Day Eight - Watson Lake to Haines Junction

Saturday May 31st 2008
Drive to Whitehorse and to Haines Junction YT
369 miles – estimated 7 hours of driving)

Before we went on this trip, Nick and I discussed how interesting it was that people look for chain restaurants when eating out in new places. By the time we got to Whitehorse we were ready for a chain restaurant, something where the food wood be familiar and up to a certain standard of edibility. That’s not to say that other places weren’t decent food. But familiarity was something that was desired. And that’s how we ended up at Pizza Hut in Whitehorse. We used McDonalds on a semi-regular basis, but that was more to keep our food costs down. This time, Pizza was what we wanted.

I believe this is the drive where Nick put one of Cosby’s radio/humor broadcasts on the car transmitter. I laughed so hard I actually had to pull over and wipe tears from my eyes.

Haines Junction is one of my favorite spots ever. The drive was much shorter than expected so when we got there we had time to look around. And you cannot beat the scenery of the St. Elias Mountain chain. The hotel was clean and fresh and the dining room was astonishing. One of the best meals we had on the trip was here.

ALCAN Motor Inn
P.O. Box 5460 Haines Junction, Yukon Territory, Y0B 1L0
(867) 634-2371
For Reservations Only:

Receipts:
Belvedere Hotel – Watson Lake YT
Watson Lake Super A Foods (grocery) – Watson Lake YT
Petro Canada - Watson Lake YT
Pizza Hut – Whitehorse YT
Shell Canada – Whitehorse YT
Madleys Bigway Foods (grocery) – Haines Junction, YT
AlCan Motor Inn (dinner) – Haines Junction YT

Day Seven - Fort Saint John to Watson Lake

Image: Muncho Lake BC
(Muncho Lake is one of the most scenic places on earth. I must go back soon.)

Friday May 30th 2008
Drive to Fort Nelson to Watson Lake
556 miles – estimated 11 hours of driving

When I planned our trip I started with smaller drives and expanded as it went on. Also there was just the problem of distances from point a to point b. And of course the costs associated with taking longer and the time too. In the end, there were some seriously crazy driving days. But on the whole it was do-able.

Nick and I both had our mp3 players and headphones. It was quickly apparent that we weren’t going to agree on what to listen to. Frequently, I just wanted to watch the scenery. I just don’t seem to have the craving for sound all the time that others do. He had loaded his player with tons of old radio programs and seemed to enjoy them.



Considering that we were heading North to Alaska, we put one of Jack London’s short stories on the radio transmitter. It was one about the dog Diablo. It was a bit grotesque and disturbing and that was the end of Jack London stories for the trip.

We stopped at the fabulous Fort Nelson hotel for lunch. This was a very picturesque place with big log construction and interesting diners.

Dinner at the hotel’s dining room was not so grand. The town and hotel seemed a bit run down. Still, a clean room and a bed was all I really needed.

Belvedere Hotel
Box 370, Watson Lake: Yukon Y0A 1C0
Central Reservations Office: (867)536-7712
$119 Reservation via phone May 21

Miscellaneous thing to look up on the internet:
Umbrageous
Crepuscular

Receipts:
Best Western – Fort St. John BC
Safeway (gas) – Fort St. John BC
Fort Nelson Hotel (lunch) – Fort Nelson BC
Esso (gas) – Fort Nelson BC
Belvedere Hotel (dinner) – Watson Lake YT

Wildlife & Birds:
3 Caribou
Black bear - juvenile
Mule deer
Bighorn sheep
Bison

For more photos see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157605435409999/

This was our first up close and personal with caribou. They are gorgeous and their movement is very light footed and swift. It looked like dancing up the hill, not running.

Day Six - Westlock to Fort Saint John

Thursday May 29th 2008
Drive from Westlock to Valley View to Grand Prairie to Dawson Creek to Fort St. John
391 miles – estimated 8 hours of driving

I’m so used to the interstate system of the United States that I thought that Canada would have it too. WRONG. The population density just doesn’t support the need for it. So two lane highway with lower speed limits was the norm. Alberta is a sea of grass dotted with lakes, ponds, and stands of deciduous trees mixed with conifers. It is gorgeous, green and fragrant with the clean scent of trees. I LOVED it. I’m sure that May/June is a good time to visit and January isn’t.

I started noticing all of the “Licensed” restaurants on the road to Fort St. John. I believe they use the phrase to denote those that are allowed to sell alcohol. Another interesting difference was the inclusion of “high balls” as opposed to "cocktails" on the menu.

This was the hotel that had the overpowering scent of air sanitizer/scent. It was a bit nauseating. Dinner at Mr. Mike’s Steakhouse was expensive but yummy.

Best Western Coachman Inn
8540 Alaska Road
Fort St John, British Columbia: V1J 5L6, Canada

For more photos see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157605346199000/

Miscellaneous thing to look up on the internet:
What are engine brakes?
What is domestic garbage?
When did Alberta burn?

Receipts:

Best Western – Westlock AB
Shell Gas – Slave Lake AB
McDonalds
Mr. Mikes Steakhouse – Fort St. John BC

Wildlife & Birds:
We drove the interesting way up to Lesser Slave Lake where we saw Bonaparte’s gulls, assorted terns and 2 coyotes.

Day Five - Edmonton and Westlock, Interview Edmonton

Wednesday May 28th 2008
University of Alberta interview and back to Westlock
112 miles – estimated 2 hours of driving

University of Alberta was one of my few afternoon sessions. Nick came with me and was able to spend the afternoon running around the campus, enjoying the river running through it and coffee. For lunch we stopped at the student union which is this tall, long, narrow, mall/dorm combo. It is really fun. I think the ISU Rendezvous building is modeled after the UofAlberta model, but it just isn’t even close. Of course we don’t have the same number of students either.

For more information on my interview at UA see: http://librarybanter.blogspot.com/2008/10/university-of-alberta-edmonton.html

This time for dinner we drove around Westlock and discovered JD’s Roadhouse Café. There were tons of vehicles in the parking lot and we KNEW this was the place. The food was good and I was introduced to the concept of fries with gravy. I didn’t try it but it seemed to be a standard offering, judging by the nearby diners. It’s probably fabulous, but the last thing I need is another high calorie food craving.

