Tuesday, June 28, 2011

SOUTHWEST COLLAGE

I've been messing with my photos from the southwest trip. I wanted to put some of them together in a collage.  Here are the results.  I think it will make a nice 16" gallery wrap.


SOUTHWEST MEMORIES

This represents Santa Fe, Taos, Monument Valley, 
Tlaquepaque, Sedona, and the Grand Canyon.


WHAT A GREAT MEMENTO OF OUR TRIP.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

SANTA FE OR BUST...OR, THERE ARE NO DIRECT FLIGHTS TO ALBUQUERQUE...

SO...on Saturday, May 21st, after a 7. 5 hour flight, we arrived in Albuquerque and rented a car for our one hour drive to Santa Fe.
I was attending a four day photo class that started on Monday and we wanted to get into town early and do some things on our own.  We had dinner Saturday night at a little Mexican place near our hotel.  Authentic Mexican...Good stuff.

Sunday morning we drove out about 6 miles from the hotel into no man's land to HARRY'S ROADHOUSE, featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  It was superb.  We had scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and cream cheese and crispy pieces of whole wheat toast.  YUMM!!!  The we drove downtown and explored...all day...wow...tired.  We decided to go back to Harry's for dinner,  a wise choice.  I had a steak cooked Mexican style that was to die for.  Are you catching a theme here? We will eventually grow to be pretty tired of Mexican.

Sunday night we met in Carol Leigh's room (our fearless leader) to discuss the game plan for Monday.  We would meet early in the breakfast room and gather our gear and get on the highway.  We were going into town in the morning, coming home after lunch, downloading our morning work, then going back into town for the evening light, then meeting in Carol's room to be critiqued on our morning work.

That's just how it went down.  Except, we had a Mexican lunch.  When I got back to the hotel to download, my computer told me I had no room left - it was full.  I didn't have time to figure out what I wanted to ditch.  Glad I brought my iPad2 with me.  Downloaded to that, but not in time to get critiqued.
Tomorrow's another day.


Early Morning Light and Shadow





Love the shadow on the wall







Again, a play of light 




Sante Fe Window








Santa Fe Window








I love the different levels of these buildings downtown.








Some old rustic doors




Santa Fe Window






An ad for a museum of art




This could be sharper, but I really liked the lighting.

Tuesday morning, up early to leave for Taos.  Along the way we stopped at a museum, Gasoline Alley.  Interesting stuff for photographers.  Lots of rusty stuff, gas pumps, wagon wheels, old cars, etc.  The weather was cloudy and a little drizzle now and then, but the temps were  cool, in the 70's.  Not much in Taos.  We stopped at a church then came home, after having lunch...Mexican.  Evening critique of both Santa Fe, downtown and Taos for me.  It went well.  I was pleased.


Taos Church - light and shadow


Taos - window with ristra


Gasoline Alley find - Rusty Packard


"24"  house number in Taos.  It was actually chrome, but I played with it in Photoshop.  Know anyone having a 24th birthday?  I have a feeling this will make a note card.



Wednesday, went to  some Indian national monument.  Can't remember the name.  Not my cuppa, but there were other things to amuse myself.  Then lunch, you guessed it...Mexican.  The afternoon trip was to the Turquoise Trail.  I wasn't feeling that great, so I begged off.  I think all the long rides were getting to me.  We found a seafood restaurant up the street from the hotel and had a lobster dinner.

Thursday morning, last day of class, breakfast at Harrys, then we went up to Canyon Road, the Artsy Fartsy area, with lots to see and photograph.  That was fun.  We were dismisssed a noon on Thursday.   Class was over.  I was so glad that I finally had a chance to meet Carol and her husband Chris.  I had taken a number of classes this past year from Carol and learned so much.  She a wonderful, warm person who is willing to share all she knows.  It was a great class.  Thanks for a great time, Carol


NOTECARD!!!!
GERANIUMS ON CANYON ROAD


WIREMAN
This was a sculpture of a man in wire and I shot it's shadow on a wall.


WIREMAN SWIMMING

I love photomontage.


THE STONE CROSS




CANYON ROAD DOORWAY





CANYON ROAD WINDOW WITH SHADOWS



RUSTIC CANYON ROAD ADOBE







ADOBE HOUSE ON CANYON ROAD



NOTECARD!!!

METAL SCULPTURE ON CANYON ROAD



NOTECARD!!

MORE OF SAME


HALF BENCH ON CANYON ROAD


Thursday afternoon, we missed lunch.  We went shopping downtown.  I had seen something I was contemplating getting all week.  Dick and I had lunch at the Coyote Cafe.  Coyote Cafe has been on my bucket list since the 80's.  We went home for a rest, then in the evening went back to town for dinner at the Pink Adobe, another place on my bucket list since the 80's. OUTSTANDING!!!  Got to knock two of them out in one day.  Marvelous.


OK, so now it's off for our 8 and a  half hour drive to Monument Valley, via Four Corners.  We're so up for it.  This has been a great trip so far.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

FOUR CORNERS...GOTTA' DO IT, IF YOU'RE IN THE AREA

From Santa Fe it was an 8 hour drive and some minutes.  We started out going 40 miles south of Santa Fe, almost back to Albequerque, to catch a road that went North.  I hate when that happens, cause now you're traveling 80 miles to get to almost where you started.  Know what I mean?

We took the ride in small steps, stopping every few hours for a snack, drink, fuel, or WAIT!!  WAS THAT A DAIRY QUEEN???  Yes, a Dairy Queen, our first of the year, in Bloomsburg, New Mexico.

After 6 hours and some minutes, we arrived at Four Corners, parked the car, got in a line of about 12 people before us and took our turn standing on the disc that says UTAH- ARIZONA- NEW MEXICO - COLORADO.  The only point in the US where four states come together in a perfect 90 degree angle.




This is the actual disk that you stand on...you're actually in four different states at the same time.




The disk is in the middle of the large circle and each quarter surrounding it is carved with the name of the state it represents.





Dick on the Disk


Now on to our 2.5 hour trip to Monument Valley.

MONUMENT VALLEY...JOHN WAYNE COUNTRY

From Four Corners, the drive was about 2 hours.  Nothing much to see, the Navajo Nation is noted for extraordinary beauty, but it's few and far between, or at last far between.  You drive for miles without seeing anything except mountains in the distant.  They never seem to get any closer.   Driving in to Monument Valley you start to see the buttes they are so famous for.

Have you seen John Wayne's "The Searchers" lately.  Well, the movie was filmed here along with many other Wayne movies.  John Ford, Wayne's director, was really fond of this area and used it for many film settings.  Up until recently the ONLY motel was Goulding's, where the film crew stayed.  Now there are several motels.  But last year the Navajo's opened an extraordinarily beautiful hotel (when I say beautiful, I mean it fits the area), right in the Mittens.  I was appalled when I first read it, then I researched it and found it was so architecturally wonderful and that it was the same color as the sands there and it must blended into the area so well.  Well, if we're going back, that's where we're staying.  EVERY ROOM has a balcony that views the Mittens.  It's just so wonderful for a photographer.




THE VIEW

We had a third floor "Star View" room.  There is no ceiling on the balcony so that you can view the stars.  When you're out there in the middle of nowhere, with no lighting, the stars are just brilliant.


We weren't in the hotel 5 minutes when we had already booked a jeep tour with a Navajo driver.  There is a 17 mile loop that you can drive through the buttes on your own, but the road is so bumpy and rutted and sandy that you will either get stuck or throw an axle.  It's best to book a Navajo guide to take you through.  We book Kwanna, a young Navajo, about 20ish, who was a dear.  He even brought a little footstool so that I could climb into the jeep.  He took us back into the "restricted" area, where we saw mustangs running free, natural rock windows, and petroglyphs.  This was a real treasure for me.  Dick really enjoyed this best in the whole 2 weeks.  We thought we might see some wildlife, but not today.  But the scenery was great and Kwanna was  a real find.




