December 23, 2008
Disneyland, CA
Disneyland and California Adventure with Lica, Leah and Andrew
December 08 and 09, 2008
December 08 and 09, 2008
Cleveland, OH
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
After breakfast with Renee and Greg, we left Columbus for the two and a half hour drive up to Cleveland. The highway was lined with even more cornfields and we only made one stop en route. We were booked in the Renaissance Hotel and had little trouble driving into downtown in the afternoon. We decided to have a leisurely afternoon and wandered down to the pool which turned out to be freezing. So after a brief dip, we returned to the room for a rest.
In the evening, we went to dinner at a cajun-themed restaurant named, Fat Fish Blue where Frank had the Bourbon St Sampler, consisting of a cup each of Red Beans and Rice, Gumbo and Jambalaya with a half pound of crawfish...yummy! Thomas was eating light and had a bowl of gumbo and a wedge salad. However, he couldn't resist sharing Frank's desert of warm bread pudding with a caramel topping, heaven. After dinner, we split up and Thomas went back to the hotel as Frank walked to Progressive Field to see the Indians slaughter the White Sox (BDB sox fans). Thomas had requested Frank bring Grady Sizemore back from the stadium but unfortunately the best he got was a replica Grady lapel pin. The photo above is of Indians hottie, Ryan Garko not Grady (you can see multiple shots of both in the slide show below).
After breakfast with Renee and Greg, we left Columbus for the two and a half hour drive up to Cleveland. The highway was lined with even more cornfields and we only made one stop en route. We were booked in the Renaissance Hotel and had little trouble driving into downtown in the afternoon. We decided to have a leisurely afternoon and wandered down to the pool which turned out to be freezing. So after a brief dip, we returned to the room for a rest.In the evening, we went to dinner at a cajun-themed restaurant named, Fat Fish Blue where Frank had the Bourbon St Sampler, consisting of a cup each of Red Beans and Rice, Gumbo and Jambalaya with a half pound of crawfish...yummy! Thomas was eating light and had a bowl of gumbo and a wedge salad. However, he couldn't resist sharing Frank's desert of warm bread pudding with a caramel topping, heaven. After dinner, we split up and Thomas went back to the hotel as Frank walked to Progressive Field to see the Indians slaughter the White Sox (BDB sox fans). Thomas had requested Frank bring Grady Sizemore back from the stadium but unfortunately the best he got was a replica Grady lapel pin. The photo above is of Indians hottie, Ryan Garko not Grady (you can see multiple shots of both in the slide show below).
Columbus, OH
Friday, August 29, 2008
Toledo, OH to Columbus, OH
We got up and went out to breakfast with John and Aiden this morning. Aiden was so adorable and was drawing up a storm. At one point he grabbed Frank’s camera and took some pictures that came out very good. We got on the road heading to Columbus, land of Ohio State University and a batch of friends from California that all migrated there. We got to Renee and Greg’s house in the afternoon, just hanging out to catch up. It’s funny how with certain friends, no matter how long it’s been since you last saw them, you can just pick up right where you left off. We got to meet the new family dog, Rocky, who makes us miss our dogs even more.
That evening is the opening game of Alex’s, Renee and Greg’s daughter, high school football team. It’s been a very long time since either of us has attended a high school football game but we are sports and tag along. We head over with Robin, Renee’s sister, who we haven’t seen since our last trip to Columbus in 2000. But before we head to the game we are all hungry, so we stop at the local favorite, Emelio’s for some thin crust pizza. We can tell we are at a local hangout, full length bar with tables on the side, since everyone turns and stares the moment they hear the door open. Once at the game, there is a threat of a rainstorm but so far so good. Yes memories are streaming back of being a band geek and a spirit club member and of course we are looking around assigning each kid to their proper “Breakfast Club” stereotype. In the second quarter the rain starts. Robin just looks at us and says “I don’t do rain” followed by an “of course if you guys wanna stay…” and off we go to Robins house. Before we leave, however, they make an announcement that due to the lightening, do not lean against the metal fences. No warnings about staying off of the metal stands where everyone happens to be sitting. Arriving to the safety of Robin’s house, we meet Bodie, Robin’s dog. Renee and Greg arrive later as the game was called due to the rain and we hang out for the rest of the night.
Saturday August 30, 2008
Columbus, OH
The morning begins with Renee, Robin and us all heading out for a walk at Ohio State University. This is the first game of the football season and tailgating parties are going to be in full swing. We would like to start this with a disclaimer; we thought we knew tailgate parties. OMG! Buckeye fans lose there ever loving minds for this team! We can’t begin to describe the size and scope of this tailgate party. Tents, Bar-B-Q, inflated 20 foot tall Ronald McDonalds, another Ronald on a Segway and everyone dressed in red and white. Renee tells us the stadium holds 100,000 an there are an additional 100,000 just here to tailgate. Crazy Stuff! Robin and Renee insist we must have a buckeye necklace because we are the only people in the area not wearing red. We wander over to an auditorium to listen to the marching band play and outside to where the Cheerleaders and yell leaders were doing their thing. Here we stop awhile; adorable Midwest boys in cute and tight yell leader outfits, like we are going to walk away from that. After much ogling, we continue our walk leisurely strolling along the river.
The girls choose a local brew pub for lunch and we watch the OSU game on the many big screen tvs along the walls. Frank is telling some story, dropping a country, this time Peru and our waitress overhears and says that she was born in Peru! Apparently her mom was an exchange student and there she met and married the man who became her father; small world strikes again, well we suppose it doesn’t really apply since neither of us is actually from Peru but we have both been there and the Small World ride at Disneyland is closed down and we have both been to Disneyland as well but we digress…
After lunch with the food coma setting in, we sat at Renee’s house trying to decide if we should take naps or go to the dog park. Rocky and Bodie’s cuteness win out and we head off to Darby Bend Lake Park which has an off leash area for dogs. We would like to offer, if you are ever short of friends or people to talk to, get a cute puppy and go to a dog park. Everyone was all about little Rocky.
That night we, Renee, Greg, Robin, Alex and her boyfriend Eric all head to dinner at Z Cucina in a cool area called Grandview. If you are ever in Columbus, go here for dinner, great food and excellent service. Alex had warned Eric we were “sort of gay” so as it not to be a big shock… didn’t think there was any “sort of” about it. It turns out Eric has a gay cousin but no we don’t know him. There is nothing better to make you feel old then watching kids grow into young adults. Before we arrived to Columbus, Alex was still about 8 in our minds, now she is driving with a permit and has a boyfriend. We feel the same old age when we see Alejandro and Kayleigh too. Once again…Food coma and out. We have eaten more in Ohio than the rest of the trip combined!
Toledo, OH to Columbus, OH
We got up and went out to breakfast with John and Aiden this morning. Aiden was so adorable and was drawing up a storm. At one point he grabbed Frank’s camera and took some pictures that came out very good. We got on the road heading to Columbus, land of Ohio State University and a batch of friends from California that all migrated there. We got to Renee and Greg’s house in the afternoon, just hanging out to catch up. It’s funny how with certain friends, no matter how long it’s been since you last saw them, you can just pick up right where you left off. We got to meet the new family dog, Rocky, who makes us miss our dogs even more.That evening is the opening game of Alex’s, Renee and Greg’s daughter, high school football team. It’s been a very long time since either of us has attended a high school football game but we are sports and tag along. We head over with Robin, Renee’s sister, who we haven’t seen since our last trip to Columbus in 2000. But before we head to the game we are all hungry, so we stop at the local favorite, Emelio’s for some thin crust pizza. We can tell we are at a local hangout, full length bar with tables on the side, since everyone turns and stares the moment they hear the door open. Once at the game, there is a threat of a rainstorm but so far so good. Yes memories are streaming back of being a band geek and a spirit club member and of course we are looking around assigning each kid to their proper “Breakfast Club” stereotype. In the second quarter the rain starts. Robin just looks at us and says “I don’t do rain” followed by an “of course if you guys wanna stay…” and off we go to Robins house. Before we leave, however, they make an announcement that due to the lightening, do not lean against the metal fences. No warnings about staying off of the metal stands where everyone happens to be sitting. Arriving to the safety of Robin’s house, we meet Bodie, Robin’s dog. Renee and Greg arrive later as the game was called due to the rain and we hang out for the rest of the night.
