#497 No Fear

Today I faced one of my childhood fears head on.  And I came out victorious.  Let me set the stage for you. 

I didn’t have furry pets as a kid.  I had the occasional fish and took care of the class hamster once.  My best friend the next street over had a white toy poodle named Fluffy.  Her older brother owned two large Doberman Pincers and brought them over a lot.  Fluffy was more dangerous than the Dobermans.  So even though I didn’t own dogs, I was around them enough to feel comfortable around them.  Until the day I delivered phone books. 

 

My oldest brother, David, was in high school and played the violin in the orchestra.  As a fundraising activity, the students delivered phone books to people’s homes.  I tagged along with my mom to help. 

 

All went well until I ventured into a fenced yard to place the phone book on a front porch.  I didn’t think about a dog being inside the fence.  No one warned me not to go into a fenced yard.  Halfway up the walkway, here comes the dog roaring at me from the back yard.  I screamed, probably threw the phone book down (or at the dog) and ran back to the fence gate.  Luckily I was nimble and thin.  I quickly slid my skinny self through the narrowest of gate openings and then collapsed in a heap on the sidewalk.  I managed to close the gate behind me. 

 

The dog nipped the back of my right calf just enough to break the skin and draw a little blood.  Back home, my other brother, Paul, told me I had rabies.  A police officer came by to talk to my parents and me, and said they were investigating whether the dog had all of its shots (it did). 

 

All was ok, except for several years after that I was terrified of dogs in public.  Dogs chased me on my bicycle.  A dog cornered me on a neighborhood street while wearing roller skates.  Talk about freaking out – at one point I was on one side of a bush and the dog was on the other, and we circled the bush like we were in a wild west movie.  I managed to get out of that situation unscathed and roll home. 

 

My fear subsided as I got older, but certain situations brough the fear back to the surface.  One Sunday afternoon while visiting my parents with my brothers and families, I walked my middle brother Paul’s kids to the park.  They were maybe six and eight years old.  As we walked through the neighborhood to the park, I saw a lone dog approach in the distance.  My spidey sense prickled up and I sprung into action, lifting each of them up and over a fence so they would be inside a stranger’s yard, but out of harm’s way from the dog in case it attacked.  Never mind that the yard might have had its own dog.  (We’d walked that way before and I’d never seen a dog in that yard.  That’s what I tell myself now.)  I acted calm, but they looked at me like, “Why are you putting us in these people’s yard?”  Meanwhile, the dog moseyed by paying no attention to the crazy girl tossing children over a fence.  I picked them up and put them back on my side, and we proceeded to the park.  No harm, no foul. 

 

Much time has passed since then.  I’ve been chased on my bike now and then.  I’ve emptied water bottles as they nipped at my heels.  I now have a bike route with no dogs (watch, next time there will be one).  I walk a lot in my neighborhood and have never been bothered by dogs.  Until today. 

 

I was almost home and here comes one dog I’ve seen before.  Some kind of terrier.  Harmless.  Right behind him/her, another dog that looks like a dingo (who ate my baby!).  It ran toward me (from behind) and barked.  I turned and instinctively yelled, “Stop!” and held out my hand.  It stopped for second, then continued forward, barking more.  I repeatedly yelled, “GO HOME!” in an angry tone and finally it stopped, backed up a little like it was scared of me, and retreated. 

 

The funny thing was that I didn’t feel scared.  A little alarmed, yes.  But the pit-in-my-stomach fear wasn’t there.  I think I was a bit more angry than anything.  “How dare you disturb my lovely walk?”  And as I continued on my way, I was proud of myself for coming through in the heat of battle.  I realize things could have gone the other way.  I could have encountered an aggressive dog who wasn’t scared of me.  But I didn’t.  And it worked out.  I live to walk another day. 

 

My moral?  Sometimes you can surprise yourself.  Fear is natural and healthy.  It keeps us from doing stupid things (sometimes).  But some fears are unwarranted and irrational.  Hopefully we learn to know the difference. 

