THE UNRAVELING OF THE AMERICAN FLAG

Rowes Wharf in Boston

Happy Earth Day everyone :-)
For me, the American flag used to represent a heritage of proud moments in our history, such as: the freedom of expression, rights for all citizens.. no matter what the race or color of your skin, and opportunities to become anything you wanted if you work hard enough. Let alone the victors in WW1,which my grandfather fought, and later WW2, which my father fought, for our country's freedom and constitutional rights in the United States. Now, when I see the American flag waving in our communities (and on the backs of their trucks), it appears to have been turned into a political statement by the "entitled right!" Conveying as if it was "their" flag as an ideology,  and not "ours" as a collective symbol. And, quite frankly; these acts are an embarrassment to all those who have defended the flag with their lives over the past 250 years. It makes my heart sink and beg the question.... is this the beginning of the downfall of what was once considered the greatest nation on the planet? If you want to start reading this blog with a bang, watch this wake up 4 minute video... it is quite enlightening by Jeff Daniels (Dumb and Dumber star): That girl who asked a question

As long as I can remember, I have never seen such a division between friends, family and acquaintances in our country. In this post, I hope to promote awareness and some insights regarding our ideology of our nations flag on this 57th Earth Day, and why we need to pay attention as Americans, and more importantly - "take action. " By being silent and/or apathetic; it's an endorsement for standing by and watching the systematic disassembling of our existing freedoms and, the EPA's view on protecting the planet for a sustainable future.  The bottom line is we need to get out and vote at the November midterm election, and role model to our friends and neighbors to make informed choices and do their civic duty. So before I start, here is a good one; I taught Biology for 33 years, and never realized the 1968 Earthrise photo (pictured below) from Apollo 8, was the inspiration of the first Earth Day in 1970. I guess, I was not paying attention.

The Apollo 8 Earthrise photo

As a society we have made some great strides, thanks to people like former Vice President Al Gore and his documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth, who opened our eyes to what is happening on our the planet. If it had not been for the 2008 financial crisis, we would probably be harnessing energy differently now. Just so you know, Gore's loss in the presidential election took him over to China, where he inspired them with his green knowledge. Guess what, China is now the leader in a sustainable future. 

Nasa released photos -
2026 photo is of Australia

As the crew of the Artemis II, reminded us with their thoughts and photos, we live on earth as guests, and our earth is truly something special in the Cosmos.  It would seem that we constantly have to be reminded! Maybe we just don't get outside enough to pay attention to the constant wonder surrounding us ... or maybe we are just too distracted to take notice. We seem to be complacent and pacified as long as we have our smartphones, and the irresponsible social media.. giving us a dopamine feedback. Are we losing our inner personal connections and replacing them with online connectivity? Not sure what it is, but I feel that apathy is definitely a component here.  As my friend put it, the younger generation appears, for the most part, to have "no pulse" as to what is going on. 

Looking at the NASA photos from 1972 to 2026 (taken from different locations on the earth), there appears to be significant loss of ice mass in the Antarctica, South Pole. Contrary to my AI research, I could only find satellite information for the past 30 years (1996-2026), which shows the Antarctica, has no significant loss of what is called "ground ice," although this is still equal to a loss of 5,000 square miles (about the size of Connecticut) on the West and East shelves of Antarctica. AI take on Antarctica ice loss

This is our wake-up call! Our country has never been so divided. The political parties are no longer working together to solve (like they used to do) issues that are plaguing our society. Our elected officials do nothing but follow the party lines... an absolute path to failure. 

Where is our moral compass?

The American people elected a game show host / con artist in 2024 for president,  and if you just looked at his business record alone, he had excessive failures as a business entrepreneur, including the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City that left his investors including Merrill Lynch an estimated 500 million in debt. Makes you wonder how much further we will go into debt under his administration. In his most recent proposal, he has requested a 50% increase in the budget for defense, from 1 trillion to 1.5 trillion. 

As former President Obama stated, "Trump has no respect for the office of President."  

This president has an incredible ability to manipulate what people think, and intentionally misleads with politically motivated lies. Trump also claims to be the "master deal maker," unfortunately, everything from tariffs to the ending date of the war in Iran seems to be up in the air, and in the meantime leaders around the world are losing faith in our leadership ability to lead the free world. Just look at the facts, and lift the veil, only to realize that there has been no accountability for what we are witnessing as a country. 

