Muz and Mo Travel Blog

Mo's blog

2009-03-09T14:10:00.000-07:00

And don't forget about Monique's new Aussie blog!

www.moinoz.blogspot.com

The Home Run - North Carolina to Minnesota

2009-03-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

Day 388 - November 20
Today we hit the road and drove from Atlanta up to North Carolina!

We arrived at our friends Jason & Heather's house around 6:30 & then all headed out to a lovely pizza dinner a Lilly's! We tried a fabulous Thai pizza - yummmmm

Back at their place we watched the scary movie 'The Strangers' - gosh that was SCARY!!! So much so that we had to watch a bit of the cable guy (which was on tv) before going to bed!

Day 389 - November 21

This morning they were having their floors replaced in their kitchen/dining rom so we had a nice relaxing morning with TV & wifi!

Later that afternoon we made our way to downtown Raleigh - I liked the big acorn in the city park!

We also stopped by a FANTASTIC cupcake shop - although I was VERY tempted to take a bite out of their amazing gingerbread house

They went pretty quickly - yummmmmm

Back at the house the flooring guy was still hard at work - also putting new flooring in the bathroom (so it was necessary to move the toilet temporarily to the hallway)

Murray got caught trying to make use of the facilities

Eventually we just decided to order Chinese food, cause the floor guy didn't leave until 7:30 (his partner hadn't showed up so the poor guy was working like crazy!)

Later Heather broke out the good stuff

COOOOOOOOOOOOOKIES (the nice pop out of the bag & straight int he oven kind)

Ready to bake (WOW they were great!!!)

Then it was time for some board gaming - this is a really fun game

And the tipple

Can you tell who lost? He he - the punishment was having to stand outside in the freezing cold for 2 minutes:)

Day 390 - November 22
After a lovely southern fast food for breakfast (Bojangles cajun chicken biscuits) thanks to Jason & Murray's morning run, we left their lovely house to go meet their cute nieces!

After a nice visit to Jason's sister's house, we made our way to the mall and tried for the first time

Chick-fil-A (pronounced Chick Fill Ahhh) chicken nuggets - very nice!

Back at their house we tried out some of Jason's new lovely tea flowers

Beautiful flower & it gives such a lovely flavour!

Then we made our way out to The Flying Saucer

One of their favourite beers and yummm it was good!

Jason & Heather - casual partner cannibals, there must have been some sauce in Jason's hair that made Heather lose her control...... ?

Later we made our way to the classy City Limits - picking up tall beers on the way in

Lovely - the bras hanging over the dance floor

Jason & Murray

Me & Heather - with just a BIT of beer - hmmmm

It was fun though - dancing on the bar fun!

Other bar dancers - it was darn crowded! Everyone trying to 'out-skank' the other one.

And then......... we made our way to the bull riding. I didn't want to go alone, so Heather voluntered to go with me

It was scary but FUN!!!

I stayed on for a few seconds after Heather was flung off

Post ride - whew that was fun but exhausting!

Back on the dance floor

This is what we were working on

My ride ticket :)

It was a funnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn night - great to hang out with H&J - and fun to go to such a great place and such an unusually crazy place !! :) !!

Day 391 - November 23

We woke up seriously in need of.......
bacon & biscuits - ohhhhhhhhhh lovely

Our chef Jason did a fantastic job - eggs, bacon & biscuits - you can't beat it!

Later that afternoon we made our way to Snoopy's (a hot dog place that has been in Raleigh for 30 years). I tried a chili & onion hotdog and it was GREAT!

After picking up Jason's vehicle, the boys went grocery shopping. Check out this crazy Lemon! It's called a Buddha's Hand Citron.....weird

When they got back Murray got to work chopping up apples to try out the pie pan (including steam releasing bird)

Apple pie - ready to go

And it's done!!

That evening Jason made a Fantastic beef stew (with amazing mushrooms in it - very impressed!!) and we watched the movie Office Space.

We followed that with warm apple pie and Breyers French Vanilla ice cream (I am drooling just thinking about it again)

A great last night with great friends (we met Heather & Jason when we lived in London :)

Day 392 - November 24

We got up early to say goodbye - after SUCH a fun weekend!

We stopped on the way to Kentucky for one last Bojangles biscuit (I do not know why I can't this photo to upload the correct way)

Yummm - chicken biscuit, a moment on the lips and a lifetime on the hips....but it was kinda more like 20mins on the lips...surely that helps even it out a bit??

We drove & drove all day (through North Carolina, Virginia, West Virgina & finally to Kentucky) - check out this ice - burrrr!

He he - now that is a mean license plate (URUGLY)

We got to Louisville, Kentucky at 9:30 pm and had a bit of a catch up with Stuart (who I worked with in the UK) and his lovely girlfriend Michelle. They were kind enough to let us spend the night at their place.

Day 393 - November 25

We got up, ate breakfast, petted their dog (then cleaned up the mess he made after pulling a loaf of bread down from the counter and eating most of it) before hitting the road again.

We drove from Kentucky, to Indiana, to Illinois, to Wisconsin and finally - MINNESOTA!!!!

We got in about 9:30pm - just before we got to my parent's house I called and chatted to my Dad - saying we were heading towards Michigan - then - I rang their door bell!

This is the FIRST time EVER I have surprised them - it was really fun & they were TOTALLY surprised!!!

Joni & Kyle even went over to shake Grandma awake to come over & see us!

It was GREAT to be back in Minnesota - to relax, clean up Dolph for sale and just have a great time seeing friends and family

We enjoyed watching Minnie boss puppy Brock around (they have become SUCH good friends - I think Minnie really enjoys the company)

And who doesn't love a puppy? I couldn't cuddle Brock enough - he is so sweet!

Multitasking - Minnie must be pet at all times and Brock must have someone to play with!

I enjoyed it though! Although you can see the puppy had spent the day chewing on batteries!??

We also cleaned out Dolph - weird to see the truck SO empty! It looks sunny and warm, but when Murray went to polish the dash the spray froze mid air and white clumps of frozen spray fell on Murray's lap. Brrrrrrrrr!!!

Me & my brother Marcus - getting ready to head over to Grandma's for Thanksgiving

Yummy appetizers - I can't remember exactly what was stuffed in these tomatoes - but I do know it involved cream and bacon! I couldn't stop eating them!

Pies galore - the Thanksgiving standards - Joni's pumpkin & peacon - yummmmmmmmy!

Eating our Thanksgiving meal - (from left) My sister Megan, her fiance Mike, Mom, Murray & Me

My cousin Jolie & my sisters Mariah & Mandie

Murray was excited to try EVERY kind of pie!

Dad out on the frozen lake with our axe we got from 'The Germans" in Yukon, Canada.

Looking back at my parent's house from the lake. So bizarre to stand ON the lake and look back at land....

Lovley sunset

Murray - standing on ICE!! Very slippery in those shoes.....

Murray also made Jalapeno poppers!! Santa got a few in his belly while we had our backs turned!

Jalapenos filled with spicy cream cheese, breaded & fried - so fabulous!

And we had crab legs - my favorite!!!

Dad & I playing piano

Me & My sisters - baking cookies one night:)

One day we also took a trip to Wisconsin to see Kevin & Joni's cabin - Murray decided to see how heavy a deer's head is - ewwwww

Now THAT is disgusting. Frozen solid from being outside.

He also got to fire Joni's (Kevin's) new AK-47......powerful. Joni ended up being the best shot!

Kevin & Me - I was getting all the warm gear on in prep of a 4 wheeler (ATV) ride!

Me & Murray

On the four wheeler

We had a nice ride around their property until we got cold enough to have to go back

Later we went out to lunch nearby and spotted this guy's trailer - a 4 wheeler, gun rack & a few dead deer

Ironic? Better check the menu....

Ewwwwwwwwww (we are SO not hunters!)

The deer's last raspberry to the hunter....snap frozen from being outside.

This giant mouse & wheel of cheese is near where my parent's live - cute huh? Definitely COLD!

A path through the ice on the lake

One evening Murray went along to see my brother play santa (that is also my uncle Al playing guitar) for our cousin Caleb's group of friends

Santa telling a story

Ho ho ho

Cute

Also one night we went to see a University of Minnesota basket ball game - GREAT fun!

Murray was more impressed by the cheerleaders though.

They WON though too - it was a GREAT game!

Dunk

That evening we also went to see a production of 'A Christmas Carol' which was fantastic!!!

After the show, back at Marcus's - Murray enjoyed his Stella. By the way - Marcus refuses to put the heating on in his house....

Minnie protecting Santa while Brock stretches out

Brock loves to cuddle his sister bear while sleeping.

How CUTE is he !?!?!!!!

Carrying back sticks - he loves to bring them in through his dog door and leave bits all over the place

Playing with Jagger - crazy puppy loves jumping up catching snow in his jaws! ruuffff!

