1st death, and two hikes

What a day it was yesterday. I started the day by leaving Marathon, and driving back to Big Bend. I knew that at some point during this trip, I'd kill an animal on a road somewhere -- but it was surprising when it happened. There was a quail in the middle of the road. It tried to fly away to the left, and so I swerved to the right. But then, in the air, it swerved to the right, too -- right into my car. It flew off the front fender and landed on the highway. I was pretty horrified in general, but then I had thoughts of my ER patients who get hit, and I got a little overwhelmed by the trauma of it all.

When I reached Big Bend, I drove the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to the Santa Elena Canyon. The road is 30 miles long, and it took about 6 hours for me to drive the entire thing, with stops for views, pictures, and hikes along the way.

I did lots of little walks, but the first "hike" I did for the day was in the Burro Mesa Pouroff. A pouroff is literally a cut in the rock, where all of the rain drains in the area. To get there, you walk through the wash (literally, where the water runs after it pours down the pouroff) for about a mile. It's easy, except that it's a walk in sand; your shoes have nothing to grip. But when you get there, you realize there is NO WAY to see it without doing the hike. And it is HUGE. Really cool.

I did a couple of partial hikes, too: at the Homer Wilson Ranch, which has this tiny little ranch house (no longer used) in the middle of desert and with mountains all around; and at Mule's Ears, which I might have completed except that I really wanted to hike at Santa Elena, and was worried I might not have the time or energy to do it if I finished the hike at Mule's Ears.

But the final 8 miles of the drive are along the Rio Grande River, with some mountains right across the river. The mountains are the Santa Elena Mountains, and part of Mexico. The river along the drive is not very wide, and looks like it's shallow, although who knows if that's true, or not. But I can certainly imagine that people just wade across from Mexico; it looks totally do-able.

Anyway, I drove the length of the road, and ended up at the Santa Elena canyon, the mouth of which is in the picture above. The mountains to the right are the USA; the mountains to the left are Mexico. The hike goes along the mountains on the right (USA), and ends up in the slot canyon known as the Santa Elena Canyon. It is a totally amazing 2 mile hike round trip. The walls of the canyon are 1500 feet high! I saw lots of canoes on the river, too; next time I come here, a canoe trip down the river looks like it would be fun....

Last night, I checked into my hotel at the Chisos Mountain Lodge, which is in the park. My room (called "Emory Peak", for those of you who work with me at Emory) was cute, my dinner was well-deserved and delicious, and then I got to see the most amazing sunset through the "window", a large V-shaped opening between two mountains. I sat outside my room until it was very dark out! And right above me was the Big Dipper, which was cool. But I loved how inky black it was, and how, as my eyes adjusted to the blackness, I could see millions of stars. I could have stayed there forever.

One of the most amazing things out here is that, at first, the desert just looks like, well, desert. But inside this park are some amazing plants -- and the cacti are all in bloom right now! I saw ocatillo, which look like algae in a sea of desert, but stand gangly and green, with little red flowers at the ends; sotol, which has spiny leaves and puts up a woody stalk 10 feet tall each spring; lechuguilla, which is related to agave and puts up a stalk only once in its life, then dies; agave, which puts up a huge stalk that looks like a giant asparagus, then blooms these gorgeous yellow flowers (and then dies); strawberry pitaya, which is a cactus with the cutest magenta flowers; claret-cup cactus, which looks kind of like the pitaya, except its flowers are bright scarlet; prickly pears, which bloom with yellow flowers; and then, the giant diagger yucca, which is a tree out of of the top of which bloom 70 pound (!) stalks with huge white flowers. It's gorgeous, really. I can see why the people who work here love it so much.

Hike #1: Big Bend National Park

Today I finally made it to Big Bend. Wow...you drive through some pretty desolate areas getting to the park. The closest town to the north entrance to the park is Marathon, and it is a full 70 miles to the park headquarters, which is in the center of the park. And that wouldn't be so bad, except that 40 miles into the drive, you hit the actual north entrance, at which time the speed limit drops to a radar-enforced 45 miles per hour. So the 70 mile drive takes about an hour and a half all told, especially since, on the way back from the park to Marathon, there's a border patrol stop which takes some time.

