Seconded. Enjoying your posts and vicariously enjoying your travels. Scritches to Bob, and hopes for some special snacks for an obviously Very Good Boy!
Back to the Tower this morning. I got going bright and early and I got there even before the Visitor Center was open. There were maybe twenty cars or so there when I arrived and I got a primo spot right at the trail heads. This is good, because by the time I left like three hours later the lot was jammed and there were RVs parked all down the entrance road and the hikers were becoming thicker.
Here’s the thing, once again, no pets allowed on hiking trails. What the Effing Eff? I don’t get it. There were two trails around the tower, the outer trail was like three and half miles and the inner loop was one and half miles. Not hard hikes for dogs. And the inner path is paved, ferrchrissakes. It is the perfect environment for hiking dogs! Bob would have loved it! But again, he had sit in the car while I had all the fun. I took a ton of pictures but only uploaded like fourteen or so at Flickr. A sampling below.
I’m now in Casper, Wyoming and the plan is to drive down to Denver tomorrow and book a room for a couple of days. I need a break and I need to figure out next steps. I’ve got my cousin heading toward the southwest - I’ve got my niece in and RV in Arizona - I’ve got another old friend from high school in Salt Lake. I got some shit to do.
Climbers:
Vids (raw footage - video editing is my next project):
Denver!
Easy-ish drive on the way down. I left in plenty of time to get me to Denver by 2:00pm, but my check-in time was only 3:00, so I took the scenic route. It almost killed me. No, not really, but southern Wyoming reminded me of Northern Maine, weather wise. It was full-out snowing, drifting over the roads. Now I’ve had the ass-end of my Challenger a bit sideways in the rain, so I didn’t really want to see what it would do in the snow. It was fleeting, though. Oddly, as soon as I crossed the Colorado state line, it got really sunny and nice.
Anyhoo … nothing special to report so far. I got Bob out to a dog park before I went to the hotel and met some nice people and their dogs. Checked in with minimum fanfare, got all my laundry done (after a min–freak-out because I thought they only had washers), ate a burrito. Had a weird thing with the TeeVee - when I called up the guide, I only had 18 channels, all of them family/religious. I think someone must have parental locked the thing or something. I had to unplug it and plug it back in to get a hockey game.
I haven’t been to a weed shop yet, but that will be on the agenda tomorrow. My high school friend, Allen’s buddy’s girlfriend runs a shop out here some where – I have her card. I might go to the zoo tomorrow too.
Denver hasn’t been particularly kind to me. I like the city, but I’ve had nothing but sour luck since I got here. Problems with the TeeVee (see above), getting lost - despite GPS, stepping in dogshit, etc. This morning I decided to check out downtown for the heck of it, so I found a dog park right near central downtown. Bunch of snobby fucks there. Not one person said hello. Bob was an absolute angel - he gave a few polite sniffs to a couple of dogs and went off on his own. One other dog seemed interested in, but before I could throw a ball and turn around, three dog owners brought their dogs to the other side of the park (they separate them by Low Energy Play / High Energy Play, instead of by size, which I like). Whatever.
I headed up toward Red Rocks and before I got there I pulled off to try to find a coffee. GPS - Starbucks - Right this way, sir. There was no Starbucks there. Fucker. Drove around like an idiot yelling at Golden, CO in general for not providing me with coffee in a timely manner. Red Rocks was cool, though.
Then I decided to head up to , I Forget, CO to check out my friend’s friend’s girlfriend’s dispensary. First of all, she wasn’t there. Secondly, it’s not a dispensary, it’s just a smoke shop, with cigarettes, bowls and bongs, and CBD products. At any rate I talked to the dude in there for a few minutes and he seemed cool. I told him the story of how I knew the place and we had a fine chuckle.
Then I needed to hit a legit dispensary and a grocery store before I went back to the hotel. On the way back, PING! Rock off the windshield and a nice big chip just out of the center of my view. Fuck! No problem, I think. This is a big city, I bet there’s a Safelite around here somewhere. Hot shit, there’s one ten minutes from my hotel. The guy tells me they could fill it, but it wouldn’t look good so he recommended total windshield replacement. I agree. Where do I go sit and wait? Oh, you need to make an appointment and we’re about two weeks out as it is.
