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Archive for the ‘Favorite Places’ Category

Weekly Photo Challenge: Forward

Posted in African Safari, Favorite Places, Journeys, Weekly Photo Challenge, tagged , , , , on February 23, 2013| 3 Comments »

            “If I know a song of Africa, of the giraffe and the African new moon lying on her back, of the plows in the fields and the sweaty faces of the coffee pickers, does Africa know a song of me? Will the air over the plain quiver with a color that I have had on, or the children invent a game in which my name is, or the full moon throw a shadow over the gravel of the drive that was like me, or will the eagles of the Ngong Hills look out for me?” – Isak Dinesen, “Out of Africa”

Following the leader forward. -- Photo by Pat Bean

Following the leader forward. — Photo by Pat Bean

Africa

Balloon ride over the Serengeti: OK, which way is forward? -- Photo by Pat Bean

Balloon ride over the Serengeti: OK, which way is forward? — Photo by Pat Bean

            The first image that popped into my mind when I saw that “forward”  was the photo challenge topic this week were the long line of elephants that I watched trudge forward  in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park. What an amazing sight..

            Then I thought about how the native guides were always going forward in search of Africa’s exotic wildlife to give me and my friend, Kim, the best possible safari experiences they could. They did well.

Holding my breath until this baby moves forward and rejoins his mom and brother -- Photo by Pat Bean

Holding my breath until this baby moves forward and rejoins his mom and brother — Photo by Pat Bean

         On the very last morning in the Serengeti, we watched a mama lion and two nearly grown offspring come forward toward us. The guide had seen them and had parked the Land Rover in an ideal situation so that would pass not too far from us.

            One of the young lions, however, took a detour and came over and scratched his back on one of our tires – the one I was standing above. It was both thrilling and frightening and I was glad when he went back to going forward toward his mom.

            Interesting how two weeks of some of the best travel days of my life became fresh again in my mind after hearing one single word.  

        

The Wondering Wanderer's blog pick of the day.

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

  Bean’s Pat: Winter’s Majesty http://tinyurl.com/b7d8zek A leaf and a simple poem that captures the best and worst of Chicago in the winter.

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Around the World

Posted in Favorite Places, Journeys, Travel, Uncategorized, tagged , , , on February 1, 2013| 12 Comments »

            “Oh the places you’ll go (and the things you will see) … You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose…. Your mountain is waiting, So… get on your way” – Dr. Seuss

Planning the Dream

When I set out in Gypsy Lee to see as much of this awesome country as I could, it was at the end of years of dreaming and many months of planning.

"Oh the places you'll go ..." frequently hummed in my head while I was traveling this country in Gypsy Lee. -- Dr. Seuss illustration

“Oh the places you’ll go …” frequently hummed in my head while I was traveling this country in Gypsy Lee. — Dr. Seuss illustration

Now, after almost nine years of on the road living and traveling, I’m beginning to dream once again. This time it’s of a round-the-world trip.My must-stops for such an adventure are: Australia, so I can visit Alice Springs, Uluru and travel across the continent on a train; China, so I can stand on the Great Wall; Portugal, because my great-great-great grandfather was a Portuguese sailor who jumped ship in America; Paris, so I can visit The Louvre; England, so I can see in person some of the settings of the British mysteries that I love to read; Ushuaia; because, well just because; and Zimbabwe, so I can see Victoria Falls.

Several airlines and travel trek companies are willing to help me plan just such a trip, I discovered this morning when I started an Internet search. I even started filling out a travel planner with one of them.

I’m truly hoping life, physically and financially, will allow me my dream. But if not, I’m sure having fun with the planning. It’s another kind of arm-chair travel that I find so fascinating.

If you could take such a trip, where would you go?

The Wondering Wanderer's blog pick of the day.

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

Bean’s Pat: Great Gray Owl http://tinyurl.com/b7o29ac Fantastic photos of a bird that is still on my dream list as I’ve never yet seen one in the wild.

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Posted in Adventures With Pepper, Art, Birds, Favorite Places, Journeys, Nature, Travel, tagged , , , , on January 28, 2013| 14 Comments »

A Change in my Blogging Voice

One of the few pieces of art that I did while living in Gypsy Lee. I painted it during a 10-day stay at Zion National Park, which is one of my favorite places to visit.

One of the few pieces of art that I did while living in Gypsy Lee. I painted it during a 10-day stay at Zion National Park, which is one of my favorite places to visit.