Anyway, I left Odessa this morning around 8am, drove to Marathon to drop off my things at my hotel (the Marathon Motel and RV park!), and then went to Big Bend. I got to the park entrance around 11:30 or so. But then I had to stop at the Visitors Center to pay the entrance fee, drive ANOTHER 30 miles to get to the main headquarters, and then drive to the trailhead for the Lost Mine Trail.

I started the hike around 12:45 or so. The trail starts in the desert, then climbs through low mountain terrain, and then continues to climb into the higher parts of the Chisos Mountains, where the desert completely disappears and woodlands take over. I was warned the hike was quite steep, and was expecting it to be hard; it wasn't. I was walking up nice switchbacks, passing through the markers (there are 24 of them on the trail), looking at the Chisos plants and birds (there are LOTS of both), and enjoying the walk.

Until marker 22. And then, it becomes STEEP. Truly. And windy. Very, very windy. Funny how the hike lures you into complacency until marker 22 of 24; I really thought that this "steep" business was nothing but hooey! I was completely schooled.

But I finally made it to the top, looked over the two canyons you can see from the summit, and ate a nice lunch of PB&J and trail mix up top. Then I walked back down, and couldn't believe how high up I'd been at the top. I completed the hike and returned to my car at 4pm.

Tonight I drove the 1 1/2 hour drive back to Marathon, took a well-deserved shower, and then went to the famous Gage Hotel, where I ate dinner. (It was one of only two restaurants in town open for the evening; and the restaurant is famous, so why not?) My entree and wine were both delicious, but the salad blew me away; it was made of butter lettuce, with thin slices of tomatillo (tangy!), halved grape tomatoes (sweet), thinly sliced chayote squash (cool and crunchy), and then chile-rubbed pepitas on the top (super-spicy). Oh, and a jalapeno vinaigrette to finish it off. It was outstanding. One of the best, and most surprising salads, I've ever had. My kudos to the chef! Unfortunately, the price I paid for such a good dinner was literal -- it cost almost as much as my motel room did.

I have no pictures from today...I left my camera in my purse, but hiked with a pack, so didn't have the camera with me. Took pics of Casa Grande with my phone, but can't figure out how to get them onto the blog yet. Sorry.

Tomorrow, more hiking in Big Bend. For now, well-deserved sleep....

I am NOT a chicken....

I've finally done it. I've left everyone I know behind, and I'm striking out on my own.

Not that the rest of the road trip wasn't real, mind you; it's just that Dallas, Austin, and Houston are all cities in which I've lived, and I have family and friends in all three places. I stayed with people I knew well in all three cities, and so it was easy and comfortable.

Speaking of which, Houston was really nice; I got to see my friends Michael and Renee, and their son Anthony; and my friends Barry and Elena, and their children, Noah, Ariel, and Maya. I got to see all of my former apartments, Baylor College of Medicine, the Texas Medical Center, and all of the places where I used to study, eat, drink, and play while I was a medical student. And then on Friday, I went back to Dallas, and saw my entire family Friday night. Saturday, I went to the First Communion for my friend Stasi's son (and my godson), Calvin, and spent the afternoon with Stasi's family, which is always really fun.

But today, I left Dallas and headed West.

Mind you, this is a really big deal for me; I rarely, if ever, do anything purely on my own. I usually get about a thousand opinions, weigh them and judge them, make sure my parents approve of my decision, and THEN strike out "on my own", knowing that everyone else has vetted the decision and approved. So this is decidedly different. And I was terrified that I'd leave my parents' house, get in my car, and then wonder where in the world to go! And then become paralyzed by my inability to make a decision without their approval.

