Great Geezer Getaway #4
Exploring Historic U.S. Route 66 - Vegas to Albuquerque, NM!
Oct. 20-29, 2015
We wrapped up another big one on Oct. 29. It took us along stretches part of America's oldest and once-longest, cross-country highway. Our destination from Las Vegas was Albuquerque, New Mexico with a treasure trove of amazing things to see and photograph along the way.
U.S.Route 66, created in 1926, was the key U.S. highway for folks migrating west, particularly during the Dust Bowl of the '30s
When Larry was 12, he and his younger brother, Kent, drove with their father southwest from New York to connect with Route 66 and drive in their 1947 Hudson sedan (with no modern air conditioning) along that highway to its San Bernardino, CA terminus and on to their new home in San Diego County (a few scant miles from the Mexico border).
The rest of his large family (mom, grandma, younger twin bro's and an infant sister) took a train!
For half a century, Route 66 -- originating in Chicago -- was given such nicknames as Main Street of America, Will Rogers Highway and Mother Road.
In its heyday, the then two-lane byway only extended 2,448 miles westward through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and, finally, San Bernardino in Southern California! Each state has its own Route 66 "Association" with a trivia-packed website. The more you delve into the road's history, the more intriguing it becomes!
Our camping/sightseeing/picture-taking adventure spanned 10 days from Las Vegas to New Mexico (nicknamed The Land of Enchantment) and back to Vegas. Our final homecoming destination visit was the quaint,very isolated, dirt-main street town of Oatman, AZ.
This site is broken down by Dave into our day-by-day adventures offering text and many of our daily photos that he "sharpened" as needed.
NOTE: The Route 66 roadside signs that appear throughout these pages are for "atmosphere" reflecting the theme of this Getaway adventure and are not necessarily associated with the day depicted. Larry photographed these colorful road signs when he spotted them...often driving Dave "nuts" (to back up for a photo-op shot).
The large GGG logo within a gallery indicates the beginning of a new group of photos.
DAY ONE (Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015)
Meteor Crater; Winslow, AZ; overnight in Winslow
Meteor Crater; Winslow, AZ; overnight in Winslow
We hit the road early in the morning, drove across the Lake Mead dam bridge and passed Kingman, AZ before stopping for breakfast. We continued through Flagstaff and 18 or so miles beyond Winslow, AZ. We made our first stop at Meteor Crater, an unimaginative name but an exact description of the site.
The gigantic, bowl-like hole (see page-wide panorama below) was formerly known as the Canyon Diablo Crater and fragments of the meteorite are officially called the Canyon Diablo Meteorite. Scientists refer to the crater as Barringer Crater in honor of Daniel Barringer, who was first to suggest that it was produced by meteorite impact.
It was created nearly 50,000 years ago after traveling 500 million years through space before hurtling about 26,000 miles an hour thru Earth's atmosphere with an explosive force greater than 20 million tons of TNT. Its center depth would house a 60-story building. Its circumference is 2.4 miles. There are many other superlatives including: 20 football games could be played simultaneously on its floor while more than two million spectators observed from its sloping sides. Yes, the crater, indeed, is awesome. Adding an annoying touch of nature, it was pouring rain during our visit -- a common phenomenon on our Getaways.
Winslow lay a few miles ahead and It was late and still raining, so we decided not to camp and found a Motel 6. After settling in our room, we went out to explore the old downtown section and its original Route 66 area.
We found Bojo's Grill & Sports Club Restaurant after carefully hurdling the gutters that were flooded from heavy rain. The owner, a good friend of a man we met earlier who referred us to Bojo's, sat down and talked with us a while. After that, we returned to the motel and went to bed.
U.S. Route 66 originally passed through the community. A contract to build Interstate 40 as a bypass north of Winslow was awarded at the end of 1977. I-40 has eventually replaced U.S. Route 66 in Arizona in its entirety although short, deteriorating paved segments still remain. Winslow gained national fame in 1972 in the Eagles/Jackson Brown song "Take it Easy" with the lyrical line "Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona."
We took a liking to Motel 6s where we mostly over-nighted during the trip. They were well located, clean and gentle on our budget. We were particularly pleased with the efficient and friendly front desk receptionists...mostly young women with warm smiles.
The gigantic, bowl-like hole (see page-wide panorama below) was formerly known as the Canyon Diablo Crater and fragments of the meteorite are officially called the Canyon Diablo Meteorite. Scientists refer to the crater as Barringer Crater in honor of Daniel Barringer, who was first to suggest that it was produced by meteorite impact.
It was created nearly 50,000 years ago after traveling 500 million years through space before hurtling about 26,000 miles an hour thru Earth's atmosphere with an explosive force greater than 20 million tons of TNT. Its center depth would house a 60-story building. Its circumference is 2.4 miles. There are many other superlatives including: 20 football games could be played simultaneously on its floor while more than two million spectators observed from its sloping sides. Yes, the crater, indeed, is awesome. Adding an annoying touch of nature, it was pouring rain during our visit -- a common phenomenon on our Getaways.
Winslow lay a few miles ahead and It was late and still raining, so we decided not to camp and found a Motel 6. After settling in our room, we went out to explore the old downtown section and its original Route 66 area.
We found Bojo's Grill & Sports Club Restaurant after carefully hurdling the gutters that were flooded from heavy rain. The owner, a good friend of a man we met earlier who referred us to Bojo's, sat down and talked with us a while. After that, we returned to the motel and went to bed.
U.S. Route 66 originally passed through the community. A contract to build Interstate 40 as a bypass north of Winslow was awarded at the end of 1977. I-40 has eventually replaced U.S. Route 66 in Arizona in its entirety although short, deteriorating paved segments still remain. Winslow gained national fame in 1972 in the Eagles/Jackson Brown song "Take it Easy" with the lyrical line "Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona."
