National Parks: Land O'Sand

The last in our trilogy of National Parks was probably the coolest.  It has only recently upgraded from National Monument to National Park.  As with the other parks it was quite crowded (July is probably the worst time to go to the parks unless you really like being around other people) but we managed to get a campsite that overlooked the dunes.

It was very hot and we were tired, so we waited until the early evening (photography's "magic hour") to go for a hike.  Do you remember when you were a kid and you were following your parents across the beach to find the perfect spot to lay your blanket down and the sand was so hot you had to wear your shoes but they kept filling with sand and it was hard to walk?  Well it was kind of like that except you never got to the water.

Actually it was a lot more fun than that.

We were hoping for a fantastic sunset but no such luck.

The next morning we were up with the deer to begin the long haul back home.  

National Parks: "Large Teat"

Our plan was to spend two days in Jellystone and 1 day in Large Teat National Park.  We stuck to the plan but really should have reversed it.  The mountain range is breath-takingly beautiful.  There were plenty of trails to choose from, but given our limited time (actually our time wasn't limited at all and we could have stayed another day but I think we were ready to be making progress home at this point) we chose a fairly convenient and therefore busy trail.

The trail was only moderately difficult and it climbed around a large lake.  At first we were passing descending hikers but once we reached some of the trail's highlights we ran smack into what felt like a convention of tourists.  Mostly families, some with very young children.  I couldn't handle the crowds and we started our way back down.

We quickly ran into a couple with two young children asking us if the boat dock was ahead.  Since we were way above the lake at this point the answer was obviously no.  Th woman was wearing the exact pair of five finger shoes that I had changed out of for the hike.  I'm thinking it was a fairly uncomfortable climb for her and the kids looked like they were ready to call it quits.  Unfortunately they kept climbing in hopes of finding the dock (which we found at the bottom of the trail).  I hope they eventually came down.

After leaving the Large Teats, we drove through Wyoming towards Colorado.  Most of it was boring and flat but there were a few exceptional sections.

National Parks: Jellystone

b and I went to several National Parks in the past week.  One of them was the flagstone.  It was the first park and is definitely the most popular.  We camped there for two nights and I have to admit I was happy to be gone by the second day.  I had read a review that called the park "the Disneyland of the outdoors" and, while the reviewer meant it as a compliment, I was sorry to find it so.  I am far from hardcore (unlike b) but that doesn't mean I want my outdoors served on a platter.

The park was crowded, with buses dropping sightseers off even in the early hours of the morning. There are many trails but the moderate and difficult ones do not appear to be well maintained and we had a hard time finding trailheads.

We did get up extra early one day to catch the good sun and I managed to take a few shots.

RBOC: Driving Cross-Country Edition

• The North American continent is very large.
• I strongly believe that some landscapes sing to you and others, no matter how pretty, don't.  Tall mountains dropping into the ocean is my song; dry mountains and wide open spaces are completely out-of-tune for me.
• Harley Davidson dealerships are everywhere.  Cell service, not so much.
• Wyoming is endless and has no Starbucks.
• I hate Pilot Cars.
• Flat landscapes depend upon dramatic skies.
• American cities sprout small, obscure museums (The Museum of Wildlife Art, for example) but I'm not sure that anyone actually visits them.
• In Canada road workers were busy working in road work areas; in America there are many road work areas but few visible workers.  
• Driving a small car with a 17-foot red kayak on the roof draws lots of attention, particularly in landlocked states. 

The Perfect First Date*

The City of Glass gave us a perfect first date.  We arrived on Saturday afternoon and spent all day Sunday wandering its many funky neighborhoods.  We managed to find real bagels for breakfast and a lovely independent used bookstore (where I picked up 3 gems).  We strolled on two beaches, enjoyed an amazingly beautiful day, and ended it with sushi for dinner.  The next morning the city was gentle with us as we made our way out of town.  We stopped to try a Waffle and Milk Bar first, where we had amazing egg and cheese sandwiches on waffles for breakfast.  I may have found my home.


*This is my 500th post!

A Month of "Me Time"

A fair amount of my research involves talking to women who are actively mothering their children.  Regardless of their personal situation, they all desire more time to themselves.  They want "me time."  I remember this feeling very well.  It lasted the entire time Angel lived with me.  Granted I had a lot more "me time" once he reached his teens, but there was always an underlying sense that my time was not truly my own.

There were several years where I traveled a lot for my job.  While I missed Angel (and later b) when I was traveling, it was also a relief to have a hotel room all to myself for a few days.  Most of those days I was working and not actually in my hotel room, but knowing it was there waiting for me was a blessing.

Things are different now.  I have a lot of time to call my own.  At the beginning and endings of the semesters the various demands upon me can almost feel like those mothering years but not quite as relentless.

b left for his Alaska Adventure today.  He has 5 days of driving; a day and a half on a ferry; a day to wait for his friend, and then three weeks of paddling before I meet up with him.  This translates into four weeks of me at home alone.

I've never lived alone.  b has done these adventures before but this is the first one since Angel went off to college.  Me time is a lot less precious when you have it in abundance.

I have a lot of work to do in the next four weeks.  My goal is to be caught up and ready for the semester to begin before I leave for vacation.  When I get back I will only have two weeks before classes start and those weeks are notoriously busy with meetings.

So my "Month of Me Time" will consist of writing a grant and getting a backlog of papers out, running two ongoing projects, prepping my fall courses and getting ready for the new cohort of doctoral students.  In between I'll be attending a lot of yoga classes and taking an e-course or two.  Hopefully I'll be posting throughout it all. 

At The Beach: A Photo Essay

A very busy weekend.

A foot fetish (for Drax)

Some scary stores

Pupzilla on the beach.

Beautiful sunrises

Lovely sunsets.

Flora and fauna

The long road home.