I drove from Dallas westward, and am now staying overnight in the thriving metropolis of Odessa, Texas. Considering Midland has 100,000 residents and Odessa has 100,000, I figured it'd be bigger. Or more impressive. Or....something. But out here, I see lots of blue sky, flat land, hardly any trees, and scrubby plants that look like tundra, except that I'm in Texas, not the arctic. Oh -- and lots and lots of actively drilling wells. I stopped in Odessa to find a place to stay, and then I struck out, in search of a restaurant for supper.

First, I stopped at a CVS to pick up some things I needed, and I asked the cashier where there were some good places to eat. He recommended I go to the west part of town, to Chili's and the other big restaurants. Hmmm. I drove 350 miles....to eat at a chain? I don't think so....

So I drove south on Andrews Highway, back toward my hotel, when I encountered this Mexican restaurant that had TONS of cars in front of it. It's called Ajuaa's, and it was PACKED, even at 6pm on a Sunday. Whew. At least, on my first day completely on my own, I didn't chicken out and go to a chain, but determinedly found a local restaurant.

Tomorrow I head to Big Bend National Park. It's actually another 4-1/2 hours away from Odessa. Given that I drove for 6 hours today counting stops, that'll put me at 11 hours driving -- and I'll still be in Texas! But after being on I-20 all day today, which was incredibly boring, I'm looking forward to some scenery, and some pictures for this blog. Until then....

From Austin to Houston

So the rest of my time in Austin was really nice. Saturday night I went with my aunt and uncle to an art gallery show. I didn't know anyone there, of course, but was looking at the art and chatting with some of their friends who were there, when I saw SOMEONE I KNEW FROM MY CHILDHOOD IN DALLAS! And not just anyone, mind you: I saw my piano teacher, from the time I was 8 until I was 15 or so. I walked up to her, but she didn't recognize me at first....when I told her who I was, she was speechless. Truly. For at least 2-3 minutes she couldn't speak. But then we caught up, and I found out (I'd forgotten) that she lives in Austin now, that she has a different last name than when I knew her, and that her son, who was in my graduating class, lives here too.

I had breakfast with her (her name's Marty, BTW), and her son, Martin, and it was amazing -- totally like old times. Except that Martin is married with two kids, and he and I are both adults now. Crazy. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture....I wish I had. But it was really great seeing her and catching up.

I also have to say that I've had a great time with my aunt and uncle. They have a really nice life. It was interesting seeing it. They wake up relatively early, around 7 or so, drink coffee and read the paper, walk the dog 2 miles, and then start working: my aunt on her scholarly activities, and my uncle taking care of the garden, house, whatever. They eat dinner around 6:30 or so, and then go to bed around 11ish.

I only spill the beans on their routine because they have one, which reminds me that I really don't. At least I haven't for the past few years -- some of which is due to my crazy ER schedule, and some of which is possibly laziness on my part. I tend to go to bed when I get tired, or when I get home from the ER, which means I go to bed sometime between midnight and 3am. I wake up sometime between 6am (with an alarm set) and 10am. I may or may not eat breakfast, and I never make coffee at home. My first meal is usually lunch, which occurs sometime between 11am and 3pm. I'm usually busy "getting things done" (whatever those things might be), and then eat supper sometime between 7-10pm. Then I tend to work on the computer or watch tv or work sudoku or crosswords or read until I get tired and go back to bed. But here's the weird part; even though I haven't been at work since March 7, I still haven't developed a real routine. And seeing theirs reminded me of this.

So I've noticed this about myself. I can't say that I exactly know what I want my routine to be, but at least I've learned something new about myself. I'll leave the lesson at that for now.

I left Austin yesterday, and I arrived in Houston last night. I went to medical school here (at Baylor College of Medicine 1993-1997), but I haven't been here in a long while. Last night I stayed with my former Atlanta neighbors, Michael and Renee. How funny that they now live in a city I used to live in....we talked for many hours about Memorial Park, the Texas Medical Center (their son has spina bifida, and is already a veteran of Texas Children's Hospital), the bayou, Buffalo Grill, Barnaby's, Churrasco's, and about the many, many differences between Houston and Atlanta.

