Touch down

ORMOND BEACH , FL - - As you can tell by the dateline we are back in OB...6 months and 14,500 mile later. The last couple of days traveling have been endless miles of not much. Although we did see a number of wind farms (this one in Texas) and stopped by the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. The Blue Angels (old model) aircraft and those in the background are just a very small part of the exhibits. It is well worth a visit. Now, qwe get to unpack and soer through 6 months worth of mail.

Apple, please

DURANGO, CO - - We're back in Durango, at the same campground where we stayed on our way out to the North Rim. This time the two 'pets' in the nearby corral weren't so shy. The two 'runts' which appear to be over-fed Shetland Ponies came right to the fence and the white one poked a nose out in hopes of an apple or some other treat. His equine companion was a bit more hesitant, waiting to see what we had before going into a full press begging routine.

Arch views

MOAB, UT - - The Devil's Garden trail in Arches National Parks leads you to 7 different arches...and makes you work to get there and get back. We saw them all over the course of a 6 hour hike. When the trail sign says" "Primitive and difficult trail" ... believe it. So here are three different arch views along the trail although I can't remember which name goes with which arch. In any case, the fudge brownies we had as a reward were well worth the moments of anxiety where slip-sliding down slick rock faces was a toss-up as to getting down safely or tumbling down like a runaway senior with no business there.

Park Avenue

MOAB, UT - - This area in Arches National Park is called 'Park Avenue.' Why? Because the sandstone resembles buildings on a street / avenue?? Maybe.

Delicate Arch

MOAB, UT - - A artists' rendering of Delicate Arch, in Arches National Park, is the iconic symbol which graces the vast majority of Utah license plates. This was just one stop on our half-day journey through the park. There is a trail to the arch (note the individual in the bottom center) but the trail head parking area was full so we went to the view point a mile away and hiked the trail there. This proved to be the smart choice because our angle for shots of the arch and the early afternoon light worked out just right.

Dead Horse Point

MOAB, UT - - The view of Canyonlands National Park from Dead Horse Point State Park is varied...and always spectacular. One item which somewhat mars the vista are the evaporation pools seen center left in the above photo. These are just two of a number of large pools from which phosphate is recovered. A mining company with the rights to do this pumps water from the Colorado River into the mines, the phosphate dissolves, and the water is pumped into the evaporation pools for the next step in the process. Note my trusty companion (upper right) surveying the scene.

Sunset on Willard Bay (SP), Utah

Travel time

GREEN RIVER, UT - - We've been doing more traveling than photo taking in the past few days. And we've both had basically the same photo opportunities, so click on the link to Lydia's blog to see how our travels have unfolded. Today, with a 60% chance of rain, we're headed to Moab - - the gateway to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.

Lava me now or lava me not

BEND, OR - - As usual., Lydia's path finder sense of adventure got us onto a back road which had more twists and turns than a pretzel - - the Mckenzie Pass - Santiam Pass Scenic Byway. And, as usual, we ended up somewhere really neat. The Mckenzie Pass Lava Fields, in central Oregon's Cascade Mountains, stretch for over 65 square miles, the remnants of three volcanic eruptions the last of which was 2,700 years ago. Atop the pass, at 5325', there was an observation/lookout area which would have had a great view except for the ever present fog. The Three Sisters peaks are out there - - but we can't see them.

FYI: The blog title is taken from words in a Jimmy Buffett song about 'where we're going to go when the volcano blows.'

Last ocean Sunset

EUGENE, OR - - We've seen our last sunset on the Pacific. As of this morning our journey will take us east and eventually land us back home in Ormond Beach.

More adventures

FLORENCE, OR - - We finally reached Oregon. Along the way we camped on the Klamath River; stopped by the Battery Point Lighthouse (accessible only at low tide..and you better know when high tide is coming); and took plenty of obligatory fog shots showing how greenthings are if they are moist most of the time.