Thirteenth Stop - San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA - Home sweet home. At least for a few weeks. After driving 2,200 miles literally through ice and snow and beautiful landscape in Nebraska and Wyoming NOT, we made it back to San Francisco.

Some important trip statistics:
Miles driven: 8,473
Average gas mileage: 22
Car breakdowns: 0
Nights spent at hotels: 37
Favorite hotel: Tuscany Suites & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Least favorite hotel: Budget Inn Motel, Childress, TX (we didn't actually stay there)
Money lost gambling: $54 (mostly Martin's fault)
Number of McDonald's coffees: 43
Best restaurant meal: La Boca, Santa Fe, NM
Worst restaurant meal: Renegate Cafe, Rock Springs, WY
Favorite stay: Moab, UT
Least favorite stay: Childress, TX
Best national park: Arches National Park, UT
Biggest surprise of trip: Dallas/Fort Worth is actually a nice place (Jennifer), driving through beautiful Capitol Reef National Park (Martin)
Items packed, but never used: tent, roll of toilet paper, yoga mat, 70-300mm Canon lense, large black backpack, soap, car repair tools, can of Spam
Longest non-stop drive: 1,089 miles - Fort Worth, TX to Chippewa Falls, WI
Scariest drive: Pucker Pass near Dead Horse Point, UT

... more to come ...

Twelfth Stop - Chippewa Falls, WI

Chippewa Falls, WI - Only a little more than 1,100 miles north of the DFW metroplex lies Chippewa Falls, WI. You can make it in about 18 hours by car, if you don't make too many stops on the way.

Now, why would make drive back to San Francisco via Wisconsin? You have to get really creative to consider it to be "on the way". Well, we have three words for you: Kathleen, John, and ... wait for it ... wait for it ... yes, yes ... close, close ... here we go: CHESTER!


We stayed a few days at Jennifer's house camping in the basement to avoid cat allergies. What we thought might be a tough few days due to the winter weather turned out to be a very pleasant, action packed stay with visits to UWEC, a double shot of the Leinenkugel Brewery, ATVing (oh yes, more goosebumps), a virtual plane ride from Minneapolis to Chippewa Falls, home made Spagetti (finally, finally, we were able to cook again), and lots of love and home cooked meals from Kathleen and John.


Now, it is time for Frizi and Chester to go on a diet again. The "Meow Mix Days" are over.

Eleventh Stop - Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

Dallas/Fort Worth, TX – The drive from Santa Fe is about 700 miles and takes you through the somewhat monotonous landscape of the Texas panhandle where you can see for miles, yet see nothing but big skies, bushes, grass, and a few cows. We spent the night in Childress about half way for, what turned out to be, a “special event night” (at least according to the lady at the Budget Inn reception, who would not accept out discount coupon for that reason). Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the “special event” because nobody we asked had the vaguest idea what she was talking about. Biggest sight on the way: "Cars In Field".


Anyways, driven by nostalgia (at least on my side), we made it to the DFW metroplex. Our itinerary included: a mix-master mix-up so bad that the GPS had a hard time figuring out where to go, a children’s birthday party involving a pinada, BBQ right next to the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank, the Sixth Floor Museum, a trip down the Fort Worth memory lane (which included a visit to the Stockyards, a stop at TCU for various paraphernalia, a pseudo inquiry about a 3 bedroom/2 bath at the Berkeley Luxury Apartments – formerly known as Park Ridge Apartments, where I spent $465 on a 2 bedroom 14 years ago -, St. Patrick’s Day at 8.0, and BBQ at the Railhead Smokehouse.


Highlight of the DFW visit: dinner at what we think is the perfect family!


Karla, Brandon, Isabella, and Benjamin, we love you guys…

Tenth Stop - Santa Fe, NM

Santa Fe, NM – Ah, Santa Fe, this little town in northern New Mexico is always a popular destination. Adobe houses all over downtown, it gives you the feel that you have entered a different century and time just seems to pass a little slower than everywhere else.


We wandered around town exploring the many galleries on Canyon Road, had lunch and dinner at one of the many restaurants on the Plaza, and visited Americas oldest house and oldest church near the Old Santa Fe Trail.


