Hard to believe it’s been almost a month since my last blog. Thanks to brother, Michael & sister-in-law, Janey I had some time to regroup in LA and visit with Erika.  Got my granny-fix with a two week stay in San Diego with Tim and the world’s most beautiful and smartest granddaughter, Raya.  Visited a childhood friend in San Bernardino and now I’m back on the road.

Started out by crossing the San Bernardino Mountains.  Although it was 57 degrees in Big Bear Lake that didn’t stop them from manufacturing some snow for the kids to go sledding.  The snow shortage is beginning early.  It's usually here by now in the mountains. Stopped for lunch at a restaurant and got a Reuben that lasted me for 3 meals.  Can’t imagine anyone downing it in one sitting.

Big Bear is quite a vacation town with clusters of homes built into the mountain-side and around the lake.  Came down the other side of the mountain and got to see what those ribbons of road in the desert I’ve seen from the plane are like from the ground.  I wondered where they went and found out one of them goes to Barstow.  What a difference in scenery on the western and eastern side of the mountains.  There were hills but they looked like mud-piles with boulders tucked in.

Got a gas price shock – it was $5.17 in Needles and $3.37 in AZ, just a few blocks away.  Luckily, Patience got thirsty in AZ.  Drove up thru Bullhead City, AZ and noticed a line-up of huge hotels and casinos along the river -- Of course! They’re in NV.  Heading up 93 to Hoover Dam and stopped off at an information overlook.  Apparently, there’s a huge bighorn sheep population that migrates regularly from one side of the 4 lane highway to the other sooo, the considerate folks at the highway dept. have built a couple of overpasses for them.

Was planning to spend Thanksgiving in the Grand Canyon but saw that all the hotels were sold out for the holiday.  Decided that even if I could find a room, I’d be in the midst of huge crowds.  Nice to have the flexibility to change my mind so decided to visit Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Zion and Bryce Canyon.  Grand Canyon could wait until the following week.

Spent some time at Hoover Dam – pictures don’t do it justice.  It’s enormous!  Had to go thru a checkpoint where they inspected Patience then got to drive over it and see it from a variety of vantage points. Cost me a dollar but sprung to have my fortune read by Pappy and am confident enough in his predictions to continue on this trip.  

From Hoover I drove thru Lake Mead National Recreation area. It’s amazing to see this huge lake in the middle of the desert – bright, crystal blue water against the beige landscape.

Landed in a Logansdale UT for a non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  Shared my hummus and rye-crisp in a park with two fellows who were in the area to hang –glide (that’s the cliff-jumping kind).  One was a bit younger than me and the other a couple of years older. In other words, old enough to know better. The younger one was from Alaska so I got to reminisce about my July trip.

Most of my traveling days have been spent in the same state so this bouncing around from CA to AZ to NV and then UT really confused the clock on my iPhone.  What time is it, anyway?  Also seeing some unusual roadside advertising –“Born to be Wild” Bail Bonds and I can get all my wisdom teeth (if I had any) pulled for $899.  The colors are incredible – what began as a brown mountain looks like someone took a big paintbrush and painted a swatch of red.

Spent a day in Zion National Park.  So much different from the northern Utah parks.  You have the huge red rock cliffs shooting up from a canyon floor that has trees and evergreens and a river (responsible for lots of the formations).  Took the shuttle that lets you get off and on to hike some trails.  I stuck to the wussy ones…a lovely walk along the river and a couple of trails from the information center and a few feet up from the highway.  Some were outfitted in water-proof gear to follow the canyon river to the "Narrows". Came across a mama mule deer and her two toddlers, none of whom were worried about my presence. 

 The ride out of Zion was an adventure too– climbing out of the canyon while looking over an unguarded drop and going thru a mile long, unlighted tunnel.  The tunnel was very cool as they constructed 3 cut-outs on the cliff wall so it was like driving by a huge picture window.

The rock formations are beautifully compressed together – horizontal, vertical, diagonal, herringbone, swirls and arcs in a variety of earth-tone colors ranging from bright red-orange to beige.  Beautiful contrast with the dark green evergreens.

Next was Bryce Canyon – another different scene.  You drive along what you think to be a traditional evergreen forest and then wham; you come to the ledge of an overlook with a canyon sprawled before you.  Bryce is famous for the “hoodoos”.  They look like platoons of strangely uniformed red-rock soldiers- each wearing a helmet made of dolomite.  The pillars are sandstone and will eventually be eroded away, to be replaced by others.  The helmet remains.  Confined my exercise to scenic overlooks as the wussy trail was 370’ down and up.

Now it’s time for your geology lesson (as I understand it).  Millions of years ago, this 4 state Colorado Plateau got on a humungous elevator and was raised 10,000 feet.  Then the fireworks began – earthquakes, volcanos, rivers, and ferocious storms formed the canyons, including the Grand.  But it left mesas too, so the topography is a strange mixture of cavernous gorges, pine forests, cliffs, deserts and grasslands.  Lakes are either man-made with dams or caused by sink-holes where the earth collapses into underground caverns.

Spent 2 nights in Kanab UT and lucked out by being there for the Christmas parade.  Twelve colorfully lit floats came down Main St. then made a U-turn and went back.  Had a bit of an emotional heart tug when the fire engine approached and the little boy in front of me said, “Look Mom!  It’s Santa”.

Next stop is the big one – Grand.  Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful.  Been spending lots of time thinking about my blessings and you’re on the list

Am back from an indescribably beautiful trip (in every way) from the peace conference in Italy.  Over 200 global participants from almost every spiritual background looked at signs of change and ways to engage others in what is considered by many to be the 2^nd Axial Age (a focus on global interdependence). Instead of “talking heads”, group workshops covered four areas:  Reconciling with the Other, Transforming Society, Embracing the Earth Family & Rediscovering the Sacred.  I was assigned to the "earth" group. The feeling is our planet has gone too far with “me first” and we’re in the midst of understanding the importance of how connected we are.  Met some remarkably talented people and it was reaffirming to be with so many from every corner of the world working to improve conditions in their area.

 Spent four days in the hills outside Rome at a former monastery which culminated in a trip to Rome and a press conference and reception with municipal and government leaders at the Campidoglio or the Capitol Hill of Rome.  The terrace of the building overlooks the Coliseum and the ruins of the Roman Senate.  Had time to do some sight-seeing so joined a group to visit the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain.  And yes, I tossed in a coin.

Next was a bullet train to Florence, a wrap-up of workshops, a press conference at the Palazzo Vecchio (the Medici palace, complete with the family album in statuary) and sightseeing.  What a magical city!  Narrow streets open up to spacious palazzos with huge churches, museums, & fountains.  Am amazed, however,  there are any Italians left standing – the pedestrians share the narrow streets  with cars, buses & scooters; all driving like they’re in the Grand Prix.  That said, I’d love to go back.

Another highlight was dinner in a 12^th century town in Tuscany called Certaldo,  It’s perched atop a hill so we took the funicular (Italian mechanized mountain goat)  to the top. Nothing in the town’s exterior has changed. We were served a tasty Tuscan dinner in a lovely courtyard.

A little R & R in LA with Erika & a walking tour of downtown LA.  Rode on the Angel Flight and strolled thru some beautiful old buildings.  The Bradley Building was quite a maze of wrought iron staircases with a cute Charlie Chaplin statue seated on a bench.

Back on the road - beginning with Sequoia NP.  Beautiful drive thru the foothills up into the mountains.  Cute little towns, one with a sequoia sized carving of Paul Bunyon out in front.  However, a deli that also specialized in bait didn't sound too appealing. By default, I picked the perfect time to be on the road.  Can’t imagine what this would be like in the summer.

The sequoias are huge.  Instead of large groves (like the redwoods) they’re interspersed among the evergreens so when the sun hits them, they’re a bright, almost iridescent, orange.  Watched a film about the reclamation of the park from a heavily populated assemblage of cabins, homes and hotels to its more natural state.  Lodges are few and small. The rooms were filled so I stayed in a small cabin.  Was warned to take all the food out of the car so Patience wouldn’t be assaulted by a bear.  I keep getting warned and seeing signs – but no bears.  Heard some rustling outside the cabin tho.

Risked a heart attack and climbed up Moro Rock where I met a father and his Jr. High daughter who were taking a “bonding” trip.  Lots of the people I met were visitors from other countries – England, Australia, Japan, Germany – just to name a few.  Figure we’ve got an economic goldmine in the tourist business.

After Sequoia, I took an ear-poppin’ ride down thru Kings Canyon.  As gorgeous as the view is from the top, it’s just as beautiful looking up from the canyon floor.  

