ADIOS TO GALLUP......

We have been in Gallup for a week.....there are two highlights of our trip.....visiting Canyon de Chelly and meeting new friends, Carlos and his family at the wonderful El Metate Restaurant.  We ate there again tonight .....to say our goodbyes to them....I had Ropa Vieja (literally Old Clothes)....a delicious concoction put together by Carlos' lovely wife....and Pam had beef stuffed in Sopapilla.  Hers was not spicy while mine was muy picante'!!!     Excellent.

As we say goodbye to Gallup we want to share these other photos we have of Canyon de Chelly with our readers.....and they are dedicated to Nali and her granddaughter......and to Calvin, our new Navajo friend........and especially to the memory of the Navajo Code Talkers.

 A beautiful place......a peaceful place.....a spiritual place.....we plan to come back........

CANYON de CHELLY

The Penguins join in a Kokopelli ritual on Old Route 66!!!

Kokopelli is a 'fertility deity' and is ususally depicted as above.  It is honored by many Southwestern Indians (Native Americans if you want to be PC), and this 'god' presides over childbirth and agriculture....and is often a bit of a jester and loves and represents music).

 

Canyon de Chelly (pronounced de Shay) is a gorgeous place.
It is one of the oldest, continually habitated places in North
America, and for the last 350 years has been the sacred home
land of many Navajo Native Americans.

 

Canyon de Chelly was established as a National Park
Monument in 1931 and it preserves ruins of the early
indigenous tribes that lived in the area, including the
ancient peublo peoples (also called Anasazi) and Navajo.
The monument covers 83,840 acres and encompasses the floors and rims of  three major canyons: de Chelly, del Muerto, and Monument.  These canyons were cut by streams with headwaters in the Chuska Mountains just to the east of the monument.

 

 

Some 40 families remain living in the canyon (gives a whole new meaning to walking to school, eh?).  They farm and raise livestock and also make and sell their wares to tourists on the canyon rims.   You can choose from hand painted pottery to leather goods to painted stones to reasonably priced hand made jewelry.   We thought the hand painted stones were very nice so we picked one out from Calvin....a 28 year old very talented Navajo fellow who picked up the art from his dad and grand dad.

Here is Pam with Calvin Thomas and the very colorful stone we purchased from him as a momento of our visit to the canyon.  Calvin, a very nice young man, took great pleasure in explaining in some detail his painting of the ancient pueblo with Navajo pottery in the foreground and corn stalks which the Navajo hold sacred.   (a little known story about the Navajo Code Talkers in WWII tells about the code talkers who carried pollen dust from corn stalks back home and used it in a praying ceremony to keep them safe as they landed on the Pacific Islands, using their unwritten Navajo language as code talk the Japanese could not decipher).

 

 






To the right and below you can see the ruin remains of the Ancient Pueblo people, the Anasasi, who inhabited Canyon de Chelly for many hundreds of years.

 

 

The beauty of the canyon is timeless.....much like a "scaled down" version of the Grand Canyon (which is coming up on our trip things to do very soon).   To stand on the rim of the canyon and listen to the quiet...to the wind as it rustles around the canyon walls....and watch the hawks soaring on the wind and thermal currents...and feel the history and the beauty and the peace of one of nature's wonderful spots....it can be a spiritual experience if you let it.

 

 

 

Canyon de Chelly, in Northeast Arizona, is a two hour drive from where we are staying in Gallup, NM.   We depart Gallup on Thursday the 21st and head to Williams, AZ, some 200+ miles West.   On the way we will stop just of I40 to visit the Petrified Forest, another natural wonder and National Monument.   Before we leave Gallup we plan a quick stop at a truck service garage here in town to have someone check our windshield wipers....they are not working as they should....and while there we may take advantage of their truck scales and weigh the motorhome to be sure we are not exceeding our Gross Vehicle Weight (GVWR) of 32,000 pounds.  And right next door is a truck wash....so the motorhome and the mini cooper may get a treat (most campgrounds do not let you wash your vehicles at the campsite).

 

So, stay tuned for the next blog....and continue to watch for the penguins....you never know when and where they will show up!!!

 

And PS to all the folks back home in the NE....sorry to hear some shoveling may be required this week......!





