May 12th, 1990, Santa Fe
The snowcapped Sangre de Cristo Mountains around Santa Fe are magnificent. The town is 7000 feet above sea level, with only a population of 50,000 in 1990 (86,000 today). Despite its size Santa Fe is the third largest U.S. art market, after New York and LA. During my visit in 1990, I toured 6 art galleries in one day, and walked along countless streets lined with art for sale. There were blankets covered in every medium you can imagine from Native Indian jewelry, ceramics to paintings and rugs.
Since 1620, four different flags have flown over this sunny city. The small, older hostel I visited for the day, was bustling with groups 30 year old’s on hiking trips and the vibe was very laid back. Staying that night wasn’t on the schedule, and I was planning another overnight bus trip to Flagstaff to see the Grand Canyon. But in hindsight I wish I had taken longer here.
The Greyhound bus ticket allowed me go anywhere in the US for 30 days, so I had to get to LA for my flight before it ran out. On a US map I had circled many places I had thought about visiting. Looking back now, I don’t think I realized just how big America was!
My journal records,“Even though I am moving fast through all these places I don’t feel rushed. I have nothing to do but sightsee and get some food. I am staying 1 day maybe 2 at most, but it always seems enough.”
May 13th, 1990. The Grand Canyon
I took a late-night bus arriving in Flagstaff at 4am. My journal says,
“The Greyhound bus driver from Albuquerque to Flagstaff thought he was John Travolta, and was singing he whole trip! Hopefully, I can hike today on only 2 hours of sleep!”
After waiting for the Flagstaff hostel to open and drop my backpack safely into storage, I took a bus to the rim. The view that greeted me was like nothing else I had ever seen and the vastness of it is humbling to say the least.
When I had hiked around the rim trail for 2 miles, I thought I should tackle the hike down the canyon on the Bright Angel Trail. The sign said 4.5 miles to Indian Gardens. No problem! Passing mules carrying people and groups of hikers, this Timberland equipped girl could handle a 4.5 mile walk! The views were phenomenal.
Not far down all the breezes I felt at the rim ceased, and it became a still 90’. When I reached the 3 mile marker, I realized that on only 2 hours of sleep, I might pass out if I walked any further.
Later I journaled, “So thankful I turned around. It was a slow crawl to the top that took 3 times as long as it did to hike down. The ever-changing colors of the canyon were worth it all though, especially in the evening light. I will sleep well tonight.”
Pay Phones
After finally sleeping in a real bed at the hostel, I enjoyed breakfast in the quaint town of Flagstaff the next morning. Time to call Mum. In 1990, there was no cell phones, no pagers, nothing but dirty gross gross-looking pay phone booths. But this was how I would let my sweet mum know I was still alive! I carried AT&T phone cards that you could use anywhere – anyone remember those? This is so crazy to think of today in our ever-connected world . I believe there’s such a benefit to being off-grid for some time each day to think and refocus. How many times is a moment with family or friends interrupted because of some meaningless ‘ding’ on your phone? Yes, it may have been safer to have a cell phone on my trip, but I would have missed so much by staring at it!
Time for a new adventure
May 14th, 1990, I left Flagstaff on the 2:45 pm bus to travel through Kingman, Las Vegas, Reno and finally Truckee, a small town near Lake Tahoe, California.