We took a liking to Motel 6s where we mostly over-nighted during the trip. They were well located, clean and gentle on our budget. We were particularly pleased with the efficient and friendly front desk receptionists...mostly young women with warm smiles.
THIS AWESOME "ILLUMINATED" CRATER IMAGE WAS DISPLAYED IN THE VISITORS' CENTER (seen at end of road on crater's edge)
DAY TWO (Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015)
Homolovi Ruins State Park; Petrified Forest National Park; overnight in Gallup, NM
Homolovi Ruins State Park; Petrified Forest National Park; overnight in Gallup, NM
HOMOLOVI: This destination, with a year-round open campground about a mile north of Winslow, contains more than 300 ancestral Puebloanarchaeological sites of the ancient Anasazi along numerous hiking trails. Seven separate pueblo ruins built by various prehistoric people between 1260-1400 AD dot the rolling landscape, The Hopi name means "place of the little hills." The Hopi people of today still consider Homolovi part of their homeland and continue to make pilgrimages to these ancient sites. The 4,000-acre park hugs the banks of the Little Colorado River and attracts more than 17,000 visitors annually. The ground is randomly covered with broken pottery and stones that now are reverently considered part of the land and are not to be picked up by visitors.
While on the Homolovi site, we also were able to capture some dramatic cloud formations.
From 1986 to 2011 the name of the park was Homolovi Ruins State Park. The Hopi tribe lobbied the Arizona parks board to remove "Ruins", as the tribe considered the ancient remains to be spiritually alive. At a meeting in Winslow, the board unanimously voted to change the name and to add the tagline "ancestral Hopi villages" to the park. Its website is http://azstateparks.com/Parks/HORU/.
The bottom row of dramatic rainbow photos were taken from the car by Larry as we were approaching Gallup in an intense rainstorm.
While on the Homolovi site, we also were able to capture some dramatic cloud formations.
From 1986 to 2011 the name of the park was Homolovi Ruins State Park. The Hopi tribe lobbied the Arizona parks board to remove "Ruins", as the tribe considered the ancient remains to be spiritually alive. At a meeting in Winslow, the board unanimously voted to change the name and to add the tagline "ancestral Hopi villages" to the park. Its website is http://azstateparks.com/Parks/HORU/.
The bottom row of dramatic rainbow photos were taken from the car by Larry as we were approaching Gallup in an intense rainstorm.
THE PETRIFIED FOREST: Our visit on a gloomy, rainy day was a fitting backdrop for our visit to these petrified remains from the Triassic Period some 225 million years ago when the area was a tropical landscape with abundant vegetation. Early dinosaurs and reptiles roamed; fish, clams, snails and crayfish moved through rivers; and giant 180-foot conifers reached toward the sky. Can you believe it?
It's described as a "Tapestry of Time". Countless hues, and shades paint this tapestry that stretches as far as the eye can see. Shaped by eons of wind and water, this landscape holds vital clues to the past.
During this time span, continents moved, regions up-lifted, climates changed and a river system -- along with its plants and animals -- was buried by layers of sediment.
The Petrified Forest is considered one of the best places on our planet to view ancient fossil relics. We walked where early dinosaurs roamed and giant forests toppled. At first glance, these badlands appear barren and lifeless, but when you look closely, you discover a living scientific laboratory that reveals prehistoric plants, animals and a river system larger than anything on earth today.
As we wandered through this cloud shrouded, eerie ancient-Arizona landscape we became increasingly aware or its ancient history.
NOTE: The first two photos in the second row are shown at different angles of the same petrified tree trunk. The cement block under the left image supports the trunk's base where it originally stood. The image to the right shows the fallen tree.
It's described as a "Tapestry of Time". Countless hues, and shades paint this tapestry that stretches as far as the eye can see. Shaped by eons of wind and water, this landscape holds vital clues to the past.
During this time span, continents moved, regions up-lifted, climates changed and a river system -- along with its plants and animals -- was buried by layers of sediment.
The Petrified Forest is considered one of the best places on our planet to view ancient fossil relics. We walked where early dinosaurs roamed and giant forests toppled. At first glance, these badlands appear barren and lifeless, but when you look closely, you discover a living scientific laboratory that reveals prehistoric plants, animals and a river system larger than anything on earth today.
As we wandered through this cloud shrouded, eerie ancient-Arizona landscape we became increasingly aware or its ancient history.
NOTE: The first two photos in the second row are shown at different angles of the same petrified tree trunk. The cement block under the left image supports the trunk's base where it originally stood. The image to the right shows the fallen tree.
DAY THREE (Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015)
Historic Mission San Miguel in Santa Fe, NM; Rt 66 Diner; overnight in Albuquerque, NM
Historic Mission San Miguel in Santa Fe, NM; Rt 66 Diner; overnight in Albuquerque, NM
Today was rather simple. We drove from Gallup, NM through Albuquerque and on to Santa Fe where we visited Mission San Miguel. We had planned to go east from there into the mountains and to a campground for the night. Due to bad weather we decided to drive the 60 miles back to Albuquerque and bunk in a motel.
We next arrived in Santa Fe, NM where we visited Mission San Miguel -- the oldest church in the U.S. We spent considerable time taking pictures and visiting with a robed priest who greeted visitors. Its walls are adorned with many beautiful paintings and artifacts throughout the chapel. In 1955, a major restoration was carried out. The original dirt floor and sanctuary steps were uncovered and can be seen today just beyond the communion rail. During this investigation many human remains and pieces of pottery were found buried under the church floor. Its website is http://sanmiguelchapel.org/.
After visiting the mission, we were hungry and discovered a neat restaurant for supper...simply named '66 DINER' (a chain operation). Upon entering, it was outfitted with 1940's juke boxes on a long, stooled counter and genuine, plastic covered 'era' booths with the theme being, of course, Route 66. The food was great! We each had a 'burger and milkshake and snapped many photos inside and outside. On a huge wall outside the restaurant was displayed a variety of Rt. 66 road signs.
