Road Trip America! - Day 4 - Ojo Caliente and Taos, NM

I will edit this post shortly...but for now bullet points:

Ojo Caliente Mineral Hot Springs (and mud bath, baking in sun) - yes yes yes.


Driving from Ojo to Taos - a bit nerverwracking...Google Maps gave incorrect information, which i have to say is unlike them and more like their ugly sister, MapQuest. Bad directions led to happy accident = viewing the Rio Grande Gorge on my way in = first time ever had real, genuine knee knocking out of fear. The pics I have are RIDICULOUS in that they don't even give you a smidgen of a hair of a taste of the enormity of this HUGE FUCKING CRACK IN THE EARTH'S SURFACE. It was insanely awesome and very scary...and very fucking windy. I think I thought I might blow off that bridge and tumble down like some suicidal person (common suicide location apparently)

Taos and staying with Mark Miller, my pal Marisa's Pop...FABULOUS! and what a view he has when you step outside his home there. Jesus P Christo!
MARK MILLER'S PLACE:

AND THE VIEW FROM HIS FRONT DOOR:

More later...look at the pics!

Road Trip America! Day 3 - Santa Fe, NM

Wow! I haven't had internet access for two days and so I must catch up on my travel blogging. Day 3 I exited my Wig Wam a new woman and hit the road at 7 am...Drove from Holbrook, AZ to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I stayed at the great Sage Inn. I was super lucky to get a deal thru Priceline.com and got this fabulous room for $58 all inclusive! It even included a deluxe continental breakfast the next morning.

I checked in to my awesome hotel room and put my walking shoes on and head down to the Plaza. My first stop on the way to the Plaza was the oldest church in America (apparently), San Miguels. It was one whole dollar to go in and look around. There was alot of Christ action in that place! And after I saw this 16th century painted Buffalo hide depicting the Passion of the Christ and read that this was one of the tools used to try and get the Native Americans to convert...my interest for the oldest church in America waned and I moved on.



I had read about a great chocolate boutique in the Plaza and promptly dropped in and spent WAY too much money for what I got. I mean it was good...but come on $3 to $4 for one little chocolate! I will say that the sea salt toffee in dark chocolate and the raspberry caramel dark chocolate were almost worth what I paid for them. Oh this place was called Todos Santos Chocolates...for any of you who may be in SFNM in the near future and who have an unlimited chocolate budget.

So I walked around the Plaza, looked at the native American jewelry, unsuccessfully tried to find a Mother's Day present, looked in a few galleries...and then it was time to eat. I went to the famous Coyote Cafe, but I dined in the much less expensive rooftop Cantina part of the restaurant. I had the mole chicken tacos and a wonderful margarita. Everything was top notch. I befriended my waitress, Francesca, rather quickly and after gabbing on and on she invited me to go out for a drink with her and her co-worker after they finished their shift.

I was hoping to make a stop at the renowned Cowgirl Hall of Fame for drinks and she said that's where we'd go. So I went back to the Sage to blog and rest up and then we met up at the Cowgirl later that night. As was reported, the margaritas ARE that good there. The vibe f the place is also great because all the Santa Fe weirdos hang out there. The band that played that night was kick ass too...I really enjoyed myself and then at 11:30 pm promptly began to fall asleep like an old lady and had to bid my new friends good nite.

I have to confess, the best thing about Santa Fe, in the context of everything thus far, was that I enjoyed the most heavenly, quiet and comfy night's of sleep in a long time. This bed was one of the best I've ever slept in...and there was no one staying in any of the adjacent rooms...I felt like a queen and slept like a rock. I seriously did not move.


AWESOME SAGE INN, SANTA FE, NM

Before i went to bed, I turned on the TV and crawled in (because you can do that in hotels...you can watch TV in bed and then turn everything off without even leaving the bed! It's really COOL!!) and even though I was almost unconscious with fatigue, I got a sudden burst of energy when I discovered the movie HEAVEN was on TV. You probably haven't seen HEAVEN since no one really did. But i did. I saw it years and years ago at the Toronto Film Festival and it stars Cate Blanchett and Giovanni Ribisi and it's directed by the dude who did RUN LOLA RUN...and I remember watching that film all those years ago and during the first two thirds thinking, I don't know about this...I don't know if I dig this...and then in the last third I was like SOLD! and so when I turned on the TV that night in Santa Fe, I dismissed all my exhaustion in favour of re-watching this film that I really really like (and alot of people DO NOT...so if you're one of those people...oh well)

That's about it for Santa Fe. Oh, one last thing. I was in this photography gallery, the Monroe and I saw this limited print of an Alfred Eisenstaedt photo called Three Frames of Children at a Puppet Theatre. And I want it. I want it bad. Many people have seen this picture, though I think more people have seen the single frame version. Go online and see if you can find the three frame one and see what you think. I think this will be in my home one day and every time I look at it I will think about the year i drove across American to workshop my first play and how happy I was.

much love, y'all.

