Peaceful Placencia

July 18, 2017 Teressa Jackson

Having verified the logistics of the trip the day before, Aaron and I were set to walk to the bus station in Hopkins' main intersection at 8:30 a.m. Unfortunately, we awoke to pouring rain at 6 a.m. At 8 a.m., it was still coming down at a steady pace. Resigned to the fact that we would need to take a cab to the station, I went to ask Gary, the owner of All Seasons Guest House where we were staying, how we might go about hiring one.

Not "the" bus we were on, but one like it.

Before I could finish my question, Gary offered to drive us. I gratefully accepted, and off we went to the bus stop. Around 9:30, we boarded an old retired Bluebird school bus from the U.S. (purchased in Clackamas, Oregon according to the sticker up front). The seats were definitely smaller than I recalled from my school years, and one of them was a sweaty, uncomfortable fit for Aaron, his guitar, our army duffel backpack, me, and my backpack. Many stops were made for passengers to hop on and off as we cruised south. One of them had her phone playing Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" on repeat. Sigh...

Just over an hour later, we had completed a mostly-uneventful 40-mile trip to Placencia. The cost: $6 U.S. total ($3 each). Not bad!

The village of Placencia is located at the southern end of the Placencia Peninsula. Our initial reaction when we disembarked was that although the number of inhabitants was almost identical to that of Hopkins, Placencia was a very different place. This is a popular resort and vacation destination, and it shows, with its shop and restaurant-lined streets and large, brightly colored beach houses. It seems to be a bit more Key West than Belize - there's even a bar called the Pickled Parrot.

The prime method of transportation in Placencia is by foot, and much of the village is only accessible by a network of sidewalks. If we had driven to the town, we would have had to park blocks away at a lot, as the house where we are staying is back several "blocks" of these pathways. In fact, Placencia appears in the Guinness Book of World Records as home to the narrowest street in the world, the north-south Placencia Sidewalk.

Similar to our time in Hopkins, we didn't fork over the cash for any tours or trinkets. We spent most of our time walking the sidewalks and village road. Nearly every day, we visited a village fruit and vegetable stand, and sometimes we went more than once. We enjoyed having a kitchen in our place, and cooked almost all meals ourselves. For the most part, these concoctions consisted of beans, rice, fruits, and vegetables. There aren't a whole lot of other options here, even if you spent the ridiculous amounts being charged for imported food... most of that is just processed junk anyway. A package of Oreos will set you back around $8 US, and chances are, they're stale.

Our apartment was located right on the beach, with a beautiful view of the ever-changing Caribbean water. We saw it appear every color from bright green to brown to silver. We saw it look still as a mirror and produce huge crashing waves. It's the rainy season, and there were certainly a few strong storms. For the most part, though, the unsavory weather was limited to the hours when we were asleep, with beautiful blue skies during the days.

Placencia has a beach near its pier, and we spent quite a few days lounging down there enjoying the water, which is calmer in that area. We even saw dolphins there one day. There were always plenty of children about - mostly local - and watching them was quite entertaining. It's obvious that these kids have grown up as comfortable in water as they are on land. They play together with great joy, and I only once saw one of them upset. He got his foot caught in the dock climbing up from the water, and it scared him. His friends all stopped to help and Aaron stepped in and helped lift him to untangle his limb. In no time, he was running down the pier and leaping into the water again.

Unfortunately, I had a bit of a setback in Placencia when I came down with strep last Friday. I had noticed the telltale white spots on my tonsils the evening before, so I headed down to the Community Health Center at 8 a.m. to address the issue. Belize has socialized medicine, and I was told it should only cost me a donation to be seen there... however, the doctor wasn't working that day.

Not wanting to wait until Monday, or potentially who knows when, I sought out a private doctor who services the area and was able to score an appointment for the afternoon. I had to take a cab, as Dr. Alexis was located just outside the village, but it only cost me US $5 each way. Dr. Alexis, who is originally from Varadero Beach in Cuba (where I actually visited in 2001), provided a very thorough exam. He appeared to be running all facets of the office solo, managing patient flow, answering calls, running tests, and dispensing medications. He saw me promptly at my appointment time and shook his head when he looked in my mouth. I had the ick.

I don't currently have health insurance, and I've said that I'm probably better off (barring a major illness or catastrophe) here in Belize than in the U.S. I was not proven wrong in this interaction. Dr. Alexis performed an exam, a minor lab test, dispensed two prescription medications to me, and sent me on my way for a total of US $70. I think we all know that would have been far pricier at home.

Feeling puny has definitely had a bit of an impact on my level of activity over the last week, but Placencia has been a great place to recuperate and prepare for more adventures. Nearly mended, I'm looking forward to moving on to Punta Gorda tomorrow, departing on the Hokey Pokey water taxi at 10 a.m.

Hopping Down to Hopkins

July 4, 2017 Teressa Jackson

Aaron and I landed in the tiny Belize City airport around 11 a.m. on June 28. We spent around half an hour collecting our bags and clearing customs, and then met Marlon, our driver, outside. The first thing we noticed was the humidity... the Ohio Valley has nothing on Belize, which regularly sees levels of 80-90%.

Marlon of Belize Shuttles & Transfers was very friendly and told us about Belize as we drove the nearly three hours south to Hopkins. Although the distance is less than 90 miles, the roads aren't great and the speed bumps, which seem to be randomly placed along the road, are rather vicious. That's one way to keep speedometers in check.

Two kids played with bottlecaps on the Hopkins pier

We passed through Belize's capital of Belmopam, which was gone in nearly the blink of an eye. With less than 400,000 people in the entire country, there is no such thing as a big city here. After Belmopam, the landscape became more scenic, with dense jungle vegetation, citrus orchards, mountains, and even a glimpse of Mennonite farmers on a horse-drawn wagon, wearing the same conservative dress as they do in the U.S.