 

I’ve faced many fears in my life.  Public speaking.  Dating.  Traveling by myself.  Asking a guy out first.  Going away to college.  Each time after I’ve jumped in, I look back and am thankful I took the leap.  Public speaking is not my favorite thing to do, but I’m thankful I was brave enough to share my knowledge with others.  Dating can be torturous, but once you get past the awkward beginning, it can be pretty great.  I went on several week-long bike/camping trips alone and ended up making lifelong friends who I now join yearly for more fun bike trips.  My college experience was one of the best times of my life, y’all! 

There are so many wonderful experiences I would have missed out on if I had listened to my inner irrational voice of fear.  So get out there!  Do something by yourself (safely).  Ask out that guy/girl.  You’ll never know if they’ll say yes if you don’t ask them.  And if they say no, at least you know and you can move on.  Take that class.  Enter that race.  Go to that reunion (yes, I’ve gone to high school reunions alone too – and had a blast).  Look fear in the face, put up your hand and say, “Stop!  Go Home!”  Then get out there!  

#496 True Love

One of my true loves is music.  I listen to music every day, whether I’m in my car listening to the radio or a CD (yes, my car has a CD player), at work streaming Spotify, or my ultimate favorite – live concerts.  In 2019 I went to nine concerts.  (I just counted my tickets that I keep in my scrapbook.) 

This year?  Zero live concerts.  I streamed a few – the Opry, Radney Foster, Junior Brown, and Sammy Hagar and Tom Petty’s birthday concerts (separate events).  Fun but not the same.  My last live concert was Dec. 28, 2019.  It was a doozy. 

I am outspoken about my love of Harry Connick Jr.  (See posts 48, 352,427, 444)  I follow him on Instagram and late last year heard he was bringing a show to Broadway to celebrate Cole Porter.  I imagined how great it would be to see him in person again, and on Broadway no less!  When the dates came out, I noticed it was a limited three-week run in December – Harry Connick Jr, A Celebration of Cole Porter.  In late November I sent an Instagram message to Julie (who has been with me to see him in concert and at his TV show) about going to New York to see the show.  I was partly joking.  I included a photo of his IG post and added, “We need to go to this!”  She replied, “Okay!”  It was that easy.  We picked a date, made reservations and flew to New York for one day. 

Since Julie was still working the week of and after Christmas, we booked flights arriving late Friday, Dec. 27 and departing Sunday, Dec. 29.  After checking into our hotel around 10 p.m., we were too excited to go right to sleep and walked to Rockefeller Center to check out the Christmas tree.  Twenty years ago we visited New York in early November and saw the tree bound with ropes and no lights.  Disappointment.  This time we were determined not to miss it.  We milled around the moderate crowd, walking right up to the tree.  Incredible!  We were in awe gazing at the approximately 50,000 LED  multicolored lights, then entertained ourselves by watching the skaters, and people-watching in general.  New York never disappoints.  Around the corner we saw the amazing Saks Fifth Avenue Christmas light show and later, St. Patrick’s Cathedral. 

Ever the planner, I mapped out some holiday hotspots for us to see if we had time.  Our first Saturday stop was Columbus Circle and the shops thereof.  We ended up walking mostly around Central Park and trying to get into The Plaza.  

It’s a good thing we saw the Rockefeller tree when we did.  The crowd multiplied Saturday and there was no getting anywhere near the tree.  On to the next stop – Bryant Park and its Christmas market.  We browsed the shops, taking in the smells and festivities, and resting our tired feet at a small table for a snack. 

On to Macy’s to check out the Christmas windows and interior decorations.  As we continued on to the Chelsea Market Place, we saw the High Line a few blocks to our right.  Although it was on our list of things to see, we stuck to our holiday-themed locales.  We spent a long time at the Chelsea Market and both agreed it was our favorite place.  The Christmas market at Union Square Park was already closed, so that was a bust. 

I failed to mention Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment stoop being on my list of things to see.  After Union Square Park we realized we were a few blocks away from this historic landmark.  We had to see it.  For me, this was a close second behind the Chelsea Market. 

We hit everything on the list!  We were tired and we still had Harry’s show, so we returned to the Travel Inn in Midtown and collapsed on our beds after taking some ibuprofen.  We’re in our 50s after all, and even though we’re both active, we were a little worn out and sore after walking 15 miles.  We ventured out for dinner (I don’t remember where?) then it was time for the main event – Harry on Broadway at the Nederlander Theater. 

