@Bmpdvm, if you like coffee cups (and other pottery), and you end up in Jerome, there’s a wonderful little pottery shop you need to check out. I’ve gotten these three pieces there throughout the years. All handmade mostly right in the shop.
Oh my, that bowl is really something. The mugs are cool too but the bowl 
Thank you! I loved all their stuff. If I needed table settings I would have loved shopping for them there, but I have way more than I need already. I love small coffee cups, because I don’t drink it fast, and it gets cold. They had many different designs, so it was hard to choose!
I’ve never been to Jerome! It’s definitely on my radar on subsequent Southwest trips. Thanks for the info.
The pottery from Jerome Pottery is amazing! 
I’m going to add a few more pictures just because 
This first gives a feel of the spring flowers in the desert. We were on the Granite Mountain HotShots Memorial Trail near Yarnell, AZ. The Orange Globemallow and Blue Lupines (you can barely see those in the photo) were everywhere, along with many other different kinds, including flowering Prickly Pear. The trail was beautiful, but a bit eerie knowing it was made in remembrance of the 19 Prescott firefighters that died in '13.
Edit: I noticed that my post with a picture of the hotel on Route 66 is the 66th post of the thread. I kinda like that 
So nice to share your trip and memories. The Hotshots Memorial trail is beautiful, what a wonderful tribute to these brave firefighters. Sounds like you had a great time and it wasn’t “too” hot😄. I’m sure you’ll be reviewing the entire trip for a good long time. And, of course, you have your wonderful jewelry to remind you!
I was so moved by the memorial trail, probably because we’ve been out there many times while dangerous fires are burning. We’ve driven that road past Yarnell a number of times, but this was the first time since the trail was finished, so it seemed fitting to try to hike it (even though we weren’t able to do the whole thing this time). I cannot imagine losing 19 firefighters from the same small city (Prescott ) in one fell swoop.
One year we had reservations at the North Rim, and everything was shut because of fires till the day we checked in. I’ll never forget driving along the road to the park entrance, and seeing the ground literally still smoking. As we pulled up to the lodge there were firefighters sitting on the curb totally covered in grey dust.
The first link is the news report about it, and the second is a trailer from the movie; I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m going to try to watch it soon. When we visited, there was a young firefighter volunteering at the memorial at the bottom of the trail. He said the movie was very good, although in typical movie fashion, dramatized quite a bit. He also said it was mostly filmed in NM, because obviously a lot of the forest isn’t there anymore, but he said the radio transmissions at the end of the movie are the actual ones. I apologize for going on about this, but they did such a great job honoring the firefighters with this trail.
What a nice honor to have a trail in the firefighters memory! I’ll have to check that one out next time I’m there. It’s amazing how dangerous and difficult that job is. People just have no idea. I’ll have to check out the movie.
I get sabbatical from work the same year my son graduates from high school. He wants us to take a road trip together, renting a RV and traveling out west. I’m kind of thinking following Route 66 might be a fun adventure. I’ve been on 66 here and there in small areas and seeing some of the cool signs and hotels along the way. He’s 15 now; I hope that he still thinks mom is cool enough to take that trip when he’s a senior!
That would be a great trip! We’ve small driven parts of it, but never the whole thing. The Navajo children’s home we volunteered at, Naomi House, is right off of Route 66 near Holbrook. https://www.jackrabbittradingpost.com/
This is at the same exit, the home is close by. Classic Route 66 post.
I wanted to mention for those who like to hike (scramble actually ), that there is a wonderful trail in Tonto Natural Bridge State Park near Payson, AZ. We had been at the top before, But this time did the trail underneath. It was a bit of a scramble over boulders and slippery rocks, but it was so worth it. Here’s a couple pics!
Not me in the pic, my friend and my hubby!
I just returned from a trip to Quetico. Lots of canoeing in a remote beautiful areas. Land of the Anishinaabe Indians which compromise a number of tribes. We stayed on Agnes Lake next to Louisa Falls. Didn’t see any pictographs though. Caught a lake trout and a large mouth bass.
I bet that was absolutely amazing!! We used to go through there and on west to Lake of the Woods when I was very young; I think every year till I was about 8. We always traveled with a canoe on top of the car, and pulling a jet boat behind. Those were the days! The years after that we would travel in Ontario on the east side of Lake Superior. Did you go to Kakabeka Falls? I really hope to get back to that area someday. I’m going to Google those places you mentioned.
We went to Lake Superior Provincial Park about 5 years ago, and saw some pictographs there.
I didn’t catch it, but I was up at Lake Michigan a few days ago, and had a lake perch dinner
No…we did not go to Kakabeka Falls…we had a few portages…a couple were B**ches…so we were very remote. On a huge lake and barely saw anyone…we did meet people on portages, one gentleman from Indianapolis.
I think the biggest falls is in Ontario, off of knife lake.
I’m guessing you went up through Minnesota and the Boundary Waters area? I just remember we always used to go up through MI, across the top of Lake Superior, and over on the way, and back to MN and WI. I have memories of Kakabeka Falls; I have a picture from there when I was little with my brother who passed away in '22. Good memories!
Next time I’m in Williams I’ll have to check that out…maaaaybe 
So this made me remember something my nephew sent me last fall. I apologize if I’ve already posted it. He’s the superintendent at Colorado National Monument on the west side of CO. He said they were getting ready to clear some fallen rocks from the road by the visitor center.
Cool. that is an amazing find!
Absolutely fascinating and thrilling! Thanks for sharing. I can’t imagine what it’s like to suddenly find a dino footprint of this rarity and importance!
