Iris' 3 month road trip around the US

What started out as a 5-6 week trip, has morphed into 3 months: May 5 to Aug 1.

May 5
Did I pack everything? Did I remember to turn off the iron? (ohhh yeah, I did, I shut off the circuit breaker) The house is not 1000% clean. That's ok, only nephew (housesitter) and landlord will see it. AND oh yeah, I can blame the mess on the kid.

I took too much.... but when I am 1/3 of the way through trip 1/2 of the trunk will have been left with other people. I can deal with things in the back seat.

On the road.

It is beautiful out. Great weather. mid-70s.

Minor road construction several places along I-5 past Eugene south. Just minor slowing, no detours. Further down, there were many areas in the mountains near Roseburg and Medford where there was just one moving lane.

Thoughts are on all of the beautiful shades of green. I can't believe all of the shades there are. There are shades of new spring. And shades of the dark evergreens. The shades of ripen seed grass. The shades of creek plants. It is just amazing how much there is of one shade.

Thank God for the I-5 rest stops. They are every 30-50 miles. And they are clean and just situated at the right times. The rest stop at Valley of the Rogue River (mile marker 45) is beautiful. I needed a rest at that point in time. It is adjacent to the Rogue River. There is a path that goes down along the river. (pictures when I get them transfered) There is a gentle rustling of the creek to soothe road weary ears. The park has a wonderful picnic area. It is clean and well maintained.

For those interested: 227 miles in 4 hrs 10 min. I had several short stretching breaks, and one 30 min rest. Albany Oregon to Ashland Oregon.
For those interested: 295 miles in 6 hrs 30 min. I had one 45 min rest, and several short stretches. Ashland Oregon to Sacramento California.

Redding CA. first place that I have gotten turned around on this trip. I went east instead of west, but was only 1/2 mile off. The Sundail Bridge is a beautiful piece of art. The bridge is a sundial in that it will tell time by where the Pylon at the far end casts its shadow on the banks of the Sacramento River, or on the river. It is a pedestrian only traffic bridge. You can see it from CA Hwy 40 and I-5. It is a very easy on and off (if you don't get turned around). There are many small gardens to wander. I did not go into the museum. Several small children were excited about seeing several animals.

Olive Pit in Corning CA. Yes it is a tourist trap. But it is a delicious tourist trap. I was the only person there. I was encouraged to sample the different types. Loved them. Ended up having the BLT with avocado. You put on your own condiments.

California is in a drought right now. There was a haze over the farms from the dust. The farms were the middle of haying. The sky was many shades of orange. Trying to hide the San Andreas mountains.

Came in to a wonderful friend. Bubba (the cat) made sure that I was welcomed by sleeping on top of me.

More later, I am off to play Texas Train.

Wow, thank you for sharing your trip. So well written and sharing your thoughts on the road. I could relate.

Hoping to see some pictures soon. We love to see your pics. I have already learned of two more spots to put on my schedule.

Looking forward to the rest.

Lifey

May 6
A day of frustrations. Not for me, but my friend who I am visiting. It started at 6am when the people she counsels start calling, and her phone went garbled.

So she borrowed mine. Went to meetings, and tutoring. Then 2 1/2 hrs in ATT Store to get a new phone. TWO AND HALF HOURS. We were both needing food by the end.

I attended a folk dance group. I tried two dances. But my 3 left feet did not do well with the instructions. I sat out and enjoyed the music. The other participants did very well. It was mostly Baltic Sea area dance styles.

This evening was a lot of catching up with small items. Tomorrow is repacking part of the car, taking a Ghana HS exchange student to the Leland Stanford Museum and enjoying my friend's grandchildren for desserts.

Did you know, frozen bottles of water make GREAT cold water packs to help sleep in a hot room? I have two on me right now. Bubba the Cat is relegated to lay next to me, and not on me.

Images of Valley of the Rogue River State Rest Area and Park. A great place to rest from the weariness of road noise.

