Tribal Artery

Tribal Art Holiday Loyalty Sale - Starts Now. Save 25%

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:17:00 +0000

Do I smell turkey roasting? Hmm.

Thanksgiving must be near.

That means it’s time for Aboriginals’ Annual Holiday Loyalty Sale.

From today through November 22, 2009, we are offering our loyal e-newsletter and this blog subscribers 25% off every purchase.

Give the love of your life a beautiful authentic Native American jewelry bracelet, pendant or other item of adornment at 75% below the regular price.

Save 25% on a beautiful Native American Pueblo pot, storyteller or Nativity set.

Any fetish collector in your circle will be gratefully impressed by a Zuni, Cochiti, San Felipe or Navajo carving.

Check out our extraordinary collection African tribal masks and carvings, charming Inuit items, make-you-smile Navajo folk art pieces and traditional tribal art by world-class Australian Aboriginal artists.

Everything on our websites is yours at 25% off the listed price. Just include this code – “Tribal 2009” - in your order. We’ll take the 25% off at “check-out”.

(We are not changing the listed prices on the web site because these discounts are available only to loyal subscribers and when the sale is over on November 23, the original prices will stand.)

Don’t wait too long. Choice items will go first. And we will need time to ship before Christmas.

Thank you for your loyalty.

ATADA Theft Alert - Native American jewelry

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:03:00 +0000

The Antique Tribal Art Dealers Association has posted a new alert concerning thirty-five pieces of antique American Indian Jewelry stolen from a Tucson, Arizona gallery on October 15 2009.

A full report on the stolen pieces of Native American Indian jewelry can be accessed on the ATADA theft alert page, http://www.atada.org/theft.html#sublette2009.

ATADA issues these alerts and we at Native-JewelryLink.com forward them based on experience that widely publicizing the theft and the items involved makes it difficult for the thieves to fence or sell them. If the thieves attempt to sell the items, someone in the field may recognize one or more of the stolen pieces and report the thieves to the police.

It is a crime to possess stolen property. Note that there is no statute of limitations on stolen property in the USA. Let the buyer beware!

Go Pink for the Cure with this Pink Shell Native American necklace

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:56:00 +0000

In support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Aboriginals: Art of the First Person will donate 40% of the purchase price of this stunning sterling silver and pink shell Navajo necklace to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Organization's efforts to find a cure for breast cancer.

Adorn yourself or someone you love with this elegant choker-style necklace and Susanne Waites, proprietor of Aboriginals: Art of the First Person and operator of the web site, Native-JewelryLink will donate 40% of the purchase price to this worthwhile cause. The contribution will be made in the name of the purchaser.

When others notice your necklace you can use it as an opportunity extend awareness of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure efforts.

You can see an enlarged photo of this beautiful piece of authentic, Native American Navajo jewelry by clicking on the photo above.

Revisiting Australian Tiwi Aboriginal art

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:12:00 +0000

An update on Tiwi art in Australia by William Ernest and Susanne Waites, owners of Aboriginals: Art of the First Person.

As you may know Susanne and I once lived in Australia, which was where we developed our love for tribal art. That affection started with the art of Australian Aborigines.

As our exposure increased and expanded, we traveled to many Aboriginal sites in the country. One of our favorites, to which we paid a repeat visit during our last travel to and through Australia, was the Tiwi Islands of Bathurst and Melville.

These two island, sitting where the Arafura Sea meets the Timor Sea, about 50 miles offshore from Darwin, NT, are unique even vs. Aboriginal communities elsewhere in Australia.

They have a different history and the inhabitants speak a different language. As a result, the art created by the Tiwi people has its own distinctive character.

Melville Island, the larger of the two is second only to Tasmania in area. Bathurst Island is smaller but in many respects more significant since it is home to Nguiu, site of an airport, and the most prominent of three Aboriginal Art Centres on the islands. A narrow strait, the Aspley Strait, separates the two islands.

The physical sensation of the Tiwi islands is one of pungent aromas, heavy humidity and a hot, jungle tropical quality. The smells of local flora hang heavy in the air. The sense of remoteness from the rest of the world and the rest of Australia is intensified by the surrounding stands of equatorial timber.

The Tiwi people are open, friendly and welcoming. They also are extraordinarily talented, creating paintings, prints, textile designs and ochre-painted sculptures rich with traditions of Tiwi mythology and ceremonies. An example is the striking work done on the Pukumani poles. These are carved from ironwood and decorated with designs from the Tiwi past. A common feature of the painting is the cross-hatching used to fill negative space. Another common design element is the circle, replicating symbols associated with Tiwi ceremonies such as the Pukumani and the Kulama.

The Pukumani is a mortuary cermony, carried out over several months following the death of a Tiwi person. Tiwi belief is that the dead person's spirit remains in the living world until it is released by the final Pukumani.

The tall and sturdy Pukumani poles are placed around the burial site. They require weeks of preparation including harvesting the logs, carving the intensely grained wood and painting ritual designs on the surface. Participants in Pukumani dance and sing around the grave and the posts.

When the ceremony is finished, the poles are left to decay, often capped by inverted bark baskets called tungas. These would have been used by the dead person during life to carry and contain food and water.

Tiwi art centres of Jilimara Arts & Crafts and Munupi Arts & Crafts, are located respectively at Milikapiti (Snake Bay) and Pirlangimpi (Garden Point) on Melville Island. Both centres are managed by coordinators assigned by the Australian government. Jilimara, which is Tiwi for "body painting" also refers to the designs painted in detail on the bodies of dancers and on the Pukumani poles. Munupi also became a center for large murals and panels an for making limited edition prints.

The third art centre is Tiwi Art and Design, near Nguiu. Tiwi Design is much more concerned with the creation of textiles designed with traditional Tiwi imagery. They find their way into silk-screened or hand-painted garments and fabrics.

All three art centres are joined in a consortium of collaboration and continuity. The old traditions of Tiwi art regularly meet the individual self-expression of younger artists. But the latter always respect the old, while extending imagery into new areas.

The days we spent on Bathurst and Melville Islands were among the most stumlating and satisfying experiences we encountered with Australian Aboriginal art. Now we learn that the traditions of Tiwi art that were displayed and celebrated this year at the Telstra Awards, Australia's recognition of outstanding Aboriginal art, have encouraged even further growth and development of art and artists at the Tiwi art centres.

For further information about Australian Aboriginal and Tiwi art, we recommend the following resources:

The Australian: "Creative Worlds Collide in Tiwi Art" Aboriginal Art Online Aboriginal Art & Culture : An American Eye Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory

We also refer you to the Australian Aboriginal art pages at TribalWorks, our web site featuring a range of tribal art.

Tribal Art Theft Alert

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 19:44:00 +0000

The Antique Tribal Art Dealers Asscociation has issued a new notice about stolen goods.

"A Zia Jar and a pair of American Indian Hi Top Mocs were stolen from a Santa Fe, NM
Gallery during the night of October 2, 2009. Photos and details of the stolen merchandise are posted at http://www.ATADA.org/theft.html#molloy2009.

Please check out the images posted on the Theft Alert Page and familiarize yourself with them so that you will be prepared if someone offers any of these for sale."

History proves that stolen items that receive wide publicity are almost impossible to sell. There is no statute of limitations on stolen property in the USA.

This notice is forwarded as a public service by Susanne and William Ernest Waites, dealers in tribal art and owners of web sites offering Native American Jewelry, American Pueblo Pottery, Zuni and other carvings and other African, Australian, Arctic and Native American tribal art.

New Fetish Carvings by Delbert Charging Crow

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:59:00 +0000

A report by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person, operators the popular Native American fetish carvings web site at ZuniLink.com.

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One of our most enjoyable days in New Mexico during Santa Fe Indian Market time was a visit with Delbert ChargingCrow, a Lakota Sioux carver living in Albuquerque. During the visit we looked at a number of new carvings done by Delbert since we last saw him. Some of these have been posted to our ZuniLink website.

We also had a long conversation with Delbert. He is a fascinating, very spiritual person. He reminded us of the healing power that he invests in each of his carvings. He also shared with us certain aspects of his carvings that we were not aware of.

For example, when bears have turning heads, they are male bears, For some people, they also represent the turning around of a life on a bad path. With so many of us heading in directions about which we are uncertain or that we feel may be self-destructive, the turning bear takes on great significance as a source of support and healing. (Delbert carves female bears as linear and moving forward.)

All of Delbert’s bears and all his carvings include a package of spiritual stones, feathers and small leather pouches. These add power and spiritual strength to each carving.

When Delbert carves a horse, it always also has a small "walking stick” attached to the power package. He furnishes it so that the rider can dismount and have the walking stick for support as he or she continues the journey.

Of course, with his heritage as a Plains Indian, Delbert considers the horse as a particularly important animal to carve, just as it was for his ancestors.

Delbert also told us the structure of the elk’s antler rack replicates two hands, eight fingers and two thumbs, joined together in prayer. It signifies the elk's intervention with the higher spirit. It’s something you don’t notice until it is pointed out. It definitely is there, just as Delbert intends it.

Occasionally, Delbert is drawn by the opportunity to carve more whimsical creatures, such as turtles, donkeys, rabbits, eagles, hawks and others. All are carved in Delbert’s inimicable, unmistakable style.

We have added some of these to our selection available for purchase.

People often look querulous when the so-called “healing power” of Native American fetish carvings is mentioned.

A little history: The concept of stone fetishes had its genesis in stones that were found on the ground in native lands after rainstorms. Many of them had shapes and characteristics resembling animals. It was believed by Zuni Indians in pre-historical times that these were actual animals that were petrified into stone when struck by lightning.

It was further believed that power of the original animal also was preserved in the stone. Healing and protection in bears. Long life in turtles. Fruitfulness in frogs. Wisdom in eagles. Cunning in wolves.

Eventually, Zuni carvers went beyond the inherent form of the stone to carve in characteristics that they associated. Even then, the carver only carves elements and forms that he or she sees already present in the material.

(Delbert pointed out that his own experience is that when a carver tries to carve an animal that isn't actually in the stone, the material fractures. The carver is forced either to throw the material away or look for another animal that may be hiding in the remnant stone.)

Fast forward to other tribes that adopted and adapted the carving of creatures and items reflective of the culture of that tribe. Navajo carvers tended to concentrate on domestic and livestock animals, as protectors of their flocks and herds.

