A Traveling Fool

March 15, 2020

Istanbul, Ephesus and an Earthquake

Our first two days on the cruise consisted of stops at Istanbul and Kasudasi (Ephesus) in Turkey. Although I had been on a two week tour of Turkey which included time in both cities just a few years earlier, I was looking forward to returning. I had really enjoyed Turkey when I was there before. It was a great country with friendly people, an amazing history, and some fascinating things to see and do that were quite unique.

I had the option of signing up for tours of my choice or just hanging out in each place on my own. We had set sail for Istanbul as soon as we left Lavion and arrived shortly after breakfast. I had signed up for a tour that included Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.

When I had been in Istanbul (formerly Constantinople and, even earlier, Byzantium) the last time, I had been quite ill by the time we were touring those locations. They had also been experiencing a monsoon-like rain while we were at Topkapi Palace which greatly limited my getting around that particular location. This time, the tour began at the Palace.

On my previous visit, I had spent the majority of my time in the harem. I had never seen a harem before and doubted strongly that I would ever get the opportunity to tour one again. This one was famous, enormous, and had been in use from the 15^th century to the early 20^th century. So, armed with a map showing roughly 90 rooms (out of what is believed to be about 400 rooms total) open to the public, I had explored every inch of it that I could. As wonderful as it was to see, I didn’t have much time left to see much else other than the area with the Sacred Relics.

This time, I headed straight for the Imperial Treasury. One of the prize pieces in the treasury was the Topkapi Dagger. This dagger had been made in 1747 by the Sultan Mahmud I for the Shah of Persia. But the Shah was murdered before he could receive his present, so the dagger stayed at the Palace. It was featured in the film Topkapi during which a heist of the dagger took place.

There is also an enormous diamond called the Spoonmaker’s Diamond. Nobody knows the origins of the diamond, but there have been several legends put forth regarding who may have owned and why they parted with it.

The collection holds several more pieces of jewelry, solid gold candlesticks encrusted with diamonds, the throne of Mahmud I (layered with emeralds and pearls), various weapons decorated with jewels, and the right hand and forearm of John the Baptist encased in gold.

With all of the pieces of him that seem to be on display around the world, I wonder how much of John the Baptist could be left in the tomb that was supposedly his in Egypt. This is one of three alleged right hand and forearms of John in existence and the number of heads claimed by different places as his is staggering.

On my previous visit, I had gone into the part of the Palace containing the Sacred Relics. Most of them had to do with Muhammad, but there was also a room that contained what were reported to be Abraham’s Pot, Joseph’s Turban, Moses’ Staff, and David’s Sword.

This time I didn’t have nearly as much time at Topkapi as during the previous visit, so I wandered around the different courtyards and spent a little time sitting out on the terrace that overlooked the Bosphorus before I needed to rejoin the rest of the group for lunch.

After lunch, we sort of waved at the Hippodrome as we went by on our way to the Blue Mosque. We didn’t stay there long either. But the interior with its tiles and domes is the main thing to see.

Onwards to Hagia Sophia with which I had fallen madly in love when I was last in Istanbul. Built in 532-537 AD over an earlier 4^th century church, the building survived many earthquakes over the centuries and the Ottomans as well. Instead of destroying the church, the Ottomans simply covered up the mosaics and turned it into a mosque. Now that the building is a museum, the mosaics have been uncovered and they are glorious.

This trip, we didn’t have any free time in Hagia Sophia to be able to go exploring on our own, so I didn’t get to go up the ramp to the gallery. Instead of stairs, the building still has its original 1500 year old ramps to enable movement from floor to floor. I had really felt like I was traveling back in time with those ancient ramps and felt sad that I didn’t have the time to revisit them or the wonderful mosaics in the gallery.

One of my dream trips would be to return to Istanbul, spend a lot of time at the Hagia Sophia and maybe tour the harem again. Then take the Orient Express from Istanbul to Venice, spending some time in Venice before heading home.

From Hagia Sophia, we continued to the Grand Bazaar. I would have preferred to stay at Hagia Sophia, but…. It was not nearly as crowded or higgledy-piggledy as the one in Cairo had been. It was more shops than stalls. I had really loaded myself up with Turkish tchotchkes on my prior trip. So, other than a small package of pistachio Turkish Delight, I refrained.

