The Grand Canyon!

Today, I left Kingman AZ in the morning and headed east on I-40. At Seligman AZ, I had to stop because they had a cafe called "The Roadkill Cafe" I had to find out what a vegetarian could eat at a place called ' roadkill '! Turns out, they had quite a few items on the menu for a vegetarian. I settled on a grilled cheese sandwich with fries. After lunch I decided not to go back on I-40, instead I followed historic route 66 to Ashford and then joined I-40. But, for about 22 miles I was traveling on a piece of history.

For the rest of the day my time was spent in a place where my heart resides. I have been in love with the Grand Canyon for a long time. I took both my children and my nephew along with my sister to the canyon on our first trip west. I have taken a lot of trips down memory lane on this sojourn. Remembering my son, daughter and nephew when they were little tykes, looking over at the canyon and not really understanding what they were looking at. Later as my children grew up, my daughter and I rafted the Colorado River at the bottom of the canyon, and then hiked our way out of the canyon. Out of all the trips I have taken, that one still takes my breath away. We stayed at the bottom of the canyon for a whole week, slept under the stars and ate our meals by the river bed. It was an awesome trip. Today, I retraced my steps minus the rafting or hiking out of the canyon. I missed my daughter, so I called her as I got close to Bright Angel trail, the trail we had used for our hike out. It was good to hear her voice as both of us were transported back to our trip, it was good to reminisce about our time together at the canyon. 

Getting to the canyon on hi-way 64 north, one does not get the sense that soon we are about to witness one of the seven wonders of the world! The entrance fee to the park is $25.00, the pass will last for one week, well worth it. I tried to spend as much time as I could at the canyon, I really didn't want to leave. I took hi-way 64 east towards Cameron, so I could see more of the canyon as I drove out. The vistas along this hi-way are superb. My heart just filled with overwhelming feeling of joy and sadness at the same time. I don't like traveling alone, I would much rather share these fantastic moments with loved ones, or a special someone I can share my life with, for now that is not how my life is evolving, and I am a person who believes in living in the moment. So, if traveling alone is how it must be for now, then, so shall it be. 

I am spending the night in Winslow Arizona, the song "Take it easy" by the Eagles is making it's way in my mind right now. Whenever I hear that song, I am transported to Arizona, not that I need any nudge to transport me here. In my head I think I live at the bottom of the Grand Canyon all the time!

Tomorrow I will see the Painted Dessert along with Petrified Forest. I love this drive on I-40 east.

The Grand Canyon state.

I left this morning from Stockton, I noticed how messy the hi-way was in this area. There was trash everywhere. I think Stockton is referred to as the armpit of California. I can see why.

As I was driving east towards Arizona from California, I took hi-way 58 east from Modesto. This road wove it's way through high mountain country, at top of the hills were several thousand wind mills. They looked so graceful, it seemed as if they were doing cartwheels, at times it felt like they were waving to me. I did take a few pictures, but it didn't seem to do justice to the vista I was viewing. Today the driving was more pleasurable, even though on hi-way 99 drivers were hogging the left lane. Nothing annoys me more than people in my way when I have the need to speed!

I love being in Arizona, it's one of two states in the Union that does not observe daylight savings time. I call that free spirited! I don't like to have to adjust to time changes twice a year, it messes with my internal clock.  I think Arizona is my favorite state. There is something about the stark beauty of this state that amazes me every time I drive through.

Hills that have hues of pink, butter yellow and mauve mixed in with brown dirt look so barren yet open. I don't feel oppressed here as I do in the northwest. I do love trees, though the mountains in Vancouver feel as though they are foreboding. The terrain here feels more open. The sunset colours were spectacular. The mountains looked as if they had taken on a deep purple colour against the yellow, amber of the sunset, truly magnificent. Tomorrow I will be at the Grand Canyon, I really think that I have spent other lifetimes at the bottom of the canyon, I always feel as though I have come home when I am here.

Stockton CA.

I made very good time today, I am in Stockton CA. After having left my son's home this morning around eleven. I miss him terribly. He is a gifted writer and I was able to read some of his new writings. The story had me in tears as well as many moments of laugh out loud excerpts. He began writing in the fourth grade and I have enjoyed his musings since then. I know his time to be a published author is not far away.

We may live logistically far away from each other, but our hearts are attached by that ethereal bond. I can always tell when either one of my children are in a state of distress. I usually dream about them or my mind remains occupied by their image. It feels good to be so closely connected to both my son and daughter. 

