We are currently in Vicksburg, MS at the Ameristar Casino RV resort- really it is the best place in town - no really. The connectivity is not great, but we are doing well and excited to post more of our last few days on the road. Check back in the next few days for the latest update. Jay has some great photos, there is a new edition or 2 of MPR and we have 2 great State Parks to share with you. 

Wind

We drove uphill today.  All day, or so it seemed.  We drove into the wind today.  90+ degrees and winds at 30+.  From Santa Fe to Carlsbad, NM.  It wasn't that far on the map, but believe me, it was long.

One stop.  Roswell, New Mexico.  Intergalactic Ellis Island for our little green space friends.  While we didn't feel moved enough to capture some images for posterity, here are four brief points to ponder.

1.  There are at least 2 shops that claim to be "alien headquarters."  This is confusing.  Imagine traveling light years to Roswell, only to find out you don't know where to stop first.  The Chamber of Commerce needs to clear this up before we experience a celestial diplomatic incident.

2.  There are a few too many gun stores in Roswell.  Perhaps this is driven by the constant threat of space invasion?  The strangest one?  A store called "Discount Guns," which was conveniently located next to the "Little Lambs Christian Day Care."  Praise the lord and pass the ammunition.  At least if it was a Wal-Mart next door they would be catching it all on film.

3.  It is hot in Roswell.  Maybe it isn't all the time, but it was 93 degrees on April 15.  When you have spent the winter in 400 inches of snow at 9,000 feet, this qualifies as really hot.

4. Aliens apparently have bad taste.  I mean really, why Roswell?  No offense if you are from there, but a cosmopolitan city it is not.  Now certainly these guys can't just set their giant saucers down in the middle of Central Park (or could they?) but why not a nice small to mid sized cities with some cultural opportunities and good schools?  They are advanced beings, are they not?

We made it safely through Roswell without any close encounters, which is nice.  Now we only have one more alien land to conquer . . . Texas.

Going West

For more than 100 years there has been a mythology associated with "going west."  Going west is not just simply the act of traveling in a westerly direction, but rather, a mindset and a goal.  It is the search for adventure, a new start, the essence of America, wide open and free.

Over the last several days we have experienced several examples of people who are going west, or have, in fact, gone west.  

South of Alamosa on the New Mexico/Colorado boarder we were stopped by a good old fashioned cattle drive.  While Colorado and New Mexico are both growing and changing, it is reassuring to know that pockets of the real west survive.  While these pictures are vintage 2008, they could be 1968, or even 1948, or even...

These dudes were taking a small heard from one pasture to another and the beef was being a bit unruly.

 

This guy has apparently been doing this kind of thing for a while.  At one point a calf got away and was balking at going through a section of fence.  This guy lassoed the calf with a sort of casual indifference that clearly showed it wasn't his first rodeo.  When we took his picture out the truck widow, he even tipped his hat.

Now not only did we get to experience the true mythology of the west, we also got to experience a sort of new, strange, comedy central type western experience.  Certainly almost everyone has dreamt at one time or another about packing up the car with a buddy and pointing the wheel west.  From Jack Kerouac to William Least Heat Moon, the American road trip is a universal aspiration.

But really, how many of you ever thought about taking that trip in one of these...

That's right.  That is a bona fide Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, which was parked right next to our hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  This baby has seating for 6, surround sound, and wall to wall.  This grand Wiener Ship is currently being piloted around the west by a nice couple who are doing promotional events at Albertson's grocery stores.  What about it?  Travel in style, get paid, and draw a crowd.  What more could the modern day traveler want?

The old and the new are alive and well out here.  A sort of odd juxtaposition that is probably more what the west has always been about.  Miners and wranglers were followed by snake oil salesmen and hustlers.  Today, cowboys are followed by wiener mobiles. 

The Salida Times

Salida is one of those towns that reminds me of what Colorado really is like, what it was like when I first moved to Colorado in the early 90s.  While this area is growing, this is still a small town with beautiful surroundings, lots to do, and cool people who appreciate where they live.  While we come here often, it has been nice to be able to stay a while and enjoy ourselves.

Our time here has been spent playing outside, fishing, restoring a bamboo rod, eating too much good food, drinking some great wine, watching the mountain bluebirds, finches, and chickadees visit the feeder in the crazy spring weather, and just socializing with our friends.  Here are some photos...

Maggie decided that our buddy Dave could use some help around the farm.

Maggie also decided Dad needed some help building a bamboo rod.

The Arkansas River in early spring, plenty of snow on the peaks still.

Lisa got in the act with some fishing.

A nice Arkansas River brown trout.

Although we haven't really started camping with Francine yet, we are beginning to settle into the rhythm of life on the road.  Life's pace is slowing a bit and you can feel yourself becoming more in tune with the world.  You start to notice things other than the clock, the schedule, and "what's next."  You start to get outside more just to be outside, not because you want to do something.  

Next stop for us is Santa Fe, which we are looking forward to.  We will visit some friends and get a chance to see Lisa's parents before they head north for the Summer.  After that, we will be heading south and east with Francine.

A Programming Note

We have added a link at the bottom of the page that takes you to a map of our journey...so far.

Now appearing . . . MPR

Today we are introducing you all to a new "special feature" of the Slow Lane. For obvious reasons, this new feature is entitled Margaret's Playground Review (MPR). MPR will periodically bring you cutting edge playground reviews from across the nation, straight from 40 inch playground force to be reckoned with, Maggie.

For our first report, we feature the playground at Longfellow Elementary in Salida, CO. This is a classic elementary school playground with a compelling mix of old and new equipment intelligently placed across sand, grass, and hard playing surfaces. Special highlights include multiple slides, swings, bouncing animals, and climbing apparatuses.

We started of the day with some classic sliding, followed by running, some rocking animals, and wrapped things up with multiple climbing excursions. This playground is bigger than many elementary facilities and it made for a great play session.

When asked what she would rate the Longfellow playground on a scale of 1-5 stars, Maggie enthusiastically gave it 10 stars. Clearly a great review from Maggie. No doubt the bar has been set high for future playgrounds, we'll see how it all shakes out in future editions of MPR. Thanks for tuning in...

The Journey Begins - FINALLY

Well, we have finally begun our journey in earnest. It took more work than we ever imagined to get everything in storage and get on the road. We left Telluride late morning, Easter Sunday and made it to Boulder in 9 hours. Not bad for our first drive pulling Francine full to the gills. We spent most of the week decompressing and enjoying time with Nana, Bapa, Auntie Missy, Uncle Mark and the cousins: Cooper, Thatcher, Mollie and Gracie. Maggie had a blast playing with everyone.

The week was a whirl wind tour of Pearl Street, Boulder, Estes Park, the Denver Zoo and Erie's new Rec Center. We also spent time taking care of the mundane but important items such as dentist, eye doctor, vet and hair cut appointments. We also spent a few days cleaning out and organizing Francine. We left even more things in storage at the Elder Hake home in an effort to truly simplify, though we still have a ton of creature comforts.

We received several packages while in Boulder. Including one that contained our new mascots, Harold and Maude. Thanks to Ginna and Mark for these wonderfully tacky friends, which no RV should be without.

On Wednesday the 3rd of April we looked at the weather forecast and decided it was time to head for Salida, as few days of snow were predicted. We made great time and now we are enjoying time with our friends Dave and Janet. They have a beautiful home with views of the Collegiate Range. Jay and Dave are already working on making bamboo fly fishing rods and Maggie is feeding the llamas. Lisa is enjoying reading and cross-stitching and not packing! Trout fishing is in the forecast, so stay tuned for some serious fish tales!