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| USS Arizona Memorial ~ NPS |
Where will you be going this week?
1. USS Arizona (HI) ~ Love history, besides Hawaii looks good this time of year.
2. Katmai (AK) ~ Alaska not so much, but later this summer perhaps.
3. Rocky Mountain (CO) ~ Ashamed to say I've never been to Rocky. Looking forward to going.
4. Big Bend (TX) ~ Heard great things about Big Bend. The trip to reach the park sounds like half the fun.
5. Voyagers (MN) ~ Called to take an iconic canoe trip on one of the park's countless lakes.
6. Dry Tortugas (FL) ~ Another park where the trip to it would be a part of the adventure. Also, looks good this time of year.
7. Hot Springs (AR) ~ One of the oldest parks and the one state I've never visited.
8. Isle Royale (MI) ~ The isolation and the chance to see wolves are what attract me to Isle Royale.
9. Tuskegee Airman (AL) ~ Love aviation and history. Great park to combine both.
10. Joshua Tree (CA) ~ Again another park I am ashamed to say, I have never visited. Got to go soon.
2 out of your 10 isnt bad for me!
ReplyDeleteJoshua Tree was surreal and seemed forgotten by our instant info/tech world we live in today. The sunsets were amazing for such a distinct landscape.
You are right on with the journey to Big Bend. My better half and I set out towards the high plains of Texas from San Antonio around 5pm. Thunder clouds were gathering around Sonora. If you have ever experienced a Texas monsoon you are well aware that driving in one is not smart. Its best to find an overpass and wait for the wall of water to pass.
Reaching Ft. Stockton in 5 hours instead of the usual 3 1/2 we turned due south headed for the Big Bend entry gate. Completely missing the iconic Texas town of Marathon around 10pm we were greeted by the armada of wildlife!
Just passed Marathon it was like we had driven onto the Galaga battlefield with only 1 life for the beginning stage!
Javelina, bats, huge dinosaur like flying bugs smashing our windshield and the occasional mountain lion staring down our headlights was more than I expected. The deer springing out of the cactus were like the velociraptor scene in Jurassic Park!
A measly 25 miles an hour once we reached the entry gate was all I could muster trying to avoid bumping some endangered species or protected predator.
We made camp under the most beautiful canopy of bright shining stars I have ever seen. The dark of night was not black - it was a deep purple. We were serenaded by the Western Screech and Mexican Whippoorwill at 1am.
3 days of hiking the Chisos' Emory Peak, The Window and the South Rim was well worth the journey.
The breakfast on the last day at The Lodge had the thickest, savory gravy for biscuits that was better than my grandma's!
Hope to read more of your experiences on your blog.