Month: September 2018

092418. New Post. 081618 through 092318

091618: We leave the Ritz with an ongoing dispute with the total over a room rate and a free breakfast. (092418: still unresolved, but SG is on it with full force – Move over Conrad!!).

I say it almost every day when we are on the “back roads”. Unbelievable. etc… We head south on state 89 from Kings Beach, destination far away – Monterey. Well, I pre-pay for these hotels so let’s hustle!! This is along the west shore of Lake Tahoe. The road winds and bends around the lake, anywhere from lake level to 500 feet up. We cannot stop and take pictures because all the road side spaces are taken by Tourists!! Most memorable is Emerald Bay.

Then the scariest little part: at 500 feet up, the road narrows to two 10’ lanes and the shoulder falls away – completely. COMPLETELY!! On both sides….No room to pull over unless you want to park 500’ below. I’m developing a nice little aversion to high bridges. This helps a lot.

By comparison the Kit Carson Canyon pass is tame, but actually far from it. More majestic views.

We travel 3-1/2 hours and only drive 63 miles. Monterey still a LONG way off. We stop in Jackson Ca. for a shopping break. Cool little old area like a cowboy town Main Street.

Made a mistake – not taking care of the hypoglycemia and by the time we get around Stockton and on freeways I am paranoid of SG’s driving. With Absolutely No Reason – she is a great driver, slower than me, cautious but handles the car well. I never experienced that degree of paranoia except on bridges. Lesson learned = EAT, Dummy!

Monterey Ca. We get there later than we wanted, delayed by a search for tinkletoriums strangely lacking once we get off The 5. (Cali slang for interstate highways: ”The 5”; The 101.”). We are in the farmland of the nation. We pass several tandem trucks loaded with tomatoes. Mega farms. Huge irrigation systems. Thousands of acres, many apparently ready to harvest, but only small clumps of 10-20 vehicles and the workers hand picking crops. Apparently Hispanics (Migrants?) Furriners taking American jobs? Maybe, but there are no Americans waiting anywhere I can see to take those back-breaking jobs.

Yes, Monterey. Well, we rely on Trip Advisor and go to Crystal Fish, a local place. Excellent reviews, but not a lot of them compared to the Honky-Tonk Cannery Row. Crystal Fish on Lighthouse Av is an oasis for a tired traveler. Beer and Wine only, fast courteous service and no pretensions. Then we take a look at Cannery Row. On the water, always a plus, but Totally Tourist. We didn’t spend a lot of time in Monterey. Quality Inn again, North Fremont St. Nice, clean, in a mixed Hispanic neighborhood, but cheap.

We go to Asilomar State Beach. KELP!!

We witness cloud formation right before our eyes. The famous fog that keeps all the trees and plants along the coast so green forms when the ocean air meets the warmer land.

We go on and take the famous 17 mile drive. We almost balk at the $10.50 charge for the ride. Glad we didn’t This is the tour of Pebble Beach. Don’t cheap out; it is more than worth it. Wealth? Did I mention WEALTH??? The kicker is that this drive was created in 1881 (no typo) so all could experience this beauty.

Dinner in Carmel-By-The-Sea. Very Uptown. No Gap or MickeyD here. TripAdvisor says “You’ve reached your destination” for Il Fornaio. What? Where? Go down the alley and enter. Wow. First Class. All locals looking at two ragged refugees from a day in the car. My hair was perfect.

091718. The day I’m to meet Steve and spend some time. Slowed the Blog considerably. We drive to Oakland to meet Jacklyn L (SG’s niece) and her two kids. I had a lot of fun with Niko, the four year old. Good boy; listens to old men. I hit the road for Redwood City to meet Steve. I pick him up at the office.

We drive out to an area on SFO bay, but still in the lagoons. We pass through a marina (Wow) and wind up at the end of the drive. There is a large fenced off area with a new building with huge security. Barded wire fencing. Someone is kiteboarding so we walk that way. At the end of the compound, there is a ramp leading to a long dock. At the near end, there is an Aristotle Onassis type boat with all sorts of snorkeling gear hanging in the raised open stern. More toys – jet skis, tenders etc. Everyone on and around this ship is FIT. Not a little fit – James Bond FIT. Men and women.