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Pictures of the Sundial Bridge
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Picture of the Olive Pit. The young lady with the RED hair, liked that I have PURPLE fringe in mine and that I was wearing a dress with sparkles.
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I am going to apologize for the blurrinest of the photos, my hands do shake.

May 7

Stayed at the house for the morning. Friend ordered new cable service. Both dogs enjoyed someone to play ball with. That should be "slobber" ball.

When the Ghana exchange student came home from high school, we went to the Leland Standford Mansion Museum. It is free. Tours are on the hour. Nice short videos to give a background. No cameras allowed inside the mansion. We were a small group. 5 children. They did not ask very many questions. The young lady I was with, just seemed to take it in.

The history of the house is fascinating. How it was expanded and raised. The ways innovated use of space and advance thinking in decorated style were fantastic. Everything was beautiful. Anita was a great docent.
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The Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. How beautiful. We were there during a service, and chose to only see the outside. The photos do not do justice. It is beautiful, and that word does not do it justice. This is definitely a stop I would recommend.
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It was so much fun to walk around the building. The online site shows off the beauty. www.cathedralsacramento.org/

May 8th

Today was repacking the car to get ready to leave tomorrow. Even with a bit more leaving with me, the repacking makes it feel less is inside the car. I am leaving an empty box behind, and filling 2 canvas bags. Seems to allow more space. Hey Carissa, see I keep telling you that you can never have too many bags.

Jackie and I went to the California History Museum.
$9 adult fee, but does have AAA discount. Parking is on street or a parking lot several blocks away. There may be heavy traffic due to being close to the capital. Very well laid out.

I wanted to see the Sesquicentennial Quilt. There are more than 230 appliques.
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continuation of photos
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There was also a great display of accomplished women in California's history. One of the best history was Charlotta Bass. In 1952 she was on the Presidential ballot as a VP running mate. How cool is that?

There were many different areas of California's history displayed for the Missions, Wars, Agriculture, WWII--the good and the bad. There was a school group while we were there, and the majority of the students were very engaged. I think they did not have enough supervision to help them get the most out of the experience.

It has been a nice visit with my human friend, Jackie, and my 4-legged friends, Bubba, Lucy, Tiger, Shadpw. Bindi and Blue.

Looking forward to the next adventure.

May 9 Sacramento to Barstow

Houston, we have a problem, we forgot our toothbrushes. NO!!! My Bible and mouse. Bible, I have on kindle and online through the internet. Mouse, purchased a new one. (The opening line is from Ron Brown’s Countdown by 10s I used when teaching first grade.)

I learned (well relearned) how to pump my own gas. Before you laugh, it had been 10 years since I had previously done it.

Decided to go via CA Hwy 99. This is the old highway that my parents drove down to Bakersfield to visit our grandmother. I also chose this route because of wanting to go through smaller towns and see more than you could from the interstate.

I should have gone I-5. Hwy 99 has also bypassed the smaller towns. You see the same type of fields. You see the dry washes. The only difference is rougher roads at slightly slower speeds. Except for the old abandoned buildings. The skeletons of the houses. The old style of 50s signage on abandon hotels or gas stations.

I miss the fruit juice stands. Hwy 99 was always stopping and paying our quarter to get juice. Orange juice, cherry juice, and others. I miss this.

I visited several different farm stores. They were interesting. They were my rest stops along the way.

Modesto: A&W drive In. Was in the film American Graffiti.

Kingsburg: Was going to stop at the Sun Maid Growers. But they were closed. Went through the Swedish downtown. Did a small bit of walking through the shops. Totally a tourist trap. But a good place to stretch legs.

Beekman and Beekman. Flavored honeys. And yes, I did toothpick samples of the different flavors. OHHH yum.

Passing Edwards Air Force Base. I heard the jets before I saw them. Should have known it by all of the contrails that were crisscrossing the sky.

There has been an increasing steady wind the further I go into the desert.

Wow, the windmills on top of the Mojave Mountains. There were 3 or 4 different sizes. The largest size ones were not turning. It was amazing to see the art in the way they aligned and turned.

