North and West
We picked a gorgeous day to depart Laguna Atascosa accompanied by two traveling friends—a warm breeze and soft sunshine. In addition, with rare exceptions the traffic was sparse and roads OK to good.

Wet and Wild
Our first night out we stayed in Beeville, where the winds ratcheted up like a politician at a rally, and the rain poured down like hallelujahs at a tent revival. So glad we did not have to travel through it. Except for one other night of heavy rains and wind, the other days and nights were mild.

Wildflowers
As we got into Hill Country* we were surrounded by magnificent wildflowers that paralleled our path for hundreds of miles. It was if a rainbow dumped its bucket of hues along our journey as it cantered across the skies. Soon our color neurons were flashing as we reached our quota of beauty, absorbing the reds of the Indian paints, the blues of the bluebonnets, the purples of the vervain and the Texas stork’s bill, the pink primrose, the yellow great blanket flower and the Englemann’s daisy, and the whites of the prickly poppy. What a phenomenal gift of beauty Ladybird Johnson gave to all travelers of Texas.













Service Along the Way
Jan and I had a choice to make: We could take a two-week, all-inclusive luxury tour down the Amazon River, or buy new tires for the coach…it was tempting, but practicality won out. At Bill’s Tire Center in San Angelo she got her new shoes. Also at San Angelo, Lone Star Trucking successfully performed a chassis recall, something I had put off for too long.

While waiting for the above two services to be performed, we explored the area, had two great lunches—one at the fancy Crazy Cactus and the other sitting on picnic tables by the highway with the Pups at the Best Burger Truck in Texas.

International Waterlily Garden
Although not the best weather or the best season to visit, we had a very enjoyable time exploring the Water Lily Garden of San Angelo. Here are a few pics, but also check out their website: http://www.internationalwaterlilycollection.com.





Non-Birder Birding
Both Jan and I enjoy watching and photographing birds of all types, but we don’t consider ourselves birders. However, we were in areas with lots of cool birds, and we had some time on our hands, so on three afternoons along our path we ventured out to three really cool places.

San Angelo State Park
Here we saw scissor-tailed flycatchers and gorgeous cardinals (alas, I did not take a long lens😞).

Palo Duro State Park
Just 30 minutes south of Amarillo, Texas, is Palo Duro State Park. We had camped here in a motorhome 10 or 12 years ago and very much enjoyed it, but we were even more impressed this visit. This is the type of location where three to four days is needed for hiking and exploring to give it the credit it is due. Below are a few pics taken at their bird blind.

John Martin Reservoir State Park
Twenty miles east of Lamar, Colorado, you’ll find John Martin Reservoir State Park. Here we took a short hike and a five-mile drive or so, checking out the water and viewing birds.







Grandkid Stop
After a night at Limon, Colorado, we drove the 77 miles east into Denver, dropped off the coach (yikes, more repairs🤨), and then pulled into Kelly and Aaron’s place to spend a few days enjoying the area, seeing a few sites, and spoiling the G-Kids. More on that in the next blog.

Old Trucks
We really enjoy far Southeast Texas, but crazy as it seems, for some reason there were no old trucks! None…nada. Therefore, it was great to uncover some old truck beauties as we traveled north and west. Here is June, a colorful flatbed we missed on our last San Angelo visit last fall.



Further north, our “old truck Indicator” activated to alert us of some fine specimens. Here is a pic I took of Thelma with our coach in the background.



To see Thelma in full resolution and the challenging story behind her, click on this link to go to my “What the Truck!” blog.

See you next time.

*The Texas Hill Country is a geographic region located in the Edwards Plateau at the crossroads of West Texas, Central Texas, and South Texas. Here you will find the LBJ Ranch and National Park, Austin, San Antonio, and the famous Luckenbach. Not only home to gorgeous wildflowers in the spring, wineries and breweries are popping up as well. Lots of cool places in Texas, and this is definitely one of them.

Tags: Beeville, Hill Country, San Angelo, texas, Nature Photography, Bird photography, Water Lily Garden of San Angelo, Old Trucks, San Angelo State Park, Palo Duro State Park, John Martin Reservoir State Park

Habitat Tours
For five months we guided habitat tours at Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge in far southeast Texas, close to Padre Island and an easy hour from Mexico. What a difference a year makes! Last year we volunteered here during a drought with most flora a grayish-brown color and huddled critters hanging close to the few sources of fresh water. This year all plants and trees are different shades of green with a rainbow of colors popping out of flowers like champagne just uncorked.

Questions Galore
Depending on the day of the week, the time of day, and the phase of the moon, we addressed a variety of questions from guests—from visiting Winter Texans to lifelong Valley residents, students, biologists, geologists, sentimentologists, hydrologists, cardiologists (I just made that last one up) and on and on—science has a broad wingspan. We responded to questions about hydrological influence on bay salinity, wind generators’ impact on bird mortality, gestation periods of feral hogs, the eating habits of exotic nilgai, favorite diets of the Aplomado falcon, and how to best cook yucca blooms.

Different Kind of Place
This is a wonderful place for nature lovers, with birds and critters flying, scooting, running, landing, hiding, kiting, loping, crawling, and swimming that you won’t see elsewhere in the US, and in most cases on the planet. We also rekindled friendships from last winter, plus we met lots of good folks on the staff, other volunteers, interns, and Friends of the refuge. A close-knit community with common goals and a shared purpose is tough to beat.

Recommendations
Spend a month (or two or three) at South Padre Island in the winter. Note: Try, try to avoid Spring Break. Spend time at Laguna Atascosa and the other wonderful nature locations in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Hang at the beach, watch the dolphins, visit Sea Turtle Inc., and enjoy great Mexican (and TexMex) food. On chilly days check out the museums and the historical sites. Go to the birding centers even if you are not a birder. Take a deep dip of nature to cleanse the soul, relax the body, and ease the mind.

Last Photos from the Refuge

Birds
The refuge has a well-earned reputation as a mecca for birders and those who just appreciate the beauty of color in flight and the voices of jubilation. Here is a photo of the stunning Altamira oriole, a female cardinal sparkling in pretty light, a glowing pink roseate spoonbill in flight, the petite but classy stilt, a longed-bill curlew that had just landed (I wonder why they call them “long-billed?”), some immature white Ibis hanging out (as teenagers do), and a chacalaca and a red-winged blackbird eying each other at a feeder adjoining the photo blind. Not all bird lovers have just two legs—here is Jack checking the birds out (he prefers watching rabbits, but birds will do).

















Ocelot Day
There are only two breeding populations of the crazy-rare Ocelot, and you guessed it, one of them is at Laguna Atascosa. Every year Gladys Porter Zoo helps to sponsor the Ocelot Conservation Day in Brownsville. This year two ocelots from the Texas zoo in Victoria came down to put on a show for kids and adults. Wonderful event that just about everyone from the refuge participated in, with Jan painting ocelot faces and me with the fun and easy job of playing photographer.





Flowering Flora
Just about everything with roots in ground has been showing with buds and blooms and flowers.







Rescue Pup
Our good friend, and a ranger, rescued a pregnant female dog at the refuge. Shy, skittish, and afraid, with love, affection, and little attention (especially from Jack!), she has flourished into a beautiful female called Momma.



Critters
Finally, I end this blog with some critters. Here is a cute rattler, a sweet nilgai, and a wild hog.







Old Trucks

Meet Doris



Meet Esmerelda



Meet Desert Rose



Check out www.onceuponatruck.com. Sign up for my What the Truck! blog, and get a sweet gal in your in-basket once a week.

See you next time.

Tags: Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Bird photography, Wildlife photography, Nature Photography, Once Upon a Truck, What the Truck! Blog, , Old Trucks

Things continue to go smoothly here at the refuge. Here are a few pics from our tours.





















Old Trucks

Meet Florence



Meet Harriet



Check out www.onceuponatruck.com. Sign up for my What the Truck! blog, and get a sweet gal in your in-basket once a week.

See you next time.

Tags: Nature Photography, Bird photography, Wildlife photography, Old Trucks

Government Reopened
With the Washington stupidity ending (at least for a few days), life at the refuge is in full season mode. Decent weather (for the most part) has kept the Polar Vortex crowd of Winter Texans pouring in. Jan and I have been having a lot of fun leading habitat bus tours on three property locations. Here is a pic of us with our buddies Cathy and John.



Nilgai Nation
Nilgai are exotic antelopes native to India and Pakistan. The King Ranch brought them to Texas for game hunting and of course some escaped. Now there are about 1,000 of these magnificent creatures on the refuge. It is rut time for these critters, and they are putting on a show.









Janny Art
Jan has also been helping to beautify the refuge. Here are a couple of her works in the Visitor Center.





Critters on the Tour
Here are a few critter pics I have taken on the tour.



































Old Trucks

Meet Marion



Meet Nina



Check out www.onceuponatruck.com. Sign up for my What the Truck! blog, and get a sweet gal in your in-basket once a week.

See you next time!

Tags: Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Wildlife photography, Old Trucks, Jan Alexander Art, Nature Photography, Bird photography, texas

Atascosa Boots
Ever wonder what the Spanish word Atascosa translates into English? It means sticky mud, the term given by the early Spanish explorers who came to this area. Here is a pic of my boots demonstrating its authenticity.



CBC
The CBC (Audubon Christmas Bird Count) is an annual event involving thousands of professionals and amateur birders that help to chronicle which birds and how many are where. I participated in my first CBC this year and it was quite an experience. On a crazy-cold morning, Steve and I rode with Michael, a 30-year birding pro of remarkable talent. For six hours we chronicled 68 avian species within our designated area. Here is a picture of a grove–billed ani and Michael.





For you hardcore birders, here are the 68 species we spotted and confirmed:

Snow goose
Blue-winged teal
Northern shoveler
Gadwall
American wigeon
Mottled duck
Northern pintail
Redhead
Lesser scaup
Bufflehead
Red-breasted merganser
Northern bobwhite
Mourning dove
Groove-billed ani
American coot
Sandhill crane
Black-necked stilt
Black-bellied plover
Semipalmated plover
Killdeer
Long-billed curlew
Marbled godwit
Ruddy turnstone
Dunlin
Short-billed dowitcher
Short-billed/long-billed dowitcher
Wilson's snipe
Greater yellowlegs
Willet
Lesser yellowlegs
Laughing gull
Ring-billed gull
Gull-billed tern
Caspian tern
Royal tern
Double-crested cormorant
American white pelican
Brown pelican
Great blue heron
Great egret
Snowy egret
Little blue heron
Tricolored heron
Reddish egret
White ibis
Turkey vulture
Osprey
White-tailed kite
Northern harrier
Harris's hawk
White-tailed hawk
Red-tailed hawk
Golden-fronted woodpecker
Crested caracara
American kestrel
Merlin
Aplomado falcon
Great kiskadee
Loggerhead shrike
Rough-winged swallow
Cactus wren
Ruby-crowned kinglet
Long-billed thrasher
Northern mockingbird
Savannah sparrow
Eastern meadowlark
Red-winged blackbird
Great-tailed grackle

If interested, learn more at https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count.

Some Pics from the Refuge
Here is the curve-billed thrasher.



Check out this caterpillar.



Normally, yuccas in this area don’t bloom until February. We have been seeing some blooms since mid-December.



Here is Jack out frolicking.



Here is a blast-off of many types of birds.



Check out this good-looking reddish egret (and, yes, it is really a reddish egret, just a white morph).



Lots of tarantulas around here! Here is one we helped across the street.



Rafts of Ducks
Here is a shot of several thousand coots hanging out on our big lake.



Here is a white-tailed hawk and a white-tailed kit.





Old Trucks

Meet Elizabeth



Meet Amanda



Check out www.onceuponatruck.com. Sign up for my What the Truck! blog and get a sweet gal in your in-basket once a week.

See you next time.

Tags: Bird photography, Old Trucks, Once Upon a Truck, Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Audubon Christmas Bird Count

Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge
We have returned to our winter home of last year, to the distinct flora and fauna of the wild Laguna Atascosa, located about 40 minutes north of Brownsville and 40 minutes west of South Padre Island. Jan and I are habitat tour guides, sharing the unique beauty of one of the most biologically diverse areas of the world. This 100,000-acre refuge is one of the last undeveloped coastal areas on the planet. With over 400 species of birds, 400 species of plants, 40 types of mammals, 40 types of reptiles and amphibians, and over 100 species of butterflies. Enough stuff to keep a nature-lover busy for decades!

Some Pics
Here is the beautiful Altamira oriole—you should hear him sing.



This cute little fellow is a cotton mouse—he lives near the Photo Blind.



Lots of good things to eat here as this svelte coyote demonstrates.



Here is a buck and a couple photos of an exotic nilgai male. This big guy loves to pose for the camera.







Yes, I know they are feral and quite destructive, but the three little pigs are still cute.





Boy, do the little boys like their gators.



Go Away
Here is a picture I took in Texas hill country close to election time and forgot about. It kind of gives you a flavor of the folks that live there! Note: Look close for the faded out “free beer” message.



Old Trucks

Meet Maureen



Meet Patricia



See more beauties like these at www.onceuponatruck.com. Sign up for my What the Truck! blog and get a sweet gal in your in-basket every week.

Tags: Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Wildlife photography, Bird photography, Old Trucks, Nature Photography

With our time in New Mexico over, we headed south and east. Our first stop was Roswell, then on to San Angelo, then Kerrville, finally arriving at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, our home for the coming winter and where we wintered last year. While we did take the auto tour of the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge near Roswell, most of our trip was just point to point, except for a day in Hill Country.



LBJ National Historic Park
We visited the Lyndon Baines Johnson State Park and LBJ National Historic Park that adjoins it. We took a short trail with the pups then took the driving tour through the ranch. Picturesque—recommended.







Fredericksburg
Home to dozens of wineries, a few breweries, and a couple distilleries, this classy upscale town is a great place to visit. We stopped at nearby Magnolia Pearl, a store known for unique handmade clothing and adorned with awesome old trucks around the exterior. Here are a couple to drool over.





Luckenbach
Being so close, I had to see Luckenbach, Texas, made famous in the Waylon Jennings song. Lots of artists, cowboys of sorts, and old hippies hanging around. Fun place.



Sisterdale
Our last stop on our Hill Country day trip was Sisterdale. Tiny place, but it had its own winery and a functioning bar. It was pouring rain, but I couldn’t pass up these old gas pumps.



Old Trucks and Classy Chassis
Like the Magnolia Pearl Trucks? See more beauties at www.onceuponatruck.com. Sign up for my What The Truck! blog and get sweet gals in your in-basket once a week.

See you next time.

Tags: Laguna Atascosa NWR, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Roswell, Hill Country, Sisterdale, Old Trucks, Once Upon a Truck, Luckenbach, texas, Fredericksburg, Magnolia Pearl, LBJ National Historic Park

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
An easy hour from Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge is Albuquerque, home of the world-famous balloon festival. Yes, you could say that the Balloon Fiesta is “uplifting,” or “a lot of hot air,” but it certainly is impressive. We watched from afar, enjoying the lift-off, but next time I want to get up close and personal.











Cibola Canyon Tour



We had the marvelous opportunity to go to a remote part of Sevilleta NWR to a place called Cibola Canyon. Studying geology doesn’t sound exciting, but Dave the Rock Doc brought it to life—just a great journey where few people get to go.







Oryx
On our return to the Visitor Center, I saw my first oryx, an antelope species from the arid parts of Africa. Check this dude out…make you keep your nightlight on.





Very Large Array
The 27 dish antennas that make up this astronomical radio observatory are not located in the middle of nowhere, but close—51 miles west of Socorro, a tad off of Highway 60. At 7,000 feet, a herd of pronghorn graze the acres surrounding the facility and appear to act as greeters to all who visit.



Did you ever watch Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos” series? I was fascinated by his dramatic explanations of the universe and all the mysteries implied. Driving up to this spectacular facility brought this same surge of wonder back into my being, viewing this huge radio telescope reaching up into space peering into dark matter 150 quadrillion miles away. An awe-inspiring place that you need to see.

Below are a few pics. My favorite is the one with the pronghorn posing in the foreground.









Bosque del Apache



Bosque is one of my favorite places on the planet. I have spent many a frigid morning in winter stamping my feet and wishing I’d bought hand warmers, waiting for thousands of sandhill cranes to blast off into the sky with a roar only these birds can make. Only 45 minutes from Sevilleta, it is a sweet day-trip. It was a little early for the crane and snow geese migration, but we saw a few on a super pleasant drive through this refuge. Here are snow geese in flight, a view to the west, and a roadrunner lift-off taken as we headed back.







Green Chili Cheeseburgers
We brilliantly ended this morning with brunch at the famous Buckhorn Tavern. I had a green chili cheeseburger with green chili fries, and Jan had the green chili cheese burrito with onion rings and a side of beans. LIVING LAVISHLY LARGE. I love New Mexico.

Here is just Jan’s lunch!



Sevilleta Hikes
Jack and I spent a lot of time hiking the trails. Jan took a far-away shot, and here is another of Jack.







Jan and Mitzy hike as well. Here is a pic of Mitzy going up some steep steps.



Magnificent Mornings
Sevilleta is a wonderful place, but what I think I miss the most are the morning skies.



Old Trucks and Classy Chassis
We have been seeing and shooting lots of old trucks in our travels.





Go to www.onceuponatruck.com to check out some of my latest vintage trucks. I added several more since my last Motoring blog. If you want to get a new, old truck photo each week, sign up for my What The Truck! blog.

See you next time.

Tags: Nature Photography, Bird photography, Very Large Array, New Mexico, Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, Cibola Canyon, Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, Bosque del Apache, Buckhorn Tavern, Once Upon a Truck, Old Trucks

After a summer spent in the beautiful Northwest, we worked our way down to the beautiful Southwest—through Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and into New Mexico.

Along the Way
We found many old trucks near Casper, Wyoming (they are being added to the Old Truck library). We spent three great days in Parker, Colorado, visiting grandkids (and their parents😌), we had a nice visit with our good friend, Wendy, in Monument, Colorado, and spent Labor Day with our friends, the Talbots, in Mountainair, New Mexico. We ended up at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge about 50 miles south of Albuquerque right off of I-10.



