Day 13
Albuquerque, New Mexico to Holbrock, Arizona
We started off on the grand Route 66 taking Central Avenue through Albuquerque. We made note of all the places we want to see on the way back. We're on a mission now to get to the Grand Canyon as soon as possible on Friday.
All the same in about six hours we had gone about 100 miles! We kept pulling off and taking photos (especially of old signs) and searching for Route 66 (you'll be on it and it will disappear suddenly). We saw mesa vistas west of Albuquerque and watched the landscape change as the miles went by.
We also stopped at several wonderful tourist traps and trading posts picking up some good southwestern stuff.
We made several more Route 66 stops (including the famous Jack Rabbit trading post with the "Here It Is" sign), before stopping for the night in Holbrock.
We were excited to stay at the Wigwam Motel with concrete tee pees from the 50's, but the place was full and the owner was rude. We settled for a more contemporary hotel on Navajo Boulevard.
We went to bed early because we were excited to finally be getting to the Grand Canyon tomorrow.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Day 12 - Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Day 12
Amarillo, Texas to Albequerque, New Mexico
This was really the start of the vacation for the archeologist because at last we caught up with historic Route 66 in Amarillo. We followed it alternating from I-40 West to Route 66 west wherever we could find it.
Cadillac Ranch
This brought us to some famous Route 66 stops such as the Cadillac Ranch just west of Amarillo, an outdoor art piece by Stan Marsh where a line of old Cadillacs are submerged into the ground, an open, dusty field. People describe it as an Americana Stonehedge, and the angle the cars are leaning is said to be the same angle as the sides of the Great Pyramid.
Midpoint Cafe & the Motorcycle Club
We also stopped at the Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas, which claims to be the midpoint of Route 66 between Chicago and LA. That was my most exciting stop of the entire trip, because there I met Bearnard B. Behr, motorcycle tour guide and fellow mascot! There I got a photo with his human, Gary, on their way cool Harley. Gary takes tourists all the way from Chicago to Santa Monica on motorcycles, showing them all the famous, infamous, and unknown highlights of The Mother Road (a.k.a. Route 66).
You can visit Bearnard's blog at: http://www.bears-to-travel.blogspot.com/ or www.myspace.com/bearnardbear. Be sure to tell Bearnard and Gary you heard about them from me!
Ghost Towns and Motel Signs
After that we meandered into New Mexico stopping at other Route 66 towns along I-40 and Rt. 66. Some places were little more than ghost towns, and one place Glenrio, TX, was totally a scary ghost lane of crumbling buildings.
It was a long day with the archeologist jumping in and out of the car to get her beloved cadaver signs. But I must admit a couple of them were quite impressive. However, she seems enamoured with all of them.
We stopped in Albequerque around 7PM. We have to be at the Grand Canyon by Friday, so tomorrow and the next day we should have a fairly easy drive.
Amarillo, Texas to Albequerque, New Mexico
This was really the start of the vacation for the archeologist because at last we caught up with historic Route 66 in Amarillo. We followed it alternating from I-40 West to Route 66 west wherever we could find it.
Cadillac Ranch
This brought us to some famous Route 66 stops such as the Cadillac Ranch just west of Amarillo, an outdoor art piece by Stan Marsh where a line of old Cadillacs are submerged into the ground, an open, dusty field. People describe it as an Americana Stonehedge, and the angle the cars are leaning is said to be the same angle as the sides of the Great Pyramid.
Midpoint Cafe & the Motorcycle Club
We also stopped at the Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas, which claims to be the midpoint of Route 66 between Chicago and LA. That was my most exciting stop of the entire trip, because there I met Bearnard B. Behr, motorcycle tour guide and fellow mascot! There I got a photo with his human, Gary, on their way cool Harley. Gary takes tourists all the way from Chicago to Santa Monica on motorcycles, showing them all the famous, infamous, and unknown highlights of The Mother Road (a.k.a. Route 66).
You can visit Bearnard's blog at: http://www.bears-to-travel.blogspot.com/ or www.myspace.com/bearnardbear. Be sure to tell Bearnard and Gary you heard about them from me!
Ghost Towns and Motel Signs
After that we meandered into New Mexico stopping at other Route 66 towns along I-40 and Rt. 66. Some places were little more than ghost towns, and one place Glenrio, TX, was totally a scary ghost lane of crumbling buildings.
It was a long day with the archeologist jumping in and out of the car to get her beloved cadaver signs. But I must admit a couple of them were quite impressive. However, she seems enamoured with all of them.
