This is Part II of my 2021 highlights post. If you haven’t read it yet, go back and read (or at least skim through) Part I so this post will make sense.
After summer school ended, I went on a big road trip in August. And by big, I mean Texas-sized! I got to visit relatives I hadn’t seen in forever as well as friends that I used to work with in Afghanistan. I made a big loop to Texas and back, not repeating any states, and staying with friends and family on every leg except one night hotel stay in El Paso. The whole trip was amazing!
The first night, I visited my cousin Julie in Utah. The view of the mountains from her backyard was beautiful, although the wildfire smoke settled in by the next morning. I need to visit again and go hiking with her. Next I stayed in Colorado with friend Cindy that I’d worked with in Afghanistan. She took me out for ice cream at a famous place in Denver. Her cat Little Chicken (a tough but sweet city girl from the streets of Kabul) sat on my road atlas, either to show where she wants to go, or to keep me from leaving.
After Colorado, I drove through Kansas to get to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where I visited my friend Lauren (another colleague from the school in Afghanistan) and my cousin Tricia. Kansas had a neat Catholic church dubbed “The Cathedral of the Plains” with a neat raised cemetery. Tulsa is gorgeous! Lauren took me kayaking, and Tricia took me to a neat restaurant by the river. There is amazing art-deco architecture along with other styles, especially with the various churches downtown, as well as the “World’s Largest Praying Hands” statue. It also had this amazing park called The Gathering Place, which for you Oregon people, would be like Salem’s Gilbert House children’s museum plus Riverfront Park but times 20. I went there to work on my novel while Lauren worked. I hung out with her dog at a nearby park, and Tricia’s cat Amelia (Tricia’s husband is a pilot) was very helpful with the map of Ireland on her table, there for the purpose of planning their next trip.
Next stop, Paris. Okay, Paris, Texas, that is! And other places in the northern part of the state. From Tulsa, I took a scenic route to see the cowboy version of the Eiffel Tower, because, well, why not? It also has a war memorial next to it. I stayed with my cousin Brenda and her family in McKinney, which has this neat little artificial Croatian village nearby (the guitar store there is awesome!).
We also took a few trips into Dallas and its suburbs. Brenda’s husband Leon showed me around when everyone else was at school/work (school starts earlier there than in Oregon). He showed me Dealey Plaza overlooking the spot where JFK was assassinated. We ate so much good food, too, like hot pot and Texas BBQ. We all met up with our cousin Clay to eat Tex-Mex, explore the Dallas Arboretum, and see his new house and sweet pup in Mesquite.
Then I headed south to stay with my aunt and uncle in San Antonio. I’ve always wanted to see San Antonio, and it did not disappoint! Plus, my mom surprised me by visiting them, too! We visited a Japanese Garden (called a Chinese Garden during WWII), the Alamo, and the Riverwalk. I definitely need to go back! Mom and I walked around the grounds of the Alamo, which were beautiful.
Having reached the farthest point on my journey, I finally headed west. I drove through Texas and stayed the night in a hotel in El Paso. I did not see the Río Grande as I drove right by it through the city, but I could see México and later crossed the river once I was in New Mexico. I stopped at a couple ghost towns in New Mexico and at a pretty rest stop in Arizona that had cool rock formations. Eventually I reached Scottsdale, where friend Jas lives, and stayed with her a couple days. We hiked local Pinnacle Peak and enjoyed popsicles back at the trailhead (every trail needs a “trail granny” as we called her, this sweet lady running the info booth by the bathrooms).
From Scottsdale, I next drove the Carefree Highway to Highway 93, also known as the Joshua Tree Parkway. It was beautiful! So many saguaros and Joshua Trees. There was hardly anyone on the road, so I slowed down to snap a pic. I stopped in Kingman for some obligatory Route 66 photo ops, but then got back on 93 and made my way over the Colorado River to the Las Vegas area. I stayed in Henderson with high school friend Katey and her sweet family, where we played board games and watched episodes of Corner Gas. She and her husband recommended a lunch stop at the Happy Burro Chili & Beer in Beatty on my next drive. I ate my chili outside under a big tree, and the adorably short bartender lady came out and chatted with me for a while. We talked about the pandemic and state of the world and she told me how things were going for her relatives back home in SE Asia. I wish I’d stopped by Rhyolite ghost town nearby, but was kind of ghost towned-out after New Mexico.
Next I drove to Reno, where friend Jesie and her sweet family were staying in a hotel for a couple days. I won’t embarrass her with pictures, but it was really fun to watch her practice ice skating. Her husband picked up a hearty breakfast for us and we parted ways too soon. I’m glad I visited her earlier in the year at spring break, because the next time I saw her was at the memorial service of her precious grandma-in-law. The last stay of my trip was back home in Oregon, near Crater Lake. My friend Teresa and her husband were camping there. She was the other math teacher at the school in Afghanistan. It was so great to spend time with her, since I hadn’t seen her since I left the country. We hiked to some nearby waterfalls and Watchman Peak trail at Crater Lake. The wildfire smoke was super thick in the area, but it cleared over Crater Lake when we got there for a beautiful sunny day!
I finally made it home after that, just in time to start prepping for the new school year. It was a whirlwind trip, with not nearly enough time with any of the friends and family I visited. Worth it, though. I love where I live, but I needed a break, some sunshine, catching up with far away loved ones, great food, and adventure.
Stay tuned for Part III of 2021 Memories Near and Far: fall and beginning of winter.
The Compass Rose Queen 