This post (my first real one, at that) is gonna be a L-O-N-G one…sorry. It is also, sadly, going to be done without the benefit of pictures…doubly sorry. I know, I know…I know, but it is like this—this country is so BIG and SO a-m-a-z-i-n-g-l-y beautiful that whatever paltry pictures I just might happen to squeeze into this post—they are just not going to cut it. You simply have to go and see it, in all its vastness & glory, for yourself. No amount of photography (especially on my little, rinky-dinky digital camera) is going to impress upon you (or anyone else, for that matter) just how amazing this country is unless you see it for yourself. My advice, get out there and have a look…you’ll understand what I am talking about.

However, I have taken the time to find you some links to click on if you get bored with what I am saying and want to see what someone else has to say on a subject. You can thank me later…oh, and lucky for us, some of these sites have pictures…so, “two birds; one stone”, kinda cool, huh?

Let’s get started shall we?

DAY I | 03 June — Leaving Oregon — Goodbye Corvallis
The day had arrived and it was time to leave Oregon. I decided to trace my route through the middle of the state this time, as on a previous time, I had driven across the top portion when I arrived back in 2005 (albeit at night). Not to worry, I did later saw the Gorge and I am happy to report that I had the opportunity to hike around the area this past Spring. So, I didn’t really miss all that much be leaving the way I chose.

Anyway, I got off to a late start, but made it to Sisters a little after 4pm where I met my friend and former roommate, Corinn, for a little ‘hello + goodbye’ conversation. It was great to see her and catch-up before I headed out. Of course, saying good-bye to her got me thinking about all my Oregon friends I made over the last couple of years. I am going to miss them all (except for Cortney…she is mean), but I know that I will get back there someday soon and we will go hiking and camping and sailing and biking and…etc. It will be something to look forward to (except for Cortney who will still probably be mean).

I had been advised to take the more scenic route through the state (highways 126 & 26), so I did…and glad of it. Simply beautiful. My advice, if you ever get a chance to drive through Oregon, definitely check out the Ochoco & Umatilla National Forests. While I didn’t get to camp there (all the more reason to come back, right?), it was really a beautiful area and worth the drive.

In all, I gotta say that Oregon is one of the most amazing states in our collection of 50. There is so much natural, yet diverse beauty spread out here; it is truly an incredible place . Too, there is still so much that I want to see out this way that I feel compelled to have to live here again so that I can at least visit a few of the places I neglected to see this go around. If you have yet to visit the Pacific Northwest…do yourself the favor.

DAY II | 04 July — Mad Dash
Not a lot to report about on this day…just drove and drove…and drove, and then drove some more…9-10 hours was spent driving. In fact, I made it all the way to Beaver, Utah before I gave out.

This is not to say that Beaver is a place you want to have as a goal or give out in, but I couldn’t go on anymore: I was tired of the car & driving and I am pretty sure Lollo was ready to call it quits, too. After all, it had been a while since she had been on any sort of major road trip, so I probably needed to break it to her a little more gently. She held up well, but I knew we could both use something to eat and then crash.

Now, Idaho and Utah are both well worth seeing. I had seen a bit of Idaho previously (Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve is a must-see, I think, if for nothing else because it is so strange looking…hardly Earth-like at all). But I really only got to skirt Salt Lake City and Provo. I am starting to think I am going to have to do another trip like this someday.

Also, since I got off to a late start the day before (hence all the driving), I was uncertain what all I was going to be capable of—let alone Lollo. As usual, I had some pretty grandiose plans (as is my nature), but since I wasn’t sure what all I was going to have time for, and I didn’t know what all preparations I was going to need to make for the trip, with a dog in tow—an old one at that—I didn’t think I was going to stand stressing her out. I was pretty certain I wasn’t up to stressing me out either. Grand plans aside, I decided to forego Arches National Park (a little too out of the way for me) and press on to the Grand Canyon. I WILL definitely have to get back here someday as the lower portion of Utah is phenomenal in terms of beauty. Not as beautiful as Oregon (slight prejudice, eh?), but well worth another visit.

DAY III | 05 July — Red Canyon to the the Grand Canyon
Got up early and had a nice breakfast at a little restaurant, Arshel’s Cafe right across from the motel. True to their word, they serve the basics…but it was pretty tasty that day.

Before I go on, I must confess that throughout my trip, I sought the definitive motel room experience. TV and the movies have ruined this for me, as I wanted that kind of room you see where the heroes crash to rest before the big event right before they kill, are killed or take someone hostage. I guess you kinda see what sort of movies I tend to watch a lot of…

anyway…

The motel was close to what my romantic notion of road tripping and staying in motels was supposed to be like. Nasty carpet, skeptical bathroom and they ever present cheap, thin sheets of over use and multiple washings. Sadly, however, the one thing sorely lacking was faux wood paneling. For some reason, every place I stayed (and every place you see in the movies or on TV has this) had done away with the fake wood and put up either a dull, neutral beige paint job [bleech], boring wall paper or painted cinder blocks [of course, this was beige, too].

