Home Sweet Home

We left Harrisburg this morning and came down the home stretch just in time for Sarah to catch the Giants game(not that she was really happy to watch the end).  We came home to a very happy puppy and were quickly visited by Nicole, Rob and Annelise.  We passed out some gifts from the road(mostly for Annelise) and visited for a bit before they had to go.  All told, it was 9,663 miles, 25 states, 10 national parks, countless national forests, miles and miles of scenic byways, and some of the most beautiful countryside in america.  On our drive back the fall colors were really starting to pop through PA,NY and CT.  The mums by the driveway are in bloom and the garden is all but gone, a few peppers and some butternut squash are all that remain of the jungle we left behind.  As much as we enjoyed the past three weeks and wouldnt trade them for anything, its always good to come home again....

Mountaineering

The day began well, as did the game.  The mid-day sun bathed the stadium and made it really hot in the stands(we both ended up with odd sunburns).  The boys moved the ball well and controlled time of possesion in the first half, traded field goals and kept the game close.  Then the second half started.  It looked like it might go the same way as the first half, but when McEntee decided to try and run it in to the end zone on a keeper midway through the third quarter, the ball got knocked loose and was almost run back all the way for a TD, they scored quickly thereafter and then it all went off the cliff for Uconn.  Geno Smith found holes in our defense, corners slipped and fell, interceptions bounced off their hands and chests and WVU rattled off 23 points in under 7 minutes in the third quarter.  The fat lady began to clear her throat and a fair number of the home crowd departed the stadium, confident that they had this one in the bag, and they did.  So we left and headed to Harrisburg, for one final visit to a local brewpub.  A very ill timed lane change to pass a truck brought about a scare on the trip to Harrisburg.  As I came around the truck to pass I saw too late to change course a large piece of metal in the road, I kept it from hitting either tire, but it lodged under the truck and was grinding the road terribly.  As I went to pull off the road I saw that it was the fender off a trailer that was sitting in the shoulder a few hundred feet up, in much worse shape then my truck was.  I pulled over and dislodged the very large piece of aluminum to find, much to my delight, only a small amount of paint missing from the lower control arm on the passenger side....thats it, we got lucky on that one.  Hopefully tomorrows trip home will be much less eventful.

My little pony

So with Mempis in the rearview, we set off for the green rolling hills of Kentucky so that Sarah could ogle more horses.  She also wanted to tour Churchill Downs.  When we arrived, we were surprised to see the parking lot so full for a non-race day, not realizing that there are always plenty of people using it simply as a place to bet on the races happening elsewhere.  We wandered around the facilities and eventually found a clear path to the rail so that we could ge a good look at the track, the finish line and the two steeples.  There is also a Derby Museum onsite which we paroused, but only briefly.  Once Sarah had her fill, we headed off to Lexington in search of dinner and some scenic drives through the countryside.  Sarah found a nice place for dinner called the Merrick Inn, aparently, it was built before the Civil War and was a thoroughbred farm in the early 1900's.  I learned only after I had valeted the truck that it was a much fancier place then I had counted on.  While they didnt give me any trouble, I felt quite underdressed being the only man in the establishment without a collared shirt, and most certainly, the only one with a Ford t-shirt on.  Dinner was great, and desert was even better.  A banana cream and toffee pie that Sarah and I devoured from each side toward each other until it was gone.  From dinner, we made our way into West Virginia so that we have an easier drive to the game in the morning.

Packing it in

It seems that the last few days on our trip back are going to be jam packed.  Today being a prime example.  We started the day in New Orleans, walking to Cafe Du Monde along the Mississippi River.  Sarah actually passed on Chicory coffee and didnt want beignets until she got a taste of mine.  She was green around the gills from last nights partying.  She did want food though, so we wandered the streets until we found a place for some great french toast, made with fresh french bread.  We hopped in the truck and headed straight up 55 to meet up with some family friends who live in Jackson MS for a late lunch.  We sat outside on comfy couches at a nice little tapas restaurant.  Good food, good friends, great weather, just a really good time.  They took us on a brief tour of some of the highlights Jackson had to offer, including a Frank Lloyd Wright house and a historic plantation house owned and renovated by the local neighborhood and currently being used as an art gallery.  Then we pushed on to Memphis, headed to Beale street for barbeque and blues.  We enjoyed a great band at BB Kings and then stopped in a few other places as well to take in as much as we could.  Tomorrow its off to KY to horse country

Category 5 Hurricane, or 6, or 7........

Finding ourselves in the quarter, we did the only reasonable thing, we ate great creole cooking and then went on a bar crawl down Bourbon St.  Sarah was determined to run her own taste test comparison on who made the best hurricane.  Something she is regretting this morning, continually saying...'hurricanes are bad...'  We made our way to a few recommended places, among them Pat O'Briens, the originator of the hurricane, apparently some time in the 20s-30s, he was forced to buy to much rum from his liquor distributor and he came up with the Hurricane to sell as much as possible.  I took Sarah from one end of Bourbon St to the other, we stopped in to a European Jazz club, listened to a fantastic quartet with a banjo player who had some amazing solos...no really.  When we got to the far end, Sarah found a karaoke bar, one with a Golden retriever bellied up to the bar.  After we had been there for about an hour, and Sarah had already sung one of her songs, she realized it was a gay bar.  I had known for quite a while, maybe it was the fact that she was the only female in sight, or the men cozied up in the corner, or the MC running the karaoke hitting on me......what can I say, she was well on her way to getting really drunk.  We had a great time, hit a few more bars and then stumbled back to the room.  Its a fun town.  Now its off to get some very much needed Coffee.

