Road Trips - U.S.A.

Forty-nine states and counting. By car on highways and byways. Many trips on those byways. Back then who thought to take photographs? Rarely I, she said. And sometimes when she did, the context was lost, like this:

Any clues to this geographic location? Willing to accept all suggestions.

Thus, no fond photos of Santa Fe, NM; St Louis, MO; Fort Benton MT; Portland OR; El Paso, TX; Sturgis, SD; Lime Rock CT; Sandpoint, ID. Also missing: The biggest-ever, red moon rising on the Kansas prairies. The amazing evening flight of hundreds of parrots coming to roost in the trees in Brownsville, Texas. The Sonoma Valley vineyard towns with a seldom-seen dear friend. Staying up all night in Vegas (groan).

But a few memories captured:

Carlsbad NM - Looks like I'm about to pass out, right? No, but my friend had terminal claustrophobia.

Los Angeles CA - Woodland Hills, motion picture and television retirement community now called Wasserman Campus. We were given a tour as goodwill reps from Performing Arts Lodges in Canada. We have a long way to go to emulate some of their services.

Savannah GA - Waking to all-enveloping summer mist ‒ dumbfounding, palpable humidity ‒ so thick you couldn't identify someone ten feet away. It cleared up enough to explore Bonaventure Cemetery, not quite midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Minnetonka MN - Delightful summer home of extended family.

Florida - Somewhere near St Petersburg. Aren't all Florida restaurants crazy?

New Orleans LA - doesn't everyone take this picture in the French Quarter?

Dollywood TN - Overcome at the wondrousness of it all.

Canyon de Chelly AZ - Much more wondrous, one of many explorations of Native reservations.

London Town MD - Colonial history, reconstruction, gardens, and a tour guide with invested interest.

Eureka NV - Also happens to be the windiest road.

Gallup NM - Once known as Drunk City; El Rancho Motel, beloved of bygone movie stars and film sets.

A few (un-photographed) important moments:

§ Sweetwater TX - Breakfast at a greasy spoon and a local cowboy invites us to the rattlesnake festival. Looking at our licence plate he asks, Is Ontario one of those northern states?

§ Hope AR - One of those ― your car just croaked its death rattle, you are screwed ― moments. Overnight in Bill Clinton's birthplace while guys at Jimmy-Bob's mechanical services did some miracle patching. Not to ignore same expert assistance in Grand Junction CO where plucky old car needed a coronary bypass after climbing the Rockies.

§ New Hampshire - Small town to remain anonymous, filling my tank with gas and driving away. My mind was on genealogy of course (thanks, American-Canadian Genealogical Society ...). So mortifying to reappear half an hour later and sheepishly pay.

§ Clear Lake CA - The algae. OMG the algae.

§ Brady TX - Imagine being in taxidermy heaven. No, I couldn't either, till I was there. What a fascinating shop. Managed to leave with only a lynx skin and no stuffed animals.

More quiz: Help, where am I here?

© 2015 Brenda Dougall Merriman