2008 Vacation: Day 9

We got up early, before daylight, with plans to end up in Vernon, TX back at the Rocking “A” RV Park. Our agenda today included only two stops en route. Quirky little stops really.

The Cadillac Ranch, located along the tatters of historic Route 66, was built in 1974, brainchild of Stanley Marsh 3, the helium millionaire who owns the dusty wheat field where it stands. Marsh and The Ant Farm, a San Francisco art collective, assembled used Cadillacs representing the "Golden Age" of American Automobiles (1949 through 1963). The ten graffiti-covered cars are half-buried, nose-down, facing west "at the same angle as the Cheops' pyramids."
In 1997, development creep forced Marsh to move the entire assemblage about two miles further west. The line of cars is far enough out in a field to allow for suitably bleak photography. The distance from any authority also encourages ever-mutating layers of painted graffiti, which Marsh doesn't seem to mind.

Visitors are encouraged 24/7 - no admission. Bring your own spray paint.

After this little stop, we moved on to Goodnight, TX a community on the edge of Claude, TX where Charlie Goodnight rests.

This is the cemetery way out in the field on a little hill.

Who the heck is Charles Goodnight? You might ask. Well, he was the co-founder of the Goodnight-Loving Trail. Born in Illinois in 1836, he moved with his family to Waco, TX in 1846 when he was ten years old. By the time he was twenty he was working as a cowboy and served with the local militia in the many fights against Comanche raiders. In 1857, he joined the Texas Rangers, where he continued to fight in the Indian wars and served as an Indian scout. Later, when the Civil war began, he again served as a scout.

After the war, he teamed up with Oliver Loving to move cattle from Fort Belknap, TX to Fort Sumner, NM, in what became known as the Goodnight-Loving Trail. It was during this time, that Charlie would invent the chuck wagon when he rebuilt an army surplus Studebaker wagon for more practical use on a long cattle drive.

Unfortunately, Loving was killed by a Comanche war party in 1867, but this did not stop Goodnight from continuing to organize cattle drives on his own.

The novel, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, is based on the historical accounts of Goodnight and Loving (The Real Lonesome Dove). Augustus McCrae is patterned after Oliver Loving and Woodrow F. Call after Charles Goodnight. The movie is also based on these men's lives. Charles Goodnight would be the patron saint of all cowboys as he developed the cattle industry as it stands today.

During our visit here we discovered a geocache full of geojunk. The kids were very excited to dig through this one. We paid our respects to Charlie Goodnight, we moved on toward Vernon, TX.
We weren’t doing too badly on time until we had another blowout on the trailer. This delay caused us to spend more time hunting for a tire place to purchase 3 new tires.

We ended up somewhere in a little town on Old Route 66 for a delay of 2 hours while we took care of this little chore.

Got to Vernon, TX around 7 p.m. The kids and I finally were able to don swimsuits (the ONLY time on this trip) and cool off in the pool. That water felt sooooooo gooood!

After a dinner of frozen, smoked chicken and deli macaroni salad, we got our showers and hit the hay.

2008 Vacation: Day 8

My husband woke us up before daylight to get on the road. He’s eager to get started so nixes my idea for an in camp breakfast. We head out and attempt to locate another Denny’s. Maggie had us doing U turns in places there weren’t any. Besides, U turns with a 30 foot travel trailer isn’t exactly something my husband is fond of performing.

Eventually, we got the rig facing east and stumbled across a trucker’s plaza that featured a coffee shop and a restaurant. There was not any available seating in the restaurant and we were directed to the coffee shop. Any other time, I’d be aggravated but I was pleasantly pleased to see a big screen TV in the coffee shop which was already tuned in to the Backyardigans! The girls were excited to see something familiar and promptly sat down in the big comfy chair to veg out to Pablo and Uniqua until we were served breakfast.

Resuming our drive, we headed out toward Meteor City, AZ. My husband had somehow allowed a housefly to enter the truck. He swatted at it, missed, allowed Kyle to swat at it, he missed too, and finally said, “Roll all the windows down!” We managed to avoid the fly catastrophe and safely continue our drive to Meteor Crater.

