As Jack Horkheimer used to say (before passing) “keep Looking Up.” That’s why we’re starting to plan for a fairly short trip in May to witness an annular solar eclipse. The path of maximum eclipse extends from Asia, across the Pacific and then through the western United States. The path in Arizona will pass over Page and continue into New Mexico to Albuquerque.

Image: Path of maximum annular eclipse. Click to enlarge

Our target destination will be to go to Chinle, AZ, adjacent to the Canyon De Chelly National Park. In the image, you can see that the red path goes right over Navajo land and just along the southern part of the national park. Our plan is to tow a travel trailer to the area and find a place to camp after the eclipse that will occur on May 20, 2012.

I’m ordering some eclipse shades and a solar filter for each of our two cameras for the event. We are hoping for some excellent pictures of one of the most spectacular events to happen on Earth.

We have a favorite place along the route between the towns of Harcuvar and Hope, AZ along US 60. It is a little mountain pass with ocotillo, saguaro and teddy bear cholla cactus. The Arizona and California railway has a track that runs through the pass and there are some Native American petroglyphs directly behind the line of sight in the panoramic image below. Click on the image to enlarge.

Exactly one year ago today, we stopped at a rest stop along I-10 near Whitewater, CA, on our way back to the California House. The Arizona house would be scheduled to start construction in a couple of days, so this was a short visit before heading back to Arizona. I posted this story and image of a roadrunner we saw at the rest stop. We have seen several roadrunners at the Arizona house, but I have yet to capture an image of them.

We were at a rest stop today among Interstate 10 when this handsome road runner darted across the dog area. I guess it should be labeled “dog and road runner area.” The species in this picture is called Geococcyx. I think they look like prehistoric birds, but here he is. Click on the image to enlarge.

I hope someone gets a picture of this heavy-hauling behemoth as it crosses the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge. I honestly don’t know how this rig will be able to navigate through the two traffic circles in Wickenburg but I guess they have thought it through.

Photo Credit : Precision Heavy Haul.

PHOENIX – What weighs 285 tons, moves uphill at 15 mph and takes eight days to travel from Hoover Dam to the mining town of Miami, east of Phoenix? It’s a huge anode used in the electrical process for refining copper.

The largest oversized load to cross the new Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge will enter Arizona from Nevada [tonight] and start a 380-mile journey that’s expected to create significant travel delays for some drivers who wind up traveling behind it.

A Phoenix-based hauling company, Precision Heavy Haul, is carrying the anode on a specially-designed truck and trailer rig stretching 225 feet long. The oversized load started its trip from Salt Lake City on Aug. 2.

It is now scheduled to cross the Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge just after midnight Tuesday morning (Aug. 9) and continue a slow trek to its destination – the Freeport-McMoRan mine in Miami – about 80 miles east of downtown Phoenix.

Motorists should expect delays in the vicinity of the oversized load, which will take up to two lanes, and will be escorted by Department of Public Safety officers and pilot cars. There will be no traffic impacts for weekend travelers.

A complete travel schedule may be found here.

Just before our arrival in Wickenburg this afternoon, as usual, we see this roadside sign crediting the highway adoption as belonging to the “Doom” family. I wonder if they changed the family name from “Apocalypse” or “Armageddon?” Note the gunshot dimples on the left side of the sign. Click on the image to enlarge.

We took a drive today to visit the Shrine of St Joseph of the Mountains in nearby Yarnell, AZ. There is a Koi pond in the shrine where these pretty water lilies were in bloom today. Click on the image to enlarge.

Tonight, we’re back in Stormy Southern California to attend to some business and appointments here this week. As we were leaving the Arizona Outback headed for Interstate 10, I took this photo of three saguaros on a hillside with some early spring wildflowers in the foreground. Click on the image to enlarge.

Our route to Cave Creek, Arizona, takes us along state route 74, a scenic highway from US 60 to Lake Pleasant. The first twenty miles, or so, along route 74 takes you through a very scenic area consisting of many varieties of desert vegetation dominated mostly by the saguaro cactus.

Damsel took all of the images used for this. You can pause the slideshow by rolling your mouse over the picture and resume by rolling out.

Nothing like a little graphic evidence to show where the popular spot is in the Ford exhibit at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. The media proclaimed the show was all about saving the planet with electric and gas-efficient vehicles to be the show’s main theme. You can see for yourself how the attendees voted with their feet. Top: Ford Trucks and SUV exhibit - bottom: Ford green vehicles exhibit.

Hat tip: Henry Payne of Planet Gore on “Auto Show Deep Freeze: Green Gets the Cold Shoulder“.