Hmmm what's going on over there? Bit of snow perhaps?

Murray & I also were lucky enough to have a lovely meal out with our friends Joe & Katie - they took us out to a fantastic pizza place in St. Paul - fun to catch up :)

Murray's last night in town was the night of our family's annual sausage making night - Dad has been known to go overboard on the spice & salt in the past!

Joni had a fabulous spread of food (including smoked fish from our Alaska trip!!!)

Me & sister Mandie

Murray & Grandma

Kevin, Denise & Dad (he always loves to pose for a nice photo)

Then the sausage making began - first step - grind down the onions & potatoes (Mariah, Kyle & Mandie started this job)

Me, Shirley & Denise working on the potatoes & onions

Murray and Dad also had a turn peeling potatoes

Work work work (it is Swedish potato sausage that we were making)

Mariah & Murray working on grinding

Then it was time to mix the spices into the ground beef - Marcus & Johnny were right on top of that

Finally - check the spices - Kyle fried up some of the meat & Grandma taste tested

Then it came time to put the casings (i.e. intestines) on the sausage maker in prep for sausage making!

Murray also decided to try out the drinks

And the meat

The the REAL sausage making began

Somehow it started coming out of Dad's ears?

Johnny & Kyle toasting

Me & Megan

And finally - the result - Swedish potato sausage - and it was Fab!

Then Murray started his game called 'Gifts from Dolph' - you had to draw a number from the hat which corresponded to a gift from Dolph wrapped in brown paper & numbered - the trick was you had to take a shot before you were allowed to get your gift!

Denise got a set of pots - hooray!

Mariah got some American flags!!!

Murray sharing a shot with Kevin

John & Kevin liked the head nets they won!

AND we celebrated Mandie's birthday!!! Joni made this fabulous (red velvet) cake!

Kevin ......

worked hard for his shots

So did Dad & Johnny! Two free tickets to the GUN SHOW!

Cheers

The fiances - Megan & Mike

Mariah & Murray

The boyssssssssssss - Murray & Marcus

Mandie, Me & Mariah (and yes we HAD planned to all wear red - we took xmas photos that evening)

The next day Kevin & Joni came over & we gave Kevin his water pistol & waist pack to store it in (we had watched a show on TV with them where I guy pulled a gun out of waist pack - inside joke I guess:)

After Murray left for Oz - I stuck around for some fun Xmas celebrations - including Christmas at Grandma's house!

Including this Scandinavian specialty - rosettes (you use something like a branding iron, dip it in batter, deep fry and then sprinkle with sugar - fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!)

Me & my brother Marcus

Also - Grandma made the Norwegian specialty - Lutefisk (lye soaked cod - it is like fish jello - NOT my favorite!)

Mariah & Me

Cousin Jenny & Mariah

Dad thinks he his funny :)

Jenny was sick of pictures by this time I think :)

But later we got a nice pic

Megan & Mike

We also had a Christmas celebration with my Dad's side of the family - Jani made stockings for both of us (even though it was just me there)

It was fun to recreate a family tradition from when we were little - every cousin got a stocking

The lovely host aunt Jani, Me & aunt Julie

Jani's AMAZING creation - marshmallows coated in peppermint bits on a stir stick - put in your hot chocolate and WOW - just WOW - amazing

Grandma & aunt Joni

Mariah & Jolie

Cousin Caleb & Me

We also sat around and sang Christmas songs - including O Lutefisk

Megan & Mike

Both Christmas's were great fun - so fun to spend time with family :)

Another day I took my cousin Jenny out for sushi - we had a fun meal (she got me to try eel, I got her to try edamame) and we did a bit of shoe browsing - fun!

Also, Megan brought her cute pup Milky Way over one day - he showed off his holiday t-shirt

He is a wild man though - this was just before he totally scratched me on the cheek!

He's cute though ! and he sure does love Megan:)

My Mom also threw a fantastic fondue evening - including these cute chocolate fondue pots

With all the stuff to dip in it - fruit & marshmellows - lovely

Me & Mandie

That night we celebrated Grandma Sis's birthday

She looked GREAT in her new jacket!

Later we relaxed downstairs with a movie & a cuddle with Brock! (he is ALMOST too big for this already!)

Next day we opened presents - Marcus showed off how good his new cooking knife was - went straight into this poor snow woman!

Over all - it was a FANTASTIC trip home, so so great to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with family :)

The Great Crossing - New Mexico to Georgia

2009-02-24T16:36:00.000-08:00

Day 382 - November 14 (continued)

So after watching the moon rise at Monument Valley we hit the road again. We drove South East to New Mexico and eventually arrived in a town called Farmington around 9pm.

Day 383 - November 15

We got up this morning and decided it was time to do some camera admin (backups, downloading pics from the big cameras, etc). It took Murray 6 hours to get everything sorted out so that he could pack it all safely away until we got back to Minnesota.
While he was doing that I made us sandwiches - in the parking lot - oh dear I was so embarrassed as cars drove by (but I must say the grilled cheese & veggies & meat sandwiches were SO SO good)!

We left at 4pm and drove South East eventually arriving in Amarillo, Texas around 11pm. We stopped at McDonald's for dinner and had an interesting burger - cheeseburger with green chili - interesting!

Day 384 - November 16

We were up and back on the road by 10am - a LOT of RVs in the parking lot last night - this guy has a great setup! Think about it - that's a LONG load. The truck is huge as it is, let alone the RV and THEN a long chopper on a long trailer...now look at where the driver would be and where the last wheel is on the bike trailer!! Imagine trying to drive that around Europe? HA! No chance.

We drove the rest of the way across the Texan panhandle, and then across Oklahoma.

We made a lunch time pit stop in El Reno, Oklahoma to stop at Johnnie's Grill for one of their famous onion fried burgers (or at least that is what our book said)

I admit we did have to ask our waiter what the heck a coney was

Apparently it is a hot dog with stuff on it - this is the Coney with Chili & Slaw (it was pretty darn good too - home made coleslaw!). We had to roll the truck windows down a few times after one of these bad boys.....

The burgers (which are fried along with the onions - thus the name) was pretty good, as were the onion rings - a good old unhealthy but yummy lunch!

We drove on until we eventually got to a small town in Arkansas called Brinkley. We decided to just call it a night and found a cheap motel with wifi - perfect.

Day 385 - November 17

We slept in a bit, exhausted after yesterday's long long drive, then headed East to our destination in Memphis Tennessee..........

We're gonna Graceland, Graceland, ...Memphis Tennesse, we're gonna Graceland.

Graceland! The first part of the 'platinum tour' that we bought was a tour of the mansion

Young Elvis, and a photo of his parents

Lots of lovely portraits of him around the house

His mother's room

LOVE this photo - Priscilla & Lisa Marie

The formal dining room

The kitchen

So dated looking! Fun to see

You could see the stairways leaded up to the second floor - but visitors are not allowed up there

The cool bar downstairs

The TV room - or the TCB room as he called it (taking care of business)

His record collection

This is the taking care of business emblem

The wild pool room - check out that funky material ALL over the room!

WOW - just a BIT over the top?

The jungle room - love it!

This apparently was Lisa Marie's favorite chair in the house

Crazy material & designs. The green shag pile carpet everywhere, including the walls...seems over the top, but it had a purpose beyond 70's cool..the living room was used as a recording studio. Some of his last albums were recorded here!

The house from the back - doesn't really look like a mansion by today's standards

The office where Elvis's father helped managed his career with The Colonel.

The office with lots of fan portraits around the room...

A model of the modest home he was born in

They had a bunch of horses

The mansion from the other side

Part of the mansion tour was an exhibition with some of his outfits & awards

Amazing how much memorabilia they have

The awards hallway - wow!

Now THAT is an old school television!

And they also had an exhibition all about the movies he made

Priscilla & Elvis's wedding outfits

Me with the movie poster of my FAVORITE Elvis move - Blue Hawaii!!

Outfit from the comeback special

Copies of the zillion checks he made to charitable causes, I was shocked - he went down in history as one of the biggest private donation entertainers.

Click to enlarge for details..

So many lovely awards as well

And back outside - the pool!

His workout room was in another separate building, with a big racket ball court. He loved racket ball, and played often, even the day before he died.

ANOTHER award room with a few outfits was set up in what used to be his raquet ball court

They even had a few Australian awards!

And finally the resting place of Elvis and his parents

Lots of flowers & gifts from fans

Me & Murray posing for a photo in front of Graceland! What a FANTASTIC tour!!! I have been before when I was a kid, but gosh it was fun to see again!

Next stop - the auto museum! Murray was VERY excited!!

