Ape4Apes - On the Road

Memories of a very special chimpanzee

2009-11-05T20:45:00.000-08:00

On September 17, Oregon Zoo's much-loved chimpanzee Charlie died suddenly. I wrote this article for the Zoo Volunteer newsletter. For more information about Charlie, see the wonderful, feature-length article that appeared in The Sunday Oregonian on May 23, 2009, "Prince of the Zoo: Charlie the Chimp Reigns at the Oregon Zoo."

About 40 years ago a chimpanzee was born in Africa near the Liberia-Sierra Leone border. He was very intelligent, and he might have grown up to become the leader of his community, fathered several offspring and died as he had lived, in anonymity. But instead, some hunters killed his mother and the baby chimpanzee was stolen out of the forest. He was rescued, given the name Charlie and eventually ended up at the Oregon Zoo where he became a much-loved ambassador for his species.

Everybody who got to know Charlie felt they had a special relationship with him. And they were right, because Charlie made people feel special. When I tried to explain it to visitors, I said, “Think about going to a public event or reception. People are standing around in groups talking, but you don’t know anyone. Charlie is that person who comes up to you, says ‘hello’ and makes you feel welcome.”

That was Charlie, the host of the Oregon Zoo. He came up to the window, looked you in the eye and held your gaze. He picked you out of a crowd and signed, “Chase me.” He recognized you as an individual, someone worth communicating with. Over the years, countless numbers of people -- staff, volunteers and frequent visitors to the Zoo -- were won over by Charlie’s welcoming personality. They kept returning to get that special treatment, to feel that connection.

My first memorable Charlie moment came around six months into my first year as a ZooGuide. As an Animal Talker in Primates I had learned to recognize Charlie and had been through many rounds of Chase Me. I figured that Charlie recognized my red volunteer shirt and the white visor I always wore. Late one gray November afternoon I came to the Zoo for a meeting and stopped by for a quick visit with the chimps. I was wearing a business suit – and no white visor. I approached Charlie’s side of the indoor exhibit. He wasn’t there. Probably up in holding where he could enjoy some privacy. I moved over to the left side of the exhibit where little Joshua, Charlie’s son, was always eager for attention. As Josh and I raced back and forth, I heard “Tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap.” I turned and saw that Charlie had come down from holding. He was standing up and tapping on the glass, trying to get my attention. Charlie recognized me! Me. Not the red shirt and white visor. He recognized me, and he wanted my attention. It’s a moment I’ve never forgotten.

It’s been almost 17 years since that day I realized Charlie saw me as an individual. During those years, Charlie inspired me to learn more about chimpanzees, and he helped teach me a lot more than I could get just from books. He also patiently taught me what it meant to be one of “Charlie’s women.” Don’t walk by his exhibit without stopping to say “hi” – or, at least, don’t let him see you walk by. Don’t turn your back on him when talking to visitors. Don’t stand too close to other males. And always, always follow his “chase me” command.

As we both grew older and I became more of a fixture, Charlie didn’t pay as much attention to me. Games of chase became less frequent and less vigorous. When I arrived at the upper outdoor viewing area, he no longer rushed down from the climbing structure to greet me. Sometimes he barely acknowledged me, although I could usually catch him looking to make sure I was still paying attention to him and watching to see where I was heading. During feedings, after I’d handed Charlie the last piece of fruit – and Charlie always got the last piece; it was a rule – he’d sometimes hang around or lead me to the back of the holding area for a little more face time. But just about as often, he’d get up and leave me sitting there with the empty bucket.

Even though Charlie seemed to take me for granted in recent years – and maybe I took him for granted, too – I knew that he trusted me. And I felt honored to have his trust.

Charlie was getting grayer and moving a bit slower, but we all thought he had many more years to watch over the Zoo. We imagined him exploring and taking ownership of the new exhibit that would be built with the funds from last year’s bond measure. We never imagined the Zoo without Charlie.

I believe that when someone dies, they live on in the hearts of the people whose lives they touched. Charlie will live for many years in the memories we’ll each treasure and in the stories we’ll share with people who never got to meet him -- stories about his intelligence, his dignity, his grace, his willingness to let us into his world.

Goodbye, Charlie. It was a privilege to know you.

After a long hiatus: Chimp Lessons

2009-08-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, a special experience with some chimpanzees who had just been released from life in a research facility inspired me to write down some lessons I’ve learned from the many hours I’ve spent watching and studying chimpanzees. Some colleagues encouraged me to share these lessons on my blog. So here goes:

What Chimpanzees Have Taught Me About Surviving (and Thriving) in a Corporation

1. Whether you spend most of your time in a group or on your own, you are part of a larger community.
2. Build alliances.
3. Keep track of who grooms whom.
4. Know which trees bear fruit … and when.
5. From time to time you need to display some attitude.
6. Know when to stop screaming.
7. Sometimes the bully wins.
8. Dominance is temporary.
9. Be resilient.

Lesson #6 was actually the first I wrote down. It was inspired by a chimpanzee named Hannah who was having a difficult time during introductions to her new group at Save The Chimps. You can learn more about Hannah and work of Save The Chimps at their newly redesigned website, which has lots of great videos.

Picture. Pictures. Pictures. And a map.

2007-12-09T17:34:00.000-08:00

Finally got a selection of photos uploaded to a Google photo album and have started posting a subset to a Google map. Not done yet, but please check it out.

This link goes to the map. Balloon markers indicate overnight stops and include brief comments. Push pin markers indicate a photo. (As I headed east, the stops got closer together, so you will need to zoom in -- using the + sign -- to unclump the markers.)

This link goes to the photo album, which has about 130 photos with brief descriptions.

Let me know what you think -- or if you have trouble using the map or album.

Pictures will be coming ... really

2007-11-28T19:28:00.000-08:00

I've started playing around in Google Maps. So far, I've plotted out the route I followed. Next step will be to post selected photos at points on the map. I'll put the link to the map on this blog when it's got some photos to look at. Stay tuned.

Life goes on

2007-11-11T17:58:00.000-08:00

Car tasks done: tires rotated, oil changed, inside/outside professionally cleaned. Water heater fixed. Accumulated STUFF gradually being sorted and put away.

Went back to work on Thursday. I had to read the names on the aisle headers to remember where I sit in the cube farm. Discovered that my colleagues had decorated my cubicle as a "primate habitat" with a monkey-print curtain and straw-like material on the floor and chair. Gummy dinosaurs decorated the desk and car stickers decorated the computer monitor.

Got back to work at the Oregon Zoo yesterday, cleaning up the orangutan exhibit and holding area. Routine is setting in, but I'm trying not to go back to bad habits -- which I don't intend to confess here.

I've actually started sorting and organizing my photos and am looking into posting albums on Google so I can link to them from this blog. Maybe even link them to a Google map. We'll see.

I may be updating this blog occasionally with trip observations I've collected in my head and in writing. Please check back.

HOME

2007-11-04T16:55:00.000-08:00

Day 62 was a beautiful day of driving up the Oregon Coast. Blue skies with snatches of fog. Scenic views of the ocean. I thought about all the places I'd visited in the past two months. The Grand Canyon. The Petrified Forest National Park. The Badlands. The scenic back roads in different states. Some truly memorable scenery. But for me, when it comes to the can't-pull-myself-away factor, there is nothing like the Oregon Coast. I could sit for hours and just watch the waves crash against the rocks. I don't want to leave until it stops ... but it doesn't stop.

I'd intended to spend some time on the beaches, but by the time I got to some of the places I wanted to sit, the tide was coming in. I did pull off briefly at Bandon and in several places in Yachats, including my favorite spot, Devil's Churn. (That's where I'd like my ashes tossed, although I'm guessing it's probably illegal.)

Stopped for an oyster burger at Mo's in Florence and made a quick bio/shopping stop at the Lincoln City outlet mall. It was 5:30 and just getting dark by the time I headed east toward Beaverton.

I've done the Lincoln City to Portland route in the dark before. The drive through the Van Duzer Forest can be kind of fun. But last night it was a bit of an ordeal. It wasn't the dark that bothered me, it was the light. There was so much traffic coming in the opposite direction, headlights were almost constantly shining in my eyes. I just kept looking at the white line on my right and making sure I paid attention to all the directional signs because I could not see any landmarks. My favorite detour over Chehelam Mountain from Newburg was out of the question.

Got home at just about 8PM. Unloaded car. Still have lots of unpacking to do. Also a couple of loads of laundry, but that may have to wait.

When I got home I remembered to reset my water heater, which I had turned to Vacation setting. This morning when I went out to my car, I noticed that the garage floor was wet, and it must have been quite a bit of water because boxes sitting on the floor were fairly well soaked. Figured it had something to do with restarting the water heater and pressure. Good thing I had not just unloaded the car and left the stuff sitting there.

Went out for breakfast and to the Zoo. When I got home late this afternoon, I found water coming from a pipe that runs up the side of the water heater. It was coming out the top of the heater and pouring down the pipe. The floor was all wet again -- very wet -- and I couldn't figure out how to make it stop. In my panic I turned off a gas valve. After several calls and a call back, I reached someone through the company that did the installation. He assured me that the gas will not be leaking as it shut itself off when I turned the knob. By the time he called, the water had diminished to a trickle. I think I have managed to shut it off so the water heater does fill up again. But now I have no hot water. He said it seems to be an easily fixed malfunction and that he MIGHT be able to get someone to come out tomorrow sometime.

So, the few dollars I might have saved by turning down the water heater will be nothing compared to the service call by the plumber. To put a positive spin on the experience: at least it didn't happen the day I left town.

ABOUT PHOTOS: I will be going through my pictures and figuring out the best way to get a sampling into this blog. Not sure whether I will go back and post selected photos in old posts or maybe make some sort of online annotated album. Stay tuned.

ABOUT THE ZOO: After the Keeper Chat, I stopped by the primate house. Chimp Delilah responded to my sudden reappearance after 2 months by getting up from her nap and coming over to the window as soon as she saw me. Charlie only came out later when fruit was delivered, and I'm no match for bananas and oranges; he barely acknowledged me. Then I stopped by orangutans and was surpised when old Inji immediately came down from her perch up near the holding area. She may have been more interested in the plastic bag I was carrying than in my return, but I was touched that she came over to the window to greet me so quickly.

Day 61 -- Near disaster on next-to-last day

2007-11-02T21:04:00.000-07:00

Woke up at 8AM!!! (I don't remember the last time I slept that late.) Left Ukiah (which I finally found out IS pronounced "yu-KAI-ah") and continued north.

It was a pleasant drive through the redwoods and up and down the mountains. Sometimes the sky was clear and blue. Sometimes I was driving through fog. Sometimes I was driving through deep, dark woods. Not a lot of traffic most of the time.

Just after the spot where Route 1 joins US-101, I got a scary reminder that those yellow signs with the silhouettes of leaping wildlife mean something. As I rounded a curve a deer leaped in front of the car. I was able to brake in time and missed it by maybe three feet. If I hadn't been able to stop, I would have hit the buck (antlers and all) full on as he was standing in the middle of my lane. Whew. That makes the heart race. A few miles beyond that incident, on a side road next to 101, I saw two more deer just scampering about the side of the road. They didn't seem concerned that I had stopped and was watching them.

No more adventures, thankfully. Except for lunch in Garberville, no stops. No detours. No sightseeing. By 4PM I was crossing the state line into Oregon. I was debating whether to stop for the night in Brookings or to try to cover more miles -- to leave a shorter drive for tomorrow -- but the lodging options seemed best here. So Brookings is where I will sleep.

Tomorrow I plan to stop and enjoy a few beach walks along the way. Maybe try to find some agates. If I make good time, I can try to locate the area north of Newport where fossils are supposed to be easy to find. High tide is around 6AM and 6PM, so it will be at it's lowest around noon. The weather is supposed to be good. I don't care if I get home after dark.

This is definitely (probably) the final post from the road. Bye.

Day 60 -- I changed my mind ... again and again

2007-11-01T19:35:00.000-07:00

After studying the map last night, I still wasn't sure what route I would take to get home. The only way I could do it in two days would be to take I-5 all the way, and there was no way I was going to do that. I don't like driving odd-numbered (north-south) interstates, and I really, really want to see the Oregon Coast.

I figured I could take US-101 all the way. Three days of driving, some nice scenery even before Oregon. But getting around San Francisco looked pretty complicated. I'd have to take several different highways before getting back onto 101.

Then I looked at Route 1 out of Monterey. I could take it along the coast and right through San Francisco and across the Golden Gate Bridge and then get on 101. That's what I would do. (Pretty much the same route I took 7 years ago.)

With that decided, I started looking longingly at Route 1 all the way up the coast after San Francisco. Google Maps doesn't make it easy to figure the mileage on Route 1. Can't always find it. So I hadn't computed the mileage and travel time going that way and wasn't sure how much it would add to the trip. I began to negotiate with myself: If I get to the other side of SF by around noon, I'll take Route 1. A little before noon, when I was stopping for lunch south of SF: If I get across the Golden Gate Bridge by 1 and the fog has cleared, I'll take Route 1.

Lunch took longer than planned. By the time I was driving through SF it was almost 2PM. Then I thought about the trip 7 years ago. I had driven through SF and across the bridge during rush hour. The highway (101) was packed with cars all the way to Santa Rosa. Driving earlier in the day was smoother. Then I remembered something else: I had stopped for the night in Santa Rosa, and it took me the whole next day to get from there to Garberville by taking Route 1 -- and I didn't stop much along the way. OK. The super scenic route was out of the question.

But it wasn't a bad day of driving. I made an unplanned final tour of the Monterey Penninsula when I couldn't find Route 1 North and ended up going the wrong way. Except for the stretch around Santa Rosa, the traffic wasn't terrible. I did get a few peeks at the ocean through the fog, and the "wine country" landscape north of Santa Rosa is pretty. I'm spending the night in Ukiah. Tomorrow I will go through a redwood forest and back out to the coast. Then Saturday it will be Oregon Coast most of the way.

Gawd, I love the ocean. I don't know which I love more, chimpanzees or the ocean.

Maybe THIS will be my last post from the road. Maybe not. After tomorrow night I get to sleep in my own bed!!!

Day 59 -- Four-hour Watching Cruise

2007-10-31T19:19:00.000-07:00

I set the motel alarm clock last night so I would be sure to get up in time to catch the early Whale Watch Cruise: check-in at 8:30AM. I woke up 9 minutes after the alarm should have sounded. Each alarm clock is different. This one apparently has a volume dial for the buzzer and it can be turned all the way down -- and it was. Who designs these things? Why in the world would someone want to set an alarm to wake them up and set the buzzer to be silent?

When I was washed and dressed I went to get breakfast in the motel front office and found the door locked. I could see that the breakfast items were set out, but no one was answering calls to open the door. Finally roused someone about 15 minutes later.

Drove downtown to one of the lower cost garages and walked the rest of the way to the wharf and got myself signed up for the 9AM cruise that was to last 4-5 hours. This is the longest one offered by any of the companies. It was very foggy at the motel, but blue sky was visible from the waterfront. There were only about 20 people signed up for the cruise, so there was plenty of room on the 70-foot boat that could hold about 60 passengers. And off we went.

The hat and scarf I bought in Flagstaff in anticipation of cold winds at the Grand Canyon sure came in handy. Some of the passengers spent all their time on the stern. (Engine fumes. Ugh.) Some spent a lot of time in the cabin. Some of them were sleeping, probably because they took Dramamine. A few looked like they wish they'd taken Dramamine. I stood practically the whole trip at the rail on the bow. I wanted to be the first to see a whale spouting water and shout, "Whale at 4 o'clock!"

I've been on a whale watch cruise at Cape Cod and another in Oregon. Both times we saw one or two whales -- and in Massachusetts the whale came next to the boat and sprayed us -- but I've never gotten to witness any dramatic whale activities like spy hopping or breaching. This time, with up to 5 hours on the boat, I was hoping to see some action. And plenty of whales. So I watched. And watched.

We saw all kinds of sea birds and more sea lions than you could count. Sea lions look much more athletic in the open water than they do hauled up on the jetty. (Ahrr. Ahrr. Ahrr.) In the harbor we saw a lone otter and around hour three I may have spotted a harbor seal or two. At one point the captain slowed the ship down so we could see a sunfish, a large, strange-looking deep-water fish that sometimes floats on its side near the surface. And some white-sided dolphins rode the bow wave of the ship briefly -- too briefly and quick to be able to get a picture.

And I continued to watch, but we never saw a hint of a whale. (One of the crew wondered whether it might have something to do with the earthquake.) After four hours, the whale-less watching cruise returned to port. I noticed that they had cancelled their 2PM cruise. We must be special because this doesn't happen very often, and this particular company guarantees a whale sighting or the next trip is free. So I left with a card for a free whale watching cruise. No expiration.

It wasn't a waste of time. I love boating, even when the water is a bit rough -- as long as I'm not getting drenched with cold water. I can't remember when I last spent that much time out on a boat. When I lived in Monterey I took sailing lessons in the bay. Private lessons. Just me, the instructor and a 19- or 21-foot boat. (Depending on which was available at the time of my weekly lesson.) Half of my final "exam" was to go out without the instructor (and come back). He recommended that I recruit a friend to accompany me, so I invited a guy named Steve who had no sailing experience. A few weeks after I was officially "certified" I got a group of friends together -- including Steve -- and we chartered a small sail boat for half a day. Since I was the only one who knew anything about sailing, it was all on my shoulders and it was pretty tiring. I haven't sailed since I left Monterey.

Anyway, now I have a reason to return to Monterey sometime -- to collect on the whales they owe me.

Once I was on dry ground again, I visited a nearby history museum for a quick look around. Then I headed off on a nostalgia walk through Cannery Row to Pacific Grove. Thirty years ago I used to spend my Saturdays walking down from the Presidio, along the waterfront to and through Pacific Grove and along the highway back up to the Presidio. I stopped along the way to read and munch on a sandwich. It was a 10-mile walk. I didn't do the whole walk today. I think I walked about two miles -- in one direction.

Much has changed in 30 years, and much has remained the same. Cannery Row is now a major destination with the giant aquarium and big luxury hotels. I spotted an orange building set away from the others and recognized it as a place that used to be called Tia Maria's and was one of the few night life hot spots in the area. (It's now called El Torito.) When I got past the new hotels and ritzy shops, everything started to look familiar. The public path hugs the coast. I saw places where you can walk out onto the rocks -- and where I used to sit and read. I heard a faint "Tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap." It was an otter floating on its back in the kelp, cracking a shellfish against a rock on its stomach. Maybe it was the grandchild of one of the otters I used to watch.

