The Third Sunday Drive, Day Four: Oklahoma

Ooooo-klahoma where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain,
And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet
When the wind comes right behind the rain!
--Rogers and Hammerstein

Click here to hear Hugh Jackman (yes!) and the Royal National sing the title song from Rogers and Hammerstein's epic musical.

Originally I thought of opening this section with George Strait's song Amarillo by Morning, but the lyrics for that song were even less appropriate than the Green Green Grass of Home which I used for Day Two.  I did reach Amarillo before noon, but I started the day in Santa Rosa, New Mexico where I had taken refuge from the storm the night before.  As any of my long-time readers know, one of my favorite subjects for photography is a governmental building.  Santa Rosa is the seat of Guadalupe County, so after a quick breakfast at the motel, I headed out in search of this fine red sandstone structure.    I haven't been posting my courthouses, and as today's drive didn't end up with much in the way of landscape photography, here's the first shot of the day.

The Guadalupe County Courthouse, Santa Rosa, New Mexico

My gas price app suggested that gas would be cheaper in Tucumcari, sixty miles ahead, so I waited to fill up there.  The clouds were still hanging heavy in the sky, but no rain fell as I drove eastward on I-40.  Taking the exit for Tucumcari, I soon found a station where, indeed, the gas was considerably less expensive than in Santa Rosa.

Tucumcari is the seat of Quay County, named for a Senator from Pennsylvania who supported statehood for New Mexico.  It is shaped like a staircase and is unusual among government units in that it borders seven other New Mexico counties and three Texas counties.  Of course I had to photograph the courthouse, a much more modern looking building than the one in Santa Rosa, but still classic in design.  Tucumcari is also proud of its association with historic Route 66, and as I drove through town I saw several beautifully restored cars from the 1950s parked on display in front of many different businesses.

East of town, I saw a collection of older, unrestored cars stored behind a chain-link fence.  Taking the next exit, I doubled back so that I could photograph this Studebaker Graveyard, as I took to calling the place.  I counted at least thirteen Studebakers, most of them Larks, but also a 1930s Ford, a late 30s or early 40s Nash, a Hudson, and several other cars left to rot amidst all the Studebakers.  The cars were guarded though, and not just by the chain link fence.  Two dogs roamed the interior of the yard, and both dogs decided that I just wasn't supposed to get close enough to the fence to shoot through it.  While I clicked away from a safe distance, another dog approached from my side of the fence.  That was when I decided to climb back in the Saab and continue on down the road.  And I love dogs.  What can I say.

The Magnolia Oil Station

Vega, Texas

Crossing into Texas, I wanted to capture the "Welcome to Texas" sign, but was afraid I wouldn't be able to pull off the Interstate.  Instead, I exited the highway with the intention of walking back to get the sign.  Of course, once I had done that, I saw that there was a turnout situated just for people to take pictures of the sign.  Oh well.  As I drove along the on-ramp re-entering the highway, I saw one of those missed opportunities that so often come our way.  I swear there was a highway sign on I-40 that actually read "Don't Mess with Texas."  Short of slamming on my brakes and walking back up the on-ramp, I don't see how I could have photographed that sign.  But I did take it's warning seriously.  This is the state that loves to execute its prisoners, after all.

Vega, Texas is the seat of Oldham County, and once more, I took the break to grab some photos.  Just across the street from the courthouse is a small two-story building that has been turned into a Route 66 museum.  The Magnolia Oil Station was built prior to the commissioning of Route 66, and when "America's Main Street" came through town, it stood ready to serve the public.  Magnolia Petroleum was a Texas based company that was in time purchased by Mobil.

It was getting close to noon as I neared Amarillo, but two more "attractions" caught my eye along the road.  I thought the first was the legendary Cadillac Ranch, so I took the next exit and headed back the frontage road to check it out for myself.  Indeed it was that particular site, but what I didn't know was that Ant Farm's collection of ten vintage Cadillacs has been turned into a graffiti paradise.  Indeed a group of young women were there spraying words on the cars as I watched.

Ant Farm's Cadillac Ranch

Amarillo, Texas

And if Cadillac Ranch weren't enough to remind me that I am in Texas, just a little ways down the road was an RV park with three 1950s Cadillacs in decent shape on display out front.Of course I had to take pictures of them as well.

