Day 9-A moment to slow down, sleep in this morning and relax for a day or so, in the same place. For a quick geography lesson, we’re hanging out near the central California Coast-about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Tomorrow (Saturday), we begin our journey north and inland toward Yosemite National Park.

 As we get excited to see Tyler and Amelia, we took some time to do some local exploring. Our 24-hour travel pause allowed me to sneak out early this morning and do some birding at a local park. In addition, Theresa, Darby and I popped down the road a short distance to visit Morro Bay, on the central CA coast. This was a cool place that Amelia and Tyler showed me back in February, and I wanted to return with the ladies to show them the same. Staying overnight in Morro Bay made this short adventure easy.

A California Gull  (below) digs in the beach for sand crabs and a Snowy Egret dashes in and out of the surf

A few of the California birds I was able to see early this morning included an Acorn Woodpecker, an Anna’s Hummingbird stretching its wings, a Western Scrub Jay looking for insects and a California Towhee checking my truck out. Along with the birds, a family of Ground squirrels were not happy with my presence.

Between my brief bird walk and the critters we saw in Morro Bay, we logged a good bit of wildlife species today. The main attraction in Morro Bay are the California Sea Otters. These year-round critters lazily float in the bay, napping and feeding on the rich sea life. Many visitors travel to Morro Bay just to see these playful marine mammals. Although quite windy, our walk on the beach was very relaxing and peaceful, as we enjoyed watching California Gulls and Snowy Egrets feeding along the breaking waves, and discovered a couple small, intact sand dollars-some with barnacles growing on them. We did see an interesting habit that a few California Gulls were carrying-out. A bird would dig into the sand at the water’s edge with its webbed feet, then continue digging as water filled up the hole-just like kids digging on the beach as the waves roll in. It would stay in the same spot for several minutes, presumably looking for those little sand grabs as hors-d’oeuvres. By the time it was done, both legs would basically disappear in the hole. We also watched a few dedicated surfers braving the 54-degree F water!

We capped our afternoon adventure off with a stroll along some of the harbor shops, then stopped for, what else, ice cream! I was enjoying my sundae when out of nowhere, my dear daughter starting commenting about my wild, bushy eyebrows. I sat there shoving Moose Tracks into my mouth as Darby pointed at me as if I had two large caterpillars crawling across the tops of both eyes! I didn’t know whether to join both of them laughing, or immediately run back to the hotel room and shave them off! The way she looked at me you would think she was looking at Sasquatch! Darby began to laugh so hard that I think I saw ice cream ooze out of her nostrils. So, I did what any other semi-embarrassed father would do. I just sat there eating my snack, then declared it was time to go! Maybe this is what happens when we have a bit too much down time!

The long days finally caught up with me last night, so I’ve decided to combine Day 7 (yesterday)and Day 8 (today) together in this blog. 

Day 7-We left Las Vegas this morning to return to Hoover Dam so Theresa and Darby could take the dam tour, down inside this amazing structure. They really enjoyed the full tour, seeing the turbines and getting the opportunity to hold their cell phone outside one of the vents to snap a unique photo of the dam.

As we headed west to the CA desert and a stop in Death Valley National Park, one thing that didn’t let up for the past two days was the wind. It’s been strong and steady, blowing around 20-30 mph non-stop during the day. It started as we left Zion NP in Utah, returning to NV, and into CA, and refused to let up during the daylight hours. It does taper off when the sun goes down. We can certainly feel it with Big Blue’s boxy shape, as sometimes he gets nudged toward the side of the road by a strong gust (more on this later, including a close call).

We entered CA and paid a visit to Death Valley NP-the hottest, driest and lowest place in the U.S. Although Death Valley’s conditions can be extreme, the landscapes are very different throughout the park and show a rare beauty in how they were formed millions of years ago, and are still forming today. Rugged peaks, outcroppings of black volcanic rock formations, great vast salt flats, large, wind-blown sand dunes and ever-eroding sandstone badlands paint the park everywhere you look. It’s a very distinctive environment, but uniquely special as well!

