Day 10 - Home

Day 10 - June 14, 2008 - Vernon, TX to Spring, TX 409 miles

Here's a surprise: woke up early again this morning and was on the road by 6:15am. But not before "wading" through Slavs in the parking lot. I went out to load the bike and there were two or three rooms full of men directly in front of Betsy's parking spot. I don't know how many, but with all of them walking around in their underwear exclaiming, I think, about the beauty of the Texas morning, it was a sight to see. Seriously, folks, they were in and out of the room like clock metronomes, prancing about wearing only briefs (there's the answer to that question) obviously happy, though, not gay; at least I don't think they were. And, even if they were, as Seinfeld so eloquently said, "there's nothing wrong with that..."

How do I know they were Slavs? The language. I don't speak any, but it was obviously a Baltic or eastern European language of some kind. I couldn't help but wonder what six or eight eastern Europeans were doing at the Super 8 in Vernon, Texas running around in their underwear. My thoughts ran the gamut from working men, to Russian Mafia, to terrorists. After thinking it through, I've decided they were either workers or Russian Mafia. If they were terrorists they'd be much better "briefed" about such behavior.

As promised (threatened?) I went through Waxahachie to get a look at their storied (as in fabled, not multi-level) courthouse. It is definitely a beauty. The town itself is very pleasant with lots of old homes. They call themselves the "Gingerbread"home community.




Ellis Co. CH - Waxahachie, TX
















Front view.












Bobby J called while I was taking pictures of the Waxahachie Courthouse and reported he'd made it home okay yesterday. The jury-rigged kickstand holder held up well.

I headed out to Ennis and caught I-45 there heading south. Made the obligatory stop in Centerville (Exit 164) for Woody's Smokehouse jerky. Got buffalo and turkey jerky and decided not to try to eat as I was riding. I used up all my luck for that trick on a previous trip. (For an understanding of this trick see my Alaska trip blog, last day.)

Arrived home about 3:15pm, sad, as usual, to see the end of yet another trip. I realized on this trip that Bobby J and have have ridden together like this for the past five years. Sometimes with groups of twenty to thirty ala the Great Basin NP ride in 2003, and five or six, as in 2004 to Gunnison. Sometimes the lovely Zelda, Bob's wife, accompanies us, sometimes (I'm sure) we are more than she wants to put up with. The only constant is Bobby J, and he's consistently unpredictable. Thanks for that, Bob. Had a hoot, as always. I expect a credible flute recital the next time we ride.

Day 9 - Vernon, TX

Day 9 - June 13, 2008 - Chinle, AZ to Vernon, TX 687 Miles








As usual woke the rooster. Loaded up and pulled out about 6:20am, sans breakfast.

But, before leaving, one last look around the Thunderbird Motel grounds in the mouth of Canyon De Chelly

A very enjoyable place for peace and quiet. The rooms are comfortable, though small, and the inconveniences of the "historic" plumbing (i.e., shower changes from warm to hot to cold) aren't sufficient to detract from the enjoyment of the place.

I really enjoy breakfast "on the road." A little less than an hour and 68 miles later I pulled into a restaurant in Window Rock for a nice breakfast of corned beef hash and eggs. Yeah, I know, Dr. Leachman, it's a power thing; what I lack in will I make up for in appetite.

I've written before of my many and varied radio problems. Yesterday, my radio wouldn't pick up the antenna so I was without music all day. Before leaving the restaurant I played with it some and discovered that the antenna would connect when the radio was tilted upward from the right side, making some kind of connection in its cradle. A couple of broken off toothpicks later and I had radio. Of course, my luck continued, I don't get stereo, only one ear plug working, but after all day yesterday and 68 miles this morning I wasn't looking a gift horse in the mouth. I had radio for the entire ride. And that's a good thing. There is rarely anything as good as rumbling down the highway with Lynard Skynard rumpling in your ear...even in mono.

No real time for pictures today. Good thing, too, there's very little to take pictures of except interstate, though some of it in New Mexico is pretty. I managed to pick up a couple of new courthouses toward the end of the day as I went through some of the small counties. No real beauties in any of them though. There's a great courthouse in Donley County, but I'd collected it on earlier trips so there was no need to stop on this one. I'm considering going by the apex of Texas court houses on my way tomorrow. That's the one in Waxahachie. It's supposedly the prettiest in Texas. Perhaps we'll be the judge of that.





