What comes immediately to mind when you think of the Grand Canyon?


“When your spirit cries for peace, come to a world of canyons deep in the old land.” (August Fruge)

Whenever I’ve visited the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, I’m at war with myself as to how much time I could spare at this spectacular panorama of geologic history. So it simply did not seem fair to myself to endure once again the expected stress of waiting for a rare parking spot and then competing with so many other tourists for the best vantage points to look over the edge across from the Visitor Center. Nor did it make sense for me to engage in a strenuous hike down to the Colorado River to please my masculine ego or wait in long lines for a park shuttle. I simply needed to take my time to more patiently absorb what I was experiencing there and thus fully engage my senses in the present moment with less distraction.

So on our present  road trip visit to the Grand Canyon, my new plan focused more on visiting multiple sites along the Rim located in less populated places. So after a short walk along the more familiar Mather Rim vicinity, we then took a slow drive east along rim parallel, Desert View Drive to continue our visit. Our three stops along the way at Grandview, Moran, and Navaho Points each offered different visual perspectives of the canyon environs below in considerably quieter conditions. So take a look for yourself in the photo set below. What landscape images most stand out for you in each of these photos? 

I encourage you to also click on the following video link to learn more about the Grand Canyon from an inspiring musical perspective. We’ll be reaching Southern California by way of the Mojave Desert next on this adventure. 

How do you show kindness toward rescue animals?


“Be kind to all creatures. This the true religion.” (Buddha)

One of my more interesting hobbies during our westbound American road trips involves taking time to interact with wild animals in their natural habitats along side roads off the Interstate Highway. How fortunate for Ruth and me  then that we took time yesterday to visit a rescue animal operation at the Grand Canyon Deer Farm along historic Route 66 nearest our next stopover in Williams, Arizona. 

On this visit, we both realized  the importance of giving kindness to such animals that clearly came from stressful rescue conditions. So following an open farmyard path around the park, we first enjoyed feeding pellets to hungry herds of deer crowding us on all sides along the way. Such fun activity made me feel like a “kid” again as I mercifully played the victim while these aggressive acting deer nibbled at my jacket. Ruth on the other hand took better charge to minimize their constant  biting.We then entered the petting portion of the facility, where friendly reindeers, moose, alpacas and zebra looking burros in enclosed conditions nudged closer to us along the fence to receive from us a caring scratch or rub. Or maybe it was just the food they wanted! Engaging in some free play  with a lazy cat and dog also provided pleasurable entertainment on this visit. 

During  our two night stay in Williams, we also  traveled sixty miles north to gaze again in awe along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. That experience will be the focus of my next blog.  

What makes Geology for you a subject of human interest?

“Deliver the heart of the earth to humanity” (Llchi Lee, The Call of Sedona)

Ruth and I arrived on our road trip yesterday in Sedona, Arizona to once again appreciate the geological wonders of the town’s unique red rock canyons. But it’s obvious that these sedimentary marvels of geologic nature represent far more to both of us than their physical presence and underlying land processes they’ve revealed over eons of time. 

I must elaborate further then why throngs of tourists visit Sedona each day to experience the reputed spiritual burst of vortex energy at prominent sites like “Bell Rock”, “Boynton Canyon” and the “Airport Road Mesa.” Know then that for many knowledgeable explorers of this landscape, Juniper trees, growing with twisted or spiraling branches throughout the town might provide more specific clues about where to locate these notable centers of spiritual boost. Yet I’ve learned on this vacation that the same feeling of self serenity can be sought more intuitively given sufficient time at less prominent rock formation sites surrounding the town.

As for me, I’ve yet to find any scientific proof concerning how or why these vortexes work to enhance my “inner chakras” during previous town visits. But as I’ve chosen on this three day vacation to remain silent on two casual walks around this iconic landscape, I do tend to feel better about myself as a person. Consider in the photo set below then how I might have been clearing my mind of distractions on such walks to find inner peace as a  colorful stone, cracked crevice or spiritual shrine most meaningfully appeared.

For your next blog reading enjoyment, follow our road trip as we’ve opted to take the more indirect north from Sedona on Route 89 to the higher elevations of “Grand Canyon” country tomorrow.

How does springtime emerge in the desert?

“If a flower can emerge in the desert, you can flourish anywhere.” (Matshona Dhilwayo)

Living in sultry South Florida, I never pictured a desert flourishing with colorful fauna amid such an aridly harsh environment in my wildest dreams. Yet our Mid March visit to the Sonoran Desert in South Central Arizona, to begin the second week of our road trip, provided ample evidence that such seasonal aliveness of springtime here did in fact exist.         

For starters, two days ago, it felt very odd that this dry land would be actually pelted with heavy rainfall all morning and into late afternoon as I drove carefully from Tucson to Phoenix into a mysteriously chilly mist. But as the clouds began to clear, I vividly noticed spring signs of natural life as colorful wildflower beds lined the side of the road and  tall Saguaro cacti in the distance stood out like human statues across this desolate landscape. In addition, the recent drenching of rocky hillsides seemed to accentuate various shades of red, green, and yellow at this time. 

So many tourists vacationing in our next road trip stopover in sunny Phoenix might have opted next for a more guided experience of the surrounding desert terrain as there would be plenty of jeep ride, hot air balloon, and walking tour operators to choose from. Other visitors might have paid pricey entrance fees to visit such popular nature spots like the “Desert Botanical Gardens”,”or Tohono Chul Galleries”. 

