UP ROUTED - LAKE CHARLES TO LAFAYETTE, LA

- Lake Charles to Lafayette and we decide to take the Creole Trail detour….this is a bit of a shocker…nobody told us that nature includes bugs, snakes, excess humidity or brown turbulent ocean….well, imagine my embarassment!….so despite a complete lack of knowing what to expect and despite our mortal fear of finding ourselves on the next instalment of Naked and Alone, we manage to snatch a couple of great moments from a poorly planned excursion - dolphins,and white herons are abundant, can't complain about that…..we arrive in Lafayette and explore a bit - where did everybody go - I mean it's Saturday night….we find a Cajun restaurant and aren't disappointed…..the crawfish and flounder are great……the hotel room is amazing……expectations, they can really mess with your head……!

shrimp boat - we sat on a channel ferry and watched the trawlers go by - dolphins fed about 30 meters from the ferry...

within 20 miles of the waterfront, houses on stilts are common - houses not on stilts are rare....

 look closely, the gulf water is brown.....never ending shore turbulence and the mud from the bayou.....

roseate spoonbills......very shy.....they look like flamingos with fat lips!

UP ROUTED DAY - LAKE CHARLES, LA

we drive from Dallas to Lake Charles, Louisiana……again, the drive provides little stimulation and we arrive in Lake Charles safely…..we decide to use the hotel microwave and head to a local supermarket for supplies….I can't remember the last time that someone asked me if they could help me in a grocery store but there is a first time for everything.....we are completely open to any suggestions that this Louisiana grocer makes….we stand in front of the generic nuke a dinner section and it was pure Cajun music to my ears to hear him ask if we would prefer some local cuisine to the generic stuff that we were looking at - say a shrimp gumbo or chicken and sausage etouffe, what about the boudin - what, really, are you kidding me???….is it any good I ask - - he points out the frozen dinners that don't sell so well and we make our choices, we grab a little boudin for good measure….what a place- love the food - shrimp and crab etouffe in 5 minutes and I mean very tasty….we eat then walk the Lake Charles boardwalk at sunset and watch the fish jump and check out some turkey ducks, white cranes and dragon flies…..I mean really, who helps you in a grocery store - good start Louisiana!

an egret watches and waits patiently for a snack before sundown.....

in the distance is the bridge into Lake Charles and the industrial area - refineries, mills, etc......

folks enjoy the days end while doing a little fishing at the same time.....

I'm starting to see where the mardi gras masks originated.....

shore sculpture.....

UP ROUTED - AMARILLO TO DALLAS

we are driving from Amarillo to Dallas - if you have not done this, then I will explain - not much to say! hot, vast and time to have a Texas steak…..Mission Accomplished! Linda had the fillet and I had the ribeye….cheap and surprisingly good…..forgive us Vegans everywhere…we'll try to to do better in the future!  No pictures were taken of this desert trek in order to protect the identity of the innocent creatures that we did not see anywhere.....

a little water for the road dust then a bottle of Copolla Wine.....Texas tea y'all.....it's uncanny how the camera lens duplicated my vision perfectly!!!

 so a deer, a mountain lion and a buffalo were hanging around in a bar one night and the deer says to the buffalo....I think it's your turn to buy son!!!! get it.....buy son,,,,,bison,,,,,heh heh heh,,,,,just a little road humour!

he's laughing!!

he's not!!

as for this guy!!!

she's not...

Reno Red's Frontier Cooking - mesquite mostly,,,,,be sure to drop in for a huge hunk of steak!!

UP ROUTED - AMARILLO

 we are driving from Santa Fe to Amarillo….if you have not done this, then I will explain - not much to say! hot, vast and time to get the oil changed…..Mission Accomplished! yaaaayyyy.....good car...thinking of naming the car....mytoya, ourtoya, latoya - forget latoya, it's probably too close to the trial........suggestions welcome!

no, this is not the sign outside the dealership where we had the service done????

these are essential to Texas survival........