Cochiti carvers, such as Salvador Romero and Wilson Romero, backtracked into forms that are more unpolished and crude, based on natural stone found on the Cochiti Pueblo.

Melvin Sandoval, from San Felipe Pueblo, married a Zuni woman and brought his unique modernistic style to fetish carving.

Delbert, a Lakota Sioux, was inspired to contribute his gift for carving and his native spiritualism as a healer to the genre.

It is true that carvings are not considered "fetishes" unless they have been blessed by a tribal priest. It also is generally accepted, however, that any carving which embodies the form and spirit of an animal may convey the power and magic of that creature, if the owner of the carving believes in it and takes care of the carving.

Delbert lives in Albuquerque and uses the public bus to take his granddaughter to school each day. He is a source of strength and guidance for this young lady. We admire his artistry, his soft-spoken spiritualism and his dedication to family.

We count it a great privilege to be able to consider Delbert ChargingCrow a great friend as well as a source for carvings that magical in the way the look and the solace they bring to life. Dozens of his carvings are available for purchase at ZuniLink.com.

Thank you for reading.

The Desert Mob - Art in the Australian Outback

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:01:00 +0000

As you know as a regular reader of this blog, the authors, William Ernest Waites and Susanne Waites, collect and deal in a wide range of tribal art, including that of Australian Aborigines.

Due to our interest in the remarkabe creativity of these people, we offer this report on a recent Aboriginal Art event in Alice Springs, NT Australia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you have never been to the Australian outback, it will be very difficult for you to envision the setting.

There are great stretches of red earth with desert scrub and, pretty much, nothing higher than the top of your boots. Dry river beds and washes course the earth.

In the midst of this are settlements of Australian Aboriginals who live a life incredibly close to the earth.

The major population center for all this is Alice Springs.

It's a community with a colonial quality, that would hardly be considered even a small city in the US.

(In fact, Australians don’t generally travel to the Aboriginal communities of the outback either. The government restricts the ability of non-Aboriginals to visit the settlements.)

It always amazes me that an extraordinary art movement has emerged here and flourishes here. Recently, the Desert Mob Show in Alice Springs presented this gripping art.

The Desert Mob show is all the more remarkable because of it roots in the community.

It lacks the funding many other shows have, including the recently experienced Native American Indian Market in Santa Fe, NM, USA.

Nevertheless, the vitality, fire and force of this work is more than inspiring. It is uplifting and mind-opening.

The Desert Mob is the result of a collection of Art Centers in the Australian outback that support and encourage Aboriginal artists.

Works done by these artists are brought to market and the public view at the Desert Mob Show. The show is not juried and not curated. All the art that the Art Centers choose to present is shown.

By all reports, the cumulative effect wass stunning, breathtaking, eye-fracturing beauty.

For more information, including a review of last year’s Desert Mob Show, visit this web site - http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/arts/ascp/araluen/galleries/desertmob.html

For examples of other tribal art offered by Susanne and William Ernest Waites can be found at ZuniLink.com. Native-PotteryLink.com and Native-JewelryLink.com

Is your Calvin Begay really Calvin Begay?

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:46:00 +0000

This report is offered by Aboriginals: Art of the First Person, purveyors of fine tribal art at TribalWorks.com, ZuniLink.com, Native-PotteryLink.com and Native-JewelryLink.com, where we sell authentic, and only authentic, Calvin Begay jewelry.

Calvin is one of our our favorite jewelry artists. We have been offering his work for years.

Now, the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper reports that fakes purporting to be Calvin's work have shown up in at least one Santa Fe Native Art store.

Actually, we are not too surprised. Whenever an artist reaches the renown that Calvin has, he or she becomes a target for counterfeiters.

Calvin's history makes him a more vulnerable target than most.

He has been an atelier artist, in the tradition of such famous atelier masters as Michelangelo and DaVinci. This approach to art includes a number of “sous-chefs” that work on the master's designs under the master's supervision. It also allows the artist to influence and produce more work than if he or she was working on his or her own.

For a while, Calvin worked with A Touch of Santa Fe in Gallup, using a skilled staff of silversmiths and lapidary artists.

Almost all the work designed and made there carried both Calvin's signature ant the TSF stamp.

A few years back, Calvin and TSF went separate ways. Well, at least Calvin did. TSF continued to use Calvin's designs and some of his silversmiths and lapidary artists. The company also continued to identify the pieces as Calvin's work.

This ended when Calvin insisted that they stop and he moved to a new studio to create his work.

For a short interim period, there were pieces that were designed by Calvin but did not carry his signature. But it was a very limited number. It is identified by the precision of the inlay. Work done after Calvin left is definitely inferior.

Now, as indicated, there has been a gallery in Santa Fe selling work that it said was done by Calvin but he says was not.

According to the New Mexican newspaper, when a piece purchased at the store was shown to Calvin he said it was not his but was similar.

“TSF continues to use my designs,” Calvin claimed. “although I have instructed the business not to use my name stamp.”

The New Mexico Consumer Protection Division has sued the dealer, accusing them of manufacturing and selling pieces of jewelry that were falsely represented as having been made by Calvin. They also were accused of giving illegal discounts.

There is a moral to most stories.

This one is to always deal with dealers you know and trust. Be suspicious of “bargain” prices. Ask specific questions to get specific answers. If it sounds too good to be true, chances are a hundred-to-one it isn't true.

Aboriginals Gallery and our Native-JewelryLink web site absolutely guarantees that any piece we represent as being Calvin Begay's is Calvin Begay's. The same is true for any piece of jewelery or art we offer.

If a buyer is unhappy with their purchase from us after receiving it, we will return 100% of the purchase price.

And those prices are low because we are an exclusive online dealer, with the low overhead of the internet.

Update: New Mexico Attorney General has settled the fraud case against Santa Fe stores selling fake Calvin Begay jewelry. Store owners will pay restitution and a $10,000 fine, plus reimburse other purchasers who bought jewelry misrepresented as being the work of Calvin Begay. To qualify, submit the actual item along with an invoice or receipt to Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division, Jewelry Restitution Program, P.O. Drawer 1508, Santa Fe, NM 87504.

We recommend that you photograph and insure your piece(s) in order to track them after sending to the AG

Update: We received a letter from the Indian Arts and Crafts Board of the US Department of Interior announcing their joint efforts with the New Mexico Attorney General to shut down the sale of fake Indian arts and crafts. We say "bravo". It's about time.

Day 10 - 12 - The end is near.

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 13:49:00 +0000

This is the final report from the tour William Ernest and Susanne Waites to the National Parks of the Western US. Our granddaughter was with us. On these two days, we introduced her to the Native American culture reflected in our web sites: ZuniLink.com, Native-PotteryLink.com, Native-JewelryLink.com and TribalWorks.com .

As the end of our tour of the National Park draws close, we are starting to get itchy to move on.

Nothing had been formally planned for the next two days. We only needed to be in Salt Lake City on the morning of the 21st to catch our flight back to Chicago.

We decided on an early rise and a drive to Second Mesa in Hopi-Land.

We planned to have breakfast there, at the Cultural Center, to give Melissa a first-hand native experience.

This resulted in us leaving at sunrise and driving east into the blazing sun. Even with the visor down, the vision was seriously impaired. We were creeping along the drive in front of El Tovar at under 5 miles per hour. It was a good caution. Suddenly, directly in front of the car, standing in the middle of the road, was a large buck elk. He towered over the car and was in no hurry to move from his road. He was accompanied by another younger buck and two or three does.

It was a stunning vision.

We stopped so the entourage could clear the road and so we could shoot photographs of this very close personal encounter.

We concluded that this probably was the same group of elk that had left their calling cards on the rim path a day earlier.

Hyped up by the experience, we continued on our way, only to realize that we had forgotten to check out when we left Bright Angel Lodge. We decided to return just to be certain they would know we had left. We were not that far down the road.

After stopping again at the Lodge lobby and telling the reception desk that we were leaving, we started out again.

By now the elk family had moved on, but we did see another group of deer or smaller elk while retracing our eastward route.Aside from a short stop at the Watch Tower on on the east end of the South Rim, where we saw some different perspectives on the canyon, we were on our way.
The trip required us to drive up Route 89 to a road that enters and passes through the Hopi Reservation.

Hopi is made up principally of three mesas, although many Hopi today live in areas below the mesas. The mesas are identified as First Mesa, Second Mesa and Third Mesa, said to be in the order the Spanish invaders encountered them.

The Hopi Reservation is completely surrounded by the much larger Navajo Reservation. Conflicts between the Hopi and the Navajo over land ownership and use go back many generations.

The mesas were settled by the Hopi for reasons of security.

Centuries ago, a mesa was a difficult height to climb without being seen and was easier to defend from attack than a flatland community. Since the mesas are not suited to sufficient agriculture to support the population, the Hopi became very inventive subsistence farmers. Corn is planted not in rows but in individual mounds of three or four plants, which can be watered efficiently. This is an important consideration in the arid desert the Hopis inhabit.

When driving west to east, Third Mesa is the first one the road passes through. It is the lcoation of Old Oraibi. It was said to be founded in about 1150 and is said to be the oldest continually occupied village in North America, although many Native American villages make a similar claim. In any case, it is extremely orthodox and conservative and does not generally welcome visitors.

Second Mesa is the Home of the Hopi Cultural Center, which includes a restaurant, hotel, arts and crafts co-op, Hopi museum and a handful of small galleries or shops.

Second Mesa ia very important to me. I often feel it is a spiritual center of the universe for me, even though I have no Hopi blood that I know of. Perhaps the power of a place can transcend tribal affiliations.

In any case, the importance of Second Mesa to me is underscored by an experience I had on my first visit there. We had driven to Hopi from Flagstaff. We visited the arts and crafts co-op which was packed with Hopi jewelry, pottery and paintings. (It appears to have since fallen into disfavor with Hopi artists and has very little material on display; very sad for me).

While there I saw a painting by Milland Lomakema that captured my fancy.

It was a Mondrianesque representation of the Second Mesa Cultural Center. Driving back to Flagstaff, I was seized by the compulsion to own that painting. Susanne allowed me to turn around and drive back to Second Mesa just to buy the painting.
It now hangs on the wall of my living room, a small piece of Second Mesa in my home.