Really? So your commercials are total bullshit then? Thanks for nothing.
Fuck it. I’m going to Moab tomorrow. I’ll try to remember my meds tomorrow morning as well, that’ll probably help a little. My route will take me through the heart of the Rockies, through the Eisenhower Tunnel - one of the highest mountain tunnels in the world and the longest in the United States - and it’s supposed to be fine weather in the afternoon, well above freezing and sunny, so I anticipate a fine drive - knock on wood. Two days in Moab. I’ll try to get some short hikes in with Bob, see some sights, drive around a little bit, check out the locals and then I make a decision whether I head north to Salt Lake City to visit my best friend from high school (Allen was my close bud, but Louis and I were joined at the hip). I haven’t seen him in probably thirty years - or I head south to try to meet up with my niece and her boyfriend in Mesa, AZ where, as far as I know, they are still stranded with their trailer in an RV-World parking lot and taking day-trips in their pick-up.
However I fuck about over the next week. I have a place to stay with my cousin at the Grand Canyon from June 1 to June 4 and I am going to hit that if I have to sleep in the desert a night or two to pull it off.
Thank you for the updates and the vids too, I’m kind of travelling vicariously with you, although I’ve visited some of these places as well. The Badlands looks awesome, I will have to try and work out a trip for that, as well as the Crazy Horse monument. Mt Rushmore I’m far more likely to go and throw rocks at because I think it’s a blight on some beautiful scenery 
As a traveller from the UK, most of my trips to the US have been roadtrips and involved national parks and state parks, so it’s good to know where other people want to visit on their bucket lists.
The last few days have had its ups and downs. Fortunately, the downs were all just first-world shit that frustrated the hell out of me. Things like being GPS’d to a Starbucks that doesn’t exist, pulling into a gas station and having to go to three different pumps to find one that works, pulling into a Wendy’s desperately having to pee only to find that the lobby is closed, etc, etc, etc. It all culminated with the Motel 6 in Moab almost giving me a stroke. I booked the room while I was in Denver so I wouldn’t get stuck. When I got there there was big sign on the door about, “Attention Pet Owners, If you leave you pet in your room unattended, Animal Control will be called, at your expense.”
That’s a bit harsh, what if I have to run to the store to get supplies but I don’t want to leave him in the car in 90 degree heat?
“That would be a violation, we would call Animal Control, no questions asked.”
How would you even know? He wouldn’t make any noise.
“Owners all say that. We’d call Animal Control, no questions asked.”
He said that phrase a number of times, like it’s the best part of his job or something, smug prick. At first I wasn’t going to cancel because I didn’t want to get charged for a day, but he let me cancel with no charge. I let him know that their rules were fucking stupid. I mean, seriously – do they not realize how friggin’ cruel that is? Chucking a dog in the pound in a strange city after I already paid you a pet deposit for a goddamned reason!
Anyway, fuck Motel 6. Never patronizing those assholes again. I ended up staying at a place called The Archway Inn which was really nice, so double-fuck Motel 6.
That was my big negative post. I had a real frustrating couple of days, but I also had some awesome drives and amazing hikes and great photos and videos – including myself being let off with a warning for going 75 in a 65, courtesy of my new dash-cam. - which I will do my best to update and upload soon … but I’m very tired right now and I need to rest.
Tomorrow, I think I’m going to Las Vegas. My niece is in Mesa, AZ but when I texted her about me coming to hang with them, she was all flaky. On the other hand, my cousin is in Vegas for the weekend. The only drawback to the whole thing is that I’m also hanging with them at the Grand Canyon come the 1st, so I’d basically be double-backing all over Arizona. Eh, whatever, flying by the seat of my pants has worked so far.
By the way, I’m in Flagstaff, Arizona where I’ve had the best pizza of my trip so far (that’s usually the first thing I do in a new town - order a local pizza). Fratelli’s Pizza in Flagstaff is the balls.
I totally sympathize with your frustration about this, but I also would bet substantial money that if they don’t make policies like this, they’ll get many pet owners shutting their pets in their rooms for long stretches of time while they go out and do no-pets-allowed activities, resulting in the unhappy animals making a bunch of noise and/or damaging/destroying property.
I think you made a good choice in switching to a higher-end establishment where they’re not so worried about irresponsible people just taking advantage of the cheapest deal.
