Reflection time 2013. Looking
back…looking ahead. Yes, folks, its that time of year when yours truly sits
down in front of the Mac and begins banging away on the keyboard chronicling
the Binkelian happenings of the year past. I make no apology for the length of
these ramblings as I have in the past as I’ve discovered this exercise to be highly
therapeutic!
20th Anniversary! As I sat down to begin crafting the 2013 version of
BinkInk, I wondered when this passion to write all began so I searched a file
cabinet and found a folder Terry has been keeping that contained every
copy of BinkInk since its inception.
The very first edition was
produced on December 18th...1994…20 years ago! A single page
composed in the office of our new home here in Phoenix! My how this thing has
grown!
So, what have the Bink’s been
up to this past year? Like all years, some of it has been a tad tragical (not
sure that’s a word…yet it rhymes with magical!)…most; however, a bunch magical!
January
PF Chang 1/2 Marathon
Jan 12 - Virginia Lopes Memorial
Taking a step back a month,
my Christmas “gift” to the family was a bit unorthodox! Rather than lavish them
with consumer goods from the Mall, I gave Tosha, Charlie and Terry “Experiences
with Daddio!”
What that means in plain
English is that each of them could choose an experience they’d like to share
with me! Tosha decided she wanted to learn how to take better photographs – so
the two of us spent three days in Sedona, AZ taking a bunch of pictures (more
on this “experience" in April)
Charlie chose the “National
Park/Great Lodges of the West Experience.” In September, we trekked off to Glacier and Waterton National Parks to wander
the wilds and lounge in lavish lodges.
Next, it was Terry’s turn to
request her “Experience.” I had a sneaking suspicion I knew what she’d wish
for. Sure enough…her request: Dancing! Yikes, I knew she’d request
Dancing. Dancing once a month…for a year! Well, I can’t say we made it to the
dance floor every month. But I will say that we did more dancing in 2013 than
we have done since we were married! She was thrilled…and I actually enjoyed our
dance dates!
Every January for the past 9
years, the company I work for - Ewing Irrigation Products- has encouraged its
staff to take part in the annual PF Chang Marathon and Half Marathon. In 2012,
Terry did not participate and instead cheered me on as I completed the Full Monty (26.2 miles).
This year, the two of us ran the ½ marathon with hundreds of other Ewing
employees and their guests.
On Sunday, January 19, 2014,
Ewing will host 736 runners, including 470 employees to take part in the
Company’s 10th Anniversary of participation in this event. Ewing
offers its employees from all across the country a chance to run/walk the
Chang. The Company regularly encourages all to partake in a healthy, active lifestyle.
Ewing provides each participating employee and their guest with transportation,
hotel accommodations, race entry, pre-race dinner and a cool Ewing Running
Shirt!
In addition to the health
benefit, Team Ewing uses this event to raise money for Autism Speaks. In the
past 5 years, Team Ewing has raised over $150,000 for this worthwhile charity.
Team Bink Phoenix will be
participating this year…Joining Terry and me, Charlie Bink will run in this
event for the first time!
Last year’s Ink chronicled
the passing of Virginia Lopes, Terry’s mother, who passed away on December 4,
2012. On January 12, 2013, friends and family gathered in Porterville, CA to
pay tribute to a wonderful woman! The Memorial was held at the Porterville
Church of the Nazarene.
February
By February, my golf game had officially
gone into the tank. I’ve been spending more time hacking out of the weeds than
stroking it cleanly down the middle of the fairway. And talk about the yips! A
12” putt petrifies me! My handicap continues to rise at an alarming rate. Where
I used to score in the mid to low 80’s, these days I’m lucky to break 95!
Meanwhile, Terry’s been
taking lessons and they’ve paid off handsomely. Her game is gaining momentum
and her scores are shrinking with each round she plays. She’s having so much
fun with this silly game that it is she who regularly insists we get out and
play.
On one such round in
mid-February, we are paired up with a fellow by the name of Scott Nelson. On the
first tee, Scott tells us he hasn’t played in 6 months due to a wrist injury.
So off we go. I yank my first drive dead left into the rough. Scott drills one
smack dap down the middle about 285. Terry knocks one down the middle as
well. I bogey. Terry bogies. Scott
misses a 15 footer for birdie and settles for par.
The next hole, I slice the
crap out of my drive and watch as Scott drills another right down the middle.
He birdies the hole. I am lucky to salvage a bogey. Hole three- I outdrive the
son-of-a-gun only to fade my approach shot into a deep bunker! Double bogey.
Scott pars.
This goes on for 9 holes. I
shoot 44. Scott finishes at one over. Not bad for someone who hasn’t played in
six months! Come to find out…he’s a golf instructor! Terry has grown weary of
hearing my tales of golf woe and insists I contact Scott about taking lessons!
So I did and have been working with him on and off for the past 10 months.
It’s taken a while for me to
adjust to his new swing mechanics; however, the game is steadily improving and
I managed to post an 80 in December’s Men’s Club tournament!
March
For those of you familiar
with BinkInk, you are well versed in the travels Terry and I have taken over
the past several years to many our country’s National Parks. While showering
one morning, I came up with the idea of creating a board game revolving around
the central theme of Trekking the National Parks.
Now I know nothing about
publishing a board game…however, I do know someone with experience. That being
none other than my son - Charlie Bink!
(He hasn’t officially changed his name...however, he now goes by Bink
rather than Binkele) You see, over the past several years Charlie has done
freelance work for a game developer here in Phoenix. Charlie’s helped out with
not only the artwork for several games, but also with creating the mechanics of
a number of them.
I run the idea by the kid…not
really expecting him to get excited about the old man’s concept. Much to my
pleasant surprise…Charlie loves the idea! We’ve been working on the game
ever since…modifying, reworking, play testing, modifying again. Charlie is
currently working on the art, while Daddio figures out how we’re going to
market the Game once we get it published! You will be hearing more about
Trekking the National Parks in 2014!
Tosh turns 40!
Tosha celebrated two milestone birthdays in March. Her son Khai began his Terrible Two’s on March 6th and seven days later, Tosha turned 40! Yep, I’m the proud Daddio of a forty year old beauty!
April Sedona Photo Workshop
(Double Click on pictures to enlarge)
April
As mentioned earlier, rather than giving
Christmas Gifts, I gave the family “experiences!” Tosha’s “experience” was to learn how to
take better photographs. My gift to her
was a three-day Photographic Workshop and Hiking Experience in Sedona, AZ.
The two of us traveled to Arizona’s Red
Rock Country to spend some quality time together, hike about the many trails
and practice our photographic skills! This picturesque playground is surrounded
by a number of extraordinary red rock monoliths. In addition, the stunningly
gorgeous Oak Creek, a tributary of the Verde River, meanders lazily through the
Canyon that dissects Sedona.
April
9th - Upon arriving
in Sedona, the weather was cool, cloudy and blustery – a great venue for taking
landscape pix! The massive cumulus clouds made for a inspiring photographic
backdrop.
After checking in with the Visitor’s
Center to obtain the local trail map, we ventured off the main road for our
first photo shoot. Our subjects: Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte.
The mesmerizing panoramas got us all
worked up. We needed to seek out our main focal point – Cathedral Rock! We
packed up our gear around 3 pm and headed down to the end of Verde Valley
School Road where we picked up a short trail leading us to Oak Creek and a most
spectacular view of Cathedral Rock!
Along the path, we encountered a forest
of carefully constructed rock cairns. A cairn is a man-made stack of stones,
which, in the case of Sedona, mark the location of one of the regions many
mystical vortexes! Sedona is known for
these otherworldly spots. These are areas where the earth’s energy is supposed
to be intense. It is believed that standing, sitting or squatting on or near
said vortex can lead to heightened self-awareness, spiritual awakening and
general euphoria without the help of a pipe full of pot!
Once thoroughly doused with a sufficient
dose of vortex vapors, Tosh and I made our way down to Oak Creek with cameras
and tri-pods in the ready! What a stimulating view! Oak Creek and the well
polished cobblestones in the foreground. Cathedral Rock standing tall in the
background and the cottonwood trees bracketing the scene!
Dad and Daughter
Sacred Cairns marking local Vortex
"So that's how they get those shots!"
I got so excited by the scene that I waded into the frigid Creek, set up my tripod and began snapping away – oblivious to the water’s temperature!
“So that’s how they get those great shots,” exclaimed a lady standing on the north side of the creek when she noticed I was positioned smack dab in the middle of Oak Creek. Yep, a trick I learned a while ago. To get the good shots, you’ve got to go where others dare not venture!
Where she was standing, the view of Cathedral Rock would have been screened by the overhanging limbs of the Cottonwood trees. To get a clear, unobstructed shot…one needs to get wet!
The sun was beginning to dip behind the spires. The vortex vapors were wearing off and I was sensing a numbing feeling in my feet, so Tosh and I chose to head out to our habitat for the next couple of days – the good old Hampster Inn located on Hwy 89A just west of Uptown Sedona.
Once unpacked, we decided it was wine-o’clock so we walked across the street to Picazzo’s for vino rouge and pizza!
Bell Rock
April
10th - 5 am. Tosh is sound asleep. I am in need of an early
morning photo shoot so I’m out the door at 5:15 heading back to the Bell Rock
area. The sun is just beginning to peak over Courthouse Butte when I hear the
howling of several coyotes and the lively barking of a very happy hound dog who
is chasing the critters all across the landscape.
After capturing a few decent flicks, I
head back to the Hampster to gather up Tosh for breakfast and to plot out the
day’s activities! We nosh at the
Heartline Café – ok, but no great shakes and decide upon the hikes for the day.
First up – Fay Canyon Hike – an easy
1.1-mile (one way) stroll through a small, hidden canyon. Apparently, most
people who hike this trail come to see a natural arch located just under a mile
up the trail. Tosh and I had no clue about the arch until we met an older
couple that asked us if we’d seen it. Masked amongst the cliffs, those who do
not know about it usually walk right past it. Now that we were in the know, we
searched high and low until we finally spotted the elusive arch.
Next hike: Doe Mountain – A moderate mile long trial with a 500 foot elevation gain, this hike provided us with a sensational view of the surrounding area. About three quarters of the way up the hill, the trail gets a bit confusing. We zigged rather than zagged and ended up bushwhacking our way through a thicket of underbrush in order to get back on the main trail!