Back to the trip, we stopped at the Cultural Center for breakfast. I had blue corn pancakes. I always have blue corn pancakes when in Hopi. Susanne also had the blue corn pancakes, but Melissa chose French toast. Not much was left on our plates so I concluded every one else enjoyed theirs as much as I enjoyed mine.

After breakfast, we spent a few minutes walking the area. Susanne and I have stayed in the motel more than once. This time, however, it was a quick tour of the two open shops and the museum before moving on.

We did see a necklace we admired in one of the shops.

Buying it would have exceeded our sensibility about a fair price. So, lacking the storekeeper's willilngness to deal, we moved on.

Driving out of Second Mesa, we passed the entrance road to First Mesa, the home to the legendary community of Walpi. Founded in the 1600s, it exists today largely as it did hundreds of years ago. It has been the location for many photos of Hopi people.

At the foot of First Mesa is Keam's Canyon, with a grocery store, restaurant and McGee's Trading Post. We know the owners and respect them as knowledgable and fair people. Then, it is up the canyon side again to head east through pine forests to Window Rock.

But first we pass Hubbell's Trading Post, famous for the founding owner's contributions to the Navajo blanket and rug trade.

Soon we reached Window Rock. It is a thriving Navajo community and headquarters for the tribe. Not far beyond we reached Gallup and I-40 (nee the famous Route 66, where I got some kicks years before the Interstate System was completed)

From Gallup, Susanne drove east to Albuquerque.

Ironically, one of Susanne's favorite geological phenomena is the lava beds left from volcanic activity centuries ago. The windrows of stoney, black lava line the road. They are fascinating to see and have created numerous ice caves beneath thier crests. The irony is that Sue was looking forward to sharing that visual experience with Melissa. Alas, both Melissa and I slept almost all the way to Albuquerque. So much for early rising.

In Albuquerque, we stayed at the Rio Grande Best Western motel on the west end of town. Susanne and I had stayed there more than once in the past. It had been seriously upgraded since then and was quite comfortable, swimming pool and all. The only disappointment was that the AAA guide we relied on to determine the current status of the place said it served a complimentary breakfast.

When we went to the restaurant the next morning, we were told the complimentary breakfast had been discontinued but hotel guests received a 20% duscount off their breakfast check. I hate to be chintzy, but that just didn't seem right to me. If you promise something or it is promised on your behalf, you should deliver it. I know that is what we do with our tribal arts business.

So, if you are traveling through Albuquerque and consider stopping at the Rio Grande Inn, book directly with them and ask questions concerning what has been promised and what is likely to be delivered.

We had dinner the night before at the restaurant at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. This facility has seriously upgraded since our last visit. It now includes a pleasant outdoor terrace on which to dine. The aftrnoon we were there , however, it was much too hot to eat outside. July in New Mexico after all. What would we expect?

Previous visits to the IPCC no alcohol was served.

We thought things were the same since there was no wine list. We were half way through our meal when we noticed what appeared to be a beer on a neighboring table.

So we asked.

Yes, they had recently received a license to serve alcohol and wine was available. So we imbibed. It was one of those, "if you don't ask, you won't know" incidents. Assume nothing.

The IPCC gallery and shop is a wonderful place to experience Pueblo native crafts and art.

We walked Melissa through the rooms and described whatever she asked about.

The next day (after the breakfast we felt cheated about) we drove up to Santa Fe. We took Melissa to see the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. The exhibit there, which we did not know about before hand, was of drawings created by well-known Indian artists of today, when they were students in the Indian School.

Fascinating to see the talent of these masters when they were mere art students.

The pictures had the added value of depicting home life for the students.

We did not overnight in Santa Fe since we were a long way from Salt Lake City and had just two days to get there for our flight home.

Instead, we headed north through Durango and on through some of the most beautiful Rockies scenery, complete with incredibly twisty roads and surprising views. Our next stop was to be Montrose, Colorado. We arrived early in the afternoon, checked into a new Days Inn, to which we referred when we had called another Montrose motel and they were filled. Cooperation among theoretic competitors serves everyone and is to be applauded and encouraged.

Crass commercial break: We always refer people to other companies if we don't have what they are looking for or we can't answer their question - and we get lots of questions we can't answer.

Dinner in Montrose was at a local Chinese buffet. (I know. I know. But I love Chinese food, which I am pretty sure is made here. Altough, on a steam table you sometimes wonder.)

Anyway, as a new or newly remodelled motel, the Days Inn in Montrose was a very comfortable stay and included a real complimentary breakfast.

The next morning we continued our drive north to Salt Lake City.

By this time connected to I-15, with its HOV lane, which we used effectively. Looking for lodging near the airport - e had a morning flight - we had found the SkyHarbor Inn. We had reserved a night's stay, again using AAA.

When we showed up, they had no record of our reservation. Fortunately, I had an email print out verifying that we had booked. Still. much rig-a-ma-role. Call the manager. Wait in the lobby. Check with AAA. A whole lot of delay after a long drive. The general feeling was that we were incidental to the business, not important to it.

Finally, they relented and put us into a unit.

Sky Harbor is a condo hotel, meaning the units generally are owned by individuals and placed in the condo association rental pool. The unit was okay. The problem was that it was on the second floor, up a long steep flight of stairs, with a loft up another flight.

We had to schlep everything up the stairs in order to get organized for the next days flight. This was not good news for a guy with a bad knee after days of traipsing through park lands.

On the plus side, there was a nice pool and fitness center, albeit a fair hike form our unit. Internet service is important to us. They had advertised wireless. But it wasn't inthe rooms. It was in the fitness center/pool area. Another Sky Harbor disappointment.

Anyway, we were up the next morning, got to the airport with plenty of time to turn in our rental car and check in for our flight.

Shortly, we were airborne and on our way back to Chicago to deliver Melissa to her eager parents.

Quite an adventure. We even got into some Native American tribal culture and art. How else could we, with four web sites featuring tribal art - ZuniLink.com, Tribalworks.com, Native-PotteryLInk .com and Native-JewelryLInk.com - have ended the trip?

Future issues of Tribal Artery will focus more on that subject.

I hope these digressions were interesting enough to justify their existence. Thank you.

Day Nine at the Grand Canyon

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:01:00 +0000

This report is posted by William Ernest and Susanne Waites, dealers and collectors of Native American and othre tribal art, and operators of web sites at Native-JewelryLink.com, Native-PotteryLink.com, ZuniLink.com and TribalWorks.com.

We arose and sauntered to the El Tovar Lodge for breakfast, pausing to watch the sunrise. Along the path, we saw some deposits of scat, which we assumed to be droppings from elk that ventured along the path overnight
For breakfast, Susanne and Bill ordered the usual eggs and stuff. Melissa ordered a cinnamon bun. To our surprise, it was humungous, filling the entire plate. (That is not a saucer or salad plate; that is a dinner plate.) We laughed about it all day.

We commented yesterday about the Fred Harvey Company. One of their additions to the Grand Canyon experience, was the Hopi House. It was built and operated as a gift shop.

The saga of the hat.

Speaking of gift shops, I have been searching for ball cap with American flag motif and had all but given up. Every gift shop I looked through had hats with park logos.

I even had purchased a Grand Tetons hat with graphics that I liked.

But I was not able to find one with a flag and, more troubling, every hat I picked up said "Made in China".

Now, I have nothing against Chinese people. But I am troubled that so much of our trade deficit is going to China. So, I have generally decided to avoid buying goods made in China.

Finally, on our last day at the Grand Canyon, there was a single hat sitting alone on a shelf amidst stacks of other, non-flag, hats. It was sporting the words "Grand Canyon" and an American flag design.

I thought this lonely hat with the flag was placed there for me by some invisible force. Would it too be China-made?

With trembling hand, I picked up the hat to check for the country of origin. It said, "Made in Bangladesh".

That works for me. I take the cap, the only one in the store, the only one I have seen in any store since the start of our trip. I wanted to share my elation at my successful quest. At the check-out counter, I looked up to see the clerk's name tag said he was from China. I quietly put my money on the counter, deciding discretion was the better part of a "good" story,

After breakfast, we rode the shuttle tram again with stops at various vantage points. Among them, a stop at the general store to pick up wine for the evening at the cabin.

In the morning, we attended a Park Ranger presentation about fossils at the Grand Canyon. These were found, not in the canyon strata, but at the South Rim. Geologists believe this is evidence of a one-time inland sea existing before the Colorado River began to cut the canyon through the plateau. (After looking at the photo below, we saw imagery that looks like a rabbit holding a boomerang. But the "boomerang" is the tube fossil.)
For dinner, We chose the Arizona Room, a special dining room adjacent to the Bright Angel Lodge. I had ribs, some the best I have ever had. Susanne had quesadilla, her selection of choice many times. Mel had pasta, one of her favorites.
It is easy to pass time at the Grand Canyon, doing nothing but sitting and watching nature. Among our finds were two condors resting separately on rock ledges below the rim, waiting for the evening cool to create updrafts. We watched and watched as they sat and sat. (See the bird sitting on the ledge in the highlighted area below.)Finally as the sun was going down, they were gone, disappearing into the purple haze of the canyon's fading light.

We recalled what we had learned about condors during the Park Ranger's presentation on the North Rim. Fossils establish that condors have inhabited the area since the Ice Age.

Condors, which feed on carrion (dead animals) scavenged for the carcasses of various pre-historic creatures. As non-native explorers moved through North America, California condors, the formal name for the birds, diminished in numbers. This has been attributed to the shrinking number of animals in the condor's diet, hunting, egg collecting and the pressure from modern developments such as chemicals and power lines.

In 1980, the California condor population in the wild, concentrated in California, was only 22.

In order to preserve the specie, naturalists and environmentalists captured the California population and began a breeding in captivity program. Increases in the population allowed officials to release breeding couples back into the wild, primarily in California and Arizona.

These are birds visitors see at the Grand Canyon.

This was our last night at the canyon and as part of our previously planned trip. We placed the original reservations in January for a July trip. We were told that the limited number of accommodations required that we get our dibs in early or there would be nothing left for us.

Advisors were particularly adamant about reserving at the North Rim because there is only one lodge there. In fact, when discussing the trip with a travel agent who also was a personal friend, she was surprised that we got into the North Rim Lodge, even with January reservations.

