August 13, 2015

August 13, 2015

After making it through Passport Control at the Frankfurt International arrival terminal, we had to take a shuttle bus to the airport train station.  After almost an hour wait,  we boarded a train for the half hour ride to Mannheim, which sits at the confluence of the Rhine and Neckar Rivers.  From there we took a suburban train a dozen miles up the Neckar River to the town of Heidelberg.  Our hotel is conveniently next door to the station.  Heidelberg is hot.  We change into more appropriate summer wear and head out on foot towards the Old Town. It is a little farther (and more humid) than I thought.

The Old Town is a large pedestrian zone of old German style buildings strung along the narrow, steep sided Neckar River valley.  At the opposite end from the train station is the remains of Heidelberg's Castle.  It is built of red sandstone and sits on a ledge high above the valley.

We make the sweaty climb up to it and pay a fee to enter the courtyard and a museum about the ancient history of pharmacists.  Aimee and I found both to be boring.

We walked back down to the Old Town and across an old stone bridge where we found a great view of the castle; the free ones are always the best.  By this time our feet are sore and we are overheating.  So we find a little outdoor plaza serving cold refreshments.  The beer is outstanding or we are just thirsty.  Rested we make the long walk back to our hotel, for an early dinner, and an even earlier bed time.  Our bodies need to catch up with the new time zone.  

Overall we found Heidelberg to be a snoozer.  We are not totally surprised.  Although it is a common stop on Germany tours, it is not on Rick Steves’ recommended list.  Still, it is a convenient nearby stop for arrivals into Frankfurt.

August 12, 2015

August 12, 2015

By this time in the summer, I am tired of the Tucson heat and can’t wait to get out of town to some cooler climes.  If I needed any further incentive, I got it a couple days ago when I made the mistake of going out to the garage after dark.  Night is when the denizens of Tucson’s summer come out.  They are better left alone, but I needed something from the garage.  Unfortunately guarding one corner was a large web and a big black spider. A Black Widow with its characteristic red hourglass.  Jeez, don’t we have enough scaries with scorpions and tarantulas, and rattlesnakes.  Now Black Widows too!!

Properly motivated, Aimee and I pack up and head to the airport bright and early for the first of three long legs.  We spun the globe and the Alps are our target.  They are high up and cool, right?  We fly Delta Airlines. I haven't flown with them in years. It may be my imagination but the legroom and service seemed a little better than our last flights on American and United.

Our gateway city is Frankfurt, Germany where we arrive early the next morning.

July 5, 2015

July 5, 2015

Our Colorado River trip is at an end but the excitement is not over. We still have to exit the Canyon and return to civilization. We got up early, had our last river breakfast, and repacked our gear into our own duffel bags. The dry bags and sleep kits were returned. We made our goodbyes to the crew. They have a long day ahead. After deflating the side tubes, they will do the last 90 miles to Lake Mead, where the rafts will be taken apart and trucked back to Marble Canyon.

After careful weighing of all the passengers and their bags, we boarded a helicopter in groups of five. This very short trip took us to the canyon top and five miles north to a small ranch called Bar 10. Aimee and I were in the second group. Bar 10 Ranch sits inside the very remote Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument.

At the ranch early, we had the opportunity to take a much-needed shower. The dirt and sand ran off us for minutes. Ninety minutes later we loaded onto a nine-passenger Cessna for the fifty-minute flight across the north rim to our starting point. Both the pilot and the co-pilot (Aimee) looked a little inexperienced but I was not concerned. One of my fellow passengers is an F-16 fighter pilot. We have backup.

In Marble Canyon, we stocked up on cold water and began the long drive back to Tucson. Very long unfortunately. Just south of Flagstaff we ran into stop and go traffic. It is Sunday afternoon and apparently every Phoenician spent the holiday weekend up here in cooler climes.

