Go West Old Men: A Travel Memoir. Part 17

Sunrise at Medano Pass

Freezing my pass off.

This is Part 17 of the story, follow these links to see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16

Like any good camper will do when faced with a night in a hotel, we both took showers at night, and again in the morning.

Breakfast at the hotel was an interesting mix of choices and tourists. I think perhaps a school group. We packed up and headed east again. This would be the last day of real adventures.

At Four Corners National Monument

Four Corners had not been on our original itinerary, but with the addition of Zion National Park and Glen Canyon Dam, we took the slight detour to go stand in four states at the same time. This was one of the spots I remember visiting forty-four years ago, so the memories of that summer stirred again.
We took the obligatory picture, did a little shopping with the local vendors, and hit the road again.

Back in the Jeep, we headed toward Mesa Verde National Park. We were looking forward to seeing the cliff dwellings, but knew we wouldn’t have long. In the end, we didn’t have long enough. This turned out to be the portion of the trip where we didn’t do enough advance research.

We had a conversation with the ranger who told us that we’d need at least six hours to do justice to visiting the dwellings. A two hour drive would take us there and back without seeing much.
Scott was determined to get to Medano Pass before sunset and that was still several hours away.

Don’t tell him, although I think he knew, I would have be willing (anxious?) to skip Medano Pass. But of all the points we planned on seeing, this, and the drive over the mountain, was at the top of his list. So, I got the sticker from Mesa Verde, but we really didn’t see the park.

All in a day’s drive.

While this was a once in a lifetime trip, I’d still like to go back and see Mesa Verde someday.

Our next official stop would be Great Sand Dunes National Park, and then the drive across the pass.

Great Sand Dunes National Park

On the way we stopped for lunch in Durango and had a great burger. I remembered that once, after hiking with Rick and Kathy, we had some of the hottest Mexican food I’d ever had. Not on this trip.

We reached Great Sand Dunes National Park late afternoon and had the chance to take a few photos of the dunes. We also took advantage of the last plumbing we would see for at least 24 hours.

Medano Pass. The final campsite.

The drive up and across Medano Pass turned out to be the most challenging of our off-roading adventures. We crossed the stream seven or eight times and bounced our way up the mountain.

Near the top, we picked out last campsite for the night. I was

Freezing my pass off.

already cold.

Maybe it’s just me, but when we left for this trip, I never anticipated being so cold at night. Sure the elevation is high, sure it gets cold in the desert at night. But this cold?

I bundled up in sweats and a hoodie and shivered my way through the night. I was glad when the morning came.

We packed up camp and headed down the other side of the mountain, equally as challenging.
Back on the highway, we knew the adventurous part of our trip was ending.

We were homeward bound.

 

 

Available on Amazon.

Random Things for a Wednesday

“To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.”

Kurt Vonnegut

I think I need to read more Vonnegut. I’ll add it to the “Big Ass To Do List.”

Internal conversations with myself lately have been asking where I find the balance between writing, art, and theater. And how do I accomplish that while still maintaining relationships with family and friends, finances, the house, the yard, the soon-to-be-ending day job.

Let’s not talk about the things that didn’t even make that list.

If you have the answers, feel free to put them in the comments.

Yesterday, I finished reading Austin Kleon’s Show Your Work. Austin is one of my favorite guys to follow on the Interwebz. He says he’s a writer who draws.

I don’t know. Maybe like me?

I can’t believe this book has been around since 2014 and I’m just finding it. I’ve previously read Steal Like an Artist and Keep Going and I’ll jump back to them periodically when I need some creative inspiration.

The basic message of this book is to show your work in whatever stage it’s in currently. That, and keep going.

To that end, I’ve come back to more consistent posting here, and I’m daily posting something artsy on Instagram.

I don’t know where this will take me. Perhaps it’s just doing the things I love.

If I don’t sell a million copies of my books, or my art, perhaps there’s the lottery.

Dear Virginia Lottery,

You don’t write. You don’t call.

At least once in every conversation with my 90-something-year-old Mother, she says “maybe we’ll win the lottery.”

We might. If we played.

I have played, and when the Powerball or Mega Millions get to certain amounts, I’ll play again. The irony, of course, being that with ever increase in the pot, my odds of winning decrease exponentially.

It’s Wednesday.

Use it wisely.

IN OTHER NEWS

Hochul slammed for saying black kids in the Bronx don’t know what the word ‘computer’ means
New York Post
Bronx politicians ripped Gov. Kathy Hochul after she asserted that some black children in the borough don’t know what the word “computer” means.

Trump: “Our Constitution Is Much More Important Than Jail, I’ll Do That Sacrifice”
Real Clear Politics
DONALD TRUMP: I thought they were going to be finished today and they want 2-3 more weeks, they’re playing right into the judge’s hands. The judge is so happy about 2-3 more weeks, because they all want to keep me off the campaign trail. That’s all this is about. This is about election interference, how can you stop it? And it’s a disgrace.

A little bit of home.

Meet Virginia: Betsy Wood
WVTF
So, in the early 2000s, with the support of the school board and principal, Wood created an elective on Appalachian culture, Giles County’s first. The class offered mostly 11th and 12th grade lessons in Appalachian history, writing, music, and crafts.

Uighur Slaves Struggling To Keep Up With Demand For Palestinian Headscarves
The Babylon Bee
XINJIANG, CHINA — Thanks to the recent uptick in awareness of worldwide injustices and inequalities, Uighur slaves are struggling to keep up with the demand for more Palestinian headscarves.

Am Yisrael Chai

 

 

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