Pictures of the Week 2008-46
Hello All,
With a new roof installed on our newly purchased house in Florence, Alabama we packed up the fifth-wheel and headed south. We followed AL-157 till we intercepted I-65 where we continued south to AL-59 and then followed it to Gulf Shores, AL. After spending a couple of days visiting with friends we jumped on I-10 eastbound till intercepting I-75 which we followed into central Florida.
We parked the rig in Kissimmee, FL which completed our seven-month loop around the United States of America. Kissimmee is where we normally spend the winter months. However, this year we will only spend about six weeks in the area. That should give us enough time to get the annual lube and oil jobs completed on our old bodies!! Every year it seems our docs find more “wrongs” than they do “rights!” As us old folks say, “I guess it beats the alternative!” We plan to head back north to Alabama in mid December.
This year’s trip took us through sixteen states. We put 22,450 miles on our truck. The average price of diesel was $4.90. The most expensive was in the state of Washington at $5.40 and the least we paid was $2.75 in Alabama. At about 12 miles per gallon it took a real bite out of our travel budget.
People ask us “What place did you enjoy the most?” That is a very difficult question for us. Every part of our great country has something to offer. We try to travel with the attitude that every day is a new adventure and enjoy it for what it is. If you are always looking back or ahead you never enjoy the moment.
Our likes tend to sway towards things with bright colors, the wonderful creations of mother earth, and of course animals. With that said, the photos this week will revisit some of the areas that made an indelible impression in our memories this year.
Texas, being a big state has many diverse venues to offer. We have visited the state many times and enjoyed many of these attractions. However, there is something serene about driving the country roads of the “hill country” with the wildflowers in bloom.
With a new roof installed on our newly purchased house in Florence, Alabama we packed up the fifth-wheel and headed south. We followed AL-157 till we intercepted I-65 where we continued south to AL-59 and then followed it to Gulf Shores, AL. After spending a couple of days visiting with friends we jumped on I-10 eastbound till intercepting I-75 which we followed into central Florida.
We parked the rig in Kissimmee, FL which completed our seven-month loop around the United States of America. Kissimmee is where we normally spend the winter months. However, this year we will only spend about six weeks in the area. That should give us enough time to get the annual lube and oil jobs completed on our old bodies!! Every year it seems our docs find more “wrongs” than they do “rights!” As us old folks say, “I guess it beats the alternative!” We plan to head back north to Alabama in mid December.
This year’s trip took us through sixteen states. We put 22,450 miles on our truck. The average price of diesel was $4.90. The most expensive was in the state of Washington at $5.40 and the least we paid was $2.75 in Alabama. At about 12 miles per gallon it took a real bite out of our travel budget.
People ask us “What place did you enjoy the most?” That is a very difficult question for us. Every part of our great country has something to offer. We try to travel with the attitude that every day is a new adventure and enjoy it for what it is. If you are always looking back or ahead you never enjoy the moment.
Our likes tend to sway towards things with bright colors, the wonderful creations of mother earth, and of course animals. With that said, the photos this week will revisit some of the areas that made an indelible impression in our memories this year.
Texas, being a big state has many diverse venues to offer. We have visited the state many times and enjoyed many of these attractions. However, there is something serene about driving the country roads of the “hill country” with the wildflowers in bloom.
Driving through the deserts of
New Mexico and then climbing the steep mountains into the heavily timbered
towns of Ruidoso or Cloudcroft is like being in two different worlds. Strolling
through an Iris garden or wandering through rocks covered with petroglyphs
keeps the mind excited and intrigued. But feeling the soft powdery sand of
White Sands National Monument between your toes is something we will never
forget.
Seeing the Colorado River
snake 270 degree around a turn at the bottom of a gorge or peering out over the
immenseness of the Grand Canyon are memories imbedded in our minds. However,
seeing what Mother Nature has done in an Arizona slot canyon is almost beyond
belief. The hues and serrations of the
rock are truly amazing.
When it comes to rock
formations Utah takes the prize--the hoodoos of Bryce and Zion National Parks
and the brilliant reddish formations and mesas of Kodachrome and Red Canyons
are amazing. And then there are the arches,
natural bridges, gravity defying toadstools, and box canyons of Arches and
Capitol Reef National Parks, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
Some of the varied colors in the landscapes are mind boggling.
We’ve seen a lot of antler art
in our travels. But an entrance to a
ranch in Nevada really caught our eye. It’s hard to fathom how many sets of
antlers it would take to build such a creation.
Oregon with its many lakes and
rivers, evergreen forests, snow capped mountains, and rugged coastline is a
photographer’s dream. But, one visit to
Crater Lake National Park takes your breath away. The deep blue water of Crater Lake is like no
other we‘ve seen.
Olympic National Park in the state of Washington
offers a variety of landscapes--a rugged coastline full of sea stacks and
beaches covered with driftwood.
Beautiful lakes and waterfalls abound, in addition to some amazing trees
in the rain forests.
Idaho is known for potatoes. But it has so much
more to offer. A place that sticks in our minds is the miles and miles of
incredibly rugged terrain at Craters of the Moon National Monument. It too is
like no other place we’ve seen.
Without a doubt Yellowstone
and Grand Teton National Parks are the top draws for the state of Wyoming. For wildlife and scenery they are hard to
beat. However, we thoroughly enjoyed driving the back country roads in the
state. We would like to visit the state again and do more back road exploring.
With the exception of the national parks and a few remote ranches a large part
of the state has suffered little influence from mankind. You get off the beaten path and it’s like
stepping back in time. However, the
mighty pronghorn have managed to thrive in this harsh land. You see them
wandering wildly around nearly every turn.
Zoos are a favorite haunt for
us. They are a great family venue with a reasonable price tag. We got a real
kick out of this gorilla at a Nebraska zoo.
He was laid back having a good time watching all us monkeys walk by.
We enjoy gardens because of
all the bright colors of the different types of flowers. It is such a wonderful
place to relax and let your mind leisurely wander. Add a dragon fly resting on a water lily as
seen at this Missouri Botanical Garden and it makes the day.
A garden is also a good place
to catch a butterfly resting on a vine.
It is hard to imagine something so beautiful has such a short lifespan.
They are a real work of art by Mother Nature.
In our travels we have been
lucky enough to see a vast variety of animals--elk, moose, bear, bighorn sheep,
mountain goats, alligators, and cougar, just to name a few. They are all
majestic in their own way. But, when we
came across this pig in Idaho he stopped us in our tracks. He just made us laugh!!
As always it was nice to get
back to Florida and visit with our friends. We thoroughly enjoyed our seven
months on the road. But, a rest is in
order at the moment. Florida is such a
beautiful state with so many opportunities for photos--from oceans and beaches
to swamps and gardens, with all the sub tropical flowers and trees. It truly is a lovely place to kick back.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns