The Powerhouse

This is the Kingman, AZ Visitor Center & Route 66 Museum converted from an old power plant called the Powerhouse. Across the street is Mr. D'z Diner which I wrote about the other day.

This Powerhouse sign is at the entrance to the visitor center. To read the sign, click on the photo to enlarge.

This is the gift shop inside the visitor center. It looks like a converted diner. Items for sale were priced at some dollar amount and 66 cents.

I couldn't resist and had to buy this sign to hang at home.

- Karen

Call To Service

As part of National Day of Service called by President-Elect Obama and Vice President-Elect Biden to be a community volunteer, I decided to participate in sorting food at the local food bank. Our job today was to select 6 good apples into each of the red net bags.

If you are not familiar with National Day of Service, click here.

Although this picture doesn't show it, over a hundred volunteers came to help. Of all the volunteers I spoke with, they all participated as a result of the National Day of Service request.

Taken with my camera phone, here is a small section of the sorting area. After working 90 minutes, our efforts yielded over 24,000 pounds of sorted apples which will be given to needy families and seniors along with other foodstuff.

We followed-up with a facilities tour and were informed of the growing hunger in the community and unfortunately, the dwindling number of donations on an annual basis.

- Karen

Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner

While on Route 66 in Kingman, AZ, we stopped by Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner for lunch. This 50's-style diner is opened in several locations throughout Route 66. Click here for their menu. I love a place that serves breakfast all day.

This is the view from my seat. Were the neon green and pink upholstery a 50's color scheme?
Click here for more photos from their website.

- Karen

Get Your Kicks on Route 66

What is this fascination people have, including myself, with U.S. Route 66? I guess for me, it's the nostalgia, the quaint buildings, the novelty stores that draws me in.

From what I can gather from my research, this is America's first roadway stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles for an approximate 2,400 miles. The idea for such a road hatched in 1926, but it wasn't completed until the late 1930's after the Depression. It was proclaimed the "Mother Road" in John Steinbeck's book "Grapes of Wrath". People started to use it to migrate from place to place and businesses started to spring up along the way. The trip across Route 66 became the journey as well as the destination. However, after 2 short decades, parts of the road became dilapidated from overuse and super highways were built in its place far from town. With multiple lanes and better workmanship, Route 66 was soon forgotten, businesses and towns declined. Not even hit songs or television shows about it, kept it going.

Luckily, nostalgists started the the Route 66 Historical Associations to preserve treasures along its route. From what I read, only 85% of this road is travel-able by car today. The parts that have been saved, as you can see from the next 3 photos, there is no doubt you are on the "Mother Road".

If you have been on this road before, I would like to hear your story.





- Karen

"Three Dog Bakery" Treat

In Uptown Sedona, there is a bakery catered specifically to dogs called "Three Dog Bakery".
This is the sign over their oven. Doesn't it get you all warm & fuzzy?

I bought my dog a souvenir Sedona doggy treat. Before I got a good photo of the cookie bone, the "S" was already gone.

The biscuits are made edible for humans. I have tried it and it is very bland.

By the way, that is not chocolate on the cookie, but carob, a dog-friendly substitute for dogs as I was told. If you are interested, check out the bakery's ingredients here on their website.

- Karen

Telling statues in front of Rollies Camera in Sedona. Before this shop was renamed to Rollies', it was called Bradshaw's Photo Shop for 55 years since 1949.
Click here for some old photos of Bradshaw's Photo Shop and a photocopy of a $2000 business loan rejection letter. I guess the bank did not have the foresight to think that a camera store could survive in one of the most picturesque places of America.

- Karen

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Deb

Capt. Ed Freeman
Company A, 229th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)


While reading the info on Cpt. Freeman, I found that I couldn't have put it better than this.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Ye Olde UFO Store

I spotted this unusual store in Sedona. I don't recall Sedona was popular with aliens.

Here's a captured specimen to lure in curious customers.

Store's utility vehicle

Store's reserved parking

- Karen

Library Grand Opening

Today was the grand opening of the new Milpitas Public Library. Here, the mayor and council members cut the ribbon. There is an estimate 123,291 libraries in the United States and much more worldwide.
When is the last time you visited your local library?

The historic Milpitas Grammar School was renovated and used as the anchor to the library with two huge wings added on each side. The original school was built for $13,212 in 1916. The new library cost slightly under the $39 Million budget. Times have changed!
You can click here to see the renovation process step-by-step.

