Travels with Misha

Gardening with Misha

2008-04-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our garden...

Thanks for visiting. Come again soon...

!!!!!!!!! WE'RE HOME !!!!!!!!!

2007-12-17T07:39:00.002-08:00

Skywalk, Arizona

2007-12-15T19:49:00.000-08:00

I'm sure Skywalk isn't the name of any geographical location, but this place was truly in the middle of nowhere. It took some doing, but I found it! The last 25 miles of the trip was on a windy, washboard, gravel road that required 4WD to keep from skidding off into the Yucca - which is apparently the ONLY thing that grows out there.

The Skywalk is the creation of the Hualapai Tribe who own the lands at the west end of the Grand Canyon. If my bus driver was correct, they are building international-level airport, hotels, and casinos.

In case you're clueless what I'm talking about, check out the Skywalk website: http://www.grandcanyonskywalk.com/

So... there I am... standing 4000 feet above the bottom of the Grand Canyon on a walkway made of Saran Wrap. It was hard to convince the stomach there was NO WAY I was going to fall through the floor. The brain trusted the structure; the stomach wasn't so sure.

The most amazing thing was when birds flew right under my feet.

Sorry I can't show any pictures of ME on the Skywalk. They don't allow you to carry cameras, or anything else for that matter. Their professional photographers took an excellent picture - perhaps when I get home I'll scan it in and add it to this post. I'm not really as terrified as I look sitting in this crack above the canyon. The sun was straight in my eyes and the photographer was taking forever! I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. Honest.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

2007-12-14T19:17:00.000-08:00

What an awesome way to end my 10,000 mile journey! The Grand Canyon is, in a word, GRAND! After visiting Yosemite dozens of times, you'd think I wouldn't be much impressed with another big hole in the ground, but this big hole is stunning and many times larger than Yosemite Valley. The national park fronts only a few miles of the canyon, which runs hundreds of miles through Arizona. Misha and I drove the extent of the south rim of the canyon (the part inside the park). I'll let the pictures tell the story...

Many more pictures on Flikr.

Where Am I Now???

2007-12-12T21:56:00.000-08:00

It's all becoming a blurrrrrrr....

After leaving New Orleans, we crossed four states in three days. Texas was huge and BORing. New Mexico and Arizona were beautiful. We're now in Arizona. Phoenix, I think. Today near sunset, I watched the trip meter roll to 8888.8 miles.

Tomorrow we head north to the Grand Canyon!!!

None of these pictures is from Texas. They are either New Mexico or Arizona. And all were taken from a moving vehicle -- I wasn't slowing down for anything. I had miles to cover!

New Orleans, Louisiana

2007-12-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

I'm sad to report that all the awful things you've heard about post-Katrina New Orleans is true. Everywhere you look, there are storm-damaged, boarded-up, abandoned neighborhoods. Businesses and shopping centers (even a Wal-Mart) are abandoned, and For Sale signs are everywhere. Today, I asked a lovely woman what street I was on and when I pointed out that I couldn't find a street sign, she said "they all blew away in the hurricane".

The tourist end of Canal Street is alive and booming; but I avoided the standard mall stores and I took a paddle-wheel boat trip on the Mississippi. It's been summertime hot and humid here and the breeze on the river was wonderful.

The tour took us up to the Ninth Ward, where flood damage was the most severe. I've seen enough from the freeway and the river; I can't bring myself to drive into the most severely damaged areas.

The French Quarter...

Although the French Quarter is on higher ground and wasn't damaged much by the floods, it certainly had its share of hurricane damage. Broken and boarded-up windows are everywhere. I really think the occupants/owners of many of the damaged buildings just walked away and until new owners take over, nothing will be fixed.

In spite of the damage, the French Quarter was hustling with people. Mixed among the bars and clubs and amazing VooDoo stores were a few lovely art galleries and jazz clubs and restaurants.

Well, we have to leave New Orleans. Tomorrow we start our long trek across Texas.

