by laura beth

Well, here we are, back in my home town of John Day, Oregon. We planned this trip back to Oregon because a good friend of mine from high school, Jennifer Holliday, is getting married in Portland on May 10th. In the meantime I found out that my recently widowed 80-something-year-old great uncle is getting remarried to a longtime family friend. I couldn't be happier for them. So we plan on sticking around for a month or two after the weddings. Fuel prices are on the rise, so we're going to save a little money and stay in my parents backyard.

by laura beth

We are heading to Oregon! We stopped in Helper, Utah to see Big John, a coal man in the style of Muffler Man. We always keep our eyes peeled for Muffler Man, Paul Bunyan, etc.


Our next stop was the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish fork, Utah. According to the temple president we met there, Caru Das, this is the only temple in the U.S. purposely built to be a Krishna temple (as opposed too temple moving into an existing building). It was modeled after a famous devotional palace in India called Kusum Sarovar (temple on a lake of flowers). It is absolutely beautiful. The people were very kind and Caru Das gave us a tour and info about Krishna Consciousness. After the tour we were invited to eat with them (which we didn't) and observe their arotik ceremony (which we did). Although my spiritual beliefs differ from theirs, I was greatly impressed by the kindness, sincerity, and devotion of the people we encountered here. Beautiful temple, beautiful people, and beautiful peacocks.

We stayed that night and the next with Cassie and Ken in Kamas. We went to church with them on Sunday at Creekside Christian Fellowship in Park City. We then checked out the house they're getting ready to buy in Marion, down the road 3 miles from their current house. That afternoon Ken, Cassie, Kenny, and I all piled into Ken and Cassie's double bed to watch Return of Oz. A friend of theirs came over that evening and we had homemade pizza for dinner. I hope that wherever we end up settling down, Ken and Cassie will not be far away.

by kenny

Going from snow in Durango to hot desert in Moab can put you a little off balance, but that is all part of the RV lifestyle.

When I was younger, my parents took me to Hole N' the Rock near Moab, Utah and I still have the pendent from the gift shop. Albert Christensen dynamited and dynamited into the natural cliff face and made himself a house and restaurant. The house is 5,000 square feet with 14 rooms. The restaurant has been turned into a gift shop and the outside area has a lot of kitschy items. Albert and his wife are also buried on property in a cave that was dynamited out of the rock. We toured the fantastic house, but they won't let you take photos. Jerks.

We stayed the night in Moab and left the next to visit Ken and Cassie.

by kenny

At the Durango, Colorado visitor center we were informed about a buy one, get one free coupon for the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. We also found out that the Historic Strater Hotel offers half price appetizers during happy hour. So we went into town and booked a train ride for the next day.

We had "appetizers" at the Strater. They did have your normal appetizers, but they also had full meals they called appetizers. A huge burger or chicken meal for a few bucks. The hotel is continually being renovated and they keep public up to date with a annual open house of sorts. They also provide tours, food, and entertainment. All for free. And all the next day! We enjoyed our appetizers and Laura really enjoyed her local brew (a recent interest) and then we split to find a campground.

We went to a campground on the outskirts of Durango, but it was way too expensive for our budget, so we left and went to the other side of town. We found a campground that we were willing to pay for until we found out that their water lines had busted. So we went to the local Wal-Mart, but there were signs saying "No RV Parking", so with heavy hearts we went back to the expensive RV Park. When we got there we realized that not only was it expensive, but it wasn't even ready for business. The pool was empty, the game room had no power going to it, the grounds weren't cleaned up yet, but I suppose this is why they were able to charge full price:



The next day we left the campground, parked the moho, and boarded the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. I wanted to go on the train because I had good memories of going on the train with my family when I was younger. In the summer the train goes all the way to Silverton, but we were still in the winter season and it has a different route into Cascade Canyon. The trip was fun, really scenic, and we met a nice couple from Virginia that made the trip even more enjoyable. It even snowed on us on the trip back down the mountain. The train takes you along the Animas River, high up into the canyon, stops for a half hour break, and then heads back down for a total of about 5 hours. There are nice concessions, including a mug you buy for $6 and get free refills all day. We definitely got our money's worth of cocoa, coffee, lattes, and Dr. Pepper.