Best Western Westlock
10520 100th Street
Westlock, Alberta: T7P 2C6, Canada

Receipts:
University of Alberta Parking – Edmonton AB
Subway – Edmonton AB
JD’s Roadhouse Café – Westlock AB
Sobeys grocery (cookies, salami, cheese,…) Westlock AB

We shopped at Sobey’s grocery, and stocked up on stuff for the trip North. They had the most amazing selection of meats and cheeses in their deli. We packed up and got ready for the days of driving ahead.

Day Four - Airdrie to Westlock, Interview Calgary

Tuesday May 27th 2008
University of Calgary interview, drive to Westlock
266 miles – estimated 5 hour drive

We began the day with a drive back to Calgary. Nick’s GPS helped us to find the library on this enormous campus. While I did my interview and library tour Nick did homework. Afterwards we headed for Westlock. On our way we passed a sign for the “Devonian Gardens.” This cracked both of us up. They would surely have prehistoric ferns and possibly dinosaurs, but I don’t really remember what the Devonian era had.

For more information on my interview with the UC library see: http://librarybanter.blogspot.com/2008/10/university-of-calgary-alberta.html

The Best Western in Westlock has a parking lot dotted with electrical outlets. I’m sure this is to run car heaters in the winter. The girl at the desk recommended we have dinner there in the hotel diner. That was a BIG mistake. I think that was our worst meal for the whole trip. ICKY!!

Best Western Westlock
10520 100th Street
Westlock, Alberta: T7P 2C6, Canada

Miscellaneous thing to look up on the internet:
Tipping in Canada?

Receipts:
Best Western – Airdrie AB
University of Calgary – Calgary AB (parking)
McDonalds – Calgary AB
Mac’s Convenience (gas) – St Albert AB
Best Western dining – Westlock AB

Wildlife & Birds:
Lots and lots of Franklin's gulls

Day Three - Golden to Airdrie

Monday May 26th 2008
Golden through Yoho through Banff to Calgary to Airdrie AB
185 miles – estimated 4 hour drive

The next morning I called the dealer in Calgary and made an appointment for the car in the afternoon. We headed out, driving up, over and through the Yoho and Banff national parks.




These are gorgeous parks with some of the most amazing peaks. Every foot of the drive was astounding. I loved that they fenced in the forest so that the deer/elk wouldn’t stray on
to the freeway. They also have made these wonderful overpasses for wildlife right over the freeway.

Hour after hour we drove a precursor of things to come. What I hadn’t counted on was the difference in speed limits. In the U.S. it seems to run 65-75 mph on the interstates. Sometimes it would drop to 45 when there was a lot of twisting over the mountains. In Canada the regular limit is around 50 mph and occasionally it would get to 70. But overall it was slower than south of the border.



Eventually we were onto the plains of Alberta and then into Calgary. Surprisingly, the Calgary dealer was ready and waiting for us. It was going to cost 100 dollars for the evaluation, but what choice did we have. We still had over 3000 miles to go and it wouldn’t be good to have a worse breakdown and not know it because the light was already on. In a surprisingly short time, like 10 minutes, they had diagnosed the problem. As Doug suspected, it was an air intake sensor. We could probably still drive, but again, if something else went wrong we wouldn’t know it. So we bit the bullet and said to go ahead and fix it. We expected to be there forever, but no. They had the car finished in 45 minutes. So by 2:00 in the afternoon we were on our way again.

I had called and canceled our original hotel reservations near Banff and made new ones in a Best Western in Airdrie (between Calgary and Edmonton).

For more photos of this leg of the journey see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157605305716337/

Canceled: Best Western Siding 29 Lodge
453 Marten Street, Box 1387s
Banff, Alberta: T1L 1B3, Canada

Best Western Regency Inn
121 Edmonton Trl
Airdrie , Alberta T4B 1S2,Canada

Receipts:
Best Western – Golden BC
Yoho Trading Post (gas) – Field BC
Friends of Yoho (magne) – Field BC
McDonalds – Mountain Road ___ AB
Heniger Toyota – Calgary AB
Ricky’s All Day Grill – Airdrie AB
Extra Foods (milk, yogurt, coffee, oj) – Airdrie AB

Wildlife & Birds:

Big horn sheep
Because Canada uses salt on its roads many ungulates, such as Big horn sheep, will come down to lick the sides of the road.

Black bear
This was my first Black bear sighting. I noticed a big round black rock in the distance. It didn’t look like it belonged in the scenery so I pulled out my binoculars and sure enough, it wasn’t a rock. WHOOO HOOO! Bear!!!


We also saw Elk and Red-tailed hawks

Day Two - Missoula to Golden BC

Sunday May 25th 2008
Missoula to Kalispell to Golden BC
412 miles - estimated 8 hour drive

Drove north out of Missoula. Nick did a little homework, but not much. Mostly reading the old journals of various explorers who visited Soda Springs.. Montana’s Flathead Lake was GORGEOUS. We crossed the Canada border with no fuss at all. We drove north towards Golden BC., this drive along the west side of the Canadian Rockies is stunning.

Canada is like a whole other country, but not really. The candy in the convenience stores is slightly different with familiar brands and British brands mixed together. The gas is in liters so the price listed looks cheap but it really isn’t. Really strange. We stopped at a cafe in Skookumchuck for lunch, the waitress wasn’t exactly on the ball, but the food was good. As we continued north the ‘check engine’ light became lit. It wasn’t blinking so we kept driving. The car sounded fine. I checked the book and it said to take it to the dealer, and implied that it could continue to be driven. When we got to Golden we checked into the Best Western (I got a free night here because of all the other nights I had stayed with them on the sabbatical). I tried to call a local mechanic, to no avail. I thought I was late, but the truth was, people don’t work on Sunday. I called Jessica’s husband Doug, he’s worked on so many cars for my family I thought it was my turn. He said the car would be okay for driving and that it was probably a just sensor.

We used the AAA guide for the first time to find a restaurant called Eleven22. Problem was, the street address was 1122 also. We had a bunch of fun recreating the “Who’s on First” routine when Nick kept asking me the name of the restaurant and I kept giving him the alleged address. The food was AMAZING, but the most fun came from the table next to us. A dozen or so 13 year old girls were celebrating a birthday. They had ordered fancy non-alcoholic drinks, lots of food and desserts. They were very grown up, but not really. Awhile later a group of older women 50’s/60’s, came by and talked to the youngsters. They were every bit as silly as the 13 year olds, especially since they had been having grown up drinks.


The food here was amazing! Dessert: Raspberry Trifle for me and Ginger Cheesecake for Nick.

