Coffee – ON THE ROAD with Maria + Stephen

ATX: City Tour Series: 2025-2026

15/11/202515/11/2025 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Architecture, Art, Art Museum, Cities, Coffee, Dining, Museum, Street Art and Murals, Texas, Travel

Despite having criss crossed Texas several times OTR had never managed to visit Austin (ATX). The initial reason was due to Covid 19 as we were forced to cancel a scheduled visit with friends in March 2020. So as we planned our City Tour Series for the autumn and spring of 2025/2026 we incorporated ATX as our second tour stop.The City Tour is not a road trip as we are accessing the cities via rail (see previous post) and air.

ATX is a fast growing technology center; the downtown skyline is now dominated by shimmering steel and glass high rise towers. It also appears that the architects and owners of every new building are utilizing spires, curves, cantilevers and lighting in an attempt to create the most unique and brilliant design.

Pictured directly below second from left is The Independent. At the time the building was completed in 2019 it was the tallest residential tower west of the Mississippi River. The building pictured directly below on the left is the Frost Bank Tower which was visible from the rooftop pool at the citizenM – spectacular in the evening when the spires were lit.

We arrived in the late afternoon after a direct flight from Boston. We made our way from the airport via Uber to the citizenM hotel (see previous post for our review of the brand). The hotel is located in the heart of downtown enabling us to walk to many of our destinations.

After freshening up we were quite ready for dinner and decided to start with barbecue – “fancy barbecue” – at Lamberts Downtown Barbecue. Lamberts is located in the 2nd Street District (a short walk from the hotel) in a handsome brick building constructed in 1873. The building was originally a dry goods store (The Schneider Store) which operated in the building until 1935.

**Wild Boar Ribs | Lamberts Downtown Barbecue | Austin**

We had a delightful meal – the wild boar ribs pictured above were outrageously delicious – flavored with honey and sambal! We spoke to several life long Austinites and all concurred that Lamberts is the best barbecue in town. Check ! We do not know if it is the best, but we highly recommend Lamberts.

We started our first full day in ATX with breakfast and coffee/tea at the CanteenM in the hotel. After breakfast we departed for an ambitious first day of exploration.

Our first stop was at the Mexic- Arte Museum. This museum features a small permanent collection supplemented by changing exhibitions. The Dia de los Muertos is a prominent theme. The two murals below are part of the museum’s rotating mural program. The murals are located on the outside 5th Street wall of the museum.

From the Mexic-Arte we walked north on Congress Avenue to the grounds of the state capitol. During our walk to the capitol building we found this lovely mural. The mural is painted on the south wall of the Old Bakery & Emporium. Information about the mural and the history of the building are contained in the link above.

**Mural | Generational Ties | Artist | Ruben Esquivel**

The photo of the mural below is the design we created for our upcoming Street Art Tourist book featuring mural photographs from ATX.

**Old Bakery & Emporium (photo courtesy of austintexas.gov)**

The Texas State Capitol is open to the public, and volunteers lead guided tours several times each day. After clearing security we took the forty minute tour. Our guide was originally from Rhode Island but all in on his adopted state! He was humorous and knowledgable about the history of the capitol, the operation of the state government and the history of Texas. An article containing a brief history of the building (opened May 1888) is included in this link to Authentic Texas Magazine.

As we all know everything is bigger in Texas, our guide let us know right up front that the Texas State Capitol is 15 feet taller than the U.S. Capitol. It is also the largest state capitol based on square footage and the tallest. The dome pictured below rises 300 feet from the floor making it about 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty. It is actually an impressive structure.

We think the state capitol is a worthwhile visit for the architecture alone. The history included in the tour is also interesting albeit the state’s subjugation of Native Americans and its slave economy were glossed over quickly. Remember, real Texans love Texas!

We decided to spend the afternoon exploring the South Congress (SoCo) area. However, before we headed across the Colorado River to SoCo we were in need of more coffee and tea and possibly a pastry or two. Houndstooth Coffee was perfectly placed on Congress just a short distance north of the bridge crossing the river. Thank you, Houndstooth.

**Colorado River | Lady Bird Lake |Austin, Texas**

SoCo has been hipster central for the locals in ATX for several years. There are many eclectic shops, restaurants, bars, street vendors and street murals. However, having said that you can see that it is definitely becoming more touristy (guilty as charged) but not giving up on its Keep Austin Weird reputation.

After poking around the neighborhood, browsing in several of the shops and capturing some mural pics, we adjourned for lunch. We did our best to stay with the hipster flow and dined at Joann’s Fine Foods which is part of the Austin Motel. Joann’s serves what the owner describes as Tex Mex Diner fare. We had a delicious lunch and enjoyed the retro decor.

We walked off our lunch literally by trekking from SoCo over to E. Cesar Chavez St. to find the mural of Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Selena was known as the Queen of Tejano Music. Tragically, she died at the age of 23.

We also consumed more coffee at Flat Track Coffee. The Selena mural just happens to be painted on the side wall of the building where Flat Track Coffee and Dogspeed Cycles are co-located. Yes – that is awesome!

From Flat Track we walked to our last stop of the day. No-we are not having a brain scan in ATX. Yes, we are being fitted for a hat at Trovador.

On Friday we took an Uber north to the Hyde Park neighborhood for fika at Terrible Love Coffee. The shop has outdoor seating only which was a tad disappointing, but we secured a shady picnic table. More importantly, our beverages were first rate! Also, if you decide to visit the shop it can be hard to find as it is located in the old boiler room of a former school complex. The retrofitted building is, however a step up as the owner originally operated out of an old horse trailer! A nice article about the owner’s journey by The Austin Chronicle is embedded in the link.

The renowned Blanton Art Museum (University of Texas) was the next target of our curious minds and needed for its air conditioning!

The Blanton has almost 100,000 square feet of gallery space so we picked our spots in regard to which collections and galleries to view. It is a recommended visit for any fine art fan. The photos below are some of the paintings we found most interesting.

**Jerry Bywaters |*Oil Field Girls* | 1940 | Oil on Board**

**Yasuo Kuniyoshi | *Waitresses from the Sparhawk* | 1924-25 | Oil on Canvas**

After concluding our visit at the museum we found ourselves hankering for another taste of barbecue. As the day was particularly hot we opted to get a ride from the museum to the Original Blacks Barbecue (Since 1932). Adding to the excitement of more barbecue was the arrival of our vehicle – an autonomous Waymo Jaguar!

After our late and tasty lunch we retreated to the hotel for a lie down and a quiet evening at the pool with cocktails from the roof top bar.

After enjoying a relaxing evening by the pool we decided that a day by the pool would be quite nice (after returning from coffee, of course). We summoned an Uber to convey us to the Houndstooth Coffee cafe located in the East Austin neighborhood of Chestnut.

After a restful afternoon by the pool we strolled down to Republic Square for dinner. We were ready for a break from barbecue and Tex-Mex and figured the highly rated Wu Chow would make for a distinctly different experience. We highly recommend Wu Chow.

Day five – first stop Houndstooth Coffee at the downtown location followed by a visit to The ContemporAry. The ContemporAry is very much what you might infer from an art museum with this name. It is a smallish museum that has a schedule of changing exhibitions. We recommend checking their website to see what exhibitions are currently on display before visiting. There were two artists on display as part of an exhibition titled The Canvas Can Do Miracles that we particularly enjoyed.

**Hayal Pozanti | *This Sudden Smiling | 2024 |* Oil Stick on Linen**

**Hayal Pozanti | *Veil Between Worlds* | 2023 | Oil Stick on Linen**

**Ragna Bley | *Antarctica | 2024 |* Acrylic and Oil on Linen**

**Ragna Bley | *Inter-Waver |* 2016 | Acrylic on Canvas**

***Congress Avenue Viewed from the ContemporAry Roof***

We had not taken in any live music in a city full of live music, so we decided that it was more than past time to catch some live sets. The Elephant Room was just around the corner from the hotel and had a full evening of jazz on tap. The Elephant Room is a classic basement jazz club and since it was Sunday evening the cover was only five dollars and there was no minimum drink requirement. Oh baby, who is better than us!

We took in several sets by the Chris Jones Quartet. Chris Jones is a well known bassist in the ATX area. The quartet played a number of songs composed and arranged by Chris. An excellent start to the musical portion of the ATX City Tour.

We had been crossing back and forth across Lady Bird Lake during our wanderings but not gotten down to the lake. Retro Boats ATX provided us with an easy and enjoyable way to get on the water and get a great view of the waterfront skyline. Kayak rentals are available but it was just too dang hot – if we are honest. Retro Boats rents vintage speedboats for cruising on the lake. We felt compelled to rent the 1973 Glastron GT-150, which is the same model that was used in the Bond flick “Live and Let Die”. We were not able to get airborne with the boat as Bond did in the film but we are after all not Bond – James Bond!

Ward | Steve Ward | Video

After our voyage on the lake we stopped for lunch at Jo’s and then meandered back to the citizenM for pool time and cocktail sipping. Finito!

When we planned our tour of ATX, we were not locked in on visiting the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum. However, some friends that had visited the library last year thought it was worthwhile.

