Park City Silly to Seriously Greece

Park City has a way of creating ongoing parties and celebrations throughout the year, and we were fortunate to hit the first "Park Silly" event of the summer season. Park Silly is one big street-long craft and food fair that covers all of Main Street, with craft, food and of course, beer vendors.  These pop-ups compete along the Main Street with the likes of Gorsuch from Austria, Lululemon and Patagonia to name a few.  Andrea I walked up the Rail Trail that passes close by Cassie and Kris's home, to the heart of Park City.   There we met up with the new family of 3 for some fast food from one of the Park City food vendors.  Did some shopping as well, and purchased a small compact, waterproof speaker to take with us on our journey.

June 7th and 8th were a blur of travel from Salt Lake City to Kennedy airport in New York, across to Amsterdam and on to Athens.  After 27 hours of being up and awake, we checked into Dave Red Hotel in Athens.  

How different the Athens cityscape was from my (Boyd's) last visit with Conrad Johnson in 1972.  At that time we negotiated the crowded yet relatively small city streets into the heart of Athens in our 60 something Volkswagen converted bus with it's kangaroo bars and rally lamps.  While the population grew by only 500,000 in that time period, the sophistication and complexity of the city was leap years away.  Modern express ways move you from the new international airport into the city, where there is a plethora of modern stores (think H&M and Marks and Spencer), along with a cornucopia of eating establishments from the humble Gyro seller to modern/upscale restaurants replete with resident DJs and mood lighting. 

My Bride after being awake for 27 hours straight in Athens

Athens for us was a visit to the Acropolis and surrounds.  No more just walking up and into the Acropolis as Conrad and I did some fifty years ago.  Now it's lining up to purchase a ticket, to join the crowds of tourists along set walking paths into the main structure, with security personnel ever watchful.  Most of the Acropolis is off limits now as they continue restoration to the massive stone works.  Many of the piles of stones are numbered, as the Greeks take advantage of AI, to try and reconstruct portions of the fortress of Athena that have been lost to time and earthquakes. 

The Vagabonds by the Acropolis

Leaving Athens on a short flight to Heraklion very early in the morning of the 10th, we found ourselves landing on a flat spit of land abutting the Mediterranean Sea.  Heraklion is Crete's largest city, with Chania on the western end of the island coming in at number two.  The land is one of contrasts, with stark mountains, some with evidence of snow still visible in June juxtaposed against the "Windex blue" Mediterranean waters.  Olive trees and vineyards coexist outside the towns, where sheep and goats roam.  The Kiri Kiri, Crete's almost extinct style of goat hang out in unlikely places along the roadside, untethered and free of any predators.

After wandering the inner city area we chose to dine at a small, open-air restaurant, "Meze Meze", located within the maze of streets and alleys in the central city.  Our waitress, Maria, greeted us with an American scented, "sure" when asked if they could provide us with some white wine.  Maria is a vivacious young lady with outstanding English skills - she was wearing a Baltimore Ravens T-shirt that night and we immediately thought of our dear friend Beth G who would have loved this gal!  She said she learned her English mostly from watching movies - notably Pirates of the Caribbean and The Lion King.  "Meze" means appetizer in Greek, and we sampled Greeks specialties while having 500ml of very drinkable Greek table wine.  

Boyd in the "Change Room" on Matala Beach

Boyd & Maria our animated server 

The following day we drove south through the mountains and villages to Matala Beach.  Once a quaint fishing village, with hermit caves carved into the limestone walls of the bay, this small enclave is now a bustling tourist destination packed with street vendors and open-air restaurants.  Five Euros each got us a lounge chair and umbrella (prices range from 5-10 Euros).
We enjoyed the sun and the spectacular blue Mediterranean waters. Above is Boyd protecting his modesty (what there is left of it), in a change booth on the beach.  Andrea explored the "hermit caves" and after a little shopping (Andrea needed a small leather cross-body purse), we got into our Seata Aroma (Spanish made Peugeot), and drove the hour back to Heraklion.

