A local tiki bar that I frequently visit has a plethora of statues and artwork adorning its spaces. I notice that many of the images depict lovely ladies but they all seem to be sleepy.
 |
 |
 |
I’m wondering if this is a normal view of women in areas where the original tiki bars are located?
Yesterday I returned from a trade show in Las Vegas. While there, I heard about one of nature’s spectacles. In nearby Death Valley a rare happening was taking place. Armed with my camera, I made the 2-1/2 hour drive to experience the so called SuperBloom.
Death Valley is the driest, hottest place in North America. Although the climate isn’t very hospitable, wildflowers do appear each Spring. But I learned that this past October rainstorms set in motion a series of conditions that led to a literal explosion of colorful wildflowers that blanketed the normally harsh landscape of the park.
Here are a few recordings of my visit to the 2016 SuperBloom:
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
I’ve been fortunate to have visited Death Valley at least a dozen times previously but I’ve never seen as many visitors taking in the colorful wildflower as I saw two days ago.
Click here to see a Park Ranger describe a “once-in-a-lifetime” visit to Death Valley.
How lucky I was to be able to see this unexpected event.
Many friends and acquaintances tell me that they dislike long drives. On the other hand, I totally enjoy long drives, especially the cross-country variety that cover hundreds or even thousands of miles and span several days.
For my latest road trip I ferried Mom’s car from Grand Rapids to her Winter home in the Phoenix area.
I asked my 6 year old grandson to be my traveling companion, promising to visit a couple of “fun places” along the way. Logan and I packed our bags, hopped into the car and headed West for our week-long journey.
Here’s a photo essay of the places that we visited.
|
Arches National Park |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Grand Canyon National Park |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Antelope Canyon Navajo Park |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Horseshoe Bend |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Phoenix and the Flight Home |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
What a nice getaway. We delivered Mom’s car to Arizona one day before she arrived from Grand Rapids. But just as importantly I was able to spend uninterrupted time with Logan and record it on film.