First - the bikes

Elvis loved motorcycles

Elvis' purple Cadillac was bought in 1956 and was originally white. He traded in in 1957, and a fan bought it and kept it until her death in 1974. It was then bought by another fan, who spent more than $30,000 restoring it - that work began in 1974. She had hoped to bring the car to Memphis to show Elvis, unfortunately the car was still in the final stages of restoration when he died in 1977.

This 1960 MG was used by Elvis in Blue Hawaii and was also part of his personal collection. Sometime in the mid-60s Elvis apparently gave the car to his secretary who later traded the MG at a car lot in Hollywood. It was then bought by a chef from the Spinout crew, who gave the car to his daughter as a wedding gift. The car is once again part of the Elvis Presley collection at Graceland.

He also had a TON of fun little scooters, snowmobiles, and snowmobiles he had converted to work on grass, go-carts, etc to entertain his friends in the backyard of Graceland

The grass snowmobile

LOVE this pink Cadillac!

Perhaps the most famous of Elvis' cars - this Pink Cadillac was one of the few cars that Elvis kept throughout his career.

He often referred to it as Gladys' car (his mother) even though she did not drive.

Next up was the jumpsuit exhibition!
Really amazing how many jumpsuits he had! The idea came from his love of karate - a nice comfortable design to move around in on stage as well!

I love how they all have their own matching gigantic belt as well!

Amazing beading

The jumpsuit collection was amazing - fun to see all the craftsmanship and all of the different designs!
Then we stopped by the gift shop - hmmmm no I do not think I want/need this - odd

Next stop was the planes!

Murray was detected as an Elvis fan

Me with Elvis' jet the Lisa Marie - also known as Hound Dog I
The fancy gold plated sink - on a plane - SO Elvis!

Quite a roomy cabin - please sit here and I will bring you your drink!

Even the seat belts were gold plated!!!

Looking into the meeting room

Pretty comfy looking - except for the protection plastic they now have on all the seats

You can just see in this photo - the bed had a gigantic seat belt that stretches across near the pillows!!! Apparently that is the only was the FAA would allow a bed on the plane - cool!

His private bathroom in the back

WOW you don't see planes like that anymore! Look at that crazy engine flute?

Fancy

This is the inside of Elvis' other jet - Jetstar - also known has Hound Dog II

some info about the planes (click to make the photo bigger if you are interested)

Next up was the final exhibition called Private Elvis - all about his time in the army

It was an interesting exhibition - lots of stories on panels from family and friends and quotes from Elvis himself about what it was like to be sent abroad - which must have been tough for someone who was SO famous!

On our way out Murray got one more shot of Elvis' logo on his planes - TCB - Takin' Care of Business!!!

WOW what a great tour. We are both big Elvis fans and it was SO SO fun to see all the stuff they have on display - fantastic!

After we finished up all those tours, we set off with Dolph East towards Lynchburg, Tennessee.

We arrived in Tullahoma (just past Lynchburg) and decided to grab a bit to eat before deciding where to spend the night
The Road house it was - for dinner and Lynchberg Lemonade's - of course! (Jack Daniels & Lemonade)

After dinner we drove around Tullahoma looking for somewhere to stay. There was one expensive hotel, and one just ok looking one which was cheap. We checked into the cheap one, as we figured it was only one night and was good enough.

We got into our room, and I called my Mom to chat while Murray took a shower. He got out and dried himself - then ewwwww noticed the towel was dirty - it looked like it had makeup stains on it. He was then grossed out, so whipped back the bed cover to check the sheets - EWWWW - suffice to say it was nasty.

SO, he got dressed and we went to the front desk to complain. She was immediately defensive and said she didn't believe us that the room was dirty because 'she does the cleaning herself.' SO, we asked her to come and take a look. She stomped out after us and when she saw the towel was wet - accused Murray of dirtying it himself (ummm yes, he did take a shower, but he doesn't wear makeup - that thing was already dirty). Then we showed her the sheets - she said NO - impossible, they were clean, we did this. Ummmm really crazy lady?

I had to leave because she was just acting like a lunatic, so I went to wait out the drama in Dolph. Murray politely insisted that we did not dirty the room. She insisted we did, and threatened to call the cops. Murray was shocked by this suggestion, and said fine - do it! Shockingly, she did.

While they both stood there waiting for the cops he said - don't you think it would have been better if you had just offered us clean towels & sheets rather than call the cops? Or perhaps move us into another room? We had already paid anyhow, we would have been happy with that. She said 'well you didn't suggest that' - ummm WE are the customers - shouldn't SHE be suggesting that? Crazy crazy crazy

A few minutes later 3 - yes THREE cop cars showed up!!! They listened to her crazy rant and then came to Murray for his story (they even had rubber gloves on - does that much crazy stuff really go on in the middle of Tennessee??). They agreed with him that she was nuts and the room was disgusting, however they informed him they couldn't make her give us our money back because it was a civil matter. The cop came into the office with him though and she gave us half our money back - she THEN offered us clean sheets and towels - but um you just called the cops on us for no good reason, there is NO way we are staying now!!!

SO we sucked it up and checked into the nice hotel in town - hurt the budget - but oh WOW was it fabulous - amazing pillows, cable tv, and the MOST fantastic buffet breakfast EVER- I think we each ate like 6 rounds!

Day 386 - November 18

We slept in a bit today, hit the breakfast buffet hard, then drove the 10 minutes back down the road to Lynchberg - where the Jack Daniel's distillery is!!!

We got onto a tour and the shuttle took us out to our first site - the wood they have cut up to make barrels drying out in preparation

And a display of the charcoal they filter the bourbon through that makes it sour mash whiskey

Our guide was kooky and VERY hard to understand (I'm not use to those REALLY strong souther accents). She told us how each employee gets a free bottle of Jack on the first Friday of every month - her husband works at the distillery as well so they get 2! (they call it Good Friday)

The water used in the distilling process comes from this natural spring on the property. They use the same spring now as they did when they started! This spring was the main reason Jack chose this location.

Me with Jack

The original crew

The ingredients they use to make sour mash whiskey
There has only been 7 Master Distillers in the history of the making of this whiskey - they are the guys who go around to the barrels and by taste they tell when the barrel is ready to be bottled

The distillery makes their own barrels, once a barrel has been used (only 1 time) they are shipped all over the place for other uses, one place the barrels are sent is to Louisiana, they use the wood from the barrels to flavor Tabasco!

You can really smell the whiskey even after the barrel is empty. All of the color and most of the flavor in Jack Daniels comes from the barrel.

The Single Barrel whiskey is a club you can join for just $9-12,000. You get a barrel the Master Distiller hand picks

They then bottle it up for you and put your name on each bottle - you get around 240 bottles

They then package up your barrel and all of your bottles on a pallet - wow that is a LOT of Jack!

Back to the distilling process - a few facts..........
* 60% of the cost of each bottle of Jack Daniels is state & federal taxes
* Gentleman's Jack has been filtered through the charcoal twice
* The number one country for Jack exports is the U.K., #2 is Germany, #5 is Australia!
* Green label Jack isn't as aged as other Jack's, it doesn't have time to go in and out of the wood as much as Black Label (it is also only sold in 18 states and not overseas)
* The whiskey goes in and out of the wood as the temperature changes
* There has been NO staff turnover for Master Distillers in the history of the company
* The leftover grain from the fermentation process is used as cattle feed
* It takes 3 days for clear alcohol to drip it's way through the charcoal (we got a little smell of that process and WHEW is that strong!!!

Unfortunately we couldn't get any photos in the distilling buildings because the alcohol content is so high they are afraid people using their camera flash's may ignite something!

SUCH a fantastic tour - and so very very interesting!

After our tour we went back to the tiny town of Lynchburg to check out the gift shops (a lot of the good have Jack in them - but they can't actually sell alcohol - surprisingly it is a dry county!)

It is a cute little town - all based around a tiny square

Yummmm

The town - and you can see the owner's old house up on the hill in th background

After a lovely local lunch we hit the road and drove to Atlanta, Georgia!

We drove to Dunwoody, the area where Murray lived for 4 years as a kid and stumbled upon one of the restaurants he so fondly remembers....
The Old Hickory House!

We enjoyed their Brunswick Stew - oh WOW was it good!

We also HAD to have some peach cobbler - lovely!

Brunswick stew - yummm yummm yummm It was AWESOME! Exactly the same as 25 years ago!

Murray had fun going down memory lane!

We then drove aimlessly down the freeway trying to find somewhere to stay - we wanted to stay close by, but not pay a fortune, luckily we found a great hotel just off the freeway with lovely rooms & wifi - hooray!

Day 387 - November 19

We got up and drove back to Dunwoody and went on the search for the homes that Murray's family lived in.

The first house - 1136 Coronation

Murray in front of the house

The side of it

Looking at the house from the other side

Next we stopped by the school where Murray attended Kindergarden through half of 3rd grade.

