Delicate Arch
Night rains have washed the Grand Canyon dust from my car, cleaned the windshield, and brightened the day for exploration under cloudy blue skies. All the better for enjoying the dramatic landscape of the Canyonlands. And here once again is my favorite sculptor at work – the Colorado River. (more…)
Flat desert and awesome rock formations in route
It is a boring, long 200 miles from Grand Canyon’s North Rim to its South Rim. But my destination is 350 miles north. I drive to Moab – a shower and a bed.
To appreciate Arizona, one needs to drive through the northeastern part of the state. I descend over 3000 feet below the rim of the Grand Canyon into an arid valley, driving past miles and miles of the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, last seen as I stood at Imperial Point on the North Rim. These cliffs are home to the slowly growing population of California condors in this area. The cliffs appear endless as I drive for about 50 miles past both their western and southern side. As are all rock formations in this part of the country, these sandstone cliffs are awesome in color, shape, and size. (more…)
Hiking North Rim of Grand Canyon
I slept in the back of my car last night, listening to huge raindrops slapping the sunroof, and I still had a fantastic time on the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
Visiting the Grand Canyon, one of 23 UNESCO sights in the U.S., is all about seeing fantastic views and witnessing the incredible force of nature at work. Only 10% percent of the people who visit the Grand Canyon come to the north rim. So being here is about having hiking trails to myself; about being in nature with the only sounds heard being the wind, birds, squirrels and some scurrying unknowns through the underbrush. Except for perhaps 100 visitors around the North Rim’s Visitor Center, being here is like having the entire Grand Canyon to myself. It’s a marvelous feeling. It’s about nature’s shapes, colors and sizes on a Grand scale. It definitely is not for the acrophobic. (more…)
Hidden Pinyon Overlook hiking Snow Canyon SP in Utah
Dinner conversation with the gentleman next to me led to a recommendation to visit Snow Canyon State Park. I’m on my own, I have time, I can’t see why not. So this morning I drive five minutes out of Nevada, 10 minutes across Arizona, and witness Utah turn on the beauty switch. Mother Nature blooms in Utah. (more…)
From the glorious beauty of the Central Coast, fog-enshrouded with blue skies, I drive inland through desert and the brown smog-filled Central Valley. Temperature climbs from a comfortable 70° to a high of 106°. Gas prices drop from a high of $3.57 to a wonderful “steal” of $2.75. My Read more
Freighthouse Restaurant
La Crosse, WI
Winter in Wisconsin would not top the list for most travelers, but that is where I find myself in November. Weather varies from evenings of snow flurries and 27degrees or less to sunny days of 46 degrees. I prefer the sunny days. I left home in California temps of 80. Snow is nice to behold but that’s about it.
Playing “name that road kill” (more…)
Colorful homes of Portland
Downtown icons
7th Sept – I sit in Pioneer Square with other multitudes, seeking respite from walking, eating a Philly Cheesesteak from a food cart, and planning my next move. So far I have not found what the hoopla is about. I walked the Pearl District where the restoration is ongoing midst vagrants, pornography strewn around the Federal Building, and busy streets. (more…)