Space Shuttle Launch CANCELED

2007-12-09T07:01:00.000-08:00

They are giving up on the December launch window. Now they are hoping to launch in January. It seems I made the correct decision to give up and head for home!!! If they'd launched today, I'd have been one very regretful gal.

Kennedy Space Center, Florida

2007-12-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

We spent two days at the Space Center doing and seeing everything they had to offer and, on the second day, waiting to hear if/when the shuttle was going to launch. "We" is Dana and Misha, you know. Misha waited in the nice air-conditioned kennel while I entertained myself at the Space Center.

What they had to offer: 3D movies narrated by Tom Hanks and Tom Cruise, a de-commissioned shuttle that you can go inside, a pair of launch rockets with that gynormous fuel tank, and an Astronaut Hall of Fame with real Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo modules. One of the most interesting was the briefing room where some poor NASA employee ((who must have drawn the daily short straw)) talked to a slide show and live feeds from both the Atlantis launch site and the International Space Station.

Because they were getting ready for a launch, we couldn't go out to the launch site, but they had a live feed on a big screen that occasionally had something interesting happening.

I'll shut up and just show pictures:

Launch Rockets

Mercury Capsule

Gemini Capsule

Apollo Capsule

The End

Shuttle Launch Scrubbed AGAIN

2007-12-08T13:15:00.000-08:00

We waited and waited for them to debug and launch, but it seems that's not going to happen. Unless, of course, they launched as soon as Misha and I hit the road. They said the December launch window was good until December 13th, but I couldn't possibly hold out til then - unless I was willing to miss Christmas at home.

Shuttle Launch Scrubbed EOM

2007-12-06T16:58:00.000-08:00

Cocoa Beach, Florida

2007-12-05T14:29:00.001-08:00

It's summer here! I'm in short sleeves and almost wishing I was wearing shorts.

Today I toured the Kennedy Space Center while Misha napped in a free, air-conditioned kennel.

I'm SO VERY LUCKY that a launch is happening tomorrow. I didn't have a clue when I arrived here last night, but there were signs everywhere reminding us tourists that the Atlantis is launching on Thursday at 4:21 PM. I'll watch from the Space Center with a bazillion other people who aren't special enough to be invited to the observation bleachers. That's good enough for me!!!!!

I'll have lots of pictures of the launch, but I just don't have the strength to download pictures here in this Starbucks with these two weird people staring at me.

All systems GO! Ready for launch!

Savannah, Georgia

2007-12-05T14:22:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Savannah!

Sadly, I left Paula behind in North Carolina and had a wonderful drive south to Savannah today. Somewhere along the way, I stuffed my heavy coat into a box in the truck and bared my arms for the first time in 3 weeks. I'm expecting even warmer, sunnier days in Florida. This morning, I took a trolley tour of Savannah, and tried like the dickens to get myself an invitation to one of Jim Williams' famous parties.

Among the wonderful things I saw: the club where Lady Chablis still performs, the bench Forrest Gump sat on in front of the Savannah courthouse, the homes where Johnny Mercer was born/lived/died, lots of Spanish moss (which is apparently neither Spanish nor moss), and all twenty-four of the town squares.

I can add Savannah to my short list of Towns Where I Could Retire For The Rest of My Life. The list includes Lexington, Kentucky and now Savannah.

Tomorrow, Florida!

The Spenceley Family, North Carolina

2007-12-02T04:47:00.000-08:00

Actually only one Spenceley was here to greet me. Paula showed me a great time around the Davidson area but Mike left town to play golf just before I got here. I'll try not to take it personally.

Paula and Mike live in a picture-postcard-gorgeous wooded area, a nice healthy distance from the Research Triangle, aka Silicon Valley East, craziness. While writing this, I'm sitting on their screened porch (how Southern is that?) with a view of nothing but thinning deciduous forest. Oh yes... Misha says to mention that the forest is full of annoying squirrels who fly from one tree to another and mock her.