The day was nice, low 80s. Deciding to go in May for the southern route was a good choice.

Listened to the CD my brother Joseph created for me. Lots of Road trip music.

In going through Bakersfield, I thought about Steinbeck’s Grape of Wrath. Momma always said, “But for the Grace of God, that would have been her story.” Grandpa Hughes was able to get a job taking care of the golf lawns instead of working in the fields.

Barstow. Stayed at the California Inn. Older building, but kept in decent repair. I felt safe with double deadbolts on all of the doors.

I met a couple outside their room, and briefly discussed the type of cactus outside of their door. We went together to the Italian restaurant for dinner. They were wonderful company. He has been a teacher and editor for the Glencoe McGraw Hill textbooks. She grew up in the company of Sammy Davis Jr, and well known NY mobsters. (Husband said, yes, she really did.)

It had been an 11-hr day, 630mile day. I basically dropped into bed as soon as I got back to my room. I really do not recommend that long of a day. I wasn't ready at Bakersfield to stop, but I sure was by Barstow. This is an 9 hr drive, that I added 2 hrs with stops.

Great story, I love your story telling style. Have you read the thread on uploading photos? Then you won't have to put thumbnails in your threads. You will be able to insert the photos in full size.

Looking forward to lots more.

Lifey

I too am enjoying reading your trip report and the way it is written.

Dave.

How else do you do write a report? It has to be in my own voice style.

May 15-- MORE weather reports of severe weather, directly where I am heading. Ohhh well. This is an adventure.

I did look at how to do photos, but I am posting photos on 3 different platforms, and am at the point where I am not going to try to figure it out for here for another 13 days (I will be at a longer term stay at that point).

May 10 Barstow CA to Cottonwood AZ

Add: forgot to put it on May 5th: In passing Mt. Shasta, there is a Quantum Leap story line that takes place in the area. Love that the female protagonist wants to make a contribution to life, and to just make herself invisible. It is a storyline that many can relate. Now, if I was just home to figure out the title of the book.

447 miles 9 ½ hrs.
I was suppose to be heading for Phoenix, but due to family schedules, I decided not to detour down to Phoenix, but stay up on I-40. Will need to schedule to head that way another time.

Wishing I was able to type while I was driving. Making small comments on notepads while driving makes it hard to figure out what the scribbles mean later. Hoping the phases of my thoughts make some kind of sense to me when I flesh out the thoughts.

The whole area that I am traveling through shows signs of its volcanic heritage. The composition of the mountains, the flow of many of the rivers. The cinder cones. The collapse volcanoes.

Purple mountains majesty. Today, the mountains in the distance were showing off their hues. The closest ones were tans and sage colors. The middle distance mountains were darker hues of browns and evergreens. But the far ridges are in the deep blue and purple hues.

The land is so wide, but the mountains are creating a boundary to it. It gives your eyes a point to focus on it, and I have time to contemplate on what I am seeing.

Going up and up and up and up. So high I could touch the sky.

Photo from Desert Oasis Rest stop along I-40 AZ

Today had a detour. Oh yes, one of my famous… OH LOOK! That looks interesting. I saw the signs for Mojave National Preserve at the Providence Mountains SRA Essex exit. What a wonderful desert beauty. Felt very small. The vistas are awe inspiring. The road is rough with lots of potholes.

Photos of the mountains, and flora.

It was Sunday. Thoughts today are of how beautiful and diverse the earth and sky are. That the shadows playing with the hills give constant changing images to focus on. But also with thoughts of how much greater God is, as He is the One who created the land and the sky.

Psalms 1:3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Psalms 90:2
Before the mountains were born, You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

Taking a road trip gives you time to focus and mediate on your surroundings. I was able to watch a hawk circle and glide with the winds. He seemed to be enjoying the gliding, as I watched for about 30 min.