Sevilleta NWR
We are volunteers at this refuge of over 200,000 acres and help with interpretation, managing the visitor center, and doing whatever else needs to get done. If you like desert country this is the place to be. Lots of wildlife call Sevilleta home—from lizards and snakes to mountain lions, bighorn sheep, bears, elk, and pronghorn.























Prairie Dog Project
One of the Refuge’s projects is to help reintroduce Gunnison’s prairie dogs that have been forced from their homes (Albuquerque development) back into the wild. Hence, there is a lot of catching, weighing, measuring, monitoring, and releasing of these cute little guys.





Mexican Gray Wolf Project
The Mexican gray wolf is an endangered species and another interesting project of the Refuge is getting wolves ready to be reintroduced back into the wild. Unfortunately for us, there are no wolves on the refuge now, as their facilities are all being updated.

State Championship of the New Mexico Territory Cowboy Mounted Shooters
We traveled to Socorro to watch this fascinating event. Riders are timed on how quickly they can successfully shoot 10 balloons strategically placed within the arena. Not only do they have to be fast and accurate, they must change pistols (replica 1890s Colt 45s) during their trial. Sevilleta’s Renee was a contestant, ending up in the top group with a completion time of 12.3 seconds! Crazy fast and super fun to watch.











Easy Day Trip: Salinas Pueblos Missions National Monument



One morning we loaded up and took an easy 123-mile day trip to visit each of the three sites of the Salinas Pueblos Missions: Gran Quivira, Quarai, and Abo. Starting 7,000 years ago, the ancient Anasazi and Mogollons produced the earliest societies at these three sites. In the late 1500s the Spanish arrived, and missionaries started to push their views, integrating (to some degree) religions, but eventually (along with the Apaches) destroying the ancient way of life. Yet, among the ruins one can see pueblo kivas standing side by side with churches. All the three sites are wheelchair and dog friendly. All are worth the trip, but we especially enjoyed Gran Quivira.







https://www.nps.gov/sapu/index.htm

Quebradas Backcountry Scenic Byway
The Quebradas Backcountry Byway is an unpaved county road traversing about 24 miles of rugged, colorful landscapes east of Socorro. Beautiful drive.



https://www.blm.gov/visit/quebradas-backcountry-byway

Tarantula
Late one afternoon I was sitting outside when a black guest appeared. Jack and Mitzy were quite curious, but I am afraid they frightened our new eight-legged friend. Here is a pic of Terrence the Tarantula, and one of him with Bryan.





Jan’s Art
Sevilleta management asked Jan to paint a bean bag game for an upcoming family event. Leave it to Jan to take a basic project and turn it into a piece of art! The first photo shows both of the boards, and the second one is for fun.





Old Trucks & Classy Chassis
We have been seeing and shooting lots of old trucks in our travels south. Go to www.onceuponatruck.com to check out some of my latest vintage trucks. Note that by demand, I have now segmented my Old Truck Library by make, so you can check the photographs out by Ford, Chevy, International, etc. If you want to see a new, old truck photo each week, sign up for my What the Truck! blog.

A note to those of you who signed up for my Old Truck blog previously: We have moved the blog to a new platform, so you will need to re-subscribe. Apologizes for any inconvenience.

See you next time.

Tags: Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, Socorro, Salinas Pueblos Missions National Monument, Gran Quivira, Abo, Quebradas Backcountry Byway, Old Trucks

We spent the summer volunteering at the lovely Farragut State Park in the Idaho panhandle. This 4,000-acre park was created on a World War II naval training base (has the old brig and lots of old structures) and adjoins Lake Pend Oreille, the largest and deepest lake in Idaho. The park was full of good folks, and we were especially fortunate to live next door to a crazy fun pair of volunteers that I am sure we will be seeing more of in the future.

We were within a half hour north of famous Coeur D’ Alene and a half mile south Sandpoint, a destination that has the flavor of locations like Jackson, Wyoming, or Estes Park, Colorado. Quaint old town, beautiful neighborhoods, everything close to the water.

The Weather
When we arrived, everything was a brilliant green, the color of deep jungle, and the snow melt and recurring rains kept the lakes high and the docks under water. For two months the temperature was mild, the breezes light, and the air as fresh as a newborn calf. However, the rains stopped, the fires started (all across the Northwest), and the air turned smoky.

Scenic Drives
During our stay we took many a scenic trip: Lake Coeur D’ Alene Scenic Byway, the Wildlife Scenic Byway, the Pend Oreille Scenic Byway, and several others I forgot the names of. We drove to Priest Lake State Park to meet a couple we volunteered with last winter in Texas, and had the chance to get together with them a couple more times…looking forward to getting back to Texas again this winter. Also, this area was great old truck hunting—more on that later.

Jan’s Art
As often happens, Jan was “volunteered” to do an art project for the Junior Ranger Program. Take a look.



This three-dimensional piece was very well received, especially by the little tykes who liked to feel the work on their tiny hands. Many newly minted Junior Rangers were photographed in front of her work.

Within the park is a for-profit organization called Tree2Tree. Here are a couple pics of folks on this adventure course.





Critters
All kinds of critters at the park—below are a few.











This and That
Here are a few odds-and-ends pics.









Old Trucks
Here are four old trucks from the panhandle.









More Classy Chassis
To check out many more vintage trucks go to www.onceuponatruck.com and sign up for a pic a week.

See you next time.

Alex

Tags: Farragut State Park, Coeur D’ Alene, Sandpoint, Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho, Pend Oreille Scenic Byway, Jan Alexander Art, Nature Photography, Bird photography, Old Trucks, Wildlife Scenic Byway

Jordanelle
It was a short and easy trip from Dead Horse Point State Park to Blue Cut RV Park in Helper, Utah. Not much going on in Helper, but it was a chance to regroup and plan the next legs of our journey. After two nights, we headed north again to spend five nights at Jordanelle State Park north of Heber City, Utah (about 30 miles east of Salt Lake City).

During our stay I had a quick gig in Irvine for a few days with a great bunch of people.

After Jordanelle, it was another easy journey to Pocatello, Idaho, where we spent one rainy night at the Buffalo Meadows RV Park, a part of the Ft. Hall Casino.

Dillon
Next, we travelled to the Countryside RV Park just outside of Dillon, Montana. We have stayed in the Dillon area in the past, and it was enjoyable to come back to this picturesque area. I had planned a day trip that would take us on the Pioneer Scenic Byway through the Pioneer Mountains. We headed west on 278 and north on 73 through Polaris and up to Elkhorn Hot Springs. The plan was to continue all the way to Wise River, then head west on 43 through Fishtrap, at Wisdom take 278 east to Jackson, and then back to camp. Unfortunately, the road was closed at Elkhorn Hot Springs, so our only choice was to backtrack the way we came to our campground.





St. Regis
Continuing our northward journey, we next went to Campground St. Regis, a gorgeous and tidy place to stay next to St. Regis, Montana.

National Bison Range Day Trip



One morning we drove the picturesque 51 miles to the National Bison Range, with most of our journey on the National Bison Scenic Byway that parallels the Flathead River.

We had visited this national wildlife refuge a few years earlier and really enjoyed it. This trip was to prove even more impressive, as the heavy winter snowfall and the abundant spring rains kept everything a vibrant green that proved a brilliant contrast to the wildflowers and the snow-white peaks of the Mission Mountains.

Our prime goal was to see critters, and we were well rewarded. We saw bison, of course, pronghorn, deer, and a momma and baby bear. Mitzy enjoyed herself, as always, pointing out the different species to Jack. Especially fun was that Jack had his first bear sighting—he was in total awe as he speechlessly stared wide-eyed like a toddler opening Christmas presents.















We were extremely pleased with our critter findings, but there was more. The hills and valleys erupted wildflowers. It was like hoping for a pair, and drawing a full house.

Arrowleaf balsamroot covered the valleys like the golden robe of a Bishop giving high mass. We saw prairie smoke, shooting stars, penstemon, Rocky Mountain iris, lupine, Solomon’s plume, serviceberry bush, chokecherry, desert parsley, wild geranium, giant hyssop, baby tansy, and more, that shined like the multicolored jewels of a pirate’s treasure box. All the while, as we meandered up and down and over and across, we were serenaded by meadowlarks. Wonderful trip.



Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from Montana.







That ends our “post-Texas holiday.” Now it is time for our next adventure.

Tags: Utah, Idaho, Montana, Dillon, Countryside RV Park, Pioneer Scenic Byway, St. Regis, National Bison Range, Mission Mountains, Wildlife photography, Nature Photography, Old Trucks, Bird photography

Given a choice, we often choose not to take interstates, as the less-traveled paths often are more inviting. But heading west from Denver provides few alternatives, so we took the always-dependable I-70 West. With the sun at our back, the mountain peaks glistened with lots of bright white. And with the vibrant greens of meadows adding brilliant contrasts, it was just a beautiful journey. To top it off, we saw three (yes, I said three!) flocks of bighorn sheep (totaling at least 50 head) less than 100 yards from the road.

James Robb Colorado River State Park
We stopped for the night east of Grand Junction at James Robb Colorado River State Park. This is a beautiful park with the Colorado River running through it, with mountains surrounding three sides. We will stay here again.



On to Moab
We had a headwind all across Colorado, and it picked up once we left the state. But the traffic was light, the roads were decent, and the scenery made the trip a joy.

We have been to the Moab area three times before, and each time the temperature was above 100 degrees. In those past trips we spent our time exploring Arches National Park and stopping by the Moab Brewery to cool off. This time our objective was to explore Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park.

Normally, this area only gets 10 inches of rain a year, but during our four days it was cloudy and/or rainy most of the time, with temps mid 40s to low 60s. Nice to have things green and comfortable.

Dead Horse Point State Park
We stayed at a beautiful, brand-new campground. Big and level with views of the snowy-peaked La Sal mountains. Here is the view from the nature trail, curious Jack and his master, and a blooming cactus found along the way.









Dead Horse Point
According to legend, the point overlooking the canyon was once used as a corral for wild mustangs roaming the mesa. Cowboys rounded up these horses, herded them across the narrow neck of land and on to the point, and corralled them with branches and brush. Here cowboys would select the horses they wanted and release the rest. For reasons unknown, several horses were stranded in their corral and died of thirst 2,000 feet above the waters of the Colorado River.

We went a couple of times for the famed sunrise photography. Here is a nice shot Jan took into the sun, and a couple I took looking into the canyon reflections.







Canyonlands National Park
Consisting of 560,000 acres, Canyonlands is naturally divided by the Colorado and the Green River into three sections. The Maze is by far the least traveled, as it takes days of background 4-wheeling and rough camping to explore. Island in the Sky and the Needles are the other components.





Scenic Paved Drive
Like most tourists, we took the basic drive stopping at all designated areas and getting out and walking/hiking as appropriate. Here is a shot of Grand View and Holeman Spring Canyon.





Pucker Pass
When I first heard of Pucker Pass, I assumed it was name after someone such as a locally famous pioneer, meaning Pucker Pass was named after Peter Pucker or the like. However, once upon the steep, narrow, rocky road, I quickly felt that pucker was a verb and not a noun. Rocky and narrow, curvy and steep, it was just the type of “path” that Jan thrives on. We were the only ones on this “road” as we went down and around this “shortcut” to Moab. A ranger had alerted us that a boulder had fallen across the road but that you could drive underneath it, otherwise we may not have.









Shafer Canyon Road and Shafer Canyon Basin
I had read about the great views of Shafer Canyon, so we decided to take the dirt road that started on the top of the canyon and wound its way down to the canyon basin. If Pucker Pass was a 7 on the “Scary Road” scale, then the Shafer Trail was a 9…really steep in places…really skinny in others…and really rocky most of the way.







The Needles
From our campground at Dead Horse Point State Park to the Needles section of Canyonlands and back, we put on over 200 miles on this road trip. Lots of miles, but worth the effort.

Newspaper Rock Archaeological Site
On our way to the Needles, we stopped to take a look at Newspaper Rock, a petroglyph panel etched in sandstone that records approximately 2,000 years of human activity. Prehistoric peoples etched on the rock from B.C. to A.D. 1300. Ute and Navajo as well as European Americans made contributions. Unfortunately, scholars don’t know if it represents storytelling, doodling, hunting, ancient graffiti, or something else. Pretty cool.



Scenic Paved Drive
Once inside the park again, we took the Scenic Drive. Pretty trip, lots of nice scenery, but a long day.





Back in Moab, we treated ourselves to the Quesadilla Food Truck (Mitzy had her favorite—double cheese). Gorgeous scenery—wonderful trip—highly recommended

Old Trucks
Here are four old trucks from Moab.









See you next time.

Tags: James Robb Colorado River State Park, Colorado, Moab, Dead Horse Point State Park, Dead Horse Point, Shafer Canyon, Holeman Spring Canyon, Pucker Pass, Canyonlands National Park, Newspaper Rock, Old Trucks

Pueblo Lake State Park



Our drive from our campground in Taos to Pueblo State Park was uneventful, as was our stay. Only about 10 percent of this huge campground was open, and the main task of those of us camping/RVing was to stay warm. Jack loved his daily off-the-leash runs, though.

Chatfield State Park
After a couple of days, we headed north and parked at Chatfield Lake State Park. I said “parked” and not “camped,” as our G-kid babysitting duties ramped into gear. Kelly and Aaron had nine days in the UK planned, so we moved into their house to manage/guide/direct/cajole/influence/tolerate/beg our two grandkids. Get them up, feed them breakfast, make sure they have on clothes and clean faces, drive them to school, more of this and more of that, pick them up from school, transport them to football practice…lather, rinse, repeat. Wow, we were glad to see the tykes and happy to help Mom and Dad, but no tears were shed upon task completion.





Cherry Creek State Park
After three days, we moved the coach to the east side of Denver. Had a very nice snowfall and the chance to take a few pics.















Old Trucks







See you next time.

Tags: Colorado, Old Trucks, Wildlife photography, Nature Photography, Pueblo Lake State Park, Chatfield State Park, Cherry Creek State Park

Albuquerque
From Caballo Lake, we headed north on I-25, and then turned west on I-40 for about 15 miles to our new short-term lodging at Route 66 RV Resort, a part of Route 66 Casino. Big, new park with lots of empty sites during the off-season.

Big Day Trip to National Monuments



El Morro
Getting an early start, we drove 100 miles through light traffic on good roads to the dog-friendly El Morro National Monument arriving just a few minutes after the park opened at 9 a.m. After stopping at the visitor center, we took the short Inscription Rock Trail, first stopping at the pool and then on to Inscription Rock, where hundreds of travelers over the centuries carved their names into the rock…ancient Puebloan Indians, Spanish explorers, Jesuit priests, and American settlers of the Old West. El Morro was a very special place—the only source of fresh water for 100 miles. Many a traveler would have perished except for this oasis in the desert.





Some of our group took the trail to the top to view the ancient dwellings and kiva of the Anasazi.





Here are some other scenic shots of this impressive specimen.







El Malpais
Close to El Morro is the El Malpais National Monument. Malpais translates into “badlands,” and the term is used across the Southwest referring to all grounds with lava flows. Those of you who have visited and enjoyed the Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho would feel right at home here. We stopped at the huge visitor center just east of Grants, then headed south on Highway 117 stopping at Sandstone Bluffs for a picnic lunch. We then traveled back, heading south to our campgrounds.

New Mexico is very dry and the (mainly) westerly winds picked up midday, every day, at 20 miles an hour, with gusts up to 40 miles per hour—not grilling or campfire weather.

Taos
After a beautiful ride from Albuquerque, we headed north and a little east to set up camp at our favorite place, the Taos Monte Bello RV Park, just west of town a couple miles on US 64. Here is a sunrise shot from our campsite.



High Road to Taos
On our way to Taos, I sadly watched many old trucks along our route, starting at Espanola. Since it is crazy difficult to park the rig in most places, get out, shoot a photo, and get back in the coach without a hassle, I longingly watched as we passed by many good-looking old trucks. Therefore, the next morning, we loaded up the pups and retraced our previous route down to Espanola. About an hour down the road, we stopped at the Blue Heron Brewery, where I had a pint (Jan was driving). Just a little-bittie old building on the side of the road, but a great way to kickstart our journey.





A few miles further, and we spotted some old trucks a few hundred yards off the road. As we pulled up, out drove Anthony, the owner, his granddaughter, and his pup. He walked me around his prize trucks (he has plans to fix them all up). You will be seeing all of them up close in later blogs.





At the southern edge of Espanola, we found a dozen or so more classy old trucks—what a day! New Mexico is a wonderful old-truck-hunting area. We ended the morning with a couple of awesome taco platters (Jan had carne and I had fish) from a food truck. We then circled around to return, taking a section of one of the area's scenic drives, the High Road to Taos.



Enchanted Circle
On Easter morning, we took a day trip on another famous scenic drive, the Enchanted Circle.



This route travels around New Mexico’s largest mountain, Wheeler Peak, part of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range that spans from southern Colorado to the southern parts of New Mexico. Known for its incredible scenic beauty, we decided to confirm this hypothesis. The drive started by heading east on US 64 out of Taos, passing through the empty streets and unopened shops. As we went east, the elevation increased as we passed through the lush evergreen forest. The windy road climbs through Taos Canyon and into the Carson National Forest.

Once over Palo Flechado Pass at 9,101 feet, we descended out of the forests and into the Moreno Valley, arriving in the town of Angel Fire, where I found another old truck ripe for photographing.

We stopped briefly to admire the distinctive white, sail-like structure of the Vietnam Memorial, and then continued north on US 64, arriving in the town of Eagle Nest, nestled between New Mexico’s two highest peaks, the 12,441-foot Baldy Mountain and the 13,161-foot Wheeler Peak.

In Eagle Nest, our drive continued north on NM 38 up the valley. The road continued to climb NM 38 until it headed over Bobcat Pass and descended into the town of Red River, an old mining town.