This was a really neat stop. This 150 ft, multi-ton, extremely dense, iron/nickel meteor struck the earth about 50,000 years ago with a force 1,000 times greater than the atomic bomb that struck Hiroshima. When the meteor struck the Earth, it was traveling at 11 miles per second. Upon impact, the meteor was obliterated into tiny microscopic fragments. The only measurable fragments are those that broke off before impact and this accounts for less than 1% of the actual size of the meteor. Really cool place to visit!! This pic shows the largest discovered meteorite fragment of the meteor that created Meteor Crater.

This picture shows Meteor Crater. But......
If you zoom in a bit you can see where the scientists had drilled holes to get samples, etc. and......

Zooming in a little more shows a 6 foot plywood astronaut on the fence of the sample boring area. The flag is also plywood and measure 3 x 6 feet. Isn't that something?

After gaping at the hole for a while, we continued our travels east. The next stop planned was Winslow, AZ where I wanted to get a picture with the guy that’s standing on the corner. DH had agreed to do this just for me. It’s another virtual geo and I needed to collect some information. Unfortunately for me, this particular area is under construction resulting in more traffic. As we approached the corner, DH needed to find a place to pull off the road and park the trailer. We finally found a spot and The Teen and myself got out of the truck to walk to the corner.

Returning to the truck, I told DH that I needed one more stop for another geo. He snarled but said okay. I should have looked around a little bit before making him move the rig. After the fact, I discovered I only needed to go a short walk away from our current location. Needless to say, he was not a happy camper. We returned to I-40 E (a.k.a. Historic Route 66) and began a nice little drive to the Petrified Forest National Park.

This intriguing park boasts an amazing display of colorful hills made out of clay which was deposited in this area about 225 million years ago! After continuous erosion, the soft sandstone revealed many fossilized organisms from the Triassic period of the Mesozoic (when the dinosaur era was just beginning). The petrified logs, still abundant in the park, are remains of trees from a huge flooded forest. At that time, the logs' wood tissue were filled by a silica-rich water which combined with oxygen replaced their organic matter by crystals of quartz. They've got all the looks of wooden logs but are truly made of hard rock!

The following picture shows the Crystal forest.
This is the reason why it's call the Crystal Forest. The inside of the tree trunk has turned into colorful crystals.

What a fantastic place this is! The rig was dwarfed by the size of the colorful clay hills which are so soft and have been exposed to so much erosion I can't imagine how tall they must have been. The petrified logs are beautiful and so intriguing - even after reading the scientific explanation, I still keep asking myself: are these pieces of wood that feel like rock to the touch or are they real rocks that for some reason resemble tree logs so much? Providing a curious show, some logs still lie on the edge of cliffs, some start to come out of the ground as the rain washes down the clay, lots of them tumbled down to the desert floor where they lie in all imaginable arrangements and positions, delicate desert flowers growing here and there among them.

Fragments of petrified logs scatter the area. The ones that come from the bark or the outer part of the logs look so precious. They are remains of a distant, fascinating past. I took as many pictures as I could but what I really want is them to make an imprint in my memory so that when I am 79 and close my eyes in bed I can remember myself walking amongst the awesome 225 million years old petrified logs!

Along the Park Drive, one sort of slides from the Petrified Forest into the Painted Desert. “Painted Desert” is the poetic name given to a huge sweep of Chinle Group rocks that show a variety of colors from different minerals in the rock. The distinct white layers are sandstone. The cap of the Tepees is clay. Dark layers are caused by high carbon content. Darker reds are iron-stained sandstone. Reddish bases are stained by iron-oxide, which is also called hematite. The mixed reds, grays, whites, and blacks of the different rock layers combine to produce something that really looks like the result of an artist gone berserk with some REALLY BIG paint brushes. It’s like this everywhere you look in this part of the park.

Kangaroo tries to explain about her favorite part of the desert.
I’ve always heard that though it’s hot here, it’s a “different” kind of hot. The wind is always blowing. The thermostat in the truck was showing 99 degrees Fahrenheit but it really didn’t feel that hot!

2008 Vacation: Day 6

We got up and hit the road early, stopping in Cortez, CO for breakfast at a “Classic” Denny’s. Afterwards, we moved on to Four Corners, AZ. Upon our arrival, we saw a sign requesting correct change. I kicked myself for not have the foresight to anticipate the need for cash money. We were directed to a trading post five miles down the road for an ATM machine.