Can you find the Arch?
Next hike: Doe Mountain – A moderate mile long trial with a 500 foot elevation gain, this hike provided us with a sensational view of the surrounding area. About three quarters of the way up the hill, the trail gets a bit confusing. We zigged rather than zagged and ended up bushwhacking our way through a thicket of underbrush in order to get back on the main trail!
Hiking Doe Mountain
The top of Doe Mountain is virtually a flat mesa that provides hikers with a 360° panoramic view of the surrounding area. From atop, you can see many of Sedona’s prominent landmarks. After retreating from atop Doe, we found the Euro Deli and opted to hang out there for a bite to eat! As the name suggests, Euro Deli is not from Main Street America. Owners Peter and Swava will not insult you with artificial ingredients. Everything they serve is a culinary “work of art!"
I do not remember what we ate…but I do
know that the experience was pleasant! If you want something out of the
ordinary, give the Euro Deli a try!
As part of the Sedona Photo Experience,
I hired a fellow by the name of Brent Jones – Landscape Photographer - to tutor
Tosha and help her advance her photo skills. We were to meet Brent at around 5
pm at Red Rock Crossing. A gentle, hippie sort of guy, Brent was mild mannered
and soft spoken. He and Tosh went their way while I got back into the creek to
shoot more pix!
Cathedral Rock
The light this evening as ideal;
however, the puffy clouds had disappeared leaving an azure blue sky as our
backdrop. Tosh spent the next couple of hours learning about aperture, shutter
speeds, photographic composition and such. I was having a blast wading around
Oak Creek shooting rocks and moss and Cathedral Rock from all sorts of
different perspectives!
Done shooting – a full day of excitement. We’re both pooped but not too pooped to enjoy another meal at Picazzo’s! Ah, more fine red wine and a plate full of pasta! But we need to hit the sack early as we are scheduled to meet Brent at 5 am for our early morning photo shoot at the Seven Sacred Pools!
Oak Creek
Done shooting – a full day of excitement. We’re both pooped but not too pooped to enjoy another meal at Picazzo’s! Ah, more fine red wine and a plate full of pasta! But we need to hit the sack early as we are scheduled to meet Brent at 5 am for our early morning photo shoot at the Seven Sacred Pools!
3 of the 7 Sacred Pools
Morning Sky
April,
11th – 4 am. The alarm jolts us into semi-consciousness! Tosha groans and covers her head with a
pillow. “Way too early to get up,” she says groggily.
“Gotta go,” I say. I’ve paid Brent a
pretty penny to guide us to the photographic Promised Land! Tosh moans as she slowly slinks out of the
sack. We gather our gear and head out into the dark of night. The very cool
dark of night! It’s 38° at 4:30 this morning!
As we are making the short drive to the
Jordan Trailhead where we are to meet Brent, we unsuccessfully locate anything
resembling an open coffee house. We’ve discovered, much to our chagrin, that
Sedona Coffee Joints do not arise until the sun is up!
Brent meets us at the Trailhead at a
couple minutes past 5. He’s full of pep and energy this morning and into the
darkness we venture! Good thing he knows the way! Without his guidance, there
is no way we’d have found the desired path in the pitch of night!
5:44 am. The morning light is now
creeping over the red rock spires and begins to illuminate the landscape. We
are headed to the Seven Sacred Pools. At this hour…we are the only peeps out
and about.
Once we reach the Pools, Brent and Tosh
go do their thing while I scamper all over the rocks seeking objects of visual
interest. We spend a good two hours clicking the shutters and come up with a
few “keepers.” On the way back to the
car, I find an interesting tree and set up the tri-pod to snap a few flicks.
Tosh asks if she can give it a go. She eyeballs the scene, moves the tri-pod a
bit, readjusts the aperture and such and proceeds to take a much better picture
than I had done! The lessons have paid
off!
We wrap up the photo shoot and head
directly to Starbucks for a much needed scalding hot cup of coffee! Once we’ve
warmed our bones, we head back to the Hampster to pack up. Before departing Sedona, we visit Tlaquepaque
(pronounced Tla-keh-pah-keh), the local Arts & Crafts Village! Here, we find a number of excellent photo
opportunities!
Our last stop is Montezuma Well located
a few miles off Hwy 17. The Well is an
unusual body of warm water (74°) that was formed long ago when a limestone
cavern collapsed forming this desert caldera. Over a million gallons of water
from an underground aquifer flows into and out of the well each day.
Montezuma's Well
Perched along the rim of the Well are a
series of cliff dwellings, which housed the Sinagua Indians for over 300 years.
We break out the cameras one last time to record our visit to Montezuma Well.
May
Our good friends and golfing buddies,
Greg and Karen Gill, own a timeshare on the south shore of Lake Tahoe. This
year, they invited us along with our mutual golfing cronies, John and Mary
Kirkwood to join them for golf and gluttony. Whenever these three couples get
together, good food, good wine and good times are bound to happen!
The weather in Lake Tahoe in early May
can be somewhat dicey. It’s not uncommon for snow to fall. The Gods of Good
Fortune and Fine Weather followed us from Phoenix. The weather was exceptional,
the courses we played were marvelous, the food and wine superb, Liar’s Dice
worked in my favor…(good call, Karen!)...all was good…except the fruits of my golf lessons had yet to
blossom. I sprayed the ball everywhere but in the fairway!
Tahoe Sunset
Kirkwood and Gill Grillin' up Chow
Dublin, Ireland
For the past three years, our National Park Treks have dominated our travel
plans. I have been the primary planner of where and when we traveled to the 42
Parks we’ve visited to date. In 2013, Terry and I agreed that it would be “Terry’s
Choice” as to where we ventured.
She’s always had an affinity to travel to Europe. We’ve been to Amsterdam,
Paris and to Madrid over the past several years largely because her “flight
benefits” with US Airways has allowed us to travel overseas “first
class”…for a bargain price.
Traveling “standby” is not my cup of tea. However, for a mere hundred bucks
each way, we are almost guaranteed a seat in “First” whenever we travel
internationally. The reason being that, unlike domestic travel where frequent
fliers can upgrade to First easily and inexpensively, those same frequent
fliers would have to pay full pop for an international first class seat. The
cost of that seat would run in the thousands of dollars; consequently, many of
the first class seats go unsold. This creates opportunity for people like us
and is perhaps one of the few remaining benefits for travel-minded airline
personnel!
In mid April, Terry was still undecided as to which European destination
she would like us to visit. We’d tossed around Italy, Germany, Portugal, going
back to Madrid and other destinations that appealed to us. On a working flight
in late April, Terry chatted it up with a fellow Flight Attendant who said
she’d had a great time in Dublin, Ireland.
Dublin is one of the airports US Airways services from Philadelphia. After
a brief discussion, we both decided that our international destination this
year would be Ireland! Being Terry’s year to decide on our travel destinations,
I left all arrangements entirely up to her. Hotels, air transportation, car
rentals (if needed), tours, etc. As for the Hotel, I had accumulated enough
points to allow us to stay at the Conrad Dublin Hotel (an affiliate of the
Hilton chain) for five nights for free! This proved to be a good start for our
overseas adventure!
With regards to the air transportation, we would need to get to
Philadelphia in order to hop on the US Airways flight to Dublin, Ireland. Since
I am a frequent flyer of Southwest Air, I have accumulated MANY frequent
flier points, which would allow me to book a free flight to Philly. In
addition, I have flown so many miles, that I qualified for a “Companion
Pass” enabling the companion of my choice to fly virtually free on any
flight on which I was booked. Terry, of course, is my “companion of choice!”
For $5 each way, she can join me on any SWA flight on which I travel. So we
had a choice: Fly standby on USAir for free…or pay $5 to SWA and have a
positive space ticket? (No contest) Being that we had chosen to depart Phoenix
on the Friday of the Memorial Day weekend, the chances of us getting on a USAir
flight as standby passengers was something we did not want to chance. The
no-brainer choice of course was to book us on SWA from PHX to Philly.
5:14 pm Thursday, May 23.
Terry’s out and about doing some chores. It occurs to me that I can now
check us in and get our boarding passes for our 4pm flight to Philly tomorrow.
I find my flight record, go to SWA’s website and hit the “check in”
button. Because I am an “A-Lister” (one who travels way too many business
miles each year), my priority number is A-19. For those of you unfamiliar with
the way SWA boards their aircraft, those with a Boarding Pass of A-1 thru A-60
pretty much have the choice of any seat they’d like on the airplane. A-19 means
I will choose an isle seat in row 17.
Why row 17 you ask? I’ve learned long ago that SWA typically has three
flight attendants on every flight. From a beverage services standpoint, the
three of them divide the plane into thirds. The Flight Attendant stationed in
the front part of the cabin serves rows 1 thru 8. The 2nd Flight
Attendant serves row 9 thru 16. The FA servicing the rear of the aircraft
serves rows 17 thru the back of the bus.
Hence, those sitting in row 17 typically will get their drink order early
into the flight. On short flights, this is very important! Sitting in row 16
could mean no service for you!
Once I’d checked myself in, I thought it appropriate to check
in my companion. I searched Terry’s desk for her confirmation number and came
up empty. I logged on to my account to look up her confirmation number. I still
couldn’t locate it. I decided to wait until she returned home from her errands
and let her check herself in.
When she came home, I told her I’d checked in, tried to check her in, but
was unable to locate her confirmation number. She said she’d take care of it so
I went into the kitchen to make a snack. After a few minutes, I heard Terry
mumbling a few profanities and then heard her speaking to a SWA agent on the
phone. She had called in to find out what her Companion Pass confirmation
number was as she, too, had trouble locating it.
An explosive profanity was dropped in the office shortly after she hung up the
phone. Terry discovered she was not booked on the flight to Philly! Apparently,
when she made my reservation over a month ago, she had gotten distracted and
failed to make her Companion Pass reservation! And now, the flight was
sold out!
Now what? I’ve got a ticket to Philly…but my wife and travel companion does
not! What are the options? It’s Memorial Day Weekend. Booking travel at the
last minute during a major Holiday is dubious at best!
Plan B – Terry frantically checks the US Airways flight schedule from PHX
to PHL for Friday. A small light at the end of the tunnel appears. There are
several flights available. Most of them are oversold, however, as a US Air
Flight Attendant, Terry might be able to hop on one of the empty “Jump Seats.”
