Last Legs

Well, I am writing from Aunt Elaine's living room so you know the story ends well. But it didn't start off that way.

Just a short week ago I was in Pittsburgh and this was not even a fully formed dream, and now it is over. More than 2,000 miles all the way, we really did get our kicks on Route 66/I-40. But today was a little rougher than expected.

We got up early and had breakfast, at which point we headed out of flagstaff to Oatman, Arizona. Oatman is a ghost town that grew out of the mining gold rush and faded out of existence once I-40 was built. The donkeys were left behind and still come down to the town during the day where tourists buy carrots for a dollar to feed them. I'd read about it and decided it was a detour worth taking. It was definitely out of the way at the top of a hill with lots of curvy roads leading you to it, but Cara and I got to watch a staged old Western shoot out, eat some great food, and feed the Burros. Then we headed on to L.A.


It should have taken four hours or so but because we were in the desert and the car is old, of course it over heated and we had to stop several times. After some car repair at a shop a mile past the California border, Cara and I drove on to Los Angeles arriving some time around 1 AM. It was a long road and at times scary (my biggest fear being that we get stuck in the desert with no help for miles, but luckily we got stuck in places close to help so it wasn't as big of an issue). We did make it though, and hopefully tomorrow I'll spend some quality time with the cousins and make it out to the beach before Cara and I begin our next adventure: the California International Theatre Festival.

Wish me (and the car) luck!

Breathtaking, Awe Inspiring, Unrivaled Beauty

I wish I had the words to describe the beauty I saw today. I wish I was a poet or a painter or a photographer so I could in some small way capture the beauty that overwhelmed me beyond anything I have ever experienced before. I managed to take just about 100 pictures in less than two hours and yet not a single one conveys what I saw and felt at the Grand Canyon.


Something I didn't expect of this trip was the amount of pride in America it would instill in me. Our country is so beautiful, it holds so many natural wonders, so many well designed cities, and so much space. I have been lucky enough to see a large number of places across Europe, Morocco, Israel, and North America, but nothing I have ever seen can compare to the Grand Canyon. I always internally laughed when people talked with pride about their trips to the Canyon. It seemed so cliche and silly. Just a big hole in the earth is all it was to me.

But then Cara and I drove across the wide expanse of mountains and hills and desert between Flagstaff and the southern edge of the Canyon, and suddenly we were at the rim of the most spectacular drop-off I cannot describe. You look down into a pit for what seems like forever. You can't quite see the bottom at first, and eventually you think you've spotted it. But no. And then, maybe that's it? No, that's just another path. And finally, you see some water flowing through the bottom, a tiny blue dot thousands of feet below you. It felt like my eyes were drinking water for the first time in my life, as if my soul had been lifted up beyond myself.


We hiked down a trail, into the "depths of Hades" as the park ranger described it, for about an hour or so, then we went to another trail on the ridge of the canyon. After that we ate some sandwiches in the car and drove to have a dealer look at the damage. He told us to wait and get it fixed in Los Angeles, so we napped for a bit at the hostel and then went back to the Canyon. Because what else is there to do but go back? We picked up dinner on the way and then drove the hour and a half back where we sat on the rim of the Canyon and ate some really great Mexican food while watching the sunset. After the ravines had been reduced to blackness we lay down on the ground and watched the stars for an hour or so. Finally we dragged ourselves back to the car and drove back to the hostel.

Tomorrow we'll be driving the seven hours to L.A. and then our International Theatre Festival fun will begin.

Woops

And today started out so well...

I have to start with a quick image of the view from Leora and Malcolm's porch. Cara and I ate breakfast outside and couldn't stop marveling at how beautiful it is there. Every window's view gets better, and eating outside we couldn't imagine ever wanting to leave. Here's a few shots of what we were looking at...


This morning Cara and I packed up the car and were ready to leave Albuquerque, but of course something must go wrong on a roadtrip at least once and today was the day for us I guess. While backing out of Leora and Malcolm's driveway I hit a railroad tie in their yard and cracked the bumper. The damage wasn't actually too bad but the mud flap over the front tire was loose and hitting the tire. Cara and I waited for Leora and Malcolm to get home and then with some shoestring and lots of ducktape we managed to patch it up well enough to get to Flagstaff.



By the time we left Albuquerque it was already 4 o'clock so our plans for the day were pretty much out the window. We did stop at Alcoma Pueblo, a historic Native American city on the top of a hill that's been preserved. We couldn't tour it because it was too late but we walked around the museum for a bit and took a ton of pictures of the landscape which was generally breathtaking.



We spent the rest of the day driving out to Flagstaff, Arizona and arrived around 10 PM. We did make one quick stop at the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, AZ. The motel bosts rooms in buildings shaped like wigwams and it was pretty cool just to take pictures of. Plus a lot of the old cars in the parking lot were the inspiration for the cars in the Disney/Pixar film CARS. This is a nice shot of me standing outside one of the hotel rooms.


