Friday, July 8, 2011

New State Coming On The Right: Arizona


First-stop to eat lunch after and all morning hurrying and driving.  Finally some food and this restaurant is one of my favorites to visit. I think I like the gift shop as much as I like the food. I wish they were Cracker Barrel Restaurants in Southern California and I know I'm not the only one that would love that. Santa Paula would be a perfect place to have one just coming into town on the east-side.

I'm eating but very slowly. The food portions are always more than Steve and I can eat. Suddenly, tons and tons of  people are flowing into the restaurant. My back isn't faced toward the entrance, but I can hear them. It's like a stampede of buffaloes. I asked Steve, who's all those people coming in because he was really checking them out. I expected for him to say celebrities, or performers on tour. Right in fireman "lingo" he said, still looking, "It's not the Swedish Ski Team!" I had to look. Buses of old people and I think they were are age. nooo.
I found a yogurt shop here in Kingman. Darn it, no yogurt without a bunch of sugar. Do you have any Greek Style Frozen Yogurt? The lady at the counter said, "Sorry, people around these parts, just like sweet flavors, honey." I blurted-out, "But, but, but, I'm a tart!" I didn't buy yogurt here and yes, I stuttered. I was so embarrassed. "I said, I was a tart, Steven!" He was laughing because he offered them $20 to say they didn't have tart yogurt. They told them they would say it for free. I'm flustered and need the air-conditioning on full-blast. Steve adds, "You know, everyone feels your pain." punctuated with man giggles.

I decided after stewing about my last little "cut-low" that I would earn my yogurt. I announced to Steve that he knows I would like some yogurt and because there are just rocks out here...where ever we are. I would make this deal. I told him it was only fitting that every time that I find a Zit (a white horse) I could get a yogurt on our trip. Steve did a quick look around and said, "Okay..." He was sure I'd never spot one.


We started seeing signs of real life in about twenty minutes and even before Williams, Arizona. I saw the first white horse. Bingo! Just outside of Ashfork a whole corral of white horses. (hee, hee) I remembered them from when we drove by Ashfork going out this way to see the Grand Canyon.

Oh, there's big drops of rain. How does that happen with blue skies. above us? I hope it rains in Holbrook, Arizona That's our destination this evening.

No yogurt anywhere. Who won?

Ohmygosh! We have a Tipi? A Wigwam? Happy Anniversary! Steve surprised me and as any person really wants on the famous Route 66 is to go and stay in one of the Tipi's along the old road. It was just like in the movie, "Cars" and this is wonderful! There's Tom Mater over there! (Please check the newer entry--I did get a picture of the tow-truck)





We met Marianne, my niece here in Holbrook. She is good friends with the lady that has the cute Wigwam Motel. We were able to have a great visit with her and her sweet family and it was great to visit with them. They sent us out to see the Multi-Tribe Indian Dancing at the courthouse.




Steve told me that he had planned all this because recently I had told him about my relatives that have contacted me about one of my ancestors named, "Jane Crow" that was a real full Crow Indian. (I love Ancestry.com)  He told me I was going to sleep in a Tipi and watch Crow dancing--The Jingle Dance. He wanted me to get "in-touch" with my Indian roots.



The young Indian women danced and it was beautiful. Their feet seemed to not even touch the ground and the shawl dance, yes...they look like butterflies. Oh, and the children were so good and very entertaining. All dancers had so much practice, because they all danced with grace and dignity. I know why there was an Indian Rainbow in the sky.


I just soaked it all in and better than any gift. I wanted to stay and watch more, but the cloud cover and power outage encourage us to try and get a look at the countryside before sunset.

I love the desert here. The earth and sky put on a show nightly.





Snowflake, The Temple is beyond description.


 This is a very special place and I'm so glad we took the opportunity to drive just a little bit to see the surrounding areas. Rain was coming and a few lightening puffs here and there just for our entertainment. We were so alone out there, indescribable.


I think Steve's favorite part of the stop here  in the desert, was eating a Navajo Taco. There's nothing like being super hungry and eating Indian Fry Bread. Yummy. Oh, this is where I started gaining weight on this trip.


Freeman Family Home. My Family That All Joined The Church
Sleep? I had probably the best night's sleep ever on a trip, anywhere. We had a comfy sweet bed and the sounds of the storm and train just lulled me deep sleep. The train was right near our Tipi and runs all night according to Marianne and Jeff and we were at the whistle stop. There was thunder and lighting and the rain. It was perfect in every way.


Of Course, Another Picture of A Fire Station Holbrook, AZ

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