The five years in which LBJ was president were tumultuous times. The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement were in full swing. The museum provided an historic timeline that brought back many memories from our young adult years.

It was also eye opening to realize how much legislation LBJ was able get passed related to ensuring civil rights, reducing poverty and protecting the environment. It also became apparent how LBJ agonized about our involvement in Vietnam. If you are a history fan, the LJB Presidential Library is recommended by OTR.

After learning a lot about LBJ we were, of course, in need of coffee and tea. We visited Merit Coffee on North Lamar and then went downtown to 6th St (Dirty 6th) for some mural hunting before retiring to the hotel to freshen up for an early dinner at Jeffrey’s.

Jeffrey’s is considered by most everyone (in ATX) as the best place to dine on steak in ATX. The restaurant was opened in 1975 and is still in top form 50 years later. The only reservation we were able to obtain during our entire stay was a 1730 slot on 7 October!

The steaks are dry aged for 32 days and grilled over live oak before going into the 1200 degree broiler. Our sommelier, lead server and support team were all quite professional, knowledgable and friendly (without being overly solicitous). We highly recommend dining at Jeffrey’s when in ATX (book in advance).

The next morning we were definitely in need of burning some calories so we walked to the Seaholm District in southwest ATX. First stop – Merit Coffee’s Seaholm Cafe. The Seaholm District was previously an industrial area that has been repurposed into a mixed use urban neighborhood.

After fika we walked a bit further west to take in the Be Well murals on South Lamar Boulevard and then circled back around to visit the Central Library and view the interesting architecture in the area.

The photos below were edited from the murals above for inclusion in Street Art Tourist, Volume Nine.

The Austin Central Public Library was built in 2018. The building is situated above Lady Bird Lake and provides views of the lake and city skyline.

***Austin Central Library (Photo Courtesy of Guide to Austin Architecture)***

The open design of the Central Library creates a dramatic space and bathes much of the library in natural light. The library also boasts a rooftop garden and reading stations. Impressive!

Pictured in the photos below is the United States Courthouse. When was the last time you saw a limestone art deco U.S. Courthouse? This structure works beautifully in ATX.

Pictured below is The Independent, a luxury residential tower. The tower is know locally as the jenga tower.

Viewing architecture is inevitably a prelude to lunch. Walton’s Fancy and Staple was close by on Sixth Street so we popped in for a hearty lunch. Walton’s has been operating in ATX since 1969.

After our luncheon break we strolled back to the hotel to relax and recharge for another evening of jazz . We had made reservations at the Parker Jazz Club. The Parker, like the Elephant Room, is also a basement club but a bit more upscale in regard to the club decor and service. Saxophonist Woody Witt was the featured artist on the evening of our visit.

Woody was touring in support of his new CD (Awakening) recorded in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The quartet backing him on the tour were the same Brazilian musicians that recorded the CD with him. The quintet performed two 45 minute sets featuring a number of compositions from the new CD. An excellent night of jazz at the Parker!

Thursday – Day Nine: our last full day in ATX. We opted to spend the morning back in SoCo to hunt for more street art and try the coffee and tea at La La Land Kind Cafe. The cafe is part of a growing chain that is associated with the La La Land Foundation. The Foundation sponsors young people between the ages of 17 and 25 who are in or transitioning from foster care with training and paid internships in their cafes. Quite lovely on all counts.

After our fika break at La La Land we walked to the Bouldin Creek neighborhood, which is home to Sightseer Coffee and Sugar Mama’s Bake Shop. The building is also a mural destination with several murals by Eleanor Niz @Elenizzle. Solid!

We made our way back to the CitizenM after a fun and productive day exploring the SoCo and Bouldin Creek neighborhoods. After a brief siesta we set out for dinner and another evening of live jazz.

Taqueria de Diez also known by Austinites as D/10 opened in 2024. This tacqueria has a distinctively Mexican menu as opposed to Tex-Mex. We had a hard time finding the restaurant as the door is in an alley with just a small sign – but don’t give up – it is absolutely worth the effort. Muy delicioso! Thank you to Jeffrey at the citizenM for the tip.

Nica on 4th is a new jazz club and cocktail bar (opened 18 September) with jazz nightly from 1800 until 0100. This was the most elegant of the three jazz clubs we visited and is next door to the Parker Jazz Club. We sampled some of their craft cocktails while enjoying three sets of jazz. The first quartet of the evening consisted of one University of North Texas (UTN) alumna and three current students. UNT has a reputation as one the best collegiate jazz programs in the United States. UNT sponsored a jazz band back in the 1940s which grew into the first college degree program for jazz.

We had a great time in ATX. The city is a lively mix of big city activities and small town friendliness and accessibility. How much time you might want spend here is as always a function of your interests and energy level. The city offers a multitude of opportunities for great dining, live music, fine art, street art, interesting architecture, excellent specialty coffee as well as plenty of recreational options.

That is a wrap on our ATX City Tour. Next up is Miami in January 2026 as part of our City Tour Series.

Be seeing you!

Heartland…..Coffee, Cattle, Beef and Baseball

23/07/2025 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Baseball, Bike Trails, Cities, Coffee, Dining, Street Art and Murals, Travel

From Gallup, New Mexico, we motored across a very scenic portion of the I40 stopping in Laguna to visit the Laguna Pueblo.

Pueblo of laguna

The Pueblo of Laguna was formed in 1699 by refugees from several other pueblos in the aftermath of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. We were most interested in visiting the Mission San Jose’ de Laguna which was constructed between 1699 and 1701 under the supervision of the Franciscans who had returned to the area.

This church is still an active parish and, in fact, we visited just as a funeral had ended. Our timing was good in that the caretaker saw us milling around outside the mission and invited us in to see the interior. The caretaker and his wife provided us with some interesting local history about the pueblo and their personal history. The caretaker’s wife, who is Native American, shared some of her experiences of living in an American Indian boarding school.

This church is extremely well-preserved. The hand carved wooden doors and vigas (ceiling beams) are original and demonstrate great craftsmanship by the Spanish and Native Americans that designed and built the church. Quite remarkable. Additionally, the interior church walls are decorated with both Laguna art and Spanish paintings.

While this mission is small by comparison to many of the other Spanish Colonial Missions we have toured, we recommend visiting if you are crossing New Mexico on I40 or historic Route 66. The pueblo is about 45 miles west of Albuquerque.

Tucumcari, Nm (Founded 1901, Pop. 5058, Elev. 4091′)

We continued across I40- stopping in Albuquerque for lunch- remounted and continued across New Mexico eastward, stopping in Tucumacari for the evening. Tucumacari’s origins date back to 1901 when the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad built a construction camp there. It was known as Ragtown, most likely because it was a tent city. When the railroad made the location a hub for operations, the town boomed and the name was changed to Tucumacari. The town was a major transportation hub for transcontinental rail traffic until the 1950s. The increase in automobile travel and airline travel after World War 2 significantly reduced rail passenger traffic.

While Route 66 continued to bring many automobile travelers through the city, the advent of the interstate system and I40 ended Tucumacari’s days as a travel hub. The town has somehow maintained a five mile stretch of Historic Route 66 – with all the attendant neon lighting, retro motels and artifacts.

We departed the I40 in Tucumacari to follow United States Highway 54. The 54 is a two lane U.S. highway that runs 1197 miles from El Paso, Texas to Grigssville, Illinois. We have been endeavoring to travel pieces of the old US highway system over the last several years (several of which run coast to coast) to get a feel for highway travel before the interstate system was constructed. The 54 would take us out of New Mexico and through a slice of the Texas Panhandle and then through the Oklahoma Panhandle (did you know Oklahoma had a panhandle-be honest) and into Kansas. The land that now comprises the Oklahoma Panhandle was once part of Texas. Texas had to cede the land to the federal government when it became a state as slavery was not allowed above latitude 36’30’N (and Texas was a slave state). The ceded land was eventually apportioned between Kansas, Missouri and, of course, Oklahoma.

As we transited through the panhandles, the prevalent landscape became rolling grasslands and then flat fields inhabited by massive cattle feedlots (along both sides of the road). The photos below are of Nextgen Cattle Co. which has the capacity for as many as 50,000 head of cattle.

While not an interstate, the majority of traffic on the road were cattle carriers (some were full of cattle heading in our direction and empty heading the opposite way).

Liberal, KS (Founded 1888, Pop. 18743, Elev. 2848′)

After transiting through the panhandles we stopped for the night in the city of Liberal, Kansas which sits just north of the Oklahoma/Kansas state line. Liberal is part of the Golden Triangle of Beef (what a day – two panhandles and a triangle of beef -although we would have to say it is a poor excuse for a triangle).

***Golden Triangle of Beef aka Golden Triangle of Meat Packing, Kansas***

Liberal is home to one of National Beef’s two meat packing plants that form part of the Golden Triangle. Their other plant is located in Dodge City, Kansas. These are two of the largest meat packing plants in the world and considered state of art (more automation of the processing of carcasses). The concentration of these massive meatpacking facilities has dramatically changed the population and demographics in Southwestern Kansas. As an example, the population of Liberal has grown from 17,000 in 1980 to over 22,000 today. From a demographic perspective the town is now 66% hispanic. This statistic answered our initial question when we entered the town – why were most of the businesses along Main Street clearly hispanic-owned or -themed. This makes complete sense when one understands that meatpacking is the largest employer in town and frontline employees in the meatpacking industry constitute almost half of the workforce.

