Stella Is Ready, Willing and Able

Stella packed up and ready to leave on rainy December 02, 21014.
She trudged over Echo Summit and onto 395 where there was blowing snow. 
Slowly but surely we all arrived in Bridgeport. Snow! Ice! but safe!

Big Meadow Lodge, Bridgeport, CA
Notice all the snow has melted providing "smooth sailing" across Nevada.

Late afternoon clouds in Eastern Nevada

Rachel, Nevada on 375, known as the Extraterrestial Highway

Desert sunset

During the first three years of my life I spent much time with my paternal grandparents 

who then lived in Caliente, Nevada. Gramp was the pharmacist in this railroad town.

 During our stay many long (often with 4 engines) freight trains traveled through the 

town every day, usually beginning around 4 a.m.

Shasta and I had a walk about the town at least twice a day (sometimes Dwight joined us, other times not) while we were in Caliente. A few years ago a 2.3 mile walk about was completed through a $11.7 millon grant from the Department of Interior for trail, creek restoration. In the 90's the town experienced a terrible flood and the creek overflowed its bounds so federal assistance to confine the creek was sought and a park like atmosphere was created. Most of the plantings look to be native but it was hard to discern it being Winter and all. The walk is quite lovely and Shasta approved of the smells along the way and of the local barking dogs confined in their backyards we passed.

Gramp took me to the railroad station when I wanted to see
"glitter gultch"and the trains, of course, or so the story goes.
 Even in disrepair this remains an architectual masterpiece of the 1930's mission style.

Kolob Canyons, added to Zion National Park in 1956, essentially doubled its size.
Even though the entrance is just off I-15 it yet remains  "a great hidden treasure of Zion."

View from our patio at the Driftwood Lodge, Springdale, UT

Trail in the Springdale River Park, dog friendly and stunning.

Early morning on the Riverside Walk, Zion National Park

Late morning: Zion National Park in all her splendor

So much beauty one can only laugh