December 20, 2011 – Valley of Fire

When it comes to national parks and spectacular desert spots, Nevada has got tough competition. Squeezed between California and Utah with the Grand Canyon just out of reach, the average traveler doesn’t think Nevada and scenic go together. And I have to admit that some of those dry and dull roads across Nevada can be a challenge. But I decided to treat the Silver State as a treasure hunt. There are some real gems hidden among the sagebrush. Years ago I discovered one of the best desert places in the west.

Valley of Fire State Park is about 90 minutes north of Las Vegas, yet most of the thousands who flock to Las Vegas will never bother to see the park. I am not complaining about that. It’s always quiet and so many other travelers assume that as a “state park” it can’t be as good as “national park.” Okay, you just keep driving. Valley of Fire is all about the canyons, the rock formations, the petroglyphs all in oranges and reds against an intense blue sky. I saw the place in a dream over and over for about six months before I first visited the Valley of Fire. That was over ten years ago. I have been back many times since then.

December 1, 2011 – First Snow

Welcome to December, in many places it’s time to anticipate the first snow of the winter. In some places it has already happened and they’re waiting for more. In October I dodged the first snow and headed south through the Owens Valley after a day in Bodie. I was ahead of the Sierra’s first storm of the winter. Many years I have had my first snow quite unexpectedly in October or September. I’ve had to cancel trips to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, change course in Utah, hit road closures in Oregon and cranked the heat in the car as I found myself in a snow covered pass in Colorado. Lesson #1, altitude trumps the calendar.

A few years ago in October I went up from New Mexico into Southern Colorado. The photos I had seen of Great Sand Dunes National Park were striking. Massive dunes in the middle of the Rockies — I had to see it for myself. I woke in an Alamosa, Colorado motel to an ice encrusted rental car and a few inches of snow. In the national park the sky was heavy, the dunes were covered in snow and it was really cold. Next time, I have to get there before the first snow.

August 12, 2011 – Does a bear sit in the road in the woods?

As a kid, I remember being fascinated by the thought of going on a car trip with my family to some national park where bears would come up to the car. Those images of happy families feeding snacks to bears in the middle of the road — who wouldn’t want to try that? By the time we all knew better, bears were better managed in parks. But it’s not surprising that I tend to collect those of bears with people on old postcards and in old photos. In my bathroom I even have some framed photos of bears and a car in the 1930’s. It wasn’t until two years ago that I finally saw a bear along the road. It was in Sequoia National Park and the bear was big and brown and completely uninterested. Not even willing to look up when I snapped a picture from the safe confines of my rent-a-car.

April 4, 2011 – Old Road

I like painting roads. It’s not that surprising considering my passion for road trips. I have painted Route 1 many times. Today I visited Wilder Ranch State Park on the coast near Santa Cruz. It’s just off of Route 1. It was a picture perfect spring day. The historic ranch is located on the Coast Road. The Coast Road (painted here) is the old road that dips down and veers off of Route 1. This was the main road before the days of the state highway.

I have a fascination with this type of old road. They often are no more than bends and curves that parallel the main road. The old roads are vestiges of the original road left behind after the state came through and straightened the highway to accommodate faster traffic. I grew up on Cape Cod, where the oldest main road (now Route 6A) is mainly intact, as windy as it was about 380 years ago. But many of the newer state roads on Cape Cod also have these branches like the Coast Road near Santa Cruz. These side roads function as time capsules of main roads from another era. So slow down, and take that turn, see where it goes….

February 26, 2011 – The Road Home

I love road trips and I love coming home. Today it was time for the drive back home to San Francisco. It was an eventful drive, as I had to deal with snow. I know if you live in a place with a real winter, you’re probably thinking, big deal. I do know how to drive in snow. I learned to drive in it. But California Freeways that rarely have freezing weather are another story altogether. I had sleet, hail, some falling snow and a bit of ice through two mountain passes on the way back from Southern California.

The reentry to San Francisco is something that has to be finessed. There is the time of the day vis-à-vis traffic question. I chose the southern route, coming in via the Pacheco Pass and San Jose. I’ll do what it takes to avoid the East Bay and the Bay Bridge on a Saturday afternoon. And then what happens when I pull up in front of my building. I don’t have a suburban driveway to pull the car into. A small miracle was finding a parking place across the street. Car unloaded and a few flights of stairs.

I actually have not owned a car for over 25 years. It saves so much money and stress. Fortunately I live in a city where it is possible. I rent for road trips. I love the folks at Avis. They take great care of locals and always treat me like a rock star. I get the special short line and am in and out in a jiffy. The Eurotourists gawk and try to figure out why I am so special. They should know, they really should.

Tomorrow it is back to the routine. It will start with a morning walk and a stop at the farmer’s market on the way home, art, coffee and more art.

February 24, 2011 - Road Trip Junk

You know you've been on a road trip for a few days when the back of the car starts to fill up with litter and wrappers. It’s all from the sort of food you only eat when you're on the road. Add a teenage nephew into the mix and there is an extra layer. But I can’t just blame him. I am just as guilty too of tossing bits of whatever behind the driver's seat.
While my nephew slept early this morning, I cleaned up the car in Lone Pine, California and found all sorts of colorful bits to use in today's piece. Happy Trails…