I am calm around celebrities when I see them in public or backstage, but sometimes I turn "crazy" and make signs.  (I saw Brad Paisley in concert with my niece and asked her to make a sign for me that said, “I’m six foot five and I look damn good!”)  For Harry I made this sign to hold up during the show: 

The show began and I realized that it was not a typical concert, but a somewhat scripted show.  I held the sign up a few times hoping he’d see it and maybe say something, but I soon gave up.  Our seats were in the back on the main floor, but most Broadway theaters are on the small side, so we still had a great view.  The show was amazing!  Cole Porter is an Indiana native so I was familiar with some of the songs, but I bought the CD before the show so I could sing along (quietly) during the show.  

We exited the theater and overheard one of the ushers say that Harry comes out after the show, so we hung out by the side door.  Maybe a half an hour later, his daughter, Georgia, emerged with her video camera.  When Harry appeared soon after, my "crazy" appeared and I held up my sign.  When he saw it, he smiled (somewhat) and said, “That’s awesome.” and then moved on to the next person after signing it.  I did manage to take an awkward selfie with him before he moved on. 

After the show we took one last look at the Rockefeller tree.  Back at the hotel, we fell into our beds for the second time that day.  I fell fast asleep with visions of Harry dancing in my head.  Our flight left the next morning.  What a weekend!

Fast forward to January 2020 - I was at a small music venue with another friend to see one of my favorite local artists (I don’t count this as a full concert).  Our conversation drifted to my recent New York trip and my friend commented, “You must be loaded!  Who goes to New York for one day?!”  Her tone was a little harsh.  I know she wasn’t angry at me, but I was taken a little off guard.  Number one – I’m not loaded.  I did spend a lot of money on the weekend, but I watch my pennies in other areas to be able to do things like this.  Number two – to answer the question, Julie and I do!  It began as a “joke,” but I’m thankful to have a friend who is ready and able to fly somewhere at a moment’s notice.  Especially since we won’t be going to any in-person concerts for a long, long time. 

 

#495 Utah, But I'm Taller

Like many others’ summer plans, mine did not go as expected due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  During January/February I constantly checked my vacation day chart to figure out how I was going to do everything I wanted to do.  Hole In The Wall Gang Camp, bike trip, hiking trip, Division I women’s volleyball championship.  I kept hoping I had counted the days incorrectly and more days would magically appear.  They didn’t.  And then the world stopped. 

For the past 10 years I’ve met friends somewhere for a week-long, organized bike trip.  The one constant has been Steve.  His now-wife Deanna joined a few years ago, and his friend Tracy hit two rides (all three are from Florida).  Andy, Boris and Duane (from Ohio) have made appearances.  As have Bob (St. Louis) and Little Linda (North Carolina).  If you couldn’t guess, I am Big Linda. 

 

Steve and Deanna originally planned a two-week trip to Utah in May to visit Tracy (Tracy married Dave and moved to Utah last year).  After their flight was cancelled, they postponed and decided to go mid-August.  I had contemplated squeezing in a week in May, but could do the entire two weeks in August since everything else was cancelled.  We drove.  Here’s how it went down. 

 

August 15

Steve and Deanna left Orlando earlier in the week.  I was to meet them in St. Louis, but they had brake trouble and spent the morning in Tennessee at a mechanic.  I stopped to have lunch with Bob, and drove on to a KOA in Wakeeny, Kansas, arriving at 10 p.m.  I’d never stayed at a KOA before.  I received late word from S&D that they pulled over to sleep (they drive a utility camper/van and sleep inside), and they’d meet me at the KOA in the morning.  I was a little uneasy about staying at the campsite by myself, especially arriving so late.  I set up my tent quickly, thankful for the cool breeze.  I wanted to shower before going to sleep, but didn’t want to be in the shower alone at night.  After lying there for 30 minutes unable to fall asleep, I got up and showered.  My fears were unwarranted – the campsite was quiet, safe and clean.  Being so late, I encountered no one in the bathroom.  The shower stalls were nice – complete with bamboo benches and floor coverings.  The warm water felt heavenly after a long day’s drive.  That’s all I needed – back in my tent, I fell asleep right away. 