Saturday August 30, 2008
Columbus, OH
The morning begins with Renee, Robin and us all heading out for a walk at Ohio State University. This is the first game of the football season and tailgating parties are going to be in full swing. We would like to start this with a disclaimer; we thought we knew tailgate parties. OMG! Buckeye fans lose there ever loving minds for this team! We can’t begin to describe the size and scope of this tailgate party. Tents, Bar-B-Q, inflated 20 foot tall Ronald McDonalds, another Ronald on a Segway and everyone dressed in red and white. Renee tells us the stadium holds 100,000 an there are an additional 100,000 just here to tailgate. Crazy Stuff! Robin and Renee insist we must have a buckeye necklace because we are the only people in the area not wearing red. We wander over to an auditorium to listen to the marching band play and outside to where the Cheerleaders and yell leaders were doing their thing. Here we stop awhile; adorable Midwest boys in cute and tight yell leader outfits, like we are going to walk away from that. After much ogling, we continue our walk leisurely strolling along the river.
The girls choose a local brew pub for lunch and we watch the OSU game on the many big screen tvs along the walls. Frank is telling some story, dropping a country, this time Peru and our waitress overhears and says that she was born in Peru! Apparently her mom was an exchange student and there she met and married the man who became her father; small world strikes again, well we suppose it doesn’t really apply since neither of us is actually from Peru but we have both been there and the Small World ride at Disneyland is closed down and we have both been to Disneyland as well but we digress…After lunch with the food coma setting in, we sat at Renee’s house trying to decide if we should take naps or go to the dog park. Rocky and Bodie’s cuteness win out and we head off to Darby Bend Lake Park which has an off leash area for dogs. We would like to offer, if you are ever short of friends or people to talk to, get a cute puppy and go to a dog park. Everyone was all about little Rocky.
That night we, Renee, Greg, Robin, Alex and her boyfriend Eric all head to dinner at Z Cucina in a cool area called Grandview. If you are ever in Columbus, go here for dinner, great food and excellent service. Alex had warned Eric we were “sort of gay” so as it not to be a big shock… didn’t think there was any “sort of” about it. It turns out Eric has a gay cousin but no we don’t know him. There is nothing better to make you feel old then watching kids grow into young adults. Before we arrived to Columbus, Alex was still about 8 in our minds, now she is driving with a permit and has a boyfriend. We feel the same old age when we see Alejandro and Kayleigh too. Once again…Food coma and out. We have eaten more in Ohio than the rest of the trip combined!
Albuquerque, NM
Sunday, August 17, 2008
We wake up this morning in Albuquerque NM and start the day by going down to Old Town to hang out. Of course for Thomas, the first order of business is to find coffee. We find a little bakery called “Rolling in Dough” in one of the alcoves around Old Town. It’s a cute little bakery that has green practices and a cute mo running it. On the outside patio is a biking group (pedals, not Harleys) taking a break from their ride. They range in age from about seven to 50 plus and are enjoying a nice respite. We wander over to the square in the middle of town and hang out watching children play, people talk and musicians practice. On one side of the square is Church San Filipe de Neri, a beautiful stucco church with an amazing courtyard. It is an amazingly peaceful way to start the morning.
The Gay Rodeo is in town and we had planned on going to check it out. The day was so beautiful outside it called for us to go adventuring. So we decide to drive around town and check out Central Ave/Route 66. Frank has been obsessed with old road side signs, and we stop every mile or so to get pictures. The Dog House, Launch Pad, Indian Jewelry and The Man’s Hat Shop, every sign is more entertaining than the last. Our personal favorite is Foxes: Booze n’ Cruise.
We decide to drive out to the upper edge of town to the Sandia Tramway. The tram runs about 3 miles up to the top of Sandia Peak, about 10,000 feet high and claims to be the longest aerial tram in the world. We decide against going up and wander around Cibola National Park where the tram starts instead.
We then head to Petroglyph National Monument and do a hike. We spend several hours wandering around some of the coolest images carved into the rocks we have ever seen. Most of the carvings date back 400 to 700 years ago and are still amazing to see. One of the ancient carvings looks just like Kid N Play from the 90’s; Thomas is certain the rapper was reincarnated. The monument is supposed to stay open until 5 pm, but at 4 a ranger tells us they have to close early due to a tornado warning. We look around it’s a little cloudy, but a tornado watch? We think mister cute young ranger might have a barbeque to attend and needs us to get out!
The rest of the day is spent relaxing and swimming at the hotel. We decided to go to the Chama River Brewing Company for dinner, thinking it will be a good choice for some pub grub. It turns out to be a swanky restaurant with an excellent menu and some nice eye candy (aka table full of military dudes) to boot. The evening is spent planning the east coast portion of the trip. Frank was in charge of everything up until New York; Thomas was in charge of New York and beyond. Frank’s half of the trip is meticulously planned and mapped out. Thomas’s half…not so much. DC, Savannah and Charleston are all quickly chosen as must see and a visit to Sue and Ty in Florida is a no brainer.
We wake up this morning in Albuquerque NM and start the day by going down to Old Town to hang out. Of course for Thomas, the first order of business is to find coffee. We find a little bakery called “Rolling in Dough” in one of the alcoves around Old Town. It’s a cute little bakery that has green practices and a cute mo running it. On the outside patio is a biking group (pedals, not Harleys) taking a break from their ride. They range in age from about seven to 50 plus and are enjoying a nice respite. We wander over to the square in the middle of town and hang out watching children play, people talk and musicians practice. On one side of the square is Church San Filipe de Neri, a beautiful stucco church with an amazing courtyard. It is an amazingly peaceful way to start the morning.
The Gay Rodeo is in town and we had planned on going to check it out. The day was so beautiful outside it called for us to go adventuring. So we decide to drive around town and check out Central Ave/Route 66. Frank has been obsessed with old road side signs, and we stop every mile or so to get pictures. The Dog House, Launch Pad, Indian Jewelry and The Man’s Hat Shop, every sign is more entertaining than the last. Our personal favorite is Foxes: Booze n’ Cruise.We decide to drive out to the upper edge of town to the Sandia Tramway. The tram runs about 3 miles up to the top of Sandia Peak, about 10,000 feet high and claims to be the longest aerial tram in the world. We decide against going up and wander around Cibola National Park where the tram starts instead.
