Postcard from Phoenix - Architecture: Old and New

A few weeks ago, in a single day, I was fortunate to get up close and personal with modern and ancient marvels that show just how ingenious the human mind can be. Creating something beyond what has ever been done before is where human beings demonstrate their finest traits - striving for the unattainable.

First in Phoenix - the new University of Phoenix stadium, home to the NFL's Cardinals and last year's Super Bowl. What makes this indoor football stadium so unique? Look at the picture. See anything not quite right? Yes, it is an indoor football area, but the football field appears to be outside. What? How can this be? Here is the ingenious part:

Because of Phoenix's hot weather, designers of the stadium knew it had to be an indoor stadium, but they didn't want the field to be that terribly hard artificial turf. They wanted the game to be played on real grass, as it should be. But grass cannot grow and survive inside - it needs sunshine...and Phoenix has plenty of that.

So they designed the stadium with a "portable" field that stays outside when there is no game...then slides on rollers inside the stadium on game day. Pretty ingenious, hey? You can see the doors on the stadium that open to let the grass move inside. After the game, the grass is moved back outside for repair and maintenance for the next game.

Later, that same day, I drove north on Interstate 17 towards Flagstaff. A little more than halfway there I came to the turnoff for Montezuma's Castle National Monument, which is only a couple of miles off the highway. I headed over with camera in hand to see this incredible example of ancient architecture done by a tribe of native Americans that have passed into history.

The castle was built by a tribe known as the Sinagua. It was named Montezuma's Castle in the 1860's as it originally was thought to have been built by the Aztecs. The last known habitation by that tribe was around 1425 AD, so the structure's construction was obviously much earlier than that, probably in the neighborhood of one thousand years ago. The five-story stone and mortar dwelling contains 20 rooms and once housed about 50 people. It sits about 70' above the ground. A natural overhang shades the rooms and shelters them from rain and the blazing sun.

Believe it or not, visitors to the area in the 1950's could go inside and tour the place. But, as you might imagine, to much damage occurred and it was subsequently stopped. But, thanks to the Internet and the National Park Service who still send the occasional archeologist inside to check on conditions, you can take a virtual tour on their Web site and see what this amazing place is like inside.

Sometimes I can despair of the follies of mankind, but every so often I get to see a different viewpoint. Shakespeare said it best:

What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how
infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and
admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like
a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals—and yet,
to me, what is this quintessence of dust?

Postcard from Southern California - Tales of the Big Boy

Bob's Big Boy Restaurant - now there is a name that flashes many memories going back to my days in college. Its a love affair with a cheeseburger that not only spans many years, but also some special people that have come in and out of my life. Today, whenever I find one, I go out of my way to have one of their great cheeseburgers, not for the memories, but rather for the taste. I must be getting old when a good cheeseburger is better than memories.

On this present journey, while on my way to Yuma from Northern California, I found one in Barstow, CA and made sure to stop there for dinner. Last year, I had also found one in Lake Havasu City, which for some reason is no longer listed on Bob's Web site. I hope it is still there. I will find out in a few days when I pass through there on my way to Yuma.

Bob's used to be a huge chain of restaurants that started in Southern California and then spread outwards. Today, only a handful of those restaurants remain. I don't know what happened, but the chain filed for bankruptcy in the year 2000. In looking at their Web site, it seems there are a great many of them in Michigan...almost as many as once reigned supreme in California.

I was introduced to Bob's Big Boy when I was dating a lovely young lady from Southern California named Linda. We met at San Jose State where we were both students. We fell in love and later married (Wife #1). On a visit to her home in SoCal, she took me to Bobs, her favorite hamburger joint. It instantly became my favorite and we visited many of their establishments all over the SoCal. Linda and I didn't have "our special song", but we did have our favorite restaurant.

A couple of years later...oh Joy of Joys...Bobs opened up a restaurant in San Jose. Heaven be praised!! But, on our first of many visit, Linda noticed that something was different about the burger. We made some inquiries and discovered that in Northern California, the main sauce used was thousand island dressing whereas the SoCal burgers used a mayonnaise-based spread. We also found out that you could special order SoCal style which is exactly what she did from that point on. I actually preferred the NoCal style and always stuck with that.

One other story I will tell you about Bob's. I was once dating a very nice lady named Janet who was from San Diego and was quite familiar with Bob's and liked them also, but perhaps not as much as me. She put up with my fetish of immediately getting off the road when I saw a Bob's restaurant, bless her heart. Anyway, one fine day, she was in SoCal for business and before she got on her plane to come back to Sacramento, she stopped and got me a Big Boy and flew it home to me. That was so special and I remember it to this day. It was cold, but tasted oh so good.

I think I dragged all my ex-wives to a Bob's Big Boy over the years with mixed results. But Bob's is still a special place for me, and since I am now single, I can go whenever I find one.

The original Bob's Big Boy cheeseburger resembles (in looks only) a Big Mac. The original Bob invented the hamburger by slicing a hamburger bun in three pieces and slid two patties in between the three bun pieces. He then added his sauce, relish and cheese. They always taste soooooo good.

