Post by elementary on Apr 8, 2013 2:34:53 GMT -5
(My apologies for any spelling mistakes....I wrote enough I don't want to edit it...)
It's been a while since we've been on a true road trip so when my wife had a business meeting set for the far side of Arizona (White Mountain Reservation) that coincided with my and my daughter's spring break, we decided to make an adventure of it.
We would head out on the I-40 stopping at various points of interest until we hit Holbrook. Once there, we'd drop south towards Show Low and the White Mountain Reservation. Once the meeting was done, we'd head southwest through Globe into Phoenix for a respite of two nights before churning out the miles on the I-10 back into L.A. and up into Ventura.
So we took off Monday late (we hosted Easter and had a bit of cleanup) and arrived in Kingman deep in the night. The next day we rolled into Flagstaff and found a wonderful little shop that sold pottery (my wife's collecting niche). Turned out the potter was from my home town and had left the year I was born!
We loaded up on Christmas, Mother's Day, and housesitting gifts, then rumbled into Flagstaff and had a quick lunch. After our stomachs were filled as well as the Jeep's gas tank, we headed north to take in Sunset Crater (not a meteor crater but an old volcano) and Wupatki Pueblo - an ancient indian ruin. We picked up a Junior Ranger package for my daughter at the Visitor Center and headed out along the circular route that runs through these two parks - which, by the way, provides an excellent view of the Painted Desert - but I'm saving images of the desert for later.
We pulled up to the Pueblo and stretched out legs in the stiff wind. Displayed inside the Visitor Center of the Wupatki ruins were two intact pots recently found by some park volunteers monitoring a remote set of dwellings. Rebecca turned in her project and we went outside to take the 1/2 mile walk, circling in the partially reconstructed dwellings. Turns out the first rangers here had to live in the ruins as there wasn't anywhere else to stay - and the federal government charged them rent!
At the end of the path, myy daughter and wife enjoyed playing with the 'blowhole' - a crack in the earth that funneled air through a gap in the rock.
With the day growing late, we drove on east into a series of rain showers that gave us a couple beautiful rainbows, finally stopping in Holbrook for dinner at Jo and Aggi's Cafe (see joeandaggiescafe.com/) and a good night's sleep.
The next morning we headed out for the Petrified Forest.
After entering the northern gate of the park and eating breakfast at the little cafe there, we began our explorations.
If you haven't been there, the park sits between the I-10 in the north and the 180 in the south. The park's main road stretches for about 20 miles, starting with the Painted Desert (and Inn) and old Route 66 in the north, then threading between some Native American sites as you head south, before finally entering the region where most of the petrified wood can be seen. Little side drives and hikes lead to various points of interest. Each one unique in its own way (cabin made of petrified wood - petroglyphs - valley filled with stone logs, etc).
We had been here a couple times before so we focused on what was new or what would interest Becca. Our first stop was a short hike overlooking the Painted Desert and a stop and gawk at the old Painted Desert Inn which reopened since the last time we had visited.
We then rambled south past the Route 66 marker, a petroglyph and ruin, and the 'Blue Mesa' road that overlooked some fantastic landscapes. (I could post way more photos but I'll spare you the loading time...)
We reached the end of the road where my daughter finished her latest booklet for the Junior Ranger series and we walked among toppled giants.
When done, we heading over to Jim Gray's Petrified Wood Company.
We were meeting Gary (gr) who, by the way, is one of the nicest, most generous men you will ever meet. I had emailed him before the trip asking if he could tell me where I might hunt some wood and he offered to be a tour guide for the afternoon. After a very pleasant introduction, an exchange of rocks, and conversation regarding said rocks, our board here, and a multitude of other topics, he led us to one of his locations. I arrived with flutterings in my stomach. All I wanted was some colorful chips and pieces to take home. I got that and a bit more.
We started in a field by some buildings and I was able to fill a baggie with colorful wood chips relatively fast. My wife and daughter also scooped and bagged, but my daughter's eyes were not so discerning and she loading up with random pebbles.
One of the things that Gary brought to my attention were these little agates he called bubblegum, and that's what they looked like - very much like the bubblegum agate of South Dakota. Then he brought two out of his pocket that he had cut, and by George, inside they showed fortification markings. Not very ornate, admittedly, but still banded. I picked up a handful. They are not exactly common, but once you 'program' the look, they stand out in the sand.