      “…The whole part of a journal is to catch events on the wing.” May Sarton

From the Road to at least Temporary Roots

            My dookie beginning to 2013, thanks to the flu-crud and a broken foot, has slowed this wondering-wandering old broad down.

But I was slowing down even before that. Today marks the first day of the second month in which I traded life on the road in a 22-foot RV called Gypsy Lee for a 600-square foot apartment in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains.

A canyon wren that I saw, and painted, in Zion National Park.

A canyon wren that I saw, and painted, in Zion National Park.

I spent almost nine years in Gypsy Lee, which I realized is more time than I lived in any one home with roots in my life. These past years were the culmination of a lifetime of dreams, and I’m proud of myself that I made them come true. They were the ones in which I truly felt I was living the life I was supposed to lead.            I hope travel will continue to be a part of my life, well as soon as my foot heals and lets me once again handle the three flights of stairs up to my apartment. But for now I am enjoying my choice of a temporary home base.

And I can’t help but think that perhaps being slowed down for a while isn’t even going to turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Yes, I’m still a Pollyanna kind of girl who will never give up looking for that rainbow after the storm.

Zion, River Walk 2

My inspiration for my tree and canyon wall painting — Photo by Pat Bean

One of the silver linings to have magically appeared has been Betty Ann, a neighbor who now gives my energetic canine companion, Pepper, her daily four walks. She’s turned out to be a kindred soul, who shares my love of books, writing and animals. If not for her I would either have had to move in with my gracious, Tucson daughter, who is currently doing my laundry and shopping, or sent Pepper home with her until my foot healed. I wasn’t fond of either of those choices.

The second bit of silver is that my forced inside time has me once again dragging out my art supplies. I carried them around with me in Gypsy Lee, but except for a rare occasion they stayed packed away. Now I have room to keep them handy and hope to return to being artsy fartsy, as I call my amateur endeavors. I’m even going to be brave enough to start sharing them with you.

Meanwhile, I’m feeling my way as to what this blog will be all about in the coming year. The best I can tell you is it’s going to be eclectic and “my life on the wing.” Hopefully it will once again be daily as well. I think I have my blogging mojo back. But don’t hold your breath.

The Wondering Wanderer's blog pick of the day.

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

Bean’s Pat: Relax – Go with the flow http://tinyurl.com/abhdxpv Since I’m been doing this since breaking my foot, I liked this post for making me feel better about myself.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Delicate

Posted in Favorite Places, Nature, Travel, Weekly Photo Challenge, tagged , , , , on December 16, 2012| 2 Comments »

It’s a Matter of Balance

“A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and woried to death by a fown on the right man’s brow.” — Ovid

IMG_2351

Balancing Rock in Utah’ Arches National Park. You can see it in the opening scene of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. — Photo by Pat Bean

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Opryland: Where Outside is Inside

Posted in Adventures With Pepper, Birds, Favorite Places, Nature, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , , on December 4, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Looking up at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel rooms from one of the complex's atriums. -- Photo by Pat Bean

Looking up at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel rooms from one of the complex’s atriums. — Photo by Pat Bean

 “Do not disturb signs should be written in the language of the hotel maids.” –Tim Bedore           

Adventures with Pepper: Day 52 continued   

One of numerous waterfalls that help create the illusion of bringing the outdoors inside. -- Photo by Pat Bean

One of numerous waterfalls that help create the illusion of bringing the outdoors inside. — Photo by Pat Bean

          What started out in 1877 as the 600-room Opryland Hotel   is today the largest non-casino hotel in this country. Numerous expansions and the big renovation after the hotel was flooded in May of 2010, along with the next door Grand Ole Opry, have inspired the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center ad men  to use the words, “You won’t believe what’s under our roof,” in their promotional copy.

A tour of the hotel was the second part of this Gray Line tour, which earlier had me standing on the “Unbroken Circle” of the Grand Ole Opry stage.

Wow, I think was my surprised response as I wandered through the complex and then took the quarter-mile boat ride around the glass-roofed, landscaped-to-perfection complex.

 

I wondered what Opryland charges these colorful wood ducks for their space in one of the complex's atriums. I shot this photo of the ducks during the boat ride.

I wondered what Opryland charges these colorful wood ducks for their space in one of the complex’s atriums. I shot this photo of the ducks during the boat ride.

Normal room rates to stay at the hotel range from $169 to $244 per night. I was curious and checked it out to see how it compared with the $34 per night cost of my stay at the Nashville Country RV Park.                        While it would have been fun to stay in the hotel during my Nashville stay, it wasn’t within my travel budget, nor, I suspected, would my canine traveling companion, Pepper, have been allowed to stay with me.

