Market Street Musings

Morning came WAY too quickly on Thursday, May21st.   Whose bright idea was it to schedule a breakfast meeting at 7:30a the day after we arrive, when we are technically on vacation.  That is bullsh*t, I tell you…   wait a second, I think it was me.  Dammit.   We actually made it to breakfast early, though one of our guests decided that sleeping in was more important than seeing his friends (great job, Ross!!)   It was great to catch up with Mike and Ross and find out what’s been going in San Diego.  We had a LOOOOOOOOONG meal at Coco’s, due to the impeccable service that we received!   14 cups of coffee later, we headed back to our room to change and head over to Sea World.

I love Sea World.  It s a great place to people-watch and going before summer gets here means that we didn’t have to fight too many crowds or kids.   But I gotta tell ya, the shows were pretty disappointing.  Moreso than I remember them to be, anyways.   For example, the Shamu show is now themed “BELIEVE” and it centers around this Marketing Department-inspired B.S. story about this boy who carves a whale-tail out of wood and wears it as a necklace.  He paddles his kayak into the ocean and he is created by Shamu, who swims around him, jumps over the kayak and otherwise frolics with him in the water.  Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure that if there was a killer whale swimming around me and I was in a kayak, there would be quite a mess to clean up in and around my shorts…  and I’m fairly certain that the kayak would look like a seal from under the water and Shamu would gobble it up without giving it a second thought… but I digress.    So, they create this story and then they build this whole “if you believe, you too can be one with the animals” message that culminates with a ridiculous number of vendors walking up and down the aisles during the show selling….wait for it….. yes, selling WHALE TAIL necklaces.   I don’t know a parent out there that wasn’t bombarded by “can I have it daddy PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE” from their kids.     It was ridiculous.

And not that I don’t appreciate the splash zone, we sat in it.   But didn’t it used to be that the splashing was done as part of the tricks that the animals were performing?  Now they have, in both the shamu and dolphin shows, dedicated “SPLASH TIME” where they have trained the animals to douse the crowd with water using their tails.  Not really part of the show, just “here, have some water kids!”   Oh, towels are available for purchase for just $17.

All in all, pretty minor annoyances, considering we had a GREAT time.  We pet all of the animals, fish and creatures that they would let us pet (Sea Stars, Bat Rays, etc.)   We saw most of the exhibits and were able to see all the shows that we wanted to see.  It was a breezy day and not too warm, so we didn’t wind up riding the shipwreck rapids or the other water ride.    We had a great time and were back to the hotel by 4:30 to rest up before dinner.

For dinner, we went to Costa Brava , a Spanish tapas restaurant with a great wine selection and some delicious food.  We were joined by our friends Scott and Pelin Thorogood, and it was great to catch up with them and hear all about what is happening in their world.    After dinner, Scott & Pelin had to get home to relieve Grandma of babysitting duties, but De Ann and I stuck around to partake in another drink or two before catching a cab back to the room.    A great day all around – we are fortunate to have such good friends and the opportunity to vacation like this.   Life is good!

I’ve had hundreds of calls and letters wondering where the daily fix of the travel blog was, I apologize to each of you.   As can often happen on a vacation, we selfishly were spending time enjoying ourselves and neglecting the huddled masses, yearning to be free and whose only source of enjoyment and escape is to live vicariously through us.   Your complaints have been duly noted and we will rectify that situation ASAP.

As you might have guessed, Day 5 was fairly uneventful.  We had 521 miles to cover between the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, and our hotel in San Diego.  The drive on the I-40 was long and boring, with not much to look at except 18 wheelers and other vacationing families.   We did stop at the Flintstone Campground (hopefully De Ann will post those pictures as the official photographer), but otherwise it was pretty uneventful.

We stopped at Oggi’s Pizza on the way into town to see Tom Coyle.   In typical fashion, by the time we stopped rambling on, getting caught up like two old ladies (no offense to any old ladies out there), we had been there for 2 hours and were dangerously close to missing our dinner reservations.   Tom was gracious enough to loan us his BMW M3 Convertible for the couple of days that we would be in San Diego, so that has proven to be good fun, all around.

