At the End of our Road -- 10/2/2013 -- Day 145

A glorious sunrise greets us this morning as we drive south toward an area where we expect more amazing sunrises and sunsets.  I think God likes to use the clouds as His canvas.

The sun nestles among the clouds to give the lacy silhouette  of one of my favorite things, a tree. Notably here, a Texas live oak.

Soon out of the Hill Country and around the loop at San Antonio, we make a fuel stop at a station that has bright purple Mexican petunias to delight us.

and a tree....

Past Corpus Christi, past Kingsville and the King Ranch, past Harlingen, we are almost home.   The palm trees tell me.

The GPS sees home.  We will come to a screeching halt before we roll into the Laguna Madre!

We are home.

Jake is in his favorite place on the first landing.

He rests comfortably while Herb and I unload the truck and unload the truck.  Why did we bring all this stuff home?  We should have left it -- we do plan to return to the PNW next Summer.

Dr. Jake C. Harleton, MD (redundancy intended)

Willie of Willie's Tug,

   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake

   Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Miles and Miles and Miles -- 10/1/2013 -- Day 144

As we leave El Paso this morning, we have a good view of the Rio Grande River and Mexico for several miles.  Once I-10 takes a turn away from the river, we come to another checkpoint at Sierra Blanca, 80 miles to the east.

All is calm, but a patrol car is poised for the chase.  We see cameras trained on the arriving traffic.

ABC news (and many other news broadcasters) reported that Willie Nelson was busted here in the year 2010 for possession of marijuana found aboard his tour bus.

We are cleared to go and make some miles on this mostly straight highway, which posts a speed limit of 80 mph.  

Our scenery changes from desert to gorgeous Hill Country with its rock, its cedar scrub trees and Texas live oak.

We are almost to Kerrville, where we will spend a restful evening after miles and miles of a long drive across Texas, and dream of the Tropical Tip....

Willie of Willie's Tug,
   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
   Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Did we Take a Wrong Turn? -- 9/30/2013 -- Day 143

We trade the snow capped mountains of Colorado for many different terrains in New Mexico.  Our stay in Albuquerque is during their International Balloon Fiesta, which typically launches as many as 750 hot air balloons during the nine day event.  As we leave this morning, we see them begin their ascent.

Traveling south on I-25, we stop at a Rest Area past Socorro to read the historical markers.  This site notes Paraje de Fra Christobal's stopping place on his 1598 expedition that founded the Camino Real. 

Desert beauty....

We get to enjoy a few more hills before the flatland, where the speed limit will be 80 mph.  

Nearing the border between New Mexico and Mexico, we pass a Border Checkpoint for traffic going north.  They don't worry who we might bring from the Pacific Northwest.

North of Las Cruces we find a Historical Marker for Journada del Muerto, which was the 'route of the dead man,' so named because it was near the last stop going north where they could get water.  At this point, the trail moves farther away from the Rio Grande River.

This is also a good place to walk Dr. Jake, if you can find grass.  If it's green, it's grass?  Unless it is sand burrs. Be careful!

Here we leave New Mexico to enter Texas and begin to follow the river more closely.  Our plan is to stay in El Paso for the night, anticipating two more days to the Tropical Tip.

At the Welcome Center we drink in more of the beauty we will see at the Tropical Tip.

Even closer now to the river, here are views from our starboard window.

This is Mexico

Flag of Mexico

Oh, my, did we take a wrong turn?

Habla Espanol?

Willie of Willie's Tug,
   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake
   Monday, September 30, 2013

And the Snow Doesn't Melt -- 9/29/2013 -- Day 142

Are we ready for more gorgeous scenery?  Sure, we are!

We leave Fruita to spend a good part of the day in the mountains and valleys of Colorado before arriving in New Mexico.

Near Ridgeway CO

Wright Opera House, Ouray CO

From Ouray,  a sharp rise even higher....

How deep does the snow get?  

The interpretative panel tells us the elevation at Red Mountain Pass is 11,018, with Uncompahgre National Forest behind us and San Juan National Forest ahead.  Gold ore wagons first crossed here in 1878.  

Willie at Red Mt. Pass Between Ouray and Silverton

Summer is almost over, and the snow will not have time to melt....

Willie of Willie's Tug,

   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake

   Sunday, September 29, 2013

A Death Defying Jump -- 9/28/2013 -- Day 141

We enjoy the view from our hotel window in Twin Falls ID before packing up to continue our trip south.

Then we realize we are in the right place at the right time as we drive back up Hwy. 93 to Perrine Bridge over the Snake River.  BASE jumpers are staging for their jumps from the bridge!  A travel magazine tells us the bridge spans the Snake River Canyon 486 feet above the canyon floor.  KTVB reports Livability.com ranking Twin Falls as No. 1 on a list of death defying cities.  

We take a look around at the scenery nature made, as we wait for the jumpers.

Herb gets a tip from a local, who tells him to walk down to the water and cross under the bridge for a better photo op, as that is where the guys will land.

This view from the other side of the bridge shows a few gathering to prepare for the jump, then over one goes with his parachute.

Oh, Great!  The chute is opening!

Imagine the rush, the thrill, the adrenaline flowing -- ours and the jumpers -- as one after the other completes his jump, aiming for a target on the ground.  The angle of the camera shows  them over the water but eventually we see them land safely.

We are amazed at this sport and reluctantly climb back into the truck to continue today's drive.  To delight us are  mountains, pastures, valleys, rock and snow -- all beautiful!

A short distance from here is our destination for the evening, a few miles into the state of Colorado and the town of Fruita.

Almost made the Bull's Eye Target

Willie of Willie's Tug,

   and of Walldog, Willie and Jake

   Saturday, September 28, 2013