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NW Exped - TN

NW Exped – TN

Reelfoot State Park TN in Tiptonville, Tennessee has been on my park visit wish list for some time. It is in the extreme western part of Tennessee by the mighty Mississippi River. Hundreds of eagles are reported to Winter here and seeing the biodiversity it is obvious why they this

Tennessee State Parks says“the 15,000 acre lake was created by a series of violent earthquakes in 1811-1812 that…

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NW Exped - Arkansas

NW Exped – Arkansas

DeGray Lake State Park   was a quite respite from our journey eastward.  It was a taste of home with the green forest, grass and familiar insect sounds. My highlight of these couple of days was seeing this bird below. I have never seen one of these before.

This is a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on the golf course of DeGray Lake. This bird is not in our area but breed in the Arkansas, according to…

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Arizona is a beautiful state which sadly I did not capture many photos. It is hot in Southern California and western Arizona in a heatwave, in the dog days of summer. This was a shock to my system having been in the cool Pacific Ocean breezes or high enough in latitude &/or altitude that afternoons only reached the 80s on hot days.

We stayed in Flagstaff which was high enough to be cool but sadly had a wildfire. We stayed on the eastern side of the mountain which saved us from the smoke but the trails in the beautiful Coconino National Forest were closed due to fire. We also received a hand delivered letter in the campground telling us about the fire to be ready to evacuate if notified. The fire started July 23 and is still burning today but the dangers have lessened. Wildfire is not something I had considered but after walking on the crunchy grass of the dry southwest I understand the danger.

On the way to New Mexico we had to stop at the Petrified Forest National Park  this amazing place of trees turn to rock was a must see for me.

This place has really amazing sites such as a 10 foot in diameter petrified log and a log bridge over a canyon. It is very hot and dry but not to bad due to the elevation of 5,400 feet. If you need a reference our tallest North Carolina mountain Mount Mitchell is 6,684 feet (it is in the mid 50s right now – 10 am) and if you have visited in the summer you know just how nice that reduces the summer heat. There are great views and amazing tree stones where you can even see the bark of a 200 million year old tree. National Geographic wrote a great article if you want to know more.

New Mexico Bluewater Lake State Park is a beautiful spot with great stargazing potential as it is very dark. The gate however is intimidating with two armed Rangers in bullet proof vest and the exit has the tire puncture strip. The local area was not welcoming either very rough looking – no we did not stop due to my rule. We were late arriving and had a early departure so exploration was done in the cool of night with a beautiful night sky.

Texas – Palo Duro Canyon State Park only one night and a partial day but I SAW ROADRUNNERS!! They do not say beep beep more of a weird hooo hooo with some vibrato. And a cool fact from Allaboutbirds.org “Coyotes run more than twice as fast (43 mph) as a Roadrunner”. These guys were great to watch there was a group of three.

This park is the second largest canyon in the United States (#1 Grand Canyon) and how fitting it is in Texas. The Campsites in Palo Duro are Texas sized as well and include your own covered picnic table. We descended (including switchbacks and steep grades) into the canyon to stay on the floor with the painted walls surrounding us.

We also saw a Mississippi Kite which was also a first for me perched in a snag overlooking the canyon floor. Flies are an issue in the desert southwest and many of them, seeking fluids, will get it from you in the form of blood.

Oklahoma – Lake Thunderbird State Park was the best campsite ever with our own beachfront property on the cool lake of which we took advantage. It was beautiful in the morning with the mist on the water.

This was great arriving early in the afternoon for a cool swim! We departed early the next morning for Arkansas!

Please see the AZ NM OK TX album here  https://photos.app.goo.gl/vSxT1F5eo4wQNqjo7

NW Exped – AZ, NM, TX and OK Arizona is a beautiful state which sadly I did not capture many photos. It is hot in Southern California and western Arizona in a heatwave, in the dog days of summer.

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NW Exped - CA the land of BIG TREES!

NW Exped – CA the land of BIG TREES!

This journey has been incredibile but please do not underestimate the planning required to have a relaxing expedition camping across the diverse United States of America. Having learned immensely from the Northeastern Expedition of last summer which culminated in MAINE. I stove to be better prepared with; estimated travel times, estimated times of arrival, fuel/supply stops, printed…

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NW Exped Site #10 & 11 Oregon

NW Exped Site #10 & 11 Oregon

Oregon… as I reflect on the beauty and almost savage coast I feel certain I could live there. It is a fantastic mesh of the things I love (evergreen trees, coastal tide pools and wildlife). But the rocky sheer cliffs make access to the beach a challenge for those of us who are height aversive.The descent is formidable down these steep, sandy, rocky, drift log (the giant size of driftwood)…

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NW Exped Site #8, 9, & 8 again Washington

NW Exped Site #8, 9, & 8 again Washington

Sorry for the delay in posts and I can’t blame technology this time. But it was accidental and self inflicted concussion protocol. As all my teacher buds know this limits screen times. Yes but my graceless nature had nothing to do with it. Simply Washington quality mud. I was at the edge of the road, near three large rocks (ottoman size) and my feet just went out from under me like stepping on…

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NW Exped Site #8 Montana Lewis & Clark

NW Exped Site #8 Montana Lewis & Clark

Lewis and Clark Caverns State  in Whitehall Montana, was remote and provided fantastic views of the surrounding mountains. There was a fast flowing river below and cliffs behind. The bird activity would prove to be phenomenal. I did not expect to check two birds off my lifetime list in this remote area of Montana but it happened. Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about Pelicans, namely brown,…

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NW Exped Site #6 Montana & Yellowstone!

