Let’s not forget about Sedona. We’re all about equality here at CotR. On day two we took scenic road 89 from Sedona to Flagstaff. It’s a spaghetti string of a road that winds up a mountain until you are at the very peak halfway between Sedona and Flagstaff in the heart of the Coconino National Forest. I love that name. Who wouldn’t like saying ‘Coconino?’ Considered one of the most scenic drives in the US, it lives up to its rep.
Yep, that's the road we were on to get to the tippy top
The view from the top of the mountain is non-stop incredible for miles and miles. I snapped plenty of pictures but this one sums it up – lots of trees and sweeping vistas. Just beautiful.
Coconino Coconino Coconino
The queen tolerates my penchant for the scenic drive. It’s not necessarily her thing to do but she is the ever faithful companion and indulges me. She knows a yarn shop is in her future. She sees the larger picture.
She is the queen of all she sees
Let’s talk for a moment about restrooms. Restrooms are part of all trips. They are simply unavoidable unless you don’t have functioning kidneys and bladder. The restroom adventure is an important aside to the main attractions of any trip. I have taken photos of restrooms on our various trips. I may start posting them. Some restrooms are incredible – like the one in Buccees in Luling, TX. Some are skank ho dens of swill and scum, but you’re damn glad to have a pot to pee in.
The queen was off knitting as I was taking pictures. I found her sitting on a bench in front of the restrooms, a big smile on her face. She motioned to the ladies and told me to go in. Even if I didn’t have the urge, she said just go in and give it a try. Still smiling was she. I go in, this was my throne of the moment…
Adventures in restrooming
Much like a porta potty – this receptacle had no bowl, just some water down below and Mother Nature’s call of everyone who has taken a seat on this particular pot. So ok, I sit down figuring it best to give pee a chance (all we are saying is give pee a chance). Then I felt it - a lovely gust of air envelops my hoo hoo area. I started cracking up because THIS is what put a smile on the queen’s face. It was quite refreshing, these billows of cool, hoo hoo air. I kinda wanted to sit longer. All toilets should be equipped with a hoo hoo air feature.
If you ever find yourself on Arizona scenic road 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff, I highly recommend the cooter air toilets. It’s an experience not to be missed.
Tags: restrooms, road trips, Scenic roads, scenic view, Sedona
Tue, October 13 2009 » Arizona, Scenic roads » 4 Comments
While in LA we had the good fortune to meet up with fellow bloggers Elizabeth and Teresa. We have known this couple for several years but have never met. These are two smart, funny women and we were not going to leave LA without at least one visit. The result was a Sunday full of fun and frivolity followed by dinner on Wednesday with more laughter and stories. Afterward, the queen noted how much she would love to buzz her hair short like Teresa’s except she doesn’t think her head shape is as pretty. Ms. TKM is quite the cutie with her buzz cut (and, she has perfect eyebrows). I, of course, think the queen has a lovely head.
Here is one of many brilliant posts Teresa has on her blog, this one being about her hair. Take thee there and read, it’s wonderful.
I have thick hair. Very thick hair. Sometimes I like my thick hair. Sometimes I’m just over it. Lately, when I’m over it, I’m really over it. This usually happens when I feel chained to a hair dryer. The need to make sure a dryer is around puts me out. Who likes being put out? Not I.
In light of our discussion about buzz cuts and prettily shaped heads, this caught my eye…
Yes, this intrigued me
The place
Rudy’s is an industrial type hair cutting warehouse-ish place on Sunset Blvd. I imagine it might have been the inspiration for that skate shop /hair warehouse in The L Word. Or not.
Good Friend Irene enters the hip cool hair cutting place
Upon entering it’s all concrete and industrial air conditioning and posters and pictures. Hip oozes. I would have felt more hip in the hip ooze if I weighed 50lbs less and had cool, old looking, new boat shoes and skinny girl jeans. No matter, I’m hip because I’m me. Right? Of course, Elizabeth.
The hipness
This is my hair dresser. I gave her very easy instructions – buzz cut. She hesitated for just a second and said, “Really? With a number one guard?” Now, I live with a hair dresser and I know what a number one guard is. I said ‘yep.’ She said, “Wow, cool.” Then, the hair started to fall.
See all that hair on the ground? That used to be my hair.
You see, this is what happens when I really get over my hair. I’ve had a buzz before. In fact, the last one was in April when we went to North Carolina. But the queen used a number four guard, so not quite as short. This is military short. Yeow. I haven’t gotten used to the person in the mirror yet but I do like this photo.