From there it was only a few hours to Flagstaff. We're staying at a really nice hostel and the plan is to get up early tomorrow and hike around the Grand Canyon (about an hour drive North of Flagstaff). Hopefully we'll get back in the afternoon with plenty of time to take the car to one of the body shops in the area so we can have everything fixed before heading out to Los Angeles on Tuesday.

I send much love to you all and I can't wait to post some great Grand Canyon photos tomorrow.

Taking Tulsa and Amarillo Skys

I didn’t post yesterday because Cara and I didn’t get into Amarillo until about 9 o’clock which, believe it or not, was about 5-10 minutes after sunset. As I’ve never been to Texas before I was really excited to see the Lone State in all its beauty. But first we had to get there from Tulsa.

We started out our morning by checking out of our (very nice) hotel and backtracking to Catoosa. We’d had to pass one of our planned stops because it was too late when we finally got into Tulsa the night before. We drove about 10 miles back to Catoosa the Whale, a pond and picnic area built in the 40s or 50s. It used to be used as a local swimming center and had a petting zoo in a Noah’s Arc shaped building next door. It fell into disrepair in the 80s and though the petting zoo was closed for good, the whale was fixed up and plenty of people still stop by to see it. Cara and I played around on the whale and took a ton of pictures (we also saw several water turtles, some fish, and a snake) before heading back to the Center of the Universe in downtown Tulsa.


The Center of the Universe is harder to find than you would think. It’s a small circle in the middle of a pedestrian bridge downtown in which magical things can happen. Well, not really magical, just strange. If you stand in the middle of the circle (and really only one person can fit) and say something out loud it will echo in your own ears but nowhere else. Cara and I took turns standing in the center and amplifying our voices for ourselves. Then we wrote our names at the center of The Center of the Universe and went on our way.


Next we drove to Arcadia, OK where we saw the famous Round Barn (well, if you research Route 66 it’s famous) followed by Pops, a gas station and soda shop that sells over 500 flavors of carbonated drinks. Cara and I each got a few to try including “Love Potion #69” and “Route 66 Cream Soda”. They were pretty tasty and the store itself was really cool looking.


After that we stopped at a fruit stand and bought some homegrown pecans, tomatoes, peaches, and a giant watermelon which we later butchered in our hotel room using a very small steak knife.

Finally we made our last stop of the day at Sandhills Curiosity Shop in Erick, OK. It was one of the most entertaining (and definitely strangest) experiences of this trip. It’s a store in what is basically a ghost town in Oklahoma that has named itself the Redneck Capital of the World. The store is owned by a hippie couple named Harley and Annabelle and they have covered every inch of space in the store with collected Route 66 memorabilia. They are really funny and have lots of stories which they’re willing to sit down and share with anyone who passes by. Cara and I spent a good hour or two chatting with them before continuing on to Amarillo.


(Cara with Harley and some of their signs)

This morning we packed up and after a very Southern breakfast (grits, eggs, biscuits, and pecan waffles) we went to check out the Big Texan. The Big Texan, I should explain, is a hotel and restaurant that celebrates everything Texas. It kind of feels like a mini Disneyland focused solely on Texas. Everything is very colorful, there is a giant cowboy boot and a giant bull outside the restaurant, and there’s a pool in the shape of Texas. We took a bunch of pictures, left our name on the boot, and then moved on to the major venture of the day: Palo Duro Canyon.



Palo Duro Canyon is also known as the Grand Canyon of Texas. It’s 800 feet deep and it is absolutely stunning. We got down there in the afternoon and it was exactly 100 degrees when we started hiking. We brought plenty of water and good spirits, and the fact that it was dry heat helped make it easier to hike. We only did a few miles, but on the way back we sang a beautiful rendition of The Star Spangled Banner, which really made us quite proud of ourselves and our country.



To finish off our time in Texas we stopped at the Cadillac Ranch, a cow pasture off the highway where a dozen or so cadillacs were half buried in the ground and are covered in graffiti. We walked around them and, as per tradition, left our own mark which will no doubt be covered up by tomorrow night. Then we got back in the car and headed to Albuquerque.


The sunset over the mountains (I’m not actually sure if they’re mountains, but for someone from Illinois they certainly feel like mountains) made me understand the line, “purple mountains majesty” for the first time. It was pretty stunning.



Finally we got to Leora and Malcolm Siegel’s house and had some ice cream before heading off to sleep. I have to mention that their house in one of the most beautiful places I've ever stayed. The views from every direction are breathtaking and the house itself is so interesting Cara and I decided in 20 years we want to come buy it and live here forever.

Today we’re driving out to Flagstaff and then hopefully (assuming the wild fires don’t keep us away) we’ll see the real Grand Canyon on Monday.

