and Sedona, Arizona
Dr. Jim's Big Show Diary
Leaving Tomorrow • Houston • Johnson Space Center • "Houston, we have kickoff!" • Sedona • Tuzigoot and Jerome • Montezuma Castle and Well • Flagstaff and Sunset • Grand Canyon• Red Rocks of Sedona • Phoenix
We were fortunate to win a trip to the Super Bowl at the New York Giants' annual fund raiser for St. Vincent's Hospital. After that, we spent a week in Arizona with my brother and sister-in-law. Following is my log of our fun trip. We sent an e-mail out every day.
Regards, Jim
Wednesday, January 28
Big Show Gram No. 1: Leaving Tomorrow
Thank goodness, we are not leaving for the Big Show until tomorrow. So far, we have about 7 inches of snow and over 400 flights have been cancelled at Newark Airport. At this early hour, both levels of the George Washington Bridge are closed for snow removal. Still, it's not too bad. The plows are out and things are getting under control. The snow-covered ground would be pretty if it weren't so darned hard to get around in.
Mother Nature has promised a sunny day for tomorrow.
Got to start packing now. Hmmm, what should we bring? Sandals or boots?
Getting ready for the Big Show.
Thursday, January 29, Midnight
Big Show Gram No. 2: Houston
Well, we made it, but it wasn't easy. The first leg of the trip, Newark to Phoenix, went well. The second leg from Phoenix to Houston was a bummer. No doubt it has happened to you. We got on our aircraft only to be evacuated for a maintenance problem. They could not get the darn thing fixed and had to scrounge up another plane. We still made it to Houston and our hotel by midnight, so we are glad about that.
Tomorrow, we are headed for the Space Center. Later in the day, we will be meeting I.P. and Martha from Alaska27 for drinks.
The Giants have fixed up us in a mighty nice hotel. Everybody in Houston is friendly, even the attendants on the Number 8 Tollway.
Someone has already approached me for extra tickets.
Now, I going down to the lobby to see if I can fire this off from an internet hotspot. If folks get this e-mail, I did.
Friday, January 30
Big Show Gram No. 3: Johnson Space Center
Today, we drove
out to the Johnson Space Center. And, at the end of the day, we enjoyed having a
drink with I.P. and Martha.
The roads are something else here. Since the land is flat and Mother Nature does not provide any road building constraints, the roads and loops and turns are something to behold. Some of them are so high you feel you need a parachute. Mary noted that "You have to be going pretty darn fast to be arrested for speeding here!" I was about to pass one guy in a pickup, but backed off when I saw his bumper sticker, "Keep honking - I'm reloading." His other sticker was equally discouraging, "Nuke the bastards."
It was a truly glorious experience to visit the space center. We were struck by the great courage of the astronauts as we saw the tiny capsules they flew in and marveled at the dangerous space walks they made, as well as the trip to the moon. As to President Bush's recent announcements to expand to program and reach toward Mars, I am sold!
We met a few Packers fans from Wisconsin and quite a number of fans from New England. One lady from Boston told Mary that she and her husband were married in New Orleans on the day before Super Bowl XXXVI. Thus, this visit is special.
It was good to see I.P. and Martha. They gave us a lot of insight on the Houston area. It is huge, but fairly well laid out. There has been tremendous growth and expansion and the economy here is doing well, despite what you have heard about Enron, etc. And there are a lot of high tech people. As I.P. says, if you say to someone "You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand this," he probably is.
Today, we will be visiting the San Jacinto Monument with I.P. and Martha and visiting Galveston on the Gulf Coast. We just might see a bit of Houston too.
One more comment, even though I have said it before. The people here are really nice and they are going out of their way to be friendly.
Super Bowl Sunday morning, February 1
Big Show Gram no. 4: "Houston, we have kickoff!"
Well, today is the big day. Houston is just swarming with people. Soon, we will be heading out for the game. You can never arrive too early for a Super Bowl game.
Yesterday, we were very fortunate to be with I.P. and Martha. They took us to the San Jacinto Monument and then to Galveston where we had lunch at Gaido's Restaurant. Later, they drove us all around Houston and then had dinner at the Rainbow Lodge.
