ‘Shoe Trees’, festooned with cast-off footwear. Fail to see why he is obsessed with these non-events.
At Newberry Springs Mick stands in the middle of the road to take a photo of a Route 66 sign on the surface of the road and nearly provides us with an action shot as a car approaches at speed from the opposite direction.

Across the Mohave Desert California.  The road goes on forever, and the party never ends.

We stop to photograph another site from Jerry’s ‘must-stop ‘ list, the Bagdad Cafe of movie fame, which none of us has ever seen.
Ludlow- stop for lovely fruit pie and drinks before setting off on a stretch of very rough road, expertly handled by Doug , who had taken over at Ludlow.

Arrive at Barstow and our usual Days Inn accommodation.
Dinner in town at Rosita’s Mexican/American restaurant, where Doug, who claims to be starting a diet , orders ‘Rosita’s Combination’. The evidence is there for all to see in the blog photograph!

A man REALLY enjoying his food!

Finally, on Mick’s calculation of the distance from Kingman to Barstow which Mick had over -estimated by at least 100 kms. He wasn’t in the slightest contrite about this error which had caused much angst among the 4 Amigos the evening before when we thought we were faced with a marathon drive. He has merely blamed it on Jerry.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret.

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South of Vegas – Redneck Territory!

NRA Recruitment Drive – 2 Potential Members?

Return to Kingman with Mick in the driver’s seat and Fred navigating, although we are familiar with this road.

After a relaxing trip Doug and I get some free entertainment as, on arrival in Kingman, driver and navigator are at odds with other as to the direction to take. The problem is really that Fred has morphed into a clone of Jerry Mac and is prone to provide too much information to the driver even when we are merely going straight ahead. He then tries to justify this approach with more spin than Shane Warne and we conclude that he has spent too much time in Canberra. However, we are happy to cut him some slack after his sterling work the previous day in getting us to Vegas.

Find coffee shop serving passable coffee although the espresso machine has broken down.
For a while we were sure that the cinnamon rolls advertised in the shop window would also prove to be mythical but, no they duly arrive and are very tasty.

Interesting sign under the lid of the toilet seat ” to avoid airborne arosols ( note the spelling) please put down the lid before flushing”

Visit Mohave Museum( actually spelt this way for any pedants out there ) and the Powerhouse Visitor Centre which also houses the Route 66 Museum. Both are excellent but the latter in particular gives a real insight into the the hardships faced by those families who travelled west to California in the 1800’s.

I think the little boy’s face symbolises the hardship faced by the families moving in the 1800’s

1950 Studebaker Note the A/C unit on the outside.

Book into Days Inn where Mike tries to demolish the kerbing marking the edge of our allotted car parking space- a first for the trip which was greeted the other 3 Amigos crying ” BLOG” in unison.

You can see that we are becoming more feral and puerile as we approach the end of our trip.

Decide to have lunch in our room and stock up in Bashas supermarket again. M and D purchase yet another flagon of Carlo Rossi’s red wine, this time a Sangria ( $ 6.49 for 1.5 litres ). They are clearly gluttons for punishment as the previous Burgundy was in Doug’s memorable understatement ” a bit ordinary “. Fred and I convinced that they are not drinking it and are using it as a shampoo for Doug, whose snow-white hair is starting to shows signs of marked regeneration.

Enquire from hotel staff as to availability of a hotel laundry but, no, the area is under construction. Must tell Jerry Mac to include that in his next reprint of his guide book.

Relax in rooms as the temp is still around 100 before heading into town for dinner.
Good dinner at Kingman Steakhouse and then back to the hotel to enjoy drinks before turning in for the night.
Fred goes back to our room while I stay with Mick and Doug to chat further into the night about such pleasant matters as our funeral music choice! Don’t worry folks we haven’t descended into morbidity because the trip has been too much of a tonic for that.
We were just discussing our ever-changing perspectives on life as we reach our middle to late 60’s.
Go to bed with our heads full of all the great memories of what has so far been a trip of a lifetime .

PS. The Sangria is surprisingly good!

Cheers

The Obese Ferret.

