1/18

Rt 66 in Kingman is also known as Andy Devine Highway. I heard that Andy was from Kingman. Drove to Henderson yesterday and passed a vehicle with a sticker: vaginaterian. I think it was Mencken who said that no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.

First order of business was a stop at the Acura dealership for an oil change. Service dept was busy, but we did not see anyone who appeared to be a potential buyer.

We stopped by Hoover Dam which was quite crowded. We speculated that the multitudes were celebrating MLK day by going to the dam, which was confirmed by our return trip today. Lots of walking, but very impressive and well worth the visit. Also impressive was the bridge crossing the canyon a little down river, in sight of the dam. It was completed recently, and named for Pat Tillman.

We had breakfast at a restaurant visited by Guy Fieri, of Diners, Drive-Ins, etc. Very good.

1/16

Forgot to mention that J's favorite part of the train ride returing from the canyon was the free-flowing champagne. What a surprise!

We reluctantly left Sedona after lunch today. Beautiful weather and scenery. Our hotel had great views of the rocks, and we never tired of looking at them. They changed as the day went on and they got more or less sun.

We arrived in Kingman this PM, and drove around the Rt 66 which runs through downtown. Some great old buildings, the best of which is the Mohave County court house. One can only hope that the inside is as nice as the exterior. Tomorrow we head for the Hoover Dam, which is a long drive - 70 miles! Then we head for San Diego.

1/15

Greetings from Sedona. When we left Lake Havasu, we drove to Williams. Elevation: just under 7000 ft. Temp was 43 when we arrived at 3:30 PM. Lots of snow by the side of the road, and in piles in town, but roads were clear and dry, and nothing but sunshine coming out of the sky. We stayed at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, which was conveniently located near the Grand Canyon Railway depot. At 9AM, temp was 9, but sunny again. Locals said that Rt 40 was closed recently for 200 miles - from Kingman to Winslow. We watched a wild west show (a little hokey) and boarded the train for the Canyon. Very civilized 2.5 hour trip. Upon arrival, we took a bus trip, with 3 stops along the south rim. Magnificent views. My first trip, J's second. A once in a lifetime experience. As we drove toward Flagstaff ("Flag" as the locals call it), we had more magnificent views of snow covered peaks. Then more great views as we drove down 89A to Sedona. J whined, so we decided to stay a second night.

1/9

Forgot to mention that our hotel lobby has a full scale replica of the British royal coach used by the Royals on special occasions. The other night, we went to the restaurant in our hotel for dinner, and ran into a large party of "parrot heads", most of whom were older than we are. I like Jimmy Buffet as much as anyone, but these weezer-geezers were more than we could handle, so we exited stage right and went elsewhere.

Yesterday we took a 2.5 hour boat tour. From the London Bridge north to just south of the I-40 bridge. Beautiful day: clear sky, 60 degrees, no wind. Great day to spend an afternoon: looking at great rock formations and wildlife - including a pair of big-horn sheep.

Will probably check out the Parker dam (which created Lake Havasu) today.

All the news today and last night was about the shootings in Tucson. Last week the news was about a standoff outside the Chandler Fashion Mall - just down the road from our hotel when we were there. Just what this country needs: another nut-case with guns.

1/6

Greetings from Lake Havasu City. We arrived late yesterday afternoon and checking into the Martini Bay/ London Bridge Hotel. We have a nice view of the bridge. J is not feeling well today, so we did minimal activity. Right now she is out on the balcony catching some rays. Temp is in the high 50s, but the sun is very hot if we are out of the breeze. Yeah, I know: life gets tough in the big city!

Before we left Yuma, we visited the Territorial Prison, dating back to 1875. Very interesting. I asked them to keep J, but they refused. I think she scared them. Had a very nice dinner at Julieanna's Patio. Very nice food and interesting decorations. While you wait for dinner, you can watch the peacock strutting around the patio. Some nice old buildings in Yuma, but most of the town reminded us of Washtenaw and Stadium Ave.

The drive up 95 is very boring. No gas stations or restaurants between 8 and 10. And most of the road south of Parker is straight as an arrow. This whole area is RV heaven. On the road, in parks, and on lots for sale. Have never seen so many!

1/3

Greetings from Yuma! Pulled in here around 6PM, and temp was 60. But the hi-light of the day was the trip to Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch, near the intersection of 8 and 10. Good investment of $5 each, which includes a cup of animal feed for the deers, goats, ostriches, miniature donkeys, and exotic, beautiful birds. The deer ate out of my hand, but an ostrich is very aggressive - and it bites. J took several pictures of the birds sitting on my arm, eating out of the cup I held.

Sunday we drove around ASU campus. J was disappointed that the museum was closed. Afterward, we drove around downtown Phoenix and found their museum - which was open.

Will be here in Yuma for a few days.

1/1/11

I am told that there are several ostrich farms/ranches (which is correct?) here in the Chandler area, and they have a festival in March, which includes ostrich races. Ride 'em cowboy!

J stayed up and watched the ball come down last night. The good news is that midnight in NY is 10PM in AZ.

Lazy day, watching football.