Snowbirds for a while...The Austins go South!

Part I

Every fall, our Canada Geese assemble noisily on the Ottawa River, ready to start their migration South. After all, by October isn't their work usually done. Are our parking lots and sidewalks not amply fertilized? And isn't their yearly quota of frightened children always reached before school takes in?  And despite their busy schedules, they still have had time to create the next generation of little poopers. 

Call me misguided, but I do marvel at the Canada Goose's ability to call it a day and head South. Thanks to a migratory reflex and god-given navigational skills, they head South successfully every year. The question is: 

 Could Linda and I learn from their example? Could we drive south?

Ottawa pedestrian bridge after storm

Oh, Winter Wind!

You see, winter was no longer a season for us, it had become an occupation.

It was time to make the move and follow our Canada Goose south. 

We haven't yet named our new GPS.

Gladys, our original was a gentle guide, 

who recently retired from regular duty..

After all, we had navigation skills too.  
O.K. So we purchased them at Canadian Tire. 
The GPS selection is great there. 

Each state does its best to capture your tourist dollar.

Taking advantage of a break between two winter storms, we set loose early one Sunday morning. 

Our biggest surprise: the speed that 18-wheelers travel at in the States. It seemed that the farther South we got, the faster they drove...80 mph wasn't unusual. We just followed in their draft.

The bridge we crossed to get to Jekyll Island.

In two short days, we were at the Georgian border.  What a feeling when we opened the car doors! For the first time in months, we were bathing in moist warm air and vitamin D enriched sunshine. Wow!!  Why didn't we do this sooner?

Sprague, Beverly, and Linda

The Plato's abode.

Our first stop was Jekyll Island where we stayed with our Snow Bird friends Sprague and Beverly at their winter paradise.

They showed us everything possible about this beautiful island...its history, its beaches and walks, its customs. customs.

We also spared no expense or time learning about Southern Cuisine and how to pronounce things "suthern styl". 

One of a thousand different shots of Driftwood Beach

The Hortons' House....no Timmies to be had here though.

Jekyll Island is a tortoise paradise.  This is Charlie.

The bridge to Sanibel is called the "Causeway".

By Sunday, we were crossing the bridge to Sanibel Island, Florida.....

Our living room, kitchen, and dining room.

...where we were going to spend the next two weeks with our friends, Louise and Dave in this house. 

Our bedroom-week one.

Indeed,........

                                                            






....all four of us would agree that the place is great but the real highlight here is the wildlife.

This guy landed with his fish just 15 meters 

from the house.  He didn't appreciate my curiosity.

The inlet outside our house comes to life just after sunrise.

Fish, the occasional dolphin, and tons of bird, all doing what birds do naturally. From osprey to eagles, pelicans to wood storks, and Egrets to Ibis, they all seem to be here. 

A turkey vulture.

Nearby there are some fascinating discoveries to be made.  During a walk one morning, we were being distracted by  the incredible variety of birds around two big ponds when we came upon this guy.

Since the cull (300 removed), opportunities like this are becoming increasingly rare.

Our baby gator goes stealth.  

Meanwhile, behind us, this little guy scampered dramatically into the water with a splash and disappeared.  Silently, we followed him to his new hiding place across "Pond Apple" where upon he submerged until only the outline of his eyes was visible, and then disappeared.  Seconds later, he re-emerged covered in the camouflage he had gathered.  Secure in the thought that his stealth maneuver was successful, he spent the next five minutes watching us as we watched him.  He won me over.  It was just too cute!

Earlier, we saw this little fellow scurry quickly out of our way.  

There are no poisonous snakes on Sanibel Island.

Mama Eagle!

....and her baby eagles!!!!

And now the people we're sharing Sanibel with:

Louise and Linda.

Louise and Dave

When "shelling", the" Sanibel Stoup " as demonstrated
here by Louise and Dave is the accepted practice.

 Sanibel is simply a feast for very winter weary eyes..

On Sanibel, life is good.

Until next time.

Days IX and X - Finding our way back home

Day IX - Return to Vegas

Time: fleeting but well spent!

After packing the car and starting the dish washer, we did a wistful “goodbye-tour” of Two Feathers before closing the ranch gates and yes, another chapter to this amazing trip.  

Returning to Las Vegas, or Lost Wages, as some might call it, our hotel, the Tuscany, offered these tired folk some R and R... a fitting end to our time in the Southwest.   

Day X - U.A. gets us home.

The first leg of our return trip got us to "The Windy City" where, after a couple of burgers, we all left for our respective cities.

In a few short days, Jim and Beth would be leaving for Guatemala and already, we were wondering if there would be snow in Munich.

Thanks to Linda for being an amazing travel partner.
A big thank you to Jim and Beth for being part of this wonderful adventure!  May we do it again, soon.

Day VIII – The West Rim

Day VIII – The West Rim

Were we tired? Hell, yes! But Zion's West Rim had yet to be discovered. 

Today, Day VII, was our final day in Zion and we still had an impossible half canyon to explore.  What to do? Linda was particularly interested in a hike along the Virgin River.

