I've been fortunate in the last few years to meet some really fine photographers like Lori Carey, Joe Smith, Tracy Schultze and Rachel Cohen (among others). Something that most of these photographers participate in is a year end list of their "favorite (or best) photos".  We submit them to a well known and well regarded Bay Area photographer, Jim Goldstein, for his annual "Blog Project- Your Best Photos"annually.  So this is my list. 

I had the good fortune to maintain my regular routine of monthly travel (except October  because of the Dodgers - dem bums).   I started off the year with two trips to Red Rock Canyon in the Mojave, visited Dodger Spring Training and Homolovi State Park in Arizona, took two trips to the Central Coast, went to Utah and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, went to each California League stadium, Petco Park, San Francisco (AT&T Park) and environs with Lupe,  and took a fabulous Four Corners trip, which included Mesa Verde, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Hovenweep National Monument and a quick jaunt to Joshua Tree to see my buddy, PJ Finn. Whew! Who said retirement was boring?!  I made about 8000 images this year and 7,990 were pretty bad. Well, not really, but these photos represent my personal favorites. 

The first photo (above) was taken in the fading light of a September afternoon at the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park from the south rim near Chasm View.  To me, it seems to capture the "up close but oh so deep and mysterious" look of this magnificent canyon. 

The next two favorites are also canyon photos and both from Imperial Point on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon at opposite ends of the day.  The first was taken while walking around with my amiga, Liz Kylin, in the late afternoon and a few days later I got up early to catch the sun as it just started to hit the point. You'll get a sense of how fascinating the light of the canyon can be from these two very different photos near the same vantage point (taken with the same camera). 

Let's move from canyon country to the coast. My number 4 favorite is a photo of Morro Rock - a place I return to year after year (since the 1980's).  I finally took a photo I liked of it. 

Next is a Mojave Desert photo taken after a steady 24 hour rain and the clouds were still lingering and creeping over the ridges into the valley below.   

The next photo is a long exposure of the pier, at sundown, in my beloved Gaviota State Beach. I'm not a fan of the ugly yellow boat hoist at the end of the pier - but, hey, that's Gaviota. 

My amigo Joe Smith has really encouraged me to use more black and white and the last 4 are in that medium.  The first is of Pacific Coast Highway north of Malibu on a late summer afternoon.  

The next photo is of Round Tower in Hovenweep National Monument.  This structure was probably built between 1150 AD and 1350 AD by Ancient Puebloans. 

This photo of iconic Spider Rock at sunset is probably my favorite of the year. Yes, I know its been photographed thousands and thousands of times but I like the simplicity and shadow of this black and white. 

Lastly, you wouldn't really expect the old Southwest Dude not to have a railroad track photo, right? Right. My last is from a favorite spot near Cantil, CA. 

Since it is the end of the year I want to express my gratitude to each of you who follow my blog and vicariously travel the roads of the West with me.  I hope you get some sense of how much I enjoy sharing my "traveling life" with you and I hope you know how great it is to have you along. 

​I'd like to also give a shout out to my pals and fellow inspirational photographers, PJ Finn, Craig Pindell, Scott Hays, Don Wendell, author extraordinaire, Chris LaTray and fellow travelin' fool, Scott Jones. I'm fortunate to have you dudes in my life (even if most of it is online). 

​Lastly, I also want to acknowledge the greatest blessings of my life which are my three children, my two daughters in law and my sensational wife.  I don't know how they put up with me - but they do and I'm so damn lucky. 

My best to all - let's have a brilliant 2019.  

National Parks back in the day - they were something.  Old fogeys like me remember them as quiet and iconic and sensational - as I travel 'round the West it has become clear to me that our National Parks are simply being overrun (I know it's a constant refrain of mine - but it bears repeating).  There are a few exceptions and this scoop - for my readers only  - is that you can find old time National Park bliss at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  

In the evening and morning you can drive the Cape Royal Road and, at times, be completely alone at some of the most magnificent overlooks on planet earth.  You can stop and breathe and stare at that canyon for hours. This was my second trip in the last few years and I'm already planning my third. 