NW Exped Site #6 Montana & Yellowstone!

So my plan for Yellowstone was to stay on the Northeast/North side due to the access to Lamar Valley where the wolves, bison, elk and brown bears roam. Our campground was the Red Lodge KOA in Red Lodge, Montana. There are campgrounds closer to Yellowstone which would have meet our needs but the idea of pulling the vintage camper on hairpin turns and steep Rocky Mountain grades turned my stomach.…

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NW Exped Site #5 Badlands

NW Exped Site #5 Badlands

So for Badlands National Park we stayed in a retail campground, something I try to avoid. Due to our electrical needs, the whole C-PAP breathing thing it was a necessary evil. We got to the campground after a long day of driving through a beautiful landscape. The crops of Nebraska are something to behold. From wheat a beautiful blue green shade undulating in the breeze to Black & Red Angus Cattle…

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NW Exped Site #4 - Ponca

NW Exped Site #4 – Ponca

Apologies for the delay my chrome book “STB” (put fecal matter in the bed). I am now on this super new Apple iPad Air Pro with a keyboard. I love tech but I can’t get into typing on a screen. Having a touchscreen was enough of a challenge.

Nebraskas’ Ponca State Park is gorgeous a haven for campers! This was just what we needed after the debacle of Red Bluff MO, and the storms/ power outages of…

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NW Exped Sites 2 & 3

NW Exped Sites 2 & 3

We departed Kentucky heading northwest to Missouri through the flood ravaged area and sadly a flash flood warning. While all intentions of this visit were to see the famous Mark Twain National Forest (MKNF) in Missouri, the experience was not one I would repeat. We arrive at our appointed check in time at Red Bluff Campgroundin MTNF, stopping by the water to fill our tank for the two day stay. As…

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Kentucky - Land Between the Lakes

Kentucky – Land Between the Lakes

The first site, 500 miles into our Northwest Expedition was Hurricane Creek Campground near Cadiz, Kentucky. Why pick this random spot? Because it is on the shores of Lake Barkley a place known for its wildlife and fisheries. Lake Barkley and its sister Kentucky Lake wrap around the area known as Land Between the Lakesa peninsula of fertile soil created by the beautiful Tennessee River. Growing…

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Northwest Expedition Begins next week!

Northwest Expedition Begins next week!

The Northwest Expedition starts next week! It includes:

Land Between the Lakes KY

Mark Twain National Forest MO

Indian Cave State Park NE

Ponca State Park NE

Badlands National Park SD

Yellowstone NP in ID, MT, WY

Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park MT

Riverside State Park WA

Mount Rainier National Park WA

Olympic National Park WA

Orcas Island & Moran State Park WA

Champoeg State Heritage Area

Um…

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Karan's Corner

Karan’s Corner

This PAGE Under Construction but coming soon is a place that Karan says “Follow my Travels or just ask & I’ll happily tell you where to GO!”

  This is to be a story board and guide to all the places I have been. Including photos, challenges, breath – taking moments and more. What you need to know so you don’t run out of gas, not have cash or even step on a sand spur.

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2016 Hawa'ii Expedition

2016 Hawa’ii Expedition

  My 2016 global Earth Expedition field experience was to discover and evaluate the elements of conservation, environmental stewardship and ecology that inspire community inquiry. I arrived 5 days prior to my Global Field Earth Expeditions Hawai’i: Saving Species course on 7/15/2016 to acclimate and embrace the beauty of this tropical island independently(Project Dragonfly at Miami University,…

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Solar Eclipse 8/21/2016

Don’t miss the total Solar Eclipse on 8/21/2016 @ 11:39am. Partial Eclipse starts at 10:10am these are approximate times for the Charlotte viewing area.  The best views are in between the blue lines. GD = Greatest duration and GE = Greatest Eclipse.

Get all the information from NASA: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2017Aug21Tgoogle.html

Information on other eclipses visit: h…

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Don't Miss the Eclipse Monday 8/21/2017

Don’t Miss the Eclipse Monday 8/21/2017

Get your Eclipse Info HERE: https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/

Watch the eclipse with NASA here: https://www.nasa.gov/eclipselive

When and where? Check out the Carolinas map: http://americaneclipseusa.com/see-the-2017-eclipse/usa-eclipse-states/north-carolina/

Want a Guide? Visit Gorges State Park one of North Carolina’s most beautiful parks

On August 21st at 2:38 p.m., the…