The drive continued west on NM 38 toward Questa, passing between Wheeler Peak Wilderness and Latir Peak Wilderness. As luck would have it, we had the chance to see some bighorn sheep up close and personal. Always fun to shoot these handsome creatures.



Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from recent travels.







See you next time.

Tags: Albuquerque, El Morro, El Malpais, Taos, Espanola, Enchanted Circle, Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range, New Mexico, Carson National Forest, Wheeler Peak Wilderness, Latir Peak Wilderness, Eagle Nest, Nature Photography, Old Trucks, Inscription Rock

From Big Bend we headed north and west. First stopping at the Lost Alaskan in Alpine for one night, then rumbling through sprawling El Paso on I-10, and finally rolling to our stop in Las Cruces at the Sunny Acres RV Park.

White Sands National Monument
We headed out early one morning driving east one hour to one of our favorite places, White Sands National Monument. We arrived early in the morning with only a few other souls out wandering in the 35-degree weather. The cold temperature made no negative impact on Jack, as he raced up and down the gypsum dunes, running like a war horse headed for battle. Mitzy has been here many times, and I am not quite sure her perception of the place, but she hung out like a trooper, padding across the sand. Also, we were pleased to introduce Tucker the pup to the joys of sand slogging.













After our time at the Monument we headed east 15 miles into Alamagordo, stopping at the Pistachio Shop, and then enjoyed a nice breakfast before heading back to camp.

Organ Mountains Deserts Peaks National Monument
Just 30 minutes outside of Las Cruces is a little known national monument. In talking to the staff at the visitor center though, popularity is surging as the illustrious leader of the Department of the Interior has threatened to shrink or eliminate the monument—the publicity has more than doubled attendance! We arrived at the time the monument opened and hiked the Dripping Springs Trail.







From Las Cruces, we took I-10 West, turned onto 26 North at Deming, took 180 East, and then 61 to 152 to 35 to our next stay at Mountain Spirits RV Park.

Mimbres
Our park’s address was Mimbres, a tiny village about 20 miles east of Silver City, the nearest place for groceries and gas.

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
We made a day trip to the biggest attraction in the area, the Gila Cliff Dwelling National Monument. Although just 38 miles away, this curvy journey took over an hour and a half to get to. Because of its isolation, this stepchild of the National Park System gets only a tiny fraction of the attendance of its big brothers and sisters. However, that does not diminish the interest and the importance of this protected place where Mogollon Indians once lived. After hiking up to the ruins and touring the rooms we had a picnic at Lake Roberts on our return to camp.










Silver City
We enjoyed several short visits to Old Town in Silver City, checking out the architecture, having a beer at the Little Toad Creek Brewery, and enjoying a world-class Mexican meal at Jaliscos. Enjoyable, relaxing visit.

Caballo
From Mimbres, we headed south and east, and then back north to Caballo Lake, camping at Caballo Lake RV Park. We could walk to the lake from the campgrounds, and Jack enjoyed his time off leash. Our campground was neat as a pin, and the lady that owned and managed the place was a doll.



We took a day trip to Chloride, an almost (there were 5 residents) ghost town. The museum was especially interesting, as it was once a general store that was shut down, boarded up, hidden, and stayed exactly intact with its entire inventory for 70 years.





Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from the Mimbres area.







Great week!

See you next time.

Tags: White Sands National Monument, Las Cruces, Dripping Springs Trail, Organ Mountains Deserts Peaks National Monument, Mimbres, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Silver City, Caballo, Chloride, Old Trucks, pet photography, Nature Photography

Our tram tours ended, the work completed, and the gig was up. After four months in extreme SE Texas we pulled up stakes and plotted a new course. Our friends, Al and Carolyn, organized a farewell feast for us, and then we said our goodbyes and hit the road—time for the refugees to flee!

We took the tried and true trip to Harlingen, north on US 77, east on 70, north on 286, east on 357, and then east on 22 onto Padre Island. It rained most of the day with some occasional thunder and lightning, so we were happy that we found a site on the first-come, no-reservation Malaquite Campground overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.

Padre Island National Seashore
This national park stretches for 80 miles, ending at the Port Mansfield channel (no bridge). If you have 4-wheel drive, almost all of it is drivable. There are three very reasonably priced campgrounds in the park, plus open camping for free on the Gulf beach for 60 miles.





Walks on the Beach
From our site, we had a two-minute walk to the Gulf beach, where we were entertained by the antics of shore birds with the relentless murmur of seductive waves providing background music. Jack just loved his at least one-a-day runs through the sand.

Birding Trip
The park offered a free, two-hour birding tour which I participated in one morning. Just coming from a renowned birding area, I was pleased with the variety of birds we saw, especially the rare apolomado falcon.







Short Trips
We had the chance to explore most of the Park’s hot spots, and also took a daily 14-mile drive to the outskirts of Corpus Christi for Internet and Verizon connection. One time we headed north up to Mustang Island and Port Aransas, where they are in the middle of hurricane recovery.

Choke Canyon State Park
Soon it was time to head west, catching some of the beautiful wildflowers along the road through the west portion of Texas Hill Country. We stopped overnight at Rockin J RV Park in George West, and then on to Choke Canyon State Park. One of the nicest state parks we have ever stayed in—large sites with most all having a water view, easy water access, and lots of trails to explore.





Del Rio
After three pleasant days there, we headed west again, spending one night just outside of Del Rio at the Trav-L RV Park. Nothing fancy, just an overnighter to prepare and rest for our upcoming national park stay.

Big Bend National Park
We continued on 90 as it first headed north and then west over the Pecos River and through some gorgeous, but lonely countryside. Both traffic and winds were light, the road was (relatively) smooth, and the temperature mild—just about a perfect driving experience. We saw three javelinas roadside and one badger that stopped in the middle of the road, stared at us for 10 seconds then retreated back into the brush. After this pleasant journey we made it to our destination, Big Bend National Park. Once at the entrance, however, we still had 51 miles to go to get us to our Rio Grande Village campground. Here we dry camped with our good friends Kathie and Gary and their new canine sidekick, Tucker.

It had been four years since we visited the Park in a dry, windy November. Our March weather was much more pleasant with spring knocking on the door of the seasons. Cacti were showing their yellows and reds, and the vibrant ocotillo flowers added contrast to the mountain browns.



Campsite
A pair of gorgeous vermillion flycatchers claimed the territory that our campsite was within. We saw both mates snagging flies and other insects out of the air, with the male doing double-duty, chasing his mate (it is that season, you know) and running off other males attempting to invade his domain.



Hikes
We had the chance to do a few nice hikes during our stay. The Nature Trail at the edge of our campground started along a marsh, headed up a rocky hill, and ended at the Rio Grande. We saw a swamp rat and had a pretty vista to gaze at. The Boquillas Trail was also quite pleasant—after some ups and downs, it ended again at a canyon with the Rio Grande running through it. The Hot Springs Trail was also nice, ending up with the springs adjoining the river.



Walking Birding Tour
We took a ranger-led, hour-and-a-half, walking birding tour just a mile from our campground. Perfect weather, an excellent interpreter, and lots of birds made for a great morning. We saw kestrels, woodpeckers, vultures, and the rare (not so common) common black hawk.



Day Drives
We loaded up the pups and headed off for a couple driving tours. One day driving to the dinosaur exhibit, another taking the 21 miles back to Panther Junction, and then heading southwest taking the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive. After stopping for a picnic at Castolon, we headed west, stopping to view Santa Elena Canyon. We then took the road less traveled and looped back on Old Maverick Road, a rough gravel trek at 10-miles-an-hour to Panther Junction, and then another 21 miles back to camp.





A very interesting, pleasant, and peaceful four days.

Old Trucks
Finally found some old Texas trucks! Here is a good-looking toy truck and four others.











See you next time.

Tags: Bird photography, Old Trucks, texas, Padre Island, Harlingen, Castolon, Port Mansfield, Panther Junction, Nature Photography, Wildlife photography, Big Bend National Park, Choke Canyon State Park

We continue to enjoy the beautiful weather, greening landscape, and our interesting “jobs” here at the refuge.

Jan’s Painting
When not leading tours or working in the Visitor Center, Jan put her artistic talents to work. Here are two of her efforts in dressing up the refuge.





Ocelot Soirée
We attended as guests the annual Laguna Atascosa fundraiser held at the new Sea Turtle Center on South Padre Island. Beautiful location, well-organized event, with lots of money raised. Very happy to contribute to this meaningful event.

Ocelot Conservation Day
Most all of the Laguna Madre staff, interns, and volunteers worked to put on this one-day event at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville. Sihil, the 17-year-old female ocelot visiting from the Cincinnati Zoo was the main attraction.

The day started with a 5K Ocelot Race, and then visitors could learn lots and lots about ocelots at the numerous exhibits and information tables. The emphasis of the event was on getting little tykes excited about nature, so there was ocelot face painting, and ocelot mask-making, and four shows a day put on by Sihil and her trainers. Jan was one of the two face painters, working non-stop all day, doing over 100 faces. Jan’s mobile mural (pictured above) was a big hit with the little tykes. I had the fun job of being the roving photographer.











Cats
Here are three cats from our refuge RV neighbors.







Nilgai Rumble
It is mating season, and we have been seeing a lot of the exotic Nilgai, the antelope from India. Quite impressive creatures that are a pleasure to view as they lope across the Texas Serengeti. I’d read about how males face-off when in a courtship mood—they stand crazy close staring at each other, and then drop down to their knees and bang away. One day on a tram tour I was lucky enough to view it. The first pic shows these two tough guys ready to rumble and the second pic shows them going at it. Note the “coach” watching the action. Just amazing.







Tarantula



More Birds
Here is a hodgepodge of bird pics.



























Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from the Old Truck Reserve.







See you next time.

Tags: Laguna Atascosa NWR, texas, Bird photography, Nature Photography, South Padre Island, Old Trucks

All continues to go well at our winter home in far southeast Texas.

Quito Mazatlan
My friend John and I took a half-day trip to Quito Mazatlan over on the outskrits of McAllen. Here I took a 3-shot series of Kiscadees that was kind of fun.







The Tram Crew
Here is a shot of Jan and me with Dick, who drives us and up to 65 other passengers in the 90-foot tram along our 15-mile nature tour route.



Bobcats
Out on a tour we found Bobby, a young bobcat sitting in the middle of the road. He watched us for a good five minutes before walking away when his Mom (I guess) strolled by after him.





Blooming Yuccas
The yuccas have been in full bloom. Just gorgeous.









Nilgai
We have been seeing a lot of the exotic Nilgai, the antelope from India. Quite impressive creatures.





Other Pics
Here is an osprey, a white-tipped dove, and a white-tailed buck.







Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from the Old Truck Reserve.







See you next time.

Tags: Nature Photography, Wildlife photography, Old Trucks, texas, Quito Mazatlan, Laguna Atascosa NWR

Turtle Release
In my last blog I shared the details of the turtle rescue. Five days later, 50 surviving turtles were returned to the sea. Jan and I and several friends drove over to Padre Island to see this spectacle. We were especially anxious to see if "Barney," one of the four turtles we dipped from the deep, had survived the ordeal. We arrived a half hour before the scheduled event and had the chance to talk with several of the dedicated folks from Sea Turtle Inc.



After chatting about our roles in the rescue, they invited me to participate in the release. This unexpected honor was a blast. Two of us chosen ones grabbed the big guys and walked them into waist-high water (human level), and then let go as our captured reptiles flipped their way back home. Yes! Barney made it! (His unique barnacle square on top of his head was a dead giveaway.)





Santa Ana NWR
Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge is a sister refuge, west and south of us right on the Mexican border. Jan and I planned to be "mystery shoppers," checking out their refuge and comparing and contrasting it to Laguna Atascosa. We were especially interested in taking their tram tour so as to pick up a pointer or two. Alas, when we arrived, we learned that the tram driver was sick, and the tram was cancelled. So, we checked out their Visitor Center and walked a couple of their trails. Also got a nice picture of a chacalaca.



South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center
On another day a group of us drove over to the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center. Great place to view birds, as a series of boardwalks gets you right up into the action.





Around the Refuge
We continue to see lots of birds and critters on the tours and around the refuge. Here are some pics, including the rare aplomado falcon, a caracara, an armadillo, feral pigs, a green jay, a herd of nilgai, a stilt, and a rattlesnake that slithered across our yard, went under out Jeep, the headed over to rest by our neighbors.

















The yuccas are blooming all over, adding a nice touch of color to the browns and greens. Here is a photo of a white-tailed hawk atop a yucca flower.



Old Trucks
Here are two old trucks from the Old Truck Reserve.





See you next time.

Tags: Laguna Atascosa NWR, texas, Sea Turtles, Wildlife photography, Bird photography, Old Trucks, Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center

Like an aplomado falcon rocketing toward a meadowlark lunch, time does fly fast. It is hard to fathom that this is my 300th travel blog…onward!

Tour Update
We have worked into a rhythm doing our wildlife open tram tours. Unless days are miserable, we come close to filling the 62 seats with passengers. On one of our tours we had a reporter from the Brownsville Herald along—sharp guy, excellent writer, and a wonderful judge of character. This link goes to his write up:

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/premium/laguna-atascosa-refuge-opens-up-on-its-secrets/article_b63bc2bc-eb7d-11e7-b32f-9beace848926.html

Here are a few pics I have taken from our tours:













Undercover Thief Hits the Refuge!
Along with several other volunteers, we hang at "The Village" (not to be associated or compared in any way to the notorious and infamous "Villages" of Florida fame), where we relax and congregate after our hectic work schedules. Most are like family, and a strong level of trust is embedded in the fabric of our tribe. You can then imagine the shock and outrage that occurred when our women folk's "upper-body, strategic elastic underwear" started to disappear. False alarm—the culprit had just let things hang.



Winter Texan Appreciation Day
Jan and I drew the short straw (actually we volunteered) to man the Refuge booth at the annual Winter Texan Appreciation Day in Harlingen. "Winter Texan" is the Texas term for "Snow Bird." It doesn't take much time in Texas to learn that anywhere else on the planet an indigo snake is called an indigo snake. Down here it is a "Texas indigo snake" and tortoises are "Texas tortoises," and so on. They seem to have this big thing about branding.

As "boothers" it was our duty to spread the gospel of the refuge, talking about all the cool nature stuff we have to offer. It really went well—in two short hours we had conversations with 214 people! Here is a shot of Jan before the action commenced.



Fire!
The refuge uses controlled burns as a tool to (1) add nutrients to the soil, (2 ) slow down the takeover of invasive grasses, and, most importantly (3) greatly minimize out-of-control wild fires. Here are a few pics taken from the tram during a recent controlled burn.







Longtime readers know that I occasionally "paint" photos with software in an attempt to make them a tad more artsy. I mention this because the last fire photo above "The Fire Man" is untouched except for a slight crop. The painterly appearance is just a result of the heat, smoke, and wind.

Turtle Rescue
The crazy cold weather we have been having is crazy hard on the sea turtles. Some (too many) become stunned from the frigid waters and end up floating with the current, becoming more lethargic with each passing wave.

I joined Captain Katrina and our friend Nikki, the versatile intern, aboard the good ship Thornscrub Princess, a flats boat powered by a 115 Evinrude outboard on a quest to rescue some of these beautiful creatures before death overtook their weary souls. Wearing long underwear, heavy socks, blue jeans, hiking boots, four shirts, one vest, three coats, a ski band, a wool beanie, two face masks, and a life preserver, I sat up front as we gently launched into a 33-degree temperature, with 20-mph winds, and three-foot seas to the Laguna Madre. I was tasked as the starboard lookout, looking for anything floating in the sea shaped like the round wooden shields of the 13th-century barbarian hordes.

After about 30 minutes, I felt like a half-slab of beef left in the locker freezer over the weekend. I have never been this cold, and the rest of the crew admitted the same. Yet, when a turtle was spotted, Captain K. got us close, I netted the turtle, and then Nikki helped me deposit our catch gently into the boat. We operated as smoothly as the Jamaican bobsled team—position, net, release, repeat. Oh, I wish you could have seen this poetic performance…it would have brought tears to your eyes and elicited "bravos" from your lips.

Finally, we headed back, alerting our people (Dick and Jan) of our expected return, and they met us with the rescue van when we pulled out of the water. We quickly relocated the really cold turtles into the van and Dick drove Nikki, Jan, me, and our four guests to Turtle Inc., on South Padre Island, the turtle rescue folks. Here they checked-in the new patients and started them on their path the recovery. Wonderful experience.









More Pics
Here are a few more shots taken at the Refuge.









Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from the Old Truck Reserve.







See you next time with Blog 301.

Hard to believe, but we had been at the Refuge for almost two months—time for a break! We cranked up the coach and took the easy 40-minute trek over to the KOA on South Padre Island.

KOA
The KOA is right over the causeway from the mainland, right on Laguna Madre, with views of the Gulf and South Bay. We watched out our front windows to see white ibis and roseate spoonbills feeding on the mud flats.

Pier 19
Another benefit of our location is that Pier 19, the over-the-water restaurant, adjoins the KOA property and is a three-minute walk from our coach. Good, reasonably priced food and drinks that you can enjoy while watching pelicans, shorebirds, and tourists heading out to fish, watch dolphins, or play pirate.

Runs on the Beach
If you head north on Highway 100, you soon reach the end of the road. With sand all around, one is bordered by Laguna Madre on the west and the Gulf of Mexico on the east. Here I let Mitzy loose and let Jack run wild on the light-brown sand. While we were playing, Jan picked up trash.



Sea Turtle Rescue
Just down the road is the Sea Turtle Rescue. As the name implies, they rescue sea turtles in need, nurture them back to health, and then release them or provide permanent homes for those unable to return to the wild.

Best-Laid Plans
We had plans to go to the beach another time or two, visit the birding center, and do more general exploring. Alas, the temperature dropped like cash at a casino (all the way down to 49 degrees), the mist/light rain gained momentum like a lead dog at the Iditarod, and the winds picked up like politicians at a rally. So, we buttoned up, settled down like bears entering hibernation, and headed back to Pier 19.

