Two Beers and a Pretzel

I used up a lot of AMEX reward points in Las Vegas and Los Angeles…  Once those were exhausted, lodging became an issue as my cousin’s housing status had become very complex.  Luckily, Asa’s friends Brian and Rebekah let me couch surf at their apartment.  Their hospitality was greatly appreciated (especially since even the Motel6 is $70/night in LA), and it was a lot of fun because they were working on songwriting sessions every evening.  I owe them both…

I left L.A. 2 days ago.  My mom told me that there’s a new Route 66 sign on the Santa Monica Pier, so I had to go back…

Then on to Joshua Tree National Park…

You may notice the crumbled pile of rocks behind the tree.  The geology here was very similar to Hampi, India (albeit on a smaller scale) – with piles of boulders and crumbling hills.

This next one will make a great black & white once I convert it…

Then I found a hotel in Tuscon, Arizona.  The next day I started by visiting Saguaro National Park and the cactus plants you remember from Roadrunner and Cayote cartoons.  And I did see a roadrunner, but it was too quick for me to snap a pic in time…

For reference, these cacti are about 25 ft on average, and up to 50 ft tall.

yep, that’s me at the base of the plant…

After leaving the park, I spent a lot of time on the road to get to Carlsbad, NM.  Got some good landscape shots along the way…  especially during a rainstorm in Arizona, and at sunset in Las Cruces,NM.

Sunday I’ll hit Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks before the loooooooong drive to Austin.