I turned around at the "gray building" -- whatever that was -- because I knew I had to walk all the way back. I don't remember how much further the coast walk continues, but I didn't have the time or the stamina to find out.

I'd hoped to drive to Carmel to take a quick look around. But it was getting late and I was too tired. Besides, I'll be coming back to see the whales, right?

Tomorrow will be a long driving day, around or through San Francisco and/or Silicon Valley. I'm debating whether to try to get home in two days (Friday night) instead of three. I think I'll skip Route 1. Gorgeous but slow. And I've already seen so much great scenery. Maybe I'll save it for another trip to Monterey.

Not sure that I'll get all hot and bothered about trying to find a motel room with internet access the next night or two. That means that this may -- or may not -- be the last blog post from the road.

Day 58 -- Ah, Nature.

2007-10-30T22:08:00.000-07:00

Got lots of exercise during four hours at Point Lobos State Reserve this afternoon. I don't know how far I walked, but I covered most of the pine needle carpeted trails along the north shore and the trail out to Sea Lion Point. Point Lobos is a gorgeous place. If I lived in Monterey I'm sure I'd spend plenty of time there. Hey. I did live in Monterey, but I never discovered Point Lobos until I visited 7 years ago.

The day had started out overcast, but by the time I arrived at Point Lobos the sun was shining. Still, a strong breeze was blowing and I was glad to find sunny spots where I could sit and get warm.

During my walk I saw only one sea otter, but there were plenty of birds, including herons, and seals and sea lions. ( Ahrr. Ahrr. Ahrr.) I spotted a heron in the bay a little ways from shore and wondered how shallow the water must be for it to be standing there. Later I saw one in the water close to the trail and realized they stand on rafts of seaweed and driftwood.

At one spot -- Bluefish Cove, I think -- there was a swarm of jelly fish. They appeared just as white spots below the surface of the water. I probably wouldn't have noticed them if someone hadn't pointed them out. With my binoculars I could see the individual jellies floating in the water.

I guess I'll have to set the alarm clock tonight. I plan to take a whale watching cruise tomorrow and the one I'm aiming for leaves early in the morning.

Oh, and on the subject of nature: If this is California, that must have been an earthquake.
This evening around 8PM, just as I was about to sit down for a dinner of leftovers, the upstairs neighbor began doing somersaults. At least that's what I thought at first. Then I realized it was an earthquake. A short while later I looked it up online and found it was a 5.6 centered a little bit northeast of San Jose. Apparently, there have been numerous aftershocks, but I haven't felt anything since the first jolt.

Day 57 -- Driving in the clouds

2007-10-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

The free continental breakfast at the Morro Bay motel never materialized. Maybe it was because there were only 3 or 4 rooms occupied. No big deal. I figured I would find something on the road. Route 1, to be exact.

Around Cambria I saw a little village-y looking street and decided to pull off and look for a bakery. There was an internet cafe with frou-frou coffee drinks and baked goods. Just what I needed. While I nursed a mocha and cranberry scone the proprietor and I chatted about the town and about my travels. A few locals came in, including a young woman wearing fairy wings. For Halloween.

As I headed north, I looked for the funky little motel I'd stayed in 7 years ago. I remembered that it was just past the place where the elephant seals gather. I couldn't remember the name of the area, but apparently it is Piedras Blancas. I found the elephant seal site, but didn't see any motel. Then further up the road I passed it, but it looked like it might be out of business as there was no sign out front. It was pretty run down back then.

Then it was on into Big Sur as clouds came down to meet the road. I can't afford to stay at the Ragged Point Inn -- at least, not on this trip -- but I was intent on stopping there again to enjoy the view and maybe a hot blueberry muffin. (Yeah, yeah, I know. I'd just had a scone.) When I stopped there 7 years ago, the sky was bright blue, but today I could only catch brief glimpses of the coastline through the fog. There were no hoards of hummingbirds this time, but a single one did come out to greet me and I could hear others in the trees.

You can probably drive from San Simeon to Monterey in about 2 hours, but you can also turn it into a full day trip by stopping at the many view points and exploring the beach access trails. Today I made a quicker trip of it than I had previously. For one thing, the views were restricted by the clouds, but also the few routes down to the water were closed due to extreme fire hazard. There wasn't going to be any sitting on the rocks watching the waves this time. So I put on a tape of nature sounds mixed with soft music, rolled down the window, turned on the heat and enjoyed the drive. Even when a light rain began to fall, I kept the window open. I made a few stops along the way to take pictures or just marvel at the view and arrived in Monterey around 3PM.

I immediately located the motel I had picked out and got a room. With so much time left in the day, I decided to walk (about a mile) towards Fisherman's Wharf.

When I lived in Monterey 30+ years ago while attending the Defense Language Institute (DLI), I didn't drive. I walked, took the bus, and caught rides with friends. It was a long time ago. I have only vague memories of how the streets connect, and many landmarks have changed. But I managed to find the waterfront, have dinner and get back to my room. I plan to stay for two more days. List of activities include time at Point Lobos State Reserve, a visit to the Presidio where DLI is located, and maybe a whale watch cruise. The weather is supposed to improve.

Oh. And while I was at dinner the waiter asked if I was here for the conference -- the librarian conference. (Do total strangers think I look like a librarian?) I suddenly remembered that the Internet Librarian conference is in Monterey in late October or early November. I've been wanting to get my job to send me for years but have never managed to coordinate it. Maybe I can get in to see the exhibitors hall. I'm sure I'll find vendor invitations on my desk when I return to work next week.

Day 56 -- Congestion!

2007-10-28T19:05:00.000-07:00

No. I'm not coming down with a cold. Today I drove from Laguna Hills in Orange Country to Morro Bay just north of San Luis Obispo: I-5 to US101 and just a short jaunt on Route 1. The whole way I was in traffic. Some nice scenery but no open road. Congested roads for 269 miles.

I'm glad I arranged my visit to my brother's home to run through Saturday night. Traffic would have been even heavier on Friday or Saturday, and I would not have been able to get such a good deal on the nice motel room I found -- if I had been able to find a room at all.

But at 4PM on a Sunday, I had my pick of many economical lodgings. Once I got checked in I went for a walk on the waterfront, just two blocks away. I found an information center that explained the local geography. Then I got my exercise checking out all the eating options. Most of the offerings were fried food (e.g., fish & chips, calamari & chips, clam strips & chips) but since I'd had fish & chips the day before I opted for clam chowder and a salad. It was so-so. Sometimes it's hard to be good.

Tomorrow I'll spend the day driving through Big Sur. Last time I did that -- 7 years ago -- it was an overcast day, which made the views very dramatic. Not sure what's in store for tomorrow, but the scenery on this part of the coast is always great. I plan to spend the next 2-3 nights in Monterey.

I just discovered that there's a new Jane Goodall special tonight on Animal Planet -- and I have cable in my room! So now I'll stop writing and settle down for a night of TV.

Day 55 ... I think

2007-10-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

I haven't driven my car since arriving at my brother's home in Laguna Hills on Wednesday. The car sits in the driveway with a light covering of ash. The So. Cal. fires appear to be mostly under control, but many people have lost their homes and some have lost their lives. The smokey skies of the past two days have been replaced by cloud cover. And it even sprinkled a little today. Very little. No. Wait a minute. As I look out the window I see actual rain falling. This is good news.

We haven't spent a lot of time outside because of all the smoke and ash in the air, although today seems better. Driving has been replaced by eating. On Thursday we went to a Belgian restaurant. Friday we had dim sum for lunch and then went to a Brazilian restaurant. Today we had fish and chips at Dana Point for lunch and will go to Sam Woo's (my favorite) for dinner. I may not need to eat again until I return home a week from today.

Tomorrow I'll hit the road again. Plan is to take I-5 north to US-101 and spend the night somewhere near the start of Big Sur.

Day 52 -- So what happened to Route 66?

2007-10-24T21:20:00.000-07:00

The plan today was to drive straight through to Laguna Hills for a visit with my brother and his family. I decided to continue driving on Route 66 until I hit the California state line and then switch to I-40. Route 66 would take me through some small towns and up over a mountain pass. It didn't work out that way.

I followed Route 66 through Kingman and through what appeared to be some sort of industrial area. Suddenly I found myself passing under I-40 and then in front of the car was a sign for Route 66 with arrows pointing right and left. Strange. I would have thought I should go straight. I took the left turn to go west and found myself on the I-40 on-ramp. I really think I should have gone straight, but the arrows said "Take your pick: right or left." I never saw another sign for Route 66 until I got to the point where I would have joined the interstate at the state line. No wonder the old road died. Weird directional signs routed people away from it. Conspiracy?

The gas prices in California are out of this world. From $2.75 a gallon at the last place I saw in Arizona, I ended up at a bump-in-the-interstate place that was charging $3.55. I only got two gallons and then got a fill-up in Victorville at $3.02.

After driving for 3 hours I took at break at a rest area and finished off the salad I'd had for dinner. (Interestingly, many budget motel rooms I've been in lately have refrigerators and microwaves.) I saw some ravens flying around and wondered whether they would raid the trash for any lettuce I didn't eat. Or maybe some of the cheese. Yes. I know they are meat eaters, but if you're hungry you might eat what you can get.

No sooner had I deposited the plastic bag and styrofoam clam-shell take-out container in the trash than a raven came over and started digging around. He was taking bites of something -- maybe the leftover cheese -- but mostly was pecking holes in the styrofoam and trying to pull out the plastic bag using his beak and foot. He finally dumped the now-empty styrofoam container on the ground and tackled the next layer of trash: leftovers from a fast-food joint. That's what he was really after. Ravens and crows recognize food wrappers. Unfortunately for the raven there was nothing but crumbled up paper wrappers, which he tossed to the ground.

When people walked past, the raven would fly away until the coast was clear. One woman came and set some little cinnamon rolls of the edge of the trash receptacle. The raven ignored them. Apparently he was only interested in meat. When I went over to pick up the trash he'd flung about, I noticed that the lettuce from my salad was in the receptacle. He'd just dumped it out.

After Barstow I began to see smoke in the sky. As I travelled further west, the smoke got thicker. At a few places the ground was obviously charred, and at one point I passed through an area that was burned on both sides of the highway. The winds seem to have died down, so maybe the fires will soon be under control. Here in Laguna Hills it looks like a thunderstorm is imminent, but it's the smoke. They'd love to get a heavy rain.

Not sure what's in the works for the next few days. Maybe I'll have time to organize the photos I've taken.

Day 51 -- Somtimes the drive is the destination

2007-10-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

Glad I'd already decided not to get back up to the Grand Canyon for sunrise. I didn't feel motivated to get up and checked out of the motel in the dark. I got to the park in time for the 9AM ranger talk on fossils.

Ranger Paul, who works summers at the Grand Canyon, is a PhD student who is passionate about fossils. He told us how he got turned on to paleontology at the age of 9 when he found a trilobite fossil -- and pulled his treasured fossil out of his pocket and let us examine it. Then he took us on a walk to an area of the rim where fossils are at the surface, which was the bottom of a sea 270 million years ago.

He identified brachiopods, bivalves, horn corals, bryozoans, crinoids, and sponges. Then we strolled around looking for other examples. I found several, including a sponge fossil in the center of a concretion that had cracked open. Finally I find some fossils on my own and I can't take them home. Oh, well. At least I know I found them. And now maybe I'll be able to find some more at a place where I can keep them. It's not enough to know what a fossil looks like, you have to know where to look. Now I guess I'll have to study geology.

After the ranger talk, which lasted over an hour, I walked a bit along the rim and took more pictures. Looking down you could see little tiny people way down below on the trails. And little tiny people on little tiny mules. It looked like fun going down there -- but not so much fun hiking back up to the rim.

By about 12:30 I was leaving the park. An hour on US64 south to Williams and then west. I started out on I40, but when I stopped to get gas, I asked someone how much longer it would take to get to Kingman, AZ, if I got off the interstate and took historic route 66. The answer, just about 30 minutes more. I would be able to get there by around 5PM. So that's what I did.

Most of the way was rural. Scenic, but after the Grand Canyon any roadside landscape is going to be anticlimactic. One town looked like what you would expect, with lots of 1950s-looking motels and stores and vintage cars, but mostly it was just a pleasant drive. The only thing that really distinguished Route 66 from any other secondary road was the Burma-Shave signs. I arrived in Kingman just a few minutes after 5PM and quickly found a room that is both economical and more than adequate.

BTW, the weather is more comfortable. At the Grand Canyon the wind was down and the temperatures were up a little. Here in Kingman I may even need to turn on the air conditioning. In just a few days I went from sweaty and gritty to parched and chapped. My lips feel like crepe paper. What's next? Not smokey and ashen, I hope. As I plot the drive to Laguna Hills I'm keeping an eye on the state of the fires in California.

Day 50 -- Improvisation

2007-10-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

The plan was to get going early so I could "do" the Grand Canyon in a day. But first I set out on foot to find a coffee shop I'd picked out of the phone book. It was just about two blocks away but by the time I got there, my eyes were all teared up from the cold and wind. I figured if it was this bad down in Flagstaff, it would be much worse up at the Grand Canyon. So I decided to take my time. I wouldn't be able to see much of anything through watery eyes, so why rush?

While I dawdled in my warm room I watched the morning news. Uh, oh. Wild fires in California north and south of my brother's home. The area immediately around his home looks okay, but how about the roads I need to travel to get there? And how about the roads to get from his place up to Big Sur? I'd thought I might drive through Malibu, but it's in flames. All of a sudden, all my plans were up in the air again.

It was about two hours to the Grand Canyon. As I drove through Flagstaff to get to US180, I spied out motels I might want to stay at if I decided to stay in the area another night. Then it was a pretty drive through a scenic ski area to US64, which goes up to the Grand Canyon -- and clear through it to the east. At the intersection of US180 and US64 -- an area not covered in any of my lodging guides -- there were several motels. More options.

Then I arrived in Tusayan, just 2 miles from the entrance to the national park. By this time I'd decided that I'd probably want to return to the park on Tuesday. I knew that I'd have to pay more than I usually do for a night's lodging, but I figured I would would mostly make up for it in drive time and gas saved. Around noon I finally entered the Grand Canyon National Park.

The place is overwhelming. And I don't mean just the size of it. There are so many options for what to do, what to see and how to get around, you could spend a half-day visit just trying to make up your mind. Then I started to feel a little woozy and mildly dispeptic. Figured it was the altitude, but it might have been the over-priced BLT I'd had in Tusayan. Or a combination of the two. I decided to spend today driving around the east side of the park -- 28 miles each direction -- and stopping at the various view points. I decided to hang around until sunset so I could see the changing colors of the canyon.

Good news is that it was not nearly as cold and windy as it had been down in Flagstaff. I never even had to put on my heavier coat, but the new warm hat was handy. And it's supposed to be a bit warmer Tuesday.

I'm glad I made the trip to the Grand Canyon, but it's probably not a place I'd go out of my way to visit again. Like the San Diego Zoo or Disney World, it's big and busy. Not restful. It was nowhere near as crowded as it would be in season, but there were plenty of visitors everywhere. At least half from other countries. And almost everywhere I stopped to take in the scenery, there were bunches of people talking -- loudly -- and always the smell of cigarette smoke. A ranger said that the real way to see the Grand Canyon is to hike into it but that only 5% of visitors ever get past the rim. But she also said that some of those trails get crowded.

I did see some wildlife. Lots of ravens in the air and on the ground. Toward the end of the day at each view point there was a raven strolling around the parking lot. I wondered if it might be the same one following me. There are also tufted-eared squirrels called Abert squirrels scampering about. Unfortunately, I think I ran over one. They don't seem to be too bright. The critter sat by the side of the road then ran out in front of my car. I heard a little "thunk" and when I looked in my rear-view mirror, I saw gray and white fur in the middle of the road. (I thought I hit a little rabbit one night in Alamogordo, but since I didn't hear or feel anything, maybe I missed it.) Oh well, at least the raven who was flying around nearby got dinner.

I was thinking about getting back to the park in time to see sunrise tomorrow, but I've changed my mind. I'll get there in time for the fossil talk at 9AM. Then I'll spend some time on the west side of the park. Maybe do part of the rim walk. Take the shuttle if the altitude gets to me. There are also some geology talks. Figure I will probably leave around noon, although I don't know where to.

Interestingly, Grand Canyon National Park is open 24 hours a day. You can come and go any time. There are even some evening programs. Also, there are no guard rails at many of the view points. There is nothing to stop someone from walking or falling over the edge. Happens several times a year. In fact, it happened earlier this month.

I'm glad I found a motel with internet access. I'm not getting a cell phone signal up here. And when I got to my room tonight I discovered there is no phone. I've looked at online maps of the California fires, and it looks like I may be doing some more improvising in the days ahead. Wildfires are nothing to be blase about.

Day 49 -- Isn't Arizona supposed to be hot?

2007-10-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't been using an alarm clock since I left Oregon 7 weeks ago. Oh, I set the alarm to wake me up for mornings of the Chimpanzoo conference, but I always woke up well before the alarm sounded. Today I wanted to be sure to get up with plenty of time to arrive at the Petrified Forest National Park for the 10AM ranger talk, so I dug my alarm clock out of the suitcase. Dead battery. The room at the Reed Motor Lodge in Springerville had plenty of character: knotty pine wood paneling, lamps that were probably purchased in the 1950s, a strange counter at the back of the room. But no alarm clock. Oh, well. I woke up on my own.

It was a great drive to the national park. About 90 minutes. Changing landscape all along the way with fascinating rock formations. Makes me want to study geology so I can understand why the rocks are piled as they are. I arrived at my destination in time to see the video before the ranger talk. It was a good talk. Very informative. And the audience seemed very well informed, too. The Q&A got pretty detailed about how wood becomes petrified.

The ranger didn't say so, but the park is mis-named. There never was a forest at the site. It is an ancient flood plane where fallen trees collected after being washed downstream. But I guess Petrified Logjam National Park doesn't sound as good.

I followed the 28-mile route through the park and pulled off at most of the views. Some included short trails. I took plenty of pictures, but I'm not sure you can capture the views adequately with a camera. Chunks of petrified wood scattered across the landscape as far as you can see. Much of it is agatized and polished by nature. [Really, one of these days I will again post pictures to this blog. Maybe I'll go back and refresh. Or maybe I'll create a digital album. Someday.]