We stopped in Albequerque around 7PM. We have to be at the Grand Canyon by Friday, so tomorrow and the next day we should have a fairly easy drive.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Day 11 - Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Day 11
Dallas, Texas to Amarillo, Texas
We were trying hard to make up for our "lost time" in Shreveport (not that it's not a lovely place to visit....)
So our main goal was to get 300 miles under our tires, so that we could make it to the Grand Canyon by Friday, which is when we have reservations in one of the lodges that overlook the South Rim.
We took I-20 West to I-35W North near Dallas, and then cut at an angle across the Texas plains to Amarillo on Route 287/81. This made for some great window-movie-scapes.
The landscape began to change from forests to grassland plains and as we got closer to Amarillo, the land became more desert-like with sagebrush and Joshua Trees. We even saw our first cactus plants today.
We stopped in some really small desolate towns, such as Estelline and Memphis, Texas. And some of these places were half-way ghost towns, with just a gas station and a Dairy Queen to beat the heat.
I'll post some photos as soon as we get to a motel that has a computer.
Dallas, Texas to Amarillo, Texas
We were trying hard to make up for our "lost time" in Shreveport (not that it's not a lovely place to visit....)
So our main goal was to get 300 miles under our tires, so that we could make it to the Grand Canyon by Friday, which is when we have reservations in one of the lodges that overlook the South Rim.
We took I-20 West to I-35W North near Dallas, and then cut at an angle across the Texas plains to Amarillo on Route 287/81. This made for some great window-movie-scapes.
The landscape began to change from forests to grassland plains and as we got closer to Amarillo, the land became more desert-like with sagebrush and Joshua Trees. We even saw our first cactus plants today.
We stopped in some really small desolate towns, such as Estelline and Memphis, Texas. And some of these places were half-way ghost towns, with just a gas station and a Dairy Queen to beat the heat.
I'll post some photos as soon as we get to a motel that has a computer.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Day 10 - Monday, June 9, 2008
Day 10
Shreveport, Louisianna to Dallas, Texas
We drove from Marshall to Shreveport to see what the status was on our car. Matt and the good folks at Moore's Goodyear had been good to us, so we stopped at Southern Maid donuts again and got them some donuts. (Of course, we also got some for ourselves, too!)
They weren't sure if they could get the part today -- so we just had to play it by hear. We had lunch in a Mexican restaurant and then went to the Sci-Port, a fabulous interactive science museum for children that the little human and I just loved.
Late in the date we got the good news that our car had been fixed and we could head out on our way.
We left Shreveport around 6PM and went west on I-20 toward Dallas. We got to the outskirts of Dallas around 9PM and stopped in Balch Springs.
Finally, we're back on track for the Grand Canyon!
Shreveport, Louisianna to Dallas, Texas
We drove from Marshall to Shreveport to see what the status was on our car. Matt and the good folks at Moore's Goodyear had been good to us, so we stopped at Southern Maid donuts again and got them some donuts. (Of course, we also got some for ourselves, too!)
They weren't sure if they could get the part today -- so we just had to play it by hear. We had lunch in a Mexican restaurant and then went to the Sci-Port, a fabulous interactive science museum for children that the little human and I just loved.
Late in the date we got the good news that our car had been fixed and we could head out on our way.
We left Shreveport around 6PM and went west on I-20 toward Dallas. We got to the outskirts of Dallas around 9PM and stopped in Balch Springs.
Finally, we're back on track for the Grand Canyon!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Day 9 - Sunday, June 8, 2008
Day 9
Shreveport, Louisianna (holding pattern)
The good news is that the little human woke up feeling better. The bad news is that the heat wave continues.
The archeologist took a long time getting ready and had a new crick in her neck from sleeping in the jacuzzi.
A Play Date and a Scenic Route
After a restaurant breakfast (they overslept for the free hotel breakfast), the humans took a drive through Marshall and found a playground that the little human could check out. They didn't stay long because of the heat, but it was good to get a little fresh air activity in.
Then we took Route 80 East from Marshall, Texas back to Shreveport, Louisianna, and along the way the archeologist took some more photos of old signs and state lines.
Groundhog's Day
There's a movie where Bill Murray lives the same day over and over until he learns how to become a better person. That was kind of like what we did today.
Shreveport, Louisianna (holding pattern)
The good news is that the little human woke up feeling better. The bad news is that the heat wave continues.
