1. Lake Havasu, AZ
I'm finally home after a week of tooling around the Southwest. My friend Jen and I took the Sentra for a nice long drive looking around and playing. I'm not really sure that a full play by play accounting is in order. The trip was one full of Americana and much of it followed I-40 which intersects often with Route 66. I've gotten wet in rivers, creeks, lakes, hot springs and a pool. I've gone to a national park. I've slept in a wonderful bed in a borrowed vacation home and I've slept in a wigwam shaped motel. I've experienced 120 degree heat. I've seen lots of pronghorn and rabbits. I've eaten at a renovated Harvey Hotel. I've eaten ahi tuna and I've eaten lamb. I've purchased a painting in Santa Fe and one from a man at the Continental Divide. I've seen the London Bridge in Arizona.
A friend and I experimented with an art project known as altered books. This isn't really my favorite page, but I figured my friend hadn't seen this page so it would be the one that I share-- also the children are looking in a cave. The idea is to create an art in a book using what's in the book that you like and adding whatever you want to it. It takes some convincing to get started on destroying a book like this, but I've read through most of this one while working on it. It's a discard and I'm confident that it was well read in it's former life. It seemed to go along with the link that I wanted to share and gives me some ideas about other things.
I visited two places this weekend and spent about 60 miles driving on dirt roads. I believe I discovered my outer-limt for a day trip alone. I travelled to Mount Sunflower turning at the brown sign pointing west with the number 21. I've driven past this sign numerous time, but a 42 (yeah that did used to say 41, adding isn't really my thing) mile trip to see a spot with a tongue-in-cheek name never seemed like it was worth it. I planned to visit Mount Sunflower second, but as I was driving by the sign I decided to go now. I may have been inspired by the 10 pronghorn I saw just before I got to the turn.
The second stop was the Arikaree Breaks (the sign is for people like me who keep wanting to call it things like the Harry Caray breaks) which are a possible selection for the 8 wonders of Kansas. This is another place I had never been that I suspect most people haven't visited. I've known about it because my dad and little brothers have been up there. (Ranger wrecked a car near the breaks. The roads are extremely sandy). Like the Cimarron Grasslands, I feel obliged now that I've been to suggest that you consider this spot for one of your 8. It's a wonder and a surprise.
You can see that it's sunny in Colorado. There is also a little picnic shelter right by the spot. This is definitely out of the way. After driving the 21 miles of dirt road you make a right turn to cross the cattle guard. Then, voila: the peak.
This is the view. An odd man from Colorado showed up here as I was fixing to leave. I lingered to say hello, but he was not very friendly, just odd. This spot is on private property so it is out of the kindness of the landowner's heart that we get to visit. So, thanks.
The craziest thing about the breaks is that this wheatfield is less than a half mile away. Then suddenly you go around a curve the road descends and everything changes.
You will note the barbed-wire fence. All of the breaks are on privately owned lands.
Yep. It's a wonder, but I feel like pictures don't really capture it. Maybe a panoramic view would help. One thing that maybe you can't see in the picture is that none of that exposed ground is rock. It's all loess soil.
You would think that this was a place of tranquility and quiet, but it was so loud there I think that it would have been difficult to have a conversation.
You can see the offending party on the dead woody portion of the yucca. Here surrounded by a special sort of nothing, he can be as loud as he wants to be and everyone who comes will listen.
I hate how animals become accustomed to people. Some of these cattle actually stopped what they were doing to pose for the camera. The breaks have gotten way too commercial.
This is called a cave, but it looks like an arch. It seems it has undergone some erosion since it was named.
Yep, that's Nebraska over there.
Summer is all about the turtles crossing the road. This one didn't really like me and was really speedy when I got this close.
A pollywog in the Republican River.
The road to breaks has signs. There is a brochure explaining each of the numbered spots. I would recommend printing it off. The only stop I didn't really enjoy was # 1 which is a trail along the Republican River. I didn't find the trail, and it was gunky and rivery down under the bridge.
The last one is a private joke, but it made me laugh to see the flower strung up with a nail through it.