It is a bit of a drive to get there.  It's much easier to get to the South Rim and the North Rim is, indeed, significantly more isolated.  It keeps the riff raff out.

​I thought, since it's such a long drive that I'd make a stop along the way.  I knew it would be hot but surely not  "Africa Hot" (see Biloxi Blues). It was 108F when I arrived at Quail Creek Reservoir State Park.  I spent the night in 90 degree weather inside the trailer. Oof.  It was a pretty place for a man made thing but I decided to "GTHO" the next day and drive to the mountains.  

I drove straight to one of my favorite spots in all of the West - Cedar Breaks National Monument where,  at 10,000 feet, was a beautiful 65 degrees. ​ Cedar Breaks, I'm convinced, would be a National Park if there weren't already five in Utah - which already frustrates those among us who would mine and develop and ruin these natural areas. 

From there I took lesser known roads and drove to the site of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. It is the site of one of the ugliest episodes of the old West - and there were plenty of those. I would encourage you to read up on this one...the story has changed - even during my lifetime and it merits broader awareness.   It's a very sad place. 

From there I took a leisurely drive up to Pine Valley and down around Snow Canyon in Southern Utah. 

I called Lupe before I left in the morning to help me figure out a strategy for dealing with the trailer sitting in the sun while I went to the mountains.  We figured closing it up was best.  So, I closed the blinds and locked it up. I'm not certain it was the best plan.  When I got back it was ONE HUNDRED TWENTY degrees inside!  Good Lord, man! I opened it up, sat outside, and when it reached only ONE HUNDRED I tried to sleep.  It didn't work very well so I got up early, hitched up my little fiberglass home, and hit the road for the high country of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. 

I arrived in the early afternoon, and I suppose from  the altitude and electrolyte loss, was wiped out and simply sat around the campsite.  The next morning I went to take a reinvigorating campground shower and waited for my amigo Scott Jones. He and his partner Jen and some friends did stop by for a bit. It was enjoyable but far too short.  Yes, that is an Everett Ruess shirt the old guy is wearing.  Scott and I are going to attend the USC vs ASU football game this fall at the Coliseum. He's a Sun Devil and I received my doctorate at USC so- FIGHT ON!  See you in October!

​My pal and fellow train lover, Liz Kylin, was staying at the North Rim Lodge and came by too. She and I drove out to Imperial Point and a few other spots that evening.  Turns out it was a nice to time for it. 

I did spend a bit of time at the North Rim Lodge.  What a cool place. You all know the famous Brighty of the Grand Canyon, right? 

Liz and I drove out to a spot Scott had recommended - Marble Viewpoint via a sweet dirt road.  We got there in the middle of a hazy day and the photos don't do it justice.  Not even close.  What a magnificent view.

I spent the next few days wandering. The North Rim Drive is an unparalleled gem.  The little cabin below was used by cowboys for stock food storage.  That pretty flower is the Arizona Mariposa Lily.  

The following gallery has a few photos of iconic Grand Canyon sights, to wit; Colorado River, Angel's Window, Wotan Throne and the Vishnu Temple. I did spend one day driving the entire Cape Royal Road.   The last photo of this series is a panorama of Wotan's Throne (on the right) and the Vishnu temple (on the left). 

Of course it sometimes pays off to get up at the crack of dawn to make photos. One morning I awoke at 4:00 AM to do just that - I drove up to Imperial Point - set up the tripod and waited for the light.  It was a stellar morning- warm and breezy and solitary. 

As I was post processing the photos I spent hours looking for opportunities to make black and whites.  Some of these turned out OK. 

Someone asked me once why I share so many photos on my blog posts - I wasn't sure how to take that question.  Did it mean that many are bad and don't need to be shared?  Maybe - but I answered the way I felt - my blog is a travel blog - not a photo blog per se.  Do I want you to see the artistic expression of my photography?  Of course - but - most importantly I want you to vicariously come along. Most of the time I'm alone when I travel and, like most travelers, I enjoy sharing the sights and sense of adventure I feel with others of my species.