July 4, 2015

July 4, 2015

This is our sixth and final day on the Colorado River.  Our only big stop is at the confluence with Havasu Creek.  It is just a narrow crack in the Cliffside.  We hiked a mile upstream to where it opens up into a little playful stream.  It has a hint of the teal blue color of the Little Colorado River.  I think the rains this week has muddied it up.  The creek is nice enough with a continuing series of minor waterfalls, but I would love to hike the four miles to Havasu Falls.  That gorgeous blue water 100 foot waterfall on the Havasupai Reservation, another Bucket List item, will have to wait.

The rest of the day is mostly quiet.  The Granite Gorge has disappeared.  (We must be coming down off the peak of the Colorado Plateau.)  The river is calmer and we spend most of the day motoring downstream. 

At lunch, one of the younger passengers is digging in the sand in search of Ant Lions.  Having never heard of them, I am amused to find an innocent looking weevil-like insect with that name.  It turns out they are ferocious.  All around I notice little sand pits.  I drop an ant into one and am shocked to see the Ant Lion clamp down on it.  The ant struggles but can’t escape the death trap.

Near the end of the day, the landscape suddenly changes.  Volcanoes have altered the landscape.  Basaltic lava rock coats the Cliffside.  We can see the characteristic hexagonal columns in the cliff walls.  Our guide describes how lava flows dammed up the Colorado River several times over the last million years.  Mother Nature and the river eventually destroyed each one but not without altering the course of the river. 

The last lava dam is not completely gone.  The resulting Lava Falls rapid is probably the biggest we ran.  It is a boiling cauldron of coffee-colored water.  We survived, but not without some major splashes in the face.  This rapid also marks the end of our trip.  We camp a few miles down at mile 187.5.

Since today is both the trip end and a Holiday, the raft crew restocked us with more beer and vodka.  We have no fireworks (The National Park forbids them), so we sing a couple patriotic songs.

July 3, 2015

July 3, 2015

Today is our fourth day on the Colorado River and our second big rapids day. When we started this trip, we felt like we were on John Wesley Powell’s landmark trip through the Grand Canyon in 1869. He certainly didn’t know what lay ahead of him exploring this last blank spot on the map, but he was used to a rougher life. Aimee and I have been greatly softened by civilization. Fortunately the rafts we ride have been designed for us tender foots. They have big inflatable side tubes making them almost impervious to flipping. Any trepidation we had about the rapids quickly evaporated by the tenth one. Now it is just a question of how wet we are going to get.

Our first break to dry off is at Stone Creek. We follow this side canyon up to a small waterfall. After four nights of camping and no bathing, we relish this opportunity to stand under the flow hoping to wash away some of the accumulated sand and smells.

Just a few miles downstream we enter the Granite Narrows, the river’s tightest spot. The river is surprisingly quiet and still. We stop at a ledge to allow a few of the younger passengers to jump into the water. Not me. 46 degrees is not my idea of fun.

Shortly afterwards we spot a big male Bighorn scaling the sheer granite cliff. We have seen Bighorn everyday, but this is our first male. Apparently they are not very family oriented.

Just before lunch we make another stop at Deer Creek. This elevated stream plunges to river level in a beautiful 150 foot waterfall. For exercise we hiked up to the slot canyon feeding it and carefully walked the ledges back to where the canyon opens up into a grotto called “the Patio”. After a hot hike back to river level, it was refreshing standing next to the cool rush of air by the waterfall. Ahhh, natural air conditioning!

After an afternoon of more big rapids, we stopped at Matkatamiba Canyon, a tiny crack of a canyon hidden at the entrance to a rapids. Here a tiny stream of water flows inside a smooth narrow chasm. Many of us shinnied our way up the tunnel. Aimee took the easier route up and over the side wall along the crest. It ended at another secluded grotto.
We camped around the corner at mile 149.

July 2, 2015

July 2, 2015

We awoke to a higher river level.  The dam must be generating more to meet electrical demand.  This should make for some wilder rides.  The river is also noticeably browner from rain on the plateau above.  No wonder the Spanish named it the Colorado (colored).  It is only because of the settling affect of the dam that the river oftentimes runs clear.