Recipe ideas that came from these desserts include:

Raspberrys in puff pastry, filling of creamcheese with whole fresh berries
Or maybe wrap the filling and berries in pie crust and deep fry them
Or dust with powered sugar or dip in chocolate…

Mint chocolate cheesecake
Regular chocolate cheesecake with a hint of mint
Options mint flake topping, candied mint leaves, mint cookie crust, mint glaze layer

After dinner we walked around the hotel area so that I could make my 10,000 steps. The scenery was gorgeous; there was a lot of trees, huge mountains and a small stream. “Cats to Cattle” was the sign on the feed store, but most amusing was the sign on the van “Golden Homemaking & Companionship: Helping Hands for You.”

For more images of this leg of the trip see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157605276619777/

Best Western Mountainview Inn
1024 - 11th Street N, Box 2400
Golden, British Columbia: V0A 1H0, Canada

Receipts:
Super 8 – Missoula MT
Exxon – Kalispell MT
Town Pump – Polson MT
Skookumchuck service (lunch) – Skookumchuck BC
Eleven 22 Grill & Liquer – Golden BC

Wildlife & Birds:
Bald eagles
Magpies
Crows
Ravens
Red tailed hawks
Canada geese
American kestrels
Mallards
Starlings
Brewers blackbirds
Red winged blackbirds
Calliope hummingbirds
Robins
Turkey vultures
Yellow warbler
Swainson's hawk

Day One - Pocatello to Missoula

Saturday May 24th 2008
Pocatello to Missoula MT
363 miles - estimated 7 hour drive

Nick and I packed up the car and headed for Missoula. We left late enough that stopping in Dell for lunch made sense. The Calf-A serves homemade and local food, including maple bars, I could only eat part of one, which Nick thought was a pretty good deal. 363 miles and not quite 7 hours later we had arrived in Missoula. This was one of only a couple of days that Nick was able to do homework (read). The road wasn’t too curvy, or bumpy. I took Nick to dinner at the fabulous Chinese restaurant (China Garden) I had found the last time I was there.

Super 8 Motel - Missoula/Brooks Street
3901 S Brooks St: I-90 Exit 101 So. 5 M.
Missoula, MT 59804-7395 US

Receipts:
Maverick gas – Pocatello ID
Yesterday Calf A – Dell Mt
Bonner Town Pump - Milltown MT
Albertsons (groceries) – Missoula MT
China Garden – Missoula MT

We ate breakfast out of our own coolers most of the time, protein drink for me and orange juice, coffee and yoghurt for Nick. It was an excellent way to reduce our costs.



Wildlife & Birds:

Gold eagle
Bald eagle
Magpies
Crows
Ravens
Red tailed hawks
Brewers blackbirds
Red winged blackbirds
Barn swallows
Cliff swallows
Bank swallows
Northern harrier
American kestrel
House sparrows
House finches
Lazuli bunting
Starlings
Mourning doves
Rock doves
Western meadowlarks
Robins

Nick and Squirrel 1

Nick and Squirrel 1
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

This bold squirrel taunted Nick the day before we left for Alaska. Nick tries to keep the squirrel population safe from the traffic on the road by relocating squirrels to better locations. It's only a side benefit, of course, that we use less seed in our bird feeders if the furry freeloaders are gone.

In any case this bold boy told Nick off and then while we were gone it chewed on our porch railing, allowed Shanna's friend Sam to swat it's tail, and otherwise took over the yard while we were gone.

There are more pictures of Nick and Squirrel on this set at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157605258802501/

Boating at Massacre Rocks with Nick and Barkley

DSC03489
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

Birding from the boat, I love it! Barkley is a great, big, funny, fuzzy, dunderhead. On the boat he would walk around in circles from back of the boat to front of the boat. If he wasn't circling he was on the front watching the water or curled up napping.

We saw so many birds it was great. The most fun was the young grebe, that wanted the float off of Nick's fishing line. He chased, circled, poked and tried to eat the big orange ball. We also saw Bullocks orioles, marsh wrens, northern waterthrush, and all kinds of grebes, eared, horned, clarks, and western grebes.

It was a lovely day.

Photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157605200477430/

The road home, Lakewood to Pocatello

DSC03251
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

Weather is always a fun thing in April. I checked weather and road conditions and decided to leave as early as possible cause snow was on the way. Allegedly the freeway through Vail was supposed to be fine, and the weather there was supposed to be fine. Of course, it wasn't what I would call fine.

On the other hand, the snow falling on those mountains, thick with pine and spruce trees was a gorgeous sight. And as long as it was drifting flakes it was fine. The water and muck on the road being thrown up by passing trucks was not fine. (Have I used the word fine enough?) I drove over mountain passes and through snow, rain, sleet, and eventually sunshine. I chose the route up through Price to Salt Lake City.

Before I got to SLC I started calling sisters. Eventually, Rebecca and Hannah met up with me for dinner at the Olive Garden there in SLC. I really needed the break. I then finished the last bit of trip for home, another circuit finished.

Road home: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157605110793107/

Golden Colorado: fifth stop on the rocky mountain circuit

DSC03187
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

I had to leave early in the morning again. Funny thing, when you set up appointments at 9:00 in the morning, you have to get out really early in order to 1. find a parking place and 2. find the library. Colorado School of Mines has a beautiful campus with confusing parking. I ended up just parking on the street and hoping that with school out for spring break I'd not get a ticket. It wasn't a red or yellow zone so maybe.... I did notice that I was parked on the street not only near the library, but near the Geology Museum.

After visiting the library, which was interesting and informative, I crossed the street and spent a very pleasurable hour looking at all the minerals, rocks, gems, jewelry and other informative displays at the museum.

I headed back to my hotel where I remained ensconced working on work like a good girl and avoiding all stores. I decided to just do the really long drive and not stop at Fruita, so I canceled that hotel. after the shopping, I felt guilty spending any money unnecessarily.

Colorado School of Mines: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604987869998/
Geology Museum: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604992435715/

Boulder and Denver Colorado: 3rd, & 4th stops on the rocky mountain

DSC02941
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

What can you say about Boulder that hasn't already been said? It's beautiful, environmentally conscious, with lots of great shops and restaurants. The University of Colorado Boulder has an enormous library with 1/2 floors. My meeting was on the 4.5 floor. The librarians recommended a fabulous Italian restaurant near Pearl St.

