“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday’s success or put its failures behind and start over again. That’s the way life is, with a new game every day, and that’s the way baseball is.” (Bob Feller).

Ruth and I have driven close to 10,000 miles for over seven weeks on our latest road trip from Fort Lauderdale with few weather interruptions. But as we exited Nebraska a week ago on our easterly track to the Upper Midwest, I-80 again became dangerously slickened by winter snow/wind blast conditions. Other then making two brief diversions to a suburban Costco for clothes shopping and a carb-filled dinner at “Big Boy”, we therefore felt little motivation to venture outside during this weather stressed, driving period. Driving slowly and steadily, we somehow managed to stay on schedule for our three day Cleveland, Ohio stopover this week.

On the way to Ohio, I did feel compelled however to make a brief stop at the Bob Feller Museum in Van Meter, Iowa to pay my respects to arguably the greatest pitcher in Cleveland Indians baseball history. You see Mr. Feller represents to me one of those iconic sports heroes with hometown Cleveland connections that passionately consumes my life to this day. For like Lebron James, and Jim Brown, Feller represents a “larger than life” role model for me beyond his athletic achievements Consider for example, how the Feller pitching portrayal at this museum of him fearlessly “rearing back and letting go” the baseball in strikeout mode, inspires my will to act more assertively” in making critical life decisions. I invite you to click on the website below for a more complete story of Bob Feller’s memorable life.

https://www.baseball-almanac.com/quotes/quofllr.shtml

Know then that regardless of such frigid conditions at this late point in our trip, I’m grateful to feel a sense of home here in Cleveland once again. I’m also hopeful that better weather days will follow us during our visit with the stubborn arrival of Northeast Ohio’s annual springtime unfolding. Later this week, I will likely venture south to nearby Cuyahoga Falls and Akron, hoping to find some signs of positive childhood remembrance. I’ll let you know what I discover in my next road trip blog. Enjoy the photos.

“Whatever walk of life you are in, we hope you come witness the next migration with an open heart and open mind to see what inspiration might come your way.” (Josie DeVault)

As Ruth and I exit the alluring heights of the Rocky Mountain region into the vast flatland of the American prairie, we must again pick up our driving pace to return home safely to South Florida in the next ten days. Unfortunately, we are currently experiencing some late winter weather conditions along the I-80 corridor of Nebraska. Nonetheless, we found time on Thursday to get off the Interstate for a few hours yesterday in the North Platte vicinity and drive along dirt roads to obtain some fascinating firsthand sightings of the annual spring migration of Sandhill cranes along the Platte River basin. For it’s quite a sight to see for yourself these gangly looking birds with long necks form large flocks in the thousands on these Central Nebraska wintering grounds at this time of year. Turning my attention to the ubiquitous presence of black cows dotting this Great Plains landscape, I also begin to wonder why these docile herds don’t run away to escape their inevitable doom at the slaughterhouse.

Sadly, as mushy snow conditions continued to develop further eastward during our overnight stay in Kearney, future plans to extend our time to search for this crane invasion along now muddy, unpaved roads would have to be scrapped. Vivid memories now surfaced in making this decision of the mucky quagmire we faced two years ago when my low lying, foreign car slowly sunk into the mud and got stuck as we drove along the Platte searching for cranes on the Nebraska leg of this previous road trip. On this somewhat somber Friday morning with extra time to spare, at least Ruth and I could settle in now to enjoy one of the best breakfast sites of our road trip. We next travel on to Lincoln, Nebraska for some nostalgic fun in the familiar company of a close friend and two affectionate cats. I hope the weather gets warmer! Enjoy the photos.

“Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own.”(Charles Dickens)

Ruth and I enter the latter stages of our first U.S. road trip in 2021, feeling fortunate that the end of winter’s frozen wrath in Colorado seems inevitably “in the air.” So it seemed to be good timing for us to slow down our traveling pace and enjoy once again a satisfying stay in the Rocky Mountain Alpine jewel of Steamboat Springs. Yes, for the next five days, we would no doubt face muddy hiking tracks “slickened” by melting snows at this time of year. Further reality would surface in us” because of the high altitude crossing into Steamboat Springs via Rabbit Ears pass which might also prove risky to traverse by car without four-wheel drive. The current state of the Corona pandemic in this quaint Colorado village obviously lingered in our mind as well as we weighed our options for eating out or browsing in shops downtown.