Next stop was the second house - where they lived the longest - 5279 Wyntercreek

Luckily the lady who lives there pulled up just as we were taking this photo - she invited us up for a chat and we found out that her & her husband actually bought this house off of Murray's parents in 1984!! She invited us in for a look around which was FUN (although we didn't think it was appropriate to take any photos!)

The view of their house on the side...

Our friends house next door....lots of bbq's and they had a path to the local woods! (fun for kids)

Our neighbours on the other side, the husband cut his toe off lawn mowing and the wife rolled down the driveway in her car, into the house on the other side! Twice! In the three years we were there. Exciting neighbours!

Where we played tennis and swam!

We stopped at a pizza place called the Mellow Mushroom for lunch - Murray had his 7th Birthday party here!

Oh WOW was it a great pizza!!! In fact the BEST pizza we had EVER had since leaving London.

We stopped by the mall and had to laugh - is it just me or are these dog strollers ridiculous!!!???!

We then drove to another part of Atlanta to see my Grandma's best friend Margie, her daughter Judy and Judy's husband Gary. Margie's sister Judy was also in town from Minnesota. They had prepared a lovely dinner for us, and we had fun sitting around and chatting.

Unfortunately that evening Margie's sister Judy was sick that night and ended up having to go to the hospital. We stayed at the house with Margie, it was a scary night to say the least! Thankfully we hear Judy has recovered now - thank goodness - she is such a nice lady (they all are SO nice - we had such a nice visit other than the medical drama).

Day 388 - November 20

After breakfast and goodbyes to everyone we hit the road again.
Goodbye Georgia - we had a great time! (just LOVE this water tower - the Georgia Peach)!

Next up......................... North Carolina & our drive back to Minnesota - coming soon!!!!!!!!!!

The Grand Circle - Utah & Arizona

2009-01-29T22:11:00.000-08:00

Day 361 – October 24

After leaving Vegas we hit the road and drove straight to Zion National Park in Utah. We went to the visitors and center and luckily got one of the prized permits for tomorrow that would all us to hike to what they call ‘the subway.’

We then drove back to the little town near the entrance to the park called Springdale and explored the Michael Fatali Gallery for a bit (we had been told by a photographer we met to stop by this gallery and WOW he does have some amazing stuff).

This is his camera, it was on display in his gallery

We then made our way back to the city of Virgin and checked into the campground there. There were SO many kids around – a family on one side of us and a school group of kids on the other – crazy busy! But getting there before dark meant Murray had time to prepare his cameras for the hike tomorrow, and I was able to cook us up some grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup – nice. Then I reorganized Dolph again, before logging onto the wifi to check our emails. Once dark came we crawled in and watch the movie Jindabyne on our laptop – very very odd movie!

Day 362 – October 25

We got up early and drove to the trailhead - getting there at 8:30. Then it was straight off to the trail. The first bit was all downhill and VERY steep.
But when we got to the bottom the view was worth it - stunning

Then it was time to start following what I will call the 'non trail'

We just walked up along the river, back and forth, zig zagging

Trying to follow footprints, when we could see any at all, climbing over trees, scaling rocks we couldn't get around, etc. It was TOUGH to say the least, definitely our toughest hike yet in North America!

Finally at 11:30 we arrived at the amazing.....
Subway

The subway is a unique tunnel sculpted by the Left Fork of North Creek.

Churning water has chiseled the rock floor, forming shallow potholes that fill to the brim with frosty water

This is the view looking in from the place we hiked into the area

This is the view back down the tunnel, once you hike up inside of it

This beautiful puddle is also where I dropped our guidebook in (opps) and Murray dropped his lens cap

We quickly snapped up the cap though - thank goodness it didn't float away!

The rocks were SUPER slippery and those holes in the rocks hide VERY deep pools, so we had to be careful

It really is a beautiful place

This is a photo he got on the way back of what is called a slot, it is a crack in the rock that water flows through - this viewpoint is looking down at it (it was part of the 'ground' of the river bed we walked up - the fall leaves really make the photo striking). I LOVE this photo

Walking back up the valley we got a bit disorientated about where exactly it was that we came down the mountain (there is a traversing path - but it is almost impossible to spot until you're on it).

We got worried after hours of hiking, that perhaps we had missed the one small sign that told us where to go back up the mountain. Thankfully we came across a group of guys that had hiked this route MANY times and knew exactly where the path was, so we followed them (we still had another whole mile to go before heading up). We got back to Dolph around 4:30, completely exhausted, that hike back up was killer. Diet coke NEVER tasted so good. After a quick snack we hopped in and hit the road - our destination was Bryce Canyon National Park.

We were trying to get to Bryce Canyon for the sunset, however we arrived at 7 - JUST as the sun was setting, too late for photos - bummer! So we checked into the local campground, showered, made some tuna pasta & soup then went to bed!

Day 363 - October 26

It was COLD this morning when we woke up.....

Dolph said it was 29 degrees Fahrenheit - this was at 6:50 in the morning, so it must have been much colder in the middle of the night

We drove to the appropriately named Sunrise Point, where already half a dozen photographers were set up (all bundled up - it was freezing cold!) Above is the pre-rise glow - a flat light.

I popped out for a quick look, then went back to try and keep warm in Dolph & read a book. The sun is now on the horizon giving glow and shadow.

While Murray snapped away as the sun created some beautiful colors on the rocks

Despite its name, Bryce Canyon is not actually a canyon, but rather a giant natural ampitheater created by erosion

At one point in the morning, a German guy accused Murray of stealing his camera (ummmm huh?) - in broken English. He was patting his pockets, then turning to Murray saying you were the only other one here - you must have it?? Murray helped the guy look, but said hey I don't have it! After MUCH accusing, the guy found it, in his own pocket, hidden under one of his belly rolls! Too many sausages!! geez

Then we drove to Sunset point - to check out the view from there as well

Hoodoos (those tall tower like structures) are composed of soft sedimentary rock and are topped by a piece of harder, less-easily-eroded stone that protects the column from the elements.

Next we went to Inspiration point to see what the view was like from there

We then stopped by the visitors center (the movie there about the park was just ok) then we went to the lounge at the Inn by our campground to hook into the internet and keep nice and warm. Bryce is so cold because it is at elevation!

We went back to Sunset Point to get some sunset shots. The sun is glowing the back of these hoodoos and bouncing some reflective light - hence the 'glowing' tips.

But there was a LOT of shadows (although I still think the photo is lovely), so we didn't stay for long.

The it was back to the campground for a lazy cereal dinner, we watched a movie and then went to bed early.

Day 364 - October 26
It was an even colder morning today, we actually found the inside of our topper coated in ice crystals from our breath! First time that has happened on this trip!! Freaky!

Up early and off to sunset point (which funnily enough is actually BETTER for sunrise shots....)

While Murray was taking photos, I got to chatting to a nice older couple in the parking lot. Turns out the guy graduated from the same high school I did, granted - 50 years ago! They were really nice!

Murray was out taking shots until 11 - lots of great viewpoints. Here above is Thor's Hammer.

Some more Thor's Hammer

Amazing that trees can grow in this area

Then it was back to the truck for a nice zebra cake treat! (after our subway lunch it - was just too cold and windy to cook for ourselves)

And that was that for Bryce Canyon! Lovely place, but SO cold!!!

Next we drove to Escalante. We stopped by the visitors center for some info, and then checked into a local campground. It was a VERY dusty place (no grass to be seen...) and so windy, so we just took our laptop into the laundry and set up there for the afternoon. We worked on some admin stuff, and after a quick tuna & rice dinner we called it a day.

Day 365 - October 28

Thankfully it wasn't AS cold this morning - in the mid 40s!

We got up early and drove the hole-in-the-rock road in the area called the Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument to a place called Devils Garden.
Beautiful formations - especially in the early morning sun

Later we followed the precise instructions from the visitors center (drive over the third cattle guard and park there, then head East..... hmmmm)

We did NOT have great instructions, to say the least. We were told to look for a side path off of the main wash - I thought this one looked like what they were talking about

Lots of footprints at least - surely we are on track, but this arrow is the way back to the truck?

Ummmm no - this is definitely not the correct way to go. We are looking for a fork in the wash, but there are 100's along the way...very frustrating when you have to be at the location at the right time for the right light! Oh and with a 70 pound backpack! (murray)

Ahhh the cattle guard - they did mention this (it is hung from wire because flash floods come through this area)

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument spans nearly 1.9 million acres

This high, rugged, and remote region, where bold plateaus and multi-hued cliffs run for distances that defy human perspective, was the last place in the continental United States to be mapped. Above are petrified sand dunes.

Amazing anything can grow out here!

Are we lost - again??? It was 2 miles of walking down the wash, before we were to turn and go another quarter of a mile. Its an amazing feeling to be hiking out into this harsh land, and to not see anyone after hours of hiking!