More Bird Pics from the Refuge
Here are an American avocet, a black-necked stilt, a ladderback woodpecker, a red-tailed hawk, a mourning dove, and a royal tern.













Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from the Old Truck Reserve.







See you next time.

Tags: texas, Laguna Atascosa NWR, Bird photography, pet photography, Old Trucks, South Padre Island, Laguna Madre

Oh, Christmas Tree
With lots of help from our young neighbor, John Harvey, we got our Christmas tree up, trimmed, and lighted. In South Texas, snow is something youngsters only see on TV—except for this year! Only the third snow in 125 years fell and, combined with the famous Texas wind, blew down our Monument to the Seasons. Oh well, it quickly warmed and the tree was restored (and bolstered by the addition of more bricks).







BRRRRRRRRR!
I took a short trip to the north country—visiting the Detroit area for work. Great client, but the weather was dreary, cold, and snowy—had an unexpected weather stayover in Dallas, but made it back to Brownsville eventually. Great to be back.

Stray Dogs
We like this area a lot—beautiful area populated with lots of good people. However, on a sad note, too many people discard their pets like trash into a bin—dropping them off in the country to fend for themselves. Often they link up with other strays for comraderie and protection. Our friends here at the Refuge have taken the lead in supporting the dogs’ survival: daily feeding the strays and also paying the vet bills on one pup and making it adoptable. The county constable also feeds this crew and we carry a 50-pound bag of whatever-is-on-sale dog food in the back of our Jeep. Guess it does take a village.

One worn down, tail-dragging, blind-in-one-eye pup wandered into the Refuge. Nikki quickly provided food, water, and comfort. On a strong note, John Harvey’s family adopted this pup. He is in good hands.



Speaking of pups, here is a shot of a brown dog (well taken care of) that daily guards the entrance to its master’s ranch.



Birds and Critters
Here are more animal pics taken at the Refuge—Jan’s favorite is the close up of the Caracara—she says he looks like the Shah of Iran!













Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from the Old Truck Reserve.







See you next time.

Tags: Old Trucks, Wildlife photography, pet photography, texas, Brownsville, Bird photography

We are enjoying our stay at the wildlife refuge--nice to be experiencing an area we had never explored. Our tours have started, and so far, so good.

Birds
Here are a few shots of birds we have seen. In order, great kiscadee, kestrel, great blue heron, and roadrunner:









Horse Crippler
Here is a photo of a rare cactus, the Horse Crippler--any guesses why it has this name?



Texas Tortoise
Here is a Texas tortoise, related to the gopher tortoises found in Florida. Kind of boxy, but cute.



Nilgai
Last time I posted a male Nilgai. This week it is a female chowing down.



Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from the Old Truck Reserve.







See you next time.

Tags: texas, Nature Photography, Bird photography, Old Trucks, Laguna Atascosa NWR

The Journey
From Pride RV in Waynesville, we headed south and west staying at the Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park near McCalla, Alabama, the Pavilion RV Park in West Monroe, Louisiana, the New Adventure RV Park and Horse Hotel outside of Coldspring Texas, and the Gateway to the Gulf RV Park in Coldspring, Texas, before reaching our winter destination at the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, about 30 miles north of Brownsville and near Los Fresnos, Texas.



Laguna Atascosa NWR
An informal greeting committee met us as we passed the entrance sign and drove into the refuge—five roadrunners strutted across the road in front of us (one at a time) in what appeared to be a welcoming procession. Native Americans consider the Greater Roadrunner sacred, so we took their presence as a powerful omen and a sign of good luck—it’s gonna be a great stay!



The Refuge
Laguna Atascosa is roughly 100,000 acres consisting of four parcels of land. It is a world-class birding location with over 400 avian species either staying there year ‘round, wintering, or stopping off their migratory path for a few days of rest and fueling up for the next leg of
their journey. It is also the home of several endangered and threatened species—check out https://www.fws.gov/refuge/laguna_atascosa/.

Here is a recent article on the ocelot and the refuge:
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2017/11/21/ocelots-try-survive-world-barely-knows-they-exist/824032001/.

Here are a few bird pics I have taken since we arrived. In order is the green jay, mockingbird, Harris’s hawk, and a long-billed thrasher. Quite good looking, don’t you think?









Our Gig
Jan and I are the “interpreters” for the wildlife tours. We will be hosting three-hour tram tours that go through four different habitats of the refuge along a 15-mile route. All kinds of cool critters live along the way. Below is a shot of the majestic caracara I shot on a practice run. Also, the refuge is home of nilgai (pronounced “nil’ guy”), an antelope on steroids (they weigh up to 600+ pounds)—an exotic species native to Pakistan and India. Below is a photo of a male.





View from Our Campsite
We live in the Volunteer Village on the refuge, a very nice RV campground with 11 sites for the volunteers. We have a wonderful view in which to check out nature in action. Jack and Mitzy also love to just sit and scope out the carousel of critters that come through our backyard from time to time. Here is a shot of Jack in critter-watching mode, an armadillo, Stretch the Texas indigo snake (he’s a good one), a Mexican ground squirrel, and Angelina the javelina.











Eight-Legged Friend
It is our habit, when time allows, to take a family drive in the late afternoon to look for sights to see and critters to capture with the camera. Jan usually drives, Jack has the backseat, and I sit shotgun with Mitzy on my lap with my camera on a bean bag pointing out the window.

One day as we were driving down the road, Jan cranks the wheel and does a 180-degree turn. She jumps out the door to rescue a tarantula that was trying to cross a busy road (his odds of not being splat were quite poor). She pulls her sweatshirt sleeve down over her right hand, lowers it to the ground, and the tarantula clings on. Jan walks over to the opposite shoulder of the road and shakes her arm to free her rescued friend. The tarantula is not easily released and slowly starts to trek up Jan’s arm. I yell at her to stop so that I can take a picture, but when the big guy reaches her shoulder and her attempts to loosen her eight-legged buddy are unsuccessful, she whips off her sweatshirt, throws it to the ground, and runs back to the car wearing just her sports bra on top. Of course, I got the shot, loosened the grip of our new friend, and returned the sweatshirt to Jan to put on before traffic overtook us.



Old Trucks
Here are two old trucks from the Old Truck Reserve.





See you next time.

Tags: texas, Nature Photography, Bird photography, pet photography, Old Trucks, Laguna Atascosa NWR, Los Fresnos

Columbus, Indiana
From Goshen, we headed south to Columbus, Indiana, to stay a couple of nights at Columbus Woods-N-Water Campground. Nice and quiet, and guess what?—it is surrounded by woods and water—nice to experience truth in advertising.

Glasgow, Kentucky
From Columbus, we headed south in the rain (hurricane aftermath) down I-65 to Bailey’s Point Campground, another Corps of Engineer campground at Barren River Lake (about an hour south of Mammoth Cave National Park). It is a heavily wooded campground beside a huge lake—solitude abounds. They have an interesting tradition at the campgrounds that we just missed out on. The second weekend of October every year they have a “Boo Fest,” where most all campers decorate their campground sites for Halloween and many of them go all out. To many folks, this is a tradition—a chance to get together with friends and outdo each other on decorations. All kinds of activities are planned. The local kids have a break, so the place is exciting as well as quite scary! We left on Friday morning missing out on the main excitement.

Kentucky is the home of narrow winding roads, tasty bourbon, and fields of tobacco. Here is a shot of one of the cool tobacco barns.



Chinese Buffet
The little town of Glasgow is kinda quaint, but limited in what it has to offer to sophisticated travelers like us. :’) With really low expectations on my part, we stopped for lunch at the China King and had their buffet for $7 a person. Just amazing! Really, really, good. There were close to 40 pans of really tasty Schezuan-style food. From zippy hot-and-sour soup to crab and shrimp and dozens of noodle dishes—wonderful stop.

Waynesville, NC
From Glasgow, I let the Google Maps take us the shortest route to Waynesville, NC—my bad. We poked along very narrow, very curvy blacktops for a couple hours. Beautiful country, but poor Jan was driving the bus and had to be on full alert as she guided us along the way at 15 miles an hour tops.

We chose Waynesville because of its close proximity to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and access to the Blue Ridge Parkway. We had talked about seeing the colors here for years and had planned on it the year the government and the national park system were shut down. This time we made it. Our Pride RV Resort campground was just seven minutes from Maggie Valley decorated to the hilt for the fall season and Halloween—you couldn’t go ten feet without seeing pumpkins, witches, and other scary decorations. There were lots of antiques—here is a sign I found intriguing. The old trucks you will see later all came from Maggie Valley.



Dog Park
Waynesville has a nice dog park within a manicured city park that we took the pups to several times. Here is a shot of a resting Golden.



Great Smoky Mountains National Park
We had allotted one specific day to do a full-court press on shooting the fall colors. Alas, just as we had the car loaded, the rain came—first a soft mist, then a sprinkle, and the occasional downpour. However, we were out of the campground before sunrise (which never came), drove through Maggie Valley, and turned west on the Blue Ridge Parkway winding our way to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center inside the Great Smoky Mountain NP.* The ranger was helpful but not hopeful as we discussed possible destinations. He said it was not the best year for fall colors because the very warm temperatures a few months back had a big impact. He also said that because of the rain, rising winds, and lousy visibility, we may not be able to absorb the usual experience of the park. Hey, we were there, so we headed north driving adjacent the Oconaluftee River. We first stopped at the Mingus Mill, once the only grist mill for miles around. It was pouring rain, but we all got out of the car to check things out. After five minutes, both pups were doing their impression of drowned rats, and with gloomy looks led us back to the car. We drove for another hour, seeing a few colors along the river, but saw nothing but bright gray as we passed by the scenic pullouts. We accepted defeat, but decide to try again the next day.





*Depending upon your perspective, this where the Blue Ridge Parkway ends at Milepost 469. The Blue Ridge Parkway is its own National Park that for 469 miles links the Shenandoah National Park with the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in the south, starting in the northern part of Virginia and ending at the southern part of North Carolina.

Blue Ridge Parkway
Fortunately, we had another day to explore. This time we drove through Maggie Valley but turned left instead of right on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was a chilly 40 degrees but the sky was clear to partly cloudy—great day for a road trip. We took the Parkway for over 40 miles. We have heard horror stories about the horrendous crowds in both the Smoky Mt. Park and the Parkway during prime season. Being there on a weekday just off season had its perks—traffic was light making things much more enjoyable.

We stopped at Waterrock Knob where Jack and I hiked the trail to the top to admire the views. Truth in advertising again—the literature stated steep and rocky and it was spot on! Nice views from the summit.

From there we stopped at several turnouts and gushed out an “ooh” or an “ahh” when appropriate. At the Pisgah Mountain, we turned around taking the back way to Waynesville and then on to our camp. Beautiful trip—I can only imagine what it must look like in a prime year! We hope to find out.









Old Trucks
Here are five old trucks from Maggie Valley.

Tags: Nature Photography, pet photography, Kentucky, Glasgow, Bailey’s Point Campground, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Waynesville, North Carolina, Blue Ridge Parkway, Waterrock Knob, Old Trucks, Waynesville

Loveland, CO
From Cherry Creek State Park, we took the short trip north to Boyd Lake State Park. As the name implies, the main attraction at this state park is the lake. We had a nice lake view from our site and enjoyed the many paths on which we walked the pups.

Day Trip: RMNP
Being this close, we couldn’t resist the opportunity of visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. We have been there many times, but every time is worthwhile. We took the one-way, dirt road up to the Alpine Visitor Center, and then circled back on the main drag. On the way up, we stopped by a stream and Jan built (I helped) a cairn in memory of her cousin Harlan.





Ft. Collins, CO
Another short drive north put us into the Ft. Collins KOA on the northwest part of the town by a major reservoir. On Labor Day, we hooked up with old Pine Island friends who have a house in Ft. Collins for a nice lunch.

Day Trip: State Forest State Park
We took scenic Highway 14 north and west bordering the Cache la Poudre along the way to State Forest State Park. North and west of Rocky Mountain National Park this isolated area is one of the prettiest places in one of the prettiest states. As we approached the park we saw three really big moose in the exact spot we viewed them several years earlier (hey, they might have been the same ones!). After a nice lunch at Walden, we worked our way back to camp.



McCook, NE
From Ft. Collins, we took 14 east to 6 east and found a “city” park in McCook. The small park has sites big enough for big rigs and 50-amp power. They do this as a public service—camping is free except for tips. You certainly could tell you were in the Midwest, because about every fourth vehicle you meet is a tractor, combine, or other motorized farm implement.

Fairbury, NE
Continuing east across the plains, we camped overnight at the Rock Creek Station Recreation Area. Another isolated but very pretty setting.

Osceola Iowa: Casino #1
Continuing east and north we spent a night south of Des Moines, at the Waterside Casino campground. Clean and easy to navigate—good one-nighter.

Coralville, Iowa
Our next stop in eastern Iowa was the Coralville Dam, another Corp of Engineer campground built along Coralville Lake. Huge sites, great views—very relaxing…we spent several days there and will come back again.





Day Trip: Casino #2
We drove south for an easy half hour to meet my two sisters for lunch outside of the town of Riverside at the Riverside Casino. Great catching up on families and a pretty good buffet!

Joliet Illinois: Casino #3
There are relatively few RV parks or campgrounds in this area, and the Hollywood Casino is probably the best.

Kalamazoo, Michigan
From Joliet, we headed east and dropped the coach off at the Thor factory service center in Wakarusa, Indiana, on a Friday mid-day. With our two pups and a loaded jeep, we drove an hour-and-a-half mainly north to spend time with a longtime friend. We had the chance to enjoy beautiful weather and reconnect with many old friends.

Trip to South Haven
Other good friends had recently built a house in South Haven, a two-minute walk to Lake Michigan. We timed dinner right so that we took in a beautiful sunset from their private beach.







Dog Park
As always, we enjoy a dog park whenever we get the chance.





Goshen, Indiana
We drove back down to Wakarusa, picked up the coach, and drove the 30 minutes into Elkhart for the yearly chassis service. After checking out this town for three hours during the servicing, we picked up the coach and headed south and east to Goshen. Here we set up camp at the Elkhart County Fairgrounds to attend a five-day Thor Diesel Rally of 135 coaches similar to ours. Lots of seminars, get-togethers, and group meals. They had a dog parade in which Jan made costumes for both Mitzy and Jack. I think the judging was rigged, as it was apparent to anyone with class that Mitzy should have won the best costume, with Jack a close second. Oh, well, we didn’t like the prizes anyway.



Old Trucks
Here is an old truck shot in Michigan.



See you next time.

Tags: Loveland, CO, Cherry Creek State Park, Boyd Lake State Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, fort collins, Colorado, State Forest State Park, Nebraska, Iowa, Waterside Casino, Coralville Lake, Riverside Casino, Hollywood Casino, Kalamazoo, Michigan, pet photography, Wildlife photography, Nature Photography, Old Trucks

From Cheyenne Mountain State Park we took the short drive up to Cherry Creek State Park on the eastern side of Denver. Bigger than Central Park in NYC, it shares the status of being right in the city of Denver, so one is close to just about everything. Nice, spacious campsites, trails everywhere, water to swim in or fish—just a wonderful place to stay.

Dog Park
Regular readers know how impressed I am with the quality (and size) of the off-leash dog parks in Colorado, and the Cherry Creek State Park dog park is right at the top of the list. Below are a few pics taken over several visits.













Football
Austie’s flag football team was undefeated for the season, and we got the chance to see the championship game.







Fishing
Jan and I (mostly Jan) watched the G-kids a few times over our stay in Denver. During an overnight stay at our campground, we took Austie and Nattie out fishing. Everybody had a great time.





Total Solar Eclipse



Early Preparation
I knew total solar eclipses were cool, but I hadn’t considered them at a “bucket list” level. Then over lunch one day (about three weeks before the eclipse), I saw a TED video of a scientist who made the case that viewing a total eclipse should be one of life’s top priorities. As he described the visual treats he saw, the totally unexpected sounds, and the intense feeling he experienced, I changed my mind. Doing a little research, I found that Denver was not far from the path of totality (200+ miles or so), so I vowed to make the journey, if at all possible. There were three main challenges:

1. Total Eclipse Glasses: Now this seemed easy, at first. Should be able to pick up a couple pair for a couple of bucks each…not! These special glasses were sold out everywhere. However, getting close to giving up (down to eight days), I found that the Grease Monkey chain (quick oil changes) was giving them away as a special promotion. I called and found that the last two pair within Colorado were at a location 20 minutes away. We jumped in the Jeep, and when we arrived I put Mitzy in my arms (hey, she is quite persuasive) and went in. The person I met hemmed and hawed a little (he said people were lined up before store opening to get their glasses), and I just kept saying how much we appreciated it and petting Mitzy. Finally, after smiling at the cute pup in my arms, he miraculously found two pair tucked away in the back of a cabinet. I thought about hugging him, but a grease joint is a macho place. Challenge Number 1 handled.

2. Lodging: As you probably guessed, hotels, motels, B&Bs, RV parks, and campgrounds were all jacking up prices (e.g., they were asking $1,200 for one night at a Motel 6!) and most all were sold out. We had decided upon going to Scottsbluff, Nebraska (all the people I had talked to said they were going to Wyoming), and I called the tourism center, the visitor bureau, the Scottsbluff National Monument, the Chamber of Commerce, and even with local knowledge could find nothing available that cost less than a first-class ticket to London. However, checking back three days before the event, a private rancher was advertising dry camping spots for $75—sold! Challenge Number 2 handled.

3. Photographing the Eclipse. Ideally you use a special solar eclipse filter, or the poor man’s version is solar eclipse film that you use to cobble together a homemade filter. I did not anticipate an issue until going to the B&H website and finding all options were out of stock, and all were backordered and not anticipated to arrive soon. Well, of course, I checked out Adorama, Amazon, and a dozen other places. Next, I called camera stores. Finally, I decided, “Oh, well, I can document the spectacle. Furthermore, I could shoot filterless during the one-minute-and-forty-two seconds of the total eclipse—good enough. Challenge Number 3 partially mediated.