As we departed Death Valley, we ascended up through two separate mountain passes. The first was Tower pass, at 5,000’. The drive up, then back down was a bit nervy. With 10-mile switchbacks, very little guide rail, wind gusts of 30 mph or more (remember those winds I mentioned earlier) and steep drop-offs just past the shoulder of the road, my grip on the steering wheel was pretty tight. At one point, a strong gust pushed the truck toward the edge of the roadway-no shoulder, no guide rail and a 1,000’ drop. Needless to say, we all took a quick breath, held on to something and froze for a minute or two. Except for me of course, since I was driving and couldn’t just stop or we probably would have plunged over the edge to a very gruesome death! As I glanced in my rear view mirror I saw Darby looking like she was about to project vomit on the back of my head, while a second glance toward my dear wife saw her grabbing my Bird Field Guide and start frantically turning pages as if she was speed reading the entire book, never taking another look out her window until we had safely descended. But, no worries, I shook Big Blue back into the middle of the lane and continued down, but this time driving at a snail’s pace. It was a very hairy call! When we got to the top of the second pass, there was a scenic overlook, so I asked Theresa and Darby if they would like to pull over to check it out. Their answer was perfectly timed together, with a booming “NO!” Later on, Darby told me if we had stopped at the overlook, she wasn’t going to get back in the truck for the drive to the bottom. She would either walk the 10 miles down the other side of the mountain, or call for an air lift! I do admit, it was one of the scariest drives I’ve ever done.

Some of the critters (see below) we encountered as we drove from Nevada to California included a very hungry Coyote that came right up to the truck when I pulled off the road (unfortunately, this was a sure clue other people had probably fed it), a Gambell’s Quail, a Common Raven calling to its mate and  a small White-tailed Ground Squirrel stopping for a snack and a Desert CottontaiI that I scared away after I laugh snorted while taking its photo! 

After a long day we safely arrived in LA, tired, but ready for a new kind of adventure on Thursday morning.

Day 8-The name of this two day blog is Extremes. Extreme landscapes, extreme temperatures, extreme weather conditions and now, extreme differences in visit locations. Up to this point, the trip has been mostly based on locations that focuses on our natural resources, because, quite honestly, that’s the kind of places we prefer to visit. But, we also like to “dip into” our cultarl resources every once in a while as well. That’s where California kinda fits in. You can’t get more extreme from trekking up a river gorge in the middle of a rugged National Park one day, then stroll down Hollywood Blvd. surrounded by thousands of people, large buildings, bright lights, music blaring, characters in costume darting in and out, the next day, and not consider it extreme!

It’s time to California. I word it like this not exactly knowing what it means “to California.” Maybe it’s a lifestyle, maybe it’s an attitude (not necessarily in a negative sense), maybe it’s a little of both. However, I’m convinced of one thing, if you don’t live in California, then you probably can’t understand what it means to be a Californian, and I’m ok with that. But, as promised, we were ready to check out one of the most famous places in the world-Hollywood.

We took the typical tourist route and booked a tour to “See the Star’s Homes, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Rodeo Drive…and many more fascinating sights!”  We boarded our open air van with our guide Steve and driver Danny, and headed off. It was unseasonably chilly in LA today (temps in the low 60s), and rain was forecasted for a little later in the day-something that hasn’t happened in many months. As Danny raced through the wealthy neighborhood streets like a NYC Taxi Driver, Steve would point out a star’s house on one side, another on the opposite and spiced the locations up with many colorful and funny stories. It was a fun, fast-paced peek at some of the homes of the most famous and wealthiest people in the world, as well as a history of the entire TV, movie and music industry all rolled in to one. In addition, we took an extra hour and walked down the weird, but wonderful, Hollywood Blvd-with many people seeking fame and fortune dressed up as movie, comic book and cartoon characters and guys “giving” (for a small donation) away their personally autographed music demo CDs. At one point I laughed as I stood and watched one of these aspiring hip hop artists trying desperately to convince a group of eager Asian visitors that he was not Snoop Dog! The more he tried to sort it out, the more Asian visitors surrounded him! His pedaling of music CDs to this visiting group completely backfired, and he vacated his coveted spot in front of the Chinese Theater quickly and quietly. The group’s attention quickly turned away from the would-be musician when one of the visitors discovered Jackie Chan’s star in the sidewalk directly below them and they all rushed in, huddled around snapping photos of the star and selfies of themselves next to his star-only in Hollywood!  We also checked out the bronze stars on the Walk of Fame, Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the Dolby Theater (where the Academy Awards are held). From my personal travels, I compare it to a cross between Times Square in NYC, Jackson Square in New Orleans and the Strip in Las Vegas, but w/a few less people, and surrounded by a whole lot more money!

After a rainy ride north up RT 101 (Coastal Highway), we landed in Atascadero, where we’ll hang for a couple days to meet up with Tyler and Amelia tomorrow. I’ll be aiming to get back to my daily blog if time allows. As a note, to date we’ve travelled 3,490 miles, traveled through 13 states and visited 5 National Parks-and we’re not even halfway done yet! Thanks for following our travels!