And today, this moment, I get to enjoy this beauty. This time and space. It will not happen again. The vehicle behind me will not see it the same way that I do, as they will see it with slightly different eyes. Even if I was to travel this stretch of road again, it would be different. So for now, I will enjoy the beauty that God has created for me to luxurious time.

Such a dry place. But even here, life has made a way. The rodents, the birds of prey, the wind, the flora. It is all surviving. It has for ages. It will for ages to come. The Yuccas and the scrub trees are able to survive on so little. They have long roots. That is how our faith is to be. Able to have long roots to get the nourishment we need to give life to others around us. The bush to shelter the lizard. The yucca to hold water in its base.

The rocks would cry out to God. I can see these mountains crying out in deep rumbles. BOY! Would it freak me out if they choose this moment to do it.

Mojave Titles (I am including my class notes along with everything else. This way I will have less scrap papers to monitor.)
-Meet the Wild SW by Weit
-America’s Deserts by Wallace
-Desert Tortoises by Blomquist
-The Mojave of California and Arizona by Williams
- Gathering the Desert by Nobhan
-Native American Animal Stores by Coduto

Stopped in Needles, CA. The check light came on: Check your wheel monitoring system. It if Sunday afternoon at 2. There is not much open. I stopped at the NAPA store. Mike checked the air pressure in my tires, even though it was after his closing time. He assured me that my tires are fine. And that many of the cars of my make and age have sensors that give false readings when the tires heat up. He was so kind.

Had originally thought of detouring down to Lake Havasu City to see London Bridge. But thought my day would be long enough without it.

I took the Ash Fork exit to head down to Cottonwood. Everything was fine and it was beautiful. NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT THE PASS OVER TO JEROME!!! I passed 4000 Ft level. I passed the 5000 FT level. AND still was going up. I wanted so much to take photos of the beauty. But there was so few places to pull over or if there was a spot, the trees blocked the view.
AND THEN I went DOWN from Jerome… down to 3500 ft level. As I was coming down, I could see a green oasis in the sea of sand. It was my stop for the next 2 nights: Cottonwood.

Jerome is an artsy town that was once a mining town. Now it is a quirky town built on the side of a mountain.

TIP: Large RVs would have difficulty traversing this route on 89A

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Wishing I was able to type while I was driving. Making small comments on notepads while driving makes it hard to figure out what the scribbles mean later.

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Pick up an inexpensive digital recorder and dictate your thoughts while driving. Transcribe them later.

glc just has beaten me to it. I record my feelings and the things I want to remember, as if I am talking to someone else. That helps me when I type my report, as it is often weeks later. I have a tape recorder, but if you can use and figure out a digital recorder, it would work just as well. The bonus is you have your emotions as well as the facts.

Another great post. Loving them.

Lifey

If you have an iPhone 5 or 6, you can use Siri to dictate notes to yourself for later. If not, GLC's idea of the digital voice recorder is a good one. You can pick one up at Fry's or Best Buy for about $30 for a cheapie -- I think some Wal-Marts and Targets carry them too.


Donna

Guess who THOUGHT she had PACKED her old tape recorder. Guess who FOUND out that it was a player ONLY.

Thank you for the positive comments.

May 19
Today was a great day.

Jeannie and I went to the Chickasaw Culture Center. I can say that they did a fantastic job.

I will continue the day… Later. I need to write what is happening RIGHT NOW. And shortly after.


Today we had tornado warning for 2 hrs. With heavy storm advisory. Our phones went off several times with warnings. But, it stilled showed the cell being about 20 miles away, and maybe coming this way.

THEN the siren went off. We did not hear it. We were watching the tv.
The neighbors called Jeannie and said, “Get to the shelter, NOW. The Tornado Siren is going off.

We grabbed our bags (a bag with my electronics and a bag with water bottles and my purse). Went out the back door (the other one does not open from the inside due to being repaired). Across the muddy and very wet back yard of grass. An inch of rain or more had already fallen this evening.

