A summer outing to the Berkshires

Had a great get-together with our friends, Marc & Susie.  We're so glad they suggested we join them in the Berkshires in western Massachusetts and in particular attend a couple of concerts at the Tanglewood Music Festival.
 Wow, did we enjoy the music!  We had seats in the "Shed", and it was a good thing as for the evening performance, the Boston Symphony Orchestra had to compete with the thunder and lightning storm -- no one out in the lawn seats this night!

We also enjoyed the 10 mile Ashuwillticook Rail Trail from the outskirts of Pittsfield to to the town of Adams.  A wonderful paved trail zipping through the woods, the marshes, and the lakes; and then of course we found a great place to stop and catch a good lunch, the Whitney Farm Market .

We also spent time in many of the small, quaint New England towns including Lenox, Adams, and Stockbridge.  We really liked the many choices of ice cream shops!

We had five terrific days, but not nearly enough time to see everything.  Stopped and toured Herman Melville's home where he wrote many of his books, including Moby Dick.  Went back to the Norman Rockwell Museum, enjoying his wit in his illustrations and art.  Drove up to the peak of Mount Greylock, the tallest point in Massachusetts at 3,500 feet, and did a little hiking.

Why is President McKinley honored

at Adams' Town Square ?

Road Trip......Heading home (by way of North Carolina)

Covered 500 miles today with BIW.  Smooth driving through Arkansas and Tennessee along Interstate 40.  Enjoyed the blue skies, the redbuds in bloom, the green plants, and the rocks.

Ruthie drove and steered BIW expertly across the Mississippi River.  Good by to the West.

Tonight we're camped at Edgar Evins State Park, about an hour east of Nashville.   A unique campground with sites cantilevered over the hillside with a view of the lake and marina.  Hope the Tennessee engineers allowed for an 18,000 pound load.

Following Georgia O'Keeffe....

photo compliments of Crystal Bridges

Morey never thought he'd ever get to Bentonville, Arkansas.  Being the world headquarters for Walmart, there was no way that he would step anywhere near the competition.  But then......One of the Walton heirs doing her civic duty opened an incredible art museum and set about purchasing artwork from some of the best American artists and photographers.

The museum collection includes paintings from some of our favorite artists: Frederick Church, Alfred Bierstadt, George Caitlin, and photographs from Edward Curtis....and then paintings from Georgia O'Keeffe!  All of these and many more are displayed at the exquisitely designed Crystal Bridges museum.  Even though Bentonville had been off limits; not anymore.  (Bentonville was 70 miles off our planned route home, but this detour was worth it!)


As we walked the galleries, we were very impressed with the collection.  Starting with early American painters in the 18th century, you continue through the galleries to modern day art and photographs.  We did locate the two O'Keeffe paintings.  One was purchased at an auction for $44 million (to keep it on display in the United States). 

Thanks to the Walton family.

The second largest canyon in America......

Palo Duro Canyon, just south of Amarillo, Texas IS the second largest canyon.......really!  Stretching over 160 miles, and over 600 feet deep, this canyon has many of the rock formations and colors that we saw at Georgia O'Keeffe's beloved Abiquiu.  And then we discovered that Ms. O'Keeffe spend the first few years of her teaching and painting career here in Palo Duro (before moving on to New Mexico).   She must have known.....

After driving BIW down a 10% grade road built by the CCC in the 1930's, we reached the floor of the canyon.  Unlike the Grand Canyon [the largest canyon in America], our perspective was looking up to the canyon walls and rock formations.  This Texas state park encompasses only the northern 20 miles of the canyon.  The rest is owned privately and used for ranching and grazing.

Setting up our motorhome at Hackberry campground, we noted all of the turkeys camped out behind our site.  Over a dozen turkeys gobbling, wandering for camper crumbs, and strutting their stuff.  A nice campground too, with a lot of very friendly campers from all over the States & Canada.

Our next day, we set out on an 8+ mile hike.  Without much elevation to climb, we enjoyed the walk through the canyon floor and along the walls.  After walking the one mile trail to the trailhead, we set out on the Lighthouse Trail, noted for the Lighthouse rock formation which stands 600 feet from the canyon floor.  Then we returned on the Givens, Spicer, Lowry Trail along the canyon rim.  More really great colors and rock formations. 

Palo Duro Canyon State Park is definitely a place to return to.  We need to tell all of our camper friends not to miss this second largest canyon in America.

O'Keeffe Country

We woke up this morning in the heart of O'Keeffe country.  Camped at Echo Amphitheater campground in the Carson National Forest, a well situated but also historically special place.  (More on this later.)

Georgia O'Keeffe came to this part of New Mexico, Abiquiu, for the special scenery, the incredible light, the blue-blue skies, and the solitude.  She rebuilt an adobe house for her winter quarters, and used Ghost Ranch for her summers.  We took the tour of her home yesterday; left with the furnishings and artwork as she had left them when she found it necessary to move down to Santa Fe for her few final years.  To walk through her home and gardens, and see the views from the many windows, gave us a special understanding of this wonderful artist.

We then drove to Plaza Blanco (White Place), which O'Keeffe used for much of her art.  The cliffs and rock colors, the shadows, the light.....in all of the places around Abiquiu are very special.  Today we take the tour of more of her favorite places to paint.

Now for the story of Echo Amphitheater:  In 1861 a band of Navajos attacked some northern New Mexico settlers and spilled some of their blood over the top of this amphitheater.  In 1864 during the forced march when Kit Carson removed over 14,000 Navajos from their lands, they traveled by this same formation.  General Carson chose the ten best warriors of the Navajos, murdered them, and spilled their blood down these same walls.  Last night, did we hear the echoes of the anguished cries of both the settlers and the Navajos?

Tent Rocks [aka Kasha-Katuwe]

A half hour drive south of Santa Fe, is the strangest rock formations, the Tent Rocks (no campsites, not for RVs nor for tents!).  Formed from volcanic ash which has solidified and then eroded, the trail through these rocks is amazing. 

We hiked the trail which first winds through a slot canyon into a strange world of pine trees and rocks.  Then we climbed 600 feet through the tent rocks to the top of the mesa.  A stellar view.

Bandolier National Monument

With the weather staying wonderfully sunny and warm, we decided to check out some more Native American cliff dwellings and pueblos.  Bandolier, which was one of the first National Monuments (1916) has maintained these historical ruins.

Our good friends, Steven and Joan, joined us camping here.  Together we set out on some great hiking trails and into the ruins.  Ladder climbing seems to be the activity of choice on these trails, and so we did the climbing to some alcoves and former native homes.  We also checked out the Bradbury Museum in Los Alamos, where the development of the atomic bomb and its impact on our world is on display.  Camping at Bandolier, just down the road, we didn't see the glow of Los Alamos....mmmm?