1. Immigration deportation promises: The original 2024 campaign stated priority for removal of immigrants with criminal records or those deemed "narco-terrorists." "Get rid of all the bad guys," and tighten up illegal immigration. Nothing wrong with that idea. No one can go to any country (let's say New Zealand) and stay as long as you want and use their medical services free. The trouble is how "his" Homeland administration went about it. Deporting not only the criminals with records, but also many hard working people (illegal immigrants) who do the backbone work of this country. Border Patrol and Ice agents have promoted fear and aggressively arrested "suspected" undocumented immigrants. These suspected individuals should be treated with humanitain treatment and vetted properly prior to deportation. Documentation is the answer, not full blown fear.

2. The formation of ICE. This group of hires who are selected by our federal government, are just plain scarry. Has anyone looked at the qualifications to be an ICE officer?

Let's see: 18 years old (no college background necessary), and you have to pass a verbal interview, and a 3 part physical test, have a driver's license, be a US citizen, must be legally eligible to carry firearms. Say what?!! And, of course the ability to wear a mask. So, ICE has been sent into cities, such as LA and Minnesota to squash any kind of disturbances and in the process killing citizens of the US.  To me this organization looks more like the resurfacing of Martial Law by a government who wants to control their citizens, and have the ability to suppress demonstrations expressing the rights of our first amendment-Freedom of Speech. 

3. The unforgivable change in the direction of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).  The first step was the total denial of climate change. Yes, we are the only major country doing this. And, it is not because we have a better path to alternative energy. How can one deny the findings of the IPCC, where 97% of actively publishing climate scientist agree that the Earth's climate is warming up and that human activities is one of the major causes. Secondly, making it easier to unleash American energy (oil drilling), and lower the cost of living for Americans -- well, that's not working, gas has never been higher. Yes, it is partially due the Iran war, which "he" started, but there is no sustainable vision. 

Third, eliminating major environmental projects like offshore Windmill farms. Trump cancelled the contract with France for a windmill farm off the east coast, which had all the EPA approvals in place. And, we paid the French company 1 Billion of our American taxpayer money for compensation. 

Offshore Wind Farm

What we are seeing is NO VISION for our future generations. Because of these, and other actions, China has become the leader in the world for a sustainable path. They now have 7 of the top 10 electric car manufacturers in the world, which accounts for 70% of the global EV production.  And, over 80% of all the solar panels are now made in China, where the US was once the leader.                                                 

4. Dismantling the Department of Education. To steal a quote from the classic movie- Cool Hand luke with Paul Newman, "what we have here is a failure to communicate." I am sure the Federal government's idea is to decentralize the control of public education, and let the local cities and states control what should be taught has some value. But what this really means: is places which are Red on the political map, can teach whatever they want, depending on what "Yahoo" gets elected to the school board. If this is the case, then universally accepted concepts like evolution, would be eliminated and divine intervention would explain everything. Faith would be our guiding light. I am sorry, but there is no concrete evidence (like fossils) of any of this. Let's not forget we have an estimated 4,200 to 10,000 distinct religions in the world--so which one is right path?

The defunding of Science, and the cutbacks in grants for NSA (National Science Association)  research will eliminate our lead for cutting edge technology. One of the reasons we were the leaders, is the importing of the top foreign research scientists, who have now flown away to other countries for fear of having their Visa revoked. What most people don't realize is these cuts take about a decade to be realized.

Airstrike in Iran April, 2026

5. The Iran war: Trump said, "I will not start any wars."  In a Nov. 6th, 2024 speech proclaimed: "They (not sure who they are) said - he will start a war." His reply was: "I'm not going to start a war, I'm going to stop wars." But here we are in a war with Iran in 2026, not over the oil we need, because we don't get any significant oil from Iran. We are involved in the war with Iran because the US is the protector (big brother) of Israel.  And, the major countries who import Iran's oil like- China, India, South Korea, and Japan should be involved in defending the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. This is nothing more than a Religious war! 

