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Just as the weather guys predicted – it is raining.  But I’d much prefer rain and 64 degrees to sun and 105 degrees, as is much the case all summer long.  If you are inclined to visit these parks you should plan to come between the months of October and early May.  Otherwise, not only are these places packed with tourists, but they are hotter than hell.  Parking in the park is fairly limited as well.  Because of the weather, the day I visited the park parking was not issue.

While there are some pretty good rock formations here, I was a bit underwhelmed. The colors when wet were pretty good, but I can’t help but think how good clear weather with a blue sky and puffy white clouds would have been. Oh well, I just live in the now and enjoy anyway.

 

Tomorrow I head to Canyonlands National Park.  The weather is predicted to be great.  I believe the formations will be much more impressive.  We shall see.  All in all, the scenery in this state so far is pretty amazing.

Nothing like a good old road trip to begin the Autumn season in the Northern hemisphere.  I begin in Colorado and drive west.  First stop is Moab, Utah.  This spot was picked so that I can visit the first two of the National Parks I plan to see.  I book into a lodge that I was referred to.  It is called the Red Cliffs Lodge and Ranch.  Very picturesque and located about 14 miles from Moab, but right on the banks of the Colorado River.  Great place to stay.  The cabins are right on the river.  Must be even better when the Colorado is really flowing.

Interesting to note that well over 150 motion pictures have been at least in part filmed here.  Mostly westerns as you would imagine.  However, other films including Thelma & Louise, City Slickers, and Back to the Future III were also shot here.  See images below for some more info.  Tomorrow I am off to Arches National Park and the forecast calls for rain.  Not so bad as it will make all the natural colors of the rocks really pop out.

It is June now. Amongst other things, that can mean two things; it is the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere, and the beginning of the 2015 Mineral Bath Tour. Our first stop is a little known gem by the name of Ojo Caliente.  It is a small place with approximately 45 or 50 rooms.  This place has a certain vibe of which you immediately become aware. It’s very chill and definitely not in the least bit pretentious. It is located about 325 miles south of Denver, Colorado and about 45 miles north of Santa Fe, New Mexico on highway 285

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Its best to make a reservation for 3 or 4 nights. I prefer the Pueblo Suites which each boast piñon burning fireplaces, and share a semi private mineral bath. The suites also have a small kitchen so its great to travel with your own snacks, drinks and whatever.
Ojo has a great full service restaurant and have their own organic fruits and vegetable farm on site. The menu is both reasonable priced and varied, although most of the dishes have a southwestern flair, as one would expect. The have a wine and beer license only, so if you enjoy stronger libations you must bring your own.
There is also an outdoor fire pit which attracts people to its warmth almost constantly.  The baths though are the main attraction to this place. They consist of only naturally occurring minerals (however, no sulfur so no rotten eggs in the air). The water is almost constantly flushed with fresh water, thus ensuring clean and clear waters.  There are no chemicals used in the baths.  (Only the swimming pool uses a low amount of chlorine as required by health laws.)  Among the minerals in the bath waters are iron, soda, lithium, arsenic, and sodium.  These imbue a variety of health benefits.  They aid in digestion and promote healthy skin and tone, as well as reducing the effects of arthritis.  Blood pressure is also lowered, not to mention the overall relaxed and almost euphoric feeling you enjoy.  If you desire more intense euphoria one can always travel with their own inventory of friendly herbs which produce this result.  Remember, marijuana friendly Colorado is just to the north.

While soaking in the baths is my primary activity, the place also offers a full service (and again non-pretentious) spa.  The treatments almost seem mandatory during your stay here.  My favorite is the organic blue corn and salt scrub.  Their prices are also very reasonable.  Ojo also has a variety of small yoga classes which are conducted in the yurt.  Most of the guests are wearing Ojo provided robes.  The other activity which may be enjoyed is hiking.  There is an abundance of old pottery and artifacts which are encountered along the way while hiking.

For those of you who travel by mobile home or the like, you should note that they have a limited number of pads for rent as well.  These have all the usual hookups one would expect to find.  From this area (which is located adjacent to the river) it is a 5 minute walk to the baths and main bath house.  If this sort of experience appeals to you please visit their website at www.ojospa.com.

This town is awesome.  Really walk friendly too.  What rhymes with latte but is obviously way more addicting for some?  If you answered mate’ (pronounced Mah-tAA) you are correct.  When walking about in this place I happened to notice an abundant number of folks enjoying this hot tea-like beverage.  There are three pieces of equipment needed to partake.  First a special mate’ cup and filtered straw, and also a thermos.  The thermos is necessary because once addicted you can’t let go.  Once the liquid is consumed you will find in the bottom of the cup or mug a sludgy greenish-brown paste; much like long chewing tobacco which has been thoroughly enjoyed.  See the many images that a snapped surreptitiously.  People of all ages seem to be enjoying this stuff.  In America mate’ exists, however like the original Coke Cola of 1906, it does not contain the addictive ingredient.