Soon after departing camp, we find the river has exposed a completely different strata.  No more sedimentary rocks; we are into the basement rocks of the continent.  We have entered the beautiful inner Granite Gorge.  It is a significantly harder rock layer, hence the river is narrower and much swifter.

We don our rain suits today because of the rapids.  It is to stay warmer.  Since the water comes off the bottom of Glen Canyon Dam, it is a bone chilling 46.  Mostly I have been riding with Aimee in the back of the boat, jokingly referred to as the “Tea Room” for its calmer ride.  Since I am feeling better, I take a couple turns sitting in the very front of the raft, an area known as the “Bath Tub”.  It takes a couple big rapids before I learn to hold my breath until the last splash.

Our first stop today was at the only piece of civilization along the entire journey, Phantom Ranch.  It is connected to the outside world by mule train.  We only stayed long enough to refill water jugs.

A second stop was at Shinumo Creek for a short hike to a little waterfall.  It was cute because we were able to climb around a rock and come out under the waterfall.  With an air temperature well over 100, the water felt great.

We also passed the site of several old Asbestos mines in the cliff wall where the sedimentary and granite layers meet.  The guide explained that this mineral forms where hot water encounters igneous rocks.

Our last stop was at Blacktail canyon.  The Grand Canyon is filled with narrow side canyons formed from rain on the plateau spilling down the canyon walls.  We camped across the river at mile marker 121.  We were again blasted by sand until rain came to our relief.  We took shelter under an overhang.  Within minutes, a small waterfall formed to our side.   Oooh, the beginnings of a new slot canyon!

July 1, 2015

July 1, 2015

Last night one of the other campers gave me Pepto-Bismol tablets they had in their first aid kit.  It was almost instant relief.  Thank god.  After 24 hours of misery, I was considering getting myself helicoptered out.  Instead I awoke refreshed and happy.

As we cruise down the river the canyon walls get taller and taller.  We can see the effect of the river cutting down into the Colorado plateau uplift in the rocks being exposed.  Every few miles a new rock layer is exposed.  The boat captain identifies each strata and its geologic source.  Most of the rock must be very hard and durable as the walls are surprisingly sheer and vertical.

Our major stop today is the confluence with the Little Colorado River.  The LCR comes from the south across Navajo land cutting its own major canyon.  Aimee and I are stunned.  The Colorado is fairly clear but greenish brown.  The LCR is a brilliant teal blue color.  It stands in marked contrast with the red canyon walls.

From the confluence we hiked up stream.  The guide shows us a spot we can slide down a chute in the river using our life vest as a diaper or butt protector.  Aimee loves it.  Besides being fun, the water is a pleasant 70+.  Aimee can’t stop herself from making run after run.  She and two other girls even form a train and pretend they are water ballerinas.  Our whole rafting trip would have been worth it just to see this amazing spot.  Unfortunately this little slice of paradise is under pressure.  Even though the Navajos consider this piece of land sacred, they want to cash in.  They are hoping to build a gondola that would shuttle 2 million people down to this site every year.  The uniqueness would be destroyed.

While Aimee played, I walked upstream to investigate more.  I have never seen a teal-colored river, only glacial lakes with their finely divided silt.  Travertine bowls are all over the river.  Apparently this river picks up a lot of lime underground and now it is degassing causing the precipitation of finely divided calcium carbonate.  Very cool and already the trip has exceeded our expectations.

Back in the raft we continued our journey downstream.  The LCR marks the historic beginning of the Grand Canyon.  From here the canyon walls rise even higher and set farther back.  How truly grand it is.

Just downstream, we pass aluminum glinting off the canyon wall.  This is the site of the 1956 crash of two passenger jets that killed all 128 aboard.  At the time it was not uncommon for passenger planes to make maneuvers to improve views of the Grand Canyon.  This first major crash prompted the establishment of the FAA.  Eerily one of the lost souls has my same last name, likely a long lost relative.