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Today Fred the driver and Mick the navigator.
Not out of town when we have to do a U-TURN to take I 40 west to Topock rather the old Route 66 as we will be covering the Kingman to Topock section when we return from Las Vegas.
From Topock south we travel through a wide flat valley with high mountain ranges on both sides. First signs of large cactus amid the very arid Arizona landscape.

As we turn off for Lake Havasu the temperature hits 101 and by the time we reach the lake itself it rises to 108.
Lake Havasu is the site of London Bridge which was purchased from the UK by Robert P McCulloch in 1968 and officially opened in 1971. The price paid was $ 2,460,000. McCulloch was at the time the Chairman of McCulloch Oil Corporation.

Lake Havasu was formed by the damming of the river in 1938.

Return to Kingman where Fred tries to kill us all by leaving us out in 110 degrees at a service station ( he has the car keys ) while he focuses on his urinary tract.
Set off north towards the Hoover Dam and Doug sleeps or dozes most of the way, missing some spectacular mountain scenery, especially as we approach the dam.

Hordes of tourists at the Hoover Dam which is always impressive but the addition of the truly awe-inspiring Memorial Bridge across the canyon and downstream from the dam has made this even more of a ‘must-see’ for any tourist.

Some info on the bridge:

It is the second highest bridge in the US after the Royal Gorge Bridge , also over the Colorado River.

It cost $ 240 million to build ,is 579 metres long, 270 metres above the river and the longest span is 323 metres. One construction worker was killed when adjusting a cable and a jack punctured his chest.
The bridge is named after Mike O’ Callaghan and Pat Tillman, the former a Vietnam war veteran and later Nevada Governor from 1971 – 1979. Pat Tillman was an NFL star who gave up his career with the Arizona Cardinals to join the armed forces. He was sadly killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan in April 2004.
By this stage the temperature had soared and I will blame it for a ‘senior moment’ when I was waxing lyrical about the bridge supposedly with the cam corder running, only to find that I hadn’t turned it on!
Relatively short trip to Vegas with the temp still at 110. The Strip ( Las Vegas Bld ) far busier than I can recall from previous visits but Fred, after a very long drive all day did a great job in getting us through to a Travelodge Hotel only a few hundred matures from the Strip.
At $ 49 plus tax excellent value.
Late lunch/ early dinner at Cocos restaurant after which we return to the hotel to,avoid the scorching heat. At 8.30 make our way to the Strip to face the assault on the senses that Las Vegas at night represents.

Many new hotels since my last trip but all equally flamboyant and over-the -top as their predecessors. The old faithfuls of Ceasar’s Palace, Bellagio and Mirage still hold their own among the newcomers and in Ceasar’s we manage to prove that we are directionally challenged as pedestrians as well in our vehicle, performing any number of U-turns before we emerged onto the Strip.
It was midnight before we returned to the hotel with the temp still in the 90’s and we get to bed, no doubt dreaming of days gone by when all the young lovelies strutting their stuff in the various hotels would have done more to us than remind us of our arthritis after such a long walk!

The “Leaning Tower” of Vegas

Inside the Venetian Hotel – who needs Italy?!

Cheers

The Obese Ferret.

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Usual breakfast at 7.30 although we are delayed in leaving the hotel by the old blogger taking some extra time to complete the previous day’s blog.
I continue my driving stint with Mick navigating and we start the day with a visit to the Old Town centre of Flagstaff.
First priority is for Fred, Mick and Doug to change money at an ATM. This supposedly simple process did not go according to plan. Firstly, Fred threw a wobbly when he had problems getting the money out ( this was later sorted out at another ATM ). Doug almost went into cardiac arrest when the ATM receipt showed that the balance on his card was minus $277!
A second attempt produced the desired results and a huge sigh of relief for D.
Finally, Mick’s PIN showed up as invalid. This was also sorted out on the second attempt.
Now with us all well and truly cashed up we have the best cup of coffee so far on Route 66 at the Coffee House.
After driving west to Williams we travel north and arrive at the Southern Rim of the Grand Canyon about 11.00 am, along with hordes of other tourists and the 3 Amigos gain their first sight of this magnificent natural wonder. ( I had visited the Canyon on a previous occasions ). It is never anything less than awe-inspiring.

