The end of the Vacation Pictures.....

From a hill top in Juneau, looking down into the valley and at our boat in the distance.

One of many glaciers entering the bays.......

My boat in the Sitka harbor.....a little 1800 capacity boat.....I like smaller crowds....if I went on a cruise again....I would aim for the 800......or 250 if I was real adventurous. Then you can enter ports the big ships can't....and can avoid the 2000 person dump onto land at a port.

Glacier National Park

I'm so glad we saw this bear! I had dragged my hickory hiking sticks (bought in Virgina) all the way out to the Park....just in case....I had to confront a bear (no no I don't go around wanting to smack a bear on the snout but I thought just in case....I want to have something of heft in my hand)....so here comes Blacky ...crossing the road just before the trailhead....LOL>>>actually I held onto my stick tightly at first and startled at every twig that snapped.




This part of the country is like a walking through a postcard....every which way you turn and look the scenery is spectacular. It's hard not to come back with postcard pics.

Sorry we didn't make it into Canada...we were going to cross the border but because there of the lack of an Internet connection I was sure if the passes were all open and we didn't want to drive that far North only to turnaround and come back the same way. Probably a good decision....it would have added lots more miles and hours of driving to this mega drive adventure.

It must be my Wild Mongol Blood......

When my father passed away and his DNA results came back....I was surprised and then not surprised to find he carries a large percentage of Mongolian DNA.....of course.....now I can at least rationalize why I have always ....been drawn to the grassy range land and deserts of the West. I love them....I love driving through them....it immediately opens your soul....it immediately makes your inner life feel bigger and less cluttered inside.

This past week.....people here at home....have asked me several times....did you really drive round trip to Seattle....Yes, I answer....and I watch their eyes glaze over.

True Kansas and Oklahoma are a bit tough....but the grass lands in Colorado and Idaho and Washington are well worth the sore butt and stiff shoulders from driving. The opportunity to pull over ...get out of the car and just stand there.....in the open space.....sometimes without another car passing by you for a long time....was precious.

Click on the pics to enjoy a bigger view.

2000 miles

I exited the boat on Saturday morning...visited family in Idaho and I'm on my way home.

2000 miles already of range and grassland and rain.....huge storms that swallow half a state...and still I'm not home yet. I feel like I'm in a Dali painting that doesn't have an edge.

The people in these landscapes seem more gritty and tough than I remember them from previous trips.....scrappy but not always in a good way.

The land seems a bit more crowded...and where ever there is a breath-taking view....usually a mega home is perched on it. Big homes that don't look locally owned.

I still love Wyoming. There are still views of infinite grasslands. And windmills....so many in some passes...... it is as if a giant walked through and stuck pinwheels into the ground.

More driving more miles tomorrow.

What can I say?

"I want to go," I said to my husband.

He didn't even bat an eyelid....this type of informational request/statement was how I started my trips to Bali, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Africa.

"I want to go," this time I pointed to Jon Stewart.

My hub seemed relieved.....at least I wasn't suggesting a trip to Mongolia (not yet at least.)

"Go," he said....shrugging his shoulders...as if it was inevitable...aren't all wives asking all husbands for a trip to Washington D.C. at this moment?

So I ran upstairs to my computer and 5 minutes after "The Daily Show" ended I booked a hotel room close to the White House and The Mall...and the Rally.

Good thing....in the morning I was going to upgrade my room but the Hilton and every hotel nearby was booked solid.

So I was going to Washington D. C. to do something.....walk/be with/ stand up for people who aren't shouting....who aren't wringing their hands that the end is near....but saying....we need to be civil and sane...and have conversations about where the country is going....and let's use facts too....real facts....versus political facts.

Then I told me son....who said...."Can I come?"

"You would go with your mother to see Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert in DC?"

"Sure" he said....shrugging his shoulders. (The men in my family specialize in shoulder-shrugging)

"Okay."

Then I was thinking....Geez...New York City is just a hop and skip away and its been so long since I've been there and just walked around solo.....and enjoyed myself...went out to eat...went to art galleries...maybe shopped a bit.

So now I was going to DC and spending a few days in NYC.

So I mentioned to my son I would go on ahead of him for a few days....and he could fly into Baltimore and catch the train to DC and meet me.

He looked funny.

Then....I remembered he is young and not quite a world traveler.

"So you want to fly into NYC and go down with me?"

"Sure." More shoulder shrugging.

"Do you want to spend a day in NYC before we go down and look around?"

Sure...(you guessed it) shrug.

But now I lost my quiet time in NYC.....so I decided I better go to NYC a few days ahead of the days I originally planned.

Looking at the flight schedule I realized Southwest had changed their flight times...and I would always arrive late in the day......so I hunted around and discovered a solution.