Homefield advantage

The plan worked, we arrived early enough to let me change the oil on the truck, after a few adult beverages, I had to let it cool down after all.  After a tasty dinner, we were entertained by the boys dancing to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  Tyler looked a little like Ray Charles as he had borrowed my sunglasses.  I really did try a few times to capture a good shot, but laughing, with a beer in one hand, the one at right was the best I was able to capture before the song was over.  Once the boys were tucked into bed, we started up some friendly competition, or something one might call competition.  They pulled out the lights and their cornhole set(beanbag/tailgate toss in some regions) and they dominated.  We tried to give them a good game for the first one, but whether it was that they had just played at the Cowboys game a day earlier or whether it was their set.....it could be that they're just way better.  Apparently, the tailgates we play at are the minor leagues.  We were skunked in the next game and had a poor showing in the third.  At 0-3 we decided our chances werent any better, so we challenged them to a game of pool, and the tide turned.  We went 3-0 and decided that a split of the games was a good place to stop.  We traded some stories and stayed up late, especially for a weekday when they're both working.  All in all, a fantastic time.  We're already trying to plan a trip back.  Now its on to New Orleans, the land of Hurricanes, Jumbalaya, Beignets, and Chicory Coffee...aka a good time.

Indian reservations and Mexican food

We set out for the four corners, travelling mostly through Indian reservations to get there.  We got a peek at Monument valley as we drove along the Southern edge of it.  When we stopped for breakfast, it was obvious that two of these things were not like the others.  It was 90+% native americans who all looked at us knowing immediately that we were tourists just passing through.  We arrived at the four corners, I stood in four states at one time, but for some reason, Sarah didnt want to.  There were Indian vendors encompassing the entire outside of the monument and I found Sarah a nice pendant that she liked(a horse, obviously).  We ate some Indian frybread and then cut a path straight Southeast across New Mexico to head toward Austin.  Along the way, we pulled off the interstate onto a historic part of Rt 66 for some Mexican food.  The food was fantastic, there was a lot of history on the walls, and it was a friendly place.  I'd recommend it if you're passing through Santa Rosa NM.  We pushed on a little farther after dinner so we can make good time to John's house.  He who runs with beer(his indian name) probably has a few cold ones waiting for us and is kind enough to let me change the oil in the truck there and possibly do some laundry, the back of the truck is filling up.

Horses, Mules, Donkeys and Beefalo

We started the day with a ride through Bryce Canyon.  When we arrived at the corral, they paired up the horses, or mules in some cases with their riders.  They seem to have had our numbers.  Sarah rode Sassy, the gassy girl, and they gave me Tony, a stubborn jack-ass.  We had a good time, seeing a new perspective on the canyon, the skyline and the hoodoos(spires of rock).  After we were done, we headed off to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  On our way in, we read about two native, or sort of native creatures that we wanted to see.  The first, was the native squirel, but no ordinary squirel, this is the Kaibab squirel, native only to the North Rim and surrounding Kaibab forest.  It has really large, almost bunny like ears and a very bushy tail.  We did see one, but I couldnt get a photo.  The second was an animal called the Beefalo, a local rancher back in the 30's decided would be a good tasting cut of meat.  A cross between the Buffalo and ordinary cows, they grew in number and wandered into the Kaibab forest area where water and food were more abundant, but alas, we could not spot any, just more mule deer.  We arrived late afternoon and decided to enjoy some local brews at the Saloon.  That could be the subheading to the title on this blog, 'supporting local breweries across America'.  Also, we had to stop in the lodge for Sarah to see Brighty, a storied mule about which she had read a book as a child(and bought again in the gift shop).  Legend has it that if you rub the nose of the bronze Brighty statue in the lodge, it brings good luck, Sarah had to give it a try.  After we finished at the lodge, we headed down a long narrow winding road, among more Aspens in their fall glory, to Cape Royal.  It had the best views of not only the canyon, but also of sunset, which was approaching.  So we hiked out to the point, and stayed for a magnificent sunset over the canyon.  Then it was off to grab a late dinner and push towards the Four corners, a perfect touristy cross country stop if there ever was one.

Angel's Landing....not so bad

We rose before the sun to get a jump start on the day and beat the rush into the park, since both parking, and the chain section of Angel's Landing can get congested during the morning hours.  As we departed on our hike, a couple with a 2 and a half year old daughter were leaving with us.  I told Sarah that it was a matter of pride, that she had to beat the little girl, but alas, she was beaten to the top by a toddler, albeit in a pack on her fathers back.  We reached the chained section of the hike after already ascending some serious elevation via seemingly endless switchbacks.  Sarah was undaunted.  She tackled them without incident and seemingly cool as a cucumber.  She said that it wasnt nearly as bad as the ladder trails I took her on in Acadia.  Once at the top, we found a great spot to recline, soak in the view, and enjoy a snack.  Someone else was very interested in our snack.  A pack of chipmunks scurried around, through and over us to see if we had anything they wanted.  Sarah accidentally dropped a piece of her trail mix bar, and one chipmunk definitely wanted more.  He came right up in her lap and gave her his best cute face.  The trip back down was much quicker and uneventful.  We toured the remainder of the park, doing some shorter hikes around the Virgin river valley.  From Zion, we headed over to Bryce Canyon, took the scenic drive and stayed for sunset at the aptly named sunset point.  Tomorrow Sarah gets to ride a horse once again, this time into the canyon.  Then its on to the North rim of the Grand Canyon.