Hopkins is 4 miles off the main highway, and consists of only one real street (a pothole and puddle-ridden dirt road), running north to south along Hopkins Bay. The Garifuna, descendants of West African, Central African, Island Carib, European, and Arawak people, are the majority population of this village.

All Seasons Guest House, our home for the next week, is located near the edge of the south side of town. We were greeted by Becky, All Seasons' owner, who is from northern Indiana. She and her husband Gary packed up and moved down here just four months ago, and are almost constantly painting, power washing, sweeping, and fixing.

It was 3 p.m. Belize time (5 p.m. Eastern), and most restaurants were closed. We hadn't really eaten much at all, and dinner the night before had been gas station food in Indianapolis. Mango and cantaloupe smoothies and Guinness chocolate cake at the coffee shop down the street were a good way to tide ourselves over.

Lorraine, who was working at the coffee shop, made us feel right at home. After preparing our food, she followed us out to the porch and sat down with us to chat. She spent several years working on cruise ships, and her favorite location was, of all places, Alaska! Hopkins is home, though, and she recently returned with hopes of finishing her associate's degree in accounting.

The friendly faces in Hopkins certainly aren't limited to Lorraine's. As you walk down the street, most everyone greets you. Alex, who sells his creations at a shop near our guest house, is no exception. One morning he told me that he gets up every day at 5 a.m., rides his bike for an hour, swims in the ocean and is often joined by manatees, takes a shower, and starts his workday. Each time we walked by, he greeted us with a smile. Aaron had Alex make some custom guitar pics for him, and he was excited to try his hand at a new challenge. They were done in less than two hours, and the quality was fantastic.

There was a Garifuna holiday during our time at Hopkins. I didn't get the name of it, but the people drummed off and on for three days. They are known for their drum making and playing here and it was a beautiful and exotic sound. The holiday's final evening, I'm pretty sure the drumming lasted until daybreak. Apparently the occasion celebrates the dead, and takes place every three years. During that time, many of the women dressed in what looked like traditional African clothing, the fabric adorned with bright colors and patterns.

Alex, hard at work. I think this is the only time I saw him NOT smile. :-)

There are several businesses run by the Chinese in this town of 1,500 people, including pretty much all the grocery stores. As we waited on Chinese food one night, a four-year-old boy came up to our table, took my bottle cap, and began playing with it. He and Aaron began a game of "hockey" on the table with the cap, and he was more than happy to tell Aaron "You lose!" each time he failed to hit the goal he made between his two tiny hands.

Dong Lee Supermarket, where we did much of our shopping

Walking back to the room that night, we encountered a group of kids, all of whom were probably under age 7. They were "shooting" each other with sticks and boards, and we became part of the game. We became victims of a "holdup" and they loved that we played right along. After being released, we got excited fist bumps from the kids. I really wish we'd had room in our luggage to bring a few treats for them. They are so sweet.

We tried to eat at restaurants only once a day to stretch our budget, which was challenging since we had no kitchen. Between the grocery stores, fruit stand, and the back of a guy's truck, we purchased plenty of mangoes (the hugest you've ever seen), tangerines (which have a green peel here), avocados, plantain chips, tortilla chips, Marie Sharp's hot sauce, and fruit juices (soursop juice is pretty awesome). Restaurant meals consisted of mostly beans and rice for me. Aaron enjoyed chicken fried rice and one night he was served a whole fried fish, complete with head. Oh, and I can't forget the fry jacks, which are a breakfast delight - big pieces of puffed fried bread you can fill with beans, eggs, and lots of other fillings. Delicious!

We didn't go on any fishing or snorkeling excursions in Hopkins, instead spending our time walking the street, riding bicycles, sitting on the beach, swimming in the ocean, and trying to get used to the humidity. I'm not sure I have ever sweated so much in my entire life. It's been a nice place to get acclimated to Belize and to get some clue as to how things work here, although we still have a long way to go before we have it figured out.

Next up, further south to Placencia!

My Artwork - June 2017

July 3, 2017 Teressa Jackson

June was busy, busy, busy... but unfortunately not with art production. As I discussed in my last post, I am in Belize. June included a visit to my sister in Oregon, a cross-country trek from Oregon to New Albany, Indiana, and preparation for life in Central America.

I have a lot of inspiration from my many locales waiting to take shape into artistic expression, but the craziness of June saw me paint just three pieces. Two were commissions I was hired to paint and one will be for sale when I either figure out shipping from Belize or return to the U.S. (potentially several months from now). One of the commissions was 10" x 13", quite a bit larger than my usual 5" or 8" squares.

Feel free to e-mail me to be added to a list to be notified when artwork is available again.

Belize Bound

July 3, 2017 Teressa Jackson

I arrived home with two commissioned paintings to complete, contract work to do, immunizations to get, and other loose ends to tie up. My husband and I were headed to Belize on June 28! The plan is that we will be here for several months, but we will see how it goes and how our cash flow looks.

There was a lot to think about to prepare. First things first, I knocked out the two paintings that I'd been hired to produce. Without a real idea of how difficult or expensive it would be to ship artwork from Belize, I wanted to make sure those were finished. Two happy customers in check (see right for the one I did for my friend Kate, along with the photo that inspired it), I then got as much contract work done as I could before we had to really pack up shop. The little left that we own went into storage, and we had to time that just right so that we wouldn't be "homeless" for too long.

Travel arrangements required some logistical wrangling. We booked one-way tickets to Belize, but there was a chance we'd be denied entry because we had no return ticket. So, we purchased refundable one-way tickets home that we would cancel after we arrived. The bus schedule didn't sync well with our arrival time, so I found a reasonable shuttle to our first stop. And, of course, I booked the first week's accommodations... except the host cancelled them a week before we departed, so I had to find another place to stay. Such is life on the road, and even more so in Belize, I think. You have to roll with the punches.