From a personal standpoint, however, as impressive as the North Rim was, I found the South rim more hospitable. I will return to the South Rim some day. I think I may not take the trouble to go to the North Rim again.

Tomorrow, we say goodbye to the Grand Canyon and begin the ad hoc part of our trip.

Grand Tetons to Grand Canyon - Day Eight

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:09:00 +0000

Posted by William Ernest Waites, whose company operates tribal art web sites at Native-JewelryLink.com, Native-PotteryLink.com, ZuniLink.com and TribalWorks.com

Grand Tetons to Grand Canyon - Day Eight
The South Rim

We enjoyed coffee in the coffee shop while waiting for the Dining Room to open to open for breakfast. The Main Lodge Dining Room is a stunning room with soaring ceilings, white-clothed tables and windows overlooking the canyon.
When breakfast was finished, we pulled our car up as close as allowed to the cabin so it was easy get our bags into the trunk. At this point, the service of the baggage porter were not needed since we were leaving our parking spot anyway.

After checking out we headed out for the South Rim.

It is longer drive than it seems it should be to go from one side of the canyon to the other. Five hours of driving, which is testament to the immensity of the canyon.

Along the way we passed the Vermilion Cliffs, which are believed to be the nesting area for condors. None were seen by us, however.

The approach to the South Rim is more dramatic than approaching the North Rim

We crossed over the Colorado River and drove along the Little Colorado Canyon. As the name suggests, it is a sample of the grandeur of the Grand Canyon. The following photographs will give you a sense of the breath-taking aspects of the Grand Canyon as seen from the South Rim.We were booked into the Bright Angel Lodge.

Our requested cabin, with a view at the canyon's edge, was not yet ready when we arrived. So we boarded the free shuttle tram to ride to the west end of rim - Hermits Rest.

Once again, the free shuttle is a great bargain.

It also reduces private car congestion. The trams do get get crowed as they stop and gather riders on the way back to the lodges. Standing crowds of "strap-hangers" filled the buses eventually.

We also explored the vista from Kolb Studio and Lookout Studio, not far from the Bright Angel cabins. Looking down from there we could see a blue tarp and the white of the vehicle that had driven over edge. Sure enough. There it was!

When we returned to lodge we were checked into our cabin.It was beautifully situated so the windows overlooked the canyon. There was a queen bed and a roll-away bed had been added for Melissa. A fireplace was in one corner and there was a pair of easy chairs. The roll-away bed crowded the room so that getting to the easy chairs was anything but easy. But it was worth it to sink into the comfort of these chairs.

After settling in to the room, we applied our lunch/dinner strategy.

This got us into the Bright Angel Lodge dining room just at the end of lunch and before they closed until dinner. This strategy not only has us eating earlier so that we are not fighting a dinner crowd and not going to bed on full stomachs. It also allows us to order from the less expensive lunch menu.

Afterward, we strolled the walkway along the rim, including a visit to the famous El Tovar Lodge.

It is the granddaddy of Grand Canyon lodges.

It was the first lodge at the Grand Canyon, opened in 1905, and was designed in rustic style by Charles Whittlesey. It is believed to be the "model" for environmentally appropriate-styled buildings that were created elsewhere at the Grand Canyon and in other National Parks.

El Tovar was the flagship lodge for the Fred Harvey Company.
It eventually became an empire of hosting operations in restaurants, hotels, newsstands and Santa Fe Railway dining cars.

The company also spearheaded the collection and sale of Native American Indian made art and crafts at the Grand Canyon and along the Santa Fe Railway tracks.

We decided to have breakfast tomorrow at El Tovar, just for the experience.

Returning to our cabin, we sat and watched the colors change as the sun was setting.Then to bed.

Grand Tetons to Grand Canyon – Day Seven

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:58:00 +0000

This report is posted by William Ernest Waites and Susanne Waites, collectors and dealers of Tribal Art, and owners of web sites at TribalWorks.com, ZuniLink.com, Native-JewelryLink.com and Native-PotteryLink.com

After rising today at the Bumbleberry Inn, we checked out and stopped for breakfast at Wildcat Willies. The food was good. The service was slow, somewhat of problem in a morning when we were trying to get a head start on the trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Finishing breakfast, we started the drive from Springdale to our destination. Of course, we had to enter and pass through Zion National Park again. It was another time when the Annual Senior Pass paid off.

It was an interesting to drive back through the area we had passed through before. There is a major switchback area. It was not so noticeable going to the west because we were excited about coming to Zion, and the switchback was downhill. On the way back it was uphill and much more apparent.One of the interesting point along the road was a place called Checkerboard Mesa, so named for the checkerboard look of the erosion pattern. Then we started up the switch back, which ends at the first of two tunnels that had been carved through the mountain side.The story of the building of these extended tunnels, which were completed in 1930, is fascinating. Two holes were blown into the mountain along the route the tunnel would follow. These openings, with sheer drops below, then were used to dispose of rock that was excavated from the paths of the tunnels.

Since the tunnels were built in 1920, they were built to accommodate cars of that era's width and height. As a result, many of today's vehicles must pass through the tunnel in one direction while traffic is held back in the other direction. The lanes are not wide enough for cars to pass in opposing directions. This leads to delays on either end while the wider vehicles clear the tunnel.Over-sized vehicles are requested to contact the park before starting along the highway toward the tunnels, in order to be certain there is enough space to pass through.

When driving through the tunnels you pass the openings, sudden baths of light in tubes of darkness.

Upon leaving Zion we turned south on Rte 89 toward the North Rim. It is pleasant but uneventful drive, passing through forested areas until we entered Grand Canyon National Park. Along the way we saw a single elk near the trees off the road.

Entering the Park, we showed our Senior Annual Pass again and continued to the North Rim area.

When we arrived at the Lodge, we noted that the vehicle access to the entrance area was restricted. So we pulled into the parking lot and parked. We walked to the Lodge entrance and up to the reception desk.

We were early and the cabin was not yet ready. So we wandered around the lodge, looking at the beautiful building's interior lounge area and large dining room. We gazed out through the windows to the rim of the Canyon.

We decided to reserve a table for the first dinner serving. We mentioned at reception that we had parked nearby and asked how we could get our luggage to the cabin. We were told to feel lucky to be so close and not to move the car. The reception desk clerk advised that a porter with an electric cart would pick up the luggage and take it to our cabin, #25. It was a sweet cabin with a queen and a twin bed, a desk and a bathroom of acceptable size. Windows opened to either side for a nice cross-breeze.

After checking in, we decided to eat earlier, canceled the dinner reservation and got to the dining room for lunch just before the service ended.

We sat near the window so we could enjoy both our lunch/dinner and the spectacular views.After eating, we spent some time walking the high trail along the rim and getting even more involved in the extraordinary geology of the Grand Canyon. I remembered seeing the Grand Canyon from the South Rim when I was 12 years old and thinking I wanted to become a geologist. I still have a geology booklet my parents bought for me in a South Rim store.

After a short hike, we returned to the terrace where we waited for an advertised Park Ranger presentation on condors at the canyon. It was a fascinating education about the size, wingspan habits of these huge and elegant birds. The condors soar over the updrafts from the canyon walls and cliffs, using very little wing movement. In fact, this is how you can distinguish condors from ravens and vultures, when seen from a distance.

We learned that the condor is an endangered animal. Flocks have been nurtured and brought to the Grand Canyon. They are fed through a glove that looks like a condor's head and beak so they will not associate food with humans.

Following the condor presentation, we moved over to the western terrace to watch sunset at the rim of the canyon while sipping on glasses of wine. It was here that we met a couple form Ohio who told us that the day before a driver had committed suicide by driving his vehicle over the edge of the South Rim and into the canyon. We were skeptical. But others then verified the story. We were told the car was still where in landed, although rescue workers had removed the driver's body.

As the sun set, we returned to our cabin for the night and packed it in for the prospect of another exciting day, this time on the South Rim of the Canyon.

Good night for now.

PS: Some readers have commented on our inability to find tribal Native American art, even though there were museums with American Indian Art in both the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks. The reason was because this trip was an introduction to nature and the National Parks for our granddaughter. Those experiences came first in our limited touring time.

But, stay tuned.

Indian Market Top Awards - Native American art

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:27:00 +0000

News from Aboriginals: Art of the First Person; TribalWorks, ZuniLink, Native-JewelryLink and Native-PotteryLink

Date Line: Santa Fe, New Mexico, August 22,2009
Reported by William Waites.

The 88th Annual SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market Awards were announced Friday, August 21 at the Members' Sneak Preview at the Santa Fe Convention Center.

Best of Show - Darryl and Rebecca Begay - Belt with cast silver conch-type figures representing "Return from the Long Walk"

(Also Winner of Best of Classification I - Jewelry)

Best of Classification II - Dominique Toya - Swirl Fluted Pot

Best of Classification III - Paintings, Drawings, Graphics & Photography - Jason Garcia

Best of Classification V - Sculpture - Vincent Kaydahzinnie - Bronze Tableau

Best of Classification VI - Textiles & Basketry - Barbara Ornelas - Weaving

Best of Classification VII - Diverse Art Forms - Therese Tohtsoni - Cabinet

Best of Classification VIII - Beadwork & Quillwork - Jamie Okuma - Beaded Figure

Best of Classification IX - Youth (17 years and under) Danielle Weahkee

Standards Award - Joseph Youngblood-Lugo - black on black incised pot

Standards Award -Darryl Growing Thunder - ledger paper art

Standards Award - Diane Douglas-Willard - small lidded basket

Artists' choice - Peer award for exceptional innovation in any media -Jackie Bread

Best of Division -Beadwork and Quillwork -Articles of Attire -Juanita Growing Thunder Fogarty

Many more Division Awards were presented. They will be included in future Tribal Artery blogs.

Grand Teton to Grand Canyon - Day Six

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:45:00 +0000

Up early again. This was our day to tour Zion National Park.

We stayed in the Bumbleberry Inn in Springdale, Utah, just outside the south entrance to Zion National Park.

We drove into the park to catch the shuttle tram. Actually, we could have taken the tram into the park from Springdale, but I was pretty sure we each would have had to pay an admission fee. By driving in and catching the tram at the Visitors Center, we could all enter the park on our existing Senior Pass.