The
San Jacinto Monument was built on the site where a famous battle took place. It
was in 1836 when Sam Houston and his men defeated the army of Santa Ana. This
battle, which was in revenge of the Alamo and another massacre, eventually led
to the independence of Texas and enabled the U.S. to "acquire" Texas and other
vast tracts of land from Mexico.
Did you know Galveston is an island? I did not. We enjoyed walking around the Strand which is the downtown district and saw many of the buildings which survived the 1906 hurricane. Some great architecture. 6,000 people died in the disaster and you can see how. The island is exposed to the elements and has no natural shelter.
Thanks to I.P.'s superior driving ability, we were able to see a lot of Houston. Coffee fiends that we are, we determined that Houston has more Starbucks' per capita than any other city.
We drove by huge Reliant Stadium where the game is to be held. This large structure with it's retractable roof dwarfs the Astro Dome next door, once billed as the eighth wonder of the world. Houston also has a new baseball stadium and a new arena where the Rockets play.
Thanks again to I.P. and Martha. They really made yesterday a special day. They gave us an insight to the area that we never could have achieved by ourselves. We had a wonderful dinner with them at the Rainbow Lodge.
Super Bowl Sunday Morning
We are now in Starbucks pouring over the Boston Globe and the Houston Chronicle. We are listening to Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps sing Be Bop a Lula, she's my baby. Excitement is building. We are sipping our java. I've got the tickets under my shirt.
The folks here in Starbucks are discussing strategy. Most think the Carolina team will win. We think not. We must be near a college. A couple of students are prepping for a test.
You can take cameras and binoculars into the game but not carrying cases. Other electronic devices are discouraged. Super Bowl programs are $16.
Mary is studying the Chronicle. I'm waiting for her decisions. Will we take a cab to the game? Drive? What about lunch? News reports tell of sumptuous barbecues. Wait, the decisions have come down. "We are taking a cab to the stadium." " We will deal with lunch when we get there. " "We will walk around, look at the sights and watch the craziness."
We're outa here!
POSTSCRIPT AFTER THE GAME
After talking to a guy at the hotel, we decided to drive our rental car to the game. It worked out well. We took Westpark to 59 North to 610 South and exited at Kirby to the Blue parking lot adjacent to the stadium. It took about 20 minutes. We are now starting to get the lay of the land. Houston is just huge with over 4 million people spread over a wide area.
The
game was great with the Patriots winning
32-29 on the last play. We were
sitting near many Patriots fans and everyone was excited to say the least. The
pre-game and half-time shows were extravaganzas; not doubt you saw them on TV. I
was getting a beer so did not see the streaker. And, we did not really see the
Janet Jackson incident. Will have to watch the tape when we get home.
We enjoyed our trip. It is always interesting to visit a new city and the Super Bowl makes it special. It is now Monday morning and we are headed for Sedona, Arizona to meet Jerry and Joyce
Leaving Tomorrow • Houston • Johnson Space Center • "Houston, we have kickoff!" • Sedona • Tuzigoot and Jerome • Montezuma Castle and Well • Flagstaff and Sunset • Grand Canyon• Red Rocks of Sedona • Phoenix
Monday, February 2
Arizona Gram No. 1: Sedona
Mary
and I are now in Sedona where we met up with Jerry and Joyce (my brother and
sister-in-law) in the time-share-unit they won in their church auction. They have been here a day and have the place scoped out. We
went on a mini-hike on Boynton Canyon Trail. Joyce's research indicates that the
area is a Vortex Center where mystics congregate to achieve deep spiritual
experience. We did not feel any mystic vibes, but it was beautiful, physically
and spiritually. We are staying at the
Summit.
Meanwhile, I am worried about Mary. She seems to be a victim of SFBW (Severe Football Withdrawal). Still, she is happy as she continuously replays the
game in her mind and watches replays on CNN, while muttering "Tom Brady is one handsome guy!"
As I write this Tuesday morning, I can feel the caffeine flow through my veins. Last night, we dallied at the Ravenheart Cafe, a coffee house with a wireless internet hotspot. What could be better? Then, we dined on salmon in our rooms. Good. We are lucky to be experiencing this. Today, we are planning to see more scenery. We are in the middle of a beautiful dessert setting and are really enjoying it.The weather is cool, but pleasant.
