Day 2 at Joshua Tree National Park

Words fail me.  So do photos.  The sights and information I have tried to absorb exceed my poor old brain and my imagination.  I have taken 50 photographs today while driving the park roads in search of the best example of a boulder, a jumping cholla cactus and a joshua tree.  Every turn of the road led to an even more amazing image.  I finally gave up and bought a picture book at the park gift shop.  I have watched a 20 minute film and driven around the park for nearly 6 hours and still can not explain the geology in spite of reading about 100 detailed interpretive signs.  So I finally gave up and simply turned myself over to wow and awe.  Son Rob and his wife Wendy have climbed among these rocks and they claim this park is the greatest.  They tried to prepare me.  Well I would try to prepare you too but, if you have not experienced Joshua Tree put it on your personal bucket list.  More wonderful places to see and experience before getting to Rob's. Just think - 4 parks done, 16 to go! Aren't you glad I didn't show you all 50 photos!

Joshua Tree National Park

In this park the sonoran desert transitions to the mojave. Major difference is saguaro cactus in the first and jozhua trees in the second.  Driving from Tucson you can see the gradual change.  First mostly gravelly sand and very sparse vegetation.  Then finer sand with more vegetation especially creosote bushes.  Drove through the park this afternoon.  Will take a closer look tomorrow.  I have become fascinated with the desert.  So different from anything I have experienced. Here are some other new things - warnings for limited visibility due to blowing dust and do not enter when flooded.  The Colorado River had plenty of water and the Rio Grande just a trickle.  All others are bone dry.  Some of these dry river or stream beds are called washes and people use they as walking paths. It is really dry here.

Tucson

I have to say the time spent driving from one park to the next takes most of a day.  In the case of Tucson the park, Suguaro, is split.  One part on the east side of the city and the other on the west.  Also Arizona does not observe daylight saving time so now is on pacific time. So I gained an hour.  That gave me time to explore the east park on arrival day.  What a surprise.  The giant suguaro are huge and grow like a forest.  On the park drive I could only admire them.  Today I visited the west park and watched a slide show about the desert. At the end curtains parted and the desert scene was revealed.  As in the photo. Then I took a short walk through the desert and drove the six mile auto drive through the desert.  Here I discovered just a few cactus in bloom.  Seems I am just a little early for that here.  Finished the day checking out historic sights in Tucson.  Native Americans historically connected to the desert believe God made man and put him on earth as a suguaro. Man returns to the ground when he dies.  Man and the desert, suguaro, therefore become one.  So it is an imperative to treat the desert with respect, dignity, care and love. The desert is a landscape of beauty, drama and textures.  So said the slide show narrator just before the curtains parted.  For my first experience with a great desert, the Sonoran, I can say it is dramatic, an extraordinary example of balance and interdependence of nature and very hot and dry. I will see more desert systems on this trip - the mojave, the great basin and great sands. The sonoran is considered a young desert - only 10,000 years old.  I think they said it takes the suguaro 200 years to get to mature height and 50 years before it begins to grow an arm.  They only grow in this part of the planet.  That gets my attention. 

Albuquerque and Sanra Fe

Arrived in time to drive around Old Town, Central Ave.,__ and the Art and History Museum.   Everything about the SW history and culture is new to me so I really appreciated the intro at the museum.  I am slowly getting the idea of the 19 different Pueblo groups, the impact of early church missionaries, territorial disputes, the civil war, westward expansion and the list goes on and on. I have also visited the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe, attended Mass at the Basilica Cathedral of St Francis in Santa Fe and Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. I drove to the top of Sandia Peak elavation 10,000+ ft. The two cities felt different to me.  Due to such a short exposure I hate to characterize.  The topography is the strangest I have ever seen.  At this time of year everything looks very brown except the soil which is red. The sun is very strong and makes picture taking difficult with my phone.  I have a farmers tan on my arms just from walking around.
This is for Ann R- I am so glad I read Death Comes For the Archbishop before coming here.  It made my visit to the cathedral a powerful experience. This stop has been my first real sightseeing break and I have enjoyed the change of pace.  Enjoy the photos.

Day 12 Done With One Night Stands

Since leaving for Morgantown W VA I have only spent one night in each place.  As I mentioned this has been a bit frustrating as I had to pass up many interesting places and things.  The drive along Route 40 today offered more Route 66 opportunities.   But the most interesting was the scenery.  High plateau dry land with no trees.  Just scrub evergreen bushes.  The land in so flat you can see to a blurry horizon.  Snow covered mountains way in the distance.  Tried to get a photo but the distance is too great for my phone camera.  I enjoy reading your comments.  Helps me feel connected to home while I am  experiencing so many new climates and cultures.  I am now becoming immersed in southwest culture.  Today was sunny in the 80's.  Enjoy your beautiful Maine weather. Will have photos and details later.

