More "Wows" (part 6 of ?) (4/28/2015 to 7/15/2015)

Location: New Rockdale RV Park; Mansfield, Louisiana

Today is day 90 since Brandon's second stroke. Physical/Occupational/Speech therapy is still ongoing. He is capable of driving alone and has made several unassisted trips to restaurants in the area. Progress is slow, but it is still progress. He is still very strong emotionally, spiritually and mentally. There are only a very few things that he cannot do on his own. His mother takes care of those few things. Essentially, the two are taking care of each other and I'm around for the heavy lifting :). 

So as to not hover over him and to allow his independence to flourish, I have decided to attend the Forest River RV Rally in Goshen, Indiana which I signed up for about a month before his second stroke. I have been going back and forth about whether or not to attend. Everyone seems to think it is a good idea, so I will be hitting the road on the morning of July 29th. It will be interesting as I have been stationary for 3 months. If I am needed back here, I can dead-head back within two days. 

This post is the 6th part of a multi-part posting of some of the "Wow" places I've visited. This period ends with Brandon's first stroke in July of 2015. Remember, if you want to see additional pictures from a place, use the map to isolate the date, then use that date to pick the post from the archives located on the right hand panel.

Pictures like this represent parts of the west to me. It is truly wide open spaces. Very different from the east or south where most of the roads are lined with trees which give the "tunnel effect" as you drive.  

Snow capped mountains in northern Nevada.

Bonneville Salt Flats was a surprise. I had heard about them but was still surprised at its vastness.

Long road and we are each going where the other has been.

Beautiful everywhere. They just sneak up on you.

This is from Arches National Park, Moab, Utah. I liked the balanced rocks better. It is hard to imagine all of the material that has eroded away. And as usual, where did it all go?

I was surprised to find a Salt Dome in the middle of Arches National Park.

This if from Canyonlands National Park, Moab, Utah. It is my favorite of all the National Parks I visited in the west. 

More Canyonlands National Park

And some more Canyonlands

Last of the Canyonlands Wows. I told you it was my favorite

The Mysteries of Mesa Verde

Wolf Creek Pass in southern Colorado. I timed it just right as it snowed the night before. It was very pretty.

A line of snow-capped mountains in southern Colorado

A view from Pikes Peak. The upper part of the trip was still snowed in so had to turn around before reaching the top. Maybe next time.

Royal Gorge Bridge. Worth a trip.

Rocky Mountain National Park. Snow everywhere. It started snowing so hard, I had to turn around for fear of getting stuck or the road freezing over. I had not seen another car or person for miles before turning around.

A drive through the canyons and along a stream going to Rocky Mountain National Park. It was nice.

Benson Park Sculpture Garden, Loveland, Colorado. It is one of those surprises in a town. I don't remember how many statues there were, but probably close to 50. It was a great walk.

Another view of the long road ahead. This is part of the Oregon Trail where lots of pioneers travels. 

This was another surprise I stumbled onto. It is Mormon Pushcart museum. It was very educational with some nice people giving the tour.  

Independence Rock. It was a landmark for the pioneers head towards. Many carved their names on it. 

Even cloudy days were great. Notice the path the road takes through the edges of the hills.

Bear Lake. Another gem to find along the way.

Yellowstone National Park. Beautiful views everywhere

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

The Great Falls of Yellowstone.

I ate my lunch along this river a couple of times. It was a peaceful place.

More Yellowstone

Pretty view while driving between Yellowstone and Red Lodge, Montana.

The summit of Beartooth Pass. The Beartooth Highway is one of the top 2 or 3 places to drive in the country. Look in the background of the picture and you will see the "purple mountains majesty". I got lucky again and was one of the first to drive after it open in the spring.

That's the Battle of the Little Big Horn on the hill in the background. In the foreground is one of the National Cemeteries that are located around the country.

Sundown at the campground in White Sulphur Springs, Montana.

Cool mountain stream outside of White Sulphur Springs

The Nez Perce Indian Surrender site. It is disgraceful how little there is to honor such a great people

One of the Hydro-electric dams at Great Falls, Montana. 

The view from my campsite near Glacier National Park, St. Mary, Montana

The Road to the Sun, Glacier National Park.

More Glacier National Park. It is one of those must see National Parks.

Last view in Glacier National Park.

A nice double decker waterfall located just outside of Glacier National Park.