Day 6-We left the bright lights of Las Vegas this morning and headed northeast to Utah-our destination: Zion National Park. It was only a 2.5 hour drive from Vegas, which, compared to some of our recent long days driving, seemed like a short trip up the street to go for milk. Darby had chosen to give up her first choice excursion to Area 51, for an outing to this park, and we’re glad she did!

Now I’ve heard a lot about Zion NP (and other National Parks in Utah such as Bryce Canyon and Arches), and it’s been on my bucket list to visit for many years, but nobody else’s personal photos, postcards or national Geographic TV shows can equal an actual visit to this park! In this blog you’re going to briefly read about our day and see some of the photos we snapped, but this is one place you must try and get to in person. My words and our photos don’t “do it fair justice.” It was truly (and literally in some places) breathtaking!

I had promised Theresa and Darby if we could get out early, I would stop for coffee and some breakfast. About 20 miles north of LV, Darby had tracked down a Dunkin Donuts and we all decided we really needed coffee. Unknowingly, the exit we chose was for the LV International Speedway. Yep, big race tracks, grandstands, shops and NASCAR signs everywhere. Big Blue (my truck) got very excited and seemed to pull us toward the main track. I think he really wanted to live out a fantasy and take a few laps! He resisted when, realizing we had made a wrong turn and were headed for the main pit area, I turned him around toward the Dunkin Donut shop. For the next 90 miles he drove like he was pouting!

After easing our tired morning bodies with some java and snacks, we were on our way. As we entered Utah, we drove through the Virgin River Canyon-an amazing 11-mile stretch of I-15 that cuts through steep, rugged peaks on both sides of you. I do admit, it was hard to keep my eyes on the curvy highway when you’re driving past 9,000’ peaks right outside your window, but both my wife and daughter kept reminding me as Big Blue would edge closer to the 100’ drop-offs!

Zion NP is Utah’s first National Park. For millions of years, the Virgin River (which flows into Lake Meade above the Hoover Dam) has carved a path through layers of sandstone, forming spectacular gorges and forming high, rugged peaks of all sizes in its path. Wherever you look, you’re surrounded by cathedral-looking pinnacles of rock that tower above you. Every turn and every new step on a trail seems to call out for yet another photo.

We encountered some cool wildlife along our hikes today, including (see below) a momma Ground Squirrel carrying a baby and a small little Tree frog quietly resting on a log.

We wanted to hike today, and we did a good bit of it. Not hard core 15-mile hikes, but just some easy walks on some of the hundreds of miles of trails the park offers. Our first stop was a nice 4-mile hike up to what’s called the Upper Emerald Pool. The first section (3 miles) is considered easy, but the last 1-mile section was considered moderate. It was pretty challenging-especially that last section. But Darby, who turned into part Mountain Goat today, seemed to glide across the rocks with ease, and traverse the ups and downs as if she walked the trail many times before, only stopping to snap a quick photo w/her iPhone, or to check on the slow progress of Theresa and I. I do admit, I was impressed by her endurance!

Our last stop of the day was maybe the coolest (figuratively and literally). We wanted to hike a section of the park called the Narrows. As its name implies, it’s a deep, narrow gorge with the Virgin River (more like a large stream) running down through the middle of it. After walking on the Riverwalk, a 1-mile paved path the trail ends at the river. At this point you carefully walk up through the rushing water as far as you want to go-you can choose a few hundred yards, or you can hike up another 10 miles. The farther up you wander, the deeper, and tighter the gorge becomes. It’s an awesome experience. Most visitors simply walk up a little ways and turn around. Many of the Adventure Tour groups were leading their customers up 3-5 miles. The three of us decided a ½ mile up was far enough to get a “feel for the experience,” and after standing in 50-degree water for an hour, we were once again ready for dry land. It was a fantastic end to a fantastic day in Zion National Park. The three of us only chatted a few times on the way back to Vegas-exhausted from a long day of hiking and sightseeing, but extremely satisfied!

Sunshine can lift the spirits. Arizona has lots of sunshine. We rose this morning to a beautiful morning in Winslow,  AZ to bright sun, blue, cloudless sky and a fairly short day of driving ahead of us.  I woke up early with hopes of seeing a few AZ birds in the brush behind our hotel, and had some luck as I found Black-throated sparrows, Ash-throated Flycatchers and Yellow-breasted Chats-all new birds for our trip list.