Our little group of seven sat together at dinner again. Then we went to the show. It was a rock’n’roll show which might have been why we missed the earthquake. Honestly, there was a 6.9 magnitude (severe) earthquake in the Aegean between Greece and Turkey at roughly 9:30pm. Canakkale (where ancient Troy was located) suffered quite a bit of damage and a couple hundred injuries. There were buildings destroyed and people injured all over Greece and Turkey (and even some in Bulgaria).

We were heading to the Dardanelles from the Sea of Marmara when it struck. Maybe it was the fact that we were on a ship and/or that we were not yet out in the Aegean itself that lessened the impact of the initial earthquake and its several aftershocks (one of which was 5.3 and struck around midnight).

I think it was just a matter of timing. Had it hit right as we came out of the Dardanelles into the Aegean at Canakkale, it could have been very unpleasant, especially if there had been a Tsunami associated with it.

We weren’t docking at Kasudasi until around 3pm, so we could sleep late and do shipboard activities until then. Not wanting to disturb anybody, I didn’t knock on any doors for breakfast. But Mark caught up with me at the stairs (we were only one deck away from where they did the breakfast and lunch buffets), so we had breakfast together. He ran off to the casino and I headed for a Greek cooking demonstration. We were able to sample the foods they cooked and they gave us recipes so we could make the dishes at home.

At lunch time, out by the pool, they made a seafood dish with mussels, shrimp, crab, rice, various vegetables and some spices in a giant wok. It was delicious. Although I watched them make it, I haven’t been able to completely duplicate it (likely because I didn’t necessarily recognize what all the vegetables and spices were).

We arrived in Kasudasi at 3:30pm. I had signed up for the tour of Ephesus and the Virgin Mary’s house. This was where the Apostle John had brought Mary to live after Jesus entrusted her to his care. She had a tiny stone house way up on a mountain near Ephesus. We visited there first. I really liked the atmosphere of the place. It was very serene and peaceful.

Then it was Ephesus. I had been there before too and thought it was one of the coolest ancient Greek/Roman cities I had ever seen (originally built in the 10^th century BC). When I had been there before, Trajan’s Fountain had been in scaffolding for some restoration. It was done this time and I could see it in all its glory.

For about three years, the Apostle Paul had lived in a dwelling that had been just behind the Library of Celsus — an exquisitely beautiful building down at the end of the steeply sloping street we took down into the town from the Agora and past the Odeon from the entrance. It was in Ephesus where we began to hear about the earthquake of the night before. It had been felt quite strongly there.

On my prior trip I had begun to run out of time by the time I got to the theatre. This time I made it a priority. It had an estimated seating capacity of 25,000 and is thought to have been the largest theatre in the classical world. It certainly seemed to me to be the largest I had ever seen. Paul preached at the theatre. He got around quite a bit before he got arrested, hauled off to Rome and ultimately beheaded.

On our way back to the ship, we stopped off at a carpet place. We were given a delicious tea and shown loads and loads of carpets. Did I resist? Not 100%. I ended up buying a very intricately woven small wall hanging. I figured that it went well with the curved Turkish dagger I purchased on my earlier trip to Turkey.

We didn’t arrive back at the ship until shortly after 9pm and went to a dinner buffet that was open until 10pm. Slept very well for another night. The gentle rocking that sometimes happens on a ship was working its magic on me.

Next time – Thera (Santorini) and Atlantis

March 8, 2020

Agamemnon and Mycenae

As with most of Greece, there is a lot of myth mixed with history when it comes to Mycenae. Mycenae was supposedly founded by Perseus, the slayer of Medusa (the woman with snakes for hair that would turn a person to stone if they gazed upon her face). He married Andromeda (after freeing her from the rock to which she was chained after her mother ticked off Poseidon) and founded the Mycenaean dynasty. Its heyday was roughly from 1510 to 1250 BC but the entire period from 1600 to 1100 BC in Greek history is termed as Mycenaean.

We began our visit with a large, circular tomb known as the Treasury of Atreus. Although named after Atreus (and sometimes even Agamemnon) the tomb dates back to an earlier age.