Next a short drive to Lakewood, it's close to Denver and close to Golden too. The hotel was great, I had a corner room with lots of windows, a nice desk, and a really solid internet connection. I spent the rest of the day uploading photos, catching up with email, and transcribing notes.

In the morning I went to the Auraria library. This library is the academic library for the University of Colorado-Denver, the Metropolitan University and the Denver community College. That's a lot of responsibility for one set of librarians.

After the visit I wanted to go do something fun/different. I had done so much driving and birding that now was the time for shopping. I called Nick and with his help (he had an internet connection) I went all over town to various specialty type stores. I got clothes and jewelery and accessories and souvenirs and spent waaaay too much money.

University of Colorado - Boulder: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604914584281/
University of Colorado - Denver: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604987220408/

Fort Collins Colorado: second stop on the rocky mountain circuit

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Originally uploaded by J Semenza

I LOVE Fort Collins. First the hotel was excellent and reasonably priced (Best Western Kiva Inn). Then the place is simply covered with ponds and walking trails for birding. And then it has restaurants and shops and a University. It was a great place to spend 4 nights. Of all the places I visited this was one where I'd be willing to move.

From this central location I visited both University of Northern Colorado - Greeley and Colorado State University - Fort Collins. I didn't get to the public libraries, not for lack of time, but because of birds. The weather was gorgeous spring and the birds were calling. I got to see wood ducks for the first time ever. They are soooo cute. And then there were tree swallows, great horned owl w/babies, grebes, teals and all kinds of birds. I also spotted a beaver and a muskrat during my walks.

On Saturday I drove over to Estes Park and through parts of the gorgeous Rocky Mountains. This was my first encounter with Big Horn Sheep. On Sunday I circumnavigated Rocky Mountain National Park. There was snow in the passes so I wasn't able to take a shortcut through it. I drove for about 10 hours through amazing country. I used a backroad to get to Boulder. While driving I was able to change my reservations for that evening to Boulder, instead of Estes. It was a perfect choice, I was able to stay at the Best Western, 10 minutes from the University.

Photos
To Fort Collins: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604837446521/
University of Northern Colorado: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604832782212/
Colorado State University: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604886506205/
Around Fort Collins: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604886506205/
To Boulder, the long way round: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604903601774/

Laramie Wyoming: first stop on the rocky mountain circuit

yhblackbirds01
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

It's a long drive from Pocatello to Laramie but it goes swiftly when there are clouds in the sky (keeping the sun from beating down) and when the stereo functions. Tuesday April 29th I headed for Laramie. I saw a lot of pronghorns. Actually, I've seen lots of pronghorns everywhere. I think I've seen them in every state I visited. I also saw the largest flock of yellowheaded blackbirds ever. I mean there were hundreds of them. It was stunning.

Wyoming gets so much snow that they build corrals to keep it in. I know, I amuse myself too. :)

The next morning I loaded up the car only to be pestered by an unusual birdsong. A dusky flycatcher, which I had never seen before was serenading me goodbye. The interview with Univ of Wyoming went well and I said goodbye to Wyoming and headed for Fort Collins Colorado.

Photos
Drive to Laramie: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604817663276/
University of Wyoming: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604832297920/

Bozeman Montana to Home: fourth stop on northern sabbatical circuit

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Originally uploaded by J Semenza

I didn't stop much on the road to Bozeman either. If it really was the electrical system in my car then I had better drive and drive and hope that nothing else failed. I arrived in the afternoon and hung out in my hotel. I had to write up the visit to Missoula so it worked out fine. As I said earlier, most of my fun was watching scenery as I drove. I definitely missed my stereo though.

The interview went well and I had a great time with the librarians there. I spotted a ring necked pheasant walking by the side of the freeway exit (perhaps he was hitchhiking?). Originally I had planned to drive through Yellowstone on the way home, but between the incoming storm and the wacky car I decided to stick to I15 and just get out.

The ride home was uneventful, though cloudy and beautiful. I made an appointment for my car to see my stereo people when I got home. The stereo people had installed the cruise control also. I cannot say enough good things about them. They called me a couple hours after receipt of my vehicle to tell me that there was a bit of metal floating about in the cigarette lighter which kept shorting out the stereo fuse. Nothing else was wrong... They didn't even charge me.

Photos
To Bozeman: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604600201409/
Montana State University: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604682822509/

Missoula Montana: third stop on northern sabbatical circuit

greenhough park5
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

I left Moscow and discovered that not only was the stereo and clock out of commission, but now my cruise control was out too. ARRRRGH. This was a tad scary, so I drove without much stopping to Missoula. My luck held out and this time my hotel was next door to the Toyota dealer. This dealer seemed much more above-board, and I made an appointment for them to check out my car the next day. I had scheduled two days in Missoula just to have a break.

Dropped my car off in the morning and went back to the hotel to read and watch tv. It was kinda nice to NOT be able to go do anything. They got my car done in record time. Apparently the people who "fixed" the fuse in Moscow had actually put a fuse in the wrong spot. Everything was functioning fine. Whooo hooo! I drove off and went birding at McCauley Flats and then Greenough Park. McCauley Flats was near/in the forest and I became brave and actually did the 1 mile loop walk even though there were few people. There were signs that people used the trail a lot and I'd be fine. I was. There were pygmy nuthatches and osprey. At Greenough Park there were more osprey.

The next day I stopped at both the public library and the University of Montana library. Both were excellent visits. I began to crave Chinese food so I braved the Internet till I found enough positive reviews for a little place called China Gardens. It has AMAZING food. I highly recommend the potstickers. Before calling it an evening I went back to Greenough Park. There is a big sign talking about the Pileated Woodpeckers that live there and I was hoping to see one. No such luck. :( Still, I got to see more osprey.

I did try to get the car back in to the dealer, but they didn't have time for me. They too tried to pin the blame for the electrical failure on the aftermarket cruise control or stereo.

Photos
To Missoula: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604595179026/
Birding Missoula: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604599394393/
Missoula Public Library: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604599551319/
University of Montana: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604595964060/

Moscow Idaho: second stop on northern sabbatical circuit

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Originally uploaded by J Semenza

Another early morning with lots of driving ahead. I had hoped to go to a nearby wildlife refuge before leaving the Seattle area, but with snow expected in the passes I just headed out. A fuse had blown in my car making the stereo and the clock inoperable. Twas very frustrating. The scenery is stunning on the way out of Washington, the passes, misted over and snow would occasionally fall. It didn't stick to the roads so I was fine. While driving through the mountains I came to a snow covered, partly frozen lake. One of those concrete barriers was on my left, as was the lake. So I'm looking at the lake and driving and suddenly I spot a Canada goose. The goose was standing on the other side of the concrete barrier watching the traffic. I have no idea why. Just another one of those wacky bird moments I guess.