The drive today was uneventful. I didn't stop at too many places, just long enough to fill up gas and stop to stretch my legs and then I was on the road again. It was incredibly hot, most of the way the temps were hundred or above. It's never fun to stop in this type of heat. And, of course the car top could not be down, I had to have air conditioning on---bummer!

Tomorrow I hope to reach somewhere in Arizona, and then I will decide if Zion Nat. Park is an option. I do know that I will stop at the Grand Canyon, I have to see that again. Today I did get to see Mount Shasta, it's odd to see such a huge mountain traveling south on I-5 with snow in the middle of a heat wave! 

The cooking diva.

Today the day is going to be spent cooking a favorite dish requested by my son. Since I was driving, I was able to bring the supplies needed to prepare the meal. I enjoy cooking and I am grateful that my family loves the food I prepare for them. While in Canada, I prepared pakoras for everyone, not a morsel was left at the end of the evening. Pakoras are spicy potato and onion fritters. For my son today I prepared handowa, it's akin to a spicy baked cornbread type of a dish. It too never lasts very long. 

It's been very hot here in Portland, fortunately my son's home is air conditioned. Portland has seen record breaking temps. I need to bring some cooler weather here! I will be leaving in the morning. The time spent with my son has been all too short. Again, never enough time. I have come to the conclusion, I need to spend my summers here in Portland, so that I can see him for at least three months. I enjoy time spent with my son, we have great conversations about a myriad of subjects. I am always heart warmed by his unique perspective on life. 

The drive home will be long, I am not sure I want to stop off at Zion National Park. The northwest is seeing temps in the triple digits and Oklahoma is experiencing eighty degree weather; what's wrong with this picture?!

Well, I will be on the road again tomorrow and will write more from whatever town I end up in. More later....

Back in the USA.

This morning, I said goodbye to my Canada family as they are fondly known and headed southwards towards Portland to spend a couple of days with my son and daughter in law. It was a tearful goodbye. It's hard to bid adieu to my sisters. It never gets easier. It's never enough time. Even though I was ready to go home, I am never ready to leave my Canada family. 

The drive to the US border was fairly fast, but the wait at the border was horrendous. It took more than two hours to get through. I hate having to go through customs, I always freak out because, either I can't find my passport, or I wonder if my car will be the one they will want to check randomly. Usually my passport is always in a safe place and my car is never singled out. Except, for last year when I was on my way to Alaska, then-- I was pulled over. A customs officer was curious as to why I was going to Alaska? My mistake was answering in a rather cheeky manner ..."because it's there" Not a good answer. They just get annoyed with answers like that!

My time in Vancouver was spent painting three paintings for my sister's radio station RJ 1200. I spent time with my brother and his family, applying my Feng Shui principals to their home. My two sisters and I took our youngest nephew on a short trip to Hwy 24 in BC. It's hi-way that meanders through the lake country of British Columbia. Pristine clear lakes dot this hi-way. We stayed at Lac des Roches a fishing resort. It's not really a resort, more like a cabin with minimum amenities. Our eldest sister is not used to anything but a five star hotel! It was quite an adventure for our young nephew to stay in one room with all of his aunts. I think he is a brave soul. He did exceptionally well, he seemed to enjoy our company. He was very easy to get along with. My two sisters get to see my nephew often. I on the other hand don't get the opportunity to spend time with my nephews. I was very pleasantly surprised with my nephew. He has a gentle manner and a very caring disposition.

This time my visit to Vancouver was different, usually I am greeted with cool ocean breezes. This time it was uncomfortably hot the entire time I was there. At least in Oklahoma I have air conditioning to temper the heat. I kept visualizing a thunder storm, and finally day before yesterday, a spectacular thunder storm along with lightening appeared out of the eastern sky. I was glad to see that my weather making powers are still working!

Yaletown.

Today, my day was spent in the company of my eldest nephew and his wife. I love to be able to spend time with my nephew, he is five months older than my son. I regard him as my son. I went to their apartment in trendy Yaletown. This is where the young, hip generation of Vancouverites live. I have watched my nephew grow up from babyhood to adulthood. Just as I have witnessed my two children grow up. There is very little age difference between my two children and my nephew. The three of them grew up together, even though we lived so far away. Their bond is special and strong. That's how families in the Indian culture behave. Closely knit.