In going through the fence gate, Jeannie went first. I went next, but due to rain, couldn’t see the muddy hole under the gate. I slipped. (I will be sore tomorrow on my left side, very bruised.) Got up with pulling up on the fence.

Went on down into the storm shelter. The neighbors had their car on the grass with the headlights showing the opening to the shelter. I went down the concrete steps slowly… Not wanting to fall a second time.

There was the older neighbors, their daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons, Jeannie and me. Oh, don’t forget Duke ( a Shitzu), in the shelter. One of the boys were completely asleep the whole time.

One touched about 2 miles away, and one in the sky but didn’t touch. The hail was ½ dollar size.

There is another cell headed this way. But no warnings are up.

So glad to hear you are safe. Hope you will be able to continue your roadtrip soon.

Lifey

This part of the trip might be called "Rolling on the River". The Red River in Shreveport, LA is under flood watches. It is at 28.5 feet and 30 is flooding in the city. There is a warning going out because it is suppose to be rain this whole weekend.

I am on a hill over 50 miles away in Shongaloo, LA. Having a lovely time with my first cousins who are in their 80s.

I've had three up-close-and-personal experiences with tornadoes on the road. From a (safe) distance it is an awesome experience -- being in the middle -or just slightly ahead of a raging tornado is another matter entirely. Glad you made it to a secure shelter!

Sounds like a great adventure you are on! Thanks for keeping us informed.

Mark

Happy that you are ok. Exciting reading about it though lol. Ill do my best to stay away from tornado's and read your adventures.

Keith

May 20-22 (Will catch up the other missing dates when I am at my long stay stop.)

Stayed at Deva Nell's, my cousin. This was a planned re-energize my batteries stop.

I had not had much contact with my with my mother's side of the family until I briefly met them when I was 18 and 30. We have recently made contact through Facebook. When I set up this trip, I contacted them and asked if I may visit them. They were so thrilled that I would include them on my trip. They are in their early 78 and 80.

I have been treated like the long last returning prodigal. I could not ask for nicer people to be related to.

We have been sharing stories of our grandparents. We each have a different view of them since I remember grandmother as a youngster. They actually met our Uncle Elmer and Grandpa Hughes and had some stories of their memories. (Grandpa died 7 months before I was born, and I was born on his (and his twin's) birthday. Uncle Elmer died in 1951. Both of those were gone before I was born.

And food, MY word, they feed you well here. I am not a sweets type person, and I have been offered Apricot Nectar Cake, Texas Ranger (Oatmeal Pecan) Cookies, Strawberry Cake, and more.

We have gone from being polite strangers to family.

Next step is Vicksburg, MS.

Do the tour through Vicksburg National Military Park if you can. Quite interesting, even if you aren't a Civil War buff. It's a pretty area anyway.


Donna

Due to the fact that I am having difficulty posting in 3 different formats, I have set up a blog to report on my trip.

Please leave comments. On Blogspot, the most current post will be on the top. I will be placing the date for ease of navigation.

Am I able to "crap" here?

I have found out that without paying over $100/yr, there is not an one place that all of my friends can read and leave comments.

I think I am going to stay with blogspot, since my blog is also for a class, and this is a site that the professor can access.

I personally wish you could just find a way to leave your trip report here. I enjoy reading it, but my time is limited (especially since I have a pile of report cards to work on for the next week or so).


Donna

I can/will continue to post the written, but the photos will only be on the blog.

Lady, I do NOT miss finishing the last requirements of putting a classroom to bed for the summer. I helped my friend in Vicksburg to cover her items and helped with organizing the cum files.

good wishes on the end-of-the-year work. Be kind to yourself.

May 8 expanded. Photos on Irisroadtrip2015.blogspot.com

May 8th
Today, was repacking the car to get ready to leave tomorrow. Even with a bit more leaving with me, the repacking makes it feel less is inside the car. I am leaving an empty box behind, and filling 2 canvas bags with beginner books that I had lent my friend. Seems to allow more space. Hey Carissa, see I keep telling you that you can never have too many bags.