North Carolinians have a special way of decorating their houses for Christmas. I first noticed this when I came here 10 years ago for Christmas with the Martins. In each of the windows, they place a wreath or big red bow or a single candle (or sometimes all three). It's simple and beautiful and the whole house is decorated with Christmas cheer. So my quest this year as I do my post-Christmas, Christmas-decoration bargain shopping is to find enough such decorations to fill all MY windows next year. Perhaps I can bring a North Carolina tradition to traditionless Silicon Valley.

Paula has introduced to a gang of Carolina women who have been most entertaining. Here's a shout out to Jane and Debby and Laura and Jeannie! You southern gals rock!

As I'd hoped, North Carolina has provided fried catfish and hushpuppies and okra, and with any luck I'll find coconut meringue pie before I leave.

Tomorrow, Charleston and Savannah and parts south!

Williamsburg, Virginia

2007-11-30T13:28:00.000-08:00

Big thanks to Linda for suggesting I visit Colonial Williamsburg!! When we first arrived yesterday afternoon, we drove around the deserted old town and fell in love with all the meticulously maintained 18th century buildings.

Today Misha and I walked up and down every street of the old town, making friends along the way. All the locals were dressed in period costumes and some were working at common settler tasks. Several "colonial women" went out of their way to come over to play with Misha. Hmmm.... were Rottweilers around in early colonial days? I know Hannibal used them to cross the Alps long before colonial days, but I don't know what breeds of dogs were first brought to the New World. ((That will be our homework assignment))

When Misha couldn't walk any more, I let her nap in the truck while I shopped in the new section of town. Up until now, I'd been rather restrained in my shopping because I had many cities to visit and didn't want to empty my pockets too soon, but Williamsburg is such a lovely town with lovely shops filled with beautiful things that I just had to have. I released some of my pent-up shopping pressure and feel much better for it. Sadly, I'm now running out of room in the truck. Cris will be pleased to know that although I tried on many handbags in the Brighton store, I didn't buy any. I did get a really nice pewter goblet to go with the ones I have at home and a burlwood basket and a beautiful hand-made collar for Misha and a few more Christmas ornaments. For those of you who haven't heard... everywhere I go, I buy two identical ornaments - one to keep and one to give to each of you.

Now we're heading to North Carolina to visit with the Spenceleys for a few days, then down the coast to Florida before we turn west and start heading for home.

Washington DC

2007-11-29T07:24:00.000-08:00

The nation's capitol is just a short drive from the Mooring house in Virginia. Misha and I visited on a cold windy day - I swear you could have surfed on the Potomac. Misha accompanied me on much of my walk around the monuments, but she couldn't go inside any of them, so she slept in the truck while I ventured back into the wind.

I'm sure in the summer the lines are long to take the elevator to the top of the Washington Monument, but I got right in with a dozen or so people speaking every language except English. It's about 500 feet up (the St Louis Arch people will tell you how the arch is taller) and the windows are small (just like the arch), but we all shared and got plenty of good looks out each of the four directions - the Lincoln Monument on one side, the White House on another, the Capitol Building on another. You could see them erecting the White House Christmas tree way down below.

After recently visiting the giant-sized head of Lincoln at Mt Rushmore, the statue at the Lincoln Monument wasn't as impressive as I'd been led to believe. I suppose I'm becoming a bit jaded.

The Jefferson Monument was very nice, like a giant marble gazebo with a bronze Jefferson standing in the middle. I took Misha up the stairs as far as they'd let me and we walked around the marble lip of the monument. Maybe it was the smoothness of the marble, but Misha really enjoyed walking up the steps and around the monument. George Mason isn't famous enough for a giant marble monument, but he has a nice bronze statue just perfect for picture-taking.

I visited three war memorials: WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. They were each completely different designs. I won't try to describe them; I'll just show pictures. Of the 60,000 or so names on the Vietnam memorial, I found my cousin Dennis, who died in 1970. They have a phone-book sized directory that tells you which panel to look on - it would be virtually impossible otherwise.