On the 12th we drove out past the airport to a touristy place known as "Pleasure Beach".  With free parking as the come-on, we planted ourselves under the azure skies on the beach which overlooked a small island with a Greek Orthodox chapel gracing it's shores.  Both of us swam the short distance to the island and examined the chapel which was quaint but closed to the public.  

Andrea after her swim to the Chapel
Pleasure Beach

We picked up our long-time friends Margareta and Lennart, who had flown in from Stockholm that day, and proceeded to drive west along the northern coastline to Chania, where after thirty minutes of trying to negotiate the narrow roads and alleys, we parked our car and walked to 47 Gavaladon, and the Gardenia House, our AirNB accommodation.  Margareta and Andrea declared this to be a Mama Mia worthy house, with a delightful roof top lanai which overlooked a bustling pedestrian street below.  

Boyd with Minaret on rooftop patio in Chania

Night scene from our rooftop patio

Boyd & Margareta by Mosque in Chania

During the evening hours the street becomes a long passage of tables and chairs with multiple restaurants offering up their brand of Greek food and hospitality.  Dinner usually starts around 8:30PM and the tables will be occupied until around 2AM in the morning when all the table are stashed and lashed away in preparation for the next day's dining ritual.

We walked the old town of Chania with it's Phoenician fortress walls and lighthouse, along with a long abandoned mosque.  

Andrea, Margareta & Lennart on Phoenician Seawall - Chania

The Phoenicians had conquered the city around 1266 until the Turks established themselves in the early part of the 1800's.  They stayed around till 1897 when the Greeks booted them out.  The remaining minarets and mosques are now just tourist attractions, with the Greek Orthodox Churches in ascendance.  

June 14th found us at 6:25 in the morning boarding a bus in the old city to take us to the famed Samaria Gorge.  After some confusion with the guide, we made it clear we four oldsters were on the "Lazy" tour, where we were to catch the ferry from Sougia to Aglio-Remelli, a small village at the southern outlet of the gorge.  

On a bridge spanning the river in Samaria Gorge

Some two buses later, we arrived, caught the ferry to gorge and completed a ten kilometer roundtrip hike up and back into the gorge.  The gorge is Europe's longest, with a canyon that narrows to 9 meters, with crystal clear waters running down to the sea.  The walls of sedimentary rock, hued in orange are tortured and twisted from their original horizontal position into curiously skewed vertical monoliths of stone that rise all round you.  The Samaria Gorge is a national park, now protected.  It's waters feed the village below where goat and sheep compete for space with the tourists.  

Our ferry returning to Sougia from the Samaria Gorge at Agilo Remeli

We boarded one of two ferries at 5:30PM with what I would estimate were another five hundred souls (mostly young travelers), for the 45 minute return to Sougia.  There followed a 1.5 hour swaying bus trip snaking its way back to Chania, and a late evening dinner at a delightful open air taverna complete with Greek musicians playing traditional tunes. 

We left the charming city of Chania behind us on the 15th, and drove to the tiny village of Bali and its Evita Bay.  We drove down a rock strewn road to the smallest of the beaches, with a cove nestled in the rocks, "Windex blue" waters and inviting taverna's and the ubiquitous umbrella colored beach.  It was our favorite beach by far, and we swam and dove to take in the Mediterranean in all its seemingly pristine glory.  

The 2 of us at Evita Bay Beach, Bali, Greece

The beach was populated by numerous Greeks, British and Germans all soaking up the sun under clear skies and 28C temperatures.  We walked up the steep roadway to our car and drove on to Heraklion and the Venetian Boutique Hotel that evening.  We reunited with Maria at the Meze Meze where I got a hearty hug and we enjoyed more Greek cuisine with Margareta and Lennart. 

Our last day with Margareta and Lennart was highlighted by a tour of Knossos, the archaeological site of a labyrinth, known in Greek mythology for housing the Minator (half man half bull).  This site which was primarily an economic hub in it's day for the Minoans, had ruled the trade for the Mediterranean from Egypt to the present day Greece.  Question:  How were the Minoans organized as a society?

