Slithering Around New Mexico...

before I came crashing back into the swamp known as Baltimore. What happened to fall??? I visited the Rio Grande Zoo in Albuqurque two days ago, but I gotta admit, the Rattlensnake Museum, was even cooler. Maybe since they let me pet the bullhead snake and watch one eat its lunch. They only get fed once a week so they make up for lost time. (The lunch was already dead or I would have kept walking.)

It's time to go home when...

• you can't fit any more of those miniature hotel shampoos and lotions in your luggage.
• you start to panic there's no coffee maker, ironing board and fridge in your room before you realize you're in someone's house.
  
• you actually start to like Travelodge coffee and eating cereal out of a styrofoam bowl doesn't bother you.
  

Winding down now in beautiful Santa Fe, thanks to my cousin Lloyd Given, who has kindly put a roof over my head this weekend and offered to take me to Albuquerque since the Elfmobile is taking a well deserved rest on a flatbed trailer on its way to Maryland (at least it's supposed to be!). Here are some recent pictures. The one immediately below is at the White Sands Missile Monument in New Mexico.

The red rocks of Sedona
View of the Tularosa Basin in New Mexico.

Made it Through the Desert

Standing in front of Montezuma's Castle, a cliff dwelling near Sedona.

Tree in Mojave National Preserve
View from highway coming into Barstow, CA.

You don't appreciate grass and flowers til you spend a few hours driving through the desert. I was kind of disappointed I didn't see any snakes or other desert residents, except a few lizards, but California and Arizona drivers were probably hazardous enough!

Wine Country

My liver and I survived a week in Sonoma and Napa. Not sure about my budget, however. I'm sure I had some great witty stories to share but they're a bit fuzzy now. Must have been the drive through the desert. I remember all too clearly the timeshare presentation I listened to on Sunday but it was well worth it to get a free night at the Meritage. http://www.themeritageresort.com/

I felt like one of the Beverly Hillbillies showing up at the Four Seasons. "Got any of that Mur-lot?" Also memorable was Irwin, who was the pourer at the Murphy Goode tasting room and a native of Germany. Pouring wine for tourists in Sonoma is a far cry from his stint as a bartender in Chicago in the 1950s, where part of his job was arranging the disposal of parking tickets.

Up, Up and Away!

Above are the views of South Dakota from a few hundred feet up in a hot air balloon at sunrise. Below is the balloon "captain" Steven, offering a toast and the balloonist's prayer. "May the winds welcome you with softness. May the sun bless you with his warm hands. May you fly so high and so well that God joins you in laughter and sets you gently back into the loving arms of Mother Earth. "

The champagne is a tradition that started in France (of course) to appease the farmer on whose land the balloonist landed. Apparently, the first flight ended a bit roughly, with villagers attacking the balloon with pitchforks.

Where the Wild Things are...

is actually Chicago's Lincoln Park and the Newport Aquarium near Cincinnati. I got way behind on posting pictures on the first leg of the trip since I was hauling butt to get across so I thought I'd share a few of my faves from my excursions with my friend Denise and cousins Chris and Dan Maloney. If I seem a bit tense with a bird that close to my head, well, I was.

More of the Wild West

Salt Lake

The view of Reno from my room (on the left) and the beautiful bathroom. I didn't want to leave.

I made it to the West Coast yesterday - Petaluma is a cool town and the people are friendly, and introducd themselves to you. After being on the road for a while, it feels good to do things like laundry and Jazzercise that seem so routine at home. Haven't found spiritual enlightment yet but frankly, haven't had the time! I do know when I get back that I will want to get more out of each day and try things that I may not be good at or scare me. Probably sounds cliche but I hope I stick to it. I have a national parks pass that lasts for a year so if anyone wants to come exploring with me, that would be awesome!

It's amazing the changes in just 4 days - from Jackson Hole, with diamond-studded belts on display to Salt Lake City, which rolls up on Sunday night and where people clearly do not think that shorter is better when it comes to fashion ( I don't fit in), to Reno, a small-scale version of Vegas with glittering casinos, seedy hotels, and retirees trying to get rich on nickel slots. Yes, I took pictures of the bathroom in my room at Harrahs. Stay at enough Super 8-type places and you appreciate granite countertops, real furniture, and valet service.

The Wild West

Whitewater rafting in Jackson Hole was a blast! Not sure why I even bothered to brush my hair since we all got soaked. The Snake River is behind me -named for its shape, not its inhabitants.

Grand Teton Park in Wyoming.

This moose was licking the road as we came into Grand Teton Park - apparently he likes the minerals and salt (no McDonald's nearby and cars lined up to watch don't bother him a bit.

Sunset as I was driving into Dubois, my first stop in Wyoming.

Where the buffalo definitely roam. This is a stones throw fr0m someone's house in the park. Did you know a male buffalo (called a bull) will roll around in urine to give off his scent to a cow (a female bison)? I prefer good old fashioned soap myself.

Small Town America

The picture on the right is Harrison-burg, VA, home of James Madison University and Jess' Quick Lunch, where you can get a grilled cheese for about $2.50. The one on the left is Front Royal, VA.

Pictures - Minnesota

This spot in Chamberlain, MN, was a stop on Lewis and Clark's route. They traveled over 4,000 miles westward collecting new plant and animal species for President Jefferson. One of the few or sole animals that survived the trip back was the prairie dog.

2,000 Miles Later ...

And still haven't run out of clean underwear yet! Yay. It's been a whirlwind and I wish I had written down my impressions earlier but I can blame exhaustion and glacial Internet speed. After being on the road for almost 2 weeks, I have learned to appreciate certain things, such as:

• clear skies
• friendly hotel clerks
• cell phone reception
• clean bathrooms
• finding a bathroom!
• places that serve food after 9 p.m.
• a 50-cent cup of coffee
• interstates

The change in landscapes has been amazing. Small towns with cool bridges in Ohio, skyscrapers in Chicago, then silos and rolling farmland in Wisconsin, followed by.. more silos in Minnesota and all kinds of wacky stuff in South Dakota, like caves and giant sculptures. No, I didn't go to Mt. Rushmore. Long story. But Crazy Horse Memorial is bigger, so I'm sure better.

Now I'm in Wyoming surrounded by huge majestic mountains, after a very long ride through dirt. I don't know what else to call it, other than the 100-mile trek with no billboards, gas stations, restaurant, trees, flowers, people, etc... You appreciate grass when it is out of sight for so long. My favorite sign so far was "Hiland, Pop. 10", the "the wages of sin are death" runs a close second.

The driving has been a little intense as it always takes longer than you think. Always. I find that my fondness for the scenic route is inversely related to the number of hours driven. After the 5th hour, "screw the scenic route" is muttered a few times, interspersed with "why am I doing this?". But then you hit a surprise, like the view of the Missouri River in Chamberlain, Minnesota, and you get a second wind. Actually, that view was from a visitor center on I-90 but there have been others. I am getting up to go white water rafting tomorrow so I must sign off now. I hope everyone is doing well and would love to hear from you.

In addition to spiritual enlightenment, an increased sense of adventure and self discovery, my trip is also a journey in search of the perfect grilled cheese. What is that? Well, it's the one my brother PJ made for me when I was about 7. Mom left him in charge of me (I lived to tell about it) and I think he burnt it slightly. I now order all my grilled cheeses almost burnt with one slice of cheese. You'd be amazed how hard it is to find such a simple sandwich made well. The Tune Inn in DC http://washingtondc.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaid=0&restaurantid=23895 does a pretty good job, as does Regina's Continental Deli in West Annapolis.