I am, of course, happy about the quality of some of the photos and feel fulfilled when someone decides to hang one of them on their wall...I think of them whiling away the time looking at those magnificent vistas and feeling that "grand" feeling with me.

So, hey, thanks for coming along!  We all know, especially as we get older, that we are only here for a limited number of days.  As I reach the final trimester of my life nothing gives me more sheer joy than my family and my trips and my photos. How blessed I am that you are here with me. 

Oh, and get out to the North Rim - but SHHHHH! We don't need another Zion or Arches...let's keep the wonder of the place just between ourselves. 

If you follow these pages, at all, you know I am a passionate lover of the public lands and National Parks in the West.  I haven't been to all of them but I've been to the most popular and well known and some of them several times.  I am not a "Park Counter".  It's more important to me to freely explore and revisit the places I've found that I love than to check them off a list to say, "I've been there".  No offense to those who do that- it's a fine goal but it's inconsistent with my "process not product" beliefs...life is about quality not quantity. 

Moreover, the National Parks are certainly not the be all and end all of the best places to visit and explore in the United States.  Each of these places were around before they got this "status".  I encourage you all to find other public lands to investigate and you could start with visiting the National Monuments and Wildlife Refuges as well as typically serene Bureau of Land Management areas.  

I have thought about this blog post for awhile.  In particular, what would be the criteria for choosing my favorites?  This personal criteria, like the Parks themselves, has definitely changed in the last 40 years.  The Parks are now being overrun and it's not easy to find the peace many of us associate with wild settings.  For years of my life Arches National Park was my "home away from home".  No longer...

The following are my criteria for an ideal National Park:

1. Scenic splendor
2. Places for solitude and reflection
3. Flora and fauna
4. Regional setting
5. "Feeling" 

Scenic splendor is MY idea of what is visually pleasing. Only wildlife, I suppose, is mildly objective in terms of numbers. (My next blog will probably be favorite animals and that is certainly a matter of personal taste).  Regional setting is simply what I think of the surrounding area.  "Feeling" is the most wildly subjective and personal and combines several factors but, in the end, is what we beatniks used to refer to as "vibes" back in the day.

I will preface my list by reiterating this list is evolving.  So, in order, these are my favorite five (or six) National Parks:

​Number 1. Big Bend  Big Bend is remote and still feels wild.  Three distinct topographies are found here; desert, mountains and river which create seemingly endless possibilities for exploration.  Miles and miles of trails and dirt roads allow for more solitude and reflection.  Big Bend, because it's so damn far away from urban centers, is relatively uncrowded and it's easy to lose yourself here both literally and figuratively. 

Mountains your thing?  The Chisos are beautiful and imposing.  Of course, prior to National Park status the mountains were abused by loggers and some areas, nearly 80 years later, are still recovering.  Nevertheless, the mountains are picturesque and sharply rise up off the desert floor to provide an alpine oasis for camping, hiking and photography.

Desert Rat?  Then you will find the heart of the Chihuahua delightfully all around.  When I visited in March 2015 the desert was alive.  Yuccas were blooming crazily, creosote and mesquite was everywhere and the desert wildflowers were blooming.  Magnificent.  

The Rio Grande makes a "big bend" here in southern Texas and is the namesake of the Park itself.  Even though, thanks to the water hoarder engineers in the USA, the river is now often dry in Las Cruces and El Paso it flows here year around thanks to the Mexican River, the Rio Conchos.  I've spent a few hours on the river banks - completely alone - and the serenity is as good as it gets in today's National Parks.  River lovers rejoice...

