In the last 18 months I have canceled over 60 nights of travel due to the pandemic and associated drama. Late in the summer, I was tired of canceled camp sites and reservations and decided, "THAT'S IT! I AM OUTTA HERE". I went on my favorite trip planning website and, since I've wanted to see it for awhile, planned a trip to Devil's Tower in Wyoming and Badlands National Park for October. 

After a few years of deliberation I also decided to get a sports car. When I retired  I sold my convertible and bought a truck but missed the sheer fun of the open air. This is especially true because, after too many close calls in the Southern California traffic, I sold my big Triumph Thunderbird motorcycle a few years back. In my life some of my finest moments have been on a lonely two road highway, top down in a convertible, banging the steering wheel to the beat of a great song and letting the wind blast through my hair. That, my friends, is living.  I started researching sports cars a few years back and tentatively decided on a Mustang, Camaro, or even another BMW. I required a manual transmission which, today, is a little like finding a needle in a haystack on those models. I subscribed to Road and Track and Consumer Reports and my thoughts on my next car all changed. The little Mazda MX-5 ranked so far above the competition that I had to drive one and then, well, I fell in love with the little roadster. Talk about fun to drive!

Ok! Let's go! For grins and a bit more info I talked to a friend who is a regular visitor to Badlands and she said, "You want to take a convertible to South Dakota in October? Oh, silly boy, you do that when it's warmer - it could snow on you. You drive south in October in a convertible!". Well, alrighty then...let's drive south.

I stared at the map for awhile. I'd always wanted to see the Padre Island National Seashore along the Texas Gulf Coast. That is south. So, I got in the little MX-5 and drove 1508 miles...

But let's jump back a little bit. I actually did have a short 3 day trip to Morro Bay in August. It was quite lovely and I did manage to make a few photos. So before we head out to Texas allow me to show you a few images from an enjoyable short trip to sleepy (and foggy) old Morro Bay - love that place! Lupe and I will be returning this month.

Okay. Fast forward to early October 2021. One morning at 6:00 AM I threw my suitcase in the trunk. Put a backpack in the passenger seat. Hit my Apple Music playlist that included every single Texas song I could think of and backed out of the driveway. As soon as it warmed up I pulled off Interstate 40 - put the top down - and commenced the road trip bliss. My first night was at La Posada in Winslow. I met my pal, Liz, and we had a nice dinner at The Turquoise Room. With it's history, decor and proximity to my beloved trains, La Posada remains one of my favorite spots to stay in all of the Southwest.

After a restless night of sleeping, the thought of the road kept waking me up, I started the drive through some magnificent scenery and Billy the Kid country, to Artesia, New Mexico.  Liz had recommended the drive through Quemado and Pie Town and avoiding the interstate and it was an inspired recommendation. I had what Mr. Maslow called a "peak experience" on the drive. No traffic, perfect 80 degree weather, scenery to bring tears to your eyes and cracking good tunes by my favorite Texas singers/songwriters. I lost all sense of time for a few hours and only felt that particular  joy that only a road trip can provide.  Here are a few photos from that day.

I arrived in Artesia, NM at about 5:00 PM after losing an hour heading east and driving about 550 miles. After trying, for several years, I finally met my social media pal Mike Nowak and we had a lovely dinner at the Adobe Rose - where I also happened to be staying.  It was cool hanging out with Mike and I'm hopeful it can happen again soon. I slept well and woke up early the next morning to head to San Antonio. I had spent some time in Texas over the years, of course, but hadn't been on a road trip there other than when I picked up my little fiberglass trailer in Rice back in 2015. After driving through the oil country I stopped for some Texas BBQ in Ozona, TX at Wagon Wheel BBQ. After eating the most tender brisket I have ever had I spent  about 45 minutes talking to the owner about how he became a barbecue master and the differences between Texas BBQ and Santa Maria BBQ after I told him about my grill and love of tri-tip.  It was a hospitable welcome to the Lone Star State.

This was the first of many fine meals I had on my Texas sojourn.

