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heritageofafricanjungles · 4 years ago

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8 DAYS AFRICA VACATION/HOLIDAY

his is the classic Kenyan safari offering you 2 nights at samburu national park with game viewing opportunities, a chance to experience the fabulous flamingos of the lovely Rift Valley Lake Nakuru, the world famous Masai Mara reserve, Lake Naivasha which is a beautiful freshwater lake, fringed by thick papyrus and crown your safari with Amboseli national park with its majestic backdrop of Mt Kilimanjaro promising postcard perfect photos.

You'll be collected from the airport (or hotel).

Accommodation before the tour departs can be arranged for an extra cost.

Day 1: Nairobi / Samburu Game Reserve

Drive north to Samburu on the south bank of the Uaso Nyiro River, downriver from Archer’s Post to arrive at the Lodge for lunch and afternoon game drive. North of the Equator some of the animals and vegetation are a little different from those commonly found south. Elephant, black rhino, lion, buffalo and cheetah and the usual buck and antelopes are common to both north and south of the equator. However unfamiliar animals are the Gravy’s zebra, the reticulated giraffe and the Somali ostrich. There is also the long neck gerenuk, Beisa Oryx, and hunting dog. Crocodiles in the river can be seen from the lodge/tented camp. The vegetation is usually dry grass with a few swampy patches. There is some forest cover along the Uaso Nyiro River and an abundance of doum palms. All meals, Lunch, Dinner and Overnight at the Lodge.

Main Destination: Samburu Game Reserve Accommodation: Samburu Sopa Lodge Standard Lodge located Just Outside Samburu NR Meals & Drinks: Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 2: Samburu game reserve

After breakfast, another day in this harshly beautiful terrain where wildlife abounds especially nears the river which is their only source of drinking water. The Uaso Nyiro River flows gently through the dry landscape sustaining life in this harsh land. Shaba National Reserve is where the famous conservationist George Adamson did his research on lions. In the Afternoon you will set out on another game drive and return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Main Destination: Samburu Game Reserve Accommodation: Samburu Sopa Lodge Standard Lodge located Just Outside Samburu NR Meals & Drinks: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner (Drinks not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 3: Samburu / Lake Nakuru

After breakfast the tour leaves for Nyahururu (Thompsons Falls) at an altitude of 7,738 feet. The falls are named after the Scots explorer Joseph Thompson who was the first European to discover the falls in 1884. Then comes the descent into the Great Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru National park for lunch at one of the hotels. An afternoon drive in the park to enjoy the sight of pelicans bathing in the fresh water streams which terminate in Lake Nakuru. Since there is no existing drainage, Lake Nakuru is alkaline, the perfect place for flamingos to feed on the blue-green algae. The greater flamingo attains a height of about 4.26 feet its plumage is almost white with a pale pink, black tipped beak. It is the lesser flamingo that has the more exotic color. This Park has a great variety of bird life which includes the Egyptian goose and a variety of ducks that come from Europe to winter, its truly a bird watchers paradise. The park is also a sanctuary for the white rhino and other wild game. Return to the Lodge for Dinner and Overnight.

Main Destination: Lake Nakuru national park Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Lodge Standard Lodge located Inside Lake Nakuru n.p Meals & Drinks: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner (Drinks not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 4: Lake Nakuru / Masai mara

After breakfast, drive to Masai mara game reserve to arrive in time for lunch at the lodge. Masai mara is “Kenya’s finest game reserve. Pass through the lower scenic mau escarpment road into the Rift Valley to the 1792 square, a distance of 275-320kms via Narok town climbing the Hemingway's wall “The Serengeti plains"this park actually forms the northern part of the Serengeti national park in Tanzania. Masai Mara National Reserve to arrive in time for lunch. The afternoon is spent on a game drive in search of the black manned lions which the park is famous, Lion making a kill can be witnessed in the late afternoon or a leopard in a tree enjoying the meal he has dragged up to avoid disturbance and detection. This reserve has hilly savanna, rolling grasslands, gallery forest on the Mara River and its tributaries. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Main Destination: Masai Mara Game Reserve Accommodation: Masai Mara Sopa Lodge Standard Lodge located just outside Masai Mara Game Reserve Meals & Drinks: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner (Drinks not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 5: Masai mara game reserve

After breakfast, full day of game viewing. Exploration this part of the Northern Serengeti Ecosystem where the great wildebeest migration takes place at the beginning of August. Months before the actual migration the herds ‘assemble’ in Serengeti in readiness for the crossing into Masai Mara. The plain is literally covered with these animals. Grunts and other animal sounds are heard, and territorial fights are commonplace. Africa has a long history of capturing the imagination of travelers, a continent of dramatic contrasts that gives you an unforgettable and remarkable experience whether it’s in an amazement of watching thousands of wild beasts struggling across a rushing river that is littered with crocodiles waiting for their prey, makes the world’s premier wildlife spectacle. Lion making a kill can be witnessed in the late afternoon or a leopard in a tree enjoying the meal he has dragged up to avoid disturbance and detection. All meals and Overnight at the Lodge.

Day 6: Masai mara / Lake Naivasha

After breakfast, drive to Lake Naivasha, along the floor of the Rift valley, now with more familiar memories of the landscape; arrive for lunch at the lodge, afternoon proceed on your adventure to various attractive features and places in Lake Naivasha. Much of the lake is surrounded by forests of the yellow barked Acacia Xanthophlea, known as the yellow fever tree. These forests abound with bird life, and Naivasha is known as a world class birding. The waters of the lake draw a great range of game to these shores. Giraffes wander among the acacia, Buffalo wallow in the swamps and Colobus monkeys call from the treetops while the Lakes large hippo population sleeps the day out in the shallows. The region surrounding the Lake is well worth exploring. Optional activities and excursions in Lake Naivasha 1 hour boat ride : USD 20. - Per person 2 hours walking safari on Crescent Island Sanctuary : USD 45.-per person Walking /biking safari at Hells gate national park : USD 45.- per person.

Main Destination: Lake Naivasha Accommodation: Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort Standard Lodge located along the Shores of Lake Naivasha Meals & Drinks: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner (Drinks not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 7: Lake Naivasha / Amboseli

After breakfast, check out and drive to Amboseli national park; the journey continuous south, passing through the Athi Plains where formerly the Burchell's zebra, the Masai giraffe and smaller herbivores roamed about freely. With human encroachment the wildlife is confined to game parks. There is an advantage to this because one has to drive inside a park to be rewarded with the sight of many different species of animals. Amboseli National Park is reached late in the afternoon, for lunch; embark on an afternoon game viewing in the park at the foot of Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro (19,340 ft). In the late afternoon one is likely to see a lion or cheetah make a kill. Ideal photography opportunities with Mount Kilimanjaro highest mountain in Africa providing a beautiful back drop. Return to the camp for dinner and overnight.

Main Destination: Amboseli national park Accommodation: Amboseli Sopa Resort Standard Lodge located Just outside Amboseli national park Meals & Drinks: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner (Drinks not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 8: Amboseli / Nairobi

Early morning game drive can be taken in Amboseli when Mt. Kilimanjaro appears from its mantle of clouds. Proceed to the area of Lake Amboseli, which is a wide salt pan, consisting of permanent swamps. This area has much game, large and small, high concentration of Elephant, rhino, buffalo, Burchell's zebra, eland, Masai giraffe and small species of the antelope family the common water buck, klipspringer, Grant’s gazelle, impala, topi, and the diminutive duiker among others. Amboseli offers some of the best opportunities to see African animals because its vegetation is sparse due to the long dry months. Amboseli national park is home to wild animals, which include the African elephant, buffalo, impala, lion, cheetah, hyena, giraffes, zebra, and wildebeest among other African animals. There is also a host of Kenya birds, both large and small, to see if you keep your eyes open and stop at every sighting. Drive to Nairobi arriving at the airport in the late afternoon.

Main Destination: Nairobi Accommodation: No Accomodation Provided ( End of Tour) Standard Lodge located Just outside Amboseli national park Meals & Drinks: Breakfast (Lunch, Dinner not included) Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.

You'll be dropped off at the airport (or hotel).

Lodge / camp name Cost Per Person Sharing

Luxury5 star Rated Lodges/ Camps 2 pax 4 pax 6 pax

Jan - March $1,970 $1,685 $1,590

April- June $1,660 $1,370 $1,270

July-October $2,480 $2,190 $1,940

November- 20.December $1,970 $1,685 $1,590

Standard 4 Star Lodges/ camps 2 Pax 4 Pax 6 Pax

January - March $1,810 $1,520 $1,425

April- June $1,640 $1,370 $1,285

July - October $2,180 $1,800 $1,710

November - 20. December $1,810 $1,520 $1,425

Mid-range 3 star Lodge/camps 2 Pax 4 Pax 6 Pax

January - March $1,640 $1,390 $1,285

April- June $1,480 $1,260 $1,160

July-October $1,970 $1,670 $1,550

November- 20.December $1,640 $1,390 $1,285

( Low Budget / Basic camps) 2 Pax 4 Pax 6 Pax

January - March $1,360 $1,130 $975

April- June $1,330 $1,100 $945

July-October $1,430 $1,190 $995

November- 20.December $1,360 $1,130 $975

Included

Park fees (For non-residents)

All activities (Unless labeled as optional)

All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)

A professional driver/guide

All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)

All Taxes/VAT

Round-trip airport transfer

Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)

Drinking water (On all days)

Excluded

International flights (From/to home)

Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour

Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)

Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)

Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees

Some meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)

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the-awkward-outlaw · 5 years ago

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Second Chances - Ch. 6

The Coming of the Storm

Warnings: swearing, angst, blood, violence

Word count: ~9650

Two weeks have gone by since your arrival to Horseshoe Overlook. The camp is now up and fully functional. When you haven’t been in camp helping Grimshaw or Pearson, you and Arthur have been out hunting. While most of the meat you get from hunting goes to Pearson, you and the outlaw often stop in Valentine to sell the pelts and horns of the bucks, rams and elk you’ve killed.

You head into Valentine now on Rain with Arthur and his paint horse, who he still hasn’t named, both loaded with pelts. You wrinkle your nose at the heavy odor of livestock animals all throughout the town. For some reason, the roads are always muddy. The people seem simple enough though. You’re sure if you had to go out robbing any of them, it would be easy enough.

You both bring your horses to a stop near the butcher’s outside the Saint’s Hotel and sell him your pelts. Arthur counts his money quickly, then declares he’s going to go into the shop and buy a few things. You agree to meet him in the saloon next to the shop.

You trudge your way through the thick mud and up the steps into the saloon. Since it’s late in the morning, it’s relatively empty, except for a couple of men at the poker table, and a couple more scattered throughout. One of them in the back near the barber looks like a trapper. He’s wearing a mountain of furs with a raccoon hat, his face covered by a wild, tangled beard.

You go to the bartender and order a shot of whisky while you wait for Arthur. Several moments go by, and the doors swing open. You turn to see if it’s him, but instead it’s two young men. From their clothes and the mud that splatters them, you’re sure they’re ranch hands. Probably brought in some livestock to sell and are here for a drink before they return to wherever they came from. They spot you on your lonesome leaning against the bar.

“Well, looky here, George,” one of them nudges the other. He stares at you, and the look in his eye makes you feel anxious. “Ain’t seen a fine thing like this in some time!”

The last word you would use to describe yourself would be ‘fine’, seeing as you haven’t had a proper bath in days. Your hair’s dishevelled, and your shirt and jeans are covered in dirt from hunting. You’re sure you don’t smell the best either.

“You’re sure right, Jeremiah!” the other one says, looking towards you as well. They both approach you, smiling.

“Hey there, little lady,” the one named Jeremiah says, leaning against the bar next to you as you shoot back your drink. “How much for me to get one afternoon with ya?”

You glare at him. “I ain’t a workin’ girl, mister. You want one of them, feast your eyes on the women over there,” you motion to the two girls standing at the back of the saloon, fanning themselves.

Jeremiah takes a step back to look at them, then he leans towards you again. “Who said I thought you was a workin’ girl?”

“I ain’t for sale, mister!” you snarl, turning to face him head on. “And I sure ain’t spending an afternoon with you, money or not.”

“Hey, that ain’t no way for a girl to talk,” George says, getting closer to you.

“Well, apparently I have to, since neither of you seem to understand the meanin’ of the word no.”

George’s face darkens and you can tell he’s thinking of hitting you. It’s a face you saw many times on your husband. You prepare to brace yourself.

“Easy there, fellers,” Arthur says, walking up from behind them, coming to stand next to you. His brow is heavy over his eyes, darkening them. “If you really want her, yer gonna have to go through me.”

The two men size Arthur up; he’s much larger than them.

“Ah, she ain’t worth it,” Jeremiah shoots, waving his hand at you. They both turn away and start talking to the bartender.

You thank Arthur and then notice he’s wearing a new outfit. Black button-up shirt under a stamped red leather vest and a dark green shotgun coat. Dark jeans tucked into black leather half-chaps and black boots. You avert your eyes from his chest, which is slightly exposed under the shirt since he’s left the top two buttons undone and his collar popped up. He still wears his old hat, though.

The two of you turn and order more drinks from the bartender, the two men who had just been harassing you leaving the saloon. You order two more shots. “His is on me,” you say.

“Nah, ya ain’t gotta buy my drinks, Y/N,” he tries to argue.

“Arthur, please. Let me do this for you, since you got rid of those guys.”

He drinks his shot, grunting at the burn. “What they want, anyways?”

“A paid afternoon,” you drink quickly.

“Those sons of bitches. Glad I got here when I did, sounds like they weren’t too keen on leavin’ ya be.”

“Pretty sure you’re right. Nice outfit, by the way.”

He chuckles. “Ah, it was time. Been makin’ enough money from all the huntin’ we been doin’ the last few days.”

“Well, I like it.”

You can’t tell if he’s blushing or not, but he hides his face with the tip of his hat. The two of you have a couple more drinks, then Arthur orders the both of you some lamb’s fry.

“Ya ain’t gotta buy my food, Arthur, I have enough for it myself.”

“I want to. S’too late now,” he smirks at you. God, he could be so stubborn.

You both take to a table and eat. You’re grateful to finally have a meal you don’t either have to cook yourself or that comes out of Pearson’s pot.

The two of you finish and walk out of the saloon. You look to the hotel and see a sign offering baths. Your skin suddenly begins to itch, as though your entire body is hungry for some hot water.

“I’m going to go get myself cleaned up. Meet you at camp?”

“Ya sure ya don’t want me to wait for ya?”

“Arthur, you don’t have to if you don’t wanna. I ain’t makin’ you do nothin’.”

“S’a’right, I’ll wait. I was gonna go look at horses anyways.”

You glance to his paint hitched outside of the hotel.

“What’s wrong with that one?”

Arthur looks at it as well. “Well, nothin’, but it just don’t feel right to be ridin’ a horse from Mrs. Adler’s home. I talked to her earlier, she said I could do whatever I want with it. Still, I might get a different one.”

