A Little Dab will do ya....

a Sanddab that is. When I travel my mantra is "when in Rome, eat like..." and a meal of these wonderful Pacific fish are an amazing local fare. The Sanddab is the fish of choice in Monterey and Carmel California and is a must when traveling here.

"The smallest Flounder" as it has been called, is a flatfish that is one solid morsel of meat. This white fish reminds me of sole with a mild taste and buttery texture.

If you enjoy fish and want to try a regional delicacy then, "eat like the Romans" and order a plate of Sanddabs, you will love it.

Yosemite National Park

The drive on Highway 120 runs from the eastern to western side of Yosemite National Park and is only open in the summer. This road goes through the four major geographic areas: High Sierra, Granite Cliffs, Sequoia Groves and the Valley.

The High Sierra is a mountain landscape that was carved by glaciers. This high elevation region is the home to Yellow-bellied Marmots, Pika and the Clark's Nutcracker.

The Granite Cliffs are where the sport of rock climbing was born and is still a destination today. The most famous climbs are El Capitan, a vertical rock formation that extends about 3,000-feet from base to summit along its tallest face and Half Dome, the crest of which rises 4,737 ft above the valley floor.

The Giant Sequoia Tree make up the Sequoia Groves zone and contain trees that can live to be 2,000 years old and have trunks up to 25' thick. This tree needs fire to reproduce and the park has many controlled burns throughout the seaso to benefit this forest.

The Valley contains the rivers, meadows and water-loving shrubs and trees that support life here. Common animals in the Valley are Black Bear, Mule Deer and Acorn Woodpeckers along with a host of wildflowers such as Lupine and Fireweed.

Where in the World is Tonopah Nevada?

Tonopah Nevada is the diamond in the rough after a long drive through the state via US-93 and NV-375 (the Extraterrestrial Highway) near the famous Area 51.

Tonopah's fame came in 1900 when a silver lode was found and saved Nevada from bankruptcy. At it's peak, the citizen's of Tonopah numbered 10,000.

In addition to mining fame, this town is known for being rated #1 stargazing destination in America by USA Today. A short drive from town reveals hundreds and thousands of stars coming completely down to the horizon, with a fabulous look at the Milky Way from one horizon to the other. Many falling stars were seen, about 6 per hour and were worth staying up for.

Spending time at the Historic Mining Park is a great way to see what it was like to work in the mines and what a dangerous profession it really was.

Arches National Park and Moab Utah

Arches National Park is a magnificent place to visit when traveling through Utah. The rock formations made of Entrada Sandstone (Red) and Navajo Sandstone (Buff) were created by wind, water and time. The park preserves over 2,000 of these formations and has extensive trails as well as a driving tour through the park to get up close and personal to some.

The park is located in a high mountain desert and can get very hot, 100+ degrees during the day, make sure you have plenty of water, sunscreen and a hat when exploring this region.

A visit to Moab is a must after a day in the desert. This town is vibrant with lots of restaurants and shops catering to people who love sports and being outdoors. Stop by the visitor center and pick up brochures to explore on your own in the Moab area.

Self-Guided Auto Tours will lead you to many scenic byways and recreational areas, Movie Locations Auto Tours will spotlight set locations for movies as early as 1949, including Thelma and Louise and Mission Impossible II. For those who like looking for petroglyphs and signs of historic culture, pick up the Rock Art Auto Tour brochure.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

This is America's most visited national park located on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee with 8-10 million visitors per year. These 800 square miles in the Southern Appalachian Mountains are known for the amazing diversity of plants, animals, and invertebrates. Over 17,000 species have been documented in the park.

The drive in August created some great wildflower hikes as I went from river bottoms at about 875 feet to peaks over 5,000 feet. Some species that were observed included: Highbush Blueberry, Queen Anne's Lace, Oxeye Daisy, Black-eyed Susan, Touch-me-not, Jewelweed, Red Clover, Sweet Joe-Pye-Weed, Chicory, Heal-all and my favorite, Purple Fringed Orchid.

Must see near Asheville North Carolina

Grove Park Inn is another place to see. It is a magnificent resort and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The fireplaces in the main room are large enough to hold a car and the views of the Blue Ridge Mountains are beautiful.  Many famous people have stayed here including Harvey Firestone, Thomas A. Edison and Henry Ford in 1918.

Another good excursion is to the Biltmore Estate.  Built in 1895, this 8,000 acre property is still family-owned today.  It is much more than just the mansion above with gardens, restaurants and a winery.  Plan on spending the day here and enjoy an Asheville landmark.
If you have the opportunity stay for Shindig on the Green in downtown Asheville.  Since 1967, this mountain tradition features a variety of performances by Bluegrass and Old-Time String Bands, Clog Dancers and Fiddle players.  Bring a chair, get some BBQ and enjoy an evening of southern hospitality.

