TURNS OUT THIS IS ONE OF ONLY TWO PHOTOS I TOOK THIS MORNING WHICH WAS AT THE END OF A ROAD I HAD NEVER BEEN ON BEFORE JUST EAST OF GODERICH
Rain in the night brought slightly cooler morning temperatures with rumbles of thunder lingering out over the lake. Less humidity in the air & that was enough get me out of the house into the Jeep with the cameras. Had an address in mind I was curious to find. A 10 acre piece of river front property with a small cabin on it. Way to pricey for us but I was just curious as to where it was. Long story short….I never did find it. Must have been a mistake in the road address or something. However, I did discover another road I had never been on so that made it all worthwhile for me. Anytime I am able to find or see something I have never seen before I feel like Columbus standing on the deck of the Mayflower looking across the watery horizon at a long spit of land. It is that feeling I like so much about traveling.
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Reading JEAN & SKIP'S post this morning I felt an early twinge of travel excitement. With Jean's mention of 'getting the maps out' & only 3 months to go before heading south, I too began thinking about this years upcoming travel route. Had my heart set on a southern Colorado route last year but we were unexpectedly delayed a month by a family matter making that route too late in the season. Could this be the year of our Durango/Cortez drive. Dare I dust off last summer's Colorado route planning file. Haven't checked with the Boss on a possible departure date yet but maybe it's getting about time to pose that question. I would like to get out of here in September but of course I already know that is not going to happen. Have my fingers crossed for no later than mid October. Always figure the sooner we can get the big wheels rolling the better. And, I am soooooooo thankful we do not have to wait until after Christmas like so many of our fellow Snow Birds do. I would just be totally right off my rocker!!
THE MAITLAND RIVER MAKES IT’S WAY SLOWLY TO LAKE HURON ,THEN OVER NIAGARA FALLS ON IT’S WAY TO THE NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN
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When I look back over our few years of travel I do not have one mili-second of doubt that we made the right decision years ago to choose the RV travel life while we had the chance. Like many, we could have just sat back on our haunches in a quiet secure little no risk lifestyle. Could have banked our money with no financial worries & watched life pass us by. Nice cozy little house in a quiet scenic rural area of south-western Ontario Canada. Now, how nice is that. Well, mighty nice if that is where one's head is at. But, if one has the gnawing endless travel bug that I do, sitting in Cozyville day after day just doesn't cut it.
I DON’T OFTEN GO BACK & READ OLD POSTS BECAUSE MOST OF MY BEST MEMORIES ARE IN MY PHOTOS…’PHEEBS & BEANS’ JANUARY 6TH 2012
Many of us are at a physical stage in our lives where more & more areas are slowly becoming inaccessible to us. I’m not saying it would not be impossible for us to hike down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon & back up, but looking at it realistically, it is probably improbable. The old legs are just not what they used to be & our Snow Bird lifestyle just doesn’t allow us to be in the right areas at the right time of year. What this means is that I know I will not likely get to see many of the places & the types of scenery I would have really liked to see. Mind you, I consider myself very fortunate to have seen some of the great scenery in our travels that I have. We have walked & hiked a few short mountain trails here & there over the years but we’ve never really got into any serious big mountain hiking. Never high enough to be above the tree line where lies the true mountain meadows, flowers, & pristine azure mountain lakes. I can’t hike up there & bring back the pictures for you, but Mark over at BOX CANYON BLOG sure can. Check out the crisp clean high altitude air in his picturesque mountain photos:))
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Guess it’s kinda sad when one can’t even remember the correct names of one’s favorite two Muppet characters. In Wednesday night’s post I made reference to a couple Muppet Show geezers who my friend Jim & I sometimes jokingly refer ourselves too. And, I’m sure others who knew us may have thought of us this way as well:)) We not only kinda resembled these two crotchety old guys in the balcony but we do have some of their same unique personality traits. I referred to them as Statler & Hilton. Well, that was only half correct. Thanks to a long time reader & a friend we actually met last winter down there near that Sierra Vista place in Arizona, I am able to correct my mistake tonight. The two old guys are Statler & Waldorf. Waldorf, not Hilton. Glad to get that cleared up & I wonder how many years now I have had that wrong. Gheeeesh.