We had a tasty dinner at Brickyard BBQ & Brew and drove around town a bit more to see the massive meatpacking factory before turning in for the evening.

In the morning we checked out the Cozy Corner for coffee and tea. It is cozy and it is on the corner (and thank you so much for not spelling it Kozy Korner)! More importantly, our beverages were solid and the barista was friendly. As a life long resident she shared with us her experiences of living in a town where the make up of the town and the culture has dramatically shifted over the last ten years. Some were positive and some were not.

From Liberal we followed the 54 to Wichita. Not the most beautiful part of the country in our opinion, but the heartland feeds the United States and much of the world. Thank you!

Wichita, Ks (Founded 1863, Pop. 397,532, elev. 1303′)

Wichita was a new city for OTR. Our research had indicated that we would find the necessities of travel in fair measure – bicycle trails, street art, art museums, excellent coffee and tea and perhaps best of all–another home designed by Frank Loyd Wright which was open to the public. Boy Howdy!

The weather was ideal when we arrived so we stopped for coffee and then took a delightful spin on the Arkansas River Bike Path.

We started our ride at the northern trailhead which follows the Arkansas River as it courses through the west end of the city, eventually arriving at the confluence of the Arkansas River and the Little Arkansas River. There are three bridges along the way that provide access to the eastern side of the river and the Keeper of the Plains which sits on a point of land at the confluence of the rivers.

***Keeper of the Plains*** ***(Photo courtesy of Wichita Tourism)***

***Wichita (New Salem District), Kansas***

Wichita claims to have 120 street murals and we believe that to be the case based on our tour. We have included above and below some of our favorites.

***Wichita (El Pueblo District), Kansas***

During our stay in Wichita we split our Fika sessions between two very fine specialty coffee cafes. We used Reveries Roasters in the New Salem district as our base while searching for murals in the vicinity of the cafe (first three mural photos above).

While touring Old Town Wichita we set up our command center at Greater Grounds Coffee & Co., which is located in the heart of the Old Town district.

Much to our pleasure, we were able to visit a number of Frank Loyld Wright (FLW) designed properties during OTR 11.0.

Wichita provided us with the opportunity to visit the Prairie Style home FLW designed for Henry and Elsie Allen. Henry Allen was a newspaper publisher and later became the governor of Kansas.

The Henry J. Allen House is located in the genteel College Hill neighborhood. The construction of the home was completed in 1918. FLW also designed much of the furniture in the home.

Today the home is maintained and preserved by the non-profit Allen House Foundation. The wonderful photos of the interior are courtesy of the Foundation as interior photography is not allowed.

kansas city, mo (founded 1830, POP. 510,704, ELEV. 909′)

Departing Wichita, we were able to complete another section of U.S. Highway 50 (Atlantic to Pacific) as we cruised east to our next stop in Kansas City (Missouri). Our timing was such that we were able to stay overnight in Kansas City, poke around the city a bit and catch a KC Royals baseball game. The weather was perfect as well, making for a great late afternoon game at Kaufman Stadium.

***Kaufman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri***

We had great seats at “the K” and the Royals treated us to a nifty 4-3 come from behind win against the Cleveland Guardians. Now that is Mid-Western hospitality at it’s finest!

We were very much looking forward to our first visit to the iconic Messenger Coffee location in downtown KC. The situation was a bit chaotic during our first visit as there was a large anti-Trump rally underway (and protesters need caffeine)!

Fika at Messenger Coffee did not disappoint despite the hoards of protesters and regulars. Messenger is partnered with Ibis Bakery. Ibis shares the space with Messenger at the Grand Boulevard location that we visited. The bakery space is open and you can sit at the bar and watch the bakers work their craft. Nifty! P.S. This is our first coffee cafe with a rooftop space (photo below) as best as we can remember (sad).

After fika we meandered over to the Crossroads Arts District to check out the street art scene, followed by dinner at Lidia’s Kansas City. Some of our favorites from this pic shoot are below.

Celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich opened this outpost in 1998 and it is still going strong. We had a fabulous meal with very prompt and professional service even though this very large restaurant was packed. Well done Lidia and team!

Saint Louis, MO (Founded 1764, pop. 281, 754, elev. 466′)

From KC, it was a straight shot across the I70 to St. Louis to spend the night and catch another MLB ballgame. We would like to thank MLB for accommodating our travel schedule so nicely and arranging for good weather for each of our games.

***Busch Stadium, Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri***

We saw another close, well played game but, unfortunately for the home crowd, the California Angels won the game in ten innings.

The next morning we found coffee at Coma Coffee Roasters (excellent) in the Richmond Heights area and then drove to the Lafayette Square neighborhood for a self guided walking tour of this historic gem.

***Coma Coffee Roasters, Richmond Heights, St. Louis, Missourri***

The Lafayette Square neighborhood dates back to the 1860s while the park itself was platted in 1836. The neighborhood has had its ups and downs throughout the years. The neighborhood was rescued during the 1960s by a group of citizens committed to preserving the park and the surrounding neighborhood. Today the neighborhood is home to dozens of meticulously restored Victorian residences and a number of small shops and eateries.

After our walking tour of the Lafayette Square neighborhood we paid a visit to the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.The cathedral’s Romanesque exterior is an imposing structure. The dome is impressive from the outside but even more so from the interior where it reaches upward for 143 feet from the floor. We personally think the monochromatic exterior diminishes the “curb appeal” a tad.

***Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis (Photo courtesy of Apple Maps)***

The Byzantine style interior, on the other hand, is spectacular. The mosaics that adorn the interior were completed in 1988 after 76 years of work by 20 different artists! The cathedral was designated a basilica by Pope John Paul II in recognition of the stunning beauty of the interior. If you are a fan of church architecture and art work this is a good visit. You can find detailed information regarding cathedral history, tours and services in the link embedded in the previous paragraph.

Over-The-Rhine, CINCINNATI, Oh

En route to Columbus we stopped in for coffee and tea at the Collective Espresso located by Ziegler Park (Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati). This was our first visit to this new location for Collective Espresso and we were quite pleased with the product and the barista. After our fika session at Collective, we took a walkabout in the immediate neighborhood to check out the progress the city is making in revitalizing the Over-the-Rhine district of the city (see our previous post). Fortunately, many of the architecturally significant buildings were not demolished and many have been beautifully restored.

Columbus, ohio (Founded 1812, pop. 915,427, elev. 902)

Departing Cincinnati we turned north to Columbus to attend a Columbus Clippers AAA game that evening and visit with our friend Kenny Sipes at Roosevelt Coffee house the next morning.

We are pleased to report that the Clippers were in fine form as was Kenny and the Roosevelt Coffeehouse crew.

After our visit with Kenny we motored to Dubois, Pennsylvania where we stopped for the evening. On Friday 4 April we arrived at the Fort, marking the completion of OTR 11.0 – The Never Better Tour. Thanks for following along.

Be seeing you!

Coronado Trail Scenic Byway(CTSB) – U.S. Route 191- But First, Copper

15/06/2025 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Adventure Van Travel, Coffee, Dining, Scenic Drive, The American West, Travel, Western history

The photo above shows our route through the White Mountains of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest (ASNF) following Route 191 designated as the Coronado Trail Scenic Byway. The byway approximately follows the route of Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado as he and his band searched for the Seven Cities of Cibola. Coronado, of course, never found the mythical cities but he and his entourage did manage to plunder a number of `pueblos and kill a fair few indigenous people along the way.

The photo above is not what most of us would imagine the view from a scenic road looks like (and it isn’t ) but the only way to the CTSR from the south is through the Morenci Copper Mine. This mine is the largest open pit copper mine in North America. As the mine continues to consume more territory, the plan has been to move the state highway so that it would go around the mine. The current section of the road was designated as 191T (for temporary) but a new road around the mine has not been completed. So, travelers have the opportunity to drive right through the massive mining operation and the mining towns of Clifton and Morenci.

While this mine is one of the largest man-made scars on earth, we were quite facinated by the specatcle of this gargantuan mine and the scale and complexity of the operation (more in a bit).

***Morenci Open Pit Copper Mine, Morenci, Arizona***
***(Photo courtesy of Mining Technology)***

Clifton, Arizona (founded 1873, pop. 3780, elevation 3875′)

The town of Clifton sits at the southern end of the mine. The historic Chase Creek Street is 50-60% unoccupied but the buildings are in reasonably good shape. Chase Creek Street once was a bustling downtown street with hotels, saloons, restaurants and mercantiles. It could be quite attractive again for visitors if there were more tenants with shops and restaurants. (For a brief history of the town of Clifton click on the link above).

The town has a rich 150 year history centered around copper mining. In 1983 two events ocurred which changed the town forever. The first was the cataclysmic flood which hit the town on 1 October of that year. The flood wiped away half the town but remarkably no one was killed. The town had never been flooded since its original settlement. (The link above will take you to an article which includes photos taken during the flood).