WWII

Korea

Vietnam

The Mooring Family, Virginia

2007-11-29T07:16:00.000-08:00

What a fun time I had with the Mooring clan! For three days, I had good home-cooked meals and a quiet bedroom that Linda graciously let Misha share with me. After spending twenty nights at Motel Sicks, Linda's home was pure luxury!

Every morning, we walked the dogs until Misha was ready to drop. She's gotten fat and lazy riding/sleeping/eating all day every day. Misha loved the Mooring dogs, Radar and Boomerang, and she was CRAZY for Josie!

And we mustn't forget the Mooring cat, Simon, who was very tolerant of Misha. I think Misha misses Megan and Margay, and the Mooring house provided perfect substitutes for our family back home.

Churchill Downs, Kentucky

2007-11-26T12:03:00.000-08:00

Yes - I went to Churchill Downs on a race day, and Yes - I placed a bet, and Yes - I watched my horse overtake the field at the last minute, and Yes - I waited on tenterhooks for the results of the photo finish, and Yes - I was a little disappointed when my horse was declared Second Place. BTW - his name was Temper, Temper. That's him there, number 11.

There's nothing more to say, so I'll leave you with some pictures of beautiful Churchill Downs...

Crossing Kansas

2007-11-23T15:10:00.000-08:00

It was a long drive across Kansas, seeing little but fields of rolled straw, but we did find a few fun surprises.

Who knew that Dwight Eisenhower was from Abilene, Kansas? This is the house in which he grew up. It's in the original location and built around it is the Eisenhower Center with a library, museum, and chapel.

Both he and Mamie are buried in the nice little chapel. And yes, they let you go right up to the graves. ((Is it called a 'grave' when you're buried in a marble box set in the floor?))

And of course there had to be a monument to Oz somewhere in Kansas. We found it in Wamego. Some native Kansan spent his life collecting everything ever written or made related to Oz and opened his own museum. He has first edition copies of all the original Oz stories written by Frank Baum, many books written by other authors (including the Wicked series), and much stuff from the movie.

Gateway Arch, Missouri

2007-11-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

We arrived in St Louis just in time for "the big storm". It was T shirt weather when we arrived on Tuesday night, but by today, I was digging for my heaviest fur-lined coat. That didn't stop me from seeing what I came to see - The Gateway Arch.

When I lived in St Louis almost half a century ago, they were just making plans for the arch. They finished it a few years later, in 1965, but this is the first time I've been back.

In spite of the heavy skies, the arch was lovely. It's simple and clean and just sits up there overlooking the Mississippi River. From the outside, you don't see any tourism - they hide all that commotion underneath. The entrance to the complex is hidden until you go looking for it. And ... surprise! there is a whole tourist center underground. They have a nice Pioneer museum, gift shop, olde timey candy shop, AND the entrance to the arch itself.

Claustrophobics, beware! To get to the top of the arch, they put you in a tiny little five-person elevator and crank you up the inside of one of the legs. The peak of the arch is 630 feet high - that would be more than 1000 steps if they let you climb the maintenance stairs inside the leg - which they don't. Check out the little tiny space-shuttle windows you look out of.

Even on a day of gray skies, from the top of the arch, I had a bird's eye view of Busch Stadium and the Mississippi river and the 1860s courthouse where the Dred Scott case was heard.

The idea of the "gateway arch" is of course because St Louis was a gateway city for pioneers heading west. For many years, St Louis was the last modern city one would find on the journey westward. This is where you stocked up on provisions and hired guides and said goodbye to civilization. I was surprised to realize how old St Louis is; the British attacked the city during the Revolutionary War.

So ... Misha and I are using St Louis as a reverse jumping off point. We're resting and stocking up and preparing to head eastward to Virginia. We'll have our Thanksgiving dinner here today, then pack up the covered wagon and head out tomorrow morning. We'll probably be in Internet Blackout until Monday, so no new postings for a while.