Once out of the mountains I came to the rolling farm country of Eastern Washington. Here I did find the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge. It was remote and reminded me of Idaho, sagebrush, wetlands and small reservoirs. There were a LOT of blackbirds here. I got to Moscow and checked into my hotel and then drove around the corner to the Toyota dealer. There, they said they fixed the burned out fuse, but stuff still didn't work. They wanted me to leave my car, but I said no. It was drivable and I just had a bad feeling about it.

I had an early Tuesday morning meeting with librarians at University of Idaho and then had to hit the road for Missoula.

Photos
To Moscow: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604599089859/
University of Idaho: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604599260001/

Seattle and Environs

DSC02208
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

Raven and I left Seattle early in the morning on Saturday and headed out on a drive. A really long drive, we drove down past Olympia, and up to the beaches by Queets and Kalaloch. It was 70 degrees and gorgeous, the rainforest was thick and lush and green and the ocean was stunning. I got to see a few amazing birds: chestnut backed chickadee, northern fulmar, marbled godwit, and pacific crows. We drove around and into Olympic National Forest. I loved it. We continued on up and around to Port Angeles we stopped at a little restaurant called Cafe Garden. It was posh but not pretentious and the food was AMAZING. The road continued South to Bremerton and back to the hotel. We got in late but it was sooooo worth it.

Sunday morning started late and we decided to go to a great restaurant for breakfast. It's called Salty's and what we didn't know is that on Sundays they do an all you can eat buffet. Let me just say it was more than worth the 30 dollars per person. They served exquisite food, lots of variety and I may never try another eggs benedict in my life cause it just wouldn't compare. They also had all kinds of fresh sea food, fish, pastries, and anything you could possibly want.

After brunch we went into Seattle proper to visit the public library. Seattle public library is a marvel with a spiral walk between the upper floors. Very industrial in feel it is Definitely worth a visit. Gene joined us later for dinner, which was great cause it has been years since I've seen him.

I must go back and visit again soon.

Photos
Seattle Public Library: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604598950899/
Scenic Washington: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604525287458/

Stonehenge and The Road to Seattle

DSC02097
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

I had heard about the Maryhill Stonehenge years ago. The British scholar Christopher Chippindale spoke at ISU and Nick, Jeff and I attended. He was fascinating and triggered a spate of reading. I was still reading Stonehenge books a year after he visited. Seahenge was uncovered in 1998, just a short time after Chippindale's visit. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/for more on Seahenge. There was no way I wasn't going to get to see this American version of Stonehenge so I plotted my route from Boise to Seattle via Maryhill.

The drive through the Columbia Gorge was stunning. I had recently read a book on the Glacial Lake Missoula Floods and could see the evidence left by it, just as the author had described. I had to take a detour because the bridge crossing the Columbia River by Maryhill was being repaired, but I persisted. I finally got to my destination and it was well worth it. The replica is to scale and you can get a sense of the grandeur if not the age in this place.

My next slight detour was to Mt Rainier National Park. Unfortunately, I was unable to go through the park - closed on account of snow - and had to circle around it. Still, I got to see a lot of it from the edges. I put on my mp3 player over the radio transmitter and listened to Loreena McKinnet and other new ageish music while driving through the mountains and snow. It was very surreal.

I got to Seattle later in the evening, checked into my hotel and called Raven. She came over and we hung out and plotted our next activities.

To Maryhill photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604520187555/
Maryhill Stonehenge photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604517410434/
Road to Seattle photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604526816157/

Boise: first stop on the northern sabbatical circuit

exterior4
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

I left on the morning of April 8th and headed for Boise. What a way to celebrate my anniversary. I stopped at Boise Public Library on my way to Nampa (location of my hotel). Boise Public is a great library, I took pictures and gave myself a tour. Jim, my former boss, now works here, so guess who was working on the reference desk... It was interesting to talk to him, he's always been ahead of the curve where innovation is concerned. I now wish I had spent more time asking him to forcast the future of academic libraries.

The next day was the SWILA (Southwest Idaho Library Association) conference. I really enjoyed the keynote speaker from White Cloud Coffee, the presentation on the history of libraries and the lunch speaker Azam Houle “Dare to Read!” Brochure: http://www.idaholibraries.org/node/108
Flickr set (not mine): http://www.flickr.com/photos/m3mo/sets/72157604550007420/
I was able to present about my sabbatical. It was really useful to have to do an assessment of what I had learned before and the presentation was well received.

Thursday April 10th I got up at 6:00 a.m. and drove back to Boise through a lot of traffic. Thank heavens I left early enough to have time to regroup before going in for the interview process. Boise has some of my favorite librarians working there. They recently hired a couple of new ones and they are FUN! I think we'll be able to do some great collaborations. When I finished I got back in my car and headed for Pendleton WA.

After all, Boise is close enough to Seattle that I certainly needed to drop in and visit my friend Raven...

Idaho State University photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604519171935/
Boise Public Library photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604519309911/
Boise State University photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604519583547/

Birding with Susan

saw whet owl
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

I finished up the southern sabbatical circuit and was home for about 10 days. I repacked, replanned, plotted and prepared for the next circuit. I also went birdwatching one day with Susan Crandall. We had the best time. We went to Market Lake and Camas Wildlife refuge. At Camas we walked along a trail and met a couple of other birders. These birders told us about a Saw Whet Owl just up the trail. We wouldn't miss it because still another birder had a telescope pointed at it.

This picture shows the teeny tiny Saw Whet owl clutching a mouse in its claws. Personally, I think he was napping before lunch. We also saw Canada geese on Market Lake stuck in the ice. Poor goosies couldn't move. On our way out, the ponds had thawed and the geese were gone.

We munched on apples, cheese and applesauce spice cake. It was a very fun day and I hope I get to go out with her again soon.

