West to California, North to Washington, East to Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Home …
What could have been an easy four or five day trip to Portland by air, morphed into an eighteen day driving adventure as part of our year long celebration of fifty years of marriage. It was wonderful.
The first two days were “pedal to the metal” to Flagstaff, Arizona. After that it was relax, enjoy, stop at historic sites, eat in off the main road cafes, take pictures and truly “smell the roses.”
In Amarillo, the first night, we “forced” ourselves to have dinner a Napoli’s Italian Restaurant in downtown. If you are in Amarillo, this is a must … especially the bread.
In Flagstaff, not much of note except “beware of curbs with rebar protruding from the concrete.” Fortunately we made it on the full size spare until we found a Michelin dealer in Henderson, Nv.
Upon leaving Flagstaff, we drove the scenic route along the Grand Canyon Rim and miraculously got a room in the 1905 El Tavor Lodge … “right on the rim”. I think my mom was with us on the entire trip. When she was alive, she wouldn’t put down her rosary beads until each of us kids was home safely. As a reminder, at our dinner meal, the young lady pictured below attended our table. Of course, her name was “Ellen”, my mom’s name.
Thank you mom!
The Historic 1905 El Tavor Lodge
Below are a few of the hundreds of Grand Canyon Photos:
Historic Watch Tower
Two Billion Years
Switchbacks on Bright Angel Trail
On to Hoover Dam and Death Valley …
Hoover Dam
Tribute to the High-scaler daredevils
Death Valley … 190 feet below sea level
I found Death Valley National Park to be one of the most interesting stops on our trip. Not only was it beautiful with the stark colorful moonlike hills and mountains but historic and unique. It vividly brought to my mind the old TV Show, “Death Valley Days” reinforced by this sign and the knowledge this is the mining site for Borax.
Twenty Mule Team
Moon-like Desert Beauty
Yosemite Tioga Pass
Bishop, California, Yosemite and North
Sonora, California to Grants Pass, Oregon
Along the way we saw some of the most beautiful country side in addition to some of the most interesting and historic towns located on secondary roads. Towns and cities like Sonora and Grants Pass made us fully aware of the challenges and successes as the West was settled. Most concerning is the extreme drought in Southern California.
Sonora Inn where we stayed one night.
Low lake levels in California
A highpoint for me was simply “strolling” on the Pacific Crest Trail …
One should dress for the PCT
Picnic Lunch in a Laundromat … Grants Pass
On to Portland and the American Trails International Symposium…
Oregon State Capitol … Salem
Bigfoot Lives in the NorthWest
Zombie Control
American Trails Exhibit Hall
Portland’s bridge … no cars allowed … bus, train, bike, people.
Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana are so green and lush …
600 foot Multnomah Falls
Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho
McDonald Lodge … Glacier National Park
Battle of the Little Bighorn National Monument …
This stop while driving thru Wyoming was a special treat. I would probably not have gone out of my way to see it but … here it was … and oh, what a pleasant surprise and acknowledgement of this time in history when the Native Americans were systematically forced to leave their lands …
The vast open land and burial ground
Native American burial markers as well.
In Closing …there are so many more pictures, stories and aspects of this trip that I could literally fill a travel magazine. In summation, I suggest this kind of up close and personal trip for anyone who wishes to really see America and meet the wonderful people. In addition, it was a special time for me and my incredible wife of 50 years. Just when I begin to think fifty years is a long time, I recall the hike along the canyon rim covering one million years in one long step.
Until next trip … blessings to all
PS:
Don’t miss Tad’s Chicken’ Dumplins on the old historic highway 30 at Troutville on the way to Multnomah falls.
Jim Dailey 