And PPS....if you do ever find yourself in Gallup and you like Mexican food (the real stuff), do yourself a favor and find El Metate on West Mesa St.   Better, genuine Mexican food is hard to come by...........a great place!!!



LUCKENBACH....Where Everybody's Somebody....

 

 

 

The only two things in life that make it worth livin'
Is guitars that tune good and firm feelin' women
I don't need my name in the marquee lights
I got my song and I got you with me tonight
Maybe it's time we got back to the basics of love

Let's go to Luckenbach, Texas
With Waylon and Willie and the boys
This successful life we're livin'
Got us feuding like the Hatfields and McCoys
Between Hank Williams' pain songs and
Newberry's train songs and Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain
Out in Luckenbach, Texas ain't nobody feelin' no pain
(from the Waylon Jennings song...)

 



(a funny thing about country music...now that we happened upon the subject:  if you play it backwards, you might get your wife back, you might get your dog back, you don't lose the big stakes card games and you're still "feeling no pain"......)

 



But we digress......to quote John Steinbeck, these days Luckenbach is a state of mind....a Texas state of mind where you can kick back, relax and get away from the hustle and bustle that life throws at you....like a step back in time.  And who doesn't need that on occasion!

 



The tiny hill country hamlet where "Everybody's Somebody" was established as a trading post in 1849 making it one of the oldest settlements in the hill country.  The Post Office / General Store / Beer Joint first opened in 1886 by August Engel, an itinerant preacher from Germany (apparently there were such folk), whose daughter, Minna, chose the name Luckenbach in honor of her fiance', Albert Luckenback.   The trading post catered to pioneer farmers and Commanche Indians alike.  The outpost continued as such well into the 20th century. 

 

 



 

In 1970 Luckenbach, which had remained in the hands of the Engels family the whole time, fell into "eclipse".  Benno Engel retired as postmaster and placed an ad in the local paper "TOWN FOR SALE"...lock, stock and dancehall.  Luckenbach was purchased by a collection of "only in hill country" Texas characters - Hondo Crouch and his cohorts, Guich Koock and Kathy Morgan, who had what might be described as over active imaginations.   Hondo, the leader, formed a 'make believe' town and proclaimed himself Mayor.  He made Marge the Sheriff and the appointed ambassador to foreign countries.  (Apparently, Guich had no such official titles but was an important "go to" guy in the new town - population 3)!! 

 

The trio began to use the nearly abandoned buildings as a backdrop for anything that smacked of mirth and diversion:  Hug Ins, the Luckenbach Worlds Fair, Hell Hath No Fury Ladies State Chili Bust, Mud Dauber Festival, and later, the Luckenbach Ladies Lynchin' League.....among many others.  In addition to the festivals, which continue to this day, everyday is celebrated with the 'pickers still pickin' out under the big oak trees.  

 

 



 



 

In 1973 Texas country rocker, Jerry Jeff Walker, came to Luckenbach to record an album.  He wanted a laid back out of the way Texas locale for a backdrop  and Luckenbach was laid back with a vengence.  Jerry Jeff and his Lost Gonzo Band (for real, folks) took over the old dancehall, stacked hay bales around for sound baffles and sat around the ancient saloon writing songs (and drinking beer) all day.   As a result, as Luck(enbach) would have it....was the album Viva Terlingua, which went gold and made Luckenbach a destination point for everyone who heard it.  Since Terlingua (which is actually a very small town near Big Bend National Park on the border with Mexico, interestingly enough....and in the ever present 'small world' we live in....I have been there) songs such as London's Homesick Blues, Home with the Armadillo, Up Against the Wall Redneck mother (yep, a real song), Desperados Waiting for a Train and others had some origination with Luckenbach.   Then came the big boys....Waylon and Willie....and Luckenbach became a cult type destination.

 

In Luckenbach you can saddle up the Longhorn.

                                                                    



 Hondo passed away in 1976, a year before Luckenbach became a big hit....but Marge lived two decades longer to see Luckenbach "flourish" and become what it is today....a laid back, eclectic mix of early history, larger than life personas (ie: Hondo the Imagineer), and an unrivaled legacy of music that make us feel that everybody is indeed somebody in Luckenbach.

 

This blog is dedicated to the memory of John Russell "Hondo" Crouch, who will forever remain the "Mayor of Luckenbach" .........  

