Need Rain?

Need rain? Just have us visit!

We left Albuquerque in the rain, drove through Arizona and Southern California in a sleet storm, and brought days and days of rain to Northern California. Then, Atlanta somehow knew we were coming - rain! We snuck up on Florida - it wasted a tornado before we got there, and we had a couple of warm, sunny days. We left in the rain :-)

And what do you suppose awaits us in France? Yep, a week of rain =-O

Adios, New Mexico!

December 30, with the car packed to the gills, we left Albuquerque. Our 3-day drive to Northern California started just before noon - whew!

At our first real pit stop, I caught this view of snowy Mt. Taylor

We crossed into Arizona for a beautiful sunset

The next day, we were in California with a storm headed our way

High Desert Drive

If you find yourself driving East on Highway 40 from Arizona to New Mexico, do yourself a favor - drive the last several Arizona miles on the frontage road!  Take your time, and stop for lots of pictures, *especially* in mid-late-afternoon!

I found myself there just a bit later than optimal, and only pulled off 40 a couple of times.  But wow! was my head swiveling!

I definitely need to look into a day trip photo safari route.  So far, my thoughts are: drive to Gallup, lunch at Don Diego's (recommended by a friend), kill a few hours exploring the sideroads in the area, then (about 3-4 hours before sunset) drive West to approximately exit 346.  From there, drive East on the frontage roads until it's either too dark, or you run out of mesas.

Arizona Short Trip

We just got back from a short trip to Arizona to see friends - Linda was visiting from Costa Rica, and we simply couldn't pass up the chance to catch up! AND, we had a one-night vacation overlap with high-school / Facebook friends, Donna, Jen, John, and Jenny!

Some of the added pleasures:

Any Excuse!

I'll take any excuse to revisit a favorite, new or old!  Yesterday, I drove from Albuquerque to Phoenix, and made sure to stop at the Mogollon Rim (yep, I even pulled a U-ey when I realized I had missed it*)

From there the road drops *several* thousand feet, and the temperature rises about 20 degrees.
And the vista changes!

Just downhill from the Continental Divide is the high desert

Then comes the Ponderosas and the Mogollon Rim, then - seemingly suddenly - you're looking UP at the mountains!

~~~~~
* for future reference, it is between Forest Lake (on the East), and Christopher Creek (on the West)

Phoenix With Friends

We spent late November in Phoenix with friends - Facebook is to blame for a chain of connections that saw us all meeting, exploring, and getting non-electronically connected :-)
We strolled around the ruins, plants, and exhibits at the Pueblo Grande Museum Archeological Park

We visited the Arizona State Capitol Museum

It is a beautiful time of year here, inside and out!
We hiked the McDowell Mountain Regional Park

Cacti - A Love Affair?

When I was seven, my family of 6 piled into our red VW bus, and, along with a family friend, drove from Northern California to central Mexico.  It was an amazing 6-week adventure that left this youngster with quite a few odd memories.

The strongest (and most unpleasant) memory for this always-barefoot girl, is the multitude of pictures taken against (and smack in the middle of) a cactus-filled landscape.  Thus began my enmity towards all things spiney.

Fast-forward several decades, and here I am, slow-traveling in the Southwest. Desert. Land of the Cacti.

Sigh.  Perhaps it's time to dig up that old grudge and re-evaluate.

So... first, let's examine the pretty ones

Then a strange-but-not-too-scary one

Don't get too close!

Dang! Let's show some appreciation...

Ready for spiney, but small...

Be careful of the cute and fuzzy looking ones - they're actually pretty aggressive

How 'bout a hug?

(I think I still prefer the dead ones)

By the way, other Mexican memories from a 7-year-old include:

1. My own suitcase!
2. Playing Cinco Loco
3. Spicy corn-on-the-cob from street vendors
4. Sleeper train to Mexico City
5. Pulling my sister's tooth
6. Running downstairs to find out how to say "pretty" in Spanish, dashing back up, pointing at a giant vase, and saying "bonita"
7. Tickle-wars
8. Owl pendants
9. Brilliant blue and gold poncho
10. Ham and cheese quesadillas, from a restaurant that had just shut down their kitchen when a hungry, road-weary family showed up
11. Colorful skirts
12. Spelling "Hoo-lee-a" (that would properly be "Julia")
13. Sleeping on the roof
14. Pyramids
15. VW stew 
16. Sweet bread from the street market
17. Crossing into The Tropics
18. Suitcases flying off the roof
19. AND....
20. Big sister saving me from the nasty "plant" :-)