I've had similiar experiences, on trips, Arnie. in fact, Ive come to see "getting lost" on such a trip, as a good thing, means I've not been there, before...

Yeah Terrie, I agree with Bumper and Arnie. Some of the best times I had on my "Great Western Adventure" was the stuff that wasn't planned, and some of the stuff I'd looked forward to the most turned out to be not so hot.

Ahhh, I totally agree with all of you, but.. and this is a biggie... I "only" have 3 weeks to be on the road. My husband and 18-year-old son will be taking time off from work to take turns babysitting the asthmatic 7-year-old. I'll have a very morose 16-year-old daughter with me (she doesn't want to be away from her friends for that long and she's afraid she'll be homesick for the li'l bro).

As an anthropology major with a minor in history, I have to cram as much in as I possibly can. That's why I splurged on a digital camera with sound, a mini-camcorder and some attachments for the laptop. If I come away with my head spinning, I'll have my notes, my voice recordings and my videos to rely on.

This isn't a "vacation" at all, it's more like an expedition. And, if I'm late getting to my motel room, or if I have to stay overtime in any one place, the motel that I miss gets to charge my credit card even if I don't show up... and that's not good.

I have to see as many Indian ruins (ancient pueblo peoples) as well as the Navajo. And of course, Monument Valley is the highlight of this long-awaited trip. There's something so mystic, magical.. spiritual about the mittens.

Thanks for all your best wishes and advice. I'll keep you guys posted. And check back to the site periodically. I, myself, am curious as to how well I do in keeping to the itinerary.

On another note, exploration and "getting lost" is something I prefer to do... and do it well. My oldest son, who has absolutely no sense of direction and can't find his way out of a cereal box, once said of me:

"We don't get lost, we explore." How right! I used to purposely do my best to get lost in the farmlands of Lancaster County. But I'd always manage to find my way back to a numbered road, and home. We do get to see lots of cool things when we take the detours... but not this trip.

I am hoping to turn this into a thesis or at least a term project at Kutztown University. I'd also like to eventually end up teaching at the Navajo Community College, so this is an educational experience for me.

Terrie Leventhal (Winson)

BuffaloGal, I know you'll get/have gotten a bunch of suggestions for your trip. Well, sorry, but here's another one, because Arnie mentioned Mesa Verde, and if you're interested in Anasazi culture, this saves a lot of time going up and down Mesa Verde AND gets you there at/before dawn, and you can miss the crowds.

They have a limited number of rooms you can stay in at Far View Lodge, just across the road from the Far View Vistors' Center. The view from your porch is incredible, and you're THERE. The alternative is an hour to an hour and a half driving from Cortez or Mancos to get to the park each day.

My experience is they often aren't full because they aren't publicized.
http://www.visitmesaverde.com/accommodations.htm

or 1-800-449-2288

Whatever you do, have a great time!

Ceashel

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Ceashel:

Far View Lodge, just across the road from the Far View Vistors' Center. The view from your porch is incredible, and you're THERE. The alternative is an hour to an hour and a half driving from Cortez or Mancos to get to the park each day.

Ceashel<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks, Ceashel... I'd looked into this months ago, but it's more money than I have available. It looks wonderful.

Some time in the future, we will take the entire family out for just a few of the places I'm seeing this trip. Another time, we can go back and see other things.

I'm so glad to be a part of this group... folks who've been there and know what I'm looking for out there. My real-life friends just ask, "why Indians, why ruins? Why not just lay at the beach? Why not do the narrow-gauge trains?"

Well, you get the idea. There are lots of really neat places to stay, and neat things to do... I actually narrowed it down, quite a bit. My professor had me going to Zion, Cedar Breaks, Bryce and Capital Reef in addition to all of this.. and still within the 3 week timeframe! Can you imagine?

Terrie

We are here in a motel in Northern Va with puters where you can acess the internet for free! Actually its a puter room! Had a nice time at the show & it was nice seeing Agnes, Don, Sue , David & Libby & Sue's friend et al. & Uncle Arlo! Great show!