Whenever I see a Bob's restaurant with the little fat boy out front, I head for their parking lot and a taste of heaven. Always have to make sure they make it with Thousand Island sauce, however. And then, before the first bite, I think of all the wonderful women who sat across from me over the years and were so happy watching me be happy.

Postcard from Mesquite, NV - A Quick Glimpse of Loneliness

Happy Thanksgiving from a casino/hotel right on the Nevada/Arizona/Utah border.

Picture this, if you can: It's 6:00 AM on Thanksgiving morning. A solitary man walks into an empty casino to a convenient Starbucks to get his morning coffee. There is no one around save for the lady who pours his first morning cup. She wishes him a Happy Thanksgiving. He has quite forgotten that this is a holiday, although its the first Thanksgiving he has been alone in a long time. He is in a strange town, in a casino after a bad night's rest in a less-than-perfect hotel room.

As he is putting cream in his coffee, the background music begins to play Nat King Cole singing "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..."

For ten seconds, he is as alone as any human being can be on this planet.

Relax and don't feel sorry for me. I am happy to be on this journey. But, for a few seconds, I was so alone. The mood is passed and I am fine. I just wanted to put the feeling in writing.

Looking forward to my drive today to Las Vegas. Eric, Jill, and I will celebrate Thanksgiving on Tuesday in Yuma. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Postcard from Southern Utah - Sunrise, Sunset

As most photographers learn early, the best light for photos can be found shortly after sunrise and shortly before sunset. At these times, the sun is lower in the sky thereby bending the light rays to give the light a more reddish glow. Photographers call this time the "golden hours" (shouldn't it be called the reddish hours?). But there is more to sunrise and sunset than the golden hours that can really produce some interesting images.

Before the sun actually breaks the horizon at sunrise and after the sun sets, there is a very reddish or pinkish glow in the sky and if you throw in a few clouds, some amazing pictures can be had. Fortunately or unfortunately, whatever is in the foreground is only going to be rendered as a silhouette. With film or digital cameras, if you try and expose your image for the foreground object, you will completely blow out the sky. Therefore, one should expose the image using the sky for your exposure values.

To this end, I hereby present three photos I was fortunate to take in the last few days. All have some clouds in them to enhance the lighting effects.

The first picture is of the very famous "Balanced Rock" in Arches National Park taken at sunset. The second image was taken the next morning from my campsite in Devil's Garden, also at the Arches. The third photo was taken a few days earlier and shows The Needles at sunset. I hope you enjoy them.

Try this yourself sometime. All you need is a camera, a tripod, and a shutter release button attached to your camera as the exposure time can be too long for a hand held camera. If your camera has anti-shake built in, you might be able to do hand held. The Balanced Rock photo was handheld with my Nikon D200 with using an anti-shake lens(known as VR in the Nikon world).

Now, one other thing: the foreground object should either fill most of the screen from top to bottom, fill 3/4 of the screen, or 1/4 of the screen. Never, and I mean never, have the object fill 1/2 of the screen and the sky the other half. It makes the shot compositionally boring. Either the sky or the foreground object must be the dominate part of the photo and the other a compliment to it.

Enough preaching. Go have fun.

Postcard from The Needles - All Alone Am I

Have you ever wanted to have a national park all to yourself? I have on many occasions, especially in Yosemite. Of course, that is never going to happen, but if I were king....well, never mind. But I came real close to fulfilling my dream at the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park. Such a beautiful place...and it was all mine...well almost.

Canyonlands National Park, only in existence since 1964, thanks greatly to the efforts of our then Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall. During his tenure, the National Park Service added four national parks, six national monuments, nine recreation areas, 20 historic sites and 56 wildlife refuges.

The Canyonlands is so large that it is divided into three sections: The Needles, Island in the Sky, and The Maze. Each is quite distinct from the other. Island in the Sky is approached from the north and is very close to Moab, UT. It sits up high on a plateau overlooking all of the park and is the most visited section of Canyonlands, probably because of the views and the fact that it is the most accessible for automobiles. The Maze is approached from the west and is strictly for serious 4-wheel drive vehicles with high clearance. Ordinary autos and vans need not apply.

As for the Needles, it sits down in Canyonlands and is named for very large rock formations that stick up into the sky like needles. It has some auto accessible sites, but it also has a large number of hiking trails and 4-wheel drive roads. The best way I know to describe it is canyons within canyons within a large canyon. It also has a comparatively smaller number of visitors, probably because there is only one way in and out...a 34 mile long road off of the main highway coming in from the southeast. But, it is a beautiful drive.

The first 10 miles is ordinary open range. From there on, you drop down into the large super canyon that encompasses all of the Canyonlands...and let me tell you, it is a stunningly beautiful drive, especially in the afternoon. I stopped several times to take pictures as the view changes continually around each bend in the road. Eventually, you come to the main entrance of The Needles and the Visitor's Center. They have a terrific 3D relief map of the whole park that gives you an excellent picture of where you are and how everything is situated...and, of course, all the canyons in the canyons.

