Gonzales to Houston

Back at the St. James Inn in Gonzales again, and it feels like the adventure is coming to a close. I have driven these roads before. But, there is a cruise to Cozumel on the agenda this week! My best friend Melissa had scheduled the cruise with her boyfriend a few months ago, but he is now an ex-boyfriend (by her choice) so I lucked out and get to go on the cruise with her. Good thing I decided to pack my passport at the last minute, just in case.

There was absolutely nothing in west Texas from Lubbock to Gonzales, a whole lot of flatness and some cows. When I arrived in Gonzales I was in desperate need of a shower. I hadn’t showered since the Grand Canyon so I had accumulated a fair amount of road grime. After a nice hot shower I felt like a new woman and we went out to dinner at Acapulco. I ordered catfish ceviche, Aunt Ann got the grilled catfish, and Uncle Rew had the spicy camerones (shrimp). It was all delicious and there was so much that we had enough leftovers for all of us for lunch. We toured the Palmetto state park and had DQ treats for dessert at Gonzales’ waterfall.

I’m looking forward to lounging on the deck, warm in the sun with water all around!

The lady bug that ran across the front of my sunglasses and scared me half to death.

Taos to Lubbock

I surprised myself and made it out the door to an 8am yoga class this morning. It was at the Taos Spa twenty minutes away from the Snowmansion. It was just what I needed, not too strenuous but a good practice. Five minutes down the road from yoga was a labyrinth and a zen garden, I took some time for a walking meditation and raking in the garden. I walked around the shops and galleries in the Taos Plaza for a little while and then hit the road again.

There were more windy roads through mountains; my ears were popping all the way. Then it was flat, flat, flat. I raced a train for a little while and finally made it to Lubbock, TX. I’m staying with a friend of a friend who I just met when I walked in the door. But a free bed to sleep in works for me, and I am grateful for her hospitality. There are three sleepy dogs lounging on the couches around me right now.

Abominable Snowmansion Fireplace

Snow Cat

Labyrinth

Raking in the zen garden

Chuga chuga choo choo!

Sunrise, Four Corners, Taos

Sunrise at the Grand Canyon was oooh inspiring, maybe even a little ahhh too. I still don’t know if it beats sunrise over the ocean though. There’s something about the way the light plays on the water, the rhythm of the waves, and the way it makes me feel in tune with the world.

I was the only person on Lipan point until a little red VW Rabbit rumbled up. It looked like a father son duo; the younger man in the passenger seat was fast asleep and never got out of the car. It was definitely an early start; I began driving in the dark. There’s something magical about dawn and the energy of the earth waking up. I like to sleep though, so I don’t see sunrise all that much. But every time I do see it, it feels like a special reward. I stopped a little further down the road at the watchtower and was startled by three deer eating breakfast near the parking lot. They were very cooperative and let me take their picture.

Tumbleweeds tumbled across the road through Arizona. I went to Four Corners, gave them three dollars to freeze in the wind, pee in a composting toilet that blew air up at my behind, and have an Asian guy take my picture. But I was there, a limb in each state. From the tumbleweeds I drove through snow capped mountains in Colorado. I ate lunch at the Himalyan Kitchen, a delicious Indian buffet in Durango. As I walked downtown I passed outdoor gear stores, the Steaming Bean coffee shop, an aromatherapy herbal shop, a brewery, and a Life is Good store.

Driving through the mountains in New Mexico the full moon was rising on my left as the sun was setting on my right, I didn’t know which way to look! Then as it grew dark I was on a long and winding road through a National Forrest with less than a quarter tank of gas and a dead cell phone. I was a little nervous, I made it though! At the Abominable Snowmansion just north of Taos I was greeted with warm cookies and a hostel host from Massachusetts. I sat around the propane fireplace with the hostel hosts and a couple other guests, five strangers gathered by a fire. I had the entire twelve person dorm room to myself and got a few hours of good rest on a saggy, springy twin bed. 

Watchtower

Moonrise on the left

Sunset on the right

Grand Canyon

The sky was overcast and the wind was blowing, but it was still pretty amazing. Though, every time I hear the words “Grand Canyon” the first thing I think of is the Hoveround commercial. I first saw it with Melissa when we were watching TV in our dorm room. We vowed to one day go to the Grand Canyon on our hoverounds just like Bernice and Joy.

Even though the scenery was incredible, I was craving the ocean. Personally I found driving down the California coast to be more awe inspiring than the Grand Canyon. But, now I can say I’ve been here and I might be back on my hoveround one day!

I think this Raven (Negro) is trying to learn to talk like Blanco. What do you think its saying?

Beep Beep posing for a Mazda 3 ad

Cheese!

View from where I sat to eat lunch

Listened to the Geo-Glimpse talk here

Good thing I saw this before asking!