Another dilemma was that I had to determine where to get a typhoid vaccination. My doctor tried to send me to a travel clinic, but even a month ahead of time, they were all booked up. I luckily discovered that Walgreens provides travel vaccinations, and was able to get it and my Hepatitis vaccination taken care of quite efficiently in one day without leaving New Albany.

There was also the quandary of what to bring. We won't have a car in Belize due to the very high cost of renting (think $80 or so a day) and the insane gas prices ($5-6 a gallon). We are essentially "backpackers" and need to be able to carry everything. Toiletries and medications were the source of many difficult decisions, as they are heavy to carry but also more difficult to find and expensive in Belize.

My final clothing inventory was:

1 long sleeve button down
1 sleeveless button down
4 pairs of underwear
3 pairs of socks
3 sports bras
A swimsuit
1 pair shorts
1 skort
2 tank tops
1 short sleeved t-shirt
1 pair flip flops
1 pair hiking shoes
1 pair Chacos sandals

Just like I knew it would, time flew right by. I was sad to leave home without being able to get together with most of my friends, but hopefully I'll be packed with great stories to share upon my return. With only the first week's locale known, Aaron and I boarded an airplane out of Indianapolis bright and early June 28 to visit a Central American country we'd had never seen before.

Are We There Yet?

July 1, 2017 Teressa Jackson

The sunset as I left Devils Tower National Monument

After a week filled with love, kisses, and birthday celebrations, I had a long haul ahead of me and a lot to accomplish before the next leg of my travels. How quickly could I drive from Corvallis, Oregon to New Albany, Indiana (around 2,500 miles)?

I decided to take the "northern route" since it was June and many other times of the year the locales I'd pass through would be buried in snow. Leaving bright and early Monday, I wound my way past Salem, through Portland, and along the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. After passing through The Dalles, the Oregon landscape began to shift from lush green to desert. I have to admit, it wasn't the most picturesque desert I've seen in the past year, but then again, I didn't get out to explore it either.

Next, my route took me through the corner of Washington that is home to Kennewick and Spokane. I made a brief effort to see a bit of Spokane, but it was rush hour and I decided that my attempt was taking up too much time (plus, I really detest traffic). Back on the highway, I was soon passing through the gorgeous Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and traversing the Idaho panhandle through beautiful forested mountain wilderness in the Coeur d'Alene National Forest.

The amazingly bright green hills near Garryowen, Montana

After around 10 hours on the road, I took a rest in the lovely town of Missoula, Montana. In the morning, I was right back on the road again. It took me almost the entire day to drive from the western end of Montana through Butte, Bozeman, and Billings to its eastern end. I loved the state's scenery, which looked precisely as I'd pictured Montana... mountains covered in trees, sloping down to valleys criss-crossed by clear rocky streams, and a railroad running beside the highway for most of my trip. I wanted to stop and explore more, but nothing in Montana seemed like it would be an even remotely fast stop. So, I put that on my list for a future adventure.

I dipped down into the northeast corner of Wyoming to make a special stop at Devils Tower National Monument. I couldn't resist working this unique landmark into my route, and it was truly worth it. The formation of the tower is totally unexpected and bizarre in the context of the rest of the area's landscape. I arrived just before dusk, with just enough time to hike the trail around the monolith and perfect timing to gaze at a beautiful sunset scene in my rear view mirror.

That night, I stayed in Rapid City, South Dakota. I worked in a couple more scenic opportunities there, taking a jaunt down to Mount Rushmore followed by a drive through Badlands National Park. I could have stayed at the badlands all day, with their unique formations, colors, and contrasts. I had always wanted to see the park, and it certainly lived up to my expectations.

On the highway again, the day went from beautiful rolling green South Dakota landscapes to the cornfields of Iowa. Western Iowa was more picturesque than I'd imagined it to be, with curving plots of hilly farmland, but I was becoming too exhausted to appreciate it. I finally dropped onto a bed in Fort Dodge and called it a night.

The next day, my goal was to make it the rest of the way to New Albany. Never before this past year would I have imagined that anyone would drive from Iowa to New Albany in one day. It didn't even sound possible to me. Forging ahead, I crossed the Mississippi River at Davenport, and made my way across Illinois.

Home was feeling closer, and when I made it to my home state of Indiana through Terre Haute, I got pretty giddy for a moment. Of course, I've driven to Terre Haute before and I knew that I was by no means close to home. The landscape down I-65 south of Indianapolis looked a little different than it had the last time I set eyes upon it, with some new solar farms and some added lanes on the expressway.

I started to wonder if I would make it without stopping for another night. My eyes were getting bleary and I was feeling a bit loopy, but I finally arrived in the city I've called home since I was three years old. Strangely, I didn't feel especially at home or out of place, but I suppose my sights were focused on the next leg of my travels and my giant "to do" list to accomplish before I embarked upon it.

Oregon Family Fun

June 26, 2017 Teressa Jackson

Dee, Teressa, Sarah, and Case enjoying some gelato

I left the Medford Airport before sunrise, driving north through foggy mountains. I had a date, and I had promised that I would be there for Memorial Day morning breakfast.

Teressa & Dee at Tyee Wine Cellars' hazelnut grove

It had been nearly two years since I'd seen my sister Dee and her lovely family, who reside in Corvallis, Oregon. Thankfully, as it often is with family, the two years melted away almost immediately. In fact, my sweet 9-year-old niece Sarah was outside when I pulled up, and I got a good preview of her running skills as she rushed to be the first to hug my neck. As I had hoped, she was by no means too big for me to pick her up and swing around.

Sarah and her brother Case, 6, also demonstrated their enthusiasm with a chanting session: "Auntie Tree! Auntie Tree!" They sure do know how to make an old lady feel kind of cool (I still have no idea why I'm such a big deal, but I'm really grateful that I am). Flanked by one of them on each side, we chowed down on a yummy breakfast and got reacquainted.