California History Museum.
$9 adult fee, but does have AAA discount and Senior discount. Parking is on street or a parking lot several blocks away. There may be heavy traffic due to being close to the capital. Very well laid out. I was able to view several small groups and a large school group interact in the space with plenty of space to move and view the exhibits. The museum is completely accessible with those who have mobility issues.

Teachers and parents, there are Activity Guides to download. There is a resource section that has information for teachers (Standards aligned, Resources, Lesson Plans). Parents there are resources for your use before and after a trip.

I wanted to see the Sesquicentennial Quilt. There are more than 230 appliques.
It was so much fun to walk around the building. The online site shows off the beauty.

Art: Sesquicentennial Quilt-applique', hand quilted.
Art: Lincoln Bicentennial- Piece work, hand quilted.


Sesquicentennial Quilt. 2000.


Close up of a section of the Sesquicentennial Quilt.


Close up of a section of the border showing state flower and bird.


Close up of the stitch detail

Lincoln Bicentennial Quilt. 2009

There was also a great display of accomplished women in California's history. One of the best history was Charlotta Bass. In 1952 she was on the Presidential ballot as a VP running mate. How cool is that?




Other inductees to the California Hall of Fame. I did not include everyone, just names that caught my attention.














Armenian Journey: Immigrants in California
Since the 1880's, Armenians have been arriving in California to escape poverty, genocide, and natural disasters. Although they came mostly poor, the Armenians have been generous to give back to their countrymen around the world, and to their adopted state.

This exhibit was interesting in the varied facts and artifacts that was displayed.


Boxing in the Fields. Artist Arminee Shahnazarian Shishmanian.
Oil on canvas.

Armenian religious artifacts.
Uprooted! Japanese Americans during World War II
This exhibit shows through artifacts, art, a barrack room what life was like for many/most Japanese Americans during WWII. It is a very moving exhibit. One that deserves to be a permanent one for a reminder that America has not always been free.

My mother told me about a classmate who disappeared one day. Momma was not allowed to ask about or talk about her classmate. It was just a closed topic. Momma was 11 in 1942. I do not know if she ever saw this classmate again.

There was an American of Japanese descent there viewing the exhibit. It hit her deeply. I wish I had asked her what her memories were of that time period. I feel sad that we are losing a generation of knowledge.





A map showing where internment camps were located.

Barn at Granada Relocation Center, Amache, CO.
Artist Harry Yashio Tsuruda


Dust Storm at Poston.
Artist George Tahiri


These were made from shells at Tule Lake.




This room was dismantled from a relocation barracks. Then put back together.

Another view of the barracks.


How the barracks were marked.


Many of the interned had sons who were fighting for the US.




California History





There were many different areas of California's history displayed for the Missions, Wars, Agriculture, WWII--the good and the bad.

Book titles:
-The Japanese Internment by Rachel Hanel
-Dear Miss Breed by Joanne Oppenheim
-History through Primary Sources: How did this happen here? by Leni Dolan
-Lost Childhood: My Life in a Japanese Prison Camp During World War II by Annelex Hofstra
-Looking like the Enemy by Mary Matsuda Gruenewald
-Barbed Wire Baseball by Marissa Moss
-Baseball saved Us by Ken Mochizuki

-California History for Kids by Katy Duffield
-The Spanish Missions of California by Megan Gendell
-Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp by Jerry Stanley
-Strike! The Farm Workers' Fight for Their Rights by Larry Brimner
-Native Ways by Malcolm Margolin
-Courage of the 49ers by Al M Rocca


It has been a nice visit with my human friend, Jackie, and my 4-legged friends, Bubba, Lucy, Tiger, Shadow. Bindi and Blue.

Looking forward to the next adventure.

Thanks for the titles. Some of those look like interesting reading ... once I'm done with 25+ report cards and 25+ cume files. Cover stuff???? I think I'm moving to a bigger classroom, so I have to pack up and move again!!!!



Donna

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Originally Posted by justmemedia

I can/will continue to post the written, but the photos will only be on the blog.

