Destination: Family!

Inspired by son Kelly's graduation from Indiana University School of Medicine, we have planned visits with family on this trip from Tucson to Pennsylvania and home again.



Passing through Odessa, Texas, Jim found Jack Ben Rabbit. No relation,
Jack is one of many rabbit statues erected throughout the town of Odessa, representing the large number of jack rabbits to be found in this part of Texas.



Oil rigs were seen everywhere traveling through Texas.

The only U.S. Post Office shared by two states, Texas and Arkansas.

First family stop - North Little Rock, Arkansas, and visit with cousin Dian Osness. We found plenty to do in North Little Rock, staying three days at the Downtown Riverside RV Park along the Arkansas River.


The Old Mill, a replica of an old grist mill, can be seen in the beginning credits of Gone With The Wind - a very scenic and restful place to visit.




An enjoyable tour of the beautiful
Arkansas State Capitol.

 

The rotunda chandelier weighs more than 4000 lbs.



 

 

                 

Bicycling opportunities abound with

the Big Dam Bridge and Arkansas River Trail.

        



 

 

A visit to Little Rock's visitor center was a poignant reminder of the desegregation crisis of 1957 and the "Little Rock Nine".

 

Little Rock Central High School recognized as more than a typical American high school, was named "America's Most Beautiful High School" by the American Institute of Architects.

 



 
 




 

Touring a neighborhood of old
mansions, we found the home of
the movie set for Designing
Women.





 


Our view of The Clinton Presidential
Park Bridge from our rv site. This pedestrian
bridge connects North Little Rock and Little Rock. 

 

 

The William J Clinton Presidential Center.
We enjoyed our "walk" with President Clinton
 as he gave a personal narration of his terms
in office.



President McNaughton
waiting on his cabinet members, or dinner?

Full-scale replicas of the White House
Cabinet Room and Oval Office. 








    




Little Rock skyline and Arkansas River

Thank you, Dian, for inspiring this visit to Little Rock.
We enjoyed our meals with you and Larry very much.
A special thanks to Larry for the delicious pear and grape wines.
It was great to see you!





Bangkok, Thailand - Part 1 of 3

Unfortunately due to flight delays, our visit to Bangkok was shorter than planned. In spite of our limited time, we were able to tour the city and visit many of the beautiful Wats (temples) located in Bangkok, known as the City of Angels. Bangkok is huge!! (over 10 million people). Transportation is a snap in Bangkok via tuk tuks, buses, taxis, trains, and boats. You can expect heavy traffic congestion in the center city and may find it faster to commute by way of their canals. We did, in fact, tour parts of the residential districts and some wats along the canals in what is known as a long tail boat. Our hotel was located in the Siam Paragon district, near a "skywalk" where we could walk over the bustling traffic to the large shopping malls and restaurants. Jim walked to the Jim Thompson House, while Joyce took a much needed nap. This teak home complex  is now a museum of  his Asian art collections and silk clothing.

Next post: Krabi, Thailand.

Double click picture below with your mouse to see ALL the pictures of Bangkok. Then click slideshow tab at the top left of page.

Bangkok

Krabi, Thailand - Part 2 of 3

Getting to our next destination was an adventure in it's self, as our hotel on Railay beach was accessible only by boat. After flying from Bangkok to Krabi, we taxied to Ao Nammao pier where we boarded the next long tail boat. Railay beach is one Thailand's most sought after beaches. Although it is actually connected to the mainland, the Phra Nang peninsula is isolated from Krabi town by it's limestone cliffs and steep jungle valleys. Truly a tropical paradise with no roads, no cars - only local long tail boats. The pictures in this post take us back to a fun tour of the islands, snorkeling, hikes to various beaches and caves, and relaxing sunsets.

Krabi

Hua Hin, Thailand - Part 3 of 3

From Krabi, we flew back to Bangkok and taxied to Hua Hin to meet up with my sister, Sharril. After a great deal of travel and site seeing, it was wonderful to see a familiar face and spend time with each other. In Hua Hin we enjoyed hanging out at Sharril's lovely apartment where we walked to local restaurants for dinner, or took a taxi or bus into town where we visited the markets, Monkey Mountain and Market Mall. For me, much of this visit to Thailand was about it's wonderful food. Sharril and I took a Thai cooking class and learned to make some of our favorite dishes. A bonus was seeing Hua Hin decorated for the Chinese New Year. Many thanks to Sharril for hosting us in Hua Hin and inspiring this wonderful visit to Thailand.

Hua Hin

Monument Valley



The Mittens!

Crossing the border from Utah to Arizona, we
arrive at Monument Valley, a Navajo Tribal Park. 
Just when I think I have seen every shape of red
rock, there it is, not only a right but a left mitten!

         Horrible road conditions prevented us from completing this self-driven tour of Valley Drive.

Merrick Butte

Our most enjoyable three week tour of northern Arizona and southern Utah has come to an end and we are ready to head home.

Arches National Park - Moab, UT

After having been rained in the previous day, we are looking forward to exploring Arches National Park and are rewarded with beautiful blue skies. As the name implies, this park is known for it's many photogenic arches, as well as, other aptly named rock formations.




The Three Gossips

Delicate Arch



Balanced Rock






 



Landscape Arch

Double Arch

In 1991 a rock slab  60 feet long, 11 feet wide, and 4 feet thick fell from the underside of Landscape Arch, leaving behind an even thinner ribbon of rock.


Parade of elephants

 

Window Arch





 

One of many mule deer viewed from our window 



 



Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky

We begin our Canyonlands adventure with our stay in Moab, Utah. Canyonlands National Park, described as 527 square miles of wild America, is divided into three regions: Island in the Sky, The Maze, and The Needles. Today we are exploring Island in the Sky.



Candlestick Tower

Mesa Arch





Green River Overlook





Upheaval Dome thought to be caused by a meteorite




A closer look of the dome

Shafer Trail Road





Morgan club visiting the park