MPG for today = 48 (!!!)

Road Trip America! Day 2 - Sedona & Holbrook, AZ

It’s about 5 am of Day 3. I’m sitting in my western-themed bed in my tee pee on old Route 66 in Holbrook, Arizona as I type this. They don’t have wireless internet here at the Wigwam Motel so I’m typing it and will insert it into my blog later once I get to Santa Fe. Wait a second. Did she say ‘tee pee’? Yes, dear readers, I did say tee pee. I am staying at the landmark Wigwam Motel in Holbrook…and it’s AWESOME. How have they managed to keep this place going and not let it turn into something overly cute, or overly kitchsy and horrific? I’d say it has everything to do with the fact that the Motel is run by the odd eccentric son of the man who built this place in the 50s. I was standing in the old wood registration area waiting to check in...and there was just me and the other guy checking in. It was quite obvious that I was there. And John (aforementioned eccentric 50ish year old son of Wig Wam originator) was giving the run down to the guy checking in...I heard every word. And when i checked in seconds later he gave me the exact same speech (the one I'd already heard) word for word, same inflections, same puns and same fake chuckles that followed. He had this look in his eye like he could snap at any minute. But was also the nicest man you'll ever meet. Creepy but lovely: my favourite combination! The “wig wams” are all original…though some need a new paint job, like mine, #14. The furniture inside (save the new FABULOUSLY comfortable beds and the new TVs) is ALL the original furniture from the 50s. There are cars from the 50s parked outside every wig wam and the main office where you check in is filled with items from John’s Dad’s collection from the 50s…lots of petrified wood (the Petrified National Forest is close by). I love this place so much and I wish that you can all stay here at one point in your life. I was kinda sad to leave it this morning at 7 am! But I’m getting ahead of myself! Yesterday was spent almost entirely in and around Sedona, Arizona…and for anyone who has been there before, you probably have some idea of what I am going to say. Sedona is so beautiful and breathtaking and overwhelming that it is hard to put into words. I’ve typed a sentence over and over here because everything is wrong. I keep deleting what I’ve typed. Because Sedona is that which cannot be named…some call it GOD, the energy, the divine, the universe. Sedona is God. Everywhere you look there it is: something so blessed and divine that it cannot be named or described.…and of course this is everywhere all around us at all times! But we have a harder time seeing it in our daily lives, don’t we? One feels it so strongly here. It is truly an overwhelming experience. To have so much pure love and positive energy coming at you from the Earth and the air all at once….all I can say is thank you. I started my day hiking at Bell Rock, a major vortex, very spiritual place. Once I got to the base of Bell Rock I saw some hikers climbing up it’s base a bit and decided to do the same. I got quite far up the base and climbed in a tiny nook and planted myself on a secluded area way high up. I lied on the rock and felt it with my hands. Why did it feel SO good? I didn’t know. But it did. And I stayed there for a while, meditating and soaking it all up. After a while I said my prayer to the divine and all the spirits and sages that were there with me…I was so grateful. I then moved on to Cathedral Rock. This is a hike that is marked as “strenuous” and I was all like hmmm, I wonder what they mean by strenuous? Is this an American fast Food version of strenuous (OK, my ego was definitely in check) – I was thinking, I hike Runyon Canyon and Griffith frequently…I’m sure it’s not all that bad. And it wasn’t. But it was tough. And scary. And incredibly challenging to mind as well as to my body. I mean, I was rock climbing, y’all! I had never done a hike/climb like this before! I went HIGH! Like REALLY BLOODY HIGH. When I reached the top I was looking around going I almost can’t believe I did this. It was pretty dumbfounding. And then of course you have to climb down. My ego definitely wanted all my friends and family to see me do this climb…I think I dreamed of a head-mounted mini-cam more than once. THIS is how high I climbed!!! -------------> So after this authentically strenuous climb it was definitely time for lunch. I ended up at this darling little hippie chick joint called the Bliss Raw Café (or the Raw Bliss Café). There I had a meal of 100% raw foods, including there version of a raw pizza. It was heaven. For dessert I had what they called a Magic Mystical Healing bar…which had raw dark chocolate, sweetened with pure agave and filled with herbs and spices and goji berries…it was also unbelievably delicious! I topped my meal off with a 10 minute pick me up oxygen session in their oxygen bar. I was feeling quite sleepy there and after the oxygen ($10 for 10 mins) I felt quite refreshed and ready for more. “More” ended up being walking around uptown Sedona, looking in shops, having an iced coffee at a café with a view so spectacular that you can hardly believe you’re sitting there drinking a coffee! You’re like WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE? I left Sedona around 5 pm and drove up 89 which was (again) so effing beautiful. I craned my head trying to see it all. The red rocks gave way to pine trees and rich greenery climbing up up all around me. Then there was oak Creek, so gorgeous with it’s white smooth stones and rushing waters. It was a sight to behold and be grateful for. I found myself thanking this earth over and over again. At one point I remember thinking I wanted to justget out of my car and go lie on the rocks, just curl up there like a little baby…and it was my mother. It was such a clear vision, such a clear desire in me to do this. That’s because this is our mother. This divinity, this earth, this energy…we are all of it too. Me and the rocks and the earth are all made of the same stardust, we know each other. It was so clear and so powerful. I’m grateful I could feel and accept all the love that was there for me.