The archeologist took a long time getting ready and had a new crick in her neck from sleeping in the jacuzzi.
A Play Date and a Scenic Route
After a restaurant breakfast (they overslept for the free hotel breakfast), the humans took a drive through Marshall and found a playground that the little human could check out. They didn't stay long because of the heat, but it was good to get a little fresh air activity in.
Then we took Route 80 East from Marshall, Texas back to Shreveport, Louisianna, and along the way the archeologist took some more photos of old signs and state lines.
Groundhog's Day
There's a movie where Bill Murray lives the same day over and over until he learns how to become a better person. That was kind of like what we did today.
- We went back to the Louisianna Boardwalk
- We saw Kung Fu Panda again.
- We went to Build-A-Bear Workshop again and got a stuffed bunny
The only thing that was missing to make it complete was Puxatawny Phil himself!
Old Signs and Hot Donuts
After leaving the boardwalk I mustered up a new-found respect for the archeologist and her obsessive photo-taking of old signs.
That's because she took a detour into Shreveport on Greenwood Ave to photograph a "hot donuts" sign she could see from the highway. But when we got there it wasn't just another old abandoned building, it was actually a real working donut shop that was pumping out fresh, "Southern Maid" hot donuts!
We basically had dinner there (or at least an extended appetizer) and I became a complete and total fool for those donuts! I bought a t-shirt and asked for an empty box to keep my trip souvenirs in, too!
Back to Texas
After our 30 mile drive back to our hotel in Marshall, the sugar buzz wore off and we decided to have a real dinner before calling it an evening. We ate at an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet that only cost $14 for the four of us!
A dinner of donuts and pizza -- I love vacation!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Day 8 - Saturday, June 7, 2008
Day 8
Shreveport, Louisianna (holding pattern)
Be sure to check out my photo albums on Facebook.
Where There's Smoke, There's......
So much for the gourmet waffles.
We awoke this morning to the sound of the hotel's fire alarm.
Immediately, the humans started grabbing clothes and purses to get out. But by the time they were ready to head out the door, the sound had stopped. My little stuffed bear heart was pounding! To my horror, I began to realize that there had not even been a thought of saving me! Now I saw where I really stood with these humans.
The archeologist went downstairs to see what was going on -- and I tagged along -- and we found a breakfast room full of bemused travellers and a few people wandering through the lobby with their bed sheets wrapped around them.
The fire alarm was set off because someone burned their Belgium waffle!
In the corner of the breakfast room, the griddle was still smoking and the criss-cross carbohydrate carcass was still smoldering. Looks like the archeologist wasn't going to get her longed-for treat after all.
When I turned to smirk at her, I saw she had her head turned to one side and was trying to crack it. It was a frightening behavior that she continued all day long.
It seems she bolted out of bed too fast from the fire alarm that she had a crick in her neck the rest of the day. It almost serves her right for not trying to save me from the (waffle) fire!
A Surprise While Packing
After that excitement, everyone decided to chill out and take a dip in the pool before we left. I hit the fitness room to work on my teddy bear abs.
Afterwards, while packing the car, the humans found that their front passenger tire was low. Really low. Almost flat. They went to 3 different gas stations before finding a working air pump. But after filling it with air, it still didn't look good. The oldest human started talking with a local human who recommended Moore's Goodyear on Greenwood Ave. Slowly, the humans drove there.
A Change in Plans
Well, to make a long, hot story short:
All that took most of the day, but then the humans decided to make the best of an unexpected situation and take the little human to the Louisianna Boardwalk for a movie and dinner.
The big humans felt bad for abandoning me during the false fire alarm escapade, so they tried to make amends by taking me and the little human to a movie they thought we'd like: Kung Fu Panda. And I have to admit, after seeing this bear-inspirational film, I was so proud of my bear heritage that I felt at peace with the universe and forgave the humans for neglecting to grab me during a fire alarm scare.
But all that metaphysical peace was shattered after the movie at our next stop on the Boardwalk.
Where Bears Come From
It was at the Louisianna Boardwalk that I had the shock of a lifetime, something that has shaken me to my very bear core.
All this time, I had thought I was a real bear -- a powerful, wild animal who had been born in nature and then come to Russell Sage for an education to prepare me to make my mark on the world. Today I found out differently.
Today I found out where bears like me come from.
Bears like me come from the Build-A-Bear Workshop store.
I'm still grappling with this new-found reality -- the fake, fluffy nature of my very being. Perhaps I'll write more about it as I absorb the truth more and recover from the shock of it all.
