Santa Fe and Albuquerque

If you ever want to have a wonderful drive, take highway 285 south from Denver to Santa Fe.  It goes through a high altitude valley.  It was like an IMAX movie, driving along between two mountain ranges through this flat plain.  It was clearly not spring here yet, driving along above 7400 feet.  I kept wondering who lives here and why, but there were clearly cattle in some of the fields.  The peaks of the mountains were snow-covered, and my guess is that they stay that way well into summer.

Santa Fe was fun, but mostly fairly cold.  I had some time to visit the old town area and had some wonderful food.  My friend Ellen had recommended The Shed, so I went there for dinner just a few hours after arriving.  I had been feeling nostalgic as I drove down through northern New Mexico, not having been in this area for many years.  The mesas, arroyos, and the type of vegetation, pinion pine and mesquite, were all building a warm feeling.  Then I sat down at The Shed to a plate of green chile chicken enchiladas, and with the first bite it was an intense overwhelm of gustatory nostalgia.  This is the New Mexico I remember, real New Mexican cooking.

The next day I ate lunch at Cafe Pasqual's, having chicken mole enchiladas, and it also was a truly memorable experience.  I love the different versions of mole, with this one being complex in flavor, but only mildly spicey. Enchiladas twice in two days seemed a little much, but there is something that is so thoroughly real Mexican food about them.

I played golf once in Santa Fe at the Marty Sanchez municipal course.  I arrived early in the morning, and when I started on the first tee, playing alone, it was only 40 degrees.  After two holes I was worried it was simply too cold to play, but it slowly started to warm, and with it my general performance.  After struggling in the front nine, I played pretty well in the second.

I left for Albuquerque on Monday, the 26th early, and arrived in time to play at Twin Warriors as a single.  I was paired with a young man from Ohio, whose wife was in the cart, but didn't play.  He was very good, and we had a good time.  The course is beautiful, but still, with it just being on the brink of spring, the trees were not yet in leaf, and it was relatively windy, varying between one and two clubs during the round.  I'd love to play there again sometime, preferably when it is warmer.  I went later that day to Mary and George's house in Placitas and stayed with them for a couple of days.  Their house, which George built, is not only beautiful, but has many very innovative touches.  It is so easy to be there, and we had a great time.  The next day I did some minor shopping and then went to Michael's house in the far northwest corner of the city to have lunch with him and the boys.  I couldn't believe how much the boys are now young men, fairly constantly teasing each other.  It was a fun lunch.  Later that evening Mary, George and I went out to the Hyatt for their 8th Anniversary dinner.  It was delightful, and the atmosphere was great.  Their hospitality was so gracious and I was most appreciative that the weather started to turn warm.  

I then traveled south to Las Cruces for the night, impressed with how much greener the southern part of the state looked than I remembered it.  It is Spring, and I was told it has rained more than usual, but the hills and distant mountains are like a lumpy blanket of green across the plains to the edge of the hills.

Denver and Bailey, Colorado

I arrived in Denver with the intent of spending some time with my brother, Jim, also known as “Charming Little Brother.”  I arrived early afternoon after leaving Grand Junction early since Jim had told me to be careful about the weather.  The drive was picturesque, but it was nice to get to a city after being in fairly out of the way places.  I’ve become a fan of Priceline, and had fun playing “how low can you go” in getting my first night at the Grand Hyatt for less than half of the published price.  I already had a reservation for the next two nights at a Hampton Inn nearer to Jim’s apartment. 

We were going to play golf the next day in the mid-afternoon, but when we got to Fox Hollow, it was starting to rain lightly, and we decided to bag it until the next morning.  GOOD decision.  The next morning the weather was great. 

In the meantime, Jim took me to the Morrison Inn in Morrison for the afternoon, and we had a terrific lunch of Mexican food.    It’s a really cute little town, and we did some driving beyond the town to see the sights.  Jim goes into the hills frequently and knows these areas very well.

