Those States That Begin With an "I"...

And a few others...this has been our travel log of the past couple of days...Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and now Pennsylvania. Iowa was beautiful - lots and lots of farmland with pristine little towns interspersed. Indiana and Illinois were the same except for Chicago (of course). However, we did see a deer standing on the side of the road in one of the suburbs just outside of the Windy City. Today took us into Ohio and Pennsylvania and more of the same...small towns (except for Cleveland of course) and lots of farmland. Since I didn't charge my camera for yesterday, some of these pictures are on loan from Mike...he does a really good job and has a keen eye, so I don't mind "borrowing" from him at all.

Tonight we made it to the ourtskirts of Erie, PA.  We found a very nice Mom & Pop place to stay the night - The Glass House Inn.  You can feel the festivities in the air...people are in the parking lot setting off fireworks and families are sitting out by the pool watching; the door to our room is open and we are watching too.

Our journey is winding down; New York tomorrow for a day or two and then (hopefully) on to Boston and then the trek homeward. We never know what a day on the road is going to bring to us - kind of like life, isn't it?!

The Long Highway Just Got a Little Shorter

This morning we left Cody, Wyoming with the intent to made it to Nebraska by nightfall. It was going to be a long drive, but we thought we had seen all to be seen in Wyoming and Nebraska is just farmland...right? 569 miles later we realized that we were not totally right.

The town of Thermopolis gave us gorgeous hot springs and rainbow terraces where the mineral water flows over rocks into a pool - a 127 degree pool! Then outside of Thermopolis was a sight even more breath-taking than the beaches in Oregon...the Wind River Canyon. It is hard to describe the majesty of the mountains and I don't think these pictures can do it justice.

I knew it was going to be hard to top this with anything in Nebraska; I was right, all the Corn Huskers state has offered so far are storm clouds (albeit amazing storm clouds) and grasslands. The storm cloud picture was taken by Mike from the car while I was driving...thanks Mike for sharing this one with me!

We lost an hour by crossing over into the Central Time Zone; so instead of stopping at an early 8pm like we had hoped, it is now after 9. We found a nice little Mom and Pop place to stay. Tomorrow the rest of Nebraska and into more farland in Iowa and we are not even going near Ottumwa...

Wild, Wild West...

We got an early start from Mountain Home, Idaho this morning; thanks in big part to Mike prodding me to hurry - which also resulted in me losing the car keys! Luckily, we did not have to unpack the entire trunk to find them. A quick breakfast and we were on the road to Wyoming!

On our way to Wyoming we saw the signs for and the signs of Craters of the Moon - an ancient volcanic eruption covered about 400 sq miles (thanks Wikipedia!) with lava flow.  At first glace this area looks like it has been destroyed by strip mining but when you realize what this is, it suddenly looks mysterious and interesting.

After a car tour of the lava fields, we were back on Hwy 20 our destination of Wyoming getting closer. Hwy 20 took us through Yellowstone National Park and a side-trip to see (yep, you guessed it) Old Faithful.  Just as we were heading up the walk to this natural wonder, it started to erupt.  Mike and I dashed ahead and were able to capture this moment. I was a little disappointed; I expected something monumental. There were geysers along the road that were much more spectacular and dramatic. And I learned that Old Faithful really isn't that faithful...no set-your-watch-by-it eruptions and the spewing can last anywhere from a minute to five minutes. But, it was Old Faithful and it was beautiful and it was a check off on my bucket list.

Our night ended in Cody, Wyoming. A cute little town that definitely embraces its western heritage. There is a rodeo going on in town, but we had no problems finding a very nice room.  A soak in the hot tub and a dip in the pool washed away some of the stress of the day. Tomorrow we finish up Wyoming and head (hopefully) into Nebraska. Everyday has brought a new wonder, new sites, new adventures and it ain't over yet!

Then I Worked My Way East Again...

Into Boise, Idaho...thanks Harry Chapin! Leaving Oregon was not easy. The morning started with a walk on the beach! It was misty and a light fog had settled in, the water was cold, and seagulls were circling. In the distance was a lighthouse. It was a perfect morning!

Alas, it was time to start forward on a new day and a new adventure...driving across Oregon (all 400+ miles) and and into Idaho for the night. Oregon has been my favorite state so far; a beautiful coastline, foggy beaches (I believe in fog magic), majestic mountains, bountiful farmland...gorgeous!

Most of the day was spent driving - we logged over 500 miles today. I didn't take a single picture after we left the beach, but Mike captured some great shots as I drove. Today, was probably the most uneventful day we have had, but what it lacked in excitement was made up for with the beautiful landscape we call Oregon!

We ended this night just outside of Boise. Dinner was at a great little pizzeria and a room at a very comfortable Sleep Inn. Tomorrow we will explore Idaho and who knows what else as a new town, new people, new adventure awaits us around every curve of Highway 20.

Exploring New Territory - Oregon!

After a great night of dinner with Mike's Aunt Mona and Uncle Jim and a restful sleep at the Courtyard in NovetoThis morning started out in Noveto, California. It was a great night in a great hotel - a Courtyard.  After packing up the car and a healthy breakfast for both of us, we headed into wine country and towards our destination of Newport, Oregon via Hwy 101.

I expected an uneventful day with us just trying to cover the 600+ miles as quickly as (legally) possible. However, this turned out to be anything but an uneventful day...just like on Route 66 there were unique people, natural wonders, and giants of all sorts!

