Fun Time or Just Stupid

Well it was either great fun or rather stupid. Here I was in a campsite Wednesday night in Williams AZ – the southern route into the Grand Canyons – saying to myself (maybe you don’t travel alone, but I usually do) “Self, we’ve missed sunset at the Canyons and the park won’t let you end early enough for sunrise, so what to do on Thursday”  I not sure which side of the brain (if I have one) won, but off I took at 9 AM (see I wouldn’t have made sunrise anyway) headed to Lone Pine CA to try and catch sunset behind Mount Whitney and the portals. Yea it is a long way, but I have a tendency to get in a vehicle and just drive (a habit I am trying to break). This little motorhome loves it too, it would seem, so I just made it into Lone Pine a little after 6 and the sun going down. Turned left for Whitney Portals and turned into Movie Drive (a lot of movies were shot here in the 30’s and 40’s (Gunga Din for one) and made it to a spot to camp for the night. Of course only a handful of small puffy clouds over the Sierras but you can’t have it all, right? Got a couple of shots and watched the sun go and the stars come out. 

Whitney and Stars

Yeah, very very little light pollution here and I was rewarded with more stars and planets than I have seen since I was a kids and the plains of Kansas.

The only draw back, a small one but a drawback nonetheless. The moon was almost a half moon and when there are no lights around, it does take center stage. There were moon shadows and I got moon flares in the lens. Got out my Sun Surveyor app and found out that the moon sets at 12:30 and sunrise was at 6AM. I so wanted to see the Milky Way that I got to bed and went back out at 2 AM. I should have got my Sky Guide app out before I got up and I would have discovered the big beautiful colorful Milky Way was over China and we only got the tail ends. Not knowing my stars well enough, I couldn’t identify them very well, but I took some shots anyway and will read up on shooting star shots some more and try again tonight.

Lathe Arch, Whitney Portals

Got up this morning and took a short walk to shoot the Arch here before the sun got too high and have just finished breakfast (shrimp, bacon, asparagus, carrot and garlic omelet -  come on you know me well enough by now!)

Now to work on some shots, move to cell service and post this.

Later 

Arizona Wine ???? Yes

I left Phoenix and traveled South toward the border, wanting to see some Missions and early American Western ruins. Stopped at San Xavier del Bac Mission and it is a beautiful place south of Tucson.
Traveled on to Nogales and then up to Tombstone area. I was told that I could dry camp anywhere in the National Forest area and looked around Patagonia. Found a nice spot and was about to settle in when two Border Patrol trucks went zooming by and I re-thought to whole idea. Being only a few miles from the border well...
Stopped in a little town of Wilcox AZ to discover that there is a growing wine industry. Had a few tasting and they began to get better. Stayed last night at the Flying J truck stop, nestled between the big rigs.

Doesn't matter where you see a sunset, just take the time to see it

Spring Training

The first long Trip              Photo:Joe Kontra

This is the first long trip in my new motor home. It is a 25' Class C Forester, and just right for me - the single traveler. I am here in Arizona to watch two Spring Training games with the Dodgers, and invited Joe to join and share the pleasant weather and good games. Sort of right on both counts. Dodgers lost to the Cubs yesterday and tied the Angles today. Weather - Rained all night last night and thought the game would be canceled, but it broke in time to see the game.

Tomorrow, I'll head South and check out the old missions and some ruins before heading home next weekend. I'll check in when I can and want to just check out the MoHo.

The original plan, when I got the coach was to set off and try the Alaska Highway and then head East and follow my nose. But as usual, life often gets in the way and now it will be smaller trips between sinus surgery in April, Birthday in early June and possibly renting out the townhouse if the eldest moves out of town. We'll see.

Life is seldom dull.

Best to all and more to follow...

A Getty Birthday Outing

Today is daughter number two (Kailey) birthday and see asked me to go with her to see the Getty Museum in LA. I have never been - Why? but today, post rain, was a gorgeous day to be on a hill overlooking the basin of LA. So crystal clear with a few puffy clouds. Planes taking off over the Bay toward the Island - could see them as well - Just Beautiful.
The Museum is a wonderful attraction. The Tram line at the parking structure was very busy, but once on top of the hill the crowd just disperses to seemingly on one around. Great venue!
I didn't even attempt a shot of the panorama, just too big, and I enjoyed it with Kailey.
Here's a shot the did strike me as a bit funny:

The Life of Art

Draining water is an art, don't you know!

Enjoy your family

The Saddle's on a stand...

I want to get going and use the new MoHo, but there are a couple of things needing attention, minor but necessary on the coach.
The other and bigger needs is to take care of my sinuses. It is defiantly a fungus infection that is the cause of my pain and suffering. Surgery is scheduled for 4/10 and then I'll have to stay close for most of that month to check my progress while I heal. With that in mind, I decided to go to Dodger's Spring training for the week of the 16th and see some of the southwest desert. That should calm my itchy feet while I go through the surgery and recovery.
I want to take a month trip come May and then be back for daughter and grand daughter's birthdays in early June. It's a plan and then we'll see what happens.
It seems that my calendar is as full as when I was working.
Later