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“We Got a Burning Desire” by N&J.
Black Rock City, Nevada (Sep 01/14) – Yes that time has rolled by again… Burning Man 2014 (BM). Last year was the first time for both N&J attending BM (as friends)… this time they are more than that, waaaay more than that, they are married!!! Preparations well under way, Hobbes has been readied for the journey, all systems go… BM clothing & costumes, tents, playa survival gear such as vinegar, eye drops, dust masks, and cases of baby wipes are stuffed into every nook & cranny. Thank goodness they have the small trailer (Calvin) to take on the extra load. The last trip to Black Rock City in Nevada was…
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“Decompression & Healing” by N&J.
Pyramid Lake, Nevada (Sep 03/14) – N&J exited Burning Man (BM) earlier than planned (on Saturday evening before the burning of the man); N took ill with significant dehydration, nausea and vomiting, muscle pain and drop in blood pressure leading to an ambulance ride (yes Burning Man has everything!!!) to the ‘Rampart Medical Facility’ on the Playa. The ‘MASH-like hospital’ inside a maze of tents, air conditioned, a multitude of doctors & nurses (all volunteers working 12 hour shifts around the clock), the quality of care was excellent. No medical card required, no credit card, nothing… only place in the USA with free medical. N received 2 litres of intravenous…
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“Honeymoon Suite” by N&J.
Lake Tahoe, Nevada (Sep 07/14) – Hobbes adorned with “Newlyweds” on the back window, “Love”, “N+J” on the sides… passerby’s honk, and others intrigued stop to hear the love story. Excited to share the fairytale over and over again like it is the first time… never tiring of the smile that it brings to people’s faces. New found friends along the road eager to hear more… every detail pronounced. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery The “Honeymoon Suite” while attracting much attention, affords the newlyweds definitely more privacy and no room for guests (couch-surfers… LOL! ). When the moment arises to find a…
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“Yosemite !!!” by N&J.
Yosemite National Park, California (Sep 14/14) – A wonderful place to visit. High expectations, high elevations… the eastern park entrance at Tioga Pass topped out at 9,980’, truly a long climb for Hobbes, thankfully the temperature was moderate. Coming in to Tuolumne Meadows the tall grasses reach out welcoming those who enter, and in awe… inspires one to continue on. John Muir, a Scottish-born American environmentalist (before it became popular), spoke of “going to the mountains is going home”. For N&J this quote speaks volumes. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery The first night was in the High Sierra at Porcupine Creek, a…
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“Scrub-a-Dub” by N&J.
Eastern High Sierras, California (Sep 16/14) – Ghost towns are alluring as they provide a glimpse into the past, a romantic ideation and flirtation of a time gone by. Bodie, a town of 10,000 in it’s 1880’s heyday of mining gold, gambling and prostitution is left intact like the day it was vacated; the store shelves stocked with provisions from the early 1900’s, the schoolhouse with the day’s assignment on the chalkboard, and clothes hanging in the closets. The air heavy with dust and the stories Bodie holds tight create an eerie ‘un-comfortable-ness’. The abandonment seemed rushed, loose ends were still loose ends, it seemed nothing was taken by the…
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“HeeHaw!” by N&J.
St. George, Utah (Sep 18/14) – After much discussion, it was decided to forgo driving through Death Valley and drive the route north of the National Park. The elevation gains (climb 5000’ in 13 miles) & the intense heat were too daunting of a task for Hobbes. As it turned out the alternate route was quite a climb, but it was incredible. Bristlecone pine trees (some as old as 4000 years old), look gnarley & distorted among the rocky white desert. The winding road to the top was very steep, the canyons narrow (at one point the highway was 1 lane only through a gap in the rock). Traveling down…
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“Canyoneering” by N&J.
Zion National Park, Utah (Sep 26/14) – The intense ‘dead’ heat of the Las Vegas area was the prime initiator of N&J’s travel to Zion… the trek made easy by the lure of the red mountains on the horizon. The park’s high elevation brought slightly cooler temperatures, but the scenery did not disappoint. The red coloured sandstone mountains are stunning. After the past weeks of travel in drought-prone desert locales, the intense colours and green foliage is a most welcome addition. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Again it was a ’no vacancy’ situation in the park. The amount of visitors to the…
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“Plastic Neon USA !!!” by N&J.
Las Vegas, Nevada (Sep 28/14) – The visit to Las Vegas was a first for J. Not so for N, this was her childhood home before moving to Canada. It was an honour to be celebrating N&J’s friend Pam’s 50th Birthday at the Mon Ami Gabi restaurant (amazing meal, amazing party). The Vancouver contingency of 20 plus people kept the restaurant servers and casino dealers hopping. Seeing ‘the strip’ is quite an eye opener considering the excessive ‘over the top’ marquis, the hotels, the casinos, the lights, the sounds… the HEAT!!! Staying in a hotel was a survival tactic, no way sleeping in Hobbes would have been possible. Clean sheets,…
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“Roundabout” by N&J.
Sedona, Arizona (Oct 01/14) – “The roundabout capital of the world!” Yes, other than the celestial red rock of Arizona, they certainly love those ‘roundabouts’ (you know, those traffic circles???). They are everywhere. Very likeable. It keeps the traffic flow constant and therefore no ‘idling’. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery The visit to Flagstaff was pleasantly surprising. Who would have thought Arizona would be so lush with trees & greenery. The town itself is really artsy, lots of neat shops, restaurants, and cafes. The drive into Sedona, AZ has to be one of the ‘top drives in the world’. Twist & turns…
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“Just Standing on the Corner in…” by N&J.
Winslow, Arizona (Oct 04/14) – You might recall that line from the 2nd verse in The Eagles hit song “Take It Easy”. No way N&J could possibly miss the drive through to have a look. While the town looked rather empty & void of activity from the outskirts. Once they reached the town centre it was obvious something was happening judging from all the police roadblocks. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery As it would happen the 20th annual Winslow Car Show was spread over 3-4 city blocks. Hobbes was parked a couple blocks away while N&J checked out the almost 100 cars…