Getting There
There were lots of horror stories about 600,000 people leaving Colorado and heading north to Wyoming or northeast to Nebraska for the total solar eclipse. So, we had some mixed emotions and a little angst and prepared ourselves mentally for possible traffic gridlock. In an attempt to at least minimize the potential pain, on Sunday we got the coach ready, and by 6:40 a.m. we were heading out of the park on our 214-mile trek to Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Traffic on I-225 was light, modest on 70 East, and almost nothing on East I-76. Highway 52 was wide open, and although a little rough at times, we kept a good pace as we passed through the gentle fields of the Pawnee National Grassland. 71 East was quiet and smooth—almost lonely! We stopped at the Kimball Diner for breakfast (50% locals after church with the remainder Eclipse Hunters). 71 north of Kimball was a just-paved, four-lane road, smooth…easy-peasy.

We kept seeing signs along the road saying, “Expect Heavy Traffic,” but even stopping off at the diner, our journey was only four hours.

Once set up in our grassy field, we decided to check out the Scottsbluff National Monument, where Jan got her passport stamped, and then went on to adjoining Legacy of the Plains. We then drove around looking for the best place to view the eclipse and decided that where we were staying was just fine.





Preparation
I decided I would set up two cameras and attempt to get photos and video footage during the one-minute-and-forty-two seconds of the total eclipse. I was a little nervous, as it didn’t seem wise, as I had only seconds to adjust the tripod, frame the sun, manually focus, and shoot the eclipse.

At 10:25 the partial eclipse started, and Jan and I watched the changing shadows every few minutes for over an hour—very cool. Our only regret was that our Grease Monkey shades weren’t very sexy, and there were very few people that were envious.

At about 11:47, I started the video. At 11:48, the full eclipse started, and with both cameras I quickly took off the lens caps, adjusted the tripods to frame the sun, and then manually focused for the one-minute-and-forty-two-second duration.

At least I wasn’t skunked! Here are two photos I took of the total eclipse.





If you’d like to see the 3:22 second video featuring Janny’s play-by-play commentary, click here. Note that there is only audio for the first one minute or so.

The Trip Back
After lunch (our host kindly fed us hot dogs, hamburgers, and the trimmings), and then we were off. Yes, there was some going-so-slow-you-could-shine-your-shoes moments, but we still made it home in slightly over five hours.

Unbelievable experience! We are ready for Total Eclipse 2024. How about you?

See you next time.

Tags: Dog Parks, Colorado, Cherry Creek State Park, Total Solar Eclipse, Scottsbluff, Nebraska, Scottsbluff National Monument, pet photography, Nature Photography

We took the easy but slow hour-and-a-half journey from the Chatfield State Park campground in SW Denver to the Cheyenne Mountain State Park campground in SW Colorado Springs, about 10 miles south of the Air Force Academy and close to the Cheyenne Mountain of NORAD fame.

The last time we camped here was when the big fire burned a few years ago, with soaring temperatures, darkened skies, and the ever-present smell of heavy smoke. We could clearly see the fires that threatened the Air Force Academy and much of the Colorado Springs area. This year was much different. Heavy winter snows and lots of spring rain kept everything a bright green color. It rained almost every day, and hail touched the ground twice during our stay. The park has a heavy population of rabbits, deer, prairie dogs, and wild turkeys for the pups to watch and try to chase. In addition, a juvenile bear was sited directly behind our site, but we never saw him.

Here is a view from our campsite.



Dog Parks
Like so many places in Colorado, the area has several very nice off-leash dog parks. Here are a few dog pics from our stay (including one bluebird that lives in one of the parks).
































Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from the Old Truck Reserve.







See you next time.

Tags: Colorado, Colorado Springs, Cheyenne Mountain State Park, nature photography, pet photography, Old Trucks

From the Ouray KOA we went north on 550 past Ridgway to Montrose, where we fueled up and headed east on 50 through the Curecanti National Recreation Area, past Gunnison and turning north on 285 just a few miles west of Salida. We then went up north a few miles to spend one night at our Chalk Creek Campground in Nathrop. The next morning, we took 285 north until turning east on 24 through Hartsel, Florissant, Woodland Park, and over to Colorado Springs. It had been a few years since we took 24, and I had forgotten what a wonderful trip it was. We headed north on I-25, then took 85 north, Titan Road, and finally, Roxborough Road.

Mt. Evans Day Trip



This is a Colorado Scenic Byway that we had never been on before. My buddy, Mers, and I took the back roads that were, well—scenic! It is the highest paved highway in the US, is the home of the highest observatory in the US, and bighorn sheep and mountain goats may have the highest level of people comfort of any herds in the US. Just another gorgeous Colorado destination.









RMNP Double-Dip
One day, Mers accompanied us on the road less traveled—up the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. We were especially hunting moose, and we were not disappointed.



On another day, Mers, John, and I took a trip up the east side of RMNP through Estes Park. We did a big circle taking the Old Fall River Road, a one-way dirt road up to the Alpine Visitor Center and came back on the paved, but spectacular, Trail Ridge Road. I never get tired of this place. Here is a shot of a mountain view, the almost-always present elk, and a yellow-bellied marmot.







G-Kid Sports
Camping close to the G-kids, we had a chance to see Nattie’s soccer and Austie’s football.









Chatfield Dog Park
Of course, we visited this amazing dog park.









Old Trucks
Here are a couple of trucks from the trips to RMNP.





See you soon.

Tags: Rocky Mountain National Park, Chatfield State Park, Mt. Evans, Colorado Scenic Byway, Estes Park, pet photography, Old Trucks

From our Priest Gulch campground, we headed north on 145 through Rico and upon reaching Placerville we headed east on 62 to Ridgway and then south on 550 to our Ouray KOA just north of Ouray. Curvy and steep, but another beautiful drive.

This is another very nice campground in an even nicer location. Ouray is a classy old mining town with a lot of tourist appeal, and just seven miles away is the old cowboy town of Ridgway. Scores of trails to hike and forest roads to explore.

Red Mountain Road Trip
We headed south on Highway 550 (The Million Dollar Highway), and then turned south onto Red Mountain Road, another beautiful scenic byway. As we climbed higher and higher on this hairpin-loving road, the spring flowers appeared, providing a palette of color on the mountainside. Close to the top we had to pull over as a rushing stream cut the road in two.





Here is a view from the mountain.



Last Dollar Road Trip



We took another fun road trip on the Last Dollar Road to Telluride. There was a hard rain the night before, so we were going through “puddles,” with some large enough to dunk a Holstein (well, it seemed that way when we drove through them). Wonderful time!









Old Trucks
Here is an old Ridgway fire truck and an old rescue truck from Ouray.





See you next time!

Tags: California, Ouray, Red Mountain, Ridgway, telluride, Last Dollar Road, Old Trucks

From Blue Spruce, we dropped down and around through Durango, up to Mancos, sliding through Dolores, and out into the boonies to our Priest Gulch Campground.

Priest Gulch
This is one gorgeous campground with the rushing Dolores River sloshing and spilling right through the middle.



Trails
Great trails all around.







Of course, the Pups love the hikes.







4th of July Parade
Over Independence Day we ventured up to Rico for an old-fashioned parade.









Old Trucks
Here are two old trucks from the Old Truck Reserve.





See you soon.

Tags: Priest Gulch, Colorado, Dolores River, Hiking, Old Trucks

On to Vallecito
From our Nathrop campground we headed south on 285 for 80 miles, west on 112 for 31 miles, took 160 west for 99 miles, then 501 for 18 miles, and finally took 500 for 1.8 miles. Lots of up and downs, around and overs, as we herded the coach over some of the most gorgeous terrain in the country. We ended up about 30 miles northeast of Durango, adjoining the San Juan National Forest and the banks of Blue Spruce Lake.

Blue Spruce RV Park
Previously, we had stayed five times in the general area and twice at this RV Park. Yes, we love the area and this park is one of our favorites. Once again, we were at 8,000 feet in this beautifully shaded campground with enough hummingbirds to sound like a drone convention. Along with the hummers there were hundreds of chippers and squirrels, deer galore, and many, many yellow-bellied marmots. Both Vallecitio Lake and nearby Lemon Lake are great places to picnic, stroll, and let the Pups run down by the water.











Old Train
One of the most famous attractions in this area is the Durango-Silverton train. The Pups and I dropped Jan and visiting friend, Bert, at the Durango Train Station, and then we drove up to Silverton. Three hours later we picked them up, had a nice lunch, and then drove back to Blue Spruce. The scenery is magnificent and the train ride a must-do.







While touring Silverton, we found some nice views, including this old door.





Trails
One of the very nice things about this area is the abundance of trails within the San Juan National Forest. Just one mile from the campground is the Vallecito Trail, located in the Weminuche inside the San Juan National Forest. Also, several trails are located along Middle Mountain Road that eventually leads to the ghost town of Tuckerville. One day Jack and Mitzy and I drove to the barricade and hiked our way back into the setting where this town once existed.





Old Pot
While picnicking at Lake Lemon, Jan found this treasure of an old pot, which quickly became a flower repository.



Old Trucks
Here are two old trucks taken in Silverton.






See you soon.

Tags: Vallecito, Lemon Lake, Blue Spruce, Nature Photography, San Juan National Forest, Durango-Silverton train, Silverton, Old Trucks

North to Colorado
Leaving Cochiti Lake we backtracked south, got on I-25 North, took the 599 bypass, and continued north on 285. Our plan was to take 285 north all the way to Highway 17 just a few miles into Colorado and continue the 12 miles to our campground. Good plan…good roads…only 158 miles. However…driving a few miles past Espanola, I noticed that the highway sign I spotted did not declare Highway 285 as expected. It said Highway 68. Oops! A ways back we turned slightly right instead of slightly left. No big deal, I thought, thinking that there had to be several east-west highways that could get us quickly back on track. Not bothering to check my maps, Jan plugged in the phone Google Map and we followed their plan.

It told us to take 570 North, then 115 North to 567 West, where we would then link back up to 285 at Taos Junction. Sounded straightforward. However, a few alarm bells started to chime in the back of my head immediately upon getting on to 570, as the road was very narrow, very steep, and very curvy. One had to hug the middle of the road, look way ahead for oncoming traffic, and use both lanes in certain areas. So, it was a slow and a little tense driving. However, the views were spectacular.

In many places the road was less than twenty yards from the waters of the Rio Grande and almost at eye level. We were in the Rio Grande Norte National Monument and on the Taos Indian Reservation—beautiful country. We passed several campgrounds, and one of them (Pilar) looked big enough to camp in—we will consider in the future.

Back to our journey: We slowly wound our way around and were within a mile-and-a-half of linking up to our next road when we spotted a tall, very skinny bridge crossing the Rio Grande. Jack and I got out to explore. The good news was that the one-lane bridge was tall enough to pass under, and there was no sign stating a weight limit (that was probably a good sign). We walked over the bridge and saw that the narrow dirt road on the other side appeared to go straight up into the mountain—a 12%, or more, grade.

After staring at this scenario for 30 seconds, I waved down a local. He said the road was passable for many vehicles, except that the first curve was a doosey, and no way we could take the coach. So, on to Plan B. We backtracked down to Highway 68, turned east instead of west and took it all the way through Taos. From there we took 64 West, passed the Taos Brewing Company, over the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, and on to Tres Piedras, where we picked up 285, entered Colorado, and went on to our campground. Another small adventure.

Antonito, Colorado
Conejos River Campground is one of our favorites. It sits along the Conejos River and adjacent to the San Juan Mountains and the Rio Grande National Forest. At 8,500 feet there are views of mountains from all sides. I really like walking the pups down to the river and letting them run off leash. We had a nice time visiting with Pam and Gary, the owners, and told them we look forward to our next visit.

From here we turned east back to Antonito, and then north on 285. There were snow-capped mountains all along the way of this scenic drive.

Nathrop, Colorado



We have been to the Chalk Creek Campground many times over Memorial Day, and it has turned into a family tradition with the G-kids and their mom and dad driving down from Parker (SE side of Denver) spending the long weekend with us. We handpicked our site a year in advance finding a large one directly on the river, close to the playground, with a big fire ring for roasting ‘smores and telling tales. Here is a pic I shot from our galley window.



There are lots of things to do in this area: hot springing, horseback riding, rafting, water sliding, paddling, ghost-towning, mountain viewing, duck racing, candy bar bingo-ing, playgrounding, scenic driving, hot-dog roasting, and ‘smors-ing, to name a few. This year both Natalie and Austie won at the big Candy Bar Bingo event.







Alas, none of our ducks took the top prize in the Annual Duck Race. (We are all past winners :’), but it was fun nonetheless.









The campground is in the heart of the Collegiate Mountains, the range with the largest number of 14teeners in Colorado. If you like mountains, you have a 270-degree view from most anywhere. The large amount of snow that Colorado has received really emphasizes both the size and the majesty. For a few hours when Mom and Dad gave us a break, we took a drive up in the mountains in the Pike San Isabel National Forest.





On another day, we took the backroads south of Poncha Springs and up to O’Haver Lake. We hope to be back next year.

Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from the Old Truck Reserve.







See you next time.

Tags: Colorado, Antonito, Conejos River, O’Haver Lake, Poncha Springs, San Juan Mountains, Rio Grande National Forest, Pike San Isabel National Forest, Chalk Creek Canyon, Collegiate Mountains, Nathrop, Old Trucks

From Brantley Lake State Park we took 285 North to Artesia, and then went west on Highway 82. At Mayhill we entered the Sacramento Mountains and traveled several 6 percent grades and reached over 9,500 feet at Cloudcroft. Really pretty. Entering Almogordo, we headed north a few miles on Highway 54 to our campground.



Boot Hill RV Park, Alamagordo, NM
We have stayed at this park before. A good place for a night or two, sites are level and long and the place is quite clean.

White Sands National Monument
At 6:30 the next morning we took the 35-minute drive to White Sands National Monument. Jack had been pestering me all spring as to when we would go back there, and I was glad to get him off my case. We were the second car entering the monument at 7:03, and we drove about two-thirds through the park until we found the spot we wanted. I took Jack and Mitzy off their leashes and the fun began. Jack bolted through the white gypsum sand running at full speed in big circles like an asteroid going hot. I spent about an hour shooting this black blast blur with the wide grin up and down the dunes.











Mitzy, though, tired of the excitement and wandered back to the car. She had had enough fun.



We then took our time driving back slowly, stopping several times to shoot the yucca. Also, I found a fun photo opportunity of some guys having breakfast.







Here is a yucca that Janny shot.



After stopping by the visitor center for Jan to get her passport stamped, we bought a tee shirt and a burrito to share on the drive back to Boot Hill.

We hooked up the car and took 54 north then west on NM 3. We then took 285 north to I-25 south where we hung a right. At exit 264 we took NM 16 and followed the signs past the Cochiti Lake Dam.

Cochiti Lake COE



Cochiti Lake Campground is another Corps of Engineers project. This secluded area west of Santa Fe featured very big sites with private areas. We were up on top of a hill with a view of the lake and the mountains.





Cochiti is within the boundaries of the Cochiti Reservation, which borders other reservations on all sides. Each has their own Pueblo, a Governor, and a ruling council.

Day Trip to Bandelier National Monument



We decided to take a side trip to Bandelier National Monument. As the crow flies, it is only 12 miles from Cochiti Lake to Bandelier. However, as Google Maps points out, the best route is a 75-mile jaunt, south, east, north, and then west. Yet, when I studied my New Mexico Road and Recreation Atlas, the trip would be only 32 miles if one was willing to take 14 miles of non-paved road. Confident in our off-road ability, we set out on National Forest Road 268 planning on taking Bland Canyon through the Jemez Mountains, connecting with Highway 4 east to the monument.



We quickly learned that road 268 was basically a riverbed covered with rocks and rutted tire tracks with a stream running through the middle. The rough going was really slow for about three miles and continued to get more challenging. As things continued to worsen Jack and I got out of the Jeep to scout ahead by foot. Turning a corner, our “road” was blocked off by a farmer’s fence, making further progress nonnegotiable. Sadly, we backtracked, but started developing a plan B.



Plan B



We drove south on 22, went south on I-25 for a few miles exiting at San Felipe Pueblo onto historic Route 66. At Bernalillo we turned northwest on 550 all the way to San Ysidro where we headed north then east. Here we found three nice old trucks (see below).



Each mile the scenery became more beautiful as we slowly went upward climbing the Jemez Mountains through the Santa Fe National Forest peaking at over 9,000 feet. Jemez Springs is gorgeous, and as we continued we had the Valles Caldera National Reserve on our left, a huge region of ancient volcanic activity--some of the prettiest scenery we have seen. After a short stop at Bandelier, we continued on the White Rock, then took 502 east, and then 285 south.



Green Chili Cheeseburgers
By then it was early afternoon and we were quite hungry, but decided it was worth a few more miles and a few more minutes to drive to one of our favorite towns in New Mexico, Madrid. So instead of getting back on I-25 south to return to our campground, we took NM 14 (the Turquoise Trail) south to this old hippy, artsy town. We parked and took the steps up to the deck of the dog-friendly Mineshaft Cantina. They specialize in craft draft beers and homemade margaritas, and green chili cheeseburgers.

Jan and I are green chili cheeseburger fanciers, having tasted several versions all over New Mexico, including those from the much-touted Buckhorn Tavern and the Owl Bar and Grill in San Antonio. However, we both agreed that our favorite is the version served at the Mineshaft Cantina—a huge burger of beef cooked exactly how you order it with cheese, salsa, deep-fried hatch chilies on the bun, and a mound of French fries on the side. Enough spice to add a little zing to the already mouth-drooling taste. Here is Jan’s pic of her plate. Great place to hang…then back to camp. All in all, a 214-mile road trip—a little longer than intended, but much better than expected. Wow!



Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from San Ysidro.







See you next time.

Tags: White Sands National Monument, New Mexico, Boot Hill, Cochiti Lake, Bandelier National Monument, Old Trucks, Valles Caldera National Reserve, Santa Fe National Forest

Heading north and east for 30 miles, we then hooked up again with I-10 West on our journey into West Texas. I-10 is like a friend that you enjoy for a couple-day visit, but then you start to yearn to move on—we were reaching the yearning point.