So that was what we did.

Aside from what you can see from Highway 9 running through the southern part of the park, the primary access to the rest of the park, including Zion Canyon itself, is by shuttle tram. In this respect, the tams are different than those in Bryce Canyon. There, you had the option of using your personal car to access places the shuttles went to as well. Not so in Zion.

It is just as well. There is so much to see that you don't want to distracted by driving and if you are distracted by the scenery, accidents would be just waiting around the corner.

We rode on the tram to Zion Lodge, the first scheduled stop. There is a nice dining room there. So we decided to start the day with breakfast there.

We are learning that the buildings, especially the lodges, in the national parks are all very good looking structures that fit the environment perfectly. The Zion Lodge would be a nice place to overnight if you get reservations in early enough.

They say the shuttle tram through Zion Canyon, a 12-mile round trip, should take about 90 minutes. Of course, that depends on how many stops you make and how long you stay. For example, breakfast can extend your stay at Zion Lodge. But what else do you have to do?

On the way up the canyon to Zion Lodge, we passed the Court of the patriarchs, so named we were told because the three most prominent peaks seen there were deemed by the early Mormon explorers and pioneers to represent three important patriarchs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Mormons who settled in Utah played a major role in the exploration and preservation of Zion Canyon.

Indeed, the very name of the Canyon, which the park inherited, was given to it by the Mormons, who interpreted the Hebrew word to represent a place of safety and refuge.

As a result, there are other religious references in the names of park features. Among those are the Grotto, Angels Landing and the Great White Throne.

The Grotto was our next stop. It was a lovely tree shaded park area in the shadow of the the Great White Throne.

Next stop was Angels Landing, so named because it was believed that angels would have too much respect for the Great White Throne to actually land on it. Instead, they would land at its foot.

After that stop was the terminus of the shuttle route, The Temple of Sinawava, said to be a name given to the area by the Paiute Indians who also live in the area.

From the Temple of Sinawava a hiking trail heads along the Virgin River into a gash in the landscape known as the narrows.

It is a popular hiking destination because the canyon walls are high and steep, creating a gulch that receives little direct sunlight and is cool and refreshing for hikers. If you go into the Narrows, however, you are encouraged to take and extra layer of clothing to contend with the temperature change.

We spent some time along the shore of river, Melissa was intrigued by the some stones she found resting in the shallows along the river bank.

In trying to get a photo of her, I stepped on a loose bank and slipped. I didn't fall far nor into the river.

But I got a few scrapes on the arms and legs. They will heal with time, thanks to the prompt application of Polysporin.

After decent period of solitude and reflection on the power and beauty of nature, re boarded the shuttle for the trip back to the Visitors Center.

Returning to Springdale and the Bumbleberry, we dipped into the pool again, did a little internet surfing and prepared for dinner. The Bumbleberry offered wifi in the rooms, along with mini-fridges, microwaves and cable TV.

When we checked in, we were advised that the wifi network was sporadic, but there was hard-wired computer station in the lobby if we could not get on line via wifi. We only had to use it once but it was good to have it because it also had a printer attached to it. I had to print some pages for a project I was working on. The Inn graciously let me use their paper at no cost.

Susanne and I strolled through some shops on the main drag near the Bumbleberry. There were some nice potential purchases there. One of the most impressive was a gallery showing the work of its owner, a photographer with a remarkable eye for photographic opportunities and beauty. His work, most of which was taken in Zion, was stunning in its color, composition and subject matter. I wish we had purchased a print. But, alas, we had to move on to have dinner.

We decided to try the Pioneer Restaurant. A look at the menu suggested the selection was good and the prices reasonable. We decided Sue would take a seat in booth with a glass of refreshing white wine while I went back to the Inn to get Melissa..

Dinner was very good. I had a steak. I like steak, as you can see. It was cooked exactly as I like it and I enjoyed it greatly.

I had a special idea in mind for dessert, so we passed on dessert in The Pioneer Restaurant. Instead, we went across the street to the bumbleberry pie shop adjacent to Wildcat Willie's. A little bumbleberry pie and vanilla ice cream hit the spot. Bumbleberry pie tastes a lot like blackberries. So maybe that's what it is. No one would 'fess up about it. But it was gooo-oood.

I finished off the night with a full-bodied craft beer from the area. I picked it up as a single at the Shell station convenience store in town. It was the only carry-out resource available. A good thing to remember if you are sitting in the Bumbleberry Inn in Springdale Utah and get a hankerin' for a flavorful bottle of one of the local brews.

See you in the morning, when we head for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Museum of Contemporary Native Arts Welcomes New Curator of Exhibitions and Programs

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 03:50:00 +0000

Aboriginals: Art of the First Person, operators of Native-JewelryLink, Native-PotteryLink, ZuniLink and Tribalworks, is happy to forward this announcement from the Institute of American Indian Art

Santa Fe, NM – The Museum of Contemporary Native Arts is pleased to announce that Ryan Rice (Mohawk) of Kahnawake, Quebec will begin as Curator of Exhibitions and Programs on September 1, 2009.

Rice comes to the Museum after having worked for the past 13 years as an educator, intern, technician and curator at various centers including the Iroquois Indian Museum, Canadian Museum of Civilization, Indian Art Centre, Carleton University Art Gallery and the Walter Phillips Art Gallery. His writings have been published in periodicals such as Canadian Art, Spirit, Fuse, Muse and Blackflash. Rice is also the co-founder and chair of the Aboriginal Curatorial Collective (www.aboriginalcuratorialcollective.org). In 2009, he toured ANTHEM: Perspectives on Home and Native Land, Oh So Iroquois, Scout’s Honour, and LORE. His exhibits Hochelaga Revisited and ALTERNATION also opened this year. A practicing artist, his work has been exhibited internationally, most recently in the group show Izhizkawe: To Leave Tracks to a Certain Place in Montreal, Canada.

Rice holds a Master of Arts degree in Curatorial Studies from the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec and an Associate of Fine Arts degree from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

For more information about the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts please visit www.iaiamuseum.org.

Grand Teton to Grand Canyon - Day Five - Bryce Canyon

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:15:00 +0000

Up early (again) in Salt Lake City, breakfast at the hotel and into the car.

We drove from Salt Lake City south on I-15. This is not a stimulating drive. Miles of Interstate.

One plus was the availability of an HOV lane.

(What does that stand for, HOV"?) Anyway it is a lane on the far left of the roadway, with cars containing more than one person. This reduces the number of vehicles and, especially local traffic. We got in it, set the cruise control at the speed limit +5 miles per hour and simply steered.

Our destination for the night was the Bumbleberry Inn.

I confess to being seduced by the name. When I made the reservation, I asked what a bumbleberry was. I was told the name came from a pie they baked that was so popular they named an inn after it.

The Bumbleberry Inn is at the western entrance to Zion National Park, as we learned later. Driving south we debated continuing south to the small town of Springdale where Bumbleberry Inn was located vs. turning east on Utah 20 and south on US 89 to Panguitch and the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park first.

We decided to head straight to Bryce.

Upon arrival at Bryce Canyon, we passed the two stone pillars that introduced us to the the "Hoodoo." They are said to cast spells. They certainly enchanted us.

As did the two stone arches carved over the roadway we drove through approaching
the park.

Entrance to the park was eased by having the Senior Pass. Once inside the park, we stopped at the Visitors Center.

We learned there was a free shuttle service, buses that ran on a regular schedule to the various vantage points around the rim of the canyon.

We boarded a shuttle bus and were on our way to its first stop. For us, that was Sunset Point. We got off the bus and walked to edge of the rim.

The exposure was breath-taking.

We had seen photos of Bryce Canyon before. They are almost everywhere in Utah travel promotion brochures. But being there and seeing it in person was a real "Wow" for Susanne and me. Melissa was even more awed by it.

Bryce Canyon is a series of red and pink rock pinnacles remaining after thousands of years of erosion.

The color was extraordinary, as were the rock formations.

There were trails running down from the rim.

Standing on the rim we could see hikers and horseback riders moving through the trails.

If my leg was in better shape and my age was a few years younger, I would have loved to do some walking. I had to settle for an eye-feast.

Bryce Canyon clearly is a remarkable geological phenomenon.

The shuttle bus is a brilliant concept for seeing it. The shuttle stops at all the major viewpoints: North Campground, Sunrise Point, Bryce Lodge, Sunset Point, Sunset Campground, Inspiration Point and Bryce Point.

We got on and off the shuttle several times, at stops like this.

Cars are allowed to drive and park in the same lots. But why would you?

My advice if you visit Bryce Canyon is to park your car at the visitor center and ride the free shuttle. You also get some narration with it.

Upon leaving the park, we stopped at a private nature museum with a petting zoo area, attracted by a stuffed grizzly bear strategically placed to catch the eye.

This was about as close as we would get or would want to get to a grizzly-esque creature.

I stayed in the car because it all looked a little cheesy to me. Susanne and Melissa went in. When they emerged they were favorably impressed with what they had seen and done.

They said I missed something. Perhaps.

It was nice to have the Annual Senior Pass to get us into the park. Yet, that was not the most impressive thing about the $10 Senior Pass.

That came shortly.

As we left Bryce Canyon and drove to the Bumbleberry, we learned we had to pass through Zion National Park to get to Springdale and The Bumbleberry Inn.

That's when that National Parks Senior Pass came in handy. Otherwise, we would have had to pay just to transit the park to get to the other side. No exceptions.

The first drive through the park to the Bumbleberry gave us a taste of what awaited us after we checked into our lodging. We planned to return to tour Zion National Park the next day.

The Bumbleberry Inn was inviting and comfortable, albeit a fairly standard motel configuration. The reception desk person was very nice and gracious, with helpful suggestions about the lodge and the town. We learned that the original owners had sold the restaurant that had baked and served bumbleberry pie. We were told, however, that the restaurant's new ownership, Wildcat Willie's, still served "the pie."

Our room of two Queen beds looked out through glass sliders to the mountains bordering the town. There also was a small patio with plastic chairs where we could sit and enjoy the view.

We looked out at a small farm paddock in the foreground. It included a cow, a calf and a horse, all of which were eager to be greeted, fed and petted by Inn guests. Much to Melissa's delight.