I hate to say this, but Israel is just playing us, and using the US as leverage. At one point, we were conducting mideast peace talks with Iran while Israel was bombing Lebanon. These countries in the mid-east (Lebanon, Palestine, Israel,  etc),  all have historic claims to this area for 1000s of years. And, because of the fundamental differences in their religions, they can't seem to get along. The US going in with guns blazing isn't fixing anything long term, and the current negotiations won't last long, because of these fundamental differences. Just a quick thought, each Tomahawk missile we launch in this current war with Iran cost $4 million dollars. So, let's see, we have already launched over 850 as of 4/17/26 which is ...$3.4 Billion American dollars already spent. Besides building some new ships etc., it makes you wonder where the newly requested 1/2 Trillion increase for the Defense Department, by Trump is going? 

6. Eliminating Cartels: The problem with eliminating Cartels is, as long as there is a "demand"..there will be a supply - somehow. How do you eliminate the demand... simple, education, education, education. I remember in my 7th grade drug education program, when they showed a kid sticking a needle in his arm with heroin and I said to myself, no way I am doing that. We need to get the word out.. advertisements, churches, parents talking to their kids, billboards... a constant bombardment of the detrimental effects of fentanyl delivered on their cell phones. Just like we did for cigarette smoking in the 1980s. I remember, Yule Byrnner (the famous actor from the King and I, and The Magnificent 7) 

Yul Brynner anti-smoking 
interview pic

doing a TV commercial, condemning smoking, and he would say it over and over... don't smoke. And, the Surgeon general, the one with beard- Dr. Koop, condemning the effects of cigarette smoking.

I decided to leave out things like the tariffs, and the relocation of the NFS (National Forest Service) it will take years to evaluate these actions. By the way, when you start getting some tariff refund checks in the future (probably around election time) let's not forget the average American family paid an extra $1,000-$2,500 during 2025 for price increases. These increase are tied to the market response by foreign countries in response to these tariffs.  In the meantime, we are being led by a narcissistic bully, and he is ruling the country by FEAR. In the Sunday Tribune on April 12th, in an article about a Professor at UCSD, BT Werner, who was not allowed to express his opinions at a rally concerning Palestine, is now being disciplined by the University, with the possibility of a 2 year suspension of no pay. This of is UCSD's right to do, but why the delay... this happened almost 2 years ago.. BT thinks it is politically motivated.  UCSD Professor reprimanded. Did we forget about the Kent State 1970 shootings?  If it hadn't been for one the popular professors attending the rally, getting up and speaking to "talk down" the students from rioting, there were would have been way more than the 4 students shot and killed by the National Guard. No doubt,  he probably saved 100s of lives that day.  

What can we as responsible citizens and individuals do?

What is the best response to Trump's attack on clean energy: The Sierra Club in the Spring issue of 

2026 says it best- "a grassroots people to power." The Inflation Reduction Act put in place by the Biden administration, was the biggest investment in clean energy in the US history. The passage of this was promoted by the Sierra Club. Buying energy efficient products: hybrid or electric cars is a good start-- of course with the price of gas in California hitting $6.00 per gal it is making the choice easier. But this is really the time for businesses to get on board. There is a fantastic movie about a business giant in the carpet field, called Beyond Zero and is rentable on Amazon Prime. The movie is about Ray Anderson and his company called-Interface. In the 1990s the

Great documentary
on a sustainable future

company was denied a contract by an Environmental Consultant in California, because of his products, he was shocked. So he read a book by Paul Hawken, "the Ecology of Commerce," that forever changed his life. Watching his journey and how his company became sustainable from the 1990s to 2020 is quite remarkable.  It really sets up a modern model for how any business can change and become sustainable, and help bring forth another Industrial Revolution. 

Get involved--like a Protest: We participated in our first "No Kings" protest in Carlsbad, in March. Where thousands of people showed up carrying signs, honking horns, beating drums and with lots of cheering. It was a feeling of unity, when people would comment on your sign or beep their horn as you walked down the street. 

Protesters at the Carlsbad 3/28/26

There were lots of people in their 60s, 70s, and 80s out there. What was missing was the younger generation! Where are they?  We need them to get involved.  If they are attending college, they need to stand up for their beliefs on campus, like we did in the 60s and 70s for Civil Rights,Vietnam War, and the Environment. This is their future. My favorite comment of the day at the rally was from a former Vietnam Veteran, who said, " I didn't put my life on the line over there, to come home and see this nonsense going on."

petitoners in front of
Costco

Go Loraine! I have to say I was proud of my wife upon our visit to Costco a couple of weeks ago.