I considered grabbing the Potter County Courthouse in Amarillo, but the city was too large, and I was too hungry to search it out.  Instead, on my way to a Thai Restaurant I read about using Yelp, I passed Mimi's Restaurant, and pulled into its empty parking lot.  I would guess, given its location, that Mimi's doesn't get a lot of traffic, and indeed I was the only diner there at lunch time, but the food was good, and my server was adorable, and I would guess about 10 years old.

Having satisfied my stomach, I got back on I-40 and continued on across the Texas Panhandle crossing into Oklahoma mid-afternoon.  Understand this.  The whole reason for this roundabout itinerary was so that I could drive across Oklahoma.  Prior to this trip, there were only two states west of the Mississippi I had never visited.  Alaska wasn't quite close enough to Wichita to make it, but Oklahoma City is just over 125 miles south of Wichita, so why not.  And besides, look at what wonders I've already seen on this trip.

I wasn't sure what to expect with Oklahoma.  I was pretty sure that Curly and Laurie, and Ado Annie weren't going to meet me at the border singing and dancing up a storm.  Two of my dear friends are natives of Oklahoma, and while I hadn't asked Roger for his suggestions, I did ask Bear.  Bear's reply was that Oklahoma is such a red state that even the soil is red.  He visits annually, or pretty close to annually, but he claims that his fear factor kicks up several notches as he gets close to the state line.  As it turned out, I have no reason to doubt him, but I can't confirm his fears because I had no personal interactions whatsoever in the state.  I drove straight along I-40 from the Texas line to Oklahoma City, stopped briefly to take some pictures at the State Capitol complex, then got on Interstate 35 and headed north to Wichita.  I took no pictures of the rolling farm land I passed, and yes, the soil was a deep red.  I spoke with no humans.  I made no purchases.  I just drove and shot buildings.  I will note that directly in front of the capitol building is an oil derrick and a couple of tanks owned by Phillips Petroleum.  I will also note that the sidewalk in front of the capitol is inlayed with stars, much like Hollywood Boulevard, except that these stars commemorate various events in the history (and even prehistory) of what is now Oklahoma.  The one star I chose to photograph was the one commemorating the opening of a certain show on Broadway back in 1943:  "The Play Oklahoma Opens on Broadway."

The Oklahoma State Capitol

Note the Phillips 66 derrick and tanks

Once across the Kansas line, I noted signs saying that exit 4 was the last "free exit."  My maps had not warned me that I was headed down a toll road, but I decided to find out just what this was all about.  I had been talking with John off and on all day, and he suggested the best way to get to his apartment once I reached Wichita.  This involved leaving I-35 once I hit Kansas' largest city, and paying a $2.00 toll for the privilege.  I was able to find John's place with no problem, and we set out to find a place that would be open for dinner, not just on a Monday, but on Labor Day.  Eventually we ended up downtown at Wasabi where we both enjoyed fine Japanese cuisine, before calling it a night.

Total Miles Driven:    625 across four states.

The Third Sunday Drive, Day Three: Four Corners

Looking down Center Street, Moab Utah

It is September, before a rainfall ...

Soon it's gonna rain, I can feel it,
Soon it's gonna rain, I can tell,
Soon it's gonna rain, what are we gonna do?
-- Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt

Click here to hear the University of Redlands production of this iconic song from my favorite musical, The Fantasticks.

Once I had the car packed, I headed back to downtown Moab to take pictures of the Grand County Courthouse, and anything else I found of interest.  Breakfast took second place, but I found a little coffee shop on a downtown corner and had a mango smoothie, a chocolate hazelnut biscotti, and a hazelnut latte, before hitting the road heading on down US 191 toward Monticello, Utah, where I would turn east crossing into Colorado.

Roughly half way between Moab and Monticello, I passed first the largest piece of advertising I've ever seen, a 5,000 square foot home carved out of the red sandstone and marked by huge letters painted on the side of a cliff, "Hole N" The Rock" with a large arrow pointing down toward the parking lot.  I did stop, long enough to take a couple more pictures, but didn't feel like taking the time (or paying the money) to visit this particular tourist trap.  I have to admit that part of me was astounded, but also repelled, by the large white letters painted on the sandstone.  No missing that "billboard."