The second event, which also ocurred during 1983, was the labor strike at the Morenci Mine. At the time the mine was owned by the infamous (in our opinion) Phelps-Dodge Mining Company. Phelps-Dodge was the only copper mining company that would not agree to a cost of living wage adjustment for the miners. The union went on strike until a 1986 settlement, but by then the union workers had been replaced by non-union workers and the union was broken for good.

***Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Chase Creek Street, Clifton, Arizona***

After our walking tour of the Chase Creek Street area we mounted up and headed north on the 191 to see the largest copper mine in North America. As we referenced earlier in this post, the state highway runs through portions of the open pit copper mine.

Morenci Copper Mine is owned and operated by Freeport McMoRan. This company is one of the successor companies to Phelps-Dodge and was formed in 1987. This mine operates 24 hours per day, 365 days of the year and employes 3600 people. The mine produces 225 million pounds of copper annually and is expected to operate until 2041.

We stopped at several points along the road to view the mine and the operations.The mining company has built several viewing areas that allow for safe viewing of the mine. Morenci has also placed a number of helpful informational signs at the viewing areas.

While we are confident that environmentalists will continue to work to eliminate mining due to the impacts on the environment, there is little doubt in our minds that the mining of raw materials will continue unabated. Our modern society and our way of living is dependent on copper and a host of other materials that come from within our planet. Our view is that the best option for now is to ensure that mining companies and other extractive firms are held to strict standards in relation to the environment and the safety of employees.

***Morenci Copper Mine Viewed From CTSR***

With the open pit behind us to our south we began the climb up into the White Mountains following the narrow twisting byway. We had the perfect day for the drive as the clear blue sky allowed us to take in one stunning vista after another. While the road is narrow and twisty (460 curves in 120 miles) the real challenge to driving this road safely is keeping your eyes on the road.

The first portion of the trail provides great views of the numerous canyons that fan out to the east and west of the trail. A bit further on the scenery turns to savannah-like grasslands which are home to beef cattle. Once past the mesa the trail begins to ascend again providing views of a number of peaks in the 8000′ to 9000′ range. These peaks include Raspberry Peak at 8337′, Indian Peak at 8701′, Rose Peak 8786′ and Blue Peak at 9364′. From a driving perspective we topped out at Hannagan Meadow which sits at 9300′. Quite impressive.

***Four Bar Mesa (6578′), Blue, Arizona (Pop. 68)***

Coronado Trail Scenic Road, Blue, Aiizona

At Hannagan Meadow we stopped briefly to check out the Hannagan Meadow Lodge. The lodge has been in operation since 1916. The lodge sits in the Hannagan Meadow Recreation Area which is within the ASNF. This whole area is completely unspoilt and,with the exception of the lodge, is completely undeveloped. The lodge operates year-round and is a meca for outdoor enthusiasts. Hannagan Meadow is known for having the first and last snowfall of the season in Arizona due its elevation and location.

Alpine, Arizona (Founded 1876, Pop. 146, elevation 8006′)

From the lodge we continued north beginning to descend the north slope of the White Mountains. We stopped in the tiny settlement of Alpine for a late lunch. The towns businesses sit along the 191 for the most part. The town is probably best described as rustic. The one school in town is K-8 with 60 students. The closest high school is down the mountain in Springerville (27 miles north). Finally, cementing Alpine as a true country town – you are correct – there are no traffic lights!

Alpine is nestled in the largest Ponderosa Pine forest in the world. The town proper is surrounded by a number of meadows where we observed large herds of elk grazing. Quite spectacular for us city folk. Alpine, while tiny, attracts many outdoor enthusiasts which explains the six lodges in town.

While we had several choices for lunch, the Alpine Grill and Still seemed to demand our trade – maybe the Still part of the name compelled us in that direction – and it did not hurt that the Still also had an ice cream bar (much needed after a giant burger with fries) and a row of working pinball machines! Sound.

We noticed that there were a number of posters in town and at the entrance to the Still seeking information regarding the killing of wild horses in the area. Additionally, the National Forest Service is rounding up wild horses which are being sold for slaughter in Mexico according to the Arizona Wild Horse Association. Such a shame on both accounts – we have seen many herds of mustangs during our trips in the West and they are magnificent animals (and not a threat to anyone).

EAGER, ARIZONA (FOUNDED 1871, POP. 4473, ELEVATION 7000′)

After our lunch in Alpine we continued north on the CTSB, descending another 1000′ to Eager, at the northern base of the White Mountains, where we spent the night at the Best Western. Eager is another example of Mormons dispatched by Brigham Young to homestead a wilderness area and create a bounty of cattle, sheep and lumber (brief history embedded in the link above).

The next morning we found coffee and tea at Tin Can Coffee Co, met the owner and her daughter who were handling the morning rush (as it were in Eager). As sometimes happens when we (strangers) roll into a small town in the hinterlands, we were engaged by a friendly local eccentric who eagerly (ha ha) shared some of his theories on how much of what we see or believe is not real. It is hard to fathom that for all these years we had not realized that the moon landing was a hoax -travel can be so educational!

***Eager, Arizona, 1934 (Photo courtesy of Arizona Memory Project)***

St. johns, Arizona (Founded c.1862, Pop. 3480, Elev. 5745′)

We stopped in St. Johns to take a look at the pleasing church pictured below (earlier version of the church pictured underneath). While walking around the grounds we met the church caretaker. He generously provided us with an oral history of the town. Intially, the town was a Spanish community with an agricultural economy. The town was named El Vadito (little crossing) by Spanish explorers crossing the Little Colorado River.

***St. John The Baptist Catholic Church*** ***(2025)***

By 1879 a significant group of Mormon “pioneers” had arrived looking for a place where they could continue the illegal practice of polygamy. This led to significant conflict and violence as the local folks were not as keen on polygamy as their new Mormon neighbors.

As federal marshals were out actively pursuing polygamists many of the Mormon families fled to Mexico while others sought refuge in Utah. Among the prominent Mormon families in St Johns were the Udalls of American political fame.

We thanked the church caretaker for the enlightening history lesson, picked up the trail north and finished our day bunking down in Gallup, New Mexico (see our post Western New Mexico). Dinner at the El Rancho was just as good as we remembered from our last visit. Coffee and tea at the Gallup Coffee Company the following morning was as spot- on as we remembered from our prior visit.

Our departure from Gallup marked the beginning of the end of our Never Better Tour of the Southwest.

In our next and ultimate post of the trip we will share our experiences from our road trip through the heartland states of Kansas and Missouri en route to our home base in Connecticut.

Be seeing you!

Arizona: Superior to Duncan-Copper, Cotton, Breathtaking Views and Western Hospitality

22/05/202522/05/2025 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Adventure Van Travel, Camping, Coffee, Copper Mining, The American West, Travel

***Picketpost Mountain, Route 60, Kearny, Arizona (4377′)***

This segment of our adventure took us from the Phoenix area across the Sonoran Desert towards the New Mexico border. We headed out toward Superior through a visually jarring landscape, although we were traveling just 65 miles east of Phoenix. We passed through a string of mining towns with their unearthly landscapes, the desolate San Carlos Reservation, the riparian Gila River Valley, the Pinal Mountains and finally, the most impressive Pinaleno Mountains.

SUPERIOR(FOUNDED 1882, POP. 2571, ELEV. 2,888′)

The town of Superior was the first of the mining or former mining towns on this trek. The town was formed in 1875 with the discovery of rich veins of silver resulting in the creation of the Silver King Mine. The silver market crashed within several years, but fortunately for the town folks, copper was discovered and the boom was on again. The Magma Copper Company operated from 1914 to 1996. Back to the bust portion of the program.

Today, the town with its proximity to Phoenix, beautiful scenery, bountiful hiking, rock climbing opportunities and the botanical garden is in the process of becoming discovered.

We stopped in Superior at the Circle K for fuel and firewood before heading up through the Queen Creek Canyon to look for a camping spot in the Oak Flat Recreation Area a few miles east of Superior.

The following morning we drove back down through the spectacular Queen Creek Canyon into Superior. First order of business, as always, was coffee and tea. Bellas Cafe appeared as if on cue immediately after we turned the corner on to Main Street. One of the employees we met is a musician and he and his band have played many venues in New Haven.

We fueled up and then wandered around town for a bit. Main Street and the two side streets are not yet entirely occupied, but enough so that town is lively with shops, restaurants, saloons and even a wine bar!

We met one of the artists of the mural below, he owns the building with the courtyard pictured below. He has moved to Superior from Los Angeles and is converting the building (formerly a bar/restaurant) to an art gallery. Bring on the tourists!

BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM (BTA)

After exploring Superior we drove east a couple of miles to visit the BTA. The BTA was founded by Colonel William Boyce Thompson. The Colonel was at the time the owner of the Magma Copper Company in Superior and had built a winter home there in the early 1920’s, Picket Post House. In 1924, Boyce Thompson built the arboretum on 400 acres around Picket Post House. He was an interesting character (click on the link above to read more about Colonel Boyce as well as the BTA).

The BTA covers 372 acres with collections of desert plants from around the world. The collections from diverse desert locations provided us with the opportunity to see desert plants not naturally found in the United States-quite interesting. The arboretum also has five miles of hiking trails which gave us the opportunity to hike up a trail which provided views of the canyon and surrounding mountains. If you ever find yourself in Superior we recommend a visit to the BTA (not so much in the summer). After we finished our visit at BTA we stopped back in Superior for lunch at the Silver King Smokehouse and Saloon.

