EXPEDITION ORANGE!

Recently while driving across Southern California, in the area east of Bakersfield, I had the opportunity to observe orange groves in various stages of development.  A later consultation on Wikipedia helped me understand what I was seeing.  I learned that commercially grown orange trees are propagated asexually by grafting a mature cultivar onto a suitable seedling rootstock. 

At first, this part of California was growing mainly wheat.  However, in 1769, Catholic Franciscan monks brought oranges to San Diego.  An orchard was planted at the San Gabriel Mission around 1804; later, in 1841, a commercial orchard was established near present-day Los Angeles.  (This gives me one more reason to be thankful for the Christian faith---its missionaries introduced this delicious fruit to the Western United States!)  Agriculture statistics have listed orange trees as the most cultivated fruit tree in the world!  The locations with the highest production are Brazil, Florida, and California.  Oranges from Florida are used mainly for juice, whereas California oranges are mostly for fresh consumption. 

Since oranges are rich in Vitamin C, and do not spoil easily, during the Age of Discovery, Portuguese , Spanish, and Dutch sailors planted citrus trees along trade routes, to prevent scurvy .   Besides orange trees, they planted lime trees, which is the origin of the nickname "limey" for a sailor.

When studying the history of orange growing in California, I learned that it was a woman, Eliza Tibbets, who is considered the founder of the California citrus industry in its present form.  The story goes that in 1873, the United States Department of Agriculture shipped two small Navel orange trees to Riverside, California resident, Eliza Tibbets.   She successfully nurtured the trees, and saw that they produced a sweet and flavorful fruit, that has a tiny "twin fruit", on top of its 10-segmented, larger fruit.  Word spread about the delicious harvest, and the California citrus industry was born!  (And who says, one person cannot make a difference!)  Imagine the PATIENCE it must have taken for Mrs. Tibbets, day after day, to tend to the little trees with frequent watering, insect control, and checking for harmful plant fungi!  I am using her example as the visual aid for my First Place 4 Health ( www.FirstPlace4Health.com ) memory verse that says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, PATIENCE, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, and self-control.  Against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23).  Thanks to her PATIENCE, we can enjoy a delicious orange-colored FRUIT!

In the days before mechanical harvesting, thousands of workers would hand pick the ripe fruit from the orange trees.  Did you know it is actually a law that forbids harvesting immature oranges in Texas, California, and Florida?  One reason for this is because oranges are non-climacteric.  This means that will not post-harvest ripen in response to ethylene gas, as can many other fruit crops. 

Today, canopy-shaking mechanical harvesters are used to harvest oranges, and usually pick the crop once they are pale orange.

Even though the oranges on this tree appear to be fully orange-colored, I did not get to witness any mechanical harvesting taking place.

There seemed to be lots of fruit laying on the ground, just begging to be picked up!   However, the hazy grid you can barely see in this photograph, let you know there is chain-link fence between me and the orchard!  Likewise, there were plenty of "KEEP OUT" signs that discouraged "orange rustlers"!

However, I was content to just enjoy the spectacle of the colorful orchards, and suppressed my frugal-mindset-of-concern that the fruit might be going to waste!  Seeing all these oranges along my driving route made me hungry for the taste of an orange, thankful for their beautiful deliciousness, and gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!!    Tricia

SANTA FE TRAIL EXPEDITION!

The original Santa Fe Trail was a transportation route through central North America, that connected the area around Independence, Missouri, with Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Likewise, Santa Fe was the northern terminus of El Camino Real, which came out of Mexico City. (Since El Camino Real was the name of my Spanish language textbook in high school, that phrase always catches my attention!)  The highway sign shown in this photo, marks the present-day highway route, that roughly follows the trail's path through the entire length of Kansas, the southeast corner of Colorado, and northern New Mexico. 

The Santa Fe Trail was pioneered in 1821 by William Becknell, and served as a vital commercial route, until the introduction of railroads to Santa Fe in 1880.  Historical placards along the route tell details about the scenic and historic byway, in the event you are not traveling with a smart phone, that will let you "google" the topic, to find out more details!