Wilson Arch, San Juan County, Utah

Not much further on, I passed Wilson Arch, a sandstone arch much larger than anything I had seen up close in the park.  With a span of 91 feet and a height of 46, Wilson Arch attracts a lot of attention.  Indeed, the parking areas on both sides of US 191 were full, and people were eagerly climbing the rock to get closer to this natural phenomenon.  I stopped long enough to take a picture, then headed on down the road.

Monticello, Utah is the seat of San Juan County, Utah's south-eastern corner.  After stopping long enough to photograph the San Juan County Courthouse and the Monticello Mormon Temple, I turned off US 191 onto US 491, crossing into Colorado and heading for Cortez, the seat of Montezuma County, Colorado's south-western corner.  In Cortez, I allowed Nancy the Nag to misdirect me to the county courthouse, but that let me see a lot more of Cortez than I would have otherwise.  Once I finally found the courthouse, I added its picture to my collection, then leaving the car parked, I headed off to Pippo's Cafe for a lunch omelette with mushrooms, sausage and avocado. 

Cortez sits between Hovenweep National Monument and Mesa Verde National Park.  Both of these areas called out to me, but Albuquerque was calling more loudly, and I drove down US 491 bypassing both of these monuments to human engineering, as opposed to the natural engineering I had seen the day before.  The more I read of the two, the more I know I'll have to return to Cortez and spend time there--probably combining that trip with a longer stay in the Moab area.

Mesa land south of Cortez, Colorado

I've always been a sucker for imaginary lines.  When my Helsinki-based hostess, Eva Pinomaa, asked me why I wanted to visit Rovaniemi, the administrative capital of Finnish Lappland, which sits just below the Arctic Circle, I replied "Our lives are governed by imaginary lines.  This is one I'll probably never be closer to."  Once there, I found that the Finns had turned the Arctic Circle into a tourist trap, complete with reindeer in a pen, a large sleigh full of presents, and Santa Claus village.  There is also a pole with signs reading "Arctic Circle" in several different languages.  On a similar note, there is only one place in the United States where four states come together at a single point.  That would be Four Corners, where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico all meet.  As it happens, Four Corners is on the Navajo Reservation, and just like those sneaky Finns, the Navajo have turned Four Corners into a tourist trap.  The entrance fee is minimal, but it's per person, not per vehicle, and as I had picked up a hitchhiker in Cortez, I paid the fee for both of us to drive across a very rough parking area, wander through the stalls where native people were selling jewelry and other crafts, and get in line to take pictures of each other standing in four states at once.  As all four of these states have a sales tax, and each is different, I'm not sure just how the merchants figure their taxes.

Yours Truly, standing in four distinct states.

My young hitchhiker was headed for the Grand Canyon, and I was headed south and east, so I left him at Teec Nos Pos where I turned east on US 64 toward Shiprock, Farmington, and eventually Albuquerque.  My time in Arizona was short, but it's the spirit that counts, right?  and it allowed me to get this photo of the Navajo Nation's welcome sign.  I have no idea who "RK" might be, but he certainly left his mark on the sign.

Welcome to the Navajo Nation.  Four Corners, Arizona.

From Teec Nos Pos, it's just a hop skip and a long jump into New Mexico.  I had crossed the state on Interstate 40 back in my college days, but I'd never been through the northwestern corner before.  The first major town on US 64 would be Farmington which I knew as the place my best college friends, Jim and Rosanna, would go to visit Rosanna's family.  To get there, I'd have to pass Shiprock, which I assumed was much closer to the geologic formation of the same name.  But no, the rock itself is off in the distance, and I stopped to grab what pictures I could before losing sight of the monolith altogether. 

Shiprock, San Juan County, New Mexico

Just east of Farmington is the town of Bloomfield, and that's where I turned onto US 550 heading for Bernalillo and Interstate 25.   Along the way, I crossed the Continental Divide which was marked by a small sign, nothing like the massive ones we use in Montana.  I also passed through the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation, the Jemez Reservation, the Zia Reservation, and the Santa Ana Reservation.  At Bernalillo, I caught I-25 and drove south to Albuquerque, turning west onto Interstate 40 in the heart of New Mexico's largest city.