We chat up the guys that are kite boarding. English chaps – close mouthed – speak when spoken to – and one was the Captain of the Ship. I could not avoid feeling that these guys were like the equivalent of Navy Seals.

 

 

Steve and I have dinner at a place in Belmont Ca. Steve and signs warn of smash and grab artists in all areas. This is less than 100 yards from Oracle headquarters. Nice neighborhood. I learn this is endemic in California these days because it is no longer a felony.

091818: I drive Steve to work and spend the day kicking around Redwood City. Not bad. We eat that night at The Striped Pig. Excellent burgers, salad and olives.

091918: SG and I meet by BART in SFO to meet my brother Matt. SG and I challenge Matt to show us something we haven’t seen in SFO. We go to 16th Avenue Steps and Grand View Park. We are greeted by our raptor host beginning his noon meal of fresh rodent:

The park is aptly named.

Our price for the tour was that we had to go to a listen to a panel of advisors for a moot court debate at Hastings Law School where Matt teaches constitutional law.

The lecturers presented their views on an issue of whether a florist could turn down a request from a gay couple to supply flowers for their wedding on the basis that it was the florist’s right to refuse on religious grounds and the florist’s expression of free speech in thecae of a Washington state law prohibiting discrimination (Matt, you cannot correct my misinterpretation of what it was all about). Anyway, Matt was a panelist and succinctly stuck it up the a… of the knucklehead representing the florist. The audience of 90+ students cheered wildly!

Matt, David, SG Steve and I have dinner at Wonderful in Millbrae. Chinese food. David orders (He is Chinese) and calls us all Yankee Dogs and orders strange dishes for us and a glass of water for himself.

SG and I spend a noisy night in a Quality In in San Bruno. Avoid it at all costs. Well, not maybe all costs. It was clean and ok, and not too many planes flew over. And at over $285, it was by far the cheapest place in the entire area.

092018: Susan and I get on The 1. Cabrillo Highway. The Pacific Coast Highway. It is cooler than a mashed potato sandwich. Cliffs shear to the water from 600 feet or more (or less). Surfers, lots of tourists, magnificent coastline. We took lots of pics; provide the tequila and you can see them all. Here are a few:

So, having lucked out in Challis, ID and seeking more small town places, I pick Ben Lomond. We are looking for a redwood forest. Big Basin Redwoods State Park. It’s on the map bordering The 1. But not really. Dirt path. NG for the A7. So we go to Davenport Ca. And brave the stoners.

We take a left and participate in Mr Toad’s Wild Ride!! Light, dark, twisty like a Twizzler – up the mountain and DOWN the mountain to a tranquil place that gave birth to these awesome trees.

Then Ben Lomon – my experiment in small town places. Quality Inn, nice, clean. Its neighbor:

Dinner: we chose some place in the next town. We get there and they had a power outage and …..no dinner. The BarKeep (and the people chained to their bar stools) recommend Casa Nostra and tell us to ask to sit in the “Tavern.” We always sit in the bar, so so what? Well, the tavern are a few tables surrounded by Redwoods. 19 of them.

Did I not say that Ben Lomond and a few other small towns, Boulder Creek and Elton are in the middle of Big Basin?

092118: Back on The 1. More pacific. Ho Hum…Long ride to Lompoc Ca., closest town to Vandenberg AFB. Thought about two small towns but went to the Hilton Garden for SG. (she can’t take too much Quality – her folks raised her right). Ate local again. Scratch Kitchen. Walked there. Maaaveloussss Darling. The bar flies were a little irritating. We ubered back to the hotel.

092218: off on The 1 to Santa Monica. Traffic awful. Fast but organized. Lots of signs. They have signs for the signs. I splurge – SG had done all the wash – so we head for the Palington House. 3 blocks from the ocean, in the middle of town. A dream – and not outrageous.

We go to Santa Monica Beach and enjoy the sun.

That evening, we visit Donna L, a lifelong friend of SG at her home in Westlake Village. I decide on a short cut to get there and we go up and down Topanga Canyon Road, home of the mudslides. Easy to see why. Donna serves us a delightful dinner.

We return by the Malibu canyon road and wind up at Pepperdine U campus.

Every year for several years, Pepperdine displays a flag for every 9/11 victim. Sobering.

