Showing posts with label Cherokee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cherokee. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

#265 - Y is for Yosemite

As I said before, going to conferences where you can get CME (continuing medical education) credits are a great excuse for getting out and traveling to new places.  One of the first conferences of last year was to Yosemite National Park.

We had just bought the new Jeep and so this was its first road trip...

The conference had morning meetings and then coordinated a naturalist to take us on afternoon hikes.  It was great to learn so much about the park... and get some exercise after sitting in class all morning.




We did see some wildlife, and the waterfalls were down to a trickle because of the poor snow pack...



The views were amazing, and I couldn't shoot enough photos without thinking there was an even better shot around the next corner... 






Yosemite was the first national park that challenged and inspired me to visit all the national parks.  But, I know I will come back to this one again and again... 






Tuesday, April 21, 2015

#274 - R is for Rear View Mirror

We take a lot of road trips,
and at some point I noted that I started
taking a lot of photos through the rear-view mirror.



And, now, I have to have a couple of shots every trip.



The challenge is not getting yourself in the photo.



And getting the camera to focus on the image in the mirror.



I think it offers an interesting perspective.


And, it can create a great frame for some vistas.


I love road trips...


Maybe I just love the open road...


I know my dogs do...


Friday, September 12, 2014

Breadbasket of America


I've been doing a lot of driving in the last couple of months.
We had the long summer road trip which I wrote about,
and then it was back to Sacramento to work.
After that, I drove the 300 miles south to pick up my
mom and bring her back to NorCal to spend about 
three weeks.

Interstate 5 in California is my main thoroughfare,
and I am enjoying seeing the seasons change through
the various activities going on in the Central Valley
which has often been called the "Breadbasket of America.

It's watered by the California Aqueduct which you can
see snaking its way alongside the highway.



There are acres upon acres of fields growing both livestock
and produce:




Also lots of orchards growing everything from
almonds to oranges and other citrus




It's tomato harvest season, and we've been joking that
it's "salsa season" because we see not only
tomato trucks on the road...


but also onion and garlic trucks as well,
all seemingly headed in the same direction...

Of course, evidence of the severe drought we've been experiencing
can be seen along the highway as well, 
but what really depresses me are the orchards
that are left to die...


I have a stupid sentimentality about trees
and their being living things since I read the 
"Chronicles of Narnia" which talked about the 
dryads who were attached to their trees and
died whenever their tree was cut down.

I see these fields and think of all the
fallen dryads...

Yeah, a lot of crazy things pass through
your mind when you're traveling along the highway.







Saturday, August 30, 2014

Winding Roads, Winding Stories

My mother is here visiting for about three weeks.  Today I decided to take her for a drive along the 30 mile road to Petrolia.  I've been down this road many times, especially since I have been doing medical support for the Tour of the Unknown Coast century bike race.  And, I first wrote about it when we initially moved here almost 4 years ago now.


Now with the new Jeep, it was time to take the road again...


And it was so worth it, if just for the views...



Looking North toward Cape Medocino
the Westernmost point in the lower 48

Mattole River meeting the Pacific Ocean at
Mattole Beach

This Jeep will go anywhere...!


We then continued along the road to Honeydew which eventually
ends up at Rockefeller Redwood State Park...




Aren't these trees amazing...?
It's one of my favorite drives.


Here's the view looking up through
the sunroof... 


All in all an amazing way to enjoy
a nice drive,
and spend some quality time
with my mom...






Monday, July 28, 2014

MyPod Birthday Shuffle IV - Day 28 - Come Home


This is my faithful Jeep Cherokee
that carried us over the last 8 days
over 3000 miles.


What a trip!


And, this is the final bridge that we cross
which is only about 5 miles away from home...
It's always good to be home...

Monday, April 21, 2014

Featured Post...

The Mid 40's are in the Books

For some reason I never got around to writing about traveling to National Parks numbers 44, 45 and now 46...! Back at the end of June...