Yelp helped me decide on a restaurant just off 1-40, and I got to see one shopping center from every conceivable angle as I searched for my dinner among all the major hotel chains.  The restaurant offered New Mexican cuisine, and was quite popular.   In order to be seated immediately, I agreed to sit in the bar.  When my food came, it was plentiful, but nothing like what I was expecting.  Guess I really wanted Old Mexican cuisine.

Back on I-40, I hoped to get as far as Tucumcari, near the Texas state line, but as I headed out of Albuquerque, the rain started to fall.  The further east I traveled, the harder the rain fell.  I saw lightning strikes like I've never seen them before, and the rain was so heavy that even the semis were slowing down.  When I saw the exit for Santa Rosa, I decided to call it a night and get off the Interstate.  After all, by this point I was driving 30 mph and felt that might be too fast.  

Once in my room at 9 p.m., I enjoyed the electricity in the air and the rain as well.  It went on for a full hour at least.  I couldn't say how much longer, because I fell asleep. 

Total mileage for the day:  522   It was a good day, even with the wet ending.

The Third Sunday Drive, Day Two, b: Arches National Park

 Even more than in Canyonlands National Park, Arches gives you vista after vista so that as I drove through the park, I felt like stopping every five feet for another photo op.  As the day was getting later and the sun lower, I missed most of the over 2,300 arches that have been cataloged in the park.  I did more walking here than in Canyonlands, and still missed most of the sights.  I'll definitely be coming back to see more of Arches National Park.

 Upon first entering the Park, you drive up a winding road that takes you past one monolith after another, each more scenic than the last, or so it seems.  There are few places to pull over, and the road itself is not very wide, so you take those stops you can and start aiming your camera in every direction.  At least that's what I did. All told I took 74 photos while in the park, and as I keep saying, I missed most of the park.  Click on any of the photos to see it full screen in a new window.

President Herbert Hoover first set aside Arches as a National Monument on April 12, 1929.  The area was reclassified as a National Park on November 12, 1971.  The Park covers some 76,679 acres or roughly 120 square miles.  Over one million visitors come to the Park each year, and certainly more than a few were in the Park over the Labor Day Weekend.  That said, even at the Windows Area parking lot, where I had to circle the lot and wait for a parking space, I never felt crowded by my fellow visitors. I'm sure part of that has to do with the scale of the formations which make humans truly small.

My first view of Balanced Rock

 Balanced Rock

At Balanced Rock, I parked the car and hiked the trail that circles the formation.  I do not believe it possible to show just how impressive this formation is.  I shot it from every imaginable angle and none of my shots capture the wonder that is Balanced Rock.  

 Turret Arch

My second park and hike was at the Windows Section where I had to circle the parking lot and then wait for someone to leave so that I could park the Saab.  There are many incredible formations at the Windows Section including North Window, South Window, Turret Arch, the Parade of Elephants, Cove Cave and Double Arch.  If you look at the full screen view of Double Arch (below), you'll see the human beings scattered throughout the feature, giving you an example of the size of this formation.

 Double Arch

I parked again at the end of the eastern spur which led to the parking lot for the Delicate Arch viewpoints.  By this time of day, I was really getting tired and the sun was getting low.  I did not make the three mile hike to Delicate Arch, nor did I even take the shorter half-mile hike to the Upper Viewpoint.  From the Lower Viewpoint, I was able to grab this shot of Delicate Arch and the other formations that accompany it near the eastern edge of the Park.

  

 Delicate Arch and its Companions

I did, however, make use of my camera bag, and walked back to the car to change lenses figuring that I could get a better shot of this iconic arch, featured on Utah license plates, by using my 400 mm lens.  Alas, I had left the tripod at home, and I was way too tired to hold the now much heavier camera steady.  By balancing the camera on a fence post, I was able to get the shot below, admittedly not one of my better efforts.

Delicate Arch (400 mm lens) from the Lower Viewpoint

 Arches National Park is one of the most fascinating places I've visited, and it deserves much more time and effort than I was able to give it on this trip.  I'll be back.  No doubt about it.