Yet in staying optimistic about the re- emergence of wild nature’s glory expected during this period of springtime thaw, we thus remained determined to spend the bulk of the weekend strolling time-tested routes outdoors. For Steamboat proper, we embarked then on some level ground walks along the Yampa River Core Trail which follows along this gently flowing river amid this town’s scenic valley to and from downtown. Additionally, we would admire the seasonal existence of springtime snowmelt and resultant flower re-emergence with a short paved walk along the upper trail of pristine Fish Creek Falls.

On Sunday, we sought to find more glimpses of spring solitude in the higher elevations of Rocky Mountain surroundings on two car excursions out of town. So that morning, we headed southeast out of Steamboat on State Road 40 and made a glorious return to the Grand Lakes region, near Rocky Mountain National Park. Know that less than six months ago, our late autumn vacation in this area would end stressfully as we escaped the fast spread of wildfires encroaching on millions of acres to the immediate west of our hotel. As a new week began the next day, we re-experienced another promising region of secluded Rockies paradise as we traveled north from Steamboat along scenic Elk River Road to the snowy heights of Steamboat Lake State Park near the Wyoming border. How excited we felt as well that Monday to observe a closeup sighting of two moose feeding on the side of the road near our hotel.

On a related note, I recommend to my readers the award winning novel, “Lab Girl” by Hope Jahren as a very readable source of earth/plant science information to supplement this blog. For I enjoyed reading in my Steamboat spare time, this fascinating, inside look at wild nature from an expert who has spent her life studying trees, flowers, rocks, seeds, and soil. My next blog will take place as we cross the Great Plains into Sandhill crane country along the North Platte River heading to our next destinations of Kearney and Lincoln, Nebraska. Enjoy the photos from our latest Steamboat Springs adventure. For a further challenge , you might try to share the names of tree/flower specimens of photographic display here.

“What we have been pleased to call “solid Earth” is not as solid as we thought. It is energetic, dynamic, and fundamentally restless.”(Jonathan Weiner)

Let’s take a glimpse today at our restless earth that seems to be ever changing. Imagine going back over two hundred million years ago to an early formed Earth when violent geologic forces caused the formation of our continents and oceans that we recognize today. As this dynamic process of tectonic rock movement activity continued over time, massive earthquakes and volcanos, generated from fault rift fissures in the the earth’s core would wrack physical havoc on the earth’s physical landscape.Layer upon layer of rock would pile up on land amid a vast ocean of hot rock explosions in this ever shifting physical world. Inevitably, mountains and valleys would spring up and erode unevenly by wind and water to further sculpt our planet’s livable surface.

In this this regard, then, observe the geological photos of interest below. For they were taken amid a widespread blackened ooze of volcanic ash along Central Idaho’s Snake River Plain at Craters of the Moon National Monument. Along this latest leg our road trip going east along Idaho Highway 20 into NW Wyoming, also notice the spectacular aura we felt from discovering prehistoric formed volcanic buttes and cinder cones to enliven this otherwise monotonous- looking drive.

Or imagine Ruth and I making this latest three night road stopover amid the snow covered region of Jackson Hole along Highway 89 as a living testament to the spectacular Grand Teton Range and snow dotted, environs of Jenny/Jackson Lake so uniquely formed over eons of time. Consider that my interest in taking “shots” of the iconic Antler Arch on Jackson Town Square, as well, stems from a spiritual need to understand the evolution of life amid the “primordial soup” during those earth formative times. I look forward to writing my next entries during our upcoming six night stay in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Enjoy the photos.

“Oregon is an inspiration. Whether you come to it, or are born to it, you become entranced by our state’s beauty, the opportunity she affords, and the independent spirit of her citizens.” ( Tom McCall)

Ruth and I continue to make our rounds to visit friends as we exit California with two day stopovers in the Portland, Oregon and Boise, Idaho vicinity. As we traversed those long distances along the I-5 and I-84 corridors, I seemed fixated on those seemingly impenetrable natural barriers which dominates one’s life here. Make no mistake about it then. For it has not been an easy task to travel in this rugged northwest corridor of the country, where we have faced unfamiliar challenges of wild running rivers, densely unoccupied forests, and steep mountainous climbs/descents wherever we go. Nonetheless, as we picked  our chances for sightseeing with full understanding that it would be a slower go than usual, new and exciting discoveries arose unexpectedly for us along the way.