Tuesday, February 3
Arizona Gram No. 2: Tuzigoot and Jerome
When we came to Sedona on Monday, our shuttle driver explained that while it does snow up here, it is "mostly ornamental." How did we know we would be here for "the first big snow of the year," as Brandy our waitress at the Red Rooster termed it. If there are only 13 inches of precip here a year, we got a full inch today. Brandy said the town folks were "stoked" over the precip. It sure was pretty though, as big jer navigated us up to Jerome, an old mining town, nestled at the top of Cleopatra Hill at 5,200 feet. Jerome is a town of a few hundred people, way below it's peak of 20,000 when the copper-mining town was replete with saloons and brothels, most of which have burned down or collapsed. You can imagine that there are a lot of ramshackle buildings, both small and large, in a town that went through such boom and bust. The peak was back in the 20s, but copper continued to be mined there through the 1950s. Now, there are nice gift shops where the saloons used to be. We also enjoyed visiting an extensive mining museum, once the mansion of the Douglas family. We are stunned by the depth of the copper mines, over 4,500 feet. Would you go down there for $12 an hour? The movie of the town's history was enlightening, at least the parts shown when we were not napping.
Before
visiting Jerome, we visited the
Ruins of Tuzigoot where the
Sinagua Indians
lived in 1,000 A.D. Very interesting. it is strangely juxtaposed next to square
miles of copper tailings, the waste product of over 30 years of copper separation
and smelting.
We've settled into a routine. big jer and Jim are sharp as tacks in the morning while The Boss and Miss Mary are still nestled under their respective bed covers. [Mary said there will be a rebuttal on this.] In the evening, big jer and Jim are plumb petered out as the ladies want to play scrabble or go to the movies. We tried hard to go to a movie last night, but just could not do it. Touring is tiring.
Then there are the dueling slide shows. Right after dinner, big jer and Jim
present their slide shows of photos taken during the day, hoping for applause or comment. There is something unusual about looking at vacation photos during the actual vacation.
And, we spend time every day at Ravenheart, a cyber cafe, composing and sending out these e-mails. As time goes by, I expect we will be spending more time looking at slides and sending e-mails, leaving little time to take the photos themselves. Hmmm.
Wednesday, February 4
Arizona Gram No. 3: Montezuma Castle and Well
Today, we
traveled to Camp Verde and visited some ancient limestone cliff dwellings known
as Montezuma Castle. The
Sinagua ("without water" ) Indians lived there in
1000 A.D. Picture a mini-apartment complex, a 5 story walk-up within walking
distance of a creek where you got your water, and a garden where you harvested
your corn, each ear only a few inches long. You grew to about 5' 2" . Your teeth
were worn down by eating corn along with the residue of stones used to grind it,
and you have been inhaling cooking fire smoke since you were born. As a result,
you lived to about age 35.
Nobody knows why the Sinauga chose to live in these dwellings or why, after 300 years, they began to leave for parts unknown.
After that, we
visited nearby Montezuma's Well, a huge natural lake in the midst of the
dessert, fed by
natural springs. It must have been a Godsend for the "without
water" tribe. Using this wealth, the Sinagua built extensive canals to channel
the water and irrigate their food and cotton crops. Some of the cannels are
still working today.
We also visited some developments in Sedona where you can build a house with a view of Cathedral Rock. Unbuilt lots are selling for up to $1 million. We did find a development where you could buy a lot as cheaply as $400,000. The people who live here evidently have the big bucks. The town is zoned strictly with an effort towards aesthetics. Somehow a McDonald's restaurant was allowed, but with arches of aqua rather than gold.
Tomorrow, we head up to the high country for Flagstaff and the Lowell Observatory. Meanwhile, the slide show wars continue....
Thursday, February 5
Arizona Gram No. 4: Flagstaff and Sunset
Today,
big jer took us to the high country through Indian Gardens to Flagstaff. The
drive up 89A got prettier and prettier as the altitude increased and the snow
layer thickened. As Joyce was to say many times, "It's so pretty." It sure
is. The highlight of our drive, and I do mean high, took place on a scenic
overlook of Oak Creek Canyon in the Coconino National Forest. It would have been
beautiful without the snow, but was exquisite with it. We looked down and saw
the long, winding road that got us there. Three hairpin turns.
