Sedona, AZ October 16, 2006 Mel and Laura's Wedding

Mel and Laura cutting the wedding cake, Savanah's Restaurant, Sedona. The cake was chocolate- Mel would have no other! 

Sedona, AZ October 18, 2006

Surprise!! We went to Sedona to meet Mel and Laura, and they went to get MARRIED! Lucky us, we got to share their wedding dinner. Lucky us, we've gotten to share 3 weddings in 3 months, and the romance is --inspiring! Mel was the Legislative Chair for the Academy of Pediatrics and thus my boss, Laura is the mother of seven!!! We planned getting together following his trip to Phoenix for his granddaughter's Bat Mitzvah- but not a word to us about their 'grand plan.' They scheduled a private ceremony at a local synagogue, and then took pictures among the red rocks. We wish them both every happiness, no one deserves it more. 

Sedona, AZ, October, 2006

The Bell Rock! 

Sedona, AZ, October 15 2006

More fabulous red rocks! 

Sedona, AZ October 16, 2006

More gorgeous red rocks!! 

Sedona, AZ October18, 2006

Ahh the Road Not Taken!!
This is Schnebley Road in Sedona- we wimped out. 

Sedona, AZ, Oct. 17, 2006

You get to see the world's only teal arches!!! 

Sedona, AZ Oct 17, 2006

We love Sedona!! Here are the fabulous 'red rocks'. I only took 300 pictures of the red rocks, but I'll only post---100???? 

Enroute to Sedona AZ October 15, 2006

We are traveling AZ 74 from Wickenburg to I-17 north of Phoenix, enroute to beautiful Sedona. We went through this Saguarro forest for about 30 miles. Saguarro (pronounced sa war o) are 100-150 years old before the first arm comes out. They have very shallow roots and weigh enormous amounts. A dead saguarro skeleton is very woody small tubes about 1/2 inch to 1 inch in diameter, that form the shape of the cactus. Folks in AZ venerate their saguarro, and buildings are built around them, even the dead ones are prized and sold. Ya got to see them to love them!! 

Museum of Los Caballeros, Wickenburg, AZ Oct 15, 2006

While Lee was watcfhing the Ravens, Bobbi got some serious museum watching done. Most of this museum was Charlie Russel and Fred Remington paintings and sculptures, which you are not allowed to photo and which were fabulous. This display is from the Hotel Vernita which faced the train tracks and the "river." The hotel was run by a freed African American female slave in the 1860's, and financed by her mother in law a freed slave in Boston. Check out the Rand McNally road maps from the later period of the hotel. Lee and I have literally boxes of maps, but when this was printed 1920-30? this is all the maps available! Remember you can click the pix to make it bigger. 

Wickenburg, AZ October 14, 2006

Just your average parking lot in AZ. This is the biker bar Lee found for Ravens game watching. Sunday football on the West is a 10 am event, so the search for a cable TV must begin early in the weekend, and when you find a cable, you have to convince the bar attendees that one of the games to watch is the Ravens. So far they have been playing teams of local interest, so it has worked out. 

Quartzite, AZ Oct 14, 2006

Quartzite is 25 miles inside AZ coming from California. It is about 4-5 blocks long and runs parallel to I-10 in the middle of the desert. In the summer it is 120 degrees, on Oct 14 it was 80-90. But, in January and February, there are over a million RVs here parked in this campground, and in the surrounding government land. It is a giant swap meet, flea market, state fair, festival, and most folks are camping free- boondocking. As usual, the Seabolts are either late for the 2006 extravaganza or way early for 2007. The naked man sells his books across the street from this campground. 

I-10 Palm Springs to Arizona, Oct 13, 2006

Welcome to our world as we see it through the buggy windshield with the windshield wipers plumb in the middle. We are barrelling through the Mohave Desert, with mountains on all sides, Willy Nelson on the CD, and all of these incredible clouds. It rained today in the the western part of the Coachella Valley, where Palm Springs is located, and since it rains 5 days a year here, it was a very big deal. The entire weather forecast for the last 2 days has been about-rain, and then it only sprinkled in the west! The rest of the news today in Palm Springs was about the hospitalization of Gerald Ford. We were on Gerald Ford Drive today in Rancho Mirage and were about a block from the hospital- the Eisenhower Medical Center. These Republicans stick together. The roads in Palm Springs area are interesting-Frank Sinatra Drive, Bob Hope Drive, Dinah Shore Drive, Gene Autry Trail, and some guy Ramon. I wonder how many folks, except us old retired dudes, know who Dinah Shore and Gene Autry were?? Indio named their streets after the Presidents. And all the rest of the streets are named after a Palm-east, west, date, etc. We understand that it is 120 degrees for weeks here in the summer- but it is a dry heat! But then it is 70-80 in January, 90 in October. 