I first headed to the campground to secure my site. There are only 15 campsites in the first campground and only four had occupants, including me. A second camp site was closed for the season. Like I said, it was like being alone, especially as I chose a site far away from anyone else. The quiet and the beauty of my temporary home was something I can't even begin to describe.

My guidebook and bible for photographing Utah said the best time to photograph the Needles was at sunrise and the trail left from the main parking area in the campground, which was a little ways back from my site. So, just before dawn, I got into my van to look for the trail. It was not to be found. I went back to my campsite and, lo and behold it was right across the road from my new home.

I headed out along the trail, and after about 1/2 mile, the trail ended at a large rock formation. As I have discovered since, this is quite common in this whole area. As I looked up, I saw stacked rocks that obviously marked the trail up the rock (these are called "cairns" and are also very common). So I started climbing, praying my foot would not slip and that I could get back down safely. The cairns led me along more vertical rock and through a cave formed by falling rocks, then more climbing. Finally, I came to the top and could see all the Needles in full array from the early morning light. Luckily I had remembered to bring my camera (and water) and started taking photos. You saw one of them in my last blog.

I was able to make it safely down and back to my campsite (good hiking shoes are a must here)...and after breakfast headed out for more adventures in this wonderful park. I loved the 3-mile long ride on a gravel road to Elephant Hill where I discovered another great view of the Needles and other amazing red rock formations. The Scenic Drive is also very nice and provided even more photographic opportunities. But, what I loved most was having this beautiful place all to myself. I never ran into anyone else other than the occasional park ranger, either driving or hiking. While I would not want to spend the majority of my life alone, sometimes it is the best thing going.

I would have stayed longer than three days and two nights to enjoy the solitude but the winter clock was running and I wanted to see more of southern Utah before winter arrive. I would love to come back here just for the solitude and the beauty that is the Needles.

The pictures included here show my campsite, the Needles at sunrise that I worked so hard to see, and a small lake on the way into the park. I will have more pictures of this park in another blog.

Postcard from Moab - My Luck is About to End

Hello from beautiful Moab, Utah. It's Monday, 11/24/08 as I write these words from my very nice hotel room. Yes, I got a little tired of the cold nights and wanted to watch some football, so I found a nice place to stay warm, watch football, write e-mail's and blogs, and process my many photographs.

Here is what I have been doing since I last wrote in Farmington, New Mexico: From there I headed west and north into Utah. I took a 5 mile detour to see "Four Corners" where the four states of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah meet. But it is in the Navajo Nation and they wanted $3 to see it. Of course there is not much to see other than souvenir stands and a marker, so I kept my three bucks and just turned around and headed back into Arizona. From there, I headed west then north towards Utah, going through Monument Valley.

It was an interesting place and I was happy to see it, but again it is part of the Navajo Nation and to see the really good parts, one has to pay a fee to get in. And, for your money, you only get to see part of it. To see the best part of Monument Valley requires a Navajo guide, which of course means a lot more money. The light that day was really bad that day so I was content to see what I saw and continued north on my journey (I will be content to see Monument Valley in John Ford westerns).

I eventually wound up in the Needles section of Canyonlands National Park where I spent three wonderful days exploring and photographing. From there I headed north to here, Moab, Utah, then right on in to Arches National Park which is only about five miles away. I spent three great days there seeing the incredible sights. There will be separate blogs on all these locations, but today I just wanted to catch you up with where I've been lately.

Now, for the future: Today, I am going on a ranger-led hike into an area in the Arches known as the "Fiery Furnace." It is a series of narrow slot canyons that is easy to get lost in which is why I am going with a ranger. Tomorrow, I will probably head a few miles west of here to the "Island in the Sky" section of Canyonlands National Park.

On Wednesday, my plan can best be described as "run like hell," because my good luck with the weather is about to end. It is scheduled to rain and snow everywhere up here on the Colorado Plateau, which covers four states. That means much colder temps and mostly lousy photographic possibilities. I have been really lucky up to this point with sunshine almost every day and temps in the high 50's and low 60's. Nighttime temps drop below freezing, but I have been able to easily survive that. But, it is tough to camp in continuous rain and snow.

The Colorado Plateau begins just north of Phoenix, so my plan is to be somewhere south of there where I can put my shorts back on and see some of the great places in southern Arizona. A week from today, I will be back in Yuma to celebrate a belated Thanksgiving with Eric and Jill (he is off on Mondays and Tuesdays).

I have included two "teaser" photos here: the first being sunrise on the Needles in Canyonlands; the second being Double Arch in the Arches National Park.

I am sad that this part of my journey has to end as there is so much more I wanted to see before the onset of winter weather. Stay tuned for more blogs with details and photos about the great places I have seen.