I'm ready to kick some ass now
Tags: hair, Los Angeles
Mon, October 12 2009 » California » 11 Comments
We have been in Los Angeles for the past week. We’re staying with Good Friends Irene and Michael. We had the great pleasure of meeting up with bloggers Teresa and Elizabeth. A fabulous time was had by all.
I haven’t even finished my Sedona postings and now there are all the LA pics. I’ll have to intersperse them. It’s all good.
Tags: Los Angeles, road trips
Sat, October 10 2009 » California » 1 Comment
New Mexico and Arizona might as well be Mars, the landscape is so – freaky. It’s almost like you’ve stepped into a sci-fi movie. As we were driving through Tuscon to Phoenix and then to Sedona, gazing upon the dusty land and the dry brush, I don’t think I could live there. My father once said that a home without trees is like a toilet without water (I’ll talk more about that in the next post). There are no trees in southern Arizona.
But, as you get closer to Sedona, the landscape changes. The big cactus (cacti?) popping up all over the brown mountains in Phoenix give way to more vegetation and shorter, flatter cactus – the kind that are all over south and west Texas. Then, you see them.
Sedona red rocks
I suppose if I’d been to the Grand Canyon or Utah before then the Sedona rocks might not have been quiet as special. Seeing as I haven’t been to either of those places, the absolute grandeur and beauty of Sedona took me a bit by surprise. I’ve seen mountains before, but these aren’t really mountains even though they are mountains. No, these are rocks. Big, honkin’ rocks. They’re extraordinary shades of red and rust and orange. When the sun sets on them you’ll see purple and blue and indigo and yellow and burgundy.
...and the clouds!
After we settled into our room, we went out for dinner and the rocks and mountains surround you. Everywhere you look you have a spectacular dining view. People seemed to come and go with a certain nonchalance, I wanted to grab them and say, ‘Do you see this? This is amazing? You live here! Look at that view!’ It’s like going to Disneyland for scenery.
They're rrrrrred
Every step you take in Sedona provides an opportunity for a photo. You could be walking on same road, take two steps forward and get a completely different picture than the one you took two steps back. Needless to say, it’s a neato place.
A landscape created by time - a lot of time
Tags: road trips, Scenic roads, scenic view, Sedona
Fri, September 25 2009 » Arizona, Road Trips, Scenic roads, Southern US » No Comments
How boring would life be without the eccentrics? These are the people who have a vision and pursue it without heed to popular opinon or formality. The American roadside attraction would not exist without the eccentric spirt of the individual who just wants to do their thing. It is, after all, your thing. Do what you wanna do. In Houston we have a few – the Orange Show (one man’s ode to the orange), the Beer Can House, the Art Car Parade (more of a moving, once a year roadside attraction). One of the best roadside attractions ever is Clay Henry, beer drinking goat and mayor of Lajitis, TX. The goat can chug some beer. You pop the top, put the can in his mouth, he tips his head and drinks it down.
Not long after our Geocaching experience we crossed the border into Arizona. We saw a billboard for The Thing – Mystery of the Desert. Then we saw another, and another, and…another. The Thing, what is it? The Thing, come see for yourself. The Thing, we can’t wait to see you. Of course, ain’t no we were going to miss The Thing. I was so excitied. The Thing! What was it? The anticipation was insane. Ahhhh!
The Thing is another Bowlin souviner shop much like the one we left in New Mexico. But this was different because it had The Thing!
The Thing and a DQ too! Can you say 'heaven?'
But, first things first, we had to pee. Roadside attractions must play second fiddle to peeing. In fact, a roadside attraction can’t be enjoyed without peeing first. One must be of empty bladder and unencumbered of all urges to fully enjoy a roadside attraction. We get that out of the way and there it is. The door to The Thing. Only a dollar. Schwing! (**If you do not want to know what The Thing is, avert thine eyes! Although, you will still not really know what The Thing is. The Thing is an experience. Still, if one day you might find yourself driving on I-10 in Arizona, and you don’t want to know anything about The Thing, go have a cookie).
What mystery lies behind the door?
Upon opening the door you find yourself in an open courtyard. You are invited to follow the big, yellow footprints on the sidewalk.
Follow yellow, big foot. Follow the yellow, big foot.
You follow the yellow feet, the excitement builds. What is The Thing? Man or beast? Friend or foe? Paper or plastic? Then you get to the door to see… The Thing!
Sucked into the vortex!