A great place to relax and that’s what we did. Even if you try, you will not find a vibrant night life here. Most of the city closes down around 9:00 pm and you have to go buy Spagettios at Smith’s, if you want to have a midnight snack.

For those who are wondering, if we did the “must do” and went to Taos, the answer is no. We were (a) just too relaxed and comfortable in our little Inn on the Paseo and (b) were to by fellow travelers that it is just to worth the long drive at this time of the year. We heard about people complaining that Taos was too sleepy and that they needed to get back to Santa Fe for some “action”.

Ninth Stop - Alamogordo, NM

Alamogordo, NM – After El Paso, we were prepared for pretty much anything, but Alamogordo was a pleasant surprise. The hotel was reasonable, we made it to Happy Hour at Chili’s, there was a Wal-Mart next door, and the sheriff let us off the hook when we made an illegal left turn. What else could you ask for?

We visited White Sands National Park, took a 4.7 mile hike through the desert (or, as Jennifer put it, walked around a sugar bowl for three hours – see picture), and had a picnic on a sand dune to watch the sunset.


Finally, we drove to Roswell, site of the alleged 1947 government cover-up of a UFO crash. Visited the UFO museum to get some detailed insight into flying saucers, space aliens, and the truth of what really happened here. It was great, but we had expected a little more … As the guy from the visitors center put it: “This town is about the aliens. Otherwise, people are just trying to get out of Roswell”.

Eighth Stop - El Paso, TX

El Paso, TX – They say, in El Paso, the sun shines 300 days out of the year. I guess that leaves 65 days where it doesn’t and even fewer where it rains. Well, we got lucky. It rained in El Paso when we were there. But, to be honest, it didn’t really matter much. It is probably one of those towns where the recession truly shows its ugly face with vacant houses, empty store fronts, and “For Sale” signs everywhere.

We had thought about walking across the border to Ciudad Juarez in Mexico to - as they say in the city guide – turn up the volume on our senses, but pretty much everyone, including the guy at the coffee shop and the border agent, told us that the place is “pretty dangerous” because the Mexican government and the drug cartels are in a turf war over there. I guess it might help that, a few days earlier, the Mexican military sent 5,000 soldiers to patrol the streets, but, in the end, we stayed on the safe side.

So, we walked around downtown, headed towards the Mexican border through the “Golden Horseshoe” district, lingered around the border with a bunch of Mexicans, bought three CDs, and went to the bathroom at the border Burger King.

On a positive note, El Paso is as close to Mexico as you will get in the States. We went to see the Mission trail, where Spanish missionaries built three small missions very close to one another.


Very nice. Then we got the hell out of there.

Seventh Stop - Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ - We left Sedona with a somewhat broken heart, but Tucson was calling and we couldn't wait to drive five hours through the desert. On the way, we stopped at Montezuma's Castle - without revenge.

In Tucson, we highly recommend the "Mary & Jim Englund Inn". Not only are they the nicest people, they are gracious hosts and fantastic tour guides (here seen at the Desert Museum).

In our opinion, Jim must be one of the best cooks north of the Rio Grande.

Last, but by no means least, it was great to see you, Jon and Brian. You know you always have a special place in our hearts and will be in our thoughts.

And Jon, you look fabulous!

Sixth Stop - Flagstaff/Sedona, AZ

Flagstaff/Sedona, AZ - We didn't really think we were going to stay here for more than a day or two, but then were captured by the beauty of the landscape, the sunshine, and the Vortex energy (look it up). We stayed for almost a week.

Flagstaff basically is a mid-sized college town housing the University of Northern Arizona. It boasts a small historic downtown, a ski resort, and a highway to one of America's most famous landmarks - the Grand Canyon.

We were going to be cheap at first and skip the Grand Canyon, especially since several people said it wasn't really worth it. But then we gave in and drove up there and, let me tell you, it was really worth it. You will NEVER see anything like this. I will try, but the whole thing is so unreal that it cannot be captured in a picture.

You will have to go and see for yourself.