Armstrong Co. CH - Claude, TX












Hall Co. CH - Memphis, TX














Childress Co. CH - Childress, TX

Day 8 - Chinle

June 12, 2008 - Canyon De Chelly

Woke up my usual one hour before the rooster. Can't help myself when on a ride. I'm like a kid ready to get up and start my day. Forced myself back under the covers, cursing the Nightingales and the "dry." It is so dry here your nasal passages dry up and feel like a bad cold. But that's not a complaint. The daily high temperature has been around 87-89 degrees and, with the low humidity, and cool desert air, it's so pleasant you almost can't stand it.

We got breakfast and bought tickets on the 1/2 day "shake 'n bake." That's what the natives call the open air 6-wheel drive canyon tour vehicles. We were right to take the 1/2 day, the full day tour would have been too much. When contemplating the two options I remembered what Rita Rudner said about being in (maternity) labor: she didn't want to do anything that was fun for 30 hours.

Our guide was a 58-year-old Navajo who'd been leading tours in the canyon for 28 years. Obviously knew his stuff, but, unlike so many, wasn't overly wordy and answered all questions, even the stupid ones well. My favorite was when we stopped for one of the 15-minute (sell 'em a necklace/bracelet/flute) rest period. We pulled up in the shade (very cool shade) and a lady asked, "Can you show me a cottonwood?" He, just pointed straight up immediately and didn't say a word. He was cool about it.

Picked up a couple of trinkets for the grandkids during one of the stops. Bob bought a great, hand-carved Indian flute. The guy who made them plays the livin' crap out o' them too. Gave Bob two or three CDs of his too. Bob plays guitar and harmonica. He'll be bending notes on the flute by late this evening, I'm sure.


Lots of sandy river bottom dirt here. Reminded me of all the soft-sand orange groves I'd driven in as a kid in Florida. Like dirt bike riders, you learn how to move through it with minimum effort and expenditure of energy. Our guy had it down flat.

(Click on any picture to enlarge)






Most of the time you are looking at ruins and/or pictoglyphs. All the ruins are Anasazi. Many of the pictures and pictoglyphs are as well, but some are Navajo, or perhaps Hopi who really used to own this canyon. (A fact our guide wasn't sharing with anyone...it's sort of like Navajo by possession.)









Closer view.












Picasso's cubist training ground?













I don't like how tall I am and get nosebleed just thinking about climbing up to bed at night if I'd lived here during this period. (Most of the ruins date between 350AD and 1250AD.)
























Look closely and you'll see small holes for hand and feet used for traversing this canyon wall. Takes a whole lot more guts than I have.















I just love all the cottonwoods in this canyon, a sure sign of water.















Nice Kiva in front.










After half a day (and enough) on the canyon floor we returned to the motel. Bob and I had lunch then tackled the Harley kickstand. The bad news is we were unable to reattach the spring. The good news is we were able to jury-rig a bungee cord situation which holds it up while moving and allows him to lower it to park. Had a bit of a shock when we first tried it because we went over a couple of speed bumps and Bob must have hit them a little hard because the bike came down on one and hung the kickstand up on a bolt on the side of the gearbox. We couldn't kick it loose it was wedged so tight. Luckily, I had a big screwdriver and Bob was able to pry it off the bolt. I gave him the screwdriver in case it happens again. A friend of mine used to say there's nothing which can't be fixed with a big screwdriver, a pair of channel locks, and duct tape. I think he's right.

After rigging up the kickstand we took a ride along the rim of the canyon. Our primary goal was the Spider Rock,









More scenery








The very famous Spider Lady rock formation. According to Navajo tradition, the Spider Lady came down from this rock and taught the women to weave.










The place just begs for that old b/w photo look to me.


































Lots of nice "smaller world" stuff in the canyon too.


































Cactus blossom















Pinon Pine blooming.