Had a crap of a mess trying to get up here. Beware of the Bethesda, MD fuzz! <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/frown.gif" width=15 height=15> I missed my turn off cuz they had changed the road signs. So I went too far past where I should've. So I went on a few exits further realized I was too far so I go to an exit in Bethesda, MD to turns around. here comes a pig pulling me over. I asked what was wrong. Marylands laws are differnts than Va's LOL! I was in a right turn only lane & realized I was in the wrong lane so I looekd to see if I could change lanes. No one was behind me but the other lane I needed to get into was full of traffic. So I stopped & carefully waited to let the traffic go by & the got in the other lane when it was clear. According to the pig you can't do that in MD like ya can in VA. Oh no I was supposed to have made the right turn & go around the block to right myself. How would I know that when I don't live in MD? I explained I was from out of town & on the wrong exit but to not avail. The fuzz was polite but still he recited to me this jazz that sounded like he'd gotten it out of some book they made em read to give tourists the riot at. If your outta state they will get ya in Bethesda. So I got slapped with a friggin ticket for $70! GRRR! The fuzz wouldn't even let me off. & The tikcet had all thsese insane MD laws on it, Sheet Cake!

If that wasn't enough of the law (I was pretty pissed off by then), at Wolftrap beofre the show we had been visiting with Rising Son Amy & was waitng for her to come back. Well some fuzz comes up to me & said we couldn't wait there anymore cuz only workers were supposed to be ther so we had to leave that area. Needless to say I have quite the disdain for the law now LOL! Can't they go chase some criminals?

We had a nice time at the show now! It was worth it all alll I went to to get there! You should hear Arlo do the Beatles IN MY LIFE with Judy Collins! Excellent! <img src="http://www.arlo.net/ubb/smilies/smile.gif" width=15 height=15>

Did you catch the police officer's name? Was it Obie? Maybe someone will write a song about the Cheryl Harrell Independence Day Weekend Arlo Guthrie/Judy Collins Concert Trip Masacree.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Ceashel:

Did you catch the police officer's name? Was it Obie? Maybe someone will write a song about the Cheryl Harrell Independence Day Weekend Arlo Guthrie/Judy Collins Concert Trip Masacree.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


That was SO good LOL...

Cheryl, I had a similar (albeit much less expensive) experience last year on July 4th. They say security is tighter on holidays and I guess, friends, it is, because on that night, coming out of Phila... we were in Philly for the 4th to see Garth Brooks on the steps of the Art Museum... anyway, that night, it started to rain during the fireworks, they always have fireworks in Philly on the 4th, but this isn't about Garth or the fireworks, it's about cops.. remember cops?

Anyway, we were drenched having had to walk back to the car about a mile away and there was a lot of traffic and I was forced to take the East River drive (I'm from WEST Philly, so East River never made much sense to me) but there we were, and I had to make a left turn (yep a LEFT TURN) onto the Falls Bridge.

Now, friends, I know I used to be able to do that about a few decades ago.. but.. I put on my turn signal, got into the left turning lane, made my turn (there was NO traffic heading toward the city!) and a cop comes out of nowhere and turns on his lights, his siren, and I pull over thinking he has some emergency to get to.

He pulls over behind me, gets out of his car, lights and siren still going.. and I start to shake. My daughter and her friend are sitting there thinking, uh.. what did "we" do? I lower my window and cop actually YELLED at me! I wasn't allowed to make that left, he tells me. I tell him I'm from "out of town" not having lived in Philly for a very long time, that we "used" to be able to make that left when it wasn't rush hour (this was around 11:30 PM on a holiday when everyone was leaving the city, no one was going in the opposite direction, therefore the oncoming lane was EMPTY). He sees the 2 teenagers in the car and reads me the riot act on how "careless" I was about making a left turn with KIDS in the car! And in THIS WEATHER! Thank God they were seat-belted!

I have never before seen a cop so animated, yelling so loudly. He really tore into me. He didn't give me a ticket. I think his getting in my face was all the punishment I needed. And the huniliation in front of 2 16-year-olds who were learning how to drive.

Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Terrie

Back home & glad to be away from by the book cops. That's bad how they did Terrie. DOn't the cops have better things to do than pulling over innocent citizens like say eating donuts or chasing criminals...