The restaurant chain's website includes links to fascinating websites of seven Route 66 State Associations (IL, MO, OK, TX, AZ, CA and NM that have posted their own informative text and images heralding Route 66 scenes in their respective states. The restaurant in any of the Route 66 states is a "must visit" stop.The chain's website is http://www.66diner.com/
(We had to cancel a long-planned Day 3 visit to Chaco Culture National Historic Park near Albuquerque due to heavy rains and muddy dirt roads. Here's Chaco's fascinating website anyway: www.nps.gov/chcu/). We missed a great stop!
The last row of five beautiful rainbow photos,below, were taken by Larry in the sequence shown as we were returning to Albuquerque in a heavy rainstorm. The final rainbow image shows raindrops hitting our front windshield!
We next arrived in Santa Fe, NM where we visited Mission San Miguel -- the oldest church in the U.S. We spent considerable time taking pictures and visiting with a robed priest who greeted visitors. Its walls are adorned with many beautiful paintings and artifacts throughout the chapel. In 1955, a major restoration was carried out. The original dirt floor and sanctuary steps were uncovered and can be seen today just beyond the communion rail. During this investigation many human remains and pieces of pottery were found buried under the church floor. Its website is http://sanmiguelchapel.org/.
After visiting the mission, we were hungry and discovered a neat restaurant for supper...simply named '66 DINER' (a chain operation). Upon entering, it was outfitted with 1940's juke boxes on a long, stooled counter and genuine, plastic covered 'era' booths with the theme being, of course, Route 66. The food was great! We each had a 'burger and milkshake and snapped many photos inside and outside. On a huge wall outside the restaurant was displayed a variety of Rt. 66 road signs.
The restaurant chain's website includes links to fascinating websites of seven Route 66 State Associations (IL, MO, OK, TX, AZ, CA and NM that have posted their own informative text and images heralding Route 66 scenes in their respective states. The restaurant in any of the Route 66 states is a "must visit" stop.The chain's website is http://www.66diner.com/
(We had to cancel a long-planned Day 3 visit to Chaco Culture National Historic Park near Albuquerque due to heavy rains and muddy dirt roads. Here's Chaco's fascinating website anyway: www.nps.gov/chcu/). We missed a great stop!
The last row of five beautiful rainbow photos,below, were taken by Larry in the sequence shown as we were returning to Albuquerque in a heavy rainstorm. The final rainbow image shows raindrops hitting our front windshield!
DAY FOUR (Friday, Oct. 23, 2015)
'The Musical Highway', an amazing rest stop, Valley of Fires
'The Musical Highway', an amazing rest stop, Valley of Fires
Awakening this morning in Albuquerque, we headed east on Interstate 40 and turned off onto the "original" Route 66, heading for the small community of Tijeras. Before reaching the town, we found the section of the old Rt. 66 "Mother Road" where the surface had been "adorned" with special embedded 'rumble strips' that, when driving across the marked section at exactly 45 miles an hour, produce a sound that plays music! The tune: America The Beautiful. We turned around and made a second pass over the
"keyboard" before moving on. Here's a YouTube link https://.youtube.com/watch?v=R:MNfN6-eAOGg to the musical experience. Enjoy the experience!. For more information about the musical road check out this Wikipedia site: A musical road also is located in Lancaster, CA (north of Los Angeles).
Our target destination for the day was the ancient Valley of Fires Recreation Area. (Not to he confused with the Valley of Fire near Las Vegas.)
Enroute to the day's primary destination, we stopped at the most awesome, elevated "rest stop" either of us had ever seen. It's called the Rio Salado San Dunes Rest Area. Our photos depict the amenities and the to-kill-for views in all directions. in addition to being unique in design, it also features picnic facilities, ground-level restrooms and elevated picnicking cabins with fantastic panorama views in all directions.
Valley of Fires, near the small town of Carrizozo, was an amazing site to see. It's adjacent to the Malpias Lava Flow that was formed by magma (molten rock) pouring out of a small crack in the earth's surface in a "Hawaiian-style" volcanic eruption. In Hawaii today, this type of eruption is very passive and is typically characterized by lava pouring from a small vent, and then travelling either across the earth's surface or through a series of lava tubes until it cools and solidifies -- or, in Hawaii's case, pours into the ocean..
As the story goes, a small volcano, named Little Black Peak, erupted and flowed 44 miles into the Tularosa Basin and filled it with molten rock. This lava flow (now called Valley of Fires), one of the youngest in the continental U.S., is up to six miles wide, 160 feet thick and spans 125 square miles! It's an awesome view from the hilltop view from from which walkways take visitors to the lava floor and wind through the black lava fields.
From a distance, the lava fields appear as a sprawling flatland with thick vegetation heartily growing thru the lava crevices. But, not to be fooled...when we got closer and hiked along a section of the nature trail, we saw the hardened lava clearly spread out through the lava beds. We also learned it's a paradise for birdwatchers!
We also visited the small, quite isolated Lincoln County community of Carrizozo. The town's 4Winds Mexican restaurant satisfied our dinner needs.
After appeasing our appetite, we returned to our campsite (having earlier erected our tent on a rocky hillside) and hit the sleeping bags.
A few hours later, tucked inside the tent, we heard the low-howling wind switch into high gear and soon it became a swirling, full-scale, very dusty, desert windstorm battering our secured tent and "worrying" both of us. A large full moon was fully obliterated. Larry attempted a peek outside the tent but was quickly halted by Dave's stern demand not to open the tent flap!
Says Dave: "The top of the tent was blown so far to one side, it bent down to nearly touch us inside." So, somewhat frightened, we huddled in our sleeping bags hoping we were firmly grounded. Several hours later the roaring gusts began to subside and we both fell asleep as dawn neared."
"keyboard" before moving on. Here's a YouTube link https://.youtube.com/watch?v=R:MNfN6-eAOGg to the musical experience. Enjoy the experience!. For more information about the musical road check out this Wikipedia site: A musical road also is located in Lancaster, CA (north of Los Angeles).
Our target destination for the day was the ancient Valley of Fires Recreation Area. (Not to he confused with the Valley of Fire near Las Vegas.)
Enroute to the day's primary destination, we stopped at the most awesome, elevated "rest stop" either of us had ever seen. It's called the Rio Salado San Dunes Rest Area. Our photos depict the amenities and the to-kill-for views in all directions. in addition to being unique in design, it also features picnic facilities, ground-level restrooms and elevated picnicking cabins with fantastic panorama views in all directions.
Valley of Fires, near the small town of Carrizozo, was an amazing site to see. It's adjacent to the Malpias Lava Flow that was formed by magma (molten rock) pouring out of a small crack in the earth's surface in a "Hawaiian-style" volcanic eruption. In Hawaii today, this type of eruption is very passive and is typically characterized by lava pouring from a small vent, and then travelling either across the earth's surface or through a series of lava tubes until it cools and solidifies -- or, in Hawaii's case, pours into the ocean..
As the story goes, a small volcano, named Little Black Peak, erupted and flowed 44 miles into the Tularosa Basin and filled it with molten rock. This lava flow (now called Valley of Fires), one of the youngest in the continental U.S., is up to six miles wide, 160 feet thick and spans 125 square miles! It's an awesome view from the hilltop view from from which walkways take visitors to the lava floor and wind through the black lava fields.
From a distance, the lava fields appear as a sprawling flatland with thick vegetation heartily growing thru the lava crevices. But, not to be fooled...when we got closer and hiked along a section of the nature trail, we saw the hardened lava clearly spread out through the lava beds. We also learned it's a paradise for birdwatchers!
We also visited the small, quite isolated Lincoln County community of Carrizozo. The town's 4Winds Mexican restaurant satisfied our dinner needs.
After appeasing our appetite, we returned to our campsite (having earlier erected our tent on a rocky hillside) and hit the sleeping bags.
A few hours later, tucked inside the tent, we heard the low-howling wind switch into high gear and soon it became a swirling, full-scale, very dusty, desert windstorm battering our secured tent and "worrying" both of us. A large full moon was fully obliterated. Larry attempted a peek outside the tent but was quickly halted by Dave's stern demand not to open the tent flap!
Says Dave: "The top of the tent was blown so far to one side, it bent down to nearly touch us inside." So, somewhat frightened, we huddled in our sleeping bags hoping we were firmly grounded. Several hours later the roaring gusts began to subside and we both fell asleep as dawn neared."
DAY FIVE (Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015)
White Sands National Monument...plus a lotta driving!
White Sands National Monument...plus a lotta driving!
For the most part, halfway through Geezer Getaway IV was "somewhat of a bust," as Dave gently puts it. We had a hard time finding this site's poorly marked turnoff and went 20 miles too far. We turned around and went back and passed it again...but this time we spotted it as we zipped by, turned around and finally landed! Dave was quite chagrined but we all make mistakes!
The two-lane single tunnel (see photo below) we drove through in both directions searching for the White Sands Monument turnoff is on US 82. It's only 162 yards long.
We later learned the White Sands monument is located within the 4,000-square-mile White Sands Missile Range. The latter was initially used as a military proving grounds after WWII for testing rockets captured from German armed forces. Today, the area is used for testing experimental weapons and space technology.
Being Desert Rats to begin with, we weren't overly impressed with the site. True, there was a whole lot of beautiful white, very fine sand...but that was it! We took a lot of gorgeous pics of the dunes but, in all honesty, it was somewhat repetitive. Sadly, we took only a few more pics that day after leaving White Sands. It was hot and, as you can see, we were limited to walking along an elevated, winding pathway that stretched for miles. We lasted only a mile or so and decided to head back to the car. The various sign pics were taken at the Visitors' Center.
In the morning after the prior night's windy adventure we had a : "Last night, we were snug and warm in our down sleeping bags. The next morning we found a coating of ice atop our tent and inside its rain fly. After that, we had a 'Geezer Summit Meeting' and concluded that, since Dave is 75 and Larry's 80, we would do no more tent camping!" No vote was necessary!
The two-lane single tunnel (see photo below) we drove through in both directions searching for the White Sands Monument turnoff is on US 82. It's only 162 yards long.
We later learned the White Sands monument is located within the 4,000-square-mile White Sands Missile Range. The latter was initially used as a military proving grounds after WWII for testing rockets captured from German armed forces. Today, the area is used for testing experimental weapons and space technology.
Being Desert Rats to begin with, we weren't overly impressed with the site. True, there was a whole lot of beautiful white, very fine sand...but that was it! We took a lot of gorgeous pics of the dunes but, in all honesty, it was somewhat repetitive. Sadly, we took only a few more pics that day after leaving White Sands. It was hot and, as you can see, we were limited to walking along an elevated, winding pathway that stretched for miles. We lasted only a mile or so and decided to head back to the car. The various sign pics were taken at the Visitors' Center.
In the morning after the prior night's windy adventure we had a : "Last night, we were snug and warm in our down sleeping bags. The next morning we found a coating of ice atop our tent and inside its rain fly. After that, we had a 'Geezer Summit Meeting' and concluded that, since Dave is 75 and Larry's 80, we would do no more tent camping!" No vote was necessary!
DAY SIX (Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015)
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
This destination, a highlight of our Getaway adventures, was a blast to visit! Such words as eerie, beautiful, ancient, quiet, ghostly, magical, dark, artistic...all or any could easily be used to describe the massive underground catacombs. Dave describes our daybreak experience perfectly:
"This morning we launched our second night of camping. We took down our tent, packed the car and all our stuff. This was when we had our staff meeting and decided it would be our last night in a tent. Larry watched me spread out the rain fly and shake it a few times. He shouted with amazement as he watched the spray of ice fly up in a cloud and land on top of me. He said it looked like a snow storm."
Our destination: Carlsbad Caverns -- a two-hour drive passing thru the small town of Artesia and later, Carlsbad.
Some considerations we suggest when scanning our photos: 1. It's nature's artistry. 2. It wasn't created by nature in a week, year or century. At it's earliest beginning, there were no mammals...even dinosaurs. The caverns of today took 300 million (300,000,000) years! And at that beginning, "today's" caverns were located near the equator -- 3,000 miles from where they are now.
Man (the National Park Service) has done three things to the caverns. (1) They built an elevator to reach the cavern floor 800 feet below, (2) they constructed a winding 1.5-mile path at the bottom with guard rails to protect the marvels of the cave, and (3) they installed "strategically located" lighting to illuminate the marvels of the dark subterranean landscape. The NPS has done nothing more beneath the surface.
We lacked fancy cameras and it takes professional photographers to catch the feel and mood of the mysteriously shadowed cavernous floor and three-dimensional, otherworld-like canyon wall surfaces.
________________________________
FACTOID: More than 400,000 folks visit the park annually!
FACTOID: The limestone rock that holds Carlsbad Caverns is full of ocean fossil plants and animals from a time before the dinosaurs when the southeastern corner of New Mexico was a coastline similar to the Florida Keys!
FACTOID: North America's fifth largest "chamber" and the world's 28th largest -- spanning 46,000 acres!
________________________________
The park is 18 miles south of the small town of Carlsbad. The park's website is www.nps.gov/cave.
We entered the Visitors' Center and were directed to the high-speed elevator that transported us 75 stories down to the main cavern floor in less than one minute. Emerging from the elevator, we entered the Big Room with its nearly two-mile path winding among dimly lit features along the ghostly-like landscape. This cavern is 4,000 feet long, 625 feet wide and 255 feet at its highest point.
Due to the time factor and the fatigue that was setting in, we missed several other popular cavern "must sees", including The World of Bats and their spectacular Night Flight.
We both were "hampered" with the etherial-like lighting restricting our picture taking. After some camera adjusting, Dave's photos turned out especially well. Mine were also improved. We've attempted to "caption" most of the images. Hopefully our pictures give you an idea of the 'netherworld' experience of walking along the narrow winding pathway. The complete tour took us a good two hours to complete before we returned to the surface in the speedy elevator and discovered some interesting exhibits in the Visitors' Center.
(Most of the photos are captioned. Enjoy the visit!)
"This morning we launched our second night of camping. We took down our tent, packed the car and all our stuff. This was when we had our staff meeting and decided it would be our last night in a tent. Larry watched me spread out the rain fly and shake it a few times. He shouted with amazement as he watched the spray of ice fly up in a cloud and land on top of me. He said it looked like a snow storm."
Our destination: Carlsbad Caverns -- a two-hour drive passing thru the small town of Artesia and later, Carlsbad.
Some considerations we suggest when scanning our photos: 1. It's nature's artistry. 2. It wasn't created by nature in a week, year or century. At it's earliest beginning, there were no mammals...even dinosaurs. The caverns of today took 300 million (300,000,000) years! And at that beginning, "today's" caverns were located near the equator -- 3,000 miles from where they are now.
Man (the National Park Service) has done three things to the caverns. (1) They built an elevator to reach the cavern floor 800 feet below, (2) they constructed a winding 1.5-mile path at the bottom with guard rails to protect the marvels of the cave, and (3) they installed "strategically located" lighting to illuminate the marvels of the dark subterranean landscape. The NPS has done nothing more beneath the surface.
We lacked fancy cameras and it takes professional photographers to catch the feel and mood of the mysteriously shadowed cavernous floor and three-dimensional, otherworld-like canyon wall surfaces.
________________________________
FACTOID: More than 400,000 folks visit the park annually!
FACTOID: The limestone rock that holds Carlsbad Caverns is full of ocean fossil plants and animals from a time before the dinosaurs when the southeastern corner of New Mexico was a coastline similar to the Florida Keys!
FACTOID: North America's fifth largest "chamber" and the world's 28th largest -- spanning 46,000 acres!
________________________________
The park is 18 miles south of the small town of Carlsbad. The park's website is www.nps.gov/cave.
We entered the Visitors' Center and were directed to the high-speed elevator that transported us 75 stories down to the main cavern floor in less than one minute. Emerging from the elevator, we entered the Big Room with its nearly two-mile path winding among dimly lit features along the ghostly-like landscape. This cavern is 4,000 feet long, 625 feet wide and 255 feet at its highest point.
Due to the time factor and the fatigue that was setting in, we missed several other popular cavern "must sees", including The World of Bats and their spectacular Night Flight.
We both were "hampered" with the etherial-like lighting restricting our picture taking. After some camera adjusting, Dave's photos turned out especially well. Mine were also improved. We've attempted to "caption" most of the images. Hopefully our pictures give you an idea of the 'netherworld' experience of walking along the narrow winding pathway. The complete tour took us a good two hours to complete before we returned to the surface in the speedy elevator and discovered some interesting exhibits in the Visitors' Center.
(Most of the photos are captioned. Enjoy the visit!)
DAY SEVEN (Monday, Oct. 26, 2015)
A "relaxing" day in the car between Carlsbad, NM and Las Cruces, AZ...about 475 driving miles.
A "relaxing" day in the car between Carlsbad, NM and Las Cruces, AZ...about 475 driving miles.
After breakfast, we left Carlsbad and headed for Tucson. That would have been a good day's drive -- as the crow flies -- but there was no road that went straight west. We took US 62 southwest out of Carlsbad. That took us into Texas, the little pointy part that juts west underneath New Mexico and through the outskirts of El Paso.