The night before, I told Darby that she could sleep in a bit this morning, since we didn’t need to leave until 9am. Things didn’t quite work out as I promised, since I forgot my room key, had to rush back to go to the bathroom, then knocked a bit loudly on the door to get back in-all before 7am. It didn’t help Darby’s promised morning of peaceful rest when Theresa and I were sipping coffee and talking a bit loud. When I mentioned her name, I heard a Darth Vader-like voice project out from under the sheet. “Yes, I’m awake, how could I not be!” Oops, sorry Darb-I’ll give you another try at a morning sleep-in another day!

It was 9:30 am when we rolled into the Meteor Crater, just east of Flagstaff, AZ. Many signs dot the 6-mile road back to the site warning drivers to slow down because of calves that were just born and may wander onto the road. I was pretty much ignoring the signs until I saw one of the cute little moo-moos moving very close to the road shoulder. A sudden flash came across me as I envisioned myself trying to explain to the rancher and AZ Highway Patrol how I ran over one of his prize beef calves after passing 76 warning signs, while visitors in RVs passed by me shaking their angry fists! I decided to slow down and heed the signs!

50,000 years ago a large meteor crashed into the Earth’s surface in this remote spot. It left a crater more than ¾ of a mile wide, and over 500 feet deep, which scientists are still investigating today. It’s an amazing natural landmark, and you feel very tiny as you stand on the rim looking down into this large hole! In addition, Theresa managed to give us some wildlife bonus while walking on the pathways, as she caught sight of a cool looking caterpillar, a couple small birds that we identified as Rock Wrens, and two different species of lizards. At one point, I was trying to get a little better look at the birds when I tripped on the edge of the path. Fortunately, there’s a railing and I caught myself before I plunged over the edge of the rocky wall of the 500-foot deep crater! OK, so, I might not have been right on the edge of the large hole where I could have fallen to my death. But if I had fallen, then rolled 50 feet up across several large boulders, then bounced over two more railings, it could have been very dangerous for me!

Our destination for the evening was Las Vegas, where we’ll be for the next two days. But, as we headed north we had to stop at the man-made marvel and unbelievable engineering feat of the Hoover Dam. Although we missed the last dam tour, we’ll have enough time to return so Theresa and Darby can experience the same thrill that Tyler and I did in February. It was great, and I really want to see if I can get the girls down in the dam before we head to CA.

We ended our day with a great meal in one of our hotel (Paris-Las Vegas) restaurants, then walked “The Strip” to catch some of the sights, sounds and lights of Vegas! Good Night from Sin City!

As we began our day 4 trek to the Four Corners Monument in northwest New Mexico, the landscape seemed very familiar to me. It should be, since I took this same route in February, 2014 with Tyler, on his way to CA to start his new position near San Francisco. The difference was today it was about 25 degrees warmer and there was no snow on the ground. It was a fresh look at some of the same landscapes we passed through 15 months ago. Although it’s a long way from anywhere, there’s nowhere else in the U.S. where you can stand in four different states at the same time. It’s well worth the drive!

When it was time to leave, I asked Darby if she would like to drive the 3 hours back down to the highway. With a little hesitation, she accepted the challenge, even though it was unfamiliar territory for her and we had wind gusts of 25+ mph. After 28 grueling miles, she decided she had enough. She pulled Big Blue over to the side of the road, looked at me and exclaimed, “Thanks, but no thanks. It’s all yours,” and once she turned the map right-side up, turned out to be a decent navigator.

Some tidbits of nature in our travels today (below) included Western Kingbirds, blooming Prickly Pear cactus and skinks (lizards) that darted in and out of the rocks

Our last stop of the day was the Petrified Forest National Park and Painted Desert. This was an awesome visit that actually combines several natural and cultural resources into one incredible location. At one viewpoint your gazing at buttes and mesas that seemed to change colors right in front of your eyes (as the sun hits them), and then you shoot up to another vista to see the scattered remains of 200 million year old trees that have turned to stone, that include beautiful crystals. And, if that wasn’t enough, you can experience, fossils, petroglyphs and ruins of ancient Pueblo villages. It truly has something for everyone.

Everyone likes snapping pictures. They post them on Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat. They email them to friends and families, even though many of the friends and families may get tired of seeing them and simply delete them. But, does it really matter? No, not really. You see, you’re not taking photos for them, you’re taking photos for yourself-for your own memories, for your own stories to be told later. Sure, you may enjoy sharing your adventure, experience or event with others, but unless it’s a fancy remote control camera or one of the new types of motion-activated trail cams, the one thing that is needed to take a photo is that you have to be there to snap it, looking directly at the subject. I think sometimes (including yours truly) we just want to race out, capture the photo, and move on to the next “photo opp.” We simply ignore taking a few minutes to sit and enjoy what you’re looking at, or what you came to see in the first place. Today was one of those days. We snapped a lot of pics, but also tried just to stand for a few minutes and look. We had to. The sights that we were fortunate to see were better than any photo that we could have taken. It was pretty cool, and I highly recommend it! Stay tuned!

