From the Painted Desert

Painted Desert
Arizona

On the second day out ...

The Five Day "Walkabout"

Candy and I just got back from a five day jaunt that took us from Tucson through Fort Apache, Petrified Forest and Painted Desert in Arizona, over to Gallup, NM and to Albuquerque for the "Gathering Of Nations" ... the largest annual assemblage of native peoples in the United States. On the way back we spent a few hours at White Sands National Monument.

We're back now ... so I'll post pix a little at a time as i get them cleaned up and presentable.


Gathering of Nations
Albuquerque, NM

More than 500 tribes were represented from North, Central and South America.

One side comment. They all brought their children. Their children were:

1. Respectful of other people.
   
2. Quiet - they didn't whine, they didn't beg, they didn't think everything was all about them.
3. They didn't run in the halls or on the stairs.
4. Happy ... they smiled a lot and enjoyed themselves.
5. The older children took care of the younger children without complaint or resentment.
   
6. They were civil.
7. They were dignified.
   
8. And they reflected so well on their parents.

We were very proud and gratified to be among such civil and civilized human beings.

In Anticipation ...

On the Way to Gila Cliff Dwellings (Ray, Jackie and Candy)
North of Silver City, NM

Last fall Candy, Jackie, Ray and I took a road trip to Silver City, New Mexico. Some time before that, we made a long weekend out of a jaunt up to Jerome. In anticipation of our next road trip, this time to Albuquerque, NM, here's a little bit of nostalgia from Silver City that I worked on this morning in a fit of insomnia.


The Palace Hotel - Early Morning Sun
Silver City, NM

Road Trip

We (Candy, Jackie, Ray and me - because it rhymes better than "and I") are planning a road trip at the end of April. The object is to spend a little time at the Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque.

I have the burden of being the trip planner. I'm not entirely sure that I like the prospect. I've done it for us in the past ... the trip to Jerome, the trip to Silver City. The down side is that I get the "blame" for anything that isn't perfect.


Silver City

It generally works out well though I have the distinct impression some of us don't like "bed and breakfast" accommodations.

In Jerome, we stayed at the Ghost City Inn. Ray complained that they don't have cable TV in the rooms.

In Silver City, we stayed at the Palace Hotel. The overall 19th century charm of the place as somewhat lost on the collective us.

So, once more into the breech. It's looking like five days:

Day 1: Tucson to Pinetop, AZ
Day 2: Pinetop to Albuquerque by way of the Very Large Array (VLA) - as seen in the movie "Contact")
Day 3: Albuquerque and the Gathering of Nations at the University of New Mexico
Day 4: Albuquerque to Las Cruces, NM by way of White Sands National Monument
Day 5: Las Cruces to Tucson.