tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051826042602269061.post4078797743010039334..comments2024-03-25T09:01:20.997-07:00Comments on Diary of an Autodidact: Death Valley: The Desert BloomsDiary of an Autodidacthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11849157548643091986noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051826042602269061.post-38810132593803039382016-02-11T10:35:42.133-08:002016-02-11T10:35:42.133-08:00Saguaro NP is on my list of western parks to visit...Saguaro NP is on my list of western parks to visit, probably in combination with Carlsbad Caverns and Guadelupe Mountains NP. :)Diary of an Autodidacthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11849157548643091986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051826042602269061.post-63753167515565028232016-02-11T10:34:42.882-08:002016-02-11T10:34:42.882-08:00You are exactly right about not knowing what to lo...You are exactly right about not knowing what to look for. If I get that far east someday, I may have to call you for a tour. The beauty tends to be missed at highway speed, but someone who knows where to look and what stuff is can make a tour magical. :)Diary of an Autodidacthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11849157548643091986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051826042602269061.post-31826143698621679782016-02-11T00:08:01.648-08:002016-02-11T00:08:01.648-08:00Wow, these are beautiful!
I do agree with John Mu...Wow, these are beautiful!<br /><br />I do agree with John Muir's quote about there being no such thing as ugly nature. Whether it's Death Valley in California or Sabino Canyon/Saguaro National Park here in Arizona, each location offers its own unique beautytamtamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06957307399056934791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051826042602269061.post-63991626388943208342016-02-10T18:09:23.531-08:002016-02-10T18:09:23.531-08:00I wouldn't use the term monotonous, but you ha...I wouldn't use the term monotonous, but you have to know what you're looking at and a lot of people don't. (General "you," not you personally.) For example:<br /><br />Most of my relatives are in southern MN, but my cousin moved to western ND so my family went to visit her this past summer. We went on a long loop along I-90 up to I-94 and then back down again and visited various places along the way (Devils Tower, ND/SD Badlands, Black Hills, etc.). One of the most interesting things about this was getting to watch the transition from something that would have been tallgrass prairie in its natural state (MN/IA) to the high plains/shortgrass prairie/sagebrush areas in MT/WY. It's very, very different. Completely different erosion patterns, plant communities, etc. And that was just what I could see from the car. You're right that there's even cooler stuff available if you hike.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong, I've always wanted to take a trip further west sometime to see the mountains. The closest I've gotten was passing the Bighorn Mountains along the interstate north of Sheridan, WY but unfortunately it was cloudy that day. What I was primarily reacting to in my first comment is essentially coastal "city folk" who have never been anywhere west of Philadelphia by car and only seem to like metro areas and suburbia. My heart is in New England, but mostly I mean forests and saltmarshes New England, not NYC suburbs New England.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051826042602269061.post-24624908119526779582016-02-10T11:48:29.467-08:002016-02-10T11:48:29.467-08:00Good point. I'm one of those who finds the Gre...Good point. I'm one of those who finds the Great Plains monotonous. Although I certainly would not call them ugly. I know that this is just my personal preference, as my ancestors lived in Eastern Montana, and those who remain love the beauty that is there. I just can't help that my heart lives in the mountains. I suspect, though, that if one got out and hiked, even the flattest places reveal variety and unexpected beauty. Diary of an Autodidacthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11849157548643091986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051826042602269061.post-75686487819974269442016-02-10T10:44:34.080-08:002016-02-10T10:44:34.080-08:00That John Muir quote at the top is great. I know ...That John Muir quote at the top is great. I know so many people who reject places like the Midwest and the Great Plains as "boring" because they are flat and there is "nothing to look at" and insist on flying over in a plane. IMO they don't know what they're missing and aren't really trying. Personally, if I need to take a nap as a passenger on a long car trip, I sleep through the metro areas because for me, all there is to see is more and more buildings.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4051826042602269061.post-65803236906195707132016-02-10T08:43:54.329-08:002016-02-10T08:43:54.329-08:00Thanks for this wonderful information from a perso...Thanks for this wonderful information from a personal perspective. The photos are incredible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com