“The Earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.” (John Paul II)

How fortunate Ruth and I were to have arrived on our current road trip to witness the natural beauty of Seattle on Earth Day. Even more satisfying would be our decision to donate our time today for landscape restoration efforts at Volunteer Park on this chilly, Sunday morning. To be honest, this holiday,in the past, seemed little more than a once a year dose of “New Age” optimism. Yet this year, our active involvement to beautify Seattle seemed to manifest as a personal protest activity against a callously negative attitude our current Presidential regime manifests about endangered lands, animal protections and the role of scientific involvement in our country.

While the work we performed today to clear invasive weeds, pickup human debris and grade soil was dirty and basic, these old trees and surrounding shrubbery would be more likely to thrive in their natural habitat in summer and beyond. It would also be satisfying to know that a sizable crowd of new generation students from the University of Washington cared enough about Earth Day to eagerly join in with us today.

Being curious to see more of this park after our work ended, we would climb the steep steps of the nearby Water Tower to the Observation Deck for spectacular, 360 degree panoramas of the Seattle environs. Along the circular walls, a series of educational panels would document the historic commitment to develop and maintain public parks/open space throughout the city. With the imprint of Frederick Law Olmstead’s legacy of landscape beautification notably accomplished here, over fifty public parks now exist in Seattle today.

An interesting Earth Day for us would conclude with a short stroll around the sprawling campus of the U. Of Wash. Springtime bloomed prolifically along stately pedestrians walkways opening into a Central Campus Plaza. A mystical glimpse at the faint outlines of Mount Rainer would now be revealed to us over a cascade of water sculpture in the southerly distance. Seattle clearly had given us motivation today to think of Earth Day as a recurring theme for environmental preservation for every day of our lives.

“Awareness of impermanence and appreciation of our human potential will give us a sense of urgency that we must use every precious moment.” (Dalai Lama)

Ruth and I just finished an inspiring walk near Jack London Historic Ranch in picturesque Napa Valley California. This famous American writer in the early 20th century, lived a busy life here, farming his vast crop lands, entertaining guests and writing many of his famous novels/stories. Sadly, I felt a sense of loss for him, as he would tragically die in the “prime of his life”at age 40. Strolling through his Winery Cottage, I noted his treasured book collections, cluttered writing desk area and well used travel bags now sitting unused, functioning as mere showpieces for brief tourist visits today. In fact , much of the original ranch and nearby farmstead buildings would be destroyed in his lifetime by raging fire and devastating earthquake.

London’s self-sustaining methods to nourish his fields would become a great source of personal pride. Using terraced irrigation drainage from a man-made lake as well as recycled, manure fertilization methods, he successfully farmed his land. As commercial vineyards have now have replaced his agrarian dreamland, few relics remained of these “horse and plow” times. His beloved lake, once used as an idyllic respite for hikers, swimmers and horseback riders, had shrunk to one quarter of its size , becoming choked by invasive algae.

Our tour of Jack London’s estate today would end with a chilly walk through thick strands of nearby Redwood Tree forest. Surviving for thousands of years, these massive behemoths of nature appeared indestructible to the naked eye. Yet a closer look at ground level would reveal the death of many species as their rotting stumps and branches littered the surrounding landscape alongside the trail.

As a world traveler, I desire to amass direct experience of place while I can. As a blog writer, I wish to use my present mind to inspire new literary achievements without dreading the future. In Buddhistic terms, nothing lasts forever and you control very little about when and where your life contributions will end. Clearly, impermanence” as expressed by the following “Eagles” song seems quite useful to me as I review the vanishing Jack London imprint on his ranch today.

Moving north up the California Pacific coast from Morro Bay, the rocky shores of Monterey Peninsula would become an ideal place to “kill time” before checking into our next Air B&B destination in Aptos, California. Having little incentive in “playing tourist” to visit the famed Cannery Row/Monterey Aquarium today, we instead embraced moments of spontaneous discovery as we drove slowly along the beachside shoreline. I would thus capture several of these moments in closeup camera range.

TV SHOW IN TAPING PROGRESS

Passing Lover’s Point Park, a large crowd had formed to watch the taping of “Big Little Lies”, a popular HBO series. These pictures captured my sense of the visitors excitement in watching the anticipated arrival of stars Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and Laura Dern, in contrast to the tedium of watching the film crew/cast extras lazily standing around. How odd that so many involved in the show seemed oblivious to the surrounding buzz surrounding them.

Parking at a desolate headland near Point Pinos Lighthouse for a picnic lunch, I spotted some mule deer munching grass on a nearby golf course unafraid of my human presence as I approached them for closeup photos. Nearby seagulls then posed eagerly for me in hopes I would throw them a sandwich morsel.

