0 PHOTOGRAPH PARTICULARS 0 I like small town post offices. At times they are the only thing "alive" in a town. They have and always will serve as a place where you can always run into a neighbor or friend. I just like the feel of this American small town institution. So I had to get a photo. After we left Kodachrome Basin State Park, we headed for Bryce National Park. We knew at over 9,000 feet, there would be lots of snow, but since Ed had never been there and I had never seen the park with lots of snow, we both decided to give it a go. Between Bryce and Escalante, where we spent the night we stopped often to take photos of landscapes, a small town post office, what was left of an old pickup truck in a wash, and anything that looked “photo worthy”. The visit to Bryce National Park itself was GREAT. I had never been there with fewer people. Most of the main viewpoints had been plowed clear and the contrast with the unique sandstone rock formations, the trees, the sky, and the snow, was really interesting. Rainbow Point, at the end of the road and at above 9,100’ was open, with the parking lot cleared of snow as was the path to the viewpoint. There was close to three feet of snow at Rainbow Point. We enjoyed the Bryce ravens. Each pullout had a “group” of ravens “working” the tourists, who would stop there. So Bryce was the last main stop for this sun and fun filled day. After Bryce it was check into our rooms at the Circle “D” in Escalante, and head over to Escalante Outfitters for a great “top of the day” dinner. 0 ACTIVITIES DAY TEN OF TWELVE 0 If there was one day to “live again” on this road trip then day TEN was it. It was outstanding from start to finish. The weather was A1 perfect. We had a little dirt road travel with the windows of the Jeep rolled down and a lot of good photo ops at the many different places we traveled. Oh yes, a great meal at the Escalante Outfitters to end the day properly. We left Page, Arizona before dawn. We watched the sun come up over Navajo Mountain and Lake Powell. Then on to “The Toadstools” off highway 89 for a short hike and some great early morning light on those formations. We then backtracked 1.6 miles to the Cottonwood road (a road I had driven recently in my pickup truck, only from north to south), and enjoyed a clear warm blue sky day drive up to Butler (Grosvenor) arch. From Butler arch, we went on to Kodachrome Basin, where we took a short three mile loop hike. I loved the campground at Kodachrome and have promised my wife that we will camp there together and take some of the longer hikes available in that pretty little state park (Oh yes, the campground has HOT showers). From Kodachrome Basin state park, we drove up to Bryce National Park. LOTS of snow, but beautiful on a sunny day (few other people). We ate at the Subway just outside Ruby Inn - then drove on to Rainbow Point, which at 9,100 feet, had plenty of snow (about three feet worth along the lookout path). Then we worked our way back out Bryce, stopping to photograph at each and every lookout point that had been plowed, enjoying Bryce as the sun dropped down low and the light changed by the minute. After Bryce we backtracked again and drove on to Escalante, Utah (one of my often visited and favorite “base camps”), where we had reserved rooms by phone at the rustic but friendly: Circle “D” motel (ask for Robert and tell him Oldmantravels with the old red Toyota pickup truck sent you). After checking in at the Circle “D”, we headed over to the Escalante Outfitters ( hiking supply, books, free internet use, excellent food, really friendly people cafe) - - for a big dinner a cold beer, pizza, and a “toast” to the best road trip day we had enjoyed thus far. We had LOTS of dirt road destinations in mind for day 11 of the road trip (the next day) BUT we were in for quite a surprise the next morning at Escalante. So like on all good road trips, you stay flexible, make the best of what comes your way, and go for it and that is exactly what we did. 0 3,875 MILE/12 DAY ~ 4 CORNERS ROAD TRIP OVERVIEW 0 At the start of year 2011, I made tentative plans to take a two week solo “road trip” through the Four Corners area (The Colorado Plateau), during the last half of March. Then, if my wife could get the time needed off from her part time job, I also planned a “road trip” vacation to the Southwest, in April with her. When I put the plan together for the March trip, I decided to see if an old friend of mine, Ed (Flickr’s: OldWrangler), might be interested in joining me. I volunteered to take my old four wheel drive pickup truck and split the gasoline expense with him. We would each get an inexpensive motel room on the road to serve as “base camps” to hike, photograph, and explore back roads in the Four Corners area. Not only did Ed accept but he also proposed that we take his brand new 4-door Jeep Wrangler instead of my old pickup truck. That didn’t take any thinking on my part. I LOVE

I was asked in my day job to draw a small office, a medium office and a large office for an important client, here is my sketches. Felt so good to go into work and just draw all day long. I am going to clean them up - as the client is pretty corporate and then animate it into an advertisement for them. fingers crossed they like it - and even if they don't I enjoyed drawing the buildings and I like the ink drawing above.