092318:  Must See:  Muscle Beach

We are off to see Dan and Ginnie M, SG’s sister at their home in Carlsbad. I moan about the traffic all the way. Once here, the weather goes from perfect to cloudy all day. Well, Ginnie and Dan are great hosts and we will be here (without blogging) for a while. Their home is peaceful, quiet and lovely with hummingbirds in the back yard and warm (not sunny so far…) weather.

092418:  Walk on the beach

091018 Bozeman. Taking us forever to get going in the AM. Not what you think. Nice downtown. Old storefronts all with fancy local stores. Nice stuff. $$$.

The Lark Motel; not a No Tel anymore.,.Converted 1960’s place. Clean, a little spartan and $$. Downtown and walking distance to everything else, so a good choice recommended by Tom M.

They cherish their soap. It was good stuff – I tasted it.

Satisfying breakfast at JAMS. Waitress recommended Palisade Falls. Off we go, east of town “20 minutes” she had promised. Must have been Lawyer time. Very windy road down a canyon, to a dirt road, then another two miles crawling to avoid dust (hopeless) and stones. Then another mile hike uphill to the falls. Well worth it.

 

This trip killed the day. So we took our time and went to a sushi place for dinner. Good, but follow the rule: Never Eat Sushi if it was delivered the prior week. No untoward consequences.

091118: never a good day. Where were you that morning?

Dragged our butts around to breakfast at JAMS. SG went to the hairdresser. Hit the road for Challis ID after collaborating where we wanted to go. Destination: Lake Tahoe via Challis and Winnemucca NV. The ride from Bozeman was….i’ve run out of words and didn’t take photos. Suffice to say that Back Roads Rule!!

A few other rules – good ideas for a trip like this. Take paper maps. Download each state’s “511” app. The “511” number only gives info for the state you are in, even when it is a state highway crossing state borders. So you need the # for the other states. Easy: it’s “511.” You just have to be in the state you seek information about when you call. Apps don’t help when you lose connectivity. You lose cell service often, so call ahead if you think you are getting in to questionable territory (wild fires, road closures etc.). Keep the tank over 1/2 full always; you can go lots of miles without a gas station

Way Out West where the drivers are pretty good, the marking for passing zones are for shit. They often start on curves – blind curves. Be really careful. Also, any vehicle coming at you is doing 75+mph. The A7 is a monster – has hit 100+ passing other vehicles, meaning the impact if you misjudge is oblivion.

Ghost Towns that Thrive:  Wisdom, Montana.

We entered 4 buildings here.  A restaurant (hoaky, country, clean and nice folks) a hotel (built 1904 and completely re-done western country, with a post office and a picture of a bear chasing a biker on a snowy road), a shop with more ginder and kitches than most malls. They survive on bikers!! the non-motorized kind.

Challis: nothing but the best for SG.

Actually a very pleasant guy – Bob – is fixing up this motel for his daughter to take over. Clean, roomy (BR and Studio – kitchen) but not especially cheap. Food at the Village Inn Ok. Breakfast there better.  This is the heart of fly fishing and hunting country in Idaho. A heliport at the edge of town is supporting fire fighting operations.  Scary.

091218  We are making long runs these days toward Redwood City to meet Steve. Eight hours planned today. Idaho is …loss of words again. Rolling farms with mountains in the distance.

 

Then, out of nowhere, literally, a canyon. Sorry. Looks sideways.

Shonone ID provides a break for lunch (grilled hot dogs) and Ice Cream, and two delightful people behind the counter.

Then a big miss.  In Twin Falls, ID< we pass over a chasm in the middle of town.  Looked deep, maybe 200 feet.  Later found out it was close to 500! right in the middle of town.

Nevada:

you can tell you are there by: the casino at the border town, OR terrain flattens out (still beautiful) OR the slot machines in every store, gas station etc., OR the bullet holes in the road signs (pretty good shots out here).

So we spend the night in Winnemucca Nevada.

TripAdvisor recommends the Martin Hotel. Cool place, good Plentiful food, and here starts a story. Put your feet up and here we go.

There are two young men sitting at the bar, Nick and Abe, maybe in their 30’s. Susan chats them up; Nick is a Chiropractor and practices in town. Abe is a lifelong friend who now lives in Boise. Somehow we get to water skiing. Nick says he skis all the time. He says he skis on the best boat ever – a 1981 Sanger with the flattest wake ever. He shows us a picture.