Answer to the question:  The Minoans were a matriarchal society with a high priestess.  They regarded the goddess of fertility to be preeminent.  

Will next catch up in Peloponesia, the peninsula south of Athens.  Machts Gute, Au Revoir, Aloha

Birthdays, Hiking Park City, The Great Salt Lake & Ogden

Let's just kick this post off with a bang; the birth of Emmi Andrea Reyes on May 24th

in the year of our Lord 2022! 

Cassie did a marvelous job of bringing one of God's beautiful creations into this world and did it with aplomb I might add.  Kris was there in that all-important support role throughout.  On the day of the birth, with Cassie dilated 6cm, Andrea and I who had been waiting patiently for hours at the hospital (Covid restricted us from being in L&D),  decided we would hike up PC Hill to stretch our legs and get past some of the anxiety of the moment.  2/3rds up to the summit we got a text from Kris that Casie had progressed to 9cm dilation and was getting ready to push.  Needless to say, we scrambled back down and drove back to Intermountain Park City Hospital and within 45 minutes. Ms. Emmi joined her fellow Homo sapiens on the face of this planet.  She came in at 7lbs. 3oz.  Andrea, not having heard anything for a time, called L&D and the unit clerk asked her to hold, then came back on briefly to tell her, the baby had just been born.  With that we walked into the hospital from the courtyard.  It was then I heard the lullaby, heralding the new birth which I knew was baby Emmi.

After another hour of waiting, Andrea and Hailey (Emmi's older sister from Kris) were allowed to go up into the L&D unit and greet Emmi, while Papa (that being Boyd), cooled his heals in the hospital lobby. 

Andrea & Boyd with Emmi on 6/25 when Boyd was allowed to visit

The following day, May 25th, Andrea & I had a short visit with the expanded family around noon.  By 5PM that day,  Emmi graced her new home. Both parents have recently been a bit sleep deprived  (probably sounds very familiar to those with children), but finding many ways to enjoy their new baby.  I won't even try to describe Oma Andrea's response.  Those of you who know Andrea well, know the response to her firstborn grandchild was off the Richter scale with joy. 

Andrea holding Emmi with Cassie

In between assisting in the home, Andrea and I have been exploring a little more of Utah, including a visit to the Natural History Museum in Salt Lake. I would highly recommend a visit to this magnificently designed and executed museum.

Boyd with forerunner to T. Rex

It has one of the best displays of dinosaurs in context that I have experienced, all in a modern open designed building on four levels. The day we visited was a gloomy cold one, so after visiting the museum, rather than hitting the trails as Andrea so often wishes to do, we took ourselves off for a great coffee at a place called Roots Coffee. There we indulged in Mexican Horchata coffees and some sort of decadent filled bundt cakes. Thereafter, we sought out the Kathmandu Restaurant and ordered yellow dal, nan bread and a vegetable curry with roti bread. I assailed the owner with my less than stellar rendition of Namaste, which was never-the-less, well received by the owner.

Andrea enjoying some Nepalese entrees

On another occasion with drove over to Deer Valley which is another ski area close to Park City with high-end homes and the St. Regis Hotel. Taking the funicular up the mountain to the hotel we sat down outside at their improbably beautiful bar which provides 360 degree views of the mountains/ski runs tucked just behind a panoramic stone garden lit with multiple gas fires.  Here is a pic from the bar overlooking the ski runs.

Andrea & Boyd at St. Regis Hotel, Deer Valley

After things settled out at Cassie and Kris's with the new arrival, we checked into Park City Hostel, in a nicely appointed private room that had French doors to a third floor balcony overlooking the surrounding hills and mountains, with Edison lights, recliners, and a nice gas barbecue.  We've enjoyed some late afternoon sunning while sipping on a glass of wine up on this balcony.  

After almost three weeks in Park City at an elevation of some 7,000 ft., our bodies have responded favorably to the thinner air, packing more red blood cells into our plasma, ie. we are getting conditioned!

