We are home now. It is Easter Sunday, and it's just the two of us here, preparing a dinner of chicken tacos, rice, and beans; the Southwest is still with us.
We logged 7600 miles. Would we do it again? You bet, in an instant! We are already making plans to spend at least part of next winter in Arizona. But more importantly, we enjoyed the journey as much as the destination. It was educational, it was interesting, it was enlightening. And it was fun!
We in the Northeast are so very insulated from the rest of the country. We have the advantage of living in an area dense with institutions of higher learning. Politics here tend to be very liberal, and although there are dissenting opinions here and there, overall it is a very homogeneous, left-leaning crowd. It is so easy to forget that we are just a small part of a very large country with diverse culture and opinions. Everyone should have the opportunity to drive at least past Ohio, and preferably past the Mississippi River. And I do mean drive - flying doesn't count, because you miss so much along the way, whether it's a field full of corn or cows grazing or a wind farm or part of the dust bowl sprinkled with shacks that people live in - the road is the way to go to expand your views.
I learned a lot along the way - some big things, and some things that will help me out the next time I play pub trivia. If you look for it, there is always something to learn. We learned about rice growing in Arkansas; the ecology of the Southwest, including the many varieties of cacti; the vast amount of land that is open across the country; the great disparity between rich and poor; and the kindness of people in general.
There was a lot that we disagreed with, and many places we knew we could never live in because of the differences in culture and political views. Despite that, we found friendly people everywhere, and many opportunities to talk about ordinary things that were common to everyone. We spoke with bikers in New Mexico about the weather and the best route to Sedona. We learned that Boston, rather than being seen as part of the "elite Northeast", was a very desirable destination. People were eager to tell us about their trips to Boston, their experiences in Boston, or their desire to get to Boston someday. We are very lucky to live here.
I left on this trip with a number of books on my Kindle, ready to be read. I arrived in Arizona with all except one untouched - there was so much to see along the way that I read very little, afraid to miss things. We were lucky to be driving a new and very comfortable Volvo, and I am fortunate that Bob is not only a very good driver, but enjoys driving. After the first few days, it felt very normal to get up in the morning, hop in the car, and go. Bob had little trouble driving 6 to 8 hours a day, and I had no problem sitting for that time and enjoying the road ahead. There was always something to talk about.
We had several books on CD with us, and I would highly recommend them for anyone traveling any distance. It's good to have a variety of fiction and nonfiction. We listened to a couple of Tony Hillerman's books as we drove through the Indian reservation areas. It was fun comparing the locations in the books to where we had been or were going.
On a more personal note, driving for so many hours and being together, just the two of us, for so long, gave us an opportunity to talk without everyday distractions that we would otherwise have had. There is a wonderful privacy and intimacy in driving.
Our time in Arizona was indeed special, being able to catch up with two college friends and meeting and getting to know the husband of one of them. Being there for a couple of weeks instead of just a day or two was special beyond words, because it gave us so much time to just sit around and relax and chat, rather than always being on the go trying to cram in this or that tourist attraction - although we also did some of that.
As we said in the beginning, we are looking forward to going back next year, so we are looking to rent a house of our own for couple of months in the same area as our friends. This will not only give all of us a little bit more privacy that is needed for that extended period of time, but also will allow us to act as hosts for our friends and family from back east. We are really looking forward to it and hope it all works out.
This ends our saga. I hope you have enjoyed these notes as much as we have enjoyed writing them down for our memory book.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Keep On Truckin' One Last Day
Between Nashville and Philadelphia we saw nothing but trucks. Sometimes we felt as though we were the only car on the road. Occasionally, there was also rain. We passed by a truck that had been on fire in the opposite lane; all that was left was a skeleton of the trailer.
Suddenly the traffic on our side of the road came to an abrupt halt. We knew this had to be due to an accident of some kind but were not sure quite what. Veering slightly to the left, we are able to see that a large tractor-trailer had slid across the slick road and was blocking both lanes. Just before we had resigned ourselves to sitting there for hours, another truck decided to go around it on the grass in the median, carving a path for the rest of us. We kept our fingers crossed that we would be able to get by before the police and rescue equipment arrived, since we knew they would take hours to clear up the mess. We did, and made our escape to Lexington, Virginia unscathed.
