\"Writing.Com
*Magnify*
Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/profile/blog/sgcardin
Rated: 18+ · Book · Personal · #1051691

Life, Adventure, Family, Writing what else is there? Random thoughts.

WELCOME TO:

GEMINI RISING

Banner for my blog, "Gemini Rising"

*Flower1* *Flower1* *Flower1* *Flower1* *Flower1* *Flower1*

UPDATED INTRO 30 JUNE 2025:

Just a little about me. I've been married for 33 years this past NOV and currently live in Southern California, but I grew up in New Hampshire.

I've got 2 boys who are young adults.

I work as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. I enjoy my job a lot. Still. If you can believe that.

I love to write. Thankfully both of my boys achieved Eagle Scout. My Scouting days are over and I'm back to focusing on my writing.

I like to get out in nature, drink coffee and watch football.

Here's a little bio about my zodiac.

GEMINI: Gemini, the sign of the Twins, is dual-natured, elusive, complex and contradictory. On the one hand it produces the virtue of versatility, and on the other the vices of two-facedness and flightiness. The sign is linked with Mercury, the planet of childhood and youth, and its subjects tend to have the graces and faults of the young. When they are good, they are very attractive; when they are bad they are more the worse for being the charmers they are. Like children they are lively, and happy, if circumstances are right for them, or egocentric, imaginative and restless.

Their good qualities are attractive and come easily to them. They are affectionate, courteous, kind, generous, and thoughtful towards the poor and suffering - provided none of the activities resulting from expressing these traits interferes too greatly with their own lives and comforts.

Geminians can be successful in many walks of life though their general characteristics tend to make them unreliable. They are often skilled manipulators of language, in speech and writing, and may be: debaters, diplomats (though in politics they are more interested in theory than practice), orators, preachers (brilliant rather than profound), teachers, authors, poets, journalists, or lawyers.


CURRENT BLOG PROJECT:


FORUM
BCoF 's Virtual 50 State Bucket List Open in new Window. (18+)
We're going to explore one unique place in each of the 50 states in alphabetical order.
#2342653 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon


RULES:
1. Blog has to be more than 2 paragraphs, some people have tried putting a one-liner response. That won't cut it.
2.You need to respond at least once every week to other participant's blog posts. This is a 7 week activity= 7 blog responses within each of the weeks. It's fun getting to see what others noted that you might have missed or hadn't thought about.
3. You don't need to blog everyday, catch-ups are allowed if you want to go for the bigger prize award. But each entry must be a separate entry. So, if you do all 51, you'll have 51 entries.
4. Please tag me Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon in your entry so I can keep track of your entries for the prizes.
5. Posting in a book is preferred to keep the forum from being clogged. You can use any book you want.

ALONG FOR THE RIDE:
HOST: Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon
Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon and her wolf, Peyton
Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon and his pet rock, Peachy
AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon
SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon
AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon
Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon
WakeUpAndLive Author IconMail Icon and his dog Sprout
Krista Author IconMail Icon
Jellyfish is in Tenerife! 🌴 Author IconMail Icon


RECOGNIZATION:
10-24 Entries, MB plus 10K Awardicon
25-50 Entries, MB plus 25K Awardicon
51 Entries MB plus 50K Awardicon

Merit Badges Collected from Virtual Blogging &Virtual Blogging Friends:
Merit Badge in Let Dreams Take Wing
[Click For More Info]

To my upcoming virtual traveling blog companion. Dream big and fly high! Merit Badge in Normal Is Boring
[Click For More Info]

here's to another week of creating adventures!

BLOG ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

SEPTEMBER 2024:

I participated in the
FORUM
Blog Week Birthday Bastion 2025 Open in new Window. (E)
Blogging event from September 1-7, 2025.
#2277665 by WakeUpAndLive Author IconMail Icon
which was a big challenge for me due to my schedule, but I hunkered down and got it done. There's some great entries for the contest and the blog earned the following:

Merit Badge in Nonfiction
[Click For More Info]

Congrats on your Honorable Mention in Blog Week Birthday Bastion 2024

Big thanks to WakeUpAndLive Author IconMail Icon for hosting the contest!

