One Beautiful Trip: September 2015

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Palo Duro Canyon

Life is one beautiful trip

So here is the real test of the trip – the first time either Joelle or I have been camping. Visiting such a beautiful place has set the bar high on any future camping trips. Palo Duro Canyon is located in the Texas Panhandle, near Amarillo.

Fortunate to have been assigned a prime camp site.

Feeling ridiculously proud of ourselves for getting the tent set up.

Then we sat down in those camp chairs to watch this beautiful sunset.

Critical element. Morning coffee.

It was an incredible feeling to fall asleep beneath the stars and a full moon. It had been in the 90s that afternoon, and the ground was delightfully warm when we climbed into our tent. We even heard a pack of coyotes, yipping like puppies, in the middle of the night. Well, I heard them and decided not to wake up Joelle, who fell asleep with her trusty hammer in her hand. She may not have thought a pack of coyotes was as cool as I did. She enjoyed hearing about it the next morning, in the safe light of day, though.

We woke to invigorating temperatures in the 50s. The first order of the day, peeing in the scrub, without getting stuck in the butt with a cactus needle. I am happy to report a successful lack of injury.

Next up – coffee. Coffee is imperative to coherent function for both Joelle and me. We set up the camp stove and readied the percolator with Dunkin Donuts Caramel coffee. Joelle stood a good 10 feet away and held Scooter while I tried to start the stove.

Although the instructions described the stove as an "electric start" (how can that be?) it required matches to ignite. Joelle's desire to be helpful overpowered her fear of shooting flames and she turned the knob while I lit the match. In just a few minutes we poured what we humbly consider the best cup of coffee ever and drank it as the sun came peeking over the side of the canyon.

Next up was a hike through the canyon. We followed the Sunflower Trail.

Close up of quartz layer

Typical tourist and lovin it

Along the road in Texas

Life is one beautiful trip

Here is the fun of not being destination-focused. Of having no schedule. Of making no reservations. Joelle has done all of the driving for the last two days, while I gaze out the window and occasionally exclaim, "Ooh Ooh. Pull over here please." She likes to drive and I like to take pictures.

Outside Amarillo

Quanah, Texas

Cadillac Ranch, Route 66

Paint can caps stuffed into tires

A twist on Buddha?

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Texas twosome

Life is one beautiful trip

It was a delightful evening to be walking the grounds of the Myrtles Plantation, but I was itching to be on my way to Texas. The drive through Louisiana at dusk was absolutely haunting. Griffin downloaded the Waze app for me, and she has become a fast, if somewhat eccentric friend. She seems to have intuited that I prefer the road less traveled, and so she guided me through the most circuitous route back north that I can imagine.

First we headed south through Pointe Coupee Parish and meandered along Route 1, which runs along the False River. We seemed to zig zag in and out of the Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge. There are a lot of bridges in Louisiana. For those of you who know me, this is like immersion therapy. Calling them spillways and floodways doesn't really help my outlook either. But I white knuckled it through like a champ. There seems to be a disproportionate numbered of abandoned cars along these back country roads. One black Cadillac appeared to have the back window shot out. As I passed, I speculated if the driver's body could be found in the bayous that lined both sides of the road.

The sun set and the night turned an indigo dark. I drove on to Alexandria, LA and spent the night, so I would have a brief drive into Texas the next morning.

Joelle, being the perfect hostess she is, arranged to have the state of Texas name a road for my arrival.

Suffering from a very healthy self esteem.

As I motored across Texas, I realized what a rural girl I am at heart. When I reached Dallas, the massive, interwoven, cloud-reaching on-ramps looked like the set of a science fiction movie. I was comforted by the thought that Joelle and Dave's house was close by, but a little concerned that they live in this dystopian society.

We reviewed our maps and lists once again, repacked the car, and watched the blood moon from the alley.

Well, it looked bigger and more impressive in person.

Scooter supervised the packing.

Today's tune

Joelle's first day of the trip, so gets to choose.

Road to Nowhere – Talking Heads

Today's Gratitude

the air conditioner in the car works
easy-going friends
new engine in the Jeep
Dave's s abilities and willingness
Griffin always

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Myrtles Plantation

Life is one beautiful trip

St. Francisville, Louisiana isn't exactly on the way from Meridian, Mississippi to Lewisville, Texas, by way of Jackson and Natchez.

I had a great time in Natchez and definitely want to go back. I think she has many secrets to reveal if I stayed for a weekend, like more places to hear the blues. And maybe some lip smacking barbecue, too. Got to try that everywhere I go.

But, St. Francisville is the home of the Myrtles Plantation, supposedly one of the most haunted homes in the United States. I've been wanting to go for years and it was only a two-hour detour. With reluctancy, I pulled out of Natchez and headed south on Highway 61, so I could make the guided mystery tour they give on Saturday evenings.

Thought to be built around 1796

You can spend the night in one of the rooms, or the caretaker's cottage . . . if you dare.

There is a restaurant and alfresco dining on the premises.

Scooter is an intrepid explorer.

The Spanish moss weeps from the trees.

The veranda is 125 feet long.

So after our two hour detour, the ladies who work at the plantation told me that they weren't giving any tours that night, and they wouldn't have allowed Scooter, anyway. No problem. I have enough haints of my own.

Mississippi to Louisianna

Life is one beautiful trip

Woke up in Meridian, Mississippi. Wandered over to Jackson, then Natchez, then down to St. Francisville, Louisianna.