—sigh—

I still seek to experience my own quintessential motel room experience.

Apart from my as-yet unsatisfied motel room adventure, I did see some extraordinary natural sights. Chief among these were Red Canyon, Bryce Canyon (right down the road from Red Canyon), the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument and, of course, the Grand Canyon.

Now, I come from the South where we know a thing or two about red clay: you can’t grow a thing in it and it stains clothes something fierce. I was NOT, however, prepared for what I saw at Red Canyon, Bryce Canyon and the Vermillion Cliffs. Gorgeously sculptured pylons (called: hoodoos) of crimson clay carved into the most ornate of columns and pillars by the simple tools of elemental erosion: wind & water. It is rather difficult to describe what one sees here, but all three places looked like variations of temples to forgotten gods, long since abandoned and given over to the elements. While I can’t promise you will see anything like this, the Vermillion Cliffs are a part of the country that I truly think is one of my favorite areas.

Alrighty now, I know I appear to be rushing through these places at an astonishing rate (I mean, I have only been on the road at this point three days), with barely time to register one spectacular feature after another, but I should probably remind you that I have a dog with me and sadly, a lot of these places are not so amiable to dogs. Not wanting to leave my pooch in the car (where she might, and most probably would, poach), I had to tear around each area like a mad man and take in as much as I could given the situation. In fact, another part of my initial Grand Plan that I abandoned, included a trip over to Zion National Park. Ah well, another time for that then, too.

DAY IIII | 06 July — Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam and Route 66
After feasting on what nature had to offer, I decided today that I just might have to see what humans have to offer in the way of spectacle. And what better place than—you got it—Las Vegas!!!

Upon leaving the Grand Canyon (from the day before), I trucked it down to Flagstaff for a little hotel-fun and to check my email (also a chance to catch up on some truly, trashy TV). Unsure of what to do when we woke up—Sedona or Vegas—I chose the latter when I was informed by the hotel staff that Sedona was becoming a tourist mecca and therefore…very crowded and very spendy. Already hemorrhaging dollars at an enormous rate, I reasoned that if I was going to open another vein to commerce I might as well do it in a place devoted to that. So…Las Vegas here we come.

My completely gratuitous ride over to Vegas did, however, provide me with a couple of very historical & literate side trips. Ever the romantic (yeah, believe it or not, I do harbor such notions) I have always pondered a drive along a portion of the fabled Route 66. Too, since its here and so am I, I decided I just had to see the Hoover Dam.

Route 66 was cool and put me in the mindset of the Beats and Steinbeck (though not in that order and for variously, different reasons). The Hoover Dam is a modern marvel of construction—and—-it is in an area of the country that is as HOT as blue blazes. 107º Fahrenheit (just ten degrees less than my new home, I hear tell). Anyway, I am happy to report that I survived the heat. Granted, I was in an air-conditioned vehicle, but I did get out on occasion and “test the waters”, so to speak. It was hot—hotter than I normally like—but I think I will be able to manage it in the desert. Lollo did not like the heat and promptly gave over to panting as soon as the air conditioning was cut off for any amount of time. Can’t blame her though, I wasn’t in a fur coat and I was hot.

Las Vegas was interesting. It is, in reality, just one, giant, open air “maul” (as a few friends I have are given to calling those paeans to capitalism). I couldn’t agree more, actually, as everything seemed rather plastic and surreal. However, I was only able to drive down “the strip”, as getting out and seeing the stuff up close wasn’t possible because if government parks are anit-canine, casinos are rabidly moreso. Therefore, I only got to enjoy “Vegas” via my auto and never once got to experience the electric tickle of Lady Luck as I grabbed a one-armed bandit. Ah well, just as good…my luck is not that great when it comes to gambling anyway.

DAY V | 07 July — Breakdown or ‘the Universe is a strange place indeed’ but also the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest…oh, and don’t forget Roswell NM
When we arrived back in Flagstaff from our jaunt to Las Vegas—tired and worn out—I was informed that all hotels in the area were booked full due, in part, to: a Little League Playoff tournament, a conference of some sort at the university & the general overflowing melee of Grand Canyon visitors. So, heading east out of town, slightly agitated and grumbly, we alighted the next town on the map and another dive-y motel.

