Slow your roll. That’s what the digital sign says on the faster of the two roads linking the Colter Bay area to Jackson. And then it reads out a depressing collection of recent animal road kill.

I am happy to say that we have in fact successfully slowed our roll. It took a nasty blister to truly do so, but yesterday was a master class in doing little. And by crawling through the periphery of the park we managed to experience several previously unknown sights. We also had a delicious dinner (trout, salmon and potatoes over a fire with a good loaf of bread). But mostly it was two best friends doing what they do best which is not always the easiest thing to describe but something I wouldn’t trade for the world.

On our 26th Summer road trip a first; we experienced a snow storm in the Tetons. It began on the mountain pass between DuBois and the park with the temperature dropping another twenty degrees followed by a wispy snow that failed to accumulate. And then a little sunshine while we set up our tent before a new snow chased us into the tent (but not before we had a quick sit by the fire, our cocktails diluted by the snow).

Another first was having dinner with a former intern and her fiance at a small pizzeria in the Tetons. Rose and Connor are both pretty great (and by that I mean they laughed at most of my jokes). It is their first time in the park and through them Corey and I relived just a little bit of the excitement of being here for the first time.

Here’s to Dwight Eisenhower, the creative force behind today’s interstate. Without his push we may never have known the wonder of the Worlds Biggest Truck Stop which now, in addition to a  barber shop, dentist and movie theater has a bank of Tesla chargers. Walking into the place I overheard a young man say to his friends, “Now this is America!” And I think he might be right although I can’t decide whether or not this is a good thing.

You can drive, like Corey and I did, a thousand miles from home and not quite get to where you want to be. In contrast the entire Ring Road in Iceland, an awesome road trip well worth a couple weeks or your time, is only about 800 miles. There are not many places in all of the UK where a train won’t get you back to London in time for tea. But here, on this continent, you drive hard for two days and are happy to find yourself in Laramie, WY.

Even on the Interstate, where you can legally drive 80 MPH in Wyoming, bits of life from the landscape seep in. There was the mom prepping her son for his coming stay with Dad at the gas station in North Platte, NE. The nineteen year old waiter in Laramie who proudly stated “now that I am an adult” when asked what life is like in his home city. And at the hot tub tonight a man talked about helping his step son settle his biological father’s estate. All of this exists, still exists, while we whip around the country in our magic metal ships. What a country.

Hello-

Corey here. I know-“but it’s Noel’s blog”. I do get on here from time to time when I need to process. And let me tell you, there’s lots to process this summer. See, this is our 26th summer trip, but our first summer trip just the two of us since 2003. No Henna in the back seat. Which means no side kick to laugh with while we wait for Noel in the rest stop. No cohort to meet eyes with and instantaneously know what the other person is thinking without a word passed between us. No one to make us stop mid hike to admire an insect for just being cool, while allowing us to slow down and just see things differently and to take in the moment.

But change is natural. And so are cycles. So here we are. Full circle. Just Noel and I again. It’s almost like our first trip, way back in 1999, but with more aches. We are even going west again. So I will be a bit sad, missing my Henna while also happy she is enjoying her independence. This is what we hope for our children, that they go on to have their own magical lives.

So I will concentrate on the positive. I am lucky to have married my best friend. I am also acutely aware of how lucky we are to be able to spend so much time away and together over the summer (and still talk by the end). I will text and FT Henna as much as she’ll allow. I will relax. Reset. Reboot. I hope this for everyone this summer. I’m hoping you are healed by the sunshine, get time to hug and love your families, and get to rest and recharge. This life and world can feel a mess and out of control, but I’m hoping for peace for everyone.

Thoughtfully,

Corey

No, we are not back in Albuquerque. But if you are looking for a whole lot of succulents with your coffee I know the place to go.

Cactus is a cool but dry place (just a little cactus humor there). The southwestern decor fits nicely with their Cafe de Olla (traditional Mexican coffee with lots of cinnamon and other spices) and their Cafe de Leche. It’s a neighborhood joint too where people hang, have serious conversations and eavesdrop on said conversations. Man the gossip one hears while playing a game of gin with your wife which, by the way, I let her win.

They got jarritos, topo chico and several other Hispanic drinks not yet available at Starbucks. Empanadas too. Staff is nice and afterwards you can walk around the block a couple of times while your wife shops at the thrift store next door.

Casa Cactus is located at 4595 North Elston.

To answer my friend Marie, yes we got home safely from our trip. Marie probably knew the answer though since she did ask me in person.

What is it like to sleep onboard Amtrak? It’s not great. Per Corey the top bunk is incredibly firm even with the thin mattress. Below is not as bad, but the rocking kept me up most of the night. We both did catch a few hours of sleep though along with a quick post breakfast nap.

