Sunday, July 24, 2005
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Yaba-Daba-Doo in Valle, AZ
As you leave the Grand Canyon, you absolutely must stop at Bedrock City. This fun roadside attraction is located halfway between the Grand Canyon and Williams, Arizona at the junction of AZ 64 and US 180 in Valle, Arizona.
There's a little minimart, campground, and lots of Flintstone characters for posing.
You can even get a cup of coffee for 5 cents at Fred's Diner! Can't beat that price.
If you want something more substantial to chew on, there is a row of bones lining the parking lot.
I'm not quite sure how this metal dinosaur fits with the them - I certainly hope it isn't the skeletal remains of Dino!
I'm also not quite sure how this fits the theme, but it's fun, nevertheless.Wednesday, July 6, 2005
Puerto Penasco, Mexico - July 2005
My group of friends had so much fun celebrating birthdays in Las Vegas, that we decided to celebrate more 40th birthdays in Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point).
When we first arrived, we had a few problems - like half the house did not have air conditioning. After a few beers and the property manager sending somebody, there were no worries.
The house was nice inside, and had tilework throughout. Much of the house was decorated in a sea-life theme.
Once we saw this hutch with the martini glasses art, we knew we picked the right place. Benigni felt right at home too.
Most of the weekend was spent on the beach.
When we weren't on the beach, we spent time just hanging out at the house and spending time with friends. We fired up the BBQ and grilled fish and meat for dinner, and ate left overs for lunch. We have some great cooks in the group, so nobody went hungry.
For the "official" birthday celebrations, we went out to dinner one night. The food was ok, but not nearly as good as what we made at the house. Plus, there was about 1/2 inch of standing water on the floor of the women's restroom when I went, which sort of grossed me out about eating at the restaurant.
When we needed a break from the beach, we spent some time in the town. I had great shrimp cocktail in one beachside restaurant, and the seafood tacos were great too.
Based on all the statues around town, shrimp is obviously an important part of the economy.
When we first arrived, we had a few problems - like half the house did not have air conditioning. After a few beers and the property manager sending somebody, there were no worries.The house was nice inside, and had tilework throughout. Much of the house was decorated in a sea-life theme.
Once we saw this hutch with the martini glasses art, we knew we picked the right place. Benigni felt right at home too.
Most of the weekend was spent on the beach.
When we weren't on the beach, we spent time just hanging out at the house and spending time with friends. We fired up the BBQ and grilled fish and meat for dinner, and ate left overs for lunch. We have some great cooks in the group, so nobody went hungry. For the "official" birthday celebrations, we went out to dinner one night. The food was ok, but not nearly as good as what we made at the house. Plus, there was about 1/2 inch of standing water on the floor of the women's restroom when I went, which sort of grossed me out about eating at the restaurant.When we needed a break from the beach, we spent some time in the town. I had great shrimp cocktail in one beachside restaurant, and the seafood tacos were great too.
Based on all the statues around town, shrimp is obviously an important part of the economy.
Saturday, April 9, 2005
Desert Botanical Garden - Phoenix
Roll out the barrel (cactus), roll out the barrel (cactus) of fun.
What better way to spend a nice spring day in Phoenix than at the Desert Botanical Garden.
If you time your visit right, you can see the cacti in full bloom.
Butterflies at the gardens
Each spring, the Desert Botanical Gardens sets up a spring butterfly exhibit. It is a very colorful and relaxing experience to be surrounded by butterflies.
I wonder what metamorphosis holds in store for me!
I wonder what metamorphosis holds in store for me!Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Belize (Nov 23-30, 2004)
After I arrived at the Phoenix airport, I learned that my flight to Houston would be delayed for 2 hours. I only had 1.5 hours in Houston to make my connection and fly to Belize. There was another plane boarding for Houston, so I asked if I could get on it. I was allowed on, but warned that my luggage might not make it in time. Great. Luckily, I had packed a change of clothes in my carry-on bag - something I rarely do! I took the earlier flight.
When I got to Houston, I checked the status of my luggage. It was still in Phoenix. By the time my flight to Belize took off, my Phoenix flight was only half way to Houston.
After arriving in Belize City, sans luggage, I hopped a flight to Dangriga. It's not often you get to see the pilot's view as you approach the airport. It's also not often that you see the runway ending so close to the ocean.
Just about to touch down at Dangriga.
The pilot offered to let a passenger sit in the front seat, but nobody took him up on the offer.
Once I was safely on the ground at Dangriga, I needed to figure out where to catch the bus to Maya Center. I decided it would be easiest to just take a cab to the bus station. I had about an hour wait before my bus (an old school bus) so I shopped for some basics like shampoo, deodorant, and bug spray.
My first stop in Belize was at Tutzil Nah Cottages in Maya Center. At $15 a night, this should be interesting!
My room was very basic, but clean. The room contained a bed, a table and chair, and a fan. The fluorescent light required that you play with it a bit in order to turn it on. The bathroom and shower were in separate buildings across the courtyard. The shower was cold water only and the bathroom was basically a concrete block outhouse, but had a flush toilet.
My host and guide was Gregorio Chun. His children, Fiona (age 6), Daniel (age 5, not shown), and Gabriel (age 3) were delightful, and I spent afternoons and evenings playing with them. They really enjoyed the books and flashcards I brought them.
Coconuts ripening
Local children
I played several games with the local children. One was "bat" which was really softball, but they used an orange as the ball (could be blinding if it sprayed juice as you hit it) and a broom handle as the bat. We also played soccer and practiced math and reading.
When I got to Houston, I checked the status of my luggage. It was still in Phoenix. By the time my flight to Belize took off, my Phoenix flight was only half way to Houston.
After arriving in Belize City, sans luggage, I hopped a flight to Dangriga. It's not often you get to see the pilot's view as you approach the airport. It's also not often that you see the runway ending so close to the ocean.
Just about to touch down at Dangriga.The pilot offered to let a passenger sit in the front seat, but nobody took him up on the offer.
Once I was safely on the ground at Dangriga, I needed to figure out where to catch the bus to Maya Center. I decided it would be easiest to just take a cab to the bus station. I had about an hour wait before my bus (an old school bus) so I shopped for some basics like shampoo, deodorant, and bug spray.
My first stop in Belize was at Tutzil Nah Cottages in Maya Center. At $15 a night, this should be interesting!
My room was very basic, but clean. The room contained a bed, a table and chair, and a fan. The fluorescent light required that you play with it a bit in order to turn it on. The bathroom and shower were in separate buildings across the courtyard. The shower was cold water only and the bathroom was basically a concrete block outhouse, but had a flush toilet.
My host and guide was Gregorio Chun. His children, Fiona (age 6), Daniel (age 5, not shown), and Gabriel (age 3) were delightful, and I spent afternoons and evenings playing with them. They really enjoyed the books and flashcards I brought them.
Coconuts ripening
Local children
I played several games with the local children. One was "bat" which was really softball, but they used an orange as the ball (could be blinding if it sprayed juice as you hit it) and a broom handle as the bat. We also played soccer and practiced math and reading.
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