On the opposite bank, we pass an area where salt clings to the side of the canyon walls.  Some of the rock strata include sediments formed when the ocean covered this area.  That deposition must have trapped salt water that now leaches to the surface with groundwater seepage.  The Hopi Indians used to travel to this spot to collect salt for preservation of meat.

Tonight we camped near mile marker 75.  While setting up camp we were blasted with gusts of hot air and sand.  The sky was beautiful with storm clouds and lightning but not a drop of rain to dampen the sand.  It rains little in the desert.  We left the tent in the bag.  Like previous nights we slept on cots outside under the stars, or in this case clouds.

June 30, 2015

June 30, 2015

I must have eaten something I shouldn’t have on the drive up because just after going to bed my stomach started to ache and I eventually got sick.  Oh what a time for that to happen!  I was miserable the whole day with my stomach and body aching.  Add to that was the heat.  I couldn’t stay cool.  I sat in the boat and watched the beautiful scenery pass by as best I could.  After throwing up I would feel good for an hour and then the cycle repeated.

We stopped several times.  One was at Redwall Cavern.  It looks like a small cave in the towering red sandstone cliff until you walk into it and realize it is an enormous amphitheater capable of holding 50,000 people. 

Our second was at the proposed site of Marble Canyon dam.  In the 1950’s several more dams were proposed along the Colorado River above Hoover Dam.  Glen Canyon was completed in 1966 forming Lake Powell.  An outcry of “Save the Grand Canyon” scuttled the other dams and finished with President Johnson proclaiming this stretch of river as Marble Canyon National Monument.  In 1975 it was merged into Grand Canyon National Park.  Despite being a national treasure, the Grand Canyon had a rough time making it to true National Park status.  A test bore was drilled into the cliff wall as part of the dam prep work.  Flashlight in hand we explored the 50 foot long narrow cave.

Our third stop was Saddle Canyon for a hike in a hanging slot canyon to a small waterfall.  The first section required a hot climb up the cliff.  I am not up for it, so I let Aimee go without me.  She said it was hot but the waterfall was refreshing.

Tonight we camped at Nankoweap Canyon, mile 53.  This large river delta was farmed by Anasazi Indians 1000 years ago.  High above us on the cliff is a small granary used to protect the food they grew.  A steep trail leads up to it.  I am still not up to it.  Aimee makes the hike and reports back that the granary is unimpressive and small, but the view of the river is outstanding.

Despite not eating at all today, I am still not hungry.

June 29, 2015

June 29, 2015

We are in northern Arizona for a Bucket List item, an adventure raft trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.  In the hotel parking lot we meet up with our outfitter.  He gives each one of us two dry bags to store our gear; a small one for items we will need during the day and a larger one for everything else.  All the bags look alike so we write the bag numbers on our coffee cup.  We then hop a couple vans for the short ride down the road to the river access at Lee’s Ferry.  There we meet our guides and load all the gear onto two large rubber rafts.  Before long, we are headed downriver. 

Lee’s Ferry, located at the confluence with the Paria River, was historically the only point the Colorado River could be easily accessed from both sides for many hundreds of miles.  It was the most important crossing point until Navajo Bridge was built in 1929. 

Lee’s Ferry is also mile marker 0 of the Grand Canyon National Park.  The Colorado River is not a big river but it is swift.  It drops an average of 8 feet every mile, 25 times more than the Mississippi where I grew up.  That gradient means we have a wild ride ahead of us.  It is not long before we hit the first rapids.  It is a small one but gives a taste of what to expect.  Neither Aimee nor I are big whitewater rafting fans; we are on this trip to see more of our favorite national park, not to get knocked off into a swirling vortex.  I hope we didn’t bite off more than we can handle.

Fortunately the river alternates between calm stretches and rapids, giving us time to enjoy the scenery.  On three occasions we spot Bighorn Sheep.  All were groups of ewes with juveniles looking for a drink of water.