We made it to Newport just a little past nine and found a great motel on the beach.  A check with the night clerk led us to Mundo's for dinner.  As we walked through the gate and up the brick path, sounds of loud voices and the view of what looked like 3 men fighting turned us around to leave. We were stopped by a very pleasant young woman who explained to us that this was just a play...what a relief!

We headed into the restaurant where we found out locals for the past 5 years put on an annual play at Mundo's...this year's selections was an adaptation of A Midsummer's Night Dream.  A great meal, great wine (thanks Oregon for a delicious Riesling!), a fantastic dessert, and Shakespeare- we couldn't have asked for more!

Oregon is a lot of ground to cover in one day. We are not sure what tomorrow will bring (just as we haven't known on any day of this trip)...a walk on the beach - certainly...more beautiful scenery - probably...another great adventure - definitely!

The End...or is it?

We made it! Yep, all the way across Route 66 to the Santa Monica Pier! It was a rather quiet uneventful day (or at least it started out that way). We left Needles early so we could travel through the desert while it was still "cool". There didn't seem to be too much of interest along the way...some beautiful scenery, snow-capped mountains, an occasional abandoned gas station, and a motel sign or two.

A missed turned near the end of our travels, led us through Beverly Hills and into Brentwood; a U-turn quickly got us back on track. A stop at the corner of Lincoln and Olympic is the official end of the Route. With no sign marking this, I had to settle for a picture of the sign that announces Olympic. It seemed like an anti-climatic end to an amazing trip; but our journey had not ended!

A walk down to the Santa Monica Pier led to to the unofficial end of the Route. The owners of the Route 66 kiosk on the Pier put up an "End of the Trail" sign. The Pier was a hodgepodge of excitement. People of all nationalities crowded the Pier, kiosk selling everything from your name written on a grain of rice to t-shirts and postcards.  A few men were fishing, lots of children chattered in excitement, a belly-dancer was doing her thing, a street musician was singing Cat Stevens, and of course the ferris-wheel was turning...not so anti-climatic after all.

As in any written story, there are acknowledgments to be made:  First of all, to Mike - If there is such a thing as "soulmates", you are mine - kindred spirits in enthusiasm for the open road. What an amazing journey - thank you...I love you!  Laurel, The Four Women on the Route (and Robbie), Jim and Kathy Miller, George Chicago (I have my fingers crossed), Gary Turner, and many others - without you there would be no Route 66 only a road. My mom - for taking care of my house and Olivia so I could make this trip without worries about home. And finally, to Sophie - you were my friend and companion for many years and through many trials...I am sorry I was not there in end!

The end...the end of one journey and the start of another. We still have to make it home; it may not be by The Mother Road, but any road you take with a free-spirit and an open-mind can be the adventure of a lifetime or at least make for a lifetime of adventures.

Hope Springs at Cool Springs

After a great night in Seligman (very nice motel and a delicious meal with great entertainment at Lilo's), I wasn't for sure what I was going to write about today...it was a nice, but rather uneventful day. Most of our drive consisted of just the beautiful scenery of Arizona.

The morning started out with breakfast at The Road Kill Cafe in Seligman and then a pleasant drive back through this quaint little town. After breakfast, it was a drive through the little towns of Peach Springs, Truxton, and Valentine with a photo op stop at Hackberry General Store. We spent about an hour there just walking around snapping pictures of this quirky little place.

Kingman turned out to be an alive little town that was very quiet on this Sunday morning. We decided to park the car and walk around town. A great courthouse rewarded us for our efforts. We saw several trains pass by as we took pictures of the Hotels Beale and Brunswick.

While the first part of the morning turned out to be a mix of life and dusty death, it was in Cool Springs that I saw hope. After a ride on the Mother Road past beautiful scenery, we arrived at Cool Springs, nothing more than a stop at a general store. Inside we bought cokes and water for the drive and got a chance to talk to George who was the store's manager. Finding out that I was a probation officer George wanted my advise - was he crazy to have feelings for a woman who was serving time in prison?  George told us that he met Lynell while visiting a former employee in prison. He said that over the last 11 months he visited her twice a month and that they were making plans on starting a relationship when she gets out of prison next year.

My first inclination was to tell him he was crazy and to run as fast as he could in the other direction. But, the look on his face as he spoke of Lynell made me think about how this relationship and his willingness to give Lynell a chance was much like the little dusty towns on Route 66 have been given a second chance. We chatted for about 30 minutes about second (and sometimes third) chances and how sometimes you have to take a risk, and how you can never except things for just face-value or you just might miss the opportunity of a lifetime. In the end George promised to keep us posted on how things progress. I wish you the best of luck my new friend!

The next part of our journey was over the Oatman Pass; every twist and turn of this road brought new and more breathtaking scenery. Sadly, I was very disappointed by what lay at the end; the town of Oatman was a schlock town! Garish, faux old west signs announced t-shirts, trinkets, and food. I felt like I was in a Bugs Bunny cartoon as men dressed as gunslingers shot it out in town and "wild" burros nibbled at tourists' hands looking for a carrot. Lunch was the only bright spot - I had a Navajo taco (fry bread covered with chili and cheese) that was delicious.

The rest of the drive into Needles was quiet except for a few comments about how disheartened Okies driving the Mother Road on their exodus from the Dust Bowl to the Land of Milk and Honey must have been when they crossed the state line into California - out of the dust bowl and into the dust! But, the journey is not over and there is hope as we settle in for the night in preparation for the drive across the Mohave Desert early tomorrow morning.