Shoving Off!

Behind me is the ship that is going to take me to my next destination... Hawaii!!!! It's a private yacht, and my friend and fellow gnome "Gil" got us the gig. He and I will be deck hands and help assist the crew. It's not a great paying job, but it provides me with 3 squares a day and passage to the Hawaiian Islands. I'm not a greedy gnome, I know a good thing when I see it. At least I won't be wearing out the soles of my boots walking for awhile, and frankly, I'm a little tired of the highway scenery. I need a break, and I guess days (or possibly weeks) of staring at nothing but the deep blue will help me forget how exhausted I am.

So, we leave at first light tomorrow. You know, in hindsight I think it wasn't wise of me to pay-per-view "Jaws" and the "Poseidon Adventure" last night in my room at the Ramada Inn. Oh well, I'm sure it'll be fine. Wish me and Gil luck!

With Greet Affection,
Clive the 1st Mate Gnome

San Frantastic!

I made it to San Francisco,California and am happy to announce that I am in time to catch that boat to Hawaii. But with a few days to spare, I have been able to do a little sightseeing too. Of course, I visited the Golden Gate Bridge. If it weren't for my fear of earthquakes, and as a "ground dwelling" gnome I'm sure you can understand this fear, I'd live here for sure. I love this place. Beautiful.

Also, you'll be happy to know that there are currently no trolls living under the Golden Gate Bridge. That is not a fairy tale, they actually do dwell under bridges. So be aware of that. Nasty little buggers, you'll do well to stay clear of them should you find yourself near a bridge.

Well, we are leaving this weekend, so I'll write one more time before I shove off to try to let you know the itinerary. More later....
Clive the Gnome King

When Two Clives Collide

Wow, what a surreal experience. Truly, it was like looking in the mirror. What a great surprise for me to be site seeing in L.A. and running into Mr. Clive Owen, the actor and a damn fine gentleman. As some of you know, I'm often mistaken for him. I think it's because we both have that rugged animal magnetism that women swoon over. He was picking up his convertible from the valet outside of the Ivy. We had a nice chat but when the paparrazzi starting taking photos, he got quite irritated. For me, it's was the topper of my trip so far. Now I'm heading up the coast so I'll totally catch ya later dudes!
Clive the Gnome King

Hurray for Hollywood!

Here I am, across from the famous Hollywood sign. I can't believe I finally made it to California after traveling almost 6 weeks. I met a lot of great truckers who were gracious enough to allow me to pass some of the miles away with them, and I've worn out my shoes walking the rest of the way. But I'm here now and I've got some sites to see in La La Land before I work my way north up to San Francisco to catch my boat to Hawaii. But first, I've gotta hit Rodeo Drive and hopefully along the way I'll spot some celebrities. Also, I must get to Bevery Hills. What's the zipcode for that again? If I meet any icons, you'll be the first to know. Wish me luck.
Clive the Gnome

A Dam Site to Behold!

Wow! Hoover Dam is impressive. I love this Dam place. I took the Dam tour! I bought some Dam souvenirs! I took a lot of Dam pictures! But most important of all, I asked a lot of Dam questions.

Hoover Dam borders Nevada and Arizona. The authorization to construct it was enacted on Dec. 21, 1928. It was built between 1931 and 1936. From 1933 until 1947 it was known as Boulder Dam. I prefer Hoover, because he was one of my favorite presidents and a huge reason that the Dam got built. The Dam is 726' high and 1,244' long. Lake Mead is also worth seeing. Water so blue you could bottle it and sell it.

To follow the wisdom of "Go West, Young Man" by John B.L. Soule (but made famous by Horace Greeley) I'm heading thataway tomorrow evening. To be more specific, I'm due in L.A. by early next week. I just got tired of thumbing my way so I splurged on a bus ticket. I'll blog you all when I hit town.

Love and warm affection always,
Clive the Gnome King

Grand Canyon or Bust!

I finally made it! Greetings from the Grand Canyon! What a site. This is truly a wonder of the world. Not only beautiful to look at, but it has a rich history as well. This steep-sided gorge has been carved over thousands of years by the Colorado River. It was dubbed the Grand Canyon in 1872 by John Wesley Powell and President Roosevelt visited it many times to hunt mountain lions. (Which I can't condone as a card carrying animal rights activist Gnome.)

The Grand Canyon is about 277 miles long and ranges from a quarter of a mile to 18 miles in width. It's also more than a mile deep. It's been a long journey from Illinois to this spectacular point of interest, but totally worth it.

I'm hitching to Lake Mead, catch ya later!

Love,
Clive the Gnome King

Tucson, AZ

Hello from the great state of Arizona. The weather here in Tucson has been great. Warm during the day, cold in the evenings. Perfect gnome weather. I've been in town visiting distant relatives for a couple of days so I'm off tomorrow and I'm heading north towards one of the Wonders of the World. Are you wondering which Wonder?

If so, you need not wonder much longer....
Clive the Gnome

The Giant Roadrunner Part 2

Hello from New Mexico and the World’s Largest Roadrunner, located just west of Las Cruces. The bird stands atop a hill overlooking Interstate 10.

He is made out of junk and is roughly between 12 and 15 feet tall - though without a ruler, this is just a guess. I heard other admirers guessing 20', but I don't reckon that's correct either. Despite the inaccuracies, it's still more impressive than the other roadrunner in Fort Stockton, Texas. Therefore, I hereby dub this Roadrunner the Worlds Largest! So it is said, so shall it be! He's got the official gnome seal of approval.

His belly is almost totally created with old white shoes. The top, neck, wings and tail are made with everything but the kitchen sink, and maybe even that. I spotted old children’s toys, office fans, computer parts, random sheet metal, a steering wheel just to name a few. Who created him and why is somewhat of a mystery.

I'll be in Arizona next, I'll blog ya when I've got the chance.
Clive the Gnome King