Before the area was made into a national monument and then park in the early part of the 20th century, people used to come and cart specimens away by the truckload. Some used dynamite to blow up petrified logs to get to crystals inside. Even today visitors pocket pieces, totaling tons every year. There is not a whole lot that can be done to stop someone who is intent on copping a souvenir despite all the signs -- and penalties. The film and the ranger both address the issue. With the receipt for your entrance fee, you get a bright green card to fill out if you see someone taking or defacing anything. And at each exit is a sign warning people to prepare to stop for a vehicle inspection. Apparently many people have second thoughts and send back the pieces they took. Some of the accompanying letters are featured in the film and in the visitor centers.

I wondered why we had a ranger talk and not a ranger walk. When I finally went outside to start exploring, I figured out why: cold wind. Whoa. Was it ever windy. Bright blue skies and relentless wind. Taking pictures was challenging because the wind made it hard to hold the camera steady. I'm expecting it to be even colder -- and maybe windier -- up at the Grand Canyon.

At 3PM I got on I-40 and headed toward Flagstaff. Plenty of traffic, including big trucks. Glad I was able to cover so much territory on secondary roads the few weeks. In Flagstaff I selected a motel on old Route 66. When I checked in the clerk offered me ear plugs. The railroad runs parallel to Route 66, and there is a nearby crossing. Toot, toot. Now I know why a few of the motels advertise "No train noise." I figure if I can (sort of) sleep through the sounds of partying chimps, train whistles shouldn't be much of a problem.

Stopped at a shopping mall just before closing and bought a hat for tomorrow. Something that will stay on my head AND keep my ears warm. I'll be pulling the heavier jacket out of the storage tub in the back seat, too. Hard to believe that not too long ago I was complaining about the heat and humidity.

Day 48 -- Great driving day ... with pie

2007-10-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

Packed the car and then walked around the Alamogordo Save the Chimps facility saying goodbye to every primate I could find -- both human and non-human. Everyone was very gracious and thanked me for helping. I may see many of them again if I return to New Mexico in the next year or two or in Florida, where many will be going. Some names I can't remember and some I never got, but bye and thanks to Jen, Julene, Dr. B, Shari, Millie, Marlon, Dylan, Bernie, Sandra, Belinda, Cathy, Kelly, Danielle, Vince, Theresa, Pooh, Kiki, Vince, Clay, Cheetah, Mandy, and all the rest.

Then it was north on US54, backtracking about 60 miles that I drove to get to Alamogordo. Stopped at the Eagle Ranch Pistachio Groves again to pick up a selection of treats for my brother, whom I am now planning to visit. (Since he doesn't read my blog, the pistachios will be a surprise.)

At Carrizozo I turned west onto US380 and immediately started seeing interesting scenery: black lava beds dotted with big yucca plants and other vegetation on both sides of the highway. The landscape kept changing all along the route, and it was all fascinating. Mountains. Rock formations. Vistas. The view in the rear view mirror sometimes competed with the view up ahead and on each side.

I only drove for 8 miles on an interstate (I25) as I jogged north to Socorro and then continued west. I saw some signs that said VLA 40 miles (or some other number). I wondered what "VLA" meant. Was it something about road conditions for the next so many miles? Why would they assume that travelers would know what "VLA" was?

Traveling these roads through central New Mexico, you really need to plan ahead. You gas up and take bio breaks at large towns -- whether you need to or not. You can't trust that any other towns will have any kind of services what so ever. One speck on the map was apparently a rock shop and a house where you could buy "miracle soap." Rest areas are turnouts with a covered picnic table and a trash can. That's it. And those are generally few and far between.

After one little town that actually had some shops, I started to notice some dish antennae in the distance. Real big ones. Scattered on both sides of the road. Then I saw the sign "Very Large Array (VLA) Radio Telescope." VLA!!! I stopped at a turnout and took some pictures, but I didn't drive the 4 miles to the visitor center. Too many miles to cover today -- and I figured I could find out about it on the web.

Sometimes the road was straight with gentle hills. Sometimes it was steep and curvy. A long stretch was smooth black top. Like driving in a car commercial. The speed limit varied from 65 to 25 (going through towns). Cruise control came in handy especially on long straight-aways because it was easy to go way over the speed limit without meaning to. Going up over the continental divide I got to use my overdrive override -- or whatever that thing is called.

When I was studying the map last night I noticed that I would be passing a little place called Pie Town right on the other side of the continental divide. I wondered whether it really had anything to do with pies. Just outside Socorro -- and 100 miles before the divide -- I saw a sign about Pie Town and pies. Decided I would have to stop there for a snack.

Pie Town is just a kink in the road, but there are actually two restaurants that sell pies. I stopped at Daily Pie, the one on the billboards I'd seen. I was lucky to get there just 20 minutes before they were set to close for the weekend. I had my pie -- a cherry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry concoction called Mayberry pie -- and chatted with the people behind the counter about how the town got its name. You can read about that on the town website -- although I was told there are several versions.

It wasn't much farther to Springerville, AZ, where I'd decided to stop for the night. Had to shop around a bit for a motel because the town is not covered in AAA or in the discount booklets. But it was the closest place west of the Petrified Forest National Park with several motels. I took advantage of the hour I'd gained crossing into Arizona and drove just out of town to a wildlife area and walked the trail. Didn't see much besides ducks and a lot of grasshopper-like insects, but I needed the exercise.

Now I really must get to bed early. It's about 90 minutes to the park and I want to get there before 10AM when there will be a ranger talk/walk about the geology.

[The rooms on both sides of me have been empty, but I just heard some people enter the room that has an adjoining door. And I just heard a dog bark. Yeesh. The walls at this place are not very thick.]

Day 47 – Beginning of the end

2007-10-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

Spent last night online figuring out routes. I want to be home no later than two weeks from tomorrow, but there’s still plenty to see and do. Petrified Forest National Park. Grand Canyon. The California Coast, including Big Sur. My brother?

Got to bed later than I should have and didn’t sleep very soundly. For some reason the chimps were making a racket much of the night. In addition to the vocalizations (screaming), they were beating on the metal doors, each one trying to out do the other in volume.

Today was my last day of volunteering on the trip. More laundry. More raisin boards. And I filled bottles with a mixture of apple sauce and raisins by hand – literally. How often do you get to dip your hand into a big bowl of applesauce? And tomorrow will be the last of the chimps until I get back to Oregon.

Tonight I will double check some routes and mileage for the next few days, and then I need to repack some of my boxes/suitcases. Don’t know when I’ll get online again. Maybe tomorrow. maybe not.

Day 46 – More laundry and lots of pistachios

2007-10-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

Hung lots of laundry this morning. My shoulders are aching. A big yellow dog named Simba has been accompanying me on my rounds. There are lots of dogs here: Maxie, Sugar, Rocky, Luna, and a few others whose names I don’t know.

Before noon I started making raisin boards, which involves using a chop stick to stuff raisins into holes that have been drilled into blocks of plastic lumber. The secret is to have a bowl of water handy to keep your fingers wet so you don’t end up with raisins stuck to your hands instead of the block. If you get good at it, you can stuff a raisin board in less time than it takes a chimp to empty it out.

I decided I should take a break today, get away for lunch or something. Hey, I could visit the Eagle Ranch Pistachio Grove. I’d been there on a previous trip to Alamogordo but missed the tour, which is at 1:30. Today I got there in plenty of time to sample the goodies before the tour started. The pistachio-cranberry biscotti are especially good. Oh, and the dark chocolate pistachio bark.

The tour lasts 45 minutes and is very informative. I learned about male and female pistachio trees, which are really bushes, and how pistachio shells crack naturally as part of the growth process, not as a result of roasting. There are only a few places that have the kind of climate where pistachios can grow. Almost all pistachios in the world (99%) are grown in Iran (I’d heard something like that before) and most pistachios grown in the US are from California.

We visited the building where the nuts are sorted – initially by machine but also by humans, multiple times. We also visited the roasting building where the crew was preparing green chili nut meats. We also saw the room where the nuts are measured and packaged.

There were bins and bins -- massive bins -- of pistachios. I’ve never seen so many pistachios. I couldn’t help thinking how much my dad would have enjoyed the tour. He loved pistachios and liked learning how things are made. He would have been repeating pistachio factoids for years afterwards.

Back at Save the Chimps I took down laundry, but now (4PM) it looks like work is done. Not sure what I’ll do tonight. TV? Read? I do need to start plotting the drive west, and I need to decide where I’ll go in California: to San Luis Obispo and up the coast or stop to see family in Orange County and then to the coast.

Oh, and nice surprise. I checked my home voice mail and learned that I’d won a getaway to the Oregon coast. It was one of just a few prizes in the Oregon Zoo volunteer annual fundraiser. So as I drive up the Oregon coast on the last day(s) of this trip, I can feel good knowing that I will be back in a few months.

Day 44 & 45 – Volunteering

2007-10-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

For the past two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) I’ve only used my car keys to get stuff out of the trunk. Haven’t left the grounds of Save the Chimps. In the morning I make the rounds of the five buildings checking for freshly laundered blankets to hang on the line or for really dirty blankets to put in the wash. Later in the day I make the same rounds to take down the blankets that have been dried by the sun and the wind (lots of wind today) and fold them.

I also go into the kitchen to count and bag chow or to help make treats. This afternoon I made an ice treat for each of the 150 or so chimps who currently live at this facility. The laundry work seems a bit lighter than last time I was here two years ago.

I spent some time today chatting with different people on the staff. I went to the workshop and looked at how various enrichment devices are made. It’s quite a challenge to create something that will occupy the chimps’ time and also withstand their strength so it can be reused – and then make dozens or a hundred or more of them.

When I’m making my rounds and at the end of the day I walk around the outside of the buildings and say ‘hi’ to the chimps. There are so many here that it’s hard to know who is who, but I’ve found a couple I know from past visits. Some appear curious about the stranger strolling around and a few seem to like the attention when I stop to talk to them. I wonder if anyone recognizes me from before.

The first time I came here to volunteer three and a half years ago, it felt a bit awkward. It wasn’t the really, really dirty laundry or the mouse in the washing machine. It was the fact that almost no one spoke to me. After an initial tour of the facility I set to work, and except for two other volunteers who were here the first day, all the caretakers pretty much ignored me. Eventually – after a few days -- a few of the more outgoing people began thanking me for my help and made me feel welcome.

This time has been very different. The folks I know from my previous visits have, of course, been very welcoming, but even the newer people seem happy to have a strange volunteer lending a hand – even if it disrupts their routine.

I’ll probably work through Friday and then set out on Saturday to continue the drive west and north. I’m thinking Petrified Forest National Park, Grand Canyon, and California Coast up to Oregon. The last part of the trip I’ll be making up as I go along.

Day 43 – Back with the chimps

2007-10-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

This will be just a short entry. Here at Save the Chimps (Alamogordo) I don’t have broadband access, so I’ll be dialing in. (I’m writing this offline for posting later.)

I enjoyed my luxurious room in Santa Rosa until almost 10AM. Nice breakfast, too. Then I set off for Alamogordo. Great driving. Wide open roads with very little traffic. Beautiful landscape most of the way. Many different shades of green, from gray-green to chartreuse to almost-black green. Lots of exposed rock. To the south the plateaus turned into mountains and the land seemed to dry out. To the west I could see a line of white, which I think was the edge of the White Sands National Monument (and nearby geography).

Arrived in Alamogordo before 2PM. I know my way around town from previous volunteer stints here, but I wasn’t sure where I would be entering town. No problem. As soon as I saw the pistachio stores, I knew where I was and quickly found my way to Save the Chimps.

I walked around a bit to see the chimps in the various buildings. Ran into a few of the staff I remember from previous visits. Then I helped briefly in the kitchen before driving back into town to stock up on food for the next few days.

Tomorrow I’ll be doing laundry. Lots of dirty blankets. No dryers, though. We hang the blankets on lines. Good exercise. Later in the day I’ll be helping in the kitchen making enrichment snacks.

My room this time is on the other end of the administration building form where I’ve stayed in the past. A little further from building 300 where chimps sometimes party all night. Maybe I’ll get to sleep through the night.

It’s hard to believe that seven years ago, on my previous sabbatical trip, I passed through Alamogordo and actually stopped here when it was the notorious Coulsten Foundation. Save the Chimps acquired the property and took custody of ~260 chimps a few years later. Now many of the chimps, who were being used in biomedical research, have been transferred to the Florida facility where they can live outside in the sun. The ones who are still here – about 150 -- are still housed in concrete and metal buildings, but they have sun porches and get much better care as they wait for their trip to Florida.

Day 42 -- Cutting corners

2007-10-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday's drive took me from Liberal, Kansas, across the western corners of Oklahoma and Texas and into New Mexico. Four states, two panhandles, and two time zones in one day.

I had a hard time getting psyched into the drive. I don't know what it was. The weather? (Low, gray clouds.) The sameness of the scenery from Kansas into Oklahoma? The fact that I've been on the road for six weeks and have maybe three weeks to go? I started wondering whether I was getting tired of living out of my car and might want to cut the trip short after my volunteer stint at Save the Chimps in Alamogordo.

I was back to a part of the country where towns are few and far between. I was traveling off the interstate, so I had to study the map to try to figure out where I might be able to stop for a rest or bio break. Most of the small towns had nothing to offer a weary traveler, especially on a Sunday. I decided to stop for lunch in Dalhart, Texas, which appears on the map to be a substantial town that might have a few eating options. The next possibility was 75 miles further on.

I arrived in Dalhart and decided to drive around to check out the different dining options. When I made up my mind, I had to backtrack through an intersection where guys in day-glo orange vests were directing traffic. I wondered what that was about. I soon found out. Power was out. The local eatery I had selected was only able to serve cold sandwiches -- in the dark. So I went down a different street and found a restaurant further away. Same problem. One of the people there advised me that I wouldn't find anything until Tucumcari, NM. I decided to graze from their salad bar. No sooner had I filled up my plate than the lights came on. By the time I left, customers were streaming in and business was booming.

It's a good thing the power was back on. I had a little less than half of a tank of gas left and probably could have made it the 75 miles, but ....

After Dalhart, the scenery began getting more interesting. First there were the giant feedlots -- one on each side of US54. Cows, cows, cows as far as the eye can see. And the vegetation along the side of the road became more interesting. Were those yucca plants I was seeing?

As I crossed into New Mexico -- and the Mountain Time Zone -- the scenery got even better. Off in the distance I could see giant plateaus, and the rough, reddish landscape was dotted with dark green trees or shrubs. I had forgotten my earlier mood and was thoroughly enjoying the trip again. I aimed to stop in Santa Rosa, even though it would only be about 3:30PM. I figured it would be nice to have some down time. The room I got is quite luxurious, so I'm glad I have time to enjoy it. Think I'll lounge about in the AM, too. It's only 3-4 hours to Alamogordo.

Oh, and I didn't get to visit the Land of Oz in Liberal. On Sundays it doesn't open until 1PM. Bummer.

Day 41 -- The road to Liberal

2007-10-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

The on ramp to US 54 was just a quick turn from my Wichita motel, and US54 will take me all the way to Alamogordo. Today it got me as far as Liberal, Kansas.

Part of the route has been four-lane divided highway (70MPH) and much of it is two-lane undivided (65MPH). Of course, going through populated areas, the limit goes down -- way down. Few rest areas along the way, and some of the towns are minuscule, so you have to select your stops carefully. I zipped past one town figuring I'd stop for a snack and a bio break in the next town, Greensburg. Oops. As I arrived I spotted a Dillon's (supermarket) that was nothing but a shell. I looked around and saw piles of rubble. The few trees I saw were very stubby and strange looking. Then it dawned on me: The town had been hit by a tornado. The hospital was a row of quonset hut-shaped tents -- like a M.A.S.H. unit. There were quite a few trailers. Apparently, the town was wiped out just last May. I was tempted to stop and take pictures, but I don't like treating some else's misfortune as a tourism opportunity.

I pushed myself to get to Liberal, the last town before the state line, because it seemed to have the most motel options -- and it's the home of Dorothy and the Yellow Brick Road. The Land of Oz Exhibit is right across the street from my motel. I understand that some of the original Munchkins were visiting today. Someone told me they may still be around tomorrow. Since I made it so far today, I figure I can spare a little time to visit tomorrow. And maybe have a pancake breakfast, too.

[Weather on the road was clear and warm. Needed air conditioning in the car. Just as I got to Liberal, high clouds started to fill the sky. It's night now. As I went to check on my laundry, flashes of lightening lit up the sky.]

Oh. About the end of the conference: The featured speaker was Penny Patterson, who works with Koko (the signing gorilla). She spoke, of course, about ape language skills using examples from Koko. One of the last slides of her presentation included a black&white photo of a tiny chimp pointing. (Many people say apes can't point referentially.) She said, "This is a little chimp named Charlie ... from the Portland Zoo." Later I told Penny I was a "friend of Charlie" and asked whether I could get a copy of that slide. She said she could send me a whole pamphlet. She said she has been working with a woman who worked with him in the early days. I wonder if that is the person who is supposed to come and address the A.P.E. meeting at the Oregon Zoo.

And one more Oregon Zoo connection. I mentioned already that our orangutan Kutai was born in Wichita and his father was born in Oregon. I got photos of his mom, Blonda, and half brother, Panji, who are still at the Sedgwick County Zoo. Someone else at the conference kept referring to Panji as the half brother of Robby at Rolling Hills in Salina, KS. (I've met Robby twice during past visits to Kansas.) We finally got it figured out, Robby and Kutai are full brothers. We're going to exchange pictures.

Day 40 -- Roots & Shoots, zoo day and rain

2007-10-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

No rush to get to Sedgwick County Zoo today since there would be no papers until after lunch. That gave me time to find the AAA office and pick up some maps and guidebooks for the last part of the trip. Figure I will be traveling through Nevada and California.

This morning was dedicated to Roots & Shoots, a program of the Jane Goodall Institute. Kids from Roots & Shoots groups around the Wichita area gathered to show their projects and to hear Jane Goodall. Chimpanzoo attendees were encouraged to attend.

I liked the project about spiders. There was a display with information about spiders, and the little kids strolled around the zoo with signs encouraging people to "Be kind to spiders." Got my attention.

