Travels with Sandy

Sandy thought she'd tag along with me on my drive from Arizona to Minnesota, via Missouri this year. Having a best friend for almost 40 years is a rare blessing. We get to laugh, explore, discuss our aches and pains and odd remedies. We travel relatively well together and we always have stories to share afterwards.

It was an interesting ride to say the least. We both wanted to enjoy our road trip, so we decided to make a few stops, Sante Fe NM being the first. Sounds like fun in theory, now doesn't it? Well, we parked in a parking lot, bought a latte, used the bathroom... (sandy ran on in ahead of me...).We were told by the espresso maker extraordinaire that we could easily walk to the plaza where most of the interesting shops were. We thought, how great... stretch our legs... get some air... see the beauty...So, we walked and walked...and walked. There was a lot of construction all over, so there was no clear route to the Plaza that we could see on the map. Apparently no one else in town could read the map either...we asked people in the shops along the way how to get to the main street and they just stared at us like we were speaking a foreign language. No one there seems to care or know how to give directions, read their own map, apparently never having left their front door. They did know the restaurants... and some even made some nice ones up. The woman at the shop who gave us the walking to the plaza advice also mentioned a new restaurant that no one else in her community had heard of. Sounded great to us... new, guatamalan lady... blah blah blah... just walk past the plaza it's right there. Sigh. We gave up even looking and ate at a place called the Shed. A local hot spot... mexican food. We arrived exactly one minute after dinner hour... and they graciously took us in and offered us a menu. Thus, everyone's hot spot...great customer service.

We finally found the plaza, weren't all that impressed with the multiple silver jewelry shops and southwestern decor. We made our way back to the car and of course we got a bit turned around. So the walk we had hoped would be refreshing turned into a grueling marathon. But, we finally found the car, after asking directions and with one more stop in the restroom... we were on our way to Limon Colorado... a 6 hour haul.

We decided to take the short cut on hwy 24 through the hills and valleys of Colorado by passing Denver directly to Limon. I can only imagine that route in daylight is beautiful. Each time I've driven it, the sun had set hours before and on the way out in February, I traveled that same route in a snow storm... in the dark, dodging semi's and cars, some in the ditch, and passing snow plows with Doris white knuckling it in the passenger seat. The route cuts off at least an hour, so I'm happy to take it no matter the conditions. 

We started out the next morning after hotel breakfast in Limon. We were heading through Kansas on the way to Missouri to stay at Lasha's. Another 10 hour drive.. We decided we'd stop along the way if we saw any antique malls. I laughed at Sandy about this, as if you've travled across Kansas, you don't see many malls. Well, we did pull over to the first antique sign into a little town that was as desolate as I've seen. Not one antique or any other open store... dirt roads still in 2013...even through the middle of town on main street. Reminded me of Adams, ND, but even Adams has tarred roads. So, fail! We continued on our way, and I got a good laugh over the next town that actually had a sign "antique Mall" so, we needed gas, and decided to take a chance. That "antique mall" was really a nick nack mall. Fail! Onward. The next stop was a little town called Wilson advertised a Czech museum. So, I thought that would be perfect and suggested we stop. Then sign on the way into town even had Czech greeting, with no English translation, so i have no idea what it said. But, we looked forward to the museum and hoped for a shop or two. We drove slowly past a recently burned stone building, yes: the Czech museum. FAIL!

So, we really had a few great laughs over this and in hindsight regret not taking photos of ourselves in front of all these Fails!. That will be our memory on this trip. We did after our stay at Lasha's stop on our way down 35 at the Enchanted Frog... best antique shop we've seen in a long time!