After the train we went to the Historic Strater Hotel for the annual open house and got in line for the free tour and celebration. The employees were dressed in period costumes and we were taken from room to room for about 30 minutes. One of the hotel's claims to fame is that Louis L'Amour wrote the majority of his books from room 222 overlooking the street and directly above the Diamond Belle Saloon. After the tour was over we were given coupons for free drinks at the bar and all the food we could eat. Entertainment was in the old vaudeville style with piano playing, operatic singing, and theatrical performances. If we could have stayed an extra day we could been there for the Diamond Belle saloon girl reunion, boasting at least one ex-bar girl over 80. We left and headed west for a campground that wasn't in a tourist town.

by kenny

Taos is my favorite place so far (Kenny's is Prescott, AZ). It has all the great stuff of Santa Fe, but seems more authentic, rustic-less commercialized. I know I sound like a broken record. Wonderful food, beautiful people, just an all-over good vibe. Something about the colors, textures, and feel of this place makes me want more.

We hung around the plaza, and then headed out to scope out the Earthships and Rio Grande. We just found out about earthships yesterday and the idea intrigued us enough to come out and see for ourselves. It was worth the trip as we think this form of house building will be the way we eventually build our artist community. Earthships are amazing. They are completely off grid (no utility bills!). They are passive solar, self-sustaining homes built with natural and recycled materials (tires, straw bales, tin cans, bottles, adobe, etc). The water systems are amazing. Ideally, snow & rain water is collected on the roof, filtered, used conventionally, filtered, used again to water plants, filtered, used a third time for toilets, treated, and lastly used to water outdoor plant life. Just outside of Taos lies Greater World Community, a subdivision covering several hundred acres and home to 50 or so Earthships. We were able to go to the visitor center, which is an Earthship itself. Waaaaaaay cool. Check this out. And this about the architect Mike Reynolds. And watch this documentary.




In Rancho de Taos, we visited the San Francisco de Asis Church, which is said to be the most painted (depicted) church. We also went to a great trading post to buy chile ristas and Mexican tile. My only regret is not being able to stay longer in Taos and not going to the Pueblo. Lame! Oh well, maybe next time.

We stayed at Taos Valley RV park and were going to head to Durango via highway 64, but luckily, the park host told us that the pass is still closed for the "winter". So we drove down to Espanola to stay before heading onto Durango via highway 84. It added an hour to our trip, but saved us 4 hours (does that make sense?)

by laura beth

The love for New Mexico continues. Santa Fe is amazing. The art, the colors, the people, the history, the food (still), and the weather. This being my first trip to New Mexico, I didn't know what to expect, and assumed it wouldn't be much different than Arizona. I love Arizona, and although the two states are similar, northern New Mexico has that special...je ne sais quoi.

We parked the moho at a visitor's center as we looked around town, walking around the plaza, checking out the shops and art. We ate at the Blue Corn Cafe (great food!) and I had the most delicious tortilla soup, chile relleno, and local brew. I loved it so much, we came back to eat it again the next day.

Our second day in Santa Fe, we checked out the historic churches. Santa Fe means "holy faith" and it's patron saint is Francis of Assisi (my favorite saint!). We first visited Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. Then went on to the Loretto Chapel, home of an amazing and beautiful spiral staircase, built by a stranger. Read about it here. That evening we attended mass (a first for Kenny) at San Miguel Mission, arguably the the oldest church in the U.S. We visited a few gift shops filled with beautiful crosses, retablos (a new interest for me), icons, and rosaries. It was a great day of history, amazing architecture, and wonderful art.

Santa Fe was also home to Georgia O'Keefe for years, and inspiration for many of her paintings. Next time I'd like to visit the Georgia O'Keefe museum.