When you hear the words “West Texas” what thoughts come to mind? What feelings? What images? For me it is simple: “hot and windy, dry and dusty.” We traveled for 317 miles in mid- to high-90s temperature before stopping in Fort Stockton for the evening



Hilltop RV Park, Fort Stockton
For one night, this was a good choice (I can’t imagine spending more than one night in Ft. Stockton, though). The place was well run and adorned with metal art throughout the park.





There was also a cool sign on a hill across from the campground.



Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad, NM
From Stockton, we headed west on 285 all the way to the New Mexico border. The entire way through Texas the west wind whirled, sending streams of orange-ish red dust across a highway worn out by thousands of trucks, mostly hauling oil pipeline equipment and supplies. It seemed like every fifth truck was adorned with an “oversized load” sign on its grill with hunks of machines or metals or materials hanging over the side and out the rear. The trash on the side of the road reminded one of the littered streets in bad Detroit neighborhoods. Not pleasant. However, once we hit the state line, the road improved, the traffic lightened, and the roadside looked as New Mexico had a little more pride in appearances. We continued on 285 North through Carlsbad and up to our campsite in Brantley Lake State Park north of town.





We thoroughly enjoyed this isolated area out in the desert of New Mexico. There were lots of bunnies and hundreds of those long-eared, long-legged Texas jack rabbits. Of course, Jack and Mitzy loved them.

Along with other critters there were lots of scaled quail, mockingbirds, grackles, roadrunners, and lizards.







Carlsbad Caverns
Of course the most famous attraction in the Carlsbad area is the Carlsbad Caverns. Several years ago we wanted to tour them but arrived too late in the day. Last year I had put a plan together for Jan to drop me off for two hours while she and the Pups took the drive through the park (Jan is not crazy about caves). When I went to get my ticket, I was informed the elevators were broken. Yes, I could walk, but that would extend my visit to five hours. Hence, we put it off another year.

There was one upside though, Al Roker and an NBC camera crew was at the visitor center when we arrived. They were shooting sessions for their 100 Years of National Park series. Jan greeted Al, and he responded with a big smile, and I spent some time talking to the crew.



This year, however, I learned from my past mistake—like a senior checking out final exam results, I monitored the NPS Carlsbad Caverns website daily to make sure that all was a go. I learned that elevator maintenance was planned for the days prior to my trip, so no worries. However, the night before, I found that the maintenance had been extended one day! Oh, brother—I thought I was jinxed.

Luckily, we had a little flexibility in our schedule so I set back my trip one day.

I arrive 8:26 a.m., got my ticket, and at 8:29 I was in line for the first elevator (8:30) to take me to the Big Room, 850 feet below. A cool thing for me was, unlike most caves, they did not require being chaperoned in a tour group, and you could not only take pictures but also use a tripod. I spent two hours walking and photographing this immense cave, only seeing a few people along the way. Crazy impressive. Here a few shots.

















Note to future visitors of the caverns: Go early. When I exited the caves, people where in long lines to get in. There were six buses parked with hundreds of school kids streaming, screaming, and scampering to take the tours.

Can’t Pass a Food Truck
Jan and I love food truck cuisine, especially Southwest food truck cuisine. We stop as much as we can. On my return to camp, I stopped at the La Patrona food truck to bring home their special burrito and a torta for our lunch. We sat outside, alert pups at our feet, desert before us, and tasting some of the best food in the world. It just doesn’t get any better.

Old Trucks
Here are two old trucks from the Old Truck Reserve.





See you soon.

Tags: West Texas, fort stockton, Carlsbad, New Mexico, Brantley Lake State Park, Carlsbad Caverns, Old Trucks

From our Ocean Springs campground, we once again strode on to I-10 West and traveled across Mississippi and most all of Louisiana, stopping close to the Texas border at Vinton RV in Vinton, LA. This was just an easy-on, easy-off location for the night—just a place to rest up, and then go.



The next morning, we again pointed the coach west on I-10, scooting through the very light traffic of Houston, and then to exit 604 in Segun, Texas. After about an hour of taking Texas 46 to 2722 East to 2673 North, we arrived at our campground on Canyon Lake, Texas. Canyon Lake is strategically located, about 35 miles NE of San Antonio and 45 miles SW of Austin. It is a big, manmade lake created and managed by the Army Corp of Engineers.



This place is our kind of park…small (just 30 sites), big sites, covered picnic tables, scrub country behind us, and lake views up front. Deer everywhere and lots of birds.









For many hours over our stay, we stalked the scissor-tailed flycatcher (also known as the Texas bird-of-paradise or the swallow-tailed flycatcher) and were fortunate to get a photo or two (in reality, I probably shot 400 or more).



Our RV-really-good-friends from Oregon were in the area visiting family, and we spent time with this crew doing a little sightseeing, and then they took us out boating on the Caribbean-hued waters of the lake. Here are a couple of hot chicks on the boat.



Old Trucks
Here is one old well-digging truck from the Texas heartland.



See you next time.

Tags: texas, Louisiana, Canyon Lake, Nature Photography, Wildlife photography, Bird photography, Old Trucks

Adios, South Florida
As South Florida temperatures kept nudging upward and starting to set new highs, we departed Punta Gorda a couple of days earlier than originally planned.

After fueling up at the nearby Pilot, we headed north on I-75N, took I-275 around St. Pete, and crossed over the Skybridge, taking in the great Gulf views that tall structure provides. From there we took FL589 north until it merged into FL98N. Although the weather was in the mid-90s, cloud cover much of the trip helped keep the edge off the heat. Traffic was light (for Florida) and most of the roads were in decent to good condition—great traveling conditions.

We ended our travels four miles east of Perry, Florida, at Rocky’s Convenience Store and Campground…right off the highway, large sites, nice setting—good overnighter.



While walking Jack on a backroad the next morning, I came across a sign designating the site of a past hotel. We walked back to camp, got Mitzy and Jan, and came back to explore.



The Hampton Springs Hotel was the “must go to” Florida Panhandle destination of the rich and infamous. The hotel was visited by Theodore Roosevelt, and even royalty from the Far East. The sulphur springs and baths at the resort became known for their healing powers. The luxury hotel resort eventually included elaborate fountains and gardens, a covered pool, golf and tennis courts, stables, a casino, ballroom, an outdoor dance pavilion, and a railroad depot. The hotel also had a bottling plant, which bottled and shipped water from the springs to customers around the nation, and a private hunting and fishing lodge. The hotel burned down in 1954 and the area was largely abandoned.



Johnny Weissmuller
While exploring the ruins of the hotel grounds, we came across a local walking his good-looking dog.



He was kind enough to share some insights about the hotel and the grounds, along with some information not readily found in the historical files. Much of the underwater filming of several Tarzan movies took place at Wakulla Springs, located about 14 miles south of Tallahassee, and some of the filming took place on the grounds of the hotel. According to the local word-of-mouth journal, Johnny Weissmuller stayed at the hotel several times, always accompanied by an entourage of several young ladies, all known for their bold and bawdy ways. Interesting stop.

Georgia on My Mind
We headed west on US98 with almost zero traffic. Five miles past Newport we headed north on FL363, then at the outskirts of Tallahassee we took the Capital Circle bypass that connected us to I-10 West. After heading northwest for close to 30 miles, we went north on 269 to the town of Chattahoochee. We then continued north three mile into Georgia to our next destination along the shores of Lake Seminole.



We stayed five nights at the East Bank Campground, a Corps of Engineers campground on Lake Seminole, bordering Georgia and Florida. Great big campsites, grounds as neat as a pin, and all sites with views of the water.







Mississippi Meet Up
We got an early start leaving the campground, headed west on 90, south on FL286, then west on I-10 across the Florida panhandle, a stretch of Alabama, then into SE Mississippi, where we took MS 57 south to Ocean Springs Road. That took us to our Davis Bayou COE campground, just east of Ocean Springs. After several warm days, the light-jacket weather was welcomed like an old friend you haven’t seen in ages.



Davis Bayou Campground is another COE campground and part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The campground is on the east edge of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and Ocean Springs is just a few miles east of Biloxi. Our campground was home to hoards of squirrels and vast numbers of birds. We spent a lot of time sitting outside watching the action, and Jack had the Squirrel Channel on from dawn to dusk.









One of the campers towed a travel trailer with his classic car. Here is a shot of his rig and one of him standing proudly by his car with his chauffeur smiling at the camera.





Beach Walks
Another great benefit of our campground location was the short time it took to get to the beach. Most mornings we took the Pups for early morning walks alongside the Gulf.

Shrimp Boil Buddies
The campground was awash with friendly people from Alabama and Mississippi. Within a few hours of our stay we had a squadron of new friends. Before long we were all telling stories and passing life histories like we’d known each other for years. Jimmy, our neighbor, is a talented fellow and one of his capabilities is making moonshine. Not wanting to offend, Jan agreed to sample his surprisingly excellent wares (of course I was polite as well :’). The kind soul gave us a sample to go to stave off the stress of traveling!



Later in our stay, Jimmy and several of his lifelong friends invited us over to a shrimp boil. Jimmy cooked and everyone ate the traditional boiled shrimp with sides of sausage, sweet corn, bread, deep fried gator, and blueberry cobbler. Just wonderful. Here is a pic of that interesting crew.





Old Trucks
Here are two old fire trucks taken in Biloxi.



A really fun few days! See you next time.

Tags: Hampton Springs Hotel, Florida Panhandle, Lake Seminole, East Bank Campground, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Nature Photography, Old Trucks, Mississippi, Ocean Springs, Georgia, Davis Bayou COE, Biloxi, Alabama

Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from my Old Truck Reserve.







Lake Apopka Loop
It is getting late in the season, and the youngsters are growing up! Here is a pic of an immature Little Blue Heron and Flying Tri-Color Heron taken on the Lake Apopka Loop.





Campsite Bow-Tailed Grackles
Those who know me understand that I am easily entertained. Sitting outside in the afternoon the Bow-Tailed Grackles flitter here and there looking for old chips, stale crackers, or chunks of anything edible. Here are a couple pics of these avian comics.





Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center (CHEP)
The CHEP is a state park just one mile from our campground. It has five trails, ranging from a mile and a half to two miles. All trails are interconnected so you can go for a short stroll or a several-mile hike.



I have mentioned it before in earlier blogs, but until very recently I was unable to take photos, as I had dog leashes in both hands. Now that Jan, my hiking buddy is back in action, she takes Mitzy and I take Jack’s leash in my left hand while holding my camera in my right hand. We have seen lots of wildlife and were rewarded by seeing a couple of immature eagles on a recent visit. And as always, vultures are everywhere, eyeing all living things with lustful looks.





The Pig Hunters
The big excitement at the state park, though, is wild pig hunting. Our schnauzer, Mitzy, is a Sweet Polly Purebred, a gentle little princess that loves laps and lives for pets (and chunks of cheese).



However, take her on the trail amidst the scent of wild pigs and a magical transformation occurs--her feminine curls thicken, her dainty muscles tighten, and her angelic face hardens as she turns into Thunder Dog, Huntress of Hogs. Her mild feminine bark turns into a wild savage howl as her eyes burn into the woods seeking her prey. Every fiber of this Hell Hound lusts for her porcine pleasure.



Urged on by Mitzy, Jack joins the frenzied attack, leaping, yipping, and straining on his leash like the lead dog at the Iditarod. Dragged forward, it is all I can do to keep him under control.



I think you can imagine the challenge of trying to photograph fast-moving pigs through dense woods with one hand on a shaking camera--crazy difficult you say? For sure. Almost impossible? You bet. Hah! Here are some pigs I caught in action.







What other family do you know that hunts wild pigs before breakfast?...ham and eggs of course!

Tags: Nature Photography, Old Trucks, Bird photography, pet photography, Apopka, Apopka Wildlife Loop, Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center

We had a chance to escape SW Florida paradise and head for Central Florida paradise.

Apopka Wildlife Loop
Back to one of our favorite places on the planet, we (Jan, Mitzy, Jack, and Alex) had the chance to twice take the 11-mile pilgrimage. We were rewarded by lot of birds and several alligators.























Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from my Old Truck Reserve.







See you next time.

Tags: Apopka, Nature Photography, Bird photography, Old Trucks, Apopka Wildlife Loop

Except for business trips to Atlanta, Orlando, and Boston, we have been hanging out in the beautiful Florida weather.

Venice Rookery
One morning with cloudy skies good for photography, we loaded up the Jeep and headed to the Venice Rookery. We had been there several weeks back, but the eggs and small chicks have been replaced by big babies with really big appetites. Take a look at the great blue heron family and the big baby cormorant challenging for a snack. Also, here is a shot of a great egret bringing in nesting material and another great egret fanning.











We added to this very nice day by having a picnic in the Myakka State Forest. Life is good.

Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from my Old Truck Reserve.







See you next time.

Tags: Nature Photography, Old Trucks, Venice Rookery

The weather continues to be awesome-plus in Punta Gorda…sunny and low 80s except for a couple days of rain and high winds.

We are very fortunate to have the Charlotte Environment Park just one mile from our campground. Most mornings we head over to take a hike on one of the many trails. So far we have seen eagles, hawks, osprey, owls, vultures, woodpeckers, cardinals, robins, alligators, wild pigs, and a river otter. Just gorgeous.

Venice Dog Beach
One of our favorite things to do is take an early morning trip to Venice to hang out on the Dog Beach. Lots of good pups and nice people—both Mitzy and Jack really like it. Jan found a bottle with a message in it. I rubbed it several times, but no genie appeared. Kind of cool. The high winds had kicked up the seabed—lots of interesting shells. Below is a shot of Janny holding “sea jewels.”















Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from Jim’s Salvage.







See you next time.

Tags: florida, port Charlotte, Venice, pet photography, Nature Photography, Charlotte Environment Park, Old Trucks

Back at the Loop
One last time this season we had the chance to do the Loop.

















After our six-week stay, we packed up and headed southwest to our campground in Punta Gorda.



Venice Dog Beach
Less than an hour away is a dog beach in Venice. The pups just loved it. We will be going back.

















Venice Rookery
We stopped by the Venice Rookery. A little early in the season, but we saw one great Blue with a couple young ones.



Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from Jim’s Salvage.







See you next time.

Tags: Apopka Wildlife Loop, Bird photography, pet photography, Old Trucks, Punta Gorda

Florida Sunshine
Back in Florida we have been enjoying the nice weather, friends, and relatives. It is nice to be in one place for a few weeks.

Apopka Wildlife Loop
At least a couple times a week we drive the 7 minutes to the gate of the Loop and spend a couple hours or so slowly driving, stopping, and shooting wildlife. Primarily birds of all feathers, but also a gator now and then and the occasional otter. Jack and Mitzy are dutifully at their stations with heads out and sounding alerts when appropriate. Here are a few pics including a close-up of Mitzy.































Old Trucks
Here are three old trucks from Jim’s Salvage.







See you next time.

Tags: Apopka Wildlife Loop, Old Trucks, pet photography, Nature Photography, Bird photography

Roman Holiday
The day after Thanksgiving we flew from Orlando to New York’s JFK, and then on to Rome, arriving mid-morning Saturday. Everything went smoothly, and we arrived relatively well rested after our 8-hour-and-16-minute flight.

We zipped through passport control and customs, and after a 20-minute cab ride, we arrived at the Hotel Artimedes, strategically located within walking distance of most of the major sites of the city. We checked in and took a stroll in the sunlight to reset our biological clocks, start to take in the sites, and absorb a little of the culture of the 2,300 years of this historic city.

Borghese Gallery
The crazy rich art lovers of the Borghese family decorated their villa (really a palace) with the finest art produced in Italy and beyond to entertain their guests. Among the thousands of pieces of art were sculptures and paintings by Bernini, Canova, Caravaggio, Correggio, Rafael, and Titian. Just an amazing two-hour visual treat. Sadly, photos were not allowed.

The Vatican
Bright and early one morning we took a small-group guided tour of the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica.

Vatican Museum
This lavish papal palace displays some of the finest art from a 5,000-year period. During this eight-mile walk, we viewed rare (mostly priceless) statues, urns, marble floors, friezes, stuccoed ceilings, tapestries, paintings, and maps.













Sistine Chapel
Next, we viewed the Sistine Chapel. Small by Vatican standards, this chapel shows off Michelangelo’s ceiling and his famous painting, The Last Judgment. Wow! Sadly, no photos allowed—check out this website if interested: www.italian-renaissance-art.com/Last-Judgement.html

St. Peters Basilica
Wow, again.









Ancient Rome
Another day, we took another small-group, private tour that started with Palatine Hill, followed by the Forum, and ending with the Colosseum.

Palatine Hill
Palatine Hill overlooks the Forum. It is the area where emperors and other wealthy important people preferred to live. Mainly ruins, but one is able to get a feel for the place. Here are a couple of shots from Palatine Hill overlooking the Forum.





The Forum
For almost 1,000 years, the Forum was the heart of Rome--the seat of government and the center of trade.







Colosseum
Up to 80,000 spectators at a time, lured by free wine and the promise of grand spectacles, were entertained by to-the-death gladiator fights, the roars of exotic animals from far parts of the empire, and executions (by beheading, crucifixion, or being devoured by wild beasts). Below the surface, over 1,000 slaves and their master worked in the underground in dark, dank, smelly, and crowded tunnels guiding participants into “elevators” of trap doors that allowed them to surface above ground. Unbelievable place.









Pantheon
The Pantheon is Rome’s best preserved monument and a wonder of engineering.









Ostia Antica
We took a day trip via train to Ostia Antica, the ancient Roman port.





Cooking Class
My friends love to cook with wine…sometimes they even put some in the food. I had a very fun evening watching Jan and friends participate in an Italian cooking class. My job was to watch the activities, drink wine, make idle comments, take a few photos, and eat the results. Very nice event.







