There's no place like home!

The traffic, the sirens, the horns, the bills, the grass to be cut, the mess the cat made: there's no place like home!!!!

Sprinting Home!

Just out of Des Moines, final burn home!

Final Stretch!

It'll make for a long day, but if it means sleeping in our own bed tonight we are gonna do it. Elkhart to home today!

Sedona to Elkhart

We woke up in Sedona and am bedding down in Elkhart, KS. We are staying at the El Rancho Motel. Quaint, nice, better than the Fifth Season. Though they do have an interesting rule.

Our last Sedona sunset

We hit the road for home today. It is bitter sweet, and will make for two very long days. But we are well rested and relaxed!

Tlaquepaque

Great mission style architecture here

Vortex patio

Conveniently, we found an energy vortex with a patio and prickly pear ice tea. Check out the peppers hanging behind Chris.

Montezuma Well and Castle

Visited Montezuma Well and Castle. Both incorrectly named as Montezuma has nothing to do with either, nor is the castle a castle, but a hi-rise dwelling. To see the well was free, the castle was to cost $10 bucks. However, we pretended to be part of the Spanish tour group so it was free!

Jerome ghosts

Visited an amazing old frontier mining town turned ghost town turned hippie refuge. Jerome was once considered the rowdiest town in the west due to a copper mining boom and too many men with too little to do in their free time. Incredible history, haunted spots everywhere and the whole town burned at least three times. Chris and I ate at the Haunted Hamburger where the elderly and biker crowd converge. Visited an old mining museum. The whole town is built on the side of a mountain and even the old jail slid down two complete blocks before meeting it's current resting place.

Sedona Sunset

Another perfect evening to watch the sunset.

Sights of the day

Chapel in the Rocks

Tuesday Morning Wake Up!

Quiet night again. Morning? A bit less so as our upstairs neighbor seemed to be timing themselves on how fast they could walk across their room in lead shoes.

Cool native plants

Shopping in Sedona

Shopping in Sedona. Three common themes: healing crystals, silver and turquoise jewelry, and tacky souvenirs (think cactus shaped coffee mugs, bottles of "real gold flakes" and bags of dried beans labeled as cowboy bubble bath). Many tour companies advertising energy vortex tours; more on that later. Several places offered to photograph our auras, but Chris thought the $65 price tag was a bit steep. So far not as many weirdos here as we expected; everyone is incredibly friendly and genuinely happy.

Shopping in Sedona

After relaxing by the pool (having it all to ourselves) we decided to hit the shops. But we didn't find anything that we just had to have. No matter, it was such a great day weather wise it was nice to walk around.

Morning in Sedona

Slept like rocks after a night of staring at the stars looking for UFOs. None seen. For breakfast, a stop
at Euro Deli. A small deli run by a Polish Couple - very nice, very proud of their work. They should be! The salads (yes salads at 9:30 in the morning) we had were fantastic! No doubt we will stop in once more before leaving.

View from our sunset vista resort overlook

Sedona

Just got to our resort in Sedona. It is Indescribably beautiful here. Literally amongst the canyons, it is quite possibly the most beautiful place we have ever seen. That said, the two lane winding drive down a sheer mountain face was something I am thankful I had not been aware of prior. Eagerly awaiting a spectacular sunset in a couple of hours!

The Morning After

Surprisingly, it was a very quiet night despite the fact the hotel was packed with some group again. The free hot breakfast was: free and it was breakfast. Next stop: Sedona!

The Fifth Season...

Our hotel: smells like pot, door to outside "might" be locked, nice blood red wall, collapsing ceiling in bathroom, mysterious carpet stains and a pic of
My favorite "upgrade."

Amarillo

KCK to Amarillo via 66. Weird sights not posted. Grabbin grub at the
Big Texan.

Ok is alright

Reached OK via a $6 trip on the Kansas Toll turnpike. 98 degrees. We passed up an opportunity to see Custer's nephew's scalp and a shrunken head in Wichita for the sake of time. Oddities are sure to come soon when we reach route 66 out of OK City.

Want quiet?

Want a quiet hotel? Find one where the Jehovah Witnesses are staying. Want to feel under dressed at breakfast? Same.

Kc Legends

Found a great little spot, and an authentic Louisiana cafe with live jazz and beignets. 9:30 and still 86 degrees, and the Twins are beating Kansas City.

Kansas city BBQ

BBQ at Arthur Bryan's in Kansas City.

Score!

Despite the facts: twins game, NASCAR, and a Jahovas Witness convention we scored a room at the Drury for under e-saver price!

Bridges of Madison County

Covered bridges abound; however neither of us are interested enough to drive the two miles off the highway to see them. Suspicious amount of wealth in this part of Iowa. We wound up on an accidental 24 mile detour that may be an intentional tourism ploy. Almost back to 35 again.

De Soto Iowa, birthplace of John Wayne. 94 degrees with a 15mph hot wind and the smell of manure.

A New Journey!

Starting June 2nd, 2011 we will begin a new journey.

This journey will take us to the S. West.  Through New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, then through the Rockies and Dakotas.

All we truly know is our turn-around point: Las Vegas, NV.

Beyond that, it's anyone's guess...