until covid gets better only aust. and n.z. would i consider.

To be sure, the CDC agrees with you, as they are currently discouraging all non-essential travel until you've been vaccinated, though they have a special high risk designation for Colombia right now, and are even discouraging vaccinated travelers, like GD, from going there.
But maybe, say, six months from now they get things under control?

Oh yeah, no way I'd consider going internationally anytime soon, even though I have the vaccination.

I've been very fortunate. Been to all my A-list places. Have been working on the next tier of experiences, which explains seeing the Derby this weekend.

Now just hanging out at the airport, waiting to go back West.

SDF is surprisingly small. Two concourses, maybe 30 gates total. I thought Louisville was bigger than that.

Didn't hear of any crises at home from the neighbors, hopefully a clean ride. Back this afternoon.

Not really travel, but had a fun morning Saturday.

My sister-in-law decided my brother and I needed to try fly fishing, so she got us a 1/2 day with a guide from Boulder. We went up Bear Creek from Morrison.

Andrew showed us the ropes, then showed us different spots to try, giving us tips as we went.

Great day to be out. Fun, something I could see doing once in a while, though I don't think I'd be a regular.

We each caught two small brook trout (~4-6") and one rainbow. Picture of me & Andrew with the rainbow I caught.

He got legitimately excited. I guess this as a large rainbow for that area. Of course, I wouldn't know any different. He estimated it at 21" and 3 lbs. Fun strike and fight getting it in. Fortunately I lucked into it not getting into the nearby debris, and Andrew netted it.

In actual travel news, starting to plan a trip to Seattle to visit friends up there.

Kinda thinking leaving the last week of June, heading in a generally northwesterly direction, checking out some of the places I haven't been along the way. Something like NW Colorado, cut across Utah and Wyoming corners, check out the middle of Idaho, then into Washington.

On the way back maybe take the high line across to Montana and then head south.

The reality probably is that my old truck will probably break in BFE and I'll get stuck somewhere.

if you are going through kalispell or n. oregon coast give me a buzz. get together if im in town.

You bet, thanks Ray.

Oh, I should've mentioned. As always, if any 2p2ers are along the way and would like to meet up, feel free to PM.

Don't have a departure yet. Possibly going for a weekend trip back to the midwest over the 19th. If that doesn't work out, tentatively bail out around the 23rd. If I go there, a few days later.

Heard of the release of the WSOP's schedule, booked a trip from 10/27->10/30 to play in the senior's event. Planning to play day 1B on the 28th.

You might notice that doesn't include the final day. If I'm very lucky, I might stumble into day 2. If, somehow, I managed to go deeper, well, that's a good problem to have, and SWA will be glad to reschedule my return.

Somebody good at poker like Ray should come down for my entry fee, it's added equity to everyone else's stack.

Thinking about taking off next week, maybe Tuesday-ish for my Seattle trip. Watch here for updates.

Up early Tuesday, finally got out of the house ~6 and started toward Seattle.

Went along I 70 to Rifle, then turned north. Stopped for lunch in Meeker, where I found a nice little riverfront park.



Upon wandering into Utah, I stopped at one of those 'point of interest' places near Blue Mountain. One of the displays said that it's huge for hangliding, and people sometimes end up in Wyoming, > 100 miles away.

Here's my old beater from that area. It's a very dry and warm place.



Continued on. At one point the truck just died. Chugged to a stop, just like when the alternator went last year.

Since then, I've kept a good eye on the gauges. Everything normal. Hopped out, looked for any obvious problems like fluid gushing out. Could see we had electricity as the dome light was on.

Couldn't have been out for two minutes. Hopped in, turned the key, and it fired right up.

The only thing I could figure was it was quite warm, and I had cruise on Maybe that malfunctioned, so I did the remainder of the trip w/o.

Anyway, gassed up in Vernal, it's about 3 PM, so I figure I can a ways up the road until I want to find a campsite.

US 191 out of Vernal becomes a very twisty, turny mountain road. At one point, traffic is stopped dead for quite a way.

Somebody had a very bad accident. A couple pickups, there might've been one other car. Cabs smashed in, may have been one or more rollovers.

Instead of turning around, I spent a couple hours there waiting and (probably) dehydrating. At some point I notice my dome light is staying on.

After getting going, head toward Flaming Gorge NRA. It's quite scenic, a big old reservoir.



By now, I'm pretty hungry. Throw together a sandwich and I research the dome light fuse just in case--I don't see a switch anywhere, or an easy way to get the bulb out.

After far too long, I realize that the little wheel for intensity of the instruments was flipped to the 'always on' position.

Find a nice campsite. Only one other vehicle in the 10 or so sites.



Even a nice little creek down there.



A pretty strong dry thunderstorm blew through, but that was only 30 minute or so. Other than that, a nice night.

Got in the tent, and one of the zipper heads isn't meshing with the teeth, so part of the flap isn't being closed. Fool around with that. As it's getting dark, hard to tell, but eventually I was able to get the bad one all the way to its end of the flap, and just pull the good one all the way around.

Nice and cool evening, but warm in the sleeping bag. Quiet except for the stream babbling away.

And I can't sleep. Thinking about the truck breaking down in BFE some more. What if I can't start in the morning--no phone signal here. Also wasn't feeling good. Tossed and turned most all night.

At some point I decided that between not feeling good and the unreliable vehicle, it was probably smarter to abort this trip. Laid there til about 5:15, when the predawn light allowed me to pack up.

Wandered up to I80, figuring I'd have a better chance of phone signal and being able to get help on the big roads. Went across Wyoming to I25 and down home. There's a lot of nothing in Wyoming.