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY - we finally did find what we were looking for - the Zebra Slot!
(the last 1/4 mile to the entrance was awful - DEEP sand, so exhausting to walk through)

Murray pointing in to the entrance to the slot

WHAT ARE THOSE????? We took some pics and asked more questions back at the info center and 'google'. Seems there's a link to planet Mars?

Early this year, scientists announced the discovery of tiny, spherical grains of hematite, a type of iron oxide, in some Martian sediments. Those spherules were dubbed blueberries because their distribution within the sediments reminded one of the scientists of blueberries in a muffin. The hematite blueberries provided one of several lines of evidence that suggest water once flowed on the Red Planet (SN: 3/6/04,p. 147). Although many of the Martian blueberries examined by NASA's Opportunity rover were still embedded in rocks, erosion had freed others.

The same type of iron oxide concretions form within some Utah sandstones, says Marjorie A. Chan, a geologist at The University of Utah located in Salt Lake City, is the flagship public research university in the state of Utah, and one of 10 institutions that make up the Utah System of Higher Education. in Salt Lake City. These terrestrial nodules come in spherical o·void having the oval shape of an eggs.

These lumpy shapes and can measure 20 centimeters or more across, while their Martian analogues are typically spherical and range up to only 5 millimeters in diameter.

The Utah nodules probably formed when a stream of groundwater rich in dissolved minerals, including iron, encountered chemical conditions that caused the iron to precipitate. Some of these nodules have a homogeneous internal structure, says Chan, while others appear to have growth rings or an outer rind. These features suggest that the concretions may have grown in episodes rather than all at once, she notes. Chan and her colleagues describe the Utah nodules in the June 17 Nature.

The size and spacing of hematite nodules within Utah sandstones depend on many factors, including the salinity, pH, flow path, and flow rate of groundwater that's coursing through the porous rock.

Me, helping to bring the tripod in even further

It was squeezey!

Interesting place to try and setup a tripod that's for sure

Such a gorgeous rock formation though - beautiful zebra like stripes

Nice how the light comes in too

The happy photographer

And the BEST part? It was ONLY us there!

Me squeezing back out with the tripod

On the way back we were noticing how DRY the river bed 'wash' was

When we got back to town, we picked up a subway for lunch, then headed to the grocery store to buy..
some frozen corn to put on Murray's knee (it was quite swollen and sore from that awful Subway hike)

I also needed to reorganize the food we had stored under the bed, but I didn't want to do that at the campground cause it was too dusty. So, we just parked in the paved parking lot of the grocery store and Murray rested his knee in his reclining chair by Dolph...

While I reorganized the back - darn those fruit cups - would we EVER be rid of them?? I just put stuff wherever there was room, because reorganizing so we could reach everything meant taking EVERYTHING out!

Ahhhhhh very nice and organized now - just perfect

Murray's viewpoint - lol

Me back in our laundry room office - ha. That night we had a LOT of corn in our pasta - that was nice:) We even managed that evening to start on Season 4 of the show 24 - fab!

Day 366 - October 29

Today we slept in a bit (well, til 9) which felt great! After breakfast & wifi we set off to drive to Arches National Park. We got there around 3:30
Driving towards the park - gorgeous

We made a quick stop at the visitors center for info

then drove to the delicate arch trailhead and headed off on the hike. It was only 2 miles to get there, but VERY uphill on smooth rock - difficult to hike up! The calves were BURNING!

Wow was it worth it though - quite a stunning arch - that's Murray standing beneath it! You can see how huge it is!!

Then Murray decided to climb out on a ledge to try and get a good angle for sunset photos. I sat up on a safe flat part and just yelled once and awhile to be careful!!! Murray said that he was perched on the cliff edge with about two inches for his feet, below a 5 story drop.....he needed new shorts after the 'shoot'.

Gorgeous

The photographer - at the end of the shoot

Murray & I & delicate arch

Can't beat that sunset - stunning

Once we got the sunset shots we headed straight back to the trail, as it was starting to get quite dark! We eventually made it back to the truck, drove into the nearby town of Moab and checked into a nice campground. It was too dark and we were too tired to cook though...
So, Pizza Hut worked just fine!

The pizza was good, shame the service was SO bad. After we finished eating we sat for over 20 minutes waiting to catch the waiter's eye for our bill (as he chatted to friends at another table). Eventually I had to loudly say 'excuse me, can we have our bill please' and he hopped to it!

Day 367 - October 30
Our first stop of the morning (back in Arches National Park) was to get this shot of Balancing Rock with the sun rising just behind it.

Next, we drove to the Devils Garden trailhead and hiked in to see this - called Landscape Arch

then it was on another mile and a half - hiking up what they call sliprock - quite scary!

We had to walk across this 'fin' of rock at one point, then climb down the side to continue on the 'trail'. As you can see we enjoyed the thrill of feeling like it was just us out there...exploring!

Eventually we reached our destination - Double O Arch

Look closely above and you can see Murray's camera and tripod perched on the cliff edge - the necessary angle to take the pictures of the Double O Arch!! Gulp!

While Murray climbed around and took photos, I read my book & relaxed with the gorgeous scenery

When he was finished up, we sat down to have a snack before hiking back - these little guys were watching us VERY carefully

hoping for scraps

Oh hello there - do you have any food for me?

Yes, we gave them a peanut - bad, I know! But gosh they were just TOO cute!

Our view back at the arch as we left to hike back

See those little rocks at the lower left hand side of the picture? Those are trail markers - to let us know where to go - VERY hard to see as you're hiking along! VERY HARD! We had quite of few trail 'tangents' along the way. ha ha

Me on the 'trail'

This is where Wall Street arch used to be, now it's just a gap

This is a photo of a photo that was taken as a piece of Landscape arch fell - scary huh?

We thought the sticker on the back of the truck was hilarious!

We then drove back to the visitors center, watched their movie about the park (it was made by the Discovery Channel and was EXCELLENT!)Then we drove to the nearby Canyonlands National Park

We got to the visitors center JUST before it closed, got some info, and then drove to the Willow Flat campground to find and pay for a spot for the night. Once we had claimed our spot, we drove to the Aztec Butte trailhead & headed off!
Me on the trail. We hiked half a mile up to the butte (in DEEP sand - so exhausting) then half a mile up the sliprock to the top. Then we had to go to a ledge on the far side that was down about 10 feet, and follow it around to our destination....

Aztec ruins - with an amazing view of the valley

See the ruins - on the far right side. They believe this structure was an Aztec storage place for grain.

The MOST amazing part though? We were the only people there...... truly fantastic. Complete isolation and silence - just the slight breeze. Here is Murray with his gear all packed up after the shoot, standing on the cliff edge and admiring the sunset. We felt so fortunate.

Later, back at the campground, we prepared for dinner by first setting out our dessert

Then we had a nice easy (but yummy) meal of reheated pizza

Day 368 - October 31

We were up and back on the road by 5:30 - heading to the Mesa Arch trailhead. It was just a short drive from our campground, and thankfully the hike was only half a mile (because it was still very dark - we had to use our headlamps).

When we got there - two photographers were already set up, so Murray quickly got his stuff out and set up a spot for himself

Then 4 more photographers showed up, and it started to get a bit crowded!

And sunrise was coming quickly

Stunning - just stunning, to appreciate the shot you need to see it larger.

It's just a shame it was so hazy and cloudy that morning - this is the difficult thing about having SO much to see and only so much time to do it in. The haze prevented the red glow underneath the arch from truly reaching its potential.

Still VERY pretty though

We decided to drive back to Arches for a few more photos...
of Balanced Rock (again - different sun position)

Then, we went into town and checked into the hospital. Murray's knee had been bad ever since that hike to the subway. Not only was it swollen and sore, but now he could barely bend it past 10 degrees - it was time to go and see a professional. It was strange checking in - because a lot of the staff was dressed up (for Halloween)! We eventually met our (odd) doctor who made a lot of lame jokes, and then finally decided that they would need to drain the fluid from Murray's knee and then inject steroids (to keep it from happening again) and painkillers. I watched - it was awful (and painful)! About half a beer can of stuff came out of his knee - gross. They say it was all due to what they call 'overuse syndrome.' causing tendon/ligament damage. We finally got out of there around 3, after having to shell out nearly a thousand dollars - fun fun. Easy McDonalds lunch, then we checked into a local motel (a cute place and we actually had our own kitchenette too - just what we needed)!

Murray rested while I walked to the nearby grocery store to pick up his painkiller prescription and get some food for dinner

We had pork loin with sauce & rice - yes I KNOW it looks hideous, but really it was quite tasty!

Day 369 - November 1

We checked in for one more night today, just so Murray's knee could have a bit more healing time. We just spent the day relaxing, watching tv and working on the blog.