 

Please note there are several factors in the delay of this blog edition:  we traveled nearly 1000 miles from Fredericksburg through West Texas and Southern New Mexico for three days.....and we did not have internet access during that time....and telephone service was sketchy.   Also, after Luckenbach we will 'fast forward' to our present location in Gallup, NM as there really is not much to report about or show during those three days of travel in what is in our opinions a "desolate" part of this country.   Yes, Carlsbad has its caverns and Roswell its UFOs but otherwise it is a vast expanse of "not much"....!   While I am sure the folks who live there will take issue with it, those are our impressions anyway.

 



Texas Hill Country......part 1

Pam in Luckenbach Texas

But we are getting ahead of ourselves.....Luckenbach is a fun, quirky place but it will show up in a later blog.   

 

Our trip here was less than a 2 hour drive so we took secondary State routes and took our time....as a result we were rewarded with many distant vistas of the approaching Hill Country.

 

 

Very dry conditions in rural Texas are evident on all secondary roads.  There has been a serious drought for the last few years.   Normally this time of year there would be more green grass in the photos.   This is FM (farm to market) rural route 1376, a 30 mile stretch with mostly large ranches along the way.

 

A little beyond half way to the Hill Country town of Fredericksburg the view opens up and you feel you can see 'forever'.  As a matter of fact, that is Fredericksburg some 12 miles or so in the distance.   Fredericksburg, along with the larger Kerrville, are the two predominant Hill Country towns.   But that's where the similarity ends....while Kerrville is twice the size and shows evidence of some sprawl, Fredericsburg retains much of the charm it had from its beginnings in the mid 1800's when German immigrants settled the region.  Strict zoning has kept the growth in tourism in the downtown under strict control...for example, no chain restaurants or box stores are allowed in the village area of Zone 1....so the downtown is very quaint.   A place you don't mind spending an afternoon strolling the sidewalks and stopping for a meal of German delicacies.   We had breakfast the other morning at the Old German Restaurant and Bakery....the German pancakes were excellent!!

 

We arrived at the Fredericksburg KOA and pulled into our (end of row) site #L5.   We overlook the pastures where at any given time we see the lone horse, the three donkeys (who always stick together), or the lone Angus bull and or the 3 longhorns.   Here is a photo of the longhorn with the longest horns.....

 



 

This longhorn must have measured 6 feet from tip to tip.  No wonder there are signs saying "no children or dogs within 20 feet of the fence".  

 

 

We had never seen a purple motorhome before.....that's a LOT of purple sitting a few sites away from us at the KOA.

 

 

We close out this blog entry with a photo that could be entitled "In photgraphy, timing is everything"......or maybe "Nature is as nature does".....or my favorite "When the longhorns have a little extra time on their.....um, hands"

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK.....not the best photo to end a blog with....so try this one....

 

 







 

A Hill Country Texas sunset.

 

 

 

 

 



SAN ANTONIO

The Alamo

 

It was VERY  busy at the Alamo....turns out it was Texas Independence week as well as the anniversary of when the Alamo fell.  Hundreds of folks were there to see special exhibits as well as the Alamo itself.  It was a bit of a zoo!

 

San Antonio is famous for its Riverwalk....the network of walkways alongside the re-routed San Antonio River that runs through the center of the city.  It is a great spot to visit with hotels, shops and many restaurants dotted  along most of its 6 or so miles of length.   We enjoyed walking much of the riverbank, stopping to have lunch at the Guadalajara Grill and visit the shops at La Villita.



The Arneson Theater offers fiesta dances and the like as some of the events along the riverwalk.

Here is Pam along one of the more popular spots of the riverwalk with one of the many restaurants in the background.

 

 



La Villita consists of several small shops and restaurants, all dating from the mid 1800's and preserved as an historic district by the city of San Antonio. It is a fun and lively place to visit.

 

The riverwalk offers boat tours and excursions

for much of its length. Boat operators are very

knowledgable and entertaining tour guides. 

 Note: if you have not been to San Antonio and

seen the Alamo and experienced the riverwalk,

put it on your bucket list....it is well worth doing

The Guadalajara Grill (which has excellent TEX-MEX food) has many funny signs around the restaurant and bar.....here is one of them.

Thanks, Ali, for your help with the blog!!

Join us next time from the Texas Hill Country and the town of Fredericksburg!!

