We went to Cruise America to watch a motorhome orientation video. It was very interesting to learn about the features and operation of our temporary home-on-wheels. While it was interesting, it also made us all the more anxious to get started on our vacation. Soon, we will be enjoying scenery and sunsets similar to this one taken at Lake Havasu, Arizona, last summer. Click for bigger image.
I checked the National Parks System webcams today and was not disappointed with the scene I saw at Grand Canyon, Yavapai Point. Later this month, Damsel will be capturing scenic photos like this (we hope) when we’re in Northern Arizona.
Just a note about the winter storm that just passed through the southwest – snow in Malibu, California? Four inches in Las Vegas, Nevada? Sunspots at a minimum? Must be that pesky Glow Ball Worming.
Maybe some of the alarmists should find out more about the Sun.
Today was the last workday of the year for me. I finished up an important milestone at work which gives me the opportunity to take some authorized time off to relax and celebrate the Christmas Season.
For part of that celebration, Damsel and I will be taking a cruise – no, not like on a vessel, but in a motor home headed away from the teeming masses. We plan to stop at some famous and some little-known places along the way. We got a pretty good deal from Cruise America – almost a 2-for-1 deal on the cruiser.
Damsel will have her suite of camera gear as she plans to capture some dazzling scenery shots and some wonderful artsy compositions. We’ll have internet access with us so check back here for some of her pictures in near-real-time.
One of our stops along our route will likely be near the little-known landmark “Tea Kettle Junction,” seen in the photo.
Photo found at Panamint Charlie’s interesting website. Click for big.
Lately, we have been getting ‘Bear’ our G-Shep/Lab mix dog accustomed to riding along with us from time to time. We’re hoping that she will get used to it so when we take our winter cruise in the motor home, she will be mellow and not hyper.
Today, she rode along with me while we were on an errand, and her mood was somewhere between hyper and mellow. She had never been in my Sebring convertible prior to today; she was very good with it and seemed to enjoy it a lot.
Click the thumbnail for a larger image.
In October of 2000 we traveled to Rome, Italy. My husband had to attend a business conference there and we made arrangements so I could go with him. While we were there, we stayed at the world-famous Hassler Hotel, just at the top of the Spanish Steps. The rooms were very nice and the view from the dining room on the top floor was nothing short of breathtaking; from left to right you could see the Roman Palace of King Victor Emmanuel III, numerous domes and spires, fountains and squares and the famous Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Above: The Hotel Hassler and Church of Trinta dei Monti above the Spanish Steps. Click on image for larger view.
We also made several side trips; one was to visit Vatican City to see the museums and Saint Peter’s Basilica. We also took the train to Florence to see Michelangelo’s David and the famous Duomo. We took another rail trip to Naples where we saw Mount Vesuvius and Hurculaneum, a first-century village recently unearthed.
In Rome, we visited the ancient ruins of the Forum and the Coliseum. We saw all of the famous fountains and public squares. It was so wonderful and romantic! This was the trip of a lifetime for us.
Below: The restaurant atop Hotel Hassler with spectacular view of the Roman skyline.
I took this photo of Avalon Harbor from the hill, south of the bay, near the Wrigley Mansion. We were in a tram getting a tour of the town of Avalon when we saw this spectacular view. At the time I took the picture, I was using 35mm film in my old Canon SLR, so this had to be scanned into electronic format. Since it was sort of grainy, Bob went with the flow and applied a photo shop tool to make it look somewhat like an oil painting. Anyhow, this was the result. Click for a bigger version.
As an interesting aside, visitors on the Avalon tour don’t get to go up to this location these days. There is a problem on Pebbly Beach Road, just below this location, with rock slides. The Island Conservancy is concerned with liabilities associated with injuries to visitors, so neither the tour tram nor those little golf carts are allowed access to this area; this is a unique view of the town these days.
I was rummaging through the summer vacation pictures and found this little jewel I overlooked for some reason. We’re planning to visit the Grand Canyon again in the not too distant future.
This is Bright Angel Canyon, as seen from Mather Point, on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Bright Angel extends from the Colorado River to the north and is in the center of this photo. Bright Angel Creek empties into the river straight ahead and down, out of view.
On the right side of Bright Angel, you can see Sumner Butte near the mouth of the canyon, with the higher formations of Brahma Temple and Diva Temple behind and further to the right. On the left side, you can see Sturdevant Point and Johnson Point, with Hiller’s Butte and Buddha Temple to the left of them, all beyond Phantom Creek which empties into Bright Angel Creek on the left.
At the top of Bright Angel Canyon is Bright Angel Spring near the village at the North Rim, about 13 miles away. Visitors to the North Rim get this view from the other end.
This is one of the most beautiful sights in the world. Click on the image for a closer look.