You nod your head and go into the hotel, paying 25 cents for a bath. You head into the washroom and sink into the long tub, moaning audibly as the hot water laps at your skin.

While your scrubbing your hair, a knock comes to the door. For a second, your stomach clenches at the thought of it maybe being Arthur, but then a woman’s voice rings through the door.

“Need someone to take over for you?” she asks. You breathe out heavily.

“Nah thanks, I’m doin’ okay.”

“No worries! Just doin’ my job.”

You quickly scrub the rest of your body and then sit a few moments, letting your skin soak up the water. You finally decide it’s time to get out and stand up, drying yourself off. You head out of the room and down the hall and see Arthur’s in the lobby, sitting down in a chair.

“What are you doin’?” you ask. “Thought you was lookin’ at horses?”

“I was, but they ain’t got anythin’ really worth lookin’ at right now. Stable master says he’s short on horses to buy for now.”

“Ya didn’t have to wait here for me, though.”

“Ya always this bossy, miss?”

For a second you stare hard at him, then the both of you start laughing as you leave the hotel. You mount your horses and head back to camp.

When you get back, Hosea’s sitting on a rock holding a huge, scoped rifle. He calls Arthur over to him. You hitch Rain next to a massive black shire, who snorts almost angrily as you dismount your horse. You give him a wide berth, not wanting to be kicked.

You head on over to Pearson and give him the things you didn’t sell, including a perfect elk pelt. Grimshaw heads over to you, huffing.

“Glad to see your back, Ms. Y/L/N, but I need you to go help the other girls.”

She leads you to the tented wagons where the others sit. You see the three girls gathered around the canvas that usually covers Hosea’s, Charles’s and Bill’s bedrolls, which seems to have split nearly all the way down the middle. It had rained hard last night, so you’re not surprised the water tore it.

You pass Arthur and Hosea, standing near the black shire. Arthur mounts the tall horse.

“Ya really gonna ride that thing?” you ask him.

“Gonna give it a try, anyways.”

“Don’t worry,” Hosea calls. “He’s as sweet as a kitten as long as I’m around.”

You chuckle at the face Arthur makes, you can tell Hosea hasn’t given him any confidence.

“You goin’ huntin’ again?” you ask as he pats the horse.

“Hosea says there’s a giant bear near some lake. We’re gonna try to get it.”

“Okay, be safe.”

The two men wave at you as they turn their horses and head down the trail, yelling at Lenny that they might be gone a few days.

It’s early the next morning, and you’re on guard duty. You were set on it last night just after sunset by Dutch. You wait patiently, yawning widely, for the next person to come and relieve you. You hear two horses approaching. Hosea comes up the trail on Silver Dollar, and behind him Arthur on a brand new horse. He stops the horse next to you.

She’s huge; an iron gray Ardennes war horse. She flicks her black tail.

“What ya think?” Arthur asks, leaning down on the horn of his saddle.

“What happened to the shire?”

“Ah, stable master was offerin’ a lot of money for that kind of horse, so I sold him. Someone had just brought this girl in, so I figured what the hell?”

You let her sniff your hand and then offer her a beet. You pat her head softly. “She have a name?”

“Artemis.”

“Pretty.”

Just then, Charles comes towards you. “I’m here to take your spot.”

You nod appreciatively, offering him the repeater. Just as you’re about to go back into camp, Arthur calls your attention.

“Lemme give you a ride,” he offers you his hand.

At first you think of saying no, but then you decide to take him up on his offer. You reach up, grasping his arm. He heaves you up easily as though you weigh nothing. You swing your leg over Artemis’ wide hind quarters, and Arthur pushes her into a steady trot.

He hitches the grey horse to the post and dismounts, raising his arms up to help you off. Even though you don’t need it, you oblige. He sets you down easily, smiling at you. You thank him, then stifle another yawn.

“Think I’m gonna go get some rest,” you say. “I hate overnight guarding.”

“Sounds good. Lemme know if you need anything,” the outlaw says, heading over to Pearson’s wagon.

Just as you’re passing Dutch’s large tent to go to your own, you see him sitting under the canvas canopy next to his tent. He snaps his book shut as he hears you approaching.

“Ah, Ms. Y/L/N. Off guard duty, I see.”

“Yes, sir,” you say, stopping.

He stands up and walks over to you.

“Seems like you’re pretty happy here with us. I must admit, I had my doubts about you back at Bison Point.”

He stops, you wonder if he’s waiting for you to talk.

“Yes, sir. I’m pretty happy here.”

“Good. Well, I think you’re debt to us has been settled. Pearson says you and Arthur bring in almost more food than everyone else combined.”

You smile at him. “You mean I could leave?”

He sighs heavily. “If that’s what you really wanted, as long as I know you’d never tell anyone about us.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that, sir. I don’t want to leave. I ain’t been this happy in years.”

He straightens up, smiling. “Well, good. It’s been nice havin’ you ‘round. I can tell Arthur appreciates your company.”

You hide your face with your hat, trying to hide the blush. “I’ve enjoyed his.”

“And Hosea. He likes you. Says you’re a good kid.”

“Well, I know a few people who’d disagree, ‘cept they’re all dead.”

Dutch chuckles deeply. “Well, I’m glad you’ve found a place among us, miss.”

He walks away, going back to his canopy and opening his book again. You head off to your tent, feeling happy and light.

The next day, you’re standing next to Karen by her tent, enjoying a cup of coffee in the early morning. You spot Arthur strolling past, carrying a hay bale to the horses. He tips his hat towards the two of you when he sets it down and then approaches one of the wagons where Uncle can be seen sitting beside it, snoozing.

“Ugh, I need to get out of this place,” Karen complains. “You been lucky Arthur’s takin’ ya out huntin’ so much. I swear, I hear that woman’s voice one more time…”

You smile and laugh, taking a sip of your coffee when you overhear Arthur and Uncle talking about heading into Valentine. Karen must hear, too, she starts to approach him. Mary-Beth and Tilly follow a step or two behind her.

“Hey, if yer takin’ the old man into town, ya mind takin’ us, too?” she asks him as he lights a cigarette.

“Why? What you got goin’ on?”

“Nothin’.”

“We just need to get out,” says Mary-Beth. You finish your coffee and walk over to the small group. “Karen’s ‘bout ready to murder Grimshaw.”

Arthur huffs. “Can Ms. Grimshaw spare you?”

“Can Ms. Grimshaw spare you?” Karen mocks. “What’s happened to you, Arthur? Four, young healthy women wanna get out robbin’ and yer worried about domestic chores? Let’s go!”

“Ya got me,” he smiles.

The others celebrate for a moment, climbing into the wagon, you following. You swear Arthur winks at you when he passes you. He climbs into the front with old Uncle and whips the horses. They begin moving down the trail, and Uncle suggests a song, to which the other girls start singing but you’ve never heard before, so you just listen.

As the trail approaches the train tracks, a stage coach drawn by two large horses speeds along it ahead of your wagon. You can tell the driver’s lost control. Sure enough, a moment later the horses break loose and dash off the trail.

Arthur pulls the wagon to a stop and walks up to the man, who asks him if he’ll help and retrieve one of the horses. You smile fondly at him when he walks away, grabbing the spooked horse and guiding it back to the man.

“Thank you kindly, sir!” the man says. “You are a gentleman!” “Not really,” Arthur jokes. “I was just tryin’ to impress the women.”

Arthur gets back into the wagon and carries you on your way to Valentine. He drives it delicately down the main road and stops it outside the stable.

“A’right, I need to go to the store,” Uncle says, climbing off the wagon.

“Right. Me and the others will get to work,” Karen says, beckoning you and the other two to follow her. You’re not entirely sure what she means by get to work, so you catch up to her and ask.

“We just scope out the town, see who we can rob,” she says urgently, leading you to the saloon. “Either you can do it sneaky or you can do favors.”

You didn’t like the idea of doing favors, so instead you decide to see who you can potentially rob. When you were on your own during the past year, you’d occasionally rob people, but your targets back then were always lone men on the trails. Not in the middle of town.

Karen and Tilly approach two men near the bar who seem to be drunk. Mary-Beth follows a girl who looks like she’s a maid out the doors. You spot, towards the back, the two men who had been harrassing you a couple of days ago. Jeremiah and George. You can tell by their stance and loud, carrying voices they’re drunk as they flirt and stumble around the saloon girls. You decide on an angle to work.

Approaching them, you put on a friendly face. George looks up and sees you through bloodshot eyes. “‘Ey, if it ain’t you! Ya come back to take us up on our offer?” He practically punches Jeremiah in the arm, guiding his attention to you. The other man turns and sees you.

“Well, well. Fancy an afternoon?” he laughs loudly. He’s looking a little green in the face. You can tell by the faces of the saloon girls they would rather be somewhere else.

“Listen, you two,” you say politely. “Why don’t you follow me outside to the back? Maybe we can get properly introduced?”

You wink, trying to suppress a shudder. The two men smile and stumble as they follow you out the back door of the saloon. You find the yard has a waist-high fence and a couple of chickens. No one else is around. Good.

The two men trip over their feet a little as they step out onto the dirt. You turn and smile innocently at them.

“Well, little lady,” Jeremiah burps. “Ya ready to get things started right?”

You laugh a little, then you pull out your sawed-off shotgun and point it at them.

“I doubt you two morons will remember this, but I think it’s time you learn that when a girl tells you no, she means no.”

The two men start to holler, but they’re so drunk you’re not worried about them attracting attention. They start trying to get away from you, but they end up tripping over each other. You swing your arm towards George’s face, slapping him with your gun, knocking him out. Jeremiah then promptly vomits over himself, falling down. You kick him in the head for good measure. You bend down and search their pockets quickly, being particularly careful with Jeremiah’s clothes.

You pull out several dollars and a hand-written note. Unfortunately, you can’t read it, so you stuff it into your pocket along with the money, then dash off to the main road.

You look around and see Arthur and Uncle sitting outside the store, waiting for you and the others. You approach the two; Arthur greets you warmly as you sit next to him. He hands you a journal.

“Here, this is for you,” he says. Your chest warms at the idea of him getting you something.

“What’s this?”

“Journal. For ya to practice yer writin’ in. Figured ya could use it.”

You caress the dark, stamped leather of the cover. A pencil, slipped in a tight leather strip, keeps the journal’s flap closed. You slide it out and flick through the thick pages.

“Thank you, Arthur,” you say warmly. He nods to you.

A distraction comes in the form of Mary-Beth dashing up the steps. “Fellers, I just got a tip about a job. Posed as a maid in this big fancy house, usually works. Anyways, these two men were talkin’ about a train going to Saint Denis at night! Could be promisin’!”

“Yeah, them Saint Denise trains are usually full of rich people and things they don’t need,” Uncle nods.

“Sounds good,” Arthur says. “Where’s the others?”

“Karen’s got some drunk man she’s gonna rob, so’s Tilly I think. Oh, there’s Tilly there!” she points across the road. Tilly’s being handled rather roughly by a large, dark man in between the hotel and the bank. “That does not look ideal.”

“‘Scuse me, ladies,” Arthur says, going after her. You stay with Uncle and Mary-Beth, watching him. He must have smoothed things over since he brings out Tilly after a moment. He hollers at Uncle to watch over her while he goes inside to fetch Karen. A few moments later, he comes out after Karen, who has a big cut on her lip. Turns out the guy she was trying to rob turned out to be a violent, drunken bastard who enjoyed hitting women.

“He only punched me,” she says, rubbing her lip. “But Arthur hit him a lot harder.”

“Well, glad you’re okay,” you say.

“Hey, is it just me or is that man starin’ at us?” Mary-Beth says, pointing to a well-dressed man on his horse near the butcher. He sees the lot of you staring at him, and he points to Arthur.

“Ain’t you from Blackwater?” “No, sir. Not from there.”

“Oh you were! I seen your face!”

Arthur sighs heavily and starts walking over to him. “I ain’t never been to Blackwater. Look, mister, come over here.”

The man panics and spurs his horse into a gallop, running off down the road. Arthur hops onto a nearby Standardbred and dashes off after him.

“Always runnin’ around, that man,” Uncle says, heading back to the wagon. He and the girls get into it, you follow them. Uncle is just about to whip the horses to get them moving when you stop him.

“We ought to wait for Arthur, don’t you think?” “The man can walk, can’t he?”

You give Uncle a look. “He’ll only be a minute.”

“Fine, better be a fast one though.”

“Don’t know why yer complainin’, old man,” Karen says, still nursing her swollen lip. “Gives you a chance to snooze some more, don’t it? I thought driving horses upset your lumbago.”

“Oh, very funny,” he says, leaning back and crossing his arms as you and the others laugh.

After several moments, Arthur returns, giving the horse back to its owner, thanking him. He climbs back onto the wagon, grabbing the reins.

“That guy dead?” Karen asks.

“Nah, didn’t need to kill him. He knows now to forget our faces. I doubt he’ll give us any problems. Feller tried to kill himself on a cliff. Damn idiot.”

Arthur drives you back to camp. He hops out of the wagon and heads over to Dutch. You pull out the money you stole and the note. You look around, seeing if you can find anyone who can read it. You spot John near the donation box by Dutch’s tent. You approach him.

“Hey John, can you read?”

He turns his face to you. His bandage has been taken off, revealing the stitches across his cheek, nose and lip. The wounds look red and angry still.

“Sure,” he says in his raspy voice. You hand him the note. “Says here that some rancher is movin’ some sheep to auction in Valentine later this month. Where’d you find this?”

“Stole it off some idjits in town.”

“Hmm. Might be a good score. I’ll look into it; see what I can find out. If it seems promisin’, you should come with since you found it.”

“Sound good! Lemme know.”

It’s been a few days since you last left camp, and you’re beginning to get stir crazy and bored. You’re wiping down the round table by Dutch’s tent one afternoon when Arthur trots in on Artemis with an unconscious Swanson draped over the back of his horse. Arthur slides him off and onto his shoulder, carrying him over to his own tent by the main campfire. You and Grimshaw approach him.

“Again, Reverend Swanson?” she asks him as he rolls over, asleep. “What he do this time?”

“Nothin’ good. He was lucky, this time, real lucky.”

You step towards Arthur, curious about what had happened, as he walks away from the fire.

“What did he do?” you ask.

“Ah, he got himself stuck on a bridge right before a train came along. Would’ve been run over if I hadn’t been there. Damn fool; wish he’d stop with that morphine of his. Ain’t doin’ him or anyone else any good.”

You stare off at the incoherent Reverend in his tent sadly, Grimshaw sits beside him as she watches over him. Arthur heads over to Pearson and you follow.

“When you plannin’ on goin’ hunting again?” you ask.

“Why?”

“You know why, Arthur. I need to get out of here, I’m going crazy.”

