Notes Post Road...

All Photos: © S. Banos

I'd been jonesing for a real vacation for years, and an honest to god road trip with the eternal promise of freedom and adventure at every twist and turn was exactly what was called for. And the great American desert, with all its grandeur and banality, its natural beauty and all too human unpredictability would more than meet the urge. This would be The Official Grand Farewell To The Great American Southwest Tour, featuring as many of The Greatest Hits that could conveniently be served in twelve days... and since it had all been done before, there was no great urgency to actually do each and every one. Allowing for the law of diminishing returns, I didn't expect to get many photos (I didn't), even if I was focusing on this new medium of color. This would be more for the in the moment, joy de vivre- all else, simply icing...

What else can a girl do (but text) when surrounded by nature in all its beauty and majesty?

Getting photos that go beyond the picture perfect postcard in majestic natural settings is not the easiest of endeavors, particularly when you have no particular control of the light, time of arrival, or length of stay. And by that I mean, you arrive at an undetermined time- and make the best of it, before moving on to the next subject at hand, which in the case of the American Southwest is usually measured in terms of hundreds of miles... And to get something, anything that goes beyond the pretty (petty) landscape shot, my solution is to include people in the foreground of those majestic scenics, voluntarily adding their very real, all too unique, and often disparate sense of humanity. One can do an entire essay solely of tourists reacting to the wonder and grandeur of "Park Avenue" in Arches National Park, or the moments of sunset at Monument Valley, or... provided the necessary time! As it is, one deals with the light, people and situation presented at any given time and area; and when the temp is over 100F degrees- your visit is limited, like it or not! As often said- it's a crap shoot.

There didn't seem to be the usual amount of roadside craziness this time 'round- even the desert has gentrified!

So on to highlights and also-rans... There were two places I hoped to hit which were closed previously, both naturally situated pretty much in the middle of nowhere. One was the Kiva Koffeehouse which is located overlooking what pretty much, for all practical purposes (I swear) appeared to be The Garden of Eden nestled betwixt the Tigris and Euphrates river valley where civilization first arose. I kid you not- this round edifice built into a cliff hovers over this incredibly lush, painted to perfection valley that knocks your socks off- the coffee ain't bad either (and they have two great little cottages as well- maybe next time). The other was the so called "Alien Research Center" situated on one end of The Extraterrestrial Highway. Now let's get this straight- I did not expect anything near what the name implies, neither did I expect nothing but the worst collection of second rate souvenirs (some of which had nothing to do with aliens). What I did expect was some sort of hokey alien exhibits created with the help of local artisans that would make for an enjoyable experience (as they've learned to do at Roswell, NM). It looks great from the outside (a giant quonset hut with a towering metal alien standing beside), but that's where it ends. I took a pretty good shot of a promotional sign with a dramatic cloudy sky, but my photoshop skills are presently lacking in producing it (at least for the moment). Anyway, stick to The Little A'Le'Inn.

One thing that is immediately apparent upon hitting the road is not just the sheer size of The Southwest, but the sheer size of the Americans that inhabit it! They're Uuge!!! Seriously! I mean what can one say!? Where is this America where children appear on talk show programs complaining about being made fun of for being... fat- certainly not this one! 

Ode to Stephen Shore, Las Vegas

Also, amazing how fairly small municipalities like a Moab or Havasu City have expanded in recent years, the former is the mountain biking capital of the world, the latter is the current site for The London Bridge- I bet no one's making fun of the guy who came up with that idea now. People gotta go somewhere, so it's no surprise they're now arriving en masse in deserts where 100F is as cool as summer gets- between power walks from your AC home, to your AC office, to your AC car or store...

Bombay Beach, The Salton Sea

Speaking of places disparate and afar, in Southeastern CA, there are two communities that are, in fact, relatively quite close to each other- and a whole 'nother world apart. One consists of tiny communities sequestered around the Salton Sea; despite the rather romantic ring to the name... this is a place no one would volunteer to live in. The stench alone from the rotting fish in what has been essentially a dying body of fetid water is enough to keep most people from even visiting. And yet, those who can't afford to move live in what is essentially a no man's land of intolerable heat, stench and virtually no facilities or infrastructure that would make a normal, daily life somewhat tolerable. Ironically, sharing that very same heat (very much minus the smell of dead fish and poverty), and just a hop, skip, and jump away is the town of Palm Springs- where every social amenity, and then some, available to mankind is front, right and center! American disparity and inequity at its complete and utter extreme.
 

If America had a halfway adequate railroad system (Oh, the technology!)- it wouldn't need so many dangerous, polluting 18 wheelers clogging up our highways nationwide...

Without a doubt, the highlight of the trip was Monument Valley- not that we hadn't been before to experience its beauty and majesty, but because this time we actually got to have it as our very own backyard! The Navajo Nation has built the most splendid of hotels (appropriately named: The View) directly adjacent, blending in remarkably well to its remarkable environment and surroundings. It wasn't there the last time we went and I walked into the lobby as a lark, never expecting to afford a room even if one were actually available... and one was (the very last), and at $200US! To wake up and slide open a glass door that reveals The Mittens at sunrise is truly an event to treasure throughout life. Fantasy in the flesh! Photographically, it's not anywhere as magical as sunset- but experientially...

Monument Valley, Sunset

And speaking of sunset at Monument Valley, the dance and celebration of humanity displayed there most early evenings can be quite the sight to behold. The day I was there was overcast, and when all seeming hope of the sun's appearance had departed, the wife and I set out to eat. Sitting down and picking up the menu, I noticed The Mittens from the corner of my eye, now bathed in a glow of bright incandescent red. I grabbed the camera, ran out the restaurant and squeezed off a few odd exposures. I wonder if one can get a Guggenheim for taking sunset photos, every day, in one spot, for one year? 

I was psyched to experience the transparent "Skywalk" at the Grand Canyon, and was more than a tad miffed to read that it costs over $75 dollars a shot; and (get this)... you are not allowed to photograph- WTF!!! All cameras are checked into lockers upon arrival.  No thanks- and the Grand Canyon still looked damn magnificent from its usual vantage points...

Try as I might, I've never been able to get a good shot of a Saguaro- this'll just have to do...

This year we got wise and decided to leave the rental in Las Vegas instead of driving it all the way back home, a stress inducing denouement one can well do without. The flight home was cheap and just an hour and a half- No flight should last longer than an hour and a half! We stayed an evening at The Golden Nugget on Fremont Street which is without doubt- the cheaper, louder, crazier part of Vegas! How and why Gilden hasn't documented the people here is beyond me. We usually stayed at La Concha, a large motel on Las Vegas Blvd. which no longer exists, but instead has magically relocated and transformed into The Neon Museum. The tour of the town's glittering neon tinsel revolves around it's very history, and is well worth the price.

Vegas, particularly Fremont St with its blocks long video canopy and people flying by wire overhead (and they ain't half as wild as the people below), was one overpowering sensory overload of stimuli and overindulgence, even for this New York City boy. But beyond the glitter, glitz and festivity, there is a very visible, very sizable contingent of homeless people slowly shuffling about zombie like throughout the adjacent streets looking for whatever sliver of shade they can possibly find. Being homeless is bad enough, being homeless in unrelenting triple digit heat is unbearable to even think about. And yet, there they were- and there they still are...

Six Palm Trees at a mortuary parking lot, Las Vegas.

Vast, distinctive and yet part of the overall prize and puzzle, the Southwest will hopefully always maintain its unique allure- and maybe even one day help point towards a solution...