Last October around this time, I was thinking of going out West for my vacation, and wound up driving out with my loft-mate Maz, who was planning to visit a friend and his wife out in Taos, New Mexico. It worked well for both of us: he got a ride, I got a free place to stay where I could bring Peg (the Wonder-Rotty!), and we both saved a lot of money sharing the cost of fuel, etc.
Decided to try to do the whole run in one massive push, taking turns behind the wheel... stopped a few times to sleep for an hour or two, but even if you're not that tired, it wears on you. Over 32 hours from Newark... would've taken less time if it weren't for the fact that somewhere in Pennsylvania, I discovered the Tracker's main bearing seal was going again (day before: no leak. Day of big trip: leaking like crazy)... Kept a close eye on the oil level and threw a quart or two in every so often- seemed to run fine on just 2 1/2 quarts (the sump will hold 5) but I kept it slow- about 75 mph max- just in case.
I think this is Kansas. Kansas is just too damn big, I've decided. And Ohio could use some trimming.
Peg didn't seem too restless, crammed in the back with all our camping gear, etc., but after the second sunset seen from a moving car, I think she was getting a little burnt on the whole thing..."where the hell are we going, Daddy?" I'm so glad I was able to bring my little Road Warrior along with me on that trip.
Colorado? I dunno. On the interstate, this particular trip doesn't reveal much of America's diverse landscapes. The plains look much the same in passing in Colorado as they do in Kansas.
The weather was pretty good on the way out, and other than a flat tire in Indianapolis, the car gave us no trouble, despite the oil leak.
Maz was a little under the weather, so I did most of the driving, culminating with a nail-biting crawl thru the mountains just east of Taos in the wee hours of Sunday morning, running on fumes as I'd foolishly passed what turned out to be the last gas station until we reached Taos itself. I was turning off the engine on the downhills...
We met Maz's buddy in town (at the gas station!), then he led us in pitch-darkness on a miles-long stretch of hard-packed washboard desert trail into the low sage-covered hills west of the gorge and the town. I was shown to a guest bedroom, and passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow... with Peg already snoring next to me.
In the morning, we emerged blinking at this alien landscape:
The house, as you can see, is unusual. It's a geodesic dome, built by a German immigrant who came here as a young man in the 70s. It's completely off-grid, with cistern for water, a small windmill and solar panels for electricity, and a very nice wood-burning stove for heating. There's a bathroom inside, but only for "#1". For "#2", there's an outhouse- I was standing in front of it when I took this picture. It is not heated...
Maz's friend and his very pregnant wife were renting this place for a while; she's a real sport, because it was spartan. They were also both very good sports for letting me and Peg flop there all week...
I wish I had some good shots of the interior, but I had no flash on the ol' Canon film SLR, and the few non-flash shots were just crap. It's quite nice inside; much roomier than you'd think.
The nearest neighbors: a Buddhist temple. The owner/builder of the dome is also a buddhist, and I believe he helped build the temple.
Not sure what was going on here with me and my camera, but I kind of like the effect...
Same thing happend with this shot of Peg, sniffing around the sage for something. I hope it's not a feral cat or a tarantula...don't wander too far, old girl!!
It's a testament to her keen nose that she can smell anything here but the almost overpowering aroma of sage... it's everywhere. Smells nice.
Next: views from a desert dome
