What’s your favorite activity to do when visiting mountains on vacation? 

“The mountains are calling. But here, they don’t just call you to go. They ask how you choose to arrive.” (John Muir)

Our road trip visit to Park City, Utah this weekend carried two distinct rhythms, and I found myself moving between them like shifting gears on a long climb. At Park City Olympic Park, motion is everything during winter season – the hum of the overhead mountain lifts, the scrape of skis and snow boots crunching over packed snow. Even without actually seeing this challenging activity then, I could feel the energy of world competitors chasing gravity on these steep white slopes. For the echoes of the 2002 Winter Olympics still linger, giving the place a subtle sense of legacy, as if speed itself left an imprint on the mountain.

Then a few miles out of town as state route 40 bends away, the fast tempo quickly dissolved for me  For at Jordanelle State Park, the world of nature whispered and softened. The lake amid the backdrop of Utah’s Wasatch Mountains rested in long still stretches, broken only by the faint ripple of wind across its surface.The air smelled different here—more earthy bite, more warming sunshine. No lift cables or urgency to move—just the low hush of shoreline and the occasional call of a bird crossing the open sky. How right it felt then to find a scenic spot near this shoreline for a quiet picnic lunch followed by some panoramic photo shots of the calming lake waters beyond. 

That flexible contrast of time use stayed with me in Park City. I could choose to move—fast, loud, outward or I could merely be still and to let the landscape come to me. For these mountains didn’t insist on one experience. They offered both. And somewhere between the active energy required on the slopes and the quiet pull of lakefront water, I began  to notice the simplest shift of all -not just knowing where I was in time but how fully I was willing to be there. 

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “birds of prey”?

“ All raptors are birds of prey but not all birds of prey are raptors”. ( Smithsonian Handbook Birds of Texas)

 Birds of of prey like condors, vultures, eagles, and hawks are built to naturally hunt as they are keen-eyed, efficient, and precise. Some strike with speed. Others wait and take what’s left behind. Nothing is wasted. Nothing is personal. So during our road trip visit to the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, such  raptor curiosity in caged captivity was hard to ignore.  Notably, each bird we observed waited patiently. Up close, their eyes didn’t judge, didn’t hesitate, didn’t pretend. They weren’t cruel. They were honest. And then the sudden rush of wings of two condors contesting  a favored land space broke the quiet.Their motion so quick I realized that I had witnessed their instinctive action to survive. The birds took what they needed and nothing more.

Watching them, I couldn’t help but think about how similarly to birds of prey so many humans I meet in my life function by autopilot.For as my culture rewards competition, we are often drawn to weakness, quick to highlight flaws, sometimes feeding on the failures we notice from a distance. Unlike these raptors  though, we are not driven to attack by survival instinct alone. We instead often choose to elevate or heedlessly entertain ourselves by tearing someone else down. We do have the ability to act with  restraint.

Maybe the real question then seems to be making better choices in times of confrontation to project kinder treatment of others. Know that a giant statue of Abraham Lincoln we witnessed in Boise  downtown to end this tour day seemed to represent an inspiring figure of “bird of prey resistance” in his compassionate declaration to end the cruel wrath of slavery during the American Civil War. 

What sights in America you’ve traveled to rate as excellent finds?

“What’s the world for if you can’t make it up the way you want it?” (Toni Morrison)

Forty two days in and thirty three to go on our longest American road trip we’ve ever embarked on.in our long travel history.  The spirit to keep going to chosen destinations along the way happen largely from our common interests in wild nature, spectator sports, live music and the authentic feel of history. Our preferred driving distances usually averages around six to seven hours per day. But on occasion like in the Nevada desert, we’ve extended those times up to ten hours to our next stopover. Of course the favorable springtime  weather conditions and reliable functioning of our Honda CRV has enhanced our progress so far as well. 

Thus I summarize ten highlights from our vacation so far. It’s notable that at  least half of these destinations visits listed arose as unexpected finds during the course of our clockwise route in a generally westerly and then northerly direction. 

Where and when have you found the need to make alternative travel plans on your vacations?

“We do not take a trip; a trip takes us.” (John Steinbeck)

We had planned to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  on I-80, taking the steep route at high elevations past Donner Pass. But the weather had other ideas. A snowstorm moving into the mountains made the decision for us. Instead of pushing through such severe weather uncertainty, we instead opted for a longer but safer  drive north on  Highway 95 through austerely beautiful desert expanse into Winnemucca for the night. The next day we drove  northwest into Oregon eventually turning  west on rural Highway 140. This half  day route to our following stopover in Klamath Falls provided exhilarating views of snowcapped volcanic mountainsides, sparkling clear lakefronts, and Wild West inspired artifacts.