The Third Sunday Drive, Day Two,a: Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park covers 527 square miles, most of which lie in San Juan County, Utah, the southeastern corner of the state.  It is divided into four main "units," none of which are readily accessible from any of the other units.  As I mentioned in my main Day Two post, I had set my Navigation System to get me to the northern unit, by which I meant Island in the Sky.  The Nav system thought I wanted to go to the Horseshoe Canyon Unit, which is why it directed me off I-70 at Green River.  The four main units are the Horseshoe Canyon Unit, northwest of the main part of the park and separated from it by the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and, indeed, by the canyon of the Green River.  The Island in the Sky Unit is easily accessible by Utah Highway 313 which takes off from US 191 north of Moab, Utah.  This was the only park unit I visited.  The Maze Unit is the southwestern section of the park, west of the Green River and, after their confluence, the Colorado River, and the Needles Unit is the southeastern section of the park.  Only Island in the Sky and The Needles are accessible by paved roads.  Every other part of the park requires you to hike or take a sturdy four-wheel drive vehicle over miles of dirt road.

Clouds above the Shafer Canyon Overlook

The Green and Colorado Rivers have carved deep canyons through the park, most notably The Meander Canyon carved by the Colorado, and the Stillwater Canyon carved by the Green.  After the confluence of the two rivers, the Cataract Canyon separates the Maze from the Needles Unit.  There is an overlook in the Needles Unit where hikers can look down on the confluence of these two great rivers.  I didn't make it to that part of the park.  Rather I entered via Utah 313 and stopped at the Island in the Sky Visitor's Center, then at the overlook for Shafer Canyon.  I drove on past several more overlooks with the intent of reaching the Grand View Point Overlook, before turning around.  You have to turn around there.  There is no way to drive further south in this section of the Park.

Four Views of the Shafer Canyon Overlook

At the Grand View Point Overlook, I hiked down the trail a ways to get as much of that grand view as I could.  Along the way, I heard many different languages spoken, and saw a variety of skin tones and racial features.  It was, after all, Labor Day Weekend, and lots of folk were out for a last bit of summer travel and adventure.

Heading back north, I stopped at a couple of the overlooks I had passed on my way south, most notably Orange Cliffs and Buck Canyon, but the clouds were moving in and their shadows obscured much of what I was trying to photograph.  I definitely see a return to southeastern Utah in my future, with much more time spent admiring the various views of this amazing topography.

 Buck Canyon from the Overlook

Candlestick Tower from the Overlook

The Third Sunday Drive, Day Two: Utah

 

Along the Spanish Fork River, Utah

Down the lane I walk with my sweet Mary, hair of gold and lips like cherries.
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home.
Yes, they'll all come to meet me, arms reaching, smiling sweetly.
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home.

 --lyrics by Curly Putman

To hear Johnny Cash sing this song, which I chose only because there was no green, green grass on my drive today, click here.

Once out of bed and back in the Saab, the first order of the day was to feed my face.  Turning to Yelp, I found several nearby places offering a decent breakfast, but finding them was another matter.  While I'm sure that Salt Lake's address system using xxx North yyy East works well for those who understand it, I find it extremely confusing, and impossible to program into Nancy the Nag's navigation system.  Further complicating matters was the fact that I seemed to be in strip-mall city, where all the businesses were part of one strip mall or another and not easily seen while driving down a six lane street.  Finally, none of the buildings I could see had easily visible numbers, so it was merely by chance that I found myself at Kneader's Bakery and Café in Midvale, Utah.  Or maybe I was still in Salt Lake City.  I don't know.  I never saw any signs indicating that I had moved from one municipality to another.

Kneader's was not what I wanted, in that you stepped up to the order desk, placed your order, then waited for the staff to bring you your meal.  I much prefer sitting down and letting them bring me a menu.  As it was, I completely misunderstood the choices available to me, and ordered (I thought) a mango smoothie and a pain au chocolat.  The cashier then asked what I wanted for my main course.  Silly me, I thought that was the main course, so I ended up getting way too much food when they brought me my omelette and it's accompanying side dishes as well as the smoothie and croissant.  The coffee was surprisingly good, considering I'm in Mormon country, but I would recommend that the management rethink their idea of putting black plastic tableware in black circular bins with no overhead lighting.  Since this is more of a cafeteria than a restaurant, you are expected to get your own tableware, napkins, coffee, etc, and finding them was a challenge.  The omelette was good, however, and I took the smoothie and croissant for snacking down the road.