After a lengthy walk in order to get these candid shots I developed a powerful appetite.  Consequently I dropped into the most amazing assembly of BBQ restaurants I have ever seen.  The place was called Mercado del Puerto.  Translating to “market at the port.” It was a huge market at one time.  Now it plays home to about 20 or so BBQ joints.  They start cranking up the grill at about 10 AM by burning special varieties of logs.  The fire burns from behind the actual grill and then the hot coals are shoveled forward under the grills as needed.  I happen to enjoy an amazing slab of beef tenderloin from Argentina.  The aromas in the place could even make a vegan eat meat.

 

Punta Arenas is on the edge of the Strait of Magellan.  It defies an easy definition, as it is a combination of both grand, as well as ruddy.  Prosperity during the wool-boom allowed people to built some fairly impressive homes and mansions.  It is a relaxed and friendly place.  This tiny city is also known as the entry to Antartica.  It is surrounded by almost impenetrable forests, impassable mountains, and endless fields of ice.  It also happens to have one of the most unique cemeteries I’ve ever seen.  Looks at the pics and see if you don’t agree.

Took another break today to horseback ride in what began as a very scenic ride through this beautiful land. At a latitude of 50.8 degrees south, Ushuaia is The most southern city on Earth.  This city of 50,000 is the staging point for most of the Antarctic expeditions.  It is one of the fastest growing cities in Argentina.

The town is rustic and natural, but many of the homes are painted in pastel colors in order to brighten things a bit.  In winter the temps are well below zero and the sun rises only briefly.  The towering mountains surrounding this city rise to an altitude of 6,500 feet from sea level quite dramatically.  The city is very clean and crisp.

Now back to the horseback ride.  It began with a steep climb along a narrow path to what was a great vantage point for panoramic photos.  The shots taken (see below) show the harbor town and the surrounding majestic mountain peaks, as well as the pitch of the slope.  Unfortunately for one rider in our group (who was a very experienced equestrian) it ended shortly after those majestic views.  He was one rider ahead of me when his horse became spooked.  The horse jerked unexpectedly throwing the rider off.  It happened so quickly that I had difficulty processing it for a moment.  He flew up in the air and dropped like an anchor to the ground.  His body at first appeared lifeless.  Another rider, who had prior experience as a medic came to his aid.  As it turns out the unlucky rider suffered a minor concussion, some neck trauma, and a severely broken wrist. His hand swelled almost instantly to the size of a small balloon.  On a selfish note, needless to say, it was a major buzzkill.  I held on much tighter after that. I also decided that this would most likely be my last ride on a horse.  So in this city, the southernmost on earth, a few firsts and lasts for me took place.  See pics below.

 

 

I have now spent more than four days in these fjords.  Absolutely breathtaking views and scenery.  It has been over two days without seeing any other human life or evidence thereof. Sandwiched between the tranquil valleys of the Lake District and the ice fields of Patagonia, Chile’s southern coast consists largely of heavily forested mountains, some of which rise dramatically (6,000 feet) from sea level. This area is assessable only by sea.  The weather has been everything from great to really wet and always cold.  Air temps have ranged from 35F to 45F.  The glaciers are just spectacular.  These glaciers have been dated to be approximately 30 million years old.  Glacial ice is the largest reservoir of freshwater on earth. The last glacial period lasted 15,000 years.  Interestingly, computer models are able to forecast that the next ice age will occur in 50,000 years.  The major caveat in this forecast is the effects of global climate change.

In 1961 this merchant vessel ran into some bad luck, not to mention an underwater rock formation.  Thirty-five souls went down or drowned in this unfortunate event.  If you look closely you are able to see its hull gradually being taken back to the sea.  There have many such incidents in the fjords over the years.  Just thought it was interesting.

This morning I find myself in the Chilean Fjords and will be for several more days. These places are only accessible from the sea. There are no airports, nor any roadways connecting to the mainland. Only a very few of the fjords are inhabited. Moreover, there is very little wildlife. The only wildlife found here either swims or flies.

The tiny port village is called Chacabuco and is ringed by snowcapped mountains. Being this at an extreme southern latitude on the planet, snow falls almost all year long. You’ll notice the fresh snow in many of the pics attached.

Patagonian ice sheets plunge to the sea and that area provided me the opportunity to see the Giant Condor (although not lucky enough to get a pic). This bird is endangered.