It wasn’t the original plan.And that turned out to be the point. There’s something to desire about that mostly barren “stretch” of Nevada highway after encountering so many  sound and sight distractions in Las Vegas . No traffic to manage, no neon billboards grabbing our attention—just open land, offering wide open space , fresh air and a steady rhythm of much needed simplicity.  Mile after mile, it also gave me space to think… or not think at all!

So by the time we reached Moore Park along Upper Klamath Lake for our morning Oregon excursion, I wasn’t looking for excitement as I had no schedule planned to be anywhere that day. The chilly temperatures at 44 degrees didn’t seem to bother me either. So I found myself slowing down for a simple walk without much trying around picturesque Putnam Point watching shorebirds roam freely.

Not every meaningful place on our road trips announce themselves ahead of time. Some just appear along the way, when I’m willing to adjust and keep going .We’ll continue on to Portland soon. But this post Vegas  stretch—the change in direction, the open desert road, the quiet pause in Klamath will  be what I remembered as a useful highlight of this vacation.

Does excessive noise bother you? Why or why not?

“ Choosing stillness in the midst of chaos is the  path toward living in peace.” (Deepak Chopra”)

Las Vegas is known for its spectacular volume—lights flashing, music pulsing, crowds pumped up with  constant distraction. For it is a city designed to keep you awake, alert, and wanting more amid casino chaos. But even in this place built around constant energy, I sought to find my own pace on this three day roadtrip visit. And so I found something else here beyond the strip’s intensity as the desert began to beckon my no rush call.

Know then on our first day Vegas excursion, I’d chosen “Valley of Fire State Park”, well known for its deep canyon reds and soft sandstone  browns as a quiet reminder that time in the Vegas vicinity doesn’t always need to move quickly. With temperatures pulsating above 90 degrees by noon, however, Ruth and J realized the need to prioritize our slow moving  drive today to view only a few designated places in the park. Those pockets of silent calmness selected included spirally rounded formations known as The Beehives. Seven Sisters and Balanced Rock. We also felt privileged to witness mysterious petroglyph drawings blackened by time high above  the Mouse’s Tank Trail and a rare sighting of bighorn sheep during our leisurely picnic lunch stop at the Park Visitor Center.                            

Even within the city itself, moments of calm revealed themselves pleasurably to me on our second day Vegas tour. In particular, at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, I stepped from the bustling tourist activity of its main lobby into the quiet hush of the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. It felt like entering a different world—one where flowers were not just grown, but imagined in carefully arranged colors, shapes, and textures. In immersing myself quietly with such sensory stimulation amid the hotel’s  latest masterpiece entitled, “Springtime Symphony”, how long to spend time there did not seem to really matter.      

 I realize this more “ low key”side of Las Vegas becomes a rare occasion for many visitors to this mecca of hedonistic temptations. But for me, I seemed eager to notice where and when such subdued rewards could best be found. Las Vegas may be built for noise, but I recommend, that you follow my example and try a vacation there centered around peace and quiet. 

What place you’ve visited before most captures your imagination?        

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” (Albert Einstein)

Morro Bay, California is not just a place to me—it’s a state of mind. Back home in South Florida, amid tourist driven urban gridlock, I often find it therapeutic to imagine sitting on a sheltered beach, gazing out at massive Morro Rock. Shore birds glide and gather freely, otters drift casually on their backs, and harbor seals bark in the distance as if part of some unscripted coastal symphony. There is plenty of space here for all forms of life to simply exist as wild nature intended it. It’s also a place where I envision vintage car owners thrive as their showpiece vehicles refuse to rust.

When our subtropical weather stays hot and humid so much of the year, I recondition my thoughts to that cool Pacific air lightly brushing against my skin along Morro’s shoreline. I can almost feel the quiet pull of the bay, tempting me to slip away by kayak toward a secluded sand spit, drifting gently beyond the reach of  ordinary routine.In contrast to the hurried rhythm of my Fort Lauderdale lifestyle as well,  Morro Bay offers a different pace—one that invites pause. Here, time stretches just enough to notice the subtle shapes of clouds, the rugged textures of rock, or the quiet movement of wind through trees. It awakens something deeply visual, almost meditative.

And yet, the most meaningful realization comes when imagination gives way to presence—I am here. On this road trip, Morro Bay is no longer a distant refuge in my mind, but a living, breathing experience renewing my spirit in real time. Soon, I will leave again. But Morro Bay has a way of staying with me—its impressions vivid enough to return whenever I need it most.