Day 370 - November 2

We checked out at 11 (the latest we could check out) and then hit the road. First we stopped by the Tom Till gallery in Moab, to check out his photos (just ok if you ask me.....)
And then we hit the road - how funny is this painted sign? I guess THAT is where the hole is lol

We drove 25 miles south of Moab through the town of Blanding and on to find the trailhead for the next day called Mule Canyon. Then it was back to Blanding for a subway lunch and to find somewhere to stay. Of the two campsites in town - the first was closed for the season and the other one looked just miserable - I couldn't face it. So, we checked into a dumpy little cheap motel in town - that worked! It was called the Palace which was too funny, but it was the cheapest hotel we had stayed in yet (cheaper than most campgrounds) and nice to have some tv to watch!

I probably was not allowed to do this.... but oh well. I cooked up our dinner in the room - a nice garlic rice with tuna and fresh green peppers - quite nice actually!

Next door to us a lady was staying who left her dog in the car. He scared us nearly half to death when he was wondering around outside and we had to go to the truck - he only had 3 legs!

Day 371 - November 3

Our alarm didn't go off for some reason, but we still managed to head off a a decent time and drove back to Mule Canyon. It was only a mile hike along a river bed (from where we parked dolph on the 4WD track) to our destination known as 'house on fire.'

Murray standing by house on fire - which is a Anasazi Indian ruins which they believed was used as a grainery and was built around a 1000 years ago

Setting up the camera (just us there - fab!)

And THIS is why it is called house on fire - the rock forms what looks like flames out of the top of the structure - so beautiful but you have to catch it at exactly the right time for the light.

Stunning. Another wonderful experience of being alone, in the middle of nowhere and appreciating some amazing ancient historical sites.

We finished up and got back to the truck by 1 - time for a quick cereal lunch then we had to hit the road again
The road ended up bringing us down the side of a mountain on some scary dirt switchbacks (and one frightening encounter with a huge grater and us on the side closet to the edge!)

Finally we were able to see Monument Valley in the distance - Dolph was very pleased

It really is a beautiful approach to the area

We drove up to the entrance, but because we didn't have any cash we had to turn back. So, we went instead back to the one campground in the area and check in

Then we headed back to get a good viewpoint of the sunset and the valley

John Dee Dee loved the view

I waited in the truck (it was SO windy and quite chilly out)

Lovely sunset and moon.

I was the traffic watcher, since most of these shots were taken with Murray in the middle of the road - worth it though!

Once we finished up with sunset shots, we headed back to the one restaurant in the area and ordered the local delicacy - the Navajo Taco

Fry bread (basically just a huge doughnut without the sugar, toped with ground beef in spicy tomato sauce, veg & sour cream/guacamole. Lovely but SO bad for you!

I was thrilled to order the salad bar - which meant 2 trips to the soup and 3 trips back to the salad bar. I was craving veggies!!

Day 372 - November 4

It was REALLY windy last night - it really rocked Dolph around, but thankfully we were tucked up nice and warm inside away from the wind
After paying our entrance fee (this park is on Navajo lands so isn't part of the National Park system) and checking out the visitors center (it was not very good at all) we set off to drive the 17 mile loop to see all of Monument Valley

The drive around was gorgeous - but WOW was the road bad

We are convinced they leave the road to ruins just so you will want to book a guided tour instead of submitting your poor vehicle to the huge pot holes

We drove around for two hours - lovely isn't it? (click on the photo to see it bigger in it's 'panoramic glory'

A formation known as The Thumb

And I had a bit of a snack on the way (I love the crumbs at the end of the bag!) Ok, I love the chips before the crumbs too! I LOVE CHIPS! We love Ruffles, and love the pronunciation in Brasil "Roo-fless"!

Along the way a few local artists had set up booths of jewelery, so I checked it out

It is a beautiful place but WOW is it windy - so windy I didn't want to get out of the truck - at all. Red sand blowing all over the place and tumbleweeds flying by. I asked a guy we met at one of the craft booths if it was always this windy and he said today was about a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5, usually it was blowing like a 5. Ummmm wow

Dolph quite enjoyed himself. Wow, isn't he STUNNING!

The structure on the left and middle are called the 'mittens'

We went back to the lodge for lunch (there was no WAY we could eat outside - it was really THAT windy!). Murray had a fab bacon, guacamole, cheese & mushroom burger - I had a chicken fajita that was SO yummy and Gigantic! Then it was time to head back to the park and wait for sunset.

It ended up being QUITE cloudy though

Pretty cloud formations, but not a lot of color

We set off just before dark to drive to Page. It took us around 2 1/2 hours, stopping on the way at a Navajo trading post to buy our cheapest tank of gas yet! Once we arrived in Page we found the local Wal-Mart, browsed a bit, rented a dvd (yay redbox!) and FINALLY watched the Sex in The City movie - yay!!

Day 373 - November 5

We woke up early and COLD then drove to the Paria Ranger station - arriving at 8:30 We put our name down for the lottery, and then waited around until 9am for the drawing. Only 20 people a day are allowed to hike and see the famous 'wave' formation in the area. We were SO lucky that we got 2 of the 10 permits available for the next day (around 25 people were waiting around like us hoping to get one - the other 10 permits per day can be booked ahead of time on a website). Whooo hoooo! We got all the info we would need, then drove to the Grand Staircase Escalante Southern Visitors Center for some more info on the Wahweep Hoodoos.

Eventually we made it back to Page - this power plant on the outskirts of the city of Page is pumping 24/7 - pretty gross!

Back in Page we stopped by the town's visitors center for info on Antelope Canyon, then we went to the local coffee shop called Beans for some yummy drinks & wifi.
We then drove to Horseshoe bend for some photos - check out how close to the edge you have to get for a good photo down of the horseshoe shaped valley - scary!

It's pretty though! Awful trail to get to it however - deep sand - but thankfully only a quarter of a mile trek. Murray took this picture above, but was just hanging on to the edge with one hand! The wind was pumping when you set your tripod up - so camera shake was an issue to say the least.

Afterwards we drove to the library in town, which we had heard had free wifi. We settled in at a comfy table and Murray worked on blog photos while I read magazines - quite a nice place to hang out! We left at 7 when they closed.

We decided dinner out would be nice, so we went to a local place. We went CRAZY at salad bar that which was included with both of our main meals.

Murray had the giant 'catteman's cut' prime rib - holy COW it was huge

WOW - that's a LOT of food!

I had ribs and a baked potato - lovely. It was all you can eat ribs - but I barely got through ONE plate - they were massive!

Then it was back to Wal-Mart for another dvd (21) and another COLD night!

Day 374 - November 6

We got up in the morning and drove to the House Rock Valley Road (which took about half an hour to get to) and then we drove the 8 1/2 miles down that roar to the Wire Pass trailhead.

We set off with a vague printout from the visitors center and tried to stay on the 'trail'

You'd think seeing footprints in the sand would be helpful - but often they go in ALL directions!

Murray consulting our directions as we climbed up and over a rock section

IT was quite confusing to find our way - VERY hard to spot the little piles of rock that showed us the way - here's me wondering where the heck we are?? GPS tool would be great at this stage.

After awhile it all just looks the same - hard to find any sort of direction

Hmmmm maybe we should have bought that hand held gps after all....

And then finally - we spotted it - The Wave!

The Wave is a multi-colored chute that has been cut into a sandstone mountain

The colors and shapes change with the light as the day progresses

Me in the middle of the Wave

Deposits of iron claim some of the responsibility for the unique blending of color twisted in the rock, creating a dramatic rainbow of pastel yellows, pinks and reds

John Dee Dee thought it was really beautiful!

The Wave is located on the Colorado Plateau, near the Utah and Arizona border

Beautiful colors and patterns in the rocks. This one is like a wood knot in a stone...and when you look carefully - it's a scary face!

This is what it looks like from a higher viewpoint

We also hiked around the other side of the cliff to see what they call the Second Wave

Along the way we spotted what they call the Brain Rock!

And a formation that they call The Hamburger!

The second wave is much lighter in color - but perhaps even more beautiful with the sunlight hitting it

The Second Wave - just georgeous

Me posing for one more photo at the Wave before we headed out to hike back

We decided to hike back with the 6 other people we had met out at the Wave, as we all knew it would be difficult to find outr way back. Even the guy with 2 gps instruments didn't help that much! Luckily with 8 of us, we eventually made our way back to the parking lot at the trailhead.

We drove out as dark was starting to come and headed - of course - to Wal-Mart, for a subway dinner & a dvd rental.

Day 375 - November 7

This morning we drove to the Upper Antelope Canyon parking lot and paid to get onto a tour with our Navajo guide Carol (they own the land - so you have to go on a Navajo tour to see the canyon).

It was an easy 10 minute drive through deep sand, her brand new suburban just ate it up! It was then time to go and walk through the 1/4 mile long slot canyon

Antelope Canyon is the most-visited and most-photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest

The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tse' bighanilini, which means "the place where water runs through rocks."

Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding and secondarily due to other sub-aerial processes
Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways
Over time the passageways are eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic 'flowing' shapes in the rock This is the entrance to the canyon

It really is SO beautiful how the light enters this slot canyon

After two hours in Antelope Canyon, Carol brought just Murray & I to a nearby slot canyon called Rattlesnake Canyon

She let us wander in on our own to explore

It was beautiful, and such a great change from the VERY crowded Antelope Canyon

We spent about half an hour in this canyon exploring & taking photos

Me, just before leaving the canyon

What a great day - so fun to see such amazing sights. Back in town we spent the rest of the afternoon doing laundry and then doing admin tasks in the lovley Page library.

The Chinese buffet we went to for dinner was just ok - but nice to have selection!

Day 376 - November 8

This morning we drove back to the upper Antelope Canyon parking lot to meet Carol's son Lane at 10am. He drove us to Sheep Canyon and left us there to explore for a few hours. It was a bumpy deep sand route, and Lane's little three year old nephew was flying all over the place in the front seat - not very safe!! Thank goodness his older suburban was 4 wheel drive!

Arriving at the entrance to Sheep Canyon

Me & Murray ready to spend a day exploring in complete isolation.

Carol told us about this canyon, saying not many people visit it, and that it is quite pretty

It was pretty chilly in the shade though

Some parts got quite narrom to walk through

At the end of the canyon (which was about a mile and a half long) we got quite a fright when an owl flew down and out of the canyon, just over our heads! He was sitting just up above where I am standing

Some interesting tripod manuevering took place

A slot canyon is a narrow canyon, formed by the wear of water rushing through rock

A slot canyon is significantly deeper than it is wide

The camera - working away!

The state of Utah has the largest concentration of slot canyons in the world

Imagine sand dunes, violently blowing and twisting in the wind, over 170 million years ago

Time passed as sedimentary rock was eroded away, slowly, by violent storms, floods and wind pounding the stone, carving twisted canyons into works of art

Thus, the narrow crevices we call slot canyons were formed. Whirled striations forged into soft rock.

At one point we had to climb up ladders to get to the next section of the canyon - scary!

We had a gret time exploring this canyon, especially since we were the ONLY people there!

Once back outside by the entrance, we sat down to have a snack and wait for our lift back to Dolph (we had spent over 5 hours in the canyon)

We then headed (of course) back the library until it closed at 5, then back to that same steak restaurant for that fab salad bar and all you can eat ribs (however, unfortunately the ribs Murray got were not as meaty as the ones I had the other night - bummer).

That evening we rented the dvd 'Into the Wild' which we had wanted to see for AGES and WOW it was fantastic!!

Day 377 - November 9

We were up and on the road by 5:30 this morning (yawn) to dfrive to the Wahweep Hoodoos trailhead . We eventually found the parking spot and set off with just a bit of light in the sky down the 'wash' (dried up river bed).

It was dark and cold when we set off! DARK AND COLD!

We followed the wash for 4 miles, as there was no real trail to follow. Once again, just us fools!

It was cold!

What the wash looked like. Wide and desolate!

Eventually we found the hoodoos that we had come to see

John Dee Dee climbed up for a view

And he sat back to enjoy the view

The cap of the hoodoo is Dakota Sandstone which was a beach of an incoming seaway, which is 100 million years old

The post of the hoodoos is Entrada Sandstone that is 160 million years old

There should be a layer of Morrison Sandstone but for some reason it wasn't laid down and isn't present. This is why there is such a large gap in the age of the cap and post

Such an odd looking composition of rocks & stones

Some of them are massive - really tall!

These white columns are located near Big Water at the edge of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

It was a beautiful place, but SO SO cold, so we took some photos, and then heade back towards Dolph. Murray was cursingg the masive effort we made for a day that ended up having no light. He was frustrated to say the least!

This shows how rough thewater here can be - totally knocked over this cattle guard

me walking back

When we got back to Dolph we were hungry and cold, so I heated up some soup before we hit the road again.

We drove straight to the Grand Canyon

We made quick stop at a viewpoint

There it is - the great big grand canyon!

Quite a cloudy evening

A map of the canyon that we looked at in the visitor's center

And wouldn't you know it - it started to SNOW!!!

So, we gave up on the idea of camping (how miserable) and checked into a hotel just south of the park

Poor Dolph had to sit outside in the snowstorm

IT was a NICE place, and quite reasonably priced with cable & wifi, so we were thrilled!

That evening we went next door to a little cafe for dinner..... which proved disaterous the next day.....

Day 378 - November 10

We got up JUST early enough to stock up on the free continental breakfast, then decided to not go back into the park because it was so cloudy and foggy out. This eneded up being a good decision because by the afternoon Murray was violently ill with food poisoning all day.

Day 379 - November 11

Murray felt a bit better today, so he worked on the blog photos all day.

By evening he was felling well enough to go to Yayapal point for sunset shots.

Unfortunately we got there 20 minutes too late for the full sun on the rocks - opps!

We decided to go safe for dinner - which meant of course - Wendy's - yay for shakes!

Apparently all Murray could think about when he was throwing up was Strawberry milkshakes?

Murray was having a bad time photography wise...the last week was a lighting disastor day after day. It's hard to get a good photo unless you have days at each spot to wait for the right light. Sadly we had been plagued by bad weather for quite some time..

Day 380 - November 12

COLD morning!

Murray went to Mather Point for sunrise shots (he says it was hazy, washed out and with no color - bummer) while I stayed at the hotel and uploaded photos into blogger. We had some nice breakfast (bagels, oatmeal. banana nut muffins, apples yogurt & juice - nice!!) and then worked on the blog until we had to check out at 11.

We then went into town and found a cute little coffee shop with free wifi. Murray had a yummy strawberry smoothie while I enjoyed my latte and worked on the blog.

Around 3:30 we packed up and drove back into the park and towards the East exit.... part way there we came across a lot of stopped traffic.... At first we thought it was just a large group of female Elk and their young but then we spotted..

Two BIG bulls on the side of the road!

They were massive!!

We stopped at Navajo point for sunset

lovely moon shot, no fake colours here - this was exactly the scene

And while Murray finished up I cooked us some dinner! It was nice to have a hot meal before hitting the road again. We drove to Chilne which took us a few hours. We found the campground at Canyon de Chelly National Monument (which was free - how odd) then settled in for a few episodes of 24 before bed.

Day 381 - November 13

It was a VERY cold night! When we got up we drove back up to the Canyon de Chelly visitors center They had displays there about the pueblo dwelling that use to be commonplace in this area

Me by a recreated dwelling outside

The inside

Later we drove down a very very rough road with huge bumps and potholes....

We came across these odd but beautiful structures (Fins)

Then we parked Dolph and headed out towards

We were there to see this - the Hope Arch

Murray standing IN the Hope Arch

Me in front of it

We both scrambled up and laid down to look up and the top of the arch - pretty amazing!!

Then we drove back to Canyon De Chelly to see
Spider Rock, a sandstone spire that rises 800 feet (240 m) from the canyon floor at the junction of Canyon de Chelly and Monument Canyon

Holy Spider Woman is an important deity in Navajo mythology. It was she who taught the People how to weave.

Next we hiken 1 1/2 miles down a steep mountain via switchbacks - some of the path was actually cut into the mountain - pretty amazing!

We were down there to photograph The White House Ruins. It is just SUCH a shame that they have had to fence off the base of the mountain the ruins are contained in due to people stealing artifacts from the ruins - sigh - people are no damn good!

These ruins date from about 1200 and are some of the oldest in the canyon

These ruins were built by the Anasazi, a Navajo word meaning the Ancient Ones

The hike back up was KILLER - really really exhausting - but on the bright side - the LAST hike of our trip!!!!
The view back down into the canyon

The ruins from a distance
That evening we went to the local Holiday Inn and had dinner in their restaurnat so we could use their wifi while we ate to finish off a blog (LOVELY totilla soup!!)

Day 382 - November 14

We got up at 5:30 to drive and get a few more shots of Hope Arch to get a few sunrise photos

The moon!
I think it looks like a heart- or perhaps the superman symbol

On the way back to the main road we came across a large loud group of cows grazing about

Back in town we did our laundry before tailgating lunch in the parking lot (with a LOT of sad skinny looking dogs looking at us like they were starving - so sad).

Our dessert was yummy!!! (the 3 minute camping trip lol)

And yes, I admit I gave those sad dogs a few granola bars - it was just too sad, tugged on my heart strings.

Then we drove again back to Monument Valley, for another attempt at a good sunset shot.

We watched MANY 24 episodes in Dolph while waiting for the sunset.

Click on these photos to see a larger view - the light was bad - again.

After Murray got his shots, we ate the other halves of our subway sandwiches and we were amazed when the moon rose - looking like a glowing sun - absolutely gorgeous......