WALDORF ON THE LEFT & STATLER ON THE RIGHT…………. aka AL & JIM
GROANER’S CORNER:(( WALDORF & STATLER DO YOU TUBE:))
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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com
It takes more effort every year, and I often wonder how long we will be able to keep going to those high places... it will be a sad time when we can't. I just hope I can handle the loss. I'm not sure if my old blog posts and photos will ease the pain, or make worse.
ReplyDeletethanks, Al.
Box Canyon Mark
Sure glad I've hiked across Grand Canyon a few times already. Haven't gotten out much lately and am getting itchy feet. So I know what you mean.
ReplyDeleteCheck out Colorado's RIdgway State Park, where you can park the big rig, then do many of the passes in the San Juan Mtns on day trips. Hate to say it, but that's much nicer than staying in expensive Durango to do it. Beautiful country.
ReplyDeleteBetween Mark and I, we can get you some pretty good travel directions for seeing some of the most beautiful country ever. Different than the Canadian Rockies, as the San Juans are volcanic.
There are so many places I still want to see and so many trails to hike, but I know in my heart I can no longer do most of those things. But as long as I can drive a vehicle I will continue to see new places and old favorites. So what if I camp in a tent under the trees and never climb any peaks or go boating in the lakes or take long hikes. I'm doing what I'm able to do, and I hope you continue to do what you want and are able to do for a long time.
ReplyDeleteGood to see your feet are still itchy Al! Must soon be getting time to head south...
ReplyDeleteNothing like getting the atlas out and looking and dreaming and planning!!!
ReplyDeleteI am grateful for Mark and his beautiful pictures of places that I'll never see in person. We've been thinking of Colorado on our way back to AZ this year. I've been looking at the maps and trying to decide. It's so much fun and so exciting.
ReplyDeleteJust ordered an atlas so we stay out of trouble. Maybe!
ReplyDeleteI'll be counting the weeks until we can be out again, but at the same time trying to love where I am.
Like you I do live in a beautiful place. I just want to see some of the rest of the country.
Got my airline tickets for Oct 2 Anchorage to Boston. Then pick up our car and revisit Fundy Nat Park in the Fall. We then start back to Key West Florida, saying hi to family along the way.
ReplyDeleteI have done the Grand Canyon on foot, by horse, by plane. I liked the horse ride the best. No skill required and you see it all.
Hope your travels take you through Colorado, as it is beautiful.
I keep a atlas right at the side of my recliner, because I'm always wondering where something is or where someone else is.......Then sometimes I like to just look at the entire USA map and just think "lets see", we could go here, or go there, and dream....
ReplyDeleteWe are seriously considering going back to Florida when we leave the Black Hills of South Dakota this year,,,,(1st of Oct) Just miss family and old friends there and want to do it again just like last year. We won't be able to make that trip forever, so we want to go while we can....
We did the Durango Colo thing a year or so ago,,,,,try out the "million Dollar Hwy" up there...just google it... Its neat!! Take it with just your jeep tho, it would be quite hard on your MH.
Anywho, we can dream!!!
So many great places to see and experience, we have a propelem staying in one place for very long , and really enjoy moving every couple week to re-explore old places and find ones along the way.
ReplyDeleteAl, my Mom hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon twice with my sister and me, once when she was 62 and again when she was 66!! Not sure I could do that trip again! Those 13 mile hiking days I did in Zion and Bryce this spring about did me in!
ReplyDeleteI remember those 2 old farts..and their banter back and forth..Remember one use to say to the other "You must be the old fool there's no fool like"...
ReplyDeleteMaybe having a home in AZ will tempt Kelly to leave a little sooner??