Do you prefer a fast paced or slower paced lifestyle? Why?

“I think that L.A. or San Francisco could be rushed but Sacramento is just laid back.” ( Nick Johnson )

Our road trip visits to California typically move pretty fast as our friends live in the busy San Francisco and Los Angeles vicinities. Of course as urban residents of South Florida, we’re used to  road congestion, crowd noise and of course the energy and excitement associated with big city living conditions. So in order to accomplish your normally action packed  day, let’s just say there’s a constant pressure to stay on a planned schedule daily.

But on our two day road trip visit to Sacramento ,a sizeable metropolis of over 500,00 people, I noticed an easier managed lifestyle right away. Sitting at Sutter Health Park  to watch an Athletics major league baseball game for instance on our first night , I immediately noticed how people moved at a slower pace as they made their way from the parking lot to their seats. Before  the game began, a distinct buzz of respectful cheering and friendly conversation reminded me of a neighborly gathering in a town hall setting. I also noticed there seemed to be plenty of space to move around without being crowded by other people in stadium corridors, concession  lines and those visits to the restroom. 

The next day, our Sacramento tour continued with a visit to the California State Capitol  Museum. Our self guided tour of the interior took up most of the morning  as we visited historic rooms of state government use dating back from the late 19th century as well as those prominent gathering areas presently used  today.  ln those moments, each setting felt orderly arranged yet more quietly experienced than expected. Then exiting to the expansive capitol lawn noticing minimal city noise nearby,  I found good reason instead to serenely concentrate on  tree landscape and sculptured memorials well placed within the park. 

We then continued moving at our own slow pace to  the “Old Sacramento” waterfront area. After finding surprising ease of parking space close by, around lunchtime we sauntered along old wooden walkways to satisfy our curiosities of historic buildings dating from the 19th century “gold rush” era of California’s discovery times. Deciding what to do then really didn’t really matter as we renewed our energy with the cool breeze coming off the river to  invigorate us at that time. Afterward we closed this relaxing day trip with an unrushed  riverside stroll which provided us picturesque viewing spots of the famed Tower Bridge boldly painted all gold and the reconstructed Delta King riverboat as well. 

So I loved how this Sacramento sightseeing day naturally unfolded rather than being tightly managed in time and distance like back home. And that kind of spontaneous feel of sightseeing  seemed exactly what we needed on such a long road trip we are arduously undertaking. 

How does the idea  of visiting a historic  bookshop make you feel? 

“Bookstores re wondrous places are they not? ( Higasa Akai)

It looked like a stormy weather weekend in Santa Cruz, California. So I thought where would be a logical place for me to head when the skies turn gray? Thus awakening to  the rain pelting down steadily beyond the bedroom window of our bungalow, making alternative plans for daily activities thus weighed heavily on my mind this Saturday morning. With good timing, I’d then recalled the enjoyment I felt from the creatively customized management  of two independent bookstores we’d previously experienced in California on this road trip;  “Vromans” in Pasadena, and “Ink Spell ” in Half Moon Bay. Consider for instance that “Ink Spell” during our visit offered a  $2.00 per book promotion called “Grab Bag” involving prewrapped novel purchase options labeled only with their respective genre.  I’d thus randomly took a surprise chance  at historic fiction, biography, and sports, and “hit the jackpot” with  three interesting novels.                 

 Opportunity thus entered my mind then to engage in a similarly enlightening ambience  at the historic Santa Cruz Bookshop” downtown on this  slow down rainy day.  And as anticipated, such  browsing of this engaging abundance of books and other paraphernalia there at my leisure would become a fun and relaxing way to pass the time. In particular I’d seemed drawn to several eye catching  book category sections popping out everywhere I looked directed toward local community themes. They included The University of Santa Cruz  campus section for souvenir purchasers,  a “Play Ball”  setup for Francisco Giants baseball enthusiasts ,a tall rack of  local author writings  and  an “Amplify”  spot that catered  literature to the  politically liberal spirit of the Santa Cruz community. As far as actual buying, I did not have much of an  urge of mine to seriously look for a specific author or book title yet three non fiction  books titles seemed to randomly jump off the shelves to select me as I aimlessly browsed the aisles. 

It’s fortunate that so far on on this journey, we’ve experienced for the most part pleasant weather conditions for sightseeing. But on those days of bone chilling cold or rainy ugliness, the quiet refuge of a local bookstore seems to be the ideal place to go a I continue my quest to not rush around on this roadtrip. For they serve as sanctuaries of knowledge, escape, and community interest for me wherever I am at. 