The bed also comes with meals served by a waitress in the dining car. You make reservations and then are often seated with another couple. For our last dinner we met a funeral home director. His business is cash only as he does not want people spending beyond their means. He also stated that his business was booming during the pandemic. That it was in fact the busiest he had ever been.

The train pulled into Union Station at 4:12. Somehow we made the 4:30 Metra back to our Edison Park home. A little after five we were feeding the cats and unpacking. It was a good ride home and an amazing week spent with my best friend. Happy late Easter and early Passover!

Back to ABQ and it was bright sunshine, mid sixties. We stayed at the El Vado which describes itself as a boutique motel. It was a one floor motel with doors facing a courtyard. Lobby was a hip bar that hosted a pop-up comedy show which we were lucky to catch the end of. A few doors down was their sister motel which boasted a hip cocktail lounge. I was there less than ten minutes before I broke a coffee mug.

El Vado and the Monterey Motel

Back on the train now. We are moving but at a walking pace and I’m not sure why. Like with every long distance train we have been on, present are several Amish families. Playing   cards I caught one such family staring at me while I shuffled. Speaking Pennsylvania Dutch (which to my ear sounds almost Gaelic) they occasionally pointed at me while laughing. Were they in awe of my shuffling skills? Or maybe my loud shuffling was just a bit too much for them. I wanted to do my best Joe Pesci impression (What, am I clown, do I amuse you?) but thought it would go over their heads.

In the few days we have been in New Mexico I have had red chili with beans, green chili quiche, green chili cheese fries (yum), green chili with slow cooked brisket (from the Mine Shaft in Madrid, oh so good) and red/green chili (or Christmas style as they call it here) with ground beef. The last one was overpriced (it was served just a few feet away from the Santa Fe Plaza) but worth every penny. And while Corey says this is really nothing to brag about, I disagree. It took commitment, time and a stomach I honestly did not know I had.

Santa Fe is about ten miles but also about ten degrees cooler from where we are staying. In the not so big city it was winter with that weird high desert snow that looks like tiny styrofoam balls blowing around. Back in our little Casita though, we laid about in the strong sun and pretended it wasn’t still in the forties. Everything slowed down here to the point we would not mind just a few more days of sloth. But all good things must come to an end. We are packed, ready to return to Albuquerque and then our train home.

An unfortunate toilet incident at our Airbnb left us scrambling for early morning coffee and a place to, um, gather our thoughts. Luckily we stumbled upon this very delightful coffee shop just at the edge of the Old Town square. Incredibly cramped inside, they had the most delightful southwest style courtyard where Corey and I tilted our chairs to catch the rising sun. Vacation problems are not the same as real life problems.

One more thing. Seated at the counter inside the coffee shop was a man with the aura of a coffee shop owner. He was there when the shop opened and would periodically help the one employee (a stylish twenty something year old). Between orders they carried on a pleasant back and forth conversation. He did not actually own the shop. Turns out he is a plumber who often rearranges his work schedule so that he can have coffee with his daughter.

Later that morning we were picked up by the kind folks at Enterprise who also kindly left behind a random iPhone which we answered then returned a few minutes after leaving their office. Spent the remainder of the day at Petroglyph National Monument which is a collection of several sights sprinkled about within an otherwise unremarkable area of typical urban sprawl. You look down to see a thousand year old rock drawing then up to see a Walgreens sign.

Lunched at a quaint little local eatery called Jimmy Johns. If you ever find yourself there I highly recommend the roast beef sandwich paired with vinegar chips. Afterwards Corey and I took the scenic route into Santa Fe which involved us repeatedly getting on and off the interstate before Google maps realized we were serious about adding an extra ten minutes to our travel. Somewhere within that process white styrofoam (maybe snow?) began pelting our car. Eventually we hit the Turquoise Trail and then almost immediately came across Cabra Coffee.

There is no better place to watch blowing styrofoam than inside a snug coffee shop. Outside were desert and mountains. Inside were yummy pastries and a darn good latte. Refreshed we set off in search of adventure and a working toilet.

Albuquerque. Or ABQ as the cool kids call it. It’s a bit scruffy around the edges. Takes a little while to settle into it but then you find yourself immersed by this cool southwest vibe which reminds me of Phoenix, Arizona back in the 40’s. How do I know what Phoenix felt like in the 1940s? I don’t. Just seemed like the thing to write.

What we did for our one full day in ABQ was walk from our Airbnb in Old Town to the ABQ BioPark down to the river and then back to the Airbnb for a soak in the hot tub. Later Corey discovered our hostess was Swedish/Norwegian and they talked for almost an hour. Being a tourist is a lot more fun than being at work.