Postcard from Window Rock - First Glimpse of the Navajo Nation

Hello from Farmington, New Mexico. Its been a few days since my last blog, and as you might guess, I have been without any Internet connection. Just to catch up, I left Yuma as planned on Sat morning. Made it to Winslow, AZ that night and froze my you-know-what off as temperatures dropped down to 20 degrees (I am now sleeping in my van...much better than a tent). But I managed to photograph the little known "Little Painted Desert" at sunset.

Sunday morning I made a bee-line to Wal-Mart to get a few more things to help me keep warm, and it has really helped as I continue to sleep in temps in the mid 20's, but much more comfortably. Sunday I finally made it to Canyon de Chelly and spent two days at this amazing place. Today, I drove to Farmington in northern New Mexico to take care of some pressing business. I am glad for this little side trip as I drove here through some beautiful places along Navajo Nation back roads. Tomorrow I head back west to Monument Valley, then southern Utah. There are lots of great photos to follow.

On Sunday, I had to make a detour from my planned route to Canyon de Chelly because of a road closure. I wound up taking a back road through the Navajo nation on the New Mexico border up the town of Window Rock. This city is the capital city of the Navajo Nation, a huge stretch of land that stretches eastward from Flagstaff in to New Mexico, and up into Utah. Even here in Farmington, I am on the edge of the Navajo Nation.

And when you are in the Navajo Nation, the vast majority of the faces you see are Navajo. They are a large tribe, to say the least. But on this trip, especially in the last three days, I have learned much of their culture. More on that in a future blog.

Window Rock, as you can see from the picture, is technically an arch, but it is very sacred to the Navajo people. If you look closely, you can see two birds and their shadows as they fly by the opening. Window Rock (the arch) sits in a lovely park on the edge of the tribal governmental offices, which are more extensive than you might imagine. They have their own government with elected officials from all over the tribal Nation. They have their own police and fire departments. Interestingly, they have just opened their very first casino in Gallup New Mexico only a few months ago. They were very late to that party.

The second photo shows a recently completed statue honoring the legendary Navajo Codetalkers that played an important role in the Second World War in the Pacific Theater. If you don't know the story, Navajo soldiers were used as radiomen talking in their native language. The Japanese could not break their language or code. In fact, this entire park below Window Rock honors the Navajo soldiers that fought in WWII for their native America. Their patriotism and relationship with the United States is very strong, even today.

I am so glad I had this chance to visit their capital.

It may be a few days before the next blog as I head back into the wilderness.

Picture of the Day - Oregon Homestead

Well, I am still here in Yuma trying to recover from this nasty cold. But, the worse is now over and I am leaving in the next few minutes for the wilderness northeastern Arizona. There are some places there I really want to see and I guarantee you will like the pictures. I will just keep my destinations to myself for a little bit and let you be surprised (actually, I may be surprised too!).

I have enjoyed my time with my son and his wife...and of course, the incredibly warm weather. It was up to 88 today, and even with a cold, I was in shorts and a t-shirt. I have seen the weather forecast for my next destination and I know I will be back in warmer clothes. But, will be back in southern AZ again when it gets too cold up north. I might just get lucky and have a few more good weeks before I forced south again. This is such beautiful country.

Today's picture is one I took a few weeks ago when I was in Oregon. I like it a great deal and am happy to share it with you. If you remember the blog I wrote about the shoe tree, this old cabin is actually less than a mile west of there right off the highway. I got lucky with the light as the sun came out right as I pulled up in my van. One never knows when one will find a great photo opportunity.

I have a lot more stories to write about from my adventures this past month and look forward to new places and stories...so stay tuned.

Postcard from Algodones, Mexico - Booze, Drugs, and Geritol

To put it bluntly, this little city, just over the border, has more liquor stores, pharmacies, optometrists, dentists, and hair care facilities concentrated in one four-block location than you can imagine. Throw in a ton of polite sidewalk vendors selling just about everything, and you have town quite unlike anywhere else...and it is clean. The town caters to Americans, mostly senior citizens who flock over the border in droves to take advantage of the inexpensive drug prices, dentistry, and eye care that is available there.

To get there, you drive a few miles west of Yuma on Interstate 8, back into California, then south a couple of miles to the border...it is well marked. At this point you are on Quechan tribal land (they are building a brand new large casino and hotel right where you get off the freeway). The Quechan's also have a large parking lot right on the border where you can park for $5.00. One can also park for free right along the road...which is what I prefer as I get some exercise walking into town.

To cross the border, you just walk across. No one will stop you or check anything, unless you drive your car across. If you are just going for drugs or eyes, or teeth, there is no reason to take your car. Once there, you will be confronted with all that I have described above. If your looking for your medicines, most stores will post their prices outside on little cards so you can go around town comparing prices. If you pay attention, you will notice that some pharmacies have several locations spread throughout the town. For instance, the Purple Store, where I usually shop, has four locations just on the first block of town. I usually get good prices there (and they advertise on the Yuma cable company...its hilarious).