He smiles at you. “Well, let me talk to Dutch real quick, then maybe you and I can head out.”

You’re surprised he’s willing to leave so late in the day since the sun is already beginning to set.

“A’right, let me know when you’re ready to go,” you say, heading off to your own tent to start packing up a few things. He heads over to Dutch, sitting inside his tent reading a book. You hear them talking, but then your attention is caught by Lenny shouting for Dutch and Arthur. You haven’t seen the boy since leaving Colter, when Dutch sent him and Micah out scouting. You look into the trees behind Lenny, but see no sign of the other man.

“They got Micah in Strawberry!” Lenny shouts, breathing hard. “They nearly lynched me, too, but I got away just in time.”

“Calm down, son,” Dutch says. “Now tell us what happened?”

Lenny bends down, placing his hands on his knees. When he’s caught his breath, he straightens up and explains how he and Micah were in Strawberry, and Micah had a few too many drinks and ended up shooting someone, getting himself arrested.

Dutch pats him on the shoulder. “A’right, son, relax. We’ll deal with this. Arthur, take Lenny into town, get him drunk then head into Strawberry and get Micah out.”

Arthur tries to argue, but Dutch shuts him down. “A’right, fine. Just can’t do everything right now.” He sees you and beckons you over. “Sorry, Y/N, I gotta take care of the kid. Ya mind if we head out in the mornin’?”

“Of course not, Arthur. Go with Lenny.”

He tips his hat to you and leaves. You turn back into camp, wondering what to do now since the daily chores are done. You’re just about to grab a plate of stew when you bump into Strauss.

“Careful there, Y/N,” he saws, dropping the envelopes in his hand.

“Sorry, Herr Strauss,” you start picking them up for him. You can see they’re from the post office. One of them is addressed to Arthur; you’ve been practicing enough reading to be able to recognize his name.

“Here, let me put this in his tent,” you offer. He lets you take the letter and goes off with the others.

Walking into Arthur’s tent, you place the letter on his table next to the picture of his mother. You see the other photo on the ammo crates by his bed, which shows another woman. You get closer to it, trying to see if there’s any familial similarities to Arthur, but you don’t see any. You wonder who she is, and why Arthur has a picture of her.

You wake up the next morning, feeling tired and achy. You probably had one too many beers last night with Uncle and John around the campfire. You get out, shading your eyes from the sun before putting your hat back on. Arthur isn’t in his tent or anywhere else in camp; neither is Lenny. Just as you’re pouring yourself a cup of coffee, Arthur and Lenny both ride in, looking horrible. You try not to smile.

“Had a fun night, did ya?” you ask them. Lenny groans loudly.

“Don’t know if I would really call it fun,” he says, dismounting his horse on uneasy legs. Arthur hops off of his.

“Well, at least it got yer mind off goddamn Micah.”

He approaches you and you offer him your cup of coffee, bending down to pour another one. He thanks you before taking a sip.

“How many drinks you fellers have last night anyways?” you ask.

“Too many.”

You laugh. “Well, ya got a letter from someone. I put it on your table.”

“A letter? From who?”

“Don’t know. Anyways, let me know when you’re ready to go. Take as much time as you need. I don’t want you pukin’ over Artemis if you’re still drunk.”

He guffaws. “Don’t worry ‘bout that, think I’m just about fine. Let me go read this letter, then we’ll go.”

He heads off to his tent. You go and grab your satchel and bedroll, heading over to Rain and strapping them onto her saddle when Arthur rushes over to Artemis. He barely glances at you as he mounts.

“Change of plans, Y/N,” he says quickly. “I gotta go take care of somethin’ personal.”

Without another word, he dashes off down the trail and out of the trees towards Valentine. You wonder what was in the letter that could make him rush off so quickly. You go back to his tent and see the letter still lying there, spread open. You pick it up and read what you can from it. From what words you can make out, you gather that it’s from a woman, asking him to help her. You see her signature on the bottom, but it’s so fancy you can’t read the name.

Not wanting to look like you’re burying your nose into Arthur’s business, you decide not to ask one of the girls to read it to you. You approach Mary-Beth and Tilly, cleaning some clothes by their tented wagons.

“Arthur was sure in a hurry,” Mary-Beth says as you take a seat, grabbing a needle and thread. “Thought he was takin’ you out?”

“Thought so too. But he got a letter from someone, a girl I think. Said he had to go take care of personal business.”

“I bet it’s from that Mary,” Tilly says, aggressively scrubbing one of Bill’s shirts. “If ya ask me, she ain’t worth it. Don’t know why he goes runnin’ off to her the moment she even mentions his name.”

“Mary? Who is she?”

Mary-Beth and Tilly look at each other, almost as though they’re debating on telling you. Mary-Beth leans towards you with a soft expression; she almost looks sad.

“Look, Y/N, I know you’re sweet on Arthur, but maybe ya ought to let it go.”

You feel yourself blush. “I ain’t sweet on Arthur.”

“Please,” Karen says as she walks up to you, holding a repeater. She must be about ready to go on guard duty. “We all see the way you look at him when he comes into camp.”

“Yeah, that and the way you blush when he offers to take you places,” Tilly chimes in.

“Ladies, we’re just friends!”

“Nah, to us Arthur is just a friend. But you don’t see him offerin’ to take us hunting,” Karen says. “And you don’t see us trippin’ all over ourselves whenever he’s around.”

Mary-Beth giggles. “It’s really cute, actually. But, Y/N, Mary’s a part of his past he ain’t willin’ to let go of. We keep hopin’, she ain’t good for him, but as you saw he goes gallivantin’ off to her on just a whim.”

“What happened between them?” you ask again.

Mary-Beth, Tilly and Karen fill you in on the story of Arthur and Mary. They don’t know the full story themselves since it was before they had joined the gang, but they had heard enough from Hosea and Grimshaw. They had been lovers when Arthur was fairly young, around the age of twenty. However, Mary came from a decent family and her father intensely disliked Arthur because of his way of life. In the end, Mary chose her family over Arthur and married another man.

“I can understand why she didn’t choose Arthur,” Karen said. “This life ain’t for everyone. But it’s the way she uses him still. Whenever she needs someone to do a job that’s too rough or dirty for her, she calls him and he goes. Every time.”

“He still loves her,” Mary-Beth says sadly. “That’s why he keeps goin’. And every time he comes back from doin’ her jobs, he’s always so sad and sayin’ that she won’t have him since he won’t change.”

“I never liked her,” Tilly adds in. “I saw her once when I was out on a job with Arthur. We were tryin’ to rob someone and she showed up. I swear she insulted him at least three times in ten minutes, then layered them by sayin’ she still loved him. She’s got him wrapped around her finger tight.”

You feel the pain of their words inside of you. It must show on your face, Mary-Beth leans forward and puts a hand on your knee. “I’m real sorry, Y/N. Arthur’s a good man, he deserves someone like you.”

“Nah, he don’t,” you say, hanging your head. “I let go of the fantasy of ever having a happy life a long time ago. Arthur fits into that. Besides, no man in their right mind would ever want to be with me.”

The others go silent for a moment. Then Tilly speaks up again.

“We’ve all tried to tell him she ain’t worth the trouble; he’s better off without her. He always says he understands, but I don’t think he ever hears us. Maybe you should talk to him. He might listen to you.”

You shrug your shoulders, doubtful.

Grimshaw suddenly tramples her way over to your group, screaming. “Now ain’t the time for gossip, you four! Get back to work! Karen, you were supposed to take over for Bill ten minutes ago!”

You, Mary-Beth and Tilly fall silent, returning to your tasks. Karen starts walking towards the trees, but not before pointing the repeater and pretending to shoot Grimshaw in the back as she walks away.

It’s early afternoon by the time Arthur returns. By then, your emotions have completely spiraled out of control. While feeling heartbroken by what the others told you, you also feel anger. Anger at Mary, the way she uses him. Angry at Arthur for letting her. Angry at yourself for feeling this way. He approaches you at Pearson’s wagon.

“Sorry for that, Y/N,” he says warmly. “You still wanna go huntin’?”

“Can’t,” you say coldly. Arthur looks at you, confused at your snap. You’ve never been short with him.

“Grimshaw needs me,” you add, trying not to let your emotions show. You know you really shouldn’t be angry with him since it truly isn’t your business, but you can’t help feeling like he’s betrayed you somehow. “Sorry.”

He takes a step back, his smile sliding off his face. “That’s a’right. Well, I do need to go huntin’, Pearson’s gettin’ low again. You and I should go in a few days though, ya deserve a break.”

Arthur leaves and goes to Artemis. You turn back to your pile of carrots, feeling stupid. Why do you even care so much? From what it sounds like, Mary only calls him on occasion. It’s not like she’s around camp, distracting him constantly. Still, you know Mary-Beth and Tilly are right. You’ve grown feelings for the outlaw, something you’ve tried bitterly to prevent. If your past had taught you anything, it was that you are not designed to be with someone who could love you because there is no one who could love you. Besides, you doubt that he feels anything towards you. Most likely, he just sees you as a friend, nothing more.

You cut the carrots, trying to ignore the stinging of your eyes, betraying your tears. You take your feelings out on the vegetables, cutting them up far more than usual.

The sun is beginning to set when Arthur returns with a deer and two turkeys, turning them over to Pearson. You’ve been nursing a bottle of whisky the last half hour, getting steadily more tipsy. He approaches you where you sit by the campfire with Hosea and Uncle, who’s singing a song you’re quietly humming to.

“Ain’t seen you drink that much since that time in Bison Point when you fell off your horse and thought you broke your ankle,” Arthur chuckles at you. You stare up at him.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t break my ankle then and it ain’t broken now,” you say sharply. He sits down next to you. You offer him the bottle and he takes it.

“What’s goin’ on with you?” he asks quietly so the others won’t hear.

“What you mean?”

“I mean you ain’t been actin’ like yerself ever since this mornin’. Is it because I had to take care of that thing? Look, I’ll make it up to ya. We can go huntin’ whenever you want.”

For some reason, your temper gets the better of you. You’ve forgotten that alcohol always makes it harder to control and hide your emotions.

“I need to talk to you. Alone,” you say, standing up.

Arthur stands up, setting the bottle of whisky down. You lead him off into the trees, past a broken wagon and down the hill, towards the river. You take him to the bottom, right before the trees stop and the main trail winds its way along the river. You lean against a large boulder and turn to him finally.

“I know about Mary,” you finally say, the alcohol fueling the fire in your chest.

Arthur looks at you, his face is hard.

“What about Mary?”

“Arthur, look, it ain’t really none of my business but the other girls told me about her. She.. doesn’t sound like she’s a good person, and I just don’t want…”

Arthur cuts you off. “You’re right, it ain’t none of yer business, so why you talkin’ ‘bout her?”

“I’m just trying to help,” you shoot back. “Sounds like she just likes havin’ you around to do stuff for her.”

“There’s nothin’ for you to help with, Y/N,” he growls. “She’s a part of my past ya know nothin’ about.”

“I know, Arthur. But please, listen to me. I know you love her, and I know she loved you once. At least, that’s what the others told me. But answer me honestly. Do you really think she still loves you?” Arthur sighs heavily, you can tell he’s getting angry. You’ve seen it before, like a fast-approaching storm, but it’s never been directed at you. “Like I said, it ain’t none of yer business what goes on between me and Mary.”

“Arthur, please just listen to me. If she truly loves you, would she treat you this way?”

“I was helpin’ her with her brother! It weren’t like she was usin’ me!”

“Why did she need your help with her brother? She ask you to shoot someone? Beat someone up?”

Arthur’s face darkens. “He got himself stuck with those damn Chelonian fools. It didn’t require me to hurt no one! Is that what you think she does? Asks me to go kill people for her?” he takes a step towards you, looming over you. You take a step back, feeling nervous.

“No, that’s not what I meant. But this is what I been tryin’ to say, Arthur. She knows that no matter what kind of life you live, no matter what choices you make, you are a good man and you’ll always help her. I just don’t want you to waste your life on someone who doesn’t deserve you!”

“And who would you rather me waste my life on? You?”

You feel like he just punched you in the chest. He must know somehow about your feelings. Did one of the other girls tell him? You stand up straight, glaring at him.

“I never said I deserved to be with you, Arthur. For God’s sake, don’t! I already know I’m gonna die alone, but you don’t have to share that fate.”

The two of you stare angrily at each other for a moment. You blink away the angry tears in your eyes. “I promise you though, Arthur, you will die alone just like me if you keep chasin’ after her. If she decided not to be with you then, why would she change her mind now?”

Arthur’s hand flies up, and you flinch, expecting the hit. Instead, he takes his hat off and rakes his fingers through his hair in frustration. He stares at you, confused, as you stand hunched over with your hands raised above your head. Recognition dawns on his face, and he lowers his hand slowly.

“I’m sorry, Y/N,” he says quietly. “Ya know I’d never…”

“I know, I know,” you mumble, lowering your hands and slowly straightening up. You feel ashamed of how you reacted, even if it was involuntary. The two of you stand awkwardly. Arthur takes several steps back. You can tell he’s still angry.

“Arthur, look, I’m sorry. For everything. I’m just tryin’ to look out for you,” you almost whisper.

He looks away from you and rests his eyes on a bush. “I don’t need you to look out for me, Y/N. I can take care of myself. Besides, it ain’t none of yer business.”

He turns and stalks away from you and back up the hill. When he’s gone, you feel the tears slide down your hot cheek. You sink down to the ground and let them run. This was not how you planned this conversation to go. In fact, it went as bad as it possibly could have. Not only have you hurt him, your best friend, but now he knows you have feelings for him.

Feeling betrayed, angry, and confused, you rip out clumps of grass, tearing them apart in your hands. Through your tears, you watch the full moon glide across the sky, reflecting in the steady river. Hours pass, and you can’t find the strength or the courage to stand up and return to camp. You doubt you’ll ever be able to look Arthur in the face again, let alone speak to him. Why couldn’t you just accept the fact that he won’t ever feel for you the way you feel for him? Why couldn’t you take that he was always going to choose her over you? Why couldn’t you just accept that you’re always going to be alone? Hell, it had been easy enough before he found you.

The sky begins to lighten, and you’re still sat by the boulder where Arthur left you. You wipe the long-dried trails of tears from your face and rub your tired eyes. You tell yourself to grow up, to stop acting like a child, and pick yourself up off the ground. You march up the hill. The walk back to camp seems a lot longer than it did last night. Maybe you’re just dreading facing reality.

You walk into the silent camp. Hardly anyone is stirring yet, most of them are still asleep. The exception is Swanson, sitting on the ground near the campfire, but it’s clear he’s been dipping into his supply of morphine again. You drag your eyes to Arthur’s tent, afraid of what you might see. To your relief, his cot is empty, and upon further inspection of the camp, you find that Artemis is gone. He’s obviously left. Probably back to Mary. You can’t say you blame him. You force yourself to walk over to your tent, practically falling down onto your bedroll and into sleep.