Once in Flagstaff, we headed up to Lowell Observatory at an elevation of over 7,000 feet. Cecile, our guide, explained that Lowell was founded over 100 years ago by Percival Lowell of the Massachusetts Lowells. We saw the telescopes and domes where the astronomers spent long, long hours searching the heavens. Percival, who is buried on the property, deserves great credit for believing that there was a "Planet X," and for trying hard to find it. He died before X could be discovered, but the planet, now known as Pluto, was discovered there by a Lowell astronomer. We saw the telescope and marveled at the cold conditions that the astronomers worked under.
Remember hearing
about the canals on Mars? Well, Percival was the person who "discovered" them.
He spent long hours viewing Mars and sketching the canals that he thought he
saw, theorizing that they were used to bring water from the Mars ice caps. He
named all the canals and wrote books explaining them, only to be ridiculed for
his theories.
After a massive lunch at a Flagstaff hotel, we headed back to Sedona. Thanks to a tip from Gwen, we saw a beautiful sunset from the Airport mesa.
Later, we relaxed in the hot tubs outside of our units. Then, we...
Friday, February 6
Arizona Gram No. 5: Grand Canyon
It
is truly grand. We drove 120 miles from Sedona through Flagstaff to the
Grand
Canyon. A perfect day to see it. Crisp, thin air and warm sun, snow on the
ground. And, it was not crowded. We walked along the South Rim enjoying the
inspiring view. We could see the trail going all the way down to the hotel
on the canyon floor. It is about one mile deep and ten miles across. Over 100
miles long. We spoke with a hiking couple just up from the floor.
The canyon got prettier as the shadows lengthened.
The walk along the rim is fenced, but not everywhere. Mary nearly slipped over the edge.
We lunched in the historic el Tovar hotel, built over one hundred years ago by the railroad to attract passengers. A train still runs to the historic railroad station.
Tomorrow, we are planning to take a jeep tour in the Sedona area. On Sunday, we will head for home.
Saturday, February 7
Arizona Gram No. 6: Red Rocks of Sedona
Today,
we took the Pink Jeep Tour of rock formations in Sedona. Madeline, our driver,
wheeled the 4-wheel drive jeep up and down the steep nooks and crannies and over
big, flat rocks. We have never seen a sight quite like the beautiful red rocks.
We weren't the only folks there; other tours were taking place. And there were some hikers. But, there was a lot less traffic than in the summer. We all concluded that February is the best time to visit this area. Bright sun, some snow and not that many tourists.
Later, we made our last trip to the Ravenheart Cafe (home away from home) to fire off an e-mail. Then, we headed to Talaquepaque, an artsy-craftsy place to do some shopping. Tomorrow, we will be headed for home.
Sunday, February 8
Arizona Gram No. 7: Phoenix
We took the Sedona-Phoenix shuttle bus to the Phoenix Airport where Bob and Marge graciously picked us up and took us to their lovely home. They live in close proximity to two golf courses which they play frequently. It is not uncommon for a golf ball to roll into their yard. When it is time to play, they simply jump into their golf cart and head for one of the courses.
They showed us their beautiful house and took us to their golf club for lunch, and then gave us a spin around their community. We were strongly tempted when we saw one or two for sale signs. The clincher was when Bob mentioned that there is no snow to shovel. And Marge finalized the deal when she indicated, that with the attractively landscaped rock yards, there is no grass to mow.
Now, it is midnight and we are back home. Mary has already reviewed a video tape of the Super Bowl.
We had a great time from Houston to Sedona to Phoenix. Thanks to all including I.P. and Martha, Marge and Bob, and Jerry and Joyce. And Mary thanks her beloved Patriots for a job well done. And of course, many thanks to the Giants and St. Vincent's Hospital for being so gracious.
Leaving Tomorrow • Houston • Johnson Space Center • "Houston, we have kickoff!" • Sedona • Tuzigoot and Jerome • Montezuma Castle and Well • Flagstaff and Sunset • Grand Canyon• Red Rocks of Sedona • Phoenix