Highest Lowest Hottest Brightest

Death Valley to Las Vegas. What a trip! I requested my people get up and leave the hotel at 5:30am. They grumbled until about noonish when they realized why we'd gotten an early start. We left Lone Pine and headed into Death Valley almost straight away, it wasn't that far to the sign in the middle of the road.
Then its an uphill and downhill climb to the first oasis where we stopped and picniced for breakfast, that was really nice (5 bucks to use the picnic tables and toilets at Panamint Springs~sheesh) and then uphill and downhill again to the second (Stovepipe Wells~ big convenient store but nothing much else).

Funny looking aren't they?

We stopped at some sand dunes and had a picture stop then we headed on down the road to Salt Creek to have a minor hike~ no water in the creek :(. Wow, hot. It was only 90 by then, that was 9am. Then we headed on down to Furnace Creek to have a look around and a stop at the market for some cold drinks. I got the groups helicopter rides all sorted out  today for Grand Canyon. They are all going on a flight. Its going to be great for them! I can't wait to hear all about it. They do that in a weeks time though so back to today.
The temperature was climbing so fast! By the time we reached Furnace Creek (talk about oasis!) it was 110 degrees. That store has lots of good stuff and the rangers are there too.
I decided to change the day up and drive them as far as Badwater and then turn around and go through Pahrump to Las Vegas. We stopped at the Devils Golf Course (rough gravel road) and then also at Badwater Basin (great walk out to the salt flats~really bright!) Its was too hot for Clint Eastwood to handle so near 120 degrees out. Jean bought a thermometer with Clint Eastwood on it in Walker and we've been carrying it around to see the temp outside. He was off the charts today. They put a sign up on the canyon wall that marks the actual sea level. So its pretty neat there. You have the highest peak in the park at 11,000 ft and then the lowest point in the US at -282ft and a sign to mark it for you. It gives you good perspective.

I really liked Death Valley alot. What an amazing place and so beautiful for a desert. I really enjoyed myself alot there.
So it was a good day and I am glad we didn't skip those things but they were so anxious to get to Vegas that I could have skipped the first 2 stops and they would have been fine with it.
Now that we are in Vegas on a Saturday night they are all out looking for fun. They were so excited they practically ran with their luggage to get ready and go out. They are funny.
Tomorrow we go to Zion and that will be nice. I'll have a full day off there and I'm so glad. They ride the shuttle everywhere and I can do laundry and a hike and a nap and a swim and it will be soo nice!
I also have to clean out the van because we've managed to track in major salt from the flats. Ha.

Now to wander the strip and see what's changed.

Whistle Stop Tour of the Eastern Sierra's

When are these days going to ever slow down. Its go go go all day. Its really too bad because you could spend a long time in some of these places!
We got up this morning and had breakfast at this cafe by the hotel. The group loved it, they thought they'd stepped into a movie. It was great fun! The waitress told them their accents were "pretty" ha, they thought that was hilarious. Then I told them they were considered pretty exotic for those parts and they thought that was even funnier.

We headed to Bodie in the morning. An hour away and down a road into the open places and then there is this HUGE town. Its so amazing. What a cool place. I loved every minute of it. They just left the whole thing as it was. The store still was stocked (you can't go in but you can see it) the school books were gathering dust on the desks. It was fantastic! We got there just in time for a historian to tell us some stories and then we walked around.

We headed to Lee Vining next for some lunch. My goodness, there are some good places there! I bought some provisions at the market and then met my group in time to shoot off for the South Tufa grove outside Lee Vining. that place is really cool as well. I'll put a picture on tomorrow. Its getting late and I have a 4:30am wake up call tomorrow. We leave for Death Valley at 5:30am. Ouch!
When we pulled into Lone Pine we had a nice quick check in at our hotel and then I sent them to get food and find some dinner as they "roll up the sidewalks" at 8pm here and so off they went. Right on the corner by our hotel was a produce stand of fresh local stuff and also a taco truck so guess where I ate tonight? $2 tacos! So good. I ate at a table set up next to the fruit tables and had a great time. I walked around Lone Pine for a bit and then headed back to the hotel so I could look up some stuff for Las Vegas tomorrow afternoon evening.

The group is really nervous to go into Death Valley and really really excited to get to Las Vegas so you can see the natural progression there. We'll speed through the park and then lunch in Baker and then onto Vegas to get checked in and changed and out the door again! Oh boy! I'll be ready for a nap by then.
Today was a better day than yesterday. I stopped and read signs more and talked to locals when I had a chance and then I could share some stuff with the group. It was better today. I've got one problem child and he isn't even the child of the group but beyond that they are fantastic. My problem person kept asking me a ton of questions as I was trying to keep us alive in a gale force wind on the highway. I kept saying "I'm concentrating on the road, give me one minute" as I was swerving to keep us on course. Sheesh. Finally someone in the group told him to leave me alone.
Our hotel was a little scary looking but clean and the owners are nice. I got the master suite room with a king sized bed and jacuzzi tub! Its really nice! I even got a table and chairs to do my work on!
The hotel (and town) sit just below the mountains. Mt Whitney is just behind us. The sun was setting behind them tonight and it was casting beams of light up over the peaks. It was really beautiful. What a great place. It is really hot here. Like 90 degrees and that was at 8pm. Its supposed to be 115 in Death Valley. We'll see how they do. I told them we wouldn't have Air Conditioning so they are really panicked. I'll turn it on for them though so it will be okay.
This is really hard work. I haven't found a good system for my stuff and keeping it all together and giving myself time to take a break. Not sure how to fit that in actually. Today I stopped in Bishop at the Starbucks so I could buy some much needed items for the van and also find out everything about Lone Pine before I got there. So I felt pretty savvy about having pulled that off. They just thought they were getting a cold coffee stop.
Off to bed. Its late now and I have a huge day tomorrow. Tons of driving and really hot temps too.
By the way Walker CA is a great little place. Everyone is friendly and the food is great and our hotel is run by the nicest people Sam and Linda (Toiyabe Hotel) I really enjoyed myself there. The walls were a little thin though I realized this morning when I sneezed in the bathroom and one of my group members said bless you. Ha!

Where's Walker

My goodness I had a day today. What a busy thing it is to be a tour director. There is really no way to be prepared for it. Or maybe there is and I'm just not. (I think that's it) My cell phone doesn't work in Walker either, luckily of the few things this place has its free wifi so I'm using Skype to get through to people. Annoying really, there is so much work to be done on the phone and I can't do it.