The afternoon was spent in a field at Tyee Wine Cellars, sipping wine, snacking, hiking through the woods, listening to bands play, and hanging out with Dee and her husband Steven's friends. The kids frolicked through a mossy hazelnut grove and my nephew got a little carried away collecting the little kernels.

The week flew by. The kiddos relished waking me each morning to snuggle a bit, Sarah would make me her special oatmeal for breakfast, they would head off to school, and on a few days, I was able to enjoy lunch with my "twin" sister before school let out. It's fun to relive the part of our childhood where we are incessantly asked if we are twins (we aren't, but we are just a year and a half apart in age). We've spent our entire adult lives thousands of miles apart, so most people in our daily lives haven't seen us together. There were definitely more than a few double-takes.

Friday night was a carnival fundraiser at the children's school, which kind of gave me flashbacks to the fundraising events of my career. I found myself giving advice, watching to see if people were using the correct starting bid and bid increment in the auction, and also tucking away a few cute ideas for possible future reference. The kids had a great time eating cotton candy, playing games, and selecting prizes. They were a bit wild with sugar by the time we got home.

Sarah had a 5K race on Saturday, and Dee accompanied her on the trek around Oregon State University's campus. Case and I saw them off and then had a coffee date while we awaited their return. After the race, Case had asked to surprise me with a date to eat Mexican food, and we filled our bellies. The afternoon was completed with pedicures, a first for Sarah, who enjoyed it tremendously. A perfect way to top off a 5K run!

Sunday was my last full day with the family, and we had a leisurely afternoon. We chowed down on pasta and then the kids practiced riding bicycles. They made lots of progress in such a short time. We capped off the day with some early birthday cake for my 41st celebration. I couldn't believe that Steven found an almost identical cake to what I had described as my favorite from Sweet Stuff Bakery at home (lemon with buttercream icing and lemon curd filling).

I was sad to say farewell on Monday morning, but I had a timeline to keep. I headed east for a change, full of Sarah's special oatmeal, lots of love, and many kisses.

Tall Trees and a Terrific Twosome

June 24, 2017 Teressa Jackson

Kerri and Teressa at King Range National Conservation Area

After my day at Yosemite and a bit of rest and work in my Sonora, California Airbnb, I awoke in the pre-dawn hours (4:30 a.m.!) to pick up one of my favorite people in the world in San Francisco. My friend Kerri was in the area for work and had arranged to extend her stay for some adventuring with me. Unsurprisingly, the San Francisco traffic meant that it took four hours to drive 140 miles. It was all worth it, though, when I saw her joyous face smiling at me.

Kerri had always wanted to see the "big trees," the California redwoods, and I wanted to help make that dream come true and add a check to that bucket list. We took off over the Golden Gate bridge, ready for rocky coastline and towering tree canopies. San Francisco can be fun, but a peaceful time in nature was much more enticing.

Lunchtime called for a stop at Francis Ford Coppola's Sonoma winery. We enjoyed a tasting of some of their wines with a bartender who looked an awful lot like Philip Seymour Hoffman's doppelgänger and was an insane treasure trove of television and movie trivia. After adding a layer of Italian food to our bellies, we were off once more.

Our accommodations for the next two nights were at the Benbow Historic Inn in Garberville, California. Although the hotel was under renovation, its interior and grounds were still really lovely. It's amazing to think of what it must have been like to stay there when the inn first opened, 90 years ago. The inn's back lawn sloped down to the Eel River, a beautiful blue-green waterway that we would follow on most of our redwood escapades.

Garberville was conveniently located near the southern entrance of the Avenue of the Giants, a section of old Highway 101 that has been converted to a scenic byway, with lots of stops where you can park and walk among these behemoth trees and the lush green vegetation that accompanies them. There are also several quaint little towns with restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, and other tourism-related amenities. We enjoyed patronizing several of them, as well as communing with the largest trees in the world. I had been to this area a few times before, but it's truly hard to fathom (and easy to forget!) how massive these trees really are until you are in their presence.

While in the Garberville area, we also wound through miles and miles of mountains and forest to the King Range National Conservation Area. This preserve was home to giant redwood driftwood, beautiful flowering plants, a black sands beach, loads of seagulls, and powerful crashing surf. It was beautiful, rugged, and isolated. We also hit beaches at Patrick's Point State Park and Trinidad State Beach, where we weaved our way from redwoods to breathtaking Pacific cliffs and back again.

Our next stop was in Klamath, California. On our way there we popped in to Redwoods National Park and got a bit lost on the roads up past the majestic Ladybird Johnson Grove. Atop the mountains and off the beaten path, we saw acres and acres of fragrant purple lupine. It was like something out of a movie!

In Klamath, we stayed in an Airbnb apartment above the office of an RV park. Let's just say that the space was probably more suited to big burly men who were interested in casting reels and cooking up some salmon, but we took a drive up to Crescent City and limited our time at the apartment. I'm pretty sure that we were the only patrons at SeaQuake Brewery who weren't wearing plaid. Welcome to the northwest. :-)

Teressa in Lithia Park's giant rhododendrons

The next morning, the redwoods were looking a bit gloomy and mysterious, shrouded in fog as Kerri and I said our farewells to them. In a short time, we were cruising across the Oregon state line, through Cave Junction, Grants Pass, Medford, and then Ashland. We dined on vegetarian fare in Ashland, checked out the historic town and the rhododendron-filled Lithia Park, and then found our way to our Jacksonville Airbnb.