(A jump seat is one of those uncomfortable seats that Flight Attendants must
sit on during takeoff and landing.) She discovers there are 8 Jump Seats on
the three flights scheduled to depart between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm.
Terry lists herself on the 10:30 am flight. I drop her off at the airport
at 9…hoping she can successfully get aboard one of the three USAir flights that
depart for Philly prior to my 4 pm departure. I tell her that if she cannot
catch one of these three flights, I’m not going to Philly without her!
After dropping Terry off, I take C-Dawg over to Barb Drummond’s house. Barb
is our “dog sitter.” She asks why Terry is traveling to Philly so early when
she knew that our original time of departure was 4 pm and why I’m not
travelling with her. I smile and simply state, “it’s complicated!”
10:33 am. My cell phone rings. It’s Terry. Moment of truth! Did she make
the flight…or not? “I’m on,” she informs me! “I’ve got one of the jump seats in
the rear of the plane…so I’ll see you in Philly later this evening!”
Later that afternoon, my flight to Philly departs about a half hour late. I
become deeply engrossed in the book, Betrayal in Dallas – a very
convincing conspiracy theory book about the assassination of JFK and those who
were most likely involved in it. The main culprits are JFK’s power hungry Veep,
J Edgar, local corrupt politicians and the Pearl Street Mafia.
My plane arrives in Philly at 11:34pm. By this time I am convinced that Lee
Harvey had nothing to do with the assassination of Kennedy. After fetching my
luggage, I call the hotel shuttle van for pickup. Terry and I are reunited and
can now begin our international trek together!
At 1:05am, our hotel room phone rings. It’s the Front Desk. The Clerk
informs me that he has my wallet. What the? My ID. Credit Cards. A bunch of
cash. What’s all that doing at the Front Desk and not in my room? I did
remember taking my wallet out of by back pocket to get a couple of bucks for the Shuttle Bus
Driver. Apparently, I failed to put it back in my pocket and left it on the
van! A true Samaritan turned it in to the Van Driver. He too a Samaritan turned
it in to the Front Desk. The Front Desk Samaritan let me know that I had
misplaced my wallet! Philly...the city of Brotherly Love! Thank goodness!
What an inauspicious start to our vacation! Terry forgets to book herself
on the first leg of our journey and I try to lose my wallet. What else could go
wrong? In the morning, we discover the possibilities!
Flying with Terry means flying Stand By. No guaranteed seat. Without a
shadow of doubt, this is my least favorite mode of
transportation. Flying Internationally with Terry means we will fly “First
Class”…provided there are two seats available in the front of the airplane.
Throughout the day, Terry continuously checked the PBT’s (Passenger Boarding
Totals). Of the 12 seats in “First”, 7 seats had been purchased. That left 5
seats available for Employees and their families.
To qualify for Standby, in Coach or First, the Employee must list herself
and her family members at least a couple hours prior to departure. The Standby
system is based on seniority. Those who have been employees the longest go to the
top of the list no matter when they listed themselves. On Friday, when Terry
checked the PBT’s and the Standby List, we were numbers 3 and 4 with 5 seats
available. “No problem,” says Terry. (“Right!” I mumble under my breath.)
Our flight to Dublin is scheduled to depart Philly at 9 pm on Saturday.
We’ve got all day in Philly and decide to take the train into town to visit the
city. Before we depart to the train station, Terry decides to check the PBT’s
again. A grim expression covers her face. A family of 5 with higher seniority
has now listed themselves on the flight! We are now numbers 8 and 9 on the Standby
List…for the remaining 5 seats!
Now what? Worst case scenario – we spend another night in Philly and
hope to catch the Sunday Flight to Dublin. Since we really have no pressing
commitments in Dublin aside from our Hotel reservation, we initiate our best
Alfred E. Newman attitudes and hop the train into Philly to enjoy the day.
We’ll check the PBT’s later in the day.
The Train drops us off adjacent to the Reading Terminal Market –
Philadelphia’s historic Farmer’s Market featuring an exotic selection of
eclectic restaurants situated amongst the many vendors hawking their fruits and
vegetables, meats, seafood, poultry, pastries, arts and crafts, flowers and
such.
On previous “working flights” to Philly, Terry was introduced to a Thai
food kiosk at the Marketplace featuring a bowl of salmon and broccoli on a bed
of white rice splashed with a spicy Thai sauce. She insists we eat our lunch
here…if we can only find it! It’s Saturday morning on the Memorial
Weekend. The place is bustling with a multitude of diverse people busily buying
produce, shopping for gifts and noshing on Philly Cheesesteaks.
We weave our way up and down the aisles searching for the Little Thai
Market. We pass Wan’s Seafoods, Martin’s Quality Meats and Sausage,
Tootsie’s Salad Express and Molly Malloy’s. We make another pass up and down
the aisles. We find Hatville Deli, Iovine Brothers Produce and Old city
Coffee…but no Thai Market.
One last pass before I order up a Philly Cheesesteak! Finally…sandwiched
between Salumeria, Downtown Cheese and the Cookbook Stall, we arrive at the
Little Thai Market. This dish was well worth the effort! If fresh salmon
grilled with a slight char and dressed with a sweet and sour spicy sauce
appeals to you, do try this simple meal if ever you find yourself at the
Reading Terminal Market.
After lunch, Terry and I wandered the streets of Philly. She checks the
PBT’s from time to time to see if the standby flight status has changed. We’ve
already checked out of the hotel and when I inquired about purchasing another
night’s stay, the Desk Clerk informed me that the Hotel was sold out! (I
suppose we could sleep at the airport!)
It’s now closing in on 5 pm. Our flight to Dublin is scheduled to depart at
9. For international travel, it is advised that you check in 2½ to 3 hours
prior to departure. We depart the Market and take the train back to the
airport. We call the Hotel shuttle; pick up our bags and head back to Terminal
A at PHL International Airport.
At 6pm, we pass thru security and find a Vino Volo Wine Bar. I need vino!
As we order up a flight of reds and a cheese plate, Terry checks the PBT’s once
again. T-minus three hours and counting. Where do we stand? An
enthusiastic smile appears on Terry’s face! The family of 5 has withdrawn their
names from the standby list! That puts us back up to numbers 3 and 4. With 5
seats available, we will make the flight! Another round, Bartender!
Saturday, May 25th, 9:00pm – we’re seated in First Class
departing for Dublin, Ireland! Flight time of approximately 7 hours will have
us landing in Dublin around 8:30 am on Sunday morning. Dublin is 5 hours ahead
of Philadelphia and 8 hours ahead of Phoenix.
Sunday, May 26th, 8:16 am – We’ve landed in the Republic of
Ireland ahead of schedule. The skies are overcast. The temperature outside is
cool, yet very pleasant. We locate the Bus Station and hop on the Airbus to our
hotel – the Conrad Dublin. The streets are quiet this Sunday morning.
After a very restless night’s sleep on the plane, we’re hoping our room
might be ready when we arrive. Not to be. So, we drag our jet lagged weary
bodies to the Hotel restaurant and opt for breakfast. Dublin, like most every
European major city, is not an inexpensive date. Our buffet breakfast,
consisting of runny scrambled eggs, sausages, toast and coffee came to 48 Euro
- $64 US dollars!
After breakfast, we took to the streets to explore. Our first destination
is St. Stephens Green – a beautiful city centre Park located 2 blocks from our
hotel that was originally established in 1664.
Swans of St. Stephen's Green
The 22-acre, rectangular Park is adjacent to Grafton Street – one of
Dublin’s primary shopping areas. On the north side of the Park there is a
sizable duck pond where we discovered a mother Swan and her 8 fuzzy babies. We
lazed around the park until noon. Now exhausted, we made our way back to the
Hotel, checked in and took a much-needed 3-hour nap!
After the snooze, it was time to get out and explore once again. This time,
our destination was Temple Bar. Temple Bar is located just south of the River
Liffey in central Dublin and is known as the “cultural quarter” of activity.
It’s the home of many Irish Pubs and is famous for its lively nightlife.
So lively, that in 1999 “Stag Parties” and “Hen Nights” were banned (or
at least discouraged) from Temple Bar, mainly due to drunken loutish behavior!
The Irish do like their Guinness and Jamison! If there ever was a “ban” on
public drunkenness, the Guarda (local cops) seem to be oblivious to the
“law”.
Upon recommendation from our good friends - the Gill’s and Kirkwoods
– we dined this evening at Oliver St. John Gogarty’s Pub. I’d heard the
Guinness in Ireland tastes much better than a Guinness in the States. Having
had a Stateside Guinness many years ago, I had never acquired a taste for what
I considered a thick, bitter beer. But being that we were in Guinness’s front
yard…I felt compelled to give ‘er a go!
What a remarkable difference between the local Guinness and the one served
in the States! Here, this beer is rich, creamy, full of body and aroma. We
learned that the subtle burnt flavor is derived from the roasted unmalted
barley and the source of the thick, creamy head comes from mixing the beer with
nitrogen when it is poured.
Our Waitress suggested Terry try a “Girlie Guinness” – a ½ pint of Guinness
with a shot of Black Current to take a bit of the edge off the beer. Now Terry
normally does not drink beer. In fact, she rarely drinks anything alcoholic
these days. However, after consuming her Girlie Guinness, she was hooked!
Dinner had to be Traditional Irish. I ordered the Corned Beef and Cabbage.
Terry the Irish Stew. The meal was delightful albeit the portions were designed
for Rugby players!
Monday, May 27th - 2:30 am. I’m wide awake! What the heck’s
going on here? I’ve only slept three hours yet here I sit like the night
watchman. I read my book. I play my game. I contemplate waking Terry up but
decide against that! Finally, at 5:30 I am able to doze off for a couple more
winks.
Back to the Breakfast Bar. This morning we are told that breakfast is
included at no charge as a perk associated with me being a Hilton Honors
Diamond Member! This creates a curiosity with Terry. Yesterday, we paid 48 Euro
for soggy eggs and she was wondering why. She’s on the case and within 8
minutes, she tells me the Hotel has credited back the 48 Euro we spent on yesterday’s
breakfast! We are now good to eat “on the House”.