What unfolds before you is a menagerie of dusty, oddish antiques and freaky folk art. Needless to say, The Thing is fabulous. The whole roadside ‘museum’ consists of three, pre-fab, warehouse type enclosures. The first one has some old vehicles including one that was supposedly used by Adolf Hitler…
There is actually a Hitler manikin inside
The next exhibit is a depiction of various methods of torture – in wood. Yes, all of the tortured and their torturers are carved out of wood and placed behind a steel cage. How do you decide one day you’re going to carve depictions of torture in wood? What section of the cranial lobe does that conversation reside? I don’t know but this was perhaps my favorite part of The Thing. What does that say about me? I’m still trying to figure it out. But it’s absolutely hysterical.
Wooden guy on rack complete with underarm hair
It appears this poor woman is being flogged with a shock absorber
There was also a guy getting decapitated and a woman being whipped. Love it! In the next ‘compound’ there are various old things like a cotton gin and an olive press from 1882 and a gun made in 1640. Where did they get this stuff? Everything is fabulously dusty as if it had been bought at a yard sale in 1953, thrown in an attic and discovered in 1985. Along the top of the display cases are these animal, folk art figures made of wood. There are at least a 100 of them.
Wooden animal with sharp, pointy teeth.
As you enter the third and final installment of The Thing, it’s more of what was in the previous warehouses – wooden animals and old, dusty antiques but also this guy…
Being on display at a souvenir shop in the middle of Arizona can't really be all that bad of an afterlife.
Just when you think it’s a bunch of old stuff, you see these colorful and wonderfully bizarre art figures. It really doesn’t get any better than this, people.
An Indian alien?
I image there are many who exit The Thing without a scintilla of appreciation for what they just witnessed. That’s too bad. We walked back into the souvenir shop thoroughly delighted. The Thing was well worth the price but more importantly, it was well worth the time. Roadside attractions rock!
Tags: road trips, Sedona, souvenir shops, weird
Thu, September 24 2009 » Arizona, Road Trips » 1 Comment
Driving is not for everyone.
When we told people we were driving to Sedona, AZ for their first Pride celebration, most gave us that look. You know the look. You might even have that look on your face right now. Freeze your face, head to the nearest mirror and see if you have that look. Don’t hold it too long or it will stick. The ‘I can’t believe you’re crazy enough to drive’ look is a combination of fake puke face and possible sneeze. Not attractive, girlfriend, trust me.
“Why not just fly,” we were asked through the fake puke face and possible sneeze look. Because. I do not wish it. That is why. I, for one, am tired of the tedium that accompanies flying – the security, the possible second bag check at the gate, the delays, being in one enclosed space with a bunch of people who may have swine flu or screaming children (yes, children are our future, I just prefer that the future not kick my seat). The list goes on.
And the worst part? The very worst? Getting on a plane only to discover there are no overhead bins left. There you are, searching like a lost soul with your baggage partially over your head. And everyone is looking at your pitiful self. Look at that poor, poor woman who can’t find a bin for her luggage. I hate those people with bins! Hate them. Bin envy is the absolute worst.
Needless to say, flying has fallen out of favor for me. I much prefer the meditative pace of a car traveling over a slowly morphing landscape. See how romantic that is? Yes, it’s labor intensive, but c’mon people, romance takes some effort. For long periods of time you must enjoy at once being conscience enough to actually drive the car while giving into the solitude. It’s a zen thing.
But oh the stories! The tales of twisty, mountain roads, scenic views, hotel rooms, souvenir centers and yarn shops. Plane trips involve stories of late flights and lost luggage. Road trips involve encounters with animals and weather and people and stuff. You come away with memories when you hit the road.
We headed out on our Sedona adventure Thursday at 7pm. I drive, the queen knits. It’s a match! I drove throughout the night and finally pooped out around Las Cruces, NM (about 12 hours out of Houston). The queen then drove a couple hours and pulled into a souvenir shop in Lordsburg, NM. This turned out to be a serendipitous move. Goddess time.
From Houston, TX to Lordsburg, NM
The shop is called Continental Divide and is one of several Bowlin Travel Centers that dot the NM and AZ landscape. . They’re quite large and chock full of fabulousness de cheese. We love browsing the cheesy, tourist stops. It’s all part of the road trip experience.
We returned to the car and I took a picture of the big tee pee that was standing at the other side of the parking lot, by the store billboard.
there is a treasure to be found
That’s when Paul came out and told me I should go over and take a closer picture. I told him I would. I told him we were from Houston. He’s from Michigan and moved to NM just six weeks ago. He then recounted a story about meeting a couple women the day before who left a little treasure under the sign. They left a plastic jar with items inside explaining it was for a treasure hunt.
Paul tells us of the treasure
We walked over and sure enough, covered up with a few rocks we found a plastic jar. Inside were some little mementos left behind by the treasure leavers for the treasure hunters. We also found an explanation for all this. It’s a thing called Geocaching. A global treasure hunt! How exciting. We love stuff like this. I think this is the one we found. It appears treasure hunters find it and move it to another location. Awesome!
and there we found the treasure
The queen quickly found the perfect object d’art to place in the jar. Her father used to make these dollar pins and send us boxes of them. One time we were so desperate for money we tried to take them apart. Hey, money was tight, man. There was 23 bucks in dollar pins in that box! That’s a lot of money when you have none.
an original Arnold Rothman dollar pin
The queen opened the jar and emptied the contents into her hand. Then read the instructions. If we were going to take something, we should leave something in its place. Also, there was a note pad and pen inside to write a note. We did that. We left the dollar pin. We took nothing from the jar.
the treasure revealed
Then, we put everything back into the jar and carefully replaced it as we had found it. As a little parting gift and small signpost to any treasure seekers, we built a little Inukshuk - something we found out about on our cruise to Alaska last year.
the treasure returned and a marker set
We pulled out of the parking lot with that warm feeling knowing this was a one of a kind experience. Not a big, explosive, fireworks experience. No, better than that. One that will touch other people. One that only happens on the road.
our work is done here...time to hit the road
Tags: Geocaching, New Mexico, road trips, scenic view, Sedona, souvenir shops
Mon, September 21 2009 » Geocaching, New Mexico, Road Trips, Scenic roads » 5 Comments
Considering everything we did, we were only in Paris for 28 hours. We flew into Paris on a Tuesday afternoon (not sure if this is correct, it was 10 years ago after all), we went to Pere Lachaise, then dinner, the Princess Di tour, drinks at Harry’s and Kitty O’Sheas on the first night. Unfortunately, I don’t have picks of our excursion at Kitty O’s. Maxine had to teach the bartender how to make a margarita.
We got up the next morning and headed to the tower. This was the one place the queen definitely wanted to see while we were in Paris. And so it was that one of my favorite queen pictures was taken, in front of her tower in her favorite city.
The queen stands in front of her tower
I had been to the Eiffel Tower 10 years earlier but did not make the ascent to the top. This time, we took the journey upward. After standing in line you get to a series of glass elevators. Now, I don’t usually have any problems being on a glass elevator. I have been on many. But, these particular glass elevators went up and backwards. This was not a decidedly enjoyable experience. I felt a quease. Not a fun feeling. Quease is not good. But, I am a trooper. I came, I trooped and we made it to the glorious tippy top…
See how I'm not looking all that stellar
The queen and her city
After our jaunt up the queen’s tower we headed over the Montmartre and the Basilica de Sacre Coeur and les artists. Along the way we stopped at a bakery and enjoyed Nutella crepes and were basically in heaven de Francais. It was a beautiful day with a crisp, blue sky. We rode the metro, strolled the streets and enjoyed our last hours in Paris basking in the glow of a very memorable trip.
Another wonderful shot of she in her city
Tags: landmarks, Paris, Paris 1999
Sun, September 13 2009 » Europe » 1 Comment
Mais oui. After all, we are les Americains!
After our lovely dinner on the west bank Don promised us the Princess Di Tour. He would take us by the Ritz Carlton and then down the tunnel where the ill fated princess, her bodyguard, her boyfriend and his chauffeur (another move title there) rammed into a pillar.
To make the experience as authentic as possible, I decided to play paparazzi to my traveling companions royalty. They complied and should be complemented for their dramtic chops…
Terri covers her face as the stalking paparazzi descends upon the car
However, in true paparazzi fashion I will not be deterred. They all can’t hide from me. Oh no. I am just that good….
One unsuspecting passenger was caught off guard
As the car was about to speed off into the night, I captured the hysteria that had enveloped the passengers. No one was safe from… the paparazzi…
There is just no escape!
After our fun with the Princess Di Tour, we went out in search of more adult beverages. Since I was selected as the tour guide, I decide we should go to Harry’s Bar, famous hang out of Ernest Hemingway.
Come on in, y'all
The queen and I were discussing the order of events that night. I thought we went to dinner first, then on the PDT then to Harry’s (we also went to the Irish bar, Kitty O’Sheas somewhere in all of this). I thought Harry’s was the last stop. I remember being supremely toasty by the time I tried a sip of this…
The liver is a terrible thing to waste.
