On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Folks,
We’re trying a new feature here, so let’s see how it goes for the next week or so before it’s fully automated.
This post is for Balloon Juicers who are on the road, travelling, etc. and wish to share notes, links, pictures, stories, etc. from their escapades. As the US mainland begins the end of the Earth day as we measure it, many of us rise to read about our friends and their transient locales.
So, please, speak up and share some of your adventures, observations, and sights as you explore, no matter where you are.
Have at ’em, and have a safe day of travels!
Betty Cracker
Forgive me if you’ve already explained this and I just missed it somehow, but is the intent simply to have an automated early morning post where people can share travel experiences in comments, or are there features envisioned, e.g., allowing commenters in “on the road” threads to embed photos, etc.?
PS: A thousand thank-yous for the up-down arrows on mobile and desktop!
OzarkHillbilly
Quinerly blows. Major x 4 really blows.
OzarkHillbilly
@Betty Cracker:
Yes. Also tips, questions, destinations, etc etc too. IIRC Alain has said he will share pics if people send them to him.
Major Major Major Major
@OzarkHillbilly: But I was just about to post new pictures here ☹️
raven
@Betty Cracker: Well that’s a horse of a different color!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Major Major Major Major: Post away, but you still suck.☺
ETA: I’m just bitter cause I’m a shut-in since I no longer have automotive transportation.
Major Major Major Major
Iceland! Part the newest! (3)
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Major Major Major Major: Looks cold.
Major Major Major Major
@?BillinGlendaleCA: It was warm enough when I took the pictures for part 1, then there was a blizzard.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Major Major Major Major: Some of those pics remind of the on-line Lightroom class I took. The instructor used pics from his trip to Iceland.
Major Major Major Major
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Well, that’s probably why, then.
wasabi gasp
Me and the bros eager to dig into din-din on the road. [winky-wink: guess who got the ham.]
?BillinGlendaleCA
I see from Cole’s Twitter feed that he’s restored his girlish figure. He got a skinny mirror for his bathroom.
?BillinGlendaleCA
I ordered a Surface 3 Pro that should arrive later today, should be nice for photo retouching.
Baud
On The Road Again?
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: It’s a Willie Nelson song.
raven
@wasabi gasp: In the early 70’s a group of us took a road trip from Champaign-Urbana to Red Deer Lake near Kenora, Ontario. We had “Spartacus”, a 125 lb malamute , along on the trip. One of the guys had access to a cabin on a lake where we had to uncover a boat in the brush and row about 2 miles to get to. We laid in supplies for a week in town including a huge whole ham that was to serve as our mainstay. There was no refrigeration so, like the dumb ass hippies that we were, we built a little dam in a creek and put perishables in a little cut out. It did not take long for the big fella to grab the ham and make a rum for it. Ever try to catch a malamute with a giant ham in his mouth and he bounds through the north woods? We didn’t. It sucked.
OzarkHillbilly
@Major Major Major Major: Sadly, I am unable to see your pics, or at least not many. My satellite service doesn’t like Imagur apparently. Some friends of mine went to Iceland this past fall for a week +. Rented a van for them and the 3 young-uns and camped out of it for all but one night. Had a great time but said everything was so EXPENSIVE!
Major Major Major Major
@OzarkHillbilly: In that regard I’m lucky to be coming from San Francisco because the price shocks are relatively small. Yayyy.
Too bad about the pictures. I wouldn’t be surprised if your service throttles content providers like that. I’ll be sharing a blog post about the trip later, feel free to check that out when you see it. I’ll probably provide a zipped download of the best pictures.
OzarkHillbilly
@Major Major Major Major:
I don’t think so (I have very few problems with Flicker). It’s just life in the country.
I’ll watch out for that post.
Aleta
@raven: His version: he was nobly taking the ham into the woods to eat in order to throw the bears off the trail to your cabin.
Major Major Major Major
Well, I’m off to the phallological museum!
Baud
@Major Major Major Major: Take pictures.
Baud
Things are not getting better.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: The phallological museum.
ETA: Looks like a bunch of salted dicks.