Today was a dash. A dash across Tornado Alley, with eyes to the sky. We left Oklahoma City early this morning with hopes of getting out in front of the approaching storms. Just yesterday they had experienced wicked thunderstorms, flash flooding and a couple near misses with tornados-and even more severe weather was predicted for today. If you’re not familiar with where Tornado Alley is located, just watch the Weather Channel or any of the cable news stations. They’re having one of the largest, and most destructive spells of severe weather in a long time. Oklahoma, with I-40 running across most of the state, is right smack dab in the middle. Our travels yesterday and today had us driving on I-40, running across most of the state of Oklahoma, and continuing over into northern Texas.

If anyone knows my lovely wife, you’ll know she’s very good at being prepared for just about anything. In the past 24 hours she also began explaining instructions she found on the internet, (as well as the Weather Channel) to Darby and I about what we would have to do if we should encounter a funnel cloud while driving. Notice that I said, what “we would HAVE to do,” not should do, or possibly do. The plan, as explained to us in detail, was that we would pull the truck over to the side of the road, abandon MY truck, and lie down flat in a low ditch. Now, if you know me, I’m not sure that would be very effective for yours truly. Sure, Darby and Theresa might be spared by their low profile, but unless I found a large Prairie Dog hole to scurry down, I’m not sure I could get very low in the ditch to make a difference. As a matter of fact, I might even cause a secondary problem by damming up any storm water runoff that was running down the ditch, causing a mini flash flood on the same roadway we needed to escape on! At one particular point this morning we were driving right toward some very dangerous looking clouds when Theresa turned to Darby and told her to get her sneakers on. I looked at Darby in the rearview mirror with a puzzled look and we both kinda just chuckled. Did she know something we didn’t know? About 20 minutes later, Darby summed up the entire morning. Some of the sky showed signs of clearing and I wanted to snap a good photo showing the vast grasslands of western Oklahoma before we left. I found a perfect spot to stop and had to to quickly slow down before I drove past it. Without missing a beat, Darby looked up from her phone and calmly asked, “Are we getting ready to run?” We all broke out in laughter, and although a bit stressful morning due to the weather conditions, it was a perfectly-timed question!

As we left Oklahoma and northeast Texas, we were fortunate to leave behind the dangerous weather as well. We decided to take a break and stop by a well-known attraction in Amarillo-the Cadillac Ranch. Actually, it’s more like a Cadillac art display. In the middle of a farm field ten old, Cadillacs stand in a row, all with their front ends buried, as if they all crash landed in a perfect line. The owner invites anyone to stop by and legally graffiti your name, message, etc. in spray paint on any of the cars. Darby decided she would like to give it go, so, after both her and Theresa removed their shoes and walked the 200-yard walk barefoot, through 3” of mud and large puddles from recent rains, Darby left her autograph in metallic gold paint, as Theresa, myself and several other, not so brave visitors, watched on. It was pretty cool.

We ended our travel day in beautiful Albuquerque, surrounded by rugged mountains of rocks that look like they could tumble down at any time, and capped our nervous-traveling, fun, weird day with a fantastic southwestern meal (and great service) at the Range Café in Bernalillo, NM.

I’ve said it before, weather happens, whether you want it to, or not………btw, as we look ahead to our travels next week that will bring us to Wyoming and South Dakota, we can’t help to chuckle just a bit after hearing that 1’-2’ of snow has just fallen in the areas we’re planning on exploring! Let the fun begin!

Day 2, and we started a bit later today, than we did yesterday. We all got some much needed rest and were ready to continue west! As we crossed the Mighty Mississippi, we made a brief stop in St. Louis so Theresa and Darby could visit the Gateway Arch, including a trip to the top. I skipped the pod ride this time, having experienced the Star Trek-like journey two years ago with Tyler. I had no desire to repeat the outing! They both enjoyed the elevated view of the city and the Mississippi River from 630’ up in the air! They even snapped a photo of me laying down below them in the grass, until I realized I had stretched out in a nest of ants, and jumped up and ran off the large lawn area, hopping up and down like a crazed maniac. I’m surprised one of the National Park Service Park Rangers didn’t call in a SWAT team to take me down!

Leaving St. Louis is was time to hit the road again and make our way across Missouri, and down into Oklahoma. We were quite aware of the weather we were about to face!