The hotel in Lexington was just a Hampton Inn, but surprisingly, rather luxurious. The main house, which held the registration office, was a beautiful, brick 1827 Manor house. The rest of the hotel was also brick, built in the same style. We were amused by one of the roads on the property labeled "horse traffic only, cars prohibited".
We spent a nice night there, and made our way to Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, the next day to stay with my sister and her family for a couple of nights. On Thursday night we had a Seder celebrating the first night of Passover, which was actually on Friday night, but we did it a day early since that was the only day my niece was able to take off from work. A number of Paula's Jewish and non-Jewish friends attended. It was most enjoyable, and we had delicious food.
On Saturday morning we realized we were actually heading home, after almost 6 weeks on the road. It was an odd feeling - both greatly anticipated and somewhat disappointing that we couldn't continue our adventure for an indefinite period of time. We reached home a little after 4 PM, and within an hour were on our way out again to another Seder at a friend's house in Acton. We had another enjoyable evening with a completely different group of friends, and finally settled back into our home around 10 PM. It felt a little odd looking around at the walls that should have been familiar to us but were not, and we stayed up quite late doing this and that, but around 1 AM settled very nicely into our own bed.
And so to sleep.
Suddenly the traffic on our side of the road came to an abrupt halt. We knew this had to be due to an accident of some kind but were not sure quite what. Veering slightly to the left, we are able to see that a large tractor-trailer had slid across the slick road and was blocking both lanes. Just before we had resigned ourselves to sitting there for hours, another truck decided to go around it on the grass in the median, carving a path for the rest of us. We kept our fingers crossed that we would be able to get by before the police and rescue equipment arrived, since we knew they would take hours to clear up the mess. We did, and made our escape to Lexington, Virginia unscathed.
The hotel in Lexington was just a Hampton Inn, but surprisingly, rather luxurious. The main house, which held the registration office, was a beautiful, brick 1827 Manor house. The rest of the hotel was also brick, built in the same style. We were amused by one of the roads on the property labeled "horse traffic only, cars prohibited".
We spent a nice night there, and made our way to Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, the next day to stay with my sister and her family for a couple of nights. On Thursday night we had a Seder celebrating the first night of Passover, which was actually on Friday night, but we did it a day early since that was the only day my niece was able to take off from work. A number of Paula's Jewish and non-Jewish friends attended. It was most enjoyable, and we had delicious food.
On Saturday morning we realized we were actually heading home, after almost 6 weeks on the road. It was an odd feeling - both greatly anticipated and somewhat disappointing that we couldn't continue our adventure for an indefinite period of time. We reached home a little after 4 PM, and within an hour were on our way out again to another Seder at a friend's house in Acton. We had another enjoyable evening with a completely different group of friends, and finally settled back into our home around 10 PM. It felt a little odd looking around at the walls that should have been familiar to us but were not, and we stayed up quite late doing this and that, but around 1 AM settled very nicely into our own bed.
And so to sleep.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Jambalaya and Gospel
The road to Nashville was long and straight. We are getting to know route 40 really well. There are trees by the side of the road in many places, but they're not very dense, and it's easy to see all of the farms beyond them on both sides. They are growing some rapeseed, and probably cotton, but what we saw most were fields ready to be planted with rice. The rice fields are easily discerned by their unique preparation: as they are tilled, every so often an earth dam about 18 inches wide and equally high is created. The fields and dams are built so that they curve around, making quite a pretty pattern. In the winter, the fields are filled with water so as to minimize soil erosion. I learned that eastern Arkansas is the major producer of rice of the six states that produce it, and is responsible for 48% of the rice grown in the US!
I also saw my first armadillo along the way. Unfortunately, it was a dead armadillo lying on its back by the side of the road, but I was pretty excited anyway.
We watched a crop duster fly back and forth across the fields for while. It was obvious he was having a lot of fun at his work and must have been a very skilled pilot, as he was flying just 25 to 50 feet above the fields. Whatever he was dusting the crops with was tinted yellow, and at the end of a pass he would emit a small white cloud to mark where he left off. I thought this was very clever, and at the same time realized just how many details like this go into so many endeavors I'm unfamiliar with.
For a large part of this trip, we have seen many religious billboards, with everything from Bible quotes to warnings that we would be going to Hell. Equally numerous, and sometimes directly next to these, were billboards advertising "Adult Superstores". What to say - wgo to sleep to want to say anything about our dinner at Chili's we have a picture of the tortillas havee were amused, bemused, and appalled.