We stopped once for a lunch of deli meat sandwiches and another time to stretch our legs at a large sand cave carved out of the cliff.  Around 3pm we stopped for the day at a sand bar located near mile marker 30.  We formed a fire line to bring our night packs to shore along with all the kitchen gear.  While we each set up our own personal camp space, the crew of three prepared dinner.  They served us hors d'oeuvres followed by a steak and mashed potato dinner, and Aimee’s favorite, brownies.  I would call it Glamping (glamorous camping) except for the potty situation.  Number One is done in the river and Number Two is on portable outhouses (lovingly nicknamed the “Groover”) setup on either end of the camp.  Thirty-two people camping on a mostly barren sandbar doesn’t make for privacy.

June 28, 2015

June 28, 2015

It is summer again and Tucson is sizzling.  We are set to revisit one of our favorite National Parks, the Grand Canyon, in a new and exciting way.  So we packed our bags and drove north.  Fours hours later we pull into Flagstaff.  The 4000 feet increase in elevation provides a delightful and welcome drop of 20 degrees.

Looking for an excuse to stretch our legs in the cool weather, we stopped at Lowell Observatory situated on a small hill in the middle of town.  Built in 1894, it is one of the oldest in the US.  Locally it is famous for its discovery of the now demoted dwarf-planet Pluto.  The observatory was founded by the eccentric astronomer Percival Lowell, who believed he saw fanciful canals on Mars popularizing the belief that it must harbor intelligent life.  The historic main telescope is out for repair so we opt to delay the tour of the facility and museum until our next visit.

Unfortunately, we are not staying in Flagstaff.  We drive another two hours north to the Colorado River.  At the Navajo Bridge crossing, we stop and walk out onto the span and check out the river far below.  That is our destination tomorrow.  Ten miles west we check into Cliff Dwellers Lodge situated in the shadow of the Vermillion Cliffs.  We are back in the sweltering heat.

March 14, 2015

March 14, 2015

Today is 3-14-15 @9:26.  Hmmm, sounds really familiar??  Ooh,  Pi, that ubiquitous number from my engineering days.  It crept into calculations all the time.  Aimee and I are on the campus of the University of Arizona where they are celebrating this once a century International Pi Day.  Quite by accident, for it is also the site of the Tucson Book Festival.  This event is very popular with hundreds of booths set up on the Main Mall.  While some of the exhibitors are interesting, I really dragged Aimee here because two of the University science labs are world famous and are having a free open house.

Our first stop is the Science City booth where we get the last of the 10am tour tickets for the Steward Observatory Mirror Lab.  A couple years ago we attended a star show at their observatory atop our local Mt Lemmon.  It was outstanding and I have been wanting to see this sister facility.  This astronomy lab has pioneered the manufacture of the world’s largest telescope mirrors.  The 30-minute tour gives us a peak into the cutting edge technology necessary to manufacture these enormous mirrors.  The process starts with Pyrex-type glass from Japan that is melted and spun to approximate a parabolic shape.  The glass is then polished for years to produce the excruciatingly fine level of precision.  The mirror has a honeycomb structure to reduce weight and temperature distortion.  The first mirror took six years to complete.

When finished, seven of these mirrors will be combined in an array and installed in the Giant Magellan Telescope atop a mountain in Chile.  It will have the effective resolving power of an 80-foot diameter telescope.  This compares to the 200-inch Hale Telescope that was the largest for most of my lifetime.  That Hale mirror took 13 years to polish!

While we are on the campus, we also took the opportunity to tour Arizona’s Tree Ring lab.  One of the university astronomers pioneered the science of dendrochronology.  This method of dating involves collecting wood samples from all over the world and counting the number and size of the tree’s growth rings.  By analyzing thousands of overlapping tree samples, scientists have assembled complete tree ring histories going back over 10,000 years allowing dating of unknown wood samples to the EXACT year.

