Breaking Loose During a Pandemic

 Just like every person on the planet, I've hunkered down, limiting any personal interaction.  Hugs aren't for everyone, but they are for me. So, these weeks and months without touch leaves a void. I've taken to spots in nature to refill my tank.  I've wanted a kayak for a while and one that I could manage on my own. I stumbled across a video of a foldable kayak and to my surprise, found it a fair price. I ordered the Tucktec in the first quarter of the year. We all know what happened then.  Covid-19 had a big impact on production and my prize finally arrived the first week in July. I've been able to get to a local lake about a half a dozen times and really enjoy the tranquility of the lakes. 

I packed up my Jeep with camping equipment and the kayak and decided to see what this old girl is made of. I had intention of camping in Leadville, CO before visiting friends in the Denver area as well as Rocky Mountain National Park. Mother Nature has really spun some challenges this year and my trip would be altered due to an early SNOW storm in Colorado. After a delay of five days, I drove the first day into Santa Fe, NM and stayed at the Santa Fe International Hostel, a location I stayed at two years ago for the balloon festival.  This location is not for everyone, but I find it perfect.  I checked in outside, learned the protocol and was given a key to a private room.  A local Whole Foods delivers food to the hostel and there is always a snack at the coffee/tea bar.  In the morning,  Preston, the proprietor dropped off a pint container of fresh fruit and yogurt to my door.  

The hostel has a two night minimum so I took the next day to explore nearby 

Jemez Springs.  I could see from a distance that something special was calling. 

What a fabulous road trip I had found!  I have to say one of the best I have ever taken.  Jemez Springs, dating back to the 1860's boasts of natural hot springs, but because of COVID-19, only New Mexico residents could partake.  

It was somewhat of a deja vu moment to wander the main street of this sweet place. The church in the picture is still operational. The little park held a statue with a unique timepiece. In front of the marker are two rows of 12 bricks representing each month of the year.  If one stands on their birth month, their shadow will point to the time of day represented by bricks laid in an arc to the left and right of the marker.  I had never seen any timepiece like it. 

Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, the Jemez Historic Site (located just north of the village of Jemez) was closed to the public.

Jemez River, where the hot springs come from 1500 feet under.

The next morning, I was off in the direction of Denver. I stopped along the way to take in the mysterious Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve of Colorado.  Just like any other national park, folks seem to be loving the NPS to death!  So crowded with folks sight seeing, enjoying picnics and even surfing the sand!  These dunes were created by the very mountains they sit in front of.  They are reportedly the tallest dunes in North America with one over 750 tall. Camping is close by as well as Zapata Falls, which I passed by in order to keep a timeline.

Historic marker near the entrance....I made a point to stop as we did when I was a kid. 

                                            Yes, those are the dunes in beige, behind the cars.

I found the recent snow helpful to see what this mountain might have looked like originally.

After a brief view of the dunes, I was off to a Denver suburb to stay three nights with Jenni, a Peace Corps friend. We laughed, cried and had reminiscent moments recalling lives of our parents. We met up with four other Returned Peace Corps members from our group at So Radish, an Arvada restaurant.  

That's Jeremy, me, Jenni, Beth, Kelly and Kaylee with Ninah.

And we got a bit goofy with some of Jenni's childhood "friends".

Next stop would be Elk Meadow Lodge and RV Resort in Estes Park.  I will see what I made of here as I would NOT be staying in a lodge or an RV.  Here is my dwelling for three nights. 

Here I would meet up with my East Coast friend, Vicky who is working her first NPS gig and really enjoying it.  Since there are NO Ranger talks, I counted on her to share what she has learned over the summer about Rocky Mountain National Park.  I do not recall being in this park, however, since I lived in Denver as a child I imagine I have seen some of it.  I can almost hear my father saying, "Don't you remember the picnic we had when you were 3 at...."

At any rate, Vicky had the next two days off and had given great thought to what we should/could do.  The first day we would take the infamous Trail Ridge Road from the East to the West, stopping to do a short (arduous at 12,000 feet with 35% less oxygen) hike on the Tundra Communities Trail and stopping at the Mushroom Rocks. 

This is one of the magnificent views from the store!

The logs on top of the roof are there to keep the materials in place during 100 mph winds in winter!