After lunch there were a couple of presentations and then we got to go on behind-the-scenes tours of the chimp/orang and gorilla areas. The group I joined started with the former and ended up at the latter. The tours were of the holding facilities and not a opportunity for any up-close meeting with the residents, but when the thunder and lightening started and gorillas were brought in, we were right there -- and so were they. Gorillas have a very distinctive -- and strong -- smell. It stayed with me for an hour.

The evening event was to be a coffee and dessert tasting at the plaza near the gorilla exhibit. Because of the rain storm, the event was moved to the learning center where the conference was being held. By the time it got going, the sun was shining again. Oh, well.

So dinner was chocolate cake(s) and fruit and other sweets. I guess that means that dessert was the leftover soup I just polished off.

A note: The online agenda for the Chimpanzoo Conference indicates that one of today's speakers would be Wallace (Wally) Swett of Primarily Primates. His name didn't show up in the printed program, which probably went to press several weeks ago. Over the past year or so there has been A LOT of controversy about PPI and it would be interesting to hear what Swett had to say, but it was likely that he would not get a warm and fuzzy reception from many of the attendees. There was no public discussion about his appearance on the online agenda or about his ultimate deletion from the conference. Could have been an interesting discussion -- ugly but interesting.

Tomorrow morning I will repack the car and check out of the motel. After the conference ends around noon, I'll hit the road for the next leg of the trip. It's been fun seeing old friends and acquaintances and meeting new people, but it's back to my solo adventure. Don't know yet where I'll sleep tomorrow night, but I expect to get to Alamogordo by Monday.

Day 39 -- The conference continues and Jane arrives

2007-10-11T19:32:00.000-07:00

A full day of conference proceedings today. Some really interesting presentations, including two discussions about interspecies communication and the evolution of language and two sessions about behavioral enrichment.

Today was the day of the silent auction to raise money for ChimpanZoo. The booty included paintings by various residents of the Sedgwick County Zoo. I particularly liked the small canvas done by the hissing cockroaches, but the one by Panji the orangutan gave me an idea. I talked to the ape keeper about getting a Panji painting donated to the Oregon Zoo for the fund-raising auction that's planned for the new orangutan exhibit. A phone call later and we had a deal to exchange Kutai's hand print for an original painting by his half brother. And by the time the silent auction ended, I was the proud owner of another chimp doll to accompany me on my trip.

Jane Goodall made her first appearance this evening just after the silent auction ended. Even if you don't see her arrival (I didn't) you can figure out that she is in the vicinity. Background sounds change as people stop conversations in mid-sentence or start whispering ("She's here!"), and eyes turn toward the door. Jane is a rock star, but no one screams and (this time) no one rushed her. She began making the rounds of the room, stopping to say hello to each group of people. Tomorrow she will be at the zoo much of the day for Roots & Shoots activities and, in the evening, for a gathering near the gorilla exhibit.

Tonight I've been studying my maps and guidebooks. Need to decide whether I will leave midday Saturday or Sunday morning. The conference ends at noon Saturday, and I was planning to hit the road after lunch. I could stay and volunteer to usher at Jane Goodall's public lecture Saturday afternoon. I guess I'll decide tomorrow.

Day 38 -- Chimpanzoo conference Day One

2007-10-10T17:21:00.000-07:00

Spent the whole day today at the Chimpanzoo conference being held at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita. Didn't actually get out onto the zoo grounds until just before closing at 5PM. That's when the conference ice breaker (with munchies) was held at the chimp/orang exhibit.

The orangs at the zoo include our Kutai's mother and half brother. No resemblence with the mom, but the brother, Panji, looks a lot like Kutai did about 2-3 years ago. The two share the same dad (Inji's son). Panji is just starting to get his cheekpads. It's a little late in life, but until a year or so ago he was housed with a dominant male and that supressed his blossoming into a "cheekpadder." I'll get some photos when I can see him in the daylight.

That's it for now.

Day 37 -- One more zoo before the conference

2007-10-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

I woke up early this morning. Really early. Don't know why. But for several days I've been debating with myself (read: dithering) about cancelling my motel reservations in Wichita and switching to a slightly more expensive place. So in the wee hours I did some more research and decided to cancel the room at Motel 6 and reserve a room at a place in the same area that offers breakfast, internet access, and a microwave and fridge in the room. I've been getting kind of spoiled and besides, those amenities should help me defray some costs of meals. (Well, not the internet access.)

Got to the Oklahoma City Zoo around 9:30. It's really big, and the ape area is far from the entrance. It's kind of neat roaming such a big zoo on a weekday when there are few visitors.

I headed to the Great EscAPE area hoping I might run into one of the keepers who could point out Chloe, the young female who had recently been transferred from Dallas. She is purportedly the grand daughter of our Coco and Charlie. When I finally reached the chimp exhibit, I could spot only one male, so I made use of the phone number the Little Rock keepers had given me. (Turns out the young male was the one from Little Rock I was supposed to say 'hi' to.)

Keeper Jennifer came to the phone and graciously agreed to show me around. She identified Chloe for me and I managed to get a few good pictures. At a distance, but better than the ones I took 7 years ago in Dallas through steel mesh. With Chloe and the young male from Little Rock, there are now 6 chimps. They will be getting 3 more from Jacksonville and plan to integrate them into a single group with 4 males and 5 females. Chloe has been recommended for breeding.

Of the ape facilities I've seen at the zoos I've visited so far on this trip, I think Oklahoma City's is the best all around -- for the apes and for the visitors. Their outdoor island is spacious and gives them lots of places to get away from each other or the public, but the viewing areas allow for close looks. Jennifer told me that they rotate the chimps and gorillas (and the orangutan?) in the different yards, which gives them the opportunity to explore new places.

I spent another 90 minutes exploring much of the rest of the zoo. Saw some animals I'd never seen before -- bush dogs from South America, black-footed cat (small as a kitten) -- and some that we will soon have at Oregon Zoo -- caracals, wild dogs, cheetahs. I followed the sign to the okapi to see whether I might be able to get a decent picture. I've seen a few okapi in zoos, but they are always in dark woody habitats. As I turned a corner I spotted three okapi -- more than I've ever seen together before -- and two were posing nicely for photos. I snapped away.

After an ice cream to ease my hunger pangs, I set off for Wichita. It took a bit longer than I expected. Several slow downs for road work, and I was getting tired and needed to pull off at rest stops to refresh.

I didn't see the signs that said "you are now entering Kansas," but I knew I had arrived when the rough pavement suddenly became smooth. I-35 soon became the Kansas Turnpike. It didn't look any different, and the speed limit was still 70MPH, but there were toll booths and fewer off ramps. I made the obligatory stop at the welcome center and got some useful tips for getting around Wichita and parts west (where I will eventually be heading).

Found my motel with no trouble and went out to stock up for a few in-room meals and snacks. Tonight I will set my alarm clock for the first time in over five weeks. Conference registration begins at 8AM.

Day 36 -- And the rains came

2007-10-08T18:46:00.000-07:00

Set out this morning for Oklahoma. As I crossed the state line from Arkansas, I noted how pretty the blue sky was, but as I approached the welcome center/rest area a few miles into the state I saw the sky getting low and dark in the direction I was heading. Just a few minutes after I left the welcome center the sky fell in. A downpour. The big truck in front of me disappeared, tail lights and all. I slowed down and turned on my hazard lights. Unlike the brief squalls I ran into in Florida, this didn't want to quit. It would ease up a bit and then come down hard again.

I wanted to get gas and a bite to eat before I reached the turnpike so I took one of the off ramps and parked at a MacDonalds to wait out the rain. I used the time to study the discount books I'd just picked up. The driving rain turned into just a steady rain, so I drove to a gas station in the area and then to an ice cream place across the street. After a scoop of cappuccino chip frozen yogurt I was ready to proceed.

The darkest part of the sky seemed to have passed, but as I joined the turnpike the sky fell in again. No choice but to go on, despite all the standing water on the road. I don't know how long it kept up, but eventually the worst was over, and as I continued northwest I could see a strip of blue sky on the horizon. By the time I arrived in Tulsa, rain seemed like just a remote threat (40% chance, they said).

At the Tulsa Zoo I asked if I could speak to one of the ape keepers. The regular chimp keeper was on her day off, but the back-up keeper, Kristen, agreed to meet me. She gave me lots of background about the chimps, including the two babies, a little girl born early in the year and a boy born in June. There's also an older female (in her 30s) who suffered a stroke about a year ago. After months of recuperation she is back with the group. Her left arm and leg show the effects of the stroke, but she gets around.

I snapped lots of photos of the older baby in the inside exhibit -- and some of them came out well. After touring the rest of the zoo I stopped again at the chimp exhibit to get some photos of the outdoor area, a low island with lots of shrubs and grass. Just as I pulled out my camera, mom and baby appeared from the bushes. Mom went to the edge of the moat to get a drink. I couldn't tell for sure which baby it was, but I think it was the younger of the two. Lots more photos. And it looked like mom was posing. She kept looking at me as if to say, "Have you gotten enough pictures? Want to try a few more?"

Couldn't stay too long. Needed to leave by 3PM so I could get to Oklahoma City and find a place to spend the night. I navigated the twisty expressways around downtown Tulsa to get to another turnpike. Quite a bit more traffic than I would expect to find on a toll road. And the road surface was not as smooth as I anticipated. I expected the turnpike to be better driving than your average highway. I guess people are paying for the right to drive 75MPH -- on a rough, crowded highway.

Managed to find the motel I had targeted. Same side of town as the zoo. Had grilled trout for dinner. Carry-out from the near-by Cracker Barrel. Big food. Fish was good. Surprisingly the biscuit and corn muffin were disappointing.

Tomorrow night -- and the next several days -- in Wichita, Kansas, where I will be attending the 2007 Chimpanzoo Conference. Not sure whether where I will find internet access. Maybe not at my budget motel.

Day 35 -- Follow the dotted line

2007-10-07T17:24:00.000-07:00

Since I spent last night at a Motel 6, I had to find my own breakfast this morning. (I've been getting spoiled with the Super 8 and Days Inn breakfasts.) Wasn't very successful. Strangely, there were no coffee shops to be found in the miles between the motel and the zoo. I thought it was a university area, but maybe it's just the location of the stadium and isn't home to mobs of students except when there's a game. I ended up going to the Little Rock Zoo cafe and had some mocha-colored hot water and a packaged danish.

I had an hour or so to tour the zoo before meeting great ape keepers Daphne and Kristen. It's a pretty old looking zoo with lots of old-fashioned, grotto-like exhibits. The great ape area, however, looks inviting. You look down at the gorillas, orangutans and chimps when they're not on their climbing structures, but they have a decent amount of room. And each area is nicely overgrown with shrubs and weeds, giving them shady spots where they can lounge and hide.

Daphne and Kristen spent an hour with me discussing their apes. For much of the time we stood at one of the two gorilla areas where the resident male Brutus came out to see us. Unlike most adult male gorillas, Brutus is quite interested in people and looks you right in the eye. He stayed there pretty much the whole time we were there, posing and giving us various looks. Strange (in a nice way) to spend so much time looking into the eyes of a gorilla.

I mentioned that I planned to stop at the Oklahoma City Zoo on my way to Wichita, KS. They suggested that I also visit the Tulsa Zoo for its great chimp area. I did some quick calculations in my head and figured that I could work that into my itinerary. Funny how my three extra days have been so easily filled. They gave me some contact information for keepers at the two zoos, and then we parted. It was really nice of them to spend so much time with me.

After visiting a few more exhibits I had to hit the road. I figured I could still manage a scenic drive on my way toward Oklahoma, but I would need to do the shorter version in order to get far enough west to make Tulsa do-able. AAA maps and some of the state maps mark scenic routes with a line of dots, but different maps don't always reflect exactly the same routes. I decided to follow the AAA route, which is a combination of back roads and interstate. I backtracked to the south of Little Rock and then started heading west and north through Hot Springs ("Boyhood Home of President Bill Clinton"), the Hot Springs National Forest and the Ouachita (WASH-i-ta) Mountains. It was a fun drive on the twisty, up-and-down road. Covered a lot of miles, but not so much as-the-crow-flies distance.

It was almost 5PM by the time I arrived at I-40 with 76 miles to go to Fort Smith/Van Buren. I usually try to wind down the day and find a motel by about 5PM, but sometimes I push it until 6PM. I decided to go for it. At 70-ish MPH I could be there in an hour, and I already had some budget motels picked out.

About 40 miles from my goal I reached Ozark, which I had considered as a landing spot. The tiny town has a couple of AAA-recommended motels with low rates. The scenery was nice. What the hell. I would only need to make up half an hour, and it would be nice to stay someplace that was not in the usual off-ramp universe. I left the interstate and drove the three miles to Ozark and picked out one of the motels: The Ozark Inn. It's a very 1950s-looking motel, but not as in the movie Psycho. One story, with a parking spot in front of each door. The lady at the reception desk was so friendly, I didn't even ask to see the room before registering. (I usually do with off-brand motels.) Wasn't sure what to expect, but it was even nicer than I could have imagined. Clean and bright. Hand-made (in China, but hand-made) quilt on the king bed. An arm chair. A little fridge and a microwave. Real coffee mugs (not the cheesy styrofoam cups). Wireless internet access that works! Great TV reception. And the shower? Hot and strong. Lucked out again. Note to self: be spontaneous more often.

So, I figure it will be under three hours to Tulsa. The map shows turnpike most of the way. After the zoo I'll head toward Oklahoma City and find a place to spend the night near town. I need to be in Wichita on Tuesday evening, but it's only about two hours to the north. I actually have a room reserved for my stay in Kansas.

Day 34 – Jaywalking Razorbacks

2007-10-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

There was a point today – around 6PM – when I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to find a motel room. I contemplated parking my car outside a 24-hour restaurant and camping out. But everything worked out just fine.

As planned, I got a leisurely start this morning. Hung around the Shreveport Days Inn reading and waiting for my cell phone to recharge. Didn’t want to get to Little Rock too early since I had nothing planned. Finally got going just before 10AM.

I got to the north-bound route by driving through Shreveport rather than around it. I spend so much time on the edges of cities, I figure I should take the opportunity to see at least a tiny bit of the city I’m supposedly visiting. The drive through went smoothly. After all it’s Saturday. (It is isn’t it? I keep losing track of the days.) This drive-through technique would come back to bite me later in the day.

Just past Texarkana I made the obligatory stop at the state welcome center. I picked up a brochure for the Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park. It was just a bit to the southeast of Little Rock, and the greeter at the welcome center said I should be able to get there by 3PM. I’d been wanting to visit one of these ancient constructions and missed a similar site in my quick trip through Iowa.

I was disappointed not to find any discount books for motels. The pricing in AAA for motels looked kind of pricey. So I looked at the budget motel directories I’d picked up along the way and targeted one that appeared to be relatively close to the Little Rock Zoo. Going to the Toltec Mounds site would be a significant detour and would make getting to the motel a bit more challenging, but hey, it’s Saturday, so I could find a path through the downtown area and maybe scope out the road I would need to take to the zoo.

After the welcome center I pulled off the interstate again in Hope, birthplace of President Bill Clinton. I didn’t go looking for his house. I just had quick lunch. From there it was about two hours to Little Rock. Quite a bit of traffic. Lots of BIG trucks. I arrived at the edge of town from the southwest and zipped around the south edge to the east side and the route to Toltec. Found it with no problems.

At the park interpretive center I watched a video about the site and then went on the self-guided walking tour. It is not an active archeological site. There are now federal and state restrictions on excavating Native American burial sites. It was interesting to learn, however, that only a few of the mounds serve as tombs. Some are platforms, like the pyramids in Central America. And the mounds are positioned to line up with sunrise and sunset on solstices and equinoxes – sort of an American Stonehenge. At 50 feet, one of the mounds is the tallest in Arkansas.

In the 90 minutes I toured the grounds and interpretive center I learned a lot, including about cypress knees. I also saw more turtles than I had ever seen in one place. There is a boardwalk at the edge of the lake that borders the site. The local turtles (known as “yum, dinner” to the earlier inhabitants) know to start swimming over when people walk out on the observation deck. People see turtles and start pulling out quarters to buy turtle pellets from the conveniently placed pellet machine. Maybe 20 turtles collected below the boardwalk, but you could see the heads of many others further out. And they were big. Some had shells maybe 12 inches long.

I headed back toward Little Rock before 5PM. Figured I would get off the interstate right downtown and hoped it wouldn’t be too hard to find the street that turned into the street where my target motel was located on the east side of town. Worked like a charm because it was Saturday. Wouldn’t have tried it at 5PM on a week day.

So, I was on the right street headed for the motel when all of a sudden I saw traffic in front of me. The backup looked like bad traffic on a Friday after work. Was it an accident up ahead? As I inched along I noticed cars parked everywhere along the easement and people were walking along with the traffic – and crossing in front of the slowly moving cars. Then I noticed that most of the people were wearing red shirts, some said “One Nation Under Hog.” Sinking feeling: It was the night of a big game. Apparently the local college team is the Razorbacks. Soon I’d make it through the log jam, but would there be a room at my target motel? At any motel within a 30-minute drive?

Miracle of miracles, I got the room and at a decent rate. Anticlimactic is good. I ran out and got dinner around the corner and now I’m in for the night. Tomorrow: the zoo.

Day 33 -- Time for some spontaneity

2007-10-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

Had no trouble re-finding Chimp Haven today -- and they were expecting me!

Linda B, the director, came out to greet me and took me on a leisurely walking tour around the outside perimeter of the yards. While yesterday I had seen the yards looking down from the roof where they connect with the night houses, today I saw them from ground level, looking across the moat at the broad end of the pie-slice-shaped lots.

As we stood there talking, chimpanzees started showing up. First one who, Linda said, never used to wander far from the building. But now here he was coming to see what was going on. Then two more, an estrous female and her suitor, who wasn't going to let her out of his sight. Just as we were about to leave, practically the whole rest of the troop appeared ambling down the paths they had worn in the grass and through the woods. Very neat to be able to watch these former research chimps use this space, much as they might do in the wild.

I also got to see Phase II of the facility on the other side of the property. And I got to meet Sarah, one of the most famous chimps in the (scientific) world, who was the subject of countless studies in cognitive research. Ooo. I forgot to tell her that we were on the same TV program about chimps: Apes R Us, the Scientific American program from a few years ago.

But I had come to work, so I joined Mike and (departing) intern Monica to finish work on a firehose hammock. By then it was time for lunch and I was invited to join the staff at a farewell get-together for Monica.