After breakfast, we begin our day of discovery – our walking tour of
Dublin. First stop – Trinity College and the Book of Kells. By the time
we arrived at Trinity College, the “queue” to get into the Book of Kells was
far too lengthy! We opted out today and continued on to Grafton Street, across
the River Liffey to the North side and on to the Leprechaun Museum.
What the heck…we’re in Ireland. Let’s take a peek at the National Leprechaun
Museum! The chap at the ticket counter was one of the many lively, friendly,
helpful Irish people we encountered during our visit. He happily took our €32
Euro and ushered us into the waiting room where Sarah, our “Storyteller” would
soon join us for our one-hour tour of the Museum. I will spare you the dreadful
details. This was our least favorite stop during our entire visit
to Ireland!
After departing the Museum, we wandered westward down Abby Street Mid to
our next destination – St. Mary’s Abby built in 1190. The Abby was closed
today. We later discovered that many of the attractions are closed on Monday’s!
After wandering the grounds, we headed off to visit the Old Jamison Distillery.
The Queue at the Distillery was similar to that at the Book of Kells, so rather
than see how whiskey is made, we opted for lunch!
After lunch, we crossed back over the River Liffey and on to the Guinness
Storehouse. This place was a zoo as well, however, we sucked it up and paid the
€16 entry fee (each) to discover the secrets of making Guinness. When we toured
the Heineken Brewery in Amsterdam a few years ago, Terry and I were two of but
only a few folks taking the tour. We pretty much had the place to ourselves. At
Guinness, however, there were thousands of visitors crowding every display!
Sadly, making the comparison between the Heineken facility and the Guinness
Storehouse, we preferred our experience in Amsterdam.
After visiting the vast facility and consuming our “complimentary” Pint, we headed
back eastward along the maze of streets to visit a couple of the cathedrals.
Speaking of the streets…or for that matter, the street signs…good luck!
Leaving the Guinness Storehouse, we began heading east on Thomas Street. A
couple of blocks later, it becomes Cornmarket. Another block, the street name
changes to High Street. Another block – its’ now Christchurch Place. One more
block –Lord Edward Street. Then it becomes Dame Street, College Green and
finally Pearse Street!
And to find a street sign? Posted high up on the side of the buildings adjacent to the street you’re on, you may find a street sign. Then again…you may not find one! Your best bet is to ask a “local” for help. As long as they don’t respond in Gaelic…you’ll get a warm, friendly response that will be much easier to understand than the street names or street maps.
Local Street Art
And to find a street sign? Posted high up on the side of the buildings adjacent to the street you’re on, you may find a street sign. Then again…you may not find one! Your best bet is to ask a “local” for help. As long as they don’t respond in Gaelic…you’ll get a warm, friendly response that will be much easier to understand than the street names or street maps.
Other stops during the day included St Audoen’s Church – the oldest parish
church in Dublin. Originally constructed in 1190, over the ages the church has
undergone many additions and changes; however, it is still in full
operation. Here we were treated to a “private showing” by one of the
volunteers – a fine Irishman who was delighted to share his knowledge about the
church and Ireland with us!
What intrigues me about structures such at this church is how the work
force of the day managed to build such grand and detailed buildings without the
help of any of our modern day tools. They did not have electricity to power
tools. They did not have trucks to haul materials. But they did have the ingenuity
to craft out incredible works of structural art.
The Architecture of John’s Lane Church was magnificent yet the most
striking element of this church was its stunningly beautiful stained glass
windows.
John’s Lane Church
After admiring the cathedral craftsmanship of times passed, we strolled
through the Temple Bar area and wound up at Bewley’s Grafton Street Café.
Beyond a doubt – the best coffee in Ireland. We’ve never had a better tasting
Cappuccino!
Tuesday, May 28th – 2:33 am. Again, I am wide awake in the
wee hours of the morning! To keep from disturbing Terry, I head to the
bathroom, close the door and sit on the tub reading my book. I could not go
back to sleep!
Terry wakes up around 7 and asks how long I’ve been in the bathroom. I tell
her “four and a half hours.” Concerned, she asks me if everything is ok!
“That’s a long time to be in the shitter,” she remarks. I assure her that the
time in the head was well spent and there was nothing to be concerned
about!
Today we walk! After breakfast, we set out on our “long walk.” First
stop – the Book of Kells. Trinity College is located about a half mile from our
hotel. The Library opens at 9:30. We arrive at a little
after 9 and find only a short waiting line queued up for the Book. By the time
the doors open, the line is formidable!
Kells Queue
The Book of Kells is a lavishly illustrated text written in Latin by a
collection of artists and scribes who were devoted to capturing and
communicating the study of God’s word via books. Written over twelve hundred
years ago, the Book is believed to have been created by Monks living on the
Island of Iona; however, there are at least four conflicting theories as to its
origin.
The Book contains the four Gospels of the New Testament along with other
texts and tables. It was sent to Dublin around 1653 for security reasons and
has been housed Trinity College since 1661.
From Trinity College, Terry and I walked westbound along the pedestrian
path on the north side of the River Liffey. Our destination – Phoenix Park!
Established in 1662, Phoenix Park is Dublin’s largest urban park covering 1,750
acres.
The Dublin Zoo is nestled in the southeastern reaches of the Park is one of
the area’s main attractions. The Zoo was opened to the public on Sept 1, 1831,
making it the world’s third oldest Zoo.
Following our visit to the Park, Terry and I went to jail! We toured
Kilmainhan Gaol – Dublin’s former prison turned museum. Built in 1796,
Kilmainham Gaol was supposed to be an upgrade to the vile dungeon which housed
the incarcerated.
The Gaol was soon overcrowded with no segregation of men, women and
children. There were often 5 prisoners assigned to a small, dark cell. The only
“heat” came from a candle that each prisoner received and the candles needed to
last two weeks.
Once we got out of jail, Terry and I headed back toward our Hotel. We will
walk over 10 miles today preferring to walk rather than ride the
Jump-on/Jump-off Buses. We simply got their trail map and walked it!
Back to Gogerty’s for another meal, more Guinness and to listen to
traditional Irish Musicians. Since I’d been awake since 2:30, my eyelids began
to sag! We have another full day ahead of us tomorrow, so once we departed
Gogerty’s, it was bedtime for Binky!
Wednesday, May 29th – Today, I actually slept in til 6 am!
I suppose my body has finally adapted to the jet lag. On Monday, we asked the
Hotel Concierge to recommend a Day Trip outside the city so we could experience
the Irish countryside. He suggested we take a Day Trip to Glendalough and
Kilkenny. He contacted Collins Day Tours and signed us up for the Wednesday
Tour.
The Bus picked us up at the Conrad at 9:10am sharp. Good thing we had
reservations as the Tour was sold out! Leaving the city, we headed southwest
toward Glendalough. A quaint town in nestled in the Wicklow Mountains,
Glendalough (Glen of Two Lakes) is noted to be one of the most important sites
of monastic ruins in all of Ireland.
Glendalough
The key features of our stop at Glendalough were a visit to the upper and
lower lakes, a stroll through the wooded grounds and a visit to the 30 meter
Round Tower and the several Monastic ruins which lie amongst the hundreds of
tombstones spread throughout the grounds.
Departing from Glendalough, we traveled westward towards Hollywood, then
southwest to the ancient Medieval Capital of Ireland – Kilkenny City. The
countryside was quiet with rolling hills covered with freshly sprouted grasses.
Our tour’s final destination is the city of Kilkenny and primarily
the Kilkenny Castle. The original owner of the Castle was William Marshall, 1st
Earl of Pembroke. Castle construction began in 1195 and was completed in
1213.
Kilkenny Castle and Lawn
In 1391, James Butler bought the Castle and the Butler Dynasty held title
to the property up until 1967 when Arthur Butler, 6th Marquess and
24th Earl of Ormonde, sold the abandoned and deteriorating castle to
the Castle Restoration Committee for £50. (Approximately a hundred bucks!)
The Butler family had lived in the Castle up until 1935 when the upkeep of
the Castle had become a financial burden. The Butler family sold off the
contents of the Castle in 1935 for £6,000 and moved to London.
What intrigued me the most about the Castle was the thickness of the walls.
In one of the Castle’s three Towers, I measured the walls to be 8 feet thick!
The walls of the main building were a good 3 to 4 feet thick – made of stone
and mortar.
Upon returning to our Hotel following our Tour of Glendalough and Kilkenny,
we asked our Tour Guide for suggestions about other worthwhile local
destinations. She recommended we visit the town of Howth – a short distance
outside Dublin and easily accessible via DART. (Dublin Area Rapid
Transit) The Bay Area’s system is called BART. Dublin’s is DART. Would the
Philadelphia Rapid Transit System be called PHART?
Thursday, May 30th. Today, we're off to explore the
town of Howth – a Dublin coastal village! This quaint suburban fishing village
is a half hour DART ride outside of Dublin and sits on a hilly peninsula.
Today, the weather is fabulous. Nary a cloud in the sky!
Howth, Ireland
Once we exit the Howth DART Train Depot, Terry and I begin our walkabout by
visiting the shops along the West Pier. As it’s still early, most of the shops
and restaurants are not open. Terry is in need of a pee and the closest public
pee station is located at the base of the East Pier. So…that’s where we’re
headed! (Does your wife need to pee every ten minutes like mine?)
As we approach the Public Toilets it becomes obvious to me that they are
out of service. Barricades and construction workers surround the facility –
this pee station is definitely out of order! And now Terry isn’t the only one
in need of a potty!
Adjacent to the Public Toilets is the King Sitric Restaurant. It’s got Bewley’s
coffee cappuccino’s and a potty. We’ll take advantage of both! During our rest
stop, we studied the local area map and discovered this area is a haven for
hikers! The peninsula offers several Loop Trails. After studying the map, we
have chosen to take the Cliff Path Loop - a walking trail that hugs the steep
cliffs of the Howth peninsula.
From sea level, the Trail gradually climbs up a couple hundred feet and
offers the hiker a fabulous view of Ireland’s Eye (a small Island just off the
coast), the Irish Sea, the steep cliffs and a panoramic view of Dublin Bay.
By the time our walk comes to an end, both Terry and I are famished. We opt
to dine at Ivan’s, an upscale (and pricey) restaurant located at the foot of the
West Pier. The Fish and Chips and Vino are delightful!