He is reluctant but when he hears that I ski double boot slalom, and dragged my vest all the way here, he says let’s go tomorrow AM. Tuesday is his day off. Abe backs him up all the way. Abe recommends the Griddle for breakfast.

Nick says he has a haircut at 8:30 and we can meet at the lake after that.

Nick tells us where to go. I readily agree especially because it is west on I-80, right on our way. He says it’s a reservoir called Rye Patch. We part with assurances for tomorrow.

Now, a little background. We got to the Martin Hotel around 8:15. These two guys had been there since 6:30 drinking whiskey on the rocks. They had 3 each while we were there. No signs of inebriation. Hmmmmm.

I’m so excited I wake at 2:30 and can’t get back to sleep.

091318  I rouse SG at 7:00 and put on my bathing suit under my shorts and we hustle to the Griddle. Hit the road by 9:00. We get there at 9:45 and wait.

THERE IS NOTHING out here except a trailer park and an exclusive fishing camp.  I  text Nick after 1/2 hour. No answer. We go look at the lake – deep in a canyon, narrow, long and flat as a pancake. I’m salivating. Placards about fishing, camping. Hmmmm.

So just before we give up, Nick texts and this ensues.

I wonder if the whole thing was BS. I Google the Rye Patch and it is a ski lake. I google bone crinklers in Winnemucca – none named Nick or Nicholas. Too cold, my ass. 65 degrees and warm water.

I’ve been had – either stood upon by a two hung over dudes, or thoroughly hoodwinked. That night in the Ritz at Lake Tahoe we laugh hysterically!!!  Me, practically wetting my pants that night inn anticipation.   Me, doing yoga stretches in front of 4 semi’s pulled off the road. Me, like a little kid staring at the lake..Wow. Chump. Turkey.

So Nick: We’re still out west. We may return to Winnemucca. You never know. Either come clean or look over your shoulder.

We come into Tahoe from Reno. We opt back roads again and arrive in King Beach. The wind is UP!!! We sit for the afternoon.

091418  Next day, we visit Truckee. Camp little town, nice shops. The SqueezeIn is very cool.

Writing all over the walls and now marked by us.

We shop then we ship stuff we bought over the trip.

Then we again follow a bartender recommendation and check out Donner State Park and Donner Pass. Sad story. Death on the trail. A little cannabalism to survive. We go to the Donner Pass. No words again.

091518  Another long day planned.  It’s a 3 hour trip via interstates; we elect back roads and take closer to 7.

We go south on State 89 along gthe west border of Lake Tahoe.  OMG.  The roadsides are jammed with tourists parking, so no photos.  However, you must make this drive as a passenger.  It is breathtaking, scary and magnificent.  At one point, the road extends no more than 22 feet wide with sheer drop offs on BOTH sides.  Two way traffic…Whoa!!  Then Emerald Bay…………

This is not Emerald Bay

We continue down State 88 through mountains, canyons, valleys and little else.

These pics cannot justly demonstrate the depth and expanse of the area.

Then a nice surprise: Jackson Ca.  A little town trying ton preserve a cowboy look.  Ok, but see Wisdom Montana above.

We arrive in Monterey Ca.  Dark.  We pick a spot (Tripadvisor) called Crystal Fish and enjoy a fine sushi meal.  After dinner we walk the Honky-Tonk parts of Monterey that attempt to capitalize on Steinbeck and the cannery history.  Ok, clean, but touristy.  The aquarium is highly rated, but we don’t get there before it closes.

091618  Explore Monterey.  More later.

091018 HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT!!!

090418 – 090918 BLOG

090418 Steamboat Springs. There has to be a better word than Yuppies; the town is loaded with $$, upscale skinny snow-skiers making a living and waiting for snow.  BEST Breakfast Freshies. Stores,stores and then a few more. I test rode a collapsible E-Bike. Lots of fun, fast enough, a little dangerous as you e used to acceleration without effort. Niiicce. He store was closing down – last day – free shipping – SG would have none of it. She wants to sweat!!