 As we came into the city of Springfield, we had one quick detour we had to take-weather, or no weather. Hidden in the back of an office complex, behind of one of the buildings, stands the World’s Biggest Fork, at 35 feet tall! It was very cool, and if you could actually lift it, you could probably stab the World’s Biggest green bean, french fry or other food items you’re supposed to use a fork for!

A large part of taking long distance trips, of any kind, is to experience the local culture. These experiences may not necessarily end up with a beautiful or captivating photograph, or purchasing a delicious meal, or hand-made craft from a local artist, but they are just as interesting in their own right. Many times the funniest stories are from these encounters. We had a small “cultural experience” today when we decided to stop for a late lunch at Hood’s Truck Stop in south central Missouri. We were seated by a group of 10 people, who, by over hearing their loud bellows, decided all to come over to Hoods for lunch. We presumed they were all pretty much related and conversed in topics ranging from staying in a local motel where they had bed bugs and had to turn the mattresses over, to swimming naked in a cold pond, to pointing out the fact that the local Wal-Mart did not have everything on sale that was on the flyer they received in the mail the day before! The last topic (Wal-Mart) had everyone at the table in several heated discussions and sent them in to a mini feeding frenzy! Thank goodness the three of us had finished our sandwiches first, and quickly headed for the door!

 Our day ended in Oklahoma City, OK, as we arrived to pounding thunderstorms with heavy rain and wind, but thankfully, no tornados. Even as I finish typing this, the weather continues to hammer the hotel we’re staying in (and all of the OKC metro area), and more tornados and flash flood watches have been issued. Tomorrow (Sat) may bring the worst of it, yet. We’ll be up early and headed west across northern Texas and into New Mexico, as quickly, and safely, as possible. Weather is part of the “great” outdoors, and unfortunately, sometimes Mother Nature reminds us of the sheer power that she can unleash!

It was 3:00 am and we’re all set to go! The truck was packed and we all had our electronic gadgets charged and ready to send and receive messages, photos, etc. Snacks and drinks were in their proper locations. We were off on our Big West Trip! Well, sort of. We traveled approximately 4.6 feet when Darby quietly said, I can’t find my seat belt clip. The Big West Trip paused for a minute while I got out, lifted the seat and found the seat belt clip. OK, no worries, minor delay, it was still only 3:03 am. Now, it was time to hit the long open highways west! But, just then, Darby tapped me on the shoulder and exclaimed, “This isn’t the right clip.” I threw Big Blue into Park, jumped out, lifted the seat again, and finally wrestled the correct (hidden) seat belt clip back to its original safety position. The time was 3:06 am and we had travelled a total distance of 10 feet on our trip so far and hadn’t made it out of the driveway-we still had about 850 miles to go today!

In the darkness of early morning we began our 16-day Big West trip. Our furthest goal would be California to visit Tyler and Amelia. But, we have many small oddities to check out along the way, as well as visiting some of our country’s most famous National Parks.

With the road construction season upon us, we slowly made our way out of Pennsylvania, through West Virginia and across Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, coming to rest on day one just outside St. Louis, MO-850 miles and 17 hours later! I decided I would drive this first leg, knowing it would be a long one. As I type this, I’m having a hard time seeing the keys, and concentrating on the words. If you read anything that looks like thisssss,kskdk, it’s probably because I fell asleep with my fingers stuck on the keyboard, as a little drool drips from my gaping mouth! Very tired indeed!

Although today’s destination might have been a bit far, we still managed to find some interesting sights. We took an hour side trip and drove north to the Longaberger Basket headquarters. Our first stop was the Longaberger Homestead to check out the World’s Largest Apple Basket, decorated nicely with a pile of polished apples. The Homestead was a bit weird. We weren’t sure what was going on there, because there were many buildings and shops, but no people, except for a small tour group, of which we don’t know where they were touring. It looked like the entire complex had simply been abandoned! In fact, if you remember the scene in the last Indiana Jones movie where they had set-up a complete fake town in the Nevada desert for nuclear testing, that’s what the Longaberger Homestead looked like. We were hoping we wouldn’t hear a loud siren, and start looking for a large fridge to hide in!

