Red Rocks Redux

LA/XC-5 DAYS NINE, TEN, AND ELEVEN: POSTING FROM SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA

Two-day mileage from Williams, AZ to Santa Monica, CA: 596.2

Total LA/XC-5 mileage: 3,509.6

Road Music: Saturday: Mets vs. Phils (Mets clinch!); LA/XC-5 “Live” playlist; Sirius — Tom

Petty Radio and E Street Radio (live concert from San Sebastian Spain); Sunday: Jets vs. Seahawks (yuck); NFL Sunday Drive; Mets vs. Phillies (final game of regular season); LA/XC-5 “Live”

Weather leaving Williams Saturday morning: 59 degrees and partly cloudy

Weather arriving Needles, CA Sunday night: 90 degrees (This is the Mohave Desert, Bro!)

Two-day state tally: 2 (Arizona and California)

Gas money to date: $370.28

As if the Grand Canyon wasn’t monumental enough, the next day — Saturday — we detoured to Sedona to visit Carol’s old friend Steve, her

mentor and her biggest fan, from her Grey Advertising days.  I’d been to Sedona once before, with Ricky the Beagle on LA/XC-2 in 2012:  I

remember my GPS inexplicably switched over from English to Afrikaans and I had no idea where I was going.

Mention “Sedona” and the automatic reply will be about the breathtaking views of Sedona’s trademark red rocks towering above town from absolutely anywhere you happen to plunk yourself.  Or the stunningly gorgeous drive (Watch out!  Hairpin turns!) into and out of Sedona on 89A through Oak Creek Canyon.  What I have to tell you about is the Sedona Dog Park — the most remarkable one we’ve run into yet on this journey.  World-class views!  An exercise area!  An additional fenced-in

area for trails up the hills!  Balls and Chuck-its for visitors to use!  A freaking lending library, for God’s sake, for those who take reading with their dog-watching.  And at the uppermost lookout area, with a God’s-eye view of the red rocks above, a bench carved out of a huge log . . . with a doggy bag disposer near at hand, just in case.  Talk about doggy heaven . . .   (This was our second Red Rocks experience of the week — coming on

the heels of our Dierks Bentley concert at the famed Red Rocks amphitheater.)

So during the first 10 full days of the 2016 Beagle Man Tour, I’ve been able to listen to and/or watch my Mets and my Jets on the radio and in sports bars across the country.  The Metsies have been responsible for my good vibes:  They’ve won 27 of their last 40 games, and are heading for what shapes up as a classic winner-take-all Wild Card game against the Giants on Wednesday, with each team sending its monster to the mound — Bumgarner for them, Thor for us.  The current game plan is to watch with our friends’ son Greg, who lives locally and promises to take us to the primo place for a

watch party in Santa Monica.

The J-E-T-S?  Different story.  They got taken apart by the Kansas City Chiefs a week ago Sunday; I watched that stinker from a B-Dubs in Des Moines.  (See post from Sept. 26.)  And then yesterday I listened on radio to them totally vanish in the second half

and ultimately get destroyed by the Seattle Seahawks.  When Gang Green jumped out to an early (but evanescent) 3-0 lead, I said to Carol, “Isn’t it funny how I’m in such a good mood now, but will probably be miserable in three hours?”  Know how I knew that would happen?  Because I’m a Jets fan.  And the sad part is, their schedule gets worse before it

gets better.  I almost missed the game because of a time-zone brain freeze.  Kind of wish I had.

The good news is that we’re back in Santa Monica.  Back in the cozy confines of the Loews (“We Love Pets”) Santa Monica Beach Hotel.  Back with bellmen Nathan and Terry, and Tavo the concierge, and John the bartender.  Back for Kemba’s second stay here.  (Ricky did three.  Anyone remember the infamous Paw-Caught-In-the-Revolving-Door fiasco? [See “Welcome To L.A.”, Sept. 19, 2012]  That took place right here at the Loews.)  Back at the Joslyn Park and the Pacific Street dog parks.  Back to driving the Santa Monica

Freeway between the beach and L.A.  Back to my eureka runs along the Promenade, with the Pacific Ocean on one side, the Venice Beach freak show on the other, and the ferris wheel on the Santa Monica Pier as a constant backdrop.  And maybe most important,  back to my favorite Bubble Beach Laundry, on Main Street.

This, my loyal followers, is home for the next nine days.  🙂

RANDOM ROAD NOTES:

•  Carol let me touch the wheel today in Santa Monica for the first time since I picked her up in Denver.  I felt like the guy in the Mazda commercial who’s been on planes and in rental cars for days — the one that features Patsy Clines’ “I’m Back In Baby’s Arms.”  Carol’s total mileage for her five-and-a-half days of driving: 1,575.1.  Not bad for a rookie . . .

•  B&B seen on 89A near Sedona: Bedside Manor

•  I broke my spartan Clif-Protein-bar-for-lunch road diet yesterday with two cheeseburgers at a Mickey D’s a little south of Barstow.  There were extenuating circumstances.

•  Road signs mis-read from afar: Quiet Center Drive (it was actually “Outlet Center Drive”)

•  Cali license plate seen on I-15 South:  HOTNANA

•  Passed a “Sit Means Sit” dog training van on the highway.  Beagle Man: “I got a photo.”  Carol: “But did you get the phone number?”

•  Yay!  Got my new “Loews Loves Pets” placemat in Kemba’s goody bag when we checked in.  Lost my last one somewhere on the road.  Probably the same place where all his bowls wind up.  And that doggy bed . . .

I PLAN TO POST AS CLOSE TO DAILY AS POSSIBLE WHILE KEMBA AND I ARE ON THE ROAD. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY: MAN PLANS, GOD LAUGHS.  OH, AND BTW, YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND INSTAGRAM.