It took me leaving Texas to appreciate this great state. And strange as it sounds, I'm glad to have friends who never lived here before, and who have just moved here, to see the same benefits that I only saw after I left. Makes me proud to be a Texan.

Lockhart BBQ Tour!

Well, I did it. I visited some of the Hallowed Halls of Texas Barbecue yesterday. First of all, let me state that Texas BBQ is BEEF, not pork, and beef brisket is the most famous cut of all. There are many, many famous BBQ places in Texas, but the best ones are in central Texas, in the old German and Czech towns. My uncle and I had many cities to choose from: Elgin, Luling, Taylor, Lexington, and Lockhart. We finally decided on Lockhart, and did what may count as the most gluttonous dining experience of my lifetime: we ate at FOUR BBQ restaurants in THREE hours.

First, there was Black's: it's the oldest continuously run BBQ place in Lockhart, started in 1932. There, we ordered the brisket (fatty AND lean, of course), and also tried the turkey and a beef rib, which was so huge, it looked like a dinosaur bone. Let me say that the first bite of the fatty brisket at Black's blew me away: the rub, the smoke, the wood, the meat -- I could taste it all. And it literally melted in my mouth. Unbelieveable. Maybe it was because it was the first taste of the day, but I could swear it was the best taste of BBQ I've ever had in my entire life. Zeke and I ate a few ethereal bites, and a bit of potato salad, and then we begrudgingly put the leftovers away so that we could head to the next place.

Which was Smitty's. Smitty's Market is a place of legend, one of Texas Monthly Magazine's Top 5 BBQ places in Texas. Even though it was around 2:15 when we arrived, we had to wait in a long line to order. And that line snakes right past the BBQ pits. So while the smell is outrageously delicious, waiting in line is HOTTER THAN HADES. But I got to see the soot-covered walls, the wood fire whose flames somehow get vacuumed into the smokers, and the pitmasters tending all that meat, all while sweating to death while waiting in line. Zeke and I ordered the fatty and lean brisket again, and this time ordered the hot links, as well (Smitty's also makes their own hot dogs, but I didn't see them on the menu), and potato salad. Unfortunately, our brisket was not good. It was overcooked, dry and leathery. Our hot link, however, was divine, and the potato salad was our favorite of the day. So I don't know if Smitty's just had an off day with its brisket, or if it is not living up to its reputation. I'll give it a second chance, but it was a disappointment.

The third place we visited was Chisolm Trail. It was funny, in a way: it was the least crowded, and also the least expensive. There we ordered the brisket (fatty and lean again), along with some turkey and pork spare ribs. (Yes, to my kosher-keeping friends, I ate pork on this trip. Sorry.) And the meat here was the saltiest, by far, but it was delicious! The texture of the brisket was fantastic, and that salty rub made for some seriously divine bark (the crust on the meat formed by the smoking, for you non-Texas-BBQ folks). The rib was excellent, too. And Chisolm Trail had the best bread, by far. White, light, and fluffy -- way better than the supermarket bread that the other places served. The potato salad was mustardy, which I like, but I still liked Smitty's potato salad better.

And finally, we doubled back up 183 to Kreuz Market (pronounced "Kreitz"). This place is the holy of holies, the monastery of meat, a legend among legends. It started in 1900, in the location where Smitty's now stands, and moved to its new location in 1999, after a family feud (part of the family continues to own Kreuz in its new location; the other part of the family owns Smitty's, in the old Kreuz Market location). The building is HUGE, with multiple rooms for seating. And we didn't arrive there until around 3:45 or so. But the place was still busy even at that late lunch hour. We waited in a fairly long line again, and got to see the pits again, just like at Smitty's. But this time, there was no soot on the walls, excellent ventilation, and a bright space, which goes along with the brand-new building. Again, we ordered brisket (fatty and lean), and our two "ringers" this time were the prime rib and the jalapeno-cheese sausage. The brisket at Kreuz was excellent. And the bark on it was pretty astounding: if I ate jut the bark, I could swear I could taste the oak wood that fired the pits. I also had a hefty dose of smoke, and the meat was tender. The prime rib was outrageously good, too. The jalapeno sausage was spicy, but I was so full at that point, that I only ate one bite!