OCTOBER 2024:

I participated in the
FORUM
13 Poetic Days of Halloween Contest 2025 Open in new Window. (E)
Let your spooky poetry shine. Opens Oct. 13th. - closes 12:00am Oct 26th WDC time.
#2328177 by Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon
which honestly was a big challenge for me considering my schedule, and again I hunkered down and did it! There's some great poetry to be found this October and the blog earned the following:

Merit Badge in Halloween
[Click For More Info]

Congratulations on completing the 13 Poetic Days of Halloween.

Big Thanks to Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon for hosting the contest!



Find me at:

WEBSITE:
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:
http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee

*Exclaim* WARNING *Exclaim*

I intend to be open, honest, and forthright. No topic is off limits from religion to you name it, I'm going there. If you think you might be offended...back up now - this blog isn't for you. For those who "dare" *Wink* check out the "Gemini Rising..."


Another Signature
Previous ... -1- 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... Next
July 14, 2025 at 7:43pm
July 14, 2025 at 7:43pm
#1093426
All SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon could talk about was taking a lap with the Party Bus at the Brickyard 400 as she drove the bus to Indianapolis. Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon told her it wasn’t possible, but SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon was determined. Hey, I thought it was a great idea. Mind you, I know NOTHING about NASCAR or the Brickyard 400.

Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon told us all about the race, which sounds kinda cool. I guess it was held in 1909. Nowadays racing is Big Bucks. Not that I would know. I was gonna root for Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon favorite but I heard he retired so I went to NASCAR dot com and found a cutie named Kyle Larson. Well, he’s my guy.



SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon drove the Party Bus right up to the Brickyard 400 gates there in Indianapolis. We all got out and went inside. A really nice guy named Kyle Busch said he was selected to give tours today so we got him. Krista Author IconMail Icon couldn’t stop drooling over him.

He took us to the Pit, where all the race cars were lined up. My Kyle drives a really souped up Chevrolet Camaro. I was surprised to find that out. Anyway it’s a nice car. The seatbelt is more like a harness. Mr. Busch got my Kyle to come over and visit with us and we took some pictures with him. Of course, Krista Author IconMail Icon took the pictures for her Instagram. Then out of the blue SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon asked if she could take the Party Bus on a lap around the racetrack. Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon turned all red in the face.

The Kyles looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and said, “Why not?” Needless to say, we all went back to the Party Bus. The Kyles cleared the request and there we were just freewheeling the Party Bus around the Brickyard 400 racetrack with Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson. SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon took one of the turns so hard we thought the Bus would flip over, but thankfully it didn’t !

Come to find out, Kyle Busch was a driver, too. So the Kyles autographed everything we put in front of them – Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon shirt, WakeUpAndLive Author IconMail Icon sunglasses he bought in Flordia, Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon postcards from Georgia, AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon hot springs towel she picked up in Idaho, Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon used Wrigglyville hot dog container with a mustard stain, and my Kona Coffee Bag I picked up from Hawaii. Before we left the racetrack, Krista Author IconMail Icon and I bought a ton of STUFF – from the Kyles NASCAR shirts to toy cars, postcards – and travel mugs. The Kyles took some magnets and decorated the Party Bus like their NASCAR cars.

After all that excitement, SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon took us to a local escape room in the Party Bus. Most of the gang had never been in an escape room. The escape room staff gave you the first clue to solve and then once you solve that one, you get another one. We had to solve 5 clues. Needless to say, we couldn’t get past the first clue. It was themed to Edger Allen Poe and his stories so you would think between a bunch of writers we could answer the clues about Poe, but trust me, it was not easy. The time ran out, and the escape room staff let us out. After that, Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon broke out her Sammy Hagar tequila and we all had a lil’ bit of hooch to calm the nerves before our next adventure.

July 13, 2025 at 5:17pm
July 13, 2025 at 5:17pm
#1093363
The Party Bus was chugging right along through Illinois on the way to Chicago when WakeUpAndLive Author IconMail Icon sblaize} News app said there was traffic accident on the freeway and it would be another 3 hours before we got to the Willis Tower. SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon said “Hell, no, I’m not gonna drive the Party Bus in 3 hour traffic,” so we parked it at an “L” station and rode the train to the Willis Tower.

Boy, that Willis Tower is tall. It used to be the World’s tallest building back in late 1990’s but now it’s only the 26th tallest building in the world. What a dip – to go from #1 to #26! There’s a lot to do at the Willis building. One of the attractions is the “Ledge” where you go up 1,353 feet and stand on a ledge made of glass! Needless to say, I was apprehensive.

While Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon, AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon, SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon, and Jellyfish is in Tenerife! 🌴 Author IconMail Icon said they were checking out the museum, me, Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon, Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon, Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon, and Krista Author IconMail Icon went to the ledge.

Krista Author IconMail Icon was a real sport. She paid her $46.00 and went right out on that ledge and snapped a bunch of pictures for her Instagram. Yeah – can you believe that ! They even charge YOU to walk out on that thing. Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon, Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon and Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon all took their turns and ooh’d and aww’d. Finally, it was my turn. Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon really tried hard to cajole me. (You would think $46.00 would be enough of cajoling) I gave her stinkeye. Heights are nerve racking. There’s a reason I never went airborne. Then she slid her hand into her pocket, brought out a lil ol’ mini hooch bottle of tequila and smiled. And not just any tequila. Sammy Hager Tequila. How could I refuse? I stepped right out onto that ledge and me and Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon did a shot. Calmed my nerves right down and even I took some pics for my Instagram.

After that, we all caught up with Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon Jellyfish is in Tenerife! 🌴 Author IconMail Icon and SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon in the museum and spent the rest of the day there. After we bought our souvenirs we took the “L” and went to the 10 pin bowling lounge for drinks and Chicago deep dish pizza. We all had a blast bowling and it proved a nice relaxing activity after being up so high.


July 12, 2025 at 10:00pm
July 12, 2025 at 10:00pm
#1093316
When Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon told us we were going to the hot springs in Idaho, everyone was ready to go. Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon was happy it didn’t smell like sulfur. Jellyfish is in Tenerife! 🌴 Author IconMail Icon was happy it was all mineral water and had lots of bubbles.



When I was in the 5th grade, I picked Idaho for my state to research. It’s true Idaho is known for it’s potatoes. Other than that, Idaho is a pretty low-key chill state. There’s lots to do outdoors like hiking, fishing, and skiing in the wintertime.

SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon hung up her Hawaiian Christmas bus ornament on the rear view mirror and drove straight through the night to get to Idaho. Needless to say, she was exhausted and spent the whole day sucking up the water.

Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon saw there was a golf course and talked Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon into playing a round. They saw a lot of Buffalo on the course. Me, , Krista Author IconMail Icon, SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon, AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon, Jellyfish is in Tenerife! 🌴 Author IconMail Icon and WakeUpAndLive Author IconMail Icon enjoyed a wonderful soak in the springs at the nice warm temperature of 102 degrees. Even the pets had a good soak in the Pet park.

After a great soak, I rode the Go-Karts with WakeUpAndLive Author IconMail Icon and Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon . It was a wild ride with plenty of dirt, bumpy hills, and plenty of twists and turns. After an exhausting ride that made our butts sore we went back and soaked some more in the springs while the rest of crew shopped for souvenirs. Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon bought Petyon a fresh Kong, {user;brennus} and Jellyfish is in Tenerife! 🌴 Author IconMail Icon bought more stickers for their Nalgene bottles and SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon bought a golf ball ornament for the rearview mirror. We all had a good sleep in our posh hotel not far from the springs.



July 11, 2025 at 8:31pm
July 11, 2025 at 8:31pm
#1093250
Welp, there’s only 2 ways to get to Hawaii – Fly or take a Cruise Ship. So SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon parked the Party Bus at the Port of Los Angeles and we hopped on the next cruise ship to Hawaii. We kenneled the pets except Peachy and were off. It took 5 days, but it was 5 days of fun. We karaoke’d, shared drinks, hung out in the jacuzzi, ate dinner at the fancy restaurants and watched the sunsets on the main deck. I did a lot of reading about Hawaii.

When we got off the Cruise ship, the weather was mild, the breeze was cool, and there they were roasting a pig on the beach! First stop was the Kilauea Volcano. Let me tell you, it was just as scary as the Colorado Bridge. It rumbled and spit up some lava. Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon wanted to leave. Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon told us if we took the lava rocks from the volcano that the Hawaiian god, Pele would curse us so we left the rocks right where they sat!

Krista Author IconMail Icon heard that Hawaii had the BEST Kona coffee so we went to a coffee shop and tried some. I was hooked! It was wicked smooth and smelled wonderful. AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon pigged out on the Macadamia nuts.

Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon arranged for us to take a jeep tour of the island. We passed more volcanos, saw workers harvesting coffee beans and macadamia nuts, and even passed a Sea Turtle center. Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon had us stop and we hung out with the sea turtles. They were bigger than the turtles in Georgia.

Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon was having a poke craving so stopped in this place that Guy Fieri went to in Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and pigged out on the poke.



On the way back to cruise ship, I told the party gang that Hawaii used to be part of the mythical continent of Lemuria. No one believed me. Go figure. They all thought I had too many Mai Tai’s.

Back at the terminal we shopped for souvenirs. Krista Author IconMail Icon put all her pictures on Instagram. Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon and Jellyfish is in Tenerife! 🌴 Author IconMail Icon bought a lot of stickers and decorated their Nalgene bottles. I bought a ton of coffee and mailed it home. The gang bought t-shirts, keychains and WakeUpAndLive Author IconMail Icon bought 25 postcards. SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon was missing the Party Bus and bought an Hawaiian Christmas Bus ornament to hang off the rearview mirror.

July 10, 2025 at 10:56pm
July 10, 2025 at 10:56pm
#1093206
So the Party Bus broke down on the Jekyll Island Causeway right before we were supposed to get to Jekyll Island. SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon called AAA. Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon came up with a great idea – rent a canoe. Why not? We had a schedule to maintain. Let’s just say the canoe was stuffed. Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon stayed in the back and steered while everyone paddled. SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon stayed with the bus and the pets. Peyton was a good wolf and stood guard.

We made it to Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island and Krista Author IconMail Icon was impressed. She took a lot black and white pictures for her Instagram. In a way, the driftwood reminded me of the photos that Ansel Adams would take in Yosemite – just raw nature, standing still, in a pose, capturing a moment in time that transcends time.

I did an Internet search and found out Jekyll island was named after a dude to paid 600,000 pounds to found the colony. I wonder if he knew Mr. Hyde? In 1886 a bunch of rich people named Rockerfeller, Morgan, and Vanderbuilt, founded the Jekyll Island Club for Hunting and Recreation. However, the club broke up during World War II.

Then we canoed to the Sea Turtle Center. Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon loves sea turtles. The doctors and nurses at the center were so patient with us and we learned a lot about Sea Turtles. Female sea turtles have to lay their eggs on land. It takes 50-60 days for eggs to hatch. Sadly, Sea Turtles don’t make good pets, so AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon and Jellyfish is in Tenerife! 🌴 Author IconMail Icon bought a stuffed sea turtle to take home with them. WakeUpAndLive Author IconMail Icon bought a couple of postcards to give to SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon

At the end of the day, we returned the canoe and found SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon chilling with the pets on the bus. Turns out the battery went dead so AAA brought out a new one. SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon was really touched by her postcards. Onto the next adventure!

July 9, 2025 at 10:30pm
July 9, 2025 at 10:30pm
#1093135



When we got to Florida, Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon knew a bartender for hire in Miami and had SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon pull over the party bus to pick up Raul. Raul loved making drinks. Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon helped out with the bar. Today’s journey was the 113 mile “bridge/road” from Key Largo to Key West. The road was a series of bridges and road over the “keys.” ( a series of islands)

Did you know Ernest Hemmingway lived the Keys? Who knew?

And did you know? The Bermuda Triangle isn’t that far away. The Bermuda Triangle is freaky but Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon assured us we weren’t getting that close.



Honestly, there were a TON of great views from the roadtrip. The water was incredibly blue. I wanted to stop by Sarah Cosme’s house and book a QHHT reading (past life regression). Everyone else was a bit skeptical, but I believe. *Smile*

Jellyfish is in Tenerife! 🌴 Author IconMail Icon counted all the palm trees. I don’t know if she had too many red bulls or mojitos. WakeUpAndLive Author IconMail Icon and Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon led us in a version of 99 bottles of beer on the wall as the bus drove over our umpteempth bridge. Then it dawned on us – 113 out to Key West met another 113 back to Key Largo. MEGA ROAD TRIP!!

Krista Author IconMail Icon was taking a million pictures for her Instagram. Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon and AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon hung back in the bus with the pets.

Every so often SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon stopped so Raul could buy more juices. We stopped by Sarah’s and I booked a past life regression – for 2027!! The bus was rocking and rolling as we drove out and backed. Florida life is so chill down in the keys. There’s lots of sun, drinks, palm trees and good vibes.