After about 20 minutes of hunting, Gary suggested that we might be able to find more if we pushed a little farther past a fence. Karen, my wife, and my daughter stayed behind, but I pressed on.
Within 20 feet we had passed the first log protruding from the lip of a gentle slope. It wasn't very colorful, but it was a log.
Gary showed me how quartz crystals can hide in the crevasses and in seams in the wood.
50 feet down the hill we stood between two more logs, one much more agatized than the other. We collected bits and pieces of the material (the frost here shatters the wood when exposed too long to the elements.) The more colorful woo was a white/black mix, while the browner material came in large pieces - quarter and half rounds. The final piece I stumbled across possessed a beautiful knot.
We spent 30 minutes down there and covered less than 150 feet of hillside. Man, if I had more time......and had brought the camera...
Still - here are home pictures of what was collected:
After my wife pried me away from Gary (we must have talked for another 1/2 hour after staggering back to the car) and we made our goodbyes (and huge thank you's) my family headed south for Show Low and the White Mountain Apache Reservation.
We stayed at their casino (smoky and the people in the next room were evidently hard of hearing as the TV was blaring when we arrived and every few minutes someone would come and knock on their door, wait, then pound on the door, then wait again, then scream at whoever was inside to open up. Luckily this ended by 9:30 and quiet finally descended upon us.
The next morning we got up early and drove out to Fort Apache for my wife's meeting. The fort wasn't what I was expecting. Most had been reconstructed except for two odd buildings on its eastern side. After dropping off Karen, Becca and I returned to the nearest town to eat. While parking we saw two trucks where men were buying antlers. In speaking later to one of my wife's contacts, she mentioned how a lot of people earn extra money by roaming the trails and picking these up to sell to these dealers who then turn around and sell them to other people who come in from outside town and buy them for various uses - art, decor, etc.
After breakfast, we returned to the fort and Becca and I played frisbee, colored, and played with the Play Mobile people she so loves.
When my wife finished, we went through the museum, drove through the fort one last time, and headed out.
One old building at Fort Apache:
Just outside town we hit another reconstructed Pueblo, the Kinishba ruins.
This gave us another hike through another ancient structure. It was very picturesque and peaceful - except for the cow dung that littered the ground and Becca almost stepped in:
Then we hightailed it out of dodge as it was another long haul into Phoenix. As we headed south we traveled through some incredibly gorgeous landscape. Tops on the list was the Salt River Canyon. It is one of the most dramatic places I have ever been, and I regret I didn't stop to photograph it. With our time constraints and a fidgity daughter, I made the choice to press on. My regrets hit me within miles of passing out of its depths, and I highly recommend that drive to anyone who is passing near there.
We ended up in Globe - copper country you'll recall - and found a Rock Shop. We went in and my daughter bought a couple trinkets. I, though, as an agate guy, couldn't find anything that floated my boat, until I noticed some polishable quartz infused chrysocolla/malachite specimens. I bought two (pricey but they were from Globe) along with some tumbled peridot to use at the daughter's birthday party. I told the owner I was going to use the green gems for a sand sifting activity and he took my outside and pointed to the ground where a small pile of petrified wood chips and tiny peridot fragments covered the ground. He handed me a scoop and said I could take what I like as it was going to children. I filled a small baggie and said 'thanks' and was shown again how generous people in our hobby could be. He even recommended a place for dinner - The Copper Bistro - a burger and chicken joint which was fine by me as we'd done Mexican for the past two nights and the car is a very small place to be.....if you know what I mean....
As we dropped down into the desert, the wildflower bloom staggered us. The yellows, blues, purples, pinks, peaches etc decorated the highway in bursts of color. The whole desert looked alive....and then we rolled into the urban sprawl of Phoenix and the whole desert was covered....with houses and pavement and cars. I felt like I was back in LA except there was only one freeway instead of 4 or 5.
After fighting the traffic, we arrived at our hotel - The Buttes. It was ritzier than all our other stops combined, a true resort with multiple swimming pools and incredible view and pampering all around (and the prices to go with it). It was a great place to finish our trip.