The golf the next morning was fun.  We played with a young couple, both of whom were pretty good, but the guy, John, was hitting from the championship tees, and making par on almost every hole.  Jim hadn’t played in about a year, and his style is, shall we say, “home grown.”  But he is a natural athlete, and by the 8^th hole, he was starting to hit the ball pretty consistently, both straight and solid.  It was really fun, and gave us a chance to laugh a bit with each other, since we don’t really see each other that often. 

When I left Denver, I drove to Bailey, Colorado, which is up in the hills, at about 7800 feet.  I got to see Heather, Daun, and the kids, Devlin and Kaelin.  I had a great time with both kids my first evening there, but I especially ended up having some fun with Devlin, age 4 ½ , the next day.  Heather was starting a new job as the county WIC educator, so Devlin and I had the day together.  We played games in the morning and watched some silly cartoon, then we went to a special lunch at the Coney Island hotdog place, just outside of the small town of Bailey.  The hotdogs were, well, adequate in quality, while being absolutely delicious in the impact of the fun with Devlin.  He was really more into the fries, but we were eating outside, and there was some music playing over the sound system (oldies but goodies,) and when I started lightly singing, he got real interested, and started swaying to the music.  We started dancing while sitting, and had a great time.  Then we went to the Pine Creek Open Space, about 12 miles away, and went on a nature walk around the lake.  When it started to sprinkle, we went under a huge fir tree, and he did experiments on what one could throw in the river that would float or sink (rocks sink, pine cones and sticks float-who’da thunk it).  It cleared up in about 10 minutes, and we continued around the lake. 

Heather was a great cook, making a fantastic chicken dish in the crock pot with some Mexican overtones.  We all read books with the kids, and being with them was truly a warm family event.  I also went outside with the kids and we did some chipping with a couple of golf balls.  Kaelin has some real interest in golf, and of course, Devlin has interest in anything Kaelin does.  I have visited them 3 times now, and each time is always a real treat.  I left early on the 21^st to drive to Santa Fe, after hugs all around. 

The drive from Bryce Canyon to Grand Junction was another beauty, but there was an interesting stretch in there that can only be described as desolation. There were large vistas, but the mountains and steppes were almost completely barren of any plant life. Then I hit the Colorado border, and things started to green up a little.

Grand Junction is a small city with a nice attitude. The people were very friendly. I was at the Ramada Inn and they were very helpful in anything asked. I went to the Colorado National Monument one afternoon, and it reminded me a lot of Zion National Park in the beauty of the spires and the way the canyons developed over time. It’s been great having a National Parks Annual Pass, as getting into the parks is now so quick and easy. I’ve decided to mostly let the pictures tell the story here, but I feel the people who live here are really fortunate that they have such an amazing national park nearby. And if the others I saw along the way are an indication, they do take advantage a lot.

I had been told that the steaks at WW Peppers would “melt in your mouth.” It was right beside the motel, so I decided to try them. I had one of those exceptionally perky, 45 year old waitresses with a hairdo from a 1960’s teenager who was a real treat. The steak was less than advertised, but the experience was rather fun.

I played golf at a place called Adobe Creek and realized that I was slowly getting my golf game back in shape, but was having some difficulty with my driver. It was very unpredictable, but especially I was tending to pull the ball strongly. At the same time, my proficiency with my relatively new 3 fairway metal was becoming quite good, so on short par 4’s, I was using that. Since then I’ve realized it has been more a problem with my weight transfer, so I’ve been to the range and worked on it. The other interesting thing is that one can get very seduced into thinking one’s power is increasing dramatically when you’re playing golf at 4000-6000 feet in altitude. I was regularly banging out 210 yard drives, when 190 is about my usual average. I’ve had to recalculate the distance of each of my irons also, as I’m hitting all of them further at this altitude.

I then drove to Denver. I’d spoken to my brother, Jim, and realized the weather might get a little testy the next afternoon, and since I had to go over Vail pass, which is over 11,000 feet, I decided to get an early start. One of the most interesting parts of this trip is the driving itself. This was a beautiful drive, winding through very narrow canyons on very well-maintained highway. Driving through the ski areas made me long for getting back on skis again, but that will have to wait until next winter. In the long descent down into Denver, there was one stretch where the cops were out in force, and I saw 3 people pulled over within about 10 minutes. I have been very careful with my speed on this trip, partly to avoid a ticket, but also as part of the experience to really see the countryside and not be in a hurry. The less traffic, the more I simply put it on cruise control and look at the world. Next: Denver

Bryce Canyon was not quite awake yet. I checked into the Bryce Canyon Resort Motel (a bit of an exaggeration, but the cabin was cute, well equipped and a little rustic. The manager was exceptionally pleasant and gave some good advice about the Park. Once again, the next morning I went to the park.