 

August 16

S&D arrived around 8:30 a.m.  I took my time getting ready, tearing down my tent while they took a morning nap.  After lunch at our camp-site picnic table, we left around 11:30 p.m. headed to Vail, Colorado.  Travel time was around six hours and we gained an hour going from Central to Mountain time.  We checked in at The Sebastian Hotel.  Deanna’s son Cameron works at Leonora, a restaurant attached to The Sebastian.  We had drinks and a plethora of tapas for a nice, relaxing evening on the patio.  

I had only spent one night in my tent so far, but it was nice to be in a hotel for a couple nights.  Again, I was slightly concerned about staying in a hotel.  Normally I would share a room with S&D, but I wanted my own room during the pandemic.  The hotel was clean, everyone wore masks inside, and I was careful in my room to wash my hands before eating anything or touching my face.  I’m diligent about cleanliness in hotels anyway.  Some precautions I’ve taken for years:  I wash my hands after handling the TV remote, especially if I eat anything.  I bring flip flops to wear in the shower, and also to wear while walking around the room.  I never walk barefoot in a hotel room.  I remove the bedspread, fold it up and put it away (I read they don’t wash those very often). 

 

August 17

After a wonderful night’s sleep in a king bed, I met S&D at Yeti’s Grind in the middle of Vail Village for breakfast.  I’m not a coffee person, so had their excellent oatmeal topped with granola, nuts and dried fruit.  This was my first time in Vail Village (and Vail, period).  It’s so quaint and reminds me of a European village complete with flowers in window boxes and brick streets (that are heated in the winter!).  

After a leisurely start to our day, we rode our bikes on the Gore Creek Trail and saw lots of beautiful, enormous homes.  I loved the temperatures in Vail – cool mornings and evenings, warm but not stifling afternoons.  Zero humidity.  

Ate a delicious al fresco lunch at Vintage, also in the village.  They had two hummingbird feeders hanging outside, and the hummingbirds went crazy around it.  After strolling through the village with Deanna (Steve took a nap), we took a short bike ride going the other direction on the Gore Creek Trail.  After the ride, we sat by the Sebastian pool in our bike clothes.  After a quick nap back in my room, I cleaned up and met S&D to walk to dinner at Yama Sushi.  We dined with Cameron and his friend Candace.  (Candace Cameron!  Get it?)  I don’t eat sushi often and normally stick to California rolls.  I let the others order and we had a nice variety of sushi.  It was all amazing and very fresh.  I also tried unfiltered sake.  It kind of tasted like bananas.  We ended the evening with a leisurely walk back to the hotel and called it a night.  Wow – we did a lot! 

 

August 18

Move day.  I didn’t mention earlier that we parked in a public lot that was a 10-minute walk from the hotel.  During the summer the lot is free so we chose that instead of paying for hotel parking.  It took extra effort/time to store our bikes in Cameron’s apartment, but was well worth it to save some cash.  After another leisurely morning of coffee (and oatmeal), and after loading the bikes on our cars, we left for Moab, Utah.  Cameron joined our caravan on his motorcycle.  Fires closed I-70, so we took a detour that doubled our drive time.  What should have taken four hours took eight.  But the sights we saw!  We took Independence Pass and saw the Continental Divide.  Stopped in Leadville, CO for a break and had dinner at Karma Kitchen in Fruita, CO.  Arrived at the Canyonlands RV Resort and Campground around 9:30 p.m.  A long but scenic day in the car. 

August 19

We rose early to get mountain biking in before the heat of the day.  Tracy and her husband Dave arrived in Moab yesterday to bike with us.  We chose to do some of the KlonZo Trails.  We started with a beginner trail and I handled that fine.  I brought my brother Paul’s 20+ year-old Gary Fisher.  He doesn’t mountain bike, so has tires that are smooth in the center and knobby on the sides.  I rolled up to Tracy in my Gary Fisher and she immediately said, “Going old school, huh?”  Absolutely!  We did an intermediate trail next (a guy in the parking lot said it wasn’t too hard).  It was.  Steeper inclines and the altitude got the best of me.  We ladies continued on a bit and then caught the Zoltar trail until it met the gravel road that led back to our cars.  The guys did the rest of the intermediate trail.  Good decision for us.  Mind you, we were riding mostly on huge rock formations.  Fun, but difficult and a bit intimidating.  I thought I did well on my old-school bike.  We chilled at the cars and cheered the guys on when they rolled in an hour or so later.  