Our sweet ride for the duration of our stay in SD

We headed to the hotel – Paradise Point Resort in Mission Bay, where we essentially collapsed into a ball of exhaustion.   We scrapped our plans to enjoy steaks at Donovan’s, instead taking a walk over to the Barefoot Bar & Grill in the Resort for some good grub and a drink or two.   Completely relaxed, we passed out in no time flat!!

After spending some time at De Ann’s parent’s house, getting their wireless network up and running and assuring them that we are not, in fact, going to be destitute as we start our consulting and infrastructure firm, we were free to head off into the AZ heat towards the Grand Canyon.  The drive itself was only 3 hours, so not a  long day of driving (thankfully).

If you haven’t been to the Grand Canyon South Rim, you should go.  The views are amazing and there is a ton of history and things to see.   By the time that we got through the Visitor’s Center and headed to the Canyon for a bit of a hike, there wasn’t too much time for the hiking, unfortunately.  We did take one of the most popular routes, the  “Bright Angel Trail” that is actually about 9 miles down into the Canyon.   The first 1.5 miles drops you about 1100 feet in elevation.   With my fear of heights, I figured that I would get to about the railing and decide “enough” and go find a bar.   But alas, I was able to start the trek down and progressively, things got easier.  The very first part of the trail is the narrowest and the steepest (why do they DO that?!), but things even out a bit from there.   We hiked down for 30 minutes or so and then made the executive decision that since we couldn’t go all the way down, we’d probably seen enough of the trail and the rocks, and headed back up.  

I wish that the camera hadn’t taken the header off of the 225 million years of history (see yesterday’s blog), as we have been having problems with it ever since.   Essentially, the automatic lens wont open all the way, so all the photos will have blurred images where the lens is covered by the un-opened cover.   We’ve found a work-around – if you zoom, you can get the full picture… but that means we have to zoom every picture.   So, no more self portraits, it seems.     Well, why is this important at this point in the story?   Well, there was a ground squirrel on the path that was…well… aggressive.   I mean, this squirrel had some serious balls.  (as a side note, the squirrel actually did have a seriously oversized set of squirrel nuts… as he scampered away, they were dragging on the ground.  I guess that would make me a little ornery too… but I digress).  In any case, De Ann was trying to get a picture of this squirrel on a rock near the edge (eating a nacho cheese chip from some tourist), so I walked over to get in the picture and the squirrel turned towards me.  How cute, right?  Then he stood up and leaned over near me.  Then, he started coming down the rock towards my feet… I took a step back, not wanting the squirrel to scale my leg and search for nuts… he kept coming, and I kept backing up.   Finally, he turned and headed back, pretty sure that if I had any food for him, he would have already bullied it out of me.    That’s when I saw the nuts…

Ain’t nature grand?

So, our free spirited visit to the Grand Canyon without much planning meant that we didn’t have any reservations for a camp site.   Disappointment over our lack of camping at the Grand Canyon was soon drowned in the beers, wine and chicken wings that we had at The Grand Hotel saloon and restaurant, before retiring in our comfy bed.   I guess that does beat sleeping on the ground in a tent… so we can’t be too upset.

Morning came early and we were back in the car around 8am, heading the 521 miles to San Diego.    But that’s for the Day 5 blog, just don’t forget to remind me to tell you about the Flintstone campground.  Maybe, if you are extra good, De Ann will upload a picture or two for you.  Very special, I know. 

Until then…

This morning we left Glendale, AZ, for a trip to the biggest hole in the Earth – the Grand Canyon. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. It’s a complete trip seeing and hiking in something so amazing, so old and so incredibly huge. After a beautiful (and slight unnerving) hike down a bit into the canyon, we hiked along the south edge before setting up camp at the Grand Hotel. We tried, I swear, but all of the campgrounds were full. Who knew this place was so popular?!