When we got to Nashville, we quickly checked into our hotel and then headed off to the Grand Old Opry. It was just as we expected, with all the kitsch. We walked around the grounds for a bit, looking at the azaleas and other plants in full bloom.
Before the show, we had dinner at Chuy's, a Mexican restaurant in the adjacent mall .Dinner was good - no better or worse than the Mexican food we had in Tucson or Santa Fe - but the highlight for me was that we finally got to have and see handmade tortillas!
At the entrance to the Opry was yet another sign I was surprised to see: "No guns allowed, even if you have a permit". There was, however, no metal detector, so apparently there are a lot of people in Nashville who carry guns, but they're very honest. Interesting.
The show itself was great. Yet another thing I didn't know before this was that the Opry was one of the inspirations for Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion". It was easy enough to see why - each of the shows is broadcast live on radio, so in addition to the performers they have an announcer who introduces them and also reads the commercials from the sponsors between sets. We were lucky enough to have the Oak Ridge Boys on the bill, along with an assortment of other performers singing everything from Hank Williams' "Jambalaya" ("on the Bayou") to a variety of gospel songs.
Although country is not our number one favorite song genre, we had a wonderful time at the Opry, singing and clapping along with everybody else. We're really glad we took the time to stop by Nashville.
I also saw my first armadillo along the way. Unfortunately, it was a dead armadillo lying on its back by the side of the road, but I was pretty excited anyway.
We watched a crop duster fly back and forth across the fields for while. It was obvious he was having a lot of fun at his work and must have been a very skilled pilot, as he was flying just 25 to 50 feet above the fields. Whatever he was dusting the crops with was tinted yellow, and at the end of a pass he would emit a small white cloud to mark where he left off. I thought this was very clever, and at the same time realized just how many details like this go into so many endeavors I'm unfamiliar with.
For a large part of this trip, we have seen many religious billboards, with everything from Bible quotes to warnings that we would be going to Hell. Equally numerous, and sometimes directly next to these, were billboards advertising "Adult Superstores". What to say - wgo to sleep to want to say anything about our dinner at Chili's we have a picture of the tortillas havee were amused, bemused, and appalled.
When we got to Nashville, we quickly checked into our hotel and then headed off to the Grand Old Opry. It was just as we expected, with all the kitsch. We walked around the grounds for a bit, looking at the azaleas and other plants in full bloom.
Before the show, we had dinner at Chuy's, a Mexican restaurant in the adjacent mall .Dinner was good - no better or worse than the Mexican food we had in Tucson or Santa Fe - but the highlight for me was that we finally got to have and see handmade tortillas!
At the entrance to the Opry was yet another sign I was surprised to see: "No guns allowed, even if you have a permit". There was, however, no metal detector, so apparently there are a lot of people in Nashville who carry guns, but they're very honest. Interesting.
The show itself was great. Yet another thing I didn't know before this was that the Opry was one of the inspirations for Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion". It was easy enough to see why - each of the shows is broadcast live on radio, so in addition to the performers they have an announcer who introduces them and also reads the commercials from the sponsors between sets. We were lucky enough to have the Oak Ridge Boys on the bill, along with an assortment of other performers singing everything from Hank Williams' "Jambalaya" ("on the Bayou") to a variety of gospel songs.
Although country is not our number one favorite song genre, we had a wonderful time at the Opry, singing and clapping along with everybody else. We're really glad we took the time to stop by Nashville.
I Miss Bill!
Sunday
What a change today! In one day we dropped 5000 feet in elevation, from 7000 feet in Santa Fe to just under 2000 in Elk City, Oklahoma. And we also went from the nice, dry 10-20% humidity to about 55% here right now. This is not really humid - but compared to what we had gotten used to in Arizona and New Mexico it smacked us in the face as we stepped out of the car.
Today and tomorrow are driving days as we make our way back east. Tomorrow we expect to reach Little Rock, Arkansas, where we will go to the William J Clinton Library and Museum.
Monday
As we reach the eastern edge of Oklahoma, we realize that everything is green! When we came this way on Route 40 about a month ago, everything was brown and about to be planted. Today the fields are brilliant green, or in some cases yellow with rapeseed (canola). It looks like a totally different place. There are cattle everywhere (including lots of calves) and even a few bison.