We had lunch back in Moab at Antica Forma, then drove through Arches National Park around 3 p.m.  Yes, we were there during the hottest part of the day, but there weren’t many other people around.  

Oh yeah – while riding, my brother’s bike computer registered 103 degrees.  It didn’t feel like 103 though.  After Arches we returned to the camp site and got in the pool.  Ahhhhhh.  Off to dinner at the Moab Diner, then in bed by 10 p.m.   

 

August 20

Cameron left early returning to Vail.  Tracy and Dave left for home (Heber City, Utah) after breakfast.  S&D and I intended to check out Canyonlands National Park.  I donned my Utah T-shirt for today’s travel.  (I bought it at a Wal-Mart about 15 years ago because I thought it was funny.  I may have worn it once since then, and thought this trip would be the perfect time to dust it off.)  

We turned onto UT 313 from US 191 and soon found out we’d have to drive about 25 miles just to reach the entrance to Canyonlands.  We drove a few miles, stopping a couple times to take some pictures, and mutually decided to skip Canyonlands.  I was content with our decision at the time.  It’s only more rocks, right?  Now I wish we’d soldiered on since we were there.  I feel silly that we missed it.  And I found out after I got home that Canyonlands is an International Dark Sky Park!  I wish I had investigated that more.  Next time.  We got to Tracy and Dave’s around 5 p.m.  They live in the Red Ledges development in Heber.  I’ll take a moment to say that when Deanna asked me about staying at their house, I was uneasy.  Nothing personal;  I wasn’t initially comfortable with the idea of living in someone’s house during a pandemic.  After talking with Deana and Tracy, I changed my mind.  Dave works at home.  Tracy currently doesn’t work outside the home.  We each had our own bedroom and bathroom.  My other option was a nearby RV park.  It looked nice, but I felt having my own bathroom space was cleaner than using a public bathroom.  The other pluses – sleeping in a bed and the convenience of going downstairs to my room, as opposed to driving back and forth to a campsite.  Their house was plenty big enough for all of us to spread out while inside, but we spent most of the time there sitting on one of their two outdoor decks.  We enjoyed a relaxing first evening of dinner and sitting on the lower back patio watching the deer, coyote and hummingbirds.  And playing with their dogs, Ally and Otto. 

 August 21

Another mountain biking day – we drove to the Aspen Grove Marina and rode the Strawberry Narrows.  We rode out and back, around 10 miles (we didn’t do the entire trail), with a rest stop at a clearing overlooking Strawberry Reservoir.  The view reminded me of Lake Bled in Slovenia.  

Steve suggested I ride his e-bike today.  Why not?  I felt a little guilty using assistance (low), but got the hang of it and especially enjoyed the drop seat on the descents.  (With the e-bikes, you can ride with no assistance, or press the button for low, medium or high assistance.  You still have to pedal.)  Had lunch afterward at the Daniels Summit Lodge & General Store, taking in the picturesque mountain views.  After dinner at the house, I visited a friend I know from Indiana who lived a short drive away in Heber.  Shannon, her husband Mike, and their two girls have lived in Heber for several years.  I know Shannon from my high school basketball days, and we got to know each other better when we were named to the 1986 Indiana All-Star Team.  She’s been trying to get me to visit them for years.  When Steve mentioned Tracy moved to Heber, I couldn’t believe it!  “I have a friend who lives in Heber!”  We had a nice girl’s visit on her friend Velanie’s front porch. 

 

August 22

Today was a rest day.  We enjoyed a pancake breakfast, then visited the local bike shop (Slim & Knobby’s) and later, another bike shop closer to Salt Lake.  Tonight was my dinner with Shannon and her family.  Mike made ribs in a Pit Barrel.  Delicious!  Velanie joined us again and we had a great time visiting in their beautiful backyard.  Shannon and I don’t see each other often, but when we do, we pick right up where we left off.  Good friends are like that.  She has a beautiful family and I’m so thankful I was able to see them, even for a short time. 