Then there was the pool. Of course, the pool was an important criterion for our lodging choice. Melissa was quickly in the pool. I even entered. It was a very, very hot day. The pool was a refreshing few minutes.

We had dinner across the street from the Inn at restaurant called Pizza and Noodles. It was a fun and funky place that featured, wait for it, pizza and pasta. It was cash only. There was a bar that customers ordered at. The food was delivered to our table, which was on a screened porch. Beer and wine were available. I got the feeling this was a pretty popular hangout for the local young'uns.

After dinner, it was back to the Inn and down for the night. But first, a stint on the wifi, followed by a nice cigar and a local craft beer on the patio.

See you in the morning.

Grand Tetons to Grand Canyon - Day Four

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 22:45:00 +0000

Day Four - Where is the tribal art after all?

This will be a rather uneventful day since our itinerary is to drive from Mammoth Hot Springs to Salt Lake City. That is to be our overnight stop on our way to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks.

I say relatively because it was not without some interesting sightings.

But first, we did breakfast again at opening time in the Mammoth Hot springs dining room. I bravely ordered the scrambled eggs again. This time they were steaming as they should be. Maybe it was a result of my earlier complaint. Or maybe it was simply because we were among the first in the dining room, assuring prompt service.

Whatever, the eggs were eggscelent. (Yeah. I know. But could you have resisted?)

We drove south to Madison and west to the West Entrance to the park at West Yellowstone, Montana. Despite warnings about road construction between Norris and Madison, our travel was largely uninterrupted. Early morning driving almost always works out that way.

Before leaving the park we encountered a grizzly bear.

It was in an adjacent field. It was our second grizzly bear sighting and our clearest look at the bear. Again, it was a Park Ranger's car parked on the side of the road that alerted us.

I recommend anyone driving through the park to slow down when they see a Park Ranger vehicle at the side of the road. Not only for safety, but also because there may be something to see that you would otherwise miss.

Not long after seeing the bear, we encountered a group of bisons.

They were ambling along the side of the road, as if they owned it. Wait, maybe they do. Anyway, we slowed and got a great picture.

Not far down the road, Melissa spotted an eagle's nest in the trees, and then a eagle sitting on a nearby branch. It was the only eagle we have seen so far.

One of the unwritten rules of the road in wilderness areas is to flash your headlamps after passing wildlife on or near the road, as a warning to approaching drivers form the other direction.

Upon leaving the park, the change in ambience was stunning.

From the forest primevil to a string of stores, restaurants, motels and signs promoting them. As much of an assault on the sense that it is, I can see that it might be a welcome sight if one was leaving or approaching the park without a place to stay or eat.

From West Yellowstone it was south to Idaho Falls.

Then on Interstate 15 to Salt Lake City. As we approached Salt Lake City, in fact several miles before, we could see the northern reaches of the Great Salt Lake. It is a huge lake. One can understand how the Mormons moving west after persecutions in Illinois and on the way, would think they had found the promised land.

Otherwise, we found Salt lake City a confusing layout to get around.

It is laid out sensibly, on a square grid. But the names of the streets, and the signs that identify them, change at what seems to be a random logic. We wanted to get to Temple Square, if only as tourists to see this important site. We could not figure out how to get there. The best we could do was see the spires from our hotel room.

Incidentally, we stayed at the Howard Johnson Express Inn, largely for reasons of price and a pool. The latter was a granddaughter's requirement. The former was... well, you understand. We dined early at Applebee's in the Gateway Center. The steak was surprisingly good. Who woulda thought?

Tomorrow, we will be up early, taking advantage of Howard Johnson's complimentary continental breakfast, and off for Bryce and Zion.

We have yet to encounter any Native American art. But we already have plenty of it. You can check it out at ZuniLink.com, Native-JewelryLink.com and Native-PotteryLink.com

Thank you.

Grand Teton to Grand Canyon - Day Three

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:05:00 +0000

Day Three of the National Parks Tour - still no tribal art.

As the sun tumbled in our cabin window, we tumbled out of our beds - a little cramped in this small space - cleaned up and walked to the Dining Room for breakfast. The Dining room building is an interesting architectural example. Inside, Art Deco chandeliers hang from the ceilings. Tables are placed around the room.

We love breakfast buffets.

There is a breakfast buffet spread. Breakfast buffets make a lot of sense for us, since we tend to bulk up at breakfast and cut back at mid-day and evening meals. But one has to be willing to "eat up", or table service is a better deal. Of course, that assumes a table service order will be served hot. In my case, the eggs, scrambled, were cold. Few things are ucky-er. I did not send them back at the time, out of concern for my breakfast companions and the need to get started on the day. I did complain when paying the check.

Overall architecture at Mammoth Hot Springs is interesting. Anyone who has spent any time in residence on a military base will get a sense of deja vu. Little wonder. Mammoth Hot Springs was an early Army base established in 1886 to protect the park from whatever lawlessness might threaten the park and its visitors.

Despite the fame of Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs is headquarters.

It remained an Army base until 1918. The outbuildings have the look of officer housing and larger buildings have the bland institutional appearance of barracks and recreation facilities. Today, these buildings are home to the administrative offices of the entire park.

The day's activity included a stroll through the fumaroles and hot springs that gave the location its name. The setting is stunning. We started at the top of the raised site and looked down on the tiers and terraces of travertine with cascades running to the bottom of the slope.

The Lodge at Mammoth Hot Springs, seen from above the upheaved terraces of travertine.

Streaming thermophiles flow downhill from a boiling fissure - Mammoth Hot Springs.

Terraces of travertine formed over thousands of years - Mammoth Hot Springs

A scene of desolation as a single tree withstands nature's flowing poisons - Mammoth Hot Springs

Terraces of ancient and recent travertine - Mammoth Hot Springs

A curious standing column of hot spring detritus - Mammoth Hot Springs.

As at West Thumb and the Grand Prismatic, walkways are constructed above the boiling grounds to protect both visitors and the integrity of the springs. In some places, there is the characteristic rainbow coloring caused by the thermophiles. In other places, the surface is blanched white, killing all the life beneath it. Stubs, branches and trunks of dead or dying trees remain standing in contrast to the stark white surface from which it emerges.

Eek! It's an elk!

Of a live nature, we were charmed by adult elks on the lawns surrounding the lodge and other buildings. They were feeding on the grass.

A sole female elk feeds by the Mammoth Hot Springs Lodge sign

Of a live nature, we were charmed by adult elks on the lawns surrounding the lodge and other buildings. They were feeding on the grass.

A single adult male with handsome rack feeds at the lodge - Mammoth Hot Springs

It is surprising to see them so close to people. They are not, after all, domesticated.

An elegant female joins teh banquet - Mammoth Hot Springs

The park rangers showed up quickly to maintain distance between the animals and the people who gather to see and photograph them. One had a shovel that we thought was intended for cleaning up the scat. Perhaps. But its more pronounced use was to dragged along the pavement to scare the beast to move on.

A male elk and his harem crossing the road

Elk are glorious, elegantly formed creatures.

We learned one way to tell them from deer is their white rumps. It doesn't hurt that they also stand a full foot taller than any stag deer I have seen. Every sighting of an elk or group of them attracts a crowd of on-lookers.

From the Grand to the Small.

Our other wildlife adventure was to sit on the porch of our cabin and watch a nest of ground squirrels gather food and stuff for their nest. One little squirrel would run over to the mulch border at the edge of our porch, jam its mouth with mulch, reject some and hold other, then scramble off to the nest with a mouthful of building material.

At first we thought it was eating. As we watched, however, we saw that it was a gathering activity.

Yellowstone by horseback

That afternoon, Susanne and Melissa went to the stable for an hour-and-half of horseback riding. The activity was enjoyed, with post-posterior aches, but enjoyed on docile and easy-riding horses. There were eight riders plus two guides on the trail ride, all on western saddles. One guide led the group while a second rode alongside. The latter guide pointed out unusual features along the trail.

"No wireless for you."

One disappointment for us was the absence of internet wireless service anywhere except in the staff quarters. Unfortunately, guests were not invited to use that facility. We rely on the internet for research and felt seriously deprived. If that sounds like you, be prepared. Or maybe the park authorities will find a way to extend staff privielges to the guests before you visit.

The Yellow Bus Tour

One of the events we learned about was an afternoon tour of the park in a yellow 1934 White Motor Company bus, the kind used by the park in the '30s through the 1950s. They have been refurbished, reupholstered and fitted with the latest in safety equipment.

We tried to sign up but were told they only had one open seat left. So we put our names on a waiting list. (We had to request it: it appears a waiting list was not a concept they had previously embraced.)

We stuck around the lodge, enjoyed a drink on the sunny patio, watching more ground squirrels and witnessing the arrival of another family of elk. At the last minute, the impending open seats were closed when a previous reservations showed up at the last minute.

If you might consider taking the Yellow Bus Tour, sign up before you leave home.

Dinner that night was in the Grill

This was a more casual and relaxed venue. We enjoyed standard grill meals such as burgers, hot dogs, chili and stuff. It was good to have that option, which alos is open on a more flexible schedule. Another evening of early to bed as we are off to Salt Lake City en route to Bryce Canyon in the morning.

You will note that there is no mention of Native American art in this blog

Even though we theoretically are in American Indian country, it turns out that Indian tribes who migrated through the area did not generally settle there. The conditions were considered too hostile, from severe winter weather to an entry in William Clark's journal from the Lewis and Clark Expedition suggesting that the mystical character of springs were considered unwelcoming for humans.

To experience some examples of Native American art, check out our websites: ZuniLink.com , Native-PotteryLink.com , Native-JewelryLink.com and TribalWorks.com .

From Grand Teton to Grand Canyon - Day Two

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:32:00 +0000

Day Two - A trip without Tribal Art

We rose early in the morning to be off to Jackson Lake Lodge to join our second guided bus tour. Besides, you go to bed early here and you rise early in the morning. Could they be healthier, wealthier and wiser?

This tour, leaving at 8:30 was destined for the southern half of Yellowstone National Park. First we had our now customary bagel and coffee in the Jackson Lake Lodge lounge; then we boarded the bus. Our guide again was Warren.

The tour was to return at 4:30 PM to Jackson Lake Lodge. So this was going to be a long day on the bus, leaving us with a late start to drive our car north to our Yellowstone lodgings.