We are also fortunate to come across 3 squirrels and 6 elks during our walk along the Canyon rim.
We leave The Grand Canyon at just after 1 pm for the drive back to Williams, a journey during which we encounter yet another heavy downpour.
Lunch at the Route 66 diner in Williams is something of a disaster . The girl serving us was obviously related to the blonde waitress in Albuquerque . Our order was as follows; Fred 2 egg Big Breakfast, Mick and myself 2 egg Breakfast ( not BIG ), Doug a slice of the pie-of-the day plus ice cream. We received 3 Big Breakfasts after a long wait and minus the toast which was part of all the egg breakfasts. Constant enquiries about the toast produced no results and by the time it did arrive we had moved into another time zone and the eggs had curled and gone to sleep!
A quick drive down the Main St of the town confirmed that there were numerous far superior eateries, including a traditional outdoor BBQ. Such is life.
A memorable moment when a lady in one store says to him ” God Bless the rest of your day”. Little did she know what was ahead.
We continue west to Ash Fork and on the way, Doug, who had taken over the driving from Williams, did everything possible to run over two cute little prairie dogs but they escaped unscathed.
At Ash Fork we turn off the ramp of I 40 to a Route 66 sign clearly pointing to the right. Our Dynamo Duo in the front seats decide to follow the instructions of our now infamous guide book author Jerry and turn left. Result a U-TURN.

Not Again!

Doug drives on to the small town of Seligman with his halo somewhat off-centre.
In his well-researched notes Mick had written for Seligman ” R 66 Visitor Centre, check out whole town .” In fact, the town is no longer whole and the only place worth visiting is the original barbershop and gift store still run by a now elderly Angel Delgadillo, who has apparently appeared in some commercials.
Next stop Truxton is a cause for even more hilarity. Jerry had written in his book, and I quote, ” on the west side a weather-beaten 1950 Ford supports a bi- directional sign pointing to LA and Chicago. In front stands a pole festooned with boards pointing the way to all the towns named in the song “Route 66”. All gone to meet their maker like most of Jerry’s gems of wisdom.
Near the community of Valentine we drop down into a wide gorge with some stunning scenery and take a quick side-trip into Hackberry. The Hackberry Gen Store is stocked with all manner of memorabilia, including some old style spittoons, photos from the world of music and film and an original Wurlitzer Juke Box. However, the main feature is apparently ( I didn’t go in there ) the men’s loo with the ceilings and walls covered with scantily- clad ladies but , as Mick cutely put it “not a nipple in sight!”

http://www.hackberrygeneralstore.com/History.html

In search of a cheaper hotel in Kingman we check out Jerry’s suggestion of the Brunswick Hotel, now in the middle of renovation and remodelling. He’s starting to become predictable.
Find a Days Inn at $ 68 per room and stock up on food at Bashas store, as we have decided to eat in our rooms.
Just a note to end the day. I have been on a long search for an Indian T-shirt the same as Mick had bought earlier in the day. He kindly pointed out that the man in hotel reception looked American Indian and may be able to help me. On checking this out I was confronted at reception by a man who turns out to be decidedly more New Delhi than Navajo. Mick now has the dubious distinction of offering advice on a par with that of dear old Jerry McLanahan.

Mick “enjoys” Calf Testicles

Off to Vegas today with Doug reluctantly in tow . ( he hates cities )

Cheers
The Obese Ferret

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I have promised myself that after yesterday’s War and Peace blog I will try to keep it short today.

Up early for a 7.00 breakfast as we have another long day ahead.
Mick is driving and Doug navigating.
Leave Gallup passing no more than a cursory glance at the famous El Rancho Hotel, where the rooms are named after various film stars who have stayed there, and the Giant Muffler-Man Cowboy.
Pass through some stunning scenery as we approach the border with Arizona and drive through Defiance-Manuelito on the NM side to Lupton in Arizona. NB- Arizona does not have Daylight Saving time so our clocks go back one hour.

