Austin to Portland by Small Roads

We had too much fun on our trip to fool with blog posts, but I did try to put something on facebook each day so my family would know we were still alive (Anna Lou, I love it that you are a faithful reader of these things.)  I'm putting up the daily facebook posts + some filler where necessary + the photos we were taking but not sharing.  Here you go... a journal lite.

Days 1 & 2 (June 29, 30) – packing the car, saying farewell to Texas with a stop in Fredericksburg.  Crossing the line.

Day 3, Carlsbad, NM -  We arrived in Carlsbad on Day 2 really, and watched the bat colony's twilight flight out of the cave.  On actual Day 3, we hiked the natural cave entrance to Carlsbad Caverns.  The transition from upper to lower earth was worth the time.  Highlight of the day was hearing Mike sing the entirety of Over the Rainbow, solo, before our ~50 person tour group.  He rocks.

waiting for bat flight

Day 4, Roswell and Santa Fe – Made a detour for the UFO museum in Roswell, NM; saw the O’Keefe museum in Santa Fe  just before it closed.  Spent the night in Santa Fe, then headed NW in the morning.

Day 5, Ghost Ranch and Chaco – Morning walk around Santa Fe, unscheduled detour out to Ghost Ranch for a beautiful picnic (this is one time home to O’Keefe); a trying drive down the long and unpaved road to Chaco Culture ruins; an intermittently rainy trek among; another trying drive out at sunset (stunning) while also trying to slice up dinner without bouncing my knife into any body parts.  Onward ho!

Ghost Ranch, NM



picnic at Ghost Ranch



Day 6,  Aztec and Mesa Verde (July 4).  A brief stop + a nice picnic at Aztec Ruins, then crossed the line into Colorado for a hike in Mesa Verde.  The "this hike has steep ladders" warnings at this park really should be taken seriously.  Fireworks from ~8000 ft, but not for long as we were chased in by a storm and a park ranger worried about the lightning.  Finally to bed with rain on our window and wind howling through the cracks in the lodge… Eleanor and I were happy, feeling it to be just like home; Mike looked like he missed Austin.

Day 7, Four Corners and Monument Valley - Monument Valley is an experience which defies language.  Rain had just passed through, turning up the contrast between the red earth and the golden grass.  I camped here when I was 14 and saw the sunrise behind the gloves.  I drove it solo when I was 22.  They’ve built a visitors center on what was my back country campsite 25 years ago… who knew I was getting that old.

The middle of nowhere, yet in four places at once.

the road from Four Corners to Monument Valley



this is not a fake backdrop!

Day 8 – drive over Lake Powell and into Bryce Canyon National Park.

Day 8 and 9, Bryce – Sunrise over Bryce Canyon, a hike among the hoodoos, 2 nights in the park lodge.  Little connectivity of the tech variety, but plenty else. 

Day 10 and 11 – Hot, hot, hot Zion.  Two short hikes (Canyon Overlook and Weeping Wall), swimming, a morning horseback ride  to Court of the Patriarchs, more swimming and heat escape measures, a hike to the mouth of The Narrows, and stars. 

Day 12 – Parawan’s Gap and Great Basin.  The Gap brought us petroglyphs up close.  Crossed another line.  Took a hike on Wheeler Peak of Great Basin to see the essential ingredient in Willy Wonka’s VitaWonk – 3000 year old Bristlecone Pines.  Clouds moved in on this darkest place in America and our time with the rangers and their telescopes was less than hoped for, so star gazing in Great Basin may remain on bucket list. 

VitaWonk ingredient

Wheeler Peak in background

Day 13 and 14 – the long drive across the Hell we call Nevada, which turned out to be far prettier than I had imagined.  It is quite pretty, like that of West Texas.  One hint of a delay, that took care of itself – fire blocked part of our route, so we thought, but that cleared up.

Day 15, Oregon!  We get stopped behind a cattle drive - and you thought we'd left Texas!  We lay-over in Lakeview Oregon for a few hours to visit with Mike's Uncle Steve and Aunt Janet. 

Day 16, Crater Lake. I almost couldn't stand to hike around this day, I was so eager to get home. But Mike's better instincts prevailed over my horse-to-barn ones and we swam in the country's deepest lake. Well, we jumped in and jumped out because it was too cold to breathe.

Mike cliff jumping into Crater Lake (that is pollen on the lake surface)

 Day 16, HOME! - This photo is from before we even busted out the keys.