Tetons National Park into Yellowstone

The "Tea" tons moutain range stretch up from Jackson Hole to Yellowstone NP. Set up like a picture postacard above lakes Jenny & Jackson, the picturesque back drop welcomes Yellowstone visiters arriving from the south.
The elements have savaged the highway up to Yellowstone, so there was a huge amount of work going on to to seal the surface again before winter sets in. We followed this "follow me" truck through about 5 miles of construction.
Arrving just before dusk we set our animal spotting hopes high, with in 10 minutes of enterring the park this grazing stag was by the side of the road.

The road is long ....1200miles in fact!

Utah to Idaho to WyomingThe Fall is setting in, turning the leaves from Green to Yellow to Red & Brown. We set off at 4pm heading north from Moab towards Salt Lake City, before heading north for Yellowstone park. We night stopped briefly in a dodgey (but thankfully clean) motel crossing the state border into Idaho just after dawn.

We guessed that the town of Lava Hot Springs might have a tourist attraction & stopped to warm up in the thermal waters.Idaho to Jackson, WH

Arches National Park - clue's in the title

More open space & big desert sky, Arches national park is simply vast. It doesn't matter in which direction you look there is a rock formation that you want to photograph.

We drove to the northernmost point, Devil's Garden, threw on the walking boots & yomped out for a few hours to Double O - the below rock formation. The sun beat down & the wind blew
Grand Arch is simply awe inspiring. How gravity is kept a bay I don't know but this arch towers 50m above the trees & spans ore than a football pitch.


A windy Arches National Park

Moon Flower Canyon - Rock art

We'd been given a tip that there were some little known American Indian rock paintings at the entrance of a local canyon called Moon Flower, so pre-pancakes & coffee, we journeyed out to find them, following some directions we'd had scribbled on a till receipt - left between Burger King & McDonalds, travel for 8 minutes, it's located between 2 cotton trees on the left hand side.....right, should be easy then !

Oddly, the directions were spot on & we fund the canynon, the the middle of nowhere, a short distance out of town. There was no one around. The valley was cool & quiet with a slight breeze blowing up from the Colorado. The atmosphere was timeless, leaving us to soak up the feeling that the ancient spirits were all around.
The unprotected rock art had unfortunately been damaged by a few mindless individuals but it was still fascinating to see the images depicting ancient scenes.


Moon Flower canyon's tranquil morning atmosphere.

Road Trip ! Dead Horse & Cayonlands National Parks

1st stop Dead Horse Point - The Colorado river cuts through the soft sand stone canyons of Utah's remote countryside on route to Nevada's Grand Canynon. Cold by night & hot by day Dead Horse Point is unforgiving place. The steep to vertical cliffs create an imposing, impassable landscape, leading to the legend that cowboys used to drive wild horses towards the point, trapping them there before capturing the ones they wanted.
Today there's less savage activities, like hiking, biking & rafting. The unseasonably warm temperatures meant our coats & warm clothes remained unused & with no shade the baking sun cooked the hire car.
Mesa arch - not a sight for those, like me who hate heights.

Trail riding Grand Junction to wine tasting

26C, clear blue skies, sharp cactus & a lot of dust - trail riding Grand Junction, CO
Karina flew out via Salt Lake City to join the pain & fun. The blistering heat helped the dirt stick to the sun cream & added a barrier of protection agianst the Cactus spikes too. pic of Ressie flying down & then over "Cutes & ladders"
Unlike skiing; this is the easy way to get back up hill.
3 hours of thirst generating riding allowed us to easily justify a little R&R time sampling the local vineyards.

Colorado bound - hiking & biking

Whilst Karina stayed to shop & catch up with Emma in Chicago, I took a short flight to Denver, had a quick night stop with Ressie's buddy Troy. Ressie flew in the next morning from Hawaii with work & we set about making plans.

Time to be "Sport Billy" !

Ressie's flexible location meant we were able to get out & up into the surrounding Denver mountains to hike & then further on up into the Vail & Brekenridge area to Hike/Bike.
The flat irons were a good way to stretch the lungs & get used to walking at altitude. The 2 hour deceptively steep trail had me gasping to air all the way. If you look closely at the picture you can make out some crazy rock climbers going up the hard way - there was no way I was going to do the same!
Vail in the turning Fall colours of the changing Aspen trees. The warm Indian summer weather was starting to turn the green leaves to yellow, to burnt orange & red - wonderful scenery.
This third day, all day hike up the White River valley trail took us up to 12,000ft beyond these waterfalls .....
.... to a peaceful col lake in the baking mountain sun. I'd only brought along my woolly hat as protection as I'd been expecting snow like conditions at the top, how wrong can you get!

Denny's Arts of Life studio

It's been 16 years since Denny & I last caught up. So I was over the moon to be invited to see what she's created since our days of working with developmentally disabled adults at Camp Jened.

Located in the artistic community of west Chicago, Denny & colleagues have set up an art studio of a broad cross section of artists to celebrate their talents. Using donations, fund raising & community connections the project has grown over the years, moving site & now expanding into a second location for the convenience of more distant attendees.
The studio has a simple principle. The artists own the project, based on a management set skeleton strategy those that attend get to own & input into the running of the studio. The main focus of the studio is art but the group are involved in much more. They have a band & are also involved in the PR & promotion of their work.
To see more visit http://www.artsoflife.org/

U2 & Snow Patrol play Solider Field

We joined Denny & her husband David south of Millennium park for a short walk to Solider Stadium (home of the Chicago Bears). The massive 65,000 venue was packed out for the 2nd night of U2's new world tour.I'd bought the tickets on line from a ticket exchange so was more than a little nervous that I'd wasted 6 peoples time with fake tickets (as all I'd received were internet print outs) but my fears were alayed & everything went to plan.

Snow Patrol warmed the rapidly filling stadium up before the main event. Due to the risk of tickets not being valid I'd pitch at cheap seats right up in the gods - the visual spectacle was stunning & so much better than being down in the crowd.

Click to listen to the atmosphere (2 complete tunes)

Final number & exit (6 mins long)

Chicago Cubs vs Cincinatti Reds

A short ride up the Red line to the Lincoln Park area of town is Wrigley Park, home to the Chicago Cubs.
Karina, Emma & I soaked up the warm Saturday atmosphere & attempted to decipher the rules of commercial rounders as the game went along. We were aided & abetted by an avid fan & soon learned the rudimentaries, including the sponsored freebies, (such as a free Dunkin Donuts coffee should an "in" (a run) be made in the third innings).

The Game in a nut shell - 1 side throws it....

.... everyone inhales with anticipation......

...... the other side wack it or miss it ....

... half the crowd goes wild depending on your supporting point of view.... whilst those without one watch on with bemusement.

Everyone then gets stuck into beer, pop corn, pretzels, sodas, T-shirt buying & general chit chat conversation at a volume that anyone can overhear on the other side of the stadium!

We lasted 6 of the 9 sessions (2.5hours) before grabbing some jet-lagged sleep on route Solider Stadium to see U2.

The Cubs won 5-2 to retain a mathematical chance of making the play offs (apparently).

High times in Chicago town

Breakfast near the roof of the world. 97 floor of the Hancock tower

Views are not conducive for those who suffer from indigestion

Brian & Emma help us play eye spy

Then show us around Navy peir

& Millenium park

Storm & Choco - a sherborne affair

Pictures speak a thousand words

but when they don't you can always add video clipage instead - can't wait to roll this out in 25 years time!






Smiles all round then !! Happy Birthday Hagar ;)