Found Walker, this was our place, so cute!

Anyways about my day today. We slept in a bit today which ended up being pointless as they were all milling around in the morning waiting to get going (as was I) so we loaded the trailer and dropped our keys off and headed into yosemite Valley for a little walking. I took them to the Lower Yose Falls and then to the village where they happened to be unveiling the new Yosemite National Park Quarter. Tons of people were there and they had cake for everyone. Wow.



We ate some lunch and then headed by shuttle to the van and went to the Upper Yosemite area. That place is amazing! So much hiking and the scenery is absolutely amazing there. People never talk about it, but its really beautiful.

Parsons Lodge Tuolomne Meadows

The parking areas were all packed so someone knows about it anyways. I had no clue what to say, where we were, what the peaks were. It was bad. Lots of quiet. And the advice that it was an hour away was a bit off. more like hour and half but then we got out and walked through the Tuolomne Meadow and to the Parsons Lodge where the Sierra Club was first gathering. It was great. I really enjoyed it and it was a nice easy walk for everyone.
We drove down to Lee Vining and you could see Mono Lake and I could remember 2 out of the 10 things I know about those places. It was really annoying. I have the notes and no time to check them. These people are really starting to wonder if I know what I"m doing and I hate to fake them out because discovering it for the first time would be fun I think. Some of it anyways. Tonight I told them I'd not been to Walker before and that I had heard good things about the Mountain View BBQ place and so it was a bit dodgy until the food came and it was really good and affordable too. So its all worked out. Its just hard to not know what to tell them about any of the stuff they are seeing. How they'd expect me to know it all anyways is pretty amazing. And I won't have much chance to study for the next trip either so oh well I guess. I don't like that part of this at all. And why can't I remember a darn thing? Its in there I just can't recall it. And then if I can recall it I get nervous about saying it because they'll ask more questions beyond my studying and then my cover is blown. It sucks.
The man at the BBQ place had Bodie maps so I was able to hand out some brochures so they can read for themselves about the place we see tomorrow. Sheesh.
I really want to get to Utah where at least I'll know some places etc. still no rock information but I'll try to study. there just isn't time. I bet these people are bored to death. I can't think of a single thing to say or do for an hour?? Snoozer!
Despite all this, its like Brian said the other day its my first tour and all of it will be new the first time and then it will be better. At least I know what to expect now.

This is Upper Yosemite, still amazing

I'm also getting really tired. Hiking with them is hard work. I think I'll give that up for a bit. They seem okay with the idea that I won't be hiking with them all the time. I was asleep at the wheel this afternoon. I should really be able to hike a little and still drive. The distances are short enough but its just tiring for some reason. I think it must be trying to wrangle the group.
I am also not running a very tight ship. They are late and we wait and then wander off and I don't know how to undo that habit. It might be too late now. I think the day we go through Death Valley they'll be on time because they are excited to see Las Vegas. Who isn't!
Now I check on some Vegas things and then shower in my cute green bathroom and then to bed. I'm sleepy. I keep waking up early with a nervous stomach. That better go away, I like my sleep!

Surviving Bananas Bathrooms and Buses

Wow. Wow. Know your figures. Miles of hikes, hours it takes. Find it out, there is no other way. Today (July 28th) I had the most hilarious and incredible hike with part of my group. The other part I sent up a "three hours up and one hour down" hike and six hours later they show up. They loved the view etc but they were not mentally prepared for that much walking.
I took teh wrong trail to begin with this morning. I must have literally either walked by the GIANT sign pointing the right direction or turned around to be sure I'd gathered everyone and missed it. Not one of my 10 people mentioned they saw the sign. They just trusted I knew where I was going. The only thing that really made it okay was 1) I played it off with a smile 2) we saw a bear on the trail!! it was fantastic! So the hike we did, I thought was moderate was really a strenuous hike and it was half way up Half Dome (by that I mean we hiked up 3.5 miles and the top of Half Dome is 3.5 miles more. It was steep! And then to finish off the last half mile of each falls (we hiked to Vernal Falls and then on to Nevada Falls (the tops) its all stairs. Stairs made of rocks. Oh my gosh! It was brutal. No one was really prepared and they were so tired when we were done. No one had the energy to enjoy the valley when we got down and they just sat and relaxed for 2 hours before we left. My gosh! I felt so bad. They think I have a bad sense of direction. Its pretty funny, considering I'm guessing where I'm going all the time. I don't like that feeling at all.
ITMI didn't stress it enough, its really hard to go somewhere you've never been. You really do need to ask people who've been there. No joke.

That was the 28th, this following is the 26th and 27th

Well I better start writing this all down as I’m going to forget it and I didn’t have time to write it down at any time today.

Brian did all the driving which was nice. He really saved me here. I think its getting easier to see how getting into a routine will be nice and it is just one day at a time.

I’m missing some major things it seems like.

Knowing times between things how long hikes take, how long it takes to get food etc can make all the difference. I don’t know any of that and it’s the one thing they ask and it really does matter so you can map out your whole entire day! It really matters because you have to get to your hotel at a decent hour and that isn’t always easy.

We got to Yosemite via Hillmar cheese. I took us there for lunch and we had a mini tour of the place and she told them about cheese. They seemed okay with it. I told them I liked cheese and ice-cream and that was really why we were stopping but they had good food options so it was a good stop. Timed about right. We left San Francisco at 9am arrived Hillmar about 11:30 ish and then went on to the entrance of Yosemite at the mariposa grove. Brian had to drop us off and we took the shuttle up a ways and then went for a small hike about an hour ish (including shuttle time) to see some of the highlights. There is more to see. You could make this a 3 hour day easily and see more of the neat ones.

We came down and about 5:30 headed towards the Valley to have some dinner. We ate at the cafeteria and then headed to the hotel. Phew. What a day!

I got them all sorted out and the put my stuff in the room and off I went to find Brian at the bar. There was another tour guide, Tom there. He works for Inc Ad as well. He had tons of information about where I was going and I got his number so I can call him about recommendations. That was great help. So we 3 had a good time chatting about all sorts of travel and guide related things and also other hilarious stuff.

Tom was so funny, at one point we were talking about how old we all were and he says, he’s rented out his house; he’s dropped his cat off with his parents and something else, now I can’t remember. Sounded just like me! So I guessed his age was same as mine and he’s a year older. It was really funny to find someone with the same story. He has a ton more guide experience than I do though, but soon enough I’ll know what’s what.

This group is so fantastic though that it’s been really fun.

Today I got them up at 8 am and we headed into the park for lunch stuff and then up to Glacier Point to see the view. Three of the group went and did the Panorama Trail and linked to the Falls trails (8miles 4hours~5 realistically as it’s really scenic and all downhill) so they were gone a long time today hiking. The rest of us went with Brian and I and hiked the Taft Point trail 2 hours round trip with a great place to eat food etc if you wanted to. Could be a sunset hike as well. It is so surprisingly quiet and awesome view there too. You are eye to eye with El Capitan and that isn’t easy to do! It’s great. 

After that we drove to the valley and some went to the river and some went hiking up to Mirror Lake.

Tonight I surprised one of the couples with a champagne toast for their 25^th wedding anniversary. It was great fun. We met at this quiet part of the Curry Village (named after a couple named Curry, nothing to do with spice) and I sat them all down and then pulled out the cups and champagne. After that was all said and done we drove away and there was a black bear up an apple tree having a snack so they got to see a bear finally. Perfect!

I will say the champagne thing seemed pretty daunting but I found some for sale in the shop at the Ahwahnee hotel and the Food and Bev manager there helped me with cups and ice and then had this really strong handsome man walk the cooler out to the van for me. His name was Napoleon. Ha! He was great.

I hung out at the hotel and did some paperwork and took a break and then met the group for dinner etc.

Tomorrow we’ll get up and go early again and do the hike up to Vernal Falls and the Nevada Falls. Should be about 4 hours round trip, we’ll see how it goes, its going to take some work for sure. One of my group is proving to not be much of a hiker, he’ll go along but he is a slow mover so I’ll have to be sure to have plenty of options!

I was surprised to find they expected me to be guiding their hikes the entire time. They were surprised to hear me say I’d not be along on all of them and that it was independent

hiking etc. They really prefer to be told what to do and where to go and then go along with them. It’s very interesting how that works. I’m learning so much. These guys have been great subjects.

One of the ladies reminds me of Aunt Maureen. She is quiet and a great sport and then she’ll do something so funny and out of the blue it’s great. She is really willing to go for it!

Let’s see what else I have figured out today. Don’t let Brian hold the pizza while you walk away as he’s likely to eat it all! I also learned that Tom was right about a few things that English people do and that was really funny.

He said they wouldn’t like thick milkshakes and they didn’t so much. He said they’d likely order vanilla and strawberry ice-cream and they did. It was really funny. I can’t wait to tell him how spot on he was.

So I’ll try to keep good notes on times and distances. They really like to know that and it makes my day easier to know it’s an hour from the Valley to El Portal.

Also they like to know where everything is and it’s been challenging to get them to go find it for themselves. I’ll point them in the right direction and that’s not good enough. I’ll know those sorts of the things soon enough but right now I just want them to go and find out.

I’ll have my work cut out for me for the next portion as it’s all new to me but it should be fun. We’ll be seeing some cool stuff anyways.

So all for now. I’ll put notes in here for weds and then have internet hopefully at the next stop.

Brian leaves me tomorrow. I really don’t want him to go. Its been nice to have someone to hang out with and he is great company. I really like him. He’s got great advice and he knows a lot about this place. And he’s so mellow its unbelievable. What a great guide he’d be (has been, will be again I’m sure) also a great travel companion I’m thinking. His girlfriend is lucky.

So to finish up this day (back to the 28th again) I had to run down the last mile of the trail to get to where Brian was today. He ended up leaving early afternoon and we had things to cover still. I got really sad (its so pathetic) its been so nice to have someone to hang out with and vent to etc. 

Thank goodness my group is so cool. They've been great sports and they all get along well which makes it easy. They look out for each other and they bought me an ice cream today even though I walked them to death so all is well. 

This is a tough job and I lost heart today on the hike. Not the hike itself but having wobbly hikers and families that split up and tough terrain, it was stressful. 

From now on I will walk them to the Visitors Center at the park and turn them over to the Ranger. 

I'll be able to blog regularly again now that we are headed out of here so all will be well. I'm trying to think of what else...

My bear count is 3. I saw one and then another up a tree eating apples (we stopped for that one, the group was thrilled!) and then the one on the way to the wrong trail. Sheesh! 

 That photo is of the stair case. There are people standing at the railing at the top of that falls. Vernal Falls on the mist trail. 

Survived City Tour, Day One Tour One

Day One. My goodness what a day! I met the entire group finally! They are great. I've got a family of 6 and 2 couples and 2 singles. Fun fun! I found some breakfast and then went to the cafe here and found the family. I hadn't met them yet. They are fantastic. Very down to earth. Its great.
We had our meeting and I reviewed the trip and covered some of the important stuff with them. All of which I will review again each day. Its kind of like whats the point. They aren't taking it in just yet anyways.
I'm not sure they are convinced I know what I'm doing. Which is a little bit disheartening. I'm trying to be vague but honest as I can so they are at ease. They won't mind if some of this trip is new to me I'm pretty sure.

I walked them all over this city this morning! We saw the bums on Market St. The cable car on Powell, Union Square and then into Chinatown. Then we headed up Columbus into Little Italy before they spotted Lombard St and so we voted to walk up it. Thats the crookedest street in the city. 8 turns in one city block. Steep hill too! Oof. I got a good sense of the hikers for sure!
We walked down Hyde from there, catching the end of that Powell Hyde cable car line and then into Fishermans Wharf. I took them to Boudins for sourdough bread bowls and then gave them a bit of time to look around. (not enough!~ need more than one hour for eating and shopping and the line for the toilet)
Then we gathered again and met Brian who had the van and he took us on a city tour basically. He is really good at it, I'm glad he was there. I did a terrible job. Couldn't remember a thing! Brian was great and would "add" to what I said with the details. Thank goodness for him, he is very savvy. We got to cross the Golden Gate Bridge and the fog had lifted so they had a great view.

Then Brian took us to Lucasfilms studios in the Presidio so we got to see Yoda! It was great. The lobby is closed but you can see in the windows and there was Darth Vader! Yeah!

So we had a good drive and then a break at the hotel for an hour and a half then I walked them back to Chinatown for dinner at a place called House of Nanking (recommended by Brian) it was awesome! The line was huge and I had called ahead to let them know I was coming so we essentially got to skip the queue! What a show off-y thing that was! And then we sat down and the waitress comes up and says how hungry? We say very hungry and she just starts showing up with food. She ordered for us!. It was great fun. The place was packed and the food was really really good! They all enjoyed it alot, I'm so glad.
Part of the group wanted to ride the cable car after dinner so I sent them off to do that and then walked back with a few others. Phew, what a day!