 

The original Santa Fe Trail followed parts of the Arkansas River during its progress westward.  When I was on the Santa Fe Auto Tour Route along Highway 50 in Colorado, the sign on this bridge said I was crossing the Arkansas River.  I was amazed at how much dryer the Arkansas River looks in Colorado versus how it looks in Arkansas where I live!

The town of Las Animas along the Santa Fe trail has an interesting history---especially in regards to the origin of its name:  A famous legend says that the town and nearby Pergatoire River (Purgatory River) were named for a group of conquistadors, who died without the last rites sacrament of a priest.  According to European Catholic belief of that time, their souls would go to Purgatory as a result.  The original Spanish name for the town, Las Animas, means "the souls" in Spanish.  Thus the surrounding area was said to be La Ciudad de Las Animas Perdido in Purgatorio, which means "The city of lost souls in Purgatory".   As the sign reads, it is also the last home of Kit Carson.  For any youngsters who might be reading this, Kit Carson was a 19th century frontier legend, because  exaggerated versions of his exploits were the subject of dime novels of the early 1900's, and western movies/television shows of the 1950's. 

Las Animas is the county seat of Bent County, Colorado, and the site of the 1889 Bent County Courthouse.

This statue of a Calvary Soldier on the lawn is another tribute to this location's importance in the settlement of the western United States.

Today, the Santa Fe Trail is the mode of transport to move the gigantic wind turbine blades that are manufactured nearby, and can be used to supply electrical energy to folks throughout the U.S.  This photo shows how the turbine blade takes up almost an entire city block, as it is being transported

The reason I happened to be in the middle of the highway when this "Extra Wide Load" came by, was that I wanted to get a photo of the historic Davies Hotel, that is located along the Santa Fe Trail.

I have friends in Arkansas with the name "DAVIES", and they too work in the hospitality industry.  It made me wonder if there was a hereditary gene in the Davies family that steered those folks into that career choice!

Unfortunately, this Davies Hotel has been closed for several years, but still remains as a landmark in downtown Lamar, Colorado.  But, since the Amtrak train makes two stops daily in Lamar, maybe it will once again open up to provide lodging for weary travelers arriving by train!

The Lamar Amtrak Station also serves as a Colorado Welcome Center.  As such, it provides free coffee, clean restrooms, a book exchange, and free WIFI.

The Visitor Center grounds also provide the very significant display for the Madonna of the Trail memorial, shown in this photo.  This is one of twelve identical monuments dedicated to the spirit of pioneer women, commissioned by the National Daughters of the American Revolution.   In 1928-29, one was placed in each of the 12 states along the National Old Trails Road from Cumberland, Maryland to Upland, California.  They serve as a symbol of courage and faith of women who aided greatly in conquering the wilderness and establishing permanent homes.  They are 10 feet high and weigh 5 tons.  The states of Ohio, West Virginia, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, California, and Maryland each have one of the statues.  Even before I knew the national significance of the one I was photographing in Lamar, Colorado, this past June, I knew it was significant to MY family history, because my mother had written a story about her trip in a covered wagon across Indian country west of Arkansas (See the November 6, 2008, blog post called "Covered Wagon Expedition" in the archives of this blog, for more details).   What makes it even more significant to me, is that in July of this year, I had the opportunity to be driving in Cumberland, Maryland, and see part of the Cumberland Trail that is referenced in the National Old Trails Road association. 

The Visitor Center/Amtrak Station in Lamar, Colorado, also has one of the wind turbine blades in its front yard, for visitors to photograph and touch.  Even though it looks huge, I was told that it was a very short one, compared to most of the ones now being used throughout the country to harness wind power. 

A historic  train is on view beside the Visitor Center/Amtrak Station , and is a reference to the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad that came to Lamar, Colorado.   The newly restored train station was originally built in 1907. 