We then head to Petroglyph National Monument and do a hike. We spend several hours wandering around some of the coolest images carved into the rocks we have ever seen. Most of the carvings date back 400 to 700 years ago and are still amazing to see. One of the ancient carvings looks just like Kid N Play from the 90’s; Thomas is certain the rapper was reincarnated. The monument is supposed to stay open until 5 pm, but at 4 a ranger tells us they have to close early due to a tornado warning. We look around it’s a little cloudy, but a tornado watch? We think mister cute young ranger might have a barbeque to attend and needs us to get out!The rest of the day is spent relaxing and swimming at the hotel. We decided to go to the Chama River Brewing Company for dinner, thinking it will be a good choice for some pub grub. It turns out to be a swanky restaurant with an excellent menu and some nice eye candy (aka table full of military dudes) to boot. The evening is spent planning the east coast portion of the trip. Frank was in charge of everything up until New York; Thomas was in charge of New York and beyond. Frank’s half of the trip is meticulously planned and mapped out. Thomas’s half…not so much. DC, Savannah and Charleston are all quickly chosen as must see and a visit to Sue and Ty in Florida is a no brainer.
El Malpais to Grants, NM
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Rising early, we broke camp and made our way to El Malpais Information Center where we were pleasantly surprised to run into Gayle, our informative ranger from yesterday. She was preparing to take a small group out exploring the area including some spelunking (which we confirmed was exploring caves, you dirty minds you). She thought we were there to join them but we had to pass as it was going to be an all day event and we had already planned to spend the morning in El Malpais (“badlands” in English) and then head to Albuquerque. She introduced us to another ranger, Maryann, who was so excited about telling us about the area and its various hiking trails that it was a joy just to listen to her. She advised us to start at El Calderon Area as there were some great trails that wouldn’t take too much time yet offered some amazing views of the area. El Calderon is the result of an ancient volcano so the area contains numerous lava tubes and caves most of which require spelunking experience and a knowledgeable guide. Maryann directed us to Junction Cave which is an easy one to explore as you can see light at either end. She advised to ensure we headed to the right as exploring to the left would leave us in total darkness. Maryann was very detailed about explaining the trails and soon we were on our way.
Arriving at El Calderon, there was no one in the parking area, a good sign for some peaceful exploring. Junction Cave was close by so we headed down the path, climbed down the rocks and went spelunking, well at least the lazy man’s version. It was fun to be walking in the lava tube watching our footing on the rocks as there was no clear trail. Maryann had advised us to be sure to start on the left side of the cave as it was an easier descent and that they had seen the result (broken legs and ankles) of people starting on the right side as it had appeared to them to be easier.
Making our way through Junction Cave unscathed, we continued down the trail to Double Sinks and on to the Bat Cave (no sign of Christian Bale must be saving someone, somewhere). The Bat Cave is closed for human exploration (isn’t it always) and there are warnings not to mess with the bat guano (as if! guano is poop if you didn’t know) as it contains an element dangerous to humans (uh, yeah).
The trail continued to the Lava Trench and up to El Calderon Cinder Cone. Cinders are pea-sized rocks that are formed when lava hardens as it is shot from the volcano and exposed to air. The ground around the cone is made up of two different colored cinders, black and red. The red cinders contain higher amounts of iron so it is believed that the different cinders are the result of two different volcanic explosions. These cinders provide a good place for seeds to take and root and also help to retain water deep below the surface. There are some plants in El Morro that only grow on cinders.
We made our way back to the parking area just in time to see a family heading down Junction Cave of course on the wrong side. Oh well, hope they didn’t ruin their vacation. From here, we drove on Hwy 53 around El Malpais National Conservation Area up to Grants located off the I-40. Our first impression of Grants was that it was a smaller version of Gallup, more like a trot if you will. We drove down Route 66 through Grants and took a few snaps of some dilapidated landmarks.
From Grants, we stopped at the Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center which had a well-designed, modern display of the national and state parks. It also had a great view of El Malpais Area. From the I-40, we hopped on Hwy 117 to explore the eastern side of the monument. Our first stop was the Sandstone Bluffs Overlook which offered amazing views high above the lava flows. Continuing south to La Ventana Natural Arch, the drive was absolutely stunning. Frank thought it was more beautiful than the red cliffs of Sedona; we both agreed we liked the lack of cars everywhere, unlike Sedona. The views at the arch were stunning and affording a lot of great photo ops, some with LKC of course.
Our next destination was Albuquerque, so we headed back to the I-40 for the hour and a half drive.
Rising early, we broke camp and made our way to El Malpais Information Center where we were pleasantly surprised to run into Gayle, our informative ranger from yesterday. She was preparing to take a small group out exploring the area including some spelunking (which we confirmed was exploring caves, you dirty minds you). She thought we were there to join them but we had to pass as it was going to be an all day event and we had already planned to spend the morning in El Malpais (“badlands” in English) and then head to Albuquerque. She introduced us to another ranger, Maryann, who was so excited about telling us about the area and its various hiking trails that it was a joy just to listen to her. She advised us to start at El Calderon Area as there were some great trails that wouldn’t take too much time yet offered some amazing views of the area. El Calderon is the result of an ancient volcano so the area contains numerous lava tubes and caves most of which require spelunking experience and a knowledgeable guide. Maryann directed us to Junction Cave which is an easy one to explore as you can see light at either end. She advised to ensure we headed to the right as exploring to the left would leave us in total darkness. Maryann was very detailed about explaining the trails and soon we were on our way.
Arriving at El Calderon, there was no one in the parking area, a good sign for some peaceful exploring. Junction Cave was close by so we headed down the path, climbed down the rocks and went spelunking, well at least the lazy man’s version. It was fun to be walking in the lava tube watching our footing on the rocks as there was no clear trail. Maryann had advised us to be sure to start on the left side of the cave as it was an easier descent and that they had seen the result (broken legs and ankles) of people starting on the right side as it had appeared to them to be easier.Making our way through Junction Cave unscathed, we continued down the trail to Double Sinks and on to the Bat Cave (no sign of Christian Bale must be saving someone, somewhere). The Bat Cave is closed for human exploration (isn’t it always) and there are warnings not to mess with the bat guano (as if! guano is poop if you didn’t know) as it contains an element dangerous to humans (uh, yeah).
The trail continued to the Lava Trench and up to El Calderon Cinder Cone. Cinders are pea-sized rocks that are formed when lava hardens as it is shot from the volcano and exposed to air. The ground around the cone is made up of two different colored cinders, black and red. The red cinders contain higher amounts of iron so it is believed that the different cinders are the result of two different volcanic explosions. These cinders provide a good place for seeds to take and root and also help to retain water deep below the surface. There are some plants in El Morro that only grow on cinders.We made our way back to the parking area just in time to see a family heading down Junction Cave of course on the wrong side. Oh well, hope they didn’t ruin their vacation. From here, we drove on Hwy 53 around El Malpais National Conservation Area up to Grants located off the I-40. Our first impression of Grants was that it was a smaller version of Gallup, more like a trot if you will. We drove down Route 66 through Grants and took a few snaps of some dilapidated landmarks.
From Grants, we stopped at the Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center which had a well-designed, modern display of the national and state parks. It also had a great view of El Malpais Area. From the I-40, we hopped on Hwy 117 to explore the eastern side of the monument. Our first stop was the Sandstone Bluffs Overlook which offered amazing views high above the lava flows. Continuing south to La Ventana Natural Arch, the drive was absolutely stunning. Frank thought it was more beautiful than the red cliffs of Sedona; we both agreed we liked the lack of cars everywhere, unlike Sedona. The views at the arch were stunning and affording a lot of great photo ops, some with LKC of course.
Our next destination was Albuquerque, so we headed back to the I-40 for the hour and a half drive.
El Morro, NM
Friday, August 15, 2008
Newly crowned, we depart Gallup on Hwy 602 which takes us through the Zuni Reservation. This will connect us to the 53, on our way to El Morro National Park. Research advised this is one of the most beautiful drives in all of New Mexico and it was spot on.
