Tag Archives: Road Trip

Road Trip Skywatch

On our recent trip to Colorado to see family after Christmas we took a southern route through the Oklahoma panhandle and New Mexico to avoid some snowy weather. Tell you what the panhandle has some big skies and great vistas. Heather took over the driving for a while so I took some pics with my phone.

Sorry for the internal reflections!!

We drove by this train in the late afternoon. I loved the late afternoon light on the boxcars. The line was at least a mile long.

And a little bit later we got a good sunset.

And a great reverse sunset looking east via the mirror.

I just love it when Heather drives. I get to take photos and I also regale here with fascinating (to me) information via Wikipedia on all the small towns we go through. I don’t know why but she always turns up the volume on the radio when I am trying to give her a good tidbit of information. She keeps saying stuff like “I don’t care.” Oh well. Not much she can do about it since she is driving, right?

I’m linking with Skywatch Friday.

Skywatch Friday – On the Road to South Dakota

In early August I headed up to southeast South Dakota from Tulsa for a family reunion on my dad’s side of the family.

I love the drive up there and the fastest route generally keeps me off the freeways most of the way. That kind of suits me. Lots less traffic and lots more to see. I love the big skies in the Midwest.

I also enjoy the small towns. Lots to see there. I like to see old infrastructure of almost any kind. The Midwest has lots of agriculture infrastructure to look at and photograph.

I also love their county courthouses. Nice big solid buildings for the most part.

Something I noticed on this trip that I don’t remember seeing much before is the plethora of barn quilts. In eastern Kansas it seemed like everybody had a barn quilt, the county courthouse had this one on the grounds. Doing the google thing I find out that barn quilts are kind of folk art that has been in the Midwest states especially for a long time. They are designs painted on wood that are then hung on barns originally. Kind of cool is what I think.

Burlington Kansas. There is a geocache hidden on this sign and notice that an early presidential candidate is announcing his run. This might be my favorite “welcome to” signs I’ve ever seen.

Getting close to my destination as the sun started declining I pulled off the freeway to get this shot.

Anyway it takes me a while to get anywhere and I enjoyed myself. When my wife goes with me she doesn’t put up with that kind of nonsense. I don’t blame her. But I enjoyed my drive up through America’s heartland of Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota.

I am linking with Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday – El Malpais National Monument

So continuing from last week, after I rode in the 4th of July Parade in Round Valley, Arizona I needed to head back home right afterward. A friend suggested a different route than what the apple maps app suggested. He said turn off at Quemado, New Mexico, head north to Interstate 40. There are some cliffs you will run into that I think you might like.

So I drove to Quemado and hung a left just past this beautiful little church and headed north.

And drove miles of road looking like this. Beautiful and desolate but no cliffs to be seen. After a long while I came to El Malpais National Monument and area of beautiful lava flows including lava tubes and other interesting things. No photos of any of that though. I was looking for cliffs. Pretty soon I came to an area where the lava flows came up against cliffs. And my friend was right, the cliffs took my breath away.

Truly spectacular with great skies that day.

Great views everywhere I looked.

_DSC0854
_DSC0853

And the La Ventana Arch just off the roadway. Aptly named as La Ventana means the window in English.

_DSC0856

This shot is from the trail that gets you pretty close to the arch.

Lots of cactus in the area. This might be a cholla cactus.

_DSC0860

I loved the blooms on the cactus.

So I loved the arch and the El Malpais. I was kind of mad at myself as well because I lived for years in Albuquerque, just 100 or so miles away and had no clue about the cliffs, the arch, the Malpais or any of that. Of course, that was back in the day when I was young and dumb, (I am now old and dumb.)

What a beautiful place this is. I intend to come back when I have more time.

I am linking with Skywatch Friday and My Corner of the World

Skywatching Road Trip

I’ve been incommunicado since last Saturday. I went on a road trip to Arizona to attend my 50th reunion of my first high school, Round Valley High School in Eagar, Arizona. I didn’t graduate from there but I was contacted by several of my classmates and why not go? I like those people and had not seen any of them since my family left the area at the middle of my sophomore year. So I went and had a great time. More on that later, and by the way I am attending my Albuquerque high school 50th reunion in August. How many people do you know get to attend two reunions? Sorry this is a skywatch post so I’ll get to the task at hand.