Finally, at 4:15 pm, we left Lockhart. Zeke and I were so full that we could hardly move, even though we only ate little tastes of the meat at each place. Karen, who is mostly vegetarian but will occasionally eat chicken or turkey, ate the turkey at Black's and Chisolm Trail, and ate ice cream comes at both Smitty's and Kreuz Market. So even she was pretty full! Needless to say, I needed a serious nap after that gluttony. But what a feast.

Tonight, Zeke and I pulled out the leftover meat for supper, and after carefully tasting everything side by side this time, we confirmed our preference. Here goes:

#1 and Top Honors goes to: Black's!!!!!

#2: Chisolm Trail

#3: Kreuz Market

#4: Smitty's

Highly recommended, for those of you who feel like an entire day of barbecue would be good for your soul (if not good for your waistline).

Austin, TX, and the Texas Hill Country

So I made it to Austin, my birthplace and the land of my terrific aunt and uncle, Zeke and Karen. I got here on Thursday. On Friday, we went to the darling little town of Fredericksburg, ate lunch at a really cute courtyard restaurant (Rather Sweets), and then walked around the shops for a little while.

The main attraction, however, occurred after we left Fredericksburg. We drove the Willow City Loop to look at the Texas wildflowers, which are in full swing this time of year. I saw the official Texas state flower, the bluebonnet, along with Indian paintbrushes, primroses, winecups, nettles, black-eyed Susans, saddleblankets, and so many others (although I didn't know the names of any except for the bluebonnets -- my aunt and uncle taught me the rest). I got some amazing photos, and really enjoyed looking over the Hill Country. It's amazing how beautiful Texas can be; I forget, since I usually see only Dallas, where I grew up and where most of my family still lives. And it's a city, like many others -- but seeing the wilder parts of central Texas was a revelation.

The freedom of uncertainty

Well, the Tour is really underway now, although it took a while to really get started. I took two interesting trips during March, while I was still in Atlanta: one to Aiken, SC, for the Juilliard Music Festival and to visit my reader from STAR and now good friend Patsy, and one to Charleston, SC, for my friend Diann's 40th birthday. Funny that the two trips were totally separate, and yet they were both in South Carolina.

But the two amazing things I did before heading out from Atlanta: I went to the Landmark Forum March 19-21, and then to the Landmark Advanced Course on April 9-11. Both weekends were really fascinating. I cannot even begin to really describe the experiences here, but suffice it to say that I learned so much: that I am responsible for my life, that I don't have to be held back by anything whatsoever, that any feeling of being held back in the past came from me and me alone, and that this is my real life, so I need to do something worthwhile with it. I still have lots of work to do in this regard, but I now feel ready for this trip. I feel like I have room now to be fully present on the trip -- to not obsess about what I haven't done, to enjoy the moments that occur, and to listen to what comes up during the trip. And thank goodness for Patty Farinola, who convinced me to do the Forum in the first place, because it did exactly what it said it would: it put me in the right space for this cross-country road trip.

So the Advanced Course ended on April 13 (for those who don't know, there's an evening session at the end of the course), and then I left town on Friday, April 16. I'm now in Dallas, visiting family, and planning the rest of the journey. Funny I haven't planned more yet; I know when I'm going to Austin, and basically when I'm going to Houston, but then I have no idea after that! I want to go to West Texas -- I've never seen it, I'd like to travel to Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks, and I have to go to New Mexico, so West Texas is definitely the way to get there -- but I don't know the dates, where I'll be staying, which towns I'll be visiting, and what to do when I get to New Mexico. Wow! What a change from knowing every single day that I'll be going to PT, to Patty, to yoga, to lots and lots of meetings, to the ER to see patients, and so on. And the biggest revelation is knowing that I'll be okay, despite the uncertainties. That I can create my trip.

This is pretty cool, after all....