Ron & De Ann at the Grand Canyon

As you can see from De Ann’s post, not much for me to add to the excursion of the day. We were in the car for somewhere around 9 hours today, so De Ann and I got some quality time together. People have said to us “How are you going to deal with that much ‘together time’?” Simple answer: “Happily!” Anyone that has ever met us can attest to the fact that neither of us has ever been at a loss for words. We find things to talk about. For instance, Day 1 we started keeping track of all of the different state license plates that we saw. We have quite the list going – I think that CT is the furthest away so far. If it’s not that game, then we make fun of road signs (“High winds may exist” – really, I’m pretty sure they do, I’ve felt them!), moron drivers and their antics or catch each other up on the latest FaceBook happenings. With wireless Internet in the car, we seem to keep ourselves, and each other, busy!

So, more thoughts for today. The Petrified Forest was pretty cool… we both enjoyed the sites, though we didn’t spend hours hiking or studying the books in the gift shops either. I’d hardly call 5 petrified trees a “Rainbow Forest”, but hey, they are trying to attract tourists, so who am I to comment? I did get this great idea to set the camera on a fallen tree to take a picture of us (using the timer), but the wind grabbed hold before the picture took and the camera bounced down 225 million years of history before landing in the soft dirt. Camera survived, though we never did get that picture.

Tonight, we arrived at the home of Barbara and Mike, De Ann’s folks in Glendale, AZ. They graced us with a wonderful dinner and great hospitality. Nice comfy bed will feel good, knowing that tomorrow night it is a tent and sleeping bags for us. Barb mentioned that it might rain… good thing I have that big ol’ car to sleep in if that is the case! Speaking of the big ol’ car, did you happen to catch Barbara’s post regarding the picture of the new Tahoe? Nice, really nice… Pimpin’ aint easy, Barb…

Gots to run for the night. Still work to be done! Be good, and if you can’t be good, be safe! Chat soon.

Until then…

Day 3 was slightly less eventful, if only because we were back in the car, driving from Peralta, NM to Glendale, AZ. We stopped at the Petrified Forest National Park (the Painted Desert), and drove though Holbrook, AZ in the historic Route 66. Lots of gorgeous scenery, and a desert thunderstorm that brought the ambient temperature down to just 86 degrees, temporarily.

De Ann in the Rainbow Forest

Tomorrow takes us back north to the Grand Canyon for a night of board games in the tent!

Greetings and sorry for the delay on Day 2.  Technology is a wonderful thing, except when you rely on it to work and it doesn’t.  So, we’ve been driving for awhile and finally have some Internet service.   But that is Day 3, what you really want to know it “HOW WAS DAY 2?”   It was great!

Dwight is a great host and has taken very good care of us.    I had no idea what to expect, as he is living in his Grandmother’s house built back in 1955 in Peralta, NM.   But I will say, I think that he has done a great job settling in.   In fact, I might go so far as to say that his furniture and décor fit better in this place than they did in Green Valley Ranch, CO.   The dogs are happy, the horse (Sydney) is happy and Dwight seems so much more relaxed.  

De Ann did a great job describing the events of the day, so I’m not sure what more I can add.   One of the things that we promised ourselves on this trip would be to try new things.  So spending Day 2 of the trip on the Dairy Farms, learning about how Dwight made some spending money during the summers as a kid was very cool.  It was great to see Dwight in his element and also meeting his sister and brother-in-law.  They seem like great people and were very hospitable in showing us around their new home and their family farm, as well.

De Ann forgot to mention (or maybe she blocked it out) that Dwight and I got to spend some time swimming after a day at the farm.   Dwight received a pool from his sister Debbie as an early birthday present (Everyone remember to wish him a Happy Birthday on the 20^th!).   Four feet tall and 15 feet across (maybe)… filled it with a garden hose and heated it with a solar cover.   I wish we had taken a picture of Scuba Steve/Dwight, with his snorkel and fins and mask, swimming around this “huge” circular pool picking up all of the rings from the ring toss game.   Yes, good times were had by all.