Misha and Me

The Strong and Morgan Families, Colorado

2007-11-22T09:01:00.000-08:00

While in Denver, Misha and I visited our friends, Carol and Steve Strong (from Iowa) and their daughter and son-in-law, Gretchen and Stephen Morgan (who live in Denver). As luck would have it, the Strongs were visiting the Morgans for Thanksgiving week, so we had a Big Bonus Visit.

Carol and Steve were looking great! Carol was in the Bay Area earlier this year, but I hadn't seen Steve since Gretchen's wedding in Winter Park five? years ago.

Gretchen and Stephen's 2 1/2 year old Henry was a one-man show! He's gorgeous and bright and has an amazing vocabulary. If you said "That's an exceptional vocabulary you have." He would repeat "I have an exceptional vocabulary". There was no word too big for him to absorb and use in correct context. He says about himself..."I'm amazing Henry." Yes you are, Henry.

Being the really really stoopid idiot that I am, I neglected to take a picture of this lovely family, but take my word for it, they are all amazing.

Garden of the Gods, Colorado

2007-11-18T14:54:00.000-08:00

South of Denver and a little south of Colorado Springs is a park of rock formations called The Garden of the Gods. When my aunt lived in Denver 40 years ago and we came for a visit, she took us to this park. Nothing much has changed in 40 years.

Honestly, none of the rock formations really looks like what they are supposed to. But if you are told "this is a monkey head" you can kinda see it. It's a lot like trying to see the bunny-shaped cloud that everyone else is pointing to. They are beautiful rocks nonetheless. This is the famous "kissing camels" rock. Do YOU see the camels?

Because the park is free, many locals regularly walk their dogs on the weekends. Misha loved it! She was petted by almost everyone, and I heard several comments about her size and/or gorgeousness. The loop around the park is supposed to be a one-mile walk, but we did lots of backtracking. If I'd only known to take three poop bags when we started out, we wouldn't have had to walk back to the entrance and start over halfway around the park. Isn't she wonderful on the rock bench? Misha is getting really good at posing for me.

Misha and Me

Crazy Horse Memorial, South Dakota

2007-11-15T19:52:00.000-08:00

Not to be outdone by the white man's big carved rock at Mt. Rushmore, the Lakota Indians commissioned their own giant statue in the Black Hills. They hired one of the sculptors who worked on Rushmore to design and direct the project. For reasons that aren't clear to me, they refused government funding and were determined to complete the project with only private donations. So ... sixty years later, they are still blasting and chiseling and carving away.

Here's Misha beside some of the chiseled rock.

When it's finished, it will be WAY more impressive than Rushmore and many times larger. But at the rate they are going, none of us will live to see it. The original sculptor is long dead, and now seven of his children and his widow run the project.

In case you can't tell from my picture how that mountain is supposed to look like an Indian, look here: http://www.crazyhorse.org/index.shtml

The Badlands, South Dakota

2007-11-15T19:23:00.000-08:00

I always thought the term "badlands" was made up by western movie makers. Wrong. The Badlands is actually a stunning geological region in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Misha and I drove through The Badlands on the windiest day in Dakota history. I'm not kidding. All the weathermen said so.

Half of me wanted to walk to the edge of these amazing cliffs, but the other half of me was certain a gust of wind was going to whoosh me over the side. I actually wrapped my leg around stumps and railings and such things to try to hold still enough to take a few pictures.

At one vista stop, there was a long staircase leading down to the "perfect" viewing site. I was determined to get down there if it killed me. So, I hung on the railing and started down. About halfway, I came upon a sign that said "Beware rattlesnakes". I was SO cold and a little scared of getting blown off a cliff and now I had to worry about rattlesnakes????? I made it all the way down, took my pictures, and got OUT.OF.THERE. Quite the adrenaline rush.

Mt Rushmore, South Dakota

2007-11-14T09:12:00.000-08:00

This is the most bizarre concept ever... "Let's go out in the middle of nowhere and carve up a mountain to look like a bunch of dead Presidents and see if anyone comes to see it."