Are you confused yet? Do you see a discomforting flaw in this plan? You are right. We should have done the full day Yellowstone tour first and the half-day Grand Teton tour second. That way we would have more time to drive to Mammoth Hot Springs to check in for this night.

Two reasons we didn't do it. First, the tours were only offered on those days. Second, we had just arrived at Grand Teton when we signed up. Apparently we had left our brain cells in the airplane.

Back to the Yellowstone tour - which was brilliant other than our poor planning. First stop was West Thumb, a geyser basin area on the west end of Yellowstone Lake. West Thumb is populated with several small geysers, hot springs and mud bubblers.

The scene was almost lunar and the colors mystical. The bubblers are called "paint pots" because, as the boiling water seeps up out of the ground, it deposits colors in the streams and rivulets where the water drains to the lake.

This results not from minerals in the water but from certain life forms, thermophiles, that thrive in the boiling water. They are fascinating pieces of "art" resembling a cross between a Jackson Pollack and a finger-painting by a child.

Walkways have been constructed over the ground surface where the fumaroles and geysers emerge from the cauldron below. Yellowstone sits over a huge crown of fiery magma, just below the surface. In fact, they say a volcanic eruption at Yellowstone is a matter of "when", not "if".

The subsurface activity is very close to the surface in some places. The earth over it is more like a crust than solid dirt. We were cautioned not to step off the walkway lest our weight be enough to crack through the crust and give us some nasty scalding, to say the least. We also were cautioned not to test the word of the guide by sticking a finger in the water. It is boiling water. It will burn.

One of the additional interesting stories told by old timers is about the Fishing Cone, a lake shore geyser that appears as the lake level subsides in the autumn.

They tell of anglers who caught trout from the lake and immediately cook them in the boiling water.

Yellowstone Lake covers 134 square miles and is very inviting as you stand on its shore. The steaming waters draining into the lake lead one think it is a comfortable temperature for swimming. Our guide tells us, however, that its average temperature of 50 degrees means you wouldn't be able to swim 50 yards to shore without being subject to hyperthermia.

From West Thumb, we proceeded to Madison, near the West Entrance to the park. There is a nice picnic ground there and we stopped to enjoy our packed lunch. It came with the tour. While seated at a picnic table, we got a fleeting glimpse of a coyote sauntering across the area.

But the real wildlife story was the heard of bison we encountered near Madison.

Scores of bulls, cows and calves were grazing and resting in nearby fields. These are truly impressive beasts. Normally even tempered, they are not to be trifled with if they feel they or their offspring are threatened.

Leaving Madison, we headed back south toward Old Faithful. Along the way, we stopped at Firehole, a geyser that feeds the Firehole River.

The river is one of the few streams that is warm enough for swimming, largely because of the hot water fed into it from the Firehole geyser.

We also stopped at the Grand Prismatic Spring.

This large pond of steaming water presents a beautiful, powder blue body of water, surrounded by fringes of variegated color deposited by the escaping thermophiles.

Arriving at Old Faithful, we discovered two interesting surprises of this phenomenon. One is the famous geyser that fires off every 90 minutes or so and shoots 30 to 40 feet straight up. Of course, while astonishing to see, it was not so surprising since it has been reported in media for decades.

The other true surprise for us was the lodge itself. It was built with native pine. Some were ram-rod straight lodge pole pines and some with curving trunks harvested specifically for their look when built into rafter and railings.

Clearly, Old Faithful is the most famous part of the park and the lodge is impressive. The only problem is that it is so well known and so heavily visited by lodgers and day visitors that it resembles an anthill. It was hard at times to find six square feet to stand in.

There is a porch where you can sit and wait for the next Old Faithful eruption. We arrived just as one was finishing, so we had 90 minutes to sit and enjoy a drink while seeing other less spectacular, but equally amazing, geysers sprinkled around he area.

You also can walk down to a plaza where you can stand and watch the eruption close up. As you can imagine, it gets crowded. The porch was just fine for us. A clear view and a place to sit. From either vantage point, when Old Faithful blows it is truly astounding.

We did not, however, regret not booking our lodging at the Old Faithful Lodge.

After Old Faithful did its thing, the bus left for an area called Black Sand Basin. In many ways it was the most like a moon surface of any colony of hydrothermal pools that we had seen so far. Cascades of hot, tinted water ran over a rim along the edge a stream, creating a living canvas of rainbow colors.

It was time to head back to Jackson Lake Lodge. Along the way, there were a number of delays for road construction. The other delay we ran into was a number of cars stopped on either side of the two lane road.

We learned that when you see cars gathered along the roadside it is almost certainly a sign that important wildlife has been sighted. It's especially true if a Park Ranger's vehicle is included in the crowd. In this case, it was a grizzly bear foraging along the road embankment.

Rangers are there to protect the bears the visitors. They do this my making sure the visitors give a wide berth to the animals. It was our first grizzly sighting and, while largely obscured by all the roadside cars, we got some views of it.

We arrived back at Jackson Lake Lodge at about 5 PM. We immediately jumped in the car and headed back north to Yellowstone and our lodgings reserved at Mammoth Hot Springs.

We had to exit Grand Teton National Park and enter Yellowstone National Park, two separate entities. By presenting our Annual Senior Pass and identification, we were waved through the gate with no delay and no further cost.

One thing we learned by our preliminary incursion into the park is that some segments of the northbound road were under heavy construction. We were able select a route that was equally scenic but less congested.

This route took us north from West Thumb, along the shore Yellowstone Lake. We drove through Bay Bridge, Lake Village, and along the Yellowstone River to Canyon Village. We saw stunning vistas and the occasional elk, but we did not have the time to stop and seriously enjoy the areas. We had to press on to Mammoth Hot Springs in order to arrive with as little dusk time driving as possible before checking in at the Lodge.

Upon arrival there, after dark, we unloaded our luggage into a smallish cabin. Not as much space as we had at Colter Bay Village, but adequate with two double beds and a pleasant front porch.

After a brief reconnoiter of the area, we went up to the Dining Room. It already had closed. The lounge, however, was open for a few more minutes. We had a glass of wine as the last call approached. Finally, we stopped at the general store for some snacks to get us through until morning. Good night all.

We realize we have not covered Tribal Art in this blog segment. You can learn more about that by clicking through to our web site.

5 Mistakes to avoid when touring the Western National Parks

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:19:00 +0000

I was going to save these tips about touring Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks until the end of this series. But it occurred to me that they might be helpful to understand our experiences before you read about them. There also is the very real possibility you may not be engaged enough to read to the end of this series.

So, here goes:

1. Do not rent an underpowered car. This is not a mistake we made, but only by the most fortunate of circumstances.

My travel strategy always has been to reserve the smallest rental car offered. It usually is the least expensive. Moreover, it is the first car to be taken at most rental locations. If so, they will upgrade you to a next larger available size, at no increase in rate. You often get a mid-size at a compact rate.

It didn't work out this time. Our agent at Alamo was processing our reservation when he nicely asked where we were going. When I told him our destination was Grand Teton and Yellowstone, he politely asked if I had thought about the ability of a small car climbing the mountains. I had not. He suggested an upgrade for $7 more a day.

Now I am used to all the upgrades that car rental agents try to promote when you pick up your car. I usually decline them all. This time I went along with his suggestion.

It was a wise decision. On more than one occasion, while poking along behind a huge, estate-home-on-wheels RV, it was nice to be able to take advantage of the rare break in the "no passing zone" and put the pedal to the metal to get around the lumbering jumbos.

2. Observe speed limits inside the parks. We were warned that, when it comes to just a couple miles over the posted limit, the normally pleasant, helpful park rangers are no-more-Mr-nice-guy. More important, speeding leaves you little braking room if a giant buck elk and family spring from the roadside underbrush, or a ton of American Bison decides he owns the road in front of you.They make lousy hood ornaments. Not to mention, you lose the contest.

3. Do not be put off by low rates for in-park lodging. We chose lower-end properties since there were three of us and we had to minimize expense. We quickly learned that the lowliest of National Park lodgings were more than adequate, in a rustic sort of way. After all, these are nature"parks", not theme parks. On the pecking order of "indulgence", we still were up a notch from the tenters and trailer campers in the campgrounds, and there were hundreds of them.

If you insist on some indulgence, and why not, you can day-visit the poshest of lodges and inns, enjoy their dining rooms and public lounges and hang out with rich and famous without having to sleep there. When the lights go out, they are all just a dark room with a bed in it.

4. "Be bear wary" is not just a clever saying. We saw two grizzlies during our ventures. Both were a safe distance from the road. Even then, these are some immense wild animals. I do mean "wild". Despite the TV shows with cuddly bears affectionately playing with humans, unless you raised them from cub-hood, you are just a piece of meat to them.

They have a sense of smell 10 times sharper than a dog's. They can sniff a dead carcas from four miles away, which is why park rangers are quick to clean up roadkill. It will attract hungry bears to the road side. It's also why not to keep food in your car overnight. A car is no match for a hungry grizzly.

5. Do not skip Grand Teton National Park. We almost did. With limited knowledge and the tendency of Yellowstone National Park to overshadow its neighbor to the south, we made back-up reservations in Yellowstone for the same two first nights in Grand Teton. (Of course, we reserved back in January, so rooms were available in both places.)
We were prepared to by-pass Grand Teton and go straight to Yellowstone for four days. Before leaving for our trip, we cancelled the first two days of our Yellowstone reservations and spent those nights at Grand Teton.

Not as exotic as Yellowstone, Grand Teton is a serene, relaxing, incredibly beautiful setting. The soaring peaks, everpresent on the horizon, are constant reminders of the greatness of the land and of its Creator. We were soooo glad we started in Grand Teton National Park.

Now, a commercial message (Thank you in advance.)

One of the reasons we write these blogs is to promote our websites.

We offer superb Native American Indian fetish carvings at ZuniLink. com, including bears thare not only friendly but also known to promote healing.

Our Native-JewelryLink.com offers one of the web's largest selections of authentic Native American Indian jewelry; no imports from China.

Native-PotteryLink.com features beautiful examples of handmade Native American Indian pottery from all the major pueblos and tribes.; true works of pottery art.