I focused on going to the various lookout points, since number one, it was cold, about 44 degrees, and two, the rangers were warning everyone that the trails were pretty muddy. The views, as you can see here, are unbelievable. Several times the lining up of the Hoodoos, which is what the spires are called, reminded me of the Chinese Terra Cotta Warriors. I showed up at the appointed time and place to hear a ranger named Jan Stock discuss the geology of the area. A huge area called the Colorado Plateau started out as a base of sedimentary rock, caused by an inland sea which split what is now the United States in two. As that sea receded as tectonic movement caused the Colorado Plateau to rise, there were freshwater lakes which put down millions of years of sandstone. The various colors are due to the relative amounts of various minerals, obviously iron being a predominant one causing the red color. These particular formations are due to a unique interaction of climate. Due to the altitude, this area has about 200 days per year where the daytime temperature is above freezing and the nighttime temperature is below freezing. Given the amount of rain and snow the area receives, the rather fragile sandstone is subjected to freezing and thawing of water in the cracks many days of the year, so little bits of it chip off. The beautiful Hoodoos are caused by this erosion, which doesn't happen at either much higher or lower elevations due to the lack of the temperature shift from freezing to above freezing. It's either too consistently warm or too consistently cold. The bad news is that this erosion is fairly rapid in geological terms, so the Hoodoos change fairly quickly. It is estimated that within a mere 3 million years, they will be reduced to rubble. I suggest you make a plan to visit soon.

I loved Jan's talk of about 50 minutes, though the last 10 minutes were difficult simply because I was getting quite cold. I left the park at about 3 pm, and went back to the motel to warm up and eat leftovers. That night it snowed about 3 inches. When I looked out my window at about 6:30 am, I decided it was time to go back to bed for awhile, so the roads had some time to get clear. As you know, for me to stay in bed beyond 6:30 is pretty much against my religion, but it felt very nice. The forecast was for temps in the mid-60's that day. Sure enough, by 8 am, while everything else was still covered with snow there was a thick band of steam over the roads where the water was evaporating rapidly. I went back to the park and took more pictures. As with Zion National Park, this is an area I'd love to come back to for some backpacking.

Zion National Park

OK, so why didn't someone make me go to this place before? I drove in from Las Vegas and stayed at the Zion Park Inn, a very pleasant, clean place with nice service, but not particularly fancy-in other words, just the kind of place I like. As you will see in the pictures, the National Park is especially memorable. I purchased an annual pass for the National Park Service, and this was my first use of it. Since it costs $25 to get in per vehicle, it was a good start on recouping the eighty bucks. But even before I went to the park, just the view from the outside of the motel was amazing. Huge rock formations to rival Yosemite were everywhere. I went to the park early the next morning with my hiking shoes on and took the shuttle up to the end point, stopping along the way to catch the morning light on the formations. Then, after hiking about 2 miles at the end point, I caught the shuttle down to another area and went on another 2.5 mile hike. The whole experience was magical, but it was quite an education to remember what it's like to hike at 4000 feet when you're used to sea level.

The last 15 minutes up to the upper Emerald Pool was fairly strenuous, and I ended up taking off both my windbreaker and polartech shirt to just be in a T shirt when I got to the top. But there was a beautiful pool with the water cascading down from above. It made me feel I wanted to come back here for a week and do some camping in the back country, and a lot more hiking. The next morning I took off for Bryce Canyon, about two hours away. The drive from the park entrance through the park to the exit was exceptionally pretty, with many wonderful spots to stop and see more interesting rock formations. Powerful is how I would describe most of them in Zion, with many sheer cliff faces. I even saw a climber or two along the way.