Mick Doug Fred the 3 Amigos

Genuine Navajo Indian Trading Post gives us a chance to buy some gift items. The State Line is at the base of some majestic cliffs and a line of plastic models of animals sit atop the cliff face.
At Exit 339 we drive up the ramp to find the road closed and have to do a U-TURN and turn back on the I 40 in an easterly direction. The two ‘ gentlemen ‘ who had been so noisy from the back seats fell strangely silent for a while as their aura of driving and navigating invincibility was shattered in one fell swoop.
Travelling west we pass through the towns of Chambers and Navajo and reach the turn off to the sites of the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest. Truly remarkable scenery with the pick of the sites being the Tepees and the Crystal Forest.
We decide to continue the loop to Holbrook and Mick hits the equivalent of a hump-back bridge on the road out. Next time we need a vehicle with a sun roof.
We are delayed by road resurfacing and the strange experience of having to follow a pilot vehicle through the repaired section. Clearly the authorities do not trust the drivers to slow down and avoid windscreen damage. The surreal situation was underlined with one of the pilot drivers wearing a Foreign Legion neck and face protector like a beekeeper!
At Holbrook have lunch at the supposedly well-regarded Jo and Aggies Cafe. What a far cry from the Badlands Diner of the previous day. This time the waitress ( owner) was the most surly, unattractive women one could ever meet. Our service was in sharp contrast to the loving care and attention that she seemed to be showering on a group of German Bikies. We gave her a tip, they didn’t , and in any case doesn’t she realise that we were on the side of her country during the war. That should count for something!
Move on to Winslow, where we come across the Standing on the Corner’ statue of Glen Frey which is dedicated to the Eagles song ‘Take it easy’.

OF at Statue of Glen Frey , Member of Eagles band and writer of song “Take it Easy”

Heading west through the towns of Two Guns and Twin Arrows straight into the eye of a very severe storm, which made driving a nightmare ( I had taken over at Holbrook ). Shortly after Winslow we turn off another Micon, the famous Barringer Meteor Crater , which is quite awe-inspiring. Sadly the storm continued so our outdoor tour of the crater was cut short.

Some info on this site: the crater is 700 feet deep and 4000 feet wide. It is named after Daniel Barringer, a Philadelphia mining engineer who spent 26 years attempting to find what he believed would be the giant iron meteorite. His search proved to be futile but the crater now carries his name in recognition of his efforts.

http://www.barringercrater.com/

A funny sign on the way to the crater reads : car speed 50 mph, meteorite speed 26000 mph!

Incidentally, the crater has been frequently used to train Apollo astronauts .

Arrive at Days Inn at Flagstaff, $159 a room, a real shock after so many cheap hotels.
Dinner at the Galaxy Diner across the road. Long queue but we three scruffs manage to be served very quickly by accepting bar stools rather than a table. The diner is clearly the place for all the beautiful people to be seen but it just goes to show that beauty doesn’t always get the results. The lovely young things are probably still waiting the queue this morning.

Cheers
The Obese Ferret.

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First of all Doug, who is a sensitive soul,has asked me to point out that in addition to his traffic misdemeanours a semi-trailer driver the other day actually gave him the thumbs up when Doug held back at some traffic lights to allow room for the big truck to negotiate the bend.

Hirsute Doug
Now on to the matters of the day.

We were all down to breakfast by 7.15 in anticipation of a long day ahead.
First port of call was the Sandia Peak Aerial Tram ( cable car ), a short drive out of the city. Given my well- known fear of heights I had agonised over whether to risk the trip to the top of Sandia Peak and my worst fears were confirmed when we arrived at the cable car station.
The Tramway takes passengers up to a height of 10378 feet with the journey taking about 15 minutes over 2.7 miles.
Doug and I discussed at length whether we could cope with this ordeal and in the event I got on and Doug, sensibly as it turned out, decided against it. To call the ride an ordeal would be a huge understatement and if I had known in advance what lay ahead I would have stayed on terra firma with Doug. It was without doubt the most spectacular, terrifying cable car I have ever experienced.
I suppose the good news is that I sort of tackled my vertigo demons and even better news is that it cured my constipation!

I’m OK – Honest!