Book Report: Still dinking along while some of my writing colleagues are making amazing amounts of progress on their projects. But I got most of my Christmas shopping done yesterday.

The Wondering Wanderer's blog pick of the day.

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

Bean’s Pat: What I See is What I Shoot http://tinyurl.com/c9kgaqx Far away in the Wonderland. A quirky blog that usually fascinates me. Today you can learn how to say bicycle in Russian

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The Grand Ole Opry

Posted in Adventures With Pepper, Favorite Places, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , on November 30, 2012| 3 Comments »

me

Me doing the tourist thing and getting my photo taken at the Grand Old Opry. This gave my kids a big laugh because I’m tone deaf and couldn’t sing on key if my life depended on it.

“Show business is made up of disappointments, and it’s through life’s disappointments that you grow.” – Minnie Pearl

Adventures with Pepper: Day 52

This was the day I did what every visitor to Nashville should do: Visit the Grand Ole Opry. And indeed it was GRAND in capital letters.

The Ryman Auditorium seats 2,362 people. -- Photo by Pat Bean

The Ryman Auditorium seats 2,362 people. — Photo by Pat Bean

I was glad, however, that yesterday’s tour included a brief one of the less impressive Ryman Auditorium, which was home to the Opry for many years and which is still its winter home.

When I had entered the Ryman, the building immediately had me thinking of its similarity to the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, where a pin dropped can be heard by everyone. Our guide followed my thoughts by noting that its acoustics were second only to the Mormon Tabernacle.

Both buildings have about them an air of history that makes one wonder what their walls would say if walls could talk.

The new home for the Grand Ole Opry seats 4,400. Photo by Pat Bean

The new home for the Grand Ole Opry seats 4,400. Photo by Pat Bean

The much larger, grander home of the Opry these days spoke to me of how this country and the Opry have changed over the years. It was like going from a log cabin to a mansion.

I couldn’t help but appreciate the conveniences, however. Change is not all bad.

And I was pleased to note – and stand on – the  Opry’s “unbroken circle,” a  six-foot oak circle cut from the Ryman’s stage.

“That circle is the most magical thing when you’re a performer,” said Brad Paisley, “to stand there and get to sing on those same boards that probably still contain dust from Hank Williams’ boots.”

Paisley, via the magic of video, joined us for the tour.

Book Report: I’m happy to say that while I didn’t get as much editing done of Travels with Maggie as I wanted – of course I never do – I got back to the task after a week of family festivities.

The Wondering Wanderer's blog pick of the day.

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

Bean’s Pat: Colline’s Blog http://tinyurl.com/c2mceal This is exactly how I recharge. Mother Nature always kisses my wounds and makes everything better. How do you recharge?

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Nashville: Country Music Hall of Fame

Posted in Adventures With Pepper, Favorite Places, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 28, 2012| 3 Comments »

The day I visited the Country Western Music Hall of Fame was the anniversary of Minnie Pearl’s 100th birthday. What a treasure she was, but it was all an act. She was a sophisticated lady with a huge Nashville mansion. — Photo by Pat Bean

            “You are the music while the music lasts.” – T.S. Eliot

Adventures with Pepper: Day 51 Continued

Can you picture Buck Owens wearing this … — Photo by Pat Bean

            When I listen to music — which is not too often because it demands all of my focus — it’s usually country western, to the bemoaned ears of some of my more musically elite friends.

And when I have a choice, I’ll always choose to listen to Willie Nelson.

So it was that when this day’s Gray Line tour ended the day at the Country Western Music Hall of Fame, I was particularly interested in seeing if I could find evidence of his life here. I did, high on the wall of the Hall of Fame inductees.

The first country western singer who had grabbed my attention, along with a childhood crush, was Roy Rogers, and so I looked and found him up there on the wall, too.

… and Buck standing next to Taylor Swift. Can you picture it. — Photo by Pat Bean

What a contrast their gray-toned plaques made with the huge colorful display of Taylor Swift that was currently on exhibit at the Western Music Hall of Fame. Since male country western singer inductees outnumber women by almost ten to one, it was interesting to see the new face of country music.

Our tour guide let us have about an hour to wander through the country western museum. Among the highlights that attracted my attention were the flashy clothing worn by country western singers.

The stage costumes made me wonder what a picture Buck Owens and Taylor Swift would have made sharing the stage.