After 3 days of solid driving I was becoming a tiny bit road weary. I decided to stop in one of the many "parking areas" on the Texas interstates and saw this old abandoned stagecoach stop. It was an interesting place and the view through the interior provided a fine photo opportunity.

I arrived to sunny and hot (95F) San Antonio at about 4 in the afternoon. I checked into the hotel and rested for a few minutes but had to, absolutely had to,  go get some Tex-Mex. I walked down to the Riverwalk and had a lovely dinner. 

The next morning was my obligatory Alamo tour. On the drive in I had listened to an audio-book called, "Forget the Alamo". It's a fairly new history  of the  context of the battle and it was eye opening and much different than the "official" history including the fact that Mexico's abolishment of slavery was a huge part of the story. I was looking forward to seeing if the tour guide would weave any of this information into his tour. I should have known better. The Alamo is still too sacred to mar with the truth.

I was very surprised when I arrived in Alamo Plaza. It was crazy. There were dozens of people everywhere and people participating in reenactments were wandering around aimlessly shooting their fake guns or selling souvenirs from booths and every 5 minutes cannons were being fired in the street and, man, it was all a bit much. The worst part? The tour itself is a snoozer. I'm still glad I did all this, I suppose, but I can't imagine ever "doing the Alamo" again.

I had Tex-Mex for lunch and visited the Briscoe Western Art Museum, took a river boat tour and that night went on a walking tour of the city - which I would highly recommend. The walking tour (free!) was a historically accurate and entertaining introduction to San Antonio. In fact, it'll make you fall in love with the city. I did. And I know I will be back - there is so much more to see and do and places to eat! Here are a few photos of my day.

As I left the next day for the gulf coast I thought that I would check out one of the San Antonio missions. After doing a little of my own research (scarier words seldom said) I decided to visit Mission Espada which is (allegedly) the best preserved. I arrived to a full parking lot on a gloomy but warm day and realized, since it was a Sunday morning, Mass was being observed. I quietly meandered around. It was an oddly satisfying hour or so. I kept wondering about who and how many people had walked in this same place for so many years.

I was 12 in 1969. Lots happening that year - even Glen Campbell sang an anti-war song called "Galveston". It captured me and inspired a lifelong desire to visit the Texas Gulf Coast. In particular, I had always wanted to stand on the coast and look at the waves and feel the gulf breeze on my face and in my hair. Finally, in October 2021, a mere 52 years after I first heard that song, I made that dream come true. It wasn't exactly in Galveston,  I was at the Padre Island National Seashore which is a unit of the National Park Service.  The place, as my Texas gulf cost dream evolved over the years, that I wanted to see the most. It did not disappoint.

This then was my first view of the Texas gulf coast at Malaquite Beach. And yes, the warm breezes were blowing in my face - it was just as I had pictured it in my mind's eye all these many years.

I spent two glorious afternoons at the National Seashore. I was astonished and delighted by the solitude I found there. Every summer, in my youth, I would spend days in the ocean swimming. It had been a few years but the water was so warm and inviting that I couldn't help myself.  I spent half one afternoon being healed - physically and spiritually - by swimming in that temperate salt water.

I was delighted by the Coastal Prairie grasslands. How novel for me and how magnificent. 

I spent a bit of time in Corpus Christi where the temperature barely changed while I was there - it seemed to be 85F all day and all night. That's not strictly true of course but let's not let facts get in the way of my feelings. It seemed to be hot - all the time. Of course, another song, Corpus Christi Bay by Robert Earl Keene, had boosted my interest in this area as well.

The following morning, unaware that a hurricane was building that would eventually alter my course, I drove to the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park and spent time in the Lower Rio Grande Valley on my way to South Padre Island.  I had a marvelous time other than running into the largest Mosquitoes I have ever seen and nearly being carried off and eaten alive. I talked to the Ranger at Palo Alto who lived there locally and he told me, "yeah, we're thinking about changing the state bird". Cracked me up. The following photos are from the battlefield and the surrounding area near Los Fresnos, TX. I need to go back and make that area near Brownsville my home base for 3-4 days and make photographs. It has it's own unique and, to me, spectacular beauty.

