I apologize for not posting sooner…we finally made it to Glendale, AZ (a suburb just North of Phoenix). Quentin (my oldest nephew, now 6 years old) greeted us outside their house wearing a cute little safari vest packed with marbles…the vest must have weighed about 10 lbs, at least! I picked him up and he gave me the biggest hug…it was so good to see him again! Rhetta and Jaxson soon followed and we checked out their abode. We were also greeted by the ever-so dainty and adorable, Zoe…a minpin crossed with Italian Greyhound. A tiny dog with the sweetest disposition. Their cat, Ionee (a bit larger than Zoe) came in to greet us as well….the two of them together make quite the duo. Oliver soon came home and we decided to go check out the Salty Dog…a huge outdoor style restaurant positioned right next to the Padres’ practice field. We sipped Coronitos with limes and chowed on mini tacos and fresh guacamole. It was great to catch up with them.
Today, Oliver, Jon and I went up to Camelback….a fantastic hiking spot well-known by the locals. I was ecstatic to get some exercise after being cooped up in the car for the last several days. We hiked up for quite awhile…it was a fairly aggressive hike with sections where you had to hold onto rails to hoist your way up….not for the faint of heart. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and the views alone were worth the hike! Jon got his share of cacti sightings which was very important to him….Jon is almost as obsessed with cacti as he is with moose! After our hike, Oliver took us to Scottsdale to check out some shops and do a little skateboarding in a local skate park. If any of you don’t know my brother, Oliver is a phenomenal skater…and has been doing it for years. He had enough skate boards for all of us. I had been dying to try his Ripstik board. I struggled for a few tries and then finally got the hang of it. I love the Ripstik….it gives me the feeling of carving on a snowboard and provides a great deal of exercise too. I may have to invest in one of those bad boys! We had lunch at a sports bar called Duke’s immediately following our skate session. Duke’s was right next to the skate park. Rhetta and Jaxson met us their for lunch. We also checked out their new house which had an MTV Cribs style back yard and pool…it was very cool! They will be in their new home by Nov. 15th. We tried to venture out for some sushi this evening, but the restaurant was closed so we ended up at a Macaroni Grill which was just what we needed anyways after a long day of exercise. So, we have enjoyed seeing my bro and his family….it sucks that we don’t live closer to them. I’m glad Phish decided to do their festival in So. Cal because it gave Jon and I the perfect opportunity to see my family, as well! Tomorrow, we head into uncharted waters as we won’t know how easy or difficult our trip into the festival will be. Hopefully, we will get right in, but you never know with a Phish festival…traffic could be a nightmare. Ugghhhh….I guess I will keep my fingers crossed.
After waking up to a blue bird day with temps in the high 30’s, we packed up the car and headed out to find The Aztec…another local’s favorite. Tucked down Aztec Street, right off of Guadalupe Street…we came upon this funky little joint. The Aztec is authentic in every sense, from the interesting artwork, both inside and out, to an artistically drawn chalkboard displaying a wide array of coffee drinks to please any java officionado. We soaked up some rays outside and decided to check out some of the local shops. The Peruvian Connection happened to be right around the corner on Guadalupe Street (mi madre works at the one in Manchester, Vt)! We drove around town for a bit and took in the sights. The mountains surrounding Santa Fe were all snow-capped…supposedly, a snowstorm will be heading their way this evening. All in all, we like Santa Fe…and would definitely return to take in the art galleries, old chapels, mountains, and local flavors. The locals seem friendly here too…I would guess it’s a mixture of artists, writers, musicians, and hippies. Next stop, Sedona, then Glendale, AZ to see my brother, Rhetta, and our nephews, Quentin & Jaxson!
After checking into the Sage Inn in Santa Fe, NM…we dumped our belongings in our room and headed out to Maria’s…a local’s favorite Mexican restaurant (not on DDD). The restaurant had a rustic Mexican feel to it. It was fairly crowded for a Monday night. I guess this place is known for their margaritas…oh, fabulous!!! My favorite. So, I decided to get the “Sweetheart” margarita (on the rocks with salt), while Jon opted for the frozen strawberry margarita. They brought out the usual chips and red salsa. I thought the chips were a bit too salty for my liking and the red salsa had tons of red pepper in it so it was quite hot! We asked for a bowl of guacamole…which was delicious! I ordered Maria’s combination plate and Jon ordered the Blue Corn Tortilla enchiladas (which are served flat not rolled). My combination plate included a tamale (still wrapped in the corn husk), one chille relleno, one blue corn enchillada, one taco with guacamole and beans and rice. WOW! A ton of food, but for those who know me well…I can eat! I devoured the chille relleno and blue corn enchillada, both topped with a red and green sauce. Simply outstanding! They also brought us a basket of fresh, hot sopapillas which were great for dunking in the left over sauce on our plates. The server also mentioned they are great with honey so Jon tried that immediately fell in love. I’ve included a picture of my meal, after I already dug in…sorry!
We are quickly making our way through the Texas panhandle…just stopped in Amarillo at a local Jiffy Lube for an oil change. One armadillo sighting…unfortunately, his end was the road. 1,870 miles travelled.