We looked up what we wanted to do for our last full day. After what the desert showed us the day before, we decided to hit the Desert Botanical Gardens, which was maybe five miles away from us. We arrived around noon (the thermometer was pushing 80-85 degrees) and immediately was impressed by the blooming flora along the entranceway. It turned out there were two exhibits going on that interested us. One was the butterfly enclosure which would be lasting another month, and the second was their annual Succulent and Cactus Show that was happening only that weekend. My daughter gravitated towards the butterfly exhibit and spend quite a long time roaming about looking at the colorful insects. Afterwards my wife spent an equal amount of time browsing the cacti wares outside the showroom. My wife brought him some new stuff for the house; my daughter only wished she could.
We then hiked through a rainbow of colors sprouting in every corner and nook. We also wandered along the three main loops that displayed various types of desert plants. Among the branches and spikes my daughter spotted rabbits, lizards, quail (lots), and squirrels. She had a blast, until she got too hot and we stopped for ice cream.
It is an incredible and wondrous place that you MUST go to if you are in Phoenix during this time of year.
We returned to the hotel and Karen and Becca went to the pool where my daughter spent an hour going down a waterslide over and over again. We had dinner and hit the hay for the last night.
The next morning I packed the car while Becca got her final shot at the pool. Then it was checkout and we hit the I-10.
I had asked beefjello for some kid friendly places and he suggested Saddle Mountain. He was correct. It was easy access and near the freeway. The limitation was that it boasted only desert roses and the slim chance of finding fire agate if one looked long and hard enough.
It was a quick leap over there and the desert again made me stare. It's wondrous country out there. Stellar and bleak at the same time.
We drove down a dusty dirt road, took a turn, and stopped randomly. For about an hour we stooped and stumbled over the landscape. The roses/chalcedony was everywhere. Piles of it. I filled several zip locks and my wife/daughter team filled another. Our hunt lasted an hour - and produced maybe 1 piece of fire....but it was fun and a great way to break up a 440 mile drive...
We made one more stop in Quartzite for food and a quick browse of an open rock shop. There were few things that caught my eye, but I bought some Moroccan nodules, a chunk of Snake River Dendritic Agate, and some small pieces of pink Peruvian Opal.
Then it was on the road again and we arrived at our front doorstep at 10:10 pm after leaving Phoenix at noon.
It was a great and marvelous trip and I can't wait to plan next year's excursion!
(If you made it to the bottom of this post....you deserve a medal!)
Thanks for reading my 'blah blah blah'. Hope you found something interesting.
Lowell
It's been a while since we've been on a true road trip so when my wife had a business meeting set for the far side of Arizona (White Mountain Reservation) that coincided with my and my daughter's spring break, we decided to make an adventure of it.
We would head out on the I-40 stopping at various points of interest until we hit Holbrook. Once there, we'd drop south towards Show Low and the White Mountain Reservation. Once the meeting was done, we'd head southwest through Globe into Phoenix for a respite of two nights before churning out the miles on the I-10 back into L.A. and up into Ventura.
So we took off Monday late (we hosted Easter and had a bit of cleanup) and arrived in Kingman deep in the night. The next day we rolled into Flagstaff and found a wonderful little shop that sold pottery (my wife's collecting niche). Turned out the potter was from my home town and had left the year I was born!
We loaded up on Christmas, Mother's Day, and housesitting gifts, then rumbled into Flagstaff and had a quick lunch. After our stomachs were filled as well as the Jeep's gas tank, we headed north to take in Sunset Crater (not a meteor crater but an old volcano) and Wupatki Pueblo - an ancient indian ruin. We picked up a Junior Ranger package for my daughter at the Visitor Center and headed out along the circular route that runs through these two parks - which, by the way, provides an excellent view of the Painted Desert - but I'm saving images of the desert for later.
We pulled up to the Pueblo and stretched out legs in the stiff wind. Displayed inside the Visitor Center of the Wupatki ruins were two intact pots recently found by some park volunteers monitoring a remote set of dwellings. Rebecca turned in her project and we went outside to take the 1/2 mile walk, circling in the partially reconstructed dwellings. Turns out the first rangers here had to live in the ruins as there wasn't anywhere else to stay - and the federal government charged them rent!
At the end of the path, myy daughter and wife enjoyed playing with the 'blowhole' - a crack in the earth that funneled air through a gap in the rock.
With the day growing late, we drove on east into a series of rain showers that gave us a couple beautiful rainbows, finally stopping in Holbrook for dinner at Jo and Aggi's Cafe (see joeandaggiescafe.com/) and a good night's sleep.
The next morning we headed out for the Petrified Forest.