Back to Dublin via DART. Dinner tonite at Isabelle’s. The best meal of the
trip by far! Whereas most all of our other meals in and about Dublin featured
quantity over quality, Isabelle’s had the right combination of both. I had the
seared Sea Scallops. Terry had the Roast Duck. Both meals were exquisitely
presented and full of flavor.
Friday, May 31st – Today we depart Dublin and head west
to Ennis for a couple of days prior to our departure from the Shannon Airport
on Sunday.
We opted to rent a car and take to the roads on our own. If you’ve ever
driven in Ireland (or Great Britain), you would know that they drive on the
WRONG side of the street! Plus, their cars are built funny. The steering wheel
is situated where the passenger is supposed to sit!
Let’s see…drive on the left. Pay close attention when entering the
round-about. Watch out for Tour Buses. Keep you eye’s open for the occasional
road sign. (good luck with that one – rent the GPS instead!) Put it in drive
and away we go!
The good news - the Budget car rental facility was near the Dublin airport.
Upon leaving Budget, I had only to navigate a couple of “Irish left hand
turns”. Terry yells at me again…”Turn right…turn right…not left!”
My mind is programmed as such: Whenever a driver must cross two lanes of
traffic…it's a left hand turn. I’ve been making those turns for the past 46
years. So here we are in Ireland…driving on the wrong side of the road…and
making turns that cross over an oncoming lane of traffic. In essence, in
Ireland from the left lane, you make a turn, crossing over the oncoming left
lane traffic and merge into your left lane…all in the name of a right hand
turn! I couldn’t quite get the hang of calling this a right turn…so I invented
the Irish Left Turn!
The other interesting point about driving in Ireland is the width of the
country roads. The lanes on the freeways are plenty wide. The country roads…not
so much. Imagine the width of a compact car. Add a couple of inches on either
side. Multiply that by 2. Line either side of the road with an ancient stone
wall. And when I say “line”…I mean literally build the road right up next to
the wall! Read: no shoulder! That’s about the extent of it. Now the best part.
Post a speed limit of 100 km/h on these narrow, curvy roads that have no
shoulders and let ‘er rip! Driving around western Ireland was like racing on a
narrow Go Cart track…at 60 mph!
We arrived at the Old Ground Hotel at 2:15 pm and checked in to room 522.
The lift (Irish for elevator) had four options: 0 (Ground floor) 2, 4 and 5. I
wondered what happened to floors 1 and 3! Perhaps 1 and 3 looks too much like
13 and their superstitions kept them from using them?
Old Ground Hotel - Ennis, Ireland
I suppose I should note that we were very fortunate to have scored a room
at the Old Ground for Friday and Saturday nights. On Wednesday, when we heard
that the upcoming weekend was a three-day Bank Holiday, we decided that rather
than “wing it”, it may be prudent to make a reservation somewhere! True to
form, most everything was booked for the weekend, so we were fortunate to have
a roof over our heads! (Note: I like to plan…Terry likes to “wing it”. Being
8,000 miles from home…I believe planning is more prudent…but what do I know?)
Parking at the hotel is a joke. Too few spaces…too many cars. Plus, the
Hotel is situated in the tourist section of town so I have to believe that many
of the cars parked in the Hotel Lot were not guests! We had to park on the
metered street. Two hours of parking for €1.3. At 2:25 I deposit the fare and
we’re off to explore the Town.
We have lunch at YOLO (You only live once). The restaurant/pub was nice;
however, my take on the meal: the name should be YOEHO (You only eat here once)
After lunch, we take off on the Historical Trail which wanders mainly through a
residential neighborhood and around the Tim Smythe Park. Not much to look at.
Tried to have dinner in the Pub…but the place was packed. Ended up eating
our Seafood Chowder in the main dining area.
June
Saturday, June 1 – Woke up to cloudy skies today with a miserable
cold. Head ache. Nose running like a waterfall. Hacking up oysters. Today, we
test out our Irish driving skills. I drive. Terry navigates…and constantly
yells at me to move away from the curbs and walls on her side of the car. (I bump
up against a few curbs…but never did hit any walls!)
We are off to the famous Cliffs of Moher – the most visited natural
attraction in Ireland. The western coastline of Ireland was what I had
expected. Cold, wet, windy. A light rain is coming down as we approach the
Cliffs. The Cliffs are free…but it’ll cost you €6 per person to park your car
in the only parking lot within miles. In essence our visit to the Cliffs ran us
€12.
Cliffs of Moher
The cliffs rise to as high as 700 feet at the tallest section and are
spread out over a 5-mile stretch along the Atlantic Ocean. The big attraction
at the cliffs seemed to be the possibility of catching a glimpse of a Puffin –
those colorful birds with a clown face. I guess today was too nasty for the
Puffins as we did not see anything but seagulls.
Very near the highest point of the Cliffs sits O’Brien’s Tower. This
three-story stone observation tower was built in 1835 as an observation
platform for Cliffs visitors. And for €2 you can wind your way up two flights
of circular stairs and see pretty much the same sights as those standing at
ground level. Terry chose to waste…er spend the €2. I, on the other hand…opted
out! In fact, after about 5 minutes of freezing my butt off looking at the drab
cliffs…I was ready to opt out of the Cliffs of Moher!
O'Brien's Tower
We thought about taking a look at the Burren but decided against it and
instead, headed to Quin to explore the Quin Abby and Knappogue Castle.
Actually, the ancient old Abby was delightful. No entry fee. Very photogenic.
No crowds. Only a local Dad and his three daughters visiting.
Quin Abby
Sunday, June 2 – Off to Shannon airport for our return trip to PHX via an overnite in PHL. Not much to write about here. First class seats were no problem on the return flight. Watched a bunch of dumb movies. Got to Philly around 2pm. Didn’t lose my wallet in the Shuttle Van. Had dinner at Romano’s. Worst meal of the Trip! Watched golf and sacked out.
Monday, June 3 – Departed PHL at 12:30pm. Arrived back in PHX at
2:30. 108° today! Only 50° warmer than what we were experiencing in Ireland!
And we get to sleep in our own bed!
Joshua Tree - Revisited
Bean Pole Joshua Tree!
Sunset at Joshua Tree
You’ve all heard the saying “poo happens.” (Or something of that nature!)
On our latest Trek to the Parks, it did. The three of us (Terry, me and
C-Dawg) left Phoenix at 2:30pm on Thursday, June 13th heading to
Joshua Tree National Park. Our plan was to stay a couple of days revisiting
Park #4, then visit Tosh, Greg and Khai for a couple of days before heading
north to Park #42 – Pinnacles.
Now I’m one who likes to get going on vacations early in the morning.
Departing at 2:30 in the afternoon makes me a bit grumpy! It’s gonna take us 5 hours to get to our destination. And that’s if we don’t make many
stops! I’ve never liked getting to a campsite late in the day for two reasons.
#1 – most campsites are gone by noon. Number 2 – setting up camp in the dark is
undesirable!
Because it’s hotter than Hades outside (106° when we left Phoenix), the
chances of all campsites at Joshua Tree being occupied this time of year is
about as good as winning the lottery! Setting up camp in the dark…well, there
are worse things that can happen…so I settle into the saddle and drive west
into the setting sun.
A couple hours into our road trip, it was time for a potty break. Many
years ago when traveling thru Blythe, CA, I found a Starbucks located just off
the freeway. Clean shitter. Decent coffee. Perfect place for a pit stop.
Just across the street from the Starbucks there is a Motel with a grassy
knoll ideal for dogs in need of doing their duty. This would make for great
place to “rest” C-Dawg as the pavement is tortuously hot on his paws. Terry
coaxes C-Dawg out of the Highlander. He sniffs a couple of trees, lifts his leg
twice, and then hops back into the air-conditioned SUV!
Once reloaded, we’re back on the freeway on our way to Joshua Tree. Two
minutes later…poo happens! C-Dawg’s bowels erupt! The smell is
excruciating! The next exit is 5 miles down the road!
The good news, if there is any in this scenario, is that his explosion
happened all over his bed and did not smear over the car! The bad news is we’re
out in the boondocks with a crappy situation on our hands!
I pull off the freeway into a Valero Gas Station. Out back, there is an
Air/Water station. For a buck, we get 5 minutes worth of low flow water to
rinse the crap off C-Dawg’s bed! When she owned her Daycare business, Terry
became well accomplished at dealing with shitty situations. She was on C-Dawg’s
bed like flies on….you get the idea. She was successful in rinsing off the
poo…however; there still remained a rather rank odor!
At this stage of our journey, I’m weighing the options: head home and call
this a bad idea or continue on and hope C-Dawg controls his bowels? Once we’re
on the road…there’s no turning back! We venture on!
We arrive at Joshua Tree’s southeast entrance at 7 pm. We’ve got about an
hour of daylight left and a 45- minute drive to the campground. We opt to seek
a campsite in the Jumbo Rocks area. After making a couple of loops around the
Campground, we settle in at site #64 just as the sun sinks below the massive
boulders that line the horizon. C-Dawg sprawls out on the decomposed
monzogranite floor.
This site is semi-private, close to the Crapper and very clean. The
temperature is hovering around 88° as we finish setting up the Hob. Once camp
has been established, we dine on a couple of Safeway Salad Kits and quench our
thirst with a couple of Mike’s Hard Lemonades.
Friday morning – up early. Crispy Bacon and Hot Cakes for Breakfast. No
Engine 2 diet on this trip! First order of business – drive into Twenty-Nine Palms and seek out a Laundromat to wash C-Dawg’s crap-stained bed! After we
clean up his mess, we'll explore the Park.
C-Dawg with Mosquito Net head Gear
Skull Rock is located near the Jumbo Rocks Campground about 50
feet from the road. The info guide tells us that a drive up to Key’s View
is worthwhile. No so much. A brownish-gray cloud of dust and carbon monoxide
taints the view of the valley below! We spend most of the day driving around
the Park. In fact, we drove out the West entrance and into the town of Joshua
Tree. From there, we traveled east on Hwy 62 back to Twenty-Nine Palms where we
stopped off at the Oasis Visitor Center were we bought the National Parks
Monopoly Game.
Skull Rock
Back to Camp. Dinner consisting of Chile, Chicken and tortillas. A couple
more Mike’s. We break out the Monopoly Game and Terry bankrupts me in no time
at all!
Overall experience – pleasant. Nothing outstanding and outside of the Poo
Happening, nothing too dramatic.
June 17, 2013 – After a brief visit with Tosha, Greg and Khai, we depart Temecula at 6am heading north to visit our 42nd National Park. This trek will take us to our country’s
newest Park - Pinnacles. This Park encompasses 26,000 acres in the
southern portion of the Gabilan Mountains located about 30 miles south of
Hollister, CA and 50 miles east of the Pacific Ocean.
In 1908, Teddy Roosevelt exercised his presidential powers granted him by
the American Antiquities Act of 1906 and thus set aside this site as Pinnacles
National Monument. Earlier this year Obama and Congress came together with one
of their rare partisan votes and upgraded Pinnacles to National Park status.
What’s the difference between a National Park and a National Monument you
ask? The major difference is to become a National Park; both Congress and the
president must approve a site. However, the American Antiquities Act grants the
president the sole power to claim any lands under the jurisdiction of the
federal government as a National Monument. Teddy Roosevelt utilized this power
frequently and during his “reign of preservation”, as president he deemed 18
sites as National Monuments, thus preserving these historic and cultural sites
for future generations to enjoy and explore. Five of the Monuments have since
become National Parks…including Pinnacles. The others are Petrified Forest,
Lassen Volcanic, the Grand Canyon, and Olympic.
Teddy was also responsible for helping to establish the US Forest Service,
51 Federal Bird Reservations, 4 National Game Preserves, 150 National Forests
and 5 National Parks.
Generally speaking, our National Parks are sites containing a wide
variety of natural resources that are to be protected and preserved for now and
for future generations. Hunting, mining, and consumptive activities like
logging and grazing are prohibited.
National Monuments are set aside to preserve at least one nationally
significant resource. National Monuments are usually smaller in size than
National Parks and typically lack the diversity of attractions found in our
Parks.
With that being said, as we trekked about Pinnacles, I wondered why this
land was upgraded to National Park status. For 105 years, Pinnacles
thrived as a National Monument. And quite frankly, would not have qualified in
my book as having the right mix of natural resources to bump it up to Park status.
My guess - there was either money or politics involved…and most likely both to
motivate Obama and Congress to agree to the upgrade!
As for the Park’s attractions – we thought the jagged rock spires (or pinnacles) were the main event. Yet these formations are wimpy when compared to the towering
“needles” we discovered while traveling thru the Black Hills of South Dakota in
Custer State Park. The Needles are admirably tall spires of eroded granite and
were the original site proposed for the Mt. Rushmore carvings. If it were
up to me – Custer State Park held far more “National Park” cred than Pinnacles!
As we discovered later, the reason Pinnacles became a National Park is to protect the California Condor population that has been steadily on the rise.
As we discovered later, the reason Pinnacles became a National Park is to protect the California Condor population that has been steadily on the rise.
There they are - the Pinnacles!
Other points of interest at Pinnacles include two talus caves created by
massive rockslides that formed a roof over narrow canyons. Hiking through these
caves requires flashlight and good footwear! The Bear Gulch Cave was closed
during our visit due to an annual bat migration.
The Park has two entrances – the East Entrance is accessed off of CA Hwy
25. At the junction of 25 and CA Hwy 146, head south and proceed to the Park
Visitor’s Center. The West Entrance is accessed off Hwy 101 through the town of
Soledad. Once you exit 101, follow Hwy 146 into the Park. This road is
very narrow and sometimes becomes one lane…so drive with caution! Also, Hwy 146
does not go through the Park so do not think you can access the east from the
west…or vice versa.
The west side has a Visitor’s Center, a picnic area and hosts the trailhead
for the Balconies and Juniper Canyon Trails. There is no camping facility on
the west side. It is a day use facility only.
The Pinnacles Campground is located in the east side of the Park. Being mid
June and off-season, the Campground was sparsely populated. The Ranger at the
Visitor’s Center tells us to take a look around the Campground, pick a
desirable site and then come back to the Center to Register. We jump back in
the Highlander and make our tour around the grounds to seek out the best site.
Site number 57 is ideal! Very private. Vacant. Water onsite. Close to the
potties. As we approached this campsite, a black Honda passes us heading back
in the direction of the Visitor’s Center. Hmmm.
Terry says to me, “I hope that guy didn’t choose #57.” Of course he
did! When we went back to the Visitor’s Center to register for the site, the
dude in the black car had just reserved the site for the next two days! Damn!
Five minutes too late for the best site in the Park! We settled on site #59…two
doors down from the dude who stole our campsite!
Fifty-nine is a desirable site as well. Next to a small stream and nestled
amongst the oaks, we set up camp for a two or three night visit. It’s private
enough as no one has taken #58 or #60 and we can’t see any of our neighbors who
occupy #62 and #64.
June 18th – We’re up at the crack of dawn in an attempt to get
some sunrise shots of the Pinnacles from the Peaks View parking lot. Weather
has blown in and clouds cover the skies…and the peaks! It’s far cooler
than expected and both Terry and I have sweatshirts on this morning. The car
thermometer tells us its 57° at 6:45 this morning. Quite the contrast to the
80°+ mornings we experience in Phoenix this time of year and unseasonably cool
for Pinnacles in June.
After snapping a few marginal shots, we venture further up the road to the
Bear Gulch Day Use area. This is the end of Hwy 146 on the east margin. Here I
will begin my High Peaks hike later in the morning. Because we’ve got C-Dawg in
tow, Terry will be unable to join me for the hike.
The guidebook rates the High Peaks Trail as strenuous. I would rate it a
notch below moderate. The trail has an elevation gain of a bit over
1,400 feet, however, it’s scree free, wide open and trees or the granite rock
formations shade many sections. Very nice hike!
The hiking trails are very well maintained and were in excellent condition
during our visit. At the “pinnacle” of the High Peaks Trail, I came upon a
California Condor (an endangered species) perched atop the tallest granite
boulder and a Turkey Vulture (abundant species) resting on another “pinnacle”
about 50 yard below. These birds look very similar and dwell amongst the cliffs
within the Park. I was treated to the aerial acrobatics of the Turkey
Vulture…however; the Condor was completely satisfied sunning himself atop his
perch.
Tagged Condor
After descending from my “pinnacles hike”, Terry, C-Dawg and I noodled
around the campground playing games and decided that two days here was plenty.
Without C-Dawg, I could see spending more time hiking the well-groomed trails.
With him along…better to move on to our next destination!
The remainder of this Trek takes us on a mission to visit all of Terry’s
Brothers and Sisters. From Pinnacles, we head to the Bay Area to visit Brother
Butch and his Bride Ilse as well as Sister Maureen and her Hubby Mark.
From there, we head to Merced to spend a couple of days with Brother Tim
and his wife Chris. Tim is a member of a local band and we have the pleasure of
hearing him play at thee different venues! Tim’s group plays good stuff….the
kind of surf and rock n roll music I grew up with!
Heading south from Merced, our next stop is Bakersfield where we’ll visit
Brother Kelly and his wife Rhonda and Sister Beverly and her husband John.
Kelly is the General Manager of Camping World of Bakersfield, a huge RV
retailer in town. Needing a place to stay for the night, Kelly hooks us up with
one of his larger units right there on the sales lot! Terry, C-Dawg and I spend
the night in an RV onsite. We got a strange look from the staff when we
departed the lot at 6:30pm the next morning!
Lopes Family - the Brothers and Sisters
From left to right (youngest to oldest) : Jenny, Kelly, Tim, Maureen, Beverly, Terry, Butch
July
Another birthday milestone was reached on July 5th. Our son
Charlie turned 30! Yikes…the daughter turns 40…the son 30! We really have
entered Geezerhood!
We own two weeks at a Timeshare in Del Mar, CA called Wavecrest. I
originally sold one of the units to my
sister Laura way back in the day when I thought I would make a small fortune in
the real estate business. That career
was short-lived; “very small” sums up the fortune I made in real estate. However,
we did end up buying Laura’s week from her many years ago and added a second
week a few years back.
View from Wavecrest Condo
This year, both units were scheduled during the same week. We invited
Charlie and his girlfriend Jessica to join us for a “beach break” from the hot
Arizona summer. One of the highlights of the week was our Day-at-the-Races.
Traditionally, our timeshare weeks never fell during race season. This year,
however, Del Mar began their racing season a week earlier, which afforded us
the opportunity to watch the ponies run! I didn’t make much during my brief
career in real estate…however, it was infinitely better money than what I made
as a race horse handicapper!
Greg, Khai, Tosha, Terry, Daddio, Charlie, Jessica
A good time was had watching the horses run; however, our visit to the
Cashier’s Window was infrequent!
While we were enjoying the Beach and the Races, our neighborhood in Phoenix
was being pounded by a rare microburst. The weather system was so violent, it
knocked down hundreds trees,
damaged many roofs (including ours), and yanked out the local High School
Football Scoreboard leaving in its wake a big mess. The freak storm literally
picked up our two glass-topped patio tables and tossed them against the stucco’d
wall, shattering the acrylic into a million tiny pieces.
August
One dog wasn’t enough for Terry and I do believe it was a plot from the very beginning. You see, daughter Tosha and her husband Greg had rescued a couple of
Bichon-Poodle pups a few years back. Cute little sisters – Aimee and Bella.
However, with the arrival of their son Khai, Tosh and Greg felt the need to
lighten their load and sought to find a new home for the girls.
Charlie volunteered to resume the rescue and brought the sisters to Phoenix
in April. Charlie’s life had gotten somewhat complicated, so Terry volunteered
to take the little creatures off Charlie’s plate. Hmm. How did we go from
having just one dog to three? I knew all along Terry desired playmates for C-Dawg.
Yet, this smelled a bit fishy to me!
The way I see it, once Terry found out that Tosh and Greg were looking for
a new home for Bella and Aimee, she convinced Charlie to "volunteer" to take
them. Then, Charlie would “experience some challenges” causing him to give up
the dogs. And who would be waiting in the wings? My wife…of course! I now experience Three Dog Night….every
night!
September
Sept 7, 2013 – Too far to
drive from Phoenix to Glacier so we hopped Southwest Airlines, flew into
Seattle and then took an Alaska Air puddle
jumper to Kalispell, MT. We picked up our rental car and headed to Glacier
National Park and Lake McDonald Lodge.
Lake McDonald Lodge
Ten years ago, Charlie had visited this
area with us in late September. The Lodges in Glacier close for the season by
mid-September, however, we did prowl around the Lake McDonald Lodge back then,
admiring its charm and the iconic Totem Pole standing guard at the front
entrance.
Lake McDonald Lodge Totem Pole
Lake McDonald Lodge is a rustic and
charming chalet, first open in 1914. The Lodge sits right on the banks of Lake
McDonald near the Park’s western entrance. We are assigned to Cottage #3A.
Today, the sky is thick with moist, gray clouds. It’s not raining, but damp
enough to encourage us to sit inside, test play our Trekking the National Parks
Game we’re developing and plot out the agenda for the week ahead. Dinner in the
main dining room was ordinary as is the food at many of these Lodges. Yet our
mood is magnificent!
September 8, 2013 – We pack our
bags, scarf a hearty breakfast, bid the Lodge adieu and make our way to the
Avalanche Creek parking lot. Backpacks filled with all the necessities,
including rain gear, we begin one of our most memorable hikes in all of the
National Parks – the Avalanche Lake Trail. It is one of the Park’s most popular
and can be somewhat crowded. Today, however, the weather is keeping the faint
of heart from venturing out.
Avalanche Creek
The first section of the trail follows
Avalanche Creek and offers spectacular views of the forest and the reddish
rocks, which have been carved into fascinating shapes and brightly polished by
the abrasive waters of the Creek.
After the Creek disappears from view, the
rest of the 2½-mile trail climbs gently to Avalanche Lake. Twenty minutes into
our hike, a gentle rain began to fall. “Cool! We finally get to wear our rain
gear!” We’ve packed our back country clothing on almost every alpine hike we’ve
ever taken…and rarely did it rain enough to justify donning the gear! Today,
we’re happy to have toted our waterproof wardrobes!
Avalanche Lake
What a pleasant experience hiking Avalanche
Lake Trail in the rain! When we reflected back on the highlights of our family
Experience, this hike came out on top! It’s rare that us Phoenicians witness
rainfall. Even more uncommon - the opportunity to hike about in the rain. The
waterproof boots were definitely cheered as they protected our feet from
becoming drenched!
Once we concluded our morning hike, we
dried off our gear and headed east on the Going-to-the-Sun Road – a magnificent
serpentine thoroughfare that winds 50 miles up and over Logan Pass through
Glacier’s mountainous interior. The going is slow (two plus hours without
stopping). The scenery spectacular! The G-T-T-S Road typically opens mid to
late June and closes for the season around September 21st…unless, the wintery
weather arrives early.
The
eastern section of the Going-to-the-Sun Road terminates at the small town of
St. Mary. This is where I hung out for a week back in 2012 when I took my
Photography Workshop. Here, I discovered a small restaurant – the Park Café -
that specializes in Pie! All sorts of Pie! Their slogan is “Pie for Strength”
and since I love Pie…I insisted we strengthen up and stop for a piece before
heading to Many Glacier Lodge where we will spend the next three days and
evenings.
The
service at the Park Café is a bit…casual, however, the food and the Pie make up
for its shortcomings…at least for me. Terry wasn’t nearly as enthralled with
the place as I. The tiny restaurant has charm and I was able to purchase one of
the Café’s last “Pie for Strength” Tee shirts. These Tees’s are soon to be a
collector’s item as the Pie shop owner has sold out to the Hilton family and
who knows what will happen to its original appeal!
We’re
scheduled to spend the next three days and nights at the Many Glacier Lodge at
the eastern reaches of the Park. This Lodge was first opened for business in
1915. Many Glacier is one of six architectural treasures that were built during
this period. Built by Louis Hill and the Great Northern Railway, the Swiss
chalet-style Many Glacier Lodge hosts 212 rooms. Our two rooms were located at
the southern end of the facility. Charlie’s room had a nice view of
Swiftcurrent Lake.
Many Glacier Lodge at sunrise
Sept 9, 2013 –Once we were all up and moving this morning, we strolled down the Lodge’s
long hallway to the Main Dining Room. The Hall is lined with a pictorial
history of the area. The pictures of the glaciers depicted along the walls
painfully illustrate just how far they have receded over the years. Along this
hallway, you see pictures of Grinnell Glacier, Swiftcurrent Glacier, Sperry
Glacier and many more as they were 40 years ago and what they look like today.
It is estimated that at their current rate of recession, there will be no
glaciers left in the Park by 2020.
After
a hearty breakfast, we ready ourselves for our daily hike. Today, we will hike
to Grinnell Lake – a seven mile round trip that has very little elevation gain.
As today is my birthday, I wish out loud that we might encounter a moose. Ten
minutes after expressing my wish, we meet up with a group hiking in the
opposite direction who informs us that a female moose is munching on some moss
about 5 minutes up the trail!
Wish
number one granted! We venture off trail about 50 yards and are treated to a
large female moose standing knee deep in a tributary between Swiftcurrent Lake
and Lake Josephine. I have my telephoto lens and tripod with me and manage to
get a couple of nice shots her as she lazily dines on lake vegetation.
Since
it is still my birthday and Wish #1 was granted, I opted to try another. Wish
#2 - “Wouldn’t be cool if we saw a bear?” Voila! Directly in front of us, we
notice a Black Bear enter the tributary, swim across the lake and make landfall
about 150 yards in front of us. To let
him know we’re in the neighborhood, I began to call out loudly, “Hey Bear…hey
Bear…hey Bear!”
Charlie
freaks out! “Dad! Be quiet! He’ll hear you!”
“Son, he’s supposed to hear us! The last
thing we want is to surprise him with our presence.” The bear casually looks
over at us, shakes off the cold water and moseys into the forest. Hmmm. Now we
cannot see him. Which way did he go? Is he following the same path we have
chosen? Is he coming our way? Oh oh! We give him a 5-minute head start before
making our way back to the trail.
We encounter an elderly gentleman heading
in the opposite direction when we reach the trail. We tell him there’s a bear
in the area. He tells us the bear caught him a bit by surprise and emerged out
of the woods only 10 yards in front of him. This didn’t seem to bother the old
guy. He shrugged it off and continued onward as did we.
No more animal sightings along the trail
to Grinnell Lake. We eat our snacks and head back to the Lodge.
Grinnell Lake
Sept 10, 2013 –Today’s hikes
would be around Swiftcurrent Lake, an easy trek that yielded some great photos
and a short trek along the creek that runs between Swiftcurrent Lake and
Sherburne Lake! Good waterfall shots here!
Swiftcurrent Lake
After our hiking, we spent the afternoon
playing Trekking the National Parks - the board game we have invented and will
soon attempt to market! We found a table in an open area along the long hallway
to set up the game. As we played, many curious people asked us what we were
doing. Terry would reply, “We’re test playing a game my son and husband have
invented!” The interest from those who
inquired was quite encouraging!
Sept 11, 2013 – After having a good breakfast at the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn and Cabins,
we head out for our third and final Lodge for this Experience - the Prince of
Wales Hotel in Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park located in Alberta,
Canada. We’d spend three nights at this historic Hotel. And that’s about all
I’d care to visit as the price tag at this one was rather spendy!
Prince of Wales Hotel
The
Prince of Wales Hotel was named after…you guessed it! The Prince of Wales. Ironically,
said Prince never visited his namesake. Perched on a barren plot of land
between middle and upper Waterton Lakes, the Hotel stands majestically
alone. Being somewhat of a landscape
lover, I found it a shame that this finely appointed piece of architecture did
not possess a complimentary landscape.
The
other disappointment was the lack of service excellence shown by some of the
staff. Our Canadian Experience was somewhat marred by a couple of grumpy
bartenders and an indifferent gift shop clerk. Also, we discovered that the
month of September is Fly Season! When we checked into our room, there must
have been fifty flies buzzing the windowsills. At breakfast the next morning,
we were told that each August and September, the elk, mule deer and big horn
sheep begin their migration. As they go through the area…the flies follow.
Hence, this area is infested with the winged nuisances for a couple of months!
And because we are in a National Park, it is illegal to spray the little pests! The
Locals advise using the “Waterton Wave” to shoo them away from your breakfast!
Cameron Falls - Waterton National Peace Park
Grand Canyon - Trekking Rim-to-Rim
John, Terry, Terra and Darin
Earlier in the year, I had set a goal to hike the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim
in a day. This is an ambitious goal and constitutes my idea of “hiking a
marathon.” I planned to set out from the North Rim at around 4 am with the
intention of reaching the South Rim just as the sun was setting. Because Terry would not allow me to make this journey solo, she decided
she’d train for the trek and join me.
In April, I had run into a former employee of mine, Darin Ayres, who lives
in Chicago with his wife Terra. I mentioned my intentions about hiking the
Grand Canyon and Darin asked if he and Terra could join us. I explained how arduous the hike would be,
but being a youngin’ (early 40’s) and in good physical condition, Darin said he
and his bride would be no trouble.
For 6 months, Terry and I trained vigorously for our Canyon Crossing. Yet,
training in Phoenix over the summer months is brutal. At 5 am when we set out
on many of our training hikes, the temperature would read in the mid to high
90’s. By 11 am, it would be too hot to continue; hence, we were not getting in
the miles I felt we needed. The good news is elevation at the North Rim is over
8000’ so the temperature when we began our hike would be in the mid to low
40’s.
The plan was to meet Darin and Terra on the South Rim on Saturday night as
they’d be flying to Phoenix earlier in the day. We’d spend the night at the
Yavapai Lodge, drop off their car at the point where we’d exit the Bright Angel
Trail on Monday and then drive our car the 200+ miles to the North Rim where
we’d stay the night at the Grand Canyon Lodge.
The distance to hike Rim-to-Rim from the North Rim Trailhead to the Bright
Angel Trailhead is 23 miles. The distance to drive Rim-to-Rim is 209 miles! The
bridge crossing the Colorado River is located at Lee’s Ferry!
We arrived at the North Rim late Sunday afternoon and got checked into our respective
Cabins. Dinner reservations at the Lodge were sold out until 9 pm – too late
for us to dine as we needed to get to bed early - so we ended up eating a nasty piece of pizza
and a wilted salad. Not a desirable dinner fare prior to our upcoming
adventure. Since we had planned to begin
our hike at 4 am, the four of us hit the sack very early with alarms set for 3.
After a restless night’s sleep, we groggily awake and begin packing up our
gear. It’s a cool 41° when we reach the Trailhead at 4:15 am. In the dark of
night, the four of us begin our descent into the Grandest Canyon of them all!
The going is slow as the trail is very steep and footing somewhat precarious
due to recent storms. Plus, its pitch black this early in the morning. We make
it to Supai Tunnel at 5:30 am. Our pace is a little better than a mile and
three-quarters per hour. I had hoped we’d be hiking at 2+ mph on the downhill
section of the trek.
A couple hours later we reach the Roaring Springs Pump House Residence and
stopped to shed some clothes, rest and snack a bit. This stop is equipped with
a brand new shitter and a place to fill up or water bladders. It’s also the
location of the residence where the Park Rangers and the Pump House Operators
live when working on the water line that runs from Roaring Springs all the way
to the South Rim. In fact, if it wasn’t for this source of water, the South Rim
would never be able to accommodate the number of people that visit the Grand
Canyon.
Our pace is still below 2 mph…and I make a comment that we need to “pick up
the pace if we’re going to reach the South Rim at a decent hour.” Terry doesn’t take kindly to my comment; yet all seems to be going
fine for the four of us.
Our next stop is Cottonwood Campground, another mile and a half from the
Roaring Springs/Pump House Residence. When we reach Cottonwood, Terry is
looking a bit off color. I ask her if she’s doing ok. She says yes and heads to
the head. We rest a bit, I make another comment about “picking up the pace”,
and we head out on the next section of trail. I also make the comment that this
is the "point of no return." If we proceed onward, we’re committed to hiking to
the south rim. If anybody isn’t feeling it, it’s not too late to hike back to
the North Rim. Everyone agrees to keep on trekking toward the South!
A mile later, Terry sits down. She’s not looking good. We’re still about 6
miles from Phantom Ranch, 15 miles to the South Rim and now about 8 ½ miles
back to the North Rim. One look at her and I know she’s done. I make the
decision to retreat back to the North Rim. Terry does not argue with that
decision. Darin and Terra had picked up their pace and were a couple hundred
yards in from of us when Terry pooped out. I hustled to catch up with them and
informed them we would be hiking back to the car. I felt Terry was in no shape
to continue on…especially since the most difficult part of the hike was still
to come!
Darin asked me if he and Terra should follow us back. They had flown in
from Chicago to do this hike so I told them to go ahead and complete the Trek.
I’d tend to Terry and we’d hook up with them later that evening once we
retrieved our car and made it back to the South Rim.
Sheepishly, they hiked on while I went back and collected Terry. After
resting for a while, we headed back to Cottonwood Campground where I had her
lay down to relax and regain her strength. After an hour, she was still feeling
ill. We’re still 6 miles from the North Rim, its closing in on noon, at best
we’d make it to the top by 6 pm if we got up and hiked right then. But she was
in no shape to do so.
Now, I began to get concerned. We were not equipped to spend the night in
the Canyon. We had no sleeping gear...no tent. The only thing we had for
shelter was a flimsy emergency blanket, which Terry was resting on. I told her
to keep still and that I was going to hike back to the Pump House Residence
where the Emergency Phone was located. I needed to call the Ranger Station to
see what they recommended we do!
In my haste to make it back to the Pump House, I had inadvertently taken
all of the food with me leaving nothing behind for Terry. Fortunately, I came
upon a couple of hikers and asked if they’d take some food to my wife. I told
them she wasn’t doing very well and I was heading back to the Pump House to
call for help. They agreed to help me out and took a half eaten apple and two
pieces of string cheese back to Terry.
By the time I reached the Pump House Residence, two Park Rangers and three
Engineers had taken up occupancy. Desperately, I asked the female Ranger for
help explaining that my wife and I were attempting to cross the canyon in a
day…but things hadn’t gone as planned. I explained to her that Terry had run
out of gas and we were not equipped to spend the night in the canyon. In a
panic, I asked her what we should do!
Her name was Joy. She and another Ranger were escorting a team of engineers
thru the Canyon as they surveyed a new route for the water line. They would be
spending the night at the Pump House. Joy didn’t have an immediate answer for
me but agreed to follow me back to Cottonwood so she could assess the
situation. Relieved, I hustled back to the campground and found my wife sitting
up, looking much better and chatting it up with the couple I had passed along
the trail.
Terry asked me what I’d found out and before I could explain to her that
I’d met with Park Rangers, Joy showed up. She and Terry talked for a bit and
Joy convinced Terry to hike back to the Pump House. From there, it would be about
4 ½ miles to the Rim. Four and a half VERY STEEP miles straight up!
Ironically, the Emergency phone at the Pump House was not working. However,
unbeknownst to me, there was an Emergency Phone about 30 paces from where Terry
had been resting!
We made it back to the Pump House without incident. Joy went back to the
house to attend to her guests. Terry and I hung out by the Water Spigot to rest
before we began to make our way out of the Canyon. Knowing that the steepest
part of the hike lie ahead of us, Terry began to become very unsettled. She was both physically and emotionally distraught. It
became very obvious to me that she was in no shape to hike out of the Canyon. I
walked back to the Pump House and explained to Joy that there was no way Terry
would safely make it out of the Canyon today.
At this point, I was willing to pay for a helicopter rescue. Joy called
into dispatch to seek help from the Rangers on the Rim. What she told me was
the Park Service dispatches the choppers ONLY for life and death situations.
Terry was not a candidate for such a rescue, as she wasn’t considered by the
Rangers to be in dire straights. What the Rangers did recommend was that we
camp out at the Pump House for the evening and hike out the next morning.
Fortunately, the Pump House was equipped with extra sleeping bags and mats and
we spread them out on the Pump House porch to settle in for some sleep.
Then it dawned on me. I had told Darin and Terra that we’d meet up with
them that evening. What would they think if we didn’t show up? Cell phones do not
work in the Canyon. I asked Joy if there was any way she could call the Maswik
Lodge and let our friends know we were ok? Joy was able to reach the Lodge via her Satellite phone and
leave message for Darin and Terra.
There are two aspects to any arduous event like hiking the Grand Canyon
Rim-to-Rim in a day. First, there is the physical aspect – one’s ability to
withstand the beating your body takes while hiking down and up an irregular
surface for 23 miles. The other is the mental aspect of the endeavor.
Unfortunately, Terry had lost the mental game. The stress of the situation had
taken over and had caused her to be physically incapable of continuing on. And
the more one dwells on the situation, the more it compounds itself. By the time the sun had set Monday evening,
Terry was mentally and physically worn out.
Joy assured Terry that a good night’s rest would do the trick and she’d be
a new person come daybreak. Such a gracious host, Joy even gave up her bed for
the evening inside the Pump House while I slept on the floor by Terry’s side.
The next morning, Joy greeted us with a cup of hot coffee and
told Terry she would accompany us part of the way up the trail. She said she’d
need to meet up with her survey crew by 9 am. We began the hike out of the
Canyon a little after 7:30. Joy carried Terry’s backpack to lighten the load.
Amazingly, our pace uphill was faster than it was coming down! My GPS had us
clocked at a 2 mile an hour pace for the first portion of the trail. After we’d
hiked a mile and a half, Joy bid us adieu. We graciously thanked her for all
she had done to support Terry during our ordeal.
Soon, the trail steepened and our pace slowed down; however, Terry was both
mentally and physically up for the hike out. We slowly made our way up toward
the Rim. Our last rest stop was at Supai Tunnel…1.7 miles below the Rim. After
a short break, we filled our water bottles, emptied our bladders and began the
final segment of the hike out of the Canyon.
We are almost to the top of the climb when we encounter a Mule Train
blocking the path. The TrailMaster is giving instructions to the riders as we
wait off trail until they clear the path. The longer we sit, the more I notice
Terry beginning to slip back into a mental funk. We’re so close…but the trails
end is not in sight. After what seemed forever, the Master of the Mules leads
his tenderfoot riders down the path.
Terry is slow to respond. As we resume our hike out, she begins to tear up.
An older couple catches up and the gentleman asks if he can carry Terry’s pack.
This offers her much comfort and she gladly relinquishes her gear. With renewed
vigor, we continue on and five minutes later, we’ve reached the Trailhead on
the North Rim! Safe and sound! We did
hike Rim-to-Rim…not exactly as planned; however, we lived to hike another day!
And as crazy as this may sound…Terry wants to do the Rim-to-Rim in a Day in
2014! She’s already begun training and convinced Charlie to join us! Wish us
well my friends!
The only other highlight to report from the month of September is the fact
that I turned 62! With that, I became eligible for my very own Lifetime Park
Pass! For a skimpy 10 scoots, I now can visit any National Park free of charge!
Geezerhood does have its advantages after all!
The Rest of the
Year
In October, I went back to work conducting my seminars for Ewing’s
customers. This year’s program is titled: Money Matter! Juggling the Financial
Bean Bags of Business. I teach contractors how to make money, how to collect
the money they make, how to manage the money they collected and what they need
to do to achieve financial freedom.
In November, we hosted the annual the Binkelian Desert Golf Classic
featuring the fine foursome
including the Kirkwood’s and the
Gill’s. The weather ideal, the courses in great shape. My game, however, was
still in need of more work! If I could only putt! Kirkwood and Karen took top
Honors. Greg and Mary came in a close second. The Host Couple…well, let's just
say they played the role of gracious hosts!
Since the Microburst blew apart many roofs in our area, we felt it would be
prudent to have ours repaired before the “rainy season”…if there is such a
thing here in the desert. We contracted with Monsoon Roofing to repair our roof
and wouldn’t you know it…the day they were to begin the work…it rained!
As I was writing the 25th page of my most verbose BinkInk ever,
we got a call from our son-in-law Greg Henderson who informed us they just became the
proud parents of another child! Heck, we didn’t know Tosha was pregnant! Well,
she wasn’t. The mother who gave birth to Khai had another kid. Apparently, she
couldn’t handle being a full time mom at age 18 so she asked Tosha and Greg if
they’d like to adopt her baby girl. Khai now has a sister - Jaylynn. Tosha and Greg are
the proud parents of two children under the age of three! Wish them well!
And we wish all of you who have made it to the end of this edition of BinkInk
the very best in the years to come! Happy New Year...Happy Trails and may your days be filled with joy!
Happy Campers!
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