So on Friday we began this Northwest leg of our road trip approaching the California/Oregon border with our first encounter with the formidable Cascade Mountain region. Here we took an awestruck look at the massive presence of Mount Shasta from our car. Stopping for a one night stop in the tiny town of Yreka we then came across an inviting local casino overlooking the town. After consideration of the topographic challenges we would arduously face during our limited time schedule in Oregon, it made sense to take the safer and more direct route along I-5 to Portland the next day. Finding out our friends would be occupied with other matters much of the time during our visit, we thus took advantage of this Saturday opening to wander freely around Portland downtown. Several interesting sites we discovered then included  busy Pioneer Square, intricately designed Chinatown Gate, picturesque Willamette River Waterfront Park, historic  South Park Greenbelt, massive Powell’s City of Books, and Portland State University’s eclectic Farmer’s Market.

After a brief but warm visit with our friends that night, we took off on Easter Sunday along the I-84 Oregon corridor eastward along the Columbia River for our day drive to Boise. Diverting off the Interstate Highway along old Columbia River Parkway for a brief time, we discovered a short loop hike to take for excellent river views near Bridal Veil Falls. Continuing our day life drive to Boise through the arid plateau region of Central/Eastern Oregon, we retraced the path in reverse of the Oregon Trail, where so many Americans in the mid 19th Century risked their lives to find new lands in settling westward during the mid 19th century. My next blog will take place amid the magnificent vistas of Grand Teton/Yellowstone National Park. Enjoy the photos.

“You wouldn’t think such a place as San Francisco could exist. The wonderful sunlight here, the hills, the great bridges, the Pacific at your shoes. Beautiful Chinatown.” (Dylan Thomas)

Spring’s arrival in the San Francisco Bay Area provided a welcoming backdrop for Ruth and me during our three day, road trip visit in the Bay Area region over the last three days of March. Because the weather felt unseasonably warm and sunny, we discarded our expected jackets and rain gear on each day tour in the city and surrounding North Bay vicinity. Basing our stay at a familiar San Rafael motel, The Marin Lodge, we excitedly discovered a new way to access SF city proper. For the #1 highlight on day two of this spring visit would become our decision to access downtown by way of the thirty minute, Golden Gate Ferry ride from nearby Larkspur Terminal across the bay to the important city hub of Embarcadero Plaza. Along this relaxing route, we witnessed stunning views of San Quentin Prison, Angel/Alcatraz Islands as well as the famed Golden Gate and Bay Bridges

From this busy SF terminal, we ascended steeply uphill on foot for a mile along along Clay Street past the Transamerica Pyramid Complex and an adjoining park to Chinatown for lunch. As we returned to the terminal for our ferry ride return to our Marin County lodging, we relived some fond memories of spending our honeymoon many years ago in the Hyatt Regency San Francisco at this location. I would also like to point out a fantastic Irish pub we ate dinner at twice in San Rafael called “The Mayflower.” Enjoying the unseasonably warm weather spurt to eat outdoors there, I enjoyed tasty fish and chips on the first night and a most filling Bangers and Mash on the second.

We head north tomorrow for a short visit with friends near Portland, Oregon. I look forward to finding some time to share some blog insights from the Columbia River basin. Enjoy the photos.

“One person’s weed is another person’s wildflower”(Susan Wittig Albert)

Have you ever felt like you could hold an exciting conversation with a flower or tree? For as humans, the natural landscapes that we encounter every day can provide numerous opportunities to make deep emotional connections in our lives. Consider this brief example that follows. Let’s say Julie, a newlywed mom was experiencing one of those days when so many of her new adult challenges seemed to go wrong. As she pondered a way out of her latest funk, her afternoon walk led her to unexpectedly wander into a public botanical garden. After paying keen attention to the colorful flowers, unusual shrubs and overgrown weeds in the wild there, she would later recollect how much happier she had felt at the time of this stroll. You might then understand Julie’s follow up desire to pursue a new hobby of adding new kinds of exotic greenery within the confines of her own home.