I would fly to Chicago...check on my dad's headstone, visit my "Auntie" then take an early flight out of Chicago to NYC.....therefore arriving before noon....and getting a good start on the city.

So that's how it came to be....I'll be leaving for Chicago on Saturday, going to NYC, going to DC ....it's all very logical and I thank Jon Stewart for his help in putting this together.

Although I have had a few stray thoughts cross my mind....that going to this rally is absolutely insane...and there could be thousands of people there...and we'll never see anything....and this could be a crowded nightmare.

Oh well.

Shrug shoulders.

Toasting in Boulder......

Somewhere in the back of my brain.....I thought I was going to beat the southern heat on this vacation....right now I'm in Boulder and it's 90+ degrees....that's not my definition of cool.

It's been an interesting few days......went from Santa Fe to Taos...and spent two nights there.

Big mistake....found Taos boring. But did find the answer to a interesting question....remember hippies? wonder what happened to hippies who fried their brains.....good chance they moved to Taos.....man...I saw an incredible amount of feeble looking folks both young and old....and all of them seemed to be leashed to strange looking dogs......finally figured out that a lot of the dogs must be wold-cross breeds....cause their muzzle and stature just didn't fit the normal bow bow dogs you find elsewhere.

Bored we decided to leave the city on two adventures. Both interesting but unsuccessful.

First....we found a particular Indian artist whose speciality was engraved jet black pottery. Incredible stuff.....was just wowed by her pots. We heard you could drive up to the reservation and find the artist or perhaps a small shop with more of her pieces. So off we went to two Indian reservations. Once we got there....we had to register and then we were told you just walked around and looked for houses with the sign "open" on them. This meant an artist had pottery and was home for a look. I immediately felt uncomfortable. I imagined browsing through a small shop filled with local arts.....didn't expect to be going into people's houses. So....we walked through the village.....and knocked on a few doors with signs. People invited you into their homes....where they usually had a small display of their families goods. Trouble is....how do you politely say....I don't like any of your work when you're in some one's house? I claimed in one house the pottery was too small.....I claimed in another house....the pottery was too big.....I didn't claim.....I disliked their work. Since we were way off the beaten track we decided to go to another reservation....the San Carlos pueblo ....to track down our favorite artist. After several wrong turns....we ended up discouraged.....but found ourselves in the middle of a village. By gosh I looked up and there was a sign....with the artist's name we were looking for plus "open". All excited I knocked on her door .....but .....no one was home. Discouraged we went to the little village store and with the help of one of the locals....Paul Speckle Rock...found another piece which was quite remarkable but still not one of her works. I suppose when I get home I can try and track some of her pieces down on the internet....of course....I should have bought the piece I saw in Santa Fe ...the ol' better something in the hand then dreaming of what's in the bush.

Our next adventure took us out into the desert. I just wanted to drive around. I love these wide open places....I always feel like my mind, my spirit and my heart expands to fit the landscape. So we're....enjoying big sky big desert big mountains.....when we stumble upon a little town. The map states something about a hot spring. So we amble down a road....and find ourselves in the middle of this wonderful resort.....a health springs/spa resort. Posh looking....fountains gurgling....nestled against the desert hills. We enter the lobby and discover they allow walk ins to use the facilities...immediately I spot what I want......a private scented mineral springs bath.

I shower.....put on a loaner swimsuit....and walk to the bath house....just aching to slip into scented hot water and relax for a half an hour. But it's monsoon time in the mountains....and suddenly there's a clap of thunder and a brilliant blast of lightening. The employees emerge and shut down everything....including the bath house. No bathing in the springs for 25 minutes after the last flash of lightening. 24 minutes later....I'm watching the clock smiling..... soon I'm going to be floating in my tub.....when zip bang flash.....another bolt of lightening and a loud long rumble.....I sadly head back to the registration desk....for a refund....for now it will be another 45 minutes before they open the facility. Looking on the bright side....I did get to shower free in mineral water.

My final adventure in Taos was just cute.

The Bed and Breakfast we stayed at....had a resident peacock... George....a fat plump bird who was moulting and in heat. The Inn keeper warned my hub not to go near him since he intensely disliked men during his mating period. In fact, there were spray bottles around....to convince George to stop chasing a man. George, however, in his amorous state liked women. And on our last morning in Taos.....I was rewarded for being a female....George squawked at me......turned around and vigourously shook his bird butt at me....then turned again and gave me the full fan.....complete with some extra shaking.

He was gorgeous. Gorgeous George...and I was impressed and told him so. I've seen peacocks in pictures fully extended but I've never had one standing in front of me. Amazing....thank you George.

Singing among the crowd.....

We figured they were all wanna-be Broadway stars....but all the singing wait staff were really good....and this place was unexpectedly fun.