Beautiful View from the Top. OMG I have to go back down now!

http://www.sandiapeak.com/

On the way back into the city centre we see a billboard advertising a show with the Thunder from Downunder, the troupe of male strippers from Australia appearing in Albuquerque and it occurred to us that we could do something similar. We thought that the Drizzle from Downunder would be more appropriate for guys if our age. We can see it now:
The famous Drizzle from Downunder featuring the 3 Mizzles from Melbourne and Prostate from Perth! You see how the imagination runs riot when 4 old Amigos are left to travel together for weeks at a time.

We return to the city as Mick has found another Micon in the shape of the Kimo Theatre in the Old District and he also wishes to visit some Native Indian stores. While in the area we stop for a very nice cup of coffee and cakes ( at least for M and myself ) at Lilly’s Coffee Shop. At the risk of being branded a chauvinist I will merely say that the girl who served us was obviously not employed for her intellect and and every question about what they had on the menu was met with a puzzled, glazed look as though we had addressed her in Mandarin.

We now set off after about an hour for our long drive to Gallup in the west of New Mexico.
With Fred driving and me navigating it would be a walk in the park,or so we thought.
I need to offer a mea culpa from the start. As we started our journey out of the city it quickly became clear that we were not going through any of the places that should have been on our itinerary and the only person to blame was this hapless navigator.
I had, in fact , followed an alternative pre- 1937 route due west out of the city when we should have been first travelling south for some distance before swinging west later. We soon found ourselves following 3 white Government saloon cars into a very remote area and ending up at the entry to a Detention Centre, followed shortly after by a u-turn at a Gov’t Admin Centre. Mick was convinced that we had come across some sort of Spooks facility and that we would have been shot if we had stepped out of our vehicle. There followed a visit to a landfill facility and a number of Dead Ends and u-turns, much to the amusement of the two in the back seats who sledged us mercilessly, in contrast to the understanding support that Fred and I had given to D and M when their many inadequacies had been on display.

No alternative other than to re-trace our journey eastwards and pick up the main I 40 westbound.
This went smoothly and we finally picked up the correct itinerary through the small towns of Mesita, Laguna, Paraje,Budville , Villa Cubero and San Fidel. This stretch covers such features as Dead Man’s Curve and Owl Rock and Fred clearly enjoyed the the twisting road.
We then move across to the south of I 40 to the small town of McCarty’s which was to have been our starting point for the drive to Acoma, or Sky City, an Indian community perched on a Mesa hundreds of feet above the valley floor. Well, surprise, surprise, Acoma was closed for some reason on this day of disasters.
Returning to McCarty we are supposed to go under the I 40 through a very narrow tunnel. Well the one we found was VERY narrow although we managed to scrape through. However, it was clearly not the correct tunnel and were soon confronted by the dreaded Dead End sign. Back through to the south of I 40 and the real tunnel to the larger town of Grants.

Someone’s Optimistic!
Here we found a great diner called the Badlands Burgers and Tortas where a vivacious Mexican lady ( part owner we presume ) seemed to be quite taken with our group of oldies and asked for a photo to be taken of her with us and the chef for her Facebook.

Doug as is his wont was convinced that she only had eyes for him and she supposedly asked him if he was a relative of Paul Newman. We assume that, if anything,he was Newman’s grandfather although how she could confuse Doug’s glaucoma-ridden baby blues for the actor’s sparklers is a complete mystery.

On to Thoreau and the site of the Continental Divide which marks the point where water to the west drains to the Pacific and that to the east to the Gulf of Mexico.

                                         
With the weather worsening we enter Gallup, find our next Days Inn and go in search of a Walmart to stock up on drinks and snacks to eat in our rooms. As expected we never find Walmart but a Safeway suffices.
Heading back east towards the hotel in driving rain Fred misses the Exit 26 with the classic line ” it just didn’t look right!” We then find ourselves driving many kms east before being able to double back on I 40. On this occasion Fred finds exit 26 more appealing and we duly arrive back at the hotel.
It’s really a sad state of affairs when the driver starts basing his direction decisions on whether the exit looks sufficiently attractive!
A very long day ( and blog to match ) ends with us all in our room planning our next few days.

Apart from almost driving a clearly terrified old lady off I 40 when changing lanes Fred’s driving has been exemplary and the navigation by the OF has been “interesting” at best.

I hope that you are getting the photos which will speak far more eloquently than my ramblings could ever do.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret.