The flora in Big Bend is, as you might expect, extraordinarily diverse. With mountain, desert and riparian areas well over 1000 species of plants are found here.  Trees like the Texas Madrone, Juniper, Mesquite, Cottonwoods, Oak and Ash dot the park.  Cacti is, of course, abundant (46 species!) and for a cactus lover like me it's a paradise.  Wildflowers are typically found in Spring and Fall. If you have Southwest tastes here are the Sotol, Lechuguilla, Ocotillo, Salt Cedar, Creosote, and magnificent Yuccas.

Wildlife thrives here and spending your days here birdwatching would easily fill your hours.  One of my the best mornings I've spent in recent years was while watching a mother and father Gray Hawk feeding their young in a large Cottonwood tree by the Rio Grande.  Roadrunners are ubiquitous.  Coyotes, javelinas, mule deer, and jackrabbits are easily seen.  Bears, badgers and foxes are also here but a bit more reclusive.  While not for everyone I suppose, the desert reptiles are here but best seen at night.  

Big Bend is my number one favorite National Park.  My hunch is, if you asked people, they have probably not heard of it (unless they are Texans!) and it does not crack their list of best National Parks even if they do...​That's one of the main reasons it's number one.

If you love the Southwest it doesn't get better anywhere else.  

On a scale of 1-5:

Scenic Splendor 4
Solitude 5
Flora and Fauna 4
Regional Setting 5
Feeling 5

Total: 23

Number 2.  Yellowstone. The Granddaddy of them all.  There really is no place else like Yellowstone.  

Sometimes referred to as the "American Serengeti" the wildlife here is unsurpassed and in higher concentration than anywhere else in the continental USA.  I've been fortunate to have spent 3 weeks in the Teton and Yellowstone wildernesses and in one trip alone I saw beavers, eagles, bears, moose, grouse, osprey, falcon, geese, badger, bats, bobcat, coyote, chipmunk, rabbit, bison and elk.  It is a wildlife lover's nirvana. 

Lots of folks think that the thermal features are the biggest attraction.  Iconic "Old Faithful" is found here as well as literally hundreds of other geysers, mudpots, fumaroles, hot springs and even travertine terraces.  On a trip there in 2013 I hung out with several "Geyser Gazers" who make an annual pilgrimage to the thermal basins and wait, sometimes for days and weeks, for an eruption.  That actually doesn't sound like such a bad life does it? 

The scenery?  Well, come on... Let's start with the Grand Canyon of the mighty Yellowstone River.  There is also the "Falls District" and Hayden Valley and Yellowstone lake and well, forget me trying to describe it- you just gotta go.   It is sublime.

Ok- so...if Yellowstone is so great why isn't it number one?  You guessed it.  People.  People everywhere unless you get off the roads. It seems that some of the biggest fools of America like to visit the park.  Cars simply stop when they spot a bison and there are hundreds of bison everywhere.  I've seen cars stop, doors fly open, and people run, camera in hand, right at the bison (or elk, or moose or anything that moves).  It's maddening. Fortunately, Yellowstone is massive and getting out on the trails can get you away- really away - from people. 

The area?  It's adjacent to stunning Grand Teton National Park and a day's drive to splendid Glacier National Park. Enough said.

Scenic Splendor 5 
Solitude 3
Flora and Fauna 5
Regional Setting 5
Feeling 4

Total: 22

Number 3. Grand Canyon.  I'm sure some will think I've rated this too highly but that's because; a. haven't been there or b. don't remember their first glimpse of it or c. they're clueless (which could be common- have you seen the presidential polls lately?).  

Arriving at Grand Canyon NP, say at the ever popular South Rim, is pretty but does not prepare you for your first glimpse into the Canyon.  My favorite experience in any National Park is to take someone to the Grand Canyon for the first time and listen to them audibly gasp and then see their facial expressions when they view it.  It is so large and complex and beautiful it boggles the mind.  Think of how many places you could sit for weeks on end and never get bored...the GC is one, for sure.  

The mighty Colorado River - red in spring (hence its name) and green in the late summer and fall runs the length of the canyon of course.  It rumbles, meanders, courses and slides through the canyon. The opportunities for hiking or playing on the river here are literally endless. 