Traveling is a source for a lot of things I love to do. Perhaps chief among these is the opportunity to come face-to-face with aspects of one’s self that the clutter & detritus of one’s typical living establishment dulls one’s perceptions to. Stripped of the things that remind one of what life “appears” to be like, traveling often brings up issues that are in complete contra-distinction to the norms one thinks are the way they are because they have always been so or seem to be that way out of habit. The trip, thus far, had been fun, insightful, invigorating, inspiring, exhausting and, most notably, sad. In other words, quite the emotional gamut. I had an epiphany in this little burg and it turned me inside-out and upside-down (in a good way, mind you), and it left me with many things to process, ponder and absorb. I am certain there will be something more to write about on this subject, but suffice it to say that this trip opened my head up to a lot more than just the notion of leaving home and saying good-bye.

As obscure as that last paragraph may seem, and not wanting to seem unduly cryptic or obtuse, saying good-bye is not always easy. They hurt and usually give one pause. Once I got over myself and got in the car to head further east, I stopped by a café (the serendipitously named Seattle Grind) to get some breakfast. Not really certain of the significance of where I was, everything became rather more clear to me when I left the café, looked up and across the street it said, in hand painted text, ‘Standing on a corner,’ in Winslow AZ. The implication wasn’t lost on me when you know the song by the Eagle’s is called Take It Easy. Now I ask you, how blatant do messages from the Universe get?

Anyway…

If there is any other piece of advice I can give someone contemplating a trip across country it would be this: take the by-ways, the highways, the freeways and any other ways besides the interstate. The interstate is great if you gotta get somewhere fast, but if you really want to “see” the country—let it ooze into you as you traverse the expanse—you gotta get off the “expected route” and take those that seem—-and usually are—less travelled. I saw more beauty and had more awe inspiring, really & truly stop-you-dead-in-your-tracks-inspiration when I did this than anytime I stuck to the interstate.

It so happened that one of the most interesting events like this happened as I headed east out of Winslow and took what I assumed was a wrong. You see, earlier in my trip, I decided to forego Zion National Park because I thought it too far out of my way and thus resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to forego the Painted Desert. In wanting to take these by-ways, I missed my initial planned exit but the next one happened to take me to the very area I thought I had passed up: the Petrified Forest & the Painted Desert. Well, as anyone with half a geographic wit can tell you neither the Painted Desert nor the Petrified Forest is in Utah, but instead happens to be in Arizona…like they are supposed to be. Um….duh, Law.

And while this seemingly trivial detail is of little significance for most people, you have to know that my grandparents, some 30 years prior, nearly to the day, had come through this exact same area. Too, you have to understand that this “forest” my grandmother always talked about had some sort of magical hold on my imagination because she went so far as to actually “liberate” a bit of the forest to give to me. I had always wanted to see where this place was given that my sweet, little grandmother had risked life & limb—not to mention a few years in the pokey—in order to bring me a bit of rather nondescript rock…er, petrified wood.

Needless to say, this park is absolutely amazing and every bit as painted as one could possibly imagine. I have never seen the like before…there were blues and reds, purples and greys, even greens and yellows splashed about as if God’s own paint box had somehow gotten away from him and run rampant in the middle of nowhere. And although I didn’t get out to look at everything, or hike out into the areas you were allowed to, I thoroughly enjoyed the bits I saw.

Once I had sated myself on the visual repast that was the Petrified Forest, I headed on to Roswell NM.

DAY VI | 08 July — Roswell NM and Marfa TX
Having been an X-Files fan for years (though junky, while less harsh, is probably a better descriptor), I felt I owed it to myself to see the spot where it all the alien hub-bub started. Turns out, so had about 8-10 thousand other souls. Seems that this year was the 60th anniversary of the event and every weekend AFTER the 4th of July (for about the last 10 years) there is a convention held in Roswell for this express purpose. Needless to say, I have never seen so many “believers” in one small, concentrated area than I did cruising up and down the main drag that night. There was a parade and all manner of “aliens”, both foreign and domestic, that I am glad I came. However, it did make finding a place to stay, rather dodgy.

Next on my agenda was Marfa TX—home of the film Giant, the last movie made by James Dean, home to Chinati, the art museum founded by Donald Judd in 1986 and Prada Shoes.

Marfa is a quaint town with a pleasant town square and more than its far share of art. I guess this has to do with Chinati which is is a bit like Storm King in New Jersey, but in other ways it reminded me, too, of Mass MoCA. That said, it is utterly its own thing and well worth a visit if you ever find yourself tucked away in the west hinterlands of Texas.

One last bit to note about this area, if you are an NPR supporter then you are probably familiar with the Star Date. This comes out of the University of Texas’ MacDonald Observatory which is located just down the road from Marfa in the Davis Mountain State Park. Rather cool bit of synchronicity, huh?

DAYS VII—X | 09–12 July — Houston
Having spent nearly a week on the road, it was great to finally get to a place where I had family and for that reason knew a local.