UP ROUTED DAY - OLD SANTA FE

we decided to spend the day in old Santa Fe and explore the old city…this is a very laid back place which is dominated, strangely enough, by native jewelry/pottery stores - I kid you not. The sheer volume of stores and galleries is mind boggling…as well as the stores there are various versions of street vendor to add to the extensive choices…if you ask enough questions (Linda generally does) you discover that the various items for sale are sourced from all over the world as well as locally….you would need way more than one day to even scratch the surface…(I'm sure I don't speak for everyone when I say that)….and there is not much evidence of iother ndustry or commerce in this city - I'd have to say that the government is the main employer next to the retail industry….we toured the state capital building and were treated to some incredible art pieces in the capital hall galleries…..downtown Santa Fe has tried to preserve the original historical architectural look……7000 feet above sea level, 90 degrees in the shade and you almost feel like you have stepped into the old, old west (air conditioning, VISA and public washroom toilet paper excluded of course)…..….we happened upon a very busy Santa Fe restaurant, Tia Sophiia,…..the food was amazing and really inexpensive (that sound that you hear in the background is me purring)……we sit in the Plaza, it was originally made over 300 years ago….definitely carries you to that place where you wonder just what those pioneers were thinking way back then??……dooweeooweeooooooooooooo (name that tune!

dozens of outdoor sculptures are found throughout the downtown area...

 the state capitol building is open to the public and features artwork done by prominent New Mexico artists....

 as if Linda hasn't had enough of my bull this trip!!

 red peppers hang as decorations on these great old buildings (very festive and convenient when those culinary oopsies occur)......

364 days of sunshine a year provides the locals with unique gardening opportunities....

one ass trying to impose his will over another ass.....how about 2 asses having a tug of war - - bahdahbing!

the St. Francis Cathedral.....

 the Scottish Presbyterian Church.....

San Miguel...the oldest church in the U.S.........

UP ROUTED - JEMEZ TO SANTA FE

today we head north to Santa Fe from Albuquerque…we are not sure what to expect and we take a detour up the Jemez Trail…you can't really say New Mexico without some expectation of Old Mexico having some impact on this area and the architectural signs are evident pretty  early. …the trail is interesting and after travelling the beautiful Jemez Canyon and the Valles Caledra, we eventually find ourselves coming into Los Alamos…if you aren't aware of the facility, look it up - - I had to…who knew and who pays for this??.. who knows?…we passed through security and out the other side without stopping… the Sangre de Cristo mountains sit directly in front of us looking more like green screen than the real thing…..we look forward to a day in the ancient city of Santa Fe….

this is the first time that we've seen so much of this traditional Mexican architecture in this area. First time to see the chile peppers hanging along the front porch as well....

 note the ladder - - to the roof top - -

 blue, red and green everywhere....beautiful

swallowed up by the mountain -

so who's gonna drive?

I'll walk, I know exactly where I'm going...

San Diego Valley.....

central Rockies in the distance....

olives and granola for lunch...mmmhhhhhh

Santa Fe lies just over this ridge...

UP ROUTED - FLAGSTAFF TO ALBUQUERQUE (ROUTE 666666666)

 we are heading for Albuquerque, NM….Route 66 - - add some more sixes please…Get your kicks  - - sorry, not this time.......the crosswind are crazy, we are waiting for the car to fly across the highway in a gust of wind….this is Continental Divide territory, dare I say Great Plain country…dust, wind and bent grass for 200 km…and did I mention rain - - - yes I said rain and thunder even, I mean we are really caught with our proverbial water proof pants down!! it's a 5 hour drive that takes 7 hours…we look for the Painted Desert but can't find it….too much dust I guess - -…..best thing to do is hug the slow lane….we cross the border into New Mexico and take a break….the only photo of the day is taken….we drift into Albuquerque (gotta nice ring to it doncha think?) and stake out our spot for the night - - I start a fire to keep the snakes and coyotes from getting too close - -  Linda checks the horse (it's a Toyota Matrix after all) to make sure that it's tied tight and I check the TV listings for the Clint Eastwood movie where he rides into town in a wind storm - they must have made it here???? Nothing but football games, maybe the Hurricanes are playing??…how about a bit of Riders on the Storm, into this house were born, into this world were thrown?…..tomorrow we head for Santa Fe,,,,