There we caught Interstate 10 to Las Cruces. We were taking our time; this part of the trip had taken four hours and we weren't yet half way to Tucson. We decided that if we were too old to do tent camping any more, then we were too old to travel in a car for nine hours, so we found a Motel 6 in Las Cruces and a cute, young, friendly desk clerk who let us take her picture.
For dinner that evening, we went to an IHOP restaurant where another cute, young, friendly waitress conversed with us for a while. We learned her life story, which wasn't very long because she was quite young. She was getting ready to go to college and study music.
We made no stops between the two towns. Larry took a couple of pictures of the landscape along the way and a photo of the sunset that evening as seen from our motel. Dave took a photo of the moon rise and that was all we did. -- Comments by Dave.
There we caught Interstate 10 to Las Cruces. We were taking our time; this part of the trip had taken four hours and we weren't yet half way to Tucson. We decided that if we were too old to do tent camping any more, then we were too old to travel in a car for nine hours, so we found a Motel 6 in Las Cruces and a cute, young, friendly desk clerk who let us take her picture.
For dinner that evening, we went to an IHOP restaurant where another cute, young, friendly waitress conversed with us for a while. We learned her life story, which wasn't very long because she was quite young. She was getting ready to go to college and study music.
We made no stops between the two towns. Larry took a couple of pictures of the landscape along the way and a photo of the sunset that evening as seen from our motel. Dave took a photo of the moon rise and that was all we did. -- Comments by Dave.
DAY EIGHT (Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015)
Destination Tucson: Pima Air & Space Museum and San Zavier Mission
Destination Tucson: Pima Air & Space Museum and San Zavier Mission
After breakfast in Las Cruces, NM we renewed our long drive (about 275 more miles) to Tucson, AZ.
Enroute, we lingered at a rest stop and took photos of historic signs. One explains a nearby graveyard of WWII and another offers an interesting explanation of Cooks Wagon Road, the first road from New Mexico to the west coast -- a 2,000-mile span first traversed by a Mormon Battalion led by Lt. Col. Philip St. George Cooke.
Our route took us through southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona. Upon reaching Tucson, our first stop was the Pima Air & Space Museum &Titan Missile Museum. Since 1991, it been home to the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame. It first opened in 1976 with 48 aircraft on display..
Also known as the "Graveyard of Planes" or "The Boneyard", it's the world's largest non-government funded aerospace museum and displays some 300 aircraft spread over 80 fenced acres in large indoor and outdoor areas..
Dave was stationed at Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento as a member of the base military band. He particularly favored two aircraft: the B-36 'Peacemaker' used from 1949 thru the Korean War and the B-52 'Stratofortress' with its eight jet engines. He recalls the latter flying overhead day and night while stationed at Mather. He found and photographed both planes; they appear in our photo collection at the
As we were leaving the facility, we stopped to chat with four 'elderly' volunteers -- all Air Force veterans who "knew their aircraft" and smiled as they looked at our Getaway Geezer "cards" that Larry distributes at every opportunity.
Our next stop was beautiful Mission San Xavier del Bac, built between 1783 and 1797, It's a historic Spanish Catholic mission about 10 miles south of downtown Tucson on the Tohono O'odham San Xavier Indian Reservation.
Considered the finest example of Spanish Colonial architecture in the U.S., the mission hosts some 200,000 visitors annually. Unfortunately, it was closed when we arrived late in the day but we spent a couple of hours touring the grounds and taking pictures amidst many other visitors.
Enroute, we lingered at a rest stop and took photos of historic signs. One explains a nearby graveyard of WWII and another offers an interesting explanation of Cooks Wagon Road, the first road from New Mexico to the west coast -- a 2,000-mile span first traversed by a Mormon Battalion led by Lt. Col. Philip St. George Cooke.
Our route took us through southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona. Upon reaching Tucson, our first stop was the Pima Air & Space Museum &Titan Missile Museum. Since 1991, it been home to the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame. It first opened in 1976 with 48 aircraft on display..
Also known as the "Graveyard of Planes" or "The Boneyard", it's the world's largest non-government funded aerospace museum and displays some 300 aircraft spread over 80 fenced acres in large indoor and outdoor areas..
Dave was stationed at Mather Air Force Base in Sacramento as a member of the base military band. He particularly favored two aircraft: the B-36 'Peacemaker' used from 1949 thru the Korean War and the B-52 'Stratofortress' with its eight jet engines. He recalls the latter flying overhead day and night while stationed at Mather. He found and photographed both planes; they appear in our photo collection at the
As we were leaving the facility, we stopped to chat with four 'elderly' volunteers -- all Air Force veterans who "knew their aircraft" and smiled as they looked at our Getaway Geezer "cards" that Larry distributes at every opportunity.
Our next stop was beautiful Mission San Xavier del Bac, built between 1783 and 1797, It's a historic Spanish Catholic mission about 10 miles south of downtown Tucson on the Tohono O'odham San Xavier Indian Reservation.
Considered the finest example of Spanish Colonial architecture in the U.S., the mission hosts some 200,000 visitors annually. Unfortunately, it was closed when we arrived late in the day but we spent a couple of hours touring the grounds and taking pictures amidst many other visitors.
PHOTOS ENROUTE TO and AT THE AIR MUSEUM
MISSION PHOTOS
DAY NINE (Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015)
Lowell Observatory
Lowell Observatory
Our initial plan was to leave Tucson and head north into the mountains to a campground southeast of Flagstaff and from there visit Bryce Canyon National Park in southwestern Utah, about 50 mile northeast of Zion, which we'd visited a few years earlier.
We decided to skip Bryce and spend the next night in Flagstaff.
As we left Tucson, Dave didn't want the hassle of driving through metropolitan Phoenix (said to be worse than the Las Vegas metro area). Sadly our loyal Garmin GPS tracking devise didn't agree and it took us through the heart of Phoenix.
