The Old West (Again)

Last September we drove to the Badlands, Yellowstone, Arches, and Canyonlands National Parks. This year we planned to do a September drive to the New England area but excessive rain from late summer hurricanes would have made the camping soggy while many of the motels of the area have closed due to rising water. So we went west again.

 We camped in the Badlands of South Dakota. We had heard that driving through the park at night under a full moon was like driving on the moon. We had a full moon so we did it. We even got out of the van and walked on the lunar surface. Awsome. Sorry, the pictures didn't turn out.

 We stopped in Rapid City where a statue of a famous person stands on every corner. I think this was Thomas Jefferson.

 Instead of going to Mt Rushmore again, we drove the Iron Mountain Road which is 17 miles long and has 314 curves, 14 switchbacks, 3 pigtails (270 turn over an underpass), and 3 tunnels (which frame the four presidents on Rushmore as you drive through). The presidents were visible as I took this picture which bleached out on the photo. (I need to resurrect my 35mm)







 If you enlarge this, you can see the four presidents as seen from the iron Mountain Road.

 In Custer State Park, we saw hundreds of Bison (same as buffalo). We were able to get close to them in relative safety because we were separated from them by a cattle guard (look it up).

 We made it to Yellowstone but this year we went to different parts of the park. We found this water falls on the eastern part of the lower loop.

 We visited Old Faithful but I took this photo of "The Bee Hive" geyser which is next to Old Faithful and steals the show these days.

 In the upper loop, we visited the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

 After the long drive from Yellowstone through a corner of Montana and Idaho, we spent the night in Salt Lake City. We saw the tabernacle but didn't bother with a photo. The next day we drove through Brice Canyon. The  totem pole like structures are called "who-doos".

 The afternoon light penetrates some of the thinner who-doos. The scene is very cathedral-like.

 After Brice Canyon, we continued on to Zion National Park where petrified sand dunes, so large that we couldn't see the tops of many of them, dominate the view.

 We spent a night in Las Vegas right on the strip. We walked to the Encore hotel where we had a drink in the Sinatra Lounge. ($33 for one martini and one scotch). We only lost $10 which we won back in New Mexico.

 Then we buzzed down to Kingman, Arizona where we picked up old Route 66.

 After dozens of twists and turns on 66's norrow mountain pass with no guard rails, we reached the ghost town of Oatman. Years later, artists squatted on the abandoned properties and is now a thriving tourist trap.This is the Oatman Hotel.

 In Williams Arizona, also on 66, we stopped to see the Gas Station Museum.

 From William we drove to the real Grand Canyon in northern Arizona.

 We continued on to the old west town of Durango Colorado. Above is the Strater Hotel.

 East of Durango we found the Sand Dunes National Park. They are hundreds of feet high. If you enlarge the photo, you might be able to see tiny specs on the dunes. Those are people.

We made a stop in Gallup New Mexico where the whisky flows and Indians who can't handle it drink in copious amounts.

 This old hotel (no longer in operation) on route 66 was built entirely of stone from the nearby petrified forest.

 Mandy is sitting next to a tree that was turned to stone 225 million years ago by the invasion of sediment materials that flowed over it after it fell.

 One of the many painted deserts of the West are near the petrified forest.

We finally reached Arkansas where we camped next to the Arkansa River. The following morning, we enjoyed a visit from a couple local fellows, Billy Bob Thornton (look-alike) and his drinking pal, Stacy. They started drinking at 6:00 am.

BillyBob told us stories about his life on the river. He told us that he had jumped off of the Arkansas River Bridge (visible in the background) four times and dove off of it once. The time he dove from it was a Sunday and he needed some liquid encouragement. The liquor stores were closed so he stole a bottle from the judge's house. Stacy asked, "why didn't you go down to the evidence room at the police station? They have everything there."
"Because if I walked into the police station they wouldn't let me walk out."

Below are elk in Yellowstone

Singlehanding

I took the boat out for a sail the other day to brush up on my skills of sailing alone. It started out badly when a gust of wind sent my boat into my neighbor's boat on the way out of the marina. No harm done (I hope). Here's a video of the sail on Florida Bay.

Key West Quiz

Here are some Key West photos.

 This Key West landmark has been reduced to a novelty shop. What was it before it closed? It was the Strand Theater.

 This bartender is singing show tunes. What bar are we patronizing? It's the Aqua Lounge on Duval Street and she is a he.

 This monkey is on the door of what Key West bar? The owner loves monkeys. It's Bobby's Monkey Bar.