After exiting “Longaberger Land,” we hit the road once again. After several hours of driving, a small sign along I-70 caught my eye. It said, “World’s Largest Wind Chime” in Casey, IL. I recognized this familiar sign, and this roadside attraction from two years ago, when Tyler and I spotted the same sign, and visited this same tourist spot on a very cold February afternoon, on his journey west. So, once again, I yanked on the steering wheel, left the highway, and Theresa, Darby and I were headed back into downtown Casey for another wind chime visit. When we arrived we had to park along a side street as one of the local’s goats was “parked” in the only vacant parking spot. As I strolled up to introduce myself to the four-legged farm animal, I heard his owner call out to me from the deck of the wind chime visitor center, “I wouldn’t get much closer to him, he’s not very friendly, even to me!” I stubbornly took his advice, gave the goat my best stink eye, and walked away. The wind chime was still very impressive, and  as an added bonus across the street, they’re preparing to build the World’s Largest Rocking Chair!  Although, they haven’t made much progress since Tyler and were there two years ago!

Our last stop of the day was a quick visit to the “Cross at the Crossroads,” in Effingham, IL. It’s the World’s Largest cross standing 198’ tall and 113’ wide. It’s forged from over 180 tons of steel. It’s huge, and I mean huge. It can be seen right from I-70, as it stands along the highway.

We ended our very long day just outside St. Louis, MO, exhausted, but very excited about the adventures that await us, and many more stories/photos we can share. We are currently watching the weather very carefully as we head into Oklahoma City tomorrow, and through tornado alley-especially with a few days of nasty weather forecasted. We will certainly proceed with caution, and adjust our trip as necessary. Thanks to everyone for their concerns-stay tuned!

It was 6:00 am. I had already been up for an hour with the two beagle boys, but it was time to hit the road, time to continue the bird quest. Rubbing my half-open eyes, I attempted to make coffee before departing, making sure I made enough for Theresa to have a cup or two when the dogs got her up. As I stood there thinking about where I should go to search for a few new species, I lost count of how many scoops of coffee I put in. It looked like there was enough grounds for at least 10 people, but I shoveled out two more heaping scoops just to be sure. As the coffee maker starting making weird, guttural noises, I grabbed my birding gear, threw an apple, banana and water bottle in my day pack, and staggered outside to warm up Big Blue. Although the calendar read March, it was cold, really cold. The wind was gusting which made it feel like I was in the tundra. It was then I realized why I was so chilled-I still had my pajamas on, and walked out in my slippers. Ok, so I wasn’t quite ready to go out into the wilderness to search for critters.

 March didn’t really “come in like a lion, or a lamb,” it was more like it was hanging around like a Polar Bear from January and February! But, my bird quest had to continue despite the snow, ice, wind and cold. When it comes to birds and birding, March can be extremely diverse and exciting, or it can be very challenging with different species hard to find. It’s a month of transition, sluggishly and stubbornly changing from winter to spring. However, as I sit here writing this in early April, I can tell you that I’ve done pretty well since I started this quest on January 1^st, regardless of the challenging weather I faced over the past 3 ½ months! From seeking winter birds out on icy roads in January and February, to trekking to Erie in late March to spot gulls and waterfowl in Presque Isle Bay in arctic-like conditions (see previous blog A Cold Start to Spring), I’ve logged a good bit of miles so far, and had my share of a “comedy of errors!”

A few interesting stats that can summarize the first part of this bird quest:

• approximately 127 slips on ice
• 12 documented, snow bank tumbles that resulted in two minor injuries and several, choice phrases being bellowed
• 9 cups of hot coffee spilled, including one on my camera and a nasty one on my crotch, leading to one of the snow bank tumbles (see above)
• 3 stuck truck events, including one where Big Blue had to be pulled out of a deep snowbank in Schuylkill County
• approximately 18 lbs. of mud, dirt, small rocks, twigs and leaves transported into my truck-15 lbs. have since been removed, not sure where the other 3 lbs. have disappeared to
• 4 ticks plucked from body (none were in me)
• various automotive repairs, including a chipped windshield, several new wiper blades, a few new tires and new brake pads
• a little over 2,100 miles driven
• many (I lost count) TASTYKAKE lemon pies devoured
• tallied bird species in 18 different counties
• TOTAL To Date = 132 species

