Boog's Blog

• Yes, it is true. The Boogs are off again after a long hiatus. This time, however, it is not a Sacking adventure.

This will be a recovery trip, avoidance of the electioneering, as well as another of our usual adventures. Naturally we will be back in time to vote,. Be sure to vote.

First we are off to see the “boys” pictured below. Muru too we hope; his whereabouts are unclear at this writing. Maybe trying to convert the Catalonians to a world with more and more vaired spices.

Blogging will be infrequent and more summary style except for events of note. Our gentle readers are likely overloaded with our earlier pics of London. Several and hopefully interesting side trips are planned.

Above, one of the “boys”, the chef. He has committed to feed us well. I have been collecting Allo shots of his preparations over the past several months. Selected items will be featured.

Another of the “boys”. This one specializes in singing, acting and eating. All three are worthy of note as is his 32 inch waist.

Travels should take us to London and points nearby, then and amble in the South of France and with a bit of luck to a truffle festival in Alba Italy.

Thursday.

Coffee and muffins at the fine Kofi place in Palm Springs. Unfortunately we left the purchased muffins on the table and discovered it when we wanted to have them with tea last night

Off to hotel in Santa Monica. Excellent Fairmont hotel. Not a bad Beach either.

Good food at the restaurant.

And a fine tree.

Friday.

Getty center for Nile and Egypt exhibit. Then to Santa Barbara. But first a stop at the Malibu Lagoon which is now finished and was not the last time we went through here.

76000 plants were planted. Beautifully restored area. Snowy plovers here but we did not see them.

The beach in the background.

Wednesday.

Got up with no plans other than to head West. After passing Las Vegas we had to decide whether to head towards Barstow or Palm Springs chose the latter.

Palm Springs via kelso dunes

Very excellent drive through the Mojave National Preserve. Joshua trees sand dunes lovely road with no traffic and no trucks beautiful small mountains nothing like Zion or Bryce.

Then on route 66 to Amboy.

Needs cropping.

Vast emptiness

Pile of dunes with train

Favorite hotel in Palm springs. Arrive. Strange name for hotel.

pre-dinner drinks were quite strong at least one of them. I have been following two bicyclists and their blog as they bicycle from northern Alaska to the southern tip of South America. Along the way they tested mezcal. It is made from a agave plant. Unlike tequila which is made from only one agave plant Mezcal can be made from most any agave plant.

Never had the stuff but here in this Hotel restaurant they offered me a smoky Paloma which is mezcal with grapefruit juice and lime. The other picture drink is a margarita. Soon QB will be drunk.

Eggplant

Tuesday

Bryce day. Took long way to avoid the worst switchbacks.

We booked ahead for the free shuttle that takes three and a half hours and visits all the high and highlite spots.

Fine exhibits at the visitor center.

Bristlecone. Long living,very.

Highest point

Just some shots

Natural Arch

Inside pine nut cone

Monday even hotter.

Zion again.

Weeping willows and waterfall not quite Yosemite.

Geology.

Lower emerald.

Wildlife count: mule deer, raptor,wild turkey,ground squirrels,warbler.

With Emerald Springs we finished all the walks that we could possibly do without walking on high narrow ledges.

For completing the ticket one should get advice on a hidden walk that is not divulged sort of a bonus for success.

Sunday.

One is allowed to drive into the park but discouraged by virtually no parking. Need to get there by 7-7:30 to get a spot. Shuttle runs from town. Far better.

We walked in from the hotel.

A day of spectacular rocks and bumbleberries. Patience, first the rocks and then the bumbleberries.

The Virgin River made this Canyon.

Road has been closed several times in the last 20 years to to rock slides or gigantic flash floods. People were stranded at the Zion Lodge; lucky them.

Rock climbing. Can you see them? Really small.

Sandstone varnish. The biology of their color is not understood according to signage. It is biology, not geology that is thought to be there cause. Alge are involved.

Hanging Gardens caused by the water running down vertically rather than horizontally in the river bed.

The path not taken as the road narrows after here and the water eventually moves up from your knees to your waist to your head level; path not taken at least by Boogs.

Finally the bumbleberries.

A local pie shop here is selling bumbleberry pie. Went in to look at and ask what are bumbleberry. Well she replied they are a hybrid of two other very special berries. Which ones I inquired. That is a secret they are grown and a Hidden Valley that nobody knows where they are. Must be a Utah story.

It’s not on the menu.

While ordering dinner I saw this dish of vegetables go by. How do I get that I did not see it on the menu? Well it’s not on the menu but you can have it.

Enough said.

Saturday. Slipped in a state park. Valley of Fire State Park.

Then to petroglyphs

At Best Western Zion. Functional. We are spoiled. Though it does have absolutely fabulous Wi-Fi.

View from room. More spectacular ones to come.

Tomorrow Zion Park.

Friday. Much much warmer.

Balls of string day in Vegas before moving on to Zion.

Rock wall in spa.

At first I thought of this hotel complex as a giant ball of string. Upon reflection it is more like a cathedral designed to awe and wow. Art, salvation at the tables, opportunity to pay everywhere, side chapels of shopping, on and on.

The next “in” bag. Especially good with pastries.

Too windy to sit outside but clearly not for others.

Dinner at Bouchon.

Not Foster Farms chicken room

Above took only a few hours.

This is expected to be mostly a photo essay.

Road Trips, of which we have done very few, tend not to be very interesting except the places you plan to visit. Maybe interesting things will occur on the way and if so they will be reported for posterity or at least amusement.

There is room in the car so we are carrying far far more than we normally do. Throw in a frying pan, never know if we will need it on the trip.

Wednesday

Stopped at big bear restaurant for eats and figuring out where we are going and where to stay. Sequoia Forest is large. Forest, monument,park. Earlier research would have been wiser.

Dead trees, snow on the way to Waksachi lodge in the park. Surprised we got a room.

See QB at bottom.

WiFi not working anywhere on property. So much for advertising.

Thursday

Woke to snow.

Giants of the forest.

Ride down to valley terrible for to fog. Very dangerous. First and second gear.

Continued to Las Vegas across the Mohave.

Will send two nights here.

Saturday 28 October

Headed to a museum but …. weather was far too nice to go inside so we wandered about the town for seven hours.  Did not heat up badly until late afternoon.

Today was an architectural walk.  Just looking at the fine city; a worthwhile day in itself but then we ran into a demonstration.

The Tub(QB’s mother would have been proud as we joined the crowd and chanted  a bit. 

Spain unity parade.  Many of the central streets closed off to traffic so walking even better. 

Speeches, music, crowds all just peaceably congregating.

Clearly here in Madrid the sympathy is towards unity and not allowing Cataluna to leave.  This may be the most Spain has been united in a long time. 

Eventually we ended up walking through a very large park, close to the size of central park NYC.  In the park, a boating lake, an exposition at the Casa de Vacas.  

One pictured painting below could have been done by Muru.   Another is in the style of Canaletto – QB observed.  Decent exhibit.

Canaletto style

Just one I liked.  Seems like a major percentage of the population here still smokes.   Cigs are 5 euro plus a pack.

Final dinner at the hotel.