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Just thought that I needed to dispel any ideas that the truck and bus drivers honking at Doug were female and were just expressing their adoration for this model of masculine beauty. Both drivers were male, very macho and extremely angry.
Cheers
The Obese Ferret.

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Miraculous Staircase in Loretto Chapel Santa Fe

Firstly, an apology for an omission from yesterday.
We drove through a county called Deaf Smith and we have now learned that he was a deaf soldier who served in the Texas Revolution and was the first soldier to reach The Alamo after its fall.
Pronunciation of his name is in fact ‘Deef’ but most locals pronounce it ‘Deaf’. Just one more bit of useless information!
Reasonable night’s sleep from 10.30 to 4.00 after which Fred suffered some real sinus and consequent snoring problems. Fortunately, his condition seemed to improve markedly once I had removed the pillow off his head!
Excellent breakfast at the hotel and then it’s off to Santa Fe Downtown ( Santa Fe is, incidentally the oldest capital in the USA, dating from 1610 )
Visit the Chapel/ Mission of San Miguel which is reputed to be the oldest continuously occupied church in the US constructed in 1610.
Coffee break at an Italian coffee shop. The lattes for the 3 Amigos appear fine but I had to fight my way through a very deep layer of white froth to reach a very thin layer of coffee at the bottom.
Someone needs to tell the barista that cappuccino is named after the habits of the Capuchin monks and they weren’t dressed in all white!
Santa Fe has been described as one big gift shop and we see ample evidence of this. We bypass the traditional gift shops and instead check out the roadside stalls set up by authentic American Indians.Moderate success for some of us in buying gifts for family/ friends in Aus.
Before leaving town both F and I find what we’re looking for at Famous Footwear and at prices about 60 per cent lower than in Aus.
Quick snack lunch then set off to the south-west towards Albuquerque.
Not a great deal of note until we reach Bernanillo where we visit the Coronado State Monument overlooking the Rio Grande. the famous Spanish explorer stayed here in 1541/2.
The surprise of the day was a visit to the nearby museum where we had a short but very informative tour of 14 Indian murals, over 500 years old, excavated from the village of Kuaua in 1936.
Arrive in Albuquerque late afternoon and dine at Western Diner about 2 kms from our Days Inn accommodation.
Usual acceptable Mexican/American fare and excellent Negra Modelo beer, apparently the best selling Mexican beer.
D’s driving and M’s navigation for the short trip from Santa Fe exemplary but Doug has gained some unwanted notoriety as a danger to other drivers as he has now been honked at by a truck driver yesterday and by a bus driver when he was jaywalking across a street in Santa Fe today.
We are going to have to keep a very close watch on him for the remaining days of our trip !
Cheers
The Obese Ferret.

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Midpoint Route 66 at Adrian

Today yours truly driving and Doug navigating.

Breakfast at 6.30 so that we can get away to an early start. Heading down to Palo Duro National Park,about 40 kms south of Amarillo. It’s quite a change from the very flat scenery of the plains and something of a mini Grand Canyon. Do a drive through the area and return for coffee ( the usual insipid American Variety ) at a cafe in the park.

Return north to Amarillo and set off west out of the city. First glitch when we end up in a cul de sac but we soon get back on I 40 and make our way to what is apparently one of the must-sees on Route 66- the Cadillac Ranch. This comprises 10 Cadillacs planted nose-down in the soil and people are encouraged to paint graffiti on them. Sadly, this leads to the empty aerosol cans being strewn cross the paddock near to the display- not a pretty sight. Mick and Doug are quite taken with the ‘ranch’ but I am underwhelmed by it and Fred doesn’t even get out of the car.
Continue our journey west through some flat, uninspiring scenery and eventually arrive at Adrian, the halfway point on Route 66. We stop to enjoy a drink and one of the delicious ” ugly crust pies””at the Mid Point Cafe.

The famous Midpoint Cafe’s pie.

http://www.midpoint66cafe.com

About 30 k s further on we cross into New Mexico and proceed to Tucumcari where the two Micons ( Mick’s icons ) are the famed Blue Swallow Motel, which we do find and the Tee Pee Curios which we cannot locate!