Borglum wasn't just some nutcase with an idea and a wagon of dynamite. He was a famous sculptor in his day and was hired by South Dakota officials to make this monument. These men were totally clued in to the commercialization of the project.They made a big deal of the unveiling of each face - a separate ceremony for each one - and invited all the important people they could get. This was clearly all about bringing tourism to South Dakota. But you can't fault them for that. At least they did something fabulous; it sure beats "the world's largest ball of string".

While I admired the Presidents and tried to stay in the sun, the weather turned on me and before I knew it, I was getting snowed on! Cold, windy, and snow.... great.

Misha and I headed down out of the mountains and out of the snow and stopped at Bear Country, USA. I swear, it was just like Jurassic Park, but with large mammals instead of large dinosaurs. Wolves and bear and other less scary animals would come up to the truck and look Misha right in the eye. She was so excited, she couldn't stand it, but she never barked once. I warned her that if she barked, we'd have to roll up the windows and drive away, but I don't know how she contained herself. I was squealing with excitement through the whole drive.

It's still very cold and very windy, but today the sun is shining! Thank Dog! We're heading east to the Badlands.

Devils Tower, Wyoming

2007-11-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

Like the Richard Dreyfuss character in Close Encounters, I was drawn to the strange butte in the middle of Nowhere, Wyoming. It's not near the highway, but I took it on faith that if I kept driving and driving and driving, I'd eventually find it. And I did.

It's quite an oddity, just sitting out there all by itself. I've seen buttes before, but this butte was a beaut. It's absolutely perfectly formed. The documentation says it hasn't lost a single column since it became the nation's first national park in 1906. I walked all the way around it, but they wouldn't let Misha come along.

On my way back to the Interstate, I stopped for gas in Sundance. On the off chance that I might run into Robert Redford at the Conoco station, I put on a dab of lipstick before pumping my gas.

Today, I'm heading out to see Mt Rushmore and the Crazy Horse mountain carving.

Little Bighorn Battlefield, Montana

2007-11-11T20:50:00.000-08:00

Today we drove up to Montana to the Little Bighorn Battlefield. It's aptly named; the grounds span many acres of hilly fields where the Little Bighorn battle took place. The Little Bighorn is a nearby river - there's also a Bighorn River, but because no famous battles took place near there, no one cares about the "big" Bighorn River.

Apparently much is known about the soldiers and the Indians and the military strategies that played out that day - June 25th, 1876. They present all the details of who was where and who fell where ... there is a marker at the site of each fallen body, both soldier and Indian. And get this, there's a monument to the horses who died that day.

It seems the battlefield was preserved from the very beginning, and the large monument with the names of the soldiers was erected only five years after the battle. But unlike the horses, the Indians who fell were not recognized until 1993, by an act of Congress. As a result of that act, today the literature and monuments and tourist information speak of a battle between two honorable opponents. Even the quoted words of the soldiers and Indians reflect the respect each side had for the bravery of the other. It's really sad that there was even a battle at all. maybe it was fitting that I went there on Veterans Day.

Tomorrow we leave for South Dakota. On the way, we'll visit Devil's Tower (that butte made famous in Close Encounters).

Misha and Me

Yellowstone National Park - CLOSED

2007-11-10T20:06:00.000-08:00

After all that driving to get to Yellowstone, the park was closed!! The roads were clear, but it seems they close the park at the beginning of November. I sneaked in as far as I dared go past the "Park Closed" signs, but when I came to barricades in the road, I turned around. No Old Faithful for us, but I suspect they didn't actually turn it off. If we could have just gotten farther into the park, we might have had a private showing.

The Grand Teton park was also closed, but they can't hide those magnificent mountains - so we got to see much of them as we drove from Jackson to Yellowstone and back. ((Those are the Tetons in the picture)) With a little daylight left, I browsed the shops in Jackson. You won't believe what they can make from elk antlers - apparently, everything!