I don't feel very prepared at all! They have alot of really good questions and I can't answer them. Eventually, like Tony said (my dear English sailor man) I'll know how to prepare for their questions soon enough.
Tomorrow I'm doing a new route to Yosemite so its going to appear that I'm lost. Boo! Brian is coming along for the few days we're in Yosemite and then possibly to Walker as well. I'm glad to have the support but its scarier with someone in the know. I'd rather wing it. But I certainly won't complain and we'll have fun anyways. He is a nice mellow guy and my group really like him.
Brian said I seemed to have a good standing with the group already so that was good to hear. I'm sure I'll want that.
My goodness what a day. Have I said that already? The one couple is having their 25th Wedding Anniversary in two days so I've got to think up something fun for them. Mr said the helicopter rides in Grand Canyon would be their celebration but we'll see if I can't get them some champagne at least.
Its tougher than I thought but they are really fun and once I get them to hiking and wear them out then we should be in a nice groove. I can't wait to see how they handle the heat. One man has already said he prefers it to be cooler than hotter. Oh boy!
So I'm off to pack and get to bed. I'll go early to the office to pick up the van and then get back here to pick them up.
Something I just thought to mention...walking tours of San Francisco don't exist but they really should. It is hard with a large group but 12 was doable. And you have to kind of gather them between the crowds to tell them what they are seeing but they don't seem to mind the wandering. Its like letting them discover places on their own, they know they are seeing things they wouldn't see in a bus or van. Its a thought! I might just come back and do that. For those who are up for a good walk! Of course I'd have to actually COMMIT TO MEMORY the details of this big ole city! My gosh.

First Airport Pick Up

Go early! I'm so glad I decided to get out to the airport and have a look around. I found the toilets, the shuttle we needed and the baggage claim area. I found the escalator they were coming down and there I sat. It also helps to know their names so you can call them out instead of the other way around.

Oh man this is going to be great fun. Too early to size up my five arrivals tonight. They were in good spirits but way tired and jet lagged so I kept it simple. We got to the hotel and right off the bat we had a request for milk for tea. They don't have a kitchen here at this hotel so I sent the group upstairs to find their rooms and I walked to the liquor store to get milk. By the way when every one in SF brags about the mom and pop places instead of chain groceries they are talking about liquor stores.
So I got milk to the right people and then I headed upstairs to go to bed. Its going to be a big day tomorrow. What fun! I'm so glad they are here!
My plan is to do a walking tour in the morning and then drive, I think I said that already.
I walked the route tonight before the airport and its going to be a little bit iffy. Not a great couple of streets to walk along. I walked Mission one way and Market the other and neither I liked. One is less "crazed" than the other though so we are taking that route. I'll just have to include a section in my briefing entitled "dealing with the mentally ill; its not you their yelling at, its the imaginary person standing next to you" "why yes, that is pot smoke you're smelling, but just keep walking" "is that urine you smell? Yes it is" things like that.
But then we get to the fun stuff so that will be okay.
I'm tired and have a big day tomorrow. I hope the other half of my group are great. I saw an English family in the lobby that fit my description (head count basically) but there are 3 other tour groups here right now so who really knows until our meeting tomorrow morning. I sure hope they are ready for a walk!

This is my room, how cute is that?! I'll try to get some of the lobby. Its great fun. Very visually stimulating. The guests liked it too, which is a good start.

Oh! One other thing. A member of my group mentioned to me at the airport she wanted a wake up call (I didn't have my paper and pen handy...) so just now I called the front desk to double check (so glad I remembered) he didn't have her down so when I called her she thought she'd gotten on their list. Phew! Glad I checked! Now to remember that at every stop.

p.s. I like ice cream

Ice Cream Delight

Mr and Mrs Miscellaneous (3rd and 22nd). I'm in love with that place. Today I walked down to try the one I didn't get yesterday and they'd changed all the flavors again. Imagine that! So I tried 3 new ones and went with Ballpark. Its made with Anchor Steam beer, peanuts and chocolate covered pretzels. Its amazingly good. I also sampled Lemon Poppy, which tastes just like a muffin, and Basic Chocolate Chip was surprisingly good. I almost chose that one.
I told the man if he saw me later in the day to pretend I hadn't been there already. He thought that was funny...I wasn't joking! :)

So I've reviewed the city tour with Brian and finished my paperwork for my people tomorrow morning and now I'm headed to my hotel (finally a room of my very own) and get cleaned up and run some errands and then off I go on BART to pick up my 6 arriving tonight. They'll be "fresh" off the plane.

I've decided because of the SF marathon that we're doing a walking tour for some of the city and Brian will meet us at Fisherman's Wharf in the van and we'll do the driving tour of the rest of the city. Its going to be great. I hope they are up for some walking. Not sure how the jetlag will affect the ones arriving today. The family is here already.

The time has come. I'm getting so nervous but I feel as prepared as can be. Now to just handle it as it comes along. I hope they like to explore because as you all know thats how I travel...trial and error=exploring. That's by Karen's definition. Ha!

The hotel I'm at seems kind of funny looking from the outside but inside its so cool looking! Very retro. I'll take a photo or two for my next blog. I'll try to snap some photos for each day. Not sure I'll have as much time to do that as the group but I'll try.

Wish me luck! Go eat ice cream! Mr and Mrs Miscellaneous. It will be my one stop upon my return to SF in three weeks.

Final Prep

I woke up this morning and had nervous stomach. You know the way that feels, you suddenly remember whats coming up and then you're wide awake. I had to get up.
I decided to go to the office and go over the trip again with Erika. I also decided to work on my note cards so that I was better prepared for commentary for at least the first week. That helped a  little bit. Then I made a list of the last minute things I needed to do. Turns out there is quite a bit, considering I knew this was coming for a month.
Most of it is scoping places out and its not much really. I'm going to kick off the day by having a pancake from Chow. Oh yummy! I can't wait! The only missing with be my darling Walter. He's heard me talk about it for weeks now.
Walter picked me up after work and we went to Berkeley and had dinner at Cancun. Oh man, its good! I had a sangria with my dinner. It had watermelon and pineapple in it. yummy! It was a nice visit. Berkeley seems different than I remember it. Cleaner and dressed up a bit. It has been 6 years though.
So now I'm back working on my cheat sheet for highways so I have quick reference. I might have someone be my navigator too just for fun.
So really alot of office work today. I did take a break and venture to the ice cream shop by the office.
22nd and 3rd streets Mr and Mrs Miscellaneous OH MY GOODNESS!! The owners are a great couple who love to make stuff up and the flavors are unbelievably good. I mean, the best ice cream I've ever had and that's saying something. I had bananas foster today. Tomorrow the menu will be totally different again though so you either get it or you don't. He said he has some 300+ flavors in his arsenal. wow. I only get one more day to eat it then I leave town.
Can you believe it? 6 weeks on the road starting Sunday. Wow. Its different than going on a trip to Europe for 4 months, this time I'm working hard for my money. Ha!
So...lets see how much sleep I get tonight.