 

August 23

After a day of leisure, we were back in action with an early morning drive (6 a.m. departure) to the Uinta Mountains.  We did the 17 Lake hike from the Crystal Lake Trailhead, which was six miles.  What stunning views!  We saw various remote campsites along the way.  (I would love to do backcountry camping someday.)  

We arrived home in time for me to watch most of the Indianapolis 500 on my computer.  No fans were allowed into the Speedway this year, but at least they had the race.  Takuma Sato won his second on a yellow flag.  Not an exciting ending, but there was plenty of excitement during the race.  After the race, we drove to Park City and walked around the main street poking our head into some nice (and pricey) shops.  When we arrived at Park City and were driving around looking for a parking garage, we heard a strange scraping sound at one point.  We couldn’t figure out what it was.  Once we parked, we saw a couple in the garage who told us that a skateboarder caught a ride by holding on to the back of Dave’s Jeep.  The skateboard was the scraping sound!  So “Back To The Future!”

August 24

Big day today – we drove to Deer Valley Ski Resort.  They have ski lifts that take your bike to the top of the mountain!  Who knew?  (Apparently everyone in Utah.)  

We rode Holy Roller (Easy), Deer Camp and Sunset (Intermediate) and some others.  We had a successful first run.  At the beginning part of the second run on Holy Roller, I got a flat back tire.  I had a spare, but when I looked at it, it had a shrader valve and not a presta.  Oh no!  I felt like an idiot, but that was the tube Paul gave me as a spare and I didn’t pay attention to the valve.  Luckily, Steve had an extra that would fit my bike.  In his car.  Deanna and I sat at the top and waited for the others to ride down, get the tube, and return to us.  In the meantime, Deanna comforted a woman who had just broken her collarbone on the first part of the trail.  She sat waiting for the Deer Valley EMTs with her husband and two sons.  Deanna broke her collarbone a few years ago, and told the woman, “You will ride again!”  As she talked to the woman, I made an S-O-S signal in the dirt in case no one returned for us.

They eventually did, we changed the tire, and resumed our ride.  I thought it was supposed to be an easier trail, but it was still pretty difficult and rocky.  It’s mostly downhill, but still had to dismount the bike several times.  After we finished the second run, the guys wanted to do a harder trail so we girls found some chairs and enjoyed the view waiting for them.  About an hour later they finished their run and we decided to head to the car.  We thought about taking the gondola down one more section to the parking lot, but decided to do the Tour Des Homes (Intermediate) trail instead.  (According to the Deer Valley website, “This is the least difficult trail down to the Snow Park base area.)  It was great – we saw some fabulous homes and saw moose – two close up in someone’s back yard and two in the distance.

We made it to a slightly declining gravel road that led to the parking lot.  About 100 yards from the end, I heard a commotion behind me.  I turned and saw Deanna in a ball on the ground.  She tried to avoid a hole in the side of the road and ended up hitting it and going over her handlebars.  The Deer Valley EMT came quickly (they saw us from the main buildings by the parking lot) and initially concluded that she broke her collarbone.  They worried she’d also hurt her back so put her on a board and loaded her on the ATV, taking her to a waiting ambulance.  I felt so bad for her!  She kept saying, “I’m sorry!  I’m sorry!” about ruining the rest of our trip.  I was more worried about her and her injuries.  They took her to University of Utah medical center.  We later got word she did break her collarbone, along with 10 ribs.  (FYI most humans have 24).  Her back and head were fine (thank goodness!).  We weren’t allowed to see her in the hospital due to Covid, so Steve and Tracy took her extra clothes and her phone, while Dave and I watched National Geographic shows about the Grand Canyon and Yosemite. 

 

August 25

In the morning Steve found out Deanna would spend another night in the hospital.  We four drove to Sundance for lunch.  

It’s lovely, but not what I expected.  It’s so small!  It’s basically a ski resort with three restaurants and a Sundance store.  That’s it!  And I found out the Sundance Film Festival takes place mainly in Park City.  After lunch we drove through the Wasatch Mountain Range – amazing!  Back in civilization, we stopped at Scheels.  I’d never heard of it, but it’s like Dick’s Sporting Goods.  Kept tabs on Deanna, had a nice dinner at home, and sat on the back deck. 