We found the local KOA, and stayed for two nights free, in exchange for a listing on RVTY. The campground was great, and the staff were friendly.

by kenny

We headed to Santa Fe via the historic Turquoise Trail, which was a beautiful drive. Along the way, we stopped at Tinkertown, which is amazing. Spend some time at this website. Ross Ward was a carver, artist, and all-around tinkerer that traveled the country as a carnival sign painter for years. Over 20 years ago he started a museum which now houses his carvings, paintings, diaromas, animatronics, collections, oddities, and a 35' foot sailboat named Theodora R. Theodora R was home to Fritz Damler for 10 years as he sailed the seven seas.

There is so much to see in the museum, you could spend a couple days looking at everything. I especially liked the circus side-show scenes, and Laura liked the hand painted signs with various sayings. Even the outside is cool, bordered with bottle walls and littered with artwork and sculpture.

Up the highway a bit is the BoneZone. Although it's filled with oddities, it was a disappointment compared to Tinkertown. It seemed more like a yard full of creepy trash. In all fairness though, there was no one home to show us around and we could only see what we could see from outside of the fence.

by laura beth

After leaving White Sands, we spent the night in Ruidoso Downs, NM in the Walmart parking lot. Also a first. For those who may not know, Walmart is pretty darn RV friendly and it is widely known that most stores allow "boondocking"-or free dry camping-in their parking lots. Regardless of their economic impact and labor practices, they sure treat us dusty, poor travelers well.

We went on to Roswell the next day. It's pretty much as you would imagine. It has a history of agricultural, petroleum, and military importance and is the birthplace of America's one and only beloved John Denver. All of this is only slightly overshadowed by the Roswell UFO incident. The incident has no doubt brought revenue to town for years, as is evidenced by the aliens and UFOs adorning business signs and lampposts everywhere you turn. Despite this, the town seems to have suffered over the years. Businesses are closed down all over town.

We went to the UFO Museum and Research Center, in which you can find exhibits, artwork, time lines, video showings, and an incredible wealth of information on the paranormal. Some of the stuff is a little corny, but most of it is serious, and you can't deny the devotion and research that has gone into the museum. We were there quite a while an couldn't even take it all in. It's definitely a must-see. However there was one tragic let down:

If anyone goes out there please, oh please, get us a smashed penny.

The wind picked up a lot while we were in the museum, so we took shelter in a souvenir shop. The proprietor was super friendly and we chatted him up. It turns out he is the visionary behind Earth Station, an in-the-works UFO resort. It will be interesting to see that come to fruition.

We hoped to head north that afternoon, but only got a few minutes out of town before the terrible NM wind PULLED OUT OUR AWNING and broke open our air conditioner cover. It was a little after 2:00. Coincidence? We think not. We carefully pulled over, tucked in the awning, and headed back to town. We were a little fed up and tired, so we decided to get a motel room. I had a coupon for a $49 room at the Ramada Inn ($30 off). They only had one room left, but wouldn't accept the coupon. I started to leave, but the manager took pity and gave us the room at the coupon rate. He said he recognized the "weary traveler" look in my eyes, and even helped us fix the awning. Great guy. Upon opening the door to our room, however, my heart skipped a beat. The TV was on, the bathroom light and fan was on and the door was closed (like someone was in there), and one bed was unmade. I quickly shut the door, and went back to the front desk. Once we figured out it was a housekeeping mistake, we took the room (for free!) and slept in the clean bed. We stayed an extra day to rest up and relax. 70 mph winds can be stressful when driving a moho.

by laura beth

I remember seeing photos of White Sands National Monument, but had shoved those images away until, on our way to Roswell, we noticed the landscape spread out before us like so much...well, white sand. Before too long, we passed the entrance to the park and had to turn around. We poked around in the gift shop for a while (I bought a great handmade Native American and Mexican cookbook, by a man that spent 30 years learning the authentic recipes), then drove on in to the dunes around 1:30. We noticed a funny sign indicating that alcohol is not allowed within the park between February 1 and May 31. We thought that was odd.