Our time together was coming to a close, but Kerri and I had time for one more big destination. Crater Lake National Park was too close to resist, so we made our way to this imploded volcano. Unfortunately, I think that the unusually (even for Oregon) ample rain and snowfall over the past several months had caused the snow bank to be even deeper than usual. It might have been just a couple of days away from June, but the park was nearly entirely inaccessible beyond the historic lodge. We made the best of it, enjoying time in the rockers overlooking the bluest of blue lake and dining in the lodge.

That evening, we relaxed back in Jacksonville with Rogue Creamery cheeses and accompaniments, gazing at the mountain view from the hot tub. It was definitely not a bad way to close out a spectacular time with a super-duper friend. I was sad and sleepy as I dropped Kerri at the airport at 5 a.m. the next morning, but put the pedal to the metal and continued north...

Lupine covered hills along the backroads of Redwood National Park

Mighty Yosemite

June 2, 2017 Teressa Jackson

After saying goodbye to my mother in Las Vegas, I had a long haul ahead of me. I was soon in California, cruising along in one of the state's least attractive stretches, at least in my opinion. I adore the desert, but the Mojave Desert in southern California is exactly what most people who haven't seen a desert picture: dirty, trashy, flat, uninhabited, and boring. I think it may have been the setting for Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. As much as possible, I made quick work of putting it behind me.

Just before dark, I reached the adorable historic town of Sonora in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. My Airbnb hosts, Sarah and Stan, were so sweet and enthusiastic, and a great treat after a long day. I immediately felt at home and loved the view in the waning light from my apartment atop their garage.

Looking down into Yosemite Valley. Do you see the waterfall?

The next morning, I took off into the hills to our nation's longest-protected treasure, Yosemite National Park. The Yosemite Grant was signed by President Abraham Lincoln on June 30, 1864 in the first instance of park land being set aside specifically for preservation and public use by the federal government. This action set a precedent for the 1872 creation of Yellowstone as the first national park.

I think I may have visited Yosemite as a child, but I don't precisely remember. I'm quite sure, though, that I'll never forget it again. I only got to spend one day there this time, but it has certainly landed on my list for a return visit. The park is undoubtedly beautiful any time of the year, but I was simply in awe of the number of waterfalls created by the melting snow during my time there. Most of them drop from staggering heights. In fact, the 1,430-foot plunge of Upper Yosemite Fall is among the twenty highest waterfalls in the world. Thanks to these beauties, I got wetter than on a log ride several times during my exploration of Yosemite's wonders.

I didn't enjoy the traffic at Yosemite, but it's also understandable why so many want to see this great American wonderland - and I'm glad to see them doing just that. However, even the lines for the shuttle looked like more than I cared to undertake. I finally found a place to park and hiked around the valley, gazing at the sheer granite cliffs, waterfalls, and gorgeous trees. It was nice to get away from the crowds and find some peaceful spots to take in the landscape.

My pruny waterfall-soaked feet started to blister as I made my way back to the car, an almost-welcome impediment since I really needed to stay in one place and get some work done the following day. I drove back to Sonora with bare feet and a head and heart full of beautiful scenery.

Seeing Southern Utah

June 2, 2017 Teressa Jackson

I'm woefully behind on blogging again, and my travels have been jam packed with fun and adventure. Hopefully I can get caught up in the next few days. First up - my adventures across southern Utah.

On Mother's Day, I fittingly picked my lovely mother up from the Las Vegas airport. After grabbing some shuteye at a Vegas Airbnb, we took off across Utah. We couldn't help but stop at nearly every scenic viewpoint on the way, turning a 6-hour drive into a 9-hour one. We finally landed in Green River, Utah for the evening, and enjoyed a delicious meal at Tamarisk Restaurant along the river that evening.

The next morning, we were up and on the road bright and early again. We popped down to Moab, Utah, where we met up with my cousin Aaron and his wife Gina to tour Arches National Park. The park has over 2,000 natural arches slowly formed by the elements. It's a gorgeous landscape and it was also so nice to catch up with my cousin, who I hadn't seen in many years. After sharing lunch in downtown Moab, mom and I hit the back roads west.

I hadn't planned to stop in Goblin Valley State Park, but couldn't resist when I saw that we were somewhat close. This hoodoo-filled landscape is part of one of my favorite memories. As we walked to the edge of the depression that these formations call home, I hoped that I wouldn't be disappointed. Thankfully, this natural wonder was just as fantastic as I remembered it from when my father had brought my sister and me there over 25 years ago. I recall our 12 and 13-year-old selves filled with wonder, running around the valley with our imaginations going wild. I think it was an especially sweet experience because it was probably one of the last times my sister and I were more little girls than young women, free of all the pressures that inevitably descend upon one's teenage years.

Our travels continued through Utah's beautiful and formation-filled back roads to Capitol Reef National Park. I don't recall if I had ever been to this park before, but regardless, I gazed upon its beautiful formations in wonder and awe. I was also amazed that pioneers had the fortitude to establish the town of Fruita in the area. They planted orchards of fruit trees, built houses, and worked to make the harsh landscape a home. We spent the following day exploring the park, including adventuring down the bumpy and rugged Capitol Gorge Road.

After the morning at Capitol Reef, we went westward and upward to the town of Tropic, located just outside Bryce Canyon National Park. We dropped our stuff at the hotel and ascended further up to the park. The lodge was a perfect place to grab a filling dinner. I had intended for us to walk to the rim and peek at the canyon afterwards. Little did I know that we would be joined by a tiny snowstorm, not uncommon at 9,000 feet of elevation, even in mid-May. Not to be deterred, we adventured out anyway and enjoyed the canyon view in the waning light and drifting flurries.

Even though we had previewed Bryce Canyon in the snow the evening before, it was a completely different landscape the next morning. The salmon-covered hoodoos shone in the morning light, and my mother was as impressed as I had anticipated. I don't know how you could not be, as it's certainly one of the most spectacular places I've ever been. We rode the shuttle around the park's stops, ate lunch at the lodge, and then we were pleased to discover that the road leading to the highest points in the park had been opened so we explored those vistas, too.

