Dear Maia, Isaac and Virtual Wanderers,

It’s that time of year, again! Today was a gorgeous day to set out across the Colorado Plateau for our annual Arizona road trip.  This year’s trip is named Hoodoos, Haboobs and Hound Dogs. 

The trip today started out feeling like an old friend. It’s been a few years since I commuted to Montrose County West End for my job as county health nurse. It’s familiar but I also had anxiety about the route. Last year, this is where my ever-reliable Mini Pearl car broke down.

If you have ever taken this route you know the desolate beauty of the Naturita rock formations and the Paradox Valley. Once you turn south on Highway 141, it’s 55 miles of barren high desert highway. The paradox today was that the road was both comfortable and anxiety producing.

I became familiar with the back roads between Naturita and Cortez when I worked for the County. I always said “I’d hate to break down out here” – I said that every time I’ve taken this route. So, breaking down (mechanic’s error) was deeply disturbing despite everything turning out fine. Almost like I’d jinxed myself. I felt my pulse race a bit as we drove by the exact spot when Mini Pearl lost power last year.

As we passed, I drew on my positive psychology resilience. I thought about how memories are formed. They aren’t a snapshot, they are a snowball, ever changing. Bad memories can be softened by creating new memories over the top. So, I pulled myself back into my strength that appreciates nature and did my best to stay in the moment. Mile by mile, I rolled a new memory over the top of that break down. I wasn’t quite ready to stop for photos, though.

Once we got to Blanding, we took the hike out to the ruins at Edge of the Cedars State Park. It’s an old favorite Chacoan site. There are two great houses here, one from the 800s-900s and the other is Chacoan masonry from the 1100s-1200s. The site here is well maintained and even has a working ladder down into the ruin. It’s an interesting site and the walk is dog friendly.

In addition to my pack of beloved senior rescue dogs, I’m toting a couple of my travel guardian gnomes.  My roadtrip guardian gnome, Twinkle, got to accompany Kachina, Cimarron and Koko of our photoshoot of the Pueblo.

Happy Trails, GM Cathy Hartt