 



SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS

Simple wooden cross surrounded by prickly pear cactus in the courtyard of Mission Espada.

 

The chain of missions established along the San Antonio River in the 1700s is a reminder of one of Spain's most successful attempts to extend its then domination northward from New Spain (Mexico).  The Spaniards established missions not only in Texas but in Louisiana, New Mexico, Arizona and California.   Including the Alamo there are five missions making up the San Antonio Mission chain.

 

The Spanish Missions concentrated on spreading the catholic faith....the basis of Spanish colonial society...among the frontier Indians.  The Franciscan missions served not only the church but the Spanish crown, who financed them.  The missions helped form the foundation for the city of San Antonio.  

 

 

 






Mission Espada was founded in 1690 as San Francisco de los Tejas and is the oldest of the East Texas missions.  It was renamed San Francisco de la Espada in 1731 when it was moved to its present day location.  Espada is the most remote of the San Antonio missions and enjoys a very peaceful and quiet location in the countryside.  



Mission San Juan Capistrano was originally San Jose de los Nazonis in East Texas.  It was renamed also in 1731 when it was relocated to its present day location on San Antonio river's east bank.  Its fertile farmland and pastures soon made it a regional supplier of produce.  Aside from its fruit and vegetable production, in 1762 mission records show San Juan's herds numbered some 3500 sheep and as many cattle.  

A dad and his daughter visit San Jose Mission.



In 1720 Fray Antonio Margil de Jesus founded the best known of the Texas missions, San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo.   San Jose was the model mission organization and a major social center.  Visitors praised its unique church architecture and the rich fields and pastures surrounding it.  The size of the San Jose Mission complex testifies to its reputation as 'Queen of the Missions'.

The Mission Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion (Our lady of the Immaculate Conception) was also transferred from East Texas in 1731.  It served as the missions' center of religious activity.  Mission Concepcion has fallen into disrepair and its once colorful geometric designs have pretty much faded; but its history and significance in teaching Christian beliefs remains.

The Altar at Mission San Jose



The Convento at Mission Espada and its lovely gardens, a testimony to the green thumb of Brother Jerome who is the resident Friar.

Worship service is still held at each of the missions today.  Typically an English mass is held early in the day followed by a Spanish mass.   It might be fun to attend during one of the Catholic Saints days when a Mariachi mass is held.

 

The Alamo is the 5th of the five missions but it will be in a future blog.  We went to see it today but the line was some 4 to 5 hours deep  (NOT a typo) as a special exhibit is on hand for Texas Independence Week.   We will try again mid week....Sunday was not the day to visit.



 

More Texas....

 

 

 

Four new states for Pam.....on this trip her first time in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and now Texas. 

I can remember some 25 years ago that Austin was a sizeable yet comfortable capital city of Texas.  It was fairly easy to get around...sprawl was not really evident....suburbs as far out as Round Rock were just beginning to develop....and the University of Texas had 'merely' 30,000 students.  Well, some 60,000 students later and the development of the Silicone Prairie, Texas' answer to California's Silicone Valley, and Austin has grown into a 'bumper to bumper' city that just seems to keep going (sprawl).     Here is evidence of new growth in Austin....

Unidentified building dominates the Austin skyline.





Pam took this photo out the front window coming into Austin from the North.









University of Texas Stadium.....seats over 100,000 folks.





The small lake on the southside of Austin is named after
Lady Bird Johnson.

 

Hello from San Antonio, Texas....some 80 miles south of Austin on I35.   Located in south-central Texas SAT is the 2nd largest city in Texas (Houston is 1st), and the 7th largest in the USA (that would have been a tough one to guess, eh?).   Named after a Portuguese Saint,  the city dates to 1691 and is now the epicenter of 'Tejano' culture and Texas tourism.  The city is famous for its Spanish Missions, the Alamo, the Riverwalk (a series of walkways along the river one story below the city streets), the Tower of the Americas (similar to Toronto's Cien tower) and hosts both Sea World and Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme park.   The city also hosts the largest annual stock show and rodeo held in the country.  To get a real flavor for San Antonio, keep in mind nearly 60% of its citizens are of hispanic (Mexican) descent.    Today we explored the Mission Trail.....stay tuned for a Mission Blog.   Ahead are the Alamo, the Riverwalk and more......Lots to come in the next week!