Being curious to walk along these irregular, rocky shores and tide pool formations, an exciting maze of rock shapes and colors captured my photo interest. Mindless searching for the perfect rock became a pleasurable way to “pass the time.”

The arrival of spring along this weatherbeaten shoreline of Pacific Grove State Marine Park sparked my interest today as brightly colored colored wildflowers bloomed amidst cool, ice grass formations. Returning now to the town center , I spotted a magnificent red bougainvillea cradling the front porch of a rustic home.

“The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.” – Henry Miller

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike”(John Muir)

Why do Ruth and I return to past visited destinations on our road trip travels? Beyond the scripted allure of slick marketing for tourist friendly destinations, Buddhistic images from our yoga practice have motivated us to seek places of inner harmony and peace. In the ensuing paragraphs, I thus reveal why booking our 5th extended stay in this quaint , Central California town provides such positively uplifting experience we so desire.

I first must consider how the natural beauty of Morro Bay and surrounding environs remain a memorable sight on every occasion we visit. To the west, a towering, volcanic rock mystically stands over a foggy and overcast harbor. At this Morro Rock, I observe a bird watching paradise of nesting sea gulls and ferns terns…. while sea otters and harbor seals playfully surface in the surrounding waters. To the south and east, green pastures sprout spring flowers blossomed in a gentle rise to the coastal mountains beyond. This Alps- like appearance of rustic hinterland shelters the busier, urban communities of the San Luis Obispo Valley below. To the north lies an open beach expanse of rocky crags hugging majestic shoreline points leading to the famous, cliffside stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway.

The relaxed feel of the town center itself, also stands out to please my emotional longings. Strolling along Morro Bay Boulevard, my wife pops into the local bead store to browse sale offerings. I can now sit quietly in the adjoining garden to witness a slow dripping waterfall and exotic plant sanctuary. On the street, I can admire a procession of classic American cars as they cruise downhill to the bay. How enlightening to realize that driving could be made enjoyable away from the daily rut and routine of the daily commute on a busy highway. At night, we watch a contemporary film at a one -screen cinema house where popcorn and Milk Duds snacks cost less than the movie. To end our day, we return to our funky retro, Air B&B apartment for a daily workout routine and silent meditation thus celebrating the simple pleasures we experienced that day.

In addition, I continue to find great enjoyment in feeding hungry seagulls near Morro Rock each day. A sizable flock of ravenous birds typically follows me as as I tightrope the rocky coastline to obtain suitable feeding sites. I have even trained some of the them to perform aerial theatrics to obtain their precious bread morsel. Imagining their freedom to fly at will now, my inner child” of free play at these times feels exhilarating.

As Morro Bay becomes more tourist friendly, some inevitable changes of youthful gentrification can now be observed. The bustling presence of the Yoga Center and marine life aquarium are gone, many “mom and pop” restaurants have closed, and parking spots have become increasingly hard to find. Yet we remain deeply attracted to the inner serenity experienced in this fog-shrouded town with a mystical rock by a blissful bay.

A film is never really good unless the camera is an eye in the head of a poet (Orson Welles)

As Ruth and I continued our 2018 road trip toward coastal California,we entered a land of nostalgic, movie set paradise. Imagine cruising through small town America reminiscing of a 1950 scene of vintage cars, drive in cafes, and mom and pop motor motels. We felt like we had stepped into a scene from the movie, American Graffiti. Picture a dusty western town where horse-bound cowboys tie up their trusting horses to enter a saloon or country dry goods store. Enter a smoky and dimly lit cafe. Sit quietly on a bar stool where old wagon wheels, rusted trellises, and country piano tunes capture your attention. Feel the loneliness emanating from an abandoned amusement park that subtly reveals its physical remnants of a glorious past. Several road trip excursions following this time travel theme are thus described below.

ROUTE 66 – KINGMAN, ARIZ.

Arriving the valley of Kingman from the high plateau of Northern Arizona, conspicuous signs for the Route 66 corridor captured our immediate attention. Arriving at the historic Kingman Powerhouse, an extensive collection of artifacts there revealed the historical importance of Route 66 as a trade route, railroad corridor, and more recently America’s first paved auto path for tourists traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles. Adjacent to the museum, a brief glance at an iconic steam locomotive along the tracks provided further evidence of Kingman’s crossroads importance in American History. Strolling along Route 66 now, we spotted Mr. D’z Diner and its quirky ambience of 1950s drive-in culture.. Our Caesar salad lunch order, however, provided a much healthier option than the expected traditional. hamburger, french fries and milkshake indulgence there.

