I am grumpy today about the oil spill off Refugio beach near Santa Barbara.  I was just there and, you probably know, I find oil companies disgraceful (yes, I still drive- hypocrite that I am).  Sometimes when I'm in these moods I find that thinking of my trips- and my wife, my children and grandchildren-put things in perspective and get me out of my funk.  Today, I have posted the pics and narrative from my last trip up in central California under Trip Reviews (check them out- pretty cool).  I enjoyed that but while going through those pictures I saw some I took the other day that make me a very happy man- my daughter.  Perhaps you'll find these enjoyable too,.  I can't begin to express how much I love that kid- she's beautiful, sweet, wise, clever, funny, interesting and calm.  She is just a remarkable girl and the apple of her father's eye. I don't know how I managed to be so blessed.  Here's Lilly...

It's gotten to the point that I get a little stir crazy if I don 't sleep outside and see beautiful sights often enough.  I'm at that point now.  

I was supposed to camp with my man Marty last week at Joshua Tree, but so very sadly, his brother and my old pal, Michael passed away unexpectedly.  That, of course, put the kibosh on our trip and also started a period of mourning that some of us just can't seem to shake.  We will miss Michael.  He was a profoundly intelligent person who had great compassion for the poor and disenfranchised.  He was a great potter.  He also loved his family dearly as they loved him.  I have so many stories about Michael- he was an original- no doubt about that.  Rest in peace amigo.

I'm getting ready this week to head for the central coast on Thursday.  First, I'm heading to the newest National Park in California- Pinnacles.  I've never been there or traveled much in that area but it's busy.  I was only able to secure camping for one night and then I'll be staying a night in the mountains just east of Big Sur and the Monterey Bay.  

On Saturday, I'll drive down to windy Gaviota Campground which is north of Santa Barbara.  It's a kooky and cramped campground.  The wind blows so hard there the trees actually grow almost horizontally.  However, the beach is stunning, there is a cool pier, and an old-fashioned riveted railroad trestle above the campground.  Due to the wind- it's camping that's not for the faint of heart.

Then I'll head back north to the Central Coast and Big Sur area staying at Plaskett Creek and Limekiln State Park.

I'm looking forward to walking along the beach and meditating by the waves.  
Two last things- Vote For Bernie Sanders and listen to Ry Cooder!

Peace.

I've been home almost a week and, funny enough, I'm itching to get back on the road.  I know that the good weather months are dwindling and that soon it will be cold- my traveling and camping nemesis.  I have a trip planned to Utah in less than two weeks and then the wait for the twins begins in earnest and I'll probably stay pretty close to home.  

One of the most enjoyable activities  of the winter months is planning the next year's travel.  So far, I plan on two trips to Organ Pipe NM this winter.  After 11 long years the monument is now fully open again which is exciting to say the least.  I can now explore some places I've been itching to see for awhile but were closed due to the US Border Patrol's activities.  

Have you read, "The Devil's Highway" by Luis Urrea? The setting is Organ Pipe- it's a tragic story and my views on immigration were only solidified by reading it.  I know it's a complex issue but we MUST find a more humane way of dealing with those desperately poor people from Mexico who simply want a better life in the USA (as did all our relatives- except the indigenous).  I have lots of deeply passionate thoughts about these issues and, perhaps, in future, I'll devote an entire blog to what I believe the problems are (and there are many - starting with the government of Mexico and US policy) and how we might go about creating a better world for our brothers and sisters from the south.   If you have an interest in these matters please read Urrea, or "Border Patrol Nation" by Todd Miller.  Or read anything that Charles Bowden has written on the Border problems. 

If you know me, at all, you know I love all things Southwest- by extension- I love Mexico and the Mexican culture.  It's everywhere you go in the Southwest and it's one of the major reasons I love it here.  

Back to my plans for next year- so Organ Pipe is on big time.  I'm also going to spend some time at Anza Borrego near Little Blair Valley doing some boondocking near a dry lake bed.  Last year when I was there I was mesmerized by the solitude and stark beauty of the place.  The problem was that it's at 3000 feet elevation, it was during a cold snap, and when I awoke it was 21 degrees F. WAY too cold.  This fall/winter I'm hoping to go when it's a bit warmer.  Of course, I'll also figure out a time to go to my beloved Joshua Tree NP.

In March I'm heading to Big Bend National Park in Southern Texas along the mighty Rio Grande.  This is a trip that I've been wanting to do since my 20's and I'm finally going to make it happen.  That trip will include stops in Arizona and New Mexico and may include a stop at Palo Duro Canyon and Guadalupe NP. April is a wonderful month to explore the coastal mountains near Santa Barbara and Big Sur and I'll backpack then.  I love to travel in May because the weather is warming and the crowds are at a minimum.  I will probably be in Taos and Santa Fe then.  In June I'll head to the Sierras again.  July is "Lupe and Lilly time" and we are still in the process of deciding.  I'm considering two options for August - either Flathead Lake and Glacier NP in Montana or a Northern Cascades trip in Washington. 

This last trip was really spectacular and I'm strongly considering heading back to the Four Corners in Utah and Colorado in September.  I'm still, as I sit here at home, staggered by the scenery I saw in Colorado on this last trip.

My next trip, leaving on October 6, includes a visit with my very best friend from high school, Kevin D. , and still one of the best people I've ever known (or ever will know).  He went to college in Utah and then got a job there and so our visits have been sporadic (at best) over the years.  I'm hoping that changes in the next few years as we both move into the retirement phase of our lives.  As I told him recently- one of us is still working (him) and one of us is a hobo (me) so his schedule will dictate things for awhile.  Luckily he's free on the weekend of Oct. 11 and I get to hang with him on this trip.  Knowing Kev he's explored most of that beautiful country up there and I'll be the beneficiary of his knowledge.

Here's my Utah tentative itinerary:

10/6 Navajo National Monument
10/7 Arches NP
10/8 Arches NP
10/9 Arches NP
10/10 Canyonlands NP
10/11 Visiting with Kevin near Vernal, UT
10/12 Goblin SP
10/13 Goblin SP
10/14 Capitol Reef NP
10/15 Kodachrome SP
10/16 Home

Looks amazing doesn't it?  Arches NP remains my favorite.  Before I read Ed Abbey I visited it and had an OBE (out of body experience)- after I read, "Desert Solitaire" I understood why.  I probably feel more "at home" in Arches than any other place on earth. There is no place like the Red Rock Country of the Colorado Plateau.  Being there fulfills my heart's desire.  I'll look forward to sharing pictures on my return as always.  

Thanks for reading this.   I hope all is well in your life and that you too are planning your next adventure.  I'll look forward to writing again soon and sharing about another one of my new passions- playing guitar.

Peace.