We planned to camp at El Morro RV and Campground which was listed on a gay camping website as it is owned by two lesbians. The link to the campground’s actual site gave no indication at all that it was gay so we figured it was just a family property that happened to be gay-owned; oh well, we’ll support our sisters. As we arrived, we were happy to see the entrance lined with rainbow flags, hmm, maybe this was gayer than we thought. There was no formal admittance office but we saw a sign advising to settle up in the café after you’ve found a space. We drove around the small grounds checking out the spaces and then parked at the Ancient Ways Café.
How refreshing to walk into the café and be greeted by a man with drop earrings and hair pulled up in barrettes. He said to pick any site we wanted even the rv sites with electricity as they had a lot of sites available that day. Choosing one tucked away with an awesome view of the mountains, we had the tent set up in a snap so we made our way back to the café for some lunch. The rustic café had a table-lined porch which was completely packed with local park workers so we chose a table inside. The gentleman we spoke to earlier came over and we talked about the park and the area. We noted that we were pleasantly surprised to see such gayness in the middle of a national park and he told us how the campground attracts a lot of the fairy community and in fact there was a huge week-long gathering nearby and we were certainly welcome to attend. He said that the couple just bought the property five years ago and they have slowly been making improvements.
Later that afternoon, we drove over to the El Morro National Monument. We talked to the ranger, Gayle and told her that we had bought the National Parks pass for our trip around the states. She said she had always wanted to do that and we said we wanted to do it now while we could still enjoy our great resources rather than wait until we get much older and could only enjoy the parks from their visitor centers.
The two-mile hike around the monument was fantastic. The first half mile is around the perimeter of Inscription Rock. There is a natural pool there that has served as a respite for traveling natives and Spaniards throughout time. These visitors have carved their signatures and petroglyphs into the bluff and these are now protected for our enjoyment. We decided to do the entire Headland Trail that took us to the top of the bluff, up to Atsinna, the Puebloan ruins. The trail to the top was definitely worth it, affording beautiful views of the area.
After the hike, we went to a small, local grocer and bought some Indian bread and supplies for dinner. We hit bed after the sun went down as it had been a long day.
Newly crowned, we depart Gallup on Hwy 602 which takes us through the Zuni Reservation. This will connect us to the 53, on our way to El Morro National Park. Research advised this is one of the most beautiful drives in all of New Mexico and it was spot on.
We planned to camp at El Morro RV and Campground which was listed on a gay camping website as it is owned by two lesbians. The link to the campground’s actual site gave no indication at all that it was gay so we figured it was just a family property that happened to be gay-owned; oh well, we’ll support our sisters. As we arrived, we were happy to see the entrance lined with rainbow flags, hmm, maybe this was gayer than we thought. There was no formal admittance office but we saw a sign advising to settle up in the café after you’ve found a space. We drove around the small grounds checking out the spaces and then parked at the Ancient Ways Café.
How refreshing to walk into the café and be greeted by a man with drop earrings and hair pulled up in barrettes. He said to pick any site we wanted even the rv sites with electricity as they had a lot of sites available that day. Choosing one tucked away with an awesome view of the mountains, we had the tent set up in a snap so we made our way back to the café for some lunch. The rustic café had a table-lined porch which was completely packed with local park workers so we chose a table inside. The gentleman we spoke to earlier came over and we talked about the park and the area. We noted that we were pleasantly surprised to see such gayness in the middle of a national park and he told us how the campground attracts a lot of the fairy community and in fact there was a huge week-long gathering nearby and we were certainly welcome to attend. He said that the couple just bought the property five years ago and they have slowly been making improvements.
Later that afternoon, we drove over to the El Morro National Monument. We talked to the ranger, Gayle and told her that we had bought the National Parks pass for our trip around the states. She said she had always wanted to do that and we said we wanted to do it now while we could still enjoy our great resources rather than wait until we get much older and could only enjoy the parks from their visitor centers.
The two-mile hike around the monument was fantastic. The first half mile is around the perimeter of Inscription Rock. There is a natural pool there that has served as a respite for traveling natives and Spaniards throughout time. These visitors have carved their signatures and petroglyphs into the bluff and these are now protected for our enjoyment. We decided to do the entire Headland Trail that took us to the top of the bluff, up to Atsinna, the Puebloan ruins. The trail to the top was definitely worth it, affording beautiful views of the area.
After the hike, we went to a small, local grocer and bought some Indian bread and supplies for dinner. We hit bed after the sun went down as it had been a long day.
Gallup, NM
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Yesterday, we had pulled into Gallup just before sunset to spend the night at the El Rancho Hotel, another Route 66 landmark. The property was designed by the brother of movie director DW Griffith and all the rooms are named after famous stars. We had reserved a room en route and when we arrived, found that we had been booked into the Rita Hayworth room, go figure. The lobby looks like a national park lodge but with signed black and white celebrity photos densely displayed all over its two floors; it was quite lovely and transported us back to a more glamorous time. We were expecting a little of that glamour in our room but despite its namesake, the furnishings had little to do with her highness. It leaned more toward the park lodge aspects of the hotel, tidy yet compact.
We felt like Mexican for dinner so we drove the boulevard looking for a restaurant that attracted locals rather than tourists. We were not disappointed with our choice especially when they brought out the sopaipillas (that’s how they spelled it there) with honey. On the way back to El Rancho, the sun had already set so we stopped to take pictures of some of the neon signs around Gallup.
The next morning, we checked out of the hotel and were on our way to find the Burger King on Highway 666. We had been advised by our friend, Mr. Johnson that we needed to get a crown and play the King game. Apparently, whoever was wearing the crown was in charge and got to make all the decisions (some people don’t need said crown for that). After a few miscues, we found the former Hwy 666, now 491, got the crown (which had all of the rules of this King game) and some snaps. There was a family restaurant called Furr’s also located there and we took a photo of their sign in honor of our friend Lisa.
Yesterday, we had pulled into Gallup just before sunset to spend the night at the El Rancho Hotel, another Route 66 landmark. The property was designed by the brother of movie director DW Griffith and all the rooms are named after famous stars. We had reserved a room en route and when we arrived, found that we had been booked into the Rita Hayworth room, go figure. The lobby looks like a national park lodge but with signed black and white celebrity photos densely displayed all over its two floors; it was quite lovely and transported us back to a more glamorous time. We were expecting a little of that glamour in our room but despite its namesake, the furnishings had little to do with her highness. It leaned more toward the park lodge aspects of the hotel, tidy yet compact.
We felt like Mexican for dinner so we drove the boulevard looking for a restaurant that attracted locals rather than tourists. We were not disappointed with our choice especially when they brought out the sopaipillas (that’s how they spelled it there) with honey. On the way back to El Rancho, the sun had already set so we stopped to take pictures of some of the neon signs around Gallup.
The next morning, we checked out of the hotel and were on our way to find the Burger King on Highway 666. We had been advised by our friend, Mr. Johnson that we needed to get a crown and play the King game. Apparently, whoever was wearing the crown was in charge and got to make all the decisions (some people don’t need said crown for that). After a few miscues, we found the former Hwy 666, now 491, got the crown (which had all of the rules of this King game) and some snaps. There was a family restaurant called Furr’s also located there and we took a photo of their sign in honor of our friend Lisa.