I continued my drive along the I-40, heading East towards Holbrook. I loved that drive! It was only another hour but the speed limit was 75 and I sang at the top of my lungs, loving every minute of it! I thought to myself, so many people said to me about this trip, “well, it would be nice to do it with someone…” and I never really agreed with them. But last night I REALLY didn’t agree with them. I had an incredible day with myself and with the earth and that which cannot be named but some call God, yesterday. I got in my car with all my stuff spread out everywhere, with my music and all my joy and love…and I got to sing out! I sang and sang and I would not have done that had I been with someone. I wouldn’t have had the talks with myself that I had or been as goofy, talking to the earth and the animals all the time…I would have had a different experience and THIS is the experience I want. I am overflowing with happiness and love and spirit. And most of all I think: Gratitude. Sat Nam/This is Truth.

Road Trip America - Day 1

Hello There!

I have now been awake for 17 hours. I am hanging on by a thread...eye sight is blurry, typing impaired...but I am happy as Gordon Ramsey in Backwards Land. Huh? OK, that was lame. Admission: hell's kitchen is playing on the tv in my motel room.

Let me start from the beginning. I woe up at 4 am today...much to my chagrin. My alarm was set for 4:30 am but I woke up at 4:00 am and was SO excited, nervous, anxious, wired...that I simply could not go back to sleep but also could not got up. I lied there for almost a half hour and my stomach just ached with nerves.

I finally got up, got my crap all organized and was in the car, taking off at 5:30 am...the first thing that rocked on this journey were all these wind thingies...don't even know where that was...but see pic...it was very cool and eerie. It was like I was in some weird futuristic movie...you know where alternative energy is the norm and everyone plugs their cars in at night.

I tried to take a pic while driving...let's see how it turns out.



Ya, that was dangerous. I maybe shouldn't do that anymore.

Oh, I guess I should tell you WHY I am driving across America all the way to Toronto...going to do a workshop of my play, them & us. I'm really really excited and amazed and overwhelmed about the whole thing and I want to tell you more but it's 9:07 pm and I am barely awake...so more on the workshop later.

I will say this about the rest of my day today: Joshua Tree National Park (my first visit) was (as expected) beautiful and so much fun. All those lizards and rocks! YAY!!

But nothing, not even the majesty of JT (joshua tree, not justin timberlake), holds a candle to the drive up I-17 in Arizona. This was one of the most incredible, gorgeous drives I have ever made. At one point, I couldn't stop saying "So, gorgeous, Oh my god, its' so beautiful!" and yes, I even got a little choked up.

Nope, don't have pics of that. It was a very intense drive and it went from 86 degrees to 55 degrees very fast...and it started pouring rain too.

This was the highlight of my day today...and now I am off to bed, dear readers. I'm at The View Motel in Cottonwood, Arizona. What a great sign!



Favourite quote from today: in Joshua Tree I kept saying hello to every lizard that came across my path (which was alot). I'd say "Hello, Lizard!" and "Hello, Lizard!" and "Hello, Lizard!" and at one point I said to a lizard, "Gee, I hope you don't mind me calling you all the same thing. I don't want to give the impression that I think you all look alike. You're very distinct, I promise you"

MPG for Day 1: 43