There aren’t many states that construct grills in their own image, at least none that I’ve encountered yet, other than Texas.
It might be hard to have a Texas shaped lunch or dinner, but fear not. Breakfast has y’all covered.
Given that I was traveling with a “native born Texan”, (and yes, there ARE bumper stickers that say just that, or at least there were back in the days when we lived there, ) I feel I can safely poke a little fun.
We hadn’t had enough of Route 66 yet, so we caught a few more of its notable sights. I don’t think this one made it into any guide books, but I happened to like it. Besides, Italians make a big deal about THEIR tower, so why shouldn’t WE do likewise. I give you the Leaning Water Tower of Route 66.
Groom, Texas has the biggest cross in the USA, visible for miles around. Greg once again was put to work as my point of reference. His 6’3″ body is the dark smudge at the base in the photo.
Here’s a close up of the sculpture of the Last Supper. Not sure why there are only six apostles. Did the sculptor burn out? Run out of money, take artistic license? No explanation was given.
Our very favorite Texas experience was at the Cadillac Ranch, located just outside of Amarillo. Here’s the view from the road.
As you can see,it is in the middle of nowhere.
Greg was the first to realize that this was participatory art, and quickly went to work.
The finished work:
I also left my mark…hey, mom is a lot easier than Shelley, that’s for sure, especially when the wind is blowing spray paint droplets back at ya.
Next stop, Albuquerque.
Tag: vacation
Gettin’ our kicks on Route 66
Route 66, one of the first highways in the USA, extended from Chicago to Los Angeles. Knicknamed the “mother road”, Route 66 dates back to 1926; it has since fallen into disrepair, after being replaced by interstate highways. Parts of Route 66 run parallel to route 40, providing the opportunity for a sentimental journey back to the early days of automobile travel. Oklahoma visitor’s center had a very helpful publication that described points of interest along the road, coded to a pull out map. We had everything that we needed for this next leg of our journey so we set off to experience more Americana.
First stop was Red Rock Canyon State Park, where we met Charles, who offered to take our picture.
He was a very sweet soul, but I’m thinking photography is not his forte.
Well, at least those photos give you a glimpse of the red rocks for which the Canyon was named.
Next stop was Weatherford, Oklahoma, where we were able to get up close and personal with a 122 foot wind turbine blade. Wind power is understandably very big in this area. We could FEEL the wind pushing the car as we drove this stretch of the highway.
As usual, I asked Greg to get into the photo to provide a point of reference for size.
One photo just couldn’t capture that enormous monster, so here’s another.
We would soon be eating the very best bison burger ever. Okay, so in the Northeast, you go to a tank to choose the lobster you want. I wonder if this place works the same way? Could that be why this big guy is refusing to make eye contact?
If he’s not here when we leave, I’ll have my answer.
Unlike Robert’s, The Cherokee Trading Post was wonderful, very clean with delicious, reeasonably priced food.
Talk about luck…the Oklahoma Rout 66 Museum reopened just days before we got there.
It’s a small museum, but very well done, with rooms arranged by decade. Pressing a button on each room’s wall started recordings of music popular for that time period. Admission was a mere $4 per adult, for about an hour’s worth of entertainment.
Some numbers to put things into perspective.
The last room was devoted to the late 60’s. I have friends that owned a vehicle like this one. (you know who you are…no need to mention names.)
The museum is located across the street from this motel, whose claim to fame is that Elvis stayed there multiple times. Being a superstar in the 50’s and 60’s sure isn’t what it is like today, that’s for certain!
Could the state of Oklahoma have more than ONE Route 66 Museum? It could, and did. To avoid showing favoritism, we felt compelled to stop. This one had a great little village, with yet another perspective of days before microwaves, cell phones, Internet and cable TV.
My mother used to tell my sisters and me that it hurts to be beautiful. I’m eternally grateful that this home permanent contraption was way before my time.
