southwest pt 2

Coming over the next two weeks or so: An account of what was, to me, an extension of the trip I took to the southwest in December 2020. That one took me to Death Valley, the Mojave in Nevada and California, and Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks in southeastern Utah.

That trip, however, was taken at the seeming apex of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, back when the airports were uncrowded, Delta had empty seats on purpose, and I barely talked to a soul while mostly eating take-out meals, or eats from food trucks and room service. I completely avoided going into retail establishments or public spaces in any city, including Las Vegas and St. George, Utah.

The environment in June 2020 was dramatically different. I ate inside quite a times, sat inside coffee shops and breweries, went to book stores, retail establishments, and galleries and museums. I talked with people more.

I carried over some experiences from the pandemic era into what seemed like a new one (but ultimately was not), however, most notably: Glamping and staying at more interesting places—say, the RV above in Taos NM. I ate outdoors and did the room service thing a bit too, and cooked on my own twice.

I’ve put my thoughts together on the trip, and the idea of a post-pandemic world and such, in posts below:

Holbrook & the Wigwam

Oak Creek + Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon to La Posada

El Morro & West-Central New Mexico