On my way to South Padre I stopped at the Port Isabel Lighthouse. Not too many folks around.

I got to South Padre - checked in to my motel room and rested. It had been a busy several days. I checked my twitter account and someone said, "Hey, look out for Pamela". Well, OK. Let's see here. Oh, Pamela is a hurricane but it's not coming from the gulf. It's coming from the Pacific - crossing over Mexico and is supposed to hit Del Rio first as it moves into Texas. Well, tomorrow night when it hits - I'm supposed to be staying in Del... wait, what? I went on the weather app and, sure enough, there was a huge red cone showing the hurricane track and yep it was headed directly for my next stop in Del Rio. They were predicting 6-8 inches of rain in a 24 hour period with flooded roads.  I suppose if I'd been in my Tacoma I'd have been more relaxed and game to deal with crazy weather but being in a tiny roadster wasn't a brilliant choice for happiness while driving through flooded roads.

So much for my leisurely drive through Laredo along the Rio Grande to Del Rio. I had to dodge this weather front and kick in plan B. The next morning I got up at 2:00 AM and hit the road on the way to Fort Stockton which would put me north of the hurricane track. Of course, it should have been easy enough to do - just go back east toward Corpus Christi and then north to San Antonio. Google maps had me start taking 2 lane highways all over hell and gone and then directed me to a closed highway. At 4:00 AM, no less. I stopped the car. Got out and breathed deeply - this was an adventure now. After a few minutes breathing in that fine Texas air I jumped in - looked at a PAPER MAP and got going - what a novel idea. I headed north but kept checking the radar and watching the leading edge of Pamela every time I stopped - nope - no way to avoid it.  By the afternoon the weariness kicked in and then , like clockwork, the storm hit me on the interstate. Now, I've been in some weather in my life but this - just the tip of the storm -  was pretty darn wild. The speed limit is 80 MPH and I was driving 30 MPH and passing trucks. We all got hammered for about 45 minutes  and then... it was gone. Sweet. I pulled into the Fort Stockton Best Western a relieved and tired California boy.  The motel offered a free dinner - what a genius concept. I ate and crashed for 12 hours.  Woke up to a beautiful dawn and headed to Las Cruces through Alpine and Marfa.

I was on the home stretch now. Hurricanes and gulf breezes behind me I thoroughly enjoyed two relaxing days in Las Cruces. I spent one morning at White Sands National Monument - er Park - and was rather horrified to find the Visitor Center Parking lot full and the center itself was so crowded one could barely move. Sigh. This is the price we pay these days for making anything a National Park. I took a trip to Zion with my oldest son a few years back and was deeply saddened by seeing the park overrun - I had the same feeling here. Regardless, I did manage to find a bit of solitude and made some photos.

I spent part of one afternoon at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. I do not know why. I did have a nice conversation with the blacksmith and walked across an interesting bridge.

After eating New Mexican cuisine and gaining another 5 pounds and stuffing myself with sopapillas I started the trek home. After a fantastic lunch in Tucson with my friends Holly and Chip I spent a night in Gila Bend at the famed Space Age Lodge.The next morning I took the long way home over Interstate 8. It was a fine trip. I was able to have the top down in the convertible almost every day. I finally felt those gulf breezes blow through my now thinning and graying hair.

As Theodore Roosevelt said, "I owe more than I can express to the West". Me too, Teddy, me too.

"Beauty is and always will be blue skies and open highway".

Dave Hickey

I grew up in Southern California in the 1960's.   I suppose, to some extent, everyone who grows up in the West has a permanent mark left on their psyche from our "car culture".  

I remember loving to drive anywhere with my parents in 1965 so I could count the Ford Mustangs on the local roads.  Conversations with other boys in school invariably ended up with sports or cars.  "Which is your favorite?"  "What size is the engine?"  "Chevy's suck!"  "NO WAY- Ford's suck"  "Four on the floor" "Three on the tree".  "Mooneyes or Mags?"  STP stickers were all the rage.  If you didn't know who Big Daddy Garlits or AJ Foyt or Parnelli Jones were or the difference between a 283 and a 389 then, well, you were completely lost and ran the risk of being laughed off the playground. 