 

August 26

Tracy and I took an early-morning walk around the neighborhood.  There is a lot of activity in the Red Ledges with all kinds of homes still being built.  Later in the morning, Steve and I rode the e-bikes to explore more of the neighborhood.  We got turned around and couldn’t figure out how to get back to the house.  I started to get tired, then remembered I was riding an e-bike so I upped the assistance to medium.  Problem solved!  After lunch, Steve, Tracy and I drove to pick up Deanna.  On the way we stopped at Costco and a Sundance Outlet (Tracy appeased me by stopping here.  I could have spent the afternoon there, but felt a little pressure to not take too much time.  I got a great deal on a colorful top – regularly $98 and I got it for around $25!)  Finally heard from Deanna that she was being released so picked her up.  Had dinner and relaxed outside again, focusing on Deana and keeping her comfortable. 

 

August 27

With Deanna out of the hospital and the rest of our trip cancelled, I decided to drive home a little early.  S&D and I were supposed to leave August 25 and visit Zion National Park, Lake Powell, Arizona and the Grand Canyon.  Tracy said I was welcome to stay with them as long as I liked.  After thinking about it, I thought it best to leave for home and let Deanna convalesce.  At that time, I wasn’t sure how long S&D would stay before driving back home to Florida.  If I left today, I could be home by Sunday and save three PTO days as well.  I toyed with driving home in two days, stopping in Kearney, Nebraska.  That would be two 12-hour days, which didn’t sound fun.  Ultimately, I chose a route closer to what I originally intended.  Today, I drove to Lake Powell, with a quick drive through Bryce Canyon.  

Our group plan had omitted Bryce, but when we come back out this way again (we WILL come out this way again!), Bryce is on my list to explore more.  The rock formations and colors are spectacular!  I also like that there is a surrounding forest.  It took me an extra three hours to drive into and out of Bryce along the scenic drive and get back to the highway.  To stretch my legs I did the one-mile hike at Inspiration Point.  I arrived at the Wahweap RV & Campground at Lake Powell around 5 p.m. Pacific time.  (I didn’t realize Arizona was on Pacific time!?)  It’s a nice campground next to a lake (hence the name).  

The wind was ferocious, so I had a challenging time setting up my tent.  I’m not sure why (maybe since I was by myself?), but I didn’t put anything inside my tent.  Usually I put my sleeping bag and pad inside and maybe another bag.  I staked it well, pounding the stake hooks as far into the rocky soil as I could.  My plan was to get food in Page, a short drive from camp, and then watch the sunset at Horseshoe Bend.  I planned to shower when I returned to camp since it was still 90 degrees.  I found a taco place and brought my dinner to Horseshoe Bend.  After parking, I walked 15 minutes to the bend.  I timed it just right, sitting for 30 minutes or so enjoying my tacos perched on a rock.  I alternated between taking in the incredible rock formation and a spectacular sunset, and watching in horror out of the corner of my eye as other sightseers walked out to the edge of a rock to take photos.  One slip and…I don’t want to think about it.  

After the sun disappeared, I walked back to my car and returned to the campground.  Except when I got to my campsite, my tent was GONE.  I got out of the car and looked around.  It was like it had never been there.  I retrieved a flashlight from my car and started walking with the still-gusting wind.  I passed three empty campsites and finally saw a family and asked, “Did you see a tent fly by here at any time?”  The little boy asked, “A what?”  I responded, “A tent.”  Again, he asked, “A what?”  “A TENT.”  The mom finally said she saw something a while ago and then I saw it in the distance, wrapped around a prickly shrub.  By this time it was around 9 p.m. and it still felt like 90 degrees.  I extracted the tent from the shrub and wrestled it apart in the wind, breaking the poles.  Sigh.  I stomped back to my car and found refuge from the wind in a bathroom building enclave, folding up my tent.  I threw it and the broken poles in my trunk and then got in the car.  The camp office was closed.  Should I sleep in my car?  It was too hot.  And I wouldn’t sleep.  While I still had camp Wi-Fi, I looked up motels in Page.  I settled on a Travelodge for $47.  Sweet!  I wish my tent hadn’t broken, but I was thankful to have a king bed and air conditioning.  What a night!  Some may wonder if I feel safe staying at a motel as a female traveling alone.  I love a good motel, especially when traveling with a bike.  I back my car right up to the door and appreciate the easy transfer of my bike and other belongings.  Yes, the door opens to the parking lot, but there are adequate locks and a door chain.  The room was clean and reasonable.  I slept like a baby. 