Bedrock to Holbrook, AZ
Thursday, August 14, 2008
So at morning light we are wide awake and ready to break camp. On the road by 7:30, we are discussing if we should drive more directly or cut over and go to a town called The Gap. We decide it’s not worth the drive just to say that we did in fact “Fall into The Gap” (okay that reference may be a bit old for some of you). It’s a good thing we decided to take the more direct route otherwise we would have missed Bedrock City. This is a true replica (can you say that?) of how the Flintstones might have lived. It had to all be designed by drawings as unfortunately we have no true artifacts from that fabled, long gone city. There is a gift shop (of course there is) and you can pay five dollars to walk through the actual city (we chose to decline). We had a blast just taking photos in the parking lot.
Back on the 180 heading to Flagstaff, Thomas has a Cranberry Apple Cherry Clif Bar and says it reminds him of Captain Crunch Crunchberry. Wow he’s instantly seven years old again, watching the Flintstones and eating his favorite cereal. The route is absolutely beautiful, traveling through Ponderosa Pines and Aspen trees; we hit the summit at 8046 feet.
Not sure we were expecting anything from Flagstaff but it turns out to be a quaint city with an adorable historic downtown district. This marks the fourth city from the Route 66 song that we have seen. Obviously a launching pad for skiing and other outdoor sports as it had a number of sporting goods stores, one of which we picked up a new French press. Yeah we brought a huge bag of coffee but forgot the espresso maker. We drove around the city and got some great shots of old hotels.
From Flagstaff, we hopped back on I-40 making our way east again, destination Winslow. Yes this city has been popularized by a song but not the Route 66 one. We head to “Standing on the Corner…” where the Eagles song “Take It Easy” is now immortalized, complete with a mural, a statue of a dude holding a guitar and an actual flatbed Ford parked nearby. Photos are of course necessary and Thomas calls his sister Kathy (obviously an Eagles fan) to let her know where we are standing. We buy her some earrings shaped like a Route 66 sign with the verbiage, “Standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona”; also a lapel pin for Frank.
The Old Trails Museum is located in Winslow and it houses some great historic photos and artifacts. It also tells the story of the Harvey Houses and the girls who made their way west to work in them (remember the Judy Garland movie, The Harvey Girls? Of course you do, you big mo!). We spoke to the curator and she told us how she ended up in Winslow from Mississippi – turns out her husband is in law enforcement and he got a job there; now he’s retired and she’s bringing home the bacon. She said she was born in Mobile, AL probably at the same hospital as Thomas’ dad (apparently it was the only one around when she was born in the fifties so it was likely the only one when he was born in the twenties).
We had lunch at Rosa’s, an Italian restaurant recommended by the lady who helped us at the gift shop and it turned out to be excellent. Thomas had the pesto chicken sandwich and Frank had an Italian sausage (watch the comments there) sandwich that was so juicy he had to eat it with knife and fork (like the French eat their burgers, eh Brenda?).
Back on the I-40, we make a stop at Jackrabbit Trading Post for some ice and sodas. They have a billboard with a picture of the jackrabbit and a sign saying “Here it is” so there we were taking photos on and with the jackrabbit.
We were originally going to stay at the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook but upon arrival decided against that. It was still early in the day and Holbrook was pretty barren so we opted for some snaps of the motel instead. Recognize the set-up? It was the inspiration for the cone hotel in the movie “Cars”. We did a quick spin around Holbrook and then moseyed along across the AZ border into NM and on to Gallup.
So at morning light we are wide awake and ready to break camp. On the road by 7:30, we are discussing if we should drive more directly or cut over and go to a town called The Gap. We decide it’s not worth the drive just to say that we did in fact “Fall into The Gap” (okay that reference may be a bit old for some of you). It’s a good thing we decided to take the more direct route otherwise we would have missed Bedrock City. This is a true replica (can you say that?) of how the Flintstones might have lived. It had to all be designed by drawings as unfortunately we have no true artifacts from that fabled, long gone city. There is a gift shop (of course there is) and you can pay five dollars to walk through the actual city (we chose to decline). We had a blast just taking photos in the parking lot.
Back on the 180 heading to Flagstaff, Thomas has a Cranberry Apple Cherry Clif Bar and says it reminds him of Captain Crunch Crunchberry. Wow he’s instantly seven years old again, watching the Flintstones and eating his favorite cereal. The route is absolutely beautiful, traveling through Ponderosa Pines and Aspen trees; we hit the summit at 8046 feet.
Not sure we were expecting anything from Flagstaff but it turns out to be a quaint city with an adorable historic downtown district. This marks the fourth city from the Route 66 song that we have seen. Obviously a launching pad for skiing and other outdoor sports as it had a number of sporting goods stores, one of which we picked up a new French press. Yeah we brought a huge bag of coffee but forgot the espresso maker. We drove around the city and got some great shots of old hotels.
From Flagstaff, we hopped back on I-40 making our way east again, destination Winslow. Yes this city has been popularized by a song but not the Route 66 one. We head to “Standing on the Corner…” where the Eagles song “Take It Easy” is now immortalized, complete with a mural, a statue of a dude holding a guitar and an actual flatbed Ford parked nearby. Photos are of course necessary and Thomas calls his sister Kathy (obviously an Eagles fan) to let her know where we are standing. We buy her some earrings shaped like a Route 66 sign with the verbiage, “Standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona”; also a lapel pin for Frank.
The Old Trails Museum is located in Winslow and it houses some great historic photos and artifacts. It also tells the story of the Harvey Houses and the girls who made their way west to work in them (remember the Judy Garland movie, The Harvey Girls? Of course you do, you big mo!). We spoke to the curator and she told us how she ended up in Winslow from Mississippi – turns out her husband is in law enforcement and he got a job there; now he’s retired and she’s bringing home the bacon. She said she was born in Mobile, AL probably at the same hospital as Thomas’ dad (apparently it was the only one around when she was born in the fifties so it was likely the only one when he was born in the twenties).
We had lunch at Rosa’s, an Italian restaurant recommended by the lady who helped us at the gift shop and it turned out to be excellent. Thomas had the pesto chicken sandwich and Frank had an Italian sausage (watch the comments there) sandwich that was so juicy he had to eat it with knife and fork (like the French eat their burgers, eh Brenda?).
Back on the I-40, we make a stop at Jackrabbit Trading Post for some ice and sodas. They have a billboard with a picture of the jackrabbit and a sign saying “Here it is” so there we were taking photos on and with the jackrabbit.
We were originally going to stay at the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook but upon arrival decided against that. It was still early in the day and Holbrook was pretty barren so we opted for some snaps of the motel instead. Recognize the set-up? It was the inspiration for the cone hotel in the movie “Cars”. We did a quick spin around Holbrook and then moseyed along across the AZ border into NM and on to Gallup.
Grand Canyon, AZ
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
We rise with the sun, still can’t seem to shake that 6am wake-up, and decide to take a drive to the eastern side of the canyon. Desert View Drive takes us around the rim of the canyon and we make stops at each of the scenic spots. The views are amazing and we are early enough to beat the crowds. The pictures say it best. As we head back to camp, several tour buses pass by the oppostie direction, good thing we got up early.
In the canyon, we are getting no cell or internet service (ahh, that’s the life) so we spend the afternoon in Tusayan, a town located at the south entrance to the canyon. RP Stage Stop, an internet café, turns out to be a good place to spend some time getting photos downloaded to the blog and writing text. A few friends have mentioned there were no new entries on the blog as of late (you know who you are Thom Johnson). We sit with dueling laptops in two easy chairs. There is a trio of lovely ladies sitting opposite us and Frank notices that they are glancing over, must be his dashing island looks and dark tan. Later he realizes he had spilt his iced mocha down the front of his shirt, uh yeah, now completely dry, he’s dashing off to the restroom.