Coming asap - the big road trip blog - Arizona to North Carolina & finally up to Minnesota!!

Mo's new blog

2008-12-31T20:10:00.000-08:00

I have started a new blog - just me & my rambling about moving to Australia (so don't expect any fancy photos by Murray!)

www.moinoz.blogspot.com

We WILL eventually finish this travel blog though - so keep checking back:)

Nevada

2008-12-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

Day 358 – October 21

We spent the morning packing Dolph back up and then headed up highway 15 towards Vegas. We stopped on the way at In and Out Burger (just in case we didn’t see another one once we left California – cause their burgers are THAT good)!

We got into Vegas around 3, found my parents, grandma & aunt and sat up in the room with the best view of the strip to catch up a bit. Later we went out to the Outback Steakhouse for dinner and enjoyed some lovely cocktails.

On the way to dinner we stopped by the AMAZING M&M's store!!

They had GREAT M&M movie posters - too funny

The M&M's (just a shame I closed my eyes for the pic!)

Walking to dinner

Us in front of the fancy Flamingo sign

After dinner we rushed down to the Bellagio hotel and caught the amazing fountain show set to music, before heading to Bally’s just down the road.

We got there a bit early, so went to a little lounge to watch a live band play, before heading into the theater to see ‘Jubilee.’
We also tried out our daily dollar bets on the slot machines - and yes, we lost

I had read that Jubilee! was one of the best big stage classic Vegas shows – so we had sent the boys down earlier in the day to pick up half price front row seats because it was last minute. I didn’t know they described it as ‘a topless extravaganza……' though. Ok, shall be interesting!

It was great though. Too many boobs for sure, but amazing costumes and really fun sets. Joni reckoned she counted about 50 showgirls – wow. I would have had trouble holding my head up with some of those gigantic headdresses – nevertheless dance as well!

One frightening part was the recreation of the Sampson and Delilah story. The guys were wearing….. thongs – ewww. Too much information is all I have to say.

They also had a big sinking of the Titanic part of the show – with a huge fake boat that ‘sunk’ into the stage. So gaudy and over the top – I loved it. The best was the finale though. The huge lighted staircase – the absolutely amazing costumes, and every single one was different, all the kicking and dancing – wow. Totally a VEGAS show – just fab!

Afterwards the group caught a cab back and Murray and I walked. I craned my neck to take in everything going on late night on the strip. It was my first time to Vegas – everyone else in our group has been many times. And you know what – it was better than I expected! Fun

I really did not mean to hold the showgirl in my hand in this photo... but eh? It's Vegas right?

We walked through Caesar's & admired the statues

And the Roman architecture outside! Not quite as good as the real thing... but lovely Vegas style!

A gorgeous painted ceiling

I guess we were enjoying ceiling shots that night - very pretty though!

Look I'm in PARIS!!

The Strip

And the MGM - just across the road from us

Night time on the strip - still busy as ever!

And finally, back to our castle for the night - the Excalibur

Day 359 – October 22

Today we started off our day the right way – with a Starbucks Chai latte. The girls then went shopping (we hit the ‘1 mile of shops’ – super fun). They even had a ‘rain storm’ inside while we were shopping – everyone stood around to watch the rain pour down into a pool while fake thunder clapped all around us – gotta love Vegas!

We had a lovely lunch on the outside patio at Mon Ami Gabi. Great view of the strip and the Bellagio, and fabulous French food. The fresh bread and butter they brought out was fantastic!
Me, Joni, Mom & Grandma

Joni's WAY too cheesey french onion soup and my lovely salad

We also found the $1 margaritas - yummmmmmmm

We met up with the boys late afternoon and hung out by the pool until it closef – at 5?? (does this seem early to anyone else – odd). But alas it was time to get ready for dinner anyhow.

Journals & magazines down by the pool

Then it was time to open Mom' present from us - this pretty watch:)

We then walked back down the strip to the Rosewood Grille – where we had made a reservation to celebrate Mom’s birthday.

The group

Mom and I shared a three pound lobster which also came with a triple bake potato and salad.

Thank goodness we shared – it was massive! And SO SO tasty!

An unusual wine shot from Murray

Everyone else had steak and we had some fabulous wine. They also brought out an amazing piece of chocolate cake with candles – fun to sing Happy Birthday & sample a piece as well!

They also gave each lady their signature rose as we left.

The girls

OLE!

Very creative Murray!

After dinner - of course – we quickly ran down to catch another Bellagio fountain show – great every time because the music is always different.

We then walked down to Bally’s again to watch that live band JAMM that we had watched a bit of the night before. The singer’s taste in shoes was questionable, but she had a great voice and they played a good selection of songs. We listened, danced and had a good time.

Dancing ensued

Do the Electric Slide - oh yea

We obviously liked this song!?!

Eventually we decided to start making our way back towards our hotel, walking on the way through the Paris hotel. There we came across a piano bar with dueling pianos – FUN!

So we put our suggestions and five bucks up there, pulled up a table close by, and sang along with the great pianists! My lovely husband gave three song suggestions and the one that got cheered loudest for by the audience was one of my all time favorite songs – Walk Like an Egyptian.
Surprisingly good with just two pianos – and he knew ALL the words – I was pretty darn impressed!

A really fun night – fun to get to celebrate together!

Day 360 – October 23

Aunty Joni and I got up early and stopped by Starbucks before lining up for half price tickets. Unfortunately – the tickets we wanted (to see Louie Anderson perform – he is from Minnesota) were unavailable because he was out of town. However we did score a good price on some tickets for a Magic/Comedy show later that afternoon.

We then went back to the hotel, everyone packed up and we moved all of our stuff into one room before heading out in search of some lunch. We had THE most expensive subway sandwich of our lives (I understand rent is high here – but still – wow – no $5 footlongs here)!
Grandma won big bucks before lunch!

Then we started working out way down the strip. We stopped at the one mile mall again so Murray could pop into the Thomas Mangelsen gallery – Images of Nature (we LOVE his photography). Then we stopped by Bill’s Gambling Hall to pick up 99 cent Margaritas before lining up for our show.

We got some great seats (close, but not SO close that we would get picked on – he is a Comedian after all) and settled in to enjoy the Nathan Burton show. He was very funny and his magic tricks were great. We were sitting close enough to watch carefully – but for most of the tricks we were completely stumped – very impressive!

On our way back we stopped at Bill’s for another one of those cheap and yummy margarita’s and we stuck around to catch the end of the ‘Big Elvis’ show. He is a big big guy who sits on a throne in his Elvis costume singing – pretty good singer I must say - although he didn't move around much.....

Looking down the strip the other way

Paris in the day

Arc de Triomphe

And a tacky t-shirt - lovely

We also stopped by the New York, New York hotel, where Joni, Murray and I took a ride on the roller coaster. Ummmm WOW – it was scary! Upside down, sideways, huge drops – my throat was killing me afterwards from screaming the whole time.

We caught one more Bellagio fountain show (great song this time – Viva Las Vegas) and saw the highest water canyon I have ever seen – it seemed to shoot water higher than the hotel itself!

Back at the hotel we freshened up, and then caught the tram from Excalibur down to Mandalay Bay. WOW is that a nice hotel – so classy and so many yummy looking restaurants! We ended up eating at the House of Blues, with live jazz music on stage.

Murray thought this was a fabulous sculpture

Dad's meal of ribs & sweet potato mash looked great

My fancy steak and avocado salad

A close up of Murray's pulled pork sandwich - was FANTASTIC!

Our fancy new sunglasses - do you like them?

Mom & I on our throne - waving to our subjects

After dinner we caught the tram to the Luxor to see what that was like – just ok in my opinion...
I do like that the pyramid is lit up at night, and it looks like they have some good nightclubs inside. But it is just so tacky compared to Mandalay Bay.

We just walked around though to check it out.

We then had to rush back to our hotel to grab everyone’s bags – say goodbye (their flight out was at 12:50 am) and go to bed! It was sad to say goodbye so soon – we had SUCH a great time. Viva Las Vegas!

Day 361 – October 24

We got up, walked embarrassingly through the hotel and casino with our tupperwears full of clothing (no luggage for us) out to find lonely Dolph and hit the road again. We hit the local Wal-Mart hard and tried to stock up for the next few weeks in the Grand Circle.

Next up – coming soon - the Grand Circle – Utah & Arizona

Blog coming soon - I promise

2008-12-04T10:57:00.000-08:00

Wow I just realised it has been ages since we last published a blog! No need to worry - we haven't given up, we have just been busy. We are working on the Vegas post right now, and hope to have it up soon.
And Canadian customs - stinks. We got our final response - not only are they not giving us anything back of that fine, the officer also completely lied about the incident, making us look bad.
So, I thought this cartoon was appropriate:)