We left Houston on a Friday and didn't get out of Texas until Sunday.
9-21-90 Friday
6:30 pm We left Houston and stopped at Schoebel’s in Columbus, Texas for dinner because we were hungry and to celebrate getting out of Houston traffic!
We arrived at the Caverns Inn in Boerne TX just before 11 pm. This Inn is cheap but the shower head didn’t work and there was no towel for the floor.
Tomorrow comes the long drive to El Paso. No firm plans on what to do next.
9-22-90 Saturday We left the motel about 9:30 am heading toward El Paso.
We had bagels for breakfast. Stopped in Sonora at the Dairy Queen for ice cream. Played the Best of Heart Tape and read Dancing with Porcupines before that. It had rained most of the day. Mostly there were some great cloud formations – got much grayer toward El Paso.
I drove for an hour before Ft Stockton. Tried the TV in Ft Stockton – no reception – will try later.
At 3:30 we are 11 miles from El Paso and it is pouring. The fields are filling with water – raging rivers are forming! Waterfalls are along side the road. It is very wet!!
5:30 approaching el Paso – we’ll stay at Motel 6 west. We’re having pizza hut delivered to our room. We are watching the movie Chances Are. Pretty good movie. The low today was 62 degrees that was when we went to the grocery store about 6:30 pm.
9-23-90 Sunday I woke up at 6:30 and couldn’t go back to sleep. Overcast outside windy and cold out. We left to eat about 9am and had French toast in El Paso. By 10:30 we were at the War Eagles Air Museum in Santa Teresa, NM. Most planes in this museum are flown once a month. Keith got to fly in the trainer (simulated flight).
The people there were very nice – still cold very windy and a little rainy. Then we went to the store and bought some pears and back on I10. Awfully boring out here on the way to Arizona – no scenery and very overcast.
We decided to stay the night in a Picacho KOA Kabin near Tucson AZ. Got there early enough for a dip in the hot tub and a shower before dinner. Hot tub was great. There were squished crickets in the shower ick. For dinner we had rice and crab meat. It was hot out.
The kabin had a evaporative cooler – which didn’t really cool. But it blew air so I enjoyed sleeping on the top bunk where I got the brunt of it. We plan to get up tomorrow to photograph the saguaros by sunrise.
We have the portable tv in the kabin. We have filled out our first postcards. I need to get some sleep. 4:30 am comes awfully early.
The lady at that KOA wasn’t very personable when we asked about the weather she looked out the window & gave us a report. Gee thanks.
9-24- Monday We got up and out pretty quickly photographing the saguaros was great fun – they are very beautiful in the soft light.
Sunrise seemed to be late – then we went on to the Sonora Desert Museum – wondering why they didn’t open at 8:30 as they’d advertised. We walked up to it and found a clock that said 7:45 am – uh –oh then a man told us they didn’t not observe daylight savings. Everyone seemed to be amused that it messed up the Texans. I’ll say. This means we were up at 3:30 am.
So now we are 2 hours ahead of Houston time. Anyway the Living Desert Museum was wonderful. It’s the only type of museum I really enjoy. A tour taught us about plants and we did our own animal tour.
Had a corn dog for lunch. Wonderful hummingbird aviary. Very hot had a headache when we left. Headed toward Phoenix.
Stayed in Motel 6 East – Phoenix.. Closest to the zoo. Went for ice cream at Dairy queen.
9-25-90 Tuesday Went to the Phoenix Zoo today it cost 6.00. Many exhibits were being renovated or under construction. So lots of critters were off display.
It was SO HOT – no concession stands open. Just too hot to enjoy. We leave at 11:30 am to go to the Grand Canyon.
It was probably around 5 pm when we arrived at the Grand Canyon. Lots of people here. Can Not imagine being here during the summer season. Must be pretty crowded then. We were at the South rim.