We had intended to stay the next night at Tucumcari but ,given the fact that the clocks have gone back one hour we decide to continue on to Santa Rosa. This too offers very little special so we take the opportunity to get further ahead of the timetable by making Santa Fe our target for the day.
At Dillia Doug takes over the driving with Mick in the navigator’s seat. Arriving in Romeroville we take a side-trip north to Las Vegas ( not the one in Nevada )
This town was settled in 1835 and over the centuries has been inhabited native Americans, Spanish conquerors, Anglo settlers, robber barons, desperadoes etc.
Doc Holliday moved here in 1879 and was soon followed by friend Wyatt Earp. Butch Cassidy worked here as a bartender and Bob Ford, saloon keeper later killed Jesse James.
The town has a long connection with films and the town fire station appears in a scene from Easy Rider where Jack Nicholson’s character decides to hit the road with Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper.
The Spanish influence evidenced by the large plaza and the numerous colonial buildings, notably Hotel La Castaneda and El Fidel Hotel. We don’t find the fire station or the Fidel Hotel but catch sight of La Castenada as we leave town on the main highway!
Lady in local gift shop informs us that she now lives in the house that was Doc Holliday’s abode.
Head south and then west on 66 to first Pecos and then through the Glorieta Pass, at 7500 feet above sea level the highest point on 66. This is also the site of the bloody Civil War Battle of Glorieta. We also pass the Starvation Peak which was clearly not named after this group of Amigos!
Arrive in Santa Fe mid-afternoon and seem to take many a circuitous route through the town before locating the Silver Saddle Hotel, a traditional cowboy hotel, of the type which had been on Mick’s wish list for some time. Very reasonably priced and offering all that we need.
Dinner at the quasi Mexican Plaza Grill and then stock up on grog for late night drinks.
M and D buy some Paesano wine @ $ 8 which could double up up as a paint stripper and laxative ( the latter becoming critical for Doug )
F and I settle for a very fine red from Napa Valley.

Worse than it looks!
A few things have emerged during the last few days namely ,
Choosing between NatSav Karen and our own front seat navigator is becoming a real dilemma as they are both equally incompetent.

Secondly, Mick’s direction-finding is now totally governed by the location of the next liquor shop.

Thirdly, we have a kitty for petrol which is controlled by Mick. The strange thing is that we have now each contributed $ 100 each and the vehicle seems to be very economical. However, at the same time Mick seems to be able to purchase gifts at each gift shop without any noticeable deterioration in his personal finances! Santa Fe is a veritable Alladin’s Cave for gifts and it was a worrying sign when over dinner Mick hinted that it might be time for us all to make another contribution to the kitty!
Tomorrow we will spend the morning in Santa Fe and then head on to Albuquerque ( 100 miles away ).
Cheers

The Obese Ferret.

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3 Amigos – Mick, Doug, and Fred. The Obese Ferret (aka David) must be on the camera!

A Grill along the Route – Not very busy!

Mick’s turn to drive and me to navigate.
Breakfast at Huddle House near to motel. Big American Breakfast for $3.99. M and D try the local grits which is,as Doug said, obviously an acquired taste.
Dreaded u-turn ( or a Jerry in honour of Jerry McLanahan, the author of our guide book whose quirky writing causes most of the u- turns ) within 5 minutes of our setting off.
National Route 66 Museum is an impressive complex covering all aspects of life on 66, rodeo life, farming and transport. A sort of Sovereign Hill with an American slant. All in all well worth the 2 hour visit and I get to practise my Italian with two ladies from Prato, near to Florence.

Coffee shop in Sayre offers excellent coffee but at $3.55 by far the most expensive so far on 66.
Beckham County Courthouse in town appeared briefly in Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath but a note to our esteemed author Jerry Mac – it is NOT on Route 66.