The Alpine Visitor Center is adjacent to the store.

Vicky presenting the store.....

After enjoying a picnic lunch, we forged ahead to Grand Lake, just outside the park west entrance.  The area is beautiful with fall showing more on the west than the east.  I now had the opportunity to put my kayak in water!  I certainly enjoyed seeing the park from the middle of the lake as well as the many lovely lake homes with two boat garages! 

I spent a little longer on the lake as I had planned since I got myself a bit lost!  Good lesson to turn back (just like in hiking) to get a view of where I enter water!  I can tell you I slept well that night!!

The next day would be kinder and gentler to this ole' sole!  We stayed at lower elevations ranging from 7000 - 8000 feet and took in Bear Lake, Nymph Lake and Sprague Lake. Good, short hikes and outstanding views. However, the moose who reportedly favor Sprague Lake were no where to be seen.  Could it be that rutting season for elk has them hiding, we wondered? 

Bear Lake showing fall colors.

Nymph Lake with lily pads.

Mr. Trout protecting Mrs. Trout relentlessly at Sprague Lake...can you see them?

Sprague Lake with fire haze in the air.

We finished our visit by walking the downtown area of Estes Park a bit and then finding a restaurant with outside seating to watch the Big Thompson River calmingly flow by us. It was a wonderful two day visit and another NP memory.

While in Estes Park, I had to seek out the infamous Stanley Hotel, used in The Shining.  

The next morning I would arise just short of sunrise, pack up and head out.  I had endured the coldest night pretty well and felt refreshed.  

I took the route to Loveland through a lovely canyon, following The Big Thompson River. 

As I began my drive southwest, I stopped in Golden, CO to visit the alma mater of my Dad's and maybe the school of choice for a grandson who says now (age 9) that he wants to be a miner! 

I spent the night in Saguache, CO in a 1950's style motor inn to keep with the nostalgic trend to my trip.

Getting an early start once again, I stopped in Chimney Rock National Monument to explore.  I found the trail to the top a bit challenging with lots of loose rock especially in the "pinch point" close to the end.  At the top was Mary, a volunteer who explained the kiva and mystery of the people who build it.  Evidently, they were only in the area 50 years after completing the kiva. 

As I left Chimney Rock, I drove through Pagosa Springs, CO. 

Here are some pictures from a scenic overlook along the way.

Made it as far as Farmington, NM and saw a sign for Aztec Ruins National Monument.  I decided to stop and was so pleased I did.  What an extensive site and so well preserved.  

One more historic road sign along the way over reservation land in southwest NM. 

Found my way to Window Rock....a bit unremarkable after all I had seen before! 

Finally, made my way home...crawling the last 10 miles.  

Yep, that's how it rolls during the summer in Rim Country!

Ending on a good note....

Lovely fall scene from the Grand Lake area.

September 2017

Well, just pinch me.  I have seen Italy!

I joined friends in Rome for a sailing on the Royal Clipper, one of the sailing vessels in the Star Clipper fleet. (www.starclippers.com) It all started with a tease from a fellow sailor of my March 2016 Clipper cruise in the Caribbean. I jumped at the chance to vacation with Susan and John, along with family members, Jim, Margaret, Alice and Jeannie.  I would come to be introduced as an adopted cousin!

I flew out of Phoenix August 30 on a redeye to JFK.  I spent that day with my nephew, Max Baker and significant other, Desiree.

I conquered another bucket list item! We, all three walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.

By late afternoon I had found my way back to JFK for a flight to Dublin.  Because I failed to pack my outlet converter properly, I restricted myself to the airport for the 8 hour layover.  Lots of folks to visit with AND cider to taste....too early for Guinness for me!

My next leg took me from Dublin airport to Rome, arriving late.  Because of the late arrival  I opted for the hotel transportation pick up. 

I was ready for a good night's sleep at the Best Western Universo.  This is a very nice hotel in the heart of the city and only a 3 minute walk from where the rest of the gang was staying.

After breakfast we took a Hop On, Hop Off bus to see the sights of interest. 

We sat outside for lunch and got our arranged bus to Civitavecchia at 3PM.

From L to R: Susan, John, Alice, Patty, Jeannie, Margaret and Jim.

We were all excited to set foot on the Royal Clipper!

