Santa Fab

We experienced a few episodes of extreme wind and rainfall in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It’s always interesting to ride out a storm in an Airstream. Due to the trailer’s aluminum skin, you enjoy the “rain on a tin roof” effect that’s actually rather soothing (assuming, of course, your trailer doesn’t topple over in a massive gust of wind).

How much do I like Santa Fe? Upon my first visit, I instinctively checked out the local real estate guides. As the wise philosopher Goldilocks famously observed, it’s “just right.”

This town is blessed with far more culture (arts, crafts, music, and chile sauce) than its size would seem to warrant. And it’s got something that’s missing in so many American cities – a sense of history. Santa Fe is almost 400 years old.

At the center of town lies the Plaza. It reminds us of our favorite Central American town, Antigua, Guatemala. As Kristy said, Santa Fe is “like Antigua, but without all the life-threatening danger.” Antigua still takes the overall ambiance prize with its striking Spanish Colonial architecture and magestic ruins. But Santa Fe has far fewer masked, machine gun-toting thugs.

By the way, the guitarist in our video is Billy D. of The HooDoos. He was outstanding! You can check out his band's website here.

Harvest Moonshine

One Canyon, Extra Large

“In fact, just about all the major natural attractions you find in the West- the Grand Canyon, the Badlands, the Goodlands, the Mediocrelands, the Rocky Mountains and Robert Redford- were caused by erosion.” – Dave Barry

After some extensive desert driving, we arrived at the Grand Canyon. We viewed the canyon from the South Rim. There are several scenic viewpoints, which are basically cliffs equipped with token guardrails. Lose your footing, and you may find yourself flying a thousand feet in a downward direction.

Every year a tourist or two goes tumbling to his or her death by stepping beyond the meager railing to get that perfect picture. Of course, much of the Grand Canyon has no guardrail at all. It would be rather ridiculous to erect a 20-foot tall brick wall around the entire Canyon, but that's about the only way to save some people from themselves (and I'm certain they'd still find a way over it). Sometimes fools can be very clever.

What is there to say about the Grand Canyon? It’s an incredible natural wonder that you just have to see at least once in your life. But once you’ve seen it, you’ve seen it.



In truth, I feel that we really just grazed the surface of the Canyon, viewing it from the rim. Someday I’d like to return and spend more time here, hiking into its depths, taking a helicopter tour, and riding a mule. (Mules are used to travel into the Canyon because their eyes stick out from the sides of their heads. This biological anomaly allows them to see BOTH sides of the precarious cliff-hugging trail at all times. And really, who amongst us doesn’t want to ride a mule?)

Kristy and I seemed to be among the few American citizens visiting the Park. On the shuttle buses and at the scenic viewpoints, we were surrounded by tourists from Asia, Europe, and South America. At one point, a rather large group of Asian tourists began excitedly taking pictures of us, presumably because of Kristy's blonde hair! (Or perhaps they were impressed with my substantial beer belly?)

The campsites within the park were full, so we stayed about 20 miles outside the Canyon. Our campground, for no apparent reason, had a Flintstones theme. It was really quite bizarre. I've never seen another campground like it. At the entrance was a giant image of Fred Flintsone, and the grounds had various Flintstones-themed amenities (Wilma's Laundry, for example). They even had a full-scale replica of Fred's prehistoric car. Someone invested a great deal of money decking this place out in full Flintstones regalia. If only they'd invested a little money on cable TV, sewer hookups, and an Internet connection.

Grand Expectations

Yesterday was a lenghty day of driving across the rocky, dusty, mostly empty desert. We cruised along the United States - Mexico border for an extended stretch, passing through several security checkpoints as Federal helicopters hovered overhead. I suppose an Airstream could offer posh quarters for illegal immigrants.

It was an uneventful day featuring a somewhat bizarre, random stop for lunch. We were driving through the barren expanse, searching for sustenance -- and happened across this newly constructed Indian casino. I never considered lunching in casinos, but perhaps the idea holds some merit. Where else can you get steak and lobster for the price of a pork sandwich? We're not gamblers, although Kristy lost a whopping dollar in slots (I told her to walk away when she was up $2, but did she listen? Noooooooooo.)

After an overnight boondocking stop in Phoenix (thank you, Sam Walton!) we are headed north. Our destination holds a "grand" reputation. I've seen it, but this will be Kristy's first visit.

I'm unsure whether we'll have Internet access in the Grand Canyon. If it's anything like Yellowstone, I won't expect much beyond running water.

Stay tuned... we will update when able!

Zootopia

San Diego is a menagerie of beautiful vistas, friendly people, and perfect weather. And did you know they have a zoo?

Towin' and Backin'

Over the past several months, we’ve towed our Airstream more than 10,000 miles. Hopefully I’ve learned a little about towing and backing.

Probably my best advice with regard to towing is to buy more truck than you need. Our “big dog” truck SEEMORE has handled every mountain we’ve tossed his way, including the Rockies of Montana, Alberta, and British Columbia. For this hulking hunk of diesel machinery, our 8,000-pound Airstream is light lifting.

Our most negative towing experiences? Rush hour in Miami; rush hour in Calgary; rush hour in BFE, British Columbia; and rush hour in Los Angeles. See a connection here? Avoid an urban rush hour and you’ll be a much happier camper. Together our truck and trailer are 45-feet long. There’s no such thing as a simple lane change.

Now with regard to backing up the beast…

Campsites come in a variety of forms, but they are typically either “pull-through” or “back-in.” A pull-through site is a luxury. It’s designed so you can literally just pull your rig right through the site. You don’t even have to unhitch the trailer! Just put your truck in park, and you’re ready to uncork that celebratory bottle of wine.

But the task of backing into a campsite strikes fear into many RV'er hearts. We’ve backed into many, many campsites, from Key West to Seattle. It’s a team effort, with Kristy and I communicating via cellphone. In our first few months of Airstream ownership, we had more than a few hair-raising moments. Once I managed to wedge our rig in an almost impossible-to-escape angle between a fire hydrant and a tree. But these dramas have all but disappeared as we’ve gained experience.

A High Note

During one of my first visits to Los Angeles, I brought high expectations to town. Fresh out of college, my buddy Mike and I went club-hopping in search of live music. We started at a famous rock-and-roll joint on the Sunset Strip called Whiskey a Go Go. This is the place where Jim Morrison and The Doors were discovered, amongst other bands.

We stepped inside the club expecting something different. I don’t know WHAT exactly we wanted to see and hear. But we hoped for a radical upgrade from the seedy college bars back home that we’d grown to known and love. You know the type: places where the house bourbon singes eyebrows, where they shut down every night with a rousing encore of “Jesse’s Girl.”

Upon entering the Whiskey, we were at first disappointed. The interior of the place looked stark, barren, and industrial. Bare walls, concrete floors. Let’s be honest: it looked like a dump, just like our grungy haunts back in college. “What’s the big deal about this place?” we wondered aloud.

But then the band came on stage, and started playing. Pretty much from the first wailing guitar chord, we realized what was different. The talent on stage was undeniable. The band was playing original music we hadn’t heard before, but it didn’t matter – they were great!

I’ve since learned that Los Angeles is blessed with a deep well of musical talent. Many of the best and the brightest migrate here.

As I’ve matured, my tastes have graduated from screeching guitars to the more sophisticated (and far less painful) notes of jazz. Thus, our recent evening at Steamers Jazz Café listening to Chris Williams was a huge treat. Chris leads an incredibly talented jazz band, and he’s an energetic, dynamic live performer. For more information about Chris, check out his website at cwjazz.com.

Next stop: SAN DIEGO!