At about 2:00 or so the wind picked up. Then it picked up even more. Then it got crazy. At first you could see the horizon, you could tell the sand from the sky. Then suddenly, everything was white. We ran to the moho, and safely drove out. Back in the visitor's center we asked about the wind. Apparently there are strong winds in parts of southern New Mexico and Texas in the spring. They usually start blowing in the afternoon, around 2:00. Hoorah for us and our timing. At least we got to spend about a half an hour in the park itself.

The park is gorgeous. 275 square miles of gypsum (drywall, chalk, etc) sand. Once you drive in a ways, it is white for as far as the eye can see. There were a few yucca plants here and there, and there are some sweet picnic shelters. You can hike trails and there are ranger guided activities. There is animal life in the dunes, which is crazy because there is virtually no fresh water, and the dome dunes can move up to 30 feet per year. It is an amazing place. Go there.

by laura beth

We entered New Mexico, and liked it from the get-go. The welcome center was one of the most welcoming so far, with free internet and a rooster named Harvey. We stopped to get fuel in Lordsburg, and noticed a class C Airstream. The man driving came up to Kenny, and visited for a while. He was a bit of an enthusiast (what Airstream owner isn't?), but especially fancied the 280s like ours. He asked where we were headed, and invited us to stay at a campground up the road. We later decided to stay there, as we were pretty tried. They were traveling with another couple in an Airstream trailer, who happen to be the folks who run Airstream Life Magazine and this great blog about life in an Airsteam.


We also ran into a Japanese couple as the gas station. They barely spoke english, but approached us, dudded up in wrangers and western shirts, asking to take a "foto of bus". We obliged. We're pretty popular.


We pulled into Rockhound State Park just before dusk. We noticed the other Airstreams, but the occupants weren't around so unfortuneately we didn't get to visit. However, we did have a wonderful evening. It was the first time we actually stayed at a park. And it was absolutely gorgeous. Tons of desert life (flora and fauna) and you can takes up to 15 pounds of rock from the park. We shared a bottle of wine, cheese, crackers and fruit for dinner. We slept wonderfully.

by laura beth

We left Tucson for Tombstone. We checked out the town, saw a re-enactment, went to the Tombstone Historama (narrated by Vincent Price!), had great dinner and drinks at an old saloon and dry camped in a secluded parking lot. We wanted to walk through the Birdcage Theatre, but at $10 per person, we decided to pass. It was pretty fun, though, overall.






We went on to Benson for breakfast at a diner the next morning and headed east. Along this stretch of I-10 there are 247 billboards coaxing you to come checkout The Thing? And so we did. It's a gas station/gift store/walk-through museum with a surprise at the end. It really is worth the $1 fee, as there are several interesting oddities to look at as you make your way along the yellow bigfoot footprints towards the Thing. Open since 1965, the attraction is now owned by a company called Bowlin's that really knows how to lure people in. We passed tons of Bowlins-owned gas stations/attractions in Arizona and New Mexico, and you definitely can't miss their billboards.

by laura beth

I forgot to mention that while at Forrest's house for a BBQ, something scary happened to me. Everyone was out back on the patio. I was on my way through the house and out the front door to go to the moho. On my way out, I grabbed a chunk of carne asada and threw back a swig of Negra Modelo. But the beer didn't go down. Instead it bubbled back out. I couldn't figure out why. It took a second to realize I couldn't breath, and that the meat was stuck in my throat. I couldn't get it out. I knew I needed to let the others know, and I pictured myself showing the universal sign for choking, and then getting the Heimlich Maneuver. But for some reason I didn't go out there. Instead I went out the front door into the dark away from everyone. I then pictured someone finding me there much later, lying on the sidewalk, unconscious. I have no idea why my feet wouldn't walk in the right direction. I was amazingly calm, though. I tried on my own to get the meat out. Swallowing wasn't working at all, so I kept trying to cough it out, and I eventually I succeeded, no one the wiser, until I joined the others and Kenny saw me with tears in my eyes (first from the strain, and then later from the trauma). I'm off meat for now. Chew your food well, folks. Chew your food well.

by laura beth

and the Valley of the Moon, which is in disrepair and not really open to the public. I wish it were. There are plans for restoration so we'll see what happens.