When we returned we had just enough time to prepare the (several hundred) enrichment treats for Sunday: ants on a log. No logs and no ants, but rather celery sticks filled with peanut butter and topped with a line of raisins. I felt like I had time-traveled back to the 1960s and was preparing appetizers for a very large suburban house party.

As was mentioned in yesterday's post, it was not clear that there would be any opportunity to volunteer at Chimp Haven during the weekend. But it became clear: there would not be. I had looked at the map and figured I might go up to Little Rock, Arkansas, to visit the zoo there where they have chimpanzees (and gorilla and orangutans). Fortunately, I had remembered to bring along the business card of one of the keepers I'd met in March at the Chimp Mind conference in Chicago. I called. Amazingly, she remembered inviting me to visit and we arranged to meet on Sunday when she will be back from her two days off.

It's not far to Little Rock. Maybe 4 hours. So tomorrow will be a somewhat leisurely day. I still have to study the maps to figure out what route I will take. Who knows where I'll be staying tomorrow night?!? I also have to figure out what route I will then take to Wichita, but I do know I want to stop in Oklahoma City for a visit to the zoo there.

Day 32 -- A day in the kitchen

2007-10-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

Chimp Haven is a bit harder to find than the other sanctuaries I've visited. The driving instructions are more complicated. I got turned around a few times (and swore profusely and stopped to ask for directions) but I finally made it there. But after all the driving, it turns out that no one was expecting me. Apparently a communications mix-up. And most of the staff was away for a special training session.

Despite my surprise appearance, I was warmly greeted. Rick, the PR guy, took me on a tour. Funny thing: As part of his job Rick monitors the web for mentions of Chimp Haven. Just the evening before he had found this blog.

Chimp Haven currently has about 115 chimpanzee residents -- most retired from medical research. At this stage there are two 5-acre forested yards so two groups at a time can roam in a natural setting. We stood on the roof of one of the buildings and watched one group gather for the treats they knew would be flying their way. Some sat just inside the woods. Occasionally the care givers use masking tape to link two bananas together ("banana numchuks") and when they are cleaning up the yard they can fling them into the trees so the chimps are motivated to climb. Although most of the Chimp Haven residents have spent all their lives in cages, many have taken to the trees -- especially the females.

Rick then introduced me to Mike, the enrichment tech (and the inventor of the banana numchuks). I was put to work in the kitchen filling devices with treats that the chimps would have to work to extract. The only guidelines were to use my imagination and to make some sugar-free treats for the group with a diabetic chimp. For the next several hours I smeared combinations of peanut butter, jelly, chocolate syrup, and bananas in the toys and sprinkled in cereal, popcorn or crushed cookies or crackers. The barbecue sauce was too runny to stick to anything, so I made it into a paste by mixing in instant mashed potatoes.

At first I was thinking too hard and moving pretty slowly, but after lunch I lost my food inhibitions, got a system going and was able to make it through the whole pile of gadgets that needed to be smeared. I accompanied Mike as he distributed some of the treats to a couple of the smaller groups. No one spit anything out.

Not sure what I'll be doing tomorrow. More toys to smear? A different kind of treat to concoct? Also, it's not clear whether I'll be able to work on Saturday as they may not be set up to accommodate volunteers on the weekend.

I managed to reverse the driving directions back to Shreveport with only a few missed turns and no major adventures (i.e., I didn't get hopelessly lost). Stopped for dinner at a catfish restaurant I had spotted the day before. Back at the motel this evening I watched too much TV. But, hey, all the new episodes are on.

And as I always seem to say, I'll add some photos later. (Maybe that will be a project tomorrow night?) But here is a 3-minute video from Chimp Haven (some sound) so you can see what I saw today.

Day 31 -- Into Louisiana

2007-10-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Shreveport before 5PM and went straight to the motel I had targeted after perusing the AAA guidebook and interstate discount booklets. Criteria: price, location, internet access. Before asking about room availability, however, I booted up my computer in the parking lot to see whether I could access their wireless signal. YES! (I had been worried that my connection problems were a result of some changes to my system configuration and that I would be internet-less for the rest of the trip.)

The outside of the motel looks a bit raggedy, but it's because they are in the midst of renovation work. The room itself is quite nice. Figure I'll camp out here for several days while I volunteer at Chimp Haven. It looks to be about 20-30 minutes from here. I'll find out tomorrow. I was told that this area was about the closest I would find a motel.

I've been driving hard for almost three full days. The first several weeks of the trip were almost all one-nighters. Now I'm traveling to places where I will spend 4-5 nights. And those places are days apart. So there will be more strings of driving days punctuated by multi-night stops.

Yesterday I took I-10 from Tallahassee all the way to Gulfport, Mississippi. Then I took US49 up to Hattiesburg. Feeling fresh and with an extra hour (in the central time zone) I decided to keep going to Jackson. Longest one-day drive yet: 469 miles.

With the time I'd saved (not figuring in the time I wasted last night trying to get internet access) I figured I could go to the Jackson Zoo. So I did. I'd been there on the trip 7 years ago, but it was on a cold Saturday. This time it was a warm Tuesday and I pretty much had the place to myself. I talked briefly with keeper Steve P who, while not a regular primate keeper, was working that area since the chimp keeper, whom I'd met in Chicago in March, had quit.

Jackson is a poor city in a poor state, and the little zoo looks a bit frayed. Lots of chain link on the enclosures. But they do a lot with what they have, and they have A LOT of primates. Eight chimps and two white-handed gibbons and some orangutans (who chose not to go out today) and many different kinds of monkeys. I spent the most time watching some red-tailed guenons who were in a roomy enclosure with two black-and-white colobus monkeys. One of the guenons was playing with (terrorizing?) one of the much larger colobus. Apparently they are having success breeding these guenons and the Diana guenons.

I didn't do the whole zoo because I needed to get going toward Shreveport. I decided I should really get a bit of a look at downtown Jackson, and I wanted to drive on the Natchez Trace Parkway, so I backtracked a bit and found a street that would take me right through downtown and connect with the Trace. It didn't connect as seamlessly as it appeared on the map, but I eventually found the on-ramp and drove for about 10 miles of the 444-mile parkway that runs from Tennessee across Alabama and Mississippi.

Then I continued on to Shreveport on I-20. I didn't have time to stop in Monroe, LA, at the Louisiana Purchase Zoo. I-20 from Jackson and on through Louisiana to Texas is the same route I drove 7 years ago. I'd planned the route so I would pass through Shreveport where Chimp Haven was supposed to be under construction and I could stop and see it. But work didn't start on the sanctuary until a couple of years later. Now Chimp Haven is up and running and I'm going to volunteer there this week.

More computer issues (a rant)

2007-10-03T05:32:00.000-07:00

After all the problems with the wireless access on Monday, I specifically chose a place that had a wired lan AND dialup dataports. Nevertheless, I could not get online last night. The ethernet connection would not work and suddenly I was being denied access on my dialup account.

This AM I have spent almost an hour on the phone with my ISP tech support -- multiple calls and transfers (and accents). In then end the call was dropped. No one has called me back despite the fact that every person I spoke with asked me for the number where I could be reached.

Anyway. I tried one more thing and got on -- at a very slow speed, but I'm on.

Where I'm going next I'll probably be staying in the same motel for 4 nights, so I hope things go more smoothly. Or maybe I will be doing more reading in the evenings. Books, not websites.

More detail later but I'm just outside Jackson, Mississippi, and heading for Shreveport, Louisiana. Tomorrow I report to Chimp Haven to volunteer for a few days.

I covered 469 miles on Tuesday and gained back one of the hours I lost on the first half of the trip.

Day 29 -- Back on the road and heading west

2007-10-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

Frustrating. I pick a hotel (in Tallahassee) for the internet connection and I can’t connect. Something about the authentication method not matching the way my system is set up. This has happened at a few places. At one I got around it by using the ethernet connection that was available in the room. Nothing in this room. At another I just used my dial-up account. In this room the phone wire is fixed. No jack. Front desk is no help, but I asked whether there is an ethernet connection anywhere and she said it was in the lobby.

I’ll go down there after “Dancing With The Stars” is over. Can’t miss Week 2. But that won’t be until 10PM. Won’t be time to do much – IF there really is an ethernet connection in the lobby. I’ll use commercial breaks to draft a few highlights that I can add to the blog later when/if I manage to get a connection.

Sunday I returned to Save the Chimps and worked in the kitchen again. Counted and bagged lots and lots of chow and helped dish up the Sunday carb meal. Then a staff member took us (me and the two other volunteers) on a tour of the facility in a golf cart. Several members of each chimp group we visited came to greet us, and we could see the rest of them roaming around on their grassy islands. It’s so great to see them with all that space. They’ll never be truly free, but considering where they came from … their Florida home must seem like heaven. [Maybe I’ll get some photos up later when I can get my wireless act together.]

This morning I woke up early to the sound of wind and rain. Strong wind and heavy rain. Good thing I had already packed all my freshly laundered clothes, but I was thinking about trying to pack the rest in a driving rain. But it suddenly stopped and by the time I finally got up the street was practically dry. Yeah. But it was still muggy. Always muggy.

Four nights in Wauchula (at Center for Great Apes) and four nights in Barefoot Bay – what a change after sleeping in a new place almost every night for three weeks. It was refreshing, but I was ready to hit the road again and was looking forward to some long driving days. Really. Monday would mark the first day of the second half of the trip.

I hit the road by 9:30. I decided to take the interstate (95) past Daytona to state route 100, which would cut diagonally across the state to another interstate (10), which would get me to Tallahassee. That way I could cover the distance I needed to but still get off the big, homogenous highway. It worked. I got to Tallahassee by 5PM.

Not sure yet what route I will take tomorrow on my way to Shreveport. A little spontaneity is a good thing … right? BTW, today I passed the 5,000-mile mark.

[Am sitting in the motel lobby with an ethernet connection coming out of a closet. I'm running on battery power. Purposely did not bring my power cord so I would not be tempted to stay too long. Still have to figure out what route I will take tomorrow.]

Day 27 – A quick summary of the past week

2007-09-29T20:04:00.000-07:00

Haven’t had much time to get online since early in the week. Probably a good thing since when I’m on the road I spend way too much time online.

Wednesday morning I worked at the Center for Great Apes cleaning out storage rooms. Found some interesting stuff that staff had forgotten about, including a large trash bag filled with pine cones. The next day I wrapped up my volunteering by dipping pine cones in warm peanut butter to make snacks for the chimps and orangs.

Wednesday afternoon I drove down to Lake Placid for an early dinner at D&D’s beautiful new home. All the kids and grand kids were there. A very relaxing and enjoyable evening. I couldn’t stay too long as I needed to get back to CGA before all sunlight disappeared. It gets really dark on those country roads and I was worried about finding the turn offs to get back to CGA.

Thursday I packed the car and tidied up the cabin. I took a walk around the grounds to see as many of the resident apes as would come out to see me and took a few photos. Darling Grub, the original alpha male at CGA, made me two (count ‘em: 2) masks and dropped them to me from the overhead chute. (Grub’s shtick is to tear three holes in pieces of paper as a way of courting visitors. The proper response is to hold his work up to your face to show your appreciation.) In the past few years, since more male chimps have come to CGA, Grub has become more interested in capturing my attention.

I finally pulled myself away and drove about three hours to Barefoot Bay, the eastern-most point of my travels. Here I’m enjoying the hospitality of R, my dad’s widow, watching TV, doing laundry and gabbing about family stuff.

Friday I drove to Save the Chimps, just west of Fort Pierce and the southern-most point of the trip. I first visited Save the Chimps on my previous trip when the sanctuary was nothing more than the freshly poured foundation for the first planned building. Now, seven years later, there are 12 large islands, each with a sturdy (hurricane-resistant) night house. Seven of the islands are occupied by chimp groups of varying sizes totaling about 130 chimps. Eventually the 150 or so chimps remaining at the New Mexico facility are being transported to Florida to retire in the sun.

I helped prepare treats for the chimps by smearing peanut butter on pineapple crowns and tucking in a few pieces of dried fruit. Wish I could watch them enjoy my handy work. I also prepared drinks (non-alcoholic, of course) and explored the property a bit with some of the staff. I had such a great time and the staff were so welcoming that I decided to return on Sunday (tomorrow) to help out again in the kitchen.

Today (Saturday) R and I got up early and headed to Melbourne and joined S&D and their daughter (R’s grand-daughter) K for a trip to the Brevard County Zoo. Getting there just after opening gave us a chance to see the animals at their most active – and before the day got hot. I’ve visited this small zoo repeatedly over the past 10 years and have watched it get more impressive with new exhibits and informative signage.

Around noon we headed back to S&D’s house to be greeted by their energetic little Yorkies. There we enjoyed a delicious, home-cooked turkey dinner (with all the fixins) and I was surprised with a birthday brownie cookie.

As I write this I can hear the wind and rain outside. I parked my car out in the driveway hoping that the rain would wash off some of the prolific Florida wildlife. With luck – and I’ve been having a lot – the weather will clear by morning and I can enjoy a dry visit to Save the Chimps.

Not sure when I will log on again. Monday -- the beginning of week 5 and the beginning of the second half of the adventure -- I will start heading west (well, north, then west) toward my next major destination: Shreveport, LA.

Day 23 -- More apes, no driving

2007-09-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

Not much to report today. I did a little cleaning and some laundry. Made a few treats. One job is to stay out of the way when someone is trying to shift their apes so I don't distract them.

I think I've seen all the apes finally. Even Linus the orangutan. He was here when I visited in February, but he's kind of shy and I never got to see him. I just visited him in his night house a little while ago. He put on a bit of a display and started doing a call. Don't think I've ever heard a male orang call before. (They're usually pretty quiet.)

I spent some time watching the chimps who live in the back part of the sanctuary. And they sat there in a row and watched me right back. I didn't go to that area yesterday because the vet was there and they didn't need any disruptions. But today I got to watch the two youngest residents -- Stryker and Kodua -- act like the little kids they are. I could spend hours watching them.

I haven't left the grounds since I arrived on Sunday. Tomorrow, however, I will be driving down to Lake Placid to visit family. I need to be sure to get back before dark. Out here there are no street lights and it gets really dark. Not sure I could find the driveway. Plus I will have to unlock the gates to get in. Proabably won't be able to blog tomorrow. Not sure when I will get online again.

On Thursday I will leave here and head for the east coast of the state. Visit with family and one or two days volunteering at Save the Chimps. Then on Monday I start the heavy-duty driving again.

My lodgings at CGA

2007-09-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

[Written at 9:45 PM, Sunday, September 23, 2007.]
Here I am ensconced in the little cabin at Center for Great Apes. It’s about 15 feet by 10 feet (guesstimate) inside with a screened porch of about the same size off the back. At one end is a little bathroom with a shower and a little kitchen that opens to the rest of the cabin. It’s furnished with two day beds, a round table, a desk and a dresser upon which sits a small TV. (The TV gets good reception on a couple of channels and poor reception on a few more.)

There are plenty of small windows and the interior is decorated with more care than my house. Well, that’s not saying much. Let’s try that again. The cabin is attractively decorated with a nature motif.

I remember when I first visited 7 years ago and Patti took me on a tour of the sanctuary, which included this little writer’s cabin. I thought how wonderful it would be to stay in it. I never dreamed I would really get to.

A few years ago – after I had been coming to visit and volunteer for just a day at a time– I discovered that I had an open invitation to stay for a night or more. The first chance I got, I did, and that time I spent a single night in the cottage that had been built just across from the cabin. The cottage is bigger: a little bedroom at each end and a kitchen and living/dining area in the middle. Bathroom off of one bedroom. And all very creatively decorated, right down to animal-print towels. The cottage has a screened porch in the front.

Over the years I’ve stayed in the cabin several times. The last time was in February, and it was so cold I almost went to bed fully dressed. A space heater kept the icicles from forming on my nose. Today it’s hot and steamy, but the wall air-conditioner is keeping me from wilting.

For some reason I’ve never spent much time on the porch. Tonight I went out there and sat for a bit in the wicker rocking chair. It’s probably not a night to hear critters rustling through the underbrush. Since a sudden downpour just before dark the trees have been dripping and things have been falling off the trees and hitting the tin roof of the porch. Sometimes the bang is so loud I imagine coconuts hitting the roof. But even if you could hear rustling, you couldn’t see what was making the noise. It’s really, really dark out there.

Day 22 -- Earning my keep

2007-09-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

In the past when I've stayed at the Center for Great Apes (and when I've volunteered at other primate sanctuaries), I load and unload washers and dryers, prepare snacks, and do other odd jobs that need to be done but aren't part of the daily care-and-feeding routine. Well, doing laundry is, but it's peripheral.

Today I was called upon to help clean out night houses and outdoor areas, too. And I was assured that I was actually helping out and not just getting in the way. Good to know that my time here is actually useful to the staff AND that they trust me enough to permit me to walk in areas that are off-limits to visitors. (CGA is NOT open to the public, but donors and a few other invited guests are sometimes allowed to visit and take an escorted tour.)

Not sure what's in store for tomorrow. One thing I can probably count on is more hot, muggy weather.

Day 21 -- Finding sanctuary

2007-09-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this from a secret place hidden in the orange groves a few miles from Wauchula, Florida: the Center for Great Apes, which houses chimpanzees and orangutans. Most of the residents come from the entertainment industry or pet situations, and each one has a story.

I first had an opportunity to visit CGA on my trip 7 years ago (when it was known as the Center for Orangutan and Chimpanzee Conservation). I have been back at least once a year ever since. In 2000, there were two orangutans and six chimps, including two who had just arrived and were not yet out of quarantine. Director Patti R told me then that she expected to grow to hold maybe 15 or so apes (if I'm remembering correctly). But the need is great and she has been asked to take on many apes who were being "retired" from show business or whose owners were overwhelmed trying to care for them. CGA is now home to more than 40 chimps and orangs, and the facility has grown dramatically to make room for the larger population.

When I visit I get to stay in a little cabin on the grounds of the sanctuary. When I first heard about CGA, the word "magical" was used repeatedly. And it is a magical place, for those of us who are privileged to visit and volunteer here but also for the apes, many of whom came out of sad situations, who get wonderful care and enrichment.

Maybe I'll write more about CGA later -- and maybe add some photos. The sanctuary's wireless network doesn't reach all the way to the cabin, and that's probably a good thing. I'll have to actually read the books I've been carting across the country. By 4:30PM, all the hirsute residents have retired to their night houses, so even though it is still light out, there is no one to visit. I'll get to see them all in the morning -- for the next several days, as I will be staying until Thursday. Not sure what kind of work I'll be doing, but I heard that filing (as in filing rough spots off metal) is not one of them. (Yea! It's too hot to even think of doing that.)

