Category Archives: On the Road

big sur

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As we drove through Big Sur on our way to Andrew Molera State Park a few miles to the north, where we were hoping to pitch our tent for two nights, I was surprised to see that Big Sur is not a town at all, but instead, like Coney Island in co. Down in Northern Ireland, it is merely a spot on the map, and before you know it, you’ve passed right through it. A store here, an inn there and a few restaurants scattered along Highway 1 and that’s it, except for signs for campgrounds along the way. That’s what we’re here for – a couple of nights of camping and checking out the vistas here by the ocean in Central California. Continue reading →

along the turquoise trail, new mexico

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You know how it is when you book into a hotel, especially the kind we book ourselves into, there’s a rack of stuff to do in the area: DINOSAUR MUSEUM! THE LOUVRE! bus tours, skydiving, ballooning – you know the stuff. That rack is like a babe magnet to me. I take all the maps I can get – I love maps, especially the kind I can hold in my hands, and I’m always up for ideas that don’t charge admission. EconoLodge always has a full rack of this stuff, and as is my want, I was rummaging through it when I found something that scored on both counts: a map and no charge for admission. The map is for the Turquoise Trail, a back road that takes you from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, and if you don’t stop to shop on the way, you can get by with nothing more than the price of gas. Continue reading →

albuquerque, new mexico

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As we head north from White Sands on Hwy 70, we don’t really have any set plans. New Mexico has been on my go-see list for a long, long time – I’m not sure why, but it has something to do with the turquoise jewelry and adobe architecture. I’d like to see what it is that drew D.H. Lawrence to the area, to find out if there is indeed some magic in the New Mexico air. Continue reading →