4 photos from this trip at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604514291394/
We saw:
american white pelicans
brewers blackbirds
buffleheads
california gulls
canada geese
canvasback
chipping sparrow
common goldeneye
coots
crows
dark eyed juncos
great blue heron
great horned owl
house sparrows
lesser scaup
lincoln sparrow
magpies
mourning doves
northern harriers
northern pintails
northern shoveler
prairie falcon
red breasted merganser
red headed ducks
red tailed hawks
red winged blackbirds
ring necked duck
robins
rockc doves
ruddy ducks
sandhill cranes
saw whet owl
snow geese
starlings
stellars jays
swainson's hawk
trumpter swans
tundra swans
western meadowlarks
yellow headed blackbirds

Not Birds:
antelope
ground squirrels

Grand Canyon, Kanab, Bryce Canyon and Home

Nick & Jenny
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

March 28 & 29 2008

Day 1:

Strange how things work out. Nick's geoscience seminar class went to the Grand canyon for spring break. I finished my intriguing and educational interview with NAU's library and headed to the Grand Canyon myself. While driving through the Ponderosa pine forests outside of Flagstaff I got a call. I shouldn't have gotten a call, seeing as how signal strength just wasn't very good. Apparently someone wanted a job reference for Annie. I told them to email me with a date and time for the following week when I would be back home.

Again, I wish I had had more time, the scenery is so beautiful. I got to see the views from the Southern rim for the first time. I had hiked part way down on the North side when I was a geoscience student years ago. I tried to find condors, but no luck. while there, I got a call from Nick saying I could pick him up in Page UT and that we'd call to make further arrangements. Of course, phone signal is iffy out in the wilds of Arizona and Utah. The road to Page from the Grand Canyon is gorgeous.

We got connected enough that I was able to find him behind the urger King in Page. Scruffy, tired, filthy but happy, we piled his stuff into the big red suitcase and headed for Kanab where I had reservations at another hotel. We got to drive over the Glenn Canyon dam and past the much reduced Lake Powell.

Day 2:

It was great having someone help me with my bags! We headed out fairly early, our first stop was a funky tourist trap called Moqui Cave. It had been a dance hall and now was a museum, family history stop run by a very garoulous guy. He was great, but we had to hit the road. I had wanted to drive through Zions, but we missed the turn, drat. I had been through there before on the way back from Sarah's. So we drove and drove and went to Byrce Canyon. There I spotted my very first white breasted nuthatch. We did a bit of walking and looking but the clock was ticking and it is a very long drive to Pocatello.

Kinda nifty having Nick with me on the way home...

Photos from Northern Arizona University:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604328549608/

Photos from the Grand Canyon and road to Kanab:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604360160126/

Photos from Bryce Canyon, and the road to Pocatello:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604361393786/

Flagstaff: sixth stop on the southern sabbatical circuit

DSC01605
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

The drive to Flagstaff took me through two detours, one the painted desert and two the petrified forest. Both were amazing, beautiful and astonishing. Nothing like huge petrified logs on the ground to get my attention.
http://www.nps.gov/pefo/

It was frustrating to spend so much time driving through amazing country and I couldn't stop and see everything. So I missed the meteor impact crater, and the ice caves and the worlds largest petrified tree in a museum and... The list of things I missed is very sad. I just wish I had more time for all of it.

On the other hand, I did get to see a lot of great national parks and monuments and scenery, not to mention all the libraries.

Flagstaff is a gorgeous town and the campus is stunning with all of its ponderosa pine trees. It is high enough up that it had bits of snow lingering about.

There's not a lot to write about most days because all I did was drive and drive and drive and drive. And when I wasn't driving I was working on writing up sabbatical stuff, visiting universities, eating or sleeping. Good think I LOVE to drive.

Photos of the drive: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604332516137/
Photos of NAU: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604328549608/

Albuquerque: fifth stop on the southern sabbatical circuit

DSC01471
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

I left around 5:00 a.m. in order to get through the Dallas/Fort Worth megopolis before rush hour. I took highway 287 heading north west. By paying close attention to the signs and breathing deeply I made it through. The rest of the drive through West Texas was tedious in comparison. So I drove and drove and drove stopping at Santa Rosa for the night.

The next morning I drove up to Pecos National Monument where I spotted my first pinyon jays. They are the cutest. Of course I say that about a lot of birds. Pecos (http://www.nps.gov/peco/) is a pueblo indian ruin complete with old ruined mission.

Albuquerque is where I really started seeing the route 66 signs. On the drive from TX to UT I managed to go through Amarillo TX, Gallup NM, Flagstaff AZ, and Winona AZ. On the way to Phoenix I picked up Kingman AZ. It was very hard to get the Route 66 song out of my head. I even ate at a Route 66 diner when I got to Albuquerque.

I loved meeting the librarians at this library. Johann deserves an honorable mention for being one of the most personable librarians I met on my sabbatical. I think I could listen to him for hours.
Innovative, intelligent, and a great natural story teller. We need to invite him to speak at more library association conferences.

Pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604272672825/
UNM photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604331781201/

ROUTE 66 from Wikipedia:
"Route 66", is a popular song and rhythm and blues standard, composed in 1946 by American songwriter Bobby Troup. It was first recorded in the same year by Nat King Cole, and was subsequently covered by many artists including Chuck Berry in 1961 and The Rolling Stones in 1964. The song's lyrics follow the path of the U.S. Route 66 highway, which used to run a large distance across the US, going from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California.

The lyrics read as a mini-travelogue about the major stops along the route, listing several cities and towns that Route 66 passes through. Specifically mentioned, in order, are

St. Louis, Missouri;
Joplin, Missouri;
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma;
Amarillo, Texas;
Gallup, New Mexico;
Flagstaff, Arizona;
Winona, Arizona;
Kingman, Arizona;
Barstow, California; and
San Bernardino, California.

Winona is the only town out of sequence in the list. It was a very small settlement east of Flagstaff, and might indeed have been forgotten if not for the song's lyric, "Don't forget Winona", written to rhyme with "Flagstaff, Arizona." --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66_%28song%29

Staying in Italy March 17 - 24

determined cardinal03
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

So much to do and so many people to visit with. I had to do work though too. I ended up at dad's office typing away on my computer, transcribing notes, uploading photos, and planning for the next route.

I was able to meet up with Jeff and Randy (dragging Mom, Dad and Erika along) at the El Fenix restaurant in Dallas. The El Fenix is a marvelous Mexican restaurant that is a Dallas institution. We also invited them to Easter dinner at Moms. It was great to catch up with them. Dad gave us a comprehensive dome tour which is always interesting to me. I never can keep up with all of the innovations going on with Monolithic Constructors.