I understand the need to keep their property on the up and up but there are better solutions beside harranguing guests about how they’ll need to pick up their dog at the pound if there’s a violation. The deposit is paid for a reason. If my dog is loud or destroys something - charge me, I’ll pay it. It’s no different that if one is caught smoking in their room, you just get the added fee and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Anyway, I just checked into a better class of hotel in Las Vegas. I have a mini-suite for only a little more than I paid for a single in Moab (I’m almost considering booking another night) and their pet policy is … feel free to leave your dog in your room, but if he’s a menace, we’ll deal with it. What more can I ask? And no pet deposit whatsoever.
So, here I am in Vegas. My cousin and his girlfriend are somewhere in town. We’re going to meet up and go to some Beatles Cirq du Soliel show. I don’t know if mushrooms will be made available or not.
I’m in Mesa, Arizona to visit my niece and her boyfriend. Unfortunately, they went camping in New Mexico without telling me they wouldn’t be in Mesa this week. I swear that girl is the most unthoughtful, self-centered person I’ve ever met. I told her I was coming to Mesa to see them; I texted her every move I made in Arizona so there wouldn’t be any miscommunication. I texted her when I was halfway between Vegas and Mesa to let her know when I would arrive.
“Oh, we’re in New Mexico.”
No apology. No explanation. Nothing. Just me driving 300 miles out of my way for trying to be a nice uncle.
So, I’m sorry, but decisions have to be made. She’s out. I’m done with her. I spent too many years letting people like her walk all over me and I’m not doing it any more. I don’t need her. She doesn’t need me. I’ll pass the gravy if I have to but that’s it, I don’t care if I’m related to her.
There. That feels better.
Now … I had a great time in Las Vegas! I met up with my cousin and his girlfriend and we went for a few drinks and caught up for a while. I think we bored her as we talked about guitars and music for an hour while she just sat there and listened. Then we went to the Cirque du Soleil Love show, Beatles themed type. It was weird - I mean I was thoroughly entertained and amazed. Some of the visuals they pulled off were mind-bending, but I couldn’t help deconstruct it as I watched … like, there’s a landing pad under there; I can see the cue marks on the floor; that guys blue jeans are really dance pants; I can see where the character with the big head and bubble arms stopped to hook himself in … shit like that. I was incredibly baked.
Then we just walked down the strip and people watched, trying to guess which were the pros and which were just your general woo-girls. Stayed out waaaay late and Bobby did well alone in the hotel room. Oh, my hotel was off the strip, right next to what I assume was Murder Town, so that was a bit of extra excitement.
So … a couple of days in Mesa to moderate my blood pressure and I’ve already booked three days at Joshua Tree so I’m going to go full out hippie / Jim Morrison and try to find myself in the desert.
Plans after that are murky but I think I’ve decided to find a rental place in Los Angeles for a full week as sort of a trial run of living in the city.
No pics today, sorry, too road-weary. I basically have tomorrow “off” so I’ll work on something.
The frustrations of Denver and Mesa are behind me. I left Mesa yesterday around noon and took a leisurely five hour drive to Joshua Tree where I’ve rented a glamp-site for three days. I have stocked up on the proper amount of hallucinogens but I’m not sure what the program is going to be yet. Today, I’m going to go out for some supplies and just stick around the glamp-site, which is really effing cool. It’s an Auto-Camp thing, where you rent out a unit which is an Airstream trailer converted into a little hotel room type jobby. Full bedroom, bathroom with shower, kitchenette (sink, fridge, microwave) and an outdoor grilling area and shaded eating thing – there’s like 70 spread out on the property. There’s a nightly artificial fire pit, a pool, a main building where I can get rudimentary groceries and supplies, I can rent a bike if I want. Not that expensive, considering. I have relaxed by an order of magnitude since I’ve been here.
- Let me just pause for a second and acknowledge this. I’m back in California after twenty years. I left with my tail between my legs hoping to one day return followed by twenty years of recurring dreams that I’ve done just that, and now - though I haven’t officially moved back - here I am. It’s an awe-inspiring feeling.