We rise with the sun, still can’t seem to shake that 6am wake-up, and decide to take a drive to the eastern side of the canyon. Desert View Drive takes us around the rim of the canyon and we make stops at each of the scenic spots. The views are amazing and we are early enough to beat the crowds. The pictures say it best. As we head back to camp, several tour buses pass by the oppostie direction, good thing we got up early.
In the canyon, we are getting no cell or internet service (ahh, that’s the life) so we spend the afternoon in Tusayan, a town located at the south entrance to the canyon. RP Stage Stop, an internet café, turns out to be a good place to spend some time getting photos downloaded to the blog and writing text. A few friends have mentioned there were no new entries on the blog as of late (you know who you are Thom Johnson). We sit with dueling laptops in two easy chairs. There is a trio of lovely ladies sitting opposite us and Frank notices that they are glancing over, must be his dashing island looks and dark tan. Later he realizes he had spilt his iced mocha down the front of his shirt, uh yeah, now completely dry, he’s dashing off to the restroom.
Williams to Grand Canyon, AZ
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Williams is a launching pad for the Grand Canyon. It is a very picturesque little town filled with Route 66 memorabilia shops and restaurants. We are drawn in to the Java Cycle by the “Free WIFI” sign in the window. As we are standing at the counter about to order, a guy to whom the barista girl was trying to brush off hands her his card; then a group of kids walk in and hand her a flyer; and finally the postman hands her the mail. All within a ten second period! Unprepared, Thomas grabs a flyer off the counter, hands it to the overloaded barista and orders a raspberry latte.
After wandering around the Grand Canyon Railroad Station, we begin the one hour or so drive to the national park. En route, we stop at the Planes of Fame Air Museum for some snaps of some classic flying machines. Arriving at the Grand Canyon, we set up camp in a flash; we are getting pretty fast at this already. The family to our right is French (of course they are) and the family across the way is Canadian (say no more).
We walked to the rim of the canyon to enjoy a peaceful view of the sunset. Apparently, that was everyone else’s intent as well. We were stampeded by groups of people pushing and shoving to have their special moment and photo of the sunset. Despite the crowd, it was absolutely stunning.
Williams is a launching pad for the Grand Canyon. It is a very picturesque little town filled with Route 66 memorabilia shops and restaurants. We are drawn in to the Java Cycle by the “Free WIFI” sign in the window. As we are standing at the counter about to order, a guy to whom the barista girl was trying to brush off hands her his card; then a group of kids walk in and hand her a flyer; and finally the postman hands her the mail. All within a ten second period! Unprepared, Thomas grabs a flyer off the counter, hands it to the overloaded barista and orders a raspberry latte.
After wandering around the Grand Canyon Railroad Station, we begin the one hour or so drive to the national park. En route, we stop at the Planes of Fame Air Museum for some snaps of some classic flying machines. Arriving at the Grand Canyon, we set up camp in a flash; we are getting pretty fast at this already. The family to our right is French (of course they are) and the family across the way is Canadian (say no more).
We walked to the rim of the canyon to enjoy a peaceful view of the sunset. Apparently, that was everyone else’s intent as well. We were stampeded by groups of people pushing and shoving to have their special moment and photo of the sunset. Despite the crowd, it was absolutely stunning.
Seligman to Ash Fork, AZ
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
We wake up this morning to the sounds of trains rolling by. The sound of the train is actually not as annoying as you would think, well maybe that's just us. After we break camp, it’s in to the town of Seligman for breakfast at the Copper Cart, a Route 66 diner. Our waitress, who was not all that happy, took our order and brought us plates of food that would have fed a Somalian family of four. No one in the diner besides us spoke English. French couple over here, Spanish group there and 2 tables of Italians! Once completely gorged, we were miraculously able to roll our bodies out of the restaurant; we headed down 66 on foot to check out a few shops. For about a half-mile stretch there is nothing but gitchy-gatchy shops catering to tourists. It is very strange being on Route 66 in America; it seems that the only people that are out here are the French, Germany and Italians. It almost feels like being in a foreign country, we hear so little English spoken. We stopped at the Snow Cap Drive-In which presented multiple fun photo ops.
Out of Seligman on Route 66 is probably one of the more beautiful drives of the trip. Tall Black-eyed Susans line both sides of this road of rolling hills as we move up and towards Williams. We make a stop in Ash Fork, the flagstone capitol of the world; and you were wondering where that might be, well now you know. As we climb higher, the desert begins to fade away and make room for a more alpine look. Just outside of Williams it seemed we were back in the Pacific NW.
We wake up this morning to the sounds of trains rolling by. The sound of the train is actually not as annoying as you would think, well maybe that's just us. After we break camp, it’s in to the town of Seligman for breakfast at the Copper Cart, a Route 66 diner. Our waitress, who was not all that happy, took our order and brought us plates of food that would have fed a Somalian family of four. No one in the diner besides us spoke English. French couple over here, Spanish group there and 2 tables of Italians! Once completely gorged, we were miraculously able to roll our bodies out of the restaurant; we headed down 66 on foot to check out a few shops. For about a half-mile stretch there is nothing but gitchy-gatchy shops catering to tourists. It is very strange being on Route 66 in America; it seems that the only people that are out here are the French, Germany and Italians. It almost feels like being in a foreign country, we hear so little English spoken. We stopped at the Snow Cap Drive-In which presented multiple fun photo ops.
Out of Seligman on Route 66 is probably one of the more beautiful drives of the trip. Tall Black-eyed Susans line both sides of this road of rolling hills as we move up and towards Williams. We make a stop in Ash Fork, the flagstone capitol of the world; and you were wondering where that might be, well now you know. As we climb higher, the desert begins to fade away and make room for a more alpine look. Just outside of Williams it seemed we were back in the Pacific NW.
Lake Havasu to Seligman AZ
Monday, August 11, 2008We woke up this morning at the non-deadly Motel 6 in Lake Havasu. Thomas gets his early morning walk on and then we get the hell out of Dodge. Our final destination for this evening is Seligman about a two hour drive along I-40. However, today we are actually traveling on Route 66 so we circle back from Lake Havasu City on the I-40 headed east to Exit 1, Topock. Here, Route 66 begins a five-hour drive through towns long forgotten by the masses traveling the interstate. If you’ve seen the movie Cars you know what we mean. The drive begins through some shady green trees giving way to the town of Golden Shores which provides some good photo ops if nothing else. Continuing along, Thomas notes that now he knows what being in the middle of nowhere really means. There aren’t many cars on the road, make that barely any, and the few we do see are traveling the opposite direction! Judging from the out of state license plates, they are probably Route 66’ers coming from Chicago heading to Santa Monica.
Oatman is an authentic western “ghost town” although there are plenty of merchants hocking their wares to eager tourists, hey that’s us. The town is famous for two things: one, the Oatman Hotel where Clark Gable and Carol Lombard spent their honeymoon; and two, believe it or not, burros. Said burros walk the streets, okay street of Oatman and tourists delight in feeding them carrots. We definitely saw remnants of the burros, minding our step so as not to take home any unwanted souvenirs on our shoes. However we saw no actual burros. They must sleep in on Monday or have some union agreement with the tourist board but no matter, they were nowhere in sight. The proud heritage of the burros has inspired such business names as Jackass Junction, The Classy Ass and Fast Fannie’s; the latter referring to a different kind of western heritage. Our favorite was the Glory Hole. Not sure if Oatman knows that title has a totally different meaning to gay men then we are sure the town intends. Of course that is only an ASSumption; it, like the burros was not available to tourists that morning.