Mom, Melinda and I did some shopping. I loved the going out of business Liz Claiborne outlet and found $4.00 shirts that I would end up wearing on every other circuit of my sabbatical. The clothes were a great addition to my trip wardrobe. I ended up having to ship some of it home in boxes, cause even though I was driving my big red suitcase, it only holds so much. I also didn't want to encourage anyone to break into my car by leaving things in it.

Rebecca showed up part way into my stay, she was recovering or rather not recovering from a surgery. After I left she ended up in the Texas hospital for a second go-round.

Tessa hosted a breakfast for all of us and I got to see more of those cute nieces and nephews of mine.

While staying at mom's house I got awoken in the morning by this sharp rapping on the window. Eventually, I discovered that a bright red cardinal was attacking its image in the window. Defending his territory and functioning as an alarm clock, what a bird. I also got to see a lot of Carmella the albino house sparrow. Melinda and I did some birding and I was even able to spend a few days at her house. In the evening we would watch David Attenborough's Lives of Birds. It had rained enough to create a big pond in between Mike's house and Gary's house. Erika named it Erika's lake. It was a great birding spot.

I had a great visit with everyone.

Pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604165651309/

March 21 2008
“Erika’s Lake” at the dome & Charca
1. baird’s sandpipers
2. solitary sandpiper
3. wilson’s snipes
4. savannah sparrows
5. American pipits
6. house sparrows
7. greater yellowlegs
8. barn swallows
9. killdeer
10. red eared sliders (turtles
11. common grackles
12. scissor tailed flycatcher
13. eastern bluebird
14. mockingbird
15. brownheaded cowbirds
16. cardinals
17. mourning doves
18. white winged doves
19. Eurasian collared dove
20. blue jay
21. great tailed grackles
22. rock doves

March 22 2008
Lake Whitney, Milford, Hillsboro, Lake Erika
1. baird’s sandpipers
2. solitary sandpipers
3. killdeer
4. pipits
5. savanna sparrows
6. wilson’s snipes
7. savannah sparrows
8. American pipits
9. house sparrows
10. greater yellowlegs
11. starlings
12. eastern bluebird
13. cardinals
14. mourning doves
15. American crows
16. eastern meadowlarks
17. barn swallows
18. mockingbirds
19. turkey vultures
20. great tailed grackles
21. loggerhead shrike
22. lark sparrow
23. rough winged swallows / cliff swallows
24. coots
25. great egret
26. scissortailed flycatcher
27. herring gulls?
28. mallards
29. great blue heron
30. chipping sparrow
31. yellow rumped warbler
32. bewicks wren
33. blue jay
34. red tailed hawk
35. black vultures
36. Eurasian collared doves
37. white crowned sparrow
38. Carolina chickadee
39. hermit thrush
40. Carolina wren

Birding in Southwest Texas - March 15 & 16

big bend tunnel
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

This morning we packed our bags and headed back towards Big Bend. And this time we saw lots of birds including the beautiful little Vermillion flycatcher. We got up into the Chisos Mountain Basin where the oak grows wild. After a very long day of birding we headed for Italy. It was a very long way off so once we found a phone signal I called Nick to see if he could find us a hotel. Eventually I had to pull over and wait for his return call. Signal strength isn't exactly reliable in those parts.

A hotel was found in Monahans. The lady at the desk recommended a terrific restaurant, so we brought her back a piece of cheesecake. She had been having a pretty bad day. The look on her face was priceless.

The next morning we loaded up and headed out for Italy again. As we approached Fort Worth we saw the traffic backing up and many Texans heading across the side median to a frontage road. We just followed them. Unfortunately for them they did not have Melinda the super-navigator with them and they ended up back in line on the stalled freeway. We took back roads and saw more birds. It may have been the long scenic route, but I'll take that any day over stop and go freeway traffic.

It was great to arrive in Italy

Pictures from day 3: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604161092758/

1. white tailed deer (not birds)
   
2. Chihuahua ravens
3. mourning doves
4. western meadowlarks
5. red tailed hawks
6. mule deer (also not birds)
   
7. pyrrholuxias
8. common ravens
9. roadrunners (my trip favorites)
   
10. loggerhead shrike
11. black throated sparrows
12. mockingbirds
13. turkey vultures
14. black tailed gnatcatcher
15. verdin
16. golden fronted woodpecker
17. white crowned sparrows
18. yellow rumped warbler
19. cardinals
20. vermillion flycatchers
21. spotted towhee
22. white winged doves
23. ruby crowned kinglet
24. golden crowned kinglet
25. lark buntings
26. chipping sparrows
27. ladder backed woodpecker
28. purple martin
29. black phoebe
30. mountain chickadee
31. purple finches
32. cassins finches
33. house finches
34. northern (red shafted race) flicker
35. western meadowlarks
36. cactus wren
37. cottontail bunnies (not birds either)
    
38. western wood peewee
39. starlings (Stockton)
40. common grackles
41. house sparrows
42. harris hawks (mf pair plus juvenile near grand falls)

Birding in Southwest Texas - March 14

purple finch01
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

Today, we got up early and headed for Big Bend National forest, the long way, of course. On our way to Pinto Canyon road we stopped at a culvert to look at the swallows. WHOOO HOOO cave swallows and then a miraculous appearance of scaled quail this was a very good omen of things to come.

The back roads started out pretty good, pavement gave way to broad, smooth gravel expanses. Our first heart stopping moment came with the cresting of a rise and trying to run over a small group of collard peccaries (wild pigs). A mule deer gave us another moment, and then we really got into back roads. It took us several hours to drive through the 35 mile back road of Pinto Canyon. It was wild and beautiful and there were birds. The driving though was slower than walking because a decision had to be made every inch of the way, turn left-miss that rock, turn right-miss that pothole. Learning to drive on the Menan Buttes in winter and spring was the best training I could have ever had for this road.

We came out back onto pavement at Ruidosa. From here we could see Mexico. We never did go into Mexico, but we sure saw a lot of its mountains to the South. We drove and drove along the Rio Grande, through desert and rock and over mountain. It was stunning and I wish I had more pictures. We stopped at an abandoned movie set (Controbando). Fort Leaton was interesting and had more birds and wonderful sun shades made of dried ocotillo. Ocotillo cactus looks like spiky rebar. At Terlingua ghost town we stopped at a diner for a late lunch. We still had miles to drive, but it was necessary. Terlingua is hot, dry, and dusty. When the wind kicked up the dust it was pretty miserable. The good and bad news at the diner was that the lady who owned it makes world class, blue ribbon winning pie, unfortunately she didn't have any available that day.

