What Can a Swiss Boy Do?

Today Kathy bought me a SIGG THERMO mug (made in Switzerland like me) so whenever I go to a coffeehouse I won't be wasting a paper cup or a plastic one. Boy, do I feel like I'm doing my part now! However, nothing like what Al Gore, Robert F. Kennedy and so many others are doing. Several years ago I saw Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speak in Seattle. He's done a lot of work on environmental issues and was a very passionate and inspiring speaker. After his speech someone in the audience asked him "what is the single most important thing I can do for the environment?" He replied that one would think that buying a hybrid car or recycling would be the biggest thing, but he said the best thing one can do is to support the organizations that lobby on behalf of the environment in Washington DC. I just thought I'd pass that on...

Living in Taos Pueblo

What a privilege to be able to visit the ancient homes of our first people. We witnessed the cliff dwellings in the Gila wilderness, the homes at Chaco Cultural Sight, dwellings at Bandelier National Monument and ruins of the Hohokums. We also visited a place where Native Americans have lived for a long time. The Taos Pueblo has been lived in for over 1,000 years. Many of the "cliff dwellers" left for the pueblos along the Rio Grande in the 1500's for reasons unknown (of course there are theories: overuse of resources, droughts...). During our visit to the Pueblo a meeting of the tribal council adjourned and the elders walked right by us. We are looking forward to our next visit to the pueblos of New Mexico!

Sacred Grounds

"The Great Spirit gives everyone a song" Monument Valley is a sacred area for the Navajo tribe.

Driving Day

Drive-Ins are alive and well in New Mexico. Sonics Drive-Ins are everywhere. Recommended: chocolate shakes.

Bandelier National Monument

The Anasazi's lived in these cliff dwellings a thousand years ago. We climbed up into one of the caves and looked down at the ruins of their canyon dwelling which may have contained 400 rooms. "If one can wonder, the gift of knowledge comes." Native American proverb

22 degrees in TAOS NM

Yesterday is ashes - today is fire - tomorrow is wood. Old Eskimo saying. Greetings from the Taos Pueblo.

Snow Country & Western

Sunday - we discover Madrid NM. Funky art galleries galore. End up spending the afternoon at the Mine Shaft tavern (see pic) listening to Rue Barb. It don't get no more real than that. This morning we completed a short nature hike at Sandia Peak. Elevation - 10,768 feet, temperature - minus 4 Degrees with wind chill. And alas, we just got our first SNOW!

Great Frontier Food

8 people take your order for New-Mex cuisine which you pick up almost instantly. The price is right and the Frontier gets my road trip seal of approval.

Saturday night finds us at the Frontier Restaurant in Albuquerque.

Just leaving the Gila Wilderness, largest Roadless area in the US. Temperature = 91.

Breakfast for Champions

Everyone enjoys a good breakfast on the road. Recommended: Dot's diner in BIsbee AZ. It's great to be in the land of the sun! Almost everyone we meet is from WA. They all site sunshine as a main reason for moving here. Today was a travel day. We are in Silver City heading North.

Hoodoo you love.

They caught the bear! We did run across a coral snake AND got his pic. Here is a pic of the Hoodoos. PHONE BLOG from Chiricahua, AZ.

Climbing for reception

We had to climb to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain to send this phone post. No cell reception anywhere else. The wind is howling and we have to get back down and see if they have caught the bear yet that is in our campground.

Airstream Heaven BIsbee yes!

We spent the night in a 1947 AirStream Trailer at Shady Dell trailer park in BIsbee AZ. Talk about time travel - everything here is straight out of Twilight Zone! Tomorrow it's off to Chiracuhua National Monument.

Welcome to BIsbee!

We fell in love with BIsbee, AZ today. A liberal oasis in a conservative desert. Formerly an old mining town, BIsbee has become a haven for artists and musicians.

wanted: 100 Year old saguaro

A big cactus ate my girlfriend. the cacti are amazing. this phone post is coming from saguaro national park, AZ, one of the most spectacular places on earth.

Dessert sunset

Day one. will camp here near tucson.

Blogging for the Environment

Southwest here we come!

So Shorty and I are heading for the Southwest on Saturday. We'll be in Arizona and New Mexico for 2 weeks and will be exploring the habitats of the many people who lived there for thousands of years. Hopefully we'll see lots of cacti and desert wildlife as well as spectacular rock formations. Right now we're doing lots of research! I will be updating my blog via cell phone, so the picture quality won't be that great, but I will keep you up to date on our latest adventures.

Desserts are my life!

It's not often that we find a Melting Chocolate Cake in a restaurant here in Kitsap county. So when we found one on the menu at Anthonys in Bremerton WE COULD NOT RESIST! We've decided to come back one night just for dessert. I'll keep you posted.

Dannica's party

This picture is from Dannica's going away party. We will all miss her!
Thanks for 10 great great years here at Rubber Soul!