Mt. Rushmore

I love Mt. Rushmore. It is so overwhelming...so tranquil...so beautiful...its just soooo...everything! This is our second visit and I could come back every day. It is hard to explain why this place hold that certain magic...but, it does. There is a "Presidential Trail" that runs under the Faces, through the trees and around the bottom of the mountain for about .6 of a mile that gives you different views of the carvings at every stopping point. The different perspectives give this magnificent panorama entirely different looks. Really amazing. They could explain to me over and over again how they did the carving, but I would probably still not understand how you start with a rock mountain and wind up with exact likenesses of four our outstanding Presidents. They did it...in just fourteen years...and as long as there is an America people from all over the world will come and marvel at what brave, courageous men were able to create.

Little Bighorn Battlefield

Every time I visit an historical site and see with my own eyes where history was made and listen while details of the event are explained my viewpoint takes on a whole new perspective. I guess that is the way it should be...books can only do so much in revealing details that involved real people doing real, and often times dangerous, things. Such was the case this morning when we visited the Little Bighorn Battlefield. Since I was a child I have heard the story of Custer's Last Stand....not that I really understood what actually happened, but like so many others I formed an opinion. Today that opinion took real shape as we relived the events of June 25th and 26th, 1876. As it turns out the battle that took the lives of Lt. Col. George Custer and all of his men was just a part of a much larger skirmish that could have resulted in the loss of many more lives had it not been for...just like in the movies...the arrival of the Cavalry. The pictures included here show the memorial on Last Stand Hill where Custer actually fought his last battle. The bodies of many of those killed are buried under the memorial which probably marks the spot where Custer himself was killed. The other pictures include a part of the memorial to the Indians who died defending their way of life and the last picture is taken from the location of the last fallback position of the remaining forces just before help arrived. The trees in the distance was the location of the Indian villages that were attacked...and where the army badly underestimated the number of warriors encamped along the Little Bighorn River. The rest...as the say...is history. Try and visit someday and I know you will be as impressed as we were. Tomorrow, we are off to Mt. Rushmore.

Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park is truly one of America's real treasures. The foresight that was used to set aside such a large piece of the most beautiful forest land and geyser beds to be enjoyed by generations to come was amazing. Yellowstone is really two different worlds that weave in and out of each other. One is the grandeur of mountains covered with millions of Christmas trees laced with rushing streams, rivers and waterfalls. The other is the barren geyser fields that are covered with steaming geysers and bubbling hot water springs. They just mix together so well. Old Faithful is probably the best known of the geysers because of its regular eruptions. However, there are many more that erupt whenever the spirit moves them. The beauty of this extremely large public area must be seen to be truly appreciated. I know I say this a lot...but, it is true. In the pictures included is one I really love. As we were driving to Old Faithful we noticed a buffalo just grazing by the side of the road. I had to get a picture of this "living nickle" and you will see that he was quite large. Not included...but will be in the Sunday Facebook album...is a picture of him just sauntering down the middle of the road holding up traffic. I loved it! I could go on "gushing" (pardon the pun) about Yellowstone...but...tomorrow is another day!

Boise and the Blue Football Field

I guess ever since I saw my first game telecast from Bronco's Stadium in Boise...and saw that blue football field...and tried to adjust my TV until I realized that the field really was blue...I have wanted to see it in person. Well...today I did! We are staying just outside Boise on our way to Yellowstone and drove into town this afternoon and made the football stadium our first stop. As you can see the Boise State University Broncos are hard at work for their first game against Oregon. I don't know if I was supposed to be there or not as the sign said "Closed Practice," but nobody said anything and I took a few pictures. I can report that the field is as blue in person as it looks on TV. I also included a picture of the Idaho Capitol building which is undergoing some major renovation. Boise is a lovely town with a good mixture of the old buildings and the modern skyscrapers. The city is located in a valley (which today was very hot...in the 90's) right at the foothills of a mountain range. Tomorrow is a long day of driving as we head to Yellowstone.