On to Yosemite!  Imagined John Muir wandering the trails and feeling so grateful that these parks have been preserved.  Yosemite has put all the “clutter” (hotels, shops, restaurants, even a post office) in one area and left the rest of the park for hiking and some camping.  Visited Yosemite Falls, minus the water so had to take the word of a woman from the Bay area that in the spring it’s spectacular. 

The snowfall from the previous week had been cleared so over the Sierra Nevadas on the Tioga Pass we went. Started out first thing in the morning so there were very few cars – so peaceful.  Amazing to see the plants and trees growing out of the rocks. What a place this must have been millions of years ago when volcanos were poppin’, earthquakes were heaving and glaciers were leaving their trails.

A completely different view on the other side.  We went from mountain lakes and pines to rocky crags and desert.  Since I was in the neighborhood, decided to stop off at Death Valley.  Parker, my friendly bus driver in Glacier, had urged me not to miss it and he was right.  What a contrast – canyons, outcroppings, "sand" lakes in a variety of hues – browns, slate green, adobe, honey beige.  Looked like acres and acres of sand paintings.

Back in LA getting ready for the trip to San Diego.  Will get my granny fix with Raya then take her back to Salt Lake City.  I’ll spend a few days there before coming back to San Diego and beginning my southern route toward Grand Canyon.  We’ll talk later. 

Passed the fruit and firewood inspection so am now allowed to wander thru CA!  First stop was Redwood National Park.  Again, impossible to describe the feeling you have driving and walking thru them.  There’s a strange, powerful, calming, feel to them – so tall, straight, huge.  Best I can come up with is an outdoor cathedral.  The road was gravely & bumpy so it kept me to around 10 mph.  Lots of turn offs and short hiking trails.  The redwoods only grow in this coastal area but they’re survivors; living  almost 2000 years.  Their thick bark protects them from fires, earthquakes and floods and the only things that can bring them down is lightening and old age.   One big guy had a 50’ bolt haircut and was now down to 340’.

Started down the coast and found ANOTHER twisty, turny narrow road that began in a small Victorian town called Ferndale.  What a treasure.  The homes were all beautifully painted in colors to accentuate their detail. The road (they had their nerve putting a center line on it) wound around some beautiful hills.  I came up over a rise and there was the ocean and the Cape Mendocino lighthouse (and three guys preparing to take to their surfboards).  Best surfing waves I saw thru the whole drive down the coast.  Also found out there’s another way to get there as I came crashing out of the hills into a beautiful grove of redwoods.  Drove thru Newton Drury Scenic Parkway and the Avenue of the Giants.  Hard to believe the pathetic looking Eel River had risen to 90’ in ’64 and flooded the Avenue.

Stopped by the Mendocino Botanic Garden and had a lovely conversation with 85 year old, Fred, the mole killer.  Claims that moles are the smartest creatures on the planet by far and he’s up nights trying to out-smart them.  They’re  worm-eaters so he’s devised a diabolical plan to mix poisonous fake pieces of worms in with the real ones.  The plan’s only been in effect for a week so not sure of the results.

I wondered what happened to the surplus boy elks and got my answer.  Seems they join a guys club.  Saw a group of them hanging out together by the side of the road. Reminded me of Garrison Keiller's Norwegian bachelor farmers.

Goodbye redwoods, hello Pacific Ocean coast. CA – 1 is a real adventure.  Up and down, twists and turns all along the coastline.  They say the speed limit is 45 but the curves are 15, 20 and 25.  Figured out why my neck and shoulders were sore – it was from turning the steering wheel.  Took the advice of a fellow I met while stopping for lunch along the coast and arrived at Muir Woods in the morning.  Wanted to pay homage to the person who began our National Park system.  A real inspiration of what a person with a dream can accomplish.

Took a drive thru San Francisco and am expecting a ticket for getting in the wrong lane and not paying the toll on the Golden Gate Bridge.  Since I’d been in SF last year, I felt a comfort with the direction I was going.  Proved to be ill-advised as I missed my turn and ended up on another route.  Not to worry, picked up another highway that took me over to Half Moon Bay.  These folks know how to run a Pumpkin Patch – pumpkins, kiddie rides, mazes and wine tasting.

Saw where our produce comes from – miles and miles of lettuce, artichokes, raspberries, etc.  Saw this cutie when I passed by Moss Landing.  Everyone can live in a castle!

Continued down the coast thru Big Sur – looked like a huge event at Esalan.  Turns out Joan Baez was giving a concert there.  Looked it up and found it’s a human potential institute and spa with lots of environmental links and they were celebrating their 50^th anniversary.  