First Solo Trip as a Tour Guide

I did it. I pulled it off. What an amazing day I had. Amazing and exhausting and scary and fun and all sorts of things.
My day started at 4:30 am. I got up and got ready and was picked up by Erika from Incredible Adventures. She drove me to the van I'd be driving, gave me my manifest and the van keys and off I was sent. Luckily I'd had the manifest emailed the night before and was able to map out my hotels. I just didn't map out how to get from the office to the downtown area(hmmm). Then after I successfully picked everyone up (full van 13 people) I didn't know how to get out of the city and onto the bridge. (Hmm~beginning to sound like a typical travel day for Karen isn't it?!) And I had kind of looked over the route to Yosemite but  that was a little iffy for sure. I did manage to find all the right stops on the way there and the actual park, phew! and I beat the train in Escalon and got to the fruit stand again. Thank goodness. I love that place!
Its amazing how much ITMI was made relevant today. I mean, it all came together. You just keep smiling and learn their names for sure, that really makes a difference. I totally blanked on anything to say for miles and miles, the poor people were probably thinking I had no clue (they had no idea).
I got them to the photo stops and talked them through the options in the park. I taught them how to identify some of the trees in the Sierras (thank goodness for those reference cards) They had 3 1/2 hours to explore the park. Its really just enough time to see the highlights, nothing else. They seemed happy and they had shopped when I picked them up. I was unsuccessful pretty much. Teresa wasn't working at the ice cream shop and I'd left my wallet in the van after having traveled all the way from Yosemite Lodge to Curry Village. (like 20 minutes by shuttle~boo)
On the way back to SF I didn't have any concept of how long the driving took and the 1-1 1/2 hours to Oakdale was actually 2 1/2 Ouch! That was their first pit stop (on the way out of the park)
I had quite a time getting them dropped of in the city. Talk about the blind leading the blind. I don't know the streets well enough to get onto the right one ways that don't dead end at Market St so I managed to circle very little but it seemed to take forever. One of the ladies I had is running the half marathon this Sunday. She and her husband are here from Nova Scotia! They were great.
After my last passengers got out I had a good laugh because once again I didn't know where the office was. I mean, how to get there from downtown. (of all the times I've done it, none have been the same~ and I usually wasn't driving in the dark)
It just kept getting better when I finally got to the office and it was past 10pm, which is when most buses stop running. I didn't know what to do with my stuff, with the van, with the keys, how to get home and I had no one to call and ask. I need a smart phone. I could have answered almost all those questions.
So it occurred to me I had Brian's cell number (my manager) and that was helpful. Apparently one of the buses runs late at night so I walked up the hill, found the stop and here came the bus. It was a great relief as the streets are not lit up. So that was about 10:30 pm and I got back to the hostel at 11:15pm Its quite an interesting bus. I was the only white girl on there. It runs through the Mission district and then up Fillmore, which is a cute neighborhood. I got off and walked back to the hostel through the Fort Mason park (in the dark)
Lets see, what did I learn today? Oh yeah, I'm not very organized...I should have had a map...I'm not very timely...hmmm all of these qualities do NOT a good tour guide make!
But I did it hahaha!! I picked up and dropped off a van full of people today and they had a great day in Yosemite! Wow!

Big News Today

My first tour. Day trip to Yosemite! I leave tomorrow early. I'll do the hotel pickups and then off I go to the park! I don't even know my route to get there yet. I'll study up tonight. I get picked up at 5:15am so that I can get to the van and get ready to go and then back to downtown to pick up my people and off we go on a big adventure. What a great way to practice before my big tour starts.

This morning I got out my binder for the trip and had a good look at all the details. Its got a ton of good information, times, locations and it includes a to-do list.

This afternoon I got onto a city tour and it was great fun. Being a cold and windy day today I was happy to see a regular motorcoach not an open top bus. Thank goodness. We had a driver guide. He was driving with one hand and talking on the microphone in his other hand. Pretty amazing driving doing it that way!

I'll be driving like that as well tomorrow. They don't have headsets just hand mics so we'll see how that goes. I'm getting nervous but it should be fun. The group yesterday really were all about having some fun and seeing the park and that's really what its all about.

So. Pretty boring day today really. I got alot done and now I'll have some dinner, pack my lunch and go to bed early. I've got an early wake up call!

Summer in Yosemite (and notes)

That is the "tunnel view" the last time I took this photo it was snowing! Still beautiful. What a place. I went to Yosemite for a refresher and it was kind of like being there for the first time. Being there in summer is AMAZING. People everywhere and I mean everywhere. Off trails, in the woods on the rocks in the creeks and on the road and in the meadows and everywhere a human could go there they were. It was amazing. I'll try to upload another photo of the mass of people at the base of the falls. Wow. It doesn't say Stay Out so there they go.
I took the shuttle and made notes about where I was and what was there. Its still as giant as ever. Curry Village sits right at the bottom of this huge rock. Its so cool! You can't even fit it in the picture!
I was taking notes all day from my tour guide Paul. He has done a ton of touring and had lots of insider tips for sure.
I'm going to put all the notes here so they are somewhere easy to find. First of all I found the ice cream parlor. that is really the most important thing. Teresa is the master scooper as designated by me. She has a serious passion for her job and loves ice cream and isn't afraid to talk about it. She is FANTASTIC. Looks just like America Ferrara the actress who plays Ugly Betty. She was so full of pep I really had a great time there. How could you not like scooping ice cream all day?! And it was so cheap too! 1.80 for a big scoop. That is not a typical National Park price. Wow. That was at Curry Village.