Loraine with gift bag

There were petitioners-with their flags hanging out trying to get people to sign a petition to say "No new Taxes," and get rid of Newsom. Let's see, he has 6 months left before midterm elections, and no new taxes on the horizon are being pushed by him. Basically, it looks like a ploy to put doubt in the voter's mind in the upcoming election and getting their signatures to send out more misinformation.  And it looks like a vengeful act because Costco is suing the Federal Government regarding the tariffs. Loraine confronted the petitioners saying this is private land,  and a private paid membership business. Costco is a stand alone warehouse building (separate from any other businesses, therefore this illegal. Costco does NOT indorse this political action, and has repeatedly called the police several times, who removed them, but they kept coming back. Now, Costco is in a legal battle to sue them to get off their property. Loraine researched what actions Costco had to defend their turf through Gemini (google), and provided it to them at their administrative office. They loved it, and even gave her a gift bag for stepping up and trying to help!!

Mid-Terms, VOTE!!! Try to get others to vote too.. in case you get into a discussion with someone, do your homework, ---don't make it personal, listen what to what they have to say, and then state the facts. If you encounter someone who is challenging you, ask them for their resource, otherwise, is it just their opinion and there is no critical thinking going on? And if this is true, they more than likely heard it on Fox news or something similar. Arm yourself with the facts- FactCheck.org and Snopes are widely regarded as the most accurate and reliable fact checking sites due to their transparency, expertise and nonpartisan approach.

To move forward in these incredibly divided times, let's keep a couple things in mind. We are now under a federal administration that has Divided our country, not United (like you know..United States), and we have to remember all our voices count. We need to pay attention and get involved, this self entitlement philosophy that our country is now experiencing is doing nobody any good. I can still remember reading a passage from the book, The Road Less Traveled by Scott Peck, when he stated, " Life is tough, once you realize this you are on the right path." We Americans, have a heritage of hard work in our bloodline, freedom of speech and pride runs through our veins; it is time to roll up our sleeves yet again and prove it. 

Paul Revere

 So in the spirit of our Semiquincentennial (250 years), let us recapture our flag. The colors: Red-represents hardiness and valor, White for purity and innocence, Blue for vigilance, perseverance, and justice. The 13 stripes represent the historical foundation (the original colonies),  while the stars represented the current constellation of equal states. This reflects the democratic ideal of E pluribus unum, "Out of many, one." 

Let's us again be proud of what are flag originally symbolized- and be proud to be an American-(I am tired of apologizing when talking to someone from a foreign country, that my beliefs our different from our government.)Let us remind ourselves of what our forefathers had as a vision- to help the less fortunate, and to have equal rights.  Let us regain our world leadership role for protecting the environment... the first Earth Day in 1970 was like a cannon which went off around the world. Let us once again be the world leaders for setting aside National and State Parks, so they can be enjoyed by future generations. Consider this challenge: Role model for others, leading by example, and encourage everyone to VOTE in November!  

Green Reads: The Light Eaters by Zoe Schlanger- in your local library--Fantastic book on Plants and their unseen world of Intelligence.

Insightful book on 
the roles of plants

Boston: Since it is our 250 year celebration and it all started in Boston- here are some fun things to do. Remember our country's revolution started there with the Boston Tea Party. We were just visiting with Torrey and her family who guided us around. 

America's oldest park
built in 1912

1. Sit on the Green Monster at Fenway Park--37 feet up in left field and catch a home run ball.

2. Boston Public Library-(stop by the Fairmont hotel too). The library has European Palace decor complete with Tea room, bar, and garden.

Boston Public Library 

3. The Museum of Science: which has a unique combination of Natural History with hands on interactive science exhibits, including immersive theaters. 

4. Boston Common Park--- A central park with cemeteries, and the start the Freedom Trail. 

5. Boston Public Market for shopping and great food, especially Red' Best, a coop sustainable fish restaurant, we were told by a local guide it was the best place to get fish in Boston.

6. Walk the Ocean front sidewalk to Fan Park- with its combination of history and skyscrapers. 

Museum of Science--Gaia Extraodinaire!

