May 29, 2018

ARTIST, “TED” DeGRAZIA’S GALLERY in TUCSON, ARIZONA

ARTIST TED DeGRAZIA Tucson is home to the Ettore “Ted” DeGrazia Gallery, maintained by the DeGrazia Foundation. We were thrilled to get to visit the historic site where the artist lived, worked and built a chapel!     Opened in 1965, the gallery has more than 15,000 DeGrazia originals. His oil paintings, watercolors, ceramics and sculptures are housed in six permanent collection rooms:     I. Padre Kino II. Cabeza De Vaca III. Papago Indians IV. Retrospective V. Yaqui Easter VI. Bullfight     De Grazia hand built the adobe brick buildings on the 10-acre site. The Mission in the Sun was built in 1952 in honor of Father Kino…

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written by Stuart - Posted in 2018, Arizona, Blog

May 29, 2018

SAGUARO NATIONAL FOREST VISIT IN ARIZONA

Saguaro Cacti are only found in a very small portion of America. They are found exclusively in the Sonoran Desert so you can only find them in southern Arizona and western Sonora, Mexico. It is estimated that these soldiers of the desert can live to be as much as 150-200 years old.     Amazingly, Saguaro grow very slowly -a 10 year-old plant may only be 1.5 inches tall. However, the cacti we saw were between 40-60 feet tall! A fully-grown Saguaro can weigh as much as a ton! Don’t miss seeing these wonders at the Saguaro National Forest (nps.gov/sagu/index.htm)!      

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written by Stuart - Posted in 2018, Arizona, Blog, Travel, Trip Planning, Video

May 29, 2018

BACKROADS PEOPLE: HAVE A NAVAJO CONVERSATION

   It was an incredible experience to meet people on backroads in Arizona. We had the opportunity to have a short “Navajo Conversation”!  We were driving down highway 89 near Page, Arizona when we saw a pull-off for a small canyon. While there, we had a fascinating conversation with a Navajo woman who touched our hearts deeply.     She was busy finding just the right beads and seeds in her square wooden box for a piece of jewelry she was making. We began talking and she was gracious and kind enough to let us video her as we asked questions about the Navajo Reservation.       NAVAJO NATION  …

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written by Stuart - Posted in 2018, Arizona, Meeting People, Travel, Trip Planning, Video

May 29, 2018

HOW TO EXPLORE THE GRAND CANYON

  Explore the Grand Canyon with us. Our days at the Grand Canyon were more than magical-they were breathtaking!!     We’ve written about our first impressions upon seeing the glory of the Canyon and we’ve attempted to post photographs that are representative of the majesty of this place (which, by the way, is impossible to capture although Stu has produced incredible photos!).     But, there is SO much more to talk about! 1)  People visiting here are from all over the world. We’ve talked to visitors (in 2 days)  from China, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, Spain, New Zealand, France-we could go on. Those we spoke with were shocked…

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written by Stuart - Posted in 2018, Arizona, Blog, Travel

May 29, 2018

THE PUEBLO LAGUNA, New Mexico

Stu and I talked a lot driving backroads through the southwest about how schools we attended completely left out Native American history, culture and religions.     Exploring one backroad in New Mexico close to old Route 66, we stopped for some Indian Fry Bread (if you’ve never tasted it, you are missing amazing food). Take a backroads trip to Pueblo Laguna in New Mexico and learn what we were never taught in school.       PUEBLO LAGUNA HISTORY     Pueblo Laguna is the largest of the Keresan pueblos, covering four large counties and six villages. The district was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973….

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written by Stuart - Posted in 2018, Blog, New Mexico, Video

May 29, 2018

EXPLORE THE GRAND CANYON: OUR FIRST VIEWS

Neither of us expected what we saw. We didn’t know you can’t see any of The Grand Canyon until you reach the rim.  Just like millions, we’d seen thousands of photographs, descriptions and documentaries about The Grand Canyon.   We actually both gasped when we saw it. NO photo, no description and no documentary prepared us for the utter magnificence and grandeur of The Grand Canyon.  

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written by Stuart - Posted in 2018, Arizona, Blog, Video

May 29, 2018

THE HISTORIC RIO PUERCO BRIDGE ON ROUTE 66 IN New Mexico

Take a backroads trip on one section of the “Mother Road”- Old Route 66 and see the historic Rio Puerco Bridge in New Mexico.   The Federal Government funded the Historic Rio Puerco Bridge on Route 66 in New Mexico in 1933 as part of President Roosevelt’s effort to use emergency monies for highway construction. Completed within a year, the bridge opened the Laguna Cutoff to transcontinental traffic. In 1937, the alignment officially became U.S. Route 66.   The Kansas City Structural Steel Company conceived the structure, and F.D. Shufflebarger was in charge of constructing the bridge. The Rio Puerco Bridge has a 250 foot long span and is one…

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written by Stuart - Posted in 2018, Blog, New Mexico, Road Trips, Travel, Trip Planning

May 28, 2018

TAKE A BACKROADS TRIP: SAN AUGUSTINE, TEXAS

San Augustine, Texas along backroads   San Augustine, Texas is in the Deep East Texas Pineywoods. There, we ate at the Heart of Texas Grill, located in an historic bank building at 102 East Columbia Street with mosiac tile floors and great American food.  

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written by Stuart - Posted in 2018, Blog, Texas, Travel, Video

May 28, 2018

HOW TO USE THE TROLLEY SYSTEM in New Orleans

Clang, clang, clang! How to use the trolleys in New Orleans is simple! Getting around New Orleans is a breeze! We recommend parking your car at your hotel and taking the trolley or public bus everywhere. There are six trolley lines: St. Charles, Canal Street and the Riverfront are the main lines-each of which begins downtown but goes to different parts of the city.     Fares are $1.25 but for $3.00 you can purchase an all-day pass for any trolley or public bus. What a great deal!! Purchase the pass as you board your first trolley. Seniors can buy tickets for individual trolley rides for 40 cents each. Note that…

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written by Stuart - Posted in 2018, Blog, Louisiana, Travel