My first landing site: New Mexico. Seems appropriate enough since some would say that I am alien-ish.
After a medical appointment in Albuquerque, I traveled to the mountains in Central Colorado for a week.I am staying with friends who spoil me with home-cooked meals and insanely delicious strong coffee. Tango loves their dog Cody, and yesterday we walked on a shaded trail along the Arkansas River until I started feeling the effects of the 8000 foot elevation!
Back to my road trip. I have mountains of mental notes about the long trip from my homeland to my adult home territory. I first drove a bit north from Ohio to Lake Michigan to visit another friend. After not traveling for months while taking care of my folks in Ohio, I was out of practice, even in a trance sometimes. This is never a good way to drive, so I worked to keep in the present and pay attention. Cold drinks, AC on high. Focus.
I saw pine trees again as I approached Lake Michigan. Then the beach on the gigantic lake, which felt more like an ocean beach. We walked along the sandy shoreline and across the tall, wooded dunes. We also explored Saugatuck, Michigan, a quaint tourist town for the affluent. In Holland, Michigan, we enjoyed dinner at a local brewery, and I downloaded a trendy app (Untappd) where I can keep track of the beers I try at the brew pubs. Stopping at brew pubs and recording my choices on the app is a great addition to the traveling lifestyle, especially after a long travel day. Something else to do on the road!
From Lake Michigan, I headed straight south, passing through rolling hills in southern Indiana and then the hilly bluegrass region of Kentucky. Horse farmers planted some of the hay meadows in the blue-green bluegrass. When I passed through, the sunlight hit some of the meadows just right and the blue-green bluegrass exhaled a vibrant color.
As I grew tired that evening, I saw a sign for Mammoth Cave National Park, one of the few National Parks left on my bucket list. I pulled over and camped for the night, ($10 with senior pass)* but the weather was so hot and muggy I could not leave Tango in the van while I toured the caves the next morning. I will return again, though.
I have driven through and even camped in Kentucky before but not in this section. I was intrigued by the number of historical sites (whiskey production, horse racing, Civil War ) and made notes about future stops when I am not shackled by a timeline. I can see spending some time in Kentucky; perhaps a colorful fall trip
Finally, I turned west – my favorite direction – and traveled through Tennessee and Arkansas. The heat and humidity were stifling and grew worse as I entered Arkansas. I could hardly breathe when I pulled over for a potty stop; however, the Ozark Mountain scenery made the drive doable. Once again, I was reminded about the beautiful, hilly – even sometimes mountainous – terrain in the swath that includes Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas. The only negative: I was traveling during the upheaval around Charlottesville and the reemergence of the white supremacists. That swath of states harbors people of that evil persuasion and I did not want to be confused with them. I was wishing I had a bumper sticker from the last election that stated, “I am With Her”. While I was uneasy passing through white supremacist territory, I remembered that the people of color who live there truly suffer and that my uneasiness was purely selfish. Should I boycott the entire near and far southern regions? Not sure yet.
Next up: Oklahoma, and the Texas Panhandle. As I drove through Oklahoma, the scenery changed again. I transitioned from the Ozark Mountain region into the arid, flatter lands. Hints of my home territory in the Rocky Mountains popped up from the ground like prairie dogs. Sage, rock formations, mesas, pinyon pine. My soul started to sing as I crossed into New Mexico.
To be continued….
*If you are 62 or older and do not have a senior parks pass, the price goes from $10 to $80 in a few weeks. Also, you can pay for nightly camping fees (half of regular fee) by check. This is great because I am often without cash.