PARAMOUNT RANCH/OLD PLACE CAFE – AGOURA HILLS,CA.

On a busy Easter weekend in Southern California, a hike in the seemingly remote Santa Ana mountains would provide a relaxing excursion close by our three night accommodation with friends in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Walking along the easy , Paramount Ranch Trail, we noted that this area has been occupied more busily than expected as an authentic western town backdrop for TV/movie productions. I would learn Paramount Pictures had leased the area in 1923 as a working ranch, beginning an era of film production that continues through today. Bob Hope starred there in Caught in the Draft (1941), Sandra Bullock had a leading role in The Lake House (2006), while more recent television productions included The Mentalist, Weeds, and Hulu’s Quickdraw (2013-2014). A few miles by car from our western town walk, we would park nearby a densely packed, saloon bar known to be frequented by the Hollywood rich and famous: the Old Place Cafe,I would also discover that celebrity guests visited regularly at this unpretentious cafe over the years including Steve McQueen, Ali McGraw, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Sean Penn, Peter Strauss, Sissy Spacek, Twiggy, Robert Blake, Goldie Hawn, Jack Lemmon, Larry Hagman and Jackson Browne.

PETER STRAUSS RANCH – AGOURA HILLS,CA.

Across from the Old Place Cave, our sojourn into film set imagination would now continue in a steep walk along the Peter Strauss Trail. In the 1950s and 1960s, amusement parks sprouted everywhere in Southern California. Many of them tragically went defunct when Disneyland opened in Anaheim. The Strauss site we hiked along today was once purchased and developed into such a fairyland, featuring what was at the time the largest pool on the West Coast. Visible remains that were spotted along our hilltop views of the area included the “Fairytale Land” sign, the faint outline of a baseball diamond, and “Lake Enchanto,” which people used for swimming and fishing,and rowing.

“Every man builds his world in his own image. He has the power to choose, but no power to escape the necessity of choice” (Ayn Rand)

Immersed In Luck’s Lure Of Cool Vegas Nights
Like Iron On Magnet Feast Neon Blissed Sights
Pull Slots Then Roll Dice Most Yearn Cash Flow Obsess
While Easy Pay Credit Will Clean Up Chance Mess

Like Iron On Magnet Strip Captures Curious Mind
As Players Can Ponder Escape Daily Grind
In This Oasis Of Sin There’s No Time To Find Sleep
As Desperate Gamblers Fear Loss Of Luck Weep

Seek More Than Gain Glitter Spring Blooms Bountiful Sights
Stroll Bellagio Garden Sense Pure Tulip Delights
In Such Floral Perfection Cleanse Mind’s Worries Away
Know Immaterial Passion Keeps Greed Firmly At Bay

Springtime Contentment Flows From Bonsai Zen Spirit
Find True Fortune Within It’s Time You Should Hear It

“There is nothing more precious to a parent than a child,
and nothing more important to our future than the safety of our children.” (Bill Clinton)

My wife and I combine over fifty years of challenging teaching experience in the public education system of South Florida. We have both seen our fair share of hostile student behavior play out unpredictably in the classroom. Thus it would be no surprise that we would be excited to detour our road trip agenda to attend the “March For Our Lives”protest against school gun violence in Flagstaff, Arizona. How sad it seemed as we passed a local gun shop in town gloriously advertising a weapons sale that day.

On a cold and blustery Saturday afternoon,a large and age diverse crowd would gather near City Hall Square for this spirited yet peaceful rally. Observing an atmosphere of warm friendliness and common unity as we entered, we picked up protest signs/buttons and exchanged stories with early arrivals. A large poster displaying photos of the student victims of the recent Stoneman Douglas tragedy would move me to tell others that I had in fact taught in close proximity to this school at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale. Many I spoke to then also expressed vehement opposition to arming teachers as a practical solution to the problem.

The rally would now begin with passionate speeches by local adult citizens and high school students in the Flagstaff community. The message of deep concern for child safety was very clear from the start as each speaker impressively related their own gun violence experiences. Citing statistics from the National Safety Council that school gun violence has reigned out of control recently (ie. 17 school shootings occurred in schools since Jan.19, 2018), they concurred that a new wave of political action would most readily solve this problem. A long moment of silence would follow in reflective meditation followed by a call for each attendee to share with strangers standing nearby a personal story about what motivated them to choose to attend this march today. The hour long rally would then end with an orderly march of attendees through downtown.

We are proud that we took the time out of our road trip to stand proudly in Flagstaff for revolutionary change in America’s current political system. As we continue our journey, we look forward to volunteering our time for progressivism in the San Francisco Bay Area at the April 14 March for Science. I look forward to hearing from my blog readers any additional ideas for humanistic activism.