 What a dramatic sky above central Utah

On my way back to I-15, I filled the Saab's tank, and hit the road listening to The Focus Group on SiriusXM OutQ Gay Radio.  Due to it being Labor Day Weekend, OutQ's weekend schedule was a strange mix of repeats and odd combinations which allowed the regulars to have the weekend off.  The Focus Group had chosen to repeat a broadcast about America's number one Tupperware distributor, Your Aunt Barbara, just a typical housewife out on The Long Island, who is otherwise known as Robert Suchan.  Who knew that a drag queen would become Tupperware's Queen Bee?  The segment was hilarious, and apparently, unbeknownst to the Focus Group's hosts, Aunt Barbara showed up for the interview in full drag.  The show was hilarious, and I, for one, will be ordering my Tupperware from Aunt Barbara, and I feel you should too. 

Turning off I-15, I headed southeast on US 6, climbing from Spanish Fork up and over the mountains to descend to Green River and I-70.  This is a gorgeous drive, one that Kevin and I had taken in reverse way back when we rushed to Denver to rescue Rocky I from Denver Animal Control after Gary's untimely death.  That trip was in January, and the area looks much different in early September.

Stopping for lunch in Green River, I had a decent Chef's Salad at the West Winds truck stop and then found a geocache just across the highway near a motel parking lot.  I won't give away anything more in case you want to find this particular cache.  I was now at 176 found caches in 17 different states.  My Garmin GPS unit is not working properly, so I had to download the geocaching app to my iPhone to find the caches in Idaho and Utah.  I planned on continuing to find caches along the way, but somehow got distracted by the scenery and miles.

Red Rock along Utah 313, leading to Canyonlands National Park

I had directed my Nav system to find the northern part of Canyonlands National Park, and at Green River, the system tried to direct me down 80 miles of dirt road.  I knew from my maps, that there was a paved road that took off US 191 a few miles north of Moab, and was thus surprised to find myself driving across the desert on gravel.  Turning around, I headed back into Green River, caught I-70 for a few miles until I exited on US 191.  The big advantage of traveling on a three-day holiday weekend, is that the construction projects are usually on hold, and you can drive through construction zones without worrying about being delayed by actual construction.  Most of US 191 north of Moab was a construction zone.

Sure enough, roughly a dozen miles north of Moab, Utah 313 took off to the west, leading to the northern part of Canyonlands.  The Visitor Center was some twenty-five miles ahead, but the day was still relatively young and the scenery was spectacular.  I spent enough time in Canyonlands and later in neighboring Arches National Park that I will address each of them in separate posts.  For now suffice it to say that while driving along 313, I stopped at various places to take pictures, including at the overlook for two bright red rock mesas named for the Civil War battleships Monitor and Merrimack at the Battle of Hampton Roads.  I got to talking with some bicyclists and turned them on to WarmShowers.org, a social networking site for bicyclist tourists and their potential hosts.  I've had such fun hosting bicycle tourists through WarmShowers, that I want anyone riding a bike to know about the program.  I also got a nice shot of the Saab with the mesas in the background.

Monitor and Merrimack Mesas, near Moab, Utah

No Saab in this shot

While at the Canyonlands Visitors' Center, I purchased a National Parks Passport and entered my first stamp.  We'll see how full I'm able to get the thing--i.e. how many stamps I put in the passport, but it's fun knowing I have the option of logging all my visits in this handy guidebook.  This was also my first chance to take advantage of my new Senior Pass, which at my advanced age allows me entrance to all federal fee areas for the rest of my life--and it only costs $10.  I highly recommend you take advantage of the program, if you're old enough.