The natural response by our bodies plus extra workouts at the spacious and well appointed Park City Gym (with swimming pools and hot tubs) has improved our overall fitness.  PS.  I had a comeuppance, when first hiking or mountain biking here, as my overall level of fitness just wasn't really up to the task.  I had thought of myself as pretty fit, but it was a sea level fallacy.  There is a whole other level of conditioning required to fully participate in sporting activities at 7,000 plus feet.  The Parkites, as they are known here, tend to be very fit due to regular daily activity via skiing, snowboarding, hiking and mountain biking year round.  

Panorama from Buffalo Point, Antelope Island

May 31st. found us driving the hour and a half to Antelope Island, which resides along the shore of the Great Salt Lake.  Not a misnomer, the Great Salt Lake is very large, with five times the salinity of the ocean.  Antelope Island is however a misnomer.  When the first white men came through here, (led by a gentleman called Frederick back in the early 1800s), they saw the Pronghorns and thought they were Antelope.  In fact, they are not Antelope, but rather the last of a particular species left over from the Ice ages.  Antelopes have branching horns that are shed, Pronghorns, have hollow horns with no spurs.  They are also the only animal that can eat/digest the sagebrush that is ubiquitous here in the West, however  I repeat myself from a prior post.

Andrea on top of Buffalo Point

Andrea and I hiked the Lady Finger Trail followed by the Buffalo Bluff Trail (where we indeed saw one Buffalo), hanging out on the shore of the Great Salt Lake.  The lake is expansive and multihued with patches of salt showing periodically.  As you ascend to a vantage point you have a panoramic view of the snow covered mountains that surround you virtually 360 degrees.  

After our initial two hikes we drove the western shoreline to Garr Ranch, still a working ranch, and observed some of the old buildings along with their content that dates from the 1950s.  There is a private herd of Buffalo on this island, which was at one time a seed herd to repopulate other areas of the state where the Buffalo had been exterminated.  While there are Big Horn Sheep and Pronghorns on the island we saw only Buffalo and Mule deer beyond the different species of birds including Curlews, Western Meadowlarks, multiple species of swallows and California Gulls.

The next day on June 1st. we stayed in Park City, did some final shopping including a puffer vest for Boyd, and walked up Main Street which ascends past the commercial district into some prime residential areas, mostly of historic homes/cottages. Continuing on up the valley, the street turns into a dirt road and becomes the Daly trail.  

Hiking up about a mile you come to the remains of a mining camp with sheds, other out buildings and house with multiple rooms that likely accommodated the miners.  Returning along our same route we took a trail (Trappers Gate), that parallels the road we had walked up, however this wound through the forrest of pine and Aspen offering up views of some of the old residences below, plus some unexpected relics like a 1940s Packard with its ten cylinder Thunderbolt engine still intact within the hollowed-out shell of a rusting body.  We came upon three more wrecks and a couple of tumble-down structures while walking the trail, all the while trying to figure out how they got there.  Come to find out, the trail ends at Prospect Ave. back in a residential section of Park City.  Some many years ago at the top of the road they had erected pylons to prevent any vehicles from going further up onto what is now a trail.

Happy Birthday Andrea!

Emmi joined the party

Cassie, Kris, Hailey & Andrea on her B-day

Arrowleaf Balsamroot

Andrea's favorite color - yellow on Quarry Mountain Summit Trail

Tufted Evening Primrose

We have crossed the rubicon of June 2nd. and now Andrea is officially a senior at the ripe age of 60:). Welcome to the club, albeit a long time coming from my august perspective!  I asked Andrea how the day should roll, and her priority was hiking, so we parked by the Park City Farm Trailhead, and did a hike to the top of Quarry Hill/Mtn. which offered up panoramic views of Park City and the surrounding mountains.  The weather was perfect with bright sun and low 70s temps, and most importantly the air quality was perfect, unlike last August when we were here - the California fires produced so much smoke that views of the mountains were obliterated.  Lots of lush wildflowers to observe along the hike.  
Once at the bottom, with breathing recovered. Andrea wished to continue hiking so we returned to her favorite hike near Cassie's place, PC Hill, with its view of the valley, Cassie and Kris's house, and the surrounding ski hills.  Its about a 500 foot climb to the top and we made it up and down in 45 minutes.