Columbia River Gorge

The Portland area is just as magnificent in it's own way as the Oregon coast is magnificent in it's very special way. They are so different...and yet, so very lovely. Portland is surrounded by mountains and lush forrests as the Columbia River runs right through town. Outside of Portland is the Columbia River Gorge and the stunning Historic Columbia River Highway, which we drove yesterday afternoon...or at least we drove the first 22 miles that carried us past a couple of icons on the highway: Vista House and Multnomah Falls. We spent the afternoon just stopping along the way to soak in the views that prevail all along the way. Even though Mustnomah Falls is the most famous of the waterfalls that dot the highway, we also stopped at Latourell Falls and enjoyed the walk back through the woods in the cool mountain air and enjoyed the smells that only originate in deep woods. Loved it! Tomorow we are going to drive the length of the Columbia before heading over to Boise, ID (got to see the blue football field) and on to Yellowstone on Wednesday.

Oregon Coast

I know that it has been a week since my last post, but I wanted to wait until we had completed our journey up the Oregon coast and report on all of it at one time. Last Monday we drove from Red Bluff, CA through the mountains to Eureka, CA. It was the most harrowing 140 miles I have ever driven in the motorhome. The narrow road was just one twisting, turning switchback after another. It was very tedious and the 140 mile trip took four hours. Oh well, we made it and the trip up the coast made it worth every switchback. The Oregon coast is unlike anything we have ever seen. The deep blue water, the mountains that go right down to the seashore, the jagged, rocky coastline with its large rocks and boulders along the edge taking the constant pounding of the cold Pacific, the fog that gives everything a very eerie, surreal feel, to the magnificent late August sun that warmed everything all afternoon today. It has been wonderful. The Outdoor Resort here in Newport is probably the nicest resort in which we have ever stayed. Our site looks directly out onto the Pacific with the Yaquina Lighthouse off to the left. I am looking at the lighthouse as I sit inside the motorhome and type this. Stunning is the only word I can think of to describe this view. This afternoon we drove up to Depoe Bay and watched the whales! Yes, we actually saw two or more that were no more than 200 yards off shore. The street was lined with whale watchers as this place is famous for the whales that just seem to call it home. Once again I have really struggled to choose only five pictures to add to this blog. I will post several more on Facebook over the weekend. The first one I captioned: "Toto, we are not in Destin anymore." And the last one is the view from our morothome here in Newport. We have really enjoyed this week and tomorrow we head inland to Portland for the weekend. Next week we are off to Yellowstone.

Monterey Peninsula

Let me say right up front...I love the Monterey Peninsula and Carmel-By-The-Sea! Today was the third time we have experienced the 17 Mile Drive around the peninsula and each time just seems to get more special and more spectacular...if that's possible. We had absolutely gorgeous weather this morning with clear blue skies and cool, comfortable temperatures. I had a very difficult time selecting only five pictures to include here. I will post more on Facebook over the weekend. Notice in the first picture the deer in the middle of the fairway on one of the holes of the Spanish Bay golf course. The last picture is of the famous 18th hole at Pebble Beach. We drove up the PCH, or California 1, from San Luis Obispo to Carmel. This is perhaps the most spectacular drive anywhere...for a car...not for a 40' motorhome towing a car! I am glad that we did it...but, never again. The twisting, turning and very sharp switchbacks make it a rather stressful, challenging effort in a big rig. Plus, there are so many beautiful vista overlooks that just don't have room for a large motorhome so we missed many wonderful picture opportunities as well as the magnificent scenery. If you have never been to the Monterey Peninsula, you owe it to yourself to come out and experience this most beautiful expression of God's handiwork. If you have been here...it is just as special as you remember!

Malibu and the Reagan Library

As Dinah Washington once said..."What a difference a day made!" From 108 in Palm Springs to 78 in Malibu...love those low highs! I always thought that it would be fun to stay at the Malibu Beach RV Park, but I had no idea just how special it would be. Check out the view we have from our coach. Just sitting out back and letting nature's own air conditioning sweep over us as the wind blows across the very cold Pacific Ocean, makes for a perfect day. After we recovered form the bliss and peace of this place, we headed out this morning for the Reagan Library. What a large, well done piece of work this is. It is the largest of the presidential libraries and includes the Air Force One that President Reagan used during his two terms. I must say that they way they have this plane set up for tours is better than the five we went through at the Air Force Museum. They had guides placed throughout the plane to protect it and make it as much as it was when it was in use as they possible could. The guides were also available to answer any questions...including one that Delinda ask that the guide said he had never been asked before and was stumped. We really enjoyed, not only the tour of the plane, but the entire museum and very lovely grounds which included a large piece of the Berlin Wall. As is usual for Southern California, after a hazy start it turned out to be a beautiful day. We haven't seen any big time Hollywood stars...at least I don't think we have...but we have had a wonderful time.

