Arizona Day 5 - Wild Mexican Cows

As Southeastern Arizona folklore goes, the Wild Cows of Mexico crossed the border under the cover of darkness avoiding border fences, border patrol and Governor Jan Brewer.  Taking to the hills they have survived on tumbleweed, mesquite leaves and an occasional nut or berry.  To date, they have not been allowed in American barns and although their calves are born American bovine their rights to cloven hoof health care and education is currently in jeopardy due to the threat they impose on the herds of American cattle in the area.  Recently a program has been started to corral and ID all Wild Mexican Cattle.  Despite their contribution of fertilizing Arizona's landscape they are to be immediately deported.

Day 4 - Bird Overload

Birds I saw today that I know the names of:  Belted Kingfisher, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Acovet, Dowitcher, Sandpiper, Anna's Hummingbird, Mockingbird, Cormorant, Cinnamon Teal, Green Winged Teal, Ring Neck Duck, some sort of Thrasher, some kind of parakeet that people released to the wild and it survived and multiplied, various sparrows, geese and about 20 others I haven't ID'ed yet.  My eyes are tired.  Tomorrow I meet my bird guide at 7am for 10 hours of more birding.  Yippee!!
PS  This is me at Saguaro National Park.  Why people refuse to put your feet at the bottom of a photo I'll never know.  I didnt really care if the podium was in the photo, but the top of the cactus would have been great.  ;-)

Arizona Day 3 - To Tempe I Go

Woke up in Sedona at 33 degrees.
Had my second bagel at NYC Bagel (btw...nothing like NYC Bagels :-))
Red Rock State Park for a hummingbird fly and a close up of some sort of woodpecker I have yet to ID.
Dead Horse Ranch State Park to peruse three lagoons full of birds.
Checked in at my airbnb spot in Tempe, got a hot lead on a birding spot in next town.
Arrived at the Riparian something something as the sun went down and saw more birds in one hour than I've probably seen in all my birding outings combined.  Dozens of hummingbirds feet away, a rabbit, water birds, osprey, herons and a bird in a cactus.
Going to bed in Tempe at 73 degrees.  Tomorrow's high is predicted at 80.  Yikes.
Goal for tomorrow:  Don't let my cold slow my brain down enough that it wastes time I'd rather be doing something other than driving to long to find a place I should already be.

Arizona Day 2 - Things I Learned in Sedona

Things I Learned In Sedona
1)  Everything coming out of the ground has sharp, flesh-tearing spines.
2)  Sometimes a Hummer Tour has one bump too many.
3)  Even if you get airsick the views from a helicopter are amazing.
4)  My heart beats really quickly if I see more new birds than I can snap photos of all at once.
5)  Red Rocks are beautiful in any light.
6)  Just because you've lived at sea level your whole life is no reason to forget that higher altitudes suck the breath out of you.
7)  Denzel makes a good action flick even if he is kind of annoying.
8)  The Chocola Tree has the best potato soup in the states.

Arizona...Day 1...The Day I Sat Down

Here's where I spent most of my day.  Riveting.

Places I sat down today:
The sofa to check my e-mail
The bed to put on my shoes
The car to ride to the airport
The airport waiting for my flight
The airplane for 7.5 hours
A rental car for 2.5 hours
A Sedona backyard under the stars...sigh.

Today's highlights:  Being surrounded by cacti as I drove from Phoenix to Sedona, hanging out in the flight cockpit chatting with the Southwest pilots, having the Budget Rental Car attendant thank me for being a teacher because they had changed his life so much, realizing the place I'm staying is one block from an organic vegetarian restaurant, 2 block from a Whole Foods equivalent and three blocks from the turn to the airport where I have my helicopter tour tomorrow.  I believe I have left the locusts behind!  More to come tomorrow when I plan to spend more time standing up than sitting down.

Trip Preparation...Dream Style

Okay, good news...when I woke up last night and wondered how many more days of school until the vacation, I figured out it was Saturday and didn't turn my alarm on.