Odds and Ends
Driving in Rome
Personal experience confirms that the blood of the ancient chariot drivers still flows through the veins of present day Rome taxi drivers. A personal example was a ride where a steely-eyed Antonio used his mind-reading skills to anticipate the movement of buses, autos, scooters, and pedestrians to spurt to the left, jag to the right, and bolt down the middle of the road while strategically using his horn and occasionally communicating his thoughts with his hands. In his care, his stoic Mercedes transformed itself into a high-performance Maserati, screaming around turns, cutting off the competition, thus making a half-hour journey in 15 minutes. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE IN ROME…RIDE CAUTIOUSLY…WALK WHEN YOU CAN.

Random Photos









Old Trucks
Sorry…I found no old trucks in Rome.

See you next time!

Tags: Rome, Borghese Gallery, The Vatican, Pantheon, Vatican Museum, Ostia Antica, Sistine Chapel, The, Colosseum, St. Peters Basilica, Palatine Hill, The Forum

Finger Lakes
From Northern Indiana we enjoyed the fall colors as we worked our way east all the way to upstate New York. There we spent time visiting good RV-ing friends in Elmira and doing a little exploration of this area.

Quick Trip to Phoenix
During that time I presented at a conference in Phoenix where I met old friends and new ones.

Winchester
From Elmira we headed south down to Winchester, Virginia, where we had a marvelous time visiting relatives. At Candy Hill Campground we had fires most nights and enjoyed the quiet of a campground past season.

Shenandoah Valley National Park
We made the short trip down to Luray, Virginia, to act as our base as we explored this national park. Although the colors were past their prime, it was nice to travel the famous Skyline Drive. Our campground, Outlanders River Camp, was perfect for us—large property with lots of trails along the river…great place to run the pups.





Monticello
Being so close, we decided to visit Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home. This was a good move, as it was a pleasure to visit this icon of this famous American.







Wilmington
We camped 10 miles south of Wilmington, North Carolina, at Carolina Beach State Park. Beautiful park adjoining the Atlantic River. During our short visit we had the chance to see old friends going back decades.

Murrell’s Inlet
Here we camped near Charleston at Huntington Beach State Park, South Carolina, just a short walk to the Atlantic Ocean. Each morning at dawn I’d take Jack out to run in the sand and the waves.





Richmond Hill
From Murrells Inlet we travelled south into Georgia camping at McAllister State Park near Savannah. The park had just opened after some major hurricane clean-up—they lost 70% of their trees. Still, a beautiful setting, again adjacent to the water.

Dog Park
Here are a couple shots of Jack and his new friend at an off-leash dog park, and Mitzy watching the action.







Old Trucks
Here are three more old trucks from Jim’s Salvage.








See you next time.

Tags: Nature Photography, pet photography, Shenandoah Valley National Park, Monticello, Murrell’s Inlet, Huntington Beach State Park, Old Trucks

From South Dakota we worked our way across Iowa, Illinois, and then on to Indiana where we dropped off our coach to have some work done. Then we spent time visiting friends in our old stomping grounds of SW Michigan.

Fall Colors
During strolls in the woods we enjoyed the colors becoming more vibrant each day.







Dog Park
There was a great off-leash dog park a few miles away, and we visited it several mornings.













Great trip with great friends.



Old Trucks
Here are three more old trucks from Jim’s Salvage.







See you next time.

Tags: Michigan, fall leaves, pet photography, Nature Photography, Old Trucks

Badlands National Park
From the Black Hills we headed east, stopping at Wall, South Dakota. We took the scenic drive through Badlands National Park.



Corn Palace
We spent a night at Mitchell, South Dakota, home of the one and only Corn Palace.





From there we continued east and south, cutting across Iowa and Illinois into Indiana, where we dropped the coach off at Wakarusa for some service and repairs at the Thor plant. From there we took the hour drive north and a little east to stay with a good friend in Kalamazoo (we had lived in that area for many years, a couple decades ago).



Dog Park
We found a great dog park to run the pups. Here are some shots.











Old Trucks
Here are three more old trucks from Jim’s Salvage.









See you next time.

Tags: Bandlands, Corn Palace, Old Trucks, pet photography

On to South Dakota
From Sundance we took I-90 east across the border into South Dakota. We exited on to US 85 South, and then took US 385 six miles south of Deadwood to Creekside Campground.

Just a couple miles from our campground in the Black Hills National Forest, we found a great picnic area to walk the dogs.







Spearfish Canyon Road Trip
This is a scenic byway worth taking.

Bear Butte State Park
Just a few miles north of the notorious Sturgis, we visited Bear Butte State Park, a sacred Indian site. The main attraction is a hike up the butte, however, no dogs allowed. Since there is no drive around, we stayed just a few minutes.

Town Tours
During our time in the northern part of the Black Hills region, we had the chance to tour Deadwood, Lead, and Sturgis. Sturgis is just a waiting place for the annual motorcycle events, but Deadwood and Lead where interesting to tour around.

On to Custer
From our campground south of Deadwood we headed south on 385 to Custer, and then east 3.5 miles to Beaverlake Campground, a short 55-mile trip. This is a wonderful all-around campground, but what makes it unique is that it is home to over 150 (and counting) cute, tame, bunny rabbits. Jack and Mitzy were in total awe when six hare youngsters not only did not run when they approached, but they came up to greet the unnerved canines—how dare they?



Custer National Forest is everywhere, so every morning we took the pups out on an old road or trail seeing deer, elk, and lots of chippers.





Custer State Park
Think mini-Yellowstone as you drive through this 71,000-acre park viewing the wildlife. We saw massive bison, pronghorn, lots of prairie dogs, and burros who solicited from cars on the loop.





We took a road up to Mt. Coolidge Lookout and were rewarded with a great view. We saw the Crazy Horse Carving eleven miles away, and Mount Rushmore 13 miles distant.







Later during our stay, I photographed Rushmore through a tunnel, and then up close.





Scenic Byways
Along with the 18-mile Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park, we drove the 18-mile Iron Mountain Road and the 14-mile Needles Highway. Here is a shot of from the narrowest part of the Needles Highway, the Needles Eye.





Wind Cave National Park
Adjoining Custer State Park is the 34,000-acre Wind Cave National Park. Like Custer, it is home to lots of wildlife. The cave is known for boxwork, with over 95% of all the boxwork in the world located in the 145 miles of underground maze. I took the Natural Entrance tour, and here is a photo of Ranger Justin standing at the natural entrance to the cave and a photo showing boxwork.





Jewel Cave National Monument
Just twelve miles from our campground is the Jewel Cave National Monument. This cave was more picturesque.











Old Trucks
Just east of Sturgis is the town/village/tiny spot call Chip. And adjacent to Chip is Jim’s Salvage—heaven for old truck shooters.



Here are five old trucks from Jim’s.











We really enjoyed the Black Hills and will come back again.

See you next time.

Tags: South Dakota, Spearfish Canyon, Bear Butte State Park, Sturgis, Deadwood, Lead, Custer State Park, Mt. Coolidge, Mt. Rushmore, Needles Highway, Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave, Old Trucks, Black Hills

On to East Central Wyoming
From Saratoga we took 130 north to 30 east to 487 north to 220 east to 258 north to I-25 south to Wyoming 95 north, where we settled in at the Platte River RV Park just outside of Glenrock. The 172-mile trip was pretty in its sparse sort of way, but most of the time I puzzled if we were in the center of nowhere or near the edge. Great day for driving, with fair skies, very little traffic, and lots of pronghorns for the pups to view.

Road Trip
We took a road trip out in the boonies south and east of Glenrock and saw lots of birds and some interesting terrain.





On to Sundance
From Glenrock we made an easy 200-mile journey east on I-25 south, north on Wyoming 59, then east on I-90 to Mountain View RV Park in Sundance. Once again very light traffic, and the only significant population was that of the herds of pronghorn.

Much of the soil around Sundance is the bright red associated with Sedona. An interesting eye-catcher just east of the town is a yellow, twin-engine plane placed between and above the going and coming lanes of I-90. I call it the Wyoming Hood Ornament.





Devil’s Tower
We had been to the Devil’s Tower in the past, but thoroughly enjoyed seeing it again. Jan took a few shots of the tower, but my photo efforts were geared toward the Prairie Dog Town.





Black Hills National Forest
Our RV park was just two miles from the Sundance trailhead in Black Hills National Forest. Several mornings I took Jack up the trail. Luckily, as the photo shows, I had a detailed map so as not to run astray. Another interesting stop in the forest was the Warren Peak Lookout Tower, still manned everyday by rangers spotting and reporting fires. Here is a shot from the lookout.







Another time we took another family hike on the Reuter Trail in Black Hills National Forest. Once again, we saw no one else. However, hollies and the turning leaves acted as colorful boundaries along the trail.



Day Trip
From Sundance to 116 south to Upton, then 16 northwest to Moorcroft, up 24 then east on 113 to Pine Haven, adjacent to both Keyhole Reservoir and Mule Creek Bay. From Pine Haven we took McKean Road north into the countryside. We turned south on Lower Kara Creek Road, connecting to Inyan Kara Creek Road that led to I-90 and our return to Sundance.

Cindy B’s in Alladin
With Alladin’s population of 15, Cindy B’s restaurant doesn't have a huge population base from which to draw its diners. However, regulars help to fill the seats, and the word-of-mouth of great home cookin’ brings in some tourists like us. Here is a pic of Cindy’s place, plus a shot of some local ranchers talking about tracking down missing cattle, the high price of hay ($150/ton), and the rain that drops everywhere but on their ranches.





Old Trucks
Here are five old trucks all from eastern Wyoming.











Trip to Eastern Wyoming
Most all our time spent in Wyoming in the past was in the western part of the state, primarily in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. We love both these parks and will frequent them again.

This year, though, we thought we’d explore the eastern portion of the state. As blog followers know, we started west of Laramie, camping in Saratoga. We explored the Medicine Bow National Forest, and took in the Wyoming Annual Beerfest. From there we headed to Glenrock, east of Casper at the north end of the forest. Next we spent several days in Sundance, east of Gillette in the Black Hills of Wyoming. The scenery was wonderful, the pronghorns and deer were plentiful, and the traffic was sparse. Very enjoyable stay in this wonderful state.

See you next time from another state of mind.

Tags: Wyoming, Sundance, Devil's Tower, Black Hill's National Forest, Alladin, Old Trucks

Up to Wyoming
From our campground in Chatfield State Park, we decided to take the scenic route up to southern Wyoming instead of taking major roads and interstates. We took 121 north to I-70 west, US 40 west, CO 125 north, and as we passed into Wyoming, we continued onto 230 west and 130 west to the Deer Haven RV Park just north of Saratoga. It was only 216 miles, but much of the trip was steep and winding, affording wonderful views by requiring Jan’s full attention driving the bus.

Saratoga
The literature says that Saratoga is an interesting place, and it is correct. Although only 1,600 inhabitants, it has a lot to offer. It attracts hunters and fisherman (mainly fishing for trout) from all over the country and the world. They have an airport with a runway that can handle B-52s, and in the fall they say there may be a dozen or more big corporate jets transporting the rich (don’t know about the famous part.)

In sharp contrast to the high-density, heavy-traffic, go-go of the Denver area, this sparse, lightly populated area was a nice, slow change of pace. Deer wandered everywhere, and hundreds and hundreds of pronghorns populate the surrounding countryside. Our pup, Jack, feels that there is nothing more fun to watch than running pronghorn.





Dog Park
I was quite surprised that this small town had an off-leash dog park, and very pleased at how nice it was. It quickly became the cornerstone of our morning.

Microbrew Fest
Saratoga hosts the Steinley Cup (pronounced “Stanley” like the hockey version), Wyoming’s microbrew fest in which most all the microbreweries in Wyoming compete for honors. The 21st annual happened the Saturday we were staying in Saratoga, so we felt obliged to participate. Pleasant day, friendly people, good beer.









Battle Pass Scenic Byway
One afternoon we drove south to Encampment, then took Highway 70 up into the Medicine Bow National Forest, up over Battle Pass, and west on toward Baggs. Scarce traffic and great scenery. By the way, the name came from the numerous battles fought between the Indians and the trappers.







Snowy Range Scenic Byway
Another time we headed south for about ten miles, and then went east on highway 130 once again into the Medicine Bow National Forest, stopping at Centennial for a nice lunch, and then on to Laramie. Once again, beautiful scenery and light traffic.

More Colorado Pups
Here are more pup pics from Colorado that I didn’t have ready for my last blog.









Old Trucks
Since an individual from Pine Island complained about my lack of truck shots, here are three old trucks from the Old Truck Reserve.







See you next time.

Tags: Wyoming, Saratoga, pet photography, Wildlife photography, Bird photography, Old Trucks, Battle Pass Scenic Byway

Larkspur
From our campground west of Loveland, we took 34 east, and then I-25 south down to our campground near Larkspur.

Jellystone Park
This campground and “resort” is the perfect place for kids. Since we volunteered to take our grandkids plus one friend, we wanted a place with lots of activities. We found the right place. Here are just a few of the activities: morning flag raising with Yogi and Boo Boo, goat grazing, bounce pillow, pancake breakfast (with sausage), swimming pool, afternoon ice cream with Yogi, movies, candy bar bingo, waterslide at the Old Swimming Hole, hayrides, and so on, and so on. However, the biggest hit was that we rented a golf cart for the weekend and Austie became the chauffeur. Great weekend—we packed a week into 48 hours.











Chatfield State Park
From Jellystone, we took the short drive north and west to Chatfield State Park. We have stayed many times at this wonderful park…full hook-ups, roomy sites, lots of privacy, rabbits everywhere, and one of the best dog parks on the planet.











.





See you soon!

Tags: Colorado, Larkspur, Jellystone Park, Chatfield State Park, pet photography

Buena Vista
The trip from Ridgway State Park to the Buena Vista KOA was gorgeous. However, whoever was driving had to concentrate on the steep inclines and declines and pay close attention to curves and drop offs. Gladly the weather at our destination was wonderful—in the low to mid-80s instead of the high 90s. Although a dusty park, the views were beautiful. A nice feature was that there was a trail that started in the campground and continued up into the forest. Perfect place to let Jack off-leash and let the crazy canine run wild.

Fort Collins
We had intended camping in the Denver area, but every campground within 60 miles of Denver was booked! Never seen anything like this before. So we had to drive all the way to Fort Collins, and then we could only stay five nights instead of the ten we wanted. I guess cheap fuel and a slightly improved economy is having its impact! However, our campground (Fort Collins KOA) was a gem—great place for dogs and for grandkids. We will remember it for future family ventures.

Quick Trip to Southern California
I didn’t get a chance to experience much of the campground or the area, though, as I had a business trip to Southern California. Good client, great food, and just awesome weather made the trip a success.
 
Loveland
Our next campground was off of Highway 34 in Loveland, only 30 minutes away from Fort Collins. Highway 34 is one of the main drives into Estes Park and on to Rocky Mountain National Park. 
 
Rocky Mountain National Park
One day we violated all our rules about visiting national parks, as we visited in the middle of the day on a weekend in the summer. Telling ourselves to be patient with all the traffic, we drove into RMNP, and finding it was re-opened after washing out many months ago, we took the Old River Road, the 14-mile, one-way dirt road up to the backside of the Alpine Visitor Center. There were wildflowers all along the way, and we saw a herd of elk and a brute of a marmot at exactly the same place I saw one last year.





On our way home outside of the park we saw some bighorn sheep overlooking the highway. Here is a pic of Momma and Baby.



Afternoon Trip



One afternoon we decided to check out the Poudre River area. We headed back up and past the Fort Collins KOA, picking up the Scenic Byway Highway 14. Just a gorgeous trip along the Poudre River. At Road 27 we angled back south and east around curvy roads and 12 percent grades.

Pup Strolls
Close to our campground was an off-leash dog park and a big nature area complete with miles of paths and several  ponds. Each morning we started the day off enjoying this wonderful area.

Old Trucks





See you soon.

Tags: Colorado, Buena Vista, fort collins, Loveland, Rocky Mountain National Park, Nature Photography, Poudre River, Wildlife photography, Old Trucks

 
Monument Valley
From the hot desert of the Paria Guest Ranch we traveled to Goulding Campground in the hot desert of Monument Valley that straddles Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. The location of some famous John Ford Western movies, the dramatic landscape is awe-inspiring in the right light and weather.




 
Mesa Verde
After a couple days in Monument Valley, we headed north and east to Sundance RV in Cortez, Colorado. We took some short trips, including a tour of Mesa Verde, a wonderful national park that we had not visited in several years. Here is a shot from the Park plus one of Hunting Jack from a morning stroll.
 



 
Durango
From Cortez, we took the short trip east to United Campground in Durango. What makes this campground special is that the famous narrow rail Durango-Silverton train runs right through the center of the place! So every morning and every evening campers walked down to the train track to hear the whistle, smell the smoke, and view the trains chugging along…actually, it is quite addictive!


 
Ridgway
From Durango we made our scenic way to Ridgway State Park, just north of the town of Ridgway and close to the great towns of Ouray and Telluride. This is one of our favorite areas in all of Colorado, and that says a lot.
 
Our large, wooded campsite was full of birds, and we spent much time viewing their antics. Especially fun to watch was the large number of bluebirds.










 
Owl Creek Pass Day Trip
We took a wonderful trip up into the mountains to Owl Creek Pass. From there we headed north and east on to Silver Jack Reservoir, especially enjoying the wildflowers--Indian paints, cow parsnip, bull thistle, larkspur, daisies, scarlet gilia, penstemon, goldenweed, elk thistle, hawksbeard, fireweed, and on and on. This is the same trip we took a few years ago where we spotted our first mountain lion.



Morning Walks
Every morning we took the Pups down to the Ridgway Day Use area along the reservoir. Since there were only a few fishermen up at that hour, we let the Pups run loose. Jack chased everything that moved, including chippers, birds, and grasshoppers. Mitzy strolled along sniffing and peeing as the mood fit her. When she got tired we put her in her buggy and gave her a ride. One morning we saw a red fox, and the next morning we saw two of them together. We watched them jump, box, and chase each other as they played in the morning sun. I did not have a long lens, but I did at least capture the solo fox the first day.
