Dinner was great, company was great, food coma and the early bedtime were also great!   Got us good and ready for the big day of driving ahead of us!  Thanks for checking in – catch up with you tomorrow!  

Until then…

We kicked off Day 2 with delicious red chile & green chile breakfast burritos from Burritos Alinstante, followed by a trip to Dwight’s family’s dairy farms, Jones Dairy and Pareo Farm. Jones Dairy has an amazing rotary carousel milking facility. The cows enter the carousel, are hooked up to the milking device, and ride around until they reach the starting point, then they back up out off the carousel and mosey back to the pen. It’s amazing to watch because the cows know exactly what to do (which makes sense, given they do this twice every day) and seem perfectly content going about their routine.

At Pareo Farm we met Ace, the enormous Belgian Draft Horse. I was glad I had spent time with Dwight’s much smaller horse, Sydney, before meeting this giant. The Pareo’s also have a number of antique wagons and other parade vehicles that they still use occasionally when “conned into doing another parade.”

We finished off the day with some cool beverages under Dwight’s huge shade tree and a fabulous grilled feast of steak, grilled veggies (the sweet corn was DELICIOUS!), roasted potatoes and baked beans. We all stuffed ourselves like royalty and entered a well-deserved food coma before retiring for the evening.

Thanks, Dwight, for being a great friend and a great host!

Now, we’re driving to my mom’s in Glendale, AZ. It’ll be a quick visit with the ‘rents before heading to Grand Canyon in the morning.

De Ann with Ace, a Belgian Draft Horse

De Ann & Ron in Dwight's comfy hammock

Grilled feast. YUM!

Greetings all,

9:30a on Sunday morning, so I thought I’d catch you up on our happenings. The drive was easy down from Denver and we made it to Dwight’s in under 8 hours. Saw some funny stuff along the way, but otherwise, pretty uneventful. Arrived at Dwight’s and got the lay of the land. Great house, lots of land and plenty of room for Sydney (Dwight’s horse) and the dogs to run and play.

Early dinner at “Ribs” If you ever have the chance, swing by. They’ve got good food and they are attached to the Tractor Brewing Company, which makes some pretty good beer.  We might have had one or two…

Then it was back to the house for a bit and then over to the Isleta Indian Casino  I played “Let It Ride” for awhile… I gave them a healthy donation and then went off to find De Ann and Dwight. They were camped out at the nightclub

Lounge at Isleta Casino

The rest of the night gets a little fuzzy, but Dwight made a friend and De Ann and I retired for the rest of the evening!   Milk, cookies, straight to bed.  Yup, that’s us…

Today, we are thinking about visiting the dairy farm, riding the horse and get some good Mexican food.  That is our mission – I’ll let you know how we do!   Until then, have a great day.  I know we will!

ROAD TRIP!! We are so excited to get this trip underway! Both woke up before the alarm (6-ish on Saturday morning is unusual, at least for me) and giddily packed up the car.

Day one took us from Denver south on I-25 to Peralta, NM, just outside of Albuquerque. Below are some highlights of the not-too-long trip:

Unusual cloud formations in Colorado Springs, CO

Ludlow Massacre Monument, honoring the 11 people killed by Colorado National Guardsmen during the 1913-1914 Miners’ strike. In response, the miners looted and destroyed the mines. Good times.

Trinidad, CO, the “Sex Change Capital of the World” (which is hard to imagine in ultra- conservative southern Colorado) since the sixties. It’s not much to look at from the highway, but Trinidad boasts Cougar Canyon Golf Links, a Nicklaus-designed, world famous championship golf course. It’s unclear if the Cougars are pre- or post-op.

As I type, we’re driving through New Mexico, making our way toward Dwight’s house. Wireless Internet is awesome!

Hello, Pueblo!

Thanks, New Mexico!