Upon obtaining the cash needed, we returned to Four Corners for the photo op and some shopping. I couldn’t believe the number of people who were standing in a line in the desert for a chance to stand on this one spot to get their picture taken. I found myself thinking, “What silly people!” even though I was one of them!

We purchased a few Indian crafted necklaces, a couple of yummy snowcones, and some really good “frybread” smothered in powdered sugar. Frybread is a bit like funnel cakes or New Orleans favorite beignets but a little heavier.

We moved on to Navajo National Park for a virtual geocache and a sandwich picnic lunch. The virtual geocache had me huffing and puffing for 1/2 a mile. I seemed to be suffering from memory loss up here in the thin air. I can’t seem to remember that when one hikes downhill it takes twice as long to climb back up.

Once I got this virtual geo accomplished, we continued driving on to Cameron, AZ where we stopped for a quick potty break and I got yet another virtual at the old Valentine Bridge and learned a little from a historical marker about Cameron, AZ.

Our Maggie has directed us through downtown Flagstaff, AZ to our spot at Woody Mountain Campground on Old Route 66. We went ahead and paid for only one night’s stay not knowing if we’d stay a second night.

We set up camp. I gathered some laundry to wash and The Teen took the girls to the nearby playground. I was really looking forward to a dip in the pool. However, I couldn't find the pool that was advertised on the website. So, I asked the campground office about a pool but was told it had been shut down and filled in. Man, I was bummed!

The end of this day ended like the rest, with us all exhausted and excited about the next day’s adventures.

2008 Vacation: Day 4

I awoke to the sounds of chirping birds and the smell of brewing coffee. It was nice and cool. I later learn that it’s 54 degrees Fahrenheit this morning! A cool 20 degrees less than they're waking up to at home! I looked at the clock to see that it was only 6:30 a.m.! I was way too comfy in my slumber to do much more than groan and pull the covers over my head. I’m not sure what it is about me, but it seems that my husband can sense a change in my breathing pattern just enough to alert him that I’m awake.

He came in, sat on the bed, and says, “So, what are the plans today?” I tell him that I had made ticket reservations with Outlaw Tours for us to take a van ride to Silverton, CO where we would transfer over to jeeps for a tour of “ghost towns”. About 3 hours later, they would drop us off in Silverton for lunch and souvenir shopping. Then we would board the Silverton Durango Narrow Gauge train for our return trip to Durango. DH patiently listens to my description of activities and then asks, “Do we drive ourselves on this jeep tour or is someone else driving?” I told him that he didn’t need to worry, someone else would do all the driving. See, I had planned it this way to take the stress off of him. However, I didn’t count on him not liking that plan. He proceeds to inform me that he’d like to do all the driving. I just shrugged and said okay. Before I go further, let me just say that Outlaw Tours has a policy of charging full price for no shows as well as a 50% of full price cancellation fees for reservations cancelled less than 10 days prior to the trip date. However, I forgot about that little piece of information thinking that if we didn’t show up they’d just give the spot to someone else. I was horrified later to learn that by skipping out on Outlaw Tours we just GAVE them $375. Arrrghggh!

So, we proceed to wake and dress the kiddos and by 7:30 a.m. we were sitting in the local Denny’s. The girls enjoyed “Alien Pancakes”, The Teen had a “French Toast Platter”, DH enjoyed some sort of Mexican omelet while I enjoyed a country fried steak with 2 eggs, hash browns, toast, and orange juice.

We left & got in the truck where DH turns to me and says, “Okay, where’s Silverton?” Before heading in that direction, I wanted to knock out a virtual geocache, so we took off for that coordinate and found the actual site of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids’ Great Train Robbery. Parts of that great movie were also filmed here. As I stood there, I could almost imagine the excitement as a passenger on that train.

I took my photo & got back into the truck. DH turns to me and say, “That’s it? I drove all the way out here for you to take a picture?” I said, “Uum, yeah!?” He snarls at me and asks if I had programmed Maggie for Silverton, to which I answered in the affirmative. I plugged it in and off we went up into the mountains.