Former Milpitas Grammar School students from various graduation classes take another yearbook photo in front of their old alma mater.

A small sample of the Children's section of the library. Lots of learning will happen here.

- Karen

Sedona - Red Rock Country

Our road trip last week included picturesque Sedona, AZ. Everywhere you looked, you see gigantic red/orange monoliths jutting toward the sky. Each one of these formations have a name. At this first stop, we took a picture of our dog, Maverick, in front of "Courthouse Butte".
Click here for a tidbit of information on how that name came about.

Chapel of the Holy Cross built right into the mountain was designed by Marguerite Brunswig Staude, a pupil of Frank Lloyd Wright. I wished I had a chance to go inside, but the tiny parking lot was so full of tourists that we could not stop. Click here for more photos from an external source.

Close to sunset, tourists ascended to the Sedona's airport overlook to get a stunning view of the valley and mountains in the distance.

- Karen

Palm Springs Air Museum

I don't know one plane from another, but hubby loves jets so we stopped off briefly at the air museum. Since we wanted to get to the next destination, we just stayed outside to snap a few pictures. The museum has on display a host of planes outside where anyone can see and touch like the one in the background in this photo.

This is the exterior view of the museum. It was probably used as a airport administration building in the past since it is right next to the Palm Springs Airport.

This memorial honors those pilots who won the Distinguished Flying Cross medal after showing heroism or extraordinary achievement during aerial flight.

Not sure the name of this statue placed in the museum's lobby, but I like the colors and how it brings the feeling of patriotism.

Click here for more information about this attraction. According to their website, the museum has one of the largest World War II warplane collections if you are interested in that sort of thing.

- Karen

Wednesday Hero

Airman Melissa Pyle


Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) Airman Melissa Pyle mans a jet blast deflector station on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in the Gulf Of Oman. Theodore Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Have Every Right To Dream Heroic Dreams. Those Who Say That We're In A Time When There Are No Heroes, They Just Don't Know Where To Look

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Palm Springs Aerial Tram, Part 2

Continuing on with my aerial tram ride report...What is at the top of the tram station at 8,516 ft? It is a winter wonderland during this time of year. Although the temperature at the bottom was in the low 70's, visitors had to bundle up when they reached the top.

Here is somebody's finished snowman left there for all to admire.

There was so much snow that the tram station's sign was buried.

- Karen

Palm Springs Aerial Tram, Part 1

I apologize for not posting the last few days, but I am still out of town for another day or so. I did find some time to continue my trip report on Palm Springs.

I always thought Palm Springs was a golfing and resort town. Who knew that one of Palm Springs' main attractions is the world's largest rotating aerial tram that travels to an elevation of 8,516 ft. I had expected the tram car to rotate 360 degree, but to the passengers' surprise, it was the floor of the tram that turned during the ascension.

Being that it was Christmas break for most school-age kids, families packed in to see this attraction. Here is the crowd waiting to get onto their scheduled tram.

This is a 80 passenger + 1 operator tram leaving the Valley Station for the 10 minute ride up to the Mountain Station at 8,516 ft.

From this view, I am in the tram leaving the Valley Station. At this point, the floor of the tram is slowly rotating so passengers will get a twice around 360 degree view of the mountain and valley floor below.

From this view, I was only halfway up the tram. If you are afraid of heights, this ride is not for you.

The little stick-like figures you see in the distance is the windmill farm I blogged about last week. Everything looks small from this distance.

To read more about the history of this aerial tram attraction, click here.

- Karen

Palm Springs Dog Park

Before I begin my first post of the year, I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year celebration! How did you celebrate or did you celebrate?


Continuing on with my road trip report...
This is the only dog park in Palm Springs and it is behind the City Hall. There is a small dog side and a large dog side like in most dog parks I've been to. Since we were traveling with Maverick, we initially brought him to the small dog area.

I suspect most of the people sitting around chatting are retired folks who meet there on a regular basis and talk for hours while their dogs play.

Here is Maverick running at top speed and being chased by another dog for the ball in the big dog area. He was pooped out in no time and as they say...a tired dog is a happy dog.

- Karen

Happpy 2009!

Glitter Graphics

Happy 2009 to everyone!
I look forward to reading your posts in the new year.

- Karen