But this refrigerator wasn’t. I actually remember having a refrigerator like this! How did my mother feed all of us kids? No wonder Campbell Soup was um, um good!
Oklahoma City
The Oklahoma City National Memorial was on my “must see” list. It made for a memorable and very moving two hour visit.
The chairs beside the reflecting pool are arranged in nine rows, to correspond to the nine floors of the Murrah building. The number of chairs in the row indicated the number of people who perished on that floor. What was particularly heart breaking was the second row with the nineteen small chairs representing the children that died in the bombing.
I thought about all the times I dropped Greg off at daycare and started imagining the unbearable pain those parents must have felt standing outside, waiting and praying that their child would come out of the rubble alive. It was particularly poignant,given that I was visiting with Greg. I reflected on how much happiness he has brought into our lives and how lucky I am to have him as my son. How do parents find the strength to recover from loss of a child?
The bombing showed us both the worst of human nature and the best–as demonstrated by the first responders and the outpouring of love and support from around the world.
We needed something to lighten the mood, so next stop was the Cowboy and National Heritage Museum. The building and grounds are absolutely beautiful.
Where else can you find an entire WALL filled with cabinets of “devil’s rope”? Every one of the handles in the photo below is attached to a pull out display of barbed wire. But wait, Oklahoma–Texas can do you one better. McLean, Texas has a its own Devil’s Rope MUSEUM!
The replica of the western town was fun, especially the saloon. Here was my chance to belly up to the bar, just like a western workin’ gal. I didn’t have the proper attire, or hair ornaments,the light was low, and I couldn’t use a flash, so this was the best I could do to immortalize the moment.
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Oklahoma City was the starting point for our Route 66 adventure, so we headed west, planning to dine at one of El Reno’s famed establishments, Roberts.
You can’t always judge a restaurant by its exterior, so we ventured inside. The interior consisted of a counter, with about 10 stools, some torn. Mine was wobbly enough to test my balance. Can you see why we decided to beat a hasty retreat?
Back to Oklahoma City for dinner and lodging.
While in Oklahoma we experienced a wide range of human emotions: sadness, empathy, revulsion, excitement, then later anxiety, as we listened to the tornado alarms, and finally relief that Greg was smart enough to park his car under the hotel canopy. We watched hailstones ricochet off cars in the parking lot and felt grateful that we were not the owner of this Mercedes.
Once we figured that we were not in the path of tornado, the evening took on a festive air, as we huddled with other travelers under the canopy to watch the storm pass by.
“Something tells me it’s all happening at the zoo”. Simon and Garfunkel
Memphis was having a heat wave while we were there,but that didn’t stop us from visiting their fantastic zoo. We decided to get there when it opened and stay until the heat did us in.
Our favorite spot was the big cat exhibit.
We started and ended our visit there. Can you see why?
The African penguins were cute, but we were spoiled by the Antarctic trip, seeing the chinstraps, gentoo and adelie penguins in their natural habitat.
Memphis is rightfully famous for its giant pandas.
I always regretted not riding a camel when we were in Egypt, so when this opportunity came a knockin’, I jumped aboard.
Okay, so maybe this ride was intended for kids, but hey, I’m down with having a second childhood!
I’ve had mornings when I felt like this elephant looks. In fact, I’ve had mornings when I’ve LOOKED like this elephant looks, especially around the eyes…
Whenever you start feeling that your job is a little too stressful, just think, at least you don’t have THIS guy’s job.
Although I have lots more animal shots, I’m going to end this post before wordpress crashes on me. Remote blogging on the iPad is a bit of a challenge, as I’m sure my fellow bloggers will attest. (any tips or hints would be most appreciated!)
One parting image from the zoo parking lot. Remember those Nashville brides? I think one of them may have followed us here.
Go west, young man (and mother)
Day Two’s destination was Knoxville. We weren’t in a particular hurry to get there. I’m sure it is a perfectly lovely city, but it just didn’t SPEAK to us.