A few hours go by, and you’re awakened by Grimshaw’s yelling.

“Of course, yer lazin’ about!” she squawks at you, thumping on the canvas above your head. You tiredly crawl out of the tent and she grabs you by the ear.

“Get over there and do your work!” she tosses you over to the washbin by Tilly’s tent and you obediently get on your knees and start scrubbing some clothes. She marches away to the other side of camp.

After you massage your ear, you look around the camp with sore eyes. It’s early afternoon. Arthur’s horse, Artemis, is still missing, for which you are grateful. Mary-Beth approaches you.

“You a’right? Ya look awful?”

You smile sadly. “I’m fine, Mary-Beth.”

She pauses. “I guess things didn’t go well with Arthur last night.”

You look up at her. “You couldn’t hear us, could you? I didn’t think we were being very loud.”

“No, but I saw the two of you leave. Then he came back by himself. I ain’t seen him look that way in a long time. Then he got on his horse and left. Ain’t seen him since.”

You drop your eyes back to the soapy water before you. “What did he look like?”

“Hard to say, really,” she says after sighing and sitting down on a crate. “Like he was heartbroken, honestly, but angry too. He didn’t say nothing to anyone either before he left.”

“Well, you’re right in thinking things didn’t go well. God, I’m such a fool. I really thought I might have a chance with him if he wasn’t involved with her. Guess that Mary’s right about one thing. He’ll never change. Besides, he’s right to stay away from me.”

Mary-Beth is silent for several moments. “Why… why’d you kill your family?”

You stop, taken aback by the question. The last thing you want to talk about is your past. “I just… had to. I needed to get away from them and the only way I could was to kill ‘em.”

You go back to scrubbing the clothes, raking them across the washboard.

“Your husband, was he a good man? If you don’t mind my askin’,” she asks softly.

“No. I’d never met him before my dad told me I was engaged to him. He hated me, though, I know he did. And I hated him.”

“That’s awful. I can’t imagine bein’ engaged to someone I’d never met.”

“Yeah, it was. I tried to learn to love him, but he made that impossible. It taught me one thing though. True love doesn’t exist. It’s just something from fairy tales.”

“I never really saw it that way,” she says, looking off across camp. “I’ve read so many books that I can’t not believe it exists. How could so many different people only believe in such a beautiful thing without having felt it?”

“Guess I never really thought of it that way. Well, if it is real, it surely wants nothin’ to do with me.”

The two of you sit in silence before Mary-Beth offers to read to you from one of her books. You accept her offer, glad for the distraction from your own dark thoughts.

Grimshaw sets you on night duty, under the impression that you had slept the previous night and simply overslept this morning. You stand there, near the trail, your thoughts circling around one another when you hear a horse coming in. You grab the repeater tighter in your hands. Arthur comes up the trail on Artemis, several pelts on her back. You avert your eyes from him, and he passes you in silence. You wish you could say something to him, apologize maybe, but you doubt he’d want to listen to anything you have to say.

Several moments after he passes, you head up to camp for a drink. You go to Pearson’s wagon and grab a bottle, drinking from it greedily. Arthur isn’t anywhere to be seen, but you can hear him talking to Dutch. From what it sounds like, he’s going to be near camp for the next few days. You don’t know if you’re ready to face him yet. You come to a decision.

After a few hours, when you’re sure most of the camp and most importantly Arthur are asleep, you return to the clearing. Javier and Uncle are the only ones awake, sitting by the main camp fire. You find Arthur fast asleep in his cot, his journal lying on his chest. You quietly pass him and go to the other side of the wagon that forms his tent and look at the map that is stuck to the side. It shows New Austin, West Elizabeth, Ambarino, New Hanover and a state you’ve never been to called Lemoyne. You look over it and focus on New Hanover, trying to find hunting grounds you’ve never been to. You focus on an area called Roanoke Ridge up near a town called Annesburg. Deciding on that, you turn away from the wagon again, heading back down to the trees to return to guard duty. A familiar voice calls you.

“What you doin’, Y/N?” It’s Arthur. You turn and look back at him. He’s sitting up in his cot. You’re soft footsteps must have woken him, you’ve forgotten how light of a sleeper he is.

“Nothing, Mr. Morgan. I’m sorry,” you say, hoping he’ll find more in that apology than simply waking him. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I was just… looking for something.”

He says nothing but continues to stare at you, his face hard. You turn away and leave, hoping he won’t come after you. You enter the trees and sigh hard, feeling like you just escaped. You’re not exactly sure what you just escaped from, though. You suddenly wonder if, instead of going hunting, you should just leave entirely. The thought pains you; you’ve gotten so close to many of the others. This gang is the closest thing you’ve ever known to a proper family. However, it might not be possible to stay with Arthur around. He’s such a vital part to the gang. You shake your head, trying to rid these thoughts, and decide that for now you’ll just go hunting near this Roanoke Ridge. You’ll worry about potentially abandoning the camp later when you return.

When Lenny comes to relieve you in the morning, to say you’re exhausted is an understatement. You’ve had hardly any sleep in the last 2 days. You think about delaying your hunting trip for a few hours and sleeping, but you know Grimshaw won’t let that happen. She’s already up and looking like she’s about to go rage at Karen and Tilly. You tiredly roll up your bedroll, but decide to leave your tent here. You’ve spent plenty of nights open to the stars; even been rained on a few times. Besides, you’ll only be gone a couple of days. Long enough to clear your head hopefully.

You strap your things to Rain’s saddle, and then turn back to the camp. You see Hosea sitting up in his bedroll, preparing to start his day. You approach him.

“Hosea, how are you?” “Very good, Y/N,” he says, standing up. “How are things between you and Arthur?”

Jesus, does everyone know that you two fought? You sigh heavily.

“Not the best. Look, I’m gonna head out for a few days, do some huntin’. You mind if I take one of Jack’s books?”

He stares at you sadly, then nods. “I understand, Y/N. I’ll tell Dutch you’re out followin’ a lead.”

“Thank you,” you say as he hands you another Otis Miller book. You turn away and mount Rain, staring back at the camp one last time before trotting down the trail and into the open air.

You head into Valentine to pick up a few things. You go into the store and buy some cans of food, coffee, and a small map. You study it briefly, figuring out which trails to follow to get to Roanoke Ridge. You approach the clerk.

“Excuse me, but can you read what that says?” you point to the north eastern corner of New Hanover. He glances at it.

“Sure, says Roanoke Ridge. You got family up near Annesburg or somethin’?”

“Or something,” you say, putting the map into your satchel.

“Apologies, miss. Didn’t mean to pry.”

You thank him and leave the store. You head over to the hotel and give the desk clerk a dollar for a room, figuring you need to get some rest before heading on your way.

By late afternoon, you’re as rested as you’re going to get. You quickly brush Rain and feed her a few cubes of hay and some apples. You pat her affectionately, she muzzles her nose into your hand. You mount her and canter out of town; someone yells behind you to slow down. You ignore them, following the muddy road away from Valentine.

You travel up through the Cumberland Forest and into the Grizzlies East in Ambarino. Late into the night, you stop by a lake that the map says is O’Creagh’s Run, although you struggle to read the words. A single cabin sits on the north eastern side of the lake. You make camp on the other side of it. You quickly make a fire and roast a rabbit you had caught not too long ago, staring at the cabin on the opposite shore from you. Smoke spirals from the chimney stack of the cabin; a candle’s light illuminates the window in the front. A single, large white horse stands in a stall beside the cabin. You wonder who lives there and what they do. Not that you’re going to go introduce yourself by any means.

You eat quickly and then settle down in your bedroll, staring at the stars above, letting them wink you to sleep.

Rain drops splash on your face in the morning. It isn’t raining hard, but it’s enough to wake you. You roll up your things and then kick dirt over the fire, which is just a pile of hot, sizzling coals at this point. You make sure the few pelts you gathered on your way here yesterday are still situated before mounting Rain and kicking her into a gallop around the lake.

You’ve never been to country like this before. The mountains are grey and green, arching into tall mounds above your head. Among the thick trees and tall grasses, wild flowers of every color bloom. Eventually the trees thin into open grasslands, but the mountains rise higher. At least the sky is clear now and the rain has stopped, giving way to warm sunshine.

By midday, you’re back into a thick forest, but it isn’t like the ones you left behind in West Elizabeth or by Valentine. It isn’t made of the elegant pine trees you’re familiar with, but tall oaks. The mountains you ride upon are no longer smooth, but broken up and craggly. There are so many cliffs and ledges you have to slow Rain down into an easy canter for fear of falling.

You reach Roanoke Valley and see the roaring river in the bottom of a steep ravine. You stop Rain and pull out your map, examining it. You struggle to properly read a location called the Elysian Pool close to a place named Butcher’s Creek. You find the easiest trails to follow to get there and send Rain on her way again.

After nearly an hour of travelling, the trail points down towards the Kamassa River, which you know means you’re close to the Elysian Pool. The trail turns south along the river. Something feels wrong, like you’re being watched. You look all around you, but the trees are so thick and dense it’s impossible to make anything out. The birds above you continue to sing, so there can’t be a predator like a cougar around. You pull Rain to a walk, checking the forest.

A doe bolts from a bush close to you, spooking both you and your horse as she darts up the steep hill. You sigh heavily, figuring that’s what had made you nervous. You kick Rain, sending her after the doe to try and hunt it. She bounds up the hill, dodging through the trees.

Just as you peak over the hill, you hear yelling and hollering. Then gunshots, and Rain squeals loudly. You’ve never heard her make that sound before, but you know instantly it’s bad. She starts turning in circles, your upper body swings over her neck and that’s when you see the blood streaming from her chest.

“NO!” you scream as another gunshot rings out, slamming into her neck. Her legs begin to buckle beneath her, tossing you onto the hard ground. You launch to your feet, pulling out your sawed-off shotgun and pointing it. Around you are four men, dirty and wild. Most of them are barely dressed, wearing nothing but pants or overalls. They point their own rifles at you, laughing maniacally through mouths missing multiple teeth.

“Well, lookee here, boys!” one of them hollers. “We got us a live ‘un! I think we’ll like ‘er just fine!”

“Let’s take ‘er back, let her stew a few days,” another one says.

The man closest to Rain approaches your dying horse. She’s still snorting, although she’s getting quieter. Blood seeps into the ground beneath her, her breathing looks labored.

“Get away from her!” you scream, pointing your gun to him. You hear one of the others run up behind you, but you’re not quick enough. He slams the butt of his gun into the back of your head, knocking you to the ground. You have just enough time to see the man near Rain place the barrel of his gun against her head and pull the trigger before the world around you turns black.

#rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 fanfic #red dead fanfic #arthur morgan #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x female reader #arthur morgan x oc #Van Der Linde Gang #horseshoe overlook #rockstar games #r*#i'm awkward #second chances

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brn1029 · 4 years ago

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this day in Music History...

August 14th

1958 - Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley's mother Gladys died. At her funeral two days later Presley was so overcome with grief he was unable to stand and had to be supported. Over 500 police were at the service to keep the gigantic crowd at bay.

1962 - The Beatles

Unhappy with drummer Pete Best's role in The Beatles Brian Epstein and the other three members decided to sack him. Best played his last gig the following night at The Cavern, Liverpool. Ringo Starr who was nearing the end of a three-month engagement with Rory Storm & the Hurricanes at a Butlin's holiday camp received a telephone call from John Lennon, asking him to join The Beatles. Ringo gave Rory Storm three days notice and on August 18, appeared as a member of The Beatles for the first time.

1964 - Johnny Burnette

US singer Johnny Burnette was killed in a boating accident on Clear Lake California, aged 30. His unlit boat was struck by an unaware cabin cruiser, the impact threw him off the boat and he drowned. Burnette scored the 1961 US No.8 & UK No.3 single 'Your Sixteen'.

1965 - Cher

Sonny & Cher started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Got You Babe'. Sonny Bono is said to have been inspired to write the song to capitalize on the popularity of the term "babe," as heard in Bob Dylan'ss 'It Ain't Me Babe

1966 - Bruce Springsteen

Little Anthony & The Imperials, The Shadows and The Castiles (with Bruce Springsteen on vocals) all appeared at the Surf ‘n See Club in Seabright New Jersey.

1967 - Radio Caroline

All UK offshore pirate radio stations were closed down when the marine broadcasting act came into force. Radio Caroline continued to broadcast until March 68.

1968 - Arthur Brown

'Fire' by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown was at No.1 on the UK singles chart. As part of his act Brown would perform the song on stage with his hat set alight!

1970 - Stephen Stills

Stephen Stills was arrested on suspected drugs charges while staying at a San Diego Hotel after being found crawling along a corridor in an incoherent state. Still's was later freed on bail.

1970 - Elton John

The first day of the three day UK Yorkshire Folk, Blues & Jazz Festival at Krumlin, Yorkshire took place featuring Atomic Rooster, Pink Floyd, (who didn't appear after being fog bound at Paris Airport), The Kinks, Elton John, Mungo Jerry, Yes, Alan Price, Georgie Fame, Juicy Lucy, Pretty Things and The Groundhogs. Weekend tickets, £3.

1971 - The Who

The Who released their fifth studio album Who’s Next which featured the classic song 'Won't Get Fooled Again' and has since been viewed by critics as the Who's best record and one of the greatest rock albums of all time. The cover artwork shows a photo of the band apparently having just urinated on a large concrete piling, but according to photographer Ethan Russell, most of the band members were unable to urinate, so rainwater was tipped from an empty film canister to achieve the desired effect.

1978 - The Police

The Police released their third single 'Can't Stand Losing You' as the follow-up single to 'Roxanne' which when released the following year peaked at No.2 on the UK chart. Written by singer and bassist Sting as a song about suicide, the song gained minor controversy for its single cover art, featuring Stewart Copeland hanging himself.

1988 - Robert Calvert

Lead singer, poet and frontman of Hawkwind Robert Calvert died of a heart attack. He was a member of Hawkwind from 1972-1979 during which time he co-wrote their hit single 'Silver Machine' and directed their Space Ritual Tour.

1988 - Roy Buchanan

Guitarist Roy Buchanan died after hanging himself with his own shirt in Fairfax County Adult Detention Center having been arrested for drunkenness. Buchanan released over 15 solo albums; Jeff Beck dedicated the song 'Cause We've Ended As Lovers' to Buchanan in 1975 on his Blow by Blow album.

1992 - Tony Williams

Tony Williams lead singer with The Platters died in his sleep of emphysema aged 64. He sang most of the group's hits up until 1961 when he was replaced by Sonny Turner. Had the 1959 UK & US No.1 single 'Smoke Gets In Your Eyes'.

1993 - Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury had his first solo UK No.1 single with 'Living On My Own'. The song had been a minor hit in 1985 when released from his solo album Mr. Bad Guy, this remixed version was

1995 - Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters made their network television debut on The Late Show with David Letterman when they performed their new single 'This Is A Call'.