Baud
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Sounds like there should be a BJ meet up there.
Aleta
@Baud: That’s a big change.
ThresherK
@Major Major Major Major: I never knew that was a thing. Curious what’s in the gift shop. Also curious what kind of blur effects need to be on footage of it on my local nitely news.
I am in one of those phases of life where “I never did no wanderin’ ” song from A Mighty Wind applies. Wecll see what summer brings.
Alain the site fixer
@Betty Cracker: dedicated spot for travel chatter. No in comment pics, but it seemed like a good idea to put this stuff in one post so it’s easier to find daily updates, etc. Critiques welcome!
Aleta
@Major Major Major Major:
Baud
I think this new auto thread pissed off Anne Laurie.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: I think it was the salted dicks.
SiubhanDuinne
@Baud:
That sucks. Do you have a source link for the quote?
Baud
@SiubhanDuinne: It’s from WaPo.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: I heard it on the local TV news.
Quinerly
@OzarkHillbilly:
Greetings from this big blower! I’m in a funky little Motel 6 with it’s own little, dedicated dog park in Holbrook, AZ! Did an hour of the Painted Desert before the park closed at 5:00pm (it’s still on early winter hrs). Heading back when the gates open to finish up the loop and do a couple hikes with Poco in the very dog friendly Petrified Forest. Beautiful drive yesterday out of Bernalillo to Laguna Pueblo, where I got off the interstate until Grants. Wonderful breakfast at Earl’s Family Restaurant in Gallop ( it’s been there since 1946, Navajo owned and operated, the biscuits and gravy had huge hunks of friend pork tenderloin in the white gravy!). From there, the back road to Window Rock Navajo Tribal Park. Had a bit of emotional breakdown…cried when I saw the huge, gorgeous, detailed bronze monument to the Code Talkers. Bricks with all their names…a Navajo gentleman came over and we chatted. His great uncle was one of the last 3-5 still alive and passed away in November at 95. The actual Window Rock is beautiful and a must. It’s truly a special place. More back roads to Ganado, NM and the historic Hubbell Trading Post and extensive grounds. A great day indeed. More to come!
Alain the site fixer
@Baud: explicitly not my goal! I didn’t want to make her do this, but I’d just as soon she take it over! I just want pro reader things, don’t care about who or credit.
OzarkHillbilly
@Quinerly: You can not, of course, take any petrified wood out of the Park. But drive down any road outside of the park and the stuff is everywhere. The same can be said for pottery shards at places like Chaco Canyon or Canyon de Chelly. I swear, instead of gravel they use pottery shards on the roads. They are everywhere.
BUT….. It is said that picking up a pottery shard and taking it home is to be cursed. You will have bad luck in all your endeavors until you return it to it’s last resting place.
I love that area. Long past time for a return visit.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@OzarkHillbilly:
In Hawaii, they say that Pele will haunt your days.
SiubhanDuinne
@Baud:
Thanks!
Amir Khalid
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
By dribbling the ball around your entire defence, and then scoring?
(Sorry.)
rikyrah
@Major Major Major Major:
Looks beautiful ???
rikyrah
@Baud:
Was this necessary???
Quinerly
@OzarkHillbilly:
Yep. Know those petrified wood rules. Actually was here as a 12 year old with my parents on a NC to CA drive one summer. In related news, I have a 10:00 AM birthday date with a off duty park ranger! When I rolled into the visitor center really too late to do much, he got the map out and showed me his favorite stops and areas most tourists don’t take the time with. Seems the hike at the Jasper Forest stop is his favorite…plus he wants to meet Poco. You don’t think this is anything like “come upstairs and see my etchings,” do you?
OzarkHillbilly
@Amir Khalid: Beat me to it. Was gonna say I would love to kick the ball around with Pele.
Quinerly
@Quinerly:
Oops, I meant Ganado, AZ. Still got NM on my mind.
Quinerly
@Baud:
@31. Why on earth?
OzarkHillbilly
@Quinerly: You should be so lucky.
laura
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Didn’t you just buy a car during the super storm of the century?
Quinerly
@OzarkHillbilly:
What? No happy birthday?
laura
@raven: @Major Major Major Major: Oh my!
?BillinGlendaleCA
@laura: Nope, was looking; still carless. I need to find a time when madame can transport me, though she’s not all the enthused with the idea. I may need to remind her that I’ve helped buy her cars.
raven
@Aleta: He was a good dog but, unfortunately , a couple of years later he got on some sheep at the south farms and that was it for him.
OzarkHillbilly
@Baud:
-Adam Wainwright
OzarkHillbilly
@Quinerly: At our age?
Quinerly
@OzarkHillbilly:
It’s not like I was expecting a cake.
OzarkHillbilly
@Quinerly: I firmly believe that there is an end of happy birthdays in the 20’s or early 30’s and they get successively less happy from there on.
But if you insist….
Happy birthday.
Quinerly
@OzarkHillbilly:
Actually, I think you are off your game a bit…I was expecting some banter about my date with the park ranger and petrified….woodys. (or is it woodies?) Thanks for the wishes.?
laura
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Try this: Gal, I’m pinin’ to go Galpining.
OzarkHillbilly
@Quinerly: Heh. Reminds me of the Improv Poet who used to do open mic at the Venice. He was good, really good. Funny too. Anyway, somebody asked him to write a poem about “morning wood”. He misunderstood and thought they were asking for a poem about “mourning” and ended the poem with the words “left me as mourning would” (or something like that). Poked fun at himself over that gaffe time and again.
Really wish I could remember how the poem went.
FlyingToaster (Tablet)
Stuck at the hotel in rainy Ft. Myers waiting for WarriorGirl to wake up. I’ll have to wake her soon or we’ll get no breakfast. Hotel is good location, great room & bed, crap TV & wifi. Trying to decide if I go buy rain ponchos.
Quinerly
@OzarkHillbilly:
Great Venice story! I’m off to see some petrified wood. Nobody will tell me what or who scared it so badly. That was a little joke of my father’s. He was born in 1922 and was in WWII. Thought about how much he would have enjoyed the Code Talkers Memorial I saw yesterday. Have a great day!
dexwood
@Quinerly:
Happy Birthday. Petrified woody?! Geez, how old is this park ranger? Safe Travels.
frosty
We spent one day in Key West yesterday which wasn’t quite enough but the 140 mile round trip from the campsite isn’t worth doing twice. Some observations:
– the hop on hop off trolley tours seem touristy to me but they’re a good way to find out what you want to spend more time on. We did one in Boston a few years back.
– After a certain number of years the Duval Crawl loses its appeal. Didn’t hit a single bar on the street, much less many of them. Had a mojito at a waterfront bar instead.
– Missed the Mallory Square sunset madness ’cause by then it was too far to walk. Maybe next time.
We’ve got a day of laundry, cleaning the trailer and general doing nothing planned while it rains all day today. Northbound tomorrow, sigh.
Quinerly
@dexwood:
Was going to let the story play out a little longer but since I know you and your lovely bride and if you promise not to tell Ozark, John, the park ranger, volunteered that he was closer to 90 than to 80. Let’s keep this our little secret. OK?
dexwood
@Quinerly:
Zipped lips here. Enjoy the tour… and the guide.
thruppence
Spent all day yesterday, (the thirtieth day after my 30 day eviction notice) in San José loading a U-Haul truck with all my disorganized stuff. Luckily the rain finally let up so not everything was soaked. Got a tiny but exorbitant Motel 6 room to crash in, and now have to run some final California errands, check highway conditions and head to Denver via Vegas.
Quinerly
Live from the incredibly dog friendly Petrified Forest! First ones in the gate. Poco sez, “Mom, can I pee on all of this? Best vacation ever for an ex inner city St.Louis street dog. Who would have thunk?”
Origuy
@Major Major Major Major: The cliffs with the basalt pillars reminds me of the Isle of Staffa, in Scotland.
laura
@Origuy: It looks a lot like the Giant’s Causeway on the coast of Northern Ireland. I hitched a ride on a tractor from the Causeway to Port Rush when no car was willing to stop and give a gal a ride.