Did you know that the squirrels here have these really cute suit jackets? Grey jackets. So they are the same squirrels we have they just wear cuter outfits than their northern cousins. Its no wonder people freak out to take their photos, they are pretty cute. Pretty cunning though.
While I was waiting for the shuttle bus to arrive I was sitting next to some Chinese tourists (imagine that) and the man asks this young guy adn his wife if they were from New York and the guys says "no, Ohio" and the Chinese man says "I could tell you weren't from California because people from California are overweight" wow.
I listened to him chatter through about 5 stops then I gave up and got off.

I have to say Yosemite is still my favorite I think because its so massive and the river and meadow are so pretty and lush. I think even despite the people it is still up there on my list. The campgrounds would be a no go for sure. Totally packed with humans. I'd like to spend time there at its most miserable and see what its like. I bet its still amazing.
It is kind of weird they paved miles of pathways there though. Seems kind of funny to do that. I mean, do some for sure so everyone can enjoy the park but a mile long trail to a lake seems excessive. If I were in a wheelchair I'd appreciate I guess so there you have it.

I have been given the chance to take a city tour tomorrow for free and that will be great fun! Lots of good information. I'll be refreshing my memory before the big day with my people. Though Sunday with the SF Marathon its going to be a real challenge to get around here. Even the freeways out of the city are affected that day. Wow!

There are photos at the bottom if you want to fast forward :)

I'm putting the notes at the bottom so everyone can skip them if they want :) Here in SF there are "highways" that locals use here to cross the city faster. You can spend more time at stoplights than stop signs so I was learning about the streets to take when I need to hurry up and get moving. (Franklin, Gough, Leavenworth.)
When you make a stop at any place always point out bathrooms, internet and banks. Its the trifecta. It was really funny, right after Paul said it those were the three questions that were asked! Ha!
If you get a chance stop at Denise's on HW 120 in Ripon CA. Its a great place, cheap local fruit and really clean and amazing staff (today my magic work is Amazing!!)
Park options to review. Hikes, bikes and river floating (so worth it, it was 90 degrees today) and then just sitting around and enjoying the scenery. You can walk out into the meadows and have a better look around at the mountains so those are easy walks.
The other stuff I'll keep. Its the guides guide book info...you'll all end up with stuff like that. And by the way. JUST ASK. Tell people who you are and what you do and get their names. It does make a difference!

This is Fisherman's wharf on a sunny evening. It doesn't even seem that crowded but it was tough to walk through that crowd.









Those dots are humans off trail and walking to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls. ITMI'ers remember how much water was there in May?! Amazing!

Found the locals

This city is way more fun with the locals. They have been sheltered from the mass of tourists and are much more real and very territorial as well. I talked to the hostel workers about a recommendation for a pint (to celebrate my passing my tests at DMV of course!) and they recommended I go up Polk St so I did. And I wandered for a little bit until I came to Swans Oyster Bar!! Oh the memories! No line today Chris! I walked right in and found a seat and placed my order. It was great. I sat way down the bar this time and had a fish head looking right at me. That was a little weird. They close early evening though so I got pointed in the direction of a locals place down the road and that turned out to be a great suggestion. It was called McTeagues (Sutter and Polk). Happy hour 12-7. If you can believe that. Cheap beers and the bartender, names Liz, was really cool. Nice gal and friendly. Really a quiet place lots of regulars there. All ages and mental abilities~ha. So I met a local girl and guy and then another guy and it was funny because they are ALL transplants. Not one I met was from here. So our stories are similar. Its really funny how this town is. They came and loved it and never left. They said if I were here 6 months then I'd stay forever. That is the general rule. I don't know about that.
They also recommended places to me. Shanghai Kelly's, Lush, Mayes. All on Polk. Just so I remember.

I just called to confirm my trip to Yosemite tomorrow. I get picked up at 6:10am. Ouch! No sleeping in for me for sure! I think the next day I'll sign up for a city tour that is in the afternoon so I can finally sleep in!
I'm currently surrounded by Aussies in the bunks these days. (and creepy guy too of course) they are working the ladies right now. Its pretty funny. A big group of French girls came yesterday and the Aussies are already woo'ing them. Ha!

So, funny afternoon of exploration. I found a place that was quiet finally. Its not easy to do unless you get off the tourist track. That takes some doing. I guess I need to get off the bus on Lombard street and walk up to the crooked part. Everyone keeps getting on and off the bus to do that and I keep forgetting I'm that close by.

So more adventures tomorrow. I'll put notes here so we can all enjoy them. Aunt Maureen, Uncle Stan...you'll know all my secrets when you come to visit me! Miss you guys.

Other notes...Fishermans Wharf is packed with people right now. Take the stairs and get up above them. You can bypass the crowd until you see what you want and can get down the stairs. Amazing. Who's ever noticed. You have that whole upper boardwalk to yourselves.

pants on bed

Creepy guys pants were on my bed. Oh man, I wish that guy would LEAVE ALREADY!!

Besides that I passed my behind the wheel driving test today. yippee! So glad that is done. I did great on most everything but he did have some pointers for me. That was nice of him to discuss it with me rather than flunk me or anything horrible.
I'm at the hostel now taking a break. I think I'll take a bus to Haight Ashbury and have a look around. No sense fighting it, more walking. I'm sore all over! And to think I was walking on the treadmill every day.

Tomorrow I'll take a ride with one of the other local guides to Yosemite. Should be good fun. I get picked up at 6:10am. I'll be taking good notes in between naps I'm thinking!

Otherwise my life has reached pure boredom again. I'll study the places I'm headed to on my route and review that with my managers this week and then I wait. And wait and wait. Must be such boring reading these days. No real exciting bus rides or anything today. I did walk through a really scary neighborhood today while I was trying to find my bus line. Yikes! As long as I looked like I knew what I was doing I wasn't too bad off.
My ear is plugged up again so I can't hear very well and I'm pretty sure this homeless guy asked me what my name was not if he could have some (of my chips) so I gave him some chips and he seemed so surprised. And asked my name! Ha! I can't recall his as I couldn't hear him. Fun.

So, I'm going to clean up and eat a bite and then get back on the road again. Boring. I'm so sick of this town. I'm sure there are parts I'm missing but they are under fog these days as it is.