The next morning, we were westward bound again. We made our way to Kanab, Utah, which is where many western films and television shows were filmed, including Gunsmoke, one of my mother's childhood favorites. Just outside Kanab, we spent the morning on a driving tour of Johnson Canyon Road. When we turned on the route, we found ourselves in the middle of a cattle drive, and had the interesting experience of driving through a mass of cows who weren't too happy to share the road. There were many interesting stops along the trail, including some pioneer billboards on the cliffs, the old Gunsmoke set, and lots of geological formations, including Johnson Canyon itself.

After we refueled the car and our bellies (mmm, Mexican food!), we decided that we would drive the highway through Zion National Park on our way to St. George, our next nightly stop. We wound our way through petrified sand dunes and my mother gasped in awe. I gasped in awe myself at the bighorn sheep that covered the landscape, as it was my first encounter with them and they were literally everywhere you looked. After taking more photos of them than I'd care to admit, we continued through the park. Unfortunately, we soon found ourselves stopped. Falling sand and rock had closed the route for an indefinite period of time!

We rerouted ourselves to St. George, instead traveling back through Kanab, then through Fredonia and Colorado City, Arizona. The Inn on the Cliff in St. George was a welcome oasis with a gorgeous view when we finally arrived, and we were more than happy to hop in the hot tub and relax. We enjoyed a peaceful dinner with a fantastic view at the inn's restaurant before turning in for the evening.

The next day, we closed the loop on our jaunt around southern Utah and returned to Las Vegas. I showed mom around Red Rock Canyon and we enjoyed one of our favorite cuisines - Indian food! As mom boarded her plane back to Indianapolis the following day, my car headed in a northwesterly direction...

Bucolic Baker

May 4, 2017 Teressa Jackson

View from Mather Overlook at Great Basin National Park

When I first arrived in Baker, Nevada, I paused a bit, hoping I hadn't made a mistake. This remote outpost near the Utah border is home to a whopping 68 residents and Great Basin National Park, the reason for my visit. I had never heard of the park before I spotted a green swath on Google maps and zoomed my screen, looked it up, and learned it was one of our nation's least visited national parks. That serendipitous route seems to be how I often decide where to travel.

The lovely view from my accommodations in Baker

The town is basically a small grid of gravel streets dotted with trailers, campers, and tiny houses located in an expanse of high desert in the foothills of the South Snake Range. Most of the properties have some odds and ends strewn around their yard. The 1,200 square foot two-bedroom bungalow I owned back in New Albany would be huge in comparison to pretty much all of the residences here.

As soon as I pulled in to the last homestead at the edge of town, my host Margaret popped out to greet me. I don't see how anyone could feel anything other than comfortable with Margaret. While she hunted for my keys, she invited me in to her place and we proceeded to share a couple of glasses of wine and swap stories. What an interesting woman with an amazing life! By the time I got the key to my place, I had been invited to dinner with Margaret and her friend Beth at the only dining establishment currently operating in Baker, T&D's Restaurant.

It was Friday night and T&D's was hopping. Terry, one of the owners, was out due to a recent surgery. Patricia, another local, was filling in for him as the sole server because, as Margaret said, "That's just what we do around here."

Margaret is unable to drive due to a vision impairment, but that doesn't seem to be much trouble, even though she lives in one of the most remote locales in the United States. She helps other people, and they help her. People genuinely care about each other here. That's obvious.

Of course, I came here to visit Great Basin National Park, and that has also been a true highlight. This park is one of the most unspoiled places I've been. I've spotted as many critters as I have other visitors, including the yellow-bellied marmot, mule deer, turkeys, jackrabbits, sheep, chipmunks, mice, and birds.

I admittedly didn't do the best job researching (or much researching at all) when I decided to come here, and a good portion of the park, including the ancient bristlecone pine trees that really intrigue me, is still under several feet of snow. The road to the top of Wheeler Peak, the second highest mountain in Nevada, is still closed due to the snow levels, although on my final day I happily found it was open further than it had been when I arrived. This might be the desert, but Baker's 5,000+ foot elevation means that much of the year is frigid, with the town under a foot of snow during parts of winter. Wheeler Peak's 13,000+ foot elevation is obviously even more inhospitable and slow to melt.

Life is returning to the Strawberry Creek area

Challenge aside, the parts of the park that are accessible have been lovely, and the weather during my days here has been in the 60's and 70's with gorgeous blue skies.

I hiked in the Snake Creek Canyon area, traversing through fields of sagebrush, groves of ghostly white aspen trees, and pinyon pine and Utah juniper woodlands. It was so quiet that the creek was almost deafening and I could hear the clinking of the aspen tree branches as the wind whisked through them.

I took a peek at the Strawberry Creek area, which is closed due to a massive wildfire that destroyed nearly 5,000 acres of forest last year. There were tinges of green as the spring temperatures warmed the soil, and the blackened ghosts of trees still stood tall and animated against the mountains and sky.

The Baker Creek trail took me over the river and through the woods. Well, not so much a river as several mountain streams that were gushing with melting snowpack. I hiked up, up, up, through aspens and twisted mahogany groves, until the snow became so prevalent on the trail that I decided it would be wise to turn back. Toward the highest elevations, I spotted lots of hoof tracks. I kept my eyes peeled, but none of the critters that created them revealed themselves.

Something I learned while here is that the Great Basin, which spans much of Utah and Nevada, is so named because it is like a giant bowl, dotted and surrounded with mountains. This "bowl" used to be Lake Bonneville, the remnants of which comprise the Great Salt Lake. With nowhere to go in this region, precipitation makes its way underground, sometimes resulting in caves.