Natural Bridge on the other hand, almost shouted “stop! Ya gotta see me!” , so we did, and we did. Once inside the Natural Bridge complex, and it IS a complex, we decided to forego the wax museum, the toy museum, the Native American village, and yes, even the Natural Bridge, in favor of the caverns. Hey, they had large pictures of the bridge. I can’t imagine that the real deal
would look a whole lot different. Besides, it was getting a tad hot, and we figured the caverns would be a nice, cool break from the heat.
We weren’t disappointed. The caverns were quite beautiful, and the sweet young guide did a stellar job telling the story of their creation, as we descended 34 stories into the earth. At least they SAY it is 34 stories. I find that highly doubtful, given that we not only walked down, but back up. Regardless of the depth, it was a fun experience.
The moss on one wall almost had a Jurassic Park vibe to it.
It was fairly dark down there, so it was a bit of a challenge to get a photo that does the stalactites justice, but I gave it a shot, so to speak.
Although day two covered almost 400 miles, the drive wasn’t tedious. Great company, glorious scenery and enough stations on Sirius to keep us entertained and in a Tennessee state of mind–who could ask for anything more?
We managed to get hungry just in the right spot…near Daleville, the home of the Three Little Pigs Restaurant. Now, I’m not an expert on barbecue, but I have to say, they had the finest pig I’ve ever tasted. Plus, we loved the decor.
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I'm thoroughly enjoying letting this trip unfold, with little to no preplanning. It is quite a novel experience for me, the Organization Queen. Greg pointed out we are practicing "just in time" delivery, something that Toyota does…and look how successful THEY are.
Our last minute hotel choice proved to be an excellent one, just west of Knoxville, one exit past the Adult SuperStore. No, we didn't stop. Something told us there would be several similar establishments along the way. We sure were right about that, but we were moving too fast for me to snap a photo of the billboards.
Wanting to relive the Cinco de Mayo experience, we chose a Mexican restaurant for dinner, and managed to catch a birthday celebration. The waiters sang, dressed the birthday boy in hat and serape and did SOMETHING to get that white gunk on his face. Unfortunately, I wasn't fast enough with my camera to capture exactly what.
Heading to Nashville for Day 3.
Cross country jaunt…well, almost
The very best thing about being retired is when opportunity comes a knockin’ you can say “come on in, pull up a chair and make yourself comfy”. That’s exactly what I did when Greg announced that he was driving to his summer internship in New Mexico. Mike had prior commitments, so Greg didn’t need to ponder which parent would be the better traveling buddy. Instead, he first had to decide if he even wanted someone riding shotgun, and then determine whether he had room in his car for me and my baggage (not emotional, the kind used to carry clothing–good thing, huh?) He did and he did.
This trip will be the longest that either of us have ever driven. Google Maps calculated the distance at a little over 2,000 miles. Had we kept going through Arizona and California, the total would have been 2,750 miles. So, although the ride won’t be from sea to shining sea, it will be pretty darn close.
Our destination for Day One was Greg’s apartment at the University of Virginia. It took us just about 6 hours to cover the 375 miles. Aside from a short cloudburst, the ride was quite beautiful. Not much traffic at all.
Great lookin’ set of wheels, no? Here’s the thing. The car’s a standard. One of the many skills I never mastered was the ability to drive a stick. Some might argue that I never completely learned to drive an automatic, but they would just be being mean. Lucky me. I get to sit back and enjoy the scenery while Greg does all the hard stuff, which he does very well.
Charlottesville is such a fun little town. Dinner was at Frye Spring Station, a gas station reincarnated as a great place for pizzas, salads, sandwiches and beers. What makes the place really special is that the huge doors where the service bays used to be are still in working order. When the weather is nice, one wall can be opened up. You feel like you are eating outdoors, except you are sheltered from the sun and the rain. Good thing, because that cloudburst followed us.