Route 40 up, into and over the Rockies. Often scary, Breathtaking views. Hairy, fast drives on two lane roads. I follow a tanker truck and this Caddy Escalade with Colorado plates and a lead foot and we fly through farms, fields, hills and breathtaking vistas and landscapes.

We hit I-70 and the rain and hail starts. This road is treacherous after the Eisenhower Tunnel and Georgetown Co – an oasis. Narrow, winding, two lane, tons of traffic and so much rain that the road is hydroplaning hell. Wayz redirects us through the city because the beltway is at a standstill. It pours all the way to Denver Audi where the A7 will get a checkup from the neck up. Emergency brake switch restored!

We get a loaner and drive to Bill and Cathy D’s home. We are privileged to join in the celebration of Janelle’s birthday – undisclosed but clearly under 40. Mark (her H) and Bill were Marine 2d lieutenants in Nam – talk about friends for life. I fall asleep face down in my dessert and a long travel day comes pleasantly to an end.

090618 – 090818

Denver is a clean, friendly city. 300 days of sunshine a year. Fast melting snow. Great restaurants, sports teams. Steve, when small, used to call the team the Denvro Broncos. We went there to meet an old law school buddy, Bill D. Two other fellas could not make it, so they get posted.

Jack E, a life-long hockey nut who knows the game and all the players. Back then he knew Gordie Howe and his sons Mark and Marty. He is currently manipulating the state of Texas to the will of his clients.

John V, one of the brightest rednecks I ever knew. He and I have also talked sporadically and even sent each other cases. I missed seeing both these guys – next “reunion” in Texas – in the winter!

Bill is a retired federal judge. Fascinating stories from a friend that I hadn’t seen since Anne and I saw him for dinner in Mystic, Ct in 1974. Only 44 years, so we dropped in and stayed for 3 nights. Cathy, Bill’s wife, is beautiful, quiet, kind and a great host.

Cathy’s nickname is Nagagator, earned while traveling with friends while Bill drove his Lincoln Navigator. Not assigned by Bill; he is much smarter than that.

Bill and I have talked sporadically over the years. We hit it off like we talked and saw each other often. What a wonderful experience. And a life-long friend. Cathy and Susan hit it off and the days in the company of the D…s’s flew by. We saw the Denver Botanical Zoo, downtown Denver and Bill’s firm (all retired judges doing mediations and arbitrations), had dinner at CRU Wine Bar on Laramie Street, saw Union Station, all revitalized, and walked and rode 16th Street, a closed to traffic area downtown.

Friday night Bill and Cathy treated us to dinner at the Castle Rock Golf Club. Waaaaay up above the town: sunset over the Rocky Mountains…Wow…a once-in-a-lifetime experience even if we go back before the next 44 years go by.

Brian McN I saw a lot more often – at GU reunions – the last time was 2010 (only 40 years) right after Anne passed away. Brian knew Anne well. He and I were frat bros in an illegal (not recognized by GU) frat based around WGTB, GU’s radio station. Anne was at Marymount College in Northern Va and her best friend was Carol McN, Brian’s sister. So we partied a LOT back then. Brian and I supplied the boys and the Jungle Juice; Anne and Carol supplied the girls.

Brian is one of the funniest guys I know – we just start feeding each other one-liners. He also has a great heart and dedicated his career to the betterment of public education – the last stint coaching principals in inner-city schools and setting up an organization to carry the work on. Thanks Brian.

Susan met Brian at breakfast Thursday morning at Snooze, a breakfast place that should be on your list.. Donna came to breakfast the next morning while Susan and Cathy were doing other things. Too bad. Donna and Susan would have hit it off. Bill D went to that second breakfast and he, Brian and Donna hit it off. Made me feel really good. The unifying force was the Tweeter In Chief. Bottom line: we are all very scared about what he will do on any given day, especially if a crisis arises, and whether he will ever be held responsible for his conduct with a packed Supreme Court. We pray for Gens. Kelly and Mattis. Bill D had met Mattis personally and was very impressed – a regular guy.

090818 Saturday, we depart. We meet Rob Rancourt of the Svencer Clan and his friend Carita. We met at Syrup, another Denver breakfast place. Much better corned beef hash at Snooze. Carlta loaded us up with tomatoes and sent us on our way.