What places of interest does water transportation take you to in your comuunity?

“Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.” (Van Morrison)

The ferry was packed. The lines were long, but this did not bother me for my expectations were high for us to book a relaxing ferry ride to see an upcoming the San Francisco Giants day game.For on this sunny and typically cool Wednesday , getting into the game in a little over one hour was not  just transportation—it was a major part of the experience.

So my first objective as Ruth and I  embarked from Larkspur cruise terminal focused on feeling our senses fall free in the present moment. As a result, I would concentrate on smelling the fresh salt air, watching seagulls fluttering overhead,, feeling the cool breeze on my face and settling into the slight rocking of the boat along the calm bay on the top deck of these ferry. None of these observations would’ve likely happened I might add if we had chosen to drive to the ballpark along congested urban highways.

Now gazing around me on both sides of the boat with more relaxed curiosity, I noticed several iconic bay sights along the way. San Quentin prison first came into interview jutting into the waters with its pale yellow look of the buildings reminding me more of a vacation villa than a hardened criminal holding area. Next in view, Angel Island appeared as a desolate hilly wilderness that once served as a bustling immigration entry for thousands of Asians trying to enter this country. You can still visit building remnants of this facility by way of  independent boat tour offerings during the day. Next  passing the former Alcatraz prison isolated on its stony island promentary, I was reminded how even this most cruelly designed place of prisoner management in American history sits s quietly in a such a beautiful setting close to SF downtown. At several points along this exciting journey, the Golden Gate Bridge and SF Bay Bridge also emerged to reveal living testaments  of the difficult engineering feats that were required to gain entry into the city downtown.

So let’s just say upon entering the environs of Oracle Park to watch the game, this action merely became the “icing of the cake” to this beautiful sailing journey. For at the time that the ballpark first came into view, I realized something—the success of this day had already begun long before the first pitch. Of course, the energy of the game action would capture my attention as usual.But I could watch this low scoring game with more patience knowing my mind now seemed  calmer from the sailing experience and I would not have to fight traffic  driving back in traffic going back.

Looking ahead  on our upcoming road trip agenda, maybe the best journeys we find will not be the fastest ones to go through. .For we have the time in the next two months to really immerse ourselves more fully in some interesting places that we’ve never found time to indulge in before No  excuses for making too many social visits to friends and family might be the key to sustaining this goal.

Where do you slow your life down best during a major city visit?

“ Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly” (Mae West)

My agenda in Los Angeles on our roadtrip was simple: ignore the glitzy tourist checklist and spend three days doing only what I genuinely enjoy. I wanted to feel again the unrushed rhythm inning by inning attending a live Los Angeles Dodgers game. I desired to hear once more the tranquil sound of waves gently lapping the Pacific shoreline at Redondo Beach. I yearned to browse a well known bookstore in Pasadena and let my curiosity find literary treasures at economical prices. I also hoped to avoid congested Los Angeles freeways as much as possible to notice interesting sites in neighborhoods along the way.

So my experiment to slow down my experience of this city seemingly in perpetual motion seem to work well during two leisurely sightseeing days First the Dodger game Wednesday night became a true test overcoming my habitual patience as I settled into a low scoring affair between the Cleveland Guardians and the hometown Dodgers. Although the Guardians surprisingly defeated the defending World Series champions, I felt contented to just sit, watch and wait for the next play to happen regardless of the outcome.

Meanwhile, as the Dodgers game definitely had slowed my mind, the Redondo Beach shoreline the next morning softened my normally ambitious will even further. For it seemed Ruth and I had found a perfect spot for a picnic lunch on a cliffside park overlooking the shoreline as the vast aqua expanse of the Pacific diverted my awareness of the busy traffic happening around us. Afterward we just ambled aimlessly along the boardwalk and throughout the famed Redondo pier without worrying about time or distance elapsed. 

A final piece of the puzzle to complete this unforced Los Angeles visit happened on late Thursday afternoon with an hourlong visit to Vroman’s bookstore. On this occasion slowing down for me enhanced opportunities to find something practical to buy. Thus I found myself feeling free to wander through each bookshelf without looking for a specific title in mind. No rush to buy. I’d just flip a few pages of titles that caught my eye and fortunately I found three bargain novel classics with just my curiosity leading the way.

Bustling Los Angeles will always represent a challenge to me from a tourist perspective. For there’s  really too many choices  of activities to do on a given day. But that was not the point of this particular visit. Three days in L.A. was not about how much I saw, but how I chose to move through it at a slower pace. I’ve earned this privilege to take my time in my retirement and I definitely plan on pursuing it to the max wherever I go in the future.