Kicked off the bus

Well I thought for sure the people who'd gotten on the bus with their groceries were the ones that made the bus stink, but pretty soon the people holding groceries were covering their noses so someone went and told the bus driver. He pulled over, got up and walked to the back of the bus where he found a man who I guess had gone to teh bathroom in his pants or in the seat or something. It really stunk so in order to get him off we all had to get off adn you should have seen this. The Chinese are ruthless about entering or exiting a bus so they run off and are frantically waving their hands in front of their noses and they rush to the bus behind us and push their way on but in all that chaos (there were alot of people) the stinky man got off the bus and disappeared into the crowd, I'm assuming he actually got onto that other bus :) it makes me laugh. The rest of us waiting a minute and he got us back on the bus and off we went empty and fresh smelling. It was pretty hilarious.
I've just been hanging out at the hostel today. Its not that much fun. Not a very good common area for people to mingle in. Its weird how that works differently in every place.
The creepy man is still here. I think he is just a weirdo not so much creepy but he does stare at me and that is weird enough to keep me avoiding him.

This morning I met Amin for some driving practice. We drove all over the place. I practiced driving over the cones...then around the cones as it should be. It should be okay tomorrow. I think I'll pass the test with flying colors...one can hope.

Thats all for now. I want to get to bed before the creepy man does so i don't notice him laying in teh bunk next to me staring at me. Ick.

Blisters from Flip Flops~ it IS possible!

I can't believe how much walking I've done in the last few days. Wow! I'm beat up! I do actually have really sore feet too. My flip flops are folding under the pressure. I am unpacking my real shoes tomorrow so I'm better equipped. Though tomorrow I hope to not be walking as much. I am going to try and get to a game at the Giants Stadium. Should be fun. They have been having some tournament or something, so games every day. Its amazing to see the turn out. My train/bus goes right through the crowd. We just skim the noses of the closest people while they wait to cross the street between street cars and we get out of the way.
I have more driving with Amin tomorrow morning. Which will be fine but I have to get up early to get there and that is a drag. It takes like 2 hours to get there from here. Hopefully I can make it there on time.

My actually driving test is Monday morning. I hope it goes well...I guess. I'm so tired of this whole thing at this point I'm having a bad attitude about it. I'm sure Amin will not appreciate that. He's been giving up his time to meet me and drive around with me.

I forgot today was Saturday and after all of my practice driving with Stephen today I ended up at Fisherman's Wharf with every visitor in the city it seemed like. I couldn't believe it. I've never been there when it was that busy.

Pretty uneventful day today. I did fail my driving test (practice) with Stephen today, that was a real bummer! But now I know better what to watch out for.
We did see one really cool place. Called Brain Wash. Its a laundromat with a bar in it. What an ingenious idea that is. It has a cafe and internet and a bar and a ton of washers and dryers. That's what I'm talking about.
I went by the Tacolicious place where Evan and Chris and I had that tequila. That place was PACKED! Standing room only. Most of the places on Chestnut were though, Saturday night adn everyone was out and dressed in their finest. I didn't even pack a finest. I have a tourist outfit for every day. Pretty soon I'll buy an I heart SF shirt and the image will be complete. Enough rambling today.

The Pirate in the Dark

His name was Jeremy and he was actually dressed as a pirate and I think he preferred it. When our paths split he said "have a good night "Argh" it was hilarious. Like one last word to solidify his love of pirates! It was so funny! His sailors coat was an old style but very colorful one and he had these too big boots that clomped really loudly when he walked. He was pretty intimidating at first sight. Dreadlocks for hair and a little straggly but when I realized our paths were converging I braced myself for whatever came next. He was really nice though. Very chatty. I do think he lives not in a home though. His path went down a hill and into oblivion. Who really knows.
I met him on the final part of the trail home. It was 9 pm. I walked for what seemed like forever tonight! Not in a fun on purpose sort of way but because the F Train (and no that is not a knickname "F") wasn't running. In the hour it took me to walk from Market St and the Embarcadero to the main Piers at Fisherman's Wharf one F train passed me(they are usually every few minutes). Apparently the power was out on a few of the piers because shops were closed, restaurants were closed. The Teatro Zinzanni was cancelled. The best part of that walk being so long was the fact that the piers are numbered so you know just how far you haven't gone. I've been doing so good not squandering money but I was pretty tempted to pay a cycle taxi guy to get me to the hostel path.

This morning I started out intending to catch either a train or bus and just see some stuff but I ended up walking into North Beach again. Which is fun. I like it there. I walked to Mara's and had a pastry (of course) that was really fun. The guy there was having a regular Italian morning and I had the place to myself basically.
I love those pastries! And early on in the day he has twice as many as I saw the first time I went by there!
They consider North Beach to be the Italian quarter of the city but at Washington Park there were Chinese doing their morning exercises and it didn't feel very Italian to me. The Chinese are starting to out grow Chinatown I guess. They have a park they usually congregate at so it was strange to see them where they were.
After that I headed up into actual to Chinatown to see if I could find a bandana to pull my hair back with. Guess what?! Chinese people don't use bandanas so not a single shop had one. I did manage to find something though and so I kept moving. I stopped in Union Square to take a break as I'd been walking for a long time already and while I was people watching the Grim Reaper showed up. He made a little girl scream so her mom had to take her away. He was dressed in a big cape and had a painted face and a scythe. Wow. He was pretty scary. He would stop every so often and just stare, like he was giving someone in the crowd a message.
About that point I decided I'd find my way to the office and ended up on a train that stopped before I needed it to. Hmmm so as I'm standing at the station in the middle of nowhere (seemed like) I finally caught sight of the other platform and was able to make my way to it.

My main purpose for that trip was to have some driving practice with a man named Amin. He was going to train me on the pre-trip inspection and also driving etc. He is a tall, good looking Arab man. We had fun. As fun as driving a van can be. When we started out he gave me directions and we went a little ways and then he had me parallel park, which was pretty scary! It was a tight squeeze. So after I got the van in there and calmed down a bit he said "okay, now you can turn the engine off, I'm going to get a coffee" it was really funny. We'd just been doing this serious task I thought, and he was just wanting me to drop him off at the coffee shop. Very funny.
We drove all over the place it seemed like. He took me into the projects part of the city. A neighborhood I'd have never gone into without him along I can tell you that. It was really sketchy. He did that a couple of times though so he was getting a kick out of it. At one point we ended up way out in the middle of an old ship yard. No one was out there and it was just a big open place so we did the walk around part of the test and then he had me back up the van into a parking space a few times.
At the end of all that I was hungry and cold and a bit tired after walking all morning (like 9:15am to 2:30 ish) and the fog was rolling in and the wind had picked up so it was cold!! I was happy to get on the train and head home. :( only to discover that I'd have to walk it anyways.) What do you do?!
So I sat down to have a peanut butter sandwich (just a bit ago) for dinner and a lady I talked to earlier today decided to share her hazelnut/almond butter with me. Yummy!! Freshly ground too! Wow!