After entering the northern gate of the park and eating breakfast at the little cafe there, we began our explorations.
If you haven't been there, the park sits between the I-10 in the north and the 180 in the south. The park's main road stretches for about 20 miles, starting with the Painted Desert (and Inn) and old Route 66 in the north, then threading between some Native American sites as you head south, before finally entering the region where most of the petrified wood can be seen. Little side drives and hikes lead to various points of interest. Each one unique in its own way (cabin made of petrified wood - petroglyphs - valley filled with stone logs, etc).
We had been here a couple times before so we focused on what was new or what would interest Becca. Our first stop was a short hike overlooking the Painted Desert and a stop and gawk at the old Painted Desert Inn which reopened since the last time we had visited.
We then rambled south past the Route 66 marker, a petroglyph and ruin, and the 'Blue Mesa' road that overlooked some fantastic landscapes. (I could post way more photos but I'll spare you the loading time...)
We reached the end of the road where my daughter finished her latest booklet for the Junior Ranger series and we walked among toppled giants.
When done, we heading over to Jim Gray's Petrified Wood Company.
We were meeting Gary (gr) who, by the way, is one of the nicest, most generous men you will ever meet. I had emailed him before the trip asking if he could tell me where I might hunt some wood and he offered to be a tour guide for the afternoon. After a very pleasant introduction, an exchange of rocks, and conversation regarding said rocks, our board here, and a multitude of other topics, he led us to one of his locations. I arrived with flutterings in my stomach. All I wanted was some colorful chips and pieces to take home. I got that and a bit more.
We started in a field by some buildings and I was able to fill a baggie with colorful wood chips relatively fast. My wife and daughter also scooped and bagged, but my daughter's eyes were not so discerning and she loading up with random pebbles.
One of the things that Gary brought to my attention were these little agates he called bubblegum, and that's what they looked like - very much like the bubblegum agate of South Dakota. Then he brought two out of his pocket that he had cut, and by George, inside they showed fortification markings. Not very ornate, admittedly, but still banded. I picked up a handful. They are not exactly common, but once you 'program' the look, they stand out in the sand.
After about 20 minutes of hunting, Gary suggested that we might be able to find more if we pushed a little farther past a fence. Karen, my wife, and my daughter stayed behind, but I pressed on.
Within 20 feet we had passed the first log protruding from the lip of a gentle slope. It wasn't very colorful, but it was a log.
Gary showed me how quartz crystals can hide in the crevasses and in seams in the wood.
50 feet down the hill we stood between two more logs, one much more agatized than the other. We collected bits and pieces of the material (the frost here shatters the wood when exposed too long to the elements.) The more colorful woo was a white/black mix, while the browner material came in large pieces - quarter and half rounds. The final piece I stumbled across possessed a beautiful knot.
We spent 30 minutes down there and covered less than 150 feet of hillside. Man, if I had more time......and had brought the camera...
Still - here are home pictures of what was collected:
After my wife pried me away from Gary (we must have talked for another 1/2 hour after staggering back to the car) and we made our goodbyes (and huge thank you's) my family headed south for Show Low and the White Mountain Apache Reservation.
We stayed at their casino (smoky and the people in the next room were evidently hard of hearing as the TV was blaring when we arrived and every few minutes someone would come and knock on their door, wait, then pound on the door, then wait again, then scream at whoever was inside to open up. Luckily this ended by 9:30 and quiet finally descended upon us.
The next morning we got up early and drove out to Fort Apache for my wife's meeting. The fort wasn't what I was expecting. Most had been reconstructed except for two odd buildings on its eastern side. After dropping off Karen, Becca and I returned to the nearest town to eat. While parking we saw two trucks where men were buying antlers. In speaking later to one of my wife's contacts, she mentioned how a lot of people earn extra money by roaming the trails and picking these up to sell to these dealers who then turn around and sell them to other people who come in from outside town and buy them for various uses - art, decor, etc.
After breakfast, we returned to the fort and Becca and I played frisbee, colored, and played with the Play Mobile people she so loves.
When my wife finished, we went through the museum, drove through the fort one last time, and headed out.
One old building at Fort Apache:
Just outside town we hit another reconstructed Pueblo, the Kinishba ruins.
