AN INTERESTING IDEA, OR TWO
For those who partake in the American holiday of Thanksgiving, I hope you had a pleasant day. In our homestead it was relatively quiet, which provides ample opportunity for the reflection that is an integral part of meditating upon what one has to be thankful for, a key component in the original concept behind this holiday.
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| The road to the site of Fort Beale near Kingman. |
As it was a most delightful fall day in Arizona (high temperature 70 degrees), my dearest friend and I spent much of the morning on a long walk along the Cerbat Foothill Trails near the site of historic Fort Beale. I have to rate this area at the top of the list for sites missed by visitors to the Kingman area.
I find great enjoyment in sharing this are with friends who visit from out of town. It is also on my list of stops when asked to provide tours of the area.
As my son and his family were sharing the holiday with his in laws, our visit was vicarious via phone. This left my dearest friend and I free to indulge in another rather unconventional Thanksgiving dinner.
This year it was teriyaki turkey burgers with grilled onions and a touch of horseradish mustard, sweet potatoes with honey and cinnamon, whole grain Wasa with cranberry sauce, roasted red pepper hummus with goat cheese, and pie, pumpkin and blueberry. I have hinted on numerous occasions that my dearest friend needs to write a cook book or launch a blog.
I may be a bit prejudiced but in my humble opinion she is a gifted cook. Just as a mechanic fixes things rather than merely replaces parts, she fixes things.
As an example, in recent years she has been experimenting with various things that can be used to replace oils and lower the fat content in foods. Yogurt has often been utilized as a substitute and to be honest some of her creations have leaned toward the extraordinary side of the gastronomical side of the spectrum.
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| A vintage car at Cool Springs presents an interesting illusion. |
On the day before Thanksgiving, I had a most fascinating meeting pertaining to a proposed business idea. The gist of the meeting was that there should be consideration of creating a multi faceted travel store under the umbrella of Jim Hinckley’s America with the primary area of focus being the American southwest and Route 66.
In addition to providing assistance with trip planning, there could be a gallery, book store featuring books I have written as well as carefully selected guide books and historic works, tours where I serve as a guide, and a wide array of photographic based products such as calendars, post cards, holiday greeting cards, and similar material. It was an interesting idea, especially as I have been giving thought to something similar, currently assist in the tours offered by the El Trovatore motel when the schedule allows, assist with travel plan development, and on occasion give tours of the Kingman area.
A couple of quick notes before closing this morning are updates on the Brunswick Hotel project, and on the Mueller’s (Blue Swallow Motel) Model A project. First, the Brunswick Hotel.
Acclaimed artist Julie Snider will be establishing a gallery in the Brusnwick Hotel complex this coming spring. She is also funding a mural window in the west wall of the Old Trails Garage. That leaves with only two to fund.
Several months ago the Mueller’s were blessed to obtain a Model A Ford truck, a vehicle that has long dominated my list of must have adventure vehicles. Well, it looks as though the motor is now free and so I am quite sure it will be on the road soon.
This has renewed my hunger to travel Route 66 from end to end in a similar truck loaded with camping gear. I see a Model A convoy in the future.