I guess it was appropriate that we toured both of these labs on Pi day, because both involve really big circles, albeit one glass and the other wood.

February 7, 2015

February 7, 2015

We were in bed early last night resting our tired legs.  So it is no surprise we are up before dawn.  We stepped out of our room to watch the Sunrise over the Grand Canyon.  We never tire of the view but the frigid morning weather at 7000-foot elevation is colder than we are used to. 

Before leaving the park we stop at Mather Overlook for a few photos.  I am surprised to see so many tourists out this early.

We drive south back towards Tucson.  Forty miles north of Phoenix we take the exit for Agua Fria National Monument.  The desolate area looks unappealing.  We drive the mile dirt road to the trailhead parking and are amused to find dozens of cars.  A Phoenix-area hiking club made the Monument their destination today.

We make the easy 1-mile hike following the tiniest stream bed to the Agua Fria River, nestled in a small rock-lined canyon.  It is always a treat to discover water in the desert.  At the stream junction we also see two rocks filled with Indian petroglyphs.

Even with another stop at Ikea in Phoenix we arrive home in Tucson before dinner.

February 6, 2015

February 6, 2015

Since it gets very cold overnight in the desert, we take our time getting going this morning.  After eating the 7am late breakfast, we are on the trail out of the Grand Canyon before 8am.  We ascend via the longer Bright Angel trail.  The two trails couldn’t be more different.  South Kaibab follows a spine into the canyon with expansive views and constant sunshine.  Bright Angel, instead, follows a fault line crack.  We are in the shade almost the entire 6.5-hour trek.  The first half is pretty easy; the second half is a steep killer.  Despite being out of shape we aren’t seriously huffing or puffing.  When we get to the top and remove our boots, we both can feel our burning calves. No hiking for us for awhile.

To celebrate we have a big dinner at the Arizona Room and toast our successful mini-vacation.

February 5, 2015

February 5, 2015

Since we made the long trek to Northern Arizona, Aimee decides we should take advantage and do our favorite hike for the third time.  I am not so convinced.  The Grand Canyon is very cold during the winter.  We encountered snow both times we visited in May!  After looking at the unseasonably warm weather forecast, I agree.

It is two hours from Page to the South Rim.  By the time we buy crampons (in case we run into ice in sheltered spots), get dressed and shuttled to the trailhead, it is noon.  The hike down South Kaibab is delightful.  The weather is great and we never tire of seeing the different Grand Canyon view around every corner.  As we descend we are also going back in time.  Every rock layer and every stride is like a step 100,000 years into the past.  It took us almost five hours to make the 7.5 mile journey. Since it is February, we had the whole canyon to ourselves after the first hour. 

At Phantom Ranch, we check into our dormitory accommodations and eat the best beef stew in the country.

February 4, 2015

February 4, 2015

We won the lottery!  Actually we won it several months ago.  Today we cash in our prize.  It is not a million dollars but something worth just as much to me.  After more than a dozen attempts, we finally won our chance to visit an unusual rock formation called “the Wave” deep within Vermillion Cliffs National Monument.  A few days ago on a lark we called to rent a jeep.  Partly because we are thinking of buying one to better explore the backcountry, and partly to protect our car from the eight-mile dirt access road.  Instead of a new jeep, we got a very old SUV, with 170,000 miles on the odometer, and in need of a lot of maintenance.  Not necessarily the vehicle I want to take into some of the last frontier in our country.

We crossed the Colorado River and drove into Utah.  Thirty miles west we take a dirt road south for eight miles.  I am so glad we are in a rental.  The road is very poor and crosses a still muddy deep creek crossing.  I would have turned around if we were in our sedan.

When we get to the trailhead we find a dozen vehicles already there.  We must be late.  The trail to the Wave is short (2.5 miles) but over rugged terrain.  It is purposefully left unmarked to discourage casual visitors.  The BLM provides lottery winners with a map containing photos, pointing out landmarks to follow.  The trail follows a dry wash and then traverses the slickrock edge of Coyote Butte past stunning scenery.  In less than ninety minutes we enter the Wave sitting atop the butte.