Big Red's last Hurrah

Affectionately known as
 Big Red

I can't tell you how many trips we have taken in Big Red, our 1996 Tahoe (30 years old) but,  I can tell you she has a big mechanical heart... or as many mechanics would say, "they just don't make them like this anymore." How true- right down to her last adventure on the last stretch of another 4,000 mile camping trip, in 103 degree heat in Yuma at 10:00 am, and while taking the off-ramp, she shuttered violently... I think she was saying, "pay attention... this could be it"... as we glided into the service station......... 

ONE

When we started the trip, July of 2025, all my friends, and mechanic said I was crazy driving her around the Western mountain ranges which have roads up to 12,000', and screaming hot deserts in-between, but I figured if she passed along the way we would just saddle up and find a rental and wander back home. We started big --right through the Mojave desert to Las Vegas to go see the Michael Jackson's, "One" (show) playing at the Mandalay Hotel on the strip. 

There is Hot and then there is HOTTER... but we made good time through the desert, and made it there by 1pm, a good start. After playing in the so called wave pool (over crowded with baby waves which were disappointing), we headed off to dinner at the Superfrico restaurant at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. After dinner, we took a fun walk down the strip back to the Mandalay Bay. We were all set for the show...3rd row seats, didn't want to miss anything. 

"The One"

Missed my calling

From the get go this was one of the most phenomenal shows I have ever seen, put on by Cirque de Soleil with a twist of chinese acrobats performing breaking bone defying feats. The music perfectly coordinated told a story of his incredible life, from his days with the Jackson 5 all the way to: "This is it" a documentary, capturing his final performances getting ready for 50 straight sold out performances in London, prior to his earthly departure. This album produced one of his most iconic songs: "The Earth Song,"still played by symphonies around the world. The high flying acrobats flew high over our heads on wires, and then free fell (no wires) bouncing and twisting up the sides of 3 a story scaffolding from the                                                       embedded trampolines on the stage. 

My current favorite song was performed, (most people are not familiar with it), "They don't care about us." The song is about hatred and apathy.. which is so true in our society today where states, families and acquaintances, are "Divided," not "United." More to the point, we are more like the "UN-UNITED STATES."  In one of the final acts MJ seems to appear out of electronic thin air (hologram), firing sparks through his fingertips and singing, "Wanna be Startin' Somethin,"how they do that??. Full of musical wonder, we drifted to the 43rd floor of the Mandalay Bay for a drink at the Foundation Room to commemorate the first day of the beginning of a new adventure. Peering down at the lighted colorful city, we thought about all the hidden stories behind the saying, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

Secluded beach

Heading off to Wyoming to see the Grand Tetons; we found it lived up to its name from the get go. We decided to camp for an entire week at the Colter Bay campground recommended by my friend, Mark Embree. The first night we hiked 300 feet down to Jackson lake below, bushwhacking along the way. We ran into a couple of young men who said they got freaked out and turned around. But as quasi experienced hikers, we said what the heck and forged on. Near the bottom of the forest, and after a 8 foot drop we found the perfect secluded beach. Scampering down, we were rewarded with a buff swim and the grandeur of the Tertons in front of us. 

boat ride to Elk island

The Grand Tetons are the youngest of the major mountain ranges in the US. They formed around 10 million years ago by fault shifting (compared to 400 mya for the Appalachians). There is of course glacial loss, just like everywhere else. There are 5 glaciers that flank Mt. Moran. These glaciers formed during the a cooling period called the "little ice age" that ended around 1850 AD. Over the past 40 years they have shrunk around 20% with our changing climate. 

Mt. Moran with shrinking 
glaciers

One of the highlights while staying there, was the all inclusive dinner package boat ride across Jackson Lake onto Elk island. On the boat ride over, we had a wonderful tour guide who told us some interesting facts about the Teton range. The Grand Teton peak is the centerpiece of the teton range, at 13,600' (Mt. Moran is 12,500'). The fastest time climbing it was 2 hours and 54 min. (are they crazy or what). Normally, it requires a guided trip 5 to 6 days to summit. Not to mention, is habituated by grizzly bears who can eat 10,000 berries in one day, and being omnivores, they love left over caribou, and dig for roots. 

Grand Teton peak and Cascade
valley on the left

Time to do some hiking, and as you can see from this topo map there are lots of trails following the various canyons. 