We next met up with Kenny's friend Forrest Fallows. Forrest has also been a traveler, going to Mexico and Central America with only $2000. He spent a year there, hitchhiking, meeting interesting people (Zapatistas!), and soaking up different cultures before sailing the Caribbean to Florida to make enough cash to fly back to Mexico to pickup his van to drive back to Tucson. He has a sweet cheesesteak van.

Forrest has started going to an Eastern Orthodox church while in Tucson and he invited us to go on Sunday. Part of what our goals is to go to different churches throughout the us in search of an answer to the question, "What is church?", so we quickly took Forrest up on the offer. The church looked like any church from the outside, but was decidedly different on the inside. There were beautiful icons everywhere and you got the feeling of sacredness right from the start. The service was beautiful, reverent, and simple. Communion is done every week rather than once a month in the churches we are used to. We left conflicted on how we felt about the service. Kenny was uncomfortable with the icons, the idea of praying to the saints, and a cross on a pedestal marching through the aisle. But at the same time we couldn't help being drawn to its ancient roots. After some investigation into what we didn't like, we have come to a better understanding of the Orthodox faith and are no longer uncomfortable with any major issue.

We love the manner in which Easter is celebrated in the Orthodox church and hope to include parts of it in our own faith and get a chance to experience it for ourselves sometime in our travels


Forrest also took us to El Guero Canelo. The best Sonoran hot dogs we've ever had. The only Sonoran hot dogs we've ever had, but still the best. Thanks Forrest! We love you!

As we left Tucson, we had to stop so Kenny could have an In-N-Out burger. It will be a while before he can have one again. Look at those sad eyes.




South we go!

by laura beth

On the way to Tucson we stopped at Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch. Ostriches are interesting, but incredibly aggressive, especially when there are over a thousand of them. The farm is also home to emu, fallow deer, rainbow lorikeets, and miniature donkeys. I was quite sad to see the animals fenced in as they were (especially the deer), but was glad to have the opportunity to get to see them close up. So it goes with commercial farming I guess.






We stayed one night at Scott and Ashley's house. Ryan came over and we had a great dinner and visit with them that evening. We hope to check out some sites here in Tucson and catch up with Kenny's friend Forrest before heading on.

by kenny

From Slab City, we headed to Phoenix. My grandma's health was not good, so my mom came from Scotland and Laura and I drove up to Cottonwood to spend a couple days with her. We played Scrabble. For possibly the first time ever I made a word with more than 4 letters, two turns in a row. It had to be photogged.

Gramma has moved in with Uncle Oscar and Aunt Debbie, and that seems to have helped. We had a good visit with the family and my mom, and decided to stay the afternoon to check out Montezuma's Castle, Montezuma's Well, and Tuzigoot National Monument. On our way there, we stopped at a store in old town Cottonwood. Someone who knew the family had noticed a brick with "Oscar & Lily, 12-6-74" written in it. Turns out that it was formerly the home of my grandparents' (Oscar & Lily Hernandez) furniture store. No one really knew about the brick, so we stopped to take a photo of it. The current store owner practically accosted me for some reason.

We went back to Phoenix, only to realize we didn't have my W2's from window cleaning for Bart. We had to go back to Cottonwood to get them, so we got to see Gramma again. Back in Phoenix, we spent a couple good days with the kids. I went with Xander to school as his "pet" on pet day, and we spent an afternoon in the park feeding ducks.

I made fun of my uncle Brett for calling sandwiches "Sammies", stating that nobody calls them that. But sure enough, Quiznos does. We discovered these when we stopped on our way back to Phoenix.

Next, on to Tucson.