Heading north on I-25. No real alternative to get up north. We chose to go north because it’s getting cold, the leaves are turning in Jackson and Denver, and we want to see Montana, Glacier Park and east Washington state before it gets really cold. We packed for summer, so up we go!

Colorado north of Denver along I-25 is not pretty, and, like the city and its environs, is riddled with TRAFFIC!!

Another border. Glad to be back in Wyoming!! For me, the prettiest state yet.

Chugwater, Wy. The wind pushes the A7 like a toy on a perfectly clear day. Back in the land of mesas and buttes.

We watch huge storms miles ahead and to our left spit lightning as they move across our path ahead.. Getting dark and no where near Sheridan. We are both worried about animals crossing the highway. Big lit warning signs about animals every 20 miles and Colesie is roaring – A7 Smokin!! We arrive OK having murdered so many bugs that the bees are all over the car in the AM.

Susan picks a restaurant off TripAdvisor – Frackelton’s. Another solid pick. We sit at the bar as usual and the lady next to Susan chats us up. I mention that Wyoming is the prettiest state we’ve seen and the lady starts off with a description of all the sites in Sheridan. She states “I’ve never been in a town like Sheridan where all the people speak so positively about their town – love it and would not leave.” They introduce themselves as they leave as Mike and Melissa. I ask for the check – we’re exhausted after 6 hours on I-25 then I-90. Bartender says they picked up your meal, Wow. Little did they know that they bought us our lunch for the next day as well!

Susan and I are discussing the free meal and she decides the lady is a local promoter of the town etc. So morning comes and I track her down – the bartender spilled her last name. Melissa Butcher. Sheridan Wy. President of this and Chairman of that etc. LinkedIn of course. So I send her a personal invitation that opens “Ambassador Butcher…”. No response yet.

090918. We take the route Mike and Melissa recommended – through the Bighorn Mountains, State Route 14 and 14A (closed in winter). Another spectacular ride.

We take about two hours to see the Medicine Wheel. It’s a burial ground 5 miles from a paved road. Park Service pisses me off – they’ve removed all descriptive plaques, so I wind up walking a mile further than the Medicine Wheel.  This pic is halfway back to the car.

Anyway, the Medicine Wheel appears to be a central stone grave with stone spokes radiating out to a stone wheel surrounding the center grave. There are other graves, some large, a few small. There are many small little pieces of cloth, velvet, colored that appear to either be wrapped around a rock or (my pick) someone’s ashes. There are hundreds of them, but strangely they do not detract from the solemnity of the site. I feel a strong urge to leave a piece of Anne there, so I do so figuratively. 7 places for Anne. I feel a piece of her resting on that pinnacle called Medicine Wheel.

All told, 6 hours for a 3 hour trip. Well worth it for what we saw.

SG Screamed as I Shot This One With a Sheer Drop on The Right

SG navigates glaring sun and BUGS on I-90 to get us in to Bozeman and dinner with Jake M.

Jake is the son of our dear friends Tom and Amanda M. He is on his way through Navy enlistment, a slow process because of the type of assignment Jake is pursuing. We have a wonderful dinner at Open Range.

I have a problem with these blogs. I’m running out of adjectives to describe how special each day is on this trip. It’s hard to imagine why all the folks in the east don’t move out here. One reason is the short summer; another is no salt water, but fresh is exactly that and easy to get used to.

Today I think of Matt and we explore Bozeman.

090318

Just left Jackson Hole. No interstates out here to avoid. Heading to Green River Wy on the way to Denver by way of Flaming Gorge and Steamboat Springs.

083018

We went to Jackson to visit SG’s son Spencer, her youngest. We stayed in her other son Tyler’s apartment in town. Our timing was perfect: Tyler and his roommate were out of town. Jackson is one of the sweetest spots you can imagine. The town is nestled among the towering peaks of the Grand Teton mountains and several lesser hills (hills…really? By Ct standards they are Mountains!!).

083118. Anyway, one wakes in the AM to 34 degrees and crisp humidity-free air. As soon as the sun begins to clear the horizon, it warns you with persistent dry heat. By 10:00, it is high 70’s and still dry. Se were blessed with 4 days like this.

