On the road in the Far West

[Deleted]

While I hesitate to try to post photos of the West after the fabulous reports made made by other members here, I seem to have amassed a certain number of pictures from my own trips in the area -- notably California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. But some of them are maybe not so bad and it is usually interesting to see photos from the pre digital days, so I guess I will go ahead and do it.

Unfortunately, everything is all mixed up, both places and years, but it's pretty much jumbled in my head as well.

Anyway, before you reach the wide open spaces, there is always a rather strange buffer zone through which to cross between civilisation and the raw desert.













Sooner or later, you are on the open road.

In the late 1980's, the German film Bagdad Café was a smash success in France. I would say that for at least the next 5 years, anybody who went from France to the American west found it symbolically necessary to go to Bagdad if it was at all possible. The movie embodied just about all of the phantasms that both the Germans and the French can have about such places, which is one of the reasons that you find so many French and Germans wandering around the West.

The road to Bagdad was a bit flooded. Yes, it can happen.





Naturally nothing from the movie is visible anywhere near there, but one wanders around a bit anyway.









Onward!

[Deleted]

[htmb]

Beautiful photos, Kerouac. Though I can place some of the locations, for others I'd just be guessing. While I wish you had more specifics, I'm glad you are posting some of your old photos and am enjoying the rich colors of film. What a treat!

[Deleted]

Well, you certainly recognized Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon. Much more to come, whenever I can bring myself to scan it.

[htmb]

I've never been to Monument Valley, but have added it to my wish list of places to visit next time I'm out west.

[nycboy]

Is that the dinosaur from Pee Wee Herman?

[nycgirl]

Awesome photos! You did very well with your pre-digital camera.

I recognize Lake Powell, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, and Mexican Hat. I didn't manage to get a good photo of Mexican Hat like you did. I think my favorite photo is the road shot just above it. Such gorgeous colors. That may be the same road in that famous motorcycling scene in Easy Rider.

I've encountered a good number of German, French, and other international travelers in the Southwest over the years. It's always fun to chat with visitors from around the world. Of course, I've met my share of characters from the U.S., too.

[Deleted]

May 31, 2013 23:36:35 GMT nycboy said:

Is that the dinosaur from Pee Wee Herman?

I confess that I never saw the movie, but it would be entirely possible since it was on the far edge of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. There was a gift shop inside.

[Deleted]

The road from the plain up to this plateau was the scariest one that I took anywhere in the west.



It wasn't even paved. You can see one of the loops below.















After hours of solitude, any town along the way is a welcome sight.

[bjd]

I feel like such a stereotype -- as soon as I started looking at these photos, I thought of "Bagdad Café". ;D

Great pictures. Did you keep pulling over to the side of the road to take them or were there viewpoints of some kind?

I think I would shoot myself if I had to live in a place like Eureka. No wonder it's full of bars.

[Deleted]

Actually, the roads were so empty that I could just stop the car right in the middle and take pictures anywhere.

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[mossie]

Fantastic scenery.
I didn't realise that America had gone in for windmills in such a big way until I saw the last pic.
Must be all that corn

[lugg]

These are fantastic and I am so glad that you did go to the trouble of scanning and posting them for us all to enjoy.

The first picture in #1 is just so fabulous, can you remember where that was taken ?

[Deleted]

Relief at last -- this is the last series for the moment. Anything else will have to wait until the slides are finally scanned... if ever.

Sometimes, after hours on the road, some desert mirages become strangely appealing.















Okay, of all the national parks that I saw, Zion National Park impressed me the most.















And onwards.... You cannot imagine how many hours it takes to reach the horizon on such roads.

























And then it all suddenly comes to an end. Civilisation finally shows up and slaps you in the face.

[htmb]

Even though I have traveled in many parts of the American West, I never cease to be amazed at the "hugeness" of it all. Kerouac, your photos are excellent and you captured the grand vistas well.

Thank you for taking the time to scan photos for us. I know what a pain scanning can be.

[Deleted]

Luckily, I now have a pretty fast scanner, so it isn't all that bad. But of course you still have to put in the photos one at a time and it quickly becomes tedious.

[spindrift1]

I absolutely love the first picture in Reply 8. It's a huge landscape and the colours are just amazing. There are photos equally great after this one but as they are not numbered I cannot say which ones they are! Some of them are like mountains of the moon and the shapes are spectacular.

The roads are so lonely. Did you get worried sometimes? Did you stock up the vehicle with lots of water? I don't suppose I'll ever go to this region but I would sure love to.

[Deleted]

I was too young and stupid to worry back in those days, although I did pay attention to signs that said things like "next service station 173 miles." Oddly enough, I did not have any water with me at all. I just assumed, that since I saw a car about once an hour, that in case of difficulty the rare car would stop to help me if necessary. What a deranged conceit!

[Deleted]

Wow, you have certainly been around, Kerouac! Such amazing photos. Some them bring back memories for me of the the USA road trip that I did. Arizona and Nevada seem so familiar!

[htmb]

I had to laugh this evening while spending time with two of my closest friends. She is French, is in love with the American west, and certainly knows all about Baghdad Café. He's an American and a well-read scholar, who has never aeen the movie. She is planning yet another long driving trip west, while he wants to go to France instead.

Since they went to France for several weeks last year (and visited with me) this summer they are headed west, much to his chagrin.

[fgrsk8r1970]

OK this German must have totally missed "Baghdad Cafe" and even though we always drive by the sign on our way to Kanab, UT - we never have been there LOL.
The Dinos are in Cabazon (where there is a great high end outlet shopping mall now) 13 Miles west of Palms Springs. We pass it every time we drive to LA on the I-10 from Phoenix.

From the interstate highway, the uncommon view of two giant dinosaurs, on an arid plain surrounded by mountains, is an irresistible magnet. But tourists are not the only ones compelled to stop. Well within LA's convenient day-drive sphere, the Cabazon dinos became media darlings in the 1980s, appearing in everything from Coke commercials to rock videos to the film Pee Wee's Big Adventure.

I recognize a lot of course, living here for 17 years but I absoltuely adore that you saw Zion in the snow. We've been there several times and I am torn between Zion, Yosemite & Bryce Canyon. Apples & Oranges of course.

Great shots Kerouac!!! My first time in the West was in 1992 and I don't have the photos here in the US. Agree with the water. We (GF and I) never really had any water.... we had usually enough gas though but never worried about that. Ahhh youth!

[lola]

These are wonderful, kerouac. Does this ever make me want to hit the road with somebody fun.

[maitaitom]

K - You should have been at Death Valley yesterday. 128 degrees Farenheit, which I think is around 53 Celsius, but I have never been great at math. In any event...Really Hot!

[bixaorellana]

What was I doing in June of 2013 when these F A B U L O U S pictures were posted??!

I know I never saw this thread before, which in a way is okay because it was an unexpected treat right now.

Scan more!

[kerouac2]

I had completely forgotten about this report, too, and managed to impress myself looking at the photos again. That was a good trip that I took.