Finally, TribalWorks.com is a pot-pourri of African, Australian Aboriginal, Arctic/Inuit and Navajo Indian fok art.

Thank you for spending this time with us.

From Grand Teton to Grand Canyon - 2 weeks in the National Parks

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:57:00 +0000

Blogging is work. Blogging everyday is impossible work, especially while traveling.

So, my plan to start this series of messages on the first day of our journey was aborted at the beginning. A number of obstructions interfered with that plan. I won't detail them. Anyone who has tried to blog from the road knows what they are.

To pick up at the beginning, we drove from Salt Lake City, our landing point, to Grand Teton National Park. Our destination was Colter Bay Village. We had reserved a cabin suitable for three (our granddaughter was traveling with us.)

Our arrival brought us to the check-in cabin, where the staff were very friendly and helpful.

(Aside: We found this to be generally true at all five National Parks we visited. If I could be assured that Government Health care would be this well served up, I might reconsider my opposition to it.)

We were told that wifi was available in the check-in cabin, but not in the individual lodging cabins. That was fine. It was a short walk through the pine trees between our cabin and the check in cabin. We were not told that there was a guests' lounge cabin. We didn't learn that until checking out.

Our cabin was very comfortable. A single large room included a pair of double beds, one at each end, with a twin bed in a small niche of the room. Generous windows opened to the freshness of evening and morning breezes off of Jackson Lake and Colter Bay.

Susanne and Melissa at the entrance to our cabin

We were booked for two nights here. Our first mission after check-in was to have dinner at the restaurant. Since we were a few minutes early for the restaurant to open for dinner, they let us sit with a glass of wine until service time. Susanne had a special chicken soup with dumplings along with a Greek Salad. Melissa had fettuccine. I ordered breaded, center cut pork chops that were overcooked and impossible to finish.

Three of us at dinner in the Colter Bay Village dining room.

(Aside: the serving staff was very pleasant.)

After dinner, we stopped at the activities booth to sign up for a special guided morning tour of Grand Teton National Park, with a return scheduled for around noon.

(Aside: We usually take advantage of tours at a destination. It gives us a preview of the land, so to speak.)

The tour was excellent covering all the high spots of Grand Teton National Park. It started at Jackson Lake Lodge, where we arrived early enough for coffee and a bagel.

One breakfast pastry we did not have at Jackson Lake Lodge;
a Rice Krispies replica of the view

The tour guide, Warren, was a man of incredible experiences from high school teacher to tour guide at Glacier National Park and Peace Corp volunteer for 3 yrs in Azerbaijan. He drove us to his favorite spot for looking at the mountains, Oxbow Cove.

A breath-taking view of the mountains reflected in the Snake River,
with a slow-floating duck in the water.

From this point, we could see the steeply rising snow and glacier covered peaks of he Grand Teton range reflected in the still waters of the Snake River.

Warren warned us to drive the speed limit exactly - park rangers are very strict – and be wary of wildlife crossing he road. The warning was timely.

On our drive to Jackson Lake Lodge from Colter Bay Village, we already had experienced an elk buck and his harem of five does leaping across the road 30 feet before our car. We stopped in time for them to clear. It was a stunning thing to see. Too quick to photograph, however.

Since one of our objectives in the National Parks was to see wildlife in its natural setting, Warren drove us to a field filled with a herd of bison. They were in the distance; too far away to record on camera. But there were scores of them. The setting also was a scene that had been the subject of a famous photograph. We shamelessly replicated it with our camera.

The picturesque view; a scene previously recorded in a historic photo

The tour included the site of Menor's Ferry, a now defunct ferry across the Snake River that was ingeniously designed with a double hull. Turning the hulls, while held on a cable across the river, made the current propel the ferry across when going in either direction. A historic reconstruction of the ferry craft is under way. The location, near the Moose, WY park entry, also was the site of a restored general store

The restored General Store...

and a special Chapel of the Transfiguration with a window behind the altar framing a Grand Teton peak.

...and the altar view from the chapel

(Aside: Visitors must pay to enter the National Parks. There are several admission plans. We found the bargain of the century in a Senior's Annual Pass. For $10, if your are a senior, you can use this pass to visit every US National Park. It's good for an entire car-full. Ten bucks!!There are other good deals too. But ten bucks? Wow! You can buy it at the park entrance.)

At the end of the tour, upon delivery back to Jackson Lake Lodge, we decided on lunch at the Pioneer Grill. This facility has no tables, just and old style lunch counter. I had chili (good, not too spicy). Sue had a grilled cheese. Melissa, our granddaughter, opted for a Philly cheese steak.

(Aside: one of the fun aspects of the Pioneer Grill is that the counter dining brings you contact and conversation with others sitting next to you. Those inclined for more sophisticated dining may choose a table in the Mural Dining Room, with a view to match that of the lounge.)

One of the more pleasant places to spend some time is in the lounge of the Jackson Lake Lodge, with floor to ceiling windows over looking the Grand Teton range and an area where elk, moose and bison are know to make appearances, as are the bears that prey on them. You can tell when there is a sighting. Those sitting by the window in the lounge jump up in unison and run out the door onto the terrace.

Melissa and Susanne in the Jackson Lake Lodge lounge

(Aside: Jackson Lake Lodge is one of several places to stay in Grand Teton National Park. It is very impressive, with a rustic luxury that reflects it somewhat more dear rates. Since you can use the public areas with staying in the lodge. we opted for the more reasonable rates at Colter Bay Village.)

We stayed around Jackson Lake Lodge, waiting for the Jackson Lake cruise we also had signed up for. We had it in our heads that it was to leave at 2:30. When there was no apparent organizing activity, we asked at the desk and were told it was not scheduled to leave until 3:30. When there was no activity approaching 3:30, we asked again and were told that it didn't leave from Jackson Lake Lodge, but from Colter Bay Village marina.

(Aside: This reiterates the observation that, if you don't ask, information is not volunteered. How many times do we have to learn this truth?)

We jumped in the car and raced – at 45 mph – to the marina. The desk at Jackson Lake Lodge called ahead to say were on our way. We arrived just in time for departure. With no time to spare although the captain and mate showed no impatience and said they would have waited for us after getting the call. Besides, there were only five other passengers on this cruise. It would have been lonely without us.

The cruise was 1 ½ hours on slightly choppy waters with a stiff breeze. Fortunately the cabin was enclosed. The mate was very informative about the lake and the mountains at its edge. The full lake was formed when the Snake River was dammed, raising the depth to 39 feet averagely, although there are areas of the lake that run much deeper. One section close to the mountain shore was said to be 450 feet deep.

We learned about forest fires and their beneficial effects. Also about birch and aspen trees that grow from common root systems so that all the trees in a certain grove will share the same DNA. Because they grow primarily from spreading roots rather seeds they are less susceptible to permanent damage by fires.

Even pines, however, are equipped to survive forest fires. As the temperature of the fire increases it melts the wax coating covering the cones, causing them to spit their seeds to the ground below. Nurtured in the ashes of the fire, seedlings sprout again to form a new forest. It is long process. Fire-ravaged forests often takes decades or generations to show new growth.

(Aside: Of interest is the fact that, even though the lake is in a National Park and in Wyoming, the water is "owned" by Idaho. That state's potato growers financed the building of dam years ago, in return for control over the water, releasing it for irrigation. Put that in your trivia hat for the future.)

After the cruise, we retired to our cabin to get ready (IE. sleep) for the next day.

Thank you for your indulgence in reading this first chapter of our Tour of our National Parks. They truly are gems in America's crown. Next episode? Yellowstone.

Trouble in Order Form land

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:45:00 +0000

(Update: This problem now has been solved. You may use the order form with confidence as to its security and its destination.)

If you have tried to reach us using our order form, we have not received the message. For some reason we can't deal with until next week, our order form has become dysfunctional.
If you want to reach us, email directly to sanibelart@comcast.net The email address still works. Thank you.

Aboriginals Gallery is featured in Architectural Digest

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:23:00 +0000

William & Susanne Waites are very excited to announce that one of the Australian Aboriginal dot paintings in their collection has been featured in Architectural Digest.

If you can get your hands on a copy of Architectural Digest's August 2009 issue, you will find a painting from Aboriginals Gallery's collection on page 65.

We count Architectural Digest as one of the most prestigious publications in the world when it comes to home decor.

Imagine our excitement when we were told that Architectural Digest was interested in including an image of one of our paintings in their August issue. Of course, one always waits with crossed fingers that the editors won't change their minds.

Then it arrived in the mail and - voila - there it was.

The work itself is a painting by Aborigine artist, Johnny Scobie Japananga, painted by him in 1990.

For pictures of this and other authentic Australian Aboriginal paintings, you are invited to visit TribalWorks.com Australian Art Room Perhaps you will find something you like.

Tribal art loses a great and talented Zuni artist

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:50:00 +0000

We were saddened, as were all of our friends and associates in Zuni and the field of Zuni art, to learn that Jeff Tsalabutie was killed in an truck accident early this week. All details are not available and, out of respect for Zuni traditions, we held back on this announcement for a period of grieving.

And grieve we do.

Jeff was more than a fine carver with a whimsical and creative style.

He was a friend.

Whenever we would see him in Zuni, Albuquerque or Santa Fe, we always were greeted with a huge smile and a hearty "Hello, how are you?"

We enjoyed being with him, even on those occasions when he had sold out his work by the time got to him. He was instrumental in our ability to meet other young, talented Zuni carvers, who we are sure will miss him as much or more than we will.

We send our condolences to Jeff's wife and son and other members of his extended family.

Rest well, Jeff. You have left behind an inspiration for all who create.

Tribal Art - Final Days for 35% off Native American jewelry sale

noreply@blogger.com (William & Susanne Waites) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:10:00 +0000

This fabulous Charlene Reano, Santo Domingo necklace was purchased for 35% off during Native American jewelry sale.

The purchaser was almost breathless when she discovered the sale. That sentiment was apparent when she notified us that it arrived at her home.

There still are many similarly beautiful and bargain priced pieces available at 35% off the list price.

But only for six more days. We have extended the closing date for the sale through Saturday, June 27, 2009.

Our recommendation? Visit the website at Native-JewelryLink.com by clicking on this link, surf through cases and find something you can't resist at 35% off.

Place your order by Saturday and we will automatically reduce the listed price by 35%.