Jim and Beth wanted to scale up to Scout Lookout.  
I felt that my goal had to be Angels Landing. 

My interest in Angels Landing was deep. A failed ascent on our last trip in 2010 only made stronger my desire to return for a second try. 

We first climbed together, up a series of switchbacks hugging the side of the mountain.... 

... and then, briefly, into the shady coolness of Refrigerator Canyon.

Next, came Walter's Wiggles, a set of twenty-one steep man-made switchbacks...

...leading onto Scout Lookout, a fantastic observatory and home to soaring condors.

There Jim and Beth took pictures and met a very knowledgeable park ranger and unconditional advocate for those condors we saw soaring just off the cliff, at eye level.

  

The sight of the half-mile of the narrow trail leading from Scout Lookout to the summit had my heart pumping. 

Was it anticipation or apprehension? 

The answer was “Yes”

At times, the strenuous little path did require a little delicacy...mainly  due to some sharp drop-offs ...sometimes on both sides...and narrow footing. 

Occasionally and thankfully, predecessors had anchored chains into the sandstone at some of the more precarious spots.  For me they were simply...

  ...long thin security blankets.

Once there, perched as close to the edge of that beautiful oblivion as I dared, I felt very good.

It had been a dream for some time.

Back at Scout Lookout, we could feel the same thermals that were lifting the condors.  And today, we too felt somehow that we had wings.  

At Two Feathers, we could start to feel the grip of nostalgia for Zion.  In times like these distractions are your best friend.  For our last night, we had two: good wine and our home-made Zion slide shows.  

A Prayer

May we continue to discover for a long, long time!

Stay thirsty my friends!

Day VII: It's “Hoodoo” not Voodou!

Day VII: It's “Hoodoo” not Voodou!

Hiking in  Bryce Canyon National Park

Up well before dawn, we were on our way to Bryce just as the sun was warming western peaks of Zion.  Our next adventure would take us 50 miles northeast of Zion and 1,000 feet in altitude higher.  We were about to discover another Utah marvel, the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park. 

Geographically, the top of Zion National almost lines up perfectly with the bottom of Bryce and so our van had to first climb the switchbacks of Mount Carmel and then into its famous winding tunnel...this 1.1 mile drive, accentuated with windows chiseled out of the sandstone cliff so that the magical sneak-peek of Zions 4,000 foot walls whets the appetite. Drivers beware!

Bryce Canyon National Park is located in the High Plateaus region of the Colorado Plateau in Utah. The attraction is Bryce's forest of bewildering giant sandstone towers called hoodoos. Elevation, climate, rock type and the plateau's orientation are elements that, when combined, form these unusual shapes carved by erosion...veritable works of art called hoodoos. 

And no where else in the world can you find a concentration of pinnacles with odd shapes like those found in Bryce Canyon.

Each sculpted by time...each mesmerizing,

they seem to reach up from the canyon floor and draw you down into the valley with them.

For three hours, we walked among them, spellbound by their size and mystical form. 

 For all of us though, the culmination came as we ascended back up to the canyon rim over 26 switchbacks. 

During the ascent, we were bathed in a soft light that flooded the narrow vertical canyon. 

I even felt a little bit like we were in a scene of an “Indiana Jones” movie.

Just another exquisite day in Utah!    

Day VI: Climbing to Observation Point

Day VI: Climbing to Zion's Observation Point

I've never felt adequately eloquent to express the inner passion I feel when I'm in the mountains.  

I can say, however, that I derive a deep personal pleasure in their presence.  The feeling is only heightened when I'm able to share this peace and contentment with fellow hikers.
  

Mountains impart a Zen-like peace to most.  Be it the exertion of the climb or the vistas they offer, they seem to have the power to stir our hearts.    

  

Recently, I even heard this joy expressed in biblical terms.  We were after all in Zion.  One hiker equated his  mountain treks as  "sometimes chasing angels, sometimes fleeing demons". 

Saint-Exupery, author of "Le Petit Prince" said:  


" The Beauty of the Mountain is hidden for all those who try to discover it from the top, ....revealed only to those who climbed it..." 

Huge servings of scrambled eggs, yogurt, toast, and coffee were today's nutritional fuel.  Today's trek would lead us to Observation Point over one of Zion's most staggeringly beautiful trails, the very difficult East Rim Trail.  

One last backpack check: lots of water, yep;  plenty of protein,check.  

Our 6 hour hike proved to be a love/hate relationship with the trail...thankfully, it was mostly about the love. 

The first three hours were a little punishing.

 Whether zigzagging over arduously steep switchbacks, replete with dizzying drop offs and eye popping scenery or winding through beautiful narrow canyons, we had to be ever mindful of those unwanted but potential companions: vertigo, twisted ankles/knees, and sore calves.

At break times, our water and simple trail food tasted like champagne and truffles.  Délicieux!!! Especially, at the top. 

Perched at the edge of a shear cliff, Observation Point overlooks the whole valley.  

Today, Zion may well have been the happiest place on Earth!

The condors overhead seemed to think so!!!

“Back at the ranch”, it was drinks on the deck for everyone! Could it get any better than this?