Texola is the last town before Texas and is virtually a ghost town. Short visit made memorable by Mick’s insistence on reversing what seemed like 10 kms to take a photo of the ramshackle Tumblewood Grill. In fact, we all decided that Mick drives better in reverse so it might become the norm for him in future.
Doug very unkindly commented that the town was very old and in dire need of repair, a bit like the navigator!
Doug receives a message from Ernie ,small parts of it in franglais, and mentions a whole host of French wines totally unknown to this group of obvious Philistines. However, we are pleased that Chris and Ernie are getting the French house shipshape so that we can all descend on them in the not-too-distant future.
Next stop is the U-Drop Inn at Shamrock. This is an Art Deco masterpiece which apparently looks spectacular from dusk onwards, not really very helpful as we arrive at noon.
Move on to McLean where the main feature is a 1920′ s Phillips Gas Station, the first of this brand in Texas.
Doug and Fred quick to point out that we missed the exit on Interstate 40 and had to perform a J-turn ( more complex than a U-turn and requiring a higher level of driving )
West of Alanreed the Texas landscape changes from the flat plains to the Caprock, an elevated plateau from which the rest of Texas slopes noticeably downward towards the southeast and the Gulf of Mexico.
At Groom we view from a distance and at speed, the 190 feet high Giant Cross, the highest in the Western Hemisphere, and the Leaning Water Tower. M and I were fascinated by these icons but Obergruppenfuhrer Field insisted that we drive straight on past them.
It’s payback time when we reach Conway. Doug had set his mind seeing the main feature of the town, the Bug Ranch. This is nothing more than a spoof on the Cadillac Range in Amarillo and consists of a number of VW Beetles buried nose-first in the earth. We couldn’t find either the town or the Bugs, much to D’s dismay, but we really did try!
Fred apparently falls asleep on the last stretch to Amarillo, obviously very comfortable with M’s driving and my navigation.
Arrive at Days Inn Amarillo after a few glitches with Karen ( sulking again ) and finish off another great day with an excellent dinner at Logan’s Steakhouse.
New Mexico next stop tomorrow.
Cheers
The Obese Ferret.

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Tornado Damage Oklahoma

Field of Chairs for Oklahoma Bomb Victims

Sign in an Oklahoma Diner

Fred in the driving seat with Mick the navigator.
Fred’s Tom Tom, named Karen, is playing up and we have come to the conclusion she is a women scorned by the fact that I have been using the TomTom on my IPad !
First port of call is the National Cowboys Museum in Oklahoma City and this certainly lived up to its reputation as a museum of the highest quality, with a spectacular exhibition of paintings, sculptures and other memorabilia relating to Indian and Cowboy heritage.

Move on to the site of the National Memorial,commemorating the killing of 168 people by Timothy McVeigh when he detonated a truck bomb near the Alfred P Murrah Federal Building.
The Field of Empty Chairs is a very simple but incredibly moving tribute to the victims.

Karen is still sulking, tells us to continue ahead for 110 kms and leads the guys in the front seats of the car a merry dance as they try to find a way out of the city and head off across Oklahoma.
We pass the ghost town of Fort Reno and a roadside World War 2 bomber at speed and continue our search for a coffee shop.
Scenery less than inspiring but we do see evidence of severe damage to houses, trees etc in this tornado-prone area.
Finally get to have a coffee in a small diner in Calumet. $ 3 for a coffee and fruit pie. The sign on the wall in the diner reads as follows: ” we don’t call 911″ and there is a model of a gun underneath the quotation.
Interesting 1933 Pony Bridge over the South Canadian River near to Geary, which comprises 38 small pony trusses. Mick provides us with some entertainment with his efforts to clamber down the riverbank slope to get a better shot with his camera.
Another dreaded u-turn as we lose our way a little at Hinton and by the time we reach Hydro the temperature has risen to 100 degrees.
Call in at CherokeeTrading Post and the guys bought some gifts for family and friends. ( not this old Scrooge who is waiting until we are a bit further down the Route 66.)
At Clinton we also stop to photograph the Trade Winds Motel where Elvis apparently stayed 3 nights in Room 215, two of them after he had died!

Arrive at Days Inn in Elk City at about 5 pm and enjoy a tasty dinner at a local grill. Doug and Mick share Calf’ s Fries ( Calf’s testicles ) for an entree, which prove to be quite edible, if a little chewy.
There is probably a host of jokes in this scenario but in the interests of decorum I will stay well clear of them.
Not the most eventful of days but each day brings new experiences and we are still well up with our timetable as far as the distance travelled.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret.

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