Great Basin National Park is home to a stellar example of one of these caverns, Lehman Caves, which I toured during my stay. Cave tours are the only part of Great Basin National Park that has a fee, a very reasonable $10 per person. The park itself and I'm pretty sure many of its camp sites are free to visitors. I truly think this is one of the most impressive caves I've ever visited. It's full of unique formations and home to some rare varieties of cave decor, including cave "shields" and cave "turnips."

People here have been just as warm and friendly to me as they are to one another, and this is honestly going to go down as one of the best experiences of my trip because of them. I often think of tiny places like Baker as somewhere I would be unwelcome because I wasn't "one of them." Everyone I've met has been happy to make my acquaintance and genuinely interested in me. They also have seemed pretty surprised when I share that I am staying in Baker for a week. Apparently that is unusually long. "Are you thinking about moving here?" has even been uttered once or twice.

After experiencing the hospitality and the beauty of this area, I could warm up to that question a bit... if only the climate here was a bit warmer, too.

Sunset at Great Basin National Park entrance

My Artwork - April 2017

April 30, 2017 Teressa Jackson

April 2017 led me to the area surrounding Pensacola, Florida, then returning to the west for visits around Las Vegas, Nevada; Phoenix, Arizona; and Baker, Nevada. Most of my paintings reflected the Gulf Coast's scenery this month.

One of the things I've been working on over the past couple of months is "loosening up" my approach to art. While I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to receive artistic training throughout my life, culminating in a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art (Painting emphasis), I feel that instruction hampered my creativity in a lot of ways. I often wonder what my creations would look like had I explored my my creative side independently.

I personally feel that untrained and uninformed art is the purest artistic expression, which is one of the biggest reasons I have spent years collecting folk and outsider art. Most of the paintings I made this month were only loosely sketched with pencil prior to getting out the paintbrushes, and some were not sketched at all. This is a huge change from the meticulous beginnings I usually undertake.

I continued to be pretty productive, creating 9 pieces of art and an additional 2 "sketch" paintings, which I used as promotional giveaways. As always, except for the sketch paintings, my pieces were inspired by my travels and informed by my original photography. Many are already sold (thank you, dear friends - I continue to be humbled by your support!). As of this posting, 5 of these pieces are still available and ready to keep your walls company.

I'm also running a promotion right now. Until the end of the day on Sunday, May 7, you will get 15% off your purchase when you enter the promo code MOMLOVE at checkout.

So go ahead, go get yourself some art!

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Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama: 4/2/17, 13:45:20

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama: 4/2/17, 13:45:22

Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida: 3/27/17, 11:32:01

Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida: 3/27/17, 11:27:53

Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida: 3/27/17, 11:28:45

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama: 4/2/17, 14:32:48

Every $30 you buy in art helps keep me rolling on my adventure across the United States for approximately 1-2 days (gas is expensive!). I'm truly grateful to all the people in my life who keep me fueled up, both literally and figuratively!

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Valley of the Sun

April 27, 2017 Teressa Jackson

Kalisha and me at Hole in the Rock at Papago Park

Two weeks ago, I meandered through the desert, past the beautiful blue waters of Lake Havasu, and into the Valley of the Sun. Phoenix has definitely lived up to its nickname, as UV rays have been in plentiful supply here, and there certainly hasn't been a single drop of rain.

I even got to experience a day at what they refer to as the "century mark" when the mercury climbed to 100 degrees on Sunday. You always hear people say that it's not as bad because it's a "dry heat." They're telling the truth. I'd take a million 100 degree days at 6% humidity over 90 degrees with 90% humidity back home. Heat is infinitely more tolerable when you don't feel like someone wrapped a wet blanket around your head. Sorry, Ohio Valley.

While I feel I've barely scratched the surface of what this city has to offer, I've definitely enjoyed my time here. I had visited Scottsdale several years ago, but didn't really get to do or experience much on that trip. I honestly had no idea how large the city was until I got here. With a metro area of around 4.5 million people, it's around 3 times the size of my Louisville hometown.

It's been especially fun to spend some time with my friend Kalisha, who relocated to Phoenix from Louisville at the first of the year. She was kind enough to tour me all over the metro area, and I truly got a more local perspective thanks to her. We attended a self-defense class, visited the farmer's market, saw the city sprawl from up high at South Mountain Park, gazed at Camelback Mountain, hopped up to the hole in the rock at Papago Park, went to a Young Nonprofit Professional Network event, and devoured a few delicious meals.

Blooming saguaro at Desert Botanical Gardens

Kalisha also scored me a free pass to the Desert Botanical Garden. As a self-described "plant nerd," I think was probably the highlight of my time in Phoenix. Other stops included the Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera exhibit at the Heard Museum, the Rose Garden at Mesa Community College, and Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West. I took a day trip to Sedona and hiked in Oak Creek Canyon, and stopped at Montezuma Castle National Monument's gorgeous cliffside dwelling on the way back to the city. I enjoyed lunch and olive oil tasting at Queen Creek Olive Mill (olives!!). South of Phoenix, I visited Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, a multi-story structure built in the 1300's by Ancestral Sonoran Desert People.

I also was really happy that my return to the Sonoran Desert unexpectedly coincided with the saguaro cacti's annual bloom. The white flowers, which open at night and only last through the following day, are Arizona's state flower.

One of the things I enjoy about being somewhere on a more extended timeframe is the chance to just spend time like a normal person. I ate some great Mexican food, spent a lot of time with my paintbrushes, shopped a little, enjoyed my Tempe neighborhood, and put some new tires on my car. After nearly 16,000 miles of traveling, it was time!

There remains plenty I haven't seen, done, or experienced in Phoenix, but I've learned to let that go and not wear myself out. Sometimes you have to walk the line between tourist and pretend local... between vacation and real life.

Where to next? I'm really excited to hit the road this morning and head toward one of our nation's least visited national parks, Great Basin National Park in Baker, Nevada. I'm very excited about the diversity of this remote park, which includes mountains, a glacier, ancient bristlecone pine trees, and a cave. Time to put some wear on these new tires!

Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West in Scottsdale, AZ

Returning to the Land of Red Rocks

April 12, 2017 Teressa Jackson

On Sunday, I packed up the bikini and beach towel and boarded a plane back to Las Vegas. With my base tan established, I was prepared for more desert sunshine!

My car had been relaxing at the airport for about six weeks, and I was starting to feel like that was my big Vegas gamble. As the parking lot shuttle rounded the corner, I saw her there smiling at me. What a relief! I assessed the exterior: no flat tires, no broken windows, and no new dings, dents, or scrapes. In the final test, I turned the ignition. Voila! I was on the road again.

Since my time in Vegas had been pretty brief (and I wasn't sure that my car would be ready to roll on down the road), I booked a few days at an Airbnb on the outskirts of town. My plan was to see some of the natural beauty surrounding this land of slot machines, roulette wheels, and poker tables.

Monday, I took a short drive west to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. The park was full of people enjoying a gorgeous, sunny, mid-70's spring day. I drove the scenic loop, stopping at most points of interest to take some short hikes, snap photos, and drink in the beautiful landscape. I was afraid I had missed spring in the desert, but there was still a pretty abundant sprinkling of flowers to be seen.

Following my tour of Red Rock, I spent some time on a more typical Vegas activity - shopping. My hiking shoes were ready for retirement, and probably had been for quite some time. After a few tries, I was happy to be able to locate the same type of shoe (Ahnu Sugarpine Air Mesh), which had worked really well for me for the better part of a year. I guess I'm not very "adventurous" in my wardrobe choices! :-)

Yesterday, my trek was a little more extensive. I drove about an hour through sparse desert terrain to the Valley of Fire, a Nevada State Park. I had seen a lot of photos of this park, especially its "Fire Wave," and it did not disappoint. It is home to some really unique formations, intensely red rocks, petroglyphs, canyons, and petrified logs. I drove most of the park roads and stopped at many of the scenic points. Hiking the Fire Wave trail, I saw more lovely desert flowers and made the acquaintance of a few chuckwalla lizards.

Leaving the park's east entrance, I wound my way through Lake Mead National Recreation Area. After about an hour of the area's varied desert vistas and distant glimpses of the lake, I caught up with the throngs of tourists who were headed with me to see Hoover Dam.

I can't say that visiting Hoover Dam was anywhere near the top of my list of places I want to see, but it was actually pretty interesting and picturesque. I am definitely a fan of Art Deco architecture, and it's a fantastic example of this style. The Lake Mead side of the dam was pretty surreal looking, with its blue water, art deco towers, and the waterline on the surrounding cliffs. I'm glad I stopped and braved the crowds!

Today, I am doing some work, catching up on things (like this blog!), and painting. I wanted to take it relatively easy since I have a long drive ahead of me tomorrow, when I head south to Phoenix, Arizona, my home for the next two weeks. Stay tuned for more reporting from the Valley of the Sun!

Desert globemallow and indigo bush blooming at Valley of Fire State Park

My Artwork - March 2017

April 3, 2017 Teressa Jackson

March 2017 took me to the area surrounding Pensacola, Florida. After bouncing around quite a bit for the past couple of months, it was nice to relax, be in one place, and have time to do some contract work and focus on my artwork. In my most productive month since hitting the road, I created 14 new pieces of original art, inspired by my travels and informed by my original photography. Most were the same size I've stuck with since embarking on my travels (5" x 5") but I also changed it up and made three larger paintings (8" x 8"). Several are already sold (thank you, dear friends!), but as of this posting, seven of these pieces are still available and ready to pack their bags and bring a bit of new life to your locale.

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Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida: 3/27/17, 11:30:14

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona: 1/24/17, 14:20:29

Joshua Tree National Park, California: 2/14/17, 9:31:06

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona: 1/24/17, 16:57:46

Death Valley National Park, California: 2/24/17, 15:11:25

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona: 1/24/17, 13:06:55

Joshua Tree National Park, California: 2/14/17, 12:25:42

Gulf Islands National Seashore, Pensacola, Florida: 3/19/17, 13:05:29

Death Valley National Park, California: 2/19/17, 12:21:14

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Productive in Pensacola

March 23, 2017 Teressa Jackson

Pensacola's beautiful historic buildings

As February came to a close, I left Death Valley in my rear view mirror and headed back to Las Vegas. No, I wasn't interested in trying my luck as a gambler, or being entertained by the Osmonds or Celine Dion. I was catching a flight... to Florida!

With many of the western locales I would like to visit still experiencing colder temperatures than I'd prefer, I took the opportunity to spend some time in the Sunshine State. I've been based in Pensacola, and honestly, being pretty darn boring. I've caught some rays at Pensacola Beach, Johnson Beach, Navarre Beach, and Destin. Most of my time, though, has been spent working on projects for clients, painting, and strolling the streets of this lovely historic city, which first hosted European settlers in 1559.

Pensacola's historic train station, which is incorporated into the Pensacola Grand Hotel

Pensacola has been a great place to unplug and recharge. I know everyone feels so sorry for me (ha ha... not!) but it is actually kind of exhausting to be constantly traveling to beautiful places. January and February found me in a total of ten different locales. Relocating that often, so much driving, and the self-induced pressure to go, do, and experience as much as I can, had me ready for a break.

I'm not just laying in bed and staring at a wall all day, though. I've gotten quite a bit of work for clients accomplished during this time, my taxes prepped, and I've cranked out ten paintings (with three more in progress) in the first 23 days of March. I'll probably be here for at least two or three more weeks, and then I'll return to Vegas and figure out which direction to point my vehicle, which is still parked at the airport racking up a nice parking bill. In the meantime, cheers to you from the Emerald Coast!

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