Left on our way to Cameron to spend night. Wow only one hotel – we’ll go to the next city and the next – these towns are incredibly small. We will go on to Page – uh oh – every hotel motel whatever are full – full We ended up in Big Water, UT they had a room 38.00 no food in town no TV – no phone – we are in Utah and think we have lost an hour now – we had cold beans and crackers for dinner. Sometimes not planning things out doesn’t work out well.
9-26-90 Wednesday Left Big Water around 10 am I think The plateaus and rocks here in Utah have more colorful stripes then ones we were seeing in NM and AZ. We may not be returning to the Grand Canyon – Arizona was not very kind to us – hard to find things – awfully hot – no rooms – no animals – it got on our nerves I guess.
Arrived at the KOA in Glendale UT around 2 or 2:30 I guess. Booked a tent site for 3 nights. Figured we would see Zion National Park today and tomorrow, Bryce Canyon the next day and North Rim of the Grand Canyon the next day which would be Saturday. The lady at this KOA has little or no personality. Oh well we will visit Zion for the rest of today.
There is a tunnel that is 1.1 miles long – it was finished in 1930. There is a lot of color and texture here. We will do some hiking tomorrow in Zion. We had spam, potatoes and asparagus for dinner. The temperature today was probably upper 70s low 80s tonight it’s supposed to be in the 50s.
9-26 Now we are trying to do laundry – washing it is no big deal but there are only 2 dryers. Some people appear to have waited a week or two to do their laundry.
I called Lee apparently Muffin (my cat) had worms and Kurt administered a pill – they are so sweet. Then called Mom. Dad’s still fighting with the roof people. All else was fine.
I am ready to settle in to the tent – If I can’t get these clothes dried they will wait till morning. Today we hiked the Narrows – an easy trail at Zion. Saw a large buck running across a stream and several other deer later on.
9-27 Thursday Well the clothes waited till morning. Got them dried – greeted the horses and ate oatmeal. Left for Zion – it is very overcast today. We got started hiking right away on “Emerald Pools” we went all the way to the top on this one where we found a pool at the base of an approx. 800ft tall – very quiet – took a picture of rocks reflections and a dragonfly here. Also a panoramic from top to bottom. If you went the whole way it was moderately strenuous otherwise easy.
After this 2 or 2:30 we had lunch at the lodge. I didn’t feel very well after this – intestinal issues. Keith fixed some chicken noodle soup for me. So by 6pm I was in the tent having Gatorade, soup and crackers – picked up a country station on am from Phoenix – felt better and took a walk to say goodnight to the horses. I slept real well. Keith said it rained a little.
9-28-90 Friday We left for Bryce Canyon Probably around 9 or 9:30. Yikes it is cold this morning – the sun came out and it warmed up a little. Then we arrived at Bryce. It is definitely cold here. Stopped at visitor’s center. Proceeded to drive to the top 9,150 ft yikes again. Brisk wind – my hands are numb and the meter on my camera barley works – very distracting – hard to concentrate on all the ingredients of a good photo.
Pretty much drove all around looking for light and at one point Keith tried to photo some lightening while I went chasing light – which lead us to find some rainbows. I tried to take a nap once during a thunderstorm – I recorded it – didn’t get much. Then around 3 pm it started to hail and collected on the ground for awhile – got some nice late evening shots at Fairyland. Ate lunch at the lodge Keith had a bison burger and I had clam chowder and a turkey sandwich. Bought a pretty mauve vase with feathers on it here.
To sleep I put on 2 pair of long underwear. 1 pair sock 2 pair leg warmers – sweats and hooded jacket – it stormed tonight loudly – kept dry and almost warm.
9-29 Saturday I had oatmeal, Keith had grits. On our way to the North Rim today – just left – Jacobs Lake 11:15 am it is clouding up good thing I like rainbow shots.
Lots or at least fair amounts of Aspen changing color up here – really nice walked down to Brite Angel point – very hazy here. Very nice Lodge and cabins – we ate spaghetti sat at a picnic table then we left for Flagstaff.