Sedona is a small, artsy town in the Red Canyon only 25 miles south of, but 25 degrees warmer than Flagstaff.

Everything here is red, the rocks, the houses, the street, even the dirt they dig up in construction sites is red.

We fell in love with this little town and even went to a few open houses. The real estate market here has been hit pretty hard and house prices have come down 30 to 40% off their highs. As a result, the agents seemed genuinely happy to see us and told us ("off the record, of course") that the asking price was ("in their opinion") a little high and we could get the place ("which is a short sale, by the way") for probably 25% less. The view was something like this:

We told them that we'd think about it.

How could we not...?

Fifth Stop - Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas, NV - Vegas, baby!


And what happens here stays here. So, in Vegas stays:
- two Margaritas at $25 each at some "party bar" "on" Treasure Island,
- Mr. Popovich and his pet comedy at the V theatre,
- the one mile walk from our room at the Stratosphere to the strip,
- the many slot machines that steal your money,
- the midnight dinner at IHOP,
- the shrimp cocktails and prime rib special at the Golden Gate Hotel during the "Freemont Experience" (Note from the Editor: Stay downtown when you travel to Las Vegas),
- the resort we ended up in for $20 per night called Tuscany Casino and Suites (Note from the Editor: Stay here if you don't like downtown),
- the fact that a tripod is considered a weapon by the stupid people who run the stupid tower at the stupid Stratosphere,
- the pirate show at TI that has a very modern touch, and
- pretty much everything other than the strip, East of the strip, and Freemont street, in other words "the ghetto".

We are all vegas'ed out!

Bye Vegas!

Fourth Stop - Zion, UT

Zion, UT - The recession is taking its toll on the US National Parks Department and they have raised the entrance fee for some parks to $25. As a result, we decided to be cheap and forego Bryce Canyon, especially since the snow made hiking impossible. However, Zion was great. Greener than most of the other canyons, it allowed us to hike 17 miles in two days in a spectacular scenery.


Highly recommended for outdoor enthousiasts and fanatical deer lovers.



Make sure to stay on the West side of the park, e.g. in Hurricane, unless you want to have dinner at an Arby's at a gas station in Panguitch, pop. 1,473.

Third Stop - Moab, UT

Moab, UT - A sleepy town of less than 5,000 in Southeastern Utah, i.e. in the middle of nowhere. It is, however, a wonderful starting point to explore the many canyons in the area.

Arches National Park is just 20 minutes north of Moab. Great hiking with a "primitive" trail that requires rock climbing to make it. The views of the landscape and wildlife are worth every step though.


A tank of gas - $35
A 2000 Jeep Cherokee - $4000
Getting goosebumps while four-wheeling in Canyonlands - PRICELESS

Second Stop - Salt Lake City, UT

Salt Lake City, UT - The drive from Reno is about 500 miles on I-80, America's loneliest highway. 500 miles of beautiful scenery, mountains, valleys, and rivers - and three or four "towns" on the way.


Despite what you might expect, Salt Lake City is pretty much like any other town in America with the exception of somewhat crazy laws to keep you from indulging in possible vices and even crazier ways to get around them. The mormons must be loaded because they make you pay to get into the bar, to have a drink, and to listen to music … at least at the Tavernacle. Other than that, people are very friendly and give you a ride just because you ask them for directions.

The Great Salt Lake is very large and very salty.

Temple Square is VERY impressive - do not miss the Tabernacle choir or organ recital, the conference center, and the opportunity to talk to someone about their beliefs. Mormons are very friendly people and will talk to you for hours, if you let them.

First Stop - Reno, NV

Reno, NV - The city looks
like Las Vegas' little brother, who is older at the same time... much older... and cheaper. We just couldn't resist the $29 per night rate at the Sands for a room with a view.

Took a trip to Virginia City, NV. Americas largest national historical monument and a trip to the past of the Comstock full of gold and silver mines, saloons, and the "suicide table".


The 4x4 was needed to go skiing in Squaw Valley, but then it had too much snow for much of the slopes to be open. If you love ungroomed trails, then Squaw after a snow storm is for you.