MIAMI(FOUNDED 1876, POP. 1528, ELEV. 3402′)

From Superior we continued east on U.S. Highway 60 which is still intact in Arizona ( Highway 60 at one point ran from Los Angeles, California to Virginia Beach, Virginia) with a plan to find camping east of Globe in the Pinal Mountains.

***Miami Copper Mine and Town of Miami, Arizona***
***(Photos above and below courtesy of Arizona Memory Project)***

We were not planning on stopping in Miami (this link has an excellent photo gallery of Miami and the smelter) but we were dumbfounded by the size of the mining operations and how the town itself is jammed onto the hills at the base of the mine and across the other side of U.S. 60. So, we found ourselves driving back and forth through town to take in the (to us) surreal scenery. This mine is one of five open pit copper mines in Arizona operated by Freeport-McMoRan (more on that later).

GLOBE(FOUNDED 1876, POP. 7179, ELEV. 3510′)

Globe is one of the communities along our route east which is in the category of former mining towns. The Old Dominion Mining Company produced copper here for 50 years. The mine had weathered a violent strike in 1917 and reopened in 1919 but only lasted another twelve years as the mine was in poor repair and the shafts were filling with water.

After a slow cruise through downtown Globe (and finding nothing open) we navigated to FR 112 to find a camping spot in the Pinal Mountains.

FR 112, Pinal Mountains, Globe, Arizona

Since we could see that Pinal Peak (7800′) was still covered in snow, we had no illusions that we would make it all the way to the peak. We had pulled off into a layby as the road is a single lane and there was a vehicle coming down (downhill has right of way). He reported through the open passenger window of his mud spattered pickup that conditions at the top were too muddy for our tires We took his word at face value and camped in the layby. No fools, us!

We awoke to a beautiful morning and began the trek back down the mountain to travel east to the town of Safford. If you watch the video below to the end you will see a herd of Javalina crossing the road.

Once we reached pavement we followed Highway 70 east through the San Carlos Reservation and then traveled along the Gila River to Safford.

SAN CARLOS RESERVATION (FOUNDED 1871, POP. 10,000′)

The San Carlos Reservation was established in 1871 and is home to the San Carlos Apache Tribe. The original inhabitants of the reservation were the Chiricahua Apache tribe; they were joined by members of other tribes soon after. The federal government closed the Camp Verde Reservation in 1875 and force marched the Yavapai 180 miles to the San Carlos Reservation. Of the 1400 marched to San Carlos, 375 died en route to their new “home”. Over time the reservation became a consolidation point for a number of different Apache speaking tribes. To make room for the new residents the federal government thoughtfully transported the original Chiricahua Apaches to Florida in 1886.

***Apaches Waiting for Rations at San Carlos Reservation (Photos above and below courtesy of Arizona Memory Project)***

Today approximately 10,000 of 16,000 tribal members live on the reservation. The reservation was federally recognized in 1934 and encompasses 1.8 million acres (3000 sq. miles). About thirty percent of the members live in San Carlos and the remainder in several other tiny settlements along Highway 70.

Economically, the San Carlos members seem to be worse off than many other reservations. There is, of course, a casino (two in fact) but beyond that there is little industry other than revenue generated from recreation and wildlife permits and a handful of small Peridot mines (open to tribal members only). 49% of the population lives below the poverty line and 36% of working age members are unemployed.

safford(pop. 10,700, elev. 2920′)

Safford was by far the biggest town by population on our route, with almost 11,000 people. The portion of Highway 70 in Safford is lined with the usual “civi town” suspects – fast food chains, Walmart, Home Depot, etc. Fortunately, one block off of the 70, Main Street is intact with local retailers, restaurants and, most importantly, coffee (Ginaveve’s). During our walk around town we also happened upon the local insurance agency, where the big red umbrella is prominently on display.

Agriculture is the primary industry in Safford. The main crop is cotton, which was introduced into the area by Mormon settlers during the 1870s. You are probably familiar with Pima cotton which comes from the fertile soil in the Gila Valley. Latter Day Saints remain influential in the area – about one third of the population is LDS.

From an employment standpoint, many of the residents work in the two mines north of town; the nearby state and federal prisons are also significant employers.

The main attraction for us in stopping in Safford was the opportunity to drive the Swift Trail which winds up over 7000 feet through the Pinaleno Mountains to Mount Graham (10,696′). The trail is paved for the first 22 miles and dirt the final 13 miles.

***Swift Trail, Coronado National Forest, Safford Arizona***

Climbing Swift Trail

The upper elevations of the Pinaleno Mountains are heavily pine forested. So, when Mormon farmers arrived in the late 1800, the trail was built as a wagon route for lumber needed by the farmers and later for the mining operations that were opened in the early 1900s.

The views were as breathtaking as advertised! The drive itself was fun as we navigated the seemingly unending switchbacks that lead around the mountains and eventually up to the top. Once at the top we could see why the Western Apache considered Mount Graham (Dzil Nchaa Si’an) a sacred place. As is often the case, the Native Americans were removed and placed on reservations so that our extraction of natural resources could continue unabated. Fortunately, for all of us, this land is now protected as part of the Coronado National Forest.

***Sulphur Springs Valley – Winchester Mountains***

Descending Swift Trail

After descending the trail we camped at the base, which afforded us an evening soaking in panoramic views of the snowcapped mountain range – mesmerizing – nature never disappoints!

In the morning we grabbed coffee and tea at Ginaveve’s and set out to hike along the Gila River within the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area. The Gila is a 649 mile long tributary of the Colorado and flows all year through the section within the conversation area creating this green strip through the desert. Below this area the Gila and its tributaries are damed several times. By the time the river reaches the Phoenix area it is usually just a dry wash.

After hiking along several sections of the Gila, we returned to the Beast and made our way back to Highway 70 (The Old West Highway) to make the short drive east to Duncan. The Gila River loops north from where we hiked but we rejoined the river in Duncan. Duncan sits within the Duncan Valley and is another agricultural hub in an otherwise barren land. Duncan, like Safford, is a cotton producer. Cattle ranching and copper mining (about 40 miles north is the largest open pit copper mine in North America) are also found in and around Duncan-three of the Five Cs of Arizona – Copper, Cotton and Cattle – the other two being climate and citrus.

DUNCAn(FOUNDED 1883, POP. 879, elev. 3400′)

We had read about the Simpson Hotel and it sounded charming (it is – subject to liking cats- which we do) and the location in Duncan was perfect for kicking off our final segment in Arizona (Coronado Trail Scenic Road). The link to the hotel website (above) is a treasure trove of interesting information and worth a look.

The original hotel opened in 1914 as the Hotel Hobbs. Subsequently, the property was owned and operated by several different families. The current innkeepers, Clayton Jarvis and Deborah Mendelsohn began renovations in January of 2006 and opened in May of 2007 after 18 months of demolition and renovation. Deborah and Clayton are wonderful hosts adding to the charm of this classic territorial building’s exterior and art gallery interior. Clayton is an accomplished artist and has a studio in the courtyard behind the hotel. We completed our stay with a pizza pie to go from Humble Pie which conveniently sits about 200 feet up Main Street from the Simpson.

This is our post covering the Superior to Duncan segment of OTR 11.0, our penultimate segment in Arizona. We hope you found it interesting.

Be seeing you!

Apache Trail to Mogollon Rim-Desert to Pine Forests

05/05/202507/05/2025 by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Adventure Van Travel, Architecture, Camping, Coffee, Scenic Drive, Travel

The Apache Trail begins in Apache Junction, Arizona on the eastern edge of Phoenix and winds northeastward to the Roosevelt Dam. The trail begins as a two lane paved highway (SR 88) and becomes dirt at mile 22 (which is when the fun begins)! The scenery along the route is legendary and with good reason. This byway takes you up and over peaks and down deep into canyons providing massively gorgeous views of the Superstition Mountains and two lakes along the way.

Our first stop was at Canyon Lake, one of four reservoirs created by damming the once mighty Salt River. The Mormon Lake Dam was completed in 1925 and was the third lake to be created by damming the river. It is the smallest of the lakes at 950 acres. The average depth of Canyon Lake is 130 feet (no kayaking for us – we prefer knee deep). All of the reservoirs created by the Salt River Project are recreational – allowing boating, water sports and fishing.

***Mormon Flat Bridge (built 1924), SR88, Willow Creek***

At pavement’s end, we began the exciting drive down to the Fish Creek Canyon bottom. It is incredible to think that this was once a stagecoach route (we saw several sites where cars went over the side – maybe the stagecoach was actually safer)! We have included two videos below to provide a sense of the drive down.

After following the Lewis and Pranty Creek for several miles, the road angles in a more northerly direction and we began to climb out of the canyon and got our first views of Apache Lake.

Apache Lake is the second largest of the four lakes created by damming. The lake was created by the completion of the Horse Mesa Dam. The dam (660 foot long and 300 feet high) is a hydroelectric generating station capable of producing 129 megawatts of electricity. The energy from here helps power the Phoenix metropolitan area.