The best part about stopping at the Lamar Visitor Center was meeting these two ladies, who provided me with a wealth of information for writing this article!  Their service at the Visitor Center is leaving a "trail" of respect and gratitude to our pioneer ancestors who had the fortitude to settle our Western frontiers.  It is a reminder for me to ask myself, "What kind of a 'trail' am I leaving behind for those who will follow after me?"  When I looked in my Bible concordance for the word "trail", this section from I Timothy 5:24-25 came up: "The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others TRAIL behind them.  In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden."    I want the TRAIL that I leave behind to be one that brings you "MILES OF SMILES"!!  Tricia

Dodge Expedition!

Plenty of Western-themed decor in the gift shop:

CRATERS OF THE MOON EXPEDTION!

WILLIAMS, ARIZONA EXPEDITION!

The metal archway, over the highway in this photo, says, "Williams---1881---Gateway to the Grand Canyon".  It  has Arizona's famous sun beaming down on it, as it sits in a plateau, strewn with pine trees

The train depot shown in this photo, is significant because it relates to one of the first occurrences to make Williams grow, and that was its location along a train route between Chicago and the West Coast, that ran in the late 1800's.  Passengers coming by train to Williams (the closest stop to the Grand Canyon South Rim) needed reliable transportation to continue the next part of their journey, that would actually get them to Grand Canyon Village.  Thus, the first passenger train from Williams to the Grand Canyon, ran on September 17, 1901.  Then, in 1908, the Santa Fe Railway built a new depot in Williams, that included one of the first Harvey House hotels.  The building above (which sits on the opposite side of the tracks from the one built in 1908) was retained, and now serves as the Williams Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center. 
 

This photo shows one of the Grand Canyon Railway passenger trains, which continues to carry passengers to the famous national park.

Engine 539 was on static display when I made this visit to Williams, Arizona.  It is significant because it is one of only 20 remaining steam locomotives in the USA.  It was acquired by Grand Canyon Railway in 2007.  The engine was built in 1917 in Dunkirk, New York, at an original cost of $36,631.  It weighs 266 tons, which includes the 41 tons of water needed to generate steam.  It was retired in 1957, after 174,378 miles without a major accident or derailment.  (It is interesting to note that after I took this photo, the engine was sold to the Port of Katama in Washington state for $163,000.  Another $100,000 fee was incurred to transport it to the Port of Katama Interpretive Center.  That town wanted this historical relic to help tell the story of why the Port of Katama, on the northwestern coast, had the nickname "Rail to Sail" .)

In addition to its fame as a transportation hub for railway travel, Williams is also famous for another means of transportation---Route 66 Highway that stretched from Chicago to Santa Monica. 

This mural records the fact that Williams was the last town on Route 66 to be bypassed by Interstate 40, which happened on October 13, 1984.  Although much of the rest of Interstate 40 was completed a decade earlier, lawsuits kept the construction of I-40 through Arizona from continuing.  Finally, judgements called for the state to build 3 exits into Williams, from the Interstate, which helped the town to continue to thrive on tourism.  The next year, US Route 66 was decommissioned. 

 

Route 66 souvinirs are abundant, like this travel bag that shows several of the cities the high traversed.  One of the nicknames the highway carries is "The Mother Road", and what mother would not be delighted to own such a colorful reminder of their trip, as they sing the song, "Get your kicks, on Route Sixty-Six!"
 

Besides Williams being a fun place to visit for Route 66 enthusiasts and Grand Canyon tourists, the kayak strapped on top of the car references the fact that there are several lakes around Williams, where visitors cannot only kayak, but fish and swim as well.  The familiar logo of the Route 66 Highway sign attached to the lamppost, is along the Main Street of Williams, Arizona.  In fact, the highway became synonymous with the Main Street of dozens of U.S. cities west of the Mississippi, and is the reason for another one of its nicknames---Mainstreet of America.
 

This mannequin dressed in western attire might represent the man who is sometimes called "The Father of Route 66".  That was a Tulsa, Oklahoma guy called Cyrus Avery, who lobbied tirelessly to get the highway 66 construction plans approved and implemented.  Not surprisingly, his plan called for Route 66 to go through Oklahoma!
 