As for the prices, they are very good...even better than the $4 generic prices at Wal-Mart. For instance, one of my pills is under $4 for 100 pills. I usually stock up for several months supply. You should check the bottles for expiration dates, but I have never had an issue with that. The staff at most stores are very friendly, speak impeccable English and are surprisingly knowledgeable about the medicines they carry. American dollars, checks and credit cards are readily accepted and there are no hidden costs. I usually pay in cash. For 95% of the medicines you want, no prescription is required.

Yesterday, I decided to visit an optometrist to see if they could replace my bifocal lenses in my glasses which are old and a bit scratched. He quoted me $20 and it would take two hours. I will do it on my next visit.

Now I am not much of a booze buyer, but those who are tell me their prices are very good...and they certainly have a huge selection from all over the world. As for their dentists, frequent visitors tell me they are as good as any in the US, as they were all trained north of their border. Same for optometrists...they are all very busy so logic tells me they are probably ok.

There are some nice restaurants in town and the food and water are very safe (the water is provided by the city of Yuma). When you are in Algodones, there is no doubt that you are in another country. But, it has always been a pleasant experience there.

Now, getting back into America is another story. If you go in the afternoon in the winter snowbird season, you may have to wait in some very long lines. On my first visit, I waited 45 minutes to get through customs. Yesterday, I went early in the morning and there were only 4 people ahead of me and I breezed right through. Be sure you have a passport or you could be in some difficulty.

Interestingly, the one time I stood in a long ling, I took a very long look at all the people around me as well as those in front and behind. I came to the realization that I was the youngest guy in line...and at that time, in case you don't know, I was 62. Maybe I will go down there sometime and try to pick up senior chicks.

Picture of the Day - Merced River Reflections

Have made it to Yuma, AZ and am at my son and daughter-in-law's home. Weather is in the mid 70's and am wearing my shorts for the first time since September. Love it!! Will be in the 80's by the end of the week. Spent part of Sunday and Monday night watching football with Eric at Buffalo Wild Wings here in Yuma. We proudly wore our 49er's hats at the Monday Night Game and we were treated to the best performance of the year by our San Francisco favorites. Unfortunately, they had a chance to win at the end and could not do it. Very sad way to end a terrific evening, bad clock management and the last two play calls were just stupid! OK...I will get over it.

Am going to stay here only a couple of days as Eric has to go back to work (in case you don't know, he is a federal Border Patrol agent) and winter is getting closer to some of the places I want to visit in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. Have got the van all prepared for camping as I emptied the belongings I brought with me here at Eric's home. Looking forward to whatever lies out there next for me.

Today's photo, as the title implies, was taken in Yosemite Valley. You can see how low the Merced River is and obviously how slow it is moving. This is actually one spot where the river is the fullest. Never-the-less, the reflections here are just beautiful. The clouds in the sky are amazing when reflected and the sunlight coming in on the water from the left adds additional drama to the image. The photo also shows how serious autumn colors are in play on this day. As I have said many times, so much of photography is about timing.

Picture of the Day - Leaves in the Merced River

Am writing this post from my hotel in Needles, CA. If you don't have a map handy, it is in Southern California, right on the Arizona border. It is only a stopping point after a long drive from the San Francisco Bay Area. It was a long, boring drive, mostly through the Central Valley, where an intense layer of smog made it more ugly than usual. It didn't clear up until I climbed into the mountains east of Bakersfield.

After breakfast, I will head south to Yuma, Arizona to see my son Eric and his wife Jill. Yuma sits on the California/Arizona/Mexico border. All three borders actually meet there...in the middle of the Colorado River. Looking forward to a couple of days there before I head out again. Have to keep moving as the weather is turning colder, even in Arizona. It will be down to 77 in Yuma today. I, of course, will be wearing shorts today for the first time in a long while.

Anyway, I photographed this image in Yosemite Valley, right on the Merced River. This picture would not be possible in spring or summer as the river usually moves along pretty fast. But, now, in late autumn, it is very low and moves ever so slowly. I love the depth given to the image by the one leaf that is underwater and of the reflection on top of the water.

Enjoy and will write again soon.

Postcard from Yosemite - Hetch Hetchy

Yosemite Valley is one of the most unique places on earth, created by the carving actions of glaciers during the last ice age. But, did you know that it is not the only such valley (or canyon) in the Sierras that was created this way? Actually, there are two others...Kings Canyon to the south (also a national park) and the Hetch Hetchy valley to the north. While Yosemite is the most spectacular by far, the other two have a special beauty all their own...especially Hetch Hetchy.

This once beautiful valley could be called Little Yosemite as it has so many spectacular granite formations that are similar to Yosemite Valley. Look at the first picture of the valley as it used to be. You can see another El Capitan and another Yosemite Falls. It was a beautiful place.

In 1906, San Francisco was devastated by its now famous fire and earthquake...especially its water infrastructure. After things settled down, the city applied for the water rights to Hetch Hetchy. Environmentalists of the time, led by John Muir and the Sierra Club, opposed this in the strongest possible terms. A seven-year vicious battle ensued, with San Francisco finally winning the battle. Because Hetch Hetchy lies within the borders of Yosemite National Park, an act of Congress was required, which finally happened 1913. It is said that the passing of this act broke John Muir's heart and he died shortly thereafter.