On Saturday morning, we left Jackson. Our original plan to exit out the north end of Yellowstone Park had to be scrapped. To get from the northwest corner of the state to the northeast corner, we had to drive north to pick up a road going south, then drive waaaay south to pick up a road going northeast. We drove a big sideways Z across the state. It was many more miles than I'd planned to drive, BUT it was the most gorgeous geology you can imagine. The views were what you expect to see in the background of a western movie. Layers and layers of sedimentary rock in every color in the rainbow. It was a geology test to see if I could remember the names of rock formations and minerals and "why that rock is shaped that way".

So tonight, we are in Buffalo, Wyoming. There's really nothing much here, but it was as far as I could drive in one day. Tomorrow, we'd head north to Montana to see what there is to see at the Little Big Horn. After that, we go east to Devil's Tower and Mt Rushmore.

Misha and Me

Salt Lake City, Day Two

2007-11-10T19:59:00.000-08:00

Before leaving Salt Lake City, we took a drive out to Antelope Island, right in the middle of the lake. I'd promised Misha more hikes and less driving, so we walked all around the island. That's the Great Salt Lake behind Misha in the picture. We never saw the namesake antelope, but we did see sleeping bison.

On the freeway out of town, we found a Costco and stocked up on Misha's favorite dog treats. The store was laid out exactly as the local Costco. Familiar felt good.

This time, we abandoned the interstate and took a smaller state highway north, nicking the southeast corner of Idaho, and driving up the west side of Wyoming to Jackson. No more setting the cruise control to 85 and watching the scenery. This highway was like that old Highway 9 drive to my house in Boulder Creek, except it was 200 miles long and we kept passing through little towns that insisted on a 25-mile an hour speed limit. We weren't going to give Bubba an opportunity to see our California license plate and extort us for large sums of money, so we crept along. With frequent slow-downs to 25 miles an hour, it was a long long drive.

The beauty of the state highways is that you get to pass through quirky small towns that are invisible from the interstate. Towns where you see signs that say "4H" and "Free Range; Loose Stock" and "Wild Game Preparation".

Bear Lake was a gorgeous surprise on the Utah/Idaho border, surrounded by lovely homes in a town named Garden City. As with many of the pastoral communities we've seen, I ask myself "Could I live here?" Often the answer is "Yes, but... you aren't seeing it in winter. What must this be like covered in 10 feet of snow?"

We arrived in Jackson in time for Misha's normal dinner hour, and that's really all that mattered.

Misha and Me

Salt Lake City, Utah

2007-11-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

We drove in from the Nevada border early yesterday morning, across huge salt flats that were once an ocean. The eyes said it was snow, but the brain knew it was salt. Yes, I took pictures.

I explored the Mormon Temple complex -- beautiful architecture! I went in all the buildings that were allowed, everything but the actual temple. Finally had to leave or convert. Black pants'ed, white shirted men were everywhere trying to save my soul. In their defense, they are quite nice about it. No one threatened Hell when I told them it was a lost cause to try to convert me.

Misha and I watched the sunset over the Great Salt Lake, which is called "great" for a reason. Like the great lakes of the US/Canadian border, they are too huge to be lakes and just a little too small to be oceans.

We are now heading north to Wyoming. Tonight, the Grand Tetons. Tomorrow, Yellowstone.

Misha and Me

Farewell, Nevada

2007-11-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

(Delayed posting - composed Tuesday evening)

After a really long day of driving, we made it across Nevada and are now in Utah.

The foliage along the Truckee River was gorgeous but all in a brilliant yellow. Not a red leaf in sight. Eventually we followed the Humbolt river, which has no foliage at all - that's the high desert for you. As we climbed the Shoshone Mountains, we saw our first snow on the high peaks in the distance. Before the day was over, we were walking in snow and seeing creeks with a thin ice crust, and it was clear we weren't in Kansas anymore. We haven't even begun to climb the Rockies.

