Icewind's Ramblings

West Texas Highway      July 15, 2016        I arrived to the rest area just east of El Paso on Interstate 10 at 1:20 am.  Got out and walked a bit to stretch before getting a few hours’ sleep.  It was still very hot at 102° I parked among fifteen to twenty vehicles and tractor trailer trucks rolled the windows part way down to allow any breeze to flow through the vehicle but to be honest there wasn’t any for most of the night. I awoke about four in the morning took a quick walk and bathroom break and hit the road once again. It was nice in that with no working air conditioner the windows down provided much needed cooler air to cool me off and be somewhat comfortable.  The highway was mainly deserted this time of the early morning and I could see the first inklings of first light the eastern horizon.  Slowly the light changed hues from the blackness of nighttime to a dull grey then as the sun was cl...

Day 5     July 14, 2016       Standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona I’ve made a concerted effort to experience as many of our National Parks as possible along the way. During my travels I have grown eternally grateful for the thoughtfulness of our forefathers in setting these precious lands aside for future generations to enjoy in their most natural state. Can you imagine casinos along the rim of the Grand Canyon, a shopping mall at the base of Half Dome in Yosemite, or subdivisions working their way up the Teton Mountains?  I can, which makes me all the more grateful.  It’s not hard to tell how this park got its name! The landscape was littered with jutting boulders, scrubs and lots of Joshua Trees! The park is actually divided into two habitats; the western half is Mojave Desert with elevations above 3,000 feet and the eastern half is Colorado Desert with elevations below 3,000 feet. I would discover the fol...