 
In the town of Ridgway there was a really cool mural and a really neat old truck at the train museum. Just a wonderful area.




  
See you soon.

Tags: Monument Valley, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Mesa Verde, Cortez, Durango, Silverton, Ridgway State Park, telluride, Ouray

On to Torrey
From Springville we ventured off south to Torrey, Utah, staying at Wonderland RV Park. After settling in, we took an afternoon scenic drive into Capital Reef National Monument.

Capital Reef Country Scenic Byway



We took a 155-mile loop of a day trip that was one of the best I’ve ever taken. We headed east on the Capital Reef Country Scenic Byway, past the entrance to Capital Reef National Park to our first stop to visit the petroglyphs.



After a few miles east, we turned south on the Notom Road Scenic Backway which followed the once underwater reef. We passed ranches and washes, creeks and mesas as we wandered through this dynamic, rugged, magnificent landscape full of reds, yellows, creams, whites, oranges, and greens. Amazing.



The paved road quickly turned to dirt which in many ways was good--we only saw six vehicles the first four hours of our jaunt. We moved along the Oyster Shelf Reef, named after all the oyster shells left there from several thousand years ago. At the Burr Trail Switchbacks, we headed west on the Burr Trail Scenic Backway, once again through fascinating scenery. Pictures don’t do it justice, but here is my attempt to capture some of the grandeur.







We stopped for lunch at a marvelous restaurant in Boulder, and then headed home on the Journey through Time Scenic Byway, complete with more glorious vistas and several climbs on 10% grades.



Capital Reef National Monument and the surrounding area are not household names and the lack of traffic proves this. However, in terms of impressiveness, they are right up there with all the big-name parks.

Fish Lake
The next afternoon we drove around Fish Lake, north and east of Torrey. After the bold, rugged trip of the day before, we enjoyed the soft browns and greens of the hills and blue of the lake. Looks like a wonderful place to hang for a few weeks or a few months. Here is a shot from Torrey of an old cabin.



Bryce Canyon
We drove the 122-mile journey to Ruby’s Inn and Campground at Bryce Canyon City via 24 West, 62 West, and 22 South. Again, pleasant scenery, and except for some narrow stretches of road, an easy trip.

Bryce Canyon National Park
Leaving early morning to avoid the traffic we took the roughly 20-mile road that is the only driveable portion of this special place. Starting at the very end at the last stop, we took in all the main lookouts. The hoodoos are something, with great vistas everywhere.











However, the special place for me was Inspiration Point…I found it, well, inspirational. Staring down on the landscape your imagination takes off…sunlight glinting off a castle guarded by a giant, the broken walls of a city under siege, a majestic cathedral overlooking a valley, legions of warriors in battle formation, and so on and so on. I had a wonderful time taking photos and a few turned out decent.





Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument
We journeyed east on Highway 12, that splendid scenic byway, through the town of Tropic, stopping a few times at overlooks to enjoy the views. My original plan was to travel the Devil’s Backbone (great name, don’t you think), however, talking to rangers at the visitor center just outside Escalante, they recommended another option. Heeding their advice, we took Highway 12 east again, traveling the highway to Boulder. Our first stop was the Anastazi Musuem at Anastazi State Park where they had an interesting display of ancient Indians. Right outside the museum was a food truck parked by a grassy area complete with picnic tables. On the advice of locals, we dined with them, splitting a burrito and a cup of coffee…delicious.

From there we backtracked to Escalante and took a 50-mile gravel/dirt road through the Dixie National Forest, ending up close to our campground.

Paria Guest Ranch
We packed up at our campground in Bryce Canyon City and headed 12 miles west on Highway 12. In bits and pieces, we have now traveled the entire length of the scenic byway that the Utah tourism department calls the most beautiful highway in Utah. Now that is saying something! Fourteen percent grades on skinny summits at 11,000 feet, gorgeous rock formations of every shape and color, just magnificent. At the end of Highway 12 we turned left on Highway 89 that took us south and a little west, then northeast, and then southeast to out next destination, Paria Guest Ranch, roughly midway between Kanab and Page, about a quarter mile from the edge of nowhere. Every morning I took Jack off leash to run and explore among the sage, rocks, and red soil.





Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument
Just a few miles north and a tad west of the Ranch was yet another national monument. Again, magnificent scenery.







Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
As you go south from the ranch on unpaved roads you head into Arizona, into the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, ho, hum…



Old Signs







Old Trucks
Hey! I am finally back shooting old trucks! Here are three beauties.







Hot and dusty, but a wonderful journey. See you next time.

Tags: Utah, Capital Reef, Fish Lake, Bryce Canyon, Inspiration Point, Escalante, Vermilion Cliffs, Paria Guest Ranch, Monument Valley, Old Signs, Old Trucks

Stanley to Ketchum
We begrudgingly left Stanley. Our 68-mile trip followed Idaho 75 South with hairpin turns and some gorgeous vistas, especially around Galena.



Ketchum
Ketchum borders Sun Valley, full of the vacation homes of the rich and famous. Mountain views, running streams, fabulous houses, paved paths everywhere, with beds of flowers (some the size of fields) blooming their colors everywhere. Here is a 59-second movie clip of a section of lupines bordering about a quarter mile of streets in a very upscale neighborhood.




It is also a wonderful place for dogs, as there were off-leash areas everywhere. Here is a pic from Trail Creek Road, one of Jackson’s and Mitzy’s favorite places.



Ketchum to Eden



After four days in Ketchum, we took the 84-mile trek south on Idaho 75, then south on Idaho 93, and then east on I-84 to Anderson Camp. Here we met up with our RV buddies--a couple we have been RVing with for a month or more each year for the last several years. Here is a shot from our campsite.



Small-Town Parade
A small town just a few miles away was holding its yearly summer celebration, starting with a parade. The people of the community went all out, with scores of floats and the biggest number of trucks I have ever seen in any parade.











Shoshone Waterfall
We took a short road trip (to us) to a nearby natural wonder, Shoshone Falls. Even with the harsh, midday lighting I was very pleased with the photos.





Eden to Declo



Jersey Girl Dairy Farm
A longtime friend of our traveling buddy arranged to have us visit a dairy farm close by--it was just amazing. They milk 11,800 Jersey and Holstein cows twice a day, every day. High-tech technology with high-touch care for the cows.







Declo to Springville
After a couple of days at Anderson Camp, we left Idaho and drove down to Springville, Utah, past Salt Lake City and bordering Provo.



Day Trip: Mount Timanogos Wilderness Loop
We took highway 92 to the Timpanogos Cave National Monument were we hiked a nature trail along the water. From there we took the curvy, steep, and narrow trip up by Mount Timanogos, by Sundance, around to Bridal Falls, and back to our camp.



Nebo Scenic Byway
From our campground we headed south to Payson and picked up the Nebo Loop Scenic Byway. It took us around Payson Lake, up over Bald Mountain, above the Santaquin Canyon, up to Santaquin, and back to camp.







Nice visit around the Salt Lake area, but really warm.

See you next week.

Tags: Idaho, Ketchum, Anderson Camp, Eden, Shoshone Falls, Delco, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Utah, Nebo Scenic Byway, Salt Lake City

From Challis we headed west on Idaho 75, the pretty but winding road that parallels the Salmon River, passing by Sunbeam all the way through Lower Stanley, and then turning north on Idaho 21 at Stanley for six miles to our campground, Elk Mountain RV Resort. Another gorgeous setting with the jutting and dramatic Sawtooth Mountain Range dominating the view. Our campground was full of chipmunks and whistlepigs (that’s what folks call groundhogs or woodchucks in this area).





Morning Trip to Lowman



Just after sunrise we headed north on 21 for a mile, and then turned onto Stanley Lake Road. There we took a loop tour on Forest Road 455 that took us through a dense portion of the Sawtooth National Forest. After spotting a young buck deer and a large, well-fed coyote, we exited the lake area and again went north on 21 for about five miles before exiting on Forest Road 203 that took us through the Cape Horn Wetland—moose country. Alas, we saw no moose, but did see a pronghorn, more deer, some whistlepigs, a variety of birds, and many wildflowers that Jan enjoyed identifying.





After about a dozen miles, our dirt road reconnected with 21 that took us up and around, down over Banner Summit, and south, all the way down the mountains into the little burg of Lowman, where we stopped for a late breakfast at a roadside restaurant. For about 15 miles the highway was side-by-side the South Fork of the Payette River, whose rushing emerald green waters produced dozens of oohs , lots of ahs, and a continuous stream of wows.

Redfish Lake
Late afternoon we gassed up at Stanley, and then drove south to check out the very popular Redfish Lake. With paved roads and lots of amenities it reminded us a little of Estes Park. After our initial exploration, we decide to get off the beaten path, turning southeast on Forest Road 210. I envisioned in my mind that this rocky path would take us above the congestion of the lake, providing a quiet location with magnificent vistas that we alone would share…well, good luck on that! The rocky road got really rocky, and my planned mountaintop view never materialized. After investing a half hour of bumpy travel, we decided to just keep going, as this path eventually connected with the highway. Just as I figured we were close, a fallen tree across our path brought us to a halt. After confirming that the tree could not be easily moved nor could we drive around it, we blew the bugle of retreat, completed a 26-point turn of the Jeep, and limped back to camp.



Pettit Lake
Early one morning we again headed south on ID 75 stopping by the side of the road to shoot the Sawtooth Range with cattle and fog in the foreground. We then turned west on Forest Road 208 due to Pettit Lake. Without a soul in sight we took a few pics in the brisk morning air. From there we headed south again to check out Alturas Lake. South of the lake we went off-road again taking Forest Road 204 south and west past the (very little) remains of the original Sawtooth City and on down to the end of the road at the Pilgrim Mine.







A Day at the Beach (sort of)
After exploring both Stanley and Lower Stanley, touring the local museum, and taking a short drive on the highway (where Jan spotted a couple river otters playing in the Salmon River), we decided to hang out by the water. There are many, many choices within a few miles of our campground that fit that criteria, but we decided to find some solitude and headed down a gravel road to a spot along Kelly Creek. Here we pulled out our picnic supplies, set up our gear, and sat by the edge of the running creek with dozens of varieties of wildflowers all around us and the mountains in the background.





Sunrise Shoot at Stanley Lake
We left the coach at 5:15 a.m. leaving in plenty of time for pre-dawn set up on the east side of Stanley Lake just 10 minutes from camp. The moon was full, the air was calm, and as we waited we saw the gradual transitions of sky colors from grays to pinks to golds. Just beautiful.







This Sawtooth area is magnificent.

See you next week.

Tags: Nature Photography, Wildlife photography, Idaho, Sawtooth, Redfist Lake, pettit Lake, Alturas lake, Pilgrim Mne, Stanley

 
Vamos Colorado
From Cherry Creek State Park on the outskirts of Denver, we headed north on CO 83, took I-225 North, I-40 West, and then I-E 270 North to I-25 North, all the way to Cheyenne. Here we picked up I-80 West and made our way to Rawlins, WY, and spent the night at Western Hills Campground. 


 
The next morning we again headed west on I-80 and then US 30, marveling at how green Wyoming was this time of year. We made a short stop at Fossil Butte National Monument and were awed by the size, detail, and quantity of fossils, especially of fish. Just a few miles west of Kemmerer, it is off the beaten path but worthy of visitation. We travelled west into Idaho and stopped for a couple of nights at the Montpelier Creek KOA.
 
The first mid-afternoon we took a short road trip east on 89, and then on Wood Canyon Road to Bauman Lane, and up to the Montpelier Reservoir.


 
After working the next morning, we took a road trip west to Ovid and then south to Paris on 89 South. Our first stop was the Paris Tabernacle.

 
 
Next we toured the Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge and shot a few birds. 
 











 
From there we headed up into the Cache National Forest taking Paris Canyon Road. Jan had a blast identifying wildflowers as we slowly worked our way to the Paris Ice Cave, noted for having ice all year round. We circled our way back on Canyon Road.





After two nights at Montpelier, we drove 168 miles west on US 30, and then west on US 26 to the Craters of the Moon KOA located in Arco, Idaho. Pretty trip but not ideal, as the wind gusted more than 40 miles per hour much of the journey.



Craters of the Moon
We visited this National Monument several years ago when it was hot and there was very little vegetation. Quite a difference this time, with cool weather, overcast skies, and bright flowers everywhere against and among the unique “off-worldly” scenery of this place.
 




Challis Hot Springs



The next morning we had a wonderful 82-mile trip north on US 93. The road was smooth, the traffic light, pleasant overcast skies driving through lush green valleys, by rivers and creeks, and surrounded by mountains.
 
Our campground was situated on the hot springs property with our site adjacent to the Salmon River. Each evening we walked over to the Springs and soaked in the 105-degree waters.
 
Little Road Trip to Bayhorse Lake



Our first afternoon we took a backroad trip to Bayhorse Lake. Old mines, ghost town.
 
Big Road Trip to Sunbeam and Back



Our second day at the Hot Springs we took a big backroad trip. Our path took us west of Challis, up and over the Mill Creek Summit, with occasional ruins from mining or the old toll road route, where stagecoach travelers could shave days off their trip by spending $5 per person back in the late 1800s.
 
See you next week.

Tags: Wyoming, Paris Ice Cave, Bird photography, Challis Hot Springs, Craters of the Moon National Monument, Fossil Butte National Monument, Idaho, Paris Tabernacle, Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Montpelier Reservoir

We said farewell to Nathrop and headed north again on 285 through the mountains. Near Denver we picked up I-70 East via I-470 West and stopped at a truck stop for a fuel-up and a wash. A short jag east, and then a few miles south on I-225 to Parker Road and our next camping location, Cherry Creek State Park.



Denver’s Central Park
We’ve stayed here many times and always enjoyed the nature. As it was Black Jack’s first time, he quickly learned to appreciate the vast quantities of rabbits, squirrels, chippers, prairie dogs, coyotes, deer, and birds of all variety.





Bark Park
Another really nice thing about Cherry Creek State Park is their marvelous dog park. Many trails, lots of creek access, and over a four-mile jaunt around the perimeter. We were out there by 6:15 most mornings, but were never the first ones there.





Jack just loves to play, especially in the water--nothing more fun than chasing a big canine or a big canine chasing him.







He has also learned to play fetch and brings the ball back…most of the time :’>>





Mitzy thinks she is hot spit as she now has new wheels--whenever she gets tired of walking she has a chauffeured buggy from where she can direct the action of both dogs and people from a higher altitude.



Jan’s Art
Interested in seeing Jan’s latest painting? Go to www.janalexanderart.com/portfolio.html and check out “Skyward” under “Acrylic Paintings and Murals” (the last painting).

See you soon.

Tags: Colorado, Denver, Central Park, Natural Bridges, Wildlife photography, pet photography, Cherry Creek State Park

After our morning expedition to the Great Sand Dunes, we headed north on 285 the 86 miles to Chalk Creek Canyon Campground near Nathrop, Colorado. Once again, a beautiful drive.



Camping at Nathrop
Located north of Salida and just south of Buena Vista, this is one of the prettiest areas in all of Colorado. With 14ers all over the place (mountains taller than 14,000 feet), there were snow-covered peaks in every direction. At over 8,000 feet of altitude, our campground mornings started in the 30s and reached the high 60s early afternoon.



Memorial Day with the Grandies
As we had done two times before, our grandkids (and their mom) drove 120 miles to spend a couple of nights with us over the Memorial Day weekend at Chalk Creek. We soaked in the hot springs, swam and slid at the water park, paddled at the Paddlefest in Buena Vista, and quacked at the annual duck race held at the campground. Several kids quickly became friends with our clan, and together they devoured large quantities of s’mores over the campfire and other assorted candies before and after.















One afternoon after the Grandies had departed, we took a drive up over the Cottonwood Pass down to Taylor Park Reservoir. As we headed up to the 12,000-foot pass, the air thinned, the temperature dropped, and the big piles of snow deepened. Can’t beat it!













Wonderful holiday weekend.

See you soon.

Tags: Colorado, Nature Photography, Chalk Creek Canyon, Bird photography

San Luis State Park
We left our Conejos campground late morning, heading east to Antonito, and then north on 285 past La Jara. At Alamosa, we picked up 17 North, and then turned east at Mosca on the county road that led us to San Luis State Park. The views here are incredible, with mountains on three sides and the huge light brown sand dunes of Great Sand Dune National Park adding texture and contrast to the dark browns, greens, and whites of the snow-capped peaks.



After settling in, we drove the 12 miles into the park and were soon on the Medano Pass Primitive Road. This single lane, four-wheel-drive road is flanked by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east, paralleled by the Medano Creek on the west, with dunes immediately behind the creek. Narrow at parts, often quite rough, and usually steep, and always a fairly high pace required to avoid getting stuck in the thick sand. Behind the wheel, Jan’s persona transformed from the friendly, easygoing gal we all know, to the focused, determined air of the race professional. Jaw tight, hands firm on the steering wheel, and right foot cemented to the floor, she drove the course like a virtuoso violinist on speed. I calmly gave her encouragement, occasionally gasped, and grabbed hold of my schnauzer.



Sandy Webcast
Since the phone reception at our campground was spotty, I drove to a hill overlooking the dunes the next morning to do a webcast from our Jeep. With charged MiFi and MacBook, I spoke to a group of 100-plus people who probably thought I was sitting in a cubicle somewhere. The only challenge was that every time I looked up at the mountains or the dunes, I momentarily lost my train of thought. Nice way to do business, however!



Medano Creek
The morning before we left the area, we got up early and drove the Pups down to a very popular section of Medano Creek in the national park. Every midday there are hundreds of people climbing up or sledding down the dunes, and many leashed pups playing in the water. At 6:45 a.m., however, we had the place to ourselves and let Jack and Mitzy off leash to follow the tracks and the sniffs in and around the creek. Great fun.











See you soon.

Tags: San Luis State Park, Sangre de Cristo Mountain, Great Sand Dune National Park, pet photography, Nature Photography, Wildlife photography