Keeping it real, iphone shot from the car, bugs on the windshield and all. The west has big skies. I could of taken hundreds of windshield shots but held back.

A leaning water tower in the Texas Panhandle. What I read is that it was intentionally installed that way by a guy who was trying to promote his business. He and the business are gone but the tower remains.

_DSC0837

I stopped and checked out the Very Large Array in a remote area of New Mexico called the San Agustin Plain a very flat former lake bed that met the project’s desire for low humidity, “flatness” and isolation from human electrical signals, (you have to turn your cell phone off as well as any device that has bluetooth on it.) More on the VLA later and there were dramatic skies.

_DSC0843

Another shot from the San Agustin Plain. It takes forever it seems to drive across, my father always called it the “San Agustin Very Plain.”

So I am glad to be back home now and I am linking to Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday – Road Trip to Osage County

_DSC0538-adjust

Tuesday, I didn’t have anything going on and son, Logan, didn’t have school or work so we decided to head up to the little city of Pawhuska in Osage County about an hour northwest of Tulsa.

_DSC0552-adjust-studio

Martin Scorsese is filming “Killers of the Flower Moon” in Pawhuska. We were able to get some glimpses of the set. They have taken a big part of downtown and transformed it back to the early 20th century by putting dirt down on top of the asphalt and redoing the fronts of many buildings. The movie people have taken over the whole town with all their trailers and equipment. It is very interesting. The movie is being directed by Martin Scorsese and is starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro.

The movie is based on a non-fiction book that describes how Osage Indians were systematically murdered in the early twentieth century for their money. It was the first case that the newly created FBI worked on. It is a great read.

After checking out the movie guys and gals, Logan and I went to Pawhuska’s swinging bridge across bird creek. It is pretty bouncy but I felt safe on it. It bounces more than it swings.

And great photos of the sky over the muddy Bird Creek.

And then we decided to head out of town to check out Blue Stem Falls. I had to stop and get photos on the way. Osage County is beautiful.

But just short of our destination the road was overrun with water. Turn around, don’t drown is my motto. So we’ll check it out next time.

And I saw this sign. I asked Logan if he had news for me and his mother.

Price Tower

We went back to Tulsa via Bartlesville. Home of the Price Tower. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It is the only high rise he designed that actually got built. The 19 floors are cantilevered from a central core which gave Wright the opportunity to use lots of glass on the exterior walls since they had no structural function. The structure now houses a hotel, restaurant, and an arts center. I think it is the coolest high rise in Oklahoma.

And Route 66 doesn’t go through Bartlesville but it is home to Phillips 66 who has this big 66 just waiting for me to use it in honor of me being 66 years old this year.

And then after some barbecue in Bartlesville we headed home. Still had big skies but the threatened rain didn’t happen.

And that evening we had a pretty cool sunset which I captured with my drone.

And so we had a pretty cool time. I’m linking to Skywatch Friday. Check it out. I’m also linking with Skyview!

Skywatch Friday – “Pops” on Route 66

We had our son with us for the Labor Day weekend. On the way from college to home, we jumped off the interstate and got on a short section of Route 66, “The Mother Road” just for a change. We stopped at Pops. A convenience store with several hundred kinds of soda and a cafe in Arcadia, Oklahoma just northeast of Oklahoma City.

They feature this gigantic soda bottle. The bottle has a geocache that I found years ago.

Logan got a triple cola something.

And I got this peach soda. I generally try and get a blackberry cream soda of some sort but we were trying to maintain social distancing and there were people paralyzed with indecision crowding around the cooler in one area so I moved to the Peach section. It was really good!!

Anyway we downed our sodas and were on our way.

We are traveling this week and so I won’t be spending as much time online as what I usually do so I apologize for not being able to comment on your blog like I usually do. The Skywatch Friday meme is set up and should be okay. There is a fourteen minute delay in the Linky’s clock compared to everybody else’s in the world. I don’t know what to do about it.