The Wave is very special.  The smooth, banded sandstone here has been eroded into sinuous shapes that resemble water waves frozen in time.  Mother Nature is truly an exquisite artist.  There are only a handful of people here and we take turns snapping photos.

Satisfied we scouted the surrounding area to see other formations.  Coyote Butte is full of beautiful and strange shapes.  On our return hike I was disappointed to see no ranger.  Even though the BLM limits the permits, apparently they don’t enforce it.  We ran into several international visitors coming out undeterred.  As with most government regulations these days, they only hurt the honest citizens.

Back at our hotel room, our legs are tired. We must be out of shape. For dinner we had Texas BBQ at a newly re-opened restaurant down the street.

February 3, 2015

February 3, 2015

We left before dawn this morning heading north. A rare winter vacation. It is a long six-hour drive to the town of Page on the opposite end of Arizona. Page sits on the Colorado River in between the Grand Canyon and Lake Powell. Outside Page, we stopped at Antelope Canyon Tribal Park on the Navajo reservation and signed up for a tour of the Lower section known as “the Corkscrew”. Since it is winter, visitation is slow and we get a private tour led by a retired Navajo Indian. We hiked a few hundred yards down a dry wash and then descended a metal ladder into a crack in the ground. Antelope is a narrow slot canyon cut into the sandstone by the occasional summer monsoon deluge. Slot canyons can be deadly at that time. Today it is dry. The allure of Antelope is that the sandstone walls have been cut smoothly in sweeping shapes that look like chocolate mousse. In the summer when the sun is overhead, narrow shafts of light illuminate the canyon floor. Our Navajo guide led us through the narrow recesses. Around every corner he would point out a rock formation that resembled some creature or face. Annoyingly he also kept grabbing my camera to take a photo of Aimee and me. That is not why we are here. We are enjoying the beauty and artistry of Mother Nature’s carving and hoping to get a shot worth displaying on our wall at home.

After the tour we drove southwest of town and hiked out to Horseshoe Bend where the Colorado River nearly makes a complete circle. A million years of downward rock cutting has entrenched this ancient oxbow within a deep canyon. We have been here before, but I am hoping the cloudy weather might display some better colors. We are not disappointed.

We end the day in Page, where we get a room at a motel overlooking Lake Powell and Glen Canyon dam.

September 24, 2014

September 24, 2014

Aimee and I flew back to the Midwest today to visit with my parents. I had a window seat and it was clear skies almost the whole way. I thought I was on a sight seeing tour because we passed over a dozen of the West’s most famous attractions, including the Hollywood sign, the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell and Monument Valley. Next time I need to remember to bring a detailed map so I can better identify what we cross.

In St Louis we rented a car and stayed with my parents the entire trip. They are both 94 and although age is finally catching up to them, they are still living in the house I grew up in. I only hope I can live as long a healthy life as them.

For a break, I took a couple hours and revisited Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. It literally has been decades since the last visit. This World Heritage site is the largest archeological site in North America. Cahokia was the capital of the prehistoric Mississippian Culture and in its heyday in the 1200’s was one of the largest cities in the world. The Mississippians were prolific mound builders. The largest, Monks Mound, is six stories high and has the same footprint as Egypt’s Great Pyramid.

The state built a big new Interpretative Center since our first visit. The New Visitor Center is filled with lots of artifacts mostly discovered in a small mound that turned out to be the burial site of a major chieftain. The king was buried on a bed a seashells, surrounded by exquisitely carved arrowheads and accompanied into the afterlife with hundreds of sacrificed young women. I remember my first visit inspired me to visit the Mayan pyramids of the Yucatan.

After perusing the museum, I took a brisk walk around the complex’s Grand Plaza and then climbed Monk’s Mound. From the top, you get a good view of downtown St. Louis and the Gateway Arch. Surprisingly I also see another even taller mound in the distance. I had to laugh when I enquired about it. It has nothing to do with Cahokia. Apparently even the new residents are mound builders… Only this one is full of trash!