 What is the cliche?  The "lure of the open road"?  It had us all firmly in its' grip and we were all too young to drive.  There was (and is!) romance in asphalt, steel, chrome and the freedom it represents.  I have spent many hours trying to determine why I craved and still crave the open road.  It's a spiritual, mystical and oddly ethereal concrete symbol for getting the Hell out of my head and out of here.

I fantasized before retirement about just hitting the road as soon as I could...

​THAT dream has become a reality.  I have been traveling the highways about half the time since June of 2013 but I have been loving highways my entire life.  

Recently, on Twitter, I asked my followers to tell me some of their favorite highways.  I was surprised at the number of responses I received.  It's obvious that I'm not the only one who is in love with the road.  Of course, were it not cut into pieces the "Mother Road"- Route 66- might have been on everyone's list.  While I appreciate the efforts to preserve or re-create that route, I've done bits and pieces and it's a puzzle to even find it at times and much is gone in favor of the interstate system.  So, we won't include that here which is too bad.  
So what criteria did I use to determine my favorites?  In two main  ways- how the road makes me feel and whether I'd recommend it.  That's not too subjective, is it?   Well, of course it is but it's also very simple...

Here's the list:

1. California State Route 1 Growing up in SoCal this one was king.  Commonly called PCH it stretches from San Juan Capistrano in the south to Leggett in the north- encompassing some of the world's most beautiful scenery and vistas.  Big Sur and environs is typically considered the most beautiful part of the drive but there are little stretches - from it's southern terminus to it's northern end that are emblematic of everything that represents the "California culture".  The drive from Santa Monica to Oxnard is an example...waves, surfers, sand, seafood, fishermen and the shaka sign.

2. Highway 101 is also known, in places, as "PCH".  This, if I had to pick, is the highway that I think I've loved more and longer than any other.  As a young man I read and was captivated by John Steinbeck and his descriptions of the land (I still am). Highway 101 (one oh one) traverses the heart of what I think of as "Steinbeck Country"; the rolling hills with large oaks that are shimmering green in the spring and golden in the autumn. The world changes as you approach the Gaviota Pass and I cannot describe how glorious it feels to go through the Gaviota tunnel heading north - I simply leave all the Southern California bullshit behind me, get out of my overthinking mind, and embrace the visual poetry of the drive. 

There have been times, I'm not ashamed to admit, when the stretch between Santa Barbara and the Bay Area has literally brought me to tears. It's also known, of course, as "El Camino Real" and even that name, as a child, filled me with romance as I pictured Californios walking the Royal Road.  I feel more "connected" to the 101 than any other Highway.

Now that I've taken up photography as a passion I'll be traveling more on 101 in Oregon.  Most of the highway skirts the Pacific there and the sights are as peaceful and stunning as these eyes have ever seen.  When I met my wife Lupe one of the first places I wanted to show her was the Oregon coast.  

3.  Highway 395 - this highway, lesser known than the coast routes is a gem.   The granitic Sierra Nevada, sloping and gentle on the western slopes is completely different on the eastern side. On the western side you see the mountains off in the distance, on 395 they rise seemingly straight up, off the valley floor.  I believe that I will probably spend more time on this highway than any other in the next few years.   In fact, next month I'll be fishing with my sons in the Bishop Creek area and then I'll be exploring the Alabama Hills in October.  

Of course, this is a federal highway and runs to the Canadian border from the Mojave Desert but I do not know the Oregon and Washington sections very well having only traveled them a few times.  I believe in the next few years I'd better correct that. 

4. Highway 89 - Strong arguments could be made that this is simply the best highway in the West and, therefore, the entire USA.  If someone were to ask me to "show them the West", I'd head right for Highway 89.  Highway 89 used to run from the Mexico border to the Canada border but that was changed in 1992 and now there are two sections.

