Venice!

We made it!

Rolled into Venice in the early afternoon.  Thought about all the things we could do -- go to laundromat, check in at AirBnB, visit the bank to open accounts, etc etc -- then made the 100% correct decision:  we went to the beach.

Water was lovely.  Gentle surf, and temperature about like the Jersey beaches in August.

Some numbers for the trip:
     3754.8 miles total distance travelled
     27.9 miles per gallon (in the 4000+ pound White Whale!)
     73 hours and 15 minutes total driving time
     21 days on the road
     11 states (CA, AZ, NM, CO, TX, OK, AR, LA, MS, AL, FL)
     1 traffic stop with "slow it down a bit" warning   
     86 degrees at the beach when we arrived!

Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum

My obligatory pacifist lefty two cents:  it is a real shame that so much of humanity's time, money and creativity goes into finding better ways to kill each other.

That said -- the Naval Aviation Museum is chock full of beautiful warbird flying machines!  Starting with the very earliest canvas and wood biplanes (top speed about that of a modern car), and running through 21st century aerodynamic marvels (supersonic, though some labels were a bit evasive about giving exact numbers).  Plus helicopters, dirigibles, spacecraft, moon buggies, etc.  I like kinetic sculpture, and this museum is a wonderland.  

A bunch of photos.  I'll try to let the planes speak for themselves, maybe just add captions.  (Click on the photos for bigger, easier to see version.)

Sopwith Camel, introduced Western Front 1917, top speed 113 mph

Ford Trimotor, a pioneer civil aviation workhorse, 150 mph

Messerschmitt Me 262, world's first operational jet aircraft 1944

Curtiss P40 Tomahawk, introduced 1938, 360 mph

McDonnell F2H Banshee, 1950s nuclear capable fighter-bomber

Lockheed Electra,  1930s, 202 mph.  Model flown by Amelia Earhart.

Grumman F14 Tomcat, 1970 - 2006, 1544 mph (>Mach 2)

VTOL Harrier

Mercury Capsule

Blue Angel planes

Katie getting ready for Blue Angel take off

Nice piece of warbird art

Welcome to Florida

Have been pleasantly surprised by the springtime beauty of the last five states -- Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama -- but very happy to see this highway sign!

Louisiana Cotton Museum

Through a bit of a GPS goof we ended up taking a slightly different route than originally planned.  In fact we ended up in a different state -- in Louisiana, on Route 65, the "Delta Rhythm & Bayous Highway".



A beautiful drive, with a bonus -- the Louisiana State Cotton Museum.  This museum is a total sleeper.  It is nearly unmarked, only a small road sign.  We were lucky to spot it and stop.

The museum involved at least four completely terrific things.

First, a time capsule of a sharecropper plantation circa early 20th century -- residences, commissary, office, church, etc.  Not dolled up, just kind of left as they were last used.

Second, a full on cotton processing plant -- a cotton gin.













Third, excellent historical exhibits on cotton.











Finally, a section on Delta rhythm and blues -- including a kind of mixer board, where you could do your own R&B mixes.  And some single string guitar like instruments you could pick up and play -- intro to Spoonful sounded terrific.

Redbud

In 48 hours we went from winter (Colorado — snow banks and frozen ponds) to spring (Oklahoma and Arkansas — blooms and t-shirts).

The redbud tree is native to this area, and in beautiful full bloom right now. It is a treat to see.

Pulled Over / DWCP

We've driven ~2500 miles and have seen only a very few law officers.

Today outside of Oklahoma City was a different story.  Police were thick on the highway.

We passed one police cruiser, sitting way off to the side on the shoulder.  No worries, we were going exactly the speed of other traffic, staying in our lane, minding our own business.

Few seconds later... flashing lights in the rear-view... pulled off to the side of the road...

"You were going a bit fast.  License, registration, insurance please."

Sat with the officer in his cruiser while he ran my license, asked where we were going, etc.  He said we were in a 70 zone, that they tolerated 75, and that we were going 78.  I'm sure he was right, but also didn't feel that was the real reason for the stop.  I felt pretty strongly that it was a case of "Driving With California Plates" (DWCP) and he was checking us out on general principle.  We had a pleasant conversation, he gave me a warning, and I kept my foot off the gas a bit for the rest of the day -- so that was probably a good outcome.