Just before sunset

Phoenix to Flagstaff

I’ll finish up my brief Arizona tour tomorrow with a day at the Grand Canyon. Yesterday I met my friend Melissa at the Phoenix airport. Phoenix is hard to spell, I consistently spell it Phoneix. We did a little exploring in Tempe, walked up the Hayden Butte, and went hunting for wabitts. We’re visiting with her friend Heidi for a couple of days. We all took each other out for a Valentine’s dinner date last night and then jazz at the Lost Leaf.

Today I drove through Sedona while they went skiing and snowboarding in Flagstaff. The red rocks were beautiful and I visited one of Sedona’s famous vortexes, incredible scenery and cool swirling breezes.

There’s snow on the ground outside our little cabin, but it was 70 in Sedona and I have a little sunburn. The main water line broke, so we’re without water but our stay is free!

Hiking the Butte worked by butt!

We had to ask a few people, but we finally found the wabbits! Big Hug.

Cristine and I

Melissa & Heidi

Looks like your neighbor's house, but it's the Lost Leaf with live jazz

Holy Cross - Sedona

V for Vortex

Happy Love Day!

I’m not much for pink and red and hearts and froo froo ticky tacky romance, and I’ve never been a fan of Valentine’s Day. I’m of the love every day philosophy. There’s so much pressure that you have to do something to proclaim your love on Valentine’s day, and the idea that if you do something grand enough it will make up for other inadequacies.

But, there should be love every day. It’s the small gestures of kindness that truly add up. I’m a practical girl, looking for a competent companion to share the happiness and love in each day. I’m also a skeptic and a cynic when it comes to love, yet I keep on searching for it. As I read in one astrology book I think I have the Gemini curse of continually searching for my other half that will complement me and make my life complete. However, I know that in order to be truly happy, I need to be completely comfortable with just being me.

I’ll close with an inspirational love story for all the single ladies-
A couple of summers ago I was talking to a woman at the Atlantic (the best place to get a cosmo on the island) about traveling. She had recently been to Turkey and went on a tour to an underground cave city of women. Through a translator she asked them how they find husbands in the caves. And one woman responded, “He will find me.” So, it has become my mantra. “He will find me.” My mantra and my advice for every single woman I meet who is fretting about finding a man, try not to worry about finding a soul mate, because he will find you.

Wishing the world peace, love, and happiness each and every day!

Turning point

I’m a little sad, it’s time to turn the car around and head back east.

I have a feeling I’ll be back to California though. I’ve enjoyed the warm sun and beautiful coastline. I thought I’d have a chance to do some surfing, my wetsuit is in the car, but it didn’t happen this time. So, I’ll just have to come back!

Return to Orange

Orange was never a destination on my original itinerary, but when I met Jon and Brenna in New Orleans it was added to the list and I’ve stopped here twice! I’ve enjoyed hanging out with them and getting a little local flavor, good food and good times.

On Friday Brenna and I did our own Orange hop including The Filling Station for breakfast, The Perfect Circle Cupcakery for a treat, and then The Bruery where Brenna works for a few tasting flights of delicious craft beers. After the Bruery it was off to Goodwill for a little shopping and The Moose Museum, filled with moose memorabilia by a guy who’s never seen a moose…odd. In the evening we had sopes on the porch and then it was off to The Fling, a bar around the corner where we met a Playboy bunny from the 1960s, her two daughters, and grandson dancing the night away to Eddie Day, the Wizard of Rock and Roll.

Saturday morning Jon and I went for breakfast and I started my day with some amazing huevos rancheros and a banana coconut smoothie. Jon took me down to see The Wedge, Balboa, Laguna, and through the canyon where I learned that cyn = canyon. I had been thinking it was pronounced ‘sin’ and I know idea why it was on a lot of the street signs I’d passed. We made it out in the evening to see Alejandro’s Awesome Surf Band and did a little dancing.

El Capitan

I was shooting for Gaviota State Park, but they were closed for camping. So I ended up at El Capitan just down the road, what a great place. I set up my tent so that when I unzipped the door I looked out to the ocean.

I met Vic the Canadian and Dodd from Long Beach at the next campsite. Vic has been traveling for a couple of weeks. Dodd came into the campground a few nights before. It was after dark and he saw Vic with his head lamp on and asked him if the site was near the water. He said yes, but then Vic had an idea and started running after Dodd’s truck in the dark with his headlamp on. He asked him if he wanted to split the campsite, and there they were sharing laughs for the past couple of days.

I joined them by the campfire for the evening. Vic was ready to share everything since I was going to eat peanut butter and crackers for dinner. He gave me whole grain bread with coconut oil and hummus and cheese and carrots and beer, awesome! Way better than peanut butter and crackers.

The view from my tent

Oil rig on the horizon

Dolphins swimming by in the morning

Name that bird

Natural tar ball - they wash up all the time, native americans used them to seal their boats, I got one stuck to my foot

I taught Vic and Dodd yoga on the beach