Cascade Canyon hike

We headed out across a lake Jenny on a ferry boat and then started hiking up Cascade Canyon following the valley toward the Grand Teton peak. You really can't see the peak until the very end, but the valley walls along the way our show stoppers. Seeing some moose up close (come to find out moose inflict more injuries than grizzlies-mostly because there are more mossees) and following the river made for a scenic and invigorating hike. 

Bull moose sighting

Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton NP, and the National Elk Reserve all combined, form the largest intact temperate-zone ecosystem on the planet  (close to 20 million acres). The perfect combination of wildlife corridors and mountains; with the cooperation of 2 different states- Wyoming and Montana to protect our larger animals: like the grizzly bears, moose, elk and wolves.

Greater Yellowstone
Ecosystem

Jackson Hole, once the quiet little western town is now congested with overtourism. It was a sleepy cool little town back in the 1980s during my first visit. This time, we decided to pay tribute to the Million Dollar Bar where they have saddles for bar seats. We went in and stood by the bar for a good 15 min... no service so we walked out, what a disappointment, and we were really thirsty too!

Elk horn arch in Jackson Hole

They still have the great Elk horn arch located in the center of the city. The Elks shed their  horns every year, which are collected and sold to support the Boy Scouts.

Next, we ventured for today's version of the"wild west ride," seeking the thrills of the Cowboy Coaster. Always a rush soaring down the mountain while trying not to use the breaks. 

Cowboy Coaster

Well, it was time to leave the Jackson Hole area and Big Red was getting an itch for some off-roading. We ventured to the so called "short cut" near Dubois, over Union Pass, at about 9,000 + feet. (if you look on a typical map this road doesn't exist). We quickly got lost since there were no signs and it was supposed to be a 40 mile dirt road that would shave off a few hours of transit to Pinedale, that passed through the Wind River Range. We were standing in the middle of nowhere and scratching our heads, and looking at a disorienting BLM sign, when up drives our savior. A semi-old codger (probably living out of truck) with a camper on top and his dog, Butch. Loraine sprinted over to his truck and explained that we were lost and asked if any of these roads go towards Pinedale, WY. He said "yep, just follow that one dirt road there for about 3 more hours and you will come across a T turn, turn right and go another 1 hour or so. Turns out, this "short cut" added about 4 hours to our drive! It was nothing but washboard, giant boulders, trenches and potholes. I figured at any minute Big Red was going down for good, but somehow she held it together to our amazement. But there was a bright spot along the way. We stopped for lunch at the top of picturesque expansive pass along a creek which seemed to come out of the sky, since we thought we were already at the highest spot. 

The tippy top of Union Pass,
9,000' +

Sacred Rim trail 
lookout

Turns out it was all worth the 30 minute lunch break in this breathtaking scenery. After finally reaching Pinedale, we cleaned up at the local Best Western and did some wash. The following day, we took what was supposed to be a 5 star Sacred Rim hike along the Wind Range in the Bridger Wilderness area. Turned out, we got lost again and ended up mostly climbing over fallen logs, and dodging branches covered with mushy mosses. But the means was worth the end, the billowing clouds began to drip rain on us as we came to the lookout point and discovered another epic view. I would give it about a 2 stars for the trail and 5 stars for the final view, worth the drive up.

6 Million Dollar Band

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS: On our way to Aspen,  I thought Loraine would really enjoy a spa day at the rock laden Strawberry natural hot springs in Steamboat Springs. I had visited the rock laden pools while skiing many years ago, but it was all in the dark and snowing (quite the experience). So we stopped there for a couple of days, and did some bike riding and heard a great band called the 6 Million Dollar Band at the local ski resort. We forgot to make reservations for the Strawberry Hot Springs which proved to be a BIG mistake!  So, "no way Jose!" Of course, if you wanted to grease the teenage kids who sold the tickets, and bring them dinner, cookies (suggested by the receptionist at the hot springs), they would probably find a way to let you in. We decided to take a pass, since we didn't want to support that kind of a business practise. 

Yampa river creek  
bike ride

Rafters along the Yampa river

Aspen, Colorado: Never been there, and have heard of it forever, mostly from a skiing point of view. It was the home to one of the US National championships in 1941, and hosted the first alpine ski racing outside of Europe in 1950. 

