CA Scenic Hwy 395…A Blog Post per Milepost!

Having left Furnace Creek before sun-up, it is early when I reach the junction with California Scenic Highway 395.  I am relishing in the cool air coming through my open windows, the sight of the snow-capped Sierra Mountains on my left, and wildflowers blooming alongside the road.  I have Joni Mitchell’s “California” blaring over the speakers: Continue reading

Mother Nature 1, Suzanne 0 (Death Valley, Part IV)

I set my alarm for 4:30am.  I must get up and get out before first light, before I reach that danger zone again.   At 5:00am, it is still 85 degrees out.   I hitch up in the dark, and take off toward Stovepipe Wells.   I don’t want to go, but I don’t want to put any of the  “TTTH Team” through another 110 degree day, either. Continue reading

Outrunning the Sun (Death Valley Part II)

I set my alarm for 5:00am and wake up in time to make it to Zabriskie Point by sunrise.   I have to hang around for almost an hour, as I did not figure on the sunrise over the mountain being so much later than the “true” sunrise.  It is so cool and pleasant…..like 65 degrees.   Just a gorgeous clear, cool morning, the kind that makes me wonder why I don’t get up for sunrise every day. Continue reading

Veni, Viti, Vici, Death Valley!

“I came, I saw, I conquered!”   Okay, well, so maybe I didn’t conquer.  Two outta three ain’t bad.

When trying to determine the best place to cross over from Arizona to California’s Scenic Hwy 395, the obvious choice was right through the heart of Death Valley.  This would also allow me to cross off another National Park, Continue reading

More Tales (and Tails) from the Trails

Now that I am in Arizona with a two hour time difference, in order to keep to Central time zone hours, I have to start my workday at 6:00am, which sounds pretty dreadful, especially when I have early morning conference calls.  But the plus side of that means I can stop at 3:00pm.   This leaves me with four and a half hours of glorious daylight to burn, and I can’t think of a better place to burn it than Prescott!  Continue reading

You Can’t Always Get What you Want

But if you try sometime…you just might find…ya get what ya need!

I wanted to go to Lake Havasu.  I have never been before, and my dear friend and former technical SCUBA instructor Joel lives there.   I haven’t seen Joel since the late 90’s before I moved from New York.  Since we last saw each other, one of us is now 40 pounds lighter, fit, tanned, and has platinum blonde hair. Continue reading

Being Frank…

“When nature has work to be done, she creates a genius to do it.”  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have been a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architectural design since my college days, when I took an “Introduction to Architecture” elective which turned out to be my favorite class.   As one of the greatest architects of our time, what’s not to love? Continue reading