To anyone who made it through this whole post, I commend you. To everyone regardless of how far they read, I send my love and I promise to bore you with many pictures when I get back.
Always yours,
Renana

St. Louis and so much more

After a lovely breakfast with the Seeskins, during which I accidentally broke my camera, Cara and I made a detour to Target where they replaced the camera. Hurray for warranties! Then we went to Ted Drewe's Custard which was every bit as exciting and delicious as we hoped it might be. Of course I had to get the 'Fox Treat' and it made for a nutritional breakfast/lunch.


After custard we went downtown to the arch and took the elevator up to the top. You get in these tiny egg-shaped cells and ride up with two or three other people. At the top there's a bridge with windows to look out on the city and the views were really beautiful. I got some nice pictures and we left in a great mood.


Next we drove to Rolla, MO where an engineering school built a half-scale model of Stonehenge using a high-pressure water machine. It looks pretty cool and it made for a nice detour. Plus, in the parking lot of the school we spotted a car with an Alaskan license plate bringing our total to 24 states spotted so far. Very exciting.



The rest of the drive was uneventful though we did a lot of belting of traditional tunes such as Madonna, Seal, Six-Pence, and Blink-182. We stopped counting tires on the side of the road because there were too many, but apparently west of St. Louis there are better drivers or less animals, because there was almost no roadkill today. Excellent news for the animal kingdom.

We got to Tulsa around 10 tonight and tomorrow the plan includes an early morning visit to the Catoosa Whale and then on to Texas with several stops on the way.

As always I send love back to y'all (as I am in the south the contraction is required).

Bugs, Roadkill, and Busted Tires

Today, at about 12 o'clock in the afternoon Cara and I embarked on our exciting adventure westwards. Only a few hours behind schedule (which is impressive considering Cara returned from her Euro-trip only hours before we left on our roadtrip), we headed out to St. Louis.

First I learned a few things about cars. Apparently there's a little sticker inside that says what your tire's air pressure should be when at full capacity. After checking that I learned how to use the pressure filler (though I have yet to learn what it's official name is) to check and alter the tire pressure. Very exciting.

On the road we listened to some generally great music with much singing along and we started several lists counting (among other things):
Number and kind of roadkill
Number of trucks we could get to honk at us
Number of female truck drivers (there are a lot)
Number of different state's license plates

On the way we passed by many giant crosses (a growing trend perhaps?)


We also passed through downtown Colombus and Indianapolis (below)


With only three quick stops for gas and stretching we made it to St. Louis by 9:30. Thank God for the time change or it would have been much later. As it was I felt a little bad knocking on the Seeskin's door so late, but Elaine and Barry were incredibly welcoming and had lots of good food waiting for us.

Tomorrow we'll stop at the world-famous Ted Drewe's Custard place before we head out to Tulsa. We hear it's the best ice cream you can get and it comes pretty cheap which is good news for recent college grads. We'll let you know how it goes.

Much love to everyone and remember the rules of the road: Have fun but try to avoid hitting a deer.

Ten Days and Counting

In exactly ten days I will be somewhere in the midwest driving across country with one of my best friends Cara Kierzkowski. We have given ourselves seven days to get from Pittsburgh, PA to Calabasas, CA (approximately 2,450 miles) for the International Theatre Festival of California. We'll be living in dorms near the beach for a month and then we'll return to our respective homes at the end of July/early August.

Because our parents worry, and because I love to plan, we have a pretty organized itinerary. There are no plans as of yet to drive madly into the abyss of the Grand Canyon, but we haven't ruled it out altogether either.

Our plan is as follows:

Day 1:
Drive from Pittsburgh to St. Louis, MO (about 9 hours) where we'll stay with my friend Abby Seeskin's family


Day 2:
Drive from St. Louis to Tulsa, OK (about 6 and 1/2 hours) where we have a nice hotel waiting to welcome us into bed.



Day 3:
Drive from Tulsa, OK to Amarillo, TX (about 6 hours). Motel stop? I think so.



Day 4:
Leave the panhandle of Texas and head to Albuquerque, NM (about 4 and 1/2 hours) where we'll stay with my mom's old friend from college. I say old meaning they've known each other for a long time, but in no way does this reference her age. From what I hear she's still a young and hip chick.

Days 5 and 6:
Head out to Flagstaff, AZ (a good 5 hour drive) where we're staying at a youth hostel for two days so we can make a day trip out to the Grand Canyon.



Day 7:
Make the final leg of the trip out to Los Angeles (a long day, 7 1/2 hours of driving) where we'll stay with my aunt.

Day 8:
Head out to Calabasas, CA and return to theatre-geekdom.

Feel free to make suggested stops for us, we'll keep you informed of major excitements and we promise to load as many pictures as possible.

Hope you enjoy the road as much as we do and let the journey begin!