Construction of a dam that would back up the water in the valley began and was finally completed in 1923. Today, the O'Shaughnessy Dam blocks the entrance of Hetch Hetchy Valley and backs up the water from the Tuolumne River to form the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The dam provides water and electricity to 2.4 million people in the city of San Francisco, San Mateo County, Alameda County, and the San Joaquin Valley. Interestingly, the power-generation facilities and transmission lines are concealed to protect the valley's famous scenery.

As I write this blog, I am sitting in the Bay Area, partially enjoying the benefits from this dam. As I was raised in both San Francisco and San Mateo counties, I was a direct beneficiary of the dam. Still, I can't look at Hetch Hetchy and not wish I could see it in its natural state. Oh well...it is what it is.

Their is only one road to Hetch Hetchy and it lies just outside the north entrance to Yosemite. But, before you get to the dam, you cross back into the park. There are no facilities for using the lake for recreation. All you can do is walk across the dam, go through a tunnel, then pick up several trails to hike further into the back country. The waterfalls are still there to be seen, but, of course, not in October, which is when I was there.

There is actually a movement afoot to take down the dam and restore the valley to the way it was. Even if this happened, it would never be restored the way it was for many generations to come, if ever. So, just let it be.

After my short time here, I headed west to be with family and friends in the Bay Area. It was time to relax a bit, visit, and stop driving.

Postcard from Yosemite - Coming Home - Part Two

When you travel west on Tioga Road, you eventually run into the Big Oak Flat Road, which can either take you up and out of the park, or down into Yosemite Valley. As I traveled down that beautiful road towards the valley, I realized quickly that autumn was in its full glory at these lower elevations. It was stunning to see the trees and bushes in all their reds, yellows, and orange regalia. But, as I moved up the valley I could see that the Merced River was very low and the major waterfalls were either gone or barely a trickle. There is always a trade-off for those beautiful autumn colors.

While I was exploring Yosemite's High Country, I was at 8,000 to 10,000 feet. Yosemite Valley sits at about 4,500 feet. Quite a difference in elevation and a good reason why I was seeing these beautiful colors. They were everywhere, although the eastern part of the valley was well ahead of the west, where the majority of spectacular colors were most evident.

As camping in Yosemite Valley is by reservation only and most of the campgrounds were closed, I headed for Camp Curry to see if I could get a spot. At the camping reservation center, I found there was no problem getting a site and I wound up under Half Dome at the Upper North Pines Campground, although I could not see that great dome because of trees. Being a two-day expert on camping, I set up my tent in no time and headed out for some photography.

In the late afternoon, I headed up to Glacier Point, high above the south side of the valley. From here I hoped to photograph the sunset from up on high. For a while, it looked like a major disappointment, color and light-wise. But as I prepared to leave, suddenly Half Dome and Cloud's rest turned a bright pink. I snapped away happily until the light was gone, then headed back to my camp in the valley.

The next day, after a comparatively warm night in my tent, I got up and spent the rest of the day photographing autumn scenery in and around the valley. It turned out nicely as found plenty of still water in the Merced River to record reflections, including reflections of El Capitan and the major domes.

Finally, towards the end of the day, I drove over to Camp Curry to make use of their free public showers. It felt so good to be clean and shaven again after four days in the wilderness. You can take the boy out of the city, but...

I will always be drawn back to Yosemite because of my roots. It is a special place in my heart and soul... and still one of the most beautiful places on this planet. If you have never been there, know that no picture by any photographer, past or present, can replace actually going there. It is more than a place...it is a feeling.

The photographs you see are of the pink light at Half Dome from Glacier Point, the Yosemite Chapel, and autumn trees looking up at a non-existent Yosemite Falls.

The next morning, I broke camp and began the first steps of the next part of my journey. After some quick photographic stops along the way, I headed west towards Oakland and a warm clean bed. But, before leaving Yosemite completely behind me, I decided to visit one other place in the park that I had not seen in over 40 years...a place that makes me a little sad, but still an important place, especially for many residents of the San Francisco Bay Area...the place known as Hetch Hetchy Valley. Stay tuned...

Postcard from Yosemite - Coming Home - Part One

After leaving the fascinating Tufas of Mono Lake, I started the long climb up Highway 120 to the Tioga Pass and the entrance to the high country of Yosemite National Park. Mono Lake sits at about 6,300 feet and Tioga Pass is situated around 10,000 feet. It is quite a climb (signs warn this road is not advisable for trailers). But, it was a part of my journey that I was really looking forward to...and the one that might not have happened had I not been lucky with the weather.

You see, the Tioga road closes for winter when the first snowfall hits...and it stays closed, usually until sometime in June. That means its only open for approximately four months. I felt the pressure on this entire trip of getting there before that first snowfall, and, as luck would have it, I made it. The high country of Yosemite is traversed by the Tioga Road...and while there are only a few, but spectacular things to see along the highway, it is the starting point of many, many hiking trails that take you back into some of the most beautiful country on this planet.

