Rouxby : Blog

Remember my three week trip to Europe in June?  Well that changed me in ways I didn’t expect as well ways I long expected.  There is something about having the freedom to roam with no plan, destination or expectations that is deeply exhilarating.  Exploring those little pockets of Europe made me hungry to explore more of my own country, travel made even better because my dogs could come with me.  I drove north from Colorado first, up through Wyoming and into Montana.  My whole life I’ve been enchanted by stories of how my parents met [in a bar--what could be more enchanting than that?] and for years I’ve wanted to make a pilgrimage to the spot.  My dad was working as a geologist in Nye, Montana, a town so small it really only consists of a little compound with a post office, three rooms to let and a bar. My mom was in town doing geology work, too, and they ran into each other in the bar.  My existence is pretty astounding when you consider the odds of my parents running into each other in Nye, of all places.  This is pretty much the entirety of the “town”, including the bar where they met:

The trip ended up also being something of a tour of small town bars, which actually makes a lot of sense when you think about it.  It’s a fantastic place to get a good feel for where you’ve landed, as well as a great place to meet locals.  Like Pete:

Some more Montana favorites:

From Montana I drove to South Dakota, a state I’d never set foot in.  I never expected it to be as beautiful as it was.  And it was in South Dakota that I encountered the Motel Kozy, my pick for best sleazy roadside motel.

Isn’t it charming?

From South Dakota I decided to head south to New Mexico.  My sister is working at Vermejo Park Ranch, so that was part of the draw.  The other part was the Enchanted Loop drive through Taos and Santa Fe–a really unbelievably gorgeous drive well worth the extra time if you have it.

Roux at Eagle Nest, New Mexico:

And enjoying the Alley Cantina in Taos:

My lovely little sister set up a horseback ride through the high country of the ranch, a ride led by a real live cowboy.  They don’t get more real than this:

And, last, because I still chuckle every time I look at this photo, the Motorcycle Dog.  Because my drive coincided almost exactly with Sturgis in South Dakota, bikers were everywhere. But this was the only one who brought his dog with him, a dog that seems perfectly content to be stuffed into a carrier on the back of a bike.  You’ll have to excuse the photo quality; this was ever so dangerously shot on the highway whilst driving.

That wraps up my summer travel–with the exception of a quick two day trip to Southern California in September.  I am actually looking forward to getting caught up, settled in.  I love the freedom of the road. But sometimes I also love the routine of daily life, too.