It is crowded.  The South Rim can be overrun and feel like an amusement park.  The North Rim is not open year around but offers better choices for solitude.  The best idea though is to find spots away from the popular places and explore on your own.  So finding privacy is possible but demands a bit of planning and work (like most of the parks).

The GC is its' own environment and there are some species that can only be found here.  Several fish are native but the number, sadly, has significantly decreased over the years.  Bird watching is a great treat and there is tremendous diversity in the bird population.  The Kaibab squirrel is seen here and is rare.  Of course, coyotes, mountain lions and other southwest mammals make their home here.  

I love this part of the country.  Southwest and Colorado Plateau beauty surrounds the Grand Canyon. Four Corners is within a day's drive.  Often on my trips coming back from Colorado or New Mexico or even Utah I find a way to stop by- if only for a day or so.  It's always worth it.

Scenic Splendor 5
Solitude 2
Flora and Fauna 3
Regional Setting 5
Feeling 5

​Total 20 


Number 4. Yosemite.  Yosemite is, arguably, the prettiest place on the planet and if scenery was the ONLY criterion I was looking at then Yosemite is number one.  The granite walls and rock formations and the waterfalls are spellbinding, mesmerizing and leave one speechless. This is the heart of John Muir's "Range of Light".  To the best of my fading recollection this was the first National Park in which I camped (Redwood National Park was the first I actually visited).  This is a rock climber's mecca and the legends and the ghosts of the legends are everywhere here...

The grizzly that once roamed this magnificent park have long ago vanished.  The Yosemite black bears are around and used to be quite the nuisance before measures were taken to limit their opportunities for food.  Of course, deer and coyotes are ubiquitous as are small varmints of many kinds.  Still, the wildlife viewing is limited compared to Yellowstone or Glacier. 

Unless you get very far off trail there is little solitude to be found here.  

It's in California, of course and it's proximity to Sequoia and King's Canyon is a good feature but it's too close and too well known to the major population centers.

The feeling here?  Stand beneath El Capitan or Half Dome and tell me how you feel.  It's a religious experience.

Just writing this has spurred me into considering an early spring camping trip on the valley in my little trailer.  March looks good- chilly but good...  

Scenic Splendor 5
Solitude 1
Flora and Fauna 4
Regional Setting 4
Feeling 5

Total: 19

Here is a link to a Yosemite Guide. 

Number 5(Tie). Arches   For many years Arches National Park was my favorite place on the planet.  I literally had an out of body experience when first I visited and I've never quite recovered (nor hope to...).  After that visit I read Edward Abbey's masterpiece, "Desert Solitaire" in my thirst for more information about the place and, of course, my world, (literary and otherwise!) was altered completely. I'd found a kindred soul who understood that place and had the skill to explain its' sublimity.  That was nearly 35 years ago.  

The last 35 years have not been good to Arches just as Abbey dourly predicted. I don't fully understand the reasons for the denigration of Arches - It could be the stupid promotions like "Find Your Park" by the NPS or the state of Utah's ubiquitous and tawdry advertisements for the "Big 5" National Parks but the place has damn near been ruined.  

​Delicate Arch, the icon of the Southwest was, in the 80's, a popular hike.   You might see 20-30 people as you walked the 3 miles there.  When you arrived about the same number would be hanging out and having lunch or taking photos.  Those days are long gone, vanished, history, forget it...Delicate Arch is a zoo.  It's a citified experience.  I was there in October 2014 and there was a SOLID 3 mile line to the Arch.  When you got there?  Dozens of people were crowded around the arch, pushing, yelling, arguing, and jockeying for position to photograph it.  If you want to compound your misanthropic tendencies (or create some!) just hike to Delicate Arch at dusk. 

The one campground (Devil's Garden) is always full and the entrance road to the park, Highway 191, gets backed up for miles on long weekends.  In short, it's a mess and it breaks my heart.  Words cannot adequately describe my despair about this, for me, deeply spiritual and sacred place.