Book Report:I hang my head in shame. But I’ve cleared the decks today for some serious work on Travels with Maggie.

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

Bean’s Pat: The Literary Man http://tinyurl.com/cxeqtvd Still painting. An inspiration for all of us young-at-heart oldsters.

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Posted in Adventures With Pepper, Favorite Places, Journeys, Nature, Travel, tagged , , on November 22, 2012| 8 Comments »

100 Things for which I’m Thankful – In No Particular Order

Every sunrise brings with it zest for a new day, for which I’m extremely thankful. — Photo by Pat Bean

  1. Belly laughs
  2. The sound  of rain pinging on my RV roof
  3. My large family.
  4. Pepper, my happy, friendly new canine traveling companion.
  5. Rich African  coffee heavily laced with cream
  6. The Blue Ridge Parkway
  7. Cool nights that let me snuggle beneath a soft quilt
  8. That this old broad is still reasonably healthy and still able to travel
  9. Hearty  hugs from people who mean it
  10. A good massage from a woman with magic fingers
  11. That I’m finally a great-grandmother
  12. My association with the women of Story Circle Network
  13. A good haircut
  14. Scenic  hiking trails
  15. Achievements  of my kids, grandkids and friends
  16. My zest  for life
  17. Walking  barefoot on a sandy beach
  18. Learning something new
  19. The flash  of sun illuminating the tail feathers of an overhead red-tailed hawk
  20. Waterfalls
  21. That after 134,000 miles, my RV, Gypsy Lee, still has go in her.
  22. Ibuprofen to relieve aches and pains
  23. Discovering a new author I like
  24. Taking a grandchild on their first roller coaster ride
  25. Watching fall redress the trees
  26. Van Gogh paintings
  27. Butterflies
  28. My  computer and the Internet
  29. My newly  gained voice as a writer
  30. Rainbows
  31. Living in  America where a woman can safely travel alone
  32. Sunrises  and sunsets
  33. Funky,  dangling earrings that belie my age
  34. Bra-less  days
  35. Summers  not spent in Texas
  36. Good memories of my mother
  37. Old  friends and new friends
  38. A field of wildflowers
  39. Reese”s  peanut butter cups
  40. The wind  blowing through my hair
  41. My daily walks with Pepper
  42. Hot soup  on a cold day
  43. A  wee-morning hours chatter with a long-time girlfriend over Jack Daniels  and Coke.
  44. A  daughter-in-law guardian angel who keeps track of my travels, forwards my      mail and supplies me with my favorite coffee
  45. The honking of geese as they fly overhead
  46. Lake reflections
  47. Family meals eaten around a table
  48. My curiosity
  49. Comfortable  shoes
  50. America,  the beautiful
  51. Clean  showers in RV parks
  52. Electricity
  53. My bicycle
  54. People who care deeply about something
  55. The wolf’s  return to Yellowstone
  56. The  journey between destinations
  57. A comfortable bed and a perfect pillow
  58. WordPress for hosting this blog
  59. New white  sox
  60. Water in  all its forms
  61. Scented candles
  62. A sky full of stars
  63. Glasses that allow me to read
  64. Pleasant  surprises
  65. An honest  politician
  66. Bird watching with my bird-watching son
  67. Evenings spent around a campfire
  68. Good Sam emergency services
  69. Good, real ice cream, chocolate milk shakes
  70. Nice and Easy, No. 99 – so I can forever be a blonde
  71. Coyote  howls
  72. Wrinkle-free clothing
  73. Gentle dentists
  74. My  independence
  75. The  fragrant scent of a blooming gardenia bush, which always reminds me of my      grandmother
  76. The diversity I find in people watching
  77. Large,  gnarly live oak trees
  78. Audible  books
  79. Maps
  80. A good editor
  81. Books with satisfying endings
  82. The strong women of the past who fought so I could vote
  83. A cup of  Earl Grey tea
  84. The color  turquoise
  85. Boat rides
  86. Antibiotics and vaccinations
  87. Smiles
  88. A frisky squirrel in a tree outside my RV
  89. Guided  trolley tours
  90. My new Canon pocket, zoom camera
  91. Washers and dryers
  92. Blank  journals to fill
  93. A shady RV  camp site beside a small lake
  94. A hearty  11 a.m. breakfast for lunch
  95. The music  of a humpback whale
  96. Stained  glass windows
  97. Birds
  98. National  parks
  99. The family  computer nerds who get the bugs out of my laptop
  100. Readers of my blog

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In Bed with McGee and a Musical Night

Posted in Adventures With Pepper, Favorite Places, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , , , on November 20, 2012| Leave a Comment »

“Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons. You will find it is to the soul what a water bath is to the body.” Oliver Wendell Holmes

Adventures with Pepper: Day 49-50

I finally maneuvered through Nashville’s big-city traffic, which I hit at rush hour, and made my way to the Nashville Country RV Park in the outskirt city of Millersville.