When I got back to the motel, it was just in time to see the last 9 holes of the Masters Golf Tournament. I went to the little bar/restaurant next to the motel called Jacks, which ended up being a very nice choice. The proprietor was really nice, and the nachos were terrific. It was the one time I've had a beer so far, and after all the hiking, and a lot of water, it was soooo good. I loved the outcome of the tournament, with Phil Mickelson getting the green jacket. It was exciting right up to the end, and touching, given the difficulties Phil's wife has had this past year with breast cancer. One could see the love clearly in that long hug when he came off the green.

After I left the Park, I had breakfast at a nice little place on the plateau just outside the Park a few miles, called the Buffalo Grill. Their Cowboy Breakfast was just what I needed, though I saved about half of it for later. I then started the ascent up to Bryce Canyon National Park. While not wanting to go into too much of a geological discussion, the lower strata of the formations at Bryce are at the, level as the upper strata of Zion. The lower strata at Zion is at the level of the upper strata at Grand Canyon. When I describe Bryce, and the delightful Jan Stock in the next post, the reason this is important will be more clear.

Anyway, still having fun, and I actually noticed as I left Zion that I hadn't been to work in awhile (12 days). It's starting to sink in, that this is a whole new lifestyle. I keep meeting very nice people along the way, on the trails, the entry rangers at the park, waitpeople in restaurants, all willing to give local information and very kind.

Las Vegas

Ok, what can one say about Vegas? It was great fun. I picked up Tu on a Wednesday morning and we stayed at the Wyndham Grand Desert. Nice place, with a lovely room, clean and with exceptionally friendly service staff. We played a little bit of blackjack together, something we've never done. I like blackjack and poker, she's a slots enthusiast and likes poker too, but only online. We both lost some money at blackjack, but as has happened the last several times I've been there, sometimes it comes back.

We didn't play long though because we had early dinner reservations at Roy's. We were celebrating my retirement (oh, yeah, been milking that one for all it's worth), just as we celebrated her 21st birthday there. It was just wonderful. I had butterfish, and could hardly talk after the first bite, just wanted to savor the experience. For us, it simply seems like Roy's is consistently excellent. But good as it was, in just 24 hours it was going to be slightly upstaged.

We had tickets to Cirque du Soleil's "Ka" that evening. It completely lived up to the Cirque standard. Lot's of martial arts and people floating on wires in a romantic ballet. We came out smiling, amazed as usual that no one seems to kill himself. I'd love to have the opportunity to see rehearsals.

The highlight of the trip was our last evening when we ate at the Mesa Grill, Bobby Flay's restaurant in Caesars Palace. It was intentionally a slow experience, starting with margaritas and the chicken tacos. The chicken has a sweet barbecue sauce, and there is also an ancho chile sauce to go on it. Each dish was exquisite and we had a pineapple upside down cake for desert (having done our chocolate fix at Roy's with the chocolate souffles. We walked out very full and wanting a little exercise. We walked all over Caesars and then, while Tu played a little Wheel of Fortune, I sat at a blackjack table, hit a brief winning streak, and won back the money we'd lost before and a little more. So all in all, lots of fun. It's the last time Tu and I will see each other until July, so the good-bye hugs were warm.

The Uneventful Drive

What do you see when told it's a pretty uneventful drive? It was magic. Several days after going through Joshua Tree National Park, the trip required retracing those steps to return through the Park, and on north to Las Vegas. It was early morning and there were almost no other cars.

The joshua trees were brightly outlined in the morning light. There were hills of jumbled rounded rocks. Piles of them stuck out in the middle of nowhere. In other areas mountains of multi-layered, colored stone had obviously been pried from underneath, up, up into to the sky.

The wind was firm, but not enough to remove a very distant level of haze. Up through the cholla forest, fuzzy cacti which look cute, until a close-up reveals the stiff spines. The sun is slowly rising, casting more direct light on the rocks and the profusion of flowers. Then over the hill on toward Twenty-nine Palms. The alluvial plain stretches for 50 miles below, the silent vista denying the "uneventful" nature of the experience. One can imagine long ago flows of water, carving out the hills, leaving small peaks in a succession of slightly decreasing shades of gray in the distance.