The road into Canyonlands is also the road out, and once back on US 191, I soon found myself at the entrance to Arches National Park.  My drive up and into the park took the rest of the available sun--so necessary for daylit photography, and by the time I left the park and entered the city of Moab, I was ready to find a bed and a good dinner.  Oh the joys of traveling on a holiday weekend in a resort area.  There was a sign on the door of the Super 8 saying that there was no need to proceed any further.  They were full for the night.  There was another motel just across the highway, so I pulled in and found they did have a room which I quickly rented.  Once I had carried everything from  the car to my room, I again called up Yelp and found a Thai restaurant in the center of downtown Moab. 

When eating in an ethnic restaurant, I always take it as a good sign that the customers are also of the same ethnic group.  I figure they know whether the food is good or bad.  Now as to whether this holds true in a resort community, who can say, but well over half the tables at Sing Ha were filled with Asians, predominately from the subcontinent judging by their appearance.  I found the meal delicious, and my only quibble would be the service which was extremely slow.  This I attributed to the fact that every table was full (I was the only single diner), and there were only two people serving.  No sooner did a table empty than it was refilled with new diners, and the ethnic mix never varied.  I had no idea there were so many east Indians visiting Moab, Utah.  At one point, an Asian woman appeared at my table and asked me how I liked the dish.  When I told her how good it was, she took great pride in announcing that she was the cook who had prepared my meal.  In my experience, it's not often that cooks leave the kitchen to introduce themselves to the diners, and indeed, I did not see this woman talk to anyone else in the restaurant.  What can I say, I stayed for dessert and left with a glass of Thai iced tea.  The one other item of note at Sing Ha was the young Asian woman who on occasion would come around filling glasses.  Her shorts were so short, they were completely hidden on the front by her apron.  Must be a family member, I thought, as I can't imagine a manager allowing such attire on a regular employee.

I just love twisted trees, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Back at the motel, I checked my mileage.  I had driven only 340 miles, but had taken over one hundred photos.  A beautiful day.

The Third Sunday Drive, Day One: Idaho

Yellow Composite growing alongside US 93, Lemhi County, Idaho

I'd see thousands more of these on the trip

Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow, and oh, so mellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
When grass was green and grain was yellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
When you were a tender and callow fellow.
Try to remember and if you remember, then follow.
--Lyrics by Tom Jones

To hear Jerry Orbach sing this beautiful ballad from my favorite musical, The Fantasticks, click here.

I ask you now to remember why this blog is titled "If there were witchcraft."  I explained it all in the first post some 176 posts ago and who knows how many years, so I'll forgive you if you don't remember.  In a nutshell, the song we used to sing around the campfire names the two wishes I'd wish for, "if there were witchcraft."  Of those two, the first is a "winding road that beckons me to roam."  I've long had the feeling that in an ideal life, I'd have both the time and the money to travel the world, seeing wonderful sights, recording them with my camera(s), and sharing the experience through words and pictures with my friends (and anyone else who wants to come along).   What follows, therefore, is the story of a week-long drive circling through the Rocky Mountains and the western Great Plains.  On this trip we'll drive across Idaho, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and back where we began in Montana.  Day One is all about Idaho.

The fastest way to get from western Montana to Salt Lake City, my day one destination, is to stay on the interstate.  First I-90 heading toward Butte, then south on I-15 which is a direct line to Utah's capital city.  The fastest way, not the most scenic.  Instead I chose to drive south on US 93 through Montana's Bitterroot Valley, crossing into Idaho at Lost Trail Pass, then dropping down through Lemhi County to drive along the Salmon River with a stop at Salmon, Idaho for lunch.  From Salmon, I would continue on Idaho 28 through the Lemhi Valley until Idaho 33 would take me east to I-15 or even further east, should I so desire.  At some point I would merge onto I-15 and head South, but I may just choose to stay on what is left of US-91, the federal highwy that I-15 has largely supplanted.  Time would tell.

One-lane bridge spanning the Salmon River

Near North Fork, Idaho

I neither stopped nor took any pictures while driving through Montana's Bitterroot Valley.  This is my old home and while there's always something new, I felt no need to stop along the way, not till I reached Lost Trail Pass and stopped to take pictures of both the "Welcome to Idaho" sign and the "Entering Lemhi County" sign.  At some point I might make an Idaho portrait book, similar to my Glory of the West book of Montana counties, and if so, I want those county line signs.  I'll also want the county court house and some landscape shots, so driving south into Idaho I kept my eyes posed for scenic vistas.  While stopped at the pass, I couldn't help but notice the smokey smell to the air.  Both Idaho and Montana have been plagued with forest fires this year, and the smoke was particularly thick at the state-line.