Remarkably, Highway 89 links seven National Parks.  In addition, 14 National Monuments are located close to this route.  It is mind blowingly beautiful.  

Here is a list of highlights:

Arizona
Saguaro National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and near Casa Grande National Monument and the Hohokam Pima National Monument. There is Tuzigoot National Monument, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Sunset Crater National Monument, and Wupatki National Monument. 

Utah
Zion National Park, Bryce National Park.  Two sections of U.S. 89 in Utah have been designated Scenic Byways. The Kanab to Mt. Carmel and Long Valley Scenic Byway is a designated Utah Scenic Byway. From Logan to Bear Lake is designated as the Logan Canyon Scenic Byway by the National Scenic Byways project.

Idaho
This stretch, bordering Utah, does not have a National Park nearby but it's pastoral and enchanting as it goes through Montpelier and you know you're getting closer to the mountains and grandeur of Wyoming's National Parks.  

Wyoming
Here you go.  Highway 89 leads to Jackson Hole and Grand Teton National Park which is, of course, the gateway to Yellowstone National Park - the granddaddy of National Parks and subject of my next post.

Montana
The highway winds through the state, with breathtaking scenery along the way, to magnificent Glacier National Park.

​My friend, Eric Temple, who I've mentioned previously, is the creative force behind ​Highway 89 Media.  Our man knows how to name things...

If you have the time you'd be smart to put this road first on your list.

5. US Route 550.  I was on this highway two years ago and it is an unforgettable and spectacular drive.  It is known as the "Million Dollar Highway" as it stretches from Durango, CO to Montrose, CO.  The road goes through and around some of the most impressive mountains in the United States.  It is glorious and if you have not been on this road, as I suspect a few of you have not, I encourage you to make plans to see it post haste.  I guarantee you will not be disappointed- just check the weather forecast.  You can see some of the sights on this road if you scroll down my Trip Review Page to September 2014.

​6. Utah Highway 12.  While Highway 395 was my inspiration for this blog the first other highway I thought about was this dramatic road.  It's only 125 miles from beginning to end but what an irresistible stretch it is.  Starting at Bryce Junction (off Highway 89) and ending at Capitol Reef National Park it captures Southwestern Utah and its' uniquely sculptured magnificence.  It travels through some of the most picturesque country in the West. Red Rocks, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and Kodachrome State Park are along the way.  While Highway 89 may be the highway I would recommend to "See the West" it is a long route.  If you have limited time then get yourself over to Highway 12 and check out its' wonders.  I offer a 100% money back guarantee that you'll love it.

7. Beartooth Highway. Many people consider this the most beautiful drive in America (including none other than Charles Kuralt according to the always reliable Wikipedia page).  This is the Northern Rocky Mountains at their very finest.  It leaves Yellowstone and then twists and turns and switchbacks all the way to Red Lodge, Montana.  I've only been on this road four times but I can remember each drive...the clouds and sky...where I had lunch and those breathtaking mountains.  It's that unforgettable.  It is notorious for its' unpredictable weather and summer snowstorms, while rare, are not unheard of.  I have a dream of doing this drive some early September morning and stopping every few miles along the way.  It's a nice dream.  I hope to make it a reality quite soon.

There are other roads that I must mention even if I don't give them the words they deserve.  I drove Interstate 93 through Massachusetts and New Hampshire about 15 years ago in October which started and ended my career as a "leaf peeper" but I'd go back in a heartbeat.  My teen years and first years of driving were on the "Rim of the World" Highway 18 in the San Bernardino Mountains and I still think about it often...I drove it for 20 years in my career as well from the little town of Running Springs to Lake Arrowhead through every possible kind of weather and I'll always love it.  On those rare clear days you can still see Catalina Island.  A current favorite is Highway 70 in New Mexico that runs by the Organ Mountains and White Sands National Monument in New Mexico along the way to Alamogordo  Going over the La Veta Pass on I-25 from Pueblo, CO to Santa Fe, NM is another fave.    

