The Weeks That Were

This vacation was as near perfect as we could hope for. From witnessing an early morning Tai Chi class in the plaza in Taos to our close encounter with Yellowstone Bison ~ not once, but twice! Hub always marvels at how little it takes to excite me. I guess it's the inner child I cling to when politics become overwhelming. Who else could be thrilled with a gift of cottonwood root for my carving?

We stumbled on another haunted old hotel in Cimmeron that we hadn't heard about. We love to stay, or at least dine, at these wonderful preservation's of times past. That was a highlight and goes into the plans for the next trip.

We trekked to Taos by way of Angel Fire then on to Santa Fe. The town was crowded but the galleries relatively empty so browsing was great. From there we headed to Indian country and visited our favorite trading posts then headed back to civilization as we know it.

This is one of the first times we've allowed ourselves the time to just poke. That took us into Winslow, AZ just to see the stature of of the young man 'standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona,' from the 1970s era hit 'Take It Easy' by the Eagles. That's about the only thing to draw you to Winslow other than another of those grand old hotels, La Posada!

On to Scottsdale for a show at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Another day done.

Sedona was next. The high point was visiting with a young Navajo basket maker who was demonstrating at Garlands. She was an absolute delight and her work some of the most imaginative we've seen. Of course we ended up buying the one she had on display and I'm still marvelling at how thrilled she seemed. Of course the Indians don't live as we do and the reservation has little to offer. It's sparse and barren to say the least. A sale is exciting!

Phoenix ~ more gallery hopping. We found out we no longer have the tolerance for 100+ degree heat we once did. Even if it is dry!

The only down side to the trip happened just outside of Wickenburg as we headed for Vegas. A police car whipped by us sirens blaring. A few short minutes later we saw the flashing lights and turmoil of a major accident. Three life flights and an hour and a half later we were able to proceed. The wreckage was horrendous and gave every driver for miles pause.

It seemed fitting the only evening we had in Vegas was a wet one. We were glad to head on to the Parks. We got to Jackson early enough to do Teton before heading for the galleries. That's where I saw my wolf! Scurrying through the scrub, I grabbed the binoculars while Hub reached for the big lens camera. I won. I watched him for a good five minutes as he appeared and studied us then disappeared only to reappear again. All hub managed to spot was a furry behind as he finally went on his way. He never got the shot. That was the second high point for me! I never tire of the Parks nor the wild life no matter how many times we've been there.

Jackson under our belt it was time to head on to Yellowstone. Not too many critters were out and about except for the Bison. They seemed to have taken over the roads that were still open. We got caught up in them not once, but twice. Again, I was like a little kid. One old boy came up to the car and spent minutes just licking the grill. Those squashed bugs sure must have been tasty. I loved it!

We decided this would be the trip where we took pictures of everything, something we seldom do. Now I've got video and photos coming out my ears. I've got to organize them, label them and get a link up for anyone who would like to see them. Meanwhile I've put together just a sampler from Yellowstone. Especially for you Margie. So went the trip!

All the videos
All the photos