***Downstream View – Horse Mesa Dam*** ***(Photo courtesy of Mark Durben)***

The final dam along the Apache Trail is the Theodore Roosevelt Lake Dam named after (two guesses only please) a former president. The original dam was completed in 1911, after six years of construction. While it also generates electricity (since the 1996 modernization) it’s primary purpose was to contain water for irrigation in what was arid desert.

Theodore Roosevelt Lake Dam

The dam created the largest lake in Arizona. The resulting lake is over 20 miles long and can store as much as 2.9 million acre-feet of water (one acre foot of water equals 325,000 gallons). We didn’t do the math but we are pretty sure it is a lot of water!

The Theodore Roosevelt (that name again) Bridge is a beauty. The bridge was completed in 1990. The bridge is the longest single span bridge in North America at 1080 feet. Before the bridge was completed, the only way north was to drive over the dam (sorry we missed that experience).

***Theodore Roosevelt Lake – Sierra Ancha*** ***Mountains***

After crossing the bridge we followed the western shore of the lake north on SR 188. We found a lovely spot to camp on the beach and enjoyed a cool but beautiful evening. Our site allowed a panoramic view of the Sierra Ancha across the lake to our east and the snow capped Mazatzal Mountains to our west. Quite spectacular, if we’re honest!

In the morning we broke camp and traveled further north looking for coffee before venturing up to the Mogollon Rim. Along the way we drove through our favorite named community of this trip – Punkin Center – which is one of a handful of census designated places in the Tonto Basin. We couldn’t find a population statistic anywhere or any obvious reason for it’s existence, but how can you not like a place called Punkin Center where the main attraction is the bar!

***Punkin Center Bar, Punkin Center, Arizona***

We found coffee at Common Grounds in Payson. Our barista and her younger brother requested a tour of the Beast and while we were chatting provided us with a number of hiking opportunities nearby. Thank you!

Payson (population 16,000) was founded by gold miners in the early 1880s, but it is timber and cattle that sustained this area. During prohibition the town’s extremely remote location fostered the manufacture of moonshine with 30-40 stills scattered around the area. The moonshine from Payson was known as “Payson Dew“.

***(Photo courtesy of Northern Gila County Historical Society)***

Payson sits at an elevation of 5,000 feet and offers a multitude of recreational opportunities in the surrounding Tonto National Forest, making it a popular spot for Phoenicians during the summer months.

In addition to a coffee stop, Payson was our starting point for accessing the Mogollon (mug-e-YOHN) Rim which forms the southern edge of the massive Colorado Plateau.

Our timing in exploring central and northern Arizona was once again accompanied by a snow storm in the mountains. Mother Nature obviously didn’t get the memo that we were coming! After checking with the Forest Service and confirming that the Rim Road was open albeit a bit muddy, we fired up the Beast.

The Mogollon Rim (MR) is 200 miles long, extending from Flagstaff to the New Mexico border.The elevation ranges between 7000 and 8000 feet above sea level. The MR is an escarpment which delineates the pine forests and the Sonoran Desert to the south. It was fascinating to see how the landscape changed so rapidly as we climbed from the desert floor into higher elevation – desert vegetation to pine forests in just a matter of a couple thousand feet of elevation gain.

We spent the afternoon taking in the views from the MR and eventually turned around to begin our descent. As often happens after an afternoon of taking in beautiful views and scenery we found ourselves feeling a bit peckish. We stopped at That Brewery in Pine for a late lunch/early dinner or what we call it when we are on the road – a lundin.

After our delish burgers and cocktails we got on the road southward and began to look for a camping spot between Pine and Phoenix. Our ride was interrupted by an Arizona State Trooper who claimed we did not have a license plate. We do, of course, have a license plate – the trooper just did not know where to look on the van. Okay, our bad, our firewood bag had shifted downward and obscured the plate. After a friendly verbal and written warning (and rehanging the bag) we were again on our way south.

***Log Corral Canyon***, ***Tonto National Forest***

We found a secluded spot to camp not to far off our route south to Phoenix. One of the delightful parts of traveling in the west is that there are almost endless opportunities for secluded and scenic camping that require no fees or reservations. As an example, the Log Corral Canyon where we camped that evening is within the Tonto National Forest which stretches from the MR to the Sonoran Desert (2.9 million acres).

In the morning we returned to Phoenix for two nights and some additional bike riding (and excellent coffee at Peixeto (pay-shay-tow).

After our second stay in Phoenix we again set out for northern Arizona. Our first stop was the town of Prescott (press-kit). We had never visited but had read many wonderful reviews of the town and a number of Arizonians we met during this trip had also highly recommended we go.

Our secondary motivation for visiting Prescott was to stay at the Hassayampa Inn. The inn opened in 1927 to provide lodging for the growing number of tourists who had discovered the charms of this former mining and logging town. The inn was designed by our favorite hotel architect Henry Trost. The bottom right photo shows the original and still operational elevator.

By the time we arrived at the hotel it was snowing ( Prescott elevation 5300 feet). We were tucked in nice and cosy at the inn, so a bit of snow was not a concern for us as we had booked two nights. Excellent restaurant, outstanding cocktails in front of the fireplace in the beautiful Trost lobby and fantastic coffee a short walk down the street. Yippee Ki Aye!

***Merchant Coffee, Prescott, Arizona***

However, our plans to continue north hit a snag when we learned the road north was closed due the weather and that Sedona and Flagstaff were a mess. Flagstaff had received over 20 inches of snow and the temperatures were remaining bitterly cold. Not why we had come to Arizona! Once again, time to revise our itinerary – ah, life on the road.

Realizing that exiting Arizona to the north was not meant to be, we decided to head to Southeastern Arizona where the forecasted weather looked delightful (see photo below).

***Pickpocket Mountain, Route 60, Kearny, Arizona***

Be seeing you!

Las Cruces—City of Crosses

05/02/202512/02/2025 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Coffee, Dining, Hiking, New Mexico, Street Art and Murals, The American West, Travel

Cape Breton, Anti-clockwise- Sunrise to Sunset

30/07/202419/08/2024 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Camping, Coffee, Travel

After departing the bustle of Halifax we made our way east to tour the island of Cape Breton. We had become quite enamored of the beauty of the island and friendly folks we met along the way, we stayed two weeks before crossing back over the Canso Causeway onto the mainland of Nova Scotia. One of the major tourist draws is a loop auto route around the island known as the Cabot Trail (CT). While we drove the majority of the CT during our stay we spent considerable time poking around on the numerous side roads and back roads that led us to many scenic and uncrowded places.

***View from Cabot Trail, Englishtown, Cape Breton***

The morning after crossing onto the island we met Bill who asked us if we were going to drive the CT. We said sure – he replied that you will miss a lot of the beauty and culture of the island if you just follow the trail. We assured him that we would explore well beyond the trail. In retrospect, it was excellent advice – Bill had grown up on the island and moved away to serve in the military and was back visiting family – some of our best experiences were in little harbors and settlements we happened upon while rambling off the main roads.

After spending our first night camping at Whycocomagh Provincial Park, we drove a few miles along the coast and joined the CT at St. Anns. After a bite at the Lobster Gallery (with a view up St. Anns Harbour- photo above right) we drove up and around the bend to visit the Great Hall of the Clans at the Gaelic College (Colaisdena na Gaidhlig).

We toured the exhibits in the Great Hall and we were also treated to several demonstrations and performances taking place in the hall. There was of course, the obligatory Bagpiper along with a kilt maker. The kilt maker demonstrated with another guest how to properly put on and wear a kilt along with the appropriate accessories – actually quite interesting. We also watched a demonstration of a milling frolic and, finally, some good Cape Breton fiddling. We have included below background on the milling frolic (courtesy of Gaelic.com).

A milling frolic is a social event that was born of necessity, and is carried on today for enjoyment. After wool cloth is woven on a loom, it is necessary to shrink the cloth in order to make it warmer and more watertight. In the Scottish Highlands [in pre-industrial times], cleansing and shrinking the newly-woven cloth was done by hand in local communities. It was a social event of shared labour, made enjoyable by singing songs which maintained the work rhythm, preserved traditions, and encouraged original compositions with jokes about local events and personalities.

Nowadays the real milling is done in factories, but the milling frolic has continued as a social event in Nova Scotia Gaelic communities. This contrasts with Scotland, where you might see a milling frolic performed on a stage or as a historical re-enactment, but not as a social event in the village or church hall. Milling frolics involve special work songs which are known as “milling songs” in Nova Scotia (and “waulking songs” in Scotland). Some milling songs are shared with Gaelic Scotland, but quite a few were indigenously composed in Nova Scotia. There is a good but short collection of these songs on a Memorial University folklore website.

From the college we followed the CT along the breathtaking coast on a day made even more beautiful by blue skies, white puffy clouds and brilliant sunshine. Wow!

We camped for the next four nights at the Broad Cove Campground within the Cape Breton Highlands National Park (CBHNP). The site was on an open field (not great) but we were just a ten minute walk to the spectacular Broad Cove Beach (photos below). The location was also a great base for some nearby hiking and exploring back roads. Most importantly, it was under a ten minute drive to first rate coffee and “brekkie” sandwiches in Ingonish. Hot diggity!