More excursions near Hendersonville

The drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway is spectacular and a good stop for a meal or a drink on the deck is the Pisgah Inn, located between mile markers 408 and 409.  At an elevation of 5,000 feet you can see for miles into the valley and relax and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you.

Flat Rock is another town on the Register of Historic Places and is named for the flat granite slab that sits in front of the current day Playhouse.  It is believed that the Cherokee people had gatherings here.  Main street has cute shops such as The Wrinkled Egg and a must eat is Hubba Hubba BBQ for a real southern meal.

While in Flat Rock make a stop at Carl Sandberg's mansion.  While he was working on being a writer and poet his wife, Lillian was raising Champion dairy goats.  The area has many trails to hike and the barn still has a herd of about 15 goats that love visitors.  A great way to spend an afternoon.

Between Hendersonville and Brevard are about 10,000 acres of trees, waterfalls and trails known as the DuPont State Forest.  The scenery is incredible and famous for Triple Falls (below) which is a medium hike from the lower parking area.  Another great way to see nature in North Carolina.

Excursions near Hendersonville North Carolina

Jackson Park in Hendersonville is a great place to bird and observe nature.  The peak times of course are spring and fall during migration, it boasts a list of 196 species of birds, but can be rewarding anytime.  We took a leasurely stroll on the trail for about an hour and heard or saw 13 species including Black-and-White Warbler, White-eyed Vireo and Carolina Chickadee.

Downtown Hendersonville is a must see, with shops, galleries, restaurants and even an old-fashioned soda fountain, it was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Chimney Rock is a must see for the nature lover and outdoorsman.  It has great hiking trails and beautiful scenery including a view of Lake Lure (above) and Hickory Nut Gorge.  The day we visited the elevator that rises 26 stories in the mountain to the Chimney was not working and it was a huge reward to climb the stairs and arrive at the top!

Lake Lure is a good family place.  The view from Chimney Rock shows how large the lake actually is with a quaint town and lodging.  The beach offers fun activities with water balloon launches, fountains, slides as well as swimming and other water sports.  It is a great way to cool down in the hot months of summer.

Savannah Georgia to Hendersonville North Carolina

Yesterday was a great travel day. I started by visiting Skidaway Island State Park and it was incredible. The oak trees here are 80 - 100 feet tall with Spanish Moss hanging from the tree tops to the ground. They are in a drought period now too and some of my easiest and best birding happened at a 5 foot diameter water hole on one of the trails. It is so calming and peaceful to walk in the woods for miles with no humans in sight...everyone should do it now and again. At the visitor center they had couches lined up looking at the feeders and much to my delight I got a new bird the Painted Bunting. A male and female were feeding on millet and it was magnificent sight to have all this color surrounded by green and more green.


From there I headed northwest towards North Carolina going through downtown Savannah and seeing some of the beautiful homes and gardens. This is a place I need to come back to someday.

The rest of the day was spent driving through South Carolina and eventually into western North Carolina. It rained many times and felt good, something I had missed this season in the Everglades. Eventually the "low country" as it is called gave way to the mountains and it was fun to drive the rolling hills and the canyon river valleys.

My sister's house sits on a hill overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains and will be a great place to relax and bird for awhile.

Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral and the National Seashore to Savannah Georgia

What an incredible day it was. The first stop was Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The wildlife drive was closed for maintenance but this gave me an opportunity to explore elsewhere such as Peacock's Pocket; It is a dirt road that led to the inlet with a canal the whole way. Great birds, plants and sea creatures abound. I was able to see Cape Canaveral and it is an amazing sight. It is the end of an era with no more shuttles being launched. The National Seashore is clean, pristine and chock full of life. Highlight today was Manatee and Dolphin feeding and playing not 10 feet from me as I stood on a sea wall.


The remainder of the day was spent driving to Savannah Georgia where I will explore tomorrow.

Jupiter to Cocoa Florida

I headed north on SR 1 and my first stop was the Jupiter Lighthouse. Big, beautiful and red...quite a contrast to the green of vegetation and blue of the ocean. I then went to Jonathan Dickinson State Park and it was fantastic! It was my first time in the sand pine scrub ecosystem and this community is so rare that it has been designated "globally imperiled". I went to Hobe Mountain Observation Tower which is an ancient sand dune standing 86 feet high. The views are incredible in all directions. Hobe Sound NWR was next. A small but wonderful site on the edge of the sound. Rolling hills of sand allow a change in ecosystems from slash pine to ocean beach. Further north I finished the day with Pelican Island NWR. This was the first designated National Wildlife Refuge and it did not disappoint. It has two 3-mile trails around the salt marsh and one .75 mile trail and butterfly garden. Highlights for today: Gopher tortouise, land crab, family of raccoons, skink, Sooty Tern, Pileated Woodpecker and Least Tern.