Well....th...th...that's all folks. Tomorrow morning I head for Texas. Not all that enthused because, frankly, there's not much scenery along the way and it's going to just get hotter and more humid as I move east. Hopefully, I'll at least round up a few new courthouses on the trip.

Last contact with Bob tonight was a call to tell him to give me and the neighbors a break and put up the flute. He was sounding pretty good, but.... I was right, he was just starting to bend notes.

Day 7 - Chinle

June 11, 2008 - Santa Fe to Chinle, AZ - 345 Miles


Got an early start out of Santa Fe this morning. Rode into Albuquerque about 9:00am and stoppd for breakfast.

I started looking for some motorcycle oil because when checked mine looked a little low. I stripped some threads on the oil pan bolt a few months ago and have a very slight leak.
It's one of those, hey, where the hell is it, I know I packed some oil. But it, like my iPod, and several other things so assiduously set aside for packing didn't make it. Anyway, when we arrived at Chinle I checked it in better light and found I didn't need oil. Have some now. It's sort of like Dan White, an old manufacturing manager friend of mine, used to tell me about the squirreled away parts in his office: "I'd rather be caught with it, than without it."


Took Hwy 53 out of Grants heading for reservation land. Stopped for pie and coffee in Ramah. This town was featured in one of Tony Hillerman's books. For any who haven't discovered his work, I highly recommend it. It's who-done-it stuff set in this part of the country with the main characters Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Sgt. Jim Chee, Indian policemen. Hillerman gives a great deal of factual, cultural information about the tribes, especially the Navajo and Hopi in this area.



I believe I've mentioned in the past I really like miles and miles of miles and miles.












Taken just outside of Zuni Pueblo, NM.













The famous Window Rock in, where else, Window Rock, NM.












Adjacent to Window Rock is the Navajo Nation governmental center. This is where Lt. Leaphorn and Sgt. Chee work in the Hillerman novels.











Pulled into the Hubbell Trading Post about 3:30pm. This is one of the most important trading posts in western history. Mr. Hubbell began trading here in 1878. He is most associated with Navajo textiles, encouraging their manufacture and trade throughout the west.








As you can see, many of the rugs are still available.












Very beautiful, and dearly priced. The red-and-black one with the crosses is dated around 1890 and priced at a mere $18,000.

















Over the entrance door of the trading post is this bas-relief by Edward Warren Sawyer in 1904. The subject is a medicine man from Ganado. Don't have the characters to give his Indian name, but it translates as Red Point.



A great treat here. One of the great staples of the west was Arbuckles Ariosa coffee. Prior to the introduction of this coffee, coffee was made by first roasting the beans over a campfire. This took considerably more time than westward moving settlers and cowboys had so it was a problem looking for a solution. A fellow named Arbuckle developed a process of keeping previously roasted coffee beans fresh, and began packaging and selling them in one pound packages. (Story).

The visitors center had Arbuckles Ariosa brewed and ready to drink. And it is great coffee!! Had two cups while watching a Navajo lady weave one of those famous rugs.

As we pulled out of the parking area at the trading post, Bob's kickstand popped it's spring. Fortunately he found the spring but sitting in the middle of the road though the place was closing, wasn't the thing to do. We "wired" it up with cable ties and rode on into Chinle. Makes for interesting stops. One of us has to be around to hold his up while were are checking into the motel. But we did.



We are staying at the Thunderbird Motel in the mouth of Canyon De Chelly. Looks like circa 1955, but is very neat and comfortable, with all the amenities, i.e., wireless internet connection.
Nestled among a cottonwood stand it is a very beautiful spot.






My initial intention was to say it was very peaceful and beautiful. That was until I determined why they call them "Nightingales."
At least I assume that was the name of the birds chirping outside my room all, and I mean, all night long. If I'd have had a BB gun there'd be fewer in the area this morning.

But I managed to get some sleep and the place is great. Looking forward to the canyon tomorrow.



After that we're going to have to come up with a fix for Bob's kickstand. He can't go home without some way of lowering and raising it. We tried to fix it last night, but the spring is too strong and difficult to get to while someone just holds the bike upright. We'll see how far we get on this.