They treated me to lunch, another thing that is different from days gone by. I used to pick up the tab and now they pick up the tab. It feels strange. I am not sure if I like it much, I guess I need to get used to it.  After lunch we walked around meandering in and out of shops. Something I could not have gotten my nephew to do only  a few moons ago! But, here he was as casual as you please, walking through shabby chic furniture store. When I asked him how come he can wander through a home decorating store now, his calm answer... "In my head I am replaying the entire Star Wars movie"! Things a man will do for the love of a woman. I was pleased to see that. I smiled a silent smirk and walked on.

Vancouver.

Vancouver is my home away from home. This is the place where I spend my summers. It's a good thing, since Oklahoma is so hot at this time of the year. Though, the past couple of days Vancouver has been experiencing it's own heat wave. And, without the aid of air conditioning, it is uncomfortable. At this point I am wishing for cool breezes and rainfall!

I arrived in Vancouver yesterday, after a frustrating day of driving. I have decided that Washington state drivers are the worst drivers in the United States. They really don't understand the concept of using the left lane on the hi way for passing slower traffic. They just stay in the left lane driving really slowly. People in Oklahoma do that too, and it annoys me to no end. They do it especially on the stretch of I-40 from OKC to Shawnee. My drive from Portland to Vancouver was long, the border crossing took almost an hour and then just trying to get to my family's home was an adventure in itself. I expressed some road rage as a young Chinese driver muscled his way into my lane, rather arrogantly. Usually I am accommodating towards people who are in the wrong lane during a bottle neck. But, this young man was rude in his behavior towards me. He not only got ahead of me through sheer force but also neglected to thank me for allowing him to get in front of me. I find lack of road etiquette to be disconcerting.  

Arriving at my family's home and being greeted by my two sisters melted away the stress of the long drive. Getting to eat homemade Indian food was even better! There is nothing like an evening spent in the company of loved ones, reminiscing about days gone by. Laughing, teasing the younger family members about childhood memories. Good times.

Tomorrow, I am going to spend time with my brother, sister in law, niece and nephew. We are planning on going to one of my favorite restaurants, eating as much as I possibly can. After lunch I will spend the rest of the day in their home, catching up.

Day at leisure.

Today, Sara and I went shopping downtown Portland. Every time I come to Portland Sara and I take a day out just for the two of us. We stop and have tea and just walk downtown, window shopping, looking at art galleries. I enjoy finding little treasures that will remind me of my visit here. More than that it's time spent with Sara that I enjoy the most. Since they live so far away, I don't get the opportunity to have quality time with her. We have great discussions about philosophy, politics and general musings about people. Both of us are people watchers and we have similar tastes. 

I always enjoy my time in Portland, I am looking forward to going to Vancouver, at the same time I am not anxious to leave Portland.

Portland at last!

I reached Portland today during the thick of the rush hour. After having had a great Indian dinner with my precious son and daughter in law, I feel very full and very sleepy right now. It was a long and tiring drive. When I am anxious to get someplace I find the journey gets to be less interesting and the destination becomes more important.  Even though I saw my son in May, it's always great to get to spend time with him. 

The drive to Portland from Boise was along the Columbia river, at times the mountains were lush with trees and other times quite barren. The day was hot, it felt uncomfortable. I always associate the northwest with cool temps and cool breezes. Neither were present. So, I drove with the top up and tried to get to Portland as quickly as possible. I may have enjoyed the scenery more if I wasn't in such a hurry to see my son.

I was only going to spend one evening here but as soon as I saw "that boy" as he is affectionately known, I decided to stay another day. Fortunately both my son and daughter in law were happy to have me stay an extra day. I am going to see them on the way back to Oklahoma too. I think tomorrow, a day of shopping is in order with Sara, my daughter in law. She is an artist too. We both enjoy going into art galleries and just plain window shopping.

More tomorrow...

Boise, Idaho

Well, this entry is being written from Boise. Tomorrow I will be in Portland to visit my son and daughter in law. The weather was mild enough today to have the top down for the entire day. The breeze was cool and the sky was clear and the road stretched out in front of me towards the horizon.

I left Porvo, Utah this morning headed west towards Salt Lake City. Most of my journey today was on the interstate hi-way, during the summer months these roads are always under construction and bottle necks are a plenty. It took quite a while to get out of Salt Lake, but once away from the city the traffic was minimal. The terrain was barren, lots of high hills but no trees. Just prairie grass. 