1999 - Ronan Keating

Ronan Keating had the UK No.1 single with 'When You Say Nothing At All'. The debut solo single from the Boyzone lead singer. The song was from the film Notting Hill.

2001 - The Beatles

A pizza-stained piece of paper signed by three of the four Beatles sold for $48,000 (£17,441) to an anonymous collector at an auction in Melbourne. John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison all signed the paper during their 1964 tour of Australia. Drummer Ringo Starr had laryngitis and was not on the tour. A fan managed to get the autographs while the band was staying in a hotel in Adelaide.

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havekiddoswilltravel · 5 years ago

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News Flash: Family Travel Doesn’t Even Require a Passport

Passport free affordable family travel inspiration that will get you to actually leave the house with your kids.

Often times, I have parents ask me for advice regarding travel with children and I remind them that international travel is not the only way to expose and share experiences with your kids. I’m well aware that if you search the hashtag #travel or #familytravel, you will come across many staged and photoshopped images of what seems like perfectly behaved jet setting families in Paris, Malasia, Kenya, Greece and every international Disney Park, yet I’m here for the family who’s trying to figure out how to pull off a simple in state road trip, overnight trip or weekend adventure. While we love exploring so many amazing places that are ideal family travel locations, I’m also all about the local and regional travel experiences. Why? It’s more realistic that the average family will be able to plan, afford and actually pull off an overnight trip or weekend getaway, than a safari or two week long trip through Europe. Realistic and affordable family travel is imperative to breaking the obstacles to family travel for most people.

Family travel is not something we do to simply check off a box, say that we’ve been there and because it’s currently the trendy thing to do. We were those lone black people hiking, camping, skiing and in typically not family orientated travel destinations, before family travel became the “in” thing. It’s been an integral part of our family values and way of life for over nineteen years. This means that we place as much emphasis on the experiences and lessons learned while taking a day trip to Block Island, Rhode Island or a weekend trip to Acadia National Park, Maine, as we do on our trip to Havana, Cuba. Travel is truly as much about the process of getting to the destination, as it is about experiencing said destination with our children. What do I mean? Children who grow up to be adults who love adventure and experiences are born in transit. They are born in their ability to pack their bags, organize the car, plan their trip and live in the moment once they arrive. They’re born in the ability to make the most out of the unexpected or hiccups in their plans, without those challenges completely ruining their trip.

These lessons can be learned without even owning a passport, a car or the funds to take you on that bucket list trip. You don’t need to have TSA Pre Check, Global Entry or Mobile Passport to raise travel loving and adventure seeking children. You can accomplish these goals by teaching your kids how to explore their own back yard, state, region and country. The United States or your own home country are filled with incredibly beautiful places just waiting for you to experience them. I challenge you to rethink the passport stamp seeking family travel culture that we’re bombarded with daily on social media and you will realize that it’s not as unattainable as you once thought. Even as a family travel blogger, I find myself rolling my eyes at some of the elitists posts that I see on social media these days. I’m here to tell you that it’s perfectly okay if your kids don’t leave the country until they have their first job and can afford to buy their own flight. While we do travel internationally with our four children, I must acknowledge that international travel is not something that is immediately available to most families with two children, much less those with four. I encourage you to start traveling with your kids by choosing trips that meet your personal family budget. Don’t compare yourself to others. It’s paralyzing.

The older I get, the more I appreciate a good long weekend family trip. I don’t have the attention span for most 7-day trips with kids. I love long weekends and 5-night trips because they allow our family to create amazing memories while not completely disrupting our daily flow, routine and wallet. Also, as a large family, lodging, food and transportation costs add up quickly. I’d rather travel more often, than travel longer in one single trip. This is our family’s preference and you will figure out your own family travel flow, the more you get out of the house with your kids. I’ve written previous blog posts about the fact that family travel is not a vacation. It requires a shift in thinking and an acceptance to what your reality is as a parent leaving the house with children. It’s a fact. You will have to put in all of the work required to parent on a daily basis while you are away from home. Travel will only accentuate your troublesome family dynamics. Ugh, sorry I had to say that! It’s reality. I’ve spoken to so many parents who say that they don’t travel with their kids because their kids don’t listen, misbehave and thus damper their travel experience. Those are issues that I highly recommend that you address and deal with before you embark on a week long trip with children. Traveling didn’t cause these issues, but having kids out of their element accentuates all of those things to a degree that will cause you to never leave home again. Thus, be realistic in your travel expectations with children. You may be in a season that requires shorter trips. Embrace that. The season of longer travel will be here before you know it.

Don’t be paralyzed by all of the family travel posts to expensive travel destinations, that leave you feeling inadequate, despondent and slightly depressed. Start somewhere. Start Local. Start now. You won’t regret it and in the meantime, you’ll be planting those seeds that you will surely sow at the right time in your family’s lifetime. These are some of our favorite family travel destinations that hopefully will get your wanderlust juices flowing. I bet some of these are close enough to you that you can make a long weekend out of them.

- The Grand Canyon, Flagstaff Arizona, U.S.A.

- The Monterrey Peninsula, California, U.S.A.

- The Pacific Coast Highway, California, U.S.A.

- Coronado Beach, San Diego, California, U.S.A.

- San Francisco’s Cable Cars, San Francisco, California, U.S.A.

- Sequoia National Park, California, U.S.A.

- Yosemite National Park, California, U.S.A.

- Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.

- Essex, Connecticut, U.S.A.

- Mystic Seaport, Mystic, Connecticut, U.S.A.

- Litchfield Hills in Connecticut, U.S.A.

- Amelia Island, Florida, U.S.A.

- Everglades National Park, U.S.A.

- Key West, Florida, U.S.A.

- Marco Island, Florida, U.S.A.

- South Beach, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.A.

- Savannah, Georgia, U.S.A.

- Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

- Acadia National Park, Maine, U.S.A.

- Kennebunkport, Maine, U.S.A.

- Ocean City, Maryland, U.S.A.

- Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

- Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

- Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

- The Lakes Region, New Hampshire, U.S.A.

- Mount Washington, North Conway, New Hampshire, U.S.A.

- The Adirondacks, New York, U.S.A.

- The Catskills, New York, U.S.A.

- Lake Placid, New York, U.S.A.

- Lake George, New York, U.S.A.

- Finger Lakes, New York, U.S.A.

- Hudson Valley, New York, U.S.A.

- New York City, U.S.A.

- Saratoga Springs, New York, U.S.A.

- The Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina, U.S.A.

- Gettysburg National Military Park and Cemetery, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

- Pennsylvania Dutch Country, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A

- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

- Block Island, Rhode Island, U.S.A.

- Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A.

- Manchester Village, Vermont, U.S.A.

- Stowe, Vermont, U.S.A.

- Killington, Vermont, U.S.A.

- Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, U.S.A.

- Williamsburg, Virginia, U.S.A.

- Washington, District of Columbia, U.S.A.

- Nova Scotia, Canada

- Niagara Falls, Canada

- Quebec, Canada

- Montreal, Canada

- Exploring any Chinatown, Koreatown or little Italy in any major city.

What are some of your favorite affordable family travel destinations? What are some of the obstacles that you face in starting to travel with your kids?

Pro tips for affordable local family travel:

- Travel off season. Island destinations like Block Island and Martha’s Vineyard are just as stunning, more affordable and less crowded in the off season. Ski resorts make amazing Spring, Summer and Fall destinations. Off season travel also mean that you won’t face minimum night requirements and thus allow you to take a weekend trip rather than a full week.

- If you have young children and don’t need to work around a school schedule, hotels are cheaper on Sunday nights and mid week. Avoid Friday and Saturday nights unless traveling to business destinations and then weekends are actually less expensive at some of the really nice business hotels.

- Brand loyalty does pay off. If you do stay in hotels, follow the deals and not the destinations. Also, stick to one brand and sign up immediately for their rewards programs. Many of our annual hotel stays are free nights using rewards.

- Don’t be afraid to book Airbnb’s. As a large family, we often book condos and full houses at a significantly cheaper rate than a hotel stay.

- I use Costco often for car rentals. They offer the best deals for vehicles that can accommodate our family.

- Be flexible and creative in your lodging options. We’ve stayed outside of beach towns for 1/4 of the cost of staying on the beach. Flexibility in family travel is key to actually going anywhere.

- Be willing to try new things. We’ve stayed in cabins, RVs and tent camped. I honestly never pictured myself having some of the amazing experiences that we’ve shared with our children. To think that I may have missed these memories if I stuck to that which I was comfortable with.

Pin for later:

#passportfreetravel #affordablefamilytravel #localtravel #roadtrip #familytravelinspiration #weekendtrip #overnighttrip #makingmemories #borrowedtime #justgo #bloggervibes

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megadavestewart · 3 years ago

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WFS 314 - Fly Fishing Maine with Bob Ramano

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/314

Presented By: LakeLady Custom Rods, Dette Flies, Jackson Hole Fly Company, Trxstle

Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors

Today, we're fly fishing Maine. Bob Romano takes us into the lakes and streams of the Rangeley Lakes Region. He tells us why he has been traveling up to this area for over 40 years. We dig into some of his books, his favorite authors, and talk about his new book, River Flowers - how it came to be and what makes it special. Bob mentions some camps that give access to different streams in Maine and breaks down the seasons there. Plus, we hear about the story of White Nose Pete - a trout who lived a hundred years and had never been caught.

Fly Fishing Maine Show Notes with Bob Romano

04:30 - The first fly fishing book that Bob read was a Robert Traver book

04:50 - His first fly rod was a Cortland Fiberglass Rod in the 1960s

07:30 - Taylor Streit was recently on the podcast at WFS 313

08:30 - Bob talks about the writers that he looks up to - David Brodigan, Gary Schneider, Tom McGuane, etc.

10:30 - George Daniel was on the podcast at WFS 055

11:00 - Bob tells the story of when he fished the Rangeley Lakes Region in Maine and there were no other anglers and boats

13:40 - We can't find top fly fishing writers from the Northeast but there's Top 10 Favorite Fly Fishing Writers from a Google article

14:30 - Bob breaks down Maine fishing - it's known for its brook trout fishing, smallmouth, and landlocked salmon

15:00 - Randy Spencer is a fly fishing guide in Maine, a writer, and has written a number of books

16:50 - The Rangeley Lakes Region has the largest brook trout in the United States - they measure them in pounds rather than inches

18:15 - Bob talks about Carrie Stevens streamers - her most famous streamer is the grey ghost

21:51 - Bob talks about what your itinerary would look like when you go to Maine - drive North, then East if you want to go to Grand Lakes stream, way up North is the Moosehead Region Lake, West is the Rangeley Region - they're equally distant from Portland

26:40 - One of the best times to fish the Rangeley is the 2nd and 3rd week of May - you have to fish something with a white wing because it works great and imitates the smelt

29:00 - The Black Ghost fly pattern is one of the most used in the Rangeley Lakes

30:15 - John Shewey was on the podcast at WFS 296 - Bob shares a tip to keep the streamer feather straight, don't use subtle hackle, use Marabou feather

31:00 - From the end of May and the beginning of June, that's when they use dry flies

34:40 - In the Rangeley Lakes Region, you can get those trophy brook trout in the Magalloway River

42:20 - The Hornberg fly pattern aka meat and potato

42:40 - Bob earns a living as an attorney - he lives on 12 acres of land with his wife

44:20 - June is the dry fly season - the 2nd and 3rd week of June is the black fly season. These flies bite and are intense and so is fishing. July is caddis season. Fishing starts to wane in August. Fishing usually ends by the end of September, then starts the hunting season

47:40 - The moose are dying because they're rubbing off their fur when ticks irritate them - they die of the cold in winter

50:30 - Bob gives 2 reasons why fishing in Maine is great

55:20 - Maine is known for its traditional sporting lodges that date back to the 1800s

56:20 - Bosebuck Mountain Camps give access to the Magalloway river systems

56:30 - Grant's Camps gives access to Kennebago river

56:40 - Lakewood Camps is on the Rapid river

58:00 - Brett and Susan Damm runs the Rangeley Region Sports Shop

58:55 - Bob tells a story about a guy named Shang Willer who came up with a fable about a fish called White Nose Pete

1:03:15 - Ray Troll was on the podcast at WFS 299

1:04:45 - Bob has a new book called, River Flowers

1:05:10 - Elmore Leonard is one of Bob's favorite authors - Elmore wrote the story that became a movie, Get Shorty

Fly Fishing Maine Conclusion with Bob Romano

Bob Romano took us into the lakes and streams of the Rangeley Lakes Region. We found out why he has been traveling up to this area for over 40 years. We dug into some of his books, his favorite authors, and talk about his new book, River Flowers. Bob mentioned some camps that give access to different streams and breaks down the seasons in Maine. We heard about the fable of White Nose Pete.

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/314

Check out this episode!

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travelingtheusaandeurope · 4 years ago

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Best Lakes in Florida

Most travelers group to Florida for its soft, sandy coastlines, championship fairway, as well as world-famous amusement parks. Those who also visit the state's magnificent lakes remain in for a special treat. Varying in size from small to tremendous, Florida hosts 30,000 lakes that cover more than three million acres. Now that's a great deal of water!

Naturally stocked with all kinds of fish-- from bass to black crappie to speckled perch-- Florida's lakes hardly ever leave fishermens dissatisfied. No wonder numerous fishing enthusiasts head directly for these freshwater shores.

You do not need to like touching online bait to delight in all these lakes need to supply. Various other prominent things to do consist of swimming (without the risk of fulfilling a shark-- yay!), windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing, and also various other water sporting activities.

Before jumping in, decide where to go with our checklist of the very best lakes in Florida.

Blue Cypress Lake

The biggest lake in Indian River Region, Blue Cypress Lake is a genuine knockout. Sagging cypress trees splay their branches over the clear, azure water, stretching their complex roots along the immaculate shoreline.

Despite just how you travel along this watery heaven (by canoe, kayak, or motorboat), you'll really feel as if you have actually been delivered into the web pages of a fairytale. Alligators peek out from behind long lawns, ospreys skyrocket overhanging, and turtles mosey along lily pads.

This huge, damp paradise is bordered by fascinating marshes, swamps, as well as cypress woodlands. Talk about a photographer's desire place!

Blue Cypress Lake feeds St. John's River and also is residence to an abundant collection of Florida's most attractive types. Amongst them are a wide variety of fish. As a matter of fact, there are many largemouth bass in this lake that anglers flock below to make use of what is understood to be one of the state's most "premiere" angling places.

Insider's idea: Blue Cypress Park offers watercraft launches while Middleton's Fish Camp is the location to load up on equipment (including fish and deal with) or set up camp for the evening.

Lake Tohopekaliga

Recognized locally as Lake Toho, this large elegance becomes part of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. Extending over 22,000 acres, it's likewise the largest lake in Osceola Region and attaches to East Lake Tohopekaliga. Being so near to Kissimmee and Orlando, this vast watery area is a huge visitor draw.

