ROAD TRIP!  

From Deep Craters to Painted Rocks

29 December 2024

We awake to cold. Frosty has visited overnight.

We continue east through desert. We have a full tank of gas, practically a steal at 2.79 a gallon. It is times like these that this Californian takes a travel photo of the gas prices! Breakfast, hot coffee and we are off to explore. Today, there exists an opportunity to visit some interesting sites. 

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ROAD TRIP! ROAD TRIP! 

Get your kicks on Route 66

28 December 2024

Heartfelt appreciation for hot coffee this morning. We may be in high dessert, but it is cold out there. We pack up the “Prius mule team” and head east into the Mojave Desert.

The railroad tracks across from our hotel acted as the final destination for the 20-mule teams traveling some 165 miles from the Death Valley borax mines to our north. Our drive will be considerably more comfortable and speedier. 

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ROAD TRIP! ROAD TRIP! ROAD TRIP! 

Central Valley minus Grandma Joad

27 December 2024

A road trip is an anonymous freedom on four wheels! Radial tires humming along open roads with endless horizons stretching out before me. Every mile brings a potential discovery of an unexpected gem of Americana. Along with my travel buddy, we are hitting the road set on discovery, relaxation and fun.

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DENVER

Getting a Mile High in More Ways Than One

Since becoming a first state to legalize marijuana in 2012, its residents have taken it to heart. Walking this mile high city is a great but pungent experience. 

I judge a city by several criteria: public transportation, food, cultural activities, architecture, and walkability. I was pleased to quickly learn Denver has it all. I couldn’t have chosen a better city to roam for a few days. It took me no time at all to fall in love with Denver.

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Thomas Wolfe Was Right – Probably

There is the old adage that “You can’t go home again.” It comes from Thomas Wolfe’s 1934 novel of the same name. 

There are many reasons why this adage probably is true. “Home” will never be the same after an absence of decades. In the off-chance of becoming overly nostalgic, one should visit their old childhood stomping grounds; but at the same time, childhood memories can be shattered by the reality of how things have changed.

I briefly visited my childhood home, drove its roads and observed its changes. It was not pretty. 

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