Atreus was the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. Menelaus became the King of Sparta and husband of Helen of Troy. We all know about how Helen ran off with (or was kidnapped by) Paris and started the whole Trojan War. Agamemnon was King of Mycenae by that time and vowed to help his brother get his wife back.

After commanding the entire Greek forces against the Trojans, Agamemnon returned home to Mycenae only to be murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra’s lover. In the Mycenae Museum, we could see a replica of what has been referred to as the Mask of Agamemnon (the original was in Athens). It was found on the face of a body unearthed in one of the tombs surrounding Mycenae. The archeologist at the time figured it had to belong to Agamemnon. But more recently, it has been dated to about 300 years before the Trojan War, so too old to have belonged to Agamemnon. Several other artifacts from in and around Mycenae are also in the museum.

Once again, it was necessary to climb a mountain. In the photo I have of Mycenae from before I began to make my way up, you can see the tiny figures of the people who were snaking their way up switchback trails to the top. The main entrance (and you had to climb a ways to get to it) was the Lion Gate. It was erected in the 13^th century BC.

The area in front of the gate narrowed in order to limit the number of people who could enter at once. The gate was quite massive. The walls were referred to as “Cyclopean”. This was because the blocks of stone used to build them were so enormous that many felt only the race of giants known as the Cyclops could have built them.

Grave Circle A (which was discovered first) dates to the 16^th century BC, while Circle B is the older and dates to the 17^th – 16^th centuries. Both Grave Circles contained shaft graves. It was in Circle A that the mask originally believed to have been Agamemnon’s was discovered. The artifacts from Circle A showed a greater wealth than those from Circle B. After Circle A, the kings were buried in tholos (round) tombs like the Treasury of Atreus.

Although the tomb of Clytemnestra has been found, no tomb of Agamemnon has turned up as of yet. Since he was murdered by Clytemnestra’s lover at her behest, it could be that Agamemnon’s body was simply disposed of to get it out of the way. Could be a topic for “Expedition Unknown” to investigate.

The Palace was at the top of the acropolis. Not much was there, just the low remains of a few walls. I could tell, however, that it had been a pretty large building.

The view of the area below was quite commanding. The site has shown evidence of continuous occupation since roughly 5000 BC.

I sat down on a large boulder at the very top, caught my breath, drank some water, looked around and rested a while before starting down the other side. Everyone else shot past me and down the other side quickly. I seemed to be the only one interested in savoring the experience. Granted, it was a very hot day. But I had on my Tilley hat (the kind the archaeologists use) and loads of sun screen plus cotton (not synthetic) clothing. So I was fine.

A relatively short walk down from the Palace, I came across a cistern. This was enclosed within the citadel walls. I went part of the way down the ancient steps into the cistern. It was very cool and pleasant down there, but I was also totally alone, so not too interested in disappearing and not being discovered until the next archaeological dig.

I came back up and headed for the North Gate. This was the back door to the citadel. It once had a double wooden door with a sliding bolt to lock it. Shortly before taking a path back around to the Lion Gate, I came across the remains of what looked like had been a pretty large, wealthy home called the House of the Columns. I also came across smaller artist workshops.

The next location on our journey was the small town of Epidavros. It was believed to have been the birthplace of Apollo’s son, Askepios, who was a healer. It became the most celebrated healing center in the classical world.

We visited its largely intact 14,000 seat theatre. The acoustics were amazing. A match stuck center stage could be clearly heard from any seat in the theatre. The construction of the theatre in limestone (instead of the more frequently used marble) was thought to mute the murmur of the crowd (low-frequency sound) while amplifying the high-frequency sounds onstage. It is still used for theatrical performance and occasional acoustic concerts.

Heading back towards Athens, we crossed the Corinthian Canal. It was quite narrow.

That night we had an optional dinner with loads of Greek food, Greek music and Greek dancing. Then we had a few hours of sleep before heading for our cruise ship at Lavion.

The ship was a small one by usual cruise standards – 800 passengers. Mark, Maureen, Chris and I all had our rooms in a line. We had each gotten a single outside cabin with a lovely, large window. Barbara and Roberta were in a shared room not too far from the rest of us. We could easily meet up before heading off somewhere.

We had the early seating for dinner that night at 6:30pm. We were seated together. After dinner, we decided to try the show, so we went to the early seating of that too. It was much better than I had anticipated and we all had a good time. Afterwards, I fell into bed and slept like a baby.