View from the top of 
the Gondola

This mountain city sits at 8,000,' and is nestled in-between some staggering mountain peaks. We took a gondola ride straight up from the middle of town to the 11,212' mid-station of the ski area for a scenic ride to have lunch, and you can hike around a bit to take in the views. We  decided instead to play cornhole and shuffle board by the lodge.  The town of Aspen, lives up to its ritzy billing. With expensive boutique shops and quaint little 5 star Michelin restaurants lining the streets. Not for us, however, they have a great ice cream place, Paradise Bakery, which kind of made up for the presumptuousness. 

Big Red enjoying the 
Aspen city flowers

In the summer the place to go in Aspen is Maroon Bells Wilderness area. This time I was prepared. Since, I had heard about it's popularity before we left,  and low and behold, just to park up anywhere near the trailheads, you had to reserve a parking permit ahead of time, and that is what we did. Although you can pay $15 each, at any time, and take a shuttle up there. Even with a permit, you have to enter the park before 7am to get a spot....easier to take the shuttle. Maroon Bells is worth all the hype with spectacular scenery around a free flowing creek, bordered with bridges and little waterfalls. What makes this place unique, is the 14,000' Mountain Ridges draping down on all the sides of the valley with the 2 Maroon Bells peaks gracing the sky and at the end of the canyon.

Maroon Bells peaks at 
the end of the valley

 

Beaver doing his dam work

 In the future, the epitome would be to hike this trail along the ridge on a 11 day mile hike across the ridges to Creste de Butte, and then shuttle back around the mountain range. We enjoyed the short hike around the base of the valley, spotting some a deer buck with a 7 point rack, and seeing enormous  beaver den in a pond, and watching the never ending work of a beaver doing his work along the creek. 

At our campsite, we packed up and then headed out of Aspen. Along the way, there is another intriguing side track, the Slot canyons of the Grotto. 

They were formed at the base of the glaciers when they existed here 1000s of years ago, and as the ice melted, the rocky water formed deep slots along the bedrock. (see diagram). It is another special place to stop and have a picnic including a short walk through the sculptured slots. 

The Grottos

Picnic spot along the grottos

After the grottos we headed up the mountain pass, climbing fast. Once again crossing my fingers, and giving Big Red an extra pat on the dash, we went from 8,000' to over 12,000' to escape the valley and marveled at the gaping views, but no time to stop, as we descending into the vast plains below. As it turns out, on highway 82, you travel over Independence Pass, at 12, 095', which is one of the the highest paved road crossing  the the continental divide. Our trusty steed, Big Red did it again!

Durango, Colorado: 
When you pull into the Vallecitos community, you feel like you are returning to the mountains within your soul. The cabin stands large and is about 100 feet to the Los Pinos river. It feels like a pillar of the local community, and is often warmly referred to as the "Taj Mahal" and is as solid as it gets. The giant smooth granite boulders form the foundation that was dug up and tractored by Loraine's grandfather. Loraine's brother Len, and grandfather wrapped the boulders around the cabin and held them in place while and her mom, Rita (Bon Bon), added the water to the cement mixer. 
Waking up at the crack of dawn, I scurried down to the river to get the early bitters. Loraine followed a little later with a delicious cup of hot coffee. Fishing was great once again, landing some good size 18" or so Browns and Rainbows: and only catching enough for dinner each day. 

Fishing the Los Pinos

Big Red guarding the cabin

very important to find a good
hammock spot amidst
 the Ponderosa Pines

Loraine enjoying Ed's bench
across the river

Rainbow on top 
Brown on the bottom

We spent the next week or so exploring the Durango area with hikes along the Vallectios River and the Pine Valley area. Both areas bring out the best of the mountain aura: streaming waterfalls, pools filled with crystal clear water, and fresh air filled with the subtle lingering scent of pine, vanilla and maple from the ponderosa pines. I am guessing, by following steams you could go forever though the mountain passes, and stretching your imagination along the way.

Vallecitos River

Entry sign to Pine River valley

Pine Valley

And then it's 
straight up

Starts off slow enough

We took a day and drove over to Purgatory mountain resort to challenge ourselves on the mountain coaster and fly through the forest at 25 mph + hoping you stay on the track. All I know is you have to do these things while you can.. so why not, I can reset my back when I get back to the cabin! Heading out to Sedona, AZ in the morning is always a sad farewell leaving the extraordinary beauty of the cabin setting. Loraine has so many childhood memories here, but it wasn't until she met me she caught her first trout on the Los Pinos River and now she's hooked! As a farewell gift at our neighborhood party, wise old Ed Swere, gave me his book called the "Age of Wonder," 

           the second Science Renaissance revolution in Europe . 