Yet as independent minded travelers like Ruth and me tend to be, we  would instead search those upland areas close by our Air B&B location for self guided  trails away from such crowds at minimal expense. Thus you might notice in the following photo set that we indeed found the ideal spot on this St. Patrick’s Day Sunday to feel the amazing sensation of springtime desert beauty at “Dreamy Draw Natural Recreation Area” and “Phoenix Mountain Preserve.”

Stay connected to my latest road trip blogs as we travel to the mesmerizing red rock canyons of Sedona, Arizona for a three day visit starting tomorrow.

Do you enjoy live jazz music? If so, where?

“Jazz washes away the dust of everyday life.” (Art Blackey)

The “Spotted Cat” on unpretentious Frenchmen Street  in New Orleans without a doubt serves as my favorite live music club in this city on our road trip tourist visits. For the high quality of horn band musicianship booked here combined with an always exuberant showing of jazz lovers simply “delivers” on every occasion we take in a jazz set or two there. So it felt very rewarding to conclude our latest stopover in “The Big Easy” on Saturday night with a performance of the talented, all female group , “Shake ‘Em Up” Jazz Band. 

Check out a clip from this talented band in the link below or search them out on Spotify.

https://youtu.be/iogxB9cNLA0?si=YVJAB2ZZB86TnAf

 

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What qualities interest art lovers in French Impressionistic paintings? 

“Find things beautiful as much as you can. Most people find too little beautiful.” (Ingred Fetell Lee)

I enjoy observing  French Impressionistic Art for several reasons. First of all, I’m “drawn” to those serene scenes of countryside France painted with lightly delicate brushwork exuding subtle displays of color, light and shadow. I also notice with positive interest how such secular settings depict late 19th century leisure time amid nature in a spiritually calming  way.  As a further source of motivation, Impressionism often sparks my travel interest to find unique spots to similarly escape into such a world of  pastoral bliss.

So for this particular blog, I became inspired by  artist  Claude Monet’s painting completed in 1876 titled “Lake in Montgeron” as shown in the title photo above. For in the first two days of our current roadtrip north through Florida, I intently set out to find such potential Impressionistic looking places of nature that Monet might have painted from that era. Interestingly there seemed to be a definite contrast between the two locations I  found. For at Wekiwa Springs State Park north of Orlando, it could easily be labeled as a bustling tourist attraction now while the second one, Lake Ella outside Tallahassee seemed to be a forgotten remnant of a more leisurely society long past. 

So you be the judge about the  photo selections I took  below from our early afternoon walks during these two outings. Do you see those sparks of Monet interest that caught my attention on these two days? Note we will  be moving west to New Orleans for a three day visit next on our road trip. 

Do you prefer watching live sports at outdoor or indoor stadiums? 

“Infield or outfield I see a verdant sea.Where memories are remade and dreams run free.The grass forms a stage where legend rules.In battles hard fought for victory’s jewels”

(USFMAN 2024)

It’s the 7th game of the 2016 World Series as my favorite team, the Cleveland Indians, have just overcome a 6-3 deficit in this deciding series finale to tie up the contest with the Chicago Cubs in the bottom of the 8th inning in dramatic home run fashion. With extra innings likely to happen soon afterward, game momentum now shifts in favor of “The Tribe.” All of a sudden, it begins to rain heavily on this natural grass expanse of Progressive Field. For seventeen emotionally gripping minutes, the baseball action now stops as both teams exit to their indoor dressing rooms to discuss their latest plans to win this pivotal contest. When play resumes in the top of this 10th inning, it’s soon evident that this weather slowdown has adversely quieted the spirited crowd atmosphere foreshadowing an end to  the Indians game winning “edge.” For the new Indians pitcher inserted fresh out of the bullpen improbably gives up two runs in the top of this extra inning to shift odds in the outcome of this game to an eventual Cubs World Series win. 

So should I blame the Indians loss on this ominous turn of events in this final game of sudden inclement weather appearing in this open air stadium? Probably it’s yes, many would reason. Yet if even if this is so, I’d never give in to any further explanation that an indoor stadium with climate controlled weather conditions would have provided a better place to play this tightly contested baseball event then. 

Certainly I can see the advantages of playing baseball or most  other sports for that matter in air conditioned comfort seemingly not impacted by passing storms and other uncomfortable weather conditions. But I consider it more vital to absorb the strong sensory experience of real grass, the sky above, and the unique panorama of history’s mark observed around the stadium surroundings as critical to the enjoyment of the live event itself. I might even call this phenomenon a form of self spectator hypnosis. 

So leave those artificial sporting venues of modern convenience, particularly in baseball, to more appropriate forms of entertainment like rallies, concerts, and trade fairs. Furthermore, show respect for us “purist” fans who like to breathe, smell, and gaze curiously outside at sporting events offering natural surrounding’s throne. If you read this blog intently, I can tell  that you now sense our keen desire to  breathe again that fragrant cactus breeze and scan that mystical desert horizon while attending Arizona Spring Training baseball on our upcoming road trip. 

For some creative fun, take a look at the wide range of Major League Baseball stadium backdrops functioning now around America by clicking on the link in the following video. Imagine which of these sports venues strike you as more appealing to watch a live game.

https://youtu.be/qLiwxraM4kc?si=pyLJL-0g4Bv_zJAk

How might one act more adventurously to find “out of the way” places to visit? 

“Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference” (Robert Frost)

Continue reading “Taming The Beast of Familiarity” →