On my way here, I did have a good time in Moab at Dead Horse State Park (or National Park, I can’t remember). It’s this high mesa that narrows to about thirty yards and then widens out again, with these amazing vistas of the canyons in and around Moab. As promised, here are some pictures:
My glamp-site and the first picture of Bob in California, at a dog park nearby.
I also stopped by Four Corners and Hoover Dam. At Four Corners I couldn’t stay long, because, again, I couldn’t take Bob inside the little site there. But I got a video of it - no goofy sprawl into four states at once thing. I did buy a nice necklace from a Native American vendor. And at Hoover Dam, Bob again prevented me from going out on the bridge to get really good facing pictures, and you can’t really see it from that bridge driving, so this is all I got:
As I said, Vegas was a blast too (this is me and my cousin):
At the beginning of May, I left Maine. There was a quick return to polish up some paperwork, but as of May 1, Bob and I and all of my earthly belongings have lived in my car, relatives’ houses and hotels and motels. I am now back in California for the first time since I went crying home with my tail between my legs on Christmas Eve, 2001.
The feelings are difficult to describe. I’ve had recurring dreams of moving back to San Francisco for the last twenty years. Some of them so real it takes me half a day to realize it was a dream and not a memory. One of my biggest regrets in life is that I didn’t stay in California the last time and try to make a go of it. Instead I ran home to let my family pat me on the head after getting divorced. It softened me. Not their fault. But I spent the next two decades idle, getting shitty jobs at places I hated working just so I could feed the mill, buy a house and settle down until I reached my ultimate goal of dying on my couch with a burrito in my hand and Rick and Morty still playing on the TeeVee.
So, call it a midlife crisis if you must. But I’m back, baby. I may even move back permanently. I’m heading up to Oregon in a week or so where my cousin (pictured above) has promised me a job and a place to stay if I want. I’ll probably take him up on it at least for a little while. I’ve been on the road for a month and I’m about to blow my wad in Los Angeles for a week like an asshole. Then who knows what I’ll do once I actually get a glimpse of the City by the Bay again, but I think I’ll need to rest for a while.
Here is Bob at the Atlantic Ocean on May 2 and Bob at the Pacific Ocean on June 3.
Those are some awesome pics. I think the pic of Hoover Dam turned out well. Bob is looking great.
Welcome back to CA. 
Welcome “home,” Jack.
I have to wonder to what extent Bob appreciates the unusual and interesting life he currently leads. Very few dogs get to travel so much and experience so many different things. Judging from the lifestyle of Boji the traveling dog, I suspect Bob quite enjoys it all. Boji actually looks a little like Bob.
Bob is totally digging this adventure. He a very curious dog by nature - has been since I got him - and he attacks every new walk, whether its Badlands or Denver or Mesa, Arizona, with a nose working over time. Everything has to be sniffed. I can tell he’s marveling at the wide open spaces and fascinating new odors. He’s been the perfect road dog, willing to spend time chilling in a hotel room for hours while I get high and go see tiny European men flip around in the air on ropes and bungee cords - or did I hallucinate that?
As for me … I am in L.A.! Well, I’m in Glendale, anyway. The place I have for a week is ten times nicer than the house I sold in Maine, and about the same square footage (at least of my old first floor). I’ve got a full kitchen, washer/dryer, dining room table, bedroom, huge closets, stocked with plates, and pans and cleaning supplies. All for a relative song - about the same per night as I’d probably pay at a Hilton or something like that. It’s a bit of a splurge but I think it’s worth it for this once in a lifetime thing I’m doing,
I have to say, I’ve taken Bob for a quick walk around the neighborhood and I’ve already seen seven of the ten most beautiful women I’ve ever seen in my life. And that’s just in a six block area in Glendale, ferchrissakes.
Oh, I’m going to Hollywood tomorrow.
I’ve made it to Eugene. I had to replace my laptop in L.A. - my old one was literally coming apart at the seams - and I had some problems getting everything up to snuff here on the new one, but here I am. I’m staying with my cousin and his girlfriend for a little while, then I need to decide where I want to alight. Though I’m offered a job up here and I suppose I could find my own place easy enough, I fucking loved Los Angeles. If I can find something to do down there that can keep me afloat I’m gonna do it. I’m just going to take a little break from traveling and spending money for a little while.
Welcome to Oregon!
As a native, I so rarely hear this. It’s nice to hear it once in a while. Great trip!