Houston TX has been home to my aunt for nearly 30 years, but luckily for me, she still has all the get-up-&-go I remember her as having when I was a little kid. Prissy is my mom’s step-sister, but for all intents and purposes she is my *real* aunt and as was so often the case growing up, reminded me of Auntie Mame. Watch the movie and you’ll get the idea…with Prissy perhaps there were less kaftans, but the same charm. I know my sister, Blayne, probably couldn’t agree more with this assessment. In short, she showed me a great time while I was there.

So, if you ever find yourself in Houston, might I suggest:

The Rothko Chapel. If you are a fan of Rothko (which I obviously am) and need an excfuse to bask in front of a monumental and moving piece of art work.

Museum of Fine Art | Houston where they have on display this month: Dimensions of Constructive Art in Brazil: The Adolpho Leirner Collection. I, however, was most excited by James Turrell’s The Light Inside . And if you know nothing of James Turrell, might I suggest, too, the Art:21 series by PBS to get you acquainted.

During my visit, we drove down to Galveston TX and spent a bit of time taking in a former playground for the rich & famous. If you are in the area, are interested in history & architecture, I recommend the Bishop’s Palace and Ashton Villa. Both are well worth the tour and give you a sense of how the “other half” lived…give or take a century or so ago.

DAY XI—XII | 13—14 July — Texas -> NOLA
Not wanting to over stay my welcome, but having such a good time, it was, alas, necessary to press on, so Friday morning we took leave of my aunt and headed to New Orleans to see a former roommate of mine, but still a good friend, Elise. It is always nice to re-connect with folks you haven’t seen in a while and it is especially the case after 9+ years and things still feel like they did they last time you saw each other. As Elise pointed out, it is these “soulful connections” that making having and keeping friends so worthwhile.

Meeting on the ferry over to Algiers Point, where she lives with her husband, Randy, we caught up rather quickly about where and what we had done over the last few years (ok…it is nearly a decade, but what does that matter in the end anyway, right?). Once we were caught up (AND I got a tour of her new house) we headed out into the New Orleans nightlife for some tapas and jazz.

If there is one thing Elise has always known about it is good food and good music and Mimi’s In The Marigny proved the perfect spot to get both. We filled up on a variety of delicious tidbits and enjoyed some music provided by Va-va-voom. If you like cajun jazz with a splash of French Gypsy, this would be the band to see and I am glad I got to see them…even if it was by seemingly accident.

The next day Elise and Randy took me to see some ‘gators ‘down to the bayou’—-or what is more commonly know as the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park. And yes, I did get to see some ‘gators…maybe 12 in all. In addition to a bunny, an egret and more enormous spiders than I care to think about. Spiders aside, definitely worth the excursion.

After lunch, Elise and Randy decided to show me around New Orleans and fill me in on a bit of history & background. Of course, no tour would be complete without seeing the ravages of the Ninth Ward. I really can’t explain the devastation that I saw there because for the most part everything is picked clean. What was once a vibrant part of New Orleans is now a vast waste land of open fields with the skeletal remains of homes wrecked by Katrina. I don’t know that this area will ever recover to what it was, but it has certainly lost a great number of people that make New Orleans the city it is. New Orleans, on the whole, is slowly making its way back from what it has suffered. It feels kind of empty…almost lonely as if the carefree spirit of days past has been replaced with a bit anxiety and dread. If life is beginning to settle back into being what it used to be; it feels, too, like there is a hesitant expectancy as to what might be waiting around the corner.

After taking in as much of New Orleans as I could, the last order of business for the day was food. And food is one thing that New Orleans has not lost. That night we ate at Iris Restaurant which was voted by Food & Wine to have one of the best new chefs in 2007. Lucky for me, Ian Schnoebelen is a friend of Randy & Elise’s and we had a superlative meal accompanied by some amazing wines & cocktails. If you want to taste what the new New Orleans has to offer in the wake of post-Katrina, make this a restaurant a must-eat destination when you are in the area.

DAY XIII | 15 July — Home
After saying good-bye, yet one more time, we head for Lollo’s final destination and my parents home in Montgomery AL. Home coming is always an interesting time for me. Montgomery isn’t my home really (it is where my parent’s live), but now too, I don’t have a home anywhere. The odd thing about this trip, but maybe that was the intent the whole time, was to try and get in touch with what home is and means to me.

My road trip across the country was coming to an end. Two weeks and 4500 miles later, I would be leaving my dog with my parents and taking off a few weeks from there to my own ‘new’ home some 8000 miles further east…not to mention +30º warmer. I love traveling and this trip proved yet one more time that why I love to travel is because it is one of the best ways to get back in touch with yourself when you become unmoored from comfortable surroundings. It can be a trifle unnerving I will admit, but the liberation you get on the open road really echoes, for me, the open potential ready to greet you when you put aside what you think you “know” about yourself and embrace that part of you you aren’t so certain about. Home really is a matter of where the heart is.

Filed under: Travel by law