On the deck of the Hostel with Andrea's favorite ice cream:)

Thereafter to continue the celebrations, we shared a pint of ice cream on the deck outside our room, then made it over to Cassie and Kris's where they had a barbecue  for Andrea along with some of their friends.  I had previously arranged for a custom European style cake to be made, specifically a Sacher torte which is a speciality from Vienna.  I picked this up along with a congratulatory Vegan cake for Cassie and we made this part of a fun-filled evening celebrating Andrea!  

We took off again the next morning through the pass up over Parley Summit to the Salt Lake City area, heading north to the Bear River Wildlife Refuge, which was a spectacular birding experience due to the migratory birds coming through that need a fresh water habitat.  The refuge is just on the edge salt lake but has numerous fresh water habitats where species like Curlews, Grants Grebes, Mallards, White Pelicans, Cinnamon Teals etc.  We noted 21 species over two hours of driving and that wasn't all inclusive.  The fresh water streams and ponds were filled with introduced/pest carp that are eating up lots of food that would otherwise go to native species of fish.  A great day of exploring was had before checking into the Super8 Hotel in West Ogden.  That evening we took in an antique car show that lined 25th street in Ogden and the Ogden Music Festival where we heard the likes of Sam Bush, AJ Lee and the Blue Summit, and Amy Helms.  We were particularly taken with Sam Bush, who just plays a mean Mandolin while belting out blue grass tunes.  Question:  Why did the Mormons shun Ogden and the people that lived there?? (Answer at the end of this Post)

Returning to Park City on June 4th we visited with family, took a ride on an electric bike (Scrambler with fat tires), and then spent the evening at a block party just outside the hostel where the former mayor of Park City, one Dana Williams, put on quite a singular performance on a baby grand piano while belting out tunes.  He is a carpenter, performer and one time mayor of Park City! 

We have one more day June 6th in Park City, catching up with Emmi and doing final preparations for our transport to Greece on the 7th.  May the Force be with you:)

Will close this Post with a picture of the Reyes family out for a stroll around Park City:)

Emmi in stroller with  Cassie, Kris, Charley and Pirate

Answer:  Ogden has functioned as a major railway junction. The original location of the Golden Spike, where the east and west railways met is just about a 45 minute drive from here.  Because of the mix of people from all over the U.S., Ogden became a rough and ready town, with it's fair share of crime and debauchery.  Not something the Mormon religion tolerates.  To this day, the Mormons generally shun Ogden. 

Hiking Tetons & On To Park City

     Welcome back to the B&A Retour!  Glad you rejoined us. The day begins May 19, 2022

This sign in the Hostel in beautiful Teton Village says it all! We followed their advice on our last day in Grand Teton National Park starting with a 3.2 mile-hike roundtrip to Taggert Lake, a small glacial lake at the foot of the Tetons. 

The trail rose up through Aspen-forest and was alternately muddy and snow covered. These lakes slowly fill in with avalanche debris

On the shore of Taggert Lake

 

View to Grand Teton on return trail from Taggert

With the day still relatively young, we were eager to move on to Jenny Lake and  Hidden Falls. Snow came right down to the waters edge at Jenny Lake. Boyd is pictured by the shore of Jenny Lake.

We came across this mangy young bull moose browsing for food along the trail. 

 

We ended our hike around Jenny Lake with a well-deserved boat ride back to the trailhead, having hiked another 4 miles around the lake.

 

Leaving Teton Village the next morning it was borderline freezing and the backroads leading to Park City were crossing back and forth across the borders of Idaho, Wyomming and Utah.  Sleet pummeled the Highlander, but eventually we came out into the sun while passing through numerous desolate looking towns in Utah.  A house from another era presented down one of the side streets we passed, and it was so evocative I had to stop and take the picture.

