Travel Tips & Adventures

Rose Big Horse was asked to demonstrate her weaving skills at the Wupatki National Monument in Arizona recently. Her efforts and designs are part of a long tradition in her Navajo Tribal family.

Rose shows traditional family "storm" pattern

Although her weaving time is confined to evenings and her spare time, the intricacy and proficiency of her work is exceptional. She learned the skill from her mother, who is a published author on weaving. Her mother’s special pattern is called the “storm” pattern. If you think that these works are easy, you would be wrong: it can take a year to produce one rug. Read the rest of this entry »

Passing Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument (see last week – August 17), travel through a landscape of scrub brush and lava rock and you reach Wupatki National Monument.

Wupatki Pueblo - part of the 100-room ancient community

Wupatki’s 100-room pueblo, built of intricate stone and clay mortar, housed a resourceful and hard-working Native American population who lived in Northern Arizona over 800 years ago. They farmed, created pottery, and lived in large communities. Water was a scarce commodity and they conserved it carefully. Read the rest of this entry »

Except for my home, I have rarely spent as many hours anywhere as I did in one particular place in New York City. That one place is known as Broadway.

Beyond the physical place, New York City, where theater is the center of the universe and 40 theaters are in a concentrated area, Broadway is a state of mind. Once you’ve been treated to a Broadway show, you’re hooked for life – at least I was.
My very first Broadway show, a special occasion with my grandmother, was The Sound of Music, starring Mary Martin. Dressed up, as people used to be to attend the performances, I settled into my plush seat. The house lights went down. Then, the enchantment began. Acting, sets, the orchestra, songs – they all combined magically. I left the theater singing one of the tunes and a confirmed theater-lover. Read the rest of this entry »

When we visited Walnut Canyon National Monument this past weekend, we were alerted that there were 240 steps down – and up – from the visitor center to the Loop Trail where we could see the homes of ancient people carved out of steep hillsides.

240 steps – each way, up and down – was quite a strenuous trip to reach the top! When Sinagua people inhabited the cliff dwellings of Walnut Canyon 800 years ago, they must have been part mountain goat – and they didn’t have paved steps and paths! Although I consider myself fairly physically fit, the altitude, 7,000 feet, coupled with the demanding climb of 185 feet, I reached the visitor center panting with my heart pounding.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Guest Author Peggy Bradshaw

When you are traveling to all of these great places out west, if you want to be economical, you might bring your RV.  Here are some places to stay…

The KOA Campgrounds across the country are usually very nice and well run.  One of the nicest is the one in Las Cruces, NM.  There are trees and a cement pad at every site and most are pull-thru, making it easier to get your rig in and out.   The Las Cruces campground has a wonderful pool and picnic/barbeque area, and a grassy area for those with tents.  The general store and gift shop offers western and native wares for purchase, along with restocking your rig.

Read the rest of this entry »

What to do when the wife is in a conference in Santa Fe?  Abscond with the rental car and take a little trip around northern New Mexico, that’s what! 

It was sort of a last minute idea, so I looked at a map to see what I could do in a day.  Two towns, and a national monument sounded feasible, so I dropped her off and I headed out.

First stop – Bandelier National Monument Read the rest of this entry »

Almost 1,000 years ago, a volcano spewed hot magma – gases and rock – across the landscape in what would become Northern Arizona. What resulted is now called Sunset Crater National Monument.

Traveling to Sunset Crater is an easy drive from modern-day Flagstaff, Arizona. In some areas of the park, though, it feels as though you might be on the moon. Read the rest of this entry »

In no particular order, I plan to review places I’ve been, things I’ve seen and restaurants where I’ve dined that have stuck with me – favorites.  Some of the places already reviewed are favorites, but I’ll be highlighting some new places, as well as adding new details about those we’ve already shared.

First up – Ogunquit, Maine

Although I have a great fondness for many places on the East Coast of the US, I returned to Ogunquit, Maine several times.  I loved the mix of sun, sand, waves, theater, seafood and a certain peaceful attitude you don’t find in every resort town.

Walking on the beach, looking out over the Atlantic Ocean was a restful, meditative experience.  Choosing lobsters, then sitting down in a very easy-going way to enjoy our food was another fun experience.  The arts community’s work in Ogunquit is a pleasure to see.  Read the rest of this entry »

What do you think of when someone mentions Dover, Delaware?  Probably not much.

Dover Sole, the White Cliffs of Dover, maybe?  Or, the place where large corporations incorporate due to favorable tax advantages?

This obviously shows you are not from Delaware, although the last answer would be correct. Read the rest of this entry »

By Guest Author Peggy Bradshaw

Upon first seeing Mt. Rushmore, the first thing that goes through your mind is the enormity of it. The second thing is “Wow! How did they do that!” Read the rest of this entry »