http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Jose-blog/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Jose blog en-us Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:09:09 +0000 Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:09:09 +0000 I made it to CanadaAfter spending a week in the big city of Calgary and a day in the small friendly Canmore I entered a stunning wilderness areaPine trees meadows pristine mountains peaks and immaculate blue glacial lakes that's Banff National Park.It was pure joy to get to the lakes and hike to a couple of terrific locations Plan of Six Glaciers and Sentinel Pass. Here is my poemlike lis http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Canada/Alberta/Banff-National-Park/blog-297793.html Arriving at the south shore of Lake McDonald in the early evening I stood up on the rocks and felt the air getting moister and colder. The mountains were reflected in the water boats were coming back to a tiny marina and fishermen were keeping hope as they swished their rods in a few more attempts to catch that big fish before retiring to the lodge. I took my boots off and shivered as I lowered http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Montana/Glacier-National-Park/blog-293344.html I can only imagine how this intriguing landscape of geysers hot pools waterfalls and the canyon's naked yellow rock struck the first human beings who arrived at this place many thousands of years ago. For the native North American tribes this was holly land an utmost sacred place a gift of Mother Nature they worshiped and which resources they used respectfully. To European explorers and settle http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Wyoming/Yellowstone-National-Park/blog-292477.html Back to fresh alpine scenery The Grand Teton Range is a magnificent collection of snowcovered peaks pine forests sagebrush flats wet meadows and beautiful lakes. The peaks rise abruptly from the broad flat valley of Jackson Hole. The park is surrounded by two national forests the CaribouTarghee and the BridgerTeton in Wyoming State.Jackson Hole is a really pleasant modern town amid breat http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Wyoming/Grand-Teton-National-Park/blog-288584.html Unexpected rain held Stefan and I in Moab for longer than planned leaving us little time to explore this national park. Nevertheless Canyonlands provided me with the most challenging and rewarding hiking day so far a great chance to test my endurance on rough terrain.Island in the Sky the north part of the park is a broad mesa at the heart of the Colorado Plateau split from the Maze and the http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Utah/Canyonlands-National-Park/Island-in-the-Sky/blog-288582.html Sand. Golden sand and long walllike fins of rock stretching everywhere your eyes can reach. Sparsely small bushes and Juniper trees grow in the fine sand calmly waiting for the rain which is rarely felt on their resistant leaves. A dry harsh environment where only strong creatures were able to adapt their systems and habits in order to survive lizards ravens kangaroo rats small reptiles an http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Utah/Arches-National-Park/blog-288581.html Calf Creek was a very nice surprise. A friend of Stefan recommended it so we took the road to check it up. The campground was full up but we asked a cyclist to share his site with us. He was happy to do so and we got great company to chat over dinner Wayne a college professor who was on his way from Washington State to Kansas to visit his mother doing the trip on a bicycle We had some reall http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Utah/Capitol-Reef/blog-288580.html Bryce Canyon's orange cliffs are the first step in a fantastic geological staircase that spills down the Colorado Plateau Zion stands at the middle part of the staircase and Grand Canyon makes the lowest part of it. What a trioThe intricate ornate stone pillars known as hoodoos were left standing in this canyon after ancient rivers continuously removed layers of rock from the Table Cliffs. The http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Utah/Bryce-Canyon/blog-288579.html The Very name Zion a Hebrew word for refuge evokes this land's significance. It doesn't come as a surprise that Mormon pioneers called this place The Heavenly City of God.Several natural features of this breathtaking landscape have been named in a biblical fashion The Great White Throne The Altar of Sacrifice Tabernacle Dome The Court of the Patriarchs and so on. No wonder why the Virgin http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Utah/Zion-National-Park/blog-286263.html The wind will not stop. Gusts of sand swirl before me stinging my face.But there is still too much to see and marvel at the world very much alive in the bright light and wind exultant with the fever of spring the delight of morning. Strolling on it seems to me that the strangeness and wonder of existence are emphasized here in the desert by the comparative sparsity of the flora and fauna l http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Death-Valley-National-Park/blog-280566.html A strip of Mojave Desert Joshua Tree National Park is an area with very little water scorching sun blowing sand beautiful spring flowers at this time of the year and a profusion of boulders pilled up in curious ways resembling toy blocks in a gigantic sandy playground.Despite its harsh conditions though sparsely desertdwellers thrive in this habitat several types of birds jackrabbits li http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Joshua-Tree-National-Park/blog-280560.html Palm Springs a seducing oasis between deserts the pretty Mount St Jacinto and the strong wind belt that blows towards Salton Sea in Coachella Valley southern California.After driving for hours on end on roads cutting through dry land I was delighted to get to Palm Springs and find lush green gardens hanging flowers springs and waterfalls. This is definitely a great place to get to. I can't es http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Palm-Springs/blog-279475.html Going to the Grand Canyon together had been a trip Teresa and I looked forward to for a long time.After a couple of days in beautiful Sedona the time arrived for us to see the huge colourful hole in the ground carved by the Colorado river. There's no other word to describe it this canyon is GRAND After a quick glance and the first photos taken we found a camping space bought some beer and sna http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arizona/Grand-Canyon-National-Park/blog-278422.html In the heart of a captivating scenery of red rock canyons and spires Sedona is a place of breathtaking beauty intense blue skies and greens reds and golds of every hue.As my main interest here was to hike around the natural monuments I took Tan to spend the first night down at the free camping zone of the rocky dirt Schnebly Hill Road. I was delighted in the early morning when woken up by the http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arizona/Sedona/blog-277060.html Petrified Forest National Park ArizonaAn intriging park boasting an amazing display of colourful hills made out of clay which was deposited in this area about 220 millions of years ago After continuous erosion the soft sandstone revealed many fossilized organisms from the Triassic period of the Mesoizoic when the dinosaur era was just beginning. The petrified logs still abundant in the park http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arizona/Petrified-Forest-National-Park/blog-276757.html I've been on the road nearly every day... Must have driven about 3000 miles already mostly following Interstate 40 a road that goes through several States from Tennessee to the Californian border lately singing I'm on the way to Amarillo...Crossing the northern tip of Texas I spent a day in the flat Amarillo in order to get that song out of my head. I got invited to a food exhibition there http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Santa-Fe/blog-273584.html Tennessee is very green at this time of the year as opposed to the still leafless New Jersey and Virginia. Plus it's a beautiful long State to get throughIt was lovely to camp at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and wonder around cycling trying to spot bears not yet this time finding hidden gems in the woods such as flowers butterflies and a small waterfall...The van is coping well w http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Great--Smoky-Mountains-Parkway/blog-269403.html The much expected trip across the US and a bit of CanadaIt's happeningI stayed in London a little longer than planned because my passport fell out of my pocket as I was riding to Tower Bridge... A great hassle to get a new one but it was a good opportunity to see friends though not enough time to see everyone and enjoy London for a while. It was great fun to stay with Celso on Harley Street. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Pennsylvania/blog-269067.html The last evening of this trip I stayed in the youth hostel of a very charming historical town in Normandy Bayeux.It was hard to believe I would be back to London the following day. One hundred and sixty five days on the road. Over ten thousand miles on the bike through four countries and two different continents. My mind is full of fragments of memories like a puzzle made out of so many images http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Lower-Normandy/blog-267123.html A trully bewitched castleCheck the coast of Bretagne on Google Earth. On the righthandside of SaintMalo you'll find this long narrow peninsula that stretches over muddy purple sand and at the end of it there's a hill. Perched on top of that hill is the legendary Castle of SaintMichel. A nothing less than Fabulous settingThis is a destination I had been looking forward to reaching towards my http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/blog-267120.html