Broad Cove, CBHNP

Periwinkle Cafe, Ingonish (Ingo) – pre and post activity base camp while camping at Broad Cove.

While camping at Broad Cove we hiked at nearby Warren Lake which sits at the base of Broad Cove Mountain. Warren Lake is the largest lake in the park. The trail closely follows the shoreline providing views of the lake from varying perspectives. It was a scenic hike with easy terrain albeit lots of water crossing and muddy patches. No bears or moose spotted during our hike but plenty of waterfowl and birds.

Always in search of the best chowder, we headed to Neils Harbor to sample the best chowder on Cape Breton. Neils Harbour is just off the CT at the beginning of New Haven Road. What a surprise awaited us when we came around the bend – another tiny, picturesque fishing village! Alas, the real surprise was that the Chowder House was not open! Thankfully, salvation was at hand because the ice cream parlour in the base of the nearby lighthouse had just opened for the season.

The settlement at Neils Harbour (pop. 300) has been occupied since the 1700s onward by French and Scottish settlers drawn to the close by and plentiful fishing grounds, as well as the protected cove (photos above). The lighthouse was constructed and began operations in 1899. The lighthouse was automated in 1956 and is still operational today; it is currently owned by the local community development agency. It is a Heritage Lighthouse which means it will be preserved in its current state.

**Lighthouse and Ice Cream Parlour, Neils Harbour**

***Neils Harbour, 1939 (Photo courtesy Nova Scotia Archives)***

After finishing our delicious ice cream and looking around the harbour we decided to push on further up the New Haven Road to explore a bit more. This road led us to White Point Road which runs parallel to the coast and provides wonderful view from a vantage point a couple of hundred feet above the shore. We spotted a bay below and turned down the winding White Point Road which took us down to the harbour.

There is a tiny settlement of houses sitting on the hill just above the harbour. The larger body of water beyond the breakwater is Aspy Bay which has been fished seasonally by Europeans since the 1500s (and before that by the Mi’Kmaq). The permanent population here is estimated at 100 people today. The point that extends out into the ocean is spectacular. We are so glad we spotted this gem!

Our last ramble before breaking camp and heading around the bend onto the Sunset Side of the cape was to Meat Cove (don’t ask – okay we will tell you – the local inhabitants used the beach pictured below to butcher whale and moose carcasses).

***Meat Cove, Cape North, Cape Breton***

Meat Cove is another end of the road settlement at the extreme north of Cape Breton. We would have to say getting there is half the fun with the twisty dirt road scraped out of the mountainside providing fabulous views of the coastline and mountains. And yes, at the very end of it, just like in a dream (only real) is a seafood stand selling delicious seafood chowder and other goodies fresh from the ocean!

After taking in the astounding views and consuming our delicious fish chowder, we backtracked down the road and popped into the tiny fishing village of Bay St. Lawrence. This area is know as the Top of the Island because it is literally as far north as you can go. Longtime locals call the area Down North because rivers and streams here run northerly down from the mountains to the ocean.

The village was settled in the 1850s by Scots and retains its Gaelic heritage to this day. Some of the folks fishing out from this bay are fifth generation and direct descendants of the original Scottish settlers. There is no official census because the village is not officially recognized as a municipality – officially it is just an area within Victoria County. We found one estimate from 2022 which puts the local population at 400 although you could not prove that by us. The Bay Cafe in the community centre was not open so we unfortunately did not get to meet any local folks ( we hear they are very friendly). In fact, we did not see a single sole besides two fishermen cruising by the wharf on their boat (maybe they saw the van coming and took cover).

After our visit to Meat Cove and Cape North we traveled back to Broad Cove for our final night of camping at CBHNP. The following day we traveled the CT up through the highlands and followed the trail along the sunset side of Cape Breton. We are going to wrap up this post here because we have quite a bit more to share about our time on Cape Breton in our next post.

Be seeing you!

Prince Edward Island

19/07/2024 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Cities, Coffee, Dining, History, Travel

After out tour of the scenic Bay of Fundy coastline we made our way northeast to Prince Edward Island (PEI). The weather on the day we crossed over was raining, foggy and windy so we did not get much of a view of the Northumberland Strait or the PEI coastline. We have to admit that there was something a bit scary about driving across a narrow bridge over a strait that is part of the North Atlantic as opposed to a lake or river. Oh, by the way, when you cross the bridge back to New Brunswick, the toll is $48.00 Canadian!

The bridge is quite the engineering feat—spanning eight miles of the Northumberland Strait (North Atlantic) which freezes during the winter months. It is the longest bridge over frozen water in the world. The bridge opened in 1997 after four years of construction. Prior to the opening of the bridge, the only way on to the island in a vehicle was by ferry. The aforementioned freezing of the Strait meant that ferry service was periodically disrupted for extended periods during the winter.

***Confederation Bridge – Frozen Northumberland Strait***
***(Photo courtesy of Canadian Encyclopedia)***

Our pre-trip research indicated that PEI has an extensive bicycle trail network – the Confederation Trail. The trail runs the entire length of the island (140 miles) with many spurs to explore as well.

The Confederation Trail owes it’s existence to the Prince Edward Island Railroad (PEIR). The PEIR was a narrow gauge railway built during the 1870s. It hauled both freight and passengers. Much of the early freight hauled were potatoes – the major crop on the island. Potatoes are still the major agricultural crop today – you see large potato fields just about everywhere you travel outside of Charlottetown (no wonder, since there are 86,000 acres planted with potatoes). Farms on PEI produce 25% of all the potatoes produced in Canada even though it is the smallest province in all of Canada (land area and population).

The PEIR was heavily utilized during WW2 to haul supplies to military bases operating on the island as part of the war effort. After the war, volume declined as military bases closed and potatoes began to move by a combination of truck and large ferry boats. The railway was operational until 1989 when declining volume precipitated the demise of the PEIR.

The photos above are from our ride along St. Peter’s Bay. The scenery was delightful but the gusty winds coming from the bay made for a tiring ride (not complaining!).

Fortunately, coffee was at hand upon our return to Charlottetown, where we stayed during our visit. Most excellent coffee, tea and breakfast – thank you very much – at the stylish Receiver Coffee Company.

Receiver has three locations, two of which are in Charlottetown. The cafe and bistro is in the heart of downtown (above) while a second cafe and roastery is located on the waterfront (below).

The city of Charlottetown is quite charming architecturally with a downtown and residential area on the waterfront of Hillsborough Bay. We spent part of a day walking around much of the historic downtown (it is quite compact). There are several residential neighborhoods of charming and beautifully maintained homes.

*Government House (built 1833-1834), Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island*

During our walkabout we happened on to a peaceful green space within the residential district – Rochford Square – this green space was set aside in 1771.

The square is bounded on the west side by All Souls Lane. At the far corner of the green space and All Souls Lane sits St. Peters Cathedral – Anglican. The cathedral is handsome but as we rounded the corner we came upon the All Souls’ Chapel tucked right against the cathedral. The chapel was open so we ventured in for a look at an Anglican Chapel. The description from the plaque at the chapel entrance is included below.

This 1888 chapel, designed by William Critchlow Harris, Jr., is a masterful example of High Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in Canada. Its robust design is distinguished by rough textures in rust-red Prince Edward Island sandstone and by deep-set hooded windows. Inside, a profound sense of religious mystery has been created by the complex decorative scheme. It features a dramatic chancel arch, rich carvings, beautifully patterned encaustic tiles, subdued lighting and eighteen exquisite mural paintings by the artist Robert Harris, brother of the architect. (Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada)

We also visited St. Dunstan’s Basilica. The twin steeples of the basilica (opened in 1919) are visible from anywhere in the city. Each spire is 200 feet in height. The basilica is the fourth St. Dunstan’s and replaced the cathedral which completely burned in 1913.

The history of this Catholic parish is interesting in that the congregation is a mix of the earliest French settlers who started the first Catholic church on PEI in 1721 and and were joined in 1722 by Catholic Scots . The Scots were seeking to escape religious persecution in largely protestant Scotland.

Of course, in due time, the British set about persecuting all of the non-english speaking inhabitants of PEI ( the Mi’kmaq who called the island Epekwik and the French who called it Ile Saint-Jean ). The French and Mi’kmaq fought together against the British but eventually lost after fighting multiple wars over an extended period against the British Redcoats. Many of the French were deported to the American Colonies. Without the French the Mi’maq could not continue to wage war against the British and signed a peace treaty with them. Interesting to note that while the Mi’maq signed a peace treaty with the British they never ceded their territory and they were guaranteed the right to hunt, fish and gather in order to sustain themselves or make a living. In 1997, Canada’s Supreme Court affirmed these rights after Mi’kmaq Nation members were arrested for exercising their rights guaranteed within the treaty signed in 1761!

Okay, that just about completes our report on PEI. However, before we sign off we have a fine dining recommendation for y’all when you get up to Charlottetown (and you should). The Claddagh Oyster House had -fortunately for us- just reopened after a several month renovation.

While most folks think seafood in this neck of the woods (as do we) PEI is well known for it’s beef. Claddagh serves only certified PEI beef which they dry age in house for 50 days. If you like oysters we recommend you gorge on them for your appetizer and then enjoy a delicious steak (all the cuts are dry aged). Solid wine list and excellent cocktail selection.