Next stop was the Charlottesville Downtown Mall, for drinks at the Sky Bar. Given that it was only up one flight, the name seemed a bit of a stretch, but the bar did afford a nice view of the mall.
I loved the artwork. Isn’t this couch great?
Day Two’s destination is the greater Knoxville area. We plan on getting to Memphis by Sunday, and to Santa Fe between June 1 and 3 but the rest of the itinerary is still in the formative stage. By keeping it open, we can take advantage of random opportunities as they occur. We’ll be listening for those knocks!
The Anse La Raye Marathon
Running with the bulls in Spain would probably feel tame after running the “marathon” with the Kid Step Preschool students.
Like all marathoners, the kids “trained” for the big event. Here are the “Rising Fives” (the oldest children) with Teacher Henry, two days before the event. The kids are wearing the name tags that I made for them. Hey, at my age, I need all the help I can get remembering names! 
Don’t you just love the ribbons in the little girls’ hair?
Time for an action shot. The photographer has figured out that while she is taking pictures, she is exempt from running!
The marathon commenced at 10 AM, however we began getting the kids ready to walk the three blocks to the starting point at 9:15. Boy, did we need every single minute!
My wonderful volunteer partner, Edith, is in the white hat, leading the way, carrying one of the younger children.
The children were divided into three teams, which is the reason for the yellow, green and blue tee shirts.
Look at the little girl on the the right. At the time, I didn’t notice Nyla lifting Sapphire’s skirt. I love the look on Nyla’s face.
Was this a big event? Well, most of the town turned out to watch. Fortunately, some of the parents and older siblings joined the race, holding the runner’s hand. That was a great relief, because the streets of Anse La Raye are not the smoothest. I had been worried about scraped knees and elbows, but luckily no one fell.
FINALLY, everyone was at the starting point. Notice the white truck in the photo above? We even had police protection, ready to divert any traffic that might appear.
And We’re OFF!!
When we turned the corner, we saw the entire student population from the “Infant” school (our K through 2nd grade equivalent), and the 4 Global Volunteers from that site lined up on the street, cheering wildly. Had I not been running, that too would have been captured by my camera.
Not to worry, though. I had another chance, when they followed us back to Kid Step Preschool, and milled about outside. This made for an exciting and chaotic day for the preschoolers!
It took a while, but finally the crowd dispersed.
How to get the kiddies settled, after all that excitement? Art! Who knew that a little paper, water and paint could calm everybody down? (I tried hard not to have favorites, but little Jaydin, below, sure made it hard. They were all cute, sweet and precious, but I couldn’t resist those big, beautiful eyes!)
What a wonderful day! How great that most of the community participated. Hard to tell who had the most fun–the kids or me. I’m calling it a tie.
Tomorrow, contest answers and the last set of questions!
“Isn’t it nice to be home again”
It has taken me a few days to unpack, do laundry, pay bills, dig through mail, upload photos. I think part of me (in addition to all of the skin that peeled off my back) is still in St. Lucia, because I awaken thinking about the children…then breakfast. I can almost smell the bacon that Andrew cooked up for us every morning!
During breakfast, one volunteer would read her/his journal entry for the prior day. Fool that I am, I signed up to do it the very last day, thinking that by then, I would have gotten the hang of journal writing a la Global Volunteers. What I DIDN’T consider was all the other things I needed to do before leaving: packing, working on the team report, doing an evaluation, attending the final dinner, having one last “fling” with my new friends. I plan on going on many more Global Volunteer experiences, but for sure I WON’T be doing the last day’s journal. I did get it done in time, so what the heck, I’ll share it with my Blog Buddies. You, however, get a bonus that my team mates missed–visuals (and the captions that go with the visuals were not part of the journal).
Friday, March 23rd
The cricket match between the West Indies and Australia takes place today. This is a very big day for Anse La Raye, because the captain of the West Indies team is from their little village. To give you an idea of how big this is–the infant, primary and secondary schools are all closed today. Not so for Kid Step and Kiddie Homey Day Care, although we noticed that attendance was way down at both schools.