I was wrong, this is the last picture from Glacier. Sorry

Devils Tower with the mysterious swirling clouds. It's a must see too

Mount Rushmore. A little disappointing but I enjoyed learning about the "secret" vault behind the faces.

The Badlands of South Dakota. The ridge in the background is the "Badlands Wall".

Brandon giving his niece, Olivia Grace a ride in his wheelchair.

I was in South Dakota when I got the call about Brandon's first stroke. I was in Louisiana as soon as possible. 

Ya'll take care of each other. I'll Cya down the road.

More "Wows" (part 5 of ?) (3/1/2015 to 4/28/2015)

Location: New Rockdale RV Park; Mansfield, Louisiana

Today is day 83 since Brandon's second stroke. Therapy is still happening 3 times a week with small improvements still being noticed. He has completely claimed his independence by driving himself to restaurants and walking in alone. All of the restaurant employees in Mansfield know him and will assist him if needed. He has driven into the edge of Shreveport to get some Taco Bell. I guess the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree. :)   

This post is a continuation in a series of posts. Since I have been stationary for a while, I have taken that opportunity to organize my past travels. This series of post is a result of that organization. It will prove useful to the future. Although I have chosen some pictures to represent some of the "wows", they do not come close to representing everything I saw. The map is a useful tool to isolate a particular place by date. Using that date you can utilize the archive located in the right panel of the blog to find the more detailed blog entry about that place. 

It is a bit of a chore going through all of the pictures, but it is enjoyable to remember specific places. Sometimes, my mind can drift right back there and experience the sights, sounds, smells and vibrations of the place. I hope you enjoy them too. 

This is the route for this part. Unlike most of the eastern U.S. trip, these were all new states for me. I really enjoyed this part.

Air Force One at the Reagan Library. Excellent visit. 

This picture is an attempt to represent the Central Valley of California. It was shocking as to the size of the valley and the wide variety of crops being grown. I never thought of California as an agricultural state before.

A trip into the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

The Giant Sequoyas. I liked them much better than their cousins, The Coastal Redwoods.

A drive among the Giants. That is a Sequoya on the right. It was early spring and snow was everywhere in the higher elevations. I think I timed it perfect, except Yosemite was snowed in and I missed seeing it.

Large irrigation systems are all over the central valley. Blue ribbons of water.

The Pacific Ocean

Part of the Pacific Coast Highway

The Golden Gate Bridge. It is worth seeing.

More of the Pacific Ocean

Port Cabrillo Lighthouse

More Pacific Ocean

The beaches were mostly deserted due to the chilly weather, however I did find one person. :)

I don't remember the name of this lighthouse but it is near Crescent City, CA

More Pacific Ocean view. I think this is crescent shape of the beach may contribute to the name of the nearby town, Crescent City.

These people put in some time and effort. I think it paid off with a "wow".

A fellow "traveler". His owner was inside using the free WiFi. I'm not flat-belly enough to do that much walking

More Pacific Ocean. I hope it's not too boring.

A brave young lady screaming while she ran into the chilly water. She was laughing loud and having a good time.

One of the better sunsets I saw. That is what's left of an old shipwreck on the beach.

A replica of the campsite Lewis and Clark stayed at after seeing the Pacific Ocean

Sun setting of the Pacific Ocean. That is the rock jetty that protects the mouth of the Columbia River. In the distance is a large ship that just exited the river.

This is after I turned east from the ocean and following the Columbia River. Waterfalls are common to the area, but this is a very popular one right along the interstate. It is Multnomah Falls which is the tallest in Oregon.

The Columbia River.
It is without a doubt, the most beautiful river I've seen.

Bonneville Dam.
Worth a visit, even for non-engineers

Statue of Sacajawea, her baby and Captain Lewis's dog named Seaman. She has statues all over the northwest, but I liked this one the best.  

The Painted Hills.
This is just one of many, many hills with different colors.

I took a day trip to see Three Sisters. That's them in the distance. I found a beautiful mountain stream that was raging. 

Crater Lake.
No pictures can capture the beauty or the color.

White capped mountains everywhere you look.

I followed this RV for a while. Although I don't know them, I can relate to them as an RV traveler. To me this picture represents all RV'ers that are traveling down the road to the unknown; all the while breathing in that sweet smell of Freedom. 

Ya'll take care of each other. I'll Cya down the road.