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I don't understand the issue with the photos -- We provide unlimited photo storage space for our RTA members. And we have the capability of hosting fully independent blogs -- also for free to our RTA membership.

Actually, it's not a very good idea for you to be posting duplicate posts on two different web sites, Blogspot and RoadTrip America. Although we've really enjoyed reading your adventures, we might need to close this thread. But hopefully not.

Mark

The issue is not with Roadtrip America and photos.

Instead, the issue is that I have friends (worldwide) who have also been in discussions on the planning, and are interested in my trip.
1. This trip is for 3 classes. I need a format for the professor to see the posts.
2. I need a place where my friends can see the trip, without having to join a forum.

I do not have the time to download and embed the photos in more than one spot. Copy & pasting the details of the trip, is not a problem.

I will leave it up to you to decide if the thread is closed.
Now, back to 15 days of writing out my observations of places I have visited, find book titles to address the topic of the site visited, and go out to see more museums, while visiting with very gracious friends.

Your friends or professor do not have to join the forum to see this thread, it's viewable to anyone. You only need a membership to post.

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Originally Posted by justmemedia

... I have friends (worldwide) who have also been in discussions on the planning, and are interested in my trip.

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As do I. And family.

They all read it, however, very few have registered. All find it a great site to read and see my photos. Been doing it for half a dozen trips, even those not in North America.

Lifey

Here is my report on Sedona. I will leave picts on my off site blog.

May 11 Sedona
Sedona is beautiful. I have been given a gift of being driven by my friend’s mother-in-law. I can crane my neck every which way.

I was lucky to have my friend (Ang who I will be visiting in Vicksburg) mother-in-law as my tour guide. It was a great day.

Sedona: Rocks and more Rocks and more Rocks.
The rock formations are amazing. So many different formations and the colors change depending on the time of the day and conditions.

A tribute to Sedona's beautiful red rocks; Arizona artist, Joe Beeler, one of the original founders of the Cowboy Artist of America; and future generations of artist.Joe Beller lived from 1931 to 2006. He was a well respected artist who sculpted cowboy memorabilia. Not much was said about him on wikipedia, but this statue is him painting the red rocks of Sedona for a background to one of his scenes.

The material is metal, with paint on it to give it that realistic look. It is also to full scale.


Montezuma Castle National Manument, near Sedona AZ

An ancient tribe on Southern Sinagua Indians built this 5-story 20 room dwelling somewhere around 1100. It is built on the side of the side of a cliff off I-17 near Sedona, AZ. Early American settlers thought it was Aztec and named it Montezuma.

Clarkdale, AZ
This town was built to house a mining community in 1912. It was a planned community where the brick houses were laid out in rows. It was considered one of the most modern mining towns since it included telephones, telegraph, electrical, sewer and spring water services. Even though the buildings are no longer owned by the company, it is still evident that many people value the history of the town by keeping the houses in the style of the when they were originally built.

Tuzigoot.
An ancient society built upon a mesa.


Sedona Titles:
-Ricky Goes to the Desert by M. Moose
-A Dinosaur Lives in Red Rock Canyon by Saines
-Everybody Needs a Rock by Baylor
-Who Pooped in the Park? By Robson
-Sedona Through Time by Ranney
-Sedona: Amazing Pictures & Fun Facts On the Arizona Redrocks (Kid Kongo Travel The World Series) by Kid Kongo and KL Krebbs

Montezuma Castle titles:
-Corn is Maize by Aliki
-Ancient Indians of the Southwest by Noble
-Desert Life by Jablonsky
-Blaze of the White Cliff by Fidler
-A Kid's Guide to Exploring Montezuma Castle National Monument by Maruca
-101 Questions About Ancient Indians of the Southwest by Noble
-Life Beneath the Water Surface in Montezuma Well, Arizona: A Large Thermally Constant Spring by Blinn
-Montezuma Castle: Home of the Prehistoric Sinagua by Reed