As we move into spring, it finally seems like most of the ice and snow has melted away and the month of April is starting just like I had hoped (except for the accidental flattening of a Grey Squirrel in Northampton County), with lots of returning birds and lots of unusual /uncommon sightings being reported. Of course, I’ve already registered an early personal highlight, too. On the first weekend in April I stalked a perching Merlin in southern Chester County to get a few photos, ignoring the fact that I had entered a large patch of Greenbriar (Smilax rotundifolia), also known as “Catbriar.” Greenbriar grows some of the sharpest, toughest thorns found on any plant, and is almost impenetrable. After my excitement faded from photographing the small falcon, I looked around and realized I was stuck, and I mean stuck. The deer path I snuck in on had somehow mysteriously closed behind me. I swear the plants were actually moving and plotting against my exit, like a scene from a Harry Potter movie. I panicked a little and stampeded through the dense briars like a stuck pig. By the time I staggered out, my pants were shredded, the pocket of my sweatshirt was no more and I had blood streaking down both cheeks. I pulled up my pant legs and saw why it was also called “Catbriar.” I had so many scratches with blood oozing out, I looked like I was in a fight with a mountain lion, and lost very badly! Note to Self: Never attempt this again while wearing light, nylon sweat pants and a cotton sweatshirt! When I returned home and shared my adventure with my dear wife, she asked if I was ok, and seeing that I was not seriously injured, she added, “By the way, you forgot to put a filter in when you made coffee this morning!” Figures!

I wonder what the next few months will bring, and will I be ready for it? Check back in early summer for my next update! Good birding!

If you look on the calendar, March 20^th was the first day of spring here in SE Pennsylvania. We would like to think that some magical weather switch automatically brings us warm, sunny weather starting on March 21^st and never looks back. It doesn’t quite work that way, especially in other parts of the Keystone State. Winter is over when winter chooses to be over! Theresa and I decided to test this weather fact, first hand, with a long weekend birding trip with a group from the PSO (PA Ornithological Society) to Presque Isle State Park, in Erie. It won’t be that bad, we told each other. It was a week later, so it should be even “closer to spring weather.” Not so much!

 We arrived at our hotel in North East, PA, about 14 miles, well, you know, northeast of Erie. It was cold, snowing and blowing. Not exactly what we had pictured. After a good meal at a local Irish Pub, we bundled up and headed out to see if we could call an owl or two. The smaller owls (Saw-whet and Eastern Screech) were not very cooperative, but after a few minutes of trying to call a Screech owl, the group got an unexpected close encounter with a Great-horned Owl, as one came flying in right over our heads, made a quick swoop, then disappeared into the darkness. It obviously was expecting to make a Screech owl a late night snack!

 When we woke up early Saturday, March 28^th, the temperature outside was 8° F, it was snowing sideways with 20 mph winds. Two inches had already fallen and a few “flurries” was supposed to continue on and off for the next few hours. The high temperature for the day was forecasted to be 25° F. It never reached it! Aaah! Welcome to spring in northwest, PA.

Presque Isle Bay is a great late winter/early spring location for a variety of migrating gulls and waterfowl, as long as there’s open water for them to feed. Although the bay was almost entirely frozen (as was Lake Erie), there was still areas of open water where many birds gathered. In fact, that was the cool thing. Since there was only a few sections that were not iced-over, many species of waterfowl and gulls were forced to share ‘swimming areas” together. In one of these open water areas we identified 17 species of waterfowl and 6 species of gulls!

 Our first stop was a parking lot that overlooked an open water area. Our trip leader cautioned us that part of the walkway where we all stood in a puddle of water the evening before, was now a sheet of ice. Now, I’m pretty sure I remember him saying something about ice, and hearing my dear wife echoing the same, but with my scope and tripod firmly secured in my right hand, I boldly stepped on to the ice way (ice + walkway = ice way) without fear and without hesitation. That’s when everything started to go wickedly wrong. My left foot slid due north and my right leg started to head south. The 3 legs of the tripod I was tightly holding hit the walkway at the same time and also started to slip. I let out a loud, barking sound, similar to a young elephant that had lost its parents. In slow motion, I looked up to see the entire group staring at me with their mouths gaped wide open, not sure if they were concerned about my welfare, or upset that I just scared off most of the ducks that were gathered in front of us. As my momentum carried me across the small ice way, I caught myself, straightened up, set my tripod down and politely asked, “So, where’s the Trumpeter Swan?” Not a great way to impress this group of veteran birders!

By mid-morning, Theresa and I broke away from the main group to check out some of the other areas of the park, including the frozen beaches of Lake Erie, the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, then ventured into Erie to look for birds at Dobbin’s Landing on the Bayfront. It was cold, but we enjoyed birding PISP, met some great people and promised to come back to visit Erie again (in the warmer months). We left Erie, and began our long trip home, with a few additional birding stops in Erie National Wildlife Refuge (where my truck, Big Blue, grew some small stalactites on the front wheel wells), Bald Eagle State Park in Centre County and the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg. We traveled approximately 1,000 miles, covered 16 counties, saw 70 species of birds and shared some funny stories. But, we suggest if you’re planning a “spring” trip to Erie, wait until at least mid-June, just to be sure!