Favorite Travel Quotes

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts."
-- Mark Twain
Innocents Abroad

"Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey." -- Fitzhugh Mullan

"A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving." -- Lao Tzu

More Desert Meanderings

©Bert Gildart: Panamint Jane and Ballarat Bert have moved on, though they’re still thinkin’ hard on their times in Death Valley, being as they walked (in our last post) with the ghosts of Shorty Harris and Aguereberry Pete. Our names are honorary names bestowed on us by heroes from our past lives.


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Sunrise caressing the Panamints, Death Valley. Note Panamint Jane in bathrobe.


But thar’s still lots on our minds, most notably thoughts about the good folks we met at Texas Springs here in the year 2014.  There, we meet two extremely talented musicians.  Christiane had been a classical musician but Ron  grooved on country music, my favorite, and what was so incredible is that the man not only played country-western music like a master but knew the history of each song he played.  He appreciated (for starters) singer/songwriters Hank Williams, Earnest Tubb, Kris Christopherson, Ray Price, George Jones, and Waylon Jennings. Naturally we asked if music had been his career, and his response is what was so interesting.

“No,” he said, “I have a doctors degree in physics from Montana State University.”

Much irony here as Dr. Ron and I attended MSU at exactly the same time –  say 100 years ago.   The man (and his wife, too!)  was completely down to earth, and joked that the two of us might have drunk pitchers of beer together at the Molly Brown — being as how it was a hangout for us both.

And then we met hiker David, a capable young man who was taking a little time off from a career in editing for the military to redirect.  He and I established a wonderful rapport, and I enjoyed making several hikes with him.

Dave was versed in the making of videos, and I couldn’t think of a BETTER VIDEO to show than one of the young man hiking into the timeless badlands surrounding Zabriske Point in Death Valley.  (Note: Now, see, Adam, what you’re missing??)


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L to R: Classic musician Christiane on her keyboard, Dr. Ron in background; Route 66; David
preparing to descend trail into timeless landscape.

Janie and I are now (and actually have been) in Anza Borrego Desert State Park for several days.  We reached this magnificent state park in part by driving an old segment of Route 66.  As well we stopped for a night in Mojave Preserve, and before telling about the good times we are starting to have here at Pegleg (link for Pegleg history), we may do a bit more reminiscing about our travels of this past week. It’s all still very much on our minds.


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AIRSTREAM TRAVELS THREE YEARS AGO:

*Brobdingnagian Landscape

4th ed. Autographed by the Authors

Hiking Shenandoah National Park

Hiking Shenandoah National Park is the 4th edition of a favorite guide book, created by Bert & Janie, a professional husband-wife journalism team. Lots of updates including more waterfall trails, updated descriptions of confusing trail junctions, and new color photographs. New text describes more of the park’s compelling natural history. Often the descriptions are personal as the Gildarts have hiked virtually every single park trail, sometimes repeatedly.

$18.95 + Autographed Copy


Big Sky Country is beautiful

Montana Icons: 50 Classic Symbols of the Treasure State

Montana Icons is a book for lovers of the western vista. Features photographs of fifty famous landmarks from what many call the “Last Best Place.” The book will make you feel homesick for Montana even if you already live here. Bert Gildart’s varied careers in Montana (Bus driver on an Indian reservation, a teacher, backcountry ranger, as well as a newspaper reporter, and photographer) have given him a special view of Montana, which he shares in this book. Share the view; click here.

$16.95 + Autographed Copy


What makes Glacier, Glacier?

Glacier Icons: 50 Classic Views of the Crown of the Continent

Glacier Icons: What makes Glacier Park so special? In this book you can discover the story behind fifty of this park’s most amazing features. With this entertaining collection of photos, anecdotes and little known facts, Bert Gildart will be your backcountry guide. A former Glacier backcountry ranger turned writer/photographer, his hundreds of stories and images have appeared in literally dozens of periodicals including Time/Life, Smithsonian, and Field & Stream. Take a look at Glacier Icons

$16.95 + Autographed Copy






One Response to “More Desert Meanderings”

  1. Adam Says:

    Yeah,

    But where is Don Johnson ?