Den_N_Em

DGL

Den_N_Em

I am a 70 year old dedicating the rest of his years to traveling and photographing the world we live in. My hope is to motivate others to take time out of their daily lives to visit and experience the world before it disappears. My traveling companion will be Emily Beals. We both share the need to lose the bonds of everyday and visit our "wish book of destinations".



North America » United States » Virginia » Jamestown March 16th 2011

Colonial Virginia – Day 1 After our NC colonial history lesson in Edenton, we headed to colonial Virginia. Sophia took up residence at the Williamsburg KOA – one of best visited ever and we headed to Jamestown Settlement. Historic Jamestowne is managed by the National Park Service with the efforts to restore the settlement to it original form not by recreation, but rather by archeological digs to uncover building foundations and unearthing artifacts of the 1607 settlement. As with Edenton, this was the first settlement in Virginia and after the initial fort was built, it became an active seaport, agricultural community (tobacco), and business center. Jamestown was located up the James river as a security measure in case wandering Spanish ships explored or invaded the area. The original fort walls have been erected to help create ... read more
Inside the Fort
Unearthed

North America » United States » North Carolina » Edenton March 15th 2011

Edenton, NC After a brilliant warm day in the Kitty Hawk, NC area, we woke to a gray overcast day with a few sprinkles. Today we are heading to Edenton, NC, the first permanent settlement in NC and location of the Edenton Tea Party. Yes a tea party, but nothing like our current Tea Party. This tea party was: 1 – organized and carried out by the WOMEN of Edenton; 2 – did not include dumping tea into the harbor, but rather a boycott of East India Tea; 3- it was led by the wife of the British Tax Agent in Edenton. We took a tour through the streets of Edenton visiting historical buildings and learning about the early history of Edenton. Although the day was cloudy and breezy, the Dynamic Duo and their sidekick braved ... read more
Courthouse
The Judge


Outer Banks, NC - Day 3 Great morning except for one thing it was “spring forward” night and nobody told us. The first clue was the date/time display on the computer, but even Yahoo did not have a headline blasting out the news. Up and ready to go, but already an hour behind. Today was move day as we “rigged” Sophie for travel. After a short drive up Highway 12, we pulled into Jockey's Ridge State Park. Never heard of it? Me neither, but what a great place to visit. Largest sand dune area on the Outer Banks, yet on the Sound side of the island. Believe it or not the dunes were formed and continue to exist due to sand blowing from the Ocean side over a half mile to land here – Amazing. Well, ... read more
Wind and Sand
Ridges of Sand
Dynamic Duo and Sidekick


Outer Banks, NC - Day 2 The wind had died down considerably over night and sunshine was bright and plentiful. The 3 of us headed to the beach and after living on the left coast for over 45 years was surprised by the smaller wave size and the Atlantic's lack of intensity. However this probably made the beaches endless in both directions. The sand was very fine and easy to walk on. I took a few photos and then we were off on a new adventure. The destination was Ocracoke Island, yes an island only reachable from Hatteras by ferry which shockingly was free. The drive down Hatteras was a series of small towns separated by large chunks of National Seashore. Each town was different than the last and the further south we went the more ... read more
Endless Shoreline
Hatteras Light House
Sun Ready to Set

North America » United States » North Carolina » Rodanthe March 12th 2011

Outer Banks, NC - Day 1 The drive was a little of everything and even sunshine as we got closer to the eastern seaboard. Arriving at the US National Seashore was a disappointment as the main road Highway 12 was under construction and the campgrounds were closed until April. We ended up at a KOA in Rodanthe, NC. However, the site was actually a winner as we were only a minute or 2 walk from the beach over 30' high sand dunes (boardwalk provided). Arriving at sunset, we did not venture out after completing Sophie setup mainly due to coolish temp and 30+ mph winds. We hunkered down, planned the next day, and watched Black Swan.... read more


Chapel Hill, NC We left Winston-Salem under cloudy skies and light sprinkle which soon turned into rain. Driving east on I-40, the rain lifted, but showers persisted. However, in Chapel Hill at the farm of Martha and Carl, the showers had stopped and a walk around the 60 acres added a bit of exercise to the bodies of the dynamic duo. Later we visited the Duke Campus and spent a few moments in the "go back machine" reliving Emily's 3 years as a masters student. First was finding our way through the “new” (lots of changes in 40+ years) campus and a heavy downpour. Finding a parking spot was a top priority especially with rain still falling, but the rain stopped and we parked next to the center of the religious studies program. The Chapel is ... read more


Drive U Never Want to Take After 2800 miles of driving over 7 days pulling a trailer, we are ready to stay in one location for a day or 2. However before the adventures, it is necessary to briefly comment on the driving drudgery. Day 1 – was over 2 hours behind schedule due to a repair of HoW (House on Wheels) that was only supposed to take 10 minutes. Day 2 – CA desert and high gas prices ($4.29) made this trip difficult. Original destination was Flagstaff, but Dennis had a brain check and we ended up in a Wal-mart parking lot in Winslow, AZ. Day 3 – Had to be in Albuquerque, NM by 3:00 for a 15K service appointment on TT (Trusty Tundra). Stayed at an overpriced KOA, but got batteries (HoW, human, ... read more

North America » United States » California » Borrego Springs January 19th 2011

The night was much cooler and predicted high for the day was in the mid 70s, so there was less urgency to get started on our hike up Palm Tree Canyon. We left KC in HoW which was a mistake as his barking brought a nastygram from the camp host. We started to walk to the trail head, but it was about a half mile away on a paved road. A bush quote seems appropriate here “fool me once, shame on — — shame on you. Fool me — — You can't get fooled again”. So TT was used to go the rest of the way. The trail was cut around a ridge and up the canyon. We were initially greeted by an unusual desert sight (see photo) and then onward and upward. Although there were ... read more
Emily at Work
Fan Palm Oasis
Oasis Floor

North America » United States » California » Borrego Springs January 18th 2011

After a 10 grain cereal breakfast, we loaded up TT and took off early to beat the heat of another 80+ day. First stop Forte Point and the overlook of the Borrego badlands. After a rocking, rolling, slipping, and sliding during the 4 mile drive up a dry wash and rocky one lane path, we reached the parking area. Both Emily and KC were less than excited as the drive was definitely an tenuous adventure, however when we reached the overlook, all was forgotten as the badlands were magnificent. The effects of erosion from the limited rainfall in the area exposed layers of rock and soil dating back millions of years. The slanting winter sun highlighted the formations and my photographic self went crazy as Emily and KC sat at the overlook. The drive out was ... read more
Mountain that Moved
In the Badlands
Emily

North America » United States » California » Borrego Springs January 17th 2011

Today a new adventure. Off to Anza Borrego State Park with a stop at WinCo in Indio to replenish eats as they were reaching a meager point (oatmeal, fruit, and left-over soup and pasta). While Emily shopped, KC and I tried to keep cool in the high 70's low 80's sun. Finally Emily returned, but not empty handed. After loading the refrigerator we were off down a familiar highway CA 86 to a turn-off at an ARCO station in Salton City. About 30 miles later we pulled into the state park and the best camping site our House on Wheels (HoW) had occupied. Full hook-ups on the north edge of the campground meant no neighbors to look at. BTW – high temp for the day was 88. Anza Borrego State Park surrounds the community of Borrego ... read more
Anza Borrego State Park




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