Anyway, come join the fun at Skywatch Friday

An Afternoon at Woolaroc

Elk
Elk right at the entrance. He acted a little aloof.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving I took brother Bob from Tennessee and my son Logan to Woolaroc about an hour north of Tulsa. Woolaroc is a combined wildlife preserve and art museum that used to be the retreat of Frank Philips, the founder of Phillips Petroleum. It is fabulous and is literally out in the middle of nowhere but worth it to get there. Check on the link above and it will tell you all about how to get there, hours, and everything else you need to know.

Bison 2

A bison chilling out on a warm November afternoon

On our drive in a bunch of bison were leaving. I don’t know if they knew something we didn’t.

20181124-111808-1

The museum was all decked out for Christmas. That is Frank Phillips’ statue next to the tree. I told Logan to go see if any of those wrapped packages had my name on it, but he doesn’t listen to me any more. I don’t blame him.

20181124-113228-4

Lots of great art in the museum. “The Trail of Tears” by Robert Lindneaux is one of my favorites depicting  the forced removal of Native Americans from the southeast USA to Indian Territory in what is now Oklahoma.  

_DSC0410

In addition to art there is some historical memorabilia of Phillips Petroleum and the energy industry in general. 

_DSC0415

And then we wandered over to the barn to look at the critters there. My favorite was this shy miniature horse. 

_DSC0420

And then over to the Lodge where Frank entertained his cronies. Lots of stories about high stakes poker with oil leases and even companies won and lost during the course of an evening.

20181124-133858-18

On the way out of town I got a shot of Bob in front of this 66 sign. Bob turned 66 the day before.

By the way, the building behind the sign is the Price Tower, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It is the only high rise designed by Wright, that actually got built. Read more about it here.

I am linking with Our World Tuesday

What the Heck are Dagmars? Road Trip to a Car Auction

_DSC0467

Last week my friend Richard invited me and his other friend Wayne to the Leake Car Auction in Oklahoma City. We met at Richard’s office here in Tulsa and rode down the turnpike to the State Fairgrounds to a big huge barn of a building where the auction was held.

_DSC0462

Richard and Wayne are car guys. They know a lot about almost every kind of car. Me, I like cars also but I can’t quote chapter and verse on them. I love the older “swoopy” style cars and the more fins and different colors, the better.

_DSC0459

I know I hurt peoples feelings but I think most cars today look like Toyotas. Having said that I think modern day cars are lots better mechanically than the older cars.

_DSC0456

Growing up we had cheap cars for me and my siblings to drive. Cheap was good but I was never quite sure if the car was going to start for the return trip. This was back in the days before cell phones and such. We had tow ropes in all cars and jumper cables and used them a lot.

_DSC0441

So I love the old classic cars but let me keep my Kia Soul.

_DSC0438

The other thing I love about old cars is a reminder of car culture.

1982 Toyota FJ240 Open Top

When I was a kid, car culture was king. Everybody I knew got their learners permit on the day they were eligible, and then a few months later you got your drivers license on your birthday. Nowadays, kids are a lot more casual about it.

1960 Studebaker Lark Police Car

I used to grab the car magazines, “Car and Driver“, “Road and Track” and devour the reviews and memorize the statistics. Horsepower, torque, 0 to 60 times, displacement, brake types,, everything.

_DSC0402

People identified with the cars, or at least the cars they wanted. Me, I drove a Renault Dauphine, top speed of about 48 mph. The car I wanted was a Chrysler Hemi Challenger. I watched the movie Vanishing Point, over and over. The final scene where he crashes his Challenger into bulldozers is the greatest scene in movie history.

1930 LaSalle

So here I am, 47 years later, dreaming of Hemi Challengers.

47 Ford Super Deluxe Woody Wagon

Anywho, there were lots of car guys way back when. They worked on their cars, many of them took shop classes and learned how to modify their cars. Car culture is on the decline. Most of the attendees at the car shows and auctions I go to are about my age or older. I think it is kind of sad.

47 Ford Super Deluxe Woody Wagon

Of course nowdays it is hard to work on your car. Everything is computer controlled.