Given what I've said above is it even worth visiting?  Well, if you haven't been there, it is an unequivocal YES.  It is, after all, still amazing Arches and it's not the fault of the land that it's being overrun.  The red, desert varnished, geologic formations are, if you can imagine it without the hordes, remarkable and delightful and simply stunning.  So, go, go, go.  If you happen to be there on some frigid December or March morning you might run into some bespectacled bearded older fella huffing and puffing with a Nikon around his neck on a walk in the Fiery Furnace.  Go ahead and say hello but you might just get a grunt in return...

The surrounding area is, of course, crazy beautiful and the great Canyonlands National Park is only a few miles down the road.  If you're looking for quiet and solitude- go to the Maze district there. Moab, the town, next door to the park is one of the coolest in the West.  Your proximity to the entire Four Corners region and the Colorado and Green Rivers also makes it a gem and a wonderful spot for river activity.

One typically doesn't go to Arches for the wildlife, per se, but it's there if you get away from the people.  Look for it.  Deer, coyote, fox, bobcat, mountain lion and lots of rabbits and smaller creatures abound.  

Scenic Splendor 5
Solitude 1
Flora and Fauna 2
Regional Setting 5
Feeling  5 

Total 18

Number 5 (Tie). Olympic.  Given my predilection for the desert it may be surprising that I list this glorious spot but it's too wonderful and diverse to leave off the list.   

Olympic, like Big Bend, has three distinct and marvelous topographies.  First are the Olympic Mountains with Mt. Olympus towering over the entire area.  The mountain hiking here is, in my opinion, is equal to the Rockies and Sierra.  Lakes, rivers, peaks, lush and healthy forests, and simply water everywhere makes time and worry fall away when you visit.

Then, there are the Hoh and Quinault Rain Forests.  These are certainly not, given the latitude, tropical rain forests.  Instead, they are "temperate" rain forests and trees and moss and huge ferns are everywhere. I've never seen any place like it.  Just writing this has me planning my next trip.  It's been too long.

Then, if you love the sea, you've found your shangri la. Huge sections of beaches - with no one on them- stretch for miles.  Trees and rock formations are adjacent and then there are the sandy beaches with an ocean smell that will send you instantly into the present moment.  Having lived within a few hours of the beach my entire life I can report that, on the west coast, this is, I believe, the best beach walking, wandering and combing I have experienced.   

I haven't been to Olympic in a number of years but I note from the interwebs data that Olympic is the number 6 on the most visited parks with 3 million visitors annually.  Since there are no roads across the park from west to east unless you travel the northern edge of the park the people will be found concentrated in certain places.  Here is the map.  That means, of course, crowds.  It also means miles of space for backpacking and like all these parks getting out of your car is a must.  Still, it sounds too damn crowded.  October might be the right month to go although it will be getting cold in the mountains.  

Like other mountain ranges in the West the grizzly is long gone from the area but it is still rife with wildlife- deer, elk, black bears, cougars, otters and the snowshoe hare are here among many others.  On the ocean side you'll find harbor seals, river otters and sea lions.  At various times of the year you can also see porpoises and whales from the shoreline. 

Scenic Splendor 5
Solitude 2
Flora and Fauna 3
Regional Setting 4
Feeling 4

Total 18

SUMMARY

So, there you go.  My top 5 (or 6) National Parks. There are probably dozens of legitimate reasons to call this list bogus.  First and foremost is its' subjectivity but, I suppose, when you're comparing these places, in the end, after reviewing all the data - it still comes down to which park appeals to you at a highly personal level.  For example, here are a only a few of the wonders I left OFF the list:

Glacier 
Death Valley 
Lassen Volcanic
Crater Lake
Joshua Tree
North Cascades
Sequoia/Kings Canyon
Redwoods
Badlands
Grand Teton
Carlsbad Caverns
Pinnacles
Great Basin 

Note these don't even include Alaska or the eastern parks!  

I look forward, in about 5 years or so, to reviewing modifying and adding to the list after I visit other parks and get to Alaska.  In the meantime, I offer you these places to consider as a traveling man and a lover of the natural world.  