A Ruff End to the Day
For the humans, things got almost as bad. We ate dinner at a "crab shack" on the Boardwalk where the food tasted good going down, but didn't settle well. The little human didn't feel well after the seafood and eventually threw up. We all felt bad for her and took her back to the hotel.
But at the hotel, the humans found bugs in the bathroom and went to get their money back. They had paid for two days in advance with cash, and now the motel lady wouldn't give them their money back for today because it was already past 10PM. So they took their money for one day back and went in search of another hotel.
But here's the thing about Shreveport that we didn't know -- every hotel is full every weekend (even the cheap ones with bugs in the bathroom!) because of all the people coming in for the gambling. We couldn't find any hotels anywhere in Shreveport (by 11Pm they all had signs taped up on the front doors saying NO VACANCY!).
We ended up driving 30 miles west into Marshall, Texas before we found something. We were lucky to find something there, too, because there was a kids baseball tournament going on in town!
Also, the archeologist got pulled over by the Marshall police for pulling out of a gas station without her lights on. She used what little charm and sincerity she had left and told the officer about being on vacation and having to get a rental car and not finding any hotels in Shreveport and the little human getting sick and on and on -- and he just gave her a warning, not a citation. I think he did it just because it was quicker and he wouldn't have to listen to her sob story any longer.
Anyway, the humans did finally find a hotel room in Marshall -- they got the last room at the last hotel in town. It only had one king sized bed and a jacuzzi, but they took it because it was 1AM.
The hotel was out of roll away cots, so they got some extra pillows and the archeologist slept in the jacuzzi.
And that was the end of one long, hot day!
Shreveport, Louisianna (holding pattern)
Be sure to check out my photo albums on Facebook.
Where There's Smoke, There's......
So much for the gourmet waffles.
We awoke this morning to the sound of the hotel's fire alarm.
Immediately, the humans started grabbing clothes and purses to get out. But by the time they were ready to head out the door, the sound had stopped. My little stuffed bear heart was pounding! To my horror, I began to realize that there had not even been a thought of saving me! Now I saw where I really stood with these humans.
The archeologist went downstairs to see what was going on -- and I tagged along -- and we found a breakfast room full of bemused travellers and a few people wandering through the lobby with their bed sheets wrapped around them.
The fire alarm was set off because someone burned their Belgium waffle!
In the corner of the breakfast room, the griddle was still smoking and the criss-cross carbohydrate carcass was still smoldering. Looks like the archeologist wasn't going to get her longed-for treat after all.
When I turned to smirk at her, I saw she had her head turned to one side and was trying to crack it. It was a frightening behavior that she continued all day long.
It seems she bolted out of bed too fast from the fire alarm that she had a crick in her neck the rest of the day. It almost serves her right for not trying to save me from the (waffle) fire!
A Surprise While Packing
After that excitement, everyone decided to chill out and take a dip in the pool before we left. I hit the fitness room to work on my teddy bear abs.
Afterwards, while packing the car, the humans found that their front passenger tire was low. Really low. Almost flat. They went to 3 different gas stations before finding a working air pump. But after filling it with air, it still didn't look good. The oldest human started talking with a local human who recommended Moore's Goodyear on Greenwood Ave. Slowly, the humans drove there.
A Change in Plans
Well, to make a long, hot story short:
- It wasn't just a flat tire; the tire rim itself was cracked and had to be replaced.
- But it was Saturday and there was nothing open to get the part until Monday, so we were going to spend the weekend in Shreveport.
- Matt, the friendly manager of Moore's shop, drove the humans to the airport so they could rent a car. (We love Matt!)
- Worried about the cost of the tire rim, the humans got out the motel coupon book to find a cheap hotel for two days. They found one near the casinos that line both sides of the Red River that separates Shreveport and its sister town, Bossier City.
All that took most of the day, but then the humans decided to make the best of an unexpected situation and take the little human to the Louisianna Boardwalk for a movie and dinner.
The big humans felt bad for abandoning me during the false fire alarm escapade, so they tried to make amends by taking me and the little human to a movie they thought we'd like: Kung Fu Panda. And I have to admit, after seeing this bear-inspirational film, I was so proud of my bear heritage that I felt at peace with the universe and forgave the humans for neglecting to grab me during a fire alarm scare.
But all that metaphysical peace was shattered after the movie at our next stop on the Boardwalk.