We enjoyed a pleasant freeway drive through some mountains from Phoenix to Flagstaff along a freeway as Larry photographed passing scenery and signs.
We reached Flagstaff in early afternoon and turned to the Garmin for some "sites" to visit. Among several, it offered up the Lowell Observatory, a somewhat remote astronomical facility established in 1894, It ranks among the oldest observatories in the U.S. and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965. The observatory is owned and operated by a private institution overseen by the Lowell Family.
In 2011, it was named one of the world's "100 Most Important Places" by TIME magazine. It was at the Lowell Observatory that the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh!
The observatory hosts some 85,000 visitors annually at its Steele Visitors Center and offers a large, convenient parking lot.
Larry prudently declined a very steep stairway climb to the second floor where the main 13-inch telescope is housed. Dave, however, easily maneuvered the 14-inch risers and 8-inch treads to reach the telescope platform. The dark interior limited his photographic skills. While Dave was atop the observatory, Larry wandered the beautiful natural surroundings.
It operates several telescopes at three locations in the Flagstaff area and four research telescopes.
We exiting through the lobby after viewing many displays along with a tour group. Outside, we found a volunteer with a solar telescope setup with special filters allowing us to look at the sun and see a solar flare.
A stand-alone museum displayed "Big Red" -- a red 1911 Stevens-Duryea touring car (owned by founder Percival Lowell) -- and observatory tools from the early 20th Century.
After departing the site, we found another Motel 6, located a close-by restaurant and enjoyed supper.
We decided to skip Bryce and spend the next night in Flagstaff.
As we left Tucson, Dave didn't want the hassle of driving through metropolitan Phoenix (said to be worse than the Las Vegas metro area). Sadly our loyal Garmin GPS tracking devise didn't agree and it took us through the heart of Phoenix.
We enjoyed a pleasant freeway drive through some mountains from Phoenix to Flagstaff along a freeway as Larry photographed passing scenery and signs.
We reached Flagstaff in early afternoon and turned to the Garmin for some "sites" to visit. Among several, it offered up the Lowell Observatory, a somewhat remote astronomical facility established in 1894, It ranks among the oldest observatories in the U.S. and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965. The observatory is owned and operated by a private institution overseen by the Lowell Family.
In 2011, it was named one of the world's "100 Most Important Places" by TIME magazine. It was at the Lowell Observatory that the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh!
The observatory hosts some 85,000 visitors annually at its Steele Visitors Center and offers a large, convenient parking lot.
Larry prudently declined a very steep stairway climb to the second floor where the main 13-inch telescope is housed. Dave, however, easily maneuvered the 14-inch risers and 8-inch treads to reach the telescope platform. The dark interior limited his photographic skills. While Dave was atop the observatory, Larry wandered the beautiful natural surroundings.
It operates several telescopes at three locations in the Flagstaff area and four research telescopes.
We exiting through the lobby after viewing many displays along with a tour group. Outside, we found a volunteer with a solar telescope setup with special filters allowing us to look at the sun and see a solar flare.
A stand-alone museum displayed "Big Red" -- a red 1911 Stevens-Duryea touring car (owned by founder Percival Lowell) -- and observatory tools from the early 20th Century.
After departing the site, we found another Motel 6, located a close-by restaurant and enjoyed supper.
DAY TEN (Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015)
Final leg along Rt. 66 took us thru three interesting Arizona towns Willams, Seligman and Oatman
Final leg along Rt. 66 took us thru three interesting Arizona towns Willams, Seligman and Oatman
We left Flagstaff before breakfast. A half-hour later we landed in Williams, AZ -- billed as "Gateway to the Grand Canyon". A train links the small community and the Canyon; there's a large hotel near the station but we were seeking simpler food.
The town, allegedly, was named after William "Old Bill" Williams, a mountain man and trader who often trapped in the area. In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the Greenway Ranch in Williams during that year's presidential campaign.
Williams was the last town to have its section of Route 66 bypassed (in lieu of a freeway), due to lawsuits that kept this final section from being built around the community. After settlements called for the state to build three Williams exits, the suits were dropped and Interstate 40 opened with newspapers heralding the essential end of US 66. The following year, Route 66 was decommissioned.
Today it's a "classic" Route 66 town with 3,023 residents! The highway splits into twin one-way roads through the community -- like two "main streets."
Our first mission of the day -- finding a restaurant ended at the Red Garter Bed & Breakfast -- a bordello of yesteryear still in its original brick building. The ground floor joins a one-story addition where the restaurant and separate tavern are located. The breakfast was delicious and we learned much about the establishment's history from our pleasant waitress and the many photos and memorabilia on the walls.
After Williams, we returned to I-40 and, several miles later, took a turnoff to historic Route 66 and landed in Seligman, AZ -- a small town of 445 (+/-) folks with its main street along Route 66 only three-quarter-mile long. At the west end of town near another freeway entrance we passed a couple of convenience stores and gas stations that seemed to be doing a decent business...thanks to the freeway!
Not prospering as well as Williams, many Seligman businesses were closed...but the central section had many old buildings adorned with Route 66 signs and "era displays" to lure tourists.
Exiting Seligman, we passed many interesting old homes photographed by driver Dave; these turned out dark because ol' Dave forgot to roll down his window. Oops!
We didn't return to the freeway because the historic Route 66 continued westward, so we chose that. It turned out to be the longest section of Route 66 we traveled -- 115 miles. Along this section we passed through three tiny "named" settlements -- one of which was associated with an American Indian reservation. We also saw what appeared to be a tribal celebration of some sort.
After Seligman, we stayed on Route 66 through Kingman -- passing twice beneath Interstate 40 enroute to Oatman, AZ -- the final destination of our 10-day adventure before returning home to Las Vegas.