Stopped to see the elephant seals lounging along the beach flipping sand on themselves.  They’ve made quite a comeback after being almost wiped out but have been protected here and looked pretty comfy.

Next was San Simeon and the Hearst Castle.  Decided to commit a day to taking the three tours they offered.  Said “Hi neighbor” to a couple in a car with MN license plates.  Turns out they were from Australia and were part of the Friendship Forum started by Jimmy Carter.  It’s a “getting to know you” international program where people exchange homes. They’ve been all over the world and offered to put me up when I visit Australia.

Now this is getting silly first the elk and now I hear on the bus ride up to the castle that the tarantulas are in the mood for romance.  We were assured they wouldn't bother us unless we interfered with their courtship.

WR began San Simeon when he was 58 and it’s a time capsule of the 30s and 40s.  He began collecting at 10 yrs old on a trip to Europe with his mother and much of what he bought in Spain and Italy is housed here – even the ceilings and fireplace mantles.  It’s situated on the top of the hill where he camped with his parents (Papa George made loads of money in silver and gold mines.  Gave WR a newspaper to keep him busy).  He gave his architect (Julia Morgan) and construction crew fits because he kept changing the plans – many times after the walls were already up.  He was quite a host but there were rules.  Up by noon for outdoor activities (walks, tennis, horseback riding, etc), limit of two drinks before dinner (personal libations confiscated),all meals had to be taken in the Casa Grande and a movie after dinner(heavy on live-in girlfriend, Marion Davies flicks).  There was also a zoo on the property and the descendants of the zebras now mingle among the cattle on the Hearst Ranch.

After stops in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, I’m back on Hwy 1 to LA to meet Erika at Mike and Janey’s.  I’ll spend the next few days getting ready for the peace conference in Italy with a time out to visit with Erika and see The Book of Mormon.   Leave on Friday, the 12^th  for Rome for 4 days and then on to Florence for 3.  Will return to LA on Sunday, the 21st.  I’m very excited about going and even tho I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with the agenda, I’m very happy to be learning what’s being accomplished within the various organizations and grateful that Common Ground in Deerfield made me aware of it .  If you’d like to learn more about it, go to agnt.org.  Don’t plan to take any gadgets with me so my next entry will be when I return –Ciao!

Left the wine country for the Oregon coast – seems like all of the coast is a state park.  Expected to find a lot of traffic but surprisingly, not much.  Remember, I’m in my “go ahead and pass me” mode.  One minute you’re driving along the edge of an ocean cliff and the next you’re in a pine-forested area with twisty, turny curves, then back to the edge of the ocean. 

Things to know about Oregon – you can’t pump your own gas, in fact you can’t even put the credit card in the slot.  The speed limit signs are REALLY big so I figure they mean business.  Seat belt violations are $142 in Roseburg and $97 in Medford.

The the mountains in Oregon are different from the Rockies – the height in the Rockies is exhilarating, heady.  The ones in Oregon are calming – forested, lots of streams with rocky rapids.  Took a short hike to Fall Creek Falls (Falls is pushing it a bit as there are water problems here too).  Beautiful trail tho - up thru moss- covered trees, fern-covered floor and instead of boulders, huge fallen trees or trunks.

Beautiful drive over to Crater Lake along the Umpqua River Valley.  You walk up a small dune at the park and there it is!  The fellow in back of me asked if it was ice – it was so clear and smooth.  Made from a collapsed volcano and has no stream water source

Took a drive thru the woods to Medford along the Rogue River and stopped for sandwich where I met a young man who’s a musician with an Eastern European folk band.  Said they were practicing the next day for a performance on Sunday in Ashland and I was welcome to come.  Did go to Ashland (the Shakespeare Festival capital of Oregon) but somehow messed up on the time so missed him.  Ashland has play performances (Shakespeare and others) from February thru October in three theaters (one an open-air Elizabethan-style).  Passed on seeing one but  Merry Wives of Windsor, Iowa, playing on Sunday, looked like fun. Contented myself to wander around the artsy town and stroll the park.  

