My 2016 Nature Trek: Sights & Surprises En Route

For three weeks in May 2016, I was on the road, enjoying my annual Nature Trek.  This year my major destinations included Yellowstone National Park; Canyonlands National Park, Island in the Sky District; and Saguaro National Park.  I traveled 4,548 miles and stopped to play in five states:  Nevada, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and Arizona.   The drives were glorious, filled with wonderful wildflowers, ever-changing clouds, and speed limits often posted at 70 to 80 mph.    And there were no mishaps:  no accidents, no tickets, no problems with the rooms, not even any rude or ugly encounters with fellow travelers.

I will eventually post some blogs about my major destinations, but the day-to-day travels were fun as well.  For one thing, gas was pretty cheap, especially in comparison to California prices that always include high local taxes and fees.  But mostly, the trip was punctuated with quirky roadside attractions and out-and-out surprises.

It is the fun of driving:  Seeing the unexpected!

Have you ever been to Baker, California, to see the World’s Largest Thermometer? It was initially built in 1990 by Willis Herron and then—after it was not working for several years—it was working again in October 2104, thanks to Herron’s daughter.  It stands 134 feet tall.   I get a kick out of it every time I pass en route to Vegas.  On this hot day, the thermometer recorded that it was a scorching 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

When I think of Utah, my mind always envisions the brilliant red cliffs and canyons of so many of its national parks.  Thus I was pleasantly surprised to detour through Provo Canyon when I was driving from St. George to Salt Lake City.  Highway 189 North weaves its way through this cool, green, winding canyon, following the Provo River and passing at least nine local parks.  I also took the detour up to the Sundance Resort where snow and aspens dotted the route.  It was a glorious scenic detour!

I was traveling in May and heading at various times into mountains.  I was expecting to see remnants of winter’s snow at some of the higher elevations.  I was staying several nights in Bozeman, Montana, which sits at an elevation of 4,820 feet.  As I was driving in late in my first day there, the clouds were getting darker and darker.  A storm was obviously on its way.  I had already seen rain the day before, but—still—I was not expecting snow.  It was great.

In fact, this odd spring storm continued all of the next day.  Downed trees knocked out a transformer, cutting electric for about 4,000 people—including those of us at my hotel!  While snow accumulation was only several inches in town, several feet of snow accumulated in the mountains.  Although it did not stick around very long, the snow-covered mountains were pretty the next day.

Bozeman was the location for another delightful surprise on this year’s trip:  Lilacs.  Bozeman was my hotel anchor for several days as I explored Yellowstone National Park.  Every day, I drove several miles through town.  Those few miles contained literally hundreds of lilac bushes!  I counted.  They were everywhere:  outside the hotel, a row along a farm house, several bushes here and there by every other business.  I love lilacs in great part because my mom loved lilacs.  She would have loved this place.

Have you even visited Moab, Utah?  It is a great little town, located just outside two national parks:  Arches National Park and Canyonlands, Island in the Sky District.  There is a myriad of outdoor recreational activities to enjoy in the area.  When you visit here, you do not have to be scared about anything bad happening along the road.  Moab seems to have its own security patrol.

Have you ever driven south from Moab, Utah, on U.S. Highway 191 South, heading to Kayenta, Arizona?  Me neither.  I love Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park—it is one of my favorite destinations.  However, every time I have visited, I have accessed the park by driving north from Flagstaff through Kayenta, Arizona.  This year—although not stopping to visit Monument Valley—I drove to the area from the north, coming through Bluff and then Medicine Hat, Utah. I was officially traveling on U. S. Highway 191 S and then U.S. Highway 163 S. The route covers about 70 miles between Bluff and Kayenta, which is just south of Monument Valley.

Oh my goodness!  That stretch of road is absolutely stupendous.  It stretches straight through open fields for mile after mile.  The clouds and flowers on this spring drive were spectacular.  The best parts, however, were the twists and turns and dips that sprang up occasionally as the road passed through various canyons.  At times, it felt like I could have reached out to touch the rock walls reaching up along the side of the road.  And then the open vistas would return again.  The view of Monument Valley as its iconic rocks and buttes rose in the distance was mesmerizing.  I have to drive this road again!

DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE SURPRISES FROM YOUR TRAVELS?

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A FEW QUOTES ABOUT SURPRISE

“Each day holds a surprise.  But only if we expect it can we see, hear, or feel it when it comes to us.  Let’s not be afraid to receive each day’s surprise. Whether it comes to us as sorrow or as joy, it will open a new place in our hearts, a place where we can welcome new friends and celebrate more fully our shared humanity.”   Henri Nouwen

“The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise.  It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us.”   Ashley Montagu

“Life is the greatest gift which life can grant us.”   Boris Pasternak

“Searching is half the fun:  life is much more manageable as a scavenger hunt as opposed to a surprise party.”   Jimmy Buffett

“What a lovely surprise to finally discover how unlonely being alone can be.”   Ellen Burstyn

“How ridiculous and how strange to be surprised at anything which happens in life.”   Marcus Aurelius

“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.  No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.”   Robert Frost

“Life is a celebration of awakenings, of new beginnings, and wonderful surprises that enlighten the soul.”  Cielo

“A story to me means a plot where there is some surprise.  Because that is how life is—full of surprises.”   Isaac Bashevis Singer

Early Signs of Spring

The weather has been lovely lately, even with the little bit of rain the other night.  It is still far from the official start of spring, but some signs are starting to show themselves.  Most recently, the camellia bush near the front door of my apartment started blooming—at least a full month earlier than usual. It never produces very many blooms, being in the shade under a stairwell.  But the ones right now are brightening my day!  Spring is almost in the air!

Here are a couple other surprises that eventually turned into items worthy of thanks and appreciation.

Since before Thanksgiving I have been seeing my dentist:  root canal, capping procedures, filling some cavities, and finally a cleaning.  That cleaning was the other day and I was thrilled to be done, but wait, the technician saw something that needed further investigation.  After some more probing, another x-ray showed that another tooth—that was sensitive to the touch—needs to be extracted to avoid future problems.  I am not thrilled about more work, but the cost is actually pretty minimal, is catching the growing infection early, and thus I am grateful for more dental work.  How surprising is that?

My mom’s assisted living facility has been overcome by some infection.  The patients were sharing the bug, so some control procedures were started: patients eating in their rooms, CDC called to help review procedures, and eventually restricting visitors.  My mom had a few symptoms but not many, but then she was being sent to the hospital via ambulance.  OMG!  But once there, her dehydration was addressed and tests showed she was basically okay except for the infection that she is now getting antibiotics for, an infection that probably would have gone unnoticed for a little while if not in the hospital. Plus, since she has been needing more and more help with daily activities, she is now receiving—via the hospital’s rehab unit—some consistent physical and occupational therapy about 4 times a day.  Hopefully she will become stronger and get back a bit more of her independence.  This initial situation worried me—and even raised some ire at the lack of communication from the assisted living center—but now I am grateful that my mom is getting some more detailed intervention that may improve her day-to-day routines.

I hope you too are enjoying some early spring weather and some unexpected surprises! My most recent surprise was meeting a friend the other day for breakfast at 7 am.  Anyone who knows me knows I am not a morning person, but I was thrilled to be up and out so early, since we had been trying to figure out how to connect for months and months.  Surprising, but I can get up early for fun stuff!

What are you grateful for lately?