We (Dave) drove thru Sitgreaves Pass -- described as "the most notorious, intimidating portion or Route 66 with vertical grades, narrow roadways and sharp hairpin curves
Oatman is a tiny Route 66 historic mining town and desert community of about 135 residents some 215 miles southeast of Las Vegas. It's nearest community neighbors Its "other citizens" are hundreds of cute 'wild' burros of all ages that wander at will along the dirt streets of this quaint old mining town mingling with tourists..
The burro "babies" (some only 3 days old) wear stickers on their foreheads reading DO NOT FEED ME. The "elders" gobble up hand-fed hay cubes (aka "burrow chow") and receive tourists' generous petting. But occasional "nipping" or a random "hind kick" is always a possibility! The residents take great pride in their burrow family and are quick to converse with visitors and answer questions.
The burrows are descended from pack animals turned loose by early prospectors and are protected by the US Department of the Interior.
The mining history of the town -- with its dirt streets and burrows still reigning supreme -- began as a tent camp in the wake of two prospectors striking a $10 million gold find in 1915. The town's population exploded to 3,500 in the following year. The town was named in the posthumous honor of Olive Oatman a young Illinois girl taken captive by Yavapai Indians, traded to Mohave Indians and released in 1855.
The final photo on the Oatman page shows (from right to left)) Larry, Dave, his daughter Laura and son-in-law Randy. The kids treated us at a nice restaurant night before Larry flew to Californian and his new home in the hills of the East San Francisco Bay community of El Cerrito.
The town, allegedly, was named after William "Old Bill" Williams, a mountain man and trader who often trapped in the area. In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the Greenway Ranch in Williams during that year's presidential campaign.
Williams was the last town to have its section of Route 66 bypassed (in lieu of a freeway), due to lawsuits that kept this final section from being built around the community. After settlements called for the state to build three Williams exits, the suits were dropped and Interstate 40 opened with newspapers heralding the essential end of US 66. The following year, Route 66 was decommissioned.
Today it's a "classic" Route 66 town with 3,023 residents! The highway splits into twin one-way roads through the community -- like two "main streets."
Our first mission of the day -- finding a restaurant ended at the Red Garter Bed & Breakfast -- a bordello of yesteryear still in its original brick building. The ground floor joins a one-story addition where the restaurant and separate tavern are located. The breakfast was delicious and we learned much about the establishment's history from our pleasant waitress and the many photos and memorabilia on the walls.
After Williams, we returned to I-40 and, several miles later, took a turnoff to historic Route 66 and landed in Seligman, AZ -- a small town of 445 (+/-) folks with its main street along Route 66 only three-quarter-mile long. At the west end of town near another freeway entrance we passed a couple of convenience stores and gas stations that seemed to be doing a decent business...thanks to the freeway!
Not prospering as well as Williams, many Seligman businesses were closed...but the central section had many old buildings adorned with Route 66 signs and "era displays" to lure tourists.
Exiting Seligman, we passed many interesting old homes photographed by driver Dave; these turned out dark because ol' Dave forgot to roll down his window. Oops!
We didn't return to the freeway because the historic Route 66 continued westward, so we chose that. It turned out to be the longest section of Route 66 we traveled -- 115 miles. Along this section we passed through three tiny "named" settlements -- one of which was associated with an American Indian reservation. We also saw what appeared to be a tribal celebration of some sort.
After Seligman, we stayed on Route 66 through Kingman -- passing twice beneath Interstate 40 enroute to Oatman, AZ -- the final destination of our 10-day adventure before returning home to Las Vegas.
We (Dave) drove thru Sitgreaves Pass -- described as "the most notorious, intimidating portion or Route 66 with vertical grades, narrow roadways and sharp hairpin curves
Oatman is a tiny Route 66 historic mining town and desert community of about 135 residents some 215 miles southeast of Las Vegas. It's nearest community neighbors Its "other citizens" are hundreds of cute 'wild' burros of all ages that wander at will along the dirt streets of this quaint old mining town mingling with tourists..
The burro "babies" (some only 3 days old) wear stickers on their foreheads reading DO NOT FEED ME. The "elders" gobble up hand-fed hay cubes (aka "burrow chow") and receive tourists' generous petting. But occasional "nipping" or a random "hind kick" is always a possibility! The residents take great pride in their burrow family and are quick to converse with visitors and answer questions.
The burrows are descended from pack animals turned loose by early prospectors and are protected by the US Department of the Interior.
The mining history of the town -- with its dirt streets and burrows still reigning supreme -- began as a tent camp in the wake of two prospectors striking a $10 million gold find in 1915. The town's population exploded to 3,500 in the following year. The town was named in the posthumous honor of Olive Oatman a young Illinois girl taken captive by Yavapai Indians, traded to Mohave Indians and released in 1855.
The final photo on the Oatman page shows (from right to left)) Larry, Dave, his daughter Laura and son-in-law Randy. The kids treated us at a nice restaurant night before Larry flew to Californian and his new home in the hills of the East San Francisco Bay community of El Cerrito.
WILLIAMS PHOTOS
SELIGMAN PHOTOS
OATMAN PHOTOS
______________________
Our visits to these three destinations on the final day of our magnificent Great Geezer Getaway #4 adventure close a chapter in our lives we'll never forget. We agree that our camaraderie spanning eight years will continue despite the miles that now separate us.
Thank you for stopping by our website and for sharing our adventures with us.
As we earlier stated on our MISSION page, we hope our getaways of varying durations will motivate fellow seniors (health permitting) to venture outside into the fresh air, smell the flowers and enjoy nature. Whether it's a walk around the block, wandering thru a nearby park or an automobile escape to distant hiking trails and even camping grounds. JUST DO IT!
Thank you for stopping by our website and for sharing our adventures with us.
As we earlier stated on our MISSION page, we hope our getaways of varying durations will motivate fellow seniors (health permitting) to venture outside into the fresh air, smell the flowers and enjoy nature. Whether it's a walk around the block, wandering thru a nearby park or an automobile escape to distant hiking trails and even camping grounds. JUST DO IT!
