Clements Travel Times

If you've ever been on a cruise you probably remember that in one of the last daily newsletters there is a listing of the amounts of commodoties used on the trip, usually food and liquor. Well, it's in that same spirit that we present a few statistics from our wonderful trip. days: 74 miles driven: 12,643 number of states: 31 number of Nat'l. Parks visited: 9 places stayed: 30 pictures taken: 6800 (aren't we glad we don't use film!!) number of blogs: 25 temperature range: 27 degrees (Williams, AZ) to 103 degrees (Salt Lake City) amount spent on gas: $1343 tolls: $78 gas prices: $2.11 to $3.09 types of transportation: bus (including trolleys), van, subway, elevated tra... read more

We left Williams yesterday and drove to Sedona via Oak Creek Canyon. There were some spectacular views as we first climbed some and then descended well over 2000 feet into Sedona. After a quick stop at the Visitor Center, and a wonderful lunch at the Coffee Pot Restaurant, we set out to explore the town a bit. Incidentally, the restaurant got its name from the rock formation behind it that looks like an old-fashioned percolater, not because it specializes in coffee, although it does advertise 101 different omelettes. We spent some time wandering around the Tlaquepaque Plaza, a shopping area designed to look like a Mexican village. Although very picturesque, most of the shops and its many galleries were way too high-end for us; as Tom likes to say, "we're just simple folks." Today we did ... read more

First of all, must issue a disclaimer: Tom had a really tough time downloading the pics for this blog, so they are a little jumbled. However, we are trusting in the intelligence and discernment of our readers to figure it out! One of the greatest things about this trip has been the ability to stop whenever we want. On the way from Durango to Santa Fe we saw a sign that said "Aztec Ruins National Monument". This park contains more examples of ancestral Puebloan buildings, and extended the thread that began with Mesa Verde a bit more. (the term Aztec is a misnomer, but the term is still used since it is known as that). We were glad that we stopped. One of the things we've missed most on this trip has been Mexican food. ... read more

When we left you, we were in Clarkesville, Tennessee, and we are now on our third day in Durango, Colorado. Apologies for being so long between blogs, but we've been really busy. After leaving Tennessee, we drove through a bit of Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri, spending the night in Kansas City. As you can see, we saw an unexpected bit of fall color in those states, and were both quite surprised at the topography of Missouri; we expected flatland and instead there were low, rolling hills. I reminded Tom of how Independence, MO was one of the main jumping off and outfitting points for the westward pioneers. It was also cool to see Chimney Rock, a sight often mentioned in pioneer journals. The day after that was Kansas most of the day, just barely getting into ... read more

Hi from Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. If you like to golf, this is the place for you....there are 17 courses on the island. We've taken advantage of our week here to relax a bit. The beach scenes are a 5-minute walk from the condo. I think the beach grass just says Atlantic Ocean, and is so picturesque. Tuesday night we went to the local comedy club, and once we found it, had a fun, inexpensive evening. The reason I say "once we found it" is that this island is very dark at night, so that the loggerhead turtles that hatch on the beaches don't get confused and go the wrong way. We felt that a plantation tour would add to our deep south experience, so Wednesday we drove to Magnolia Plantation, just north of Charleston. ... read more

Even though the main purpose of our travels these past two days has been to work our way south to Hilton Head, S.C., we've seen and experienced some really interesting things. Yesterday was a 4-state day, beginning in New Jersey, continuing on through Delaware and Maryland, and spending the night in Norfolk, Virginia. We took a car ferry from Cape May, NJ to Lewes, DE, an 80 minute trip and 17 miles. Tom made reservations the day before so we'd be sure to get on. The alternative was backtracking and adding about four more hours of driving. Tom sure enjoyed the ferry; he was all over the boat taking pictures. Then we took a bridge-tunnel across Chesapeake Bay, and I was very glad that there was way more bridge (actually, more like a causeway) than tunnel. ... read more