We were greeted with a cocktail and light refreshments then led to our rooms.

 

Mine was what I would refer to as a MOLE HOLE, but, hey....I booked a single!
No windows and a very interesting bed.....

We would sail at 10PM with just a few sails up.  The water was CHOPPY!  Sails go up to the music from the movie 1492, a very moving piece.  It's quite the experience to watch the crew get the sails up to this music.  The sea was pretty rough and a lot of the water in the two pools would splash out onto the deck.  A few first timers had a rough night and would be missing at breakfast!

Morning would find us at Ponza, the largest island of the Italian Pontine Islands archipelago. The island is suspected to be the subject of Homer's Odyssey.  As it was Sunday, many shops would close from noon on.  It's charming and has a lot of history.

After dinner entertainment in the bar was a fashion show done primarily with crew, but splashed with some fun guests.

Monday morning found us anchored at Sorrento, Italy. 

It is a lovely coastal town sitting high atop granite cliffs. Others would take an excursion while I would wander about finding I Giardini di Cataldo, a lemon grove complete with Lemoncello stand.

 Tree poles used to limb into the trees.

 Gleaners move from tree to tree using poles.

Found an exhibit of Marc Chagall and photo display of Sophia Loren's work in Italy. This was at a former residence, a charming villa known as Villa Fiorentino Sorrento.

Here is the Chiesa di San Francesco church dating  to 14th century.

I kept walking up, up, up......

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Finally, I would treat myself to a magnificent outdoor lunch of ravioli and red wine at Hotel Minerva.  The stunning views of Bay of Naples held me captive a few hours! If you look closely you can see the Royal Clipper.


The next day, Tuesday would have us traveling through The Strait of Messina about sunrise. Here is John contemplating the view.

It separates mainland Italy from Sicily. 

Now in picturesque Amalfi, Italy Margaret and I would make our way to Museo della Carta Amalfi, a paper museum.

I realize that doesn't sound all that exciting, but it is centuries old and built into the mountain, using natural spring water to run the mill.  The interior is definitely cave like! Almalfi's charm is real and didn't fail in the "WOW" factor.  However, it was definitely a tourist destination and crowds were also very real.

Later that evening those who had sailed with Star Clippers in the past were treated to a champagne reception with the Captain.  I was pretty amazed to see nearly half of those sailing had done so in the past!

Captain Brunon Borowka is from Poland.

The returning crew Patty, Susan and John at Captain's reception.

Wednesday at Taormina, Italy would have me on my first excursion. I took a bus, a tram and off-road vehicle to Mt. Etna, 11,480+ feet.  I was told to bring a jacket and was happy to have one with a hood!  It was cold and windy!! The inhabitants of the area are quite creative with the planning and preserving of the area.  In the 2002 eruption a path for lava was designed by dynamite ahead of time.  The buildings in the area are naturally very sooty looking and the landscape intriguing.

After dinner entertainment was local folklore, "Gruppo Folk Naxos" with traditional dances and music from Sicily.

We arrived Thursday at Lipari, Italy.  Lipari is the largest of the Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea.  My traveling companions and I took a bus trip around the island viewing lovely beaches, a pumice mining area complemented by obsidian.

Refreshments!

Entertainment after dinner would be a funny talent show.  Again, mostly staff but sprinkled with some talent from the guests. Some observant guests would also see the action of Stromboli....a small Italian volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea.  Unfortunately, I would not be among the observing....too much fun!

Friday was a day of rest and relaxation on board as the ship sailed straight back to Civitacecchia.  There would be mast climbing and spa treatments for some.  Me, I enjoyed relaxing in a lounger and taking in the sights of the sea.

 

I bid my travel mates farewell after leaving the ship in Civitavecchia.

I had my last night close to the airport in Fumicino.  I had a leisurely stroll through the city center, taking in the harbor by the Tiber's mouth. 

It was a good thing that I did my walk about when I did as the day I checked out was a miserable and rainy day.  I found the entry to the Best Western Rome Airport to be completely soaked. 

As Hurricane Irma was making news in the US, I took a minute to wonder just how large this hurricane was! It would be the only day of poor weather.  What a blessing!

Part 2 of my September travels soon!


"The winds of God's grace are always blowing.  It is we who need to put up our sails." 
The Bhagavad Gita