We dropped Raul back off in Miami and took off for Georgia. *Smile* SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon needed her rest so Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon took over the driving duties when the sun went down. Tally ho! Georgia we go!

July 8, 2025 at 6:42pm
July 8, 2025 at 6:42pm
#1093059
Subtitled: Don't feed SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon Red Bull

Well, SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon drove the party bus all night long and we were in Dewey Beach, Delaware pretty early. Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon was the first in line and signed us all up to go parasailing. SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon fell asleep in the party bus and none of us had the heart to wake her up. WakeUpAndLive Author IconMail Icon took all the pets to the dog run on the beach to stretch their legs.



I LOVE a good beach. When I was growing up, I would go to Hampton Beach State Park in NH and ride the waves. I’d spend hours on the rocks looking for lobsters and starfish. Nowadways, one of my favorite beaches is at Avalon on Catalina Island. I love walking down the boardwalk, soaking up the sun, eating and ice cream and listening to the sound of the waves. It’s peaceful.

Dewey Beach is an unique combination of both. There’s plenty of sand and waves. After the parasailing, I channeled my inner little kid again and went riding the waves with Jellyfish is in Tenerife! 🌴 Author IconMail Icon, {user: brennus} and AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon Then we’re joined by Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon and just sit down at the edge of the water where it meets the sand and let the tiny waves wash over our legs.

Parasailing was awesome. Jellyfish is in Tenerife! 🌴 Author IconMail Icon was my partner. We laughed and screamed and pee’d our pants when the sail lifted us off the boat. Once we settled in, we marveled at how wide the beach was. If only I had a camera!

Krista Author IconMail Icon and Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon went to check on SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon. They didn’t want her to miss out. They pumped her full of Red Bull and she was ready to go. She parasailed, went paddleboarding with Krista Author IconMail Icon and Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon and then went kayaking with weisblaize and Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon. I told them to next time, don’t give SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon 2 Red Bulls. 1 probably would have been enough.

At the end of the day we went to a mom and pop shop for seafood. I LOVE fried clams and pigged out. Everyone tried the crab cakes and the fresh halibut.

It’s hard work being on the beach and we were exhausted. Thankfully, SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon was still running on full and drove us through the night to our next destination!

July 7, 2025 at 5:58pm
July 7, 2025 at 5:58pm
#1092991
SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon drove the party bus through Litchfield and everyone was ooh’ing and ahh’ing at the colonial architecture. Jellyfish is in Tenerife! 🌴 Author IconMail Icon said it gave her small town England vibes. Ever on the lookout for a vegan restaurant, Meraki Kitchen looked yummy to her.

A turn here and a turn there and we pulled into Winvian Farms. A visit here is hyped up as a big spa day and it was needed. Everyone was exhausted from Colorado! As soon as we checked in, the sweetest teenagers took Peyton, Sprout, and Peachy for their own spa day in the Pets area.

The treehouse was HUGE. There were comfy bedrooms, a tea room, and big bay windows that overlooked a wicked green forest. Jellyfish is in Tenerife! 🌴 Author IconMail Icon AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon, Krista Author IconMail Icon and Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon sat down for fancy tea in the tea room.

Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon, Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon, SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon and me went and enjoyed the jacuzzi. WakeUpAndLive Author IconMail Icon and Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon went to the steam sauna.

The treehouse was made of wood and built around several trees. It had a rustic camping look to it. Everyone just sat back and let the muscles relax after the butt puckering we all had in Colorado. Then we rotated, our group went for the steam sauna, Krista Author IconMail Icon went to the jacuzzi and Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon group went for tea. Awww…. I almost fell asleep.

At the end of the day, we all went to the party bus and the staff end gave it a carwash and made it smells like strawberries inside. The teenagers brought the pets out. Sprout had a cute little bandana on and Petyon was nicely brushed. Even Peachy had some color around the the ends.

SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon plugged in the Apple maps and took us to the Vegan place. We were all ready for our adventure in Delaware.

July 6, 2025 at 12:06am
July 6, 2025 at 12:06am
#1092907
Okay, when I found out the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado was the next adventure I freaked out. I’m not in my 20’s anymore. Heights is not my thing. Well, certain heights are not my thing. I can do a roller coaster with only 1 loop-da-loop. I can fly in an airplane. I think I could go parasailing, but I don’t need to do a zip line. That’s not an experience I really want to have at 57.

Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon, WakeUpAndLive Author IconMail Icon, and Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon wanted to do the zip-line. Me, Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon, Krista Author IconMail Icon, AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon, Jellyfish is in Tenerife! 🌴 Author IconMail Icon, SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon, and Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon were fine just to do the Jr. Ranger program and stay on solid ground. Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon took Krista Author IconMail Icon camera to take pictures.

The Royal Gorge Bridge is over 1,200 feet high and spans a big canyon. SandraLynn Author IconMail Icon took over driving the party bus from Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon but the park wouldn’t let her drive the bus across the bridge. It was a pedestrian bridge and only their special cars were allowed to drive on the bridge. And get this – you gotta pay a fee to walk across the bridge! And there’s $35.00 fee per person to enter the park. I got a Veterans discount and I managed to pass Krista Author IconMail Icon off as my sister. Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon used her AAA discount and got everyone else on a discount.

While the high adventurers went to walk the bridge, us Jr. Rangers signed up to do the program. I took care of Peachy. As we followed the program, we saw sheep, falcons, learned how gorges were made and picked up trash to earn our badge. When we met up with the high adventurers, they were all wide eyed and wonder struck.

“I’ve never traveled so fast in my life,” said WakeUpAndLive Author IconMail Icon
“That was wild,” said Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon
“Let’s do it again,” said

“I’m game for some ice cream,” said Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon
You can’t say no to Ice Cream. We all got in the party bus and we enroute to the nearest Ice Cream shop.


July 5, 2025 at 11:24pm
July 5, 2025 at 11:24pm
#1092903
Well, the party bus went west – Destination: Joshua Tree National Park. Somewhere in New Mexico Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon fired the bus driver and took over. I was sleeping at the time, so I don’t know why.

Personally, speaking, few deserts are mesmerizing for me. They’re just full of dark yellow dirt and sand. BUT the desert has it’s own ecosystem, it’s own plants, trees, shrubs, animals, rhythms of life. It’s nothing you’ve never known. Joshua Tree National Park was actually created in 1994 to preserve the desert environment, the habitat, the way of life.

As a National park, there’s park rangers, campgrounds, and visitors’ centers with information on the various hiking trails. By the time Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon pulled the party bus in, we were ready to see the trees – actually cactuses.

One of the Park Rangers said we should do the Sunrise Hike so Lyn's a Witchy Woman Author IconMail Icon forked up the dough for a campsite and we camped out in the party bus. I rented a dutch oven and made chili for everyone. Krista Author IconMail Icon helped me cook. Princess Megan Rose Author IconMail Icon wolf, Peyton, wanted to chase after all the roadrunners. Sung'manitu Author IconMail Icon was afraid to put Peachy down because all the rocks looked alike.



At 4 am, the park ranger woke us all up and took us on the Sunrise hike. Honestly, 4 am is too early. It was wicked dark and you could see for miles. If you were a stargazer, you’d be in stargazer heaven. Anyhow, I didn’t even have time to brew coffee. We were up and out. Our guide zigged and zagged on the sandy dirt path and took us past the Ryan Mountain as we made our way to The Cholla Cactus Garden. Did you know there’s more than one type of cactus? Jellyfish is in Tenerife! 🌴 Author IconMail Icon got confused which cactus was which. A Joshua tree is distinctive though. It’s like a green-gray upside down pitch fork that is full of prickles. Our Ranger had us all sit on a big flat rock as the sun came up. The sunrise started slow. The night turned lighter and lighter and then a hint of orange-red peered over the horizon highlighting a row of Joshua trees and deepening shadows. It kind of looked like all the Joshua trees were on a long march before going into battle. Richard ~ Looking for Luck! Author IconMail Icon and fell asleep back-to-back. I can’t say I blame them. AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon was getting hungry and asked the Ranger if there was anything to eat. The Ranger went to a nearby cactus and cut it open. AmyJo-Downhill slide begins! Author IconMail Icon ate it without making a face. I was proud of her. Thankfully, the desert was cool as the sunrise appeared over the horizon.

Honestly, I don’t know how we dragged outrsleepy asses back to the bus, but when we got back, we slept for 5 hours straight before we had to get up and get ready for the next adventure.

544 Entries *Magnify*
Page of 55 10 per page   < >
Previous ... -1- 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... Next

© Copyright 2025 StephBee (UN: sgcardin at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
StephBee has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/profile/blog/sgcardin