This gave us another hike through another ancient structure. It was very picturesque and peaceful - except for the cow dung that littered the ground and Becca almost stepped in:
Then we hightailed it out of dodge as it was another long haul into Phoenix. As we headed south we traveled through some incredibly gorgeous landscape. Tops on the list was the Salt River Canyon. It is one of the most dramatic places I have ever been, and I regret I didn't stop to photograph it. With our time constraints and a fidgity daughter, I made the choice to press on. My regrets hit me within miles of passing out of its depths, and I highly recommend that drive to anyone who is passing near there.
We ended up in Globe - copper country you'll recall - and found a Rock Shop. We went in and my daughter bought a couple trinkets. I, though, as an agate guy, couldn't find anything that floated my boat, until I noticed some polishable quartz infused chrysocolla/malachite specimens. I bought two (pricey but they were from Globe) along with some tumbled peridot to use at the daughter's birthday party. I told the owner I was going to use the green gems for a sand sifting activity and he took my outside and pointed to the ground where a small pile of petrified wood chips and tiny peridot fragments covered the ground. He handed me a scoop and said I could take what I like as it was going to children. I filled a small baggie and said 'thanks' and was shown again how generous people in our hobby could be. He even recommended a place for dinner - The Copper Bistro - a burger and chicken joint which was fine by me as we'd done Mexican for the past two nights and the car is a very small place to be.....if you know what I mean....
As we dropped down into the desert, the wildflower bloom staggered us. The yellows, blues, purples, pinks, peaches etc decorated the highway in bursts of color. The whole desert looked alive....and then we rolled into the urban sprawl of Phoenix and the whole desert was covered....with houses and pavement and cars. I felt like I was back in LA except there was only one freeway instead of 4 or 5.
After fighting the traffic, we arrived at our hotel - The Buttes. It was ritzier than all our other stops combined, a true resort with multiple swimming pools and incredible view and pampering all around (and the prices to go with it). It was a great place to finish our trip.
We looked up what we wanted to do for our last full day. After what the desert showed us the day before, we decided to hit the Desert Botanical Gardens, which was maybe five miles away from us. We arrived around noon (the thermometer was pushing 80-85 degrees) and immediately was impressed by the blooming flora along the entranceway. It turned out there were two exhibits going on that interested us. One was the butterfly enclosure which would be lasting another month, and the second was their annual Succulent and Cactus Show that was happening only that weekend. My daughter gravitated towards the butterfly exhibit and spend quite a long time roaming about looking at the colorful insects. Afterwards my wife spent an equal amount of time browsing the cacti wares outside the showroom. My wife brought him some new stuff for the house; my daughter only wished she could.
We then hiked through a rainbow of colors sprouting in every corner and nook. We also wandered along the three main loops that displayed various types of desert plants. Among the branches and spikes my daughter spotted rabbits, lizards, quail (lots), and squirrels. She had a blast, until she got too hot and we stopped for ice cream.
It is an incredible and wondrous place that you MUST go to if you are in Phoenix during this time of year.
We returned to the hotel and Karen and Becca went to the pool where my daughter spent an hour going down a waterslide over and over again. We had dinner and hit the hay for the last night.
The next morning I packed the car while Becca got her final shot at the pool. Then it was checkout and we hit the I-10.
I had asked beefjello for some kid friendly places and he suggested Saddle Mountain. He was correct. It was easy access and near the freeway. The limitation was that it boasted only desert roses and the slim chance of finding fire agate if one looked long and hard enough.
It was a quick leap over there and the desert again made me stare. It's wondrous country out there. Stellar and bleak at the same time.
We drove down a dusty dirt road, took a turn, and stopped randomly. For about an hour we stooped and stumbled over the landscape. The roses/chalcedony was everywhere. Piles of it. I filled several zip locks and my wife/daughter team filled another. Our hunt lasted an hour - and produced maybe 1 piece of fire....but it was fun and a great way to break up a 440 mile drive...
We made one more stop in Quartzite for food and a quick browse of an open rock shop. There were few things that caught my eye, but I bought some Moroccan nodules, a chunk of Snake River Dendritic Agate, and some small pieces of pink Peruvian Opal.
Then it was on the road again and we arrived at our front doorstep at 10:10 pm after leaving Phoenix at noon.
It was a great and marvelous trip and I can't wait to plan next year's excursion!
(If you made it to the bottom of this post....you deserve a medal!)
Thanks for reading my 'blah blah blah'. Hope you found something interesting.
Lowell