There’s more than one wine valley. Drove along the Applegate River and passed the Fiasco Winery (among others).  Should have stopped for a bottle – how bad could it be?  Continued on toward Crescent City CA and took a “shortcut”.  Shortcut, my back-end! Turned out to be what looked like an old logging road through the mountains.  Barely enough room for two cars and luckily I only met one.  I think he was as surprised as I was; wondering what a car with IL plates was doing way up there. Even my GPS didn’t know its name for a while.  Finally came up with BLM-38-7-13. Ten miles up and ten miles down – all at 20 mph or less.  Came off the mountain thru Williams and there were five old guys sitting on the front porch at the general store.  Quite an Americana picture.  On to California!!

Here’s the family album page of the blog so you can skim through it, but please take a look at the picture of this lovely group I belong to.  For those who need a program, here’s the cast of characters – Tim - #1 son, Jay - #2  son,  Erika – daughter, Jen – Tim’s girlfriend, Chandra – Jay’s fiancee, Janey -  sister-in-law.  Decided against descriptions for anyone  lest I be accused of picking a favorite (that’s a comment that’s been making the rounds).

Had some time before picking up Janey at the airport so decided to take a look around Great Falls.  There’s a terrific Lewis & Clark museum that lets you walk a maze through their entire journey.  Add a Ken Burns film and everything you wanted to know about their trek is there.  When they arrived, they expected to find one waterfall and thought they’d spend an afternoon dragging their canoes around it.  Instead, there were five of them so ended up spending a month.

Janey & I left for Yellowstone the following day and got there in time to look around the sights at the north entrance.  What a show at Mammoth Hot Springs!  The bull elks are in a romantic mood so one large one was keeping careful watch over his girlfriends who were happily grazing on the Village Green - must have been 25 or more.  Lurking in the shadows (between the post office and the museum) was a possible contender and a wanna-be (spike).  The rangers were kept busy herding the spectators away from the possible confrontation.  Quite exciting!  Heard later on the trail that the bull attacked a red compact.  Not their favorite color, I guess.

There was a mix-up on the reservations I made on Orbitz and the price of our room was confirmed for $100 more than expected.  Janey called Orbitz, who connected us to the hotel and they agreed to give us the only room they had available for the original price – a 2 room suite with 2 king-size beds, a full kitchen and huge deck. She’s a very valuable traveling companion.

We saw beautiful hot water falls, pools, streams & mini-geysers – all in a variety of colors - bright blues, oranges, browns and kelly greens -depended on the type of thermo-vegetation growing in the warm to really hot water.  Some even looked like paint pots that bubbled like thick grey pudding. The grand finale was the Old Faithful performance.  I don’t care how many pictures you see, it’s thrilling to see it begin with fits and starts and then explode.

I was around 10 when I visited Yellowstone with my brother, sister and parents.  The joke was we walked out and back.  Every time we got in a tussle in the back seat, dad would stop the car, make us get out, give each a quick smack on the side of the head and make us walk.  The routine was repeated regularly.  Surprisingly, we all remember a lot of the sights

Because of the smoke, we could only see the outline of the Grand Tetons on our way to Jackson Hole, but the following day, we drove through them when we began our race across Idaho.  We made it to northern Oregon and drove the Columbia River Gorge on the Washington side of the river.  Heard it was a great drive and wanted to have the option making some stops without having to rely on finding the right exit. Beautiful overlooks along a winding road.

Our first was Maryville, perched on a hill overlooking the river, the former home of railroad heir Howard Hill which has been turned into museum and gallery.  Beautiful paintings and museum pieces, a sculpture garden, Native American exhibits, and more.  Apparently he had a close relationship with Romanian royalty because most of the first floor consisted of Queen Marie memorabilia.  She was quite a talent - poet, furniture designer, architect, and had a very tiny waist (one of her gowns was on display).

We also stopped by the Columbia River Gorge Interpretive Center.  It’s a beautiful building that highlights the development of the area from river travel to railroad (the golden spike was put in near there).  We also stopped at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.  Life-sized models of the travelers on the trail (including the oxen).  A costumed presenter also gave us a peek into what the women wore as underwear.  There’s a good reason we go in groups to the restroom.  A leisurely trek down the hill to the trail belied the uphill climb back to the parking lot.  Janey was a good sport as I found several occasions to stave off a heart attack and  “admire the view”.

Met Chandra, Tim & Jen at the rented house in Portland.  Jay arrived that evening and Erika the following morning.  Great fun to have everyone together and super kudos to Chandra for arranging some great places for us to dine over the weekend.  She’s an editor for a food magazine so has the inside info on tasty spots – in fact the owner of one of them let Jay use his bike for the race.  She also arranged for us to stay for a couple of days at a wine-maker’s home in the Willamette Valley after the race.  (It’s pronounced Willamette – dammit -  my host in Boulder gave me that helpful hint).

