Post Cards from the Road Part 1

ON THE ROAD AGAIN... Click on a photo to see a larger view.

Every once in awhile I just have to take a road trip. There is something liberating about setting off on a journey with only a sketchy schedule; with the freedom to design each day as it comes. My primary destination on this one was the Grand Canyon where I would join others for a four day photography workshop. I decided to go by way of Las Vegas, a place I hadn't seen since I turned 21. I drove as far as Barstow, found a motel in the late afternoon, and looked at my options. The road to Vegas skirted the Mojave National Preserve which boasted a large Joshua Tree Forest. I was hoping to catch them in full desert bloom, but they were well past that.

VIVA LAS VEGAS

Much has changed since I was 21. I was not expecting the crush of cars. My initial drive down The Strip was enough to convince me to avoid it. With the help of my GPS, I was able to steer clear of it and traverse the city using mostly side streets and back alleys.

I parked at the Bellagio to shoot this scene of Paris,

and to view the performance of the water fountains.

HOOVER DAM

My original plan was to spend 2 nights in Vegas, but the congestion was just too much for me. I left the next morning and drove to Boulder City, a quite little town with few cars and no neon lights. Its claim to fame is its proximity to Hoover Dam (originally named Boulder Dam), and the newly constructed Mike O'Callaghan -Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.

I thoroughly worked the bridge. I photographed it (by parking illegally to get this view), walked across it, and finally, I drove across it and headed for Kingman, AZ

ROUTE 66
Between Kingman and Williams (the last stop before the Grand Canyon) is an 83 mile stretch of Historic Route 66. Driving this old road took me back to my childhood and our family road trips to Kansas where my father was born. I tooled along at a leisurely pace listening to and singing the hits from the 50s. I think the locals maintain the deserted gas stations, motels and diners in a charmingly dilapidated condition to attract nostalgics like me. The few towns along the way embellish the "Mother Road" ambiance to an almost Disneylike condition

"Altho insured Remember, kiddo They don't pay you
They pay Your widow"

"When Super-shaved Remember, pard You'll still get slapped
But not so hard"
Only on Route 66 can you still read Burma Shave signs.
You can view more road trip photos on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton/page2/