Today is also sports day at Kid Step, which means that the kiddies wear their different colored shirts identifying them as members of the blue, green or yellow teams. Edith and I expected to guide the children to the field in front of the medical center around 10 AM, however Ruth Fredericks stopped by to ask that we come to Kiddie Homey at 10.
Edith and I arrived to find the children assembled in the big room. (Normally there are twice as many kids)
Marcia had taught the children a song about Charlie the fish, which they enthusiastically sang while the staff prepared for the farewell ceremony.
Brenda (one of the volunteers) is on the left; Ruth Frederick, the school administrator and teacher is on the right.
The four of us were seated together in front of the class, who proceeded to serenade us with songs about how special we were and how they loved us.This was followed by a solo about St Lucia performed by a very confident young girl with a beautiful voice. Miss Fredericks introduced her as a recent graduate of Kiddie Homey.
Each member of the staff had written a special individual tribute to each volunteer, which they read. They presented us with handmade cards, a beautiful framed photo of the children, and a huge glass full of the best vanilla and strawberry ice cream ever!
(I was so very touched by this gift. I am quite aware of how difficult it must have been for them to create these personalized photos. It cost them considerable resources that are in very short supply–time, materials and money).
Miss Frederick wanted to make sure that we told Mr. Thomas and Mr. Thomas (fondly known as T Squared) how much she appreciated their work on the door stoppers.
Edith and I then hustled over to the field. 
Some of the fathers had put up two white tents in front of the medical center. Another had brought over the school’s plastic chairs so the children could sit out of the sun when they were not competing.
Parents, aunts, grandparents and siblings were assembled on the field to cheer the children on and to photograph them as they raced to bring colored blocks, one at a time, from one goal back to the other.
A historical moment–Barack (blue shorts) and McCain (red shorts) racing against each other. This time, McCain won.
These little girls can MOVE! I love watching their faces while they are running.
Herman is intensely focused on this race!
Clowie was disappointed that she came in last. Fortunately, her mom was there to comfort her.
Next up, relay race–pass the paint brush. And the crowd went WILD! Take a look!
I was impressed with the creativity of the teachers and the ingenious way they used common materials as teaching aids.
At the end of the races, they presented us with the cards they had made for each of us. I had watched them work on these cards thinking that these were materials for the kids. They traced the butterflies, colored them by hand, cut them out, pasted them on construction paper, and then wrote lovely messages in each during their lunch time, and while the children napped.
At noon, some members of the preschool team returned back to the hotel, but I was having way too much fun to leave. Wandering the streets provided an opportunity to chat with the locals.
I got a taste of what it must be like for friends of Angelina Jolie. People wanted to know if I was friends with Anse la Raye’s biggest celebrities, Gabi and Laurie.
Left to right: My new friends, Laurie, Dotty, Edith and Gabi. All members of the “ladies who lunch” in Anse La Raye. The empty chair belongs to me, the intrepid photographer.
I had time to poke my head in to say hello to Kathy and Jim at the medical center while the kids were having lunch, a little before 12. Then it was time to head over to the library to join in the party the roving caregivers were throwing for Laurie and Gabi. Well, timing is everything in life. My escort, one of the caregivers, spotted them at the end of the block ahead of us. Damn, I missed the birthday party, the wine, the toe nail polishing and the food. On the van home, I heard about the feast the medical team made for Jim and Kathy that started started shortly after I left. So much for the luck of the Irish!
But all was not lost. There was just enough time to visit the local salon to get transformed into Island Girls.
Braided and bedazzled, Laurie and I made our last trip to the market for a final opportunity to stimulate the local economy. I got a dress for our big night tonight, and added to my collection of bling.(See above)
After our dinner with the Anse La Raye partners, we plan on celebrating Laurie’s birthday with an encore of “girls gone wild” at JD’s restaurant. Lawrence, who also doubles as our security guard, is the main attraction at JDs, and we are his Global Volunteer groupies.