About the weather: I feel like a moist blob much of the time. It has been somewhat cloudy and very, very humid. Went through another squall on the way down here. I hear there may be a rain storm coming in our direction. A good soaking might wash the Florida wildlife off the car.

I was going to write a separate post about the bugs on the windshield. I was going to title it: "Flying sex bugs." These little bugs are everywhere. I first ran into them in Tennessee, I believe, and then again in Georgia. But in Florida it's like a plague.

They're less than half an inch long and have red spots that I first thought were big red eyes. The female and and smaller male are literally hooked together as they crawl across your parked car, fly through the air, or splatter on your windshield as you barrel down the highway. By the time I arrived at CGA my windshield was almost opaque, it was so covered with bug guts. I've learned that they're called love bugs (I wasn't too far off) and found some information about them on Wikipedia.

Not sure whether I'll get online everyday while I'm here, but keep those comments and emails coming. And take a few minutes to read about some of the chimpanzees and orangutans who live at CGA.

Day Twenty: From Gainesville to Gainesville -- and beyond

2007-09-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

Last night after studying the maps and playing around in Google Maps, I decided I should aim for Gainesville, Florida. Not only would that put me just a short (3-ish hours) drive from the Center for Great Apes, but it would be amusing to say that I drove from Gainesville (GA) to Gainesville (FL).

I wanted to drive back roads to enjoy the scenery and pass through the small towns of Georgia, but I could see that I wouldn't be able to make it even to the Florida state line in one day, much less to Gainesville. It's not just the lower speed limit. The interstate (I-75) is the shortest route. The secondary roads amble all over.

So I compromised. I decided to take state route 11 as far as Macon, GA, where I would pick up I-75. The route was a good choice. Turns out that it's labeled a "Georgia Scenic By-Way." Once I got past Jefferson, where 11 has weird little spokes that dead end (and got me mixed up) it was an easy drive. I stopped in several small towns including Monticello, where I walked around a little crafts market in the town square and bought some homemade cookies and a fan, and Gray, where I visited a local bookstore (with beautiful wood floors) and chatted with the owner.

I was having such an enjoyable time, I started studying the maps again to see if I could extend the non-interstate part of the drive. Fortunately, I was able to discipline myself. At Macon I got onto I-75 and started making good enough time that I was confident I would make it to Gainesville by 5PM -- or close enough -- even stopping at almost every rest stop and one outlet store. (The same one I stopped at 7 years ago. They carry my brand.)

I crossed into Florida pretty much on target. I stopped at the Welcome Center -- where visitors are offered a small cup of orange or grapefruit juice -- and picked up some motel discount coupon books. I studied the options and decided to continue aiming for Gainesville, even though there appeared to be more and more economical motel options in Lake City, which is not quite as far south.

As I continued down I-75, the clouds were gathering and I started to see flashes of lightening. Then the rain started to fall. I found myself driving into a squall so strong that I lost sight of the tail lights of the car in front of me. I slowed way down and turned on my hazard lights. Lake City began to seem like a good option. Then the rain eased up. I drove through several squalls. Sometimes the road was covered with water and I worried about hydroplaning. Apparently many of the other drivers didn't, because they never slowed down. Funny thing is that on the trip 7 years ago, when I entered Florida near Jacksonville, I was hit by a sudden downpour. That time I actually pulled off the road and waited it out. Something about Florida -- in hurricane season.

I finally made it to Gainesville right around 5PM. I headed to the motel I had targeted based on price and internet access. It didn't look all that great, but the advertised price was reasonable. But the check-in clerk said that coupon price was not available. It would be $15 more -- and, by the way, internet access is only in the reception area, not in the rooms.

I decided I should shoot for Ocala. But before driving another 30 minutes, I called one of the hotels. Not only would they honor the coupon price, they would give me a better rate. Plus breakfast is included and there is a restaurant right there, so I wouldn't have to drive to find a meal. When I checked in, they gave me a gift pack!!! And did I mention that the rate is better than I would have paid in Gainesville. A very lucky turn of events.

So here I am. All fed and 35 miles closer to my destination tomorrow. I plan to sleep in. I covered 415 miles today!

Day Nineteen -- Gorillas, back roads, chickens and accidents

2007-09-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

A very full day today. I didn't make it as far south as I'd hoped. Before 4PM I decided to grab a room just outside of Gainesville, GA, because I was feeling tired and didn't want to be hunting for a room in Athens, GA, ... after 5PM ... in heavy traffic.

I set out from my comfy room in Dalton, GA, at 8:30AM, figuring it should take about 90 minutes to get to Gorilla Haven. The detailed directions were very good, but the traffic signage not so much. I missed a turn and had to back track. Then, just as I was about to start up a winding, steep uphill road I found myself behind a big, slow truck hauling ... chickens. Hundreds of live chickens. Feathers were fluttering in the breeze like snow.

Despite the delays, I arrived at Gorilla Haven shortly after 10AM. As busy as she is, Jane D treated me to a full tour of the facility, including introductions to the two resident gorillas: Joe and Oliver. GH is quite an amazing place. Jane pointed out the many measures taken to protect the people who work there and the gorillas who will find a haven there. GH is not intended to be a permanent sanctuary. The idea is to provide a place to temporarily house individuals or groups who need to be moved out of their zoo situations.

We visited the veterinary and food prep facilities and she showed me the indoor living area under construction. It's designed to hold two gorilla groups but will allow a lot of flexibility for arranging groups. We looked out over the expansive outdoor areas (right) and at one point could see Oliver, looking very small far on the other side.

Then we went to meet the two boys. Both of them are gorgeous silverbacks. Joe (pictured on left) has no use for women (of the human variety) but deigned to accept the snack Jane brought. Oliver (pictured below right), on the other hand, adores Jane -- but he's not crazy about visitors. It took him a while to come out to get his yogurt while I looked on. Oliver lives with two goats. Really. Nothing kinky. They're just roomies. The goats are supposed to control the grass, but they seem to prefer animal crackers.

When I arrived I delivered a gift from April at PRC. Jane asked me to deliver some gifts to the other sanctuaries I'll be visiting. I'm glad I have room in my car. I feel like a little elf distributing cheer.

Shortly after noon I was on the road again. I wanted to take back roads and Jane showed me how to get to a scenic route going south. State route 60 between Morganton and Dahlonega is probably listed in books or articles about the best scenic drives in America. Little in the way of sweeping vistas, but the curvy up and down roads are fun to drive. Picture the road up to Timberline Lodge at Mount Hood, now imagine it 40 miles long. Along the way quite a few motorcycles passed me ... going well above the 45mph speed limit ... and in no passing zones. I guess it's considered a destination drive.

Well into the second half of the drive I came around a curve to find a line of traffic. About six cars lined up in the southbound lane. People standing outside their cars talking to each other or on cell phones. The line of cars went to the next curve, so I couldn't see what was holding things up, but someone said there was a wreck. Eventually we learned that a motorcyclist had hit a traffic sign. He refused to be taken by air lift (???) and eventually an ambulance showed up. We were probably there for 20-30 minutes.

Back on the road, I finally made it to Dahlonega and continued on to Gainesville. In Gainesville the traffic almost came to a stop. I figured this is what I was facing after 3PM on a Friday. As we crept along I caught sight of flashing lights, then I passed another accident, a really smashed up car in the middle of the street. Also on the way into and through Gainesville, I saw three more of those huge chicken trucks. I think it was three different trucks, but they all looked alike. maybe it's just one truck stalking me.

I'm going to get to bed early tonight. But I say that every night and never do. The plan is to drive on south on back roads and maybe make it into northern Florida. Gotta do the map math tonight to see where I need to be tomorrow night if I want to get the the Center for Great Apes by mid-day Sunday. If things get too tight, I can jump onto the interstate and cover the needed miles. Leave comments so I'll know someone is reading!!!

Day Eighteen -- To Chattanooga and then Georgia

2007-09-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was, as planned, a relaxing day. I didn't put a single mile on the car. In the evening S&R and I went out to eat at a place called Bar-B-Cutie (warning: link has audio) for ... barbecue. I had barbecued pork.

Today started with a panic. S&R went to work and I pulled myself together to leave. After showering and dressing I went to put on my glasses. My glasses? Where are my glasses?!?

Without my glasses I'm legally blind. At home I only put my glasses down in one or two places. In motels, the same. Only on the nightstand or next to the sink. It's necessity. Without my glasses I can't see my glasses. I checked every logical place in the bedroom and bathroom and checked and checked again. No glasses. Where could they have gone? Glasses don't just get up and walk away. What could I do? Call S at work? Wait all day for her to come home and help me search? I was just about to give up in despair when I remembered that I had exercised in a room on the other side of the house. There they were on the end table.

That was plenty of adventure for one day.

At 8:30 I set out for Chattanooga, south and east of Nashville. That meant crossing back into the Eastern Time Zone again and losing an hour. Once the traffic lightens up, it's a nice drive. Part of it is up and down some steep slopes. So steep that on the down slopes there are several run-away truck ramps. I've seen plenty of those over the years, but this is the first time I've ever seen a truck that has used the ramp -- and gotten stuck in the sand.

In Chattanooga I had trouble finding the tiny zoo. I'd been there twice before, but there is little directional signage. But I finally got there. I went immediately to find the chimps. This is the chimp group that is shown in the photo in one of my earliest post.

Josie, daughter of the Oregon Zoo's Coco, is now being housed with long-time Chattanooga resident Hank. They were inside where it is hard to take pictures because of the low light. Hank loves to interact with the public and often comes to the window when people come in. Josie is like her mom and has little interest in the people coming to see her, including me. I'd brought a picture of Coco -- a professional portrait from a calendar -- and held it up to the window. It caught her interest and she came up close to see it. I have no idea whether she recognized her mom, but chimps often recognize people they haven't seen in years.

I had asked about talking to one of the keepers and as I started to explore the rest of the zoo, keeper Dave found me. We went back to the chimp exhibit and he tried to persuade Josie to come back to the front of the exhibit. With some success. I got some photos but nothing great. Dave and he other keepers were very interested in Coco's picture and in information about Josie and Goliath's origins.

Another keeper, Kate, later escorted me around the grounds and introduced me to some of the changes since I'd last been there, including several new exhibits. Many animals in the Chattanooga Zoo have been rescued from pet situations. Giant zoos like Toledo and Columbus may have eye-popping exhibits and large animal groups, but small zoos have their own charms.

I'm glad I hadn't planned anything else for the day -- or arranged to go to Gorilla Haven this afternoon. I would have been too rushed and would not have been able to enjoy the special treatment I got in Chattanooga.

Tonight I'm in Dalton, Georgia. Will leave in the morning for Gorilla Haven and from there a leisurely (I hope) two-day drive through Georgia.

Day Seventeen - Resting

2007-09-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

S&R have gone to work. I have no plans to even get in the car. I can rest, blog & surf, do laundry, and walk down to the lake.

Tomorrow I will head for Chattanooga. The tiny zoo there houses two chimps who were born at the Oregon Zoo. Then on Friday I will visit Gorilla Haven for a brief tour.

Don't know yet what route I will take through Georgia into Florida. Probably back roads. Looks like I may have enough time to do a little exploring.

Day Sixteen -- Kentucky, Tennessee and primates

2007-09-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Monday night at the Super 8 Motel in Nicholasville, KY, was the worst night so far on the road. Worse even than the night surrounded by the girls' soccer team at the Day's Inn in Spearfish, SD. The walls were thin. The guy next door apparently had a broken arm or something because the door kept slamming. And slamming. Even after 1AM. Apparently there was a circus troop in the room upstairs and they continued to perform -- maybe with trained elephants -- until after 2AM.

Most of the motels I have stayed in have been surprisingly quiet. And I've been having especially good luck with the Super 8s. This one was a disappointment. Anyway, on to the fun stuff.

I arrived back at PRC shortly after 9AM. I resumed my job of popping corn until I had filled up the large bin. The pop corn, mixed with assorted cereals and dry snack food, is scattered in holding areas as a form of browse. A treat for the chimps to search for. Gives them something to do.

I also got to help prepare lunch for the chimps (and dinner for the monkeys). It was decided to fix a carb meal: pasta or rice. Michelle, the newest PRC staff member, encouraged me to be creative. We surveyed the pantry and decided on shell pasta, green beans, peanuts and barbecue sauce. Not something I would choose to eat, but I watched it served to the chimps and no one spit it out. In fact, they seemed to enjoy it.

The chimp outdoor area is right next to where I was working, so I could go out and watch them -- and they watched me, the stranger. I didn't have time to learn to identify everyone, but I did take a liking to Cory, a handsome young male.

I ate a quick lunch and then took a nap in my car, parked near the chimp outdoor structure. With the lack of sleep and afternoon driving, I knew I would need to get refreshed before hitting the road.

April took me on a tour to see the various monkeys housed at PRC. I'd done a similar tour when I visited six years ago, but it's still remarkable how many different species there are, including some that I have seen only in books: vervets, Sulawesi macaques, Barbary macaques, snow monkeys, pig-tailed macaques, black & white colobus to name just some of them. I especially like the spider monkeys. But how anyone can think these wild animals would make appropriate pets...? April spends a lot of time explaining the facts of monkey pet life to people who contact her. She says that everyone who begs her to take their pet monkey off their hands says "I wish someone had told me before I got this monkey."

By 2:30PM it was time to hit the road. I would gain an hour because Nashville is a bit west and I would be crossing back into the Central Time Zone, but I wanted to make sure I had enough time in case I needed to rest or if I ran into any traffic problems. April gave me directions for a scenic shortcut to the Bluegrass Parkway. It was a pretty drive on smooth but narrow roads past horse pastures.

The scenery on the highway was thickly wooded rolling hills. The parkway was bordered by interesting rock formations. I figured there must be plenty of early fossils in there (but according to this website, it is apparently not a productive area for fossil hunters).

For some reason, north-south interstates seem to attract the most aggressive drivers, so when I reached I-65 I looked for a way to get to Hendersonville on the back roads -- and avoid the traffic through Nashville. I remembered that 31-E went right through Hendersonville, so I found a place to exit the interstate. It took a bit longer than I thought, but I managed to arrive at S&R's house shortly after 6PM. (Which was really 7PM according to my weary body.)

No blogging last night. Didn't even pull the computer out of the case. Just eating and gabbing.

Day Fifteen -- Finally get to work

2007-09-17T17:46:00.000-07:00

Got a slow, easy start this AM. Since I wasn't supposed to get to the Primate Rescue Center until after 2PM, I enjoyed a leisurely continental breakfast provided by the Mason, Ohio, Super 8 Motel and then hung around my room until about 10AM.

I meant to drive around Cincinnati but took the wrong exit and found myself on I-75 going right through the center of town. Oh, well. At the south end of Cincinnati is a bridge. On the other end of the bridge is Kentucky. At the first rest area I picked up a map of the Lexington area and some advice about taking a scenic route to get to the PRC. But suddenly the time I had to dawdle away was all dawdled. It was 1PM, I was still north of Lexington and I needed to stop for a bite to eat. Scratch the scenic route.

I had to find a quicker route, but there is no direct path from one side of the city to the other. I got some advice, but no one agreed on the best route. Then I got discombobulated. It was after 2PM when I finally reached the route I needed to follow past Nicholasville to the PRC. I managed to find it (again, I was there six years ago) with no more difficulties.

April T was there to greet me -- and put me to work. Even though it was late afternoon, I was able to help out by preparing frozen fruit treats and popping corn. Not sure what kind of work I will be doing tomorrow, but the popped corn bin is not quite full.

The PRC houses 11 chimps and assorted monkeys. Most are former pets that people are desperate to get rid of once they realize they aren't really cute and cuddly. The facility is currently filled to capacity. Since primates are social animals, and the residents were often singly housed when they were pets, April has to introduce various residents to one another -- and not always to individuals of their own species. One especially interesting example is a lone siamang (an Asian ape) that shares living quarters with South American spider monkeys. Call it primate diversity. Grooming is a universal language.

After quitting time, I retraced my path back to Nicholasville to the motel where I'd made a reservation and then April came to get me for dinner. We went to a local restaurant called Ramsey's. Real local Kentucky food. I enjoyed my first catfish of the trip. Very good. And since homemade pies are one of their specialties, I had a big slice of Pear-Berry pie, a Ramsey prize-winner made with spiced pears, strawberries and blueberries. Really good. Really, really good.

I'll be back at PRC tomorrow around 9AM. Tomorrow night in Nashville.

Day Fourteen -- More apes

2007-09-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

Towns are closer together in the midwest and east compared to the west -- but they're not THAT close together. Ohio has quite a few big cities, and they are an hour or more away from each other. I took it easy this morning and didn't leave my motel until about 9:30. Was surprised when I realized that I wouldn't get to the Columbus Zoo until noon -- and the zoo is north of town.

It's kind of perverse that I spent yesterday (Saturday) and today (Sunday) at zoos. Those are the busiest days and here I am on vacation. Wish I could have worked it to visit the zoos on slower weekdays. And today was Jack Hanna day at the Columbus Zoo, drawing even larger than normal weekend crowds.

The new parking lot at the Columbus Zoo is HUGE. It appears to be practically as large as the whole Oregon Zoo. The zoo itself is also very big. Once inside the zoo, I found some staff people and asked about contacting some of the ape keepers. They radioed the keepers for me and I was directed to the gorilla & bonobo habitat, clear on the other side of the zoo. I got plenty of exercise today.

At the gorilla habitat I met Catherine, a docent who gave me lots of info about the many gorillas before Dan, the keeper, showed up. Dan took me all around the bonobo habitat and told me about the individuals. They have 17 bonobos, including several youngsters. All can be melded into a single group (sometimes) but they put them together in different subgroups. After the tour I spent quite a bit of time watching them.

Only six zoos in the U.S. have bonobos. I've visited three (now four) and two were less than impressive. I thought the Columbus Zoo set up was great.

Just as I was about to head out to see other parts of the zoo, I heard a loud noise coming out the the gorilla exhibit. The big male was racing around. He was being chased by the three females who were screaming. They didn't let him off easy but kept him darting around the fenced exhibit.

I spent maybe another hour and a half exploring the zoo before returning to my car way, way out in the parking lot. I decided to head for a highway exit just north of Cincinnati even though I wouldn't get there until about 6PM. Once again I quickly found a budget motel near several eating options -- and a supermarket so I could stock up on fresh fruit.

