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
“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
Autozone had diagnosed my Check Engine Light (for free!) as a faulty exhaust temperature sensor – an emissions thing. Many said “Emissions? I would just keep driving it. Just ignore it.” But how would I know if there weren’t other codes popping up if the light never went out? Continue reading
“OH CRAP!”
Yes, that is surely one of them…But the one I really meant was “Plans are made in Jello.” Such was the nature of my exit from Prescott on a Friday afternoon. Continue reading
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
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
“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
Just about twenty minutes east of Catalina State Park in the Coronado National Forest is the pretty little Sabino Canyon. I visited there on the recommendation of the same Park Ranger who recommended I divide my time in Tucson. Still trying to warm up to the “other side of Tucson,” I figured I should reserve judgment until I had explored his favorite recommendation. Continue reading
After the two Park Rangers in Saguaro National Park West recommended I split my time in Tucson to include Catalina State Park, I figured I had to cut my time short at Gilbert Ray so as not to miss it. One even went to far to say that Gilbert Ray had been his favorite campground…”until I saw Catalina.” So my expectations had been set pretty high.
Imagine my shock when I arrived at the Catalina front gate and went inside to register. I asked the elderly, somewhat cranky volunteer behind the desk if he had a map of the east side of the park. His answer was Continue reading
Since I had to come into town to finish up my taxes, I figured I may as well explore the other side of Tucson. Two different Park Rangers at Saguaro National Park (West,) as well as my friend Lynne suggested I split my time in Tucson between Gilbert Ray and Catalina State Park to the north, since both areas were so vastly different in scenery, ambiance, and accessibility to “infrastructure.” So I hitched up the Winnie and reluctantly pulled out of Gilbert Ray, saying goodbye to my statuesque, silent saguaro friends, vowing, “I’LL BE BAAACK!!!” Continue reading