Be seeing you!

The “Freddy”

11/07/2024 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Art, Art Museum, Bike Trails, Coffee, Street Art and Murals, Travel

As we swung back westward through New Brunswick (NB) inorder to ultimately re-enter the U.S. through Northern Maine, we decided to pay a visit to Fredericton aka the “Freddy”. Freddy appeared to meet our usual city selection criteria — small to medium in size, coffee options, art, live music, bike trails and a city waterfront.

***St. John River, Fredericton, New Brunswick***

We thought we would need two days but the weather was excellent and so much was happening that we ended up staying four nights; before departing on our wood lands ramble into remote northern New Brunswick (Wood Lands Ramble post coming soon).

Bicycling

A coalition of volunteers (Fredericton Trail Coalition) began to mobilize after the Canadian Northern Railway abandoned a number of lines in New Brunswick in 1989. The first trail was opened in 1993. In 1996, 377 additional kilometers of abandoned railway was donated to the province by the Irving Family allowing Freddy to connect a number of trails and create today’s connected network of over 120 kilometers of trail. A key aspect of the donation was the inclusion of the 906 foot railway bridge that spans the St. John River — connecting the trail systems on both side of the river.

As a result, folks in Fredericton have a plethora of riding and walking trail options. It is not surprising that Fredericton was named Canada’s 6th most-walkable city in 2019, one of 5 “Great Canadian Bike Cities” in 2021 by People for Bikes, and was #9 on Canada’s Best Small Cities as ranked by World’s Best Cities.com in 2022. We took advantage of the trail system and delightful weather to explore a number of the trails during our stay in Freddy.

fika

Combining biking with coffee is a double delight. Mill Town Coffee Roasters is conveniently located on one of the trails and we were able to take a coffee break on our way out and back during each ride. Pretty good, eh!

Street Art

In our humble opinion, public art adds a great deal to a city’s environment. We were glad to find that Freddy has several notable street murals in the downtown area, although we would have loved to find more during our walks through town.

Fine art

Freddy is very fortunate to have, in our opinion, a very impressive art museum, especially in light of the fact that the city population is barely 60,000. Much of the good fortune is owed to the generosity of one Lord Beaverbrook — who in 1959 gifted the museum building and 300 valuable works of art to a museum foundation he created for the benefit of the public. Did we mention that the museum is named the Beaverbrook Art Gallery?

The son of a Presbyterian minister in Miramichi, New Brunswick, the future Lord Beaverbrook, Max Aitken, enjoyed early success in Canadian business. In 1910, he left Canada for England, where he was knighted and elected a Member of Parliament, eventually serving as Minister of Aircraft Production in Churchill’s wartime government. No slouch Sir Max!

The museum is noted for it’s collection of renowned Canadian artists but also has works by Dali (not fans but still impressive to see a gallery of Dali paintings in Freddy) and Gainsborough and as well as other internationally acclaimed painters. The Beaverbrook became the official provincial gallery of New Brunswick in 1996.

Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989)
La Turbie: Sir James Dunn, 1949 oil on canvas
On Loan from the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation

Medrie MacPhee (Canadian / Canadienne, b./n. 1953)
Locke (1987)
oil on canvas / huile sur toile

Carol Hoorn Fraser (Canadian / Canadienne, 1930 – 1991)
The Guardians, 1976
oil on canvas / huile sur toile

Lucy Jarvis (Canadian / Canadienne, 1896 – 1985)
Iris Swamp (1961)
oil on board / huile sur panneau

Montreal-based painter Michael Smith (directly above and below) is known for his fluid and impasto surfaces as well as his ability to strike a poetic balance between representation and abstraction. Inspired by art history as well as historic and current events, Smith pulls from various sources to create his energetic landscapes and seascapes. His Sea of Change series includes massive canvases exploding with colour and energy, as well as smaller studies on paper. These were inspired by a serendipitous encounter with a 19th-century painting of the Arctic expedition ship H.M.S. Terror during his time as artist-in-residence at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in 2018. Layering texture and colour, the familiar with the unfamiliar, Smith’s paintings convey (as the artist writes) “a mix of excitement and anxiety of a land [that] although at times bucolic, is riddled with shadows.” Curated by John Leroux

A little bit of history

We often find that the early history of a city is intertwined with the creation of the dominate religion of the ruling class. Fredericton is no exception to that pattern. The city was named for Prince Frederick,son of King George III and Queen Charlotte. Subsequently, Queen Charlotte declared Fredericton a Cathedral City (even though its population was too small) so Christ Church Cathedral could be built. The Anglican Church at that time was utilized as a way to impose British custom and law (and to counter Acadian Catholicism) on the inhabitants be they British, Acadian or First Nations.

***Christ Church Cathedral, Fredericton, New Brunswick***

The Cathedral sits on its own park like island of green at the edge of downtown. The surrounding neighborhoods consist of stately and beautifully maintained homes. By many accounts the movers and shakers in Fredericton were members of this parish and much business was conducted and deals made between the businessmen and politicians who belonged here.

We always seem compelled to add a little bit of history (and an opinion or two) when we report on our travels — oh well!

Music

We closed out our stay in Freddy with an afternoon and evening of food and music. The River Jam Music Festival was taking place all around us at our hotel with four or five music acts performing in different areas of the facility simultaneously. We took in a couple of acts, had dinner and camped at the bar (surprised?) to take in the performances in the lobby which ran to midnight. We were treated to primarily traditional music from the Maritimes and the local crowd was up singing along and dancing. So good!

That’s it from Freddy! We had a great visit and look forward to sharing more of our travels soon.

Be seeing you!

St. John and the Loyalists

15/06/2024 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Art, Art Museum, Coffee, History, Travel

We made our way to St. John following the coast and sticking as much as possible to roads less traveled (which we have found are most often more scenic and historically interesting).

After arriving in St. John we secured the Beast at the hotel and set out for our first coffee session in St. John. Catapault Coffee was only a five minute walk from the hotel. Since it was still morning a capuccino was in order followed by a cortado. Catapault is a mission based coffee shop — “Part of the way we express this faith is by looking for opportunities to reduce the unemployment, hunger, homelessness, and medical costs in our city”. We are always happy to support coffee shops with a tangible mission to support the less fortunate in their community (and of course serve excellent coffee and tea).

***Strength Through Toast — Toast Marketing Board***

Fortuitously, this building-sized mural was staring at us from across the street as we approached the cafe. This mural was commissioned as part of Festival Inspire. The artist Mique Michele is from Ontario and is a highly regarded grafittist and advocate for issues impacting First Nations people (Michele is of Metis-Franco heritage).

***Untitled Artist Mique Michele, 2021***

We spotted the top of the mural above while walking back to the hotel. We walked down the hill and located this 80 foot high extravaganza on the back of an apartment building facing an empty lot. The street mural scene in St. John is relatively small but appears to have some folks committed to increasing the space dedicated to public art. The two murals above were our favorites.

St. John also has a small fine arts exhibition space at the St. Johns Art Centre. The space hosts art exhibits and musical recitals and also offers art classes.

The space that the art centre currently occupies is the former city library. This was a Carnegie library built with funds donated by the Scottish-American business tycoon and philanthropist. Carnegie funded the building of over 2500 free public libraries in North America. The library in St. John is one of three in the eastern provinces. The current city library is housed at Market Square on the water at the harbor.

Art invariably necessitated the need for more coffee while we reflected on the the art we had just viewed……so we set off for our second coffee shop —The Art Warehouse.

We had an opportunity to chat with our barrista, Jamie, during a lull in the action. Jamie is also a musician and songwriter when not plying his craft as a barrista. His band Jamie and the Crooked Teeth is well known in the eastern provinces and they have released several albums. He has also released several songs as part of an accoustic trio that performs as Pretty Western.

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Jamie Comeau & the Crooked Teeth

We will close with a bit of history (as always). The title of this post is St. John and the Loyalists. Samuel-de-Champlain named the St. John River in honour of St. Jean the Baptiste while exploring the area in 1604. The anglicized version of the name stuck although the British eventually took control of Nova Scotia. Today there are still many French speakers here as well as in the other eastern provinces.

Okay — finally — the Loyalists! While you may not recall this fact from your U.S. history courses (probably because it was not mentioned) there were a considerable number of British colonialists that wished to remain British! The text below is from the Loyalist House in St. John.

The Loyalists

Our first refugees were American Exiles arriving in 1783-1784, the Loyalist Refugees, a multicultural group with Afro, Aboriginal, Dutch, German, English, Irish, Welsh and Scottish ethnicity from America. One hundred thousand came north – 15,000 of these Refugees arrived in Saint John Harbour by way of the Bay of Fundy. Their entrepreneurial/pioneering spirit helped them to survive. They slept in tents during those first winters, some died. New York and Boston were the last two ports of evacuation for this exodus, they were farmers, labourers, and trades people. These American exiles lost what they owned and came here like many other refugees and immigrants in search of safety and a new life. The aboriginal people the Wolastoqiyik [people of the Beautiful River] were the first people of our community.

Be seeing you!