More hills and then moving into the Mojave National Preserve. Slowly the hills change from rounded on the top to the start of more powerful uprisings. Sheer cliffs of multicolored stratified rock. What are the layers? What was the climate like when they were laid down? Were there dinosaurs? (no, happened before the dinosaurs) The road moves through more valleys each with a slight change from the one before. There is an area of salt flats, and then a lonely mile long sand dune. In Kelso, there's a short wait while a long freight train rambles by. Then up onto the plateau, with more grand vistas, and another joshua tree patch. Now they're friends, sentinels insuring that there is watching happening, noticing the slow passage of time, and feeling the brisk wind.

Finally the spell slowly dissolves when the Nevada border is crossed, and suddenly there are more cars, all speeding to Sin City. Oh yeah, but the moment isn't lost, and is etched into memory.

Golf and Earthquakes

The last two days have been eventful. Kit, Lynda and I did our usual procedure at the Kraft-Nabisco Tournament in Rancho Mirage. We played golf early in the morning on one of the two courses at Mission Hills that the pros weren't using, followed by watching the tournament when we got off the 18th green. The golf was wonderful. The weather was just about perfect, chilly in the early morning in the desert, followed by the temperature moving up into the high 70's with minimal wind. I love this club. The Palmer and Dye courses are beautifully maintained, and after having played Harding Park in San Francisco about a week ago, the greens here in Rancho Mirage were noticeably more smooth, faster, and more undulating. I'm shooting in the low to mid 90's, and by the end of this trip would love to be in the mid-80's. I know it's possible, but as we all know, consistency is always the problem.

We were sitting around yesterday afternoon, preparing to watch the Stanford Women play Oklahoma in the semis of the NCAA basketball tournament, when the house started to sway. It was a slow waving motion, seeming to move slightly more up and down that side to side. Nothing fell off walls or countertops, but it lasted a good 15 seconds. Having been in numerous quakes when living in San Carlos, I guessed this one at about a 6.5. We immediately got on the internet, and discovered its epicenter was in Baja, Mexico, near Mexicali, and was a 7.2. So given our distance away in Rancho Mirage, my initial guess seemed pretty close. This morning at 4:15 we had another noticeable aftershock.

The earthquake was one minor level of excitement, but the Kraft-Nabisco tournament was really fun. Wendy Tseng won, consistent with Kit's prediction after round 3. Suzann Pettersen made it very interesting at the very end, bringing it to one stroke difference with a birdie on 18. But Wendy played the last few holes very wisely, being careful and not making any major mistakes (in spite of a drive into the rough on 18). As usual, we attended on the first 3 days, sometimes sitting at hole 6 near the amphitheater style hill around the green, and at other times following players for a few holes before shifting to others. It's really fun to see them up so close. They're all so young, so talented, and we always marvel at how loose and enjoying themselves they seem.

On the final day, we always watch the end at home on TV. You get to see more players on different holes and see every shot. It seemed that Yani could hardly wait to jump into the pond, and she smiled, and truly seemed the very young, exuberant woman that she is.

We then prepared to watch the Stanford game when the earthquake happened. The game itself was more exciting at the end than I wanted. The Oklahoma team came within 4 points in the last minute, after having been down by 18. They were fighters, but in the end, the Cardinal came through, setting up a showdown with Connecticut. We watched that game with UConn against Baylor after the Stanford game. UConn is truly awesome. As a former basketball player, I am amazed with their absolutely complete game. They are proficient in every aspect, and they never give up. Although Brittany Griner was very impressive, we talked more about her potential in the years to come. She is just getting started, and as her sense of how to use her body and positioning grow, she will be unstoppable.

Between the two games, Kit gave a good example of how to do an absolutely fabulous dinner very simply. We had tortellini with a simple olive oil and parmesan topping and some grilled asparagus. Simple, exceptionally tasty, and serious basketball conversation was flowing with Kit, Lynda, Jim and me. No buffalo wings, no guacamole, just the pasta, veggie, and a little cabernet sauvignon. Excellent!

