Corn. Cotton. Corn. Cotton. Gigantic cross with statues of families and individuals carrying their heavy crosses round the base. Corn. Cotton. "Jesus Christ is Lord- And not a swear word. Travel Mart". Corn. Cotton. "Staying Here was the Best Hospital Visit Ever!!!"- a billboard. Corn. "Furr's Buffet". Cotton. I stopped for fuel, and saw something I have never seen- both a product and a completely S L O W clerk. It was a vaporizer for cigarettes. "Smoke virtually anywhere!". It was 69 degrees at 12:12 in Amarillo. Swirly, water-color like clouds in a blue sky happen to make my t-shirt camouflage. I hoo-hooted to Amber on the phone as I crossed the New Mexico state line. I cried a little. I'm seriously tan from driving alongside the sun all day- I'm breaking and re-establishing major seasonal cycles. Biggest stereo hits of the day include: Why'd you Come in Here- Dolly Parton, Divided Sky- Phish, You Can't Hurry Love- Supremes, Mary, Don't You Weep- Aretha Franklin. First tumbleweed on Old Route 66 in NM.
Santa Fe was all about Sarah C. Her 3 girls and hubby were my great friends back in NY until they moved to Farmington, NM in the late spring. When I told her my travel plans, she said she'd be in Santa Fe that weekend for a Museum Educators conference- it was the Hotel Santa Fe, the areas only Native American Owned hotel. Dog-accepting. And she was there on scholarship, in our very own suite! Santa Fe is dear, and we had an amazing walk that included an enchanted riverscape.
We ate at Cafe Pasquale's, where we sat at a table with a huge Dia de los Muertes shrine/altar. For the staff that decorated it, it was more like a Christmas tree with favorite ornaments and new spun-sugar skulls each year. My DM altar this year was for good ol' Kimberly. Coke slush, some pills, her dogs, her Papa, a libretto, a palm tree(in memorial of her 1990 signature hairstyle). Her camera, which she loved so much that she took flash photographs from our back-row seats for the Dick Tracy movie at Edwards Cinemas. Yes, it was her day to visit and I had all her favorite things ready.
Cafe Pasqual's is a great place, focusing on my kind of foods: Local and cultural (to central New Mexico), Quality and creative. This was not my first visit. The last time was on my way OUT to New York, a year and a half ago: I set out on the town and found Pasqual's- I had heard of the place in conversations that included Chez Panisse and Regional Cooking. It was packed, and I decided to wait. I joined a table with a bunch of great folks, 2 of whom had just opened their art show at a gallery. We had a ball, and the food was phenomenal; I came back next morning with my traveling companion! This time with Sarah, we also left with full stomachs and happy hearts. Time with Sarah always fills my heart.
I was also happy to have Spanish back around me, and the Native culture appeared vibrant (Not like the drunk I encountered in Flagstaff). Cor and I ambled around the Old Town and the Square, and I realized that he is DEFINITELY a swine flu vector- I could smell all kinds of ritzy lady perfumes on his cute lil head. Vectoring around. I have become a hand-wash-aholic in the past few weeks, especially while traveling.
We stopped at the Continental Divide- where the water on the right runs to the Atlantic and on the left flows to the Pacific. Cor waited at the point while I went back East (500 feet) to fetch the car. He knows! This is the majorest step westward. Some of the others included crossing: The Hudson River, The Mason-Dixon Line, The Mississippi River, Indian Nations, OK City (feels 1/2 way). The southwest feels so un-whitewashed after New England. There are so many New (actually old) Americans (whites) for so darn long there. And, this SW view includes coloful double-decker mile-long trains. The landscape, now in AZ, is red mesas rising off the gently undulating, creosote-pocked desertscape. There are no trees, except along the washes. I also detect my first taste of LA basin haze near Winslow, AZ. This confirms my agreement with myself to avoid dropping in to said basin via the Cajon Pass by skirting the area and coming in through...Palm Springs, perhaps?
Stopped in Flagstaff for a bite. Of dinner. The evergreen pines appear suddenly as I climb up to the college town- much different than the last one: Bowling Green, KY. Flagstaff was full of firsts: Cute boy in 1,000 miles, Fresh salsa, Ugg boots with tank tops, and AVOCADO! I had a sandwich starring the beloved fruit- it was great, minus the toothpick in it which was not visible in the dark car. It also was the first time I heard Lady Gaga since the East Coast. This time it was followed by Shakira- which always takes me back to Italy with Sherin: Riz and I got dolled up, after my dramatic Euro hair chop which left years of vegan food proteins and zillions of other sense memories on the floor of an Italian barber shop. After unsuccessfully trying to convince the two cute brothers at a restaurant that we were actually brother and sister and both completely available, we went to have a few drinks- at a bar with karaoke and only one other local group there. Anyways, those Italians were picking out the few English songs and insisting that we sing them(Much the same as in Thailand when J-Can and I were prompted to sing "Hotel California"), including "Wherever, Whenever" by Shakira. This was one of those revealing moments, when I actually see the words to a song I don't know that well. Including, "My breasts are small and humble, so you don't confuse them with mountains." Yes, my radio journey had returned from a foray into Bluegrass, Gospel, County, and back out with Radio Free Santa Fe and now this. It's 77 degrees at 8:09pm, and I am headed south to catch the I-10 towards the low desert of Southern California!!!
Unfortunately, now that I was stoked to be so close, I took a wrong turn. Phoenix just jams all my signals. And I missed the cut-off through the Prescott Valley! It's like the LA freeways, but no ocean and a lot hotter. I got flashed in Phoenix- doubly. Speed camera. This was my wrong turn of the trip, but whatevz because I made it to Palm Springs and surpride surpride- it's Pride weekend!
One word: Come. This place was great. Amazing deep chlorineless pool, dogs welcome, gorgeous organic fruit-infused alcohol and house-made fresh fruit purees and syrups for cocktails, gays/straights, some kids to play pingpong with, wonderful DJs and art, delicious poolside candy, and incredible views of the San Jacinto peaks from the pool. Basically, everyting I came for and more.
So, my first day in CA was spent swimming, sunning, drinking, and having a ball. Only to be followed with a coastal reunion with Sarah P and Riz, and finaled with a giant hug from Mom an Dad.
Stay tuned for next adventure, departing tomorrow night for further westward journeying!
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