Day 11 A Day of Variety

Began early with a visit to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.  This has something for those who died, those who were rescuers and those who survived.  Most effective for me were the two walls at each end of a reflecting pool.  The east wall is engraved with 9:01 our time of innocence, the bombing happened at 9:02, the west wall has 9:03 the time after which we were changed.  Very powerful.  Then I drove through parts of Route 66 that are ghost towns with some of the iconic articles still there all alone and unattended such as an old Phillips 66 gas station.  Twenty miles south of Amarillo, Texas I took another detour to Palo Duro Canyon reported to be the second deepest canyon in the US.  The exposed rocks began 200 million years ago.  Finally I drove just west of Amarillo to "Cadillac. Ranch where 6 cars are buried nose down in a field.  With that I called it a day.

Day 10 National Park #2 Day 11 Detour to Ft Smith

Left Memphis early for Hot Springs.  Crossed the Mississippi.  That was a landmark.  Hot Springs was another surprise.  I had no idea what the bath houses looked like.  The National Park service has restored a row of them and their visitor center is in one that has been restored as a museum. The park includes a large area of wooded hills above the central avenue of bath houses.  All very impressive
Another detour involved driving to Ft Smith from Hot Springs.  Beautiful drive through the Ouchita (?) National Forest.  A nice change from I 40.  Ft Smith was the historic center for law control.  The "hanging Judge Parker" and early US Marshalls were so important here that Ft Smith will become the future home of the US Marshalls.  This is a tip of the hat to my nephew, Chris a Deputy US Marshall who is fighting a brain tumor.  Arrived in Oklahoma City late this afternoon.  Heavy rain for several days has caused creeks to flood.  Fields are underwater.  Sun due tomorrow.
Sorry can't find photos of Hot Springs.  Have included photo of Clinton Presidential Library and Central High School Little Rock of school integration fame.  It is significant that the school is about 5 miles from city center in what was clearly an affluent white neighborhood judging by the large homes still there.

Day 9 early morning Memphis

Late arrival yesterday cut into my sightseeing.  Here is one for Piper and one for Suzi.  Elvis was not in the house.  Of course not.  He is at Piper's house.  Too early for the ducks at the Peobody Hotel.  They were still asleep on the roof resting for their noontime stroll to the lobby fountain.

Day 8 detours

After Nashville I decided to take a detour and drive down the Natchez Trace Parkway to Shiloh Battlefield.  Well worth it.  Along the parkway are.sections of the original trail.  As suggested I stopped for a short stroll.  I was impressed by how narrow and rough was the old trail.  There were brillant red bud trees in bloom all along the parkway.  At Shiloh I watched a video and drove the auto tour.  The battlefield covers 44,000 acres. Impressive in its own right as part of the southeastern civil war in which all efforts were to gain control of rivers.  Speaking of rivers. I have crossed several historic rivers.  Rappanhannec (sp?), Potomac, Cumberland, Tennessee, with Mississippi and Arkansas coming up.  The detour caused a very late arrival into Memphis.
Almost forgot. On the Natchez Trace Parkway I came across the site of Merriweather Lewis final illness and death.  Photo of cabin is where he rested and finally died.  His ashes are buried at the column.

Day 7. Ist National Park

Main feature today was Mammoth Caves National Park. The park covers 30,000 acres and has the longest system of connected caves in the world.  There have been tours of caves there for over 130 years. I choose the shortest tour. The tour with only 12 stairs.  There were about 60 extra stairs as an optional part.  I quietly declined that extra option.  In spite of it being the easiest I found it uncomfortable.  I did not like being so far underground. About 150 feet.  I am glad I did it but can't say it was my favorite activity.  I bought my National Park Passport book and collected my first stamp. 
In Nashville I discovered they have a full scale replica of the Parthenon.  This was created as part of a world's fair and now is an art museum.  Country music stuff is everywhere.   The Titans stadium is prominent along the river.  Historic country music venues are notable.  Both the historic clubs and the recording studios within Music Row. Photo is Country Music Hall of Fame.  A huge new Music City Convention Center is under construction right next door.

Day 6 Surprise

Left Morgantown WV this morning and am in Lexington Ky tonight.  Lots of steep winding roads at high speeds. Good practice for canyon roads later on.  Surprise of the day:  the abrupt change in topography between WV and KY.  Impressive mountains with no color in WV then rolling grassy very green hills in KY.  A change from no distance in view due to mountains to wide vistas of grassy cattle and horse farms.  Notable sights: the Kentucky Horse Park, Henry Clay's home where he experimented with animal breeding to improve the species, and Mary Todd Lincoln's home.  Now that is enough variety for one day.  It took a half hour swim workout in the motel pool to clear my head.