While the majority of come below to enjoy boating or fishing in the clear blue water, Lake Toho's shores existing visitors with several bird-watching and also various other wildlife-spotting chances. Alligators as well as turtles are very easy to spy, as are the osprey and also eagles that call this lake home.

Anglers extol the lake's exceptional bass fishing, while children enjoy the lighthouse, play area, as well as treking routes in Lakefront Park.

Insider's pointer: Pack a barbecue and enjoy it on one of the park's benches. Swimming and also boating are one of the most preferred activities.

Lake Okeechobee

Called the Large O by citizens, Lake Okeechobee converts from Hitachi to "water large," as well as it comes by this name truthfully. The most significant lake in Florida, Okeechobee measures near to 450,000 acres and spans five counties. It links with the Okeechobee River to lastly sign up with the Gulf of Mexico as well as Atlantic Sea. In spite of its huge girth, Lake Okeechobee only averages nine feet deep.

This is among the state's most premium angling places. Head right here if you're hoping to reel in an excellent catch. The lake is packed with largemouth bass, polychromatic perch, blue gills, catfish, and crappie. Neighborhood guides are greater than happy to take you for a tour of the lake, often as component of an angling exploration.

Outdoor camping as well as regional cottage rentals are readily available to lure site visitors to stay also much longer.

Expert's tip: Sign up for a three-hour boat tour or trek the 110-mile Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail for a much more in-depth take a look at the location.

Pier on Lake Dora

Lake Dora is a sanctuary for snowbirds, particularly those who love to fish. A part of Lake Region's Harris Chain of Lakes, this sensational area covers nearly 4,500 acres. Found just over 40 minutes northwest of Orlando, the lake's closest towns include Tavares and also Mount Dora (on its north as well as east coasts). This is where you'll discover the nearby equipment services, stores, restaurants, and watercraft launches.

Once considered as well polluted for fishing (due to overflow from neighboring farming ranches), Lake Dora is healthy sufficient to resume the sport. Those that aren't fans of angling can pick to waterski, Jet Ski, windsurf, canoe, or kayak.

Insider's idea: The wonderful Dora Canal, which connects Lake Dora with Lake Eustis, is a preferred area for bird-watching. Reserve a boat trip for a comprehensive scenic tour of the area, consisting of details regarding (as well as likely a sighting of) outstanding wildlife and also waterfowl.

Crescent Lake

Formerly called Dunn's Lake, this shimmering spot covers greater than 15,900 acres in North Central Florida. A tributary of St. Johns River, Crescent Lake lies in Flagler as well as Putnam areas. It's chock filled with fish (you're welcome, fishermens) as well as works as a magnet for several of the area's finest wildlife. You're likely to detect a hairless eagle while you're there, particularly at the south end, in the Crescent Lake Sanctuary.

While fishing and canoeing are permitted on the lake, motorboats are banned.

Not a follower of remaining in the water? No worries. There's plenty to keep visitors occupied on shore. From hiking to cycling to horseback riding, you make certain to discover an enjoyable activity to assist while away the day. The perk: Crescent Lake's exceptional views are pleasurable regardless of where you choose to pass the time.

Insider's pointer for anglers: A drop-off runs just out from the coastline along most of the lake, making this a wonderful spot for catching bass.

Lake Harris

More than 1,000 lakes and rivers lie in the aptly named Lake Area, the environmental celebrity of Central Florida. One of these is Lake Harris, the biggest in the Harris Chain of Lakes.

Spanning nearly 13,800 acres, this gleaming river is a preferred place for those searching for an extra natural break from neighboring Orlando (Lake Harris exists over 30 miles northwest of the city, simply north of Lake Apopka).

Surrounded by a luxuriant landscape peppered with cypress trees and sand hillsides, Lake Harris is greater than stunning. You'll wish to have your electronic camera well billed prior to seeing this beautiful place. Pack a swimsuit as well as lifejacket, also, as water sporting activities (including waterskiing) are a well-loved leisure activity.

As with the majority of Florida's lakes, angling brings in numerous anglers to Lake Harris. Boat ramps on both the western and also southern sides of the lake make it very easy to dock.

As a result of its large size, the lake can at times obtain harsh. If you're traveling with children and also wishing for a calmer swimming experience, try Little Harris Lake to the southeast.

Lake Kissimmee

Lake Kissimmee provides a wonderland of natural wonders. Miles of treking trails (13 to be exact) weave their means with woodlands rich with ache and oak trees, along with marshes and also a charming coastline in Lake Kissimmee State Park. Multiple animals call this gorgeous location residence-- from white-tailed deer to bobcats to birds to alligators to a bevy of fish.

Speaking of fish, this nearly 35,000-acre lake (the third largest in the state), is a prime place for fishing. Teeming with largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, and also pickerel, to name a few catch-worthy fish, there are tons of opportunities for anglers to draw in a huge one. Motorboats are permitted below, and there's a watercraft ramp to make introducing a cinch.

This giant waterscape lies concerning 70 miles south of Orlando and also is attached to both Lake Tohopekaliga and Lake Okeechobee by a system of rivers as well as canals. Various other prominent tasks include, camping, horseback riding, biking, canoeing, kayaking, and also, naturally, swimming.

Lake George

The brackish water of Lake George, the 2nd greatest freshwater lake in Florida, establishes it apart from other rivers in the region. It also makes Lake George an ideal location to fish for varieties like bass and crappie. Expert's idea: the center of the lake is house to a collection of circular pilings when used as targets for a bombing range. A ship sunk in this spot, making it a perfect area to reel in crappie.

Gauging about 46,000 acres, Lake George is about a tenth the size of Lake Okeechobee. This 12-mile-long lake is the biggest on the St. Johns River however boasts an average deepness of only eight feet. The western coasts are technically part of the Ocala National Forest.

Several springtimes flow into St. George, bringing just sufficient salt into its watery mix. The outcome? An one-of-a-kind environment best for sustaining numerous species, such as blue crabs, Atlantic stingrays, as well as striped bass. Actually, there are many blue crabs that Lake George came to be home to among the only fresh water blue crab fisheries worldwide.

Lake Istokpoga

Lake Istokpoga averages concerning 4 feet in depth, which means you will not need a large watercraft to travel its virtually 28,000-acre expanse. The sixth-largest Floridian lake, Istokpoga equates from Seminole to "our individuals passed away there." Not a very uplifting concept, but the surroundings is impressive. On a brilliant day, you'll have the ability to see the cosy white clouds mirrored in the lake's splendid surface, which is frequently populated with yards and also lily pads.

A freshwater lake, Istokpoga is rectangle-shaped fit and has ended up being a haven for anglers. Favored catches include bluegill, crappie, sunfish, and also largemouth bass. With 5 on-site watercraft ramps, it's simple to transfer your boat into the lake's cool waters.

Like many lakes on this listing, outdoor camping is available in the vicinity, as are home rentals.

Insider's tip: Airboats are a safe, fantastic, and also uber-fun method to get around this shallow lake. Other good, shallow watercraft include canoes, kayaks, as well as pontoon boats.

Lake Seminole

The 3rd greatest lake in Florida, Seminole is practically a tank. As such, it's additionally called the Jim Woodruff Tank. This stunning spot lies in Pinellas County, near the boundary of 3 states: Florida, Georgia, and also Alabama.

Measuring nearly 37,500 acres, Lake Seminole was created in the late 1940s as well as very early 1950s by damming the Flint and Cattahoochee Rivers. The objective: to create hydroelectric power.

Today, Lake Seminole is still made use of for hydroelectric power, along with for leisure functions. It's a prominent vacation location for visitors from all three bordering states-- guests flock here for its valued angling (multiple kinds of bass phone call this lake home, as do catfish, crappie, as well as bluegill). It's likewise an outstanding location to waterski, Jet Ski, canoe, kayak, or swim.

Expert's idea: Require to the land for a walking (or bike) around Lake Seminole Park. In addition to lovely water views, you'll be dealt with to a close-up look at some of the state's most cherished animals-- from gopher turtles to birds.

Lake Talquin

A quick, 19-mile tour west of Tallahassee, Lake Talquin is a stunning location to spend a day frolicking with your household. The setting is surreal-- moving hills and rich, wooded bluffs overlook a lake full of water so clean, you'll intend to dive right in.

Intending to fish? You're not alone. Lake Talquin brings in anglers of all experience levels with its bounty of bass (largemouth and also candy striped), polychromatic perch, catfish, and bream.

On the south coast, you'll locate splendid Lake Talquin State Park. It features a deep abyss and also boardwalk frequented by walkers and angling fanatics, in addition to a boat launch (for canoes and kayaks), barbecue area, and also routes boasting extraordinary vistas of the lake and also beyond.

Lake Lion

Lake Lion's considerable marshes hold its most precious treasures. It's within these serene rivers that you'll catch sight of the area's extraordinary wildlife, consisting of alligators, turtles, waterfowl, as well as plenty of fish. At almost 9,500 acres, Lake Lion feeds the Ocklawaha River, which belongs to the Harris Chain of Lakes.

The most effective means to discover this tranquil lake is by watercraft: motor-driven, or canoe or kayak. Lake Lion State Park, which lines the coasts, likewise boasts strolling routes to take guests further right into the all-natural landscape. That's where you'll see land-based creatures like bears, coyotes, and bobcats.

The park is also house to large oak trees, one of which has actually been matured at over 400 years! Book a led excursion with a ranger or established camp for the evening-- you'll be so delighted you did.

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williamfloodug · 4 years ago

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Whangamata NZ - Your Insider New Zealand Holiday and Travel Guide Including Tips For Visitors

New Zealand is an incredible objective for a campervan occasion. New Zealand is known for its staggering view. There are uncontrollably differentiating scenes - from volcanic mountains to ideal sea shores, from ice sheets to mountain lakes, from rich tropical jungle to moving fields and you can get from one to the next moderately effectively by street in a short space of time. In case you're driving, you will encounter the changing scene as you move starting with one staggering zone then onto the next. The fantastic landscape isn't just at the objections yet it's en route also!

Thus, in the event that you're arranging a New Zealand excursion, at that point genuinely consider leasing a campervan/RV/RV to make your own excursion experience.

Picking a Campervan

There are various campervan rental organizations in New Zealand offering a scope of vehicles. Practically all rental campervans in New Zealand can be driven on a typical vehicle permit. There are both programmed and manual vehicles. The streets in New Zealand can be tight and twisting (particularly in a portion of the excellent mountains) so in the event that you are not used to a manual transmission, I would prompt that you search for a programmed vehicle.

When choosing size, initially you need to oblige all your voyaging friends. On the off chance that you are a couple and need to have a perpetual bed, as opposed to making one up each night from the parlor zone, you should consider a 4 billet campervan. Simply recall, however, that bigger vehicles will be less simple to drive and manoeuver.

New Zealand has numerous zones where you can free camp (or opportunity camp, as it is additionally known) - nonetheless, to do so you need an independent campervan, so one with an on-board shower and latrine. If it's not too much trouble familiarize yourself with the New Zealand ecological code on the off chance that you intend to free camp.

On the off chance that you plan to essentially utilize campgrounds, at that point a vehicle that doesn't have an on-board shower and latrine is a decent choice and a few organizations have exceptional vehicles that are very little greater than a vehicle, so are extremely simple to drive.

Arranging Your Itinerary

There are lovely places to visit all over New Zealand. In the event that you just have multi week, at that point I would encourage you to pick a couple of spots on one island.

For instance, in the event that you are in the North Island for seven days, attempt this agenda:

Day 1. Get vehicle in Auckland - investigate the city. Visit the SkyTower or the gallery where you can get extraordinary perspectives just as you sit in the area having a cookout

Day 2. Travel to Coromandel Peninsula - plan to go through a night at one of the excellent harbor towns, for example, whangamata shops

Day 3. Investigate Coromandel's incredible sea shores and visit one of the numerous craftsmanship exhibitions facilitating neighborhood specialists. In the event that you need, drive to Tauranga and invest energy investigating Mount Maunganui

Day 4. Drive to Rotorua. Take a drive up to the Blue and Green Lakes, Lake Tarawera and the Buried Terraces or visit one of the other numerous vacation destinations in this geothermal "hotspot". On the off chance that you haven't encountered a Maori execution, try doing as such here

Day 5. Travel to Napier by means of Taupo. Stop at the Huka Falls in Taupo and afterward stop and have a cookout on the shores of Lake Taupo where on a crisp morning you will have the option to see the pinnacles of Mount Ruapehu and Mount Ngarahoe on the volcanic level,

Day 6. Investigate the craftsmanship deco structures in Napier prior to taking off to Wellington (in the event that you have masterminded drop-off there) or back to Auckland. On the off chance that making a beeline for Auckland, you should go through tonight in Taupo or Hamilton

Day 7. Investigate the city (Wellington) prior to dropping your campervan back. In Wellington visit Te Papa, the public gallery or take the trolley for awesome perspectives on the city and harbor. In the event that you are restoring your vehicle to Auckland, attempt and fit in a visit to Takapuna sea shore on the North Shore today

For a multi week schedule in the South Island that gives you an incredible gander at lovely view, attempt this:

Day 1. Get vehicle in Christchurch - investigate the city. Take a ride on the gondola, or have an excursion around the city on a cable car. The Antarctic Center is additionally worth a visit

Day 2. Head over the Lewis Pass to Westport. Travel through grape plantations, at that point mountain passes to the wild west coast

Day 3. Travel down the coast to Greymouth. This is perhaps the most terrific seaside drives in New Zealand. Stop at Punakaiki to see the world-popular Pancake Rocks

Day 4. Drive south through Hokitika and Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers over staggering Haast Pass to Wanaka - this will require a day in the event that you set aside effort to stop and appreciate the view all the more intently in transit, so have some place in Wanaka booked to remain before you leave

Day 5. Travel to Queenstown, the "adrenaline capital of the world" for experience. On the off chance that you lean toward all the more comfortable exercises, take a diversion through Arrowtown and Lake Hawea or simply peruse the vacationer shops in Queenstown

Day 6. Drive north once more, wanting to stop at Lake Tekapo. On the off chance that you have time, you might have the option to take a drive up to Aoraki/Mount Cook, New Zealand's most elevated mountain. When dusks stroll from Lake Tekapo up to the Mount John Observatory to get a stunning perspective on the stars

Day 7. Drive to Christchurch and return your vehicle

In the event that you have fourteen days, at that point you can visit both north and south islands crossing Cook's Strait by means of a 3 hour ship going among Wellington and Picton (around a 4 hour drive north of Christchurch).