This has been my first Global Volunteer experience, but it won’t be my last. I have so much admiration for both Ruth Frederick and Wilcina Gabriel, who spend all day, every weekday showering their love, attention and patience on these beautiful, funny, energetic children. It was an amazing experience.
The evenings were such fun. I was glad to be able to spend time with such a diverse group of fascinating world travelers, and hope that the budding friendships will be like earth boxes and flourish and grow.
The St Lucia Contest
I promised a contest so here goes, but first something akin to the “fine print”. Prizes are only awarded to contestants residing in either New Jersey or Massachusetts, because the contest sponsor (that would be me) only makes deliveries in those two states.
Furthermore, prizes will only be awarded if I find a cash machine that accepts either my ATM or my credit card, because, you see, I am out of money. On a positive note, I have learned something useful to pass along to future Global Volunteers and those staying in the general vicinity of JJ’s Paradise Hotel. There is only one bank nearby, in Marigot Bay, just a boat ride away. That bank does not accept ATM or debit cards, only credit cards, however–and this is a BIG however– it only accepts credit cards that have the Cirrus logo on the back. As you have guessed, MY Chase Sapphire Visa card does NOT have that little logo on it. With those disclosures out of the way, Game On!
Question One: I am out of money because
A. I lost at the slots and roulette, big time
B. The bar at the hotel only accepts cash and a week’s supply of red wine can really add up
C. It cost a lot to get my hair braided and beaded
D. I forgot my money pouch somewhere, I have no idea where.
Hint: there is only one correct answer
Question Two: We are on our own on the weekend, to do as we please. Which one of these did I do today?
A. Sat by the pool, working on my tsn
B. Went zip lining
C. Went kayaking
D. Went snorkeling
Question three: plans have been made for tomorrow. Which of these will I be doing:
A. Driving an all terrain vehicle through the jungle
B. Bird watching in the national forest
C. Visiting Sandals resort
D. Taking a local bus and letting the day unfold
Answers on Monday afternoon, by which time I will have made it to the city and replenished my funds.
Greetings and thank you to Team One!
I’m so glad that some of the members of the first team found my blog, so I’m pleased to provide great news. The hand washing education, at least at the Kiddie Homey day care center, was wildly successful! The kids wash frequently, proudly and enthusiastically. I’ll try to take a picture before the end of my service, because it is something to behold. I had brought bottles of liquid soap with me and when one of the kiddies spotted it, she insisted that she needed to wash her hands. They are also quite fond of hand sanitizer. So Team One, savor your success. Michelle, I’ll take a closer look at the dispenser tomorrow, and will also check on Precious’ foot. I haven’t had a chance to work with Yasmine yet. She was out today, but if she is in tomorrow, I’ll get to her first thing.
I love the way Miss Frederick works with the kids. She reminds them every morning in song that they are”more precious than gold”. I’m hoping to get that morning song memorized before I leave.
Julie, if you have any questions about your project, let me know where you worked and I’ll check with those team mates for an update.
At our debrief tonight, the primary school team reported that the children were learning to write letters and could choose the recipient of their letter. Several opted to write to the January Global Volunteers, Vickie and Linda. Here are some verbatim quotes. “I loved how you treated me”. “I wish you could come back to see how I wash my hands”. Warren is going to try to get the letters to Vickie and Linda, but Julie and Michelle, if you are in touch with them, please let them know that they made their mark.
Today I found the wifi “sweet spot” by the pool, settled in with a glass of wine, thinking that I
would no longer have to sit in the reception area whenever I wanted Internet access. My success was sweet, but oh so brief. Oh well. I might not have Internet access by the pool, but at least I have my glass of wine, and cool water, so life continues to be good.
Destination NOW 