September 11, 2014

September 11, 2014

Deserts are famous for having the most terrifying denizens; rattlesnakes, scorpions, Gila Monsters, tarantulas, and centipedes to name only a few. Since moving here we have really seen precious few of them. We thought their existence rare and overblown. So much so I had no qualms whatsoever running around my yard in flip-flops and sticking my hand under bushes to check irrigation lines.

Recently we have begun to realize that these creepy crawlies are really all around us. Only they spend the majority of the year living underground, patiently waiting for Tucson’s summer heat to arrive. Apparently just about the time most of us snowbirds leave for cooler climes, the local residents dig their way out of their burrows and roam the neighborhood. Thankfully most are nocturnal, waiting to come out after we have gone to bed.

If I am going to spend any significant time here during the summer, I need to be a little more diligent when doing maintenance in the yard. I got taught my lesson the other day when I was troubleshooting the irrigation system and I opened the water meter box. Before I leaned my head in to read the meter, I noticed a coiled rattlesnake (albeit very tiny) in one corner and a Giant Hairy Desert Scorpion in the other. Both too big to eat each other; but both not wanting to share this enclosure with me either.

I am making plans to schedule longer trips away next summer.

August 25, 2014

August 25, 2014

Today we sold the RV. For the last few years, as a lark, we put the motorhome up for sale every time we returned from a trip. This time somebody called our bluff. It is a bittersweet event. This motorhome has been our companion for all nine summers of Our Big Adventure. She has gotten us up close and personal with all the wonderful National Parks of this country. But like us she is aging and needs frequent maintenance.

As we close this chapter, we can’t help but reminisce about our journeys with her. We bought her without a lot of forethought but ended up traveling with her 76,000 miles, equivalent to 25 coast-to-coast trips. We slept in her 528 nights, almost a year and a half of our life. She guzzled expensive gasoline, over $22,000. While that is a lot of money, we bought her for less than a new car and she saved us tons of money we would have spent on hotel rooms and restaurants.

But ultimately we didn’t travel with her to save money; it was a lifestyle choice. Owning a motorhome meant we could travel like the wind, stopping wherever and whenever we wanted. No searching for hotel rooms; no unpacking needed. We slept in more than one parking lot, riverbank, cliff side, and deserted forest site. We had countless lunches on roadside pullouts with million-dollar views.

We may be moving into a new phase but Our Big Adventure is not over. There are still many sites to see and experiences to discover in this world. Who knows, another newer motorhome may yet be in our future.

August 23, 2014

August 23, 2014

Some friends invited us to accompany them to a wine tasting in the Sonoita, AZ area. It sounded like fun so we agreed. Every locale in the country seems to have vineyards now, including our own town, so I wasn’t too surprised to hear of one in southern Arizona. We have traveled all over Arizona, so I was shocked to discover how different the terrain is in Sonoita. After we left the interstate and traveled south we gradually gained elevation climbing tree-studded hills emerging into flat ranch country. Since we are in the middle of Arizona monsoon season, the grass is green with the recent rains. And with an elevation 2000 feet higher than Tucson, it is refreshingly cool. This just cannot be southern Arizona. In a way it isn’t; it looks more like Oklahoma, or at least the Oklahoma of our dreams. So much so that the movie with that name was filmed here.

We did tastings at three different wineries, enjoying flavorful wine, delightful weather, and good friends. Aimee and I need to find a summer ranch here.

Afterwards we returned to Tucson to attend the Big Ten Mixer/Charity event. All fourteen schools were represented. To my pleasant surprise I met two Illini alumni who were on the 1963 Rose Bowl squad. That famous team included Dick Butkus and Jim Grabowski. Their stories were fascinating. In those days, college players played both offense and defense. I am hoping some of their magic rubs off onto today’s Fighting Illini.