Saturday we drooled over the offerings at the Portland Farmer’s Market and picked up some fixings to make a Sunday evening celebration dinner. Then it was off to the 600’ Multnomah Falls.

Chandra “volunteered” to take Jay to the triathlon check-in at 6 am on Sunday morning. He had a rough time with the swimming portion of the race – said he felt nauseous half way through and wasn’t sure he’d be able to finish.  Recovered tho and made up time in the bicycle and running portions and finished respectably, We were all at the finish with cameras flashing and a beer waiting. 

Off to Willamette on Sunday afternoon. We first met at a winery and my crack navigator, Erika, found a lovely back-road drive thru..  Back at the house, all pitched in to make a beautifully- presented and delicious salad and pasta dinner.  Should have taken pictures, it was so lovely.  Janey had an early Monday flight back to NY and Tim & Jen joined Jay, Chandra and Erika for some winery visits before their early evening flight back to San Diego.  Jay, Chandra, Erika & I were the lucky beneficiaries of the leftovers.  (I didn’t think I liked beets!)

When Jay, Chandra & Erika left for the Portland airport on Tuesday morning, Patience & I got on the road for our next adventure –a drive along the Oregon coast.

It’s been a while so  lots to say.  My feelings won’t be hurt if you decide “enough already” and bail out.  Decided this blog will also serve as my notes, so when my mind clouds, I’ll have a record of the adventure. 

 Left Utah and headed north.  Decided to take the quickie (interstate) route as I’m spending a few days in Glacier before picking up Janey for our wander thru Yellowstone.  Stayed overnight in Idaho Falls and headed on to Great Falls MT.

Ran into my first unpleasant motel neighbor in Idaho Falls – he left the TV on all night so I woke up at 3 am and decided to begin my trip a bit earlier.  Left a note on his door, requesting he be more considerate of future travelers.

Very smoky just outside of Idaho Falls until Dillon, MT.  Turned my lights on bright at one point and then had to turn them down as it was like driving thru thick fog.  

 Saw I was driving by Helena so since it was before noon, decided to take a tour of the capital.  It looks a lot like the one in Pierre and turns out the SD folks copied the MT plans.  Lovely statues of Jeannette Rankin and Mike Mansfield.  Jeannette was quite a determined woman.  First female elected to Congress (before women could vote), a suffragette and voted against both WW1 and 2.  There was a niche in the lower lobby for Senator Mansfield but he refused to stand alone; insisted his wife Maureen is at his side so the couple is in the upper lobby together.  Quite romantic, don’t you think?

There are beautiful paintings in the chambers so, unlike the SD capital, doors are locked.  One of the more interesting stories is the artist who painted scenes of Montana life had never been west of the Mississippi so was a little confused about what people actually looked like.  One was of an Indian in a Plains headdress and an Asian-style wrap placed in the midst of an AZ style desert.  But the most amusing was the representative cowboy.  The painter was Italian so he had his brother pose as the model, looked a lot like a cross between Yosemite Sam and a comical Sonny Bono with a large mustache.   

Overnight in Great Falls and then on to Glacier.  My biker friends suggested the Big Red Bus at Glacier so that was my first tour.  They said if I drove the Road to the Sun, I’d spend so much time watching the road, I’d miss the sights.  They’re the original 1930s buses, retrofitted and reinforced to run on propane. The canvas top can be retracted leaving us with a chrome grid to see through to the sky. Left at 10:00 and with lots of stops along the way, we were back by 5. Our driver and guide, Parker, dropped out of grad school to see the world so when Glacier closes, he’s off to New Zealand. Told a harrowing story about being caught in a rainstorm with rocks and boulders being hurled down the mountain.  The passengers had to leave the bus and crouch under a rocky ledge.  Bet he reserves that story for sunny days. Also talked about the need to set off avalanches in the winter so there would be fewer surprises in the spring.  One year someone had the bright idea of having 3 fighter jets go thru at 900 mph.  Worked great – 25 avalanches but scared the hell out of the animals. Back to targeted explosives.  Met couples from Michigan and Australia.  The Aussies had stopped off on their way back from the Olympic Games in London.  Makes it sound like “as long as we’re in the neighborhood, let’s drop in”. 

