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.
Good Morning All,
This weekday feature 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. By concentrating travel updates here, it’s easier for all to keep up-to-date on the adventures of our fellow Commentariat. And it makes finding some travel tips or ideas from 6 months ago so much easier to find…
Have at ’em, and have a safe day of travels!
Should you have any pictures (tasteful, relevant, etc….) you can email them to [email protected] or just use this nifty link to start an email: Start an Email to send a Picture to Post on Balloon Juice
Sorry for the intitial lack of pictures but I’m on the iPad tonight and not so setup to deal with files and attaching to this post. I’ll add some in the morning when I’m up and at the computer. And I’ll save some great ones for Wednesday!
Central Planning
Travel safe those of you in the northeast. Snowpocalypse 2017 has started. Here in Rochester, schools have started closing but there isn’t really any accumulation yet.
My kids have had off 3 of the past 4 school days, and they have Friday off for superintendent’s day. They are loving life.
OzarkHillbilly
@Central Planning: Snowpoocalypse/Nopoocalypse, I give you the real honest to Dog story of a real Little Red Riding Hood: Four-year-old trekked miles in subzero Siberia to help sick grandmother Of course, this story also has a true to life 21st century ending with her mother having a criminal case opened against her for not foreseeing the inevitable death of Grandma.
Happy 3.14159265359 Day everyone.
rikyrah
Hope everyone is safe- those of you in the eye of the storm.
Quinerly
Good morning from the wonderful Recapture Lodge in Bluff, Utah! We hit the 5 week mark on the “Fabulous Flying Quinerly Traveling Road Show” today. Wonderful morning yesterday with a hike at Butler Wash, followed by a visit to Natural Bridges National Monument, and look at our newest national monument….”Bears Ears.” We finished our day out driving Utah 261 and the Moki Dugway down the 11% grade gravel road to the 17 mile loop for the Valley of the Gods. No pictures can do the experience justice. Off to Monument Valley shortly. Have a great day!
Elizabelle
@Quinerly: Just checking in on you and Poco. Enjoy! Maybe you will read a biography on John Ford next. (Shot a lot of films in Monument Valley. I think…)
Bears Ears. Thanks, Obama.
OzarkHillbilly
@Quinerly:
Jealous. You suck.
laura
@Quinerly: Down the 11% grade gravel road!?! I’d need a spare pair of pants.
Safe travels to you and handsome Poco.
Quinerly
@Elizabelle:
We are doing great. He’s still snoozing. The Moki Dugway with the grade (and switchbacks) plus the bouncing in the back once we got down to the valley floor kinda did him in. I talked to a Navajo girl at the gas station at the intersection where you look up to see Bears Ears. Very sacred in her culture and the Ute culture. Google the story about the young maiden, her brother and the evil Coyote. The innkeeper here says all the international travelers though the past few weeks ask about Obama’s last national monument proclamation (I guess that’s what you call it). If I understand correctly, the acreage for the national monument status includes Valley of the Gods too.
Quinerly
@laura: @laura:
He actually whimpered a few times. He’ll be good to go shortly. We won’t be driving down mountains today.? There are several videos on You Tube of that wild road and a lot of info on line. Search “Moki Dugway.” I had done some research on it and was somewhat prepared. Can’t imagine just happening on it.
Yarrow
@Quinerly:
Oh….gorgeous. I think I have to echo OzarkHillbilly in saying “you suck.” You don’t, really. I’m just so jealous. I love that part of the world. I hope you have some pictures you can send in. I’d love to see it as Poco was seeing it. Those have to be my favorite photos! Safe travels.
Quinerly
@Yarrow:
I might have overloaded Alain with Poco pics last night. Working off the phone again b/c WIFI spotty…. Hard to edit and see some really clearly. Poco loved Capitol Reef NP and Goblin Valley SP?
laura
@Quinerly: Oy! That’s some serious switchbacking and elevation drop. The youtubes made my orifices pucker.
You are one badass woman Quinerly. Yes you are!
Yarrow
@Quinerly: Can’t wait to see the pictures! Poco is such a good boy!
Quinerly
@laura:
I have gotten more out of Utah roads (check out Utah 12)than the over crowded, spring breaking national parks. Skipping Arches and Moab and just picked up 3 more nights here at the Recapture Lodge in Bluff….7 nights for the price of 6, with breakfast each morning. Love this place. I suspect very little has changed since the 1950’s here. A must if you are ever in the area.
J R in WV
@Quinerly:
Have you spent much time in the Mesa Verde area? How does it compare to Chaco Canyon? We spent a long day there walking around and talking to the staff, distracting them from their restoration work. It looks close to Bluff on a big map.
All Pueblo mostly doing the actual work. Most Navajo won’t go near the old cities, their culture makes it anathema to them.
Quinerly
@J R in WV:
In my 7 years of wandering around in NM and surrounds, I still haven’t made it to Chaco or Mesa Verde. The time of year hasn’t been right…usually in NM the beginning of February. Plus, I have wanted a two legged traveling companion for Chaco. Any takers?
Aleta
@Quinerly: I looked that place up; it looks ideal; even has its own trail. Thick swirling snow here now!
Mnemosyne
Only just have time now to post from our first full day at Disneyworld. We had breakfast with Lilo and Stitch (and Mickey and Pluto) and the 16YO was so excited, I thought she was going to faint. It’s super crowded today, so we’ve gone on three rides (2 of which were Fastpasses) and now I’m sitting down in Mexico with my knee up while they shop for sugar skulls.
J R in WV
@Mnemosyne:
Great that the kids are having fun!
Everyone was saying that you should carry a crutch and limp, that would get your group to the front of the line every time. Perfectly legit, too!!