Sail EaglesWings - California Dreaming

  Just six miles from our house, dinosaurs roam behind a chain link fence topped with barb wire. I think we will be OK as along as we stay on our side of the fence. Actually, these  dinosaurs are for sale at nearby Moon Valley Nurseries. Maybe they have baby dinosaurs in the nursery. The Moon Valley Nurseries location in Roseville features large, life-sized metal dinosaur statues scattered across the hills and landscape displays that serve as fun photo ops. - Google AI.

  This afternoon, Tilly climbed up on a rock for a little sunbathing. See Tilly,  our resident pond turtle, reach for snacks:

  August 1st, 2026 - We stopped by Temple Square, the center of Salt Lake City. At the visitor center we listened to what Richard thought was to be a presentation on the renovations of the Temple, - but it turned out to be a very soft, delightful and generic sell on the church .   Neither the word(s)  Mormon  or the Church of the Latter Day Saints was mentioned!   Temple Square        Salt Lake at Salt Lake State Park  On our way out of the city on I80 we watched an informative video about the history of Salt Lake. The lake rises and falls from decade to decade once threating to flood Interstate 80. Once Lake Bottom          Salt Lines the Sides of I80 Salt Harvesting We broke our 641 mile drive from Salt Lake City to Roseville into two parts stopping at Winnemucca, Nevada for the night. We rolled into our driveway August 2nd almost one month after leaving Southwest Florida. We put 5,632 miles on the c...

  July 31 - We were up early to drive 292 miles to Salt Lake City stopping at the Islands in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park on the way.  We had not intended to visit this national park, but it was so close to where we were traveling that we 'had' to see it - and we were glad we did.     A short hike with some traversing of slick rock led us to Mesa Arch, one of the most scenic panoramas in the Park.  We also stopped and took in various canyons which are wider than the Grand Canyon, but not as deep.  

  Arches National Park Today we explored a red rock landscape like no other - Fabulous Arches National Park in Moab, Utah.  It lies atop an old underground salt bed that's responsible for the spires, balanced rocks, arches and surreal landscape.  We loved it! Park Avenue Window Arch This was an easy walk to Double Arches but I still took a rest on the ledge under the big arch.   Temperatures are extremely hot. Double Arch Balanced Rock Delicate Arch It was a whole lot of fun going between the large rock formations and when you did, you were surprised by how it opened up into another wonderland. Sand Dune Arch

  Following our visit to the Georgia O'Keefe  Museum in Santa Fe, we drove  to Durango   Colorado. We had tickets to ride the  Durango Silverton Railroad  the next day.  The map shows our route from Santa Fe to Durango, 212 miles, and then on to Moab with a visit to Mesa Verde National Park, another 201 miles. Richard rode the train many many years ago, getting off along the tracks at the Neddleton Flag Stop to backpack up to the Chicago Basin .       The Station in Durango     We had seats in the Prospector Passenger Car. Sometimes on Cliff Edges Sometimes Close to the Rocky Mountain Sides Running Along the Amanas River  The rail line following the Anamas River  Through the Mountains to Silverton Stopping for Water Turned Around for the Trip Back to Durango Back Into the Mountains The Needleton Flag Stop Mesa Verde National Park We had an amazing look at the ancestorial homes of the Pueblo Cliff Dwellers wh...