A remote wonderland of geology, the Bisti De-Na-Zin Wilderness is one of our favorite places in the world. With vast collections of hoodoos and amazing rocks and fossils, there are endless opportunities for the imagination. The weathering of the interbedded slate, sandstone, mudstone, and soils has resulted in a fantasy land of scenery. Kelly’s thoughts… […]
Bisti, De-Na-Zin Wilderness Read More »
We love the southwest… its hoodoos and arches and canyons, its vistas and solitude. The Chiracahua Mountains have been on our list for a while, and they didn’t disappoint in the least. Kelly’s thoughts… We don’t often visit national parks or monuments, not because they don’t have cool nature or culture, but because they have
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How does one go from writing a blog about an international mega-trip to writing about a Sunday afternoon outing? Maybe in a similar way as one would go from taking her first international mega-trip to settling into regular adulting. . . just simply by doing it and not over-thinking. It has been a bit of
Galisteo Basin Preserve, New Mexico. Read More »
We arrived in Vienna very early on Christmas Eve day. It was strange to be back in such a modern place with its luxuries, including an ultra modern train that took us into the city. We walked from the station into the old part of the city where we found our hotel. We dropped our
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We spent fifteen amazing, grueling, mind-blowing, exhausting days in Chad. Of those days, the better part of eight of them were spent sitting in the back seat of a Toyota, pounding our way around the country. We saw a LOT of the country out those dusty back seat windows! Riki’s thoughts… Our perceptions of Chad
Chad Adventure IX. Out of Africa Read More »
Chad’s Zakouma National Park is an unexpected gem in this part of the world. Established in 1963, it has seen its share of turmoil. During various conflicts, including the Chadian civil war, the park’s terrain and wildlife suffered badly. Many park guards and large numbers of wildlife were killed in conflict with militia and poachers.
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As we left Ennedi we felt a deep sense of disquietude. Getting there was so difficult, and we had fallen in love with the place. It’s best to leave wanting more, and we definitely wanted, and want, more Ennedi. I hope we will return one day. Kelly’s thoughts… I have been to a few of
Chad Adventure VII. South Through Chad Read More »
Our last day in Ennedi brought us another collection of amazing sights, The Zipper, Mushroom Rock and, late in the day, the beautiful Guelta d’Archei oasis, among other things. As we spent our last day, it became clear to us that we will one day need to be back, to see things we had already
Chad Adventure VI. The Zipper and Guelta d’Archei Read More »
In the Sahara, camels are wealth. In Chad and other areas of northern Africa, for thousands of years they have been a means of transport and sustenance. We were almost never out of sight of the beasts, and the opportunity to ride them across the desert, even for a short time, was something we couldn’t
Chad Adventure V. Elephant Arch and Camel Rides Read More »
Among the high cliffs, canyons and weathered features of the Ennedi Plateau is extensive evidence of human activity and habitation. Everywhere we went we found incredible pictographs, petroglyphs and pot shards. Our day began by exploring one of the more impressive sites for seeing these pictographs, the Terkei Barakatra caves. Kelly’s thoughts… Terkei Barakatra We
Chad Adventure IV. Ancient Pictographs and the Oyo Labyrinth Read More »