You can tour the Oatman Hotel and even see the room where the famous Hollywood couple stayed. It is no longer a functioning hotel however the restaurant is still open. It has some weird tradition of people hanging dollar bills on the wall; we put ours in the donation box instead. Twice daily, Oatman pulls out all the stops and puts on an authentic, fake gun fight. It’s all very Frontier Village and if you grew up in the Bay Area, you know what we mean.We head up to Sitgreaves Pass and down a series of switchbacks to Cool Springs. Our research warned of the dangers of driving this road as it has very sharp turns with no guard rails. One site even had a picture of a car that had gone over the side. Well it turned out to be a big fanfare for nothing. Definitely kid’s stuff compared to the hair-raising Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride that is the bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu. Okay we heard the “thunk” as we just dropped a country name to which we have travelled but we just had to do it. The summit provides a good opportunity for some great snaps of the area. There is also a series of crosses and memorials. From here we finally got to see some burros but these were wild burros, the ones without their Equity Cards.
Cool Springs was an historic Route 66 respite comprised of a gas station and cabins. It had withered away from neglect but was rebuilt for the movie “Universal Soldier” and then supposedly was torn down again; never saw the movie so judging by the title and genre, it was probably blown up. It has recently been rebuilt using old photos as its inspiration. It now has a very cool stone exterior with some classic gas pumps and signs. Inside there is a small room of memorabilia including signed Rolling Stones albums. There is also a gift shop where we bought a bag of ice and a Route 66 – Cool Springs pin for Frank’s manbag, murse or camera bag, whatever you want to call it.
Back to the route and into Kingman. Kingman is a snapshot of another time (especially on Route 66) diners, quaint houses, little parks. We drive down Andy Devine Blvd to Mr. D’z Diner for lunch then check out the train in the park across the street. Of course no trip to Kingman is complete without a stop at the Hilltop Motel, where Timothy McVeigh spent his last week before adding his name to a long line of people most people despise. Obviously the hotel would rather proclaim that it has the “Best View in Kingman”. Apparently that wasn’t enough to dissuade him.Out of Kingman we can’t resist a stop to see Giganticus Headicus, a Moai-inspired statue. Continuing thru Peach Springs with a stop at the Grand Canyon Caverns and on to Seligman where we are camping at the KOA for the night. The gal running the KOA is a hoot and gives us a keychain reading “I survived the night of 1000 trains”. It seems the KOA is DIRECTLY next to the train tracks. We can tune almost anything out having lived for so long in cities, but there were a lot of trains, really long trains like 100 plus cars each. It was actually kind of soothing after a while. The main area of the grounds had been recently remodeled and was very …elegant. Having worked for Pottery Barn, the fixtures and accessories were very familiar. Something tells us that KOA isn't The Barn’s target customer but it was nice.
California to Lake Havasu, AZ
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Today’s the big day so we got up at seven to get an early start. We had forgone the Eddie Izzard show the night before, Thomas was feeling sick and we had too much to do. We finally hit the road at 8 30 and stated heading down towards Ventura. As soon as we hit Casitas Springs Thomas blurts out “we forgot to stop at Mom’s house on the way out” So we turn around back up to Oak View to say goodbye to Mom. Then back on the road and back down towards Ventura. The plan was to travel through Cali with a minimum of stops and make it all the way to Arizona.
Along the 126 to Valencia, we pass five restored Model T Fords cruising down the highway. After driving along a series of highways (the same route we usually take to Vegas) we get to Victorville, stop long enough to get a picture of the Route 66 sign and a youth theater called Shenanigans. At the Chevron a girl on a motorcycle had a helmet with a pink Mohawk.
We depart from Hwy 40 to drive along Route 66 and get to a town called Daggett, pretty much a ghost town, but some cool things for photo ops. Newberry Springs and the Bagdad Café is our next stop. We haven’t seen the movie in 15-20 years, luckily they play it on a loop above the register. Thomas takes the owner’s advice and tries a buffalo burger; it turns out to be quite good. We watch the people come in and take pictures. One of the employees tells us about 70% of their business is tourists from FRANCE. I guess the movie Bagdad café has a major following there. We meet a gentleman from Paris with his family that have gone all around the pacific Southwest and are headed towards LA and then Las Vegas. He says he is staying in Santa Monica, but fears it is a bad area. I assure him it is a very nice area, right on the water. He wanted to stay in Santa Barbara but said everything was booked up. We advised him to at least do a day trip there as it is the French Riviera of the West Coast. We leave the cafe just as a tour bus has arrived, we ask one lady where they are from and she says France, go figure.
Driving from Mojave to Arizona is a trip. Once you pass over the Colorado River into Arizona the terrain gets rockier and less sandy. We pull into Lake Havasu about 4 and head towards the Motel 6; cheap accommodations for our first night. Our friend Angelica said it was against the Gay Code of Conduct for us to stay at a Motel 6. We tell her not to let the word get out; oh wait…
It is never a good sign when you show up at your hotel to find the Lake Havasu Crime scene investigation van, four police cars in the front and parking lot closed off. As we head into the hotel Thomas takes a picture with his phone of the CSI van and is asked by a Motel 6 employee to erase the picture. He says OK yet does not.
We are told a “water main has broken" and we have been moved to the sister hotel across town. Guess water mains require assistance by CSI here in Lake Havasu. Read story here We take in a quick swim and decide to head to London Bridge. Despite what Fergie says it is not falling down (maybe she meant her pants) So in the sweltering heat of 113 we walk two and a half miles down to the lake. It’s weird to be in a small London village complete with red phone boxes, Tudor buildings and London Bridge in 113 degrees! Thomas spies a booth selling gondola rides on the lake and is even more confused.
Today’s the big day so we got up at seven to get an early start. We had forgone the Eddie Izzard show the night before, Thomas was feeling sick and we had too much to do. We finally hit the road at 8 30 and stated heading down towards Ventura. As soon as we hit Casitas Springs Thomas blurts out “we forgot to stop at Mom’s house on the way out” So we turn around back up to Oak View to say goodbye to Mom. Then back on the road and back down towards Ventura. The plan was to travel through Cali with a minimum of stops and make it all the way to Arizona.
Along the 126 to Valencia, we pass five restored Model T Fords cruising down the highway. After driving along a series of highways (the same route we usually take to Vegas) we get to Victorville, stop long enough to get a picture of the Route 66 sign and a youth theater called Shenanigans. At the Chevron a girl on a motorcycle had a helmet with a pink Mohawk.
We depart from Hwy 40 to drive along Route 66 and get to a town called Daggett, pretty much a ghost town, but some cool things for photo ops. Newberry Springs and the Bagdad Café is our next stop. We haven’t seen the movie in 15-20 years, luckily they play it on a loop above the register. Thomas takes the owner’s advice and tries a buffalo burger; it turns out to be quite good. We watch the people come in and take pictures. One of the employees tells us about 70% of their business is tourists from FRANCE. I guess the movie Bagdad café has a major following there. We meet a gentleman from Paris with his family that have gone all around the pacific Southwest and are headed towards LA and then Las Vegas. He says he is staying in Santa Monica, but fears it is a bad area. I assure him it is a very nice area, right on the water. He wanted to stay in Santa Barbara but said everything was booked up. We advised him to at least do a day trip there as it is the French Riviera of the West Coast. We leave the cafe just as a tour bus has arrived, we ask one lady where they are from and she says France, go figure.
