This last week Matt and I took a long weekend trip to visit his grandparents who live in Alamo, NV. Since we don’t have a car, we drove down with Matt’s great-aunt Pauline, who is his grandma’s sister. It was a great set-up because we all wanted to go, but Matt and I needed a car and Pauline needed a driver. We had a great time listening to stories, horseback riding, hiking, shooting, watching westerns, and eating amazing food. Oh, and sleeping in! Here is a rundown of our trip and some pictures (of course!).
Our first afternoon, we were able to visit many of the beautiful landmarks around the area. We saw worm holes in a mountain side (created by gas bubbles in solidifying lava) and petroglyphs on the sides of flat rocks. One rock is so covered with pictures that we thought it might have been the result of Indian children playing. Notice the awesome big horn sheep. So great. We even convinced Boots (the adorable dog in all our pictures) to come with us on our trips. Usually she is afraid to ride around, but I guess we pampered her enough to convince her to brave the trip.
While we were driving to see an abandoned ghost town, we drove on the bumpiest mountain road I have ever seen. We were bouncing so much that it was hard to talk! And we were laughing too much to say a lot anyway. But along the way we saw a beautiful wild stallion on the hillside. It was alone and not very skittish. He stayed where he was even as we drove closer to him. It was such an awesome sight! The town was fun to poke around too because it had these stone homes that were in varying states of decay. One building seemed to be at least three stories tall. Wouldn't it be amazing to see these towns when they were booming and growing? It is fun to imagine the families and children that grew up in these places that would eventually crumble into a relic of the past.
Another great adventure was going to visit the towns surrounding Area 51. Of course, access is off-limits, but a few of the locals are proud to advertise their proximity. One such place is The Little A'le'Inn in Rachel, NV. Seriously. The restaurant/motel/gift shop is full of photos, memorabilia, and novelties surrounding aliens, flying saucers, and abductions. It was such a fun place to see. Unfortunately, we arrived at the A'le'Inn when their kitchen was closed for Rachel Days (an annual celebration to commemorate Rachel's founding in 1978). Instead of an alien burger (complete with a flying saucer-shaped hamburger bun), we all decided to go to the cajun barbeque up at the celebration. There was a nitty-gritty band with a guy playing the steel drum (which neither of us had ever seen except in movies), alligator kabobs, homemade blueberry cobbler, frozen lemonade in a blender, and all the small town charms you could ask for--including an unsophisticated (but hilarious) game involving gambling and chicken poop (I'll post the picture below). Basically, you buy a number on a board at the bottom of a chicken coop. If the chicken poops on your number first, you win! Hooray! Needless to say, although we both hail from the south, we had our first real taste of small town America (and alligator) in Nevada. Go figure.
We also had a lot of fun doing traditional rural activities: 4-wheeling, horseback riding, and shooting. Let me just say, I didn't expect rifles to be that loud. They are. And powerful! Matt was the crack-shot of the night. And he looked awesome in a bandito belt (according to me). Also, riding horses is definitely a difficult skill. I think I'm better now than when I first jumped up on Dude's back, but it will take me many years to really ride well. First of all, I can't really think of any other activity that uses the inner thigh muscles that way. Goodness, my legs got sore. Also, communication with horses is so different. There has to be trust and clarity. I'll work on that. Bottom line: horses are beautiful, powerful animals. I definitely respect anyone that can ride a horse well.
In the evenings, Matt and I watched a TV series called “Into the West”. Matt had watched part of it on his previous trip and really liked the story. It has some beautiful shots of the west, including buffalo herds and majestic mountains. The main characters are also very likeable. Since the series follows several families over several generations, the story contains many themes and events from history. Half of the time is spent following a tribe of Lakota Indians. This was the saddest part for us because we already knew their way of life would suffer because of the changing times. The story is well done, however, and is an honest look at an extraordinary time in America’s history. We borrowed the DVDs and to finish watching—if we ever have enough spare time.
Sunday afternoon, Matt and I decided to record Grandma and Grandpa Biggs telling stories about their childhoods. Our goal is to collect life sketches from all of our living grandparents. We weren’t exactly sure how to conduct effective interviews, but the recording went so well! We got so many priceless stories recorded. It is so amazing and inspiring to hear about the determination and faith of our grandparents. What interesting lives they have led, what crucial lessons they have learned. This was a wonderful project for both of us. After we finished recording, Matt and I were so excited to be able to type up the transcripts and share them. This was such a great way for us to connect to our family and to our heritage.
A great start to a great summer. Here's to more fun and adventures in the coming months.
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