However, I then fell back asleep and dreamt about my impending trip.  The place I went to was snow covered and I had to walk along a hilly, icy dirt road for 20 minutes to get anywhere from where I was staying. During my fourth trip into town I was carrying a 5 X 8 rolled up carpet on my shoulder for reasons that escape me.  When I finally arrived, there was a beautiful river full of birds I've never seen only feet away from me.  I realized at that point my bird guide, scope and a camera would have been a better option to have carried there than a large carpet.  So back up the hill I trudged along with several other grumbling people who kept sliding on the ice and barely escaping being hit by cars zooming by.  I realized about a quarter of the way back that I had a car and could be driving to town instead of walking along this dirt road.  I won't even get into the thrift store boots I purchased, the basketball competition, moving bedroom, piglets, goats, a bus crashing into a church, taxi ride with a scantily clad driver, eating a chicken wing at Houlton High School at which time a stranger said, "You're not supposed to eat that are you?", lemonade or fire building.

Things I learned from my dream:  Drive, don't walk, to interesting locations.  Always keep birding supplies close-by.  Don't carry around a carpet.  Beware of any accommodations that start to move.

Ready to Hit the Road

Sunday I take off on my next adventure.  Arizona...here I come!!

Day 35 - The Day I Got Back Home

Day 35
Manhattan, NY - Ipswich, MA

Home with Barley.  Sigh.  8:30am training tomorrow.  Back to work, but not back to the grind.

Day 34 - Room Service, Philly bus tour, Greenwich Village

Okay, vegetarian Chinese food gives you crazy dreams just like the regular stuff. Last nights dream involved me staying with who I think were Heifer International volunteers. They had a giant pizza oven in the house in which they stored people who had died on giant pizza boards. After realizing what was going on I decided I'd need to let the police know. (sound familiar yet). I played dumb while they jammed someone on in and then told them I was going to the top of the hill to plant some lilacs. Just as I made it to the random wheelbarrow with lilac roots, the leader came running out toward me yelling, "planting some lilacs, huh!?!". In the middle of my fight or flight thought I awoke. After checking the closet and under both beds I fell fitfully back to sleep.

This morning was my first room service. If I'm paying that much for pancakes they better taste good. They were sadly dry and had syrup from a bad year. However a first none the less.

So, I met an interesting fellow. You see his truck broke down and his wife wouldn't answer the phone. He just needed $7 for the bus...could I get some money to help him? Creative, but no. As I walked away he screamed, "someday you might need help!". I'm hoping if I do he's not the only person around for me to ask.

Bus tour, downpour, lunch place tried to rip me off, Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, NYC rush hour, The Jane, Greenwich Village, Home Restaurant.

One more night.

Day 33- Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge & The Mariott in Downtown Philly

Day 33
Poconoke, MD - Chincoteague, VA - Philadelphia, PA (With a little Delaware in there.)

Too busy enjoying my hotel room to blog tonight.  Ahh....soft pillows, quiet air conditioning, clean carpet and soft towels.  I'm watching tv for the first time in 32 days and am considering ordering room service breakfast.  It is scaring me how quickly I am getting used to this.

Day 32 - The Outer Banks

Gull also waiting for the ferry to arrive

Day 32
Ocracoke, NC - Pocomoke City, MD
6 hours that took me from 8am until 10pm  :-)

Questions I asked myself today (technically yesterday I guess):
1)  Is that rain?
2)  I wonder exactly how cold "unheated" showers are?
3)  Why do people have dogs if they just leave them to sit out in the rain?
4)  Can it really be called a crepe if it's prepackaged and warmed on a round surface?
5)  I wonder if those people howling at the moon last night were actors from the new Twilight movie?
6)  How long could the wait be for a free ferry to Hatteras?
7)  I wonder if I'll ever get to Hatteras?
8)  How long would it take to swim to Hatteras?
9)  Ooo, a sandwich shop...I wonder if they have good sandwiches?
10)  How long could it take to make a tuna sandwich?
11)  Could I ride out with you to catch the tuna?
12)  Why is the family of the barfing, sea sick girl sitting on the deck of the sandwich shop where people are eating their lunch?
13)  Can I get that to go?
14)  Should I stay longer at this refuge or drive on to the next one?
14.5)  Is that tree with ROATAN written on it still around?
15)  Why is that family taking photos of themselves in every position possible on the replica Wright Brothers plane?
16)  Is that woman actually laying on top of Wilbur?
17)  Should I stay in Virginia Beach, should I drive on, should I stay in Virginia Beach, should I drive on?
18)  The shortcut costs $12?
19)  Why are all these people driving so slowly?
20)  How late will I drive before I stop?
21)  Will I drive to Ocracoke or stay on the highway?
22)  How dirty could the room really be?
23)  What's that on the carpet?
24)  What's "that" on the carpet?
25)  Could this toilet be any lower to the ground?
26)  What smells like its burning?
27)  What is that smell in the water?
28)  I wonder how long it will take me to go to sleep?