So, we didn’t quite make it to Tulsa last night, but we ended up driving 13 hours which put us in Joplin, MO. Joplin is literally right on the border of Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. We realized that the top 3 favorite activities to engage in while travelling through south western Missouri would include buying an RV, praising the Lord, or renting porn. The ratio of neon crosses to the neon adult superstore signs was truly astounding. We crashed at a Best Western which was nicer than the Days Inn we stayed at the previous night. After a much-needed good night’s sleep, we felt rejuvenated for our trek along I-40, heading towards Amarillo, TX. We plan to land in Santa Fe, NM by 7:30pm (MST)…just in time for some tasty Mexican food!
This picture doesn’t do the Gateway Arch to St. Louis any justice…what an incredibly beautiful skyline. I hope we can make time for a brief stop here on our return trip…
Cruising through Ohio, we saw someone riding a horse-drawn buggy across the overpass. Did we just step back in time for that brief moment?Crazy, but cool nonetheless! Heading through yet another Springfield (Ohio),a great version of Peggy-O (our go-to station,Sirius channel 32) just made the brutal trek through Ohio a little more bearable. Now what would a trip passing through the great Midwest be without a brief Cracker Barrel stop. It doesn’t matter where you are, they all look exactly the same. So, for all you hunters or animal lovers, we have counted 8 dead deer and +3 dead raccoons. Never a pretty sight. We made it through Indianapolis in record speed, thanks to my cautious, lead foot. We are now about 50 miles from St. Louis, MO. I am just giddy about golden arches! Our goal is to make it to Tulsa, OK tonight…hoping to find a triple D (Jon says, “keep your mind out of the gutter”) in the am.
We had epic driving weather all day up until this point…the rain has arrived yet again…we started the trip in a torrential downpoor. But, it still doesn’t feel like Vermont – it’s flat as a pancake out here! I have yet to see another car with a Thule box on top – we must look like aliens to these friendly flat-landers. So, all in all, it’s been what the PGA would call, Moving Day, which is usually on the Saturday of a tournament. In our case, it happens to fall on Sunday (JEG’s two cents).
…..I digress…more to come when we are 10 miles from Tulsa (my bro’s old, but brief neck-of-the-woods).
P.S. We just saw a giant tractor pulling a shit spreader across the overpass.
So, 7 hours and change into our trip, we decide to try and find a motel to crash for the night. First we check out the local Hampton Inn only to find it was completely booked! Erie, PA…what the heck is going on in Erie, PA???!!! The guy at the Hampton Inn proceeded to explain that there were many tour busses in town and that every room is booked in the area…possibly a football game?….okay….moving onward and upward. So, we decide to fuel up at the shining, bright green BP looking ever so lonely at 1:00pm. I stayed in the car and noticed Jon was speaking to the gas station attendent and they were both looking downward. My sight was blocked by the large columns. I noticed Jon looking over at me with a sad expression so I decided to venture over only to find a tiny caramel-colored dog standing between Jon and the station attendent. The man felt bad for the dog because it had been hanging around the gas station for awhile now and it seemed a bit frightened and cold, possibly abandoned by it’s owner . He tried to put the dog into his car, but the dog nearly bit his hand off. It playfully jumped up onto Jon’s leg (dogs naturally take to him). So, I held out my hand for the dog to let him sniff me. He/she seemed friendly….and so I tried to look at the collar to see if there was a tag…and just as I realized that there wasn’t a tag, the dog bit my hand! I should have known better….geeesh! The good news is that the dog didn’t break my skin. I immediately rubbed anti-bacterial gel on my bruised hand to rid me of any evil dog germs and told Jon to get the hell out of Erie! We drove about an hour west towards Cleveland and landed in a remote Days Inn in a town called Conneaut. After that lovely event, it’s time for me to hit the sheets! Goodnight and hopefully we’ll have a pleasant tomorrow!
After checking into the 
(which are served flat not rolled). My combination plate included a tamale (still wrapped in the corn husk), one chille relleno, one blue corn enchillada, one taco with guacamole and beans and rice. WOW! A ton of food, but for those who know me well…I can eat! I devoured the chille relleno and blue corn enchillada, both topped with a red and green sauce. Simply outstanding! They also brought us a basket of fresh, hot sopapillas which were great for dunking in the left over sauce on our plates. The server also mentioned they are great with honey so Jon tried that immediately fell in love. I’ve included a picture of my meal, after I already dug in…sorry!
. He tried to put the dog into his car, but the dog nearly bit his hand off. It playfully jumped up onto Jon’s leg (dogs naturally take to him). So, I held out my hand for the dog to let him sniff me. He/she seemed friendly….and so I tried to look at the collar to see if there was a tag…and just as I realized that there wasn’t a tag, the dog bit my hand! I should have known better….geeesh! The good news is that the dog didn’t break my skin. I immediately rubbed anti-bacterial gel on my bruised hand to rid me of any evil dog germs and told Jon to get the hell out of Erie! We drove about an hour west towards Cleveland and landed in a remote Days Inn in a town called Conneaut. After that lovely event, it’s time for me to hit the sheets! Goodnight and hopefully we’ll have a pleasant tomorrow! 