First close encounter with wildlife!  Some bighorn sheep were grazing about 50’ from the bus.  It was fun to see how excited everyone got at seeing them.  We did a “prairie dog pop-up”, poking our heads through the gratings to take pictures. 

Waterton Falls, Canada

Went to the Canadian side of Glacier the following day.  Patience missed the turn so we got to go thru Canadian customs and then back again thru USA then back to Canadian at the park entrance.  Was glad the only things they were interested in were fruit and weapons.  It would have been quite a production to go thru the contents of the car.  Did own up to a steak knife, tho.  More cows in the middle of the road so had to drive carefully unless I wanted a passenger.

Waterton Lake is part of the Canadian side of the Peace Park with Glacier.  The agreement was made in the 30s that the countries would never go to war with each other. Perhaps we could think about doing that with the rest of the world

My search for bears in Waterton proved fruitless.  A couple I met from Calgary had a grizzly cross the road in front of them, saw a black bear eating berries at a wayside and ran into a mom and 2 cubs on the trail.  They even agreed to email the pictures to me so I could claim them as my own. My conscience got the best of me tho. The fellow at the gas station told me they were playing with the flags at the golf course so I went chasing out there.  No bears – he opined that I might be a bear repellant.  There should be lots around as they’re getting ready for the winter so they’re out and about gorging themselves on berries.  Finally, with the help of Laurie (a fellow traveler with a camper named Turtle from Ogden UT) saw a speck of a mom and a cub (thru binoculars) on a mountainside back in Glacier.

The beauty of Glacier was everything I’d hoped for.  Went thru every entrance so I could see it from every angle. The mountains were formed by 600 million year old mountains from the East thrust on top of 100 million year old mountains and according to the geologists, they’re still moving. Again, most of my exercise (except for hiking to Lost Horse Creek Falls in Waterton and Running Eagle Falls in Two Medicine) was getting out of the car at the scenic overlooks.

Stopped for breakfast at the Two Medicine Café and noticed an older fellow sitting alone at a table.  Asked if I could join him and it turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever done.  He was a Blackfoot Cultural Storyteller and I spent almost 2 hours listening him talk about being raised by his medicine woman grandmother in the house behind their family ranch.  Told me about the Native American religion and the spiritual connection to the earth, the healing powers of the roots and herbs, learning from the animals and the weather patterns and described step by step, the vision quest undertaken by the younger members.  Also talked about the lack of credit given to the women of the tribe.  I suggested he write that book and dedicate it to his grandmother.  I could have spent the entire day with him. 

Decided to end this novel here and write more later on the trip to Yellowstone with Janey and meeting the family in Portland for Jay’s triathlon and the celebration of Jay and Chandra’s engagement.  Lots of lovely things happening.

The Black Canyon was well worth the visit...staring down 2,000' into a rocky gorge with a river winding through it.  There was a huge flat wall the height of two Empire State Buildings with slashes of white rock running through it - magma from a volcano had inserted itself into it.  Nice beginning for my ride to Mesa Verde.  Noticed a sign along the road warning people not to pick up hitchhikers.  All was explained when I drove by the Delta Correctional Facility and figured out who those nice people were, picking up roadside trash.

Went from green mountains to beautiful red canyons.  Colorado's got it all!  Also saw signs for open range and cattle guards (metal grates) on the roads.  Guess the cows can come and go as they please with the canyon walls for fences.  Sure would be a disappointment if the only large animals I saw were cows.  Heard that's where they winter.

Stopped by a town (rather a former town) named Uravan.  It was a bustling uranium mining town in the 50's- complete with homes, parks, stores and medical facilities.  Now there's nothing - no remnants at all.  Right now a company is doing its best to clean it up.

Went to church in Durango and the speaker was a professor who teaches Native American writing at Ft. Lewis College.  Discussed the similarity in values between Indian and Christianity, just different rituals.  Unfortunately, Indian children were taken from their parents and forced to attend Christian boarding schools.  One chief commented " The white man gave us their religion but forgot to keep some of it for themselves"

Then it was on to Mesa Verde.  Another high-wire act!  Both in and out of the car.  Got to the top of the mesa and then took a tour of Balcony House and Cliff Palace - back to back.  Probably not my best idea. Visualized you gathered around, reading the will.