Where to Stay

New Zealand has lovely outdoors grounds and campgrounds. There are likewise numerous spots where free outdoors is permitted. Coming up next are possibilities for you for your New Zealand occasion:

Adjusted Campsites, for example, Top 10, Kiwi Holiday Parks and Family Parks - you can get a rebate with Top 10 in the event that you plan utilizing their campgrounds all through your excursion

Provincial Council parks and campgrounds, especially Auckland Regional Parks and Waitaki Lakes - offices are frequently more fundamental than adjusted camping areas, yet a portion of the areas are breathtaking

Division of Conservation (DOC) campgrounds - these are exceptionally fundamental destinations, which is fine in the event that you have an independent campervan, yet frequently they are in the most excellent areas, so worth a visit

Local Parks - you can join for a little charge. Individuals are given various areas where they can camp, including grape plantations and sheep stations

Free outdoors - you should have an independent vehicle to free camp. Not all regions permit free outdoors so you should follow the signs. Nonetheless, you can get very close with some astounding landscape while free outdoors in New Zealand. Ensure you know about the Environmental Code

A campervan occasion is an incredible method to catch the amazingly lovely view that New Zealand has on offer and is world-celebrated for. It is a financially savvy method of seeing the same number of sights as you can in a short space of time, while as yet appreciating a loosening up excursion.

Maud Meates-Dennis and her significant other, George, own New Zealand Campervan Holidays [http://www.new-zealand-campervan-holidays.com] - an extensive online travel asset with all you require to know to take full advantage of your New Zealand campervan/RV occasion, including itineries, spots to see and activities, campgrounds, New Zealand ecological code data, RV essentials for fledglings and considerably more. You can even get a rental statement from one of our favored accomplices.

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arplis · 5 years ago

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Arplis - News: Top 10 RV Camping Tips for Beginners

Whether you’re a seasoned RVer or you’re just getting ready to take your first trip, the RV camping tips below are sure to help you out. Some of them are just fun little tips to help make your camp life more enjoyable, while others are totally genius hacks that will save you time, money, and headaches. P.S. If you haven’t already purchased an RV and you’re not sure about it, get your feet wet with an RV rental from Outdoorsy. They’re the largest and most trusted RV rental site (the Airbnb of RV rentals, if you will) and they have a ton of options to choose from. 1. Power Cord Cover Using power cords while camping can be a risky move if you’re not careful. Dirt and sand can easily find it’s way inside the plugs which could cause them to stop working after a while. An easy solution to this problem is to use a plastic bucket with two holes to keep the extension cord raised and protected. Pretty clever! 2. Tabletop S’mores Image from Zillow S’mores are a classic camping treat but with campfire bans happening all over the place, you may need to find alternative ways to cook them. No worries! All you need is a terracotta pot, some tin foil, and some charcoal, and you can build your own DIY S’more cooker. 3. Towel Rod Bathroom Organizer Image from Five Fs One of the things you have to think about when using an RV is that items are going to move around while you’re driving. If they’re not secured, you’re not going to have a good time. An easy solution to holding certain items and keeping things tidy is to install a towel rod low on the wall in your tub or on a counter. You can then put bottles, cleaning supplies, shampoo, conditioner, and other things behind the towel rod to hold them in place. 4. Use Command Hooks Everywhere Image from SeguinRV Another easy way to keep things organized and secure in your RV is with command hooks. There are so many things you can use them for: Hanging kitchen supplies Organizing cords Installing lightweight curtain hangers Hanging bags and more! 5. Pool Noodles on Awning Arms Image from What’s Newell If you’ve ever smacked your head on the awning arms of your RV, you’re not alone! Some RVers came up with the smart idea of putting pool noodles around the arms to soften the blow. 6. Awning Light Hangers Whether you want to hang a tarp, some lights, or something else from your awning track, these DIY hangers work great. They’re strong, cheap to make, and simple to assemble. Here’s what you’ll need: 10 inches of paracord 1 inch of 1/4″ aluminum tubing 1 M10 washer To see how to fully make it, view the full tutorial here. 7. Shower Caddy Image from Cecilia the Shasta If you want to make campground shower-time as hassle-free as possible, making your own convenient shower caddy is super helpful. All you need is a lanyard and some travel squeeze bottles. Alternatively, you can buy a pre-made caddy here, but that’s not very DIY! 8. Go Solar Image from Outside Pursuits Although this one will take a bit of money and require more work to get set up, if you often camp in places without power hookups, it can be an investment that really pays off. Plus, living on solar power is pretty awesome! Before you take the leap on this major upgrade though, read these posts for more info: RV Solar Panel Tips Is Solar Power For Your RV Worth It? 9. Insulate with Reflectix Image from RV Lifestyle You can buy Reflectix pretty affordably from almost any hardware store or online from Amazon and it’s great for insulating your camper. Just buy a roll, cut pieces to fit your windows and roof vents, and you’ll stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. There are some other neat ways to use Reflectix on the road as well. Check out these 5 tips. 10. PVC Drying Rack Image from Happy Wanderers If you need a place to hang your clothes to dry outside your RV, building a simple PVC drying rack is the way to go. It’s lightweight, easy to set up, and it easily comes apart for compact storage. Cool RV Travel Spots to Check Out Ok, you’ve got all the RV camping tips above set up, now it’s time for the fun part: traveling! Depending on where you live you may already have some destinations in mind, but here are a few other suggestions just in case you’re not sure where you want to go yet: California Beach Trip If you want to soak up as much sun as possible and visit some of the nicest beaches in California, this is the trip for you. First, you’ll hit San Diego, then Dana Point, then Long Beach, and finally, Malibu. To see the full details of the trip and some other awesome California road trip routes, view the full post here. Bend, Oregon Bend, Oregon may not be the first place that pops up in your mind when thinking of RV destinations, but it’s worth considering! There’s a beautiful 252-mile long river, several lakes, it’s dog-friendly, and that’s just the start. St. George, Utah We took a trip to St. George a while back and although we didn’t stay in an RV, I think it would be an awesome destination for RVers! There are a lot of affordable activities to do there and there are some beautiful sights to see too. If you want to learn more, check out these 7 fun activities to do in St. George, Utah. Want to Make an Extra $2,000/mo with Your RV? Let’s be honest: Unless you’re living in your RV full time, it’s probably sitting somewhere unused for longer than you’d like. If you’d rather turn that idle time into money, you should look into renting out your RV on Outdoorsy. Right now Outdoorsy has about 15,000 other RVers renting out their motor homes earning an average of $2,000/month in rental income! Best of all, listing your RV on Outdoorsy is completely free, they just charge a service fee for successful bookings. And to top it off, they offer great coverage for RV owners and renters to make it all a stress-free process: $1m insurance + theft and damage coverage DMV check on all drivers 24/7 RV rental roadside assistant Dedicated customer support 93% Average 5+ star reviews To learn more, visit Outdoorsy.com. Have Any Other RV Camping Tips and Tricks? Whether you’re a seasoned RVer or just a beginner, you may still have some of your own RV camping tips and tricks up your sleeve! There are so many different ways to make RV life easier so let us know what you do to improve your time on the road. Even if you don’t have any tips to share, leave a comment below letting us know where you plan on taking your RV to next! Other Posts You Might Like: Camping with Kids: 16 Games and Activities 5 Must Haves When Camping with Young Kids The post 10 DIY RV Camping Tips and Tricks for Beginners appeared first on Fabulessly Frugal. #Travel #Camping

Arplis - News source http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Arplis-News/~3/zriSZ671Wr4/top-10-rv-camping-tips-for-beginners

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miningtransport · 8 years ago

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Sightseeing Car

July 4, 2017

I think since the Fourth of July is a travel day, that means I'll be sidestepping the holiday altogether. It’s such a hot, dusty, crowded holiday sometimes and we’re sliding toward authoritarianism right now, so skipping it seems fine. But it doesn't work out like that on the Coastal Starlight Amtrak train from Salem to Seattle.

By the time we cross the Columbia River and head up into Western Washington, I've abandoned my seat in coach and am stationed in the sightseeing car. On those big trains that come all the way up from L.A., the coach cars feel like dormitories. People are really camping out in there. There’s little babies, and odors, and sleeping bags. More than half of the curtains have been pulled shut. The sightseeing car is full of light and windows, with the seats facing out.

A couple of volunteer park rangers are narrating what we see out the windows. They have a lot of good information about rivers, the industrial stuff we pass, ships taking grain to Hong Kong, steel plants. Osprey nests. Local history. It's a bit cheesy at times, but I enjoy the narration of the ride, and it's kind of cute how many people are happy to be talked at by the old duffers in vests.

Different people sit around me and then depart. They half listen, half talk amongst themselves. A young man in head to toe Seahawks gear sits down awkwardly in the seat next to me for a while. I take him to be Middle Eastern. Two young Asian women across the aisle seem to just be getting to know each other. I catch snippets of their conversation. “It can be hard. Do your parents speak English?” “No, do yours?”

I’m half listening, half writing in my journal about my weekend at the coast. A little voice says, “Excuse me, but is anyone sitting here?” It’s a black girl of about 8 years old. She is wearing pink sweat pants and a grey sweatshirt with pink stars on it. She has many long black braids. She’s confident, she’s polite, she’s smiling. For the moment she’s unaccompanied by an adult. I tell her to sit down. She’s peering out the window but also keeps blatantly looking over at me writing. “Whatchu writin about?” she asks. I tell her, “Just my weekend. Stuff that happened.” She looks disappointed, like she doubted I had a very interesting weekend, and if it were her writing it would be something juicier.

A little while later, an older man comes in the car. I don’t take him for her grandpa at first because even though his skin is dark brown like hers, he has one long braid down his back and his facial features and body language remind me of the old Native guys in the town where I grew up. But he is her grandpa and they move a little further down the car to where there were two seats together. He is spare and stone-faced, with a ball-cap on and plain jeans and a t-shirt. He doesn’t react much to the girl and certainly not to anyone else around him, but she merrily fills the picture in. “Yes, this is my grandpa,” I hear her say to someone across the aisle. She’s turned around in her chair, long arms hanging off the back. “We go to the lake, but usually only when it’s good for fishing. We catch a lot of fish. And eat them.”

I remind myself not to stereotype. Just because he seems really Native American, that doesn’t mean he is. He’s just a travel weary guy with an inscrutable face. And the whole inscrutable face thing, that’s stereotyping too.

We pass a tree farm, and one of the volunteers is saying in the microphone, “This is a Christmas tree farm, but where on Earth do you think you could use a 30-foot tall Christmas tree?” The little girl’s hand shoots up. The old white guy points to her and she says, “IN A MANSION.” He says, “Well no, they just cut some of the branches off to make wreaths and the rest of the tree keeps growing.”

She turns back to the window, unfazed. She seems to know her answer was better than his. She seems pleased with herself, and reasonably sure others are pleased with her too. Not in a show-offy way, but just in a nice way.

I hear two people behind me talking. Their travel plans were both thrown off by the train derailment a couple of days earlier. They commiserate, and then start talking about other things. They both live in Seattle. The woman is white, in her late twenties or early thirties. I’d taken a peek at her earlier. I don’t know about the guy. He sat down after I looked last. I don’t want to look over and be obvious.

Then I hear her saying, “You know, that one, that loud-mouthed African woman.” I think, “Who can she be talking about?” and then realize she means Kshama Sawant, an Indian-American councilwoman. The woman is saying that raising the minimum wage to $15 has “ruined Seattle” and caused businesses to close their doors. The man she’s talking to says “Um… that’s all really… debatable.” The woman goes on to say that she herself got a pay bump when the minimum wage was raised, but she says it scornfully, like it was no good to her.

A man on the other side of them overhears the exchange and comes into the conversation. The two men are ignoring the woman now, choosing not in fact to have that debate. They are talking between themselves about volunteering for this or that Democratic state legislator’s campaign. They are both really well versed in the nuances of local politics.

The woman butts back in and says loudly, “Are you Hispanic?” The man sitting next to her says “Uh, no. Not at all.” She says “Ok, well I was just asking a question.” Then she says, “Where are you from, then?” He says, “I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio.” He is keeping his voice more casual than she is, but I can hear a certain tension sliding in. I can’t take it anymore, and glance over. The young man she’s talking to is the one I’d seen before, the possibly Middle Eastern (?) man in Seahawks gear. “Ohhhh” I think, as it all slides into place.

We’re approaching Centralia now. The little girl is still engaged with the scenery, the narration, her braids, her neighbors, herself. Her grandpa is still staring straight ahead thinking unknowable thoughts and betraying no emotion whatsoever.

The guys at the front with microphones are saying, “Centralia was founded by George Washington. No, not that George Washington!” They go on to explain that George Washington was the son of “a white servant girl and an enslaved black man” in Wherever, USA. His mother was afraid he would be sold into slavery, so she begged some people going west to adopt her son and take him with them. The family moved farther and farther west and I think George was a young man by the time they got to Washington. Stories of his entrepreneurial pluck. His ingenuity. How much the town loved him. How he was honored when he died in 1905.

I’m thinking, “Well, this is told like such a happy ending, but it’s a tragedy that this guy’s mother had to give him away because of slavery.” I think of Charles Mudede’s criticism of Nicole Brodeur—writing as if only white people are reading. I figure that’s what we’re all doing all the time. That’s America for you. One long rolling micro aggression, just like this train ride.

The train stops at Centralia, and our car is blocking an intersection. Cars are stopped waiting for the tracks to clear. A white couple in white middle age walk up and stop there, waiting. I look at them and think, “So you live in a town that was founded by a black man. Huh. Looks like Trump country.” I have no idea. I’m just stereotyping. He’s kind of sweaty and ruddy with a beer gut under his t-shirt and mussed up hair and sunglasses. She’s prim in her culottes with her little bob. I have no idea. But they seem very white and they could be Trump voters.

Then they’re smiling and doing big waves and I look over and see that they’re responding to the little black girl in the sweat suit and braids. She’s cheesing for them through the window. She’s waving like she’s royalty and her subjects have flocked to the tracks to watch her roll through her kingdom. I look to see if her grandpa looks amused. He is stone-faced as ever. I think, “maybe he’s like this all the time, or maybe he’s just really sick of white people.” As the train continues to sit there, the couple and the little girl both get distracted, but then as we pull away, there is a last beaming, waving connection—this time initiated by the white man on the sidewalk, who cranes his head and tips forward and makes the girl laugh with his goofy waving.

We’re running along the coastline now, and there are people down on the beach, on the rocks, on boats, on docks with their legs dangling off – mostly white people. The volunteer guys call our attention to a small island out in the bay, Fox Island. They begin another historical story, about how there was an Indian war because the governor of Washington was going to put “four large tribes and one small tribe” on a reservation out on that tiny island. I hear that the old white guys are trying, that they are saying the governor was responsible for the war, they are saying the names of the individual nations. They are saying it’s ridiculous that someone was trying to put all those people on a reservation on such a little island.

I think “HOLD ON” that’s not a reservation, that’s internment.

And then the guy speaking says that the tribes lost that battle but they “kind of won the war” because they got larger, separate reservations.

HOW IS THAT WINNING.

God. White people!

