Monthly Archives: April 2020

Walking Earth’s Mantle

 in Canada / Newfoundland  tagged Earth's mantle / geology mecca / Gros Morne National Park / Newfoundland / Tablelands / travel by

One of only two places where mere mortals can walk on the Earth’s mantle, Tablelands in Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland is momentous. The mantle is the layer of semi-molten rock beneath the Earth’s crust, so…not a good walking place. Geologists across the globe are eternally grateful for the epic subterranean event that shoved a fair-sized chunk to the surface in Newfoundland, allowing us to get better acquainted with that globe. Having driven thousands of miles to get there, Steve and I were accustomed to raising eyebrows when we said we’d come from Colorado. The Tablelands crowd was different. Our […]

Tucson RRRocks!..?

 in Arizona / Snowbirding  tagged Arizona / crystals / fossils / Quartzsite / rocks / travel / Tucson Gem and Mineral Show by

I love rocks. I’m not a geologist or much of an investor, but I seldom discourage my inner child from hauling home earthly finds. Strange then that after less than an hour of perusing acres and acres of magnificent specimens at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, I wanted out…now. I can’t say exactly what caused me to react that way except it was too much. Months later I wonder if my distress came from seeing dazzling masterpieces, miraculously forged over millions of years, so crammed together as to become commonplace. Oh look, another massive treasure crystal extravaganza, yawn. Some […]

Trailside Shopping Ops

 in camping / Snowbirding / Texas / Wildlife/animals  tagged Big Bend National Park / border / Cottonwood Campground / coyotes / Mexican souvenirs / nature trail / Rio Grande River / roadrunners / sunset / Texas / travel by

Cottonwood campground in Big Bend National Park, Texas, has many usual campground attractions and way more.  We watched coyotes trot casually across our backyard.  Roadrunners scurried a few steps, cranked their tails up and down, scurried, cranked, scurried, cranked. Then a neighbor alerted us of spectacular nature trail sunsets–and shopping.  Not just any shopping, illicit border infiltration shopping! Before we got to the nature trail to peruse the wares, we discovered another shopping outlet on a scenic overlook.  As we took in the view, Steve noticed a man across the Rio Grande who climbed into a boat and rowed our […]

Rowboat to Mexico

 in camping / Snowbirding / Texas / Wildlife/animals  tagged Big Bend National Park / Boquillas / caves / donkeys / ferry / guide / Mexican restaurants / Mexico / Port of Entry / Shopping / travel by

Red flags lofted at the suggestion of a side trip to Mexico, so I asked the Information Desk staffer in Big Bend National Park. “You are safer here than in your home town,” she claimed.  (Apparently she considers the Mexican village of Boquillas part of Big Bend.) The next surprise was the Port of Entry, a nice official building on a dirt path leading to the Rio Grande River–no road, no bridge, no Immigration officials, just a friendly Parks employee who prompted us to check and see if our passports were expired or we’d picked up another family member’s by […]