That is a very fuzzy photo of the martini that Ernest Hemingway used to drink back when he frequented Harry’s in his moveable feast days. Somehow fitting the photo is blurry because I took one sip of that thing and thought I was gonna pass out. We left Harry’s without finishing the devil’s martini. We wined, we dined. Good times…
We may be laughing a bit to loud but that never hurt no one
Tags: drinking, Paris
Fri, September 11 2009 » Europe » 2 Comments
…until you’ve seen a French waiter mistakenly try to take a plate of food from a patron who has not finished eating.
One night on Le Grande Adventure de Paree, our wonderful hosts Don and Terri took us to one of their favorite restaurants on zee Rive Gauche. It was insanely wonderful. We indulged like we never indulged before. Only in France can one dive into an ocean of culinary delight and pay only $300. No kidding. My sister and I picked up the tab. This was a dinner for six people consisting of five courses, I lost count of the wine and after dinner drinks. We were astounded when we realized the tab added up to a little over $300. A wave of comfort washes over me to this day when I think of that meal.
Here we are on that memorable night. Don, Terri and the queen to the left. My sister’s friend Kari, my sister Kathy and me on the right. As you can see, I’m having a love affair with my wine. It was too overwhelming to even look up. You had to know this was probably just regular ol’ everyday wine, nothing special. But, in France, everyday wine rocks the house. It’s amazing.
je taime le diner boucoups
The food – delicious. The company – divine. Yet, the most memorable event of our dinner was not dinner. It occurred when our waiter nearly died of absolute mortification right before our eyes. As you can see in the picture, Don and Kari are the only diners left with a plate of food. Don was finished not long after this pic was taken but Kari was still working on her dinner. However, the waiter (we’ll call him Henri) mistakenly thought Kari was finished. He reached in to pick up her plate and she did a little ‘Oh, I’m not done yet’ jump. Henri recoiled in horror. Oh. Em. Gee. You’d think he just figured out that Norman Bates was a wacko with a dead mother. No gymnast in Cirque de Soleil could contort like Herni’s face muscles did that night. It was as if he had seen a dead person under the table while realizing he, himself, was completely naked.
Needless to say, les Americans nearly died of laughter. And, we felt bad for the guy. He was genuinely upset with himself. It was so charming, unexpected and cute. Even the head waiter came over to calm him down. We loved it because it was a thoroughly French reaction. But that was just the beginning. The night was still young and we were in Paris.
This taken just after Henri had composed himself.
Tags: food, Paris, wine
Wed, September 9 2009 » Europe » 1 Comment
I have been neglectful. I have let this blog go by the wayside but I am here now to resurrect it and regale you with photos from our European adventure of 10 years ago. It was in June of 1999 when the queen, my sister, her friend and I (sounds like a movie title) embarked on our little adventure overseas. We flew from New York on the first non-stop Delta flight to Zurich. A car was rented and we tooled about but the highlight of a trip full of highlights was our little jaunt to Paris.
What a lovely place to be dead and all
My sister’s husband’s friend (got that), Don and his wife, Terri, were our gracious hosts for a weekend full of good food, good wine and good times. From the plane window on the flight from Zurich I gazed out to see the glorious Mount Blanc. I knew of the great, white mountain from years of French class always figuring it was just another snow capped peak. Mais non, silly person, it is completely white and a stunning view from the sky. Nope, no pics. Digital cameras were not as ubiquitous as they are now. Isn’t that weird? I was carrying around my Nikon 35m slr – the opening of the back thingy and the film changing – ugh. What a chore THAT was? How did we manage? How did we live? Mon dieu!
Cousin It was there to visit Uncle Fester
Don picked us up at Orly. He was a jovial sort and drove us all over. Typical loud, American dude in Paree. For whatever reason, I was given the task of tour guide. Ok, if you’re going to put me in charge then I’m probably going to want to do something like… go to a cemetery. Our first stop was Pere-Lachaise – resting place of lots of famous dead people. Look at that list! Life is short, then you’re morte.
Zee queen, she holdz her nose for eet ezz Lepeu!
Amid the grandeur of the mausoleums and ornate stone sepulchers was Jim Morrison’s grave. It was just a small simple stone. Quite anticlimactic. It’s a bit absurd that the cemetery has to employ guards to keep people from desecrating the surrounding graves. For some reason, people have a great need to draw on concrete. I took a picture but it’s not even worth posting. One regret I do have is not stopping by to visit Oscar Wilde. We will, however, return.
La vie en rose? Not so much now.
Tags: cemeteries, Paris
Tue, September 8 2009 » Europe » No Comments