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��� There�s panthers here, too.� That�s not a must for where I camp, but if it�s �a less visited place� the real wilds will have critters like that.� After camping for the month of February in the Everglades of Big Cypress N.P. at Bear Island, a little R&R; in Deerfield Beach, and eating my fill of seared tuna at Rattle Snake Jakes on Rt. A1A, where Junior, the owner, catches and cooks it himself, I head west towards Big Bend National Park (www.nps.gov/bibe).
��� This is a mainstay on my DON�T MISS LIST, and will be my featured stop on my 2009 Adventure of migratory meanderings.� The size of this park rivals the size of Rhode Island, encloses a mountain range, borders Mexico with the Wild River, the Rio Grande dividing us from them for 245 miles, has lots of remote camping (my favorite right along the Terlingua Creek), and I can wander the desert all day and not see a living soul.� There�s a farming and mining ghost town to explore; roads to bike; trails to walk in mountains, desert, and along the River; a myriad of birds (450 species are here) including the sought after vermilion fly catcher (birders congregate from all over the world to see it!) to watch; and fabulous St. Elena Canyon with the Rio Grande flowing through it, a kayaker�s delight (see last week�s picture).� There�re rapids for a challenge, peaceful places to sit, listen to the echo of canyon wrens, ponder the stuff floating by, and a cave on the Mexican side in the Canyon wall.� One of the rafting guides said he saw panther tracks near the water there.� That cave is at the top of my To Do List for this trip.� Since the price of gas may be a limiting factor for this Adventure, causing me to drive less and stay longer where I stop, I may be in Big Bend for most of March, so I should have time to work up to and find a doable trail to get to the cave.�
��� I probably won�t get to all the grand places in the southwest that I�ve been to in the last six years where it�s warm in the winter, but here�s a run down of what�s on my DON�T MISS LIST.� The antics at Spring Break (sponsored by Army, Geico & Full Throttle Energy Drink where all events are over by 6p, safe, and under control with few arrests) in Padre Island, Tx. is better than a movie, plus Baltimore Orioles are migrating through, and just a short drive away is Laguna Atascosa NWR where I see green jays, road runners and bobcats.� On the way to Big Bend is a bakery in the little town of Rio Grande City, Tx., where you wander amongst the ovens with a tray and pick up what you want.� I get a week�s supply of goodies!
��� After Big Bend there�s serene wonder rocks in Chiricahua N.M., Az. and great TexMex Food at the Rodeo Diner.� Then there�s Organ Pipes Cactus N.M. with Cactus Forests, a humming bird oasis, and great restaurants in the town of Ajo (where if I disappear- don�t look for me there!).� Kofu NWR is just north of Yuma and it�s guaranteed to be peopleless. The pinnacle of Sedona�s red rocks, Soldier Rocks, is just a short walk from the middle of town.� Cottonwood State Park with camping & Mexican Bakery near the entrance, and reasonably priced restaurants & motels is several miles away, with the town of Jerome with lots of arts & hand made stuff up on the mountain overlooking the whole valley.� Most people go to Las Vegas for gambling and shows, but I go to eat - DON�T MISS the buffets (fried oysters, stone crab claws & more at the Freemont Casino).� South of there is the Mojave Desert with mountain sized sand dunes, $1 PBR drafts & more food than you can eat, and you can�t spend $10 at the Dunes Inn in 29 Palms; and a great Quesadilla at the Burger Hut, on infamous US 66 Needles, Ca.� Eat your fill at those two, because names on the map in the Mojave Desert are just cross roads, not towns.
��� Picturesque Red Rock Canyon BLM (Bureau of Lands & Mines) is within sight of Vegas to the west.� The Valley of Fire with its rainbow rocky landscapes, nice camp grounds, and the Home Plate Diner in Overton, Nev. is about an hour to the east.� The spectacular gorges of Virgin River BLM is on US 15 on the way to the hoodoos, like red stalagmites on 9,000-foot mountain peaks of Bryce Canyon NP.� Toroweap with panoramic views of the Grand Canyon, that most people never see (it�s on the north rim & way west of Flagstaff), free camping, and the road that can destroy your car. The vast nowherelands in southern Utah of the Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Capital Reef NP and Glen Canyon NP with slot canyons are to the east.�
��� I savored my memories of Keys sunrises, a crocodile, panthers, hummingbirds, slot canyons, all I�d seen & done and as I charted my 1,500 mile journey home from Holbrook, Az., where there�s more wonderful TexMex Food at Romo�s and the painted desert near by.� An Islamorada SunRise, walk in Big Cypress where I may see a panther, kayaking in St. Elena Canyon and gazing at the Grand Canyon panoramic vista from Toroweap top my Don�t Miss List with the hummingbird oasis & the slot canyons (finding them was 2008 Adventure�s Goal) are right there, too.� I�m ready to do it all again, except one, the snow storm, in the mountains just east of Albuquerque on my way home.� It was not in the forecast, certainly not in my plans, but it was there complete with cars sliding all over the road, jackknifed tractor & trailers, and I was dressed in shorts, T shirt & sandals!!!! No not again!!!
��� Thanks to all of you who read what I wrote or at least looked at my pictures this year, and especially thank you to those who commented about them. If you�d like to give one of my photos as a holiday gift, want to do a family photo on the beach, have questions, want a copy of my DON�T MISS LIST or want my O.C. CheapEats & Bar Specials send me an email at
[email protected].��� Watch out for the Gremlins, Ghosts and Goblins.� I�ll bet there�ll be a real ghouly� hoot at Terlingua!� See you where it�s Warm.