THAT LITTLE WHITE SPECK...IS DICK

He climbed up that hill for this shot.  It's just amazing how bug these things are.







GOTTA' LOVE PINTOS





MY FIRST PETROGLYPH





THE VIEW FROM THE VIEW

We sat on our balcony and watched the sun go down and rise the next morning on the Mittens.



JUST ANOTHER MITTEN

Can't tell you how long I've been wanting to get back here are take more pictures.  It is so beautiful here. Quiet... your in God's country.




Saturday morning we left for the Grand Canyon.




If This is Saturday, this must be the Grand Canyon...

Saturday afternoon we set out for the Grand Canyon, a 3 hour and something drive.  We arrived around 4ish.  Just in time to catch sunset before going to dinner at the main dining room at El Tovar.  We stayed at El Tovar on our last visit and loved it.  It's right on the South Rim of the Canyon.  We saw California condors, mule deer and lots of ravens.  This trip, nothing, nada, zippo.  The winds were blasting at 40 mph due to a wind storm going through.  I did get some shots.  But nothing as great as last trip.  Must have to do with the time of year and where the sun is in the sky.


SUNSET AT THE GRAND CANYON




This is a really cool picture of the Canyon, but detail is lost here.  I'll work on correcting it later.





The Navaho Nation was at the Canyon to celebrate our Memorial Day holiday, remembering our vets who have served to keep us safe.
They did dance demonstrations for awhile, even though the winds were going at 40 mph.



Sunday morning I got up at sunrise for the good light.   Again, nothing to write home about.  By the time we left, the winds were at 70 mph.  There is a stone wall around some (not all) of the canyon in the area of the hotel  It's tall enough to sit down on (about 24" tall).  While I was out by myself snapping pics before we left (Dick was too cold and went back to the room), the wind actually blew me into the wall of the canyon.  It hit at just above my knees.  Ok, people, hold on to your toddlers.  I did see a few hats blow down into the 400' canyon that morning.  





GNARLY TREE AT SUNRISE



BUH-BYE 70 mph winds.  On to Sedona...

Sedona, Arizona...Our FAV-O-RITE place

After, our Grand Canyon day we were on the road again on the way to Sedona.  We have been to Sedona many times, but have always approached it from the south.  This time we were coming in from the north and what a surprise awaited us.  Almost from the time we left the Canyon we saw in the distance, Humphrey Mountain (I think that's what it's called - it's part of the San Francisco Peaks).  We were on the North side and it was covered with snow.

But the real surprise was the town of Flagstaff.  Wow!  We are not skiers, so it never occurred to us to go to Flagstaff, but I'm sorry we didn't .  What a cute little yuppie town.  We just drove through on our way to Sedona.  The drive held even more surprises...the most beautiful drive through the Coconino National Forest, passing burned out areas with felled trees littering the mountainside.  What horrible devastation forest fires cause.  But then we were in the forest with tons of pines again and then on the the switchbacks that would bring us into the town of Sedona.  What a beautiful drive.  I would highly recommend it.




Mt.Humphries - taken through the car window.  San Francisco Peaks


After our great jeep tour in Monument Valley, we decided to take one in Sedona, too.  We'd always wanted to do that.  It's just the most beautiful place.  We'll, our bad luck...we chose the wrong tour.  We went to the top of the Mogollon Rim around switchbacks up the mountain looking at the same mountain for 2 hours.  What a disappointment.  We booked through the hotel.  Should have gone in to town to Pink Jeeps store and booked there.  We'd have gotten better explanations and would have chosen more wisely.  Live and Learn.  But the jeep was cute.

OK, now on to my favorite place.  You thought you'd get away without seeing Tlaquepaque one last time, didn't you.  Well, guess again, Bucko.