Where Bears Come From
It was at the Louisianna Boardwalk that I had the shock of a lifetime, something that has shaken me to my very bear core.
All this time, I had thought I was a real bear -- a powerful, wild animal who had been born in nature and then come to Russell Sage for an education to prepare me to make my mark on the world. Today I found out differently.
Today I found out where bears like me come from.
Bears like me come from the Build-A-Bear Workshop store.
I'm still grappling with this new-found reality -- the fake, fluffy nature of my very being. Perhaps I'll write more about it as I absorb the truth more and recover from the shock of it all.
A Ruff End to the Day
For the humans, things got almost as bad. We ate dinner at a "crab shack" on the Boardwalk where the food tasted good going down, but didn't settle well. The little human didn't feel well after the seafood and eventually threw up. We all felt bad for her and took her back to the hotel.
But at the hotel, the humans found bugs in the bathroom and went to get their money back. They had paid for two days in advance with cash, and now the motel lady wouldn't give them their money back for today because it was already past 10PM. So they took their money for one day back and went in search of another hotel.
But here's the thing about Shreveport that we didn't know -- every hotel is full every weekend (even the cheap ones with bugs in the bathroom!) because of all the people coming in for the gambling. We couldn't find any hotels anywhere in Shreveport (by 11Pm they all had signs taped up on the front doors saying NO VACANCY!).
We ended up driving 30 miles west into Marshall, Texas before we found something. We were lucky to find something there, too, because there was a kids baseball tournament going on in town!
Also, the archeologist got pulled over by the Marshall police for pulling out of a gas station without her lights on. She used what little charm and sincerity she had left and told the officer about being on vacation and having to get a rental car and not finding any hotels in Shreveport and the little human getting sick and on and on -- and he just gave her a warning, not a citation. I think he did it just because it was quicker and he wouldn't have to listen to her sob story any longer.
Anyway, the humans did finally find a hotel room in Marshall -- they got the last room at the last hotel in town. It only had one king sized bed and a jacuzzi, but they took it because it was 1AM.
The hotel was out of roll away cots, so they got some extra pillows and the archeologist slept in the jacuzzi.
And that was the end of one long, hot day!
Friday, June 6, 2008
Day 7 - Friday, June 6, 2008
Day 7
Meridian, Mississippi to Shreveport, Louisianna
Be sure to check out my photo albums on Facebook.Melt. Molt. Malt.
We left Meridian, Mississippi at 9:30 AM and it was already hot. By 11:00 AM it was 90 degrees. I think my stuffing is starting to melt. Or molt. But we cool down every few hours by stopping for a chocolate malt or ice cream sandwich, so I guess the heat does have its upside.
We headed west on I-20 to Jackson, with the archeologist reading Ivy & Bean books to the little human while the oldest human religiously followed the speed limit.
Traces of
NatchezIn the early afternoon, we took a scenic detour to get on the Nachez Trace Parkway, an old merchant trail used by early pioneers that runs from Nachez, Louisianna to Nashville, Tennesee. At one point, the archeologist got very excited and yelled, "Look! Look! Flamingoes!" We all turned to look, wondering what flamingoes were doing in the middle of the forest, but all we saw were some curved red pipes sticking out of a swampy field. Apparantly, the archeologist's eyesight has been adversely affected by her glandular problem.
Vicksburg, Mississippi
In Vicksburg, the little human wanted to go to the Vicksburg Battlefield Museum, probably because it was shaped like a big battleship. Sort of. The overall architectural effect was somewhere between creepy and comical.
Amazing Coincidence!
In need of a bio break, we took an unexpected exit (124) off of I-20 West and had the wildest coincidence. There at the end of the ramp was a sign that said "Russell Sage Wildlife Area." Well, since I'm basically wild life (remember, I'm a bear!) and I'm from Russell Sage, I insisted that we go check out this place. It turned out to be a 17,000 square mile wildlife refuge run by the Louisianna State Parks. When I get back to campus, I'm going to find out if this is the same Russell Sage or if there could be two of them.
Shreveport, Louisianna
We continued to drive westward on I-20, stopping at Shreveport, Louisianna for the night. The archeologist took a tour down on the Louisianna Boardwalk and watched the sun set on the Red River overlooking the Neon bridge between Boussier City and Shreveport.
We decided to splurge and stay in a fancy hotel tonight. Sometimes you just have to go over your budget. One of the humans, the archeologist, is very excited about this because you can make your own gourmet Belgium waffles for breakfast.
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