Day 6 - Bandelier

June 10, 2008 - Santa Fe to Bandelier and back - 74 Miles


Managed to sleep in. Bobby J and I hit the road, make that the Santa Fe Bus Line at 9:21am this morning, heading for the Governor's Palace. Spent a couple of hours there going through the exhibits and getting a pretty good history lesson from one of the volunteers. Given our ethnocentric, western European view of history we forget that Santa Fe was settled and the center of government in the southwest before the arrival of the Jamestown settlers or the Pilgrims.

Only bad part of the exhibit for me was the lone mention of Col. Kit Carson, and what I deem to be a very politically correct, meaning incorrect, statement about his service with the U.S. Army. The statement said that his service against the Navajos, Apache, Utes, etc., "marred his reputation." He was a product of his time. In the final analysis, Carson was no worse, or no better than the great Navajo chiefs Narbona and Manuelito. I've grown tired of the "noble savage" crap! Given how these people enslaved , treated captives, killed without compunction, I find it a little difficult to give them some kind of moral high ground over Anglo expansion westward. The Anglos conquered the land and those on it just as the native Americans did. Ever wonder why the "feared" Apache ended up with with the worst land? Easy, the Comanche kicked them out of west Texas, and the Navajo stopped them from moving further westward.

Originally, I thought I'd lost the pictures taken at the Governor's Palace, but I managed to turn up some. There was no photography inside, and, frankly, not that much inside I would want to capture. But the garden area contained between the low-slung square structure was very nice.

Great, relaxing spot. Quiet and tranquil even though the square and all those tourists are just on the other side of the building.

The children at the table under the tree were painting. It was a neat thing.








A pretty place. Nice book store at the far end.












After the Governor's Palace Bobby J went to the Harley dealer and ransomed his scooter. About 3:30 we took off for Los Alamos and Bandelier.

Not much in Los Alamos, but I was surprised at the topography. For some reason (I think all the Hollywood movies) I've always pictured Los Alamos as a desert area with no redeeming features. Probably more correct to think of White Sands that way. Los Alamos is high in the mountains around Santa Fe and is beautiful country with rolling hills and mountains, and valleys. It's really quite nice.

(Note: Click on any picture to enlarge)




Road to Bandelier (no not a Crosby-Hopi movie).








We pulled into Bandelier National Monument about 5:00pm. For those unfamiliar with it, it is an Anasazi ruin dating back to around 1250 AD. Truly a wonderful little valley which has seen human habitation for 11,000 years.

A very large Kiva is the first thing you come upon on the trail back into the ruins. According to Bob, who, believe me, knows about these things, this is a spectacular example.

This picture is from the "illegal" side. Must be illegal, after asking us if we were with the Park Service and receiving a negative reply, an officious, if not official, guy told us were weren't to get off the path.

For crying out loud, Bobby J's been off the beaten path as long as I've known him. Sometime he can't even find it.



Just up the trail a short distance you come to the "apartment" ruins. These are very impressive in the numbers of people they would hold.

These lay on a ridge overlooking the creek (Cottonwoods in the background.) They are, essentially, the valley floor.








Another look.









The other side.












And above the valley floor...the high rise.













Taken from the high rise area looking back down on the valley floor settlement. Notice the hole in the pillar rock.








Small version of the famous Window Rock? Naw, just a hole.












There are some really neat flowers and vegetation in the valley and along the cliff apartments.

I thought these really neat cacti.









Petroglyphs above the apartments. Artwork was placed above the living areas to show respect for the spirits being drawn.












This is an actual painting. It's covered with glass for protection.











Circling back around by the creek you are walking in shady woods filled with Ponderosa Pine and Cottonwoods.
















Walked our tails off, but it was worth it. It was so quiet and peaceful you can't help but wonder at the simple lives of the people who lived here so many years ago. There are some campgrounds out by the visitor center. Had I time, I think I'd really enjoy camping here for a night or two. Can't though. I always carry a tent in case I can't find a place to stay, but sleeping in a two-man tent with Bobby J is more than I can contemplate. I'm sure he feels the same about me. Our two bedroom suite at the Residence Inn is almost more than we can bear. He's got the remnants of a hacking cold and he swears I snore. But he's not to be trusted on that score. Besides, we're still sorting through the refried beans and posole. It ain't gonna happen.