Not sure what I will do in the morning. I'm not supposed to get to the Primate Rescue Center until 2PM and it looks to be about 2 hours from here. Cincinnati Zoo? Maybe. Or perhaps I'll sleep in.

Monkey video

2007-09-16T04:04:00.000-07:00

I was just checking the online Sunday Oregonian and saw that they have posted a story and video about the Oregon Zoo's francois langur baby that was discovered my last day working there before the trip. (The one and a half minute video has sound.)

Day Thirteen -- Back in the car

2007-09-15T19:22:00.001-07:00

This morning I left my aunt's house and headed for Toledo. But on my way out of town I stopped for a brief visit with my mom's best friend.

From Detroit down to Kentucky it's apes all the way. Shortly after noon I was at the Toledo Zoo. It's a very impressive place, but hard to navigate for a first timer. Suddenly I had a lot of sympathy for the visitors who get lost at the Oregon Zoo.

As I tried to find the primates, I saw a set of barricades to manage the crowds expected to line up to see the baby polar bears -- except there was no one there. I strolled into the exhibit in time to see one baby and mom get shifted inside and twin babies and their mom shifted out. They had three babies within a month last fall. All are now getting pretty big.

When I finally got myself aimed in the correct direction, I crossed the bridge over the highway to the larger section of the bifurcated zoo. There I quickly found the first of the primates. A young colubus monkey was chasing a young Allen's swamp monkey around a mesh enclosure. The smaller swamp monkey was managing to stay ahead of the colobus, but the colobus looked like he was not just playing around. I suspected that the swamp monkey had probably instigated something. Sure enough, when the colobus left to join the others of his kind, the swamp monkey started scrapping with an adult from his own group. Looked like maybe he was being weaned.

When I went to see where the young colobus had gone, I discovered him playing with an infant, all snowy white. Baby polar bears, young and infant monkeys. This zoo sure had a lot of births. And there were more to come, including a white-cheeked gibbon youngster.

When I got to the ape building I saw people crowded around a glass corner. An old male chimp was sitting close to the large window and began displaying. A tall Amish man (with beard) had his face and arms pressed up against the glass and the chimp (Harvey) had to respond to the challenge. An old female (Fifi) kept coming over to Harvey to calm him down. (This is Harvey to the left.)

If visitors look closely, they can see that Fifi is carrying something. It's a plastic alligator, about 7 inches long. Apparently she has been carrying it for years now since she lost her former mates and was moved to this zoo (if I remember correctly what I read). There are only the two old chimps now. Their space is relatively small but pretty complex.

Further on were the orangutans. I stood for a long time watching a family grouping: big dad, mom, a four-year-old and a one-year-old. Above the exhibit some staff came and began treating the orangs to some pudding. After the pudding had been passed out, the four-year-old stole the one-year-old's pudding container. Mom immediately went after the juvenile delinquent and was going to administer some justice until dad started paying attention. When all had settled down, the thief retrieved his stolen pudding.

In front of the orang exhibit is an interesting enrichment device. A shower head is installed above the visitor walkway, and the orangs can push a button in their exhibit to administer a shower to the public. It didn't happen while I was there. I wonder how often they do it.

Further on there was a large (10-member) gorilla troup that apparently had only recently been blended together from two troups. No little babies but plenty of youngsters. A lot of apes in one zoo. I explored the rest of the zoo and saw that they had African elephants, including a youngster still housed with his mother.

On the way out, I found a volunteer -- I hadn't seen any except for the two in the polar bear exhibit. Apparently they have a rather small volunteer corps, only about 80 (she was guessing), not including the teens. That's not many for such a large zoo. No wonder I didn't see any more on the grounds.

I left the zoo shortly before it closed at 5PM and decided to try to find a place to stay in the Toledo area rather than driving further along on the way to Columbus, tomorrow's destination. In my AAA guidebook I identified an area that had several budget motels and was easy to reach from the zoo. Got my first choice -- and there are plenty of restaurants within easy walking distance.

I guess it's about two and a half hours to Columbus. Better get to bed.

Catching up

2007-09-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

When I last wrote I was on my way to Pontiac to visit my aunt (who is actually my cousin). The last family member of her generation, Helen is 92 years old. She's rather frail physically but mentally she is all there. The two day visit was filled with stories about my dad and grandparents and other family members. It was a break from email and the internet.

Shortly after I arrived, we drove out to visit family graves and then went out for an early dinner. Thankfully, my younger cousin Carol did all the driving, which was a welcome rest for me.

On Friday I went to the Detroit Zoo (which is actually in Royal Oak) hoping to be able to see Bahati, the young male chimp who spent a number of years at the Oregon Zoo before being transferred to Detroit. I was lucky to run into one of the keepers who gave me an update about Bahati and some hints about how to find him in the large outdoor exhibit.

The one-acre island has a grassy moat, and the troop members spend much of their time down there -- out of sight of the public. The keeper pointed out a female who was in estrous and said Bahati would not be far behind. Sure enough, he showed up trailing her. I spent quite a bit of time at the chimp exhibit and managed to spot the pair again later as she led him out out of the moat and then around to the other side. Just look for the bright pink chimp bottom and then count to ten.

I figured I should visit other areas of the zoo, where I spent many hours of my childhood. The old bear grottos, which were so innovative in their time, are still in use, but grass and bushes soften the concrete and gunnite area. Much more attractive and more interesting for the animals. I walked into an arctic exhibit and eventually found myself walking through a glass tunnel under the water. Seals were swimming overhead. Someone said that sometimes the polar bears could be seen there.

It was starting to get quite cold and the sky was darkening. I'd planned to leave by two o'clock, and on the way out I made a detour back to the chimp exhibit. Just in time. The five members of the troop that were outside were traveling across the rise of the exhibit. The sexy female was in the lead and Bahati was bringing up the rear. I managed to snap a few more pictures before they all disappeared again.

Oh, and a strange thing I saw at the ape exhibit: Opposite the chimps is a gorilla exhibit. The females were inside and I could see a large male outside, leaning against the window. Past him I thought I caught a glimpse of a baby gorilla. When I went closer to investigate, I saw that it wasn't a baby gorilla, it was an adult mandrill. From what I could see it was actually in the same enclosure as the gorilla. I have to write a note to the zoo and ask about that very strange pairing.

Day Eleven -- The prequel

2007-09-13T04:33:00.000-07:00

It's 7:30 AM. Just rolled out of bed and will start pulling myself together for the short trip to my aunt's house. Still need to figure out what route to take to get there. There are many, many choices.

Funny thing. As much as I have always loved maps, I realize that I have never really looked at a map of this part of Michigan. Oh, I have found my street and neighborhood on maps and in mapping software, but I have never looked at the larger area. I never looked at where Redford Township is situated in relationship to Pontiac and Ann Arbor and all the other nearby places. I never drove these roads. I was always a passenger. So I never had to figure out how to get from here to there. I was with people who knew the way.

I think that instead of following the Google Maps directions, which would take me much of the way on the expressway, I will take some surface roads I know w used to travel. I think I will take Telegraph Rd much of the way, because I know we used to travel that to my grandmother's almost every weekend when I was little.

BTW. Here I am on my birthday and I am just a few miles from the hospital where I was born. I considered going to look for it to get a photo, but I don't think I want to mess with the traffic. And besides, I learned yesterday that the building that used to be the main hospital is now a nursing home or something.

Better get moving. After I find something to eat I'm going to go get an oil change. Then off to family. I may be going dark for a few days, but you can always leave or send messages for me to find when I am back online. Bye for now.

Day Ten -- Home Again

2007-09-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

No, I haven't suddenly returned to Oregon. Today I crossed the state line into Michigan, where I was born mumbledy-mumbledy years ago tomorrow. I grew up and lived here until I was about 21. I tell people there's a law here that if you don't have a driver's license by the time you reach your 22nd birthday, they make you leave. Except for the few months I took drivers ed and had a learner's permit, I never drove in Michigan. I only became a licensed driver when I was ... mature and living in Massachusetts.

I'd planned to spend the night in Kalamazoo. Figured that was as far as I would get. Then it looked like I could get to Battle Creek ... or maybe Jackson. Each one was 30-40 minutes apart. And it was only another short jaunt to Ann Arbor. So here I am. Only a little over an hour to my aunt's house near Pontiac. I'll be able to get there fairly early tomorrow so we can spend more time together.

In Battle Creek I needed to stop for gas. As I was trying to choose an exit where I could also get something to eat -- ice cream, maybe? -- I saw it: a sign for several gas stations and for Big Boy's. That was it. I would go and have a Slim Jim. I used to live on those sandwiches when I was in high school. Hadn't had one in years. Love that special sauce.

So here I am in my economy motel. Only places within walking distance are a MacDonald's, a Taco Bell and some coney island joint. I figured I have driven enough for one day, so I had to settle for a light snack from one of the above.

Not sure I will have any opportunity to go online after tomorrow morning until Saturday or Sunday. At least I have a cell phone signal. I may add another post tonight. Or I may just draft some stuff and add it at a later date.

Day Nine -- Iowa Observations

2007-09-11T17:35:00.000-07:00

Hard driving day today. No time to stop and see any of the local sights. So this will be just a few random observations from my drive across the state.

Shortly after I crossed into Iowa I thought I smelled sauerkraut. Early today, as I drove rural roads, I again smelled sauerkraut or cooked cabbage. I figure it was probably a farming smell. Maybe manure. Not awful, just distinctive.

Yesterday as I was finding my way to Storm Lake, I noticed off in the distance a few windmills -- the modern kind, not the old Dutch kind. Then I looked around a saw bunches of them. Again today as I continued through the northwest part of the state I saw several more fields of windmills. I wonder if farmers are leasing part of their land to a power company.

You can't drive diagonally across the state. Most of the roads are north-south or east-west. You have to sort of tack, like sailing into the wind. I'd wanted to stick to rural roads, but I needed to make better time, so I started on back roads and gradually moved up to ever larger -- and faster -- routes. I guess the label "avenue" denotes a north-south road, but it's really strange to see a street sign for an avenue marking a dirt road. No, I didn't take any dirt roads.

Corn. Corn Corn. As far as the eye can see. Corn. I'm sure they grow other crops here, but corn is what you will see.

As I approached Davenport on the eastern edge of the state, the traffic got thicker. No more wide open roads probably for another month. I made a wrong turn and had to find my way back to the highway. Then when I got into Davenport and could see the motel I wanted to go to, I made a few mis-turns and ended up in the far left lane of what I thought was a one-way street. It wasn't. The drivers turning into the lane were very compassionate and polite. I managed to get into the proper lane and get to the motel without causing an accident.

Nice, inexpensive motel. Room is half the size of some of the giganto rooms I've had, but quite adequate. Walked across the crazy intersection where I'd disrupted traffic earlier and had a very nice dinner at the Thunder Bay Grill.

Trivia: The one thing I know about Davenport? This is where Cary Grant died two decades ago. He was here for a performance. Just something I picked up when I was working as an abstracter back then.

Tomorrow it is on to Michigan. Kalamazoo? Battle Creek? I'll see how far I can get. Just driving. No sightseeing. And I have to figure out where I will lose another hour as I enter the Eastern Time Zone. Want to get to my aunt's house in Pontiac early on Thursday (my birthday). BTW, after days without a cell phone signal I was finally able to use my phone once I reached Waterloo.

Also: I updated yesterday's post with links, photos and a bit more detail (in italics).

Day Eight - Just a brief summary [now updated]

2007-09-10T18:11:00.000-07:00

This will be very short. More details to follow. I'm staying at a ... dicey motel. Only thing I could find because there is something going on in a nearby town and I would have had to drive another hour to the next town where I might find a room. And it was already after 6PM. Internet connection is only available in the front office. [All turned out well. Room was quiet. Blocking the door with two well-placed chairs helped.]

Anyway, I left Chamberlain, SD, and drove about an hour to Mitchell. Before I found the Corn Palace, I found the road to a museum devoted to a pre-historic native American settlement archaeological dig. Spent about an hour there. Interesting to see an actual dig, although there was no one actually working the site at the time.

Found my way to the center of town and marveled at the world-famous, only-one-of-its-kind, it's-not-what-you-imagined Corn Palace. At this time of year, the workers are installing the corn mosaics on the sides of the building, so it was more interesting than if it was all finished. I called up a question to one of the guys working on the mosaic. He told me they were sawing the corn cobs in half length-wise. I cold hear the saw and the staple gun. Then he tossed me a half cob. [Jody, I'm bringing it back for you.] You can't see it very well in the photo at left, but the black part of each picture is tar paper with a paint-by-number drawing. The guys staple up the appropriate color cob to fill in the image.

From there it was on to Le Mars, Iowa. I took I-90 across the state line into Minnesota and then went south on a rural route into Iowa. I managed to find the Blue Bunny visitor center despite a lack of signage. Took the tour of the ice cream museum and then had a late lunch: a two-scoop hot fudge sundae. And I did something I don't think I've ever done before -- I left about a third of the sundae uneaten. It was delicious, really. It was just way too much.

It was close to 5Pm and I could have found a room in Le Mars, but I wanted to try to get a bit further east so I can cover the territory I need to by tomorrow evening. No stops planned. My sightseeing will be traveling part of the way over rural routes rather than the interstate as I make a diagonal path through Iowa. I hope to get at least to Davenport. I may need to stop there because according to my AAA map, there aren't many towns on my route through Illinois that I can tell have motels. At least not listed in the AAA guidebook. (The place I am staying tonight is NOT in the guidebook.)

I'm going to stop here. I'll add detail, links and photos tomorrow -- or the next time I get an internet connection. Tonight I really, really am going to get to bed early so I can get an early start. No idea yet what I will do for breakfast. [Ha. Finally got to sleep even later than usual.]

Day Seven -- A not-so-bad day in the Badlands

2007-09-09T17:38:00.000-07:00

As promised it was cold this morning, but there was little wind and no rain. After a cobbled-together breakfast, I set out for the Badlands National Park.

I started out going on the unpaved road to the west. Someone told me that was the only place I might see the buffalo. I figured I would go as far as the prairie dog town -- five miles -- and then return to the paved loop heading southeast. I almost turned back because the washboard road surface was making the car vibrate and my teeth chatter. I had to concentrate on finding smooth ruts so I could avoid the shaking and couldn't really enjoy the scenery. The prairie dog town wasn't as active as the ones I'd already seen. Maybe the cold was keeping them all home, curled up in bed. And I never did see any buffalo, unless they were those tiny dark dots out in the distance.

Back on the paved road the traveling was better. I stopped at almost every view point and at many turnouts. I figured that with the not-hot weather I might have a better chance of spotting some wildlife. I was really looking for big-horn sheep. At the first view point, where there were quite a few visitors, I was amazed at the amount of scat -- right by the edges of the drop offs. Looked like deer. There are obviously plenty of animals in the park, but they have a lot of room to roam. At one point I did see a few antelope out on the prairie side of the road, oh, and a prairie rabbit. And I did get to see some more prairie dogs very close to the road. But that was about it as far as wildlife goes. That and the scat.

From a distance, the barren landscape of the Badlands looks like it's made of granite or some other hard rock. But look at it close up and you'll see that it's very crumbly. Like gravel held together by mud. The rain and snow easily erode the formations, which change shape in just a few years. At several points I could see what looked like animal tracks along the steep slopes near the road. The climbing hoof stock no doubt contribute to the erosion.

The eroding landscape frequently yields fossils. The final view point before the visitor center was the Fossil Trail, a short boardwalk path with fossil displays. You could almost picture a bone just beginning to protrude from a slope. But, no, I didn't spot any fossils except in the displays.

At that point I felt rain drops. By the time I left the visitor center -- after looking at the exhibits there -- it was raining. Not hard but steady. There was still a bit more park to see from there to the exit, but I didn't feel a need to get out of my car to see anything a few yards closer.

Soon I was back on I-90 heading east. I decided that I would aim for Chamberlain, about an hour west of Mitchell. I figured that I would get there about 4-ish and could have a long relaxing evening. Just as I was congratulating myself on this plan I spotted the sign: "You are now entering the Central Time Zone." I had just lost an hour. Wasn't expecting that. Then the speed limit went down through a very long construction area. I was lucky to get to Chamberlain before 5:30.

Quickly found my motel. The rate was a bit higher than listed in the AAA guidebook, but not bad. Older building. Interesting room. The ad boasts "Recliners," and there is indeed a recliner in my room. And interestingly the internet access in not wireless but with an ethernet connection.

I haven't figured out the mileage yet, but my plans for tomorrow are to stop in Mitchell to see the famed Corn Palace and then to go into Iowa for a stop in Le Mars, the self-proclaimed Ice Cream Capital of the World. Not sure how far I'll make it through Iowa, but I am on or ahead of schedule.

Day Six -- A good day for museums

2007-09-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

Suddenly it turned cold. Cold and windy, with a little rain. I'd heard the weather forecast, so I was not unprepared. They'd said it wouldn't get above the mid 60s, but it was in the 50s all day. Fortunately I'd already planned to do some indoor activities.

Last night was both the most expensive motel stay and the least satisfying. All the low budget places have been very quiet. In this one I could hear all sorts of noises coming from other rooms: water running, people talking, doors slamming. And to make matters worse, an entire girls' soccer team was staying there. They felt obliged to make their presence known both indoors and out. I don't know whether it was the cheerleaders or members of a wrestling team in the room upstairs, but whoever it was kept jumping. Like jumping off the furniture. When 11 o'clock struck and the jumping hadn't stopped, I called the front desk. The jumping stopped.

It's a good thing I didn't have a long driving day in front of me. I finally got to bed late and woke up early -- way early. After breakfast I lounged around my room and finally got going just before 10.

It was about 45 minutes to Rapid City where I was able to locate the Museum of Geology at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Note that the website is very old, practically a fossil in internet time. And that is appropriate, I guess, because this little museum has tens of thousands of fossils, only an impressive fraction of which are on display.

From there I went a mile or so to The Journey Museum, a private institution that uses technologically enhanced displays to reveal the history of South Dakota from 2.5 billion years ago until the present.

It was too late to get a tour of Ellsworth Air Force Base, so I could only glance at it as I drove to Wall. I'd hoped to see the base where I was supposed to have been assigned back so many years ago before I swapped with someone and was sent to Loring AFB in northern Maine.