 

August 28

Today I drove from Page to Rio Rancho, New Mexico, just outside of Albuquerque.  I looked at the Waze app prior to leaving and saw that the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert are right off of I-40.  As I continued to drive with my Garmin, I realized I hadn’t yet hit I-40.  I finally stopped and looked at my map and realized I was going a different way than I intended.  The Garmin led me south on 98 out of Page, connecting with 160, then to 191.  SO out of my way!  When I finally reached I-40 I was past the forest and desert.  Gah!  I would have to backtrack an hour to get to the forest and desert, so I skipped them.  (Note to self:  Always look at a paper map prior to departure to make sure the Garmin is going the way you want to go.)  My reason for stopping in Rio Rancho was to see my mom’s cousin’s daughters, Donna and Pam.  Pam has lived in NM for 20+ years.  Donna and her husband Burl just moved there this past June.  Their other sister, Barb, lives part time in Anchorage, Alaska and part time in Rio Rancho.  She and her husband Wayne usually arrive in September, so I missed them.  I only spent two hours in Rio Rancho, but it was so fun to catch up with them and see Pam’s home, and to meet Pam’s partner, Mar.  

They were so nice and had pizza and salad for my visit.  From there I drove three more hours to Tucumcari, NM to spend the night at another cool motel – this time the Historic Route 66 Motel.  While this motel was great – also clean and a good value, it was my second choice.  I wanted so much to stay at the Blue Swallow Motel, also in Tucumcari.  The rooms look so cool.  Some even have garages!  But the rooms were twice the cost of the Route 66 ($50 vs. $100).  If I ever get back to Tucumcari with friends, I hope to share a room at the Blue Swallow. 

 

August 29

My reason for going on to Tucumcari was to have a shorter drive day today to Aurora, Missouri.  Up at 6:30 a.m. Mountain Time, I left at 7:15 a.m., stopping in Amarillo to check out the Cadillac Ranch, a row of colorfully spray painted Cadillacs sticking halfway out of the ground in a field along I-40.  It’s an easy stop and worth checking out.  

I arrived in Aurora around 6:30 p.m. Central time, ready for a front porch visit with my favorite Missourians, Kelly and his wife Mary.  Along with their wonderful company, I enjoyed the picnic supper they provided – pulled pork, potato salad and deviled eggs.  And they sent me home with a container of chocolate chip cookies.  Mmmm!  On top of that, they gifted me with a new favorite hat with “MO” on the front.  I left their house around 8:45 p.m. to my final destination of the trip – my Airbnb in Republic, MO, half an hour away.  This place was so nice!  And even though it was well-stocked with snacks, I didn’t eat anything (so rare for me!).  It was late, I’d had a wonderful meal, and I was ready for bed. 

 

August 30

Last travel day!  I was up at 7 a.m. Central and home by 4 p.m. Eastern.  After unpacking the car, I was determined to wash the millions of bugs off of the hood and grill, and clean my bike, which had traveled hundreds of miles on top of the car, not to mention riding on dirty, dusty trails.  Ambitious, yes, but I knew I’d sleep better knowing they (along with myself) were both clean.  Back in the house, I talked to Deanna.  She was doing well on their drive home and they’d stopped in Wyoming for the night. 

 

What a trip!  After initially thinking I wouldn’t get to go anywhere over the summer, I’m glad I took a little chance to go on this adventure.  Some may think I was reckless, traveling during a pandemic.  I felt comfortable and safe at each destination.  I had no problem using public restrooms at gas stations or camp grounds.  I (and others I encountered) wore a mask.  I washed my hands.  I kept my distance.  In Heber, we created our own bubble.  The only regret is Deanna’s accident.  She is on the mend and I hope to revisit some of the places we missed on this trip.  What a wonderful way to celebrate Steve and my 10^th bike anniversary.  Happy anniversary, Steve!  Here’s to many more!