Lastly, it would be remiss of me not to express at least some gratitude to the National Park Service, on their 100th Anniversary, for doing a damn fine job of keeping these places as pristine as possible.  I'm not a fan of authority and armed Rangers with nasty attitudes but, fortunately, I've only run into a few of those types.  In general park personnel has been helpful and smart and they must have to exercise tremendous patience to deal with some of the idiots who grace our national treasures with their presence.  They do this on an absurdly tiny budget.  To me this is everything wrong about America - spend trillions on weapons, defense and billions on putting people in jail while we decimate the budgets for our National Parks.  The NPS budget is a national disgrace.  

When it comes to the future of the parks I'm glad the Park Service has stopped feeding the Grizzly among other not too smart ideas.  I hope that they dump the "Find Your Park" promotional garbage and soon.  The parks are slowly being ruined by the number of visitors that descend upon them annually and these promotions are, in my opinion, destructive.  Limits must be placed on the number of visitors NOW.

I understand that from a political perspective the Park Service needs the population to support them but at what cost?  More and more visitors?  There is tragic irony in trying to save them by ruining them.    

I hope you enjoyed reading about a few of our precious national gems.  

Go on now!  Get out there!

(In the off season.)

It's that time of year when an old Cactus Man's fancy turns from the desert to the mountains and sea. 

I have been trip planning for the last week while homebound.  Lupe and I have had some domestic issues like painting and appliance repair to deal with (I swear it feels like these damn things are never done).   As a result, I have nearly finished my trip plans for the next few months.  In addition, Lupe and I are looking at the possible purchase of a very small, affordable, versatile, high ground clearance travel trailer.  I need something that is homey enough for Lupe but I can take on my beloved dirt roads.  While I love my current setup with just the camper shell I must admit it would be nice to have a place to hole up in bad weather.  Anyway, we're not looking for something that resembles our home in any manner (why not just stay at home or in a motel then?).  We want a tiny hideaway to take us away to private and secluded spots as well as the National Parks.  The research continues...

In June- next week in fact, my son Kevin and I are headed to Boulder Basin in the San Jacinto mountains for a couple of days.   I've been trying to get him to go camping with me for a few years now and I'm really looking forward to it.  From there he'll go back to work (poor bastard) and I'll head to Nevada and Great Basin National Park.  It's my first visit there and it is one of the lesser known National Parks- which is right up my misanthropic alley.

Then it's time for Lupe and Lilly!  At the beginning of July Lupe and I are going to Point Mugu and camp right on the beach.   Then, at the end of July she and Lilly and I are going to Jalama Beach and Pismo Beach.  We'll spend a night in a motel in Morro Bay to wrap up (love that sleepy little town).

In August I'm headed back to the Southwest for a trip to the north rim of the Grand Canyon.  I've been to the south rim probably 10 times but I don't usually head there in summer when the north rim is free of snow and open.  I will probably camp a night or two at nearby Jacob Lake and look for future boondocking spots.  At the end of the month and just before Lilly starts high school (Good God!) I'm taking her to one of my favorite spots in this lifetime - Lassen Volcanic National Park.  I know it so well I can show her around!  As she grows older these chances will be come fewer and fewer (see Jordan and Kevin) and I will cherish this time together.  It will be an unforgettable trip.  

My next BIG trip is in my favorite month to travel - September.   I'll be heading to Devil's Tower National Monument in Wyoming and the Little Big Horn Battlefield in Montana. You've probably figured out my appreciation of and fascination with the indigenous people of our continent and this trip will focus heavily on Native American history and culture. 

In October I'm heading back to Big Sur area to stay at Kirk Creek Campground and boondock in the mountains that overlook the sea,  I'm gonna squeeze in a weekend back at Pinnacles National Park with my dear Bay Area family.

November brings me back to the desert...

I'll look forward to showing my pictures and narrating the trips as I return from each one. 

Peace.