Palm Springs

After being on the road for a month it sure felt good to just take the weekend off. We pulled into this beautiful RV Resort in the Palm Springs area on Friday and have just been relaxing ever since. Even though the temperature during the day is around 100 degrees, there has been a nice breeze and, for the most part, not uncomfortable at all. Luckily, the air conditioner in the motorhome has been working like a champ and keeping the inside nice and cool in the mid 70's. Last night (Saturday) we had a delightful visit with Nancy Henson and Elizabeth Vendely at Nancy's home where she cooked a wonderful dinner. Nancy and I worked together at the Disney-MGM Studios and I have known Elizabeth since she was the promotion director at KCBS-TV in LA. She now has a very successful PR firm in the Valley. Tomorrow, being nice and refreshed, we drive up to Malibu for a couple of days and will visit the Ronald Reagan Library...which will be the next post.

Las Vegas & Hoover Dam

Las Vegas...been there, done that, did not buy the T-shirt. In my opinion the best part of the Vegas strip was the buffet at the Mirage. Everything I had from the ribs, to the prime rib, to the shrimp, to the sushi, to the enchilada, to the gelato, to the chocolate/vanilla swirl was absolutely delicious!! Now...I just had a little of each...but it was really good. I am still trying to figure out why anyone, by their own choice, would choose to live in the desert...but then, I am constantly running into people who can't understand why I would want to live in Florida. I guess that's why they make chocolate and vanilla. We toured Hoover Dam this morning and found it absolutely fascinating. Just seeing how they constructed this massive structure was amazing. We also had lunch and a great visit with an old friend from radio days, Steve Meyer. Steve was the Promotion Manager for Capitol Records in Miami when I was at WFUN...and was one of the best. Today he is the Director of Business Promotions for the Primm Valley Casino Resorts on the Nevada/California border and is the former Director of Marketing for the Venetian Hotel on the strip. Great remembrances. We have enjoyed these two days even though the temperatures were around 108...and that's hot no matter what the humidity. Palm Springs tomorrow.

Zion National Park

I have been trying to think of a word or phrase to describe Zion National Park and I am having a very hard time. Truly Majestic comes close...or the word that Ken Van Durand used when he first visited...Awesome! I don't use the work awesome very often because I always think of awesome as the parting of the Red Sea. However, in thinking this through, the same God that parted the Red Sea created this magnificent canyon...so maybe it fits. We had beautiful weather for our visit this morning and the temperature was very mild and pleasant...we just beat the summertime heat as it was really starting to heat up when we left. The pictures I have included don't really do justice to the overwhelming beauty and presence of Zion, but maybe it will give you an idea of how lovely this place is and you will put a visit on your "to do" list. We have also found the two small southern Utah towns in which we have stayed, Moab and Cedar City, to be so very lovely and filled with such nice people. Both towns are very clean, new and fresh looking with extra wide streets and plenty of parking. Of the two, I think we liked Cedar City best as Moab is purely desert and Cedar City is more foothills with lots of trees and greenery. This is a very nice part of the country. We are off to Las Vegas tomorrow!

Arches National Park

I always thought that the red rocks around Sedona, Arizona were spectacular until I saw Arches National Park. Even thought I could never live in the desert, I truly admire the raw beauty that is only seen in these dry, arid climates. Now, here in the Utah desert is one of natures real treasures. The towering red rock cliffs and the unusual rock formations and arches that have been carved out of this sandstone over millions of years make you realize just how fortunate we are to live at this time and be able to see these gorgeous results. The attached pictures don't really do justice to the panorama of the park. Hopefully, you will get a feel for this beauty and plan to visit one day...it really must be seen to be fully appreciated. I have a feeling that you may see that phrase more than once as we continue our travels. Tomorrow it is off to Zion National Park.