Reminders that Nashville was a musical city abounded. — Photo by Pat Bean

I had just enough energy to hook up and take Pepper for a walk around the dog-friendly park before fixing myself some comfort food — a can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup, a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes and diced green chilies and a generous portion of sour cream – before collapsing with an audible Travis McGee book, “Nightmare in Pink.”

I had decided to reread these John D. MacDonald books that began in 1964 with “The Deep Blue Goodbye,” but this time listening to them in the audible.com unabridged versions that had only recently been released.

I was enjoying them as much this second-time around, and despite how tired I had been, I stayed awake until 2 a.m. and the end of the book. Pepper, as usual, woke me at 6 a.m. with chin kisses begging for her morning walk.

Afterwards, I gave her a pork-twist bone and crawled back in bed until eight o’clock. A little later, I strolled down to the office to see if there were any tours of Nashville that I could take.

While pumpkin and mum displays reminded everyone that it was fall. — Photo by Pat Bean

There were, and even better was the fact that a Gray Line’s shuttle would pick me up at the park for them. I signed up for a half-day tour the next day, and another half-day tour the day after.

There were full-day options, but I hadn’t wanted to leave Pepper alone that long.

I spent the rest of the day relaxing and taking frequent short walks with Pepper, who found several canine companions along the way who would play with her. As I said, it was a dog friendly park.

That night, I attended the park’s dinner and music outdoor program. It was Nashville after all.

Book Report: On the road today so as to have Thanksgiving with my son, D.C. Hopefully I’ll get in my hour of writing later this afternoon. I had to do my blog for American Profile Magazine earlier this morning. It’s on Wall Drug. You can check it out at: http://blogs.americanprofile.com/

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

Bean’s Pat: Retiree Diary http://tinyurl.com/boy3dru Take an armchair tour of China’s mystical mountains. I loved these photos.

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Gypsy Lee Stretches her Wheels

Posted in Adventures With Pepper, Favorite Places, Journeys, Nature, Travel, Writing, tagged , , , , , , on November 19, 2012| Leave a Comment »

“People who make no mistakes lack boldness and the spirit of adventure. They are the brakes on the wheels of progress.” – Dale Turner   

Just how many pictures of colorful leaves are you going to take, I finally started asking myself. — Photo by Pat Bean

 Adventures with Pepper: Day 49

After the Appalachian foothills of West Virginia, Skyline Trail in Shenandoah National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina and Smoky Mountain National Park into Tennessee, where my RV was lucky to be able to get up to the 35 mph travel limit, Gypsy Lee needed to stretch her wheels.

The Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson in Nashville. — Wikipedia photo

So, because I planned a journey of about 210 miles this day, I reluctantly took to Interstate 40.  to Nashville.            The roadsides were autumn colorful, and the drive not too stressful, until the last fourth of the journey when I hit Nashville Traffic. All lackadaisical sight-seeing and journal notes went out the window at this point.

It got even worse when I got onto Highway 45, also known as Old Hickory Boulevard and which passed by the Hermitage, President Andrew Jackson’s former plantation. This home became a public museum honoring both Jackson and the antebellum South way back in 1869. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1860 and is the fourth most visited presidential home in the country today.

The structure escaped a near-disaster during a 1998 Nashville tornado outbreak. While the house escaped, many old trees, some of which might have been planted by Jackson himself, were blown down. Wood from these fallen trees was used by the Gibson guitar company to make 200 limited edition “Old Hickory” guitars.

A fitting use in a city that’s known for music, I thought.

Book Report: Spent an hour working on Travels with Maggie this morning. No word-count report because I’m doing what I probably shouldn’t be doing. The book is about 85 percent complete but I was suffering from a need to go back and reread everything up to this point. I felt I needed a refresher read before I tie everything up. I also wanted to make a few changes that I decided on a couple of week’s ago in the book’s structure.

Bean’s Pat: Palestine Rose http://tinyurl.com/bmptucc I avidly believe this is oh so true. How about you?

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