We made friends of a few locals and a Barstow native and a lovely couple from Michigan and four trucks of Washington state firefighters returning from the fires in SoCal.

Misha has really taken to hotel living. Each night, she marches in, sniffs every corner, then stretches out in the middle of the floor to show her approval. By the time I get all our gear in the room, she's fast asleep. It must be exhausting being a backseat driver.

Tomorrow we'll explore The Great Salt Lake, then off to Yellowstone!

Farewell, California

2007-11-06T08:14:00.000-08:00

Right on schedule, we left the Bay Area on Monday morning and we're off to an excellent start! As we passed through Sacramento, we saw the sign pointing to Marysville, where Misha was born. I smiled. As we climbed into the mountains, the roads were clear and the skies were blue. I'd forgotten what the Sierra look like when they aren't covered in snow. We passed my old ski cabin on Donner Lake. I smiled. Misha loved the frequent stops to walk and sniff and have a snack, and she made a few new friends. One young boy declared that "she looks like one of those show dogs!" … Charming boy.

We spent last night in Reno. Nothing much to do here except make plans for crossing Nevada today. After consulting Mr GPS, I don't think we can make it almost 600 miles from Reno to Salt Lake City in one day of driving, so we'll stay tonight in Wendover, right on the Nevada/Utah border, then cross the Great Salt Lake Desert in the early morning as we drive into the city.

If you're reading this, I must have figured out how to get wifi from Starbucks. It isn't free, but it's cheap. And on a related note… the peppermint hot chocolates are back on the Starbucks menu. WooHoo!

Tomorrow, The Great Salt Lake!

Misha and Me

Bon Voyage

2007-11-04T19:05:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, we leave! The truck is packed with most of our worldly goods and a two-month supply of food. Try as I might, I can't think of any reason not to hit the road first thing tomorrow morning. Misha is taking two crates of food and one suitcase; I'm taking one crate of food and two suitcases. That's just how we roll. This is as much Misha's adventure as it is mine, and I know she'll be a great traveling companion. If only she could take a turn at driving...

First stop, Reno!

Misha and Me

Ladies, Start Your Engine

2007-10-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

We're committed to leaving Monday morning, November 5th. Because the weather will only get colder, we'll take the northern route east. First destination: The Great Salt Lake. Followed by Yellowstone, then Mt Rushmore, then who knows? Too busy to say much more. MANY ducks to get in a nice orderly row before we can confidently hit the road. I've got the new wireless laptop and iPod nano and GPS system - how did they DO it in covered-wagon days? I'm frantically trying to get all the new toys online and working so I don't spend my traveling days on hold with Microsoft Tech Support.

Misha and Me

Full Speed Ahead

2007-10-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

Spring is too far away. Rather than spend the coming winter in a holding pattern waiting to take our trip, we've decided to just GO! A new laptop, a good pair of driving shoes, and we'll have no more excuses to postpone. Our new departure date is early November - returning in time for Christmas in Northern California. Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

Misha and Me

Just Pins on a Map

2007-09-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

They're just pins on a map today, but soon they will unfold into new adventures for Dana and Misha. Our southernmost pin is Cape Canaveral where, if we're lucky, we'll see a shuttle launch or landing. Our northernmost pin is Montreal, where only one of us will attend Cirque du Soleil at their home theatre (better brush up on my French). In between these extremities, we have pins in famous and not-so-famous places such as Niagara Falls and Savannah and New Orleans and Lawrence, Kansas.

It Seemed Like a Good Idea

2007-09-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

Misha and I have decided to take a cross-country road trip from the Best Coast to the Least Coast and back again. With any luck, we'll set off in Spring 2008. So far, our preparations include getting a new truck for the journey and poking pins in a US map for each of the sites, cities, and rest stops we plan to visit. And by "rest stops", we mean "houses of friends who will put us up for a few nights, let us use their laundry facilities, and send us off well fed".

Not much will happen on this blog for the next few months, but when we set off on our adventure, WATCH THIS SPACE!

Misha and Me