As I got close to Twin Falls, I decided to take a side tour to see the Snake River up close and personal. After all that is the reason one goes on a road trip, to make the schedule as one goes along. I took the exit for a small town called Rupert, I drove through the town looking for a way to get closer to the river. The very first rafting trip my children and I took was on Snake River. It was just a short two hour rafting trip, we enjoyed that so much that as a graduation present for my daughter Reina, we rafted the Colorado at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Now that is a rafting trip!

Well, today I wanted to see a different face of the river. I ended up at Walcott Lake, from there the ranger pointed me in the right direction. I found it meandering along through fertile farm land. I was able to drive along this pristine river. At one point I was able to go right to the bank of the river and put both my feet in. The water was clear and very cold. The river reminded me of the holy river Ganga in Haridwar, India.  I sat on the riverbank drank a cold Coke and ate fried potato wedges. The only time I allow myself to have junk food is on road trips. The rest of the time I am a model vegetarian!

I was able to share the moment with my daughter via phone, she called me as I sat on the riverbank. I marvel at the ingenuity of cell phones! I took pictures so I can show her when I get home where I was when we spoke. Sometimes it's really hard to be alone on the road, moments like today when you want to be able to turn to a loved one and marvel at the beauty before you. Other times-- I am fine about communing with nature by myself. After my brief sojourn, I drove along the river and headed back into town, from there I went onto Twin Falls  and took another detour towards the falls. Another spectacular image. An abundant amount of water rushing over large rock cliffs, falling with tremendous force.  So different than the dessert, arid landscape of yesterday. In only a day I have witnessed amazing variety. I am always dumbfounded by the beauty of this country. 

Arches National Park

Today was an awesome day! I did get up early... every so often it's not a bad idea to get out of bed early. I was on the road by 9:30 a.m. now-- by some standards that is not really early, by my standards it's early! I had already filled the car up the night before and had all the essentials ready i.e. camera battery charged up, phone battery charged, clothes laid out. Anticipation was high in the air. I started westward on 491 and then caught 191 north towards Moab. The two lane hi-way offered many passing lanes along the way and the little roadster was more than happy to kick into high gear and overtake everyone. I love that car! 

I stopped in Moab, this town is famous for more than one reason, Butch Cassidy and his wild Bunch stayed here. It is frequently the back drop for many movies. I picked up my lunch in Moab, the only handicap of being on the road in this country is my choice for breakfast, lunch and dinner is often limited. I pulled into Subway ordered a veggie sandwich to go. I took no napkins, no bag to carry the sandwich in. I am determined to add less trash to the world on my account. I carry a cloth napkin with me in the car, it's much more civilized!  Soon after leaving Moab, I took the exit for Arches National Park, paid my ten dollar fee to enter the park, stopped at the visitor center to ask pertinent questions from the rangers. I had allotted about six hours for the park and it seemed like it would be enough time to catch all the highlights of this amazing sculpture of mother nature.

This park has the largest number of natural stone arches formed by the weathering of openings in vertical slabs of sandstone. Magnificent is one word that comes to mind in describing this park. I am so glad that we have set aside natural treasures such as Arches for the citizens of this country as well as visitors. I was impressed by the fact that there was no trash floating around in the park anywhere. People were being respectful towards this natural treasure.

No matter in what direction I looked I was greeted with amazing views. I think I am at a loss for words. My spirit was refilled today. My eyes drank in the mesmerizing sights. I felt I was on another planet, maybe Mars looks like Arches National Park ? The red sandstone is so fine and so fragile and yet so imposing. The rocks stand guard against the wind, sun and rain, but slowly and gradually the rocks will succumb, and the terrain of Arches will change with time.

I saw giant boulders holding to their position precariously atop a monolith. Only a matter of time before it topples. At least the visitors today got to take a picture o balance rock, balancing! I hiked up to see "Delicate Arch" I saw it from a distance. I didn't have enough time to take the hike to the arch. Though, I was able to see other arches up close and personal. 

I have decided, this park is not really that far away from Oklahoma, and I do want to come back and devote some serious time hiking and taking my time to visit some of the places I was not able to see. So, I see another short road trip in the future to this destination. I do enjoy being outdoors and surrounded by beauty that has been formed by the elements. It's as if a giant sculpting tool in the hands of the immortals was responsible for the panorama I witnessed today. I am humbled.