So, I'm pretty sure I'll sleep well. Better than last night anyways. I was delighted to find out that besides sleeping right by the door, the keys for the room stopped working so people were struggling all night long to get in. It was pretty annoying. Thank goodness for earplugs, thats all I have to say.
My bed is a tiny little mattress on top of a board, so it's like sleeping on the floor essentially. I'm sure I'll be more tired than annoyed and sleep through it tonight.
Another day bites the dust.
Argh!

Return to Hellifornia

Back again! Today I flew into Oakland airport. Its now 10pm my time and I'm in serious avoidance mode. My room is a HUGE room full of beds. 24 beds I think, could be more. Seemed to go on forever. I of course got the bed by the door and I mean, BY THE DOOR, wow. Its a coed dorm and so far a few sketchy people floating around in there. I locked all my stuff up and got out. This hostel is so scenic though I will give it that! By far the most amazing location in this city. The building is really cool and the view out the north side is looking out onto the bay. A very short walk down a path adn I can see the Golden Gate Bridge. Its a beautiful location! (Oh my gosh as I'm rereading this a HUGE group of teens just walked in. This common area is going to get way more interesting here soon. Phew!)

I got on a plane full of kids today. It was so weird. I thought for sure they were on the flight because it connected to LAX and they were Disney hopefuls but most of them got off in Oakland. On the plane I walked past one family full of kids (like 2 rows across) and sat down thinking I'd avoided that misery and what did I get instead? A little boy and girl who were so excited they were talking in scream voices and the girl (who was SO SMALL) had amazing reach and was totally beating up the back of my seat. I couldn't believe the abuse. My goodness. Ha!

My friend Walter got me to the grocery store from the airport. A Walmart they built by our old offices in San Leandro. Had very few things but enough to get by. From the feel of this place it will be an in and out sort of trip to the kitchen. Yuck.

I had training most of the afternoon and that was fun. Lots of details and we reviewed the policies of the "mother ship" that is really selling these tours. I met the camping guides and the one guy had done the tour a few times already so he was loaded with information. It was good. I'm glad to be this far. Now to pass my behind the wheel driving test! I do that Monday morning. Wednesday I'll be able to hop on a van going to Yosemite for a day trip, that will be nice. A little refresher. Other than that I'll just be walking around alot. No real things to do. No where to go. Which is actually kind of fun. This city is fun to explore. Tonight I went to Sam Wo's in Chinatown (Grant and Filbert??), recommended by the other overland guide. He took me there to show me what he meant by being immersed in the culture. You walk into what appears to be the kitchen, like tupperwares full of the ground meat and the old Chinese man hacking the chicken to bits. Wow. Real. Then you walk up a tiny flight of stairs and find a seat and hope for the best. The food was good! And dirt cheap too so that was good.
Tomorrow I have to find my way back to the office using the bus and streetcar etc should be interesting. From here I know I just head south. I'm as far away as you can get from the office at this hostel and no real direct route to get there.
After dinner I wandered up into North Beach to catch the bus and walked past Mara's pastry shop (Stockton and Columbus). Oh boy! So glad I found it again. There were tons of people out enjoying the amazing weather and its a great time to scope out the good local restaurants because by that time the tourists have gone home.

That is a picture of the hostel from the back side I guess. I'll get a better snap of the view from those windows. It looks right onto the Bay! So pretty.

The photo in Sepia is a view looking out towards the Bay. The Golden Gate is covered in fog and I think a bit out of sight in this view.

Okay, a good nights sleep (complete with earplugs) is in order. And I've got to tackle the shower room. From the common room here you can see directly onto my bed and into the womens bathroom/shower room when the door is opened. I guess privacy is optional. I'll get over it. I didn't come prepared to be quite so exposed though. Not a great place for my comfy nightie to be certain. Yeah me, isn't traveling fun?!

More adventures to come. Probably not much until I leave on my tour but you never know. I do have to revisit the DMV after all! Tomorrow I train on the van pre-inspection and that will be interesting. A drive around the city.

Grand Tour Recap (American Southwest Grand Tour)

Just thought I'd check in! I talked about my trip, mid trip and amid distraction...

My mom and dad and I went and did a big portion of the tour I'll be doing later on this summer. Its going to be fantastic. I'm so glad I did the "scouting trip". I feel much better about getting paid very little to be doing something so fun! 

We saw 5 National Parks (Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands) and 1 Navajo Tribal park also (Monument Valley). in 6 days. It was brutal. Poor dad got sick along the way so we hurried home faster than we normally would have. We were going to try and add Mesa Verde National Park but there was alot more planning needed before we tackled that one!

I've got to say its really tough to be in the desert. These UK people coming on this trip will have never experienced anything like this until now. They may be world class hikers etc but when its 100 degrees on a trail with no shade, its really brutal and the hikes are at elevation too so its not going to be easy. I'll be checking on their health pretty regularly! I also can see why they recommend I not do any hikes along the way...it would be tough to hike in the heat and then take care of all the details as well. I might do a few new trails (shorter ones) but we'll see. It would be a shame to miss them but I'll have 3 chances to give it a go. 

Its going to be a FANTASTIC trip though! These places are beautiful and I can see why they pay to go see them! I collected 41 US States and 4 Canadian Provinces and we talked to a lady from Switzerland who flew into Las Vegas and rented a motorcycle to do her Grand Tour. 

The tour group will see 8 National Parks total (all the above and Yosemite, Death Valley and Joshua Tree) and Monument Valley which is the Navajo Tribal Park in Arizona. That was my favorite. The Navajo are amazing people and so friendly, I think my group will really like their time there. 

We are staying in a few dumpy places though so I hope they are prepared for that. The outsides are ugly but the insides are clean and comfortable...I think I'll give them a "positive heads up" on those details. 

I'll be busy until end of September. I got my official schedule yesterday. 

The scenery is so BIG that you need a wide angle and zoom lens to really get the picture. It was great. You'd get out of the car and as far as the eye could see in any direction was rock. Beautiful colors though so it was a totally different landscape than the big "rocks" in Yosemite. 

Now I study my history, geology and Indian lore. There is so much Geology, its in your face everyday. Layer upon layer of rocks. Big ones too. As far as the eye can see. I can't wait! These people will be blown away every day! My dad asked if I had a favorite but they are each so unique (I know you're thinking how that rock that covers an entire southern Utah state be unique but it was) you can't even compare them. The colors changed, the shapes changed the grandness changed. It was great.