A great read on the 
2nd Renaissance

Friends around the cabin valley
Ed's  behind the umbrella

Striking

Sedona, Az: If you haven't been there... go. There is no place in the Southwest that captures the light on the red rock monoliths like there.  I wish I could say I took this striking picture, but it kind of sums up powerful scenery in one shot. Often regarded as the center of "wellbeing," and "vortex center" of the country. It is a must do on one's list. I did take the picture of the sunset though, and with a Cadillac Margarita in hand it was the perfect way to end the day. We did a couple days of hiking the area and swimming in the Oak creek river which runs through the center of town. 

Cadillac Margarita

Sunset at the local cafe

Oak Creek swimming
hole

Big Red's final hurrah: We made it to Yuma, AZ and the thermometer was pushing 103 degrees by 10:00 AM. We had already stopped to get our Date shake, and Loraine was driving this leg, I dozed off and  upon awakening I mentioned we needed to get gas.... and then it happened! As we took the exit and stopped at the stop sign, she lurch forward as we rounded the corner, then again as she stepped on the gas pedal once more, yikes, what was that!! We limped into the gas station and started our sleuth work to determine the cause... oil ok, no radiator problems, no new engine lights, except for the one which appeared out of Las Vegas, on the 2nd day.. check engine! Maybe we should have paid attention, but that light turned out to be for the emission control, so we ignored it. Back to the problem, probably something to do with transmission -- who knows, the transmission fluid cap was frozen shut, so we couldn't check it. And since it was Saturday, no mechanic shops were open, except Pep Boys... right, they didn't have a clue. We let her cool off for about a 1/2 hour and then came decision time... what to do... it was now 105 degrees, and we're stuck in Yuma. And, if that wasn't enough, Loraine's awful toothache had decided to resurface with a flare after the date shake. 

I decided try to get on the highway and if there was no problems, we would go for it... all we have to do is no shifting once we got into 4th gear.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, we have to go over the El Centro Pass at 4,000'. We made it on the highway, good job Big Red.. I patted her on the dash and said if any stead could get us home she could. I think she heard me! We cruised by one town after another and now the ominous mountain pass loomed ahead.. I thought if we can just keep her at higher speed of 45 mph plus, she wouldn't try shifting. Turns out going 45 mph around mountain curves with other cars and trucks is quite the challenge.  We kept seeing, pull outs for overheating on many of the turns. But finally, we somehow reached the summit at 4,181'. All downhill now... nope... not that easy,  road construction ahead, so we had to stop and go for another 10 miles, damn! Now what do we do? I finally decided we would just coast in neutral, and use the brakes-- no shifting, and as chance would have it there was just enough grade to do so. One last obstacle,  I didn't want to exit from highway to highway in San Diego and slow down, this rules out highway 67, which would save some time... but since Loraine was rolling around in the front seat with her splitting toothache..time was of the essence... so the next best thing was to take Hwy 805 north and maintain a speed so Red wouldn't shift, another fun curve, but she did it. Now what about the stop and go traffic in Del Mar...oh right it's Saturday, yeah, no stopping the whole way. We got off on our exit at Manchester Ave. with just one more hill to climb, to be home... I did a double pat on the dash to assure her she could meet one more challenge and she responded. Into the driveway we went, Loraine jumped out of Red, and into her car and headed off to the emergency room, which thank goodness helped with the pain. Ends up that Loraine had an infection from a previous root canal surgery that now required a tooth removal.

So Big Red had lived up to her reputation as the Trusty Stead. She powered through vast deserts of 100 plus heat, up 12,000'  mountain grades and even did some off-roading along the way.  According to my mechanic, when transmissions get overheated they like to slip gears. So being a beach girl, once back to cool Encinitas she did fine around town. We finally decided to sell her in November after 30 years of good times and buy something built in this century. Teary eyed, but satisfied, we sold her to a nice you man from Alpine who is taking up surfing. And, just the other day my trainer, Randy, saw her cruising the streets of                                                                Encinitas, enjoying the beach life of Southern California!