 

We cruised into Park City in the early evening and have been catching up with Cassie and Kris while staying at their home in Park City.  Pictured here is Cassie at 39 weeks in downtown Park City with Kris and Boyd in the foreground. This picture was taken after hiking from her home to downtown Park City on the Prospector Trail, a little over 3 miles.

After the hike we all headed to the local gym where Cassie has worked out continuously during pregnancy, staying in exceptionally good shape even at 39 weeks pregnant. 

 

 May 23^rd is induction day for Cassie!  We are wishing her all the best for an uneventful delivery.  We can’t wait to meet Emmi!

2,200 Miles Cross Country in Three Days

Leaving Sun City Hilton Head on May 14, 2022, we traveled some 2,200 miles in 3 days in our Highlander, choking back the ever increasing cost to fill up the tank.  Starting at $3.94 at Sam's in Bluffton we ended at $5.99/gallon at the Bodega in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  A painful exercise in capitalism's excesses when supplies are tight. Yes, indeed ladies and gents we successfully accelerated through South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and finally Wyoming to find ourselves in Teton Village in Jackson Hole.  

Stopped in some quirky places along the way you would never recognize like Hardy, Arkansas. Spent a not so resplendent night at a Day's Inn.  That being said, the small town has it's quaint aspects, and the Spring River Bar and Grill fit the hunting motif, as we soaked in the ambiance of the bar with all it's colorful advertising lights aglow within.  We were serenaded by a cute 20 something couple (just recently married) who regaled us oldsters with nostalgic songs from the 60's and 70's.  Speaking of Now and Then, the lyrics are noticeably upbeat and naive when viewed through today's worldview lenses, but a joy to return to for an evening at the bar with deep fried catfish being served up as their specialty.

When traveling as hard and long as we were with 10-12 hour driving days, we had to pick out resting spots on the fly, predicated on when the exhaustion factor was expected to kick in.  That calculation came up with Gothenburg, Nebraska for the second night's stay.  Little did we realize that while the accommodations at the Howard Johnson Motor Lodge (yes they really do exist and didn't go bankrupt - just sold out to Wyndham), were just fine, there was no place to dine on a Sunday evening.  I expect all the good citizens were home and not serving out of town folks. Still, we were ready to relax with a little ETOH and decent food, so I asked Andrea to enter the Centex gas station in Gothenburg for a dinner recommendation.  She asked the girl behind the counter, but din't come away with much that was useful.  However an assembled crowd of farmers were present, overheard Andrea and all volunteered readily that the best place to grab some great grub was 12 miles down Hwy 30 in a small town called Brady.  Our destination was the Hitching Post Bar and Restaurant.  Off we drove, and sure enough, there was a hitching post outside the wooden establishment in the little town of Brady (population 427). Men in their cowboy boots and hats were lollygagging outside, and bid us welcome, which I took for a good omen.

By the time the evening closed for us after a ribeye steak sandwich and onion rings chased down by a local Nebraska brew and a few corn whiskey's (most of which were on the house), we had had a rousing good evening, having learned all about delivering mail from Heather the mail carrier lady, the sand hills north of town where the prior owner lives on 1,100 acres and occasionally shoots Sand Hill Cranes for a meal (ugh!), the sorry state of the billboard business from the current owner of the bar (due to the fact everyone is using their phones for information and not paying attention to billboards (I secretly thought that was grand that there would be fewer in my future), and the current high costs of farming land and making a living out of it.  All that being said, they were welcoming hosts, and intent on learning all they could about out current adventures, and plans for the next 12-18 months.  In the end analysis we were made to feel like a small part of the family for an evening, and thus decided to send the mail carrier a few postcards C/O the Hitching Post as we travel through space and time in the ensuing months, just to provide our new friends with something unexpected from the couple from SC that blew in of a night. On the way back to our accommodations we stopped to marvel at the lunar eclipse in progress and the beauty of it set against Gothenburg's grain elevator.  