Driving from Mojave to Arizona is a trip. Once you pass over the Colorado River into Arizona the terrain gets rockier and less sandy. We pull into Lake Havasu about 4 and head towards the Motel 6; cheap accommodations for our first night. Our friend Angelica said it was against the Gay Code of Conduct for us to stay at a Motel 6. We tell her not to let the word get out; oh wait…
It is never a good sign when you show up at your hotel to find the Lake Havasu Crime scene investigation van, four police cars in the front and parking lot closed off. As we head into the hotel Thomas takes a picture with his phone of the CSI van and is asked by a Motel 6 employee to erase the picture. He says OK yet does not.
We are told a “water main has broken" and we have been moved to the sister hotel across town. Guess water mains require assistance by CSI here in Lake Havasu. Read story here We take in a quick swim and decide to head to London Bridge. Despite what Fergie says it is not falling down (maybe she meant her pants) So in the sweltering heat of 113 we walk two and a half miles down to the lake. It’s weird to be in a small London village complete with red phone boxes, Tudor buildings and London Bridge in 113 degrees! Thomas spies a booth selling gondola rides on the lake and is even more confused.Wedding Day, Ventura County
June 24, 2008I had been treating the whole situation as if I was going to renew my driver license. Make an appointment, take time off work, head down to the office, wait around with a lot of unhappy people even though you have an appointment – yeah, we’ve all been through it; if not to get our driver license, something equally as painful. It had finally happened – marriage between two men or two women was now legal in the state of California and I was getting hitched.
When we first heard the news, Thomas asked me if I wanted to get married. “Sure, why not?” was my underwhelming response. Not really the romantic response he was seeking, I think. Instead of the great joy in knowing that the California government had finally seen the light, I was kind of non-plussed. Big deal, so now the 17-year relationship that I have shared with this man has some validation? I don’t think so. We had our commitment ceremony 10 years ago with Thomas’ mom walking him down the aisle and my dad accompanying me. We held the festivities at the Marines Memorial in downtown San Francisco and it was the first gay wedding they had had there. The knockout reception and crazy time at the hotel that followed is still talked about amongst our friends. How can we top that? Now we’re “actually” getting married…“Sure, why not?”
Thomas registered for our marriage license online on Monday, June 16th. At the time the form still said bride and groom. “Which one do you want to be?” he asked. “Doesn’t matter to me,” was my response, still with the attitude. He told me it took four tries to finally go through. “Weird,” I said from the other room in-between reading baseball blogs. “The earliest appointment I can get is next Tuesday at 3” he said. “Well I hope I can get off work early,” returning to the blogs.
The week went by, I got permission to leave early and our lives continued as normal. The main difference was that whenever one of us did something the other found annoying, we would say "You know when we're married that shit's gonna stop."We didn’t tell very many people; I emailed a few friends at work – no biggie. My friend Lica was happy and excited for us. She kept asking me questions to which I would jokingly respond, as I mostly do. She asked what we were going to wear. I told her I suggested we wear our matching blue, floral print shirts but someone wasn’t really going for that idea. Thomas asked Tammy to be our witness and she happily accepted. Good thing he did, I wasn’t going to pay the extra $22 to have the county supply one. It was already going to cost us $142.
So Tuesday is here and I log into work at seven as normal. Thomas says he will be off work at 1:30 and we will leave shortly after I get off work at two. He’s decided to wear a white dress shirt and slacks. “I’ll pick something out,” I say.
Eli and Rocco start barking. It’s not the barking of just someone walking by; it’s the “someone’s at the door” barking. Cody, next door joins the dudes’ woofing chorus. Man, don’t people know I’m working? I get to the door and see a FedEx truck driving away. I look on the doorstep and see a light green box from FTD. Ah, man, Thomas sent me flowers and I didn’t get him anything! I open the box and it is a bouquet of roses and lilies with a small golden box of Godiva chocs. I open the card and it says “Happy Wedding Day. From Nicole and Alysia.” I immediately lose it.
I quickly cut the ends off the stems and put the flowers in a vase – I gotta get back to work. I can arrange them later; hopefully no one will see them in the meantime and take away my gay card. That’s when the emails start… ”Congratulations!”..."Are you nervous?" What was I thinking? The California Supreme Court has now given you the right to get married. GET MARRIED. Buddy, you are getting married today.
Thomas gets home and has the same reaction to the flowers. We both are feeling very emotional and I’m starting to feel a little nervous. What’s that about?! I still have some work to do but now I cannot stay focused so that means I am mainly responding to email. I hear him in the backyard, chatting to someone on the phone.
The dudes start barking again. I go to the front door and there is a little old man standing there with a basket of purple and yellow flowers. At first, I think it is the husband of one of Florence’s friends but it is not. I thank the man and he walks back towards a van parked in front. I notice the name of a florist on the envelope and then look again at the van. There is another old man in the passenger seat. I imagine that these two men own a local florist shop and have lived together for many years. Finally, they have the right to marry. They are so happy to be supplying flowers to same-sex couples that they make the deliveries together. Then Julia Roberts walks up and bitch slaps me. No, wait, it’s Thomas and I show him the new flowers that are from Lica, Leah and Andrew. We are both a little vaklempt...talk amongst yourselves...and lucky to have support from good friends.
The Ceremony, Ventura County
We get to the Ventura County Government Center right behind Tammy. She’s on the phone (of course) and doesn’t see us at first. When we park, she surprises us with two, white rose boutonnières. She had asked the woman at the florist if she should get one corsage and one boutonnière and or two boutonnières and she suggested she get the two – didn’t want there to be any fighting over who got the corsage! As we walked to the courthouse, I was surprised/relieved not to see any protesters. We’re already a week in so maybe the shenanigans have died off. Waiting in line, I’m looking around wondering if people think that either Thomas or I am marrying Tammy. We are all dressed nicely enough – unlike the couple with the dude in the white t-shirt. It probably was his best one. Oh well, she’s gotta marry him. We get to the counter and the woman, Francisca, is very friendly though not that talkative. I wonder if she is comfortable with having to help two men get married. We make little jokes amongst ourselves and she does the “I’m not joining in but I’m laughing” laugh. Twenty-five years of customer service, I’ve played that game. Wait for the customer to allow you in. I ask her if my check bounces does that mean the marriage is off. Uh, giving you permission here.
Finally, I just ask her if she has processed many same-sex couples and she says oh yeah. That gets her talking and I ask her about protesters and she says there haven’t been any. She thinks it’s because Ventura is more of a small town. She did say there was a couple from Los Angeles that came with the LA Times but that was the biggest hullabaloo (okay my words not hers).
to be continued...
Maipo Valley, Chile 2008
These are photos taken at the Concha y Toro Winery located in the Maipo Valley just about an hour south of Santiago.
Channel Islands, CA 2008
Talk about avoiding your own backyard. We had been to Harbortown in Ventura numerous times yet had never taken a cruise out to the Channel Islands. It was on our list of "one of these days we should..." Our friend Brenda booked a group to take the tour but after a number of people flaked for various reasons (you know who you are), it ended up being just the three of us and Tammy. We had a great time as the weather was perfect. We didn't make the stopover on the islands themselves but vowed to do that sometime in the future. Ventura and Oxnard sure look beautiful from the coast.
We did see some actual whales and dolphins too.
Two gay dads on the ship with us. Well we assumed they were two gay dads by the way each of the kids interacted with them. So cute, oh the kids too, we guess.
Look it's a bear. No, just a hot park ranger.
Fun with Tammy and Brenda.
A bit windy...
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