So yesterday was a very eventful day. Today should be a little more sedate. I'll take pictures in Joshua Tree, and let my slightly tired body rest from 4 straight days of golf. What with moving, retiring, and preparing for this trip, until Harding Park last week, I hadn't played golf for about 2 1/2 months, very unusual for me. So I feel a little rusty and can't wait to hone my skills a little more. But I need a few days of rest, and after all, there are other delights around me, so look forward to a few pictures of wildflowers from the desert.

The Trip Begins

Dear Friends and Family:

At long last, "The Trip" has commenced. For those of you who have been living under a rock the last few months, this refers to the around the US trip upon which I have embarked. The loop started early on the morning of March 31st in Tracy at the home of my friend Karen. She is a very close friend and golfing buddy, and we definitely needed an evening to reminisce, plan for when I'll see her next, and joke about the trouble I'll get into as the trip gets underway.

I left at about 7 am, and the traffic down Interstate 5 was pretty light, so I made great time. I didn't know my sister Kit had left me a detailed message about how to get through the Mojave Desert on my way to Rancho Mirage (near Palm Springs), so I simply took 5 to 210 just north of LA, and then across to San Bernardino and connecting to Interstate 10 to Rancho Mirage. The whole trip took about 6 1/2 hours at 75 miles per hour, and while there were a few sprinkles, all in all it was lovely.

The hills south of Tracy were magnificent, emerald green, rolling, with no hint of the golden color I know will be their hue in just 2 months. There were occasional patches of bright yellow, as significant patches of the hillsides were erupting in mustard. As I got below Coalinga however, there were some patches of golden tinge, just creeping in. Surprisingly, LA itself was pretty green, as they had just had a series of relatively heavy storms.

It was a thrill getting to Rancho Mirage. I was still elated from two recent parties. One was with the staff from the clinic in Redwood City. It's really hard to leave people you love working with, some of whom I've known for 25-28 years. OK, it's true that retiring takes a little of the sting away from leaving, but it doesn't change the genuine affection for wonderful people who have been your mates for a long time.

The other party was a surprise birthday party, hatched by my devious and sweet daughter, and aided and abetted by a wonderful friend and colleague, Enid, and two of my sisters, Kit and Marti. I found all of this out later, as I thought Enid, Tuija and I were going out to dinner together. Tuija opened the door at Enid's house, and the shout of "surprise" took me aback, followed by shock at seeing face after face of beloved friends and family. Even my aunt from Tucson had traveled all the way to Oakland for this, along with my niece, and 5 of my 8 siblings. It was so great having my Mom there also, and more people from work, those who I'd worked with in the Regional Office for many years. So to all of you, you made my departure so special, when I left on the 31st, there was so much warmth in my heart, I just bopped down the interstate, listening to the CD's Tuija had made for me with all of my favorite artists.

Since I got to Kit's, it's been lots of laughter and so far two rounds of great golf. I've been so busy with getting all of the details of the trip together that I haven't played for two months, quite unusual for me. But the Palmer course at Mission Hills yesterday, and then the Dye course today, have rekindled the spark and the mixed emotions of frustration at this impossible game, which has moments of sheer elation. One of the beautiful times is pictured above from the round today on the Dye course. Too much water, but just lovely and verrryy challenging. Kit, Lynda and I played, and of course, giggled our way around the course, when we weren't cursing.

After each round, we went to the Kraft Nabisco LPGA Tournament, and got to see all of our favorite players. I'm an ardent Lorena Ochoa fan, but it was great to see everyone, and at least today, Lorena and Karen Stupples are tied for the lead.

It's going to be a simple dinner tonight with Kit and Jim (one of the neatest guys in the world), Lynda and I. Grilled chicken and grilled asperagas beautifully prepared by Chef Kit. I'll be commenting along the way on my cooking exploits, but with a kitchen as beautiful as hers, I can see why Kit also likes to spend a little time with food.

Tomorrow it's a very early tee time back on the Palmer course, and on Monday there are plans to go to Joshua Tree to take desert pictures. The flowers are supposed to be breathtaking right now, and I'll share what I have with you. For now, enjoy, and keep safe. (See, a whole blog with not a single sarcastic comment on political issues. Won't last!)