After a final 10 and half hour drive through some desolate parts of Wyoming including Laramie and Raw
lins, we rolled into Teton Village, our first destination.  I visited Jackson Hole first in the winter of 1971 having attended the Rose Bowl on the return trip back to Michigan.  Accommodations then was a place on the floor of an ancient mobile home located somewhere on the outskirts of the ski resort where my friend Conrad had friends from his fraternity.  I "skied" the mountain in Levis and most remember the beer awaiting us at the end of the day in the mobile home.  Said beer was being brewed in a 55 gallon trash can with a bare 40 watt electric light inside the lid to keep it at fermenting temperature!  

It's now May 16th and we checked into The Hostel at Teton Village where we were welcomed by young, smiling desk clerks and provided with information on rafting etc.  Our accommodations surprised us.  Surrounded by beautiful condos and rental units overlooking the famous ski hills, there sits right behind the famous Mangy Mouse Restaurant and Bar, The Hostel, constructed of cedar, and offering up a private room with a king bed for us.  True, the views are limited, but what a great deal in this high rent district at $97/night.  Most accommodations near the ski hill run in the $300-400/night range!  

Today, May 17th, the weather was bright, sunny and beautiful, so we took advantage of the conditions and toured Grand Teton National Park.  Note to self, a number of businesses and attractions inside the park are not yet open including the Rockefeller Preserve, Signal Mountain and Teton Pass.  Everything will be opening up by Memorial Day. As we toured, we noticed signs directing new employees to staff dorms etc. Those few currently serving in the restaurants had a distinct deer in the headlights aura:).

The 3.1 mile hike around String Lake was exceptional; the aquamarine glacial lake gracing the panorama of Grand Teton Mountain in the background.  We had to negotiate large portions of the trail yet covered in snow with multiple boggy stretches. With good reason, they call this the "mud season" around here, due to the snowmelt.  We saw a marmot, hawk, 3 common mergansers, heard the yellow warblers above us in the pines, marveled at the aqua marine waters of the glacial lake and just stood in awe of the majesty of the snow covered Tetons that towered around us like sentinels of the earth. 

Was interesting to see a type of Fritillary butterfly feeding off Moose dung.  Go figure!  The males of that species require the salts found in the dung to be able to better procreate. Viagra for butterflies??

Over the large expanses of land not covered with rock and pine you see a lot of wild Sagebrush, which is exceptionally fragrant when crushed.  Can any of you astute naturalists tell me which one species of animal can consume and digest Sagebrush?  It is poisonous to all other species (answer at the end of the Blog post).

My new (somewhat odd looking) Altra hiking boots, with a flared toe box worked exceptionally well, keeping the feet dry with no sore spots. Yea!  

Returning to Jackson, we took in the Snake River Overlook which Ansel Adams famously took a picture of in 1942 to advertise the National Park system.  We encountered a large herd of bison calmly grazing  unperturbed by the human species gawking at them, photographed the Mormon barn (most photographed

barn in the U.S. apparently and a testimony to the carpentry skills of the Mormons who lived there until the early 1900s when they relocated to Salt Lake City), and Elk who were taking a siesta in the National Elk Preserve just before you enter the town of Jackson.  We retired to an Indian restaurant in Jackson (The Teton Tiger) for a wonderfully flavorful meal of wrapped lettuce leaves with Tofu, and an entree of butter curry over Tandori chicken.  Thereafter it was home to the hostel where the sun was already behind Tetons casting a shadowed grayness to the remaining snowfields hanging on the cliff above us.  

Answer to puzzle question: Pronghorn Antelope are the only species that can digest Sagebrush which accumulates toxins other animals are not able to tolerate through their digestive systems.

B&A ReTour

For those of you with long memories, you might vaguely recall that I had published a number of posts in this blog "Travels Now and Then" last in 2017.  Yes I know, not a very prolific writer am I?

