Geo: 41.1334, -104.814Makes for icy roads and miserable driving. ... read more

Geo: 45.6793, -111.033These trips south are always the most fun when we start off seeing family. ... read more

Geo: 28.5377, -81.3774Our last day in Buenos Aires we were robbed of our camera, cash and credit cards. We took the subway downtown for a last look around before leaving the next day, but instead of a nostalgic wander around we had a rude, scarey ending to our 2 1/2 month trip to Argentina and Chile.Professional gangs of thieves haunt the subways. We've known this but have ridden them safely for 4 years. But this day, a day before leaving the country, we got on at a very crowded stop and were immediately separated by 4 large men who surrounded Bob and wouldn't let him move.Just before the next stop they rammed his back and as he's grabbing the railing to keep from falling, they unzip the shoulder bag he's carrying and grab the Nikon, unzip ... read more

Geo: -31.4, -64.19For two months I'd been begging Isabel for her empanada recipe. Si, I will do it, she told me. But translating a family recipe from spanish to english, from metric to our silly cups and teaspoons, from large family gathering to empanadas for two...it was all just too much.So while stopping for a couple of days on our trip from Salta to Buenos Aires, Osvaldo and Isabel had us over for a day in the kitchen.She cooked. I wrote. And while I'm pretty certain I got it down right, I haven't actually had a chance to try it out, so I'll just share the pictures and the fun. ... read more

Geo: -22.9058, -68.1951Again I'm without words to describe the scene before me. The Atacama desert is the driest in the world. Arizona's is the wettest. No comparison. You look at this forever expanse and first glance tells you this is unlike ANYTHING you've seen before. Flat, barren, bereft for as far as you can see in every direction. But look again. It rained torrents earlier this month. Their Bolivian winter brought deluges that crashed down the mountains and washed out roads, homes, anything it it's path. But now there are tiny green sprouts on the plano and if you look really, really closely you'll even see wildflowers. Nothing like the Beartooth's spring display, but they're there. This part of the Atacama gets it's weather from the east, not from the west--from Bolivia and the Atlantic ocean. ... read more