As we drove up Hwy. 550, the landscape begins to change dramatically. From brownish sandstone rocks with sage bushes and cacti to slate colored rocks with fragrant spruce trees. Climbing higher, the wildflowers I’d been hearing about were beginning to welcome us.

The following photo is a shot I took at Coal Bank Pass on the Million Dollar Highway en route to Silverton, CO.

The temperatures begin dropping and I wished I’d remembered to pack a jacket or sweater. Upon reaching Silverton, we stopped at the visitor’s center for some brochures. We phone a couple of Jeep rental places before find one that would rent to us for only $100 for the afternoon.

Since we had to wait until 12:30 p.m. to get our jeep, we decided to kill a little time with a geocache or two. Apparently, that idea didn’t sit to well with Maggie OR DH. I tried to find one but Maggie had me walking around in circles! Frustrated, I gave up and returned to the truck. DH was also quite frustrated with my geo obsession.

We then chose to just drive around a little bit before returning to Silverton for lunch. We walked around a bit before landing in the “Best of the West” Bar and Grill. (part of Handlebar’s Food & Saloon, a little down the street from Handlebar’s). This was a homely little place with creaking wood floors, mismatched tables & chairs, trophy elk and buffalo on the walls, and a ladies restroom decorated with pink paint, floral walls, and male revue posters plastered on the ceiling. That being said, the “Best of the West” served up the best mesquite smoke BBQ pulled pork sandwich I’ve ever had the pleasure of sinking my teeth into! Even when my stomach was screaming “Stop Eating!” I could not resist another bite!

The menu also offered other fare such as regular beef hamburgers and brisket sandwiches, most intriguing was the Buffalo Burger made with free range, grass fed buffalo meat. I was tempted to give it a try but was warned the meat is so lean that to cook it well done would result in a very dry burger. I chickened out at that and as mentioned earlier, chose the pulled pork.

Upon finishing our meal, we trekked down the street to the San Juan Jeep Tour Rental for a 4 x 4. We were given a lovely canary yellow jeep in which to view the backroads and ghost towns of America’s Alps.

We opted to make Animas Forks our first destination. As DH drove, I snapped photos left and right of wildflowers, snow capped mountains, and flowing streams.

Upon reaching Animas Forks, I was definitely wishing for a jacket! The temperature was dropping more and more. I began snapping more pictures only to have the battery on my digital camera go dead. I had brought my cell phone along out of habit and am glad I did as I was able to put another 40 photos on it.

I attempted one more geocache in that area but gave up when my heart felt like it would explode due to my running up vertical slopes trying to find the correct coordinates. Finally returning to the jeep, panting like a dog due to the thin air, I read again the geo hints. I suddenly felt like an idiot and learned a lesson. Always read the hints one last time before looking for a geocache that isn’t even there!

DH and the girls were waiting for me in the Jeep. I climbed in and we drove even higher. I believe we got to 12,000 or 13,000 feet elevation. Quite a climb considering we started this adventure at only 15 feet above sea level. The higher we climbed the colder it got. My hands and fingers began going numb. I remembered that I had packed the girls fleece blankies and was thankful that God had guided my hand to put them in the bag.

We continued to drive on when the rains came. At between 12,000 and 13,000 feet elevation, that rain was plain COLD! Cold is the only way I can describe it. It was take your breath away COLD.

It was coming to the close of the day, our deadline. We decided to head back to Silverton. Why doest the return trip seem so much shorter? On our way back to Silverton, I spied the little hotel that my family had stayed in 25 years ago on our vacation to the area. I also spied the First Congregational Church that my mom went into and signed the guest book. I tried to do the same but the doors were locked. So I went back to the truck with even more photos on my phone.

We were so very tired and ready to get back to the travel trailer but first I’d promised the girls a treat. We found the Silverton Fudge & Candy store. We went in and discovered they also serve ice cream! We all ordered some and I ordered some of their special Mint Chocolate fudge to go. Yummy!!

Time to go back to the campground for hot showers and soft beds! Driving back downhill didn't seem to bother me as much as the drive uphill. Maybe because I this time I was on the side looking up the cliffs instead of down into the valley's!