Desert Plant titles:
-America's Deserts: Guide to Plants and Animals by Wallace
-Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus (Tree Tales) by Bash
-A Desert Scrapbook: Dawn to Dusk in the Sonoran Desert by Wright-Frierson
-A Desert Habitat: Introducing Habitats by Macaulay
-Cactus Hotel: An Owlet Book by Guiberson
-Here is the Southwestern Desert: Web of Life by Dunphy
-Desert Plants: Life in the World's Biomes by Welch
-Learning About Desert Plants: Dover Little Activity Books by Barlowe
-Desert Food Webs in Action by Fleisher
-Discover Science:Desert by Davies
-Life in the Deserts: Animals Peoples Plants by Baker
-A Walk in the Desert: Biomes of North America by Johnson
-One Hundred One Questions About Desert Life by Jablonsky

Sedona Geology
-Sedona Through Time: Geology of the Red Rocks by Ranney
-A Guide to the Geology of the Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon Area, Arizona (Down to Earth Series, 20) by Bezy
-Rock Formations (Rocks and Minerals) by Dayton

May 12
These are the picts of the trip OUT of Sedona up Oak Creek Canyon through the Coconino National Forest. More pictures of the beautiful rocks from the side of the road going up the canyon. And, yes, I did really pull over to take the photos. Some of the ones I wanted to take did not have a spot for a shot.


From an overlook near the top of the canyon. And yes, you can just barely see parts of the road that I had been on.


THIS is how HIGH I was. 6420 ft.

Walnut Canyon National Monument
Cliff Dwellings-Sinagua Culture. The Park Video shows that this is a cultural living area, which needs respect and care. This is part of all of our history. The Sinagua Culture is pre-Columbian. They were dry earth farmers.
The guides say the trail is “doable”. This park is not accessible outside of the paved path closed to the visitor center for those is mobility issues. You are able to see the cliff dwellings from the path.

The Walnut Canyon Sinaqua Indians.

Sinaqua is Spanish for "without water". The Sinaqua were not the first in the area, there are traces of other people being in the area also.

-DVD: At the Edge of the Volcano
-DVD: Arizona’s Monuments PBS
-SW Art Defined by Booker
-Navajo and Pueblo Earrings by Bauver
-Celebrate Arizona by Sardin
-Kid’s Guide: Native American History by Dennie
-Life in a Pueblo by Kalman


Petrified Forest National Park. How beautiful. I started from the southern entrance since I wanted to continue east on I-40. The large rocks are trees that have petrified. You can see the rings in the rocks. The visitor center does a really good job of informing of the history and the damage to this area. I did purchase some petrified rock chips that were certified as coming from outside of the National Park.

I cannot even begin to describe this beauty. The different colors of the strata on the hillsides. The clouds creating interesting patterns over the landscape. The dark and light clouds coming up from the south.

Yep, that sky is getting dark and ready to storm.

You can see where the tree was before it became a rock.

I was able to get a picture capturing the ruins of Route 66 with the trucks rolling along on I-40. It is sad to see that the changes in the routes have caused permanent effects.

This is one of the places that all should see if you are even close to the area. I thought it would take me about an hour to drive through. I was there closer to 2 1/2 hrs. I walked some of the trails. I just observed. It is breath taking.

When I was in college, I worked up at PFNP one summer in the gift shop (then run by Fred Harvey, and now I believe it's Xanterra that runs it). I would use my days off to go into the park and walk some of the trails. Indeed, it's beautiful. You may notice I tell folks to allow 3 hours in the park.

Thanks for all the book recommendations. I've actually checked a few out of my local public library system, and read them. I love that a lot of them are for kids, because I'm trying to "catch up" on some of the juvenile literature that's been published in the last 20 years.


Donna

For one of the classes that I am taking, I need to do evaluations on materials for a school library. This is why I am trying to get ahead of listing titles at this time. Also, you had mention that you were a teacher who was valuing the information. If you know of any titles that I have missed, please feel free to recommend them.