We made it into Big Bend national park and just drove on through. By now I was whining about never seeing a road runner. I really, REALLY wanted to see one. And then we turned a corner and I had to slam on the breaks again to prevent us from hitting one. Now that was an exciting way to see a bird. He was gorgeous and I am in love with the road runners.

We got back to Alpine, dusty, sunburned, allery ridden, and fell into bed.

Pictures of day 2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604142402353/

Birds of the day include:

1. curve billed thrasher
2. house sparrows
3. brown headed cowbirds
4. Eurasian collared doves
5. common ravens
6. white winged doves
7. red tailed hawks
8. northern harriers
9. scaled quail
10. cave swallows
11. western meadowlark
12. mourning doves
13. eastern meadowlark
14. Chihuahua ravens
15. loggerhead shrike
16. American kestrel
17. pronghorns (still not considered birds)
18. vesper sparrows
19. canyon towhees
20. turkey vulture
21. mule deer (not a bird)
22. black throated sparrows
23. pyrrholuxia
24. roadrunners
25. purple finches
26. house finches
27. yellow rumped warbler
28. long billed dowitcher
29. Mexican mallards
30. northern shovelers
31. green winged teal
32. cinnamon teal
33. great blue heron
34. white crowned sparrows
35. eared grebe
36. cliff swallows
37. say’s phoebe
38. collared peccaries (truly not birds)

Birding in Southwest Texas - March 13

the big fish4
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

I picked up my birding partner in crime at the El Paso airport. Melinda and I hit the hot, sunny road heading towards Big Bend. Did you know you can do 80 mph on some of the freeways in West Texas? It may not be good for the gas mileage, but it's great for making the miles zoom by.

This was my first time to be stopped by border patrol in our own country. They took one look at the two blondes and all of our luggage and waved us on by. It is very weird that we as a country are doing this. It kinda creeped me out that we'd have this stop not at an entry road into the U.S. but just on one of the freeways near Mexico.

We stopped at Van Horn earlier in the day than expected so we canceled our hotel there and extended our reservation at Alpine. We had lunch at a darkened Mexican cafe named Chuys. The food was good and the people around us were very talkative, including us in some of their conversations.

Of course, we took the long scenic route from Van Horn to Alpine, going through the Baldy Peak area.

Here we encountered the Chihuahuan Ravens for the first time and still more Mexican Jays (of the Texas race). The drive was gorgeous.

As we approached Marfa we spotted a huge white thing on the horizon. It looked a bit like a hot air balloon, but it was close to the ground. It finally resolved into a really, really, big white fish. It
was almost as amazing as the Chihuahuan Ravens.

Photos for the drive to Alpine: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604122222305/

Birds of the day included:

1. Chihuahua ravens (near baldy peak)
2. American crows
3. oggerhead shrike
4. rock doves
5. large fish (okay not a bird)
   
6. red tailed hawks
7. Mexican jays
8. white winged doves
9. pronghorns (not a bird either)
   

Las Cruces: fourth stop on the southern sabbatical circuit

DSC00676
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

I began my drive to Las Cruces with a very, very tedious drive through Tucson's morning rush hour. Note to self: do not reserve a hotel on the other side of town from your next destination. Additionally, tis better to sleep in than play stop and go in rush hour.

Chiricahua (http://www.nps.gov/chir/) pronounced "cheery cow ah" is a national monument located in the southeast corner of Arizona. It is a stunning pile of volcanic rock formations with high desert vegetation. My goal to visit every national park and monument I could took me off the freeway to this gorgeous spot. As I got to the park I spotted a few tiny white tailed deer. Later I got to see my first Mexican Jay (arizona variety). The bird was hopping around the parking lot looking for food.

It is so frustrating to be a birder, but not good enough at it to spot all the great birds. Particularly when you're visiting a special 'these birds are only found here' spot. Frustrating to hear the birds but not be able to spot them. AAAAAAAaRRRRRGGGGGH. Melinda and I will have to come back here.

I took the long way back to the freeway and drove on dirt roads past Fort Bowie and lots of nut tree orchards. One of the orchards had this amazingly large flock of crows. They were in the trees, on the ground and everywhere. As I drove up to the fields they would swarm up and over, swirling among the still bare trees.

I finally got to my hotel in Las Cruces only to discover that I had booked myself into a D.I.V.E. The good thing was they screwed up my reservation and had me in a smoking room so I was able to extricate myself from the deal with no costs *phew*. Next problem, how to find a new hotel. Solution - call Nick. He was able to get me into a different hotel, he also helped me get un-lost. This is one of the few towns where I didn't have a map.

The next morning I went to the university. The campus is stunning and the people at the library were fabulous, interesting and innovative. I finished up with them in the early afternoon and headed for El Paso to pick up Melinda.

Road to Las Cruces including Chiricahua: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604113476916/
New Mexico State University: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604122180011/

Tucson: third stop on the southern sabbatical circuit

DSC00511
Originally uploaded by J Semenza

I left Phoenix at an impossibly early hour in desperate need of an ATM and gas. I found both at a corner quick stop. The desert between Phoenix and Tucson is very different than the one between Las Vegas and Phoenix. On the way to Tucson the cacti get bigger, the ground gets barer, fewer shrubs and bushes, and more cacti varieties.

My first stop was the Saguaro National Monument. It was AMAZING. The short path I walked included signs with the names of the cacti. It was very hot, even though it was only Match 11th. The pictures on flickr just don't do this desert justice.

I then drove on into Tucson. Funny thing about maps, they just don't stay current with road building. I had to do some zen driving to find my way to town, cause I was literally not on the map and it wouldn't be the for the last time.

I had extra time, so I went to the public library and looked around and took a few pictures. I had a good meeting at University of Arizona, and really liked lunch at their outdoor Bookend Cafe.

Dinner came from Safeway and then I headed to my hotel, and drove, and drove, and drove, and drove.

The website said the hotel was in Tucson. It lied. The hotel was about 45 minutes outside of Tucson. Still, it was a great hotel the first of many best westerns to come. I was still nervous about traveling alone, so I wasn't unhappy that the hotel was so far outside of the main city and set in a beautiful, rural, area.

Saguaro National Monument photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604111511622/
Tucson Public Library photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604113314788/
University of Arizona photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsemenza/sets/72157604113438130/