U.S. Highway 93 drops rapidly from the pass (elevation 7,014 feet) to the town of Salmon (elevation 3,944 feet), some 46 miles to the south.  Along the way, the highway follows first the North Fork of the Salmon River then the Salmon itself.  The Salmon River is also known as The River of No Return as it crosses Idaho from east to west through the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness.  There are also many natural hot springs in the area, but this was not the trip for me to sample their healing waters.

In the town of Salmon, I first sought out the Lemhi County Courthouse which, conveniently, was located right across the street from the Salmon United Methodist Church.  Followers of my photography know that two of my favorite subjects are court houses and Methodist Churches.  One stop allowed me to get both.  A visit to the Yelp application on my iPhone next led me to the Junkyard Bistro where I happily ordered the day's lunch special, The Grubber, which turned out to be a hot sandwich piled high with thinly shaved meat and lots of other goodies.  Of particular interest, although I myself did not order any, was the number of Vietnamese and other Asian dishes on the menu.  Not what I would expect in Salmon, Idaho.

The Lemhi Valley and their eastern boundary, the Bitterroot Mountains

I picked up a quick Geocache on the south side of Salmon, and drove through the Lemhi Valley at the speed limit.  On the entire trip I would see only three wild animals, and two of those were in Yellowstone Park.  Driving down Idaho 28, I passed a moose happily grazing in a swampy area.  Unfortunately, I passed him too quickly to stop and take his portrait.  It would be six days before I saw any other wildlife.

Idaho 28 took me out of Lemhi County into the eastern section of Clark County then across a very small corner of Butte County.  I had originally considered driving west through Butte County to its county seat, Arco, the world's first locale to be lit by nuclear power generated electricity.  Arco is also the town closest to the Craters of the Moon National Monument.  Much as I love the photographic possibilities in the Craters of the Moon, this trip was about heading south and east, so I forewent visiting Arco and continued on into first Jefferson then Madison counties, crossing I-25 en route. 

Idaho Highway 28 crossing Butte County

Madison County does not extend westward as far as I-25, and I had never been in the county before.  The county seat and largest city is Rexburg, home of BYU-Idaho (formerly known as Ricks College).  It is also home to a relatively new Mormon temple, dedicated on February 10, 2008.  As I am not Mormon, I felt this temple looked pretty much like every other Mormon temple I've seen, but according to Wikipedia, the Rexburg temple was designed not by church architects but by a private firm because "the church wished it to have a fresh new look."  As is usually the case, in my experience, the temple sits on a hill and is the most prominent feature on the eastern landscape as you drive into Rexburg.

Having shot the temple, as it were, I continued south, re-entering Jefferson County where I was unable to find the county court house in Rigby.  That is I found a building that certainly looked like a court house, and even had the words "Court House" inscribed in the marble above the front doors, but the grounds surrounding the building looked abandonned, and a sign in the window above the main doors read "Liberty Montessori Academy."  It was at this point that I learned the GPS Navigation system in my Saab does not necessarily consider county court houses a "Point of Interest."

The Rexburg (Idaho) Mormon Temple

Abandoning my search for a more modern (and ipso facto probably uglier) court house building, I caught I-25 and drove through Idaho Falls heading toward Pocatello and Salt Lake City.  I was running out of light, so further photographic efforts seemed foolish at best, and besides I was getting hungry and tired.  Yelp once again came to my rescue, and after filling the Saab's tummy in Pocatello, I stopped at Marhaba where I was greeted by Sanjay.  Sanjay asked my name, and thereafter always called me Bryan as he'd ask how the lamb curry was.  Delicious, by the way. 

Along the way I'd been listening to Sirius XM OutQ gay radio, and had heard an ad for a phone app called "Hotel Tonight."  I downloaded the app and sought a room in the greater Salt Lake area.  Hotel Tonight found me one on the south side of the city, and that's where I headed ending day one.  Total miles driven:  654