You Can't Get Lost - Day 0

 You Can't Get Lost

If You Don't Know Where You Are Going

Honesty from the great American Philosopher Fred Hawley.  (For those that don't know Fred, he's Kathy Puckett's dad, who traveled the US with his travel trailer I don't know how many times from Florida to Wyoming  (and I'm sure to the west coast, I just don't remember specifically), from Mexico to Canada to Alaska.  He was a great storyteller and had a lot to tell.  He truly never met a stranger.  He has been a real inspiration for many of us!

Well, with that intro, My Plans.  Hi All,  Sunday, I'm heading off to Las Vegas for the Mountain West Basketball Tournament and points south and east.  The Wyoming Men's basketball team has been bouncing between #1, #2, and #3 in the Mountain West Conference for the past couple of weeks, so it's a good time to go.  And the girl's team is ranked #5 and should move up a spot or two by tournament time, so they should get an NIT bid (which they won the national championship in Laramie in 2008 (right year, Erik?))  And Sally and I had said this was going to be the year to go.  And I literally had a hole in my calendar without switching a single doctor's appointment. 

Attached is the map.  Sadly, on this trip, I do know where I'm going, but that's a good thing also.  I've been able to plan some neat stops as well.  So here goes,

Feb 27 - Leave Laramie to Maybelle, CO 
Feb 28 - Maybelle to Fruita, CO and stay with Jere and Tom
Mar 3 - Fruita to Sevier, UT  (Halfway to Vegas)
Mar 5 - Sevier to Lost Wages 
Mar 14 - Las Vegas to Williams, AZ
Mar 15 - Grand Canyon on the Grand Canyon Railroad
Mar 16 - Williams to Phoenix/Tempe, AZ and visit the Marlows (And Cousins Meryl and Carole)
Mar 21 - Tempe to Winslow, AZ and stay at La Posada
Mar 22 - Winslow to Albuquerque, NM  to visit Jaye, Lyndon, and Tyler
Mar 25 - Albq to Las Vegas, NM and stay at the Castaneda Hotel
Mar 26 - Las Vegas to Pueblo, CO and visit the Trolley Turner (a Harvest Host)
Mar 27 - Pueblo to Rancho Retirement and back to my full-time position as Head Lazyboy Tester.



Now, there is a trip within the trip. From Kingman, AZ to Albq, it follows the old Route 66,  (If you know the movie Cars (one of my favorite movies) this is that section of the highway).  And it was there because it followed the Atcheson, Topeka and Sante Fe railroad.  This is a pertinent fact, because last Friday, I was talking to a former student of mine (who worked for the UW physical plant and is now retired!) and mentioned I was going to stop in Winslow and see the Take It Easy statue and corner (from the Eagle's song).  He mentioned there was a Harvey House there.  I came right home and made a reservation.  I'll talk about the Harvey Houses and the Harvey Girls when I get there, but I'm staying at two of the last three/four remaining.  [There was a Harvey House in Williams, AZ, but the gift shop at the depot and some offices are all that is left of the original hotel.  The Grand Canyon Railroad Hotel adjacent to the depot was modeled after a Harvey House but was built in 1995, so it really isn't.]  The last is the El Tovar on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.  It's typically booked out a year ahead, and I couldn't get in.  I'll take pictures of it when I'm there. 

So, that's the trip.  I made the mailing list big so I can send pictures without having to get into the Black Hole of Facebook, from which no one has ever escaped.  Not a trip I want to take.  So I'll take this one instead.  And then I'll be home for a while. 

At least, until I head off for Minnesota around April 10th or so. 

See you on the road.