And I have seen no small amount of it during my younger days. Part of every summer was spent up here with my parents and brother when I was growing up. I used to drive them crazy as I would take off on my own to far away places that were named on trail head signs...places with romantic names like Lukens Lake, Harden Lake, Ten Lakes, Smith Meadows, May Lake and many others. I hiked them all when I whenever I could, anxious to see where these trails led and what was over the next hill. I couldn't stop myself from heading down a trail in these fantastic mountains. I used to stare at topographical maps of Yosemite to see all the lakes and mountains and wondered what they looked like. This sense of wonder and exploration is an important part of who I am.

The sad part of this trip was that most of the places that I knew so well were closed off for winter and I could not visit them. But I made the best of my two days visiting accessible places like Tuolumne Meadows, Lembert Dome, Tenaya Lake, and Olmstead Point. I saw portions of the old Tioga Road and wondered how my father could successfully navigate such a terrible tiny road in his Buick. I thought of my dear college friend Len who loved these mountains as much as me. Oddly enough,I feel his spirit whenever I am in Yosemite. He was killed by a mortar attack in Vietnam, one night before he was to leave.

Tuolumne Meadows was sad as the Tuolumne River was almost nonexistent and the meadows were all brown. I had only seen them in the past when they were green. Lembert Dome was bigger than I remembered and I had forgotten how much of the high country was shaped liked domes from the past glaciers. Tenaya Lake was so beautiful, full of water and surrounded by so many giant granite domes and mountains. And from Olmstead Point, you could look down the Tenaya Canyon and see Cloud's Rest and the north side of Half Dome. On another day I would see Half Dome from the valley and from high up at Glacier Point where I could look the other way up the Tenaya Canyon.

When I crossed Yosemite Creek, it was completely dry. This creek, fed by melting snow and glaciers, becomes the spectacular Yosemite Falls, one of the highlights of any trip to Yosemite. I've seen it when it was full, and now, I would see it later completely dry.

The sad thing, at least photography wise, was that there were again absolutely no clouds in the sky, so my photos on these two days lack the real "punch" that clouds can provide on occasion. Irregardless, I enjoyed my time there and my memories of the past. The first photo shows Tenaya Lake...the second is a view of Tenaya Lake in the lower foreground with the beautiful Yosemite granite peaks behind it...the farthest being Mount Conness. Finally, the third picture shows part of Tuolumne Meadows with Lembert Dome in the background.

At the end of my first day in the High Country, I headed up and over Tioga Pass and down to my camp site at 7,500 feet for yet another freezing night. On this evening, I am proud that I didn't use my ski mask, but it was still down to around 25 degrees. The next morning I got up, made breakfast, broke camp, and decided to camp the next night in Yosemite Valley where the low night time temperature was a balmy 44.

Three days after my visit, the first snows came and the Tioga Road closed for the season. I cut it close, but I did it.

Postcard from Mono Lake - Tufas

After leaving the comfort and luxury of my Reno hotel suites, I headed south along Highway 395, through the high desert county of Nevada, then back into California, finally dropping out of the high desert "down" to Mono Lake, at an elevation of around 6,300 feet. The city by the lake is Lee Vining, which is also at the intersection of Highway 120 which leads up the back side of the high Sierra Nevada mountains to Tioga Pass and Yosemite National Park.

But, I am getting ahead of myself. I decided to camp about 4 miles up highway 120 in a beautiful National Forest campground called Aspen at about 7,500 feet. As I was using all new camping equipment and this was the first camping adventure of this trip, I decided to go early to the campground and set up as I would not want to do it in the dark. All went well and my camp was set up by about 3:30 PM. Then about 4:00 PM, the sun went behind a mountain peak and the weather started turning cold.

It's been a while since I experienced such sustained cold out in the open. According to my temp gauge, it got down to 25...and I forgot to figure in my plans that nights in October are about 14 hours long...and the warmest place I knew of was in my sleeping bag. So, I went to bed early wearing 5 layers of clothes, gloves, two hoodies over my head, and a ski mask. I stayed there for 12 hours, then got up in the darkness to make coffee and breakfast so I could be a Mono Lake at sunrise. The reason is that sunrise is the best time to photograph the famous Mono Lake Tufas.

What's a tufa you ask? Its a special rock formation made of limestone that can only grow underwater. What makes these tufas so special is the way they form. Typically, underwater springs rich in calcium (the stuff in your bones) mix with lake water rich in carbonates (the stuff in baking soda). As the calcium comes in contact with carbonates in the lake (Mono Lake is a salt lake and very high in mineral content), a chemical reaction occurs resulting in calcium carbonate, otherwise known as limestone. The calcium carbonate precipitates (settles out of solution as a solid) around the spring, and over the course of decades to centuries, a tufa tower will grow. Tufa towers grow exclusively underwater, and some grow to heights of over 30 feet. The reason visitors see so much tufa around Mono Lake today is because the lake level fell dramatically after water diversions began in 1941.

