Let Texas GO!

They've been nothing but trouble since 1835 anyway. The state was added to the Union through the machinations of a pro-slavery cabal that was looking to consolidate power and control the Federal government anyway. Who needs them?

As for us here, the biped has been working furiously on his book. He finished the draft and is slogging through a revision--complain, complain, complain! That's all I hear from him! And he has refused to help me with my blog posts! He knows I can't do anything--he's the one with opposable thumbs!!

But here are some pics we've taken over the past couple weeks. And I'll stay on him to help me keep up with my blog posts, too!

Here's the first ride through the dunes on April 14th!






Here are some pics from a bonfire I went to--it was a going-away bonfire for Bonnie H. Bye Bonnie! I'm going to miss you! Maybe we'll move to the Berkshires, too!!





Here's me in my raincoat! April showers....

Intrafamilial

After the biped and I got up (this was April 3rd, I think...so long ago already!), we drove through Kansas most of the day. That state just goes on and on and on.



We stopped by Bob Dole's birthplace and then Abilene, Kansas, antique capital of the Midwest! Who knew??



One funny sign we did pass was a billboard that sat right in front of a highway sex shop and read "God sees all the evil and the good that men do." Hilarious. You gotta give it to Kansas!

We tried to stop in at the Prairie Dog Town, but it was too early. They were closed. :()


And finally, at long last, we arrived at the biped's Aunt and Uncle's place south of Waterloo, Illinois.



It's Bonnie and Stan. And I love them. Bonnie gave me a great Goofy doll and I got to hang out with Uncle Stan.



And I got to see the biped's Mom!


This is Bonnie and Stan's dog Bam Bam. I guess he's my cousin. He's actually really nice, once you sniff around him a little.


Uncle Stan rebuilt a 1946 McCormick International-H Tractor. It's absolutely beautiful and it runs! I'll post a movie of it later.


It was the biped's mom's birthday, so we had biscuits and gravy one morning. Uncle Stan slipped me some.


And I got to meet the biped's Grandma. She's 94 years old. She still lives by herself in the same house she's lived in since before the biped can remember!


After a couple lovely days in the rural Midwest, we hit the road again, our next stop the biped's Dad's in Reston, Virginia. Guess what I did for most of the ride!




After that, it was Provincetown by 9pm on April 7th after over 3,600 miles. Now, I lie around in bed all day and the biped rants about finishing his "book". Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Is anyone watching Little Dorrit on PBS?

Mountain Pass

The biped and I arrived back in Provincetown last night after 3,621 miles of driving. Sometimes it seemed like it would never end, but we did it and we saw so many beautiful things. And it's like a big welcome home present to know that Town Meeting passed both housing projects planned by Ted Malone. Provincetown needs it more than anything else. And now if the Economic Development Committee would do their job....

Here are some photos of the amazing things we saw driving through Utah and Colorado. Just beautiful. And like the previous pictures, they just don't do it justice, but you get the idea.

We left Delta, Utah very early. Here are the mountain ranges around Scipio, Utah.



The sheer rock cliffs of Utah's Fishlake National Forest.


The red mesas off of Interstate 70.


The stunning landscape of desert and snow-capped mountains of the San Rafael Swell.


Devil's Canyon



Ghost Rock.


The majestic and mind-blowing San Rafael Reef.






The gorges of the Colorado River in....Colorado!



And finally, the plains of the Midwest.



We bedded down at the Crowne Inn in Colby, Kansas and got an early start the next day...

Adios, Las Palmas...

The biped and I drove away from Palm Springs this morning (April 1). It was a bittersweet departure. We're ready to go home, but we've had such a wonderful time in this desert paradise.


But neither of us were prepared for how beautiful the drive would be. We went out of our way, driving north to Bishop, California, where Route 6 begins (or ends, depending on your perspective).


We drove all day along Route 395 and then along Route 6 as they skirted the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains.


The biped had lunch at this funny German bakery. It looked really good, too.


Here's a photo essay of some of the beautiful desert and mountain scenery we saw. The pictures don't do it justice. These mountains are epic, they are monumental, rugged, brutal and grand. The biped and I both encourage everyone to take the time and drive along this section of Route 6 from California to Utah, where we bedded down for the night.







We also both agree that this cow sign is strangely detailed for a highway marker...


We drove through an old mining town called Tonopah. Looks like they ran out of silver!