Next time – cruising to Istanbul & Ephesus and an earthquake

March 1, 2020

Olympia & Nauplia

After we arrived at our hotel in Olympia and had dinner, we were treated to some Ouzo. I only took a little sip to be polite as I had tried it before and knew it had a strong licorice taste to it. I don’t like licorice. Our Tour Director noticed and I was soon treated with a glass of Metaxa instead. It was like an orange flavored cognac. Very tasty.

Our hotel at Olympia was easy walking distance to the ruins of ancient Olympia which once consisted of over 70 temples plus monuments, treasuries, altars and statues. It was also about the only place on this trip where no mountains needed to be climbed to get to it. It is said that the site had been occupied as early as 1500 BC with evidence that an earlier version of the Temple of Zeus existed by 1000 BC.

The Temple of Zeus once contained a ginormous statue of Zeus made out of gold and ivory, said to be 43 feet high. It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Good ole Theodosius II had the temple destroyed in 426 AD (several years after he had the Temple of Apollo at Delphi destroyed). Nobody seems to know what happened to the statue of Zeus. Not much was left of the temple except for its base.

Olympia suffered numerous earthquakes and floods after that until it had pretty much been buried under alluvial deposits of mud. In 1766, the ancient site was pinpointed, but it wasn’t until some French men decided to go digging around there in about 1826, that the remains of the Temple of Zeus were discovered.

Our group walked on over after breakfast. I felt excited to be able to see where the ancient Olympic Games had taken place from the 8^th century BC (776 BC) to the 4^th century AD. There were numerous sporting events held around Greece in other places, such as the Pythian Games and Panhellenic Games to name just a couple. But the Olympics ended up being the greatest because of their worldwide revival in the late 19^th century.

Upon arriving at the archeological site, we first encountered the gymnasium. This was a training facility for sports. The word “gymnasium” was taken from “gymnos” which meant “naked”. Only adult males were allowed in the facility. Athletic competitions back then were in the nude. Again, only adult males were allowed to participate or attend.

The Palaestra was a portion of the gymnasium where athletes practiced wrestling, boxing and jumping. In Olympia, one of the areas of the building appears to have been a bowling alley. This is based on it being quite similar to a place in Pompeii that still had the heavy balls used there.

Then we came across the remains of the Temple of Zeus, which come from a version of the temple that was built in the 5^th century BC (and was the version with the colossal statue of Zeus).

One of my favorites was the Temple of Hera. It was built in the 6^th century BC and was the oldest temple at Olympia. It also has three very beautiful columns standing that caught the light quite nicely when I was photographing it. Whenever the Olympic Games are being held, the Olympic flame is ignited using a parabolic mirror to focus the rays of the sun in front of the location of the altar in the Temple of Hera at Olympia.

The Nymphaeum was kind of like an ancient water park. Traditionally, this was where the nymphs dwelled. It was an area (often a grotto) full of pools and fountains. The one at Olympia isn’t that much to look at now, but I included a photo of it anyway. One can imagine the cascades and spouts of water.

This was next to the Philippeion, which was the only temple dedicated to a human at Olympia. The human was Philip of Macedon – Alexander the Great’s father. He had statues of himself and his family (including Alexander) erected inside of the circular building. They, like the statue of Zeus, were made from gold and ivory.

An outdoor corridor led to an archway. On the other side of the archway was the original Olympic stadium. Once I went through the arch, I was amazed to find that the stadium consisted of a dirt track area with gently sloping grass on each side for the spectators to gather and watch. I have to admit to being disappointed. But that was the way this stadium always was – just dirt and grass.

In the museum were several statues and friezes. A couple of the statues were fairly famous. One was the Nike of Paionios. She was found near the Temple of Zeus. Another was Hermes and the Infant Dionysos. They had been inside of the Temple of Hera. we could take as many photos as we wanted, so I snapped several.

After lunch we left for Nauplia, passing the walls of the town where the Cyclops was said to have been from. At Nauplia, we checked into the hotel then walked down to the waterfront to take a boat out to a small fortress on an island. The island fortress of Bourtzi looked like a submarine, which was interesting since submarines didn’t exist at the time it was built or