In 1941, the city of Los Angeles began diverting water from 4 of the 6 streams that feed Mono Lake for its own use. Not only did the level of the lake start falling, the alkalinity of the water started rising, killing off the billions of tiny shrimp that inhabit the lake, and causing problems among all the bird species that feed off of the shrimp. Since 1941, the lake dropped over 50 feet and exposed the tufas you see in my photos.

In 1994, the State of California issued new guidelines that will eventually restore 25 feet of lake depth that will begin to bring back some of the original natural conditions of the lake itself. It will take many, many years and the lake can never be restored as it was, but it will be better for the wildlife than it is now. Most of the tufas at the lake that you see here will eventually be back underwater.

As for photographing the tufas, the best time is around sunrise. I enjoyed walking around looking for good photo opportunities and found some. It would have been very nice to have some interesting cloud formations, but as it has been for much of my trip, the sky was cloudless. Never-the-less, I do have some interesting photos of some very strange limestone formations.

From Mono Lake, I headed straight up to Tioga Pass (a scary steep road) and into the High Country of Yosemite National Park. Stay tuned.

Postcard from Reno - Suites for the Sweet

Being from California originally, I have been to the three major gambling areas in Nevada on several occasions in my life...Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Reno. And I have, more often than not, been able to get rooms at decent prices...not always, but often. When I was in Redding, I knew my next stop would be Reno. I went onto my favorite hotel booking site, Hotwire.com to book a hotel room. I booked a 3.5 star hotel for $32...not bad, heh? On my way to Reno, I decided to perhaps stay an extra night in that town and hoped I could get the same rate.

Now, when you book through Hotwire, you never know what hotel you are getting until you plunk down your credit card. You are given only the rating and the general location. So, after I booked it for Thursday night, I found out I was staying at the Atlantis Resort and Hotel out near the Reno Airport. Not having been in Reno for a while, I didn't know what it was like until I got there. It turns out the place was very, very nice and definitely worth a 3.5 star rating. It was big, with many rooms, a very large casino, and several fine restaurants.

Cool!

So I checked in and asked about staying another night at the same $32 rate. No way, I was told...it would be $69 because rates go up on weekends...and when the desk clerk informed me the hotel didn't have Internet, I said no, that I would figure something else out. No big deal. But, a big hotel like this one not having Internet? I might as well have stayed in Mitchell, OR.

Continuing on...my room was on the 5th floor and it was excellent...large bed, table and chairs, desk, armoire, and a very nice bathroom. And guess what? They did have Internet after all. The desk clerk was wrong. The only bad thing about the room was the view...a fascinating look at all the air conditioning equipment for the casino. I was willing to overlook that...so basically, I was a happy camper.

I went on line to Hotwire to see if I could book the hotel again for the next night for a cheaper rate. I read the description of the hotel and it was exactly the same as the description I had read for the Atlantis...only this time it was at $49 for Friday. The clerk was right...prices go up on Friday. So I booked the room....oops. It was for a different hotel...the Grand Sierra Resort. And once you book on Hotwire, there are no changes or refunds. Oh well...I would have to move. I could handle that as I wasn't doing much else.

About the only thing I really did at the Altantis was enjoy their fantastic, multi-cuisine buffet for $16.95. I noticed the sign there that said the same buffet for Friday night would be $27.95. Things really do go up on weekends...which makes sense...sort of. But, they shouldn't be so blatant in their signage.

Moving right along, after a good night's sleep, I noodled around Reno for a while after checking out...found the Great Sierra Resort (about 5 miles away and quite visible from great distances) and checked in. This hotel gave me a room on the 15th floor...and when I got there, the breath left my body. I was given a large suite at the very end of the hall with a great view of Reno. There was an L-Shaped living room, bedroom with all the amenities, a table, two over-stuffed chairs, desk, and a couch. There was a separate dressing room w/ large closet and sink, and then a bathroom with another sink and separate tub and shower. WOW! My $49 bucks was well spent.

But the best was yet to come....there was a Starbucks on the main floor right by the elevator. My morning coffee obsession was saved. The hotel did not have as many restaurants as the Atlantis, but it did have a Round Table Pizza joint, who make a great pizza...so I at there. For elegance, the Atlantis was a better hotel/casino, but the GSR had Starbucks and more-than-enough elegance for me. All-in-all, I was happy in both places.

I made excellent use of my suite at the GSR and enjoyed my time there very much. I also knew that the following night would be spent in a tent, probably freezing my buns off, so I stayed in my suite until the last possible time for check-out.

I can hear your question now...how did I fare gambling at these two casinos? Actually I broke even as I did not gamble on anything. I was tempted to bet on a football game but I was late in getting to the sports book, so I couldn't. Turns out I would have won. Quite frankly, I just don't gamble. The odds are too well stacked in favor of the house, so I don't bet. But, God, please don't tell anyone as I might not get these great room rates.

Anyway, I left the hotel minutes before they would throw me out and headed south on 395 back into California. And the following night I did camp...and I did freeze my buns off. Stay tuned.