Tlaquepaque, for those of you who are new to the blog, is a wonderful Spanish architecture  shopping village.  It is filled with wonderful galleries of artisan made items to die for.  
You don't even have to buy anything, it's just so wonderful to stroll around and take in the architecture.

Ok, I took different pictures so you won't be bored.  (Right!)



OK, so I lied.  I take this fountain all the time, but I love it, so.  This little plaza is so pleasant, I could sit here all day.






Another view of the fountain.  It's hard to see here, but I will do this one for my note card line.






MEXADONNA

My favorite store.  Dick sits on the stone bench on the side of the building and if he's a good boy, I buy him ice cream.  I bought my mirror here.  I so miss the southwest decorating.  
Just doesn't sit well in Wilmington.





I found something really interesting at the Oak Creek Brewery.  Who knew?






And all around the plazas there are stairways leading up to the roof for better viewing of the plazas.  At Christmas time they put luminarias  (paper bags with candles inside)  all along the roof lines and up and down the stairway walls.  Thousands of them.



Chris Navvaro has a sculpture studio at Tlaquepaque.  When you visit, you may catch him working on a clay model of one of his outstanding sculptures.  This is a fountain he's done.  There is a larger than life rearing stallion and a huge elk along with a wonderful flying eagle in this same plaza.  

We stayed at Sedona Rouge in a wonderful suite for 2 days.  Enchantment, our first choice was booked due to the Memorial Day holiday.  Sedona Rouge was almost as lovely.

Now on to Gold Canyon.









Gold Canyon, Arizona

The last week of our trip we were especially blessed to have my dear friend, Marge give us her house for the week.   I love my friends.  They are special people.  The house is just across the road from our old house.  Our plan was to drop off our bags and check in with our old neighbors, Richard and Sherry, who live across the street from our house.  We did hook up and tried a new restaurant in Gold Canyon where I had the best Walleye ever.

We spent the rest of the week doing things we love to do in Gold Canyon.  We hit the Apache Trail and landed at  - Wait!  it'll come to me - Anyway, you wind around switchbacks up the mountain to TORTILLA FLATS!!!  THAT'S IT.  The sign reads, Tortilla Flats, Population 6.  Believe it.  They have a post office, and restaurant and a store that sells postcards and  prickly pear ice cream...YUM!! We never missed a chance to get some of that when we were out there.  It's a beautiful drive through Canyon Lake with hills and valleys filled with saguaros.


BEAUTIFUL CANYON LAKE

Right at the center bottom of the first rock, in the water,  you can see a slight white line.  That's a water skier.  That's how bit those rocks are.


TORTILLA FLATS - POPULATION -6-

The restaurant is basically a biker bar where the bar stools are saddles.  The whole place is wallpapered with real dollar bills that people have signed and stapled to the wall.  See,  Dick takes me to classy joints.  The food actually sucks, but when you finished you walk next door to the post office and get prickly pear ice cream.  Worth the drive...  

We also got to try all of our favorite restaurants for the last time, while we were there.  Sad isn't it?  Well, maybe not the last time, we'll see.  

And we went to Laredo Cantina in San Tan Village, another favorite place because I needed to go to the Apple Store that is there.  A great meal and a lesson on my iPad2.

I didn't take any pictures of the house where were staying, but I did do some florals in the back yard, after our swim.  


Marge's Purple Sage

This is the plant that I miss most.  They grow into huge bushes like forsythia and they are brilliant lavender color.


Love Purple Sage.  I really regret that I can't have it here.

We played Phase 10 cards with Richard and Sherry all week.  We really missed them and it was great to catch up.  Hopefully, we'll be able to connect again sometime.

So all in all, the trip was a great success and badly needed.  You don't realize how much you need to get away until it's time to come home.  We could have stayed and stayed.  But it was time to re-enter the real world.  

I took thousands of photos.  And for me, whenever I can do that...LIFE IS GOOD.

Bye til next time.