The bright red table umbrellas, and elevated red vintage hot rod coupe, make it impossible to miss seeing Cruisers Route 66 Cafe, on a busy corner along Main Street/Historic Route 66.  They are famous for their live music performances, and from what I heard from the musician who was playing and singing when I was there, their reputation for a fun, happening place is well deserved!

Since both the men in this photo have long gray hair, and long gray beards and cowboy  hats on---it is hard to tell which one is the tourist, and which one is the historical re-enactor.  My guess is that the one with an ivory-handled sixshooter, in a fancy leather holster, is the one who is part of the entertainment!

To be sure, a visitor will no doubt encounter some "characters" as they stroll the town, but the caricature artist actually fits in with the historical theme of this western frontier town.  That is because, before photography was widely available, caricature art was the "visual aid of choice" used by newspapers, and other printed communications.  A caricature is a drawing of a real person which distorts or exaggerates certain features, but still retains a likeness.  (My husband and I once sat for a caricature artist, upon arriving in Sturgis, South Dakota, via our Harley-Davidson motorcycle.  So naturally, the artist drew us as a couple with two giant heads, attached to little tiny bodies, and perched atop a motorcycle!)

The real horse and authentic buggy, are a good way of getting visitor's attention to alert them to the nightly (and free!) Wild West Show that is held in the historic area of Williams most every evening during tourist season. 

I first encountered this attractive lady in the Williams Chamber of Commerce/Visitor Center earlier in the day, dressed in business attire.  She was the one that urged me not to miss the free western entertainment that would be happening at 7 pm that night.  Later in the evening, she recognized me in the crowd, and came over to chat, while thanking me for attending their event.  I was glad she recognized me, because I certainly did not recognize her! She had gone from professional work clothes, to a western-themed calico long dress and different hair style!  She told me that members of the chamber of commerce volunteer to dress in historical clothing to assist with the Wild West Show.  For more information about planning your trip this area, you can phone the chamber at 928-635-4061, or visit their website at www.ExperienceWilliams.com

You might call this "Theater in the Round", since a circle is marked off in the street for the Wild West skit, and it is a large enough area that most everyone has a "front row 'seat' ---or standing place" to view the actors.

This little boy actually did have a front row seat, as he sat on the shoulders of his father!  Likewise, his father's head provided a nice armrest!  Looking back at their history, the Wild West show got its start before movies were available.  They consisted of short entertainment skits that would go over historic gunfights by re-enactors.  They advertised as being a show that would thrill young and old alike! 

The pine tree needles framing this photo of the Williams, Arizona entrance sign, provide the opportunity to mention that Arizona is one of the few states in the USA where someone who is VERY industrious, patient, and extremely frugal, can harvest their very own pine nuts!   (several on-line sights sell nuts, and when I checked their price, they showed one pound of pine nuts costs $21 per pound; compare this to a pound of pecan halves, for $8 per pound!)

The pine cones must be gathered when they are still green, then spread out to dry for a very long period.  Then their hard shells must be cracked open to pick out the tiny little pine seed.  All this must be done INDIVIDUALLY, BY HAND!  The process has not been mechanized, which explains why pine nuts cost several times more per pound, than pecans.  For this reason, the majority of the pine nuts one sees for sale in the USA have been harvested in other countries, where labor is cheaper.  However, for those who are very particular about knowing where their food comes from, keep Arizona in mind as a location where you can "do it yourself"! (If you are curious, just put "harvesting pine nuts" in your Internet search engine, and you will never again complain about the high price of pine nuts!)
Since harvesting your own pine nuts is a very laborious process, requiring some unpleasantness and discipline, I am using this photo as the visual aid for one of my First Place 4 Health memory verses that says, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."  Hebrews 12:11  I can assure you,  having pine nuts sprinkled on my salad, while enjoying a glorious sunny day in Williams, Arizona, gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia