The Conch Republic!!!

For those of you who have been with us for the last few trips, you might remember us describing our overnight stay at Eagle River on the Keweenaw Peninsula on Lake Superior.  If so, you might recall that we talked about leaving the Eagle River Inn at the point where highway US-41 begins.  We also went on to point out that it ended in Miami at a junction with US-1 - which, in turn, ends in Key West, Florida.  Well - all you Jimmy Buffet fans hang on to your hats.  We're gonna take you right to the very end (or beginning, depending how you look at it) of US-1 on Duvall Street in the southernmost city in the United States - Key West, Florida. And - while we're here we will try to show you as many of the highlights as we can but, believe me, it will fall way short of all there is to see and do here!!   Although our trip lasted a good while we will probably condense things a bit so we can prepare for some other journeys.  First, we have to get there and the keys are waaayyy down there folks!!  Located nearly 130 miles BELOW the tip of the Florida peninsula, Key West seems like another country altogether - and - it almost was!!!  (More about that later.)  It is almost unimaginable that anyone could think of building a highway to Key West - much less a railroad - but one man not only thought of it, he remained committed to doing it for nearly forty years.  I'm not going to even attempt to summarize the accomplishments of Henry Flagler but let me give you a tip.  If you have a chance - get one of the many

Key Deer

books about the building of the Florida East Coast Railroad - sometimes called the "Great Ocean Railroad."  It is a story of the incredible vision of one of the greatest entrepreneurs in the history of our country and one that chronicles the almost superhuman achievements of ordinary men as they created a railroad almost out of the air and water - through Mangrove swamps and over terribly inhospitable terrain.  Today Key West is reached by the spectacular "Overseas Highway" that is founded - literally - in the legacy of Henry Flagler's railroad.  The trip from Miami through the keys is a never ending series of beautiful sights but it would be nearly impossible to recap the journey here.  But - it's great.  Having reached Key West we were already learning new terms - and new animals.  Early on we noticed the prevalence of a small species of deer along the highway.  We learned that they are "Key Deer" and are a lot smaller than the ones that hang out in our back yard.  Ours can grow to 3.5 to 4 feet tall and weigh from 130 to over 300 pounds but the Key deer are 2 to 2.5 feet tall and weigh less than eighty pounds.  As we drove to the hotel we would be staying in for the next week we saw what we thought was an unusual number of chickens.  Well - turns out that chickens are essentially a 'tropical bird' and the ones that were brought here by the original Spanish explorers have flourished and are a protected -and treasured - species in Key West.   (Lemme tell ya - if you're out for a morning run in the dark at around 5:30 a.m. and one of those roosters lets out a crow just as you pass an intersection - it WILL get your attention!!!!)  After getting settled in we headed out for Duval Street - location of Mile 0 of US-1 and home to approximately 180 bars!!!  Whoa!!!  It is a continuous party.  On Duval Street you can get every kind of tattoo - or other body decoration - in existence, pictures with every kind of reptile or bird imaginable, two-for-one Margaritas everywhere!!! ... and more Karaoke bars per square block than you would believe.  Over then next couple of days we would get to know the restaurants and fascinating people of Duval Street well and would even become friends with a really cool young French couple who joined us on an excursion to Fort Zachary Taylor.   Like many guys my age, I was an Ernest Hemingway fan in my early years so we were really looking forward to visiting his former home.  "Papa" stories abound here and one of my favorites is about his attempts to build a watering fountain for his cats out of a discarded urinal!!!  His beloved "six toed" Egyptian cats have never - to this day - consented to use Hemingway's creation for their drinks!!   These exotic creatures have, themselves, reached almost 'legend' status here and the story of their breeding and care is fascinating!!!  About 40 cats make up the 'family' and they are attended to by a regular veterinary staff.  Decisions about which ones will be allowed to procreate are carefully considered and the "pure" population is guarded.  But - the cats are not locked up!!!  That means, there are quite a few cats around Key West that bear the signs of being 'partially' in the family!!!  You really need to see the house and grounds and the story of the building of the swimming pool is a classic.  Seems like Hemingway and his wife didn't see eye to eye on that particular project and it was quite a conflict!!!!  After our visit to "Papa's" house we went a few blocks north to the community cemetery where there are a number of fascinating memorials.  Although rapidly fading into history's twilight, the Spanish American War was a conflict whose effects continue to be felt to this day.  It all started out as a struggle by Cuba to gain independence from Spain.  In January of 1898 the USS Maine sailed from Key West to protect American interests in Cuba and three weeks later she exploded and went down with a heavy loss of life.  The event solidified U. S. support for Cuba and probably affected the outcome of the war which eventually spread from the caribbean to the Phillipines. We won't spend much time debating that nasty conflict - in fact, investigations into the sinking of the Maine continued into the 1980's!!! - but we mention all of this because of the moving memorials to the sailors of the Maine and the Cuban champions of independence who gave their lives in a struggle for freedom.  But - y'know - a while back we talked about 'cosmic connectedness' or serendipity - think about this.  When we took a short time out for a visit to South Carolina's State House grounds one of the memorials we looked at was the Spanish American War memorial.  Then, in Salt Lake City we saw that absolutely enormous memorial to the Mormon soldiers who lost their lives in that conflict.  And - here we are, thousands of miles from one and hundreds of miles from the other thinking about the same tragic event!!!  Wow.  We'll close for now so you can rest up for a boat trip tomorrow!!!  Get your sun-tan oil out and come on back.  If you do, we'll explain more about the "Conch Republic" title we started out with!!  See ya.

From Salt Lake City To The Tip of Florida

Capital Complex - Salt Lake City

Well, it was a fantastic trip and it is hard to imagine all the ground we covered in a fairly short period of time.  The Rockies, The Grand Tetons, Arches, The Grand Canyon ... and on, and on ... This is stuff dreams are made of folks.  But while we're waiting for our flight to be called, let me mention a few things.  Some of you have wondered about our travels.  Yes, we are all retired.  No, we are not, by any stretch of the imagination, wealthy people.  We just save up for each trip and search as hard as we can for the best options possible.  And, believe me, we will jump on a 'deal' in a heartbeat!!!  We don't use extravagant facilities or locales and, fortunately for us, we find enormous pleasure in very ordinary things.  Our greatest treasures are the phenomenal beauty of the countryside as we travel through and the wonderful people we have gotten to know on our travels. Now - that's enough of that!!!!  We've got stuff to see!!  We are excited about taking you to a place we went a while back that is really in a category by itself.  It is the southernmost point in the continental U. S. - Key West, Florida.  It is a rollicking place with excitement every minute and one where "laid back" is the living standard.  I hope you will consider coming along with us as we go down to "Jimmy Buffet Land" for a few days.  I think you'll find it interesting.  This post will be followed shortly by the first of several posts from there.  I've got to close now - my traveling partners have created such a ruckus in the gate area they have collected a big crowd and they are all laughing and carrying on!!!  These gals!!!  See ya.

Completing The Circle

 Wow!! Isn't Zion National Park great???  Just looking at those pictures made me want to head back out there soon.  It is one of those places of which you never grow tired.  As we were leaving we took some time to look at the material we had that showed parks and other recreation sites located in this area and we were astounded.  Actually, if you think of Kanab - where we spent last night - as the center of a big clock and start at 12:00 you would be surrounded by (going clockwise) Dixie National Forest, Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Fishlake National Forest, Capitol Reef National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Manti-Lasal National Forest, Monument Valley,  Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon National Park - and many more!!!  Shortly after leaving Zion we went through a section of Dixie National Forest.  It is an awesome place and we didn't spend any time here at all!!!!!  Arrrrggghhhhhh......  What we did see, though, was an amazing 'lava field' testifying to an ancient pyroclastic event of some kind.  The name of the park has a kind of interesting history too.  Seems like Brigham Young decided that Utah needed to be producing cotton.  So - he got some 'experts' to come from the southern states and they settled in this area and in recognition of their heritage, it came to be known as "Dixie."  (When we have more time we'll talk about the many theories of the origin of the term "Dixie" each of which bears a distinct regional bias.)  In fact, if you get out this way and go through the town of St. George - look at the mountain that serves as a backdrop for the town.  You'll see a big "D" painted near the top.  Guess what it stands for!!!!  Anyway ... You folks probably think I'm making all this stuff up, huh??  Well, check it out!!!  This little park (a mere 3,000 acres) has canyons, hoodoos, waterfalls, caves, forests and - oh yeah, lava!!  Oh yeah, and just in case you get nostalgic for the "Wild West," this is one of the areas where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hung out and there is even a trail named for Butch!!.  We also noticed a pretty rapid rise in elevation as we went through and began to see snow again.  But, before long we were back into more sedate surroundings, cruising down I-15 along the western side of the Wasatch and Traverse Mountains toward Cedar City.   We had to stop for gasoline so we figured that, while we were there, we would check out the town to see what we could find.  Well, frankly, we found quite a bit.  The city has a beautiful 'historic district,' complete with a really great visitor's center.  In addition to all the 'welcome' services you could think of, the center has some outstanding exhibits, extensive book and magazine offerings and wonderful staff!!  The center is modern, clean and exceptionally well maintained.  Cedar City is the home to Southern Utah University and the cultural events going on all year long are amazing.  I guess we aren't alone in our appreciation for the town, the population doubled from 1980 to 2010!!  After visiting the town and getting a quick snack we were preparing to head out.  Some kind of  'western spell' descended on Linda and Sherwood and they decided that they simply couldn't leave town without a proper cowboy hat!!!!  So - that's right - they got one!!!  Sherwood took over the pilot's seat and Linda added navigator to her co-pilot duties.  With hats firmly in place they yelled ... "head 'em up,   move 'em out!!!"  Since we were a little ahead of schedule we decided to take a detour through Park City, Utah, home of the 2002 Winter Olympics and annual host to the Sundance Film Festival.  It is also where two of our friends who are avid skiiers have a winter residence.  I have been to Park City several times but not since the Olympics and I found the changes that have taken place to be astounding.  Although it is still not a huge population center, the city has grown tremendously.  Several of the Olympic venues are still in place and used commercially.  We roamed around town for a bit, visited a ton of gift shops and decided to go ahead and have dinner while we were there.  I can't remember the name of the restaurant (I think it was something like "Reef's") but it was on Main street - a little beyond the red truck in the picture on the left above.  Anyway, it was a nice meal and pretty soon we were back on the road to our hotel in Salt Lake City.   Well - you made it again - over three thousand miles of driving!!!!!  We loved every inch of it and especially having you along with us.  We'll probably be back for a wrap-up as we prepare for our flight back home but we have got some really cool stuff waiting in the wings!!  We're going to do another one of those "total environment change" things and head as far south as you can go and stay in the continental U.S.  We found some very interesting things to share with you there so come on back!!!  See ya.

On To Zion!!!

After a restful night and a great early morning breakfast in Kanab we saddled up tor the trek to Zion National Park and the famed Zion Canyon.  The entrance we were planning to take was off of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway and leads to what is considered the "East" entrance.  Zion is astonishingly beautiful with at least four of the fifteen "life zones" found on our planet.  The ones in Zion are desert, woodland, coniferous forest and riparian (between areas of water).  The reason I mention that is that the different zones also house different animal species and - we were on a QUEST!!!  I was insistent that today we would find a Bighorn Sheep!!!  But first - back to the road.  The Zion - Mt. Carmel Highway was constructed to provide access to the park and was developed in several different stages.  One of the most incredible engineering feats seen on the road is the 1.1 mile long Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel.  Remember folks, the tunnel was constructed in the 1930s and for the equipment available, it is quite a feat.   To add to the wonder of the tunnel - there  are several large "windows" cut through the rock to provide views of the canyon 'from inside the tunnel!!'  Back in the early days of the park traffic was so light that stopping was possible.  Now, however, it is just too busy to do that safely - and - the tunnel is now "one-way" at alternating times to allow for large recreational vehicles.  At the other entrance to the park - the Zion Canyon entrance near Springdale, Utah traffic is now too heavy to safely allow unrestricted travel so shuttle buses are provided there from April through October but cars are permitted at other times.  The buses are frequent, comfortable and convenient though!!  The main drive into the park is about five or six miles long and on the way in we passed some interesting farm and ranch land.  In several places we saw ranches where American Bison (Buffalo) were being raised domestically and some ranches had cattle and buffalos in pastures together!!  If you are planning to travel to Zion, please get in touch with the park or get some reliable information about the roads.  There are a number of quirks about when they are open - having to do with traffic volume, season, weather conditions, etc., so just do a little planning.  The park is extraordinarily beautiful but - travel is largely through canyons so that makes it a bit restrictive for vehicles.  Otherwise, it is still one of the most beautiful in the country and, in my opinion, was one of the places that spurred establishment of the National Park Service.   I know it sometimes sounds like I'm on the payroll of the park service and I'm not but, really folks, I think our parks are phenomenal.  To be able to protect and preserve these amazing places while still allowing easy access to the public - and - usually having first class visitor facilities that offer everything from "Five Star" restaurants to "World Class" museums is just amazing.  We are very fortunate!!!  Zion offers incredibly varied experiences depending on the time of year you are there.  For example, during early summer months the blooming Cottonwood trees fill the air with what appears to be tiny tufts of cotton.  Animals are out foraging or looking for "that special someone" in late summer and early fall so that is an excellent time to look for critters.  But - as our visit went on and we covered more and more miles of the park I was growing despondent.  I had been sure we would see some sheep today!!!  But, I finally conceded that we were going to have to head out of the park and reluctantly headed back toward Mt. Carmel.  As we neared the tunnel Linda shouted "Sheep!!!!"  And, sure enough, at the last possible moment it was as though a whole herd

Window in the Canyon Wall

of those delightful creatures decided they couldn't let me leave disappointed!!!  It was fantastic!!!  As we prepare to head out of the park let me go back to something I mentioned earlier - the windows in the tunnel.  I don't know if you can do it or not but usually if you click on the pictures they expand to give a "big" view.  If you can do that, take a look at the picture on the left.  Right in the center, where the road curves out of sight there is a tree and if you look at the canyon wall directly above the tree you will see a 'hole' in the rock.  That's one of the windows folks!!!!!  And, yes, it's waaaayyyyy down in the stone!!  The picture on the right is interesting too.  If you can expand that one, look at the red section in the center.  The incredibly vibrant colors of the little flowers stood out brilliantly and they appeared when you least expected them.  Beauty at its most tenacious!!!  And even the big guys get into the act.  Tremendous Lodgepole Pines cling powerfully to the edges of the cliffs as if to say ... "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere!!!"  The beauty of the distant mountains always moves us and as we exited the park we saw that enterprising folks had found yet another way to offer unique "Southwestern Experiences."  One of the motels we saw offered rooms that were essentially "Tipis."  (Most of the time you see that spelled "Teepees.")  Hmmmmm......  Well, its been a long and magnificent day folks and I hope you've come to understand a bit more about this outstanding destination.  We barely scratched the surface and Zion - along with nearby Bryce Canyon National Park - offer some of the best hiking, biking, fishing and relaxing opportunities available anywhere.  And - if you do come, try to give yourself enough time so that you can spend at least some time here after dark.  Zion offers perhaps an unmatched view of the night sky with virtually zero ambient light in many places and skies so clear they give you the feeling you could reach up and grab the handle of the big dipper.  Our trip is nearing its end but we've got a few more sights to see so rest up and come on back for the final legs of this excellent trip.  See ya.

A Brief Post and a Short Visit To Kanab, Utah

As we left the incredible Grand Canyon National Park we couldn't help thinking about the wonders of

Kanab, Utah

nature - including the animal friends we have encountered along the way.  We have seen Moose, Elk, Deer, Antelope, Buffalo, Bear, Fox, Squirrel, Otters, countless birds, lizards of all kinds ...  aw heck, there have been too many to enumerate.  Our next stop was to be the small town of Kanab, Utah, the site of our lodging for the evening and the home of one of the most remarkable monuments to human commitment to the animals of our planet - the "Best Friends Animal Shelter."  You may have seen TV programs portraying the shelter and the efforts of the staff to ensure that all animals in our country - and abroad - have a chance to live out their lives in safety and with love.  It is a truly remarkable place.  With over 3,000 acres of 'owned' property and more than 22,000 acres of leased  land 'Best Friends' is committed to ensuring that every animal that needs a home has one.  While we didn't have the opportunity to visit the shelter and while we don't know much about the internal workings of the program we are strong supporters.  They have already had a dramatic effect on animal protection policies throughout our country.  Our gang has a real soft spot for animals of all kinds and over the years some of our favorite momentos are photos and other reminders of the creatures we have seen.  In fact, I decided to take some of the photos we used in our recent posts and put them together in a collage of "animal friends we have made."  It is simply a tiny memorial to the other inhabitants of our planet who enrich our lives so dramatically.   Kanab is not a large city but it is an attractive and bustling place and our hotel was new, clean and friendly!!  We took a quick stroll through the 'downtown' section and - wouldn't you know it - we found a quilt shop.  As many of you know, Linda and Sherwood are big quilters so - you guessed it - a good 30 - 45 minutes wandering through the fabric aisles.   We drove around the outskirts of town to try to get a better feel for the area and were quite surprised to find several things of note.  First, the geography - as in other sections of Utah - is extremely varied and beautiful.  Around Kanab we found seemingly arid areas intermixed with wooded - almost forest - sections.  And as we were driving along we found a park with a number of Native American memorials including the Totem Pole over on the left.  What struck us as very interesting was the similarities this statue had to the Mayan statue we commented on in our post about Cabo del San Jose in Mexico!!  Another thing that was readily evident was the influence of movie-making on the area.  I won't even attempt to list the number of movies filmed here that have earned the town the name "Little Hollywood" - but - in addition to countless westerns, Clint Eastwood films, etc., the biggie was "Planet of the Apes!!"  I know this is a short post folks but we've got some chores to do so - rest up for our trip to Zion National Park.  See ya.