Palm Desert Oct. 13, 2006

This is from the parking lot of the Palm Desert )just east of Palm Springs)Walmart, (where else??). We left the RV there and drove around to see the sights, and when we came back in the afternoon, the smoke from the forest fires was thick in the valley, and smelly. Can you see it in the picture? There are mountains just under the wires- that were crystal clear in the morning, almost gone in the afternoon. We headed away from it, so we didn't have to worry about it, tho it is just plain worrisome!! 

Windmill Farm Oct 11,2006

More windmills. They were as far as you could see, both sides of the road, for miles, on top of the hills, in the valleys, truly amazing. 

Windmill Farm, Santa Ana Pass, Oct. 11, 2006

You come around a corner on I-10 heading from Los Angeles to Palm Springs, and find the Windmill Farm- it is really unbelievable. Apparently, the wind always blows here. See them in the distance faintly to the left of the billboard. 

Desert Hot Springs, October 11, 2006

October 11, 2006
Desert Hot Springs
Palm Springs, CA

Dearest Readers,

We’ve left LA. After a long stay at Dockweiler, we were actually at the point where we could find our way around LA. You old folks will remember the skits that Johnny Carson used to do of the salesman with the wig and the stick giving directions to his car lot. We actually did the Slauson cut off today and are old friends with Sepulveda. We came close to biting the dust on the 405 on the way in last week when a tractor trailer merged on in front of us, but today we got out on 5 in 2 hours without a scratch.

The wedding was wonderful, and it was obvious that the bride and groom are special people and well loved by their families and guests. It seems that anyone can quickly learn to dance “Armenian” and everyone did! To quote my Daddy, when he was explaining my sister’s wedding-“it’s just a little wedding, Daddy”, but the more the merrier! Despite all the exercise, I fear the wedding, and California, have added a few pounds to both of us.

We did not see a single star! But, Carmen Electra was in the elevator at the Bel Age before we got on, according to an elevator rider, and Della Reese was singing in the Bel Age downstairs while we were brunching on the roof. Scott’s friend is a producer of “Scrubs”, so we are now committed to watching that- that is if we can figure out when it comes on, and we get reception that day.

It is supposed to be 90 tomorrow in Desert Hot Springs, so we have pool on the schedule. We will be toddling around looking here, and again in AZ for a spot for the winter.
Keep in touch. See you soon.

El Segundo, CA Oct.9, 2006

El Segundo is a wonderful little town on the ocean in LA. This golf course is not far from there, and Lee and Jerry managed to do 2 rounds on the 9 hole course. Debby and Bobbi checked out Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo Beach. Deb and Jerry posed for a pix at the golf course during lunch. 

Hollywood, CA Oct 8, 2006

The Day after! A wonderful brunch on the roof, and Nathaniel, the ring bearer, is prevailing upon his Grandmother for something, while his Mom rests after her swim. 

Hollywood, CA Oct 7, 2006

The cake is cut, and fabulous cake it was- whip cream and strawberries. It is just a rumor that Bobbi had 3 slices. 

Hollywood, CA, Oct 7, 2006

The dancing has been going on now for about 10 minutes and there is some serious cash flying around, all $1 tho. The guy on the left in the white jacket, is a producer of 'Scrubs.' 

Hollywood, Ca Oct. 7, 2006

It's an Armenian Wedding! Everyone raises their arms and dances, and in a few minutes, everyone will start throwing money at the bride and groom!! It is exhausting! 

Hollywood CA Oct. 7. 2006

The female 1/2 of the wedding party, waiting for pix, as the sun sets on Sunset Boulevard. It was a small little wedding!!!! 

Hollywood, CA oct 7, 2006

Talin, the bride and her parents. Her dad is a well known Armenian radio personality. She and Scott met in law school. 

Hollywood, CA, Oct 7, 2006

Zachary Alton, nephew of the groom, aqnd at 4 months, the youngest attendee at the wedding. His mom is about to sing at the wedding, and if he gets a lullaby, he is one lucky dude. 

Hollywood, CA Oct. 7, 2006

Sunset Boulevard from the roof of the Bel Age Hotel. Check out the Tower record store- they announced their closing the week we were there.