The people built their homes 100' below the top of the mesa into the side of the cliff.  They farmed the top of the mesa and lived below it so had to make the trip every day.  I walked down to each site and then climbed back up (one way up included a 30'+ ladder along the cliff wall). Amazing construction considering they had no metal tools - just chipped away at the sandstone bricks with stones.  It was also pretty clever, because they were shielded from the elements and their community kivas (15" deep round pits) were a constant 55 degrees, winter and summer.  The following day I saw Long House, another long descent and ascent.but it included a tram ride afterwards.  Saw where the fire in 2000 had taken out a huge area of pines and junipers.  Some of the trees were 1,300 years old and will take 100-200 years to restore.  On the upside, I met a lovely couple from Lafayette who invited me for a genuine Cajun dinner when I come thru Louisiana.

Went to a Native American pow wow dance one evening performed by a husband (Lakota) and wife (Navajo) team.  Both are middle school teachers on the reservation and have performed around the world.  The costumes were magnificent.  The buckskin dress she wore took 3 years to bead.  He did a hoop dance with 8 large hoops that would have had me eating dust with the first steps.

On to Utah!  This sign says it all - tempting but it was 7:30 am.  Stopped at the Peach Tree Juice Bar in Montecello for a Dr. Suess breakfast (green eggs & ham).  Yummy pesto and spinach scrambled eggs.  Sat with a couple around my age from Pueblo, CO who have been biking through CO & UT.  Gave me some great tips on what to see. While we were sitting there, a couple of other bikers came in - one with a camera on his helmet!!!

Stopped in Needles(recommended by my biker friends).  Lovely spiked formations in the bottom of a canyon.  Had the entire place to myself.  There was one bench at the top of an outlook so I sat there for a while - so peaceful and quiet.

Patience has been snubbing her nose at most gas stations - getting between 45-55 mpg and even 58 once.  Think that was when we did a lot of coasting downhill.  Also, she has a new accessory - a sun bonnet.  We're a little short of trees in the parks.  Keep hearing my mom saying "Park in the shade".  Well, there isn't any!

Went to Canyonlands first and sat in on two ranger talks.  One was on the geology of the area - at one point this was beachfront property, then came lakes, rivers and erosion.  The ribboned layers tell the story of its evolution (do I dare say that word?),  Hard to believe that I may be driving on an ancient ocean floor.  Another site was  Upheaval Dome.  Not sure if it was hit by a meteor or a volcanic eruption pushed the salt beds from the ocean floor to the surface.  He also talked about the Powell geological expedition which began in WY and went down the Colorado River thru the Grand Canyon.  Very impressive, considering Powell had lost an arm in the Civil War.

The second was a volunteer ranger who told us about the dangers of hiking in the canyons due to flash floods and he spoke from personal experience.  Even tho it looks dry and dusty, if it starts to rain, haul your a** to higher ground.  Don't be fooled by the sprinkles.  The gully race "is on" to get to the Colorado River.  In fact, the most common cause of death in the canyon is drowning.  With my experience, I'd have guessed heart attack.  Sadly, this year was NOT the one to go white water rafting as the river is pretty low.  Glad I checked that one off in Alaska.

Listened to a peppy ranger from Ladysmith WI give a talk on observing the skies and what the sights may have meant to early inhabitants.  It was held at a beautiful campsite in Arches Nation Park.

Another observation - lots of European visitors.  In Mesa Verde, the Netherlands were #1.  But I think there's a new champion in town.  Went to the breakfast room to get some tea and the language I heard most was German.  A couple from Italy are taking on a chunk of the country at a time.  This year it's the southwest, next year it's Colorado and Montana.  One ambitious soul from Estonia is leap-frogging across the country.  Was in Chicago two days ago.

Spent a morning in Dead Horse Canyon.  Not going to tell you how it got its name; however, it's been the scene for lots of movies that want to look like they're taking place in the Grand Canyon...a couple John Ford westerns and the high flying Thelma & Louise.  It's half as long and half as deep as Grand.

I'm on the road to Salt Lake City to visit Raya and April...get to spend some time being grandma.  On the way, I passed two semi trucks rolled over, tires up.  Not even in the mountain area...a straight stretch of road.  Pay attention to the road, Granny! 

Passed thru another set of mountains. There's a lengthy area where the cliffs are ribboned with light to dark shades of green.  Learned that's probably copper from my ranger-led geology program.  Also puffs of red and gold scattered throughout the mountain-side.  Fall is coming.   Noticed a side turn off called Starvation Road.  Wish I'd have kept track of some of the more interesting ones, like No Name, CO.

Will talk to you later when I begin my trip up to Glacier next week.