Tomorrow to Merritt Island NWR.

Port of the Islands to Jupiter Florida

On the road yesterday from Port of the Islands to Jupiter Florida. I took the back roads east of Immokalee through sugar cane and corn fields and an occasional orchard. In some places the cattle on the ranches were wading tummy deep in water (wierd). Loxahatchee NWR is worth a visit not only for the wildlife and ecosystems but to see how the restoration of the Everglades is taking place. Finally had a good rain storm with lightning, thunder and RAIN...it's been awhile. Highlights: Crested Caracara, Limpkin, Swallow-tailed Kite, Black-necked Stilt, Black-bellied Whistling Duck!!!!, Roseate Spoonbill, Common Moorhen babies, Cricket Frog, Pig Frog, FL Soft Shell Turtle, Red-bellied Turtle, Baby Alligator, Queen Butterflly, Palamedes Butterfly and Lubber grasshoppers everywhere....Loving each other :)


Today a wildlife sanctuary, lighthouse, state park for Florida Scrub Jay and then to Hobe Sound NWR.

Florida Keys Feb 3-7, 2011

Key Largo
I spent two days here to do some snorkeling.  I stayed at a no frills place on the beach with beautiful white sand, hammocks, good snorkeling, and even swam with a manatee the first night by the docks.  They are very friendly animals and love human interaction.  The baby manatee kept coming under me and then rolling over for me to rub his tummy...amazing.

The following day I snorkeled Molasses Reef, about 6 miles off shore or an hour boat ride. Rum runners wrecked a ship carrying molasses, which is used to make rum, on this reef and it was said you could smell it all the way back to Key Largo. A lot of the locals were very sad that day.

Even with calm, 1 foot seas, snorkeling is a challenge on the open water.  The trick is to stay away from the boat as much as possible.  I was unsuccessful a couple of times and came back with some shin bruises as badges of honor.  I saw a Hawksbill Turtle, Green Moray, Sergeant Majors, Black Grouper, Foureye Butterflyfish, Bermuda Chubs, Queen Parrotfish, Blue Parrotfish, Blue Tang, Spiny Lobster, Man-of-War Fish and many beautiful corals. I is so wonderful that all of this is a 3 hour drive from my apartment!

Big Pine Key
The Crow’s Nest, the room nestled like a nest at the top of the B & B, was made for me.  It was like being outdoors when you are in. The cross breeze from the windows is delightful. I enjoyed hearing the waves crashing on the shore to lull me to sleep. The outdoor shower was incredible both day and night! 

I explored the tide pools at low tide, I found a lot of Nudibranchs (The word "nudibranch" comes from the Latin nudus, naked, and the Greek brankhia, gills – casually called “sea slug”), fish, crab, baby lobster, snails and many fossils preserved in the limestone.

No Name Key
This is a cute little island, mostly residential. It is known for the No Name Pub which has been there for years.  It's fame is that every space available on the walls and ceiling are plastered with one dollar bills, it is truely amaing to see.  If you are looking for another place to see the Key Deer No Name Key is the place. At the north end of the island you will find a hiking trail at low tide.  When you come to the end of the trail there is a cairn, that I dubbed "No Name Man", made of rocks, vulture feathers a buoy for his head, shoes and I added a palm scarf.  No Name Man was an unexpected and welcome sight after a long day of hiking.

Key Deer Refuge
I explored the Blue Hole.  It is a freshwater pond in the mangroves complete with two alligators.  There were a few birds (American Coot and Pied-billed Grebe).  It was a nice little hike and view of the pond.

I went biking on a “Deer Trail” that was not documented on any map. This trail went over limestone rock, through buttonwood forests and around some bays for about one and a half miles.  I loved feeling like I was the first one to discover this place.  When visiting the Key Deer Refuge I would recommend driving down as many "dead end" streets as possible, that is where the fun begins. Of course, be aware of private property signs and do not trespass.  This evening I grilled steak on the Bar-B and had fun with a deer trying to eat everything from the table.  I reminded him that he is a vegetarian but it didn't seem to matter.   I finished off the evening with a port wine, good friends and star gazing from the roof of the B & B.  I will return someday to this beautiful place.