Yes, I'm halfway across the continent - the furthest I could be from the sea - laterally speaking. Here's a taste of the differing landscapes I'm encountering; the first picture shows that after 8 months of searching, I've discovered my true vocation, and can stop looking...
The second picture shows me at the (literally) dizzying heights of Pikes Peak - after a VERY scary 19 mile drive to the top, following a very slow winding route on both sealed and unsealed roads at the edge of precipitous drops (wonderful word, 'precipitous' - I remember Auntie Eileen teaching a toddling Katye to say it...). This is the mountain which inspired the writing of "America The Beautiful"; I can see why. I felt distinctly wobbly from the altitude, however, so quickly descended, noting the signs saying "Warning - hot brakes fail". Oooh-er.
The third picture (out of sequence, but beyond me to remedy in a short time) is in Oklahoma City - a lovely park in which I sat and watched families enjoying a Sunday stroll. I found the city very difficult to navigate, entering interstate highways by mistake; on escaping these I stumbled across residential areas, then wide roads with nothing but car sales ... When I DID find the centre it was very pleasant ("Oklahoma City is oh so pretty") with a canal reminiscent of, but on a much smaller scale than, San Antonio's; lined with eateries and masses of flowers.
Fourth picture is Garden of the Gods, in Manitou Springs, Colorado. This was another of those places which make you gasp in wonder. I had lunch with a lady who moved to the area 40 years ago and visits the park every day - she entertained me for a couple of hours with stories of her upbringing on her daddy's farm, and tales of the wildlife she encounters daily - including a mountain lion on one occasion. Such encounters are the essence of this trip... (with the lady, not the cougar!).
The final picture shows the skiing slopes of the Rockies, seen from a mountain pass while driving through. In between marvelling at and exploring the ever-changing scenery, I'm enjoying the road trip. At times the road stretches out ahead and behind, and either side there are flat fields to the horizon, miles away; I'm not tired of this - the cruise control is set so that I don't inadvertently stray over the speed limit, and the radio can generally pick up a local station ("You Look Good in My Shirt" is the current favourite; I'll sing it to you on my return if you're really unlucky). If I'm out of range, I fall back on my 2 charity shop CDs: live performances of tunes such as "Sweet Home Alabama"; or the soundtrack of "West Side Story" - I have tissues handy so as not to blur my vision...
Travelling here is very different from my travels 'Down Under'. There are few hostels, so I'm staying in motels mostly. It is great to have the privacy of my own bedroom and bathroom, but I do miss having other people around. I found a great hostel in Breckenridge, a ski resort, run by an English couple who facilitate socialising between guests by serving breakfast at a big table. I met some lovely people of all ages - all Americans, with their own story to tell. My life has been so different from theirs! It is fascinating particularly to meet people who were brought up on massive ranches. What a contrast from my London roots! It is emphasising the thought that after 30 years of sitting at a desk, I want to do something less structured on my return. This has been a sort of trial retirement for me and I'm really looking forward to that period when you're not ruled by the 9-5 clock...
Manitou Springs has a charming village feel. It was full of shops with floaty, hippy, but currently fashionable clothes. On my first evening there was a concert on the lawn in front of the library, with locals gathering on rugs, chatting and lying back, relaxing. The second afternoon there was the weekly craft fair and farmers'market, with a band playing. I saw an advertisement for the "Pie Baking Contest and Ice Cream Social". Wonderful! I want to live somewhere that does this kind of thing... Midsomer perhaps?! No, too dangerous!
I haven't done so much walking this week - I was warned not to hike in Garden of the Gods as it was 115 degrees in the lower places. So I'm driving on, trying not to fall into the trap of sticking to the interstate highways - they leave you in a kind of Limbo where there's nothing real - just motels and fast food outlets. Even if you drive off at an exit with a town's name, you sometimes find that this is just a gas station and wrecker's yard. I have been lucky this time and found an albeit rundown, town with a library and hopefully a mailbox - your latest postcard is on the dashboard, Emma.
Heading for another National Park on the South-East edge of Oklahoma - hopefully with walkable temperatures. Until then...
2 comments:
I think you're going to find Virginia very boring compared to where you've been so far! Can't remember where we went when you were here last, email me & remind me, maybe I can come up with something interesting. Or call me...see you soon
Hi Cecil ... one problem with cecil's bar Grill is that it may involve cooking - not your strongest point perhaps; though on second thoughts I guess all they eat out there is refried beans anyway.
We have just returned back from a trip firstly to the UK, with Mum, who at 89 was wanting to visit her Aunt, aged 98. This was an experience, as you can imagine and was followed by a visit to a cousin, aged 90; we drove both of them back from Monmouth to London for the 90th birthday party at Meg & Norm's and then drove Mum back to Poole and home!
In between, we managed to see gill & Graham, who reinforced their wish to come walking in the Pyrenees next year, so we must get on and organise that some time.
Recovery from the maternal transport project involved a short trip to the last outpost of genuine British colonialism, where in a recent referendum 98.7% of the population voted to remain British and they are still searching for the 1.7% .. Yes the Southern Rock itself, a little more stable than its Northern cousin, but a fascinating experience.
Next weekend we entertain a whole host of the Walker clan - Gareth&Sarah, Alan&Catherine,plus young Eleanor & baby Daniel ... the house is so full that Simon will have to stay with Roz - every cloud has a silver lining!
Looking forward to your next installment, as ever ...
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