We really enjoyed the our stop at the Grand Canyon. It was a beautiful day and we explored the South entrance of the park. The views were stellar. The pictures hardly do it justice.
March 21, 2009
The Big Road-Trip Back To CA: NM & AZ
We saw some beautiful sights on the drive through New Mexico & Arizona. Just wanted to share a few of my favorite pics!
March 17, 2009
The Big Road-Trip Back To CA: Texas Is A Big State
Wow...We Made it to CA and I I am just finally getting a few minutes to catch you up. Where did I leave off?...yes...rain in San Antonio.
Everyone told us that it takes forever to drive through Texas and they were not kidding. We didn't hit Austin after a slightly hectic work interrupted day in San Antonio. We will have to go back! Here is what we did find in Texas.
Lots of BBQ joints.
Sidenote: For all to Californians...pretty much everyone else in the US does not think of the word Bar-B-Que the way we do...It is NOT a verb, they do not BBQ a steak they grill their steak! They would not invite friends over for a Bar-B-Que, they would
80 MPH Speed Limits
Wow...You don't even really have to speed. When we tried going 90 it felt like NASCAR!
Gotta Have a Gate If You're Gonna Live in Texas
We ended up on some back roads as short cuts...In this process we saw tons of ranches that are way back off the road but they have a nice gate at the road. There are seriously so many fo them! All colors shapes and sizes. Most of them have the brand of the ranch on them.
One and Only Historic Ditch Walk
Yes...i said "ditch"....We had to drive around the block and take a picture.
Which Room Do You Think Is For Rent?
One in the house that has fallen down or in the vintage motorhome...
Windmills
Do you know what windmills were originally used for in the US? These water pumping windmills were created to bring water out of the ground in areas that are normally devoid of water for animals.
Oil Rigs, Cotton Fields & Cows
We saw these oil rigs in the middle of many cotton fields. It took us a while to figure out what the crop was because it just looked like a bunch of dead sticks coming out out of the ground. Then we saw a newly harvested field that still had the leftover little white tufts of cotton throughout. Lots and Lots of beef cows!Yum!
March 11, 2009
The Big Road-Trip Back To CA: Raining In San Antonio
One of Dave's NCO's from his first deployment is in San Antonio and we caught him for dinner and drinks by chance. It was a great visit and awesome to see Dave catch up with an old friend. We stayed in a great spot and enjoyed as much of the city as we could with dreary weather.
As we enjoyed the riverwalk I just kept saying how great it would be if it were sunny!:) We grabbed a bite and enjoyed a drink at Durty Nelly's. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the hotel in the spa in the rain!
March 10, 2009
The Big Road-Trip Back To CA: N'awlins
That is the way they really say it...N'awlins, not New Orleans...Lea & Paul's family taught me that when I went with them last year for Mardi Gras. I end up pronouncing it in some strange combination of the two sounding like a white girl trying to play Cajun. No one seems to care they just smile at my attempts...Everyone in this town is always smiling.
We got into New Orleans late on Sunday evening. We headed directly for Beignets at Cafe Du Monte. We got distracted by some Hurricanes along the way. Bermuda was along for the party! New Orleans is a good dog city because most everything is in walking distance and outside. We did find out after having her on Bourbon street for a while that dogs are not allowed on that street.
The food in New Orleans is awesome. On our drunk-ish walk home I couldn't pass up a shimp po-boy. We found this little divey place for breakfast called Lucy's Retired Surfers bar. Emeril's for dinner was delicious! Dave had a hand rolled cigar at the New Orleans Cigar Company. I found some great shopping in Jackson square. We ooed & awed at the antiques, saw a book case priced over $40,000. Sooo many great galleries, but we decided against art because we just don't know what our soon to come house will look like :) We even caught a few hours in the afternoon by the pool to start overcoming our North Country sun deprivation. You can see from the pics below that my skin is still a pale tone of paste.
Bermuda needed a bath before getting back in the car after tromping around in the New Orleans street sauce. We had a great time here in New Orleans!We are coming back to New Orleans with our timeshare program!
March 09, 2009
March 08, 2009
The Big Road-Trip Back To CA: Distance Between GA and NOLA
Please note that I am catching you up on some posts I wrote in the car along the way...
The drive between Cartersville & New Orleans went quick. We stopped of in Birmingham for a visit with Kerri and Tim. We saw just enough of Birmingham to know that it looks like a fun town to live in. We got to take Bermuda with us to lunch at Rojo. The sun was shinning and food was great. Kerri & Tim thanks for taking us to lunch! It was a great pit stop.
Before we got to Birmingham we got to see some of the Georgia and Alabama countryside. These pics show you a little of that flavor. There were quite a few funky little homesteads. I imagined them to be places where the life lived was very simple. It looked like an area where dinner around the table was the big event of the day. No materialism as far as the eye could see.
The freeway through Mississippi was pretty boring. I always had big dreams that there was something special in Mississippi...I think we just missed it.
NOLA (New Orleans, LA) here we come. I love the little bit of New Orleans that I saw last year at Mardi Gras. It is one US city that has a true culture of its own. It has music, food & fun all unique to New Orleans. We can't wait to have our way with it!
The Big Road-Trip Back To CA: The Grammier's March To The Rowell's
Leg one of the trip complete! We are in the South. Shenandoah Valley
After a long day getting through many many states We made it to Cartersville, GA on Friday night. In this first part of the trip we made it through NY, PA, MD, WV, VA, TN and into GA.