Motel 6 was full. We stayed at the Twilite motel for only $34 we got double bed – couch and kitchenette – very nice I thought. Had McDonald’s for dinner. Started to watch Let it Ride movie and fell asleep.
9-30-90 Sunday On our way to Albuquerque had egg sandwich for breakfast – left around 9:30 am or 10. Long drive – very few stops – I guess we ate danishes for lunch. Arrived in Albuquerque before 5pm.
Made reservations at High Finance restaurant – rode the tram up to the restaurant. It was freezing up there. Got some pictures of clouds and aspens and sunset – then went in to eat. Great Food. I had steak Dianne, a filet flamed in apricot brandy and grand mariner. Most tender meat I ever had. For dessert chocolate chip cream cheese and chocolate layer cake we stayed at the KOA central kabin #2.
10-1-90 Monday We did the laundry 1st thing then had breakfast at KOA 4 pancakes and ham.
Then we went shopping in Old town Albuquerque. It was fun I love the art here
I bought 3 t-shirts for my cat sitter and a blanket. Keith bought a cat for his mom for Christmas and a cross for Jeanette and a T-shirt for himself at KOA. Had a great lunch at something del Montoya. Went to the zoo for one hour. It closed at 5pm. We ate a hamburger back at the KOA.
10-2 Tuesday Today we had the rest of the danishes for breakfast and went driving around. Stopped at a pawn shop and an army surplus. Also a book store where Keith bought a couple of books I bought a magnet – had lunch at Kentucky fried.
Drove up to Sandia Crest. Bought a piece of pottery in the gift shop. We were in a cloud up there.
Then we went to the Coronado mall where I bought a book on indian designs. We went back to camp made beanie weanies out of bans and Vienna sausages – yuk – we did laundry and I broke a nail playing pacman. Wrote a few bazillion post card and and that was enough.
10-3 Wednesday Mailed the postcards and bills. 200 miles later I realized I had not addressed the postcards! Duh! We are on our way from Albuquerque to Carlsbad Caverns and Fort Stockton. Had pancakes for breakfast and ham ad turkey sandwiches.
Arrived at Carlsbad at 2:30 did the short tour of the cave then stayed to see the bat flight at 6:10 pm they came out and were finished at 6:40 or so then they started again about 7pm and finished by 7:15. Hopefully we got some good full moon shots but nary a one lizard shot.
The best part about the cave is that it provides a home to 750,0000 of these great little creatures. Then we left for Ft Stockton arrived at Motel 6 about 11:00 Tx time. The time changes have messed us up.
10-4- Thursday Who knows when we left Ft Stockton – got up around 9 or 9:30 by the time we got to lunch it was 11am then we got gas and washed the car then we left.
Stopped in Junction to get gas and go to Tastee freeze for a burger. Only 3 more hours to San Antonio.
Got to San Antonio and checked in to KOA kabin 7. Went to River Walk Lone star café – had grilled chicken – very good. We called the Melodrama Theater and found out they are moving – no shows right now – rats! We go to bed around 11pm its comfy here the kabin has air conditioner.
10-5- Friday I tossed turned uncertain why I couldn’t sleep and why my back hurt so much and realized it was 11:15. The time changes really messed me up and so do window shades.
We went To McDonald’s for lunch checked out 2 missions – Mission Conception and Mission Jose. Then off to River Walk
We have tickets for the Imax at 3pm. A show called “To the Limit” – wow it was really great – it featured a skier a rock climber and a ballet dancer.
Then we went to Texas 21 for dinner had brisket – the sauce was too vinegary and the margaritas were too tart. Checked out some hotels on the river La Mansion was very nice. We came across an old lady who just got up and started singing and she was great! Stopped for sugarless saltless chocolate at chocolate factory yum then home to KOA to bed.
10-6-90 Saturday We got up around 9 went to breakfast at Mcdonald’s all you can eat pancakes – then we went to Aquarena Springs – saw Ralph the diving pig! Not far from home now. But we had a great time.