Day 31 - Ocracoke

Day 31 - Jacksonville, NC to Ocracoke, NC
Ferry ride: 2.5 hours
Stomach: Queasy
Campground: Right over the dune to the beach
Pony Pen: Saw some ponies having dinner along with a beaver chewing on some grass.
Grocery Store: fully stocked...slightly expensive
Fire: dying down
Today's blog: Finished

Day 30 - The day I only drove to Walgreens

Day 30
Jacksonville, NC - Jacksonville, NC

Two nights in the same place.  I think I like it.  I slept until 10:30am and then lounged around in my pajamas.  Made a bagel, organized my car, cleaned out the cooler, did some laundry, lounged around some more.  Went out to dinner with my aunts Cindy and Paula and then on to see The Help.  Highly recommend everything I did today to everyone.

Day 29 - Drive, Charleston, Drive, Sleep

Day 29
Madison, GA - Charleston, SC - Jacksonville, NC

Up at 7:00am to make it to Charleston for lunch and a 2pm nature boat tour.  I was hoping to do a series of, "You know you're too sweaty when..." but got concerned about my audience approval rating.  I will say, you know you're too sweaty when you sit down in a public restroom and catch yourself on the wall as you slide off the seat.  CAUTION:  Charleston is too hot to visit in the summer.  I was surprised there weren't people laying in the streets passed out from heat exhaustion and dehydration.  Very hot!  Very hot!  Great tour.  Saw dolphins, oystercatcher, gulls and some other birds I have yet to identify.  Then I drove 4.5 more hours to Cindy & Garrett's.  A bed with sheets that smelled good, a clean rug, friendly people, sofas, pets, hummingbirds & a safe place to park.  Ahhh....

Day 28 - The "Things Don't Always Work Out As Planned Day"

Day 28
Tupelo, MS - Madison, GA
Officially back through all the time zones.

You can probably determine how your day is about to unfold based on your first important transaction.  Today I drove through the McDonald's drive through for a breakfast biscuit and some Diet Coke, drove to the first window, paid the cashier and then drove off without actually picking up my breakfast.  About 5 minutes later I felt kind of thirsty, looked down and didn't have a drink.  They got quite a kick out of my second time through the drive through.  I will refrain from including all the details of the rest of the day but let's just say I'm thinking tomorrow will be a lot better!

Travel Tip #1:  If you are trying to visit a tourist attraction that has moved to a new location, don't drive around the middle of Atlanta looking for the old one.
Travel Tip #2:  Remember, the time doesn't actually change until you drive across the time zone line.
Travel Tip #3:  If your hotel advertises rooms by the week and is right beside a big rig truck wash, don't expect clean towels...or really clean anything else.
Travel Tip #4:  Always have hand sanitizer and wet ones at your disposal...see above.
Travel Tip #5:  Don't be fooled by air conditioning.  If you are not in the Pacific Northwest it will be over 100 degrees when you step out of your car.

Day 27 - Armadillo Day

Day 27
Perryville, AR - Tupelo, MS (Birthplace of Elvis)

7:15am  Breakfast with Sarah & her cutie pie daughter from Heifer Study Tour trip
8:00am  Nap
10:00am Tour of Heifer Ranch - fed a camel & a llama
11:30am  Gift Shop
12:30pm  Hit the road for Little Rock
2:00pm Visited Global Village & took a tour of the super green Heifer Headquarters building and said hi to Todd, our Study Tour Team Leader
4:00pm On the road to Memphis
6:00pm Arrived at Graceland to realize they lock it up at 5
7:30pm Saw Armadillo
9:00pm Arrived in Tupelo, MS

Day 26 - The Day I Milked a Goat

Day 26
Elk City, OK - Perryville, AR  Heifer Ranch

Long day of driving through places that were about 108 degrees today but it ended at the Heifer Ranch where I:
* took a quick look through the gift shop to see what damage I can do tomorrow
* took lots of fun photos
* milked a goat
* walked three goats back to their pasture on a leash
* rode in the farm truck through the cow pasture with one of the volunteers
* had the best meal of the trip so far at a Mexican place in town
* checked into one of the rooms at the ranch that is super clean and comfortable
Tomorrow is breakfast with Sarah, one of the Honduras trip leaders...a tour of the ranch...more photos...gift shopping and then back to the road.

Day 25 - The Day of The Big Rainstorm & The Roadrunner

Day 25
Albuquerque, NM - Elk City, OK
432 miles
States So Far This Summer:  Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington State, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma & the a general state of confusion.  :-)

Now that the excitement of the west is over it's time to buckle down and get some hours in over the next few days.  Tomorrow I'm hoping to make it the Heifer Ranch in Perryville, AR.  Driving through the Texas Panhandle today it rained for the first time on my trip.  And when I say rained I mean I couldn't see the white lines and pulled over using the rumble strip as a guide.  The sky was beautiful when the rain finally stopped.  I blame the Bush's for the Texas rainstorm.  I learned today that Amarillo produces 90% of the beef in the state of Texas and that accounts for 25% of the beef in the USA.  I think it was a great town to contemplate veganism while driving through.  Also, I learned today that broccoli is made from milk as you will see explained in my photos for the day.  Visited some petroglyphs, saw a rabbit and a roadrunner.  Stopped at some Cadillacs sticking out of the ground.  Interesting day full of a lot of driving.

Day 24 - The day I neither drove north to Arches or south to the Saguaros

Day 24
Flagstaff, AZ - Albuquerque, NM

I've somehow lost track of my mission...seeing every cool thing the US has to offer before returning home.  :-)  The days are fewer and the places more.  Better get busy on that list of places to visit once I get back home.  Today I went to Petrified Forest National Park.  It wasn't that scary.  The photo above is of the Painted Desert.

You may have been on the road too long...
...if your seat breathes a sigh of relief each time you get out of the car.
...if taking photos from the driver's seat seems like the perfect angle for any shot.
...if you get almost as excited about unlimited salad bars as you do National Parks.
...if you've seen at least one appendage that looks real floating downstream.
...if your new best friend is your container of Lady Anti Monkey Butt Anti Friction Powder.
...if you're not sure how many public restrooms you've made use of in recent weeks.
...if you have nightmares of dropping essential items into pit toilets.
...if you've worked out a plan of how to retrieve said essential items.
...if you've devised a way to wedge your cell phone between your bra and seat belt for hands free car chats.
...if you have no idea what city you are in when you wake up or go to sleep.
...and last but not least, you know you've been on the road too long when it just seems run of the mill that the old man checking into the Super 8 ahead of you asks where the hospital is because he has kidney stones and may need to go there during the night.  It's not odd that he's driven from Colorado after getting a shot of morphine at his home hospital, which has has followed up with morphine pills.  It hardly even seems strange when he mentions his leg is still bleeding quite a bit and you and the hotel clerk gaze down to see some sort of medical apparatus hanging from his leg under his shorts.  All in a days travel.

Day 23 - Day of the Bighorn Sheep & The Grand Canyon

Day 23
Boulder City, Nevada - Flagstaff, Arizona
Gas Price Range Today - $3.45 to $4.09

In honor of last night's stay at the Nevada Inn I'd like to give some tips on how to know if you are checking into and staying at a roach motel.
1.  If a sign on check in desk says, "Only two rolls of toilet paper will be provided per week and no extra tissues."
2.  If the rooms have a jacuzzi that can only be used for an additional $20.
3.  If the hotel sign lights up in neon like a casino.
4.  If a large banner near the street proclaims the largest parking lot around as one of the draws to stay there.
5.  If you walk into the room and it's 95 degrees because the air conditioner has been turned off all day and the mini fridge is also unplugged.
6.  If the carpet is so stained you keep your shoes on until you get into the bed.
7.  If you wear flip flops into the shower.
8.  If you take in your own pillow and sleeping bag and strip the bed to the bottom sheet and then get nervous because you know the pillow and sleeping bag have to go back in the car in the morning.
9.  And finally you know if you're at a roach motel if the giant bug on the window sill begs you to let it outside as you close the curtain for the night.

I would like to thank Rachel Maddow for her public fascination with the Hoover Dam without which I would have passed it over and missed seeing bighorn sheep, funky chipmunks and some yet unidentified birds.  I'd thank her personally, but she still hasn't accepted my friend request on facebook.  What's up with that Rachel?!?

The Grand Canyon was grand, living up to it's name.  Most of the people there today were French.  I noticed they have a different take on personal space.  For instance, if you're in the space they'd like to be standing in they just bump you out of the way if you don't make it a point to stand your ground.  It would seem they are a people who know what they want and get it.  Or at least this seemed to be the trend for those at the Canyon.

Tune in tomorrow for...Signs that you have been driving too long.