I now call your attention to our road trip visit to the University of California Arboretum in Santa Cruz this past Sunday afternoon. Accompanied by our close friends Bobbie and John, we conducted a one hour walking tour amid this extraordinary 5.5 acres of plant life diversity found throughout the world. In retrospect, I can report how exhilarating it felt to share my emotions with them about so many plant species from South Africa, Australia, and American Southwest environs that I had never seen before.

So take a look at the photographs collection from this recent botanical garden walk below. I’d be curious to know of any specific emotions you felt in browsing through these pictures. Feel free as well to share your thoughts about any particular kinds of  natural vegetation that would enhance your current home/work environment. My next road trip blog will take place amid the stunning setting of San Francisco by the Bay.

“I love driving; Driving along the California coastline is the best drive in the world.”( Al Jardine)

It’s cold and very windy today in Morro Bay along the California Central coast. That’s not very inviting weather for these two, east coast “roadtrippers” to get out and hike today. So a Plan B scenario surfaced in my mind to just take a lazy drive to experience the spectacular scenery of the Pacific Coast Highway. (PCH) Sadly, a major road closure before Big Sur Village would prevent us from traversing the entire ninety mile stretch north to Monterey  today. Yet strong vestiges of such Pacific cliffside heaven would be similarly experienced as we meandered around for one hour along the small southerly segment of this celebrated highway. I must compliment Ruth for her keen photographic eye in capturing the quiet solitude we experienced in “killing time along PCH today. For I seemed preoccupied with keeping two hands on the steering wheel for extra safety around those steep curves on this blustery Thursday afternoon.

“Some men fish all their lives without knowing it is not really the fish they are after. (Henry David Thoreau)

Ruth and I have now reached the point in this road trip where each passing day settles into a lifestyle of self-contentment. Don’t get me wrong for my restless wandering nature cannot be easily satisfied. Yet a casual glance at those pristinely beautiful shorelines along the Central California coast speaks loudly of being freed from my accustomed “urban mayhem” to lead a simpler and less busier life amid “mother nature” in retirement.

Witness then our four night stay along the cool waters of Morro Bay as a most pleasing location to “get out and about” with inner peace this week. For there’s those spectacular sunsets and quiet harbor views as we leisurely walk after dinner. Of course the giant presence of Morro Rock can also fulfill our Zen intentions to sit quietly for indefinite periods while we watch hordes of seabirds beg for food or sea otters playfully float by in the bay. A few miles south of Morro lies Los Osos, where a serene hike follows closely along the steep coastline of the Bluff Trail at Montana de Oro State Park. As a result of becoming more emotionally “in tune” to my surroundings there as I slow my pace, I pause frequently to embrace smaller images of detail like a springtime flower in first bloom, an unusual sea shell, or a sun loving lizard. Enjoy the photos below. My next blog will cover the Pacific Coast Highway seashore environs north of Morro Bay.

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” ( Anatole France)

Ruth and I rolled into Southern California on I-10 a few days ago to start our coastal road trip tour of the Golden State for the next two weeks. We then began this leg of our vacation with a three day slowdown in the greater Simi Valley region with close friends Tommy and Jenny plus their little grand-dog Schnauzer, Archie. It’s very important to mention that Archie, this bearded wonder, celebrated his birthday that weekend and we felt honored to be invited to share in his special day of fun. Ahhh! Those delicious dog cupcakes that I almost mistook for a human dessert at dinner time. Or what could top a competitive game of “Find the Ball” where Archie managed on every occasion to ably retrieve his prized ball no matter where I threw it. Meanwhile, what an exciting thrill ensued when I risked inciting Archie’s growls at me as we engaged in those heated tug of war battles for possession of his squeaky ball in the backyard. Such fine table manners did Archie also possess as he patiently waited for his tasty birthday treats at the dinner table. What a privilege it meant for me as well to share half of our bed at night so our “birthday boy” could settle into some dog dreaming slumber. Happy Birthday Archie and thank you Jenny and Tommy for making this past weekend feel like home. We head north along State Road 101 for Central Coast California next on our road trip. Shifting then to  the Pacific Coast Highway near San Luis Obispo, we hope to to find four more quiet days in beautiful Morro Bay.