How Grand Is This?

After a restful night in Page, Arizona we did a little "backtracking" and headed south on US-89 toward Marble Canyon at the very edge of the Navajo Nation Reservation.  We needed to cross the Colorado River to make our way toward the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and that was the location of the nearest bridge.  Actually, from the town of Page, Marble Canyon is not that far (probably less than 10 miles) - if you go by boat!!!  In a car it is a forty mile drive!!!  Anyway - we skirted the southern rim of Glen Canyon and headed toward the little community of Jacob Lake where the entrance to the North Rim is located.  Let's pause for a minute to explain a couple of things about this particular park.  Now I'm not even going to attempt to give you a thorough run-down on what all is here.  That would take months!!!  But, let it suffice to say that this is, to me, one of the most awesome places on the planet and the views are breathtaking.  But-  Grand Canyon National Park is separated into the South Rim (which has more facilities and is more heavily visited) and the North Rim which is much more isolated and less commercialized.  From one rim to the other - directly across the canyon - the distance averages 10 to 15 miles.  But from the North Rim to South Rim park locations by road is a drive of more than 375 miles!!!!!  We have visited the South Rim a few times and it is a wonderful place to spend several days.  There are restaurants, hotels, shops and museums of all kinds and lots of naturalist tours available.  But, it is a very busy tourist area.  The North Rim, on the other hand, is extremely tranquil and secluded.  We found it beautiful and spiritually uplifting.  As we entered the nearly 10 mile long entrance road we immediately spotted herds of deer grazing in the meadows on either side.  The Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim is a magnificent structure originally built in 1927-28 and re-built after a fire in the mid-1930s.  When reconstructed, as much of the original stonework as possible was used in building the current lodge.  It is a beautiful combination of the native Kaibab limestone and Ponderosa Pine and the results are spectacular.  Native American artifacts are used throughout the buildings and their cultural influences are very evident.  The thing I really appreciated about the lodge was that it offered a wide range of services - restaurants, gift shops, lounges, book stores, museums - but still preserved the intimacy you might find in a remote, private hideaway.  We had a great meal at the lodge and relaxed for a while - soaking up the rustic surroundings and talking about the history of the place.  Shortly, however, we had to do some exploring so we headed out to one of the patios overlooking the canyon.  This area of the North Rim and

Trail to Bright Angel Point

the name commonly used in describing the location of the Grand Canyon Lodge is "Bright Angel Point."  The actual "point," however, is a little further out into the canyon.  There is a trail to the very end of the point and I decided I had to walk it.  It was a surreal experience!!!  The views from the end of the trail were awesome.  To describe the sensation of standing on the rim of this enormous earth-sculpture is just beyond me folks.  As you walk to the edge, the cool crisp, pine-scented air refreshes you in an unbelievable way.  The ever-present wind occasionally transports the distant call of birds but more often simply surrounds you with the sighs of a million years and the spirits of countless people who have lived in and loved this land.  The blue of the sky serves as a perfect back-drop for an astonishing array of colors encompassing every shade and hue of every color of the rainbow - and then some!!!  The subtlety of the transitions from grey to white to beige to yellow, from pink, to mauve to purple, from orange to red to burgundy defy understanding.  It is a work of art on the grandest scale imaginable, a composition that would bring tears to the eyes of Remington, Renoir, Bierstadt, Corot, Church, Cole, van Gogh or Levitan.  In fact, Levitan  perhaps put my feelings into words better than anyone else ever could when he said "...What can be more tragic than to feel the boundlessness of the surrounding beauty and to be able to see in it its underlying mystery ... and yet to be aware of your own inability to express these large feelings."  Right on Isaac!!  The beauty here is, indeed, boundless and our visit was one we will treasure for all time.  If you ever get to visit the canyon please make sure you give yourself enough time to be able to relax and absorb the textures, tastes and sensations to be found here.  And - if you are adventurous (and in good shape) you might consider hiking one of the hundreds of trails - ranging from moderate to extremely strenuous.  Some folks also bring along a hiking partner to help with the load!  Amazingly, we have some other canyons we are anxious to visit so get your hiking boots on and come on back.  See ya.