Going farther east into Arkansas, we suddenly realize that we can no longer see the expansive landscape that we had gotten used to because there are trees on either side of the road. It isn't quite like New England, but now we understand the comments that people from the Southwest make about feeling closed in when they reached the Northeast. We don't feel that way, but it is a startling difference in just a short stretch of road.
We are staying in Little Rock at the Peabody Hotel, which bills itself as the only "4 star, 4 diamond, and 5 duck" hotel. They have a fountain in the lobby in which the ducks splash during the day. Every afternoon at 5 PM the ducks march out of the fountain, down the red carpeted steps and around the red carpet to the tune of John Philip Sousa's "King Cotton" march, into a large cage on wheels so they can be transported in the elevator to their evening abode on the ballroom level. The promenade is repeated in reverse at 11 AM every day.
Today's agenda had only one major item on it, which was to visit the Clinton Museum and Library. It is very inspirational, and I almost bought one of the "I MISS BILL" T-shirts. But I got a mug instead. Every exhibit, and every stop on the self-guided audio tour is narrated by Bill. Listening to him, being reminded of what an amazingly charismatic speaker he was, and remembering his accomplishments in office, makes one wish for many more politicians of his caliber.
Little Rock has an area along the Arkansas River, just the other side of the Clinton Museum and extending for about five blocks, called "River Market". Many restaurants and shops, and fun to browse around. It seems like a very nice small city. We walked along the river path, and looked at all the plantings and sculpture. It was a barge that caught Bob's attention and interest.
We have shared the hotel with a very large contingent of Arkansas youth here for the FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) competition. They have to present business plans, interview for (mock) jobs, and participate in business simulations. I don't know how many PowerPoint presentations they have to do; despite all this they seem to be the normal exuberant high school kids you would see anywhere. Just so many of them in one place...
What a change today! In one day we dropped 5000 feet in elevation, from 7000 feet in Santa Fe to just under 2000 in Elk City, Oklahoma. And we also went from the nice, dry 10-20% humidity to about 55% here right now. This is not really humid - but compared to what we had gotten used to in Arizona and New Mexico it smacked us in the face as we stepped out of the car.
Today and tomorrow are driving days as we make our way back east. Tomorrow we expect to reach Little Rock, Arkansas, where we will go to the William J Clinton Library and Museum.
Monday
As we reach the eastern edge of Oklahoma, we realize that everything is green! When we came this way on Route 40 about a month ago, everything was brown and about to be planted. Today the fields are brilliant green, or in some cases yellow with rapeseed (canola). It looks like a totally different place. There are cattle everywhere (including lots of calves) and even a few bison.
Going farther east into Arkansas, we suddenly realize that we can no longer see the expansive landscape that we had gotten used to because there are trees on either side of the road. It isn't quite like New England, but now we understand the comments that people from the Southwest make about feeling closed in when they reached the Northeast. We don't feel that way, but it is a startling difference in just a short stretch of road.
We are staying in Little Rock at the Peabody Hotel, which bills itself as the only "4 star, 4 diamond, and 5 duck" hotel. They have a fountain in the lobby in which the ducks splash during the day. Every afternoon at 5 PM the ducks march out of the fountain, down the red carpeted steps and around the red carpet to the tune of John Philip Sousa's "King Cotton" march, into a large cage on wheels so they can be transported in the elevator to their evening abode on the ballroom level. The promenade is repeated in reverse at 11 AM every day.
Today's agenda had only one major item on it, which was to visit the Clinton Museum and Library. It is very inspirational, and I almost bought one of the "I MISS BILL" T-shirts. But I got a mug instead. Every exhibit, and every stop on the self-guided audio tour is narrated by Bill. Listening to him, being reminded of what an amazingly charismatic speaker he was, and remembering his accomplishments in office, makes one wish for many more politicians of his caliber.
Little Rock has an area along the Arkansas River, just the other side of the Clinton Museum and extending for about five blocks, called "River Market". Many restaurants and shops, and fun to browse around. It seems like a very nice small city. We walked along the river path, and looked at all the plantings and sculpture. It was a barge that caught Bob's attention and interest.
We have shared the hotel with a very large contingent of Arkansas youth here for the FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) competition. They have to present business plans, interview for (mock) jobs, and participate in business simulations. I don't know how many PowerPoint presentations they have to do; despite all this they seem to be the normal exuberant high school kids you would see anywhere. Just so many of them in one place...
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