1931 Packard

So still I love looking at the old cars. They are beautiful.

_DSC0504

Many of them are elegant.

_DSC0497

I love the old IHS Scouts. Very rugged. The people I knew who owned them had to work on them constantly. Finding parts was a challenge.

_DSC0493

I love this old Plymouth.

_DSC0495

Richard pointed out to me that the hood ornament was a stylized sailing ship. Very art deco I would say.

_DSC0489

One of the few Camaros we saw.

_DSC0486

I loved the paint job. Wayne used to teach car painting at a local school. He showed me some of the things to look for in a paint job and the difference between slapdash and good.

_DSC0478

Here is an old Henry J. Richard told me that it is pretty close to the Renault Dauphine that I used to drive.

_DSC0477

Love the chrome, the shape, and the color and the covered wheel wells and the white wall tires.

_DSC0469

Love the color.

_DSC0484

So you may be wondering, what the heck are Dagmars. They are a car part named after an early 1950’s television actress named Dagmar. That is right, just one name.

_DSC0485

Here is a closeup of a Dagmar. And a bonus selfie of me taking the photo.

Here is her photo. So, do you get why they call those bumper things, Dagmars? Let me know.

Anyway we three had a great time. Richard did all the driving and treated us to lunch.

I am linking with Our World Tuesday

Skywatch Friday – Road Trip Photos

DSCN8512

Friday, we ended our vacation by making the 13 hour drive from Alabama coast to Tulsa. I am always amazed by the drive.

DSCN8516

Everybody loves the Transylvania, Louisiana water tower.

I am amazed about how big our country is and how empty of people it is in many sections. As we travel through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas one can see how the countryside has become depopulated. I am not sure that is good or bad, it just kind of is.

DSCN8520

I am also amazed by how beautiful the country is.

DSCN8523

And the wealth it generates. And I wonder how come it doesn’t translate to the people live and work on the land. Especially in the south. You can see a deep rooted poverty. How come we don’t see that so much in the northern midwest? Both areas are primarily agriculture based.

DSCN8526

Anywho, I just love the drive.

DSCN8535

Especially when we get to Oklahoma and are greeted by red skies.

Linking with Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday – Vacation Skies

DSCN8322

We are on vacation right now. We left early on Thursday and made a long drive to Mobile, Alabama. It was a gut buster but worth it. Our plan was to leave early from Mobile and get through the tunnel going to the east side of the bay. Sometimes, if you wait until the afternoon, the traffic backs up for hours. The plan worked. We got to Mobile, we got up and zipped through the tunnel with no wait. It was like getting a bonus day of vacation.

DSCN8327

What did we do with our bonus day. We made a side trip to Fairhope, a little town on the east side of Mobile, Bay. I had never heard of it but Heather said lets go, so we went. What a great side trip that was. It has a very nice old town with lots and lots of interesting cafes, shops, and galleries. We checked out an independent bookstore, Page & Pallette. What a great, not so little store, and the people who work there are READERS!! They have a huge “Staff Recommends” section and they know about those books and most of the other books in the store also. They have lots of books by regional authors. So we spent a lot of money on books, and ever dime was well spent.

DSCN8336

We took the scenic route cross country from Fairhope to Gulf Shores to our traditional first meal spot, Lulu’s. Lulu’s sits right on the intercoastal canal. I love watching the boats of all kinds, and barges and kayaks and everything else going up and down the waterway but we had something special.

DSCN8344

A seaplane landed right in front of us. They pulled up to Lulu’s dock and went and had lunch. What a Jimmy Buffett thing to do (no, it wasn’t him). By the way Lulu is Jimmy Buffett’s sister.

DSCN8347

So we got to our condo, got unpacked and ran out to the beach. Logan loves the beach. He is a regular beach bum. Shoot, we all are. Sorry about the tilted shot. I’m writing this post out on the balcony and I am not doing much editing.

DSCN8353

To balance things out, here is a pic off the back side of the condo last night. It is tilted the other way, so on average, it all balances out.

DSCN8357

And here is the view this morning. More to come!

I’m linking with Skywatch Friday