East End

I woke the morning of my third day in Big Bend National Park with a mixture of excitement and sadness. Excitement for sights I was going to see, but sadness that it would be my last day in the park. Many of the sights I’d seen before, but so long ago I’d nearly forgotten them. By the time I headed for the exit from the park, it had been such a full and rewarding day that I felt satisfied - at least, until my next visit.

New Territory

Though I’d been to Big Bend National Park three times before, I’d never made it to the west end of the park. So I was particularly excited that the second day of my visit would take me to Santa Elena Canyon and the other sights in that area.

Top Spot

I first camped in Big Bend National Park forty years ago, and it’s been my favorite place in the world ever since. This was my fourth time to visit the park and there were still corners that I hadn’t explored. I intend to return much more often in the future. In this one park you can find deserts, mountains, pine forests, deciduous forests, marshes, and river gorges. In this post, I’ll cover my first day in the park, a visit to the mountainous Chisos Basin.

Underworld

I’ve been to Carlsbad Caverns before, but it’s been decades and I was definitely ready for another visit.

Out of this World

Roswell, New Mexico. That name had always brought to my mind the image of a small town crazed with UFO fever. I was curious to see that spectacle. The reality turned out to be considerably different.

Cosmos

It was a happy surprise that the route to my next stop, Socorro New Mexico, would take me past the Very Large Array, a radio telescope with an antenna array that spans miles. Of course, as an electrical engineer and an astronomy buff, this was a must see. It was quite impressive viewed from the highway, but when I got to the visitors’ center, it turned out to be possibly the best technical tour I’ve ever taken.

Some Things Never Change

In this post I’m back on the road again, headed across the Southwest. I visit a friend I hadn’t seen in nearly 30 years, meet her husband, and together we visit the Petrified Forest in northeastern Arizona.

Home Again, Home Again

First of all... a change of plans. The preceding couple of posts have promised that a review of my motorhome is coming, and it is. But it's a big undertaking and I'm getting further and further behind on posts about where I've been and who I've seen. So, while I continue to work on the review, I'm going to plunge ahead with travelogue posts and let the review come when it's ready. This is a short post about my return to San Diego after my trip north as far as Banff.

SPOT On

I'm working on the promised review of my motorhome, but there's a new development I wanted to share immediately. I planned to have a SPOT device with me from the beginning of my travels, but after I'd tested it once at home, it refused to even power on when I hit the road. Now I've received the replacement SPOT and it appears to be working. If you look below my retirement card at the right, there's a new "View Map" link. Clicking on this takes you to the SPOT website that tracks my travels.

Return to Fiddletown

On my return south to San Diego, the one side trip I took was to Jackson, California, east of Sacramento, to visit my friends Wade and Cheryl Hurst. The O'Hagan's and I had visited the Hursts back in August for a Cowboy Campfire BBQ and concert, but I was happy to have the opportunity to see them again. There was no concert this time, but I had more opportunity to explore the area, some on my own and some conducted by Wade and Cheryl.

Interlude

Originally the plan was to take two weeks loitering down the West Coast on my return to San Diego. But while I was in Canada, I got confirmation that an on-again off-again consulting job in Las Vegas was definitely on. So, after three quick days in the Seattle area, I parked the van and hopped a flight to Vegas. At the end of a very worthwhile week at the convention, I flew back to Seattle and began an abbreviated trip south.

All Downhill

Though there were still some great sights still ahead, I had turned a corner with my trip to the Columbia Icefields, and it was clear that the remainder of the trip would be mainly about returning home and seeing some friends along the way. This post is about the last three days I spent in Canada before returning to the states.

High Point

After spending the morning at Lake Louise, I continued north to the Columbia Icefields. This was a highpoint of the trip for me, certainly in latitude, but also in an emotional sense because it was the most beautiful scenery I'd seen, and it was the furthest I would journey from my start in San Diego; I felt like I'd accomplished what I'd set out to do at this point, and the rest was just wrap up. This post recounts my excursion to the Columbia Icefields.

Points North

Glacier was one of the primary objectives of this trip, Banff and the surrounding territory was the other. It truly is a strikingly beautiful area and I took many, many pictures. So many, in fact that I've decided to split my time there into two posts. This post will cover the drive through Calgary, my first evening in Banff, and the next morning at Lake Louise. The succeeding post will cover my trip to the Columbia Icefields and the rest of my time in Canada.

Glacier, No Snow

Glacier National Park was one of the destinations that drove the planning of this trip, so I was particularly excited as I headed east from Spokane. In spite of a rather long and convoluted route, I arrived early enough that evening to take in some sights, and then spent the entire next day driving around the park. So I'll combine those two days into this one post. I'll also mention a couple of my most memorable RV parks on the trip.

Rock On

Crater Lake is a hard act to follow, and to be honest, I wasn't sure my next scheduled stop would be worth the effort. I'd have to backtrack nearly 60 miles, and then return along the same road - it was't on the way to anywhere. Plus, it would be a long day even without the sightseeing - I had to cover a lot of miles. In the end, though, I decided this trip has to be more about seeing the natural wonders, even when you're taking a chance on them, than about getting on down the road. So, I took the detour, and was I ever glad I did.

Crater Lake

I first saw Crater Lake at the end of the summer before my Junior year in college. A friend and I took off on a driving tour that looped around the entire western half of the United States, starting in my hometown of Omaha and ending two weeks later in our college town, Houston. As soon as I saw it, Crater Lake became one of my all time favorite places, and that has continued through several decades, though until now I had only been back there once again. I wondered before I visited this time whether I'd be jaded; maybe it wouldn't be that big a thrill. Well, it was still just a breathtaking, or, somehow, even more so. I've taken plenty of pictures, so get ready.

Truckin' Down the Highway

At the end of my first day on the road, I stayed someplace truly fascinating. In the following days, I encountered some breathtaking natural beauty, but nothing that really rises to the level of warranting a post of its own. So here, I'll catch up on days 2 through 5, and get back close to posting about things shortly after they happen.

Day 1

I'm on the road! Finally! My first destination was Red Rock Canyon State Park, north of Victorville, California. I originally picked it because it was a convenient four hour drive north of San Diego, but I got very lucky - the place is fantastic. In this post I share some impressions and photos of this hidden treasure. I know everyone is interested in the van, too. I'm still gathering my thoughts for a comprehensive post in the future, but I'll share some first impressions here.

At Long Last

The motorhome has arrived! I picked it up in Fresno on September 25th, advised the Sportsmobile (SMB) crew on a few last minute additions and adjustments, and drove back to San Diego that evening. The last few days have been a whirlwind of activity, saying au revoir to good friends and making preparations to travel. Pressed for time, this post will be the first of several to bring you up to date.