Who is this singer? Mandy's favorite. It's Raven Cooper performing at Schooner Wharf.

 This mausoleum is the most famous in Key West. What does the inscription say? (I erased it in the photo). It says "TOLD YOU I WAS SICK"

 This couple is dancing in front of what Key West landmark? It's formerly the customs house, nowadays it's the Arts and Historical Society.

This is a mural of a postcard. On what business is it painted? (full credit) Or what part of town could you see it? (half credit) It's the Cuban Coffee Queen in the Seaport District.

Did Don incorrectly punctuate the spelling of his name or not and why? Two guys, both named Don, started this bar and by the convention of proper punctuation the name of the place is Dons'.

This sponge monster guards which Key West establishment? It's Mac's Sea Garden, otherwise known as, The Woolworth of the South.

This building is part of what Key West landmark? This is the Truman White House

This roof is part of what Key West landmark and why are metal tracks built into the stone? These are the gun tracks on which the cannons used to pivot on the roof of Fort Zachary Taylor.

What's the name of this funky outdoor restaurant at Caroline and William street? It's Bo's Fish Wagon.

 Mandy is standing at this famous intersection. Name the cross streets? US 1 ends at the corner of Whitehead and Fleming Streets.

This bar is famous for the sign somewhere in this photo. Name the bar. The "NO SNIVELING" sign is the slogan for the Green Parrot Bar.

I'll begin posting the next time we take a trip. We're planning to drive FB (which doesn't really stand for Fun Bus) through new England to the Maritime Provinces of Canada.

Sunsets and Super Moons

We gather almost every night to watch the sun drop into Florida Bay. Here are some photos.

 We watch for the "green flash" just as the sun dips below the horizon. If you enlarge the above photo, you might be able to see a touch of green where the tip of the sun is setting.

 I took this photo and the photo below from Mallery Square in Key West

 Here is our boat neighbor, Patty, holding the super moon.

Here, the heat of the moon is burning her skin as she balances it on her thumb.

Tiki Bars and Dives of the Keys

The Keys have more drinking establishments than boats, or so it seems. Here are some of our favorites. Above is a dive called the Brass Monkey, a smokey joint with $1.95 drinks at happy hour and entertainment at night. Actually, the entertainment gathers around the bar. I wish that I had pictures to show the pirates and wenches that gather here. In nautical lingo, a brass monkey is a brass platform hollowed out in several spots where the crew could stack cannon balls so they couldn't roll away.

The Doghouse, sometimes called the Puppy Lounge is also a smokey favorite. We don't smoke so after stopping into one of these smelly places we have to shower and dump our clothes into the laundry basket. Dogs, as well as bikers, are welcome at the Puppy Lounge. There is always a lazy bones K9 sleeping in the afternoon sun next to the front door. Pet him then step over him.

The Safari, also known as the Dead Animal Bar, is next to the Caloosa Cove marina at MM73. Watch for the concrete rhino out front. The owner, now in safari heaven, was a big game hunter and adorned the interior of his lounge with heads of all kinds from his African adventures. It's on the ocean and has a great view of the Florida Straits. Watch the video at the bottom.

This three level tiki bar is next to the seven mile bridge. The view from the top is great.

The Seven Mile Grill, also near the bridge, has garage doors, closed in this photo, that open the bar's patrons to noisy US 1. It's a piece of old Florida, having been here since 1953.

The Keys Drinkery offers a fabulous view of Florida Bay.

I found this little fellow hanging out in the parking lot. The Drinkery doesn't open until 1:30 pm and he's getting impatient. Check out the intensity in his little eyes. Click to enlarge.

The Dockside on Boot Key Harbor has been a sailor's staple since the 50s. Before it was sold to some big-money-bozos, it was where sailors who anchored nearby could receive their mail, get a hot shower, and drink themselves stupid. Mandy and I have tied up here in the past. The Bozos screwed the place up by trying to remodel it into something more Keys-ee. What could be more Keys-ee than drunken sailors? The place closed for a while because of new management mistakes.

Mandy is flirting with Humphrey Bogart inside the Caribbean Club, a dive on Key Largo. A portion of the 1948 movie "Key Largo" with Bogie and Bacall was filmed in this bar. Note that Bogie keeps a cooler of refreshment next to him, probably scotch.

The front of the Caribbean used to be lined with bikes. Now we have one bike and a row of golf carts.

XXX A walk inside of the Dead Animal Bar. XXX

Nudity (in photos)