'So this is where God put the West.'-John Wayne To say that I loved Monument Valley would be an understatement. While I only spent one day at Monument Valley proper, I visited a total of three times! I was really excited about visiting for many reasons. Forrest Gump is my favorite film and the landscape … Continue reading Adventures in the American West: Monument Valley
'For West is where we all plan to go some day...It is where you go to grow up with the country. It is where you go to spend your old age. Or it is just where you go. It was just where I went.'-Robert Penn Warren I cannot pinpoint when visiting the Four Corners was … Continue reading Adventures in the American West: The Four Corners
'The landscape of the American West has to be seen to be believed and has to be believed to be seen.' - N. Scott Momaday Due to Covid, I have spent the last two Christmas' at home...alone. So this year I was determined to hit the road. As I saw my dad in October and … Continue reading Adventures in the American West: Seen to be Believed
'I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.'-D. Bowie I can honestly say that where 2021 has ended is beyond anything I could have imagined. In January, I was going through a hard time. Covid had made things uncertain, I missed my family, live anything, and trying to … Continue reading A Year in Review: Life Changes
'And now I'm glad I didn't know/The way it all would end, the way it all would go/Our lives are better left to chance/I could have missed the pain/But I'd have had to miss the dance'-Garth Brooks (Lyrics by Tony Arata) I wanted to do a lot of things on my first real visit to … Continue reading Adventures in Nashville: The Bluebird Cafe
'Follow your heart. That’s what I do. Compassion is something I have a lot of, because I’ve been through a lot of pain in my life. Anybody who has suffered a lot of pain has a lot of compassion.'-Johnny Cash Since I had Saturday to myself, I packed in as much as I possibly could. … Continue reading Adventures in Nashville: The History
'Once you find that inspiration, you shouldn't be afraid to follow it. Because anything is possible.'-Dave Grohl I apologize about the very long delay in posting the conclusion of my Adventures in the Pacific Northwest trip! I finally moved into my new place in Spokane and immediately left for Nashville, Tennessee-truly one of the greatest … Continue reading Adventures in the Pacific Northwest: Seattle
'Land really is the best art.' —Andy Warhol After an evening in Moab, I hit my last 'Mighty Five,' Arches National Park early in the morning! Arches is considered the gateway to the Mighty Five and it was supposed to be mine but it was my final stop (due to Covid restrictions at Zion). It … Continue reading Adventures in Utah: Arches National Park
'Afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road, healthy, free, the world before me.'–Walt Whitman Originally, I was planning on starting in Moab and working east. Since I had to go to Zion first, I looked at the new route to see if there was anything to explore and there was...Great Basin National Park! … Continue reading Dispatches from the Road: Great Basin National Park