So, there you have it.  My top 7 American Highways and some honorable mentions.  My hunch is lots of folks would disagree with this list and that's great.  Educate me (but be gentle).  I know that my eastern US knowledge is fairly weak and I probably missed some great roads in the midwest too. I also know there are many local highways that may provide for your escape and, perhaps, your inspiration too.  The terrific photographer Alex Kunz mentioned, for example, California Highway 78 which runs from the beach to the desert and is an underrated heavenly drive that has inspired much of his remarkable work. Tell me about yours and I'll put it on the list of my future travel destinations...

I plan on sharing more of my "favorite places" in the coming months.  Next up will be my favorite National Parks and, I guess, I'll try and limit that to seven as well... it won't be easy.  

​See you on the road...

​Peace.

This winter, with the arrival of Finley and Joaquin, has kept me closer to home than I anticipated.  Nevertheless, I did get out to Anza Borrego, Joshua Tree and Organ Pipe.  The flowers are blooming in some of my favorite spots but I am readying myself for a trip to  Big Bend National Park in Texas, a place I've wanted to go to since my late teens (in other words - a long time ago).

I'm looking forward to leaving.  Between legal issues, Homeowner's Associations,  my health, and the tax code, it's been a stressful few months.  I'm hoping I can quickly put all the bullshit behind me as soon as I hit the road.  

I have a few new camping items that I'm enjoying.  I have a new weather radio that also charges my iPhone and it's a great addition.  My favorite item, however, is the Grace Digital Audio Eco Extreme Rugged All Terrain Speaker Case.  It's small with great sound, indestructible, and I can listen to music without earphones whether in camp or while hanging out in the camper shell.  

My tentative (it always changes- ah spontaneity) trip details are the following:

3/9 Bog Springs Campground in the Santa Rita Mountains of Southeastern Arizona in the Coronado National Forest.  At 5200 feet it might be a bit cold and if it's snowing (highly unlikely) there are several BLM and other campgrounds in that part of the state- including Chiricahua National Monument and environs.  It's a long 507 mile drive out there so I'll be leaving early.

3/10 Aguirre Spring Campground - I'll be staying in the Organ Mountains outside of Las Cruces, NM.  I'm a fan of Las Cruces and the surrounding Chihuahua Desert and this BLM campground gets great reviews.  It's 307 miles to that spot. 

3/11 Chisos Basin Campground- Big Bend National Park.  I'll arrive at my destination! I actually had to make reservations months in advance to get a spot out here as March is supposed to be a particularly beautiful month in Big Bend.  There is currently a severe water shortage in the area and visitors are limited to using 5 gallons a day.  I find that amusing because I typically  use 7.5 gallons about every 5 days (in addition to bottled water that I bring along for hiking).  The drive here will be about 400 miles and I'll stay 3 nights.  the sightseeing and hiking is supposed to be spectacular. There are desert, mountain and river hikes.

Interestingly, Woody Guthrie spent time in Big Bend in 1921 looking for gold.  I saw his bio movie, "Bound For Glory" again last night and he is a true hero of mine for his music, compassion and idealism.  His vision of what America is and should be still inspires me and it coincides with my beliefs about the land itself.  Of course, he was also a fellow ramblin' man. 

3/14 Las Cruces NM.  I'll be ready for a long shower and I'll be spending Saturday night in a motel in downtown Las Cruces.  A southwestern meal will probably sound just about right then too.

3/15 Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, NM.  A short 80 mile drive to my next destination but it will give me time to spend a day in the magnificent White Sands National Monument.  

3/16 Cochise Stronghold Campground in the Dragoon Mountains of southeastern Arizona.  Is this my favorite campground in the West?  Maybe- it's my fourth visit in 3 years.  This spot is about 300 miles west from Alamogordo, NM.

3/17 Burro Creek Campground - This is another favorite spot (for me and dozens of wild burros) and is about 315 miles northwest from Cochise.  This is from the website.  

Sounds like a great St. Patrick's Day, doesn't it?  That will be last night on the trip.

3/18 Home

I'll leave you with some great lyrics of Woody Guthrie:

Peace.