Civil War Battlefield after Civil War Battlefield! Little did I know were were taking the same route Sherman took when he burned his way from the North into Atlanta. We caught the Mason Dixon line early in the day. Then on 81 all the way we saw the battlefields in the Shenandoah Valley in VA.
We tried to take a picture of each stateline as we crossed it but we were unsuccessful. We ended up with at least an image of each state. It was quite a long ride. The pics explain some of adventures along the way...and yes there might have been a speeding ticket.
Mobile Homes in PA Mason Dixon Line Welcome to Maryland! West VA Farm
VA Battlefield Speeding ticket in VA? Welcome to TN! Welcome to GA!
The soundtrack for Day 1 included but was not limited to:
Don't stop Belivin' - Journey
Going to CA - Zeplin
Water Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Tara, Cope, Ramsey, Sage & Bentley took very good care of us once we landed in Cartersville, GA. We hung out in their great new pad. Talked and laughed over coffee, BBQ & Japanese. Enjoyed their outside space as the temp climbed above 70! We warmed up with a little Wii Bowling and then went bowling in their little hometown bowling alley. They are also going through the post Ft Drum 2-22 transition out of the army so we have a lot in common. The dogs took a day or two to get to know each other so just about the time we left they were becoming comfortable!
Ramsey makes every moment lighthearted and fun. His great smile and crazy curls are enough to make anyone laugh. He loves being read to...Goodnight Moon & Chicka Chicka Boom Boom were his favorites. Now we are off to New Orleans with a quick pit stop in Birmingham!
THANK YOU ROWELL FAMILY FOR A GREAT STAY!
March 06, 2009
The Big Road-Trip Back To CA: Leaving Northern New York
We organized the house a little and then the movers came. Dave kept telling me that they would just pack everything up but I still felt like I needed to do some tidying and boxing up of items. I didn't know what to expect. Dave kept insisting not to do much. They showed up and asked us to mark what they shouldn't pack. 3 hours later everything was on a truck and hauled away. That was the way to go!
We packed up the car and set off on our way. Bermuda has her spot behind the passengers set and is doing great so far. You know you must have a slightly skewed vision of reality when it doesn't seem like that big of a deal to drive across the country. We are really looking forward to all our stops along the way. We are going to let our schedule in each spot be flexible and just enjoy the time together. We are not exactly sure what is on the other end of this adventure but it is sure to be interesting. We will keep you updated over the next week or so!
As we drive away from Sackets Harbor, I know it has not set it in yet that we are really moving on from the Army. For me it feels a little more like a light switch...welcoming Dave into the other side of things in the civilian workforce. Then I have to remind myself that this is really a huge transition for him. The Army has its pros and its cons, but one thing is for sure...it is 100% than the civilian side of things. As we make our way west it is the beginning of his transition and his redefinition of himself. I know there will be moments I will have to remind myself of the shoes he stands in.
Thank you Army for the amazing friends we have made along the way. Thank you Army for giving me the perspective to understand what sacrifice means. Thank you Army for bringing my husband home safe. Thank you Army for teaching me how to be a better wife. Thank you Army for showing me that material things are just that, great people come from all places in all shapes an sizes. Thank you Army for bringing my husband home safe, again! Thank you for being the Army.
Thank you Northern New York for severing us well. Good bye ice and snow. Good bye long dangerous drives to the airport. Good bye 347 Pike. Good bye pasty white skin. Good bye freezing early mornings. Good by giant long parka and snow boots.
Going to California
March 02, 2009
The Big Road-Trip Back To CA: Planning Again!
The chaos swirls around me with work! I am looking forward to some great breaks on the horizon. Not that work is slowing down but I am! Even with that constant stress I get so very excited thinking about our cross country road-trip back to CA. It is funny because when Dave was in Iraq and needed to think about something else he would call and we would talk about our plans for this road-trip. Now when work feels totally overwhelming I find myself dreaming about this road-trip. It is our escape!(We have another escape around the corner...we are going on a cruise to Mexico in April!!!)
My mom and I had such a great trip out to NY back in September. However we -she- really just drove straight through, stopping at roadside motels along I-80. I can't believe we area already heading back. This time it will be the adventures of Dave, Christine & Bermuda. Once again you can bet we will chronicle our adventures along the way. We have a little more fun planned for this trip and I am NOT working along the way. Dave has been so very patient about my work since he has been home...I owe it to BOTH of us to really take a break. I think we would find my laptop crunched into pieces along the side of I-10 if I try to catch up on work along the drive.
- Sackets Harbor, NY to Cartersville, GA (visiting Ramsey, Tara & Cope)
- Cartersville, GA to Birmingham, AL (Catching up with Kerry & Tim)
- Birmingham, AL to New Orleans, LA
- New Orleans, LA to San Antonio & Austin, TX (Dinner with Brooke & her clan)
- Austin, TX to Albuquerque, NM
- Albuquerque, NM to Grand Canyon, AZ (my FIRST time)
- Grand Canyon, AZ to Las Vegas, NV (Meeting Lori & Jessica for a soccer tournament)
- Las Vegas, NY to Corona, CA
Dave has booked all the hotels along the way. We are stepping it up a bit and staying in Hilton's all the way because they take the dog AND we have ton of points making the hotel stays virtually free!