Well, both myself and Andrea will try and make up for some of this lapse by posting occasionally as part of our B&A ReTour, as we have branded our world adventure.  Many of  our distinguished family and friends have likely surmised that this is short form for Boyd and Andrea Retirement Tour.

And yes, it is official, Andrea is in the retired column at present, having worked her last day as a hands-on nurse at The Bluffton Okatie Outpatient Surgery Center.  She ceased to be gainfully employed as of May 4th.  As I write this she is working her upper body with tension cords to maintain that youthful appearance and demeanor we've all come to expect:)

Some of those who have been around us enough, know that we have a passion for travel and new experiences both within and outside the U.S.  Back when I (Boyd) retired in 2015, I took a three month trip in our pop-up camper around the U.S. and a number of Blog posts were reflections on those travels.  Since that time we have dreamed of a day when both of us were retired, AKA living off our accumulated sweat and tears plus a little help from a good investment (TESLA), and that day is now upon us.  While our minds our clear, our love for each other stronger than ever, and our bodies willing we are off on our long-awaited world adventure AKA the B&A ReTour. 

After several months planning we secured the necessary equipment comprised of Osprey 46 liter backpacks with rolling capacity and married those with custom Daylight backpacks that piggy back onto the main bag for ease of transport.  Those and travel related clothing items came in around $1,250, less than one handcrafted Gucci handbag! Let the packing circus ensue!  For weeks prior to our leaving selected clothing items were laid out in our guest bedroom, with our confidence growing daily that we had selected the rare items that would make it into the 46 liter pack (think medium size suitcase you could have as a take-on aboard an airplane).  Items ranged from Diamond headlamps, to specialized Prana hiking pants and smart wool socks, underwear for a week that can dry quickly, GPS device, Bose headphones, and layers of microfiber tops that could offset the cold along with minimized/pack-down coats.

The week before our departure, the pace peaked with last minute good-byes with friends, prescriptions to be had, vaccinations to be secured (Hepatitis A in our case for S.E. Asia), services shutdowns etc.  Then there was the - at times- zealous housecleaning to ensure all cockroaches that might enter wouldn't find even a dustmite to eat!  In between cleaning and stowing away all outside planters, chairs, umbrellas etc. we started our self-flagellation exercise (packing away all that we were taking with us for a year into the backpack).  My start was to dutifully organize with the start of the packing marathons.  Yes marathons!  After organizing all my varied items into packing cubes (little nylon zippered bags) so that there would be some means to find selected items within the bowels of the backpack.  I strategically placed the packing cubes with contents into the pack and lo and behold it rose a full 12" above the zippered pack closure like an erupting volcano!  Disheartened, I left it on the dining room table overnight for when I could get my head wrapped around the implications of this packing disaster.  

Morning came and with a cuppa Joe in hand, I studied the construction of the backpack with its aluminum spine running along the bottom (this is the carry handle that extends when rolling the backpack). Sequentially reducing clothing items that were nice to haves, and limiting the number of packing cubes, I went through two more packing iterations when with some effort, I was able to zip up the bag with nothing but my flip-flops in the outside pockets.  Andrea's assortment looked like Christmas had come early as she attempted the initial pack-down.  

Needless to say, there was some mirth involved as I studied the situation and empathized with my beautiful bride as she tried to pack for style, while being the necessary minimalist.  Andrea went through six iterations and gyrations, lovingly leaving behind items that would not be coming round the world with her.  On the night before our departure after much gnashing of teeth, her bulging backpack was zipped up with a few items to be brought along incase there was a miracle down the road that shrank everything miraculously and allowed them to fit within the confines of the pack!

We have now buttoned up the homestead, reducing electrical consumption except to the fridge and A.C., shutting off water to the house, closing all but the front shade curtains and locking down all doors and windows.

We hit the proverbial road in our trusty 2008 Toyota Highlander initially bound for Jackson Hole, Wyoming followed by Park City, Utah and a homecoming with Cassie and Kris along with the highly anticipated arrival of Emmi Andrea, Cassie's firstborn daughter who is due around May 23rd.