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Break the Rules. Go Home with Strangers
Nelly’s handmade saddle
As often happens in life, good things start with a beer. That is, after all, how Shannon and I found ourselves on the back of Nelly, the very first horse either of us had ever ridden.
In retrospect, we didn’t really stand a chance. The Main Street Brewery in Cortez, Colorado, was walking distance from our campground. We find so few things in this country we can walk to that we always take notice of those we can. Boozy establishments that we don’t have to drive home from are especially rare and prized finds. So there never was a question of whether we’d pull up a bar stool at the brewery a few blocks from our door. It was really just a question of when.
Our timing couldn’t have been better.
The Map is not the Terrain
The Four Corners Marker, where Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico meet
There isn’t anything special here, at least as far as the eye can see. There are no natural boundaries or landmarks. No buildings or structures of note. Even the surrounding scenery is unremarkable. Only a small plaque identifies the significance of this particular point.
As with many silly things in American life, this one started with an act of Congress. Continue Reading →
Morning in Monument Valley
The rising sun illuminates Monument Valley formations
In some respects, we were incredibly lucky. True, two of our three days in Utah’s Monument Valley were completely blown away by dust storms. And on our fourth day those same gusty winds threatened to force us off the road as we tried to escape the wicked weather. But that second day, the day we arranged an off road tour of the Valley? That day was perfect.
We arose well before sunup to get the first tour of the morning. Our only complaint is that we didn’t get up even earlier. We couldn’t have known that this would be our only clear day in the Valley, and our only chance to photograph the monuments as they emerged from night’s inky blackness into beautiful blue silhouettes of dawn.
We saw them briefly in that light as we pulled into our appointed pick-up spot but had no time for photos. Our jeep was waiting and a bit impatiently too.
Everywhere Once 