Turns out this officer works for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.  Coincidentally at breakfast a local guy mentioned that I-40 is kind of a drug transport corridor.  Spot checks on out of state cars... the officer was just doing his job.  I'm sure he was happy to find out that we were only retired folks moving from CA to "God's Waiting Room FL" and it turned out to be simply a routine stop and a (justified) warning.

We did pass him later, pulling over another CA-plated car. ; )

Elk City, OK

Elk City is a fine town.  Huge town park.  Terrific multi-building museum of early Oklahoma life.  Very friendly people.  Plus the Rib Crib, where you can get a half rack that will make your eyes glaze over with happiness.



They had two Model A Fords in the museum.   One was a pristine restoration.  The other may have been the original truck from "Grapes of Wrath".  As migrants, we identified more closely with the Joad's truck.

We may share a birthday, but she's in better shape...

Selfie, relaxing back at the room

Cadillac Ranch

"Cadillac Ranch is a public art installation and sculpture ...  created in 1974 by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels, who were part of the art group Ant Farm. The installation half-buried ten Cadillacs (1949-1963) nose-first in the ground."

This is a very cool thing in a field by I-40, somewhere out in the Texas panhandle near Amarillo.

It is a living installation thanks to the custom of visitors spray painting whatever they like on the Caddies.  Don't know if the original artists envisioned this but it works.  If you don't bring your own paint there are lots of cans lying around, just pick one.

Love this anonymous poem spray painted on the ground nearby:

to the girls

with wild hearts

may your souls

remain free

Route 66

We've flirted with Route 66 for past couple days and hundred miles -- crossing it here and there, even one old stretch within Petrified Forest park.  It kind of parallels Interstate 40, and we are now solidly on I40, so Route 66 is a definite presence.

Stopped tonight at a motel in Santa Rosa on Route 66, and a great little place right down the road -- the Route 66 Auto Museum.

This museum is run by a guy named Bozo.  If you carry a name like that, you'd better be good.  And he seems to be a genius at hot rods and car restoration.  Bozo's personal ride is a '55 Nomad.

And here's the great thing about this museum:  many of the exhibits also have price tags.  Think about it -- what if you went to the Louvre, and next to the Mona Lisa was a sign saying "$100M Firm, Will Consider Trades".  You see a nice '69 Camaro SS here?  It can be yours.  A 1961 Chevy Impala with 383 stroker engine and Muncie 4 speed?  Ford woody wagon?  Buick Dynaflow?  Just come up with the dough.  Gotta love that!

Pagosa Springs

Spent last night in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.  Roughly midway point of the trip, and in Pagosa Springs are what anybody who has just driven 1600 miles would appreciate:  hot mineral springs.

The town has what they call the "Mother Pool", where water flows out of ground at 144 degrees.  That is too hot, scalding really, so they let that water flow into a series of smaller pools.  The temperature of the smaller pools ranged from about 90 degrees up to 113 degrees yesterday.  90 is too cool to feel good.  113 is too hot for more than a few seconds.  Some of the middle pools, around 104 - 108 degrees, were just about perfect to soak out the kinks.  Felt kind of like Goldilocks as we searched for the just-right temperature.

The pools are along the banks of the river... so you can soak and listen to the river run by.




















According to Wiki entry on Pagosa Spings, the Ute name for the sulfur-rich springs was Pah gosah.  This is commonly translated in modern documents as "healing waters".  A Ute elder says the more accurate translation is "water (pah) that has a bad smell (gosah)."  After soaking for a few hours, both translations are on the money.   It is pretty smelly, but certainly healing!

Petrified Forest National Park

Posting from the Plaza Laundry in Cortez CO, via piggybacked wireless access courtesy of Mickey D's restaurant across the road.  What a country!

Can't say enough good about Petrified Forest National Park, so for anyone reading this I'll just say:  plan a visit.  Tempted to say get up and visit now, but I guess there really isn't any rush -- the fossilized trees are about 225 million years old and pretty heavy, since they are actually stone.  They aren't going anywhere, and termites aren't a problem.

And the terrain -- the Painted Desert -- is gorgeous.

Suggested soundtrack for your visit:  Petrified Man by The Waybacks

A picture is worth a thousand words.  I'll shut up and let the park speak: