Hello All,
I have been off-line for about five weeks as I have been on tour.
Not around New Zealand, but down the west coast of North America starting at Vancouver and ending up in LA. While my partner Su attended conferences along the way as far as San Fransisco, I got to swan off and see some of the country. Unfortunately, the closest I got to CT'ing was riding a pushbike around SF and across the Golden Gate Bridge.
After Su's last work-related task in SF, we hired a car and, while repeating continuously "drive on the RIGHT, drive on the RIGHT", we set off inland to see some of the sights that have always been on our must-see-before-we-die lists.
Yosemite, Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley.
The grandeur of these natural features was overwhelming.
Yosemite was the first wonder, with El Capitan and Half Dome setting a high standard, but the Grand Canyon was the place that really did leave us speechless. When I walked towards the rim for the first time I was dizzy not only with vertigo (I'm afraid of heights), but with the impossible magnificence of the place - I'm getting excited just thinking about it now! It took a while before I could accept it as real and not some special-effect being projected before me. We walked most of the southern rim trail to see as much as we could of this supernatural place, but did not have enough time to take any of the trails that descended into the canyon. Probably just as well as I tend to overestimate my stamina level.
So, what should a person with severe vertigo do to challenge themeslves at the Grand Canyon?
Answer : an hour long ride over the canyon in a helicopter ! Nearly had to unpack the spare underwear even though I cheated by closing my eyes when going over the edge for the first time. The helicopter was designed for sightseeing with a full glass canopy and glass floor in the front - luckily I was in the back.
Su was in the front and loved it. For me it was 60 minutes of absolute terror that dosed my body with so much adrenaline that I could not sleep that night - but it was also an experience that I will treasure forever.
Our planning was mostly to include natural features, but I also wanted to include that beautiful engineering icon, Hoover Dam, and to travel on part of Route 66. Hoover Dam was another challenge. I walked across the dam and looked over the upriver side, but looking over the downriver side was just not possible.
A little fantasy coming up .... While planning the trip I thought of the many films I had seen which featured a lonely diner on a dusty desert road. Here's how it goes. A car pulls up and the driver enters the diner through a squeeking swing door. The locals slowly look up from what they are doing. The traveller looks around as tension builds until one of the locals drawls "So what draws you to these parts, Stranger?" Pan to the outside where a tumble weed rolls by to the sighing of the wind. A single gunshot.
Well, I never had the diner experience, but I met my first tumble weed !
The photographs were downloaded today, all 778 of them. There are a few mistakes that will be deleted, but looking through them I found very few that I will not have printed. This is not a comment on my ability as a photographer, rather a compliment to the wonderful scenery we saw.
The final cherry on this cake was that I got to see my brother for the first time since 1973 !! He lives in Burbank and we were able to spend a day with him and his family. Boy, has he changed - unlike me who has stayed exacly the same as I was back then.
I contacted Allen when planning the trip and he gave many suggestions that we used to improve our experience - thanks Allen, much appreciated, hope I can do the same for you if you are visiting this area.
This has been a bit longer than the average post, but even so, I'm cutting it short.
Just had to share some of the feelings.