Spencer and Jackie are at work and SG and I tour the town. It is a vibrant community full of extremely rich people and rich tourists wannabes. UberRich like Walmart heirs, Harrison Ford. Also lots of families having a great time. Wood sidewalks. A stagecoach ride. A Sheriff on horseback. Lots to do, laid back, slow tempo and polite people. Very pricey shopping.

Saturday 0901. Another month behind us in a year with wings. We had breakfast at Nora’s, actually famous through Diners, Dives etc TV show.

Then we hiked to Ski Lake. Thought my lungs would explode. Got a little used to it. Spencer moved out there 6 years ago and he didn’t break a sweat. He carried me…not really, but I wish he had. The views…the views. Spencer has a son = Leo. Four legged Leo. Great dog. Impetuous, free spirit; listens to Daddy.

Spencer took this one. He swore he caught a bald eagle in this shot. The degradations I have to endure…

Here is the gang, in order of importance: Leo, Jacqueline (very nice, intelligent, fun and funny), SG and me.

You may have to look very carefully, but we found Bullwinkle.

Not so careful. I blew him up. NO, this is NOT one of those steel cut-outs you see all over the place out here.

090218: Spencer, Jacqueline, SG and I go white water rafting on the Snake River. Class 2, so not so big but a great time. The Snake is over 1,000 miles long from its headwaters in Yellowstone Park. It joins the gulf of Mexico in Mexico.

The latest Tweet from the Tweetie Bird in Chief: “The Snake will no longer be allowed to leave the US with US water…..”  Not Fake News. How about Woodward’s new book?

So they promised a nice view for our pizza dinner. Really shabby. The whole Teton range from the top of a meadow overlooking the National Elk Preserve. I repeat…OMG.

090318: Spencer and I go fly fishing on the lower Snake. Saw 4 bald eagles. They all gave me the high sign as a bald brother…I think that’s what the white stuff was on my shoulder. I think…. We caught a dozen fish, all small but pretty.

BUSTED!!! It had to happen. Susan read the blog. She denies her shenanigans at the Holiday Inn Express in Carlisle Pa. Honest folks, its true…

Green River Wy. Skip it if you can.

Two good things: The Hampton Inn and Suites nestled at the base of majestic mesas.

I forgot what the other one was. It wasn’t food (#1 restaurant on TripAdvisor is the Hitching Post) where Happy Hour STARTS at 7:00AM for two hours. No foolin) or the massive rail yards. It is famous for being the starting point for John Wesley Powell’s expedition down the Green and Colorado Rivers.

So I noticed that despite my best efforts to keep the gas mileage high through reasonable driving, it is slowly decreasing. I can’t understand it..Every day and every stop it gets a little less. Could not figure it out…until I found Susan’s souvenir rocks. ROCKS..hidden all over the car. There Will Be Consequences.

090318: Green River to Steamboat Springs via Utah.

Back roads again. State 520 south. Don’t take 191. You will miss the Flaming Gorge in ASHLEY National Forest.

The scenery is unbelievable, especially when you read about what these layers of earth mean. 150 Million years or more of geology on display. Many of the creatures are fossilized and found here in the millennium they existed. It is a time clock on the world. And a sad one. a plaque told of the time periods over which much of these creatures went extinct. The final note is that the rate of extinction of animals is much greater now than it was back then. Hmmmm….

Utah labels every layer as you drive down (and lots of up) on 520. Jurassic period – types of stone and fossils described.

If you are out this way, Flaming Gorge is worth the extra time.

End of Utah: strip mines of very large areas for ??; Wyoming has strip mined coal.

We approach the Rockies from the west. Steamboat makes Killington look like a pebble. I can feel Rick S getting a little pissed off.

Colorado starts ugly. Here we are. (SG made me walk back to the sign because she blew by it).

The very first thing we saw…

It also starts rather flat and plain. Then it gets farmy, hilly and green.

One thing irks me about most of the states we have traveled through since Pa. They don’t recycle. Some towns do – Sioux Falls, Jackson – but not the states. Landfills prevail. Lots of land to fill, but really.

Colorado: Coal fired power plants and 100+ car freight trains loaded with coal.

Then Steamboat Springs. Wow. Trendy town. Sophisticated. BIG change from Casper, Green River. We shop tomorrow then hit the road for Denver, Bill D (U of Houston Law) and Brian Mc. Georgetown. Go Hoyas!!