I arrived in Wall with time to find a bed for the night (actually two beds) and to stroll around main street and through the world famous Wall Drug. Tomorrow it's on to the Badlands National Park and then points east. Don't know where I will spend the night tomorrow. I'll see how far I can get.

Big surprise! I saw the first primate of my trip in Wall -- at Wall Drug of all places.

Day 5 – A day for critters

2007-09-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

[Updated: Photos added]

There won’t be any apes on this trip at least until I get to Michigan. There I plan to visit the Detroit Zoo to see Bahati, the young male who once lived at the Oregon Zoo. A visit to the Great Ape Trust in Des Moines, Iowa, fell through. Oh, well.

I have been seeing some wildlife, however. Unfortunately, a lot of it has been roadkill. Three deer, countless skunks, and many more bodies that were unidentifiable all along the route from Idaho, through Montana and into North Dakota. Happily, today I got to see a lot more living, breathing critters.

I headed out from the motel in Glendive before 8AM and before long I had crossed into North Dakota. (My first time in the state.) The weather was looking pretty good, so I stopped second guessing myself and pointed the car to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The park is near where the young Roosevelt established a ranch, but it does not encompass his original ranch. Rather, it was created to honor his dedication to conservation and the national parks system.

With the radio turned off and the car window open, I followed the 36-mile loop through the park, up and down the winding road. Fabulous scenery. Badlands. Like the landscape at Makoshika but geologically younger.

The park features several expansive prairie dog towns. You can hear the little prairie dogs before you see them. They chirp like birds to warn the others when a car enters the turn off. They’re far enough away and so well camouflaged that it’s hard to photograph them. As I continued driving through the park I realized that there were hundreds … maybe thousands of the little guys. Where there was no turn off some hung out very close to the road.

As I drove through the park I scanned the valley and slopes looking for the larger animals that live there: buffalo, deer, elk, big-horned sheep. Nothing. It was late morning, when most would be sitting in a shady spot and avoiding exertion. I saw plenty of scat in the road, but not one hoofed critter. Then as I started up a steep slope, I saw what I thought was the silhouette of someone tall wearing a large backpack and rain poncho walking in front of me. First person I’d seen walking. Seemed strange. But it got stranger as I got closer and realized that it was a buffalo and that it was walking toward me – in the middle of my lane. I cautiously moved into the other lane, hoping that another car wouldn’t suddenly come over the crest of the hill. The buffalo walked by, looking in the passenger side window. No, I didn’t get a picture. I was too worried about being between a buffalo and an oncoming car to pull out the camera. That was it: thousands of prairie dogs and one buffalo.

After leaving the park I got onto highway 85 and aimed the car toward South Dakota. Lots of range. Lots of cows. Then I spotted something that looked like an antelope in one of the fields. Then I saw some more in other fields. At one of the few places I found to stop and rest, I chatted with a woman and learned that these were indeed antelope and that they were wild, not livestock. As I continued south I saw many, many more, including some that were sharing fields with the resident cows.

Ended the day in Spearfish, SD. I’ve pretty much made up for the time I’d lost, and the next two days I don’t need to cover many miles to stay on track. The weather is supposed to cool down tomorrow and it may rain the day after when I have more outdoor touring planned.

Day Four -- To the eastern edge of Montana

2007-09-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

Tonight I'm on "motel row" at the edge of Glendive. I was going to drive into North Dakota, but my destination for tomorrow is an easy hour's drive from here, and there are no sizable towns where I would have a choice of motels -- or even have found a motel. I might have had to drive past where I want to go tomorrow: Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

It felt like I drove a lot today, but I covered just under 250 miles. After Billings I was clearly in range country. Lots of rolling hills and cattle. Few towns to stop in for lunch. I tried to stop in Rosebud to grab a bite. I left the highway when I saw the fork & knife symbol and followed the road. I passed by a little town but didn't see any commercial district or any way to get there. A few turns later and I was back on I-94 -- still looking for lunch.

I left the highway again at Miles City and found myself on a strip of motels and fast food joints. Time to be daring, I thought, so I followed the signs into the city center to look for a local eatery. Bars and stores, but no cafes or restaurants. So I ended up back on the strip at KFC. So much for local color.

In Big Sky Country you can see the rain falling miles away. It was raining off and on along my route. Good for cleaning the Montana wildlife off the windshield. Unfortunately, it was raining when I arrived in Glendive, where I'd planned to visit either the local museum or the Makoshika State Park. Looked like a museum day, but I found my way to the park first, so that's where I went.

I paid my fee but found that the visitor center was temporarily closed -- just until 3PM. Oh, well. I proceeded into the park without any more information than was in the brochure I'd picked up days earlier. I only made it to where the pavement ended and decided not to risk the gravel. It was still raining and the parking lot was empty. Didn't want to risk getting stuck. I enjoyed the scenery but didn't spend much time out of the car. The best part was when I went around a sharp curve to see two whitetail deer crossing the road and climbing the slope right in front of me. I stopped and stared at them and they stared back.

After snapping a few damp photos, I returned to the visitor center and got lots of information from the enthusiastic park ranger. Makoshika is the largest state park in Montana. It is a treasure trove of dinosaur fossils. Some of them, including a triceratops skull, are on display in the visitor center. I wish I could have spent more time -- in better weather. But it looks like the weather will be better tomorrow when I get to North Dakota.

I realized today that I'm not getting any pictures of the scenery along the road. When I drove though southern Utah seven years ago, I pulled off at every turn out and took photos of the fabulous scenery. On the highways I've been traveling there aren't any places to stop for photos. I have to keep a lot of the scenery in my mind. But anyway, here is a picture of one of the rock formations at Makoshika. Don't you just want to climb down there and start looking for dinosaur bones?

Day 3 -- From dinosaurs to ducks

2007-09-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

[Photos added 9/6/2007]

No broadband access tonight in my motel room in Billings, so I'm typing this offline and will load it using my dial-up access.

Woke this morning to find spots of water on the car. Headed out of Butte around 8AM in a light rain. Scenery kept changing. I thought the landscape would continue to flatten out, but east of Butte I found myself driving through a mountain pass. With the low clouds I could have been on the Oregon coast with the ocean just beyond the fog.

Then I was driving through gently rolling hills. There were mountains in the distance, but they were sometimes hidden by cloud cover. I arrived in Bozeman by about 9:30 and quickly found the Museum of the Rockies. I spent about two and a half hours touring the geology and dinosaur exhibits.
The dinosaur exhibits are very impressive. Some of the pieces are casts of the originals, but others -- including an almost complete T Rex displayed embedded in the ground, much as it was found -- are the actual fossils. There was a series of triceratops skulls showing different ages. Lots of explanation about how scientists figure things out. Well worth the visit.

After a short stop for lunch, I was back on highway 90 heading toward Billings. I passed the road one can take to go south to Yellowstone and could see tall mountains in the distance, but my route was getting flatter. My planned itinerary had me going well past Billings, but I knew I wasn't going to make it as far as I'd originally figured. So as I drove, I started negotiating (read: dithering) in my head. Stop for the night in Billings, visit the zoo in the AM and then drive straight through to North Dakota. Or stop for the night in Billings, skip the zoo, hit the road early and then stop in Glendive for another dinosaur visit. Or...? While I was weighing all the options -- back and forth -- I realized that I could probably get to the zoo in Billings for a brief visit before it closed. After all, I was driving 75 mph -- legally.

So that is what I decided to do. I managed to find Zoo Montana (after some directional confusion) about 90 minutes before closing. It's very small and didn't take much time to see -- and I practically had the place to myself. Saw eagles, wolves, Siberian tiger, red pandas, river otters. Didn't see the wolverine. The last exhibit I saw before leaving was waterfowl, lots of geese and ducks, including one tiny duckling running around among all the larger birds.

A solid night's sleep last night kept me alert all day today, so I will discipline myself to shut the lights out early again tonight. Need to make up some time tomorrow, then I will have some lower mileage days to enjoy.

[Except that once again the computer (or the connection) started acting up and I have spent WAY too much time on the computer.]

Day Two -- Idaho to Montana

2007-09-04T17:51:00.000-07:00

I'm spending tonight in a clean, economical motel at a truck stop just outside Butte. Hard driving day -- even though I lost an hour when I crossed into Montana.

The scenery continued to change as I headed east. Through Idaho and into Montana I was "in" or even "on" the mountains. The tree-covered slopes were very close. Then the mountains seemed to get a bit further away, but they were still mostly forested. As I got closer to Missoula, the trees were disappearing and the slopes were mostly covered with golden-brown grass. And the mountains were even further in the distance.

I was struggling with midday fatigue and had to keep stopping. Tried to nap a few times and hit the road again when I felt a bit refreshed. At one truck stop I shut my eyes for a bit before going in to get a snack. While I was trying to drift off, I'd suddenly thought about an ice cream treat I'd enjoyed as a kid. It was called a "push-up" -- at least that's what we called it. Orange sherbet in a cardboard tube with a stick to push up the sherbet as you ate it. Hmm. If I could find one of those, I'd get it, but I hadn't seen one in ... many, many years. I walked into the little store and over to the ice cream freezer. Would you believe: There was something called a Cool Tube. Orange sherbet in a cardboard tube with a stick. How weird is that? Yes, I did get it and enjoyed it.

My original plan was to get off the highway at Drummond and take a detour through Phillipsburg and Anaconda on my way to Butte. But I was running kind of late. And I was weary. It would take too long to get to Butte. I won't. Yes, I will. No, I'll continue on straight to Butte. Then, the turnoff was right there in front of me -- so I took it.

I'm glad I did. It was a nice, relaxing drive with very little traffic. (Just a two-lane blacktop but the posted speed was sometimes 70 mph) I was now wide awake and was not worried about needing to pull over again. I stopped in tiny Phillipsburg and went into the world famous Sweet Palace. Hundreds of kinds of candy in cases and in jars. House-made filled chocolates and fudge. Yum. I figured chocolate would melt in the car, so I selected assorted flavors of fruit slices: orange and lemon and grape and peach and -- I can't remember which ones I got. Very good. I wonder how long I can make them last.

Up until Phillipsburg the scenic loop didn't seem all that scenic. After that point, however, it got really dramatic. Curving mountain roads and large lakes. And a storm was coming in. The sky had been kind of smokey after weeks of fires, so people were glad to see the rain. It wasn't a heavy rain and by the time I had reconnected with I-90 it had pretty much stopped. Before I knew it I was at the exit where I would find my motel for the night.

Tomorrow it is on to Bozeman where I plan to visit the Museum of the Rockies. Not sure how far I'll get after that. I expect to spend the night in Montana and then head into North Dakota on Thursday.

Day One - Oregon to Idaho

2007-09-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

It was a two mountain day today. As I drove over the Marquam bridge, I caught a glimpse of Mount St Helens, a bit covered with haze but looking very big. Then as I entered the Columbia Gorge area, I saw Mount Hood.

I find I keep comparing this trip to the one I made seven years ago: Weather about the same, sunny with a few clouds. More traffic, but then last time I left the day after Labor Day not on the holiday itself. Aches. Hmm. I don't remember my shoulders or elbows aching after a few hours of driving. I guess the body is seven years older. Will need to be sure to work out the kinks at rest stops.

The drive through the Gorge is always ... gorgeous no matter what the weather. The magnificent geology formed by the Missoula Floods. Boggles the mind how massive the rush of water must have been to carve out this scenery.

My itinerary was planned not for the shortest route but to travel places I'd never been before. The new stuff started just a couple of hours into the trip, when I got to Biggs, crossed over the Columbia and headed east along the river on route 14. Two-lane road with not much traffic. Very nice drive. This called for driving music. I pulled out a tape by Off Course, a Japanese pop group from the 1980s and played it -- loud, YES-YES-YES -- over and over until I got back into traffic.

When I started planning this trip, I had to figure out whether I should drive my 9-year-old car or get a new one. One of the factors that went into the decision was whether I would be able to listen to my 25-year-old Japanese pop music tapes if I got a new car, which would probably be equipped with a CD player. (I do have other tapes, but I am especially fond of the Japanese ones.)

Along route 14 I was for a while behind a truck that appeared to be hauling scrap paper. Little pieces of paper were blowing off the truck and scattering every which way. How terrible, I thought. Polluting this wonderful scenic area with garbage. After quite a while driving at a distance behind the truck I saw something roundish and white in the road. It appeared to be ... an onion! So that was it. The truck was hauling onions (Walla Walla was not far away) and the "paper" was onion skins. Never mind.

Tonight I am in Post Falls, Idaho, spending the night at the home of my friend Janet's mom. Very wired lady. She plugged me right in and I could check email and update the blog. Right now Chris (Janet's mom) and other scattered family members are chatting online -- as they do almost every night.

First day in 60 (or more) that I'll be on the road. I'd better get to bed to be rested for Day Two.

Bon voyage surprise

2007-09-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

Spent my last Saturday in town volunteering at the zoo. And what lovely parting gift the primates had in store!

During the night one of the francois langurs had given birth and the baby was discovered when the keepers arrived this morning. Francois are leaf-eating monkeys from southeast Asia. They are black with punk hairdos, but the babies are bright orange. I got to take a quick peek at mother and baby. The youngest monkey I've ever seen. Cute little ears sticking out from its Howdy Doody head.

By a strange coincidence, the last time I visited the zoo just a few days prior to my previous road trip seven years ago, I learned that a baby mandrill had been born just a few days earlier when I saw it on exhibit. Natalie is now a lusty little seven-year-old.

First names only

2007-08-30T20:52:00.000-07:00

A little paranoia is a good thing.

You'll notice that I don't use last names on this blog. Not mine. Not anyone else's -- unless it's someone famous. I choose not to plaster my full name all over the web, and I don't feel I have any business publishing anyone else's name. I did the same on my previous trip log.

If you leave me a message -- and I hope to hear from you-- feel free to use just first name and initial. Or a nickname. If you're someone I know, I'm sure you can make it clear to me who you are. BTW, the name "Anon" is already taken.

As of 6PM I'm "out of office." Although my sabbatical doesn't officially start until Tuesday, a vacation day and a holiday weekend are all that's left. Woo Hoo.

Good to go

2007-08-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

The news was positive: the test results were negative. I'll be leaving next week Monday -- a week from yesterday. Yeesh. I was doing fine over the weekend but got pretty stressed out yesterday and today, until the call came.

So much to do.

D-Day is little more than a week away -- maybe.

2007-08-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

I spent last weekend getting things done in preparation for the Big Trip. Cleaned up the computer. Loaded software. I took a vacation day on Tuesday and got really busy making arrangements for bill payments, mail forwarding, suspension of subscriptions, all the rinky dink stuff. Then came Wednesday and what I thought would finally be my last doctor's appointment before the trip. I was wrong.

Turns out the message was potentially serious. I needed a test, and it really couldn't wait until November. A biopsy. After two stress-filled days I had the test done today. The doc says we won't know until the results are in next week, but it didn't look "troubling."

Feeling more upbeat now and will spend much of the weekend getting ready to hit the road. I know that I'm still not home free -- or should I say "away from home free"? I may find out on Tuesday that I have to cancel the trip and undo all the preparations. If so, that will be the least of my problems. And besides, I've determined that I won't lose my 2-month sabbatical. I'll just have to get well and plan another adventure.

But for the time being I will THINK POSITIVE and continue preparations so I can be ready to set out on Labor Day.

Getting psyched now

2007-08-12T20:28:00.000-07:00

Finally getting into planning mode. Really. This weekend I pulled together the "library" (a box with selected books and magazines) I'll take in the car. Seven years ago, I packed a box of books and hardly made a dent. I spent WAY too much time writing and editing text for my website. And editing and editing ... and editing. I had to prepare each entry and email it to my friend Janet who was hosting the site. I obsessed about making each entry just right because it would be difficult to make subsequent changes.

Not this trip. This time I am pledging NOT to obsess about what I write. So what if my grammar gets a little klunky or I don't find just the right phrase? This is supposed to be a vacation.

Today I've been looking up and bookmarking tourism websites for some of the places I'm thinking of visiting. (The Montana state site is so well done, I felt moved to send them a note about how useful I found it.) But I'm also pledging not to over-plan my itinerary. I'm making lists of places I might decide to see and noting routes I might take, but I am leaving plenty of room for spontaneity.

FOUR WEEKS FROM TOMORROW and we're off! [Update: No. Not FOUR. THREE WEEKS. Yikes!]

Can I successfully load a photo?

2007-08-06T20:56:00.000-07:00

This is a test to see what the steps are to load a photo to this blog.

This picture was taken in 2001 at the little zoo in Chattanooga, Tennessee. That's Jake on the left and, I think, Goliath next to him. I'm pretty sure that's Josie, Jake's mom in the door. Josie and Goliath were both born in Oregon. Josie is Coco's daughter. Jake died a couple of years ago after he was injured in a fight.

I hope to stop in Chattanooga on my way through Tennesse.

Trip prep: Name the blog

2007-08-05T21:28:00.000-07:00

A month from yesterday -- Labor Day -- I will hit the road for a two-month road trip. I'll be traveling from Oregon to Florida and back. There will be stops along the way to view scenic areas, visit friends and family, and spend time at great ape sanctuaries.

Still lots to do to get ready. Picking a blog name is near the top of the list. Here are some of the ones I considered:

PTrog Times
"PTrog" for Pan troglodytes (common chimpanzee); "Times" to maintain the theme with my existing (previous?) blog, Evolutionary Times. Too esoteric.

Primate Road Trip
I'm a primate. I'm taking a road trip to see other primates. But it just doesn't ... sing.

Road Trip: The Sequel
Seven years ago I made a similar trip, which I documented on a website. ("Blog" was not in the vernacular.) But I wanted the name to include my focus: apes or primates. Scratch that one.

Travels Without Charlie
Charlie is the alpha male chimp at the Oregon Zoo. I'm going to miss seeing him or the other "kids" for two months. Too literary -- and I never actually read the Steinbeck book.

Finally, variations with "Ape4Apes"
Ape4Apes Times. Ape4Apes Road Trip. (Plain ol') Ape4Apes.
Ape4Apes has been the pre-@ component of one of my email addresses through several ISPs. It's simple. It's easy to remember. It's me. And it was available as a blogspot URL.

So Ape4Apes is the URL. Ape4Apes - On the Road is the working title.

I'm going to try to document my trip (and some of the preparation) both to enable friends and family keep track of my wanderings and to create record I can look back on when the trip is just a distant memory and I'm back in my office cubicle.

If you happen to find this blog, feel free to leave a note or send me an email.