HOW IS THAT WINNING.

South of Tacoma, the crowds get bigger, browner, more citified. From the train it looks like some idealized version of a happy, multiethnic, multicultural society. Hijabis strolling in the sun. Big latino (latinx?) families. Kids running around. Black women with big natural hair and flowy skirts, swishing in the breeze. It’s just everybody. And people look happy. Tweets from that morning’s Black Twitter flash before my eyes. What the Fourth of July means, has meant to black people. How people find a way to carve out their own meaning, find their own sources of joy.

I read Black Twitter, and maybe I’m a bit of a lurker for following so many great black women writers on Twitter and reading their blogs and think pieces. But I figure if I keep listening to them, maybe I’ll be ready just on the off chance that I write something someday that finds its way to one of them. Because I don’t want to write like only white people are reading, or talk like only white people are listening, or experience the U.S. like only a white person can.

#train travel #race #white people #america #eavesdropping

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megadavestewart · 4 years ago

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WFS 208 - Giant Jurassic Lake Rainbow Trout with Carlos (Charly) Lopez Casanello

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/208

Sponsors: OPST: https://wetflyswing.com/opst

Sponsors: Anglers Coffee: https://wetflyswing.com/anglers

Charly from Jurassic Lake Lodge shares the full story today how it came to be and what you can do to put together a great trip to Argentina. Charly has put in a ton of work improving the infrastructure so this trip is more doable than ever.

Jurassic, know locally as Lake Strobel, produces some of the largest rainbows in the Stillwater world. Charly shares the background on the old camp that was the destination before upgrading to a lodge.

Jurassic Lake Show Notes with Charly

- Charly worked at Untamed Angler before going for going all in on building up the Jurassic lake lodge.

- I noted Dennis Isbister from Wild Fish Wild Places who has been down south.

- I noted the George Cook Podcast episode 179 where he covered lake fishing from the bank.

- The Justin Spence was on the podcast in episode 57 here. Justin also covered Argentina and some DIY tips.

- Alberto Rodriguez was the owner and the person who brought steelhead from the Santa Cruz River. Here's a Fly Fisherman article that talks about Jurassic.

- We note christer Sjöberg from Loop and the first exploratory trip to Strobel lake.

- The F3T and the Taiman video in Russia

You can find Charly at JurassicLake.com

Jurassic Lake Conclusion with Charly

Charly is here to break down the steps to putting together a major trip to Patagonia and Lake Strobel, one of the great destinations in the world with huge rainbow trout. We find out how Rodriguez first brought steelhead in from California and the Santa Cruz River.

Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/208

Check out this episode!

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eurocampervantrip · 8 years ago

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Days 35-41 Now we are being spoilt....after a week at Lake Garda we drove 2 hours west for a week in Lake Como. Another stunner, drop dead, wherever you look. It had us questioning what tourists must think when they visit the Lake District! We were also meeting some great friends, Emma and Rob, which made it even more pleasurable. Sensibly they hadn't opted to bunk down on our dining table/midget bed, so they didn't get to sample the delights of the camping aire in Como town. Charl and Evie declared it a car park! In reality it was, just with electric hook ups and water. Yet they came to love it given the 15 mins cycle around the lake to meet E&R in the town (past beautiful villas and through leafy parks), the peace and quiet, and of course a stunning view even though it was tucked in a residential area. Italy was also turning out to be so easy. The people are lovely, pace of life relaxed, ice cream amazing and breathtaking places everywhere we went. We had a nice cycle into Como town via a few lakeside play parks (of course!) and took the funicular up the mountain overlooking the city. After the requisite ice cream we descended into the baking hot city to the sanctuary of Em and Rob's luxurious apartment complete with roof terrace and jacuzzi bath, which Evie took full advantage of! Lenno was our next stop a bit further north on the lake, very pretty and perfect to get the ferry to the glamorous towns of Menaggio, Bellagio and Varenna. Sadly we didn't manage to spot George Clooney ......next time! Lenno had a great sandy beach bar complete with steps into the lake, which we ended up in most days jumping into the freezing water, checking on the ducklings and swinging off ropes pretending to be pirates (naturally!) Our favourite day was a visit to Isola Comocina, the only island on Como. After being ferried over by Francesco, our intrepid water taxi driver (rather than swim as suggested by Steve!), we explored and picnicked on the tiny island - complete with Roman ruins, a lovely white church on the hill and duck beach, which we took a swim from, closely watched by its suspicious residents. After a sundowner on the island all 6 of us had a gorgeous meal at the romantic restaurant on the quayside! Slight lowpoint the next day due to the consumption of prosecco and limoncello....top tip, don't head to the beautiful town of Varenna on a Saturday (rammed), tired and slightly hungover, and expect lunch anytime before 3pm. You can imagine the fallout!!

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advertphoto · 4 years ago

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Foreclosure Lawyer Bountiful Utah

Bountiful is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 42,552, a three percent increase over the 2000 figure of 41,301. The city grew rapidly during the suburb growth of the late 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s and was Davis County’s largest city until 1985 when it was surpassed by Layton. Bountiful is Utah’s 15th largest city. Although a part of the Ogden-Clearfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, it serves as a bedroom community to Salt Lake City and the surrounding area. However, due to the very narrow entrance into Salt Lake County, roads between the counties often reach near-gridlock traffic during rush hour. The Front Runner commuter rail has been running since April 2008, and the Legacy Parkway was opened on September 13, 2008. These were built to help alleviate the traffic load on Interstate 15 through the Bountiful area. Bountiful is a suburb of Salt Lake City with a population of 43,792. Bountiful is in Davis County and is one of the best places to live in Utah. Living in Bountiful offers residents a sparse suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Bountiful there are a lot of parks. Many families and young professionals live in Bountiful and residents tend to be conservative. The public schools in Bountiful are highly rated. The median home value in Bountiful is $257,300, and the average rent is $917. The average household income is $65,716, and most people have at least an associates degree. There are so many things to do here and great people to see. Overall, it’s a good place to live.

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Neighborhoods in Bountiful

Nowadays, when you move, you have to choose the city within the city. Each city has different neighborhoods and boroughs that are significantly different from one another. You need to choose which one attracts you the most. Making this choice is never easy, so we’d recommend walking through the neighborhood. If it is summer, this is more effective because the chances of neighbor interactions go up. What you want is the opportunity to get to know some of the people where you are thinking of living. You are not looking to discriminate. Instead, look for signs of the culture of the neighborhood. If you see many kids running from yard to yard playing, you’ll know that the children are free to roam. This is generally a good sign. If you see lots of boarded up windows, you’ll know that maybe you want to move somewhere else. Here are a few of the neighborhoods in Bountiful. • Val Verda Neighborhood • Bountiful Acres Neighborhood • Woodmere Neighborhood • North Hillsdale Neighborhood • Canyon Crest Neighborhood • Forest Park Neighborhood • Arcadia Neighborhood • Woodland Hills Estates Neighborhood • Mar Vista Neighborhood • Maple Hills Neighborhood • Star Heights Neighborhood • Oakcrest Neighborhood • Artistic Neighborhood • Packlynn Neighborhood • Alda Verda Neighborhood • Mountain Aire Neighborhood • Oak Haven Park Neighborhood • Church Heights Neighborhood • Moss Hill Neighborhood • Amby Briggs Neighborhood • Woodland Neighborhood

Bountiful Crime Rates

These are the skeletons in the closet of cities. It’s something nobody wants to know while they live in an area, but before they move in, they want to know everything there is to know. It’s a good thing to understand. Here are some of the most important facts about Bountiful. Bountiful has an A rating when it comes to crime (that means that there is comparatively little crime). In 2017 there was only 1 murder, 19 counts of rape, 2 robberies, 24 counts of assault, 83 burglaries, 602 thefts, and 59 vehicle thefts. Here, the overall crime rate is 37% less than the national average. It’s also safer than 67% of the cities in the United States. That’s pretty good. Crime isn’t the only thing to worry about in a city. It’s also a good idea to get a reading of the best ways to volunteer and get involved. Utah, in general, has many great ways to serve and give back to the community. Bountiful is no exception. There are so many ways to just help. Let me tell you, giving back is probably the most fulfilling thing there is to do.

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Service Organizations: • Child and Family Services • Future Through Services • Operation Underground Railroad • Bountiful Library Volunteer Opportunities • Bountiful Public Works Volunteer Opportunities • Victim Assistance Center

Bountiful Schools & Stats

When moving, one of the most important things to consider is the school system. In many cases, the experience children have in elementary severely affects their perceptions about junior high and then high school. This then can affect the trajectory of their life. Of course schooling does not determine the success of an individual’s life, but choosing good schools that offer great opportunities can definitely help. Set up your children right. Put them on a bright path that leads to where they eventually want to go. Most schools try to paint themselves a good portrait. Most of the time, things are never as shiny as they appear on the outside. This is advice coming from the son of two educators who have taught for a collective twenty years. Choosing the right school matters. The school district that services Bountiful is the Davis County School district. It has a wide range of schools including: • 13 Elementary Schools • 6 Middle Schools • 2 High Schools

Bountiful Cost of Living

When you move somewhere, you always need to consider the cost of living. California is a very nice place to live, but the cost of living is larger than the national average. Nowhere, Oklahoma however is comparatively cheaper. Bountiful has a rate of 106 which is two lower than Salt Lake City. Considering both cities are so close, the former is probably a great option for people who need to commute into the big city for work but prefer the suburban life. Hopefully the discounted cost of living translates to more fun. Bountiful has an unemployment rate of 4% compared to the national average of 5%. That’s pretty good. The job growth rate predicted for the next 10 years is 41%, which is better than the nation’s average, 38%. Overall, the future looks promising. Things To Do in Bountiful, Utah One of the main reasons you move somewhere is because of the fun things to do there. Bountiful has many great attractions. It’s close to so many things, that you don’t need to worry if there is anything to do. Instead, just worry about being able to fit it all into your schedule. Do you like doing things in the mountains? Do you like doing things in the city? Well, if you live in Bountiful then you can do both. It’s close enough to Salt Lake City that you can go there every weekend. You can also go camping, boating or hiking every weekend. • Hale Center Theater • Alta Ski Resort • Davis Creek Trail • Adams Waterfall • Gateway Shopping Center • City Creek Shopping Center • Lagoon • South Davis Recreation Center • Centerpoint Legacy Theatre • The Jazz Basketball games Bountiful Attraction Resources • Trip Advisor List • List of Attractions • Yelp List • Group on List • Get Out Pass • Fun Things to do with Kids Bountiful Commuting & Public Transit Welcome to Bountiful, Utah. It’s a great place to live, but obviously you won’t spend 100% of the time in Bountiful alone. You will venture out into the wide world. You’ll probably work out of the town, and you’ll probably vacation out of town (although there is nothing wrong with a little stay-caution). If you will always be traveling and commuting, knowing the travel times is very important. Luckily, Bountiful is in a wonderful location. It is just north of Salt Lake and located right on the major highway. It has great access points and is in a very well-connected location. If you live here in Bountiful, you have nothing to worry about when it comes to getting where you need to.

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Commuting Times • Time to Provo – 54 Minutes • Time to Lehi – 38 Minutes • Time to Orem – 50 Minutes • Time to Salt Lake City – 16 Minutes • Time to Sandy – 32 Minutes • Time to Ogden – 28 Minutes • Time to Logan – 1 Hour 9 Minutes • Time to St. George – 4 Hours and 23 Minutes Travel Time from Bountiful to the Attractions and National Parks • Time to Park City – 47 Minutes • Time to St. George – 4 Hours and 23 Minutes • Time to Bear Lake – 2 Hours and 2 Minutes • Time to Yellowstone – 4 Hours and 34 Minutes • Time to Zions National Park – 4 Hours 40 Minutes • Time to Arches National Park – 4 Hours 41 Minutes • Time to Canyonlands National Park – 4 Hours 55 Minutes • Time to Capitol Reef National Park – 3 Hours 33 Minutes • Time to Bryce Canyon National Park –4 Hours and 11 Minutes

Tips to Avoid Foreclosure in Bountiful Utah

If you fail to make your home mortgage payments, foreclosure may occur. Foreclosure is the legal means that your lender can use to repossess (take over) your home. When this happens, you must move out of your house. If your property is worth less than the total amount you owe on your mortgage loan, a deficiency judgment could be pursued. If that happens, you not only lose your home, you also would owe your lender an additional amount. Both foreclosures and deficiency judgments could seriously affect your ability to qualify for credit in the future. Below are some tips on avoiding foreclosure.

Don’t Ignore The Foreclosure

The further behind you become, the harder it will be to reinstate your loan and the more likely that you will lose your house. Contact Your Lender As Soon As You Realize That You Have A Problem. Lenders do not want your house. They have options to help borrowers through difficult financial times.

Open And Respond To All Mail From Your Lender

The first notices you receive will offer good information about foreclosure prevention options that can help you weather financial problems. Later mail may include important notice of pending legal action. Your failure to open the mail will not be an excuse in foreclosure court.

Know Your Mortgage Rights

Find your loan documents and read them so you know what your lender may do if you can’t make your payments. Learn about the foreclosure laws and timeframes in your state (as every state is different) by contacting the Understand Foreclosure Prevention Options. Valuable information about foreclosure prevention (also called loss mitigation) options can be found on the internet at http://www.fha.gov/foreclosure/index.cfm.

Contact A HUD-Approved Housing Counselor

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds free or very low cost housing counseling nationwide. Housing counselors can help you understand the law and your options, organize your finances and represent you in negotiations with your lender if you need this assistance. Find a HUD-approved housing counselor near you.

Prioritize Your Spending

After healthcare, keeping your house should be your first priority. Review your finances and see where you can cut spending in order to make your mortgage payment. Look for optional expenses-cable TV, memberships, entertainment-that you can eliminate. Delay payments on credit cards and other “unsecured” debt until you have paid your mortgage.

Do you have assets — a second car, jewelry, a whole life insurance policy — that you can sell for cash to help reinstate your loan? Can anyone in your household get an extra job to bring in additional income? Even if these efforts don’t significantly increase your available cash or your income, they demonstrate to your lender that you are willing to make sacrifices to keep your home.

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You don’t need to pay fees for foreclosure prevention help — use that money to pay the mortgage instead. Many for-profit companies will contact you promising to negotiate with your lender. While these may be legitimate businesses, they will charge you a hefty fee (often two or three month’s mortgage payment) for information and services your lender or a HUD-approved housing counselor will provide free if you contact them.

If any firm claims they can stop your foreclosure immediately if you sign a document appointing them to act on your behalf, you may well be signing over the title to your property and becoming a renter in your own home! Never sign a legal document without reading and understanding all the terms and getting professional advice from an attorney, a trusted real estate professional, or a HUD-approved housing counselor.

Bountiful Utah Foreclosure Attorney

When you need legal help from a foreclosure lawyer, please call Ascent Law LLC for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

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