Maybe I'll have to go vehicle shopping. Seems like the old truck is only reliable for 'around town' stuff any more. Maybe get an Outback or something like that, where I can toss all my camping gear in and have more adventures.

As for now, I'm still going to try to get up to Seattle to visit my friends at some point, but fly/rent a car seems smarter.

OK, possible take two for Seattle.

I put a deposit in on an Outback last week I saw online. This one was in transit; I drove another, it's fine. At that time, the sales guy told me the estimated delivery was the 10th.

Sent an email this afternoon asking where we were, as I was told the 10th and hadn't heard anything. He called a little while later, saying it had just arrived today.

So, going up tomorrow morning to check it out for real. Assuming we can come to a deal with trading in my old car and the price on this one, I should have a new golddogmobile tomorrow.

If that happens, I'm going to try to take off again the 20th. Same rough game plan of NW through Wyoming, Utah, Idaho & SW Washington, then back across the high line.

I'm going to be in Laramie from the 18th to the 25th. Let me know if you want to get a meal. My cousins from Denver are all going to be camping at Happy Jack from the 21-24th if you're looking for a place to pitch your tent, although that wouldn't be much of a start for your first day, lol. There's a great vegetarian/vegan restaurant in Laramie that we like a lot (I'm neither). Also, a pretty good Mexican place.

Thanks, Mark. Not setting a schedule, but I'd imagine I'd roll through sometime morningish. Would enjoy meeting another 2p2er.

We should probably find the statue of Josh Allen & get a picture for Dominic.

lol, sounds like a plan

Here it is:





So if you see this coming, my advice is:

Headed up to Laramie, where marknfw was nice enough to meet up. Spent a little time talking, he's a good guy. Thanks for inviting me, mark.

He recommnded a drive through the Medicine Bow National Forest, so I went up there for a picnic lunch. Some nice mountain scenery.





From there, scenery wasn't too great. Up through Saratoga back to I80 (didn't notice Bellla's, but it wasn't meal time anyway). Wyoming got a lot of nothing in it.

While driving across, noticed a white van (kind of a sprinter, but smaller) with California plates that read, "THE GAY". Thought that was odd, but not sure why I thought that.

Anyway, ended up at a campground in the small town of Fort Bridger, WY. Into Uth and Idaho tomorrow, I guess.

It was great meeting you too! Golddog is just as pleasant in person as he is online. Hope you have a great trip.

Near Stanley ID, in the middle. Maybe upload pics tomorrow, not up for it now.

Stayed in Ft Bridger WY, last night at a real nice campground. Walked down to the bar and met some locals, nice folks.

Drove across the rest of WY, NE UT, then inti Idaho. Mostly empty rangeland, but some good scenery.

Saw Hemingway's grave in Ketchum. A plain slab, nothing fancy, with his wife next to him.

Just another text-only update,

Ground through Idaho yesterday, stayed out west at a state park. Today across Washington into Seattle. Got to one friends' house, we're going to have dinner then I'm going to figure it out.

When last we left off with pictures, I was in SW WY.

Next day, headed through the corner of Utah past Bear Lake, then back down toward Logan, following the Logan River.



Headed north on I84. This highway counts the mileposts down toward the north, unlike the others I've been on, where south/west is the zero.

Anyway, headed up toward Sun Valley that afternoon. As mentioned, saw Hemingway's grave.



I didn't get all the coins laid on it. I think I understand the stones, and there is a flask on there, which I guess I get. Surprised someone this famous has such a plain grave. I think I've been told that his writing style was very sparse.

Continued up to some place called the Smiley Creek Lodge and camped for the night. Caught a nice sunset.



And sunrise.



Head back toward Boise that morning.



The road down to Boise was very mountainous and twisty. Pretty scenic, but not much opportunity to pull out for pictures.

Saw Idaho's capital.



Then followed the Payette River north. Quite a few whitewater enthusiasts about.



And also just scenic







Camped at Winchester Lake SP in western Idaho. A pretty nice spot. People around kind of loud, but calmed down after dark. I've never understood people who go out to nature, then make a bunch of noise and run around instead of enjoying it.

The next morning, drove into eastern Washington. It's a lot like this:



Went through the town of Starbuck, in which there was not a single coffee shop. Seems as if they've made up for that in other places.

Eventually found my way up to I90. Didn't see a place to pull out for a picture of the Columbia River, but it was pretty scenic. Once I got up out of the Valley, was presented with this.



I'd forgotten how much Rainier dominates out here.

Went into Roslyn, which was the exterior setting for the old TV show Northern Exposure. Seems like it's tourist town now, some places still trying to hang on to the fame from that.

Went into the Brick and had a beer. Noticed that the guy at the table next to me had a volleyball shirt from Drake, where I went to college. Turns out his daughter played there; strange how you bump into people with something in common all over.

From there, into Seattle. Went by one friend's house in Ballard, who was nice enough to invite me for dinner even though they had another couple visiting. Good to see them and meet the new people. Had a real nice afternoon/evening.

Then down to another friend's house in Alki. Stayed in the guest room. Here's the view this morning.



Pretty nice, they're right on Puget Sound.

Anyway, sounds like the game plan is to hit Pike Place later on, I'm sure we'll do some other stuff while I'm around.

great pics! I remember Idaho being gorgeous. Cool that you saw Hemingway's grave. Check out the new Ken Burns doc on him if you haven't.

Thanks, bob, welcome to the thread!

We went down to Pike Place Market this afternoon.



It was packed. Walked around a bit, had lunch.

Came back and the tide was out, so threw the Frisbee a little for Shasta in the low water.



Not sure what the plan is for tonight, maybe just hang out.

Last night's sunset over Puget Sound



Think I'll probably take off tomorrow morning, start heading back. Go up t US 2, wander across Washington toward Idaho, see how that goes.