Cortez CO.

I am in Cortez Colorado, near Mesa Verde National Park. I am not going to be able to go to Mesa Verde. I had to pick between National Arches Park and Mesa, so I opted for the Arches park. I will get there around noon tomorrow, most likely I will spend the entire day there and then head north towards Salt Lake City.

It was a good day of driving. After leaving Tucumcari this morning I headed west on I-40 towards Albuquerque, from there catching 550 north towards Cortez. This road is a four lane hi-way, the good thing about being on this road was not too many large eighteen wheelers. I was able to overtake everyone cruising at about a hundred miles per hour. The top was down in the car today, since it was a high of only 88 degrees. It felt good to have the wind blowing through my hair.  The road wove through mesas dotted with pine and pinion trees. Sage brush growing abundantly. The clouds hung low over the plateaus looking almost like snow topped mountains.

I do wish I had kept on driving and got a little closer to Arches, but I think I was ready for a break. I had not stopped for lunch, and I think that dictated my decision to stop. I will get an early start tomorrow, so that I can spend more time in the national park.

I had dinner tonight at Nero's here in Cortez. It's an Italian restaurant, the food was fresh and well prepared. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. I am always amused when the host or hostess is about to seat me, they ask, if I am to be joined by someone. Traveling alone, I often eat alone. I am used to eating alone. I have been single for a long time now and have traveled by myself often. I never think it's odd to eat alone. But, people do look at you in a strange manner. I always take that time in a restaurant to be one with my thoughts and observe people and wonder what their story is? I am dismayed when I see a married couple sitting across from one another hardly saying a word to each other over dinner. Maybe because I consider communication to be one of the greatest gifts one can give to another, I look upon silence as a lost opportunity. Or, perhaps losing two brothers and my father, I look at life in finite terms. I do look at time with a loved one as precious. I do see moments gone by as lost time forever. Time that can never be recaptured. I live my life by the rule: make every moment count, let the ones I love, know how I feel about them. And, whenever I do have someone sitting across the table from me, I always converse with my dinner companion-- no matter what.

Tucumcari NM!

This entry is coming to you from Tucumcari. My first memory of Tucumcari is the summer my sister and I decided to take a road trip from Oklahoma to Vancouver, Canada.... with three young children in tow all under the age of five! We stopped in Tucumcari to have lunch. It had to be at least a hundred degree day, very similar to what I am dealing with today. We came back to the car to find all the crayons they had been colouring with-- had melted! We found puddles of a rainbow of colurs. Needless to say I never did get wax colour or the smell of melted wax out of that car!

As, I look over the dessert plain of Tucumcari, I am transported back to when my children were so young. How quickly they grow up. I did want to retrace the original journey, but then decided, I needed to go to other areas of this fantastic country. Also, more often than not, nostalgia takes me to a sad place and I have to remind myself that children grow up, get married and begin their own lives. Just as I did when I moved away from my family in London. I now understand my mother's heartache. But, I am grateful for being able to talk to both my children often. And, with technology, I am able to stay in touch with them via the internet. For my mother and I, the only form of communication was letters, via snail mail!

Tomorrow, I am going to go to Mesa Verde National Park and then onto Arches National Park. Both places I have seen on the travel channel but didn't have the opportunity to explore before now. I do love the dessert vistas. I can see why the artist Georgia O'Keefe chose to live in New Mexico. As an artist, I can understand her desire to be surrounded by a bounty of beauty. It's rugged beauty. The sky here has such a different hue of blue, against the red dirt and sage bushes. Truly magnificent. The Mesas and Buttes jut from the ground as if to call attention to their stark presence. I would be very happy to stay anywhere in New Mexico or Arizona and paint all day long. Even if no one bought any of my paintings, I would be happy painting. However, it would be good to have unlimited funds in my bank account! 

As I was driving through the panhandle of Texas, I enjoyed seeing the flat plains. There are no gently rolling hills of Oklahoma, it's just plain flat!  The eye could see in a perfect 360 degree circumference. And, it was also easy to spot the Texas rangers in their speeding police cars. No way am I going to be surprised by a hi-way patrol car!

Well, I will write more tomorrow, It's good to be on the road again. I am singing the Willie Nelson song in my head.... good job, since I really don't know how to carry a tune! Until tomorrow...