The first thing we did this morning, after leaving LO LO MAI SPRINGS OUTDOOR RESORT was stop nearby to feed four horses we had seen yesterday. We bought carrots at SAFEWAY last night, so we were well-prepared. Let me tell you, horses LOVE carrots. It must be like candy for them, because they just can’t get enough. If you want a horse to follow you to the ends of the earth, just carry a handful of carrots and it will be no problem. We had four beautiful horses each trying to get a carrot at the same time, and nudging us with their beautiful heads if we were too slow in delivery.
Next, we went into town, back to SAFEWAY for my morning STARBUCKS, and then we headed north on 89A, the most scenic route we’ve taken in our 8-week trip, stopping again a few times, to walk around the park, take in the views, and try to memorize the beautiful vistas.
By lunchtime, we were in Flagstaff. What we’ve learned from driving around America is that you can’t just stop to eat at the first place you see. You have to drive around a town, until you find the “trendy” section, where there are no BURGER KINGS, or APPLEBEES, or WENDY’S. We don’t eat fast food, but we also don’t like chain restaurants, unless we’re desperate (which means I'm starving).
We went down Route 66 (our favorite route!) and found a quaint part of Flagstaff that had lots of little boutiques, art galleries and great little restaurants. We went to a place called MOUNTAIN OASIS on East Aspen Street and had a wonderful lunch. We started with Japanese Nori Rolls (organic Sushi rice, plum paste, scallions, carrots, cucumber, fresh avocado wrapped in Nori (seaweed) paper.
Eric had a Spinach Melt Wrap (spinach, roasted red peppers, grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, combined with organic brown rice and topped with pepper jack cheese Mine was a Hummus Wrap (hummus, avocado, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, black olives and lettuce).
The best part of this restaurant is that every month they feature another artist’s work, which is for sale. This month, the artist is a woman named LISA ALBINGER, whose work is very unusual. The thing I love about her is that she is whimsical, yet dark. She starts with a sort of decoupage/collage, where she glues different objects and papers to the canvas. Then she paints over it all, using only cotton swabs and paper towels.
Another thing she does, which I just adore, is she will continue a painting off the canvas and onto the frame, so I think she must paint with the frame already on. I have a feeling she might buy cheap paintings and paint right over them. Some of her paintings don’t have a frame at all and look like they might be painted right on wood.
I fell in love with one of her paintings, but really enjoyed them all. If you like the paintings below, please visit her website to see much more and read all about her. I haven’t been taken with an artist like this in a long time!
This is my favorite, photographed as it hung on the wall in MOUNTAIN OASIS:
Here are some others, some copied from her website, some photographed in the restaurant:
See how her paintings continue, right onto the frame? I LOVE that!
She definitely has a thing for bunnies. She describes this one as Gene Kelly as a bunny!
This one is a little different than the others in the restaurant, but she has another whole series that are less whimsical and dark, depicting beautiful women and nature.
After lunch, we walked around Flagstaff, enjoying the gorgeous weather and window shopping at all the trendy stores. We got back on the road and headed back to Williams but, before we got to the campground, we stopped first at DEER FARM petting zoo, where you can feed the Deer and pet (or just gaze lovingly at) the reindeer, wallabies, llamas, mini donkeys, mini horses, mini cattle (zebu), axis deer, potbelly pig, talking birds, coatimundi, marmosets, and new as of this year a baby camel and two baby bison.
This is Sparky. He was very shy, but sweet!
We brought out carrot supply into the zoo, but they told us we couldn’t feed the animals carrots (they’re all on a special diet – who knew?), so they put our carrots in the fridge and Eric bought a little cup of some kind of deer food and we went in.
The deer are hysterical. There must be twenty or thirty and as soon as they see you coming with that cup they swarm you, nudge you, and won’t leave you alone until you give them some. It was actually a little scary. I could hardly take pictures, because they thought the camera was food and kept trying to eat it!
We loved petting the baby goats and the potbelly pig, but the marmosets (whom you can’t pet) have such tiny, funny little faces!
This little girl was like the Pied Piper of Deer Farm!
After we had our fill (or, should I say, the deer had THEIR fill), we went back to RAILSIDE RV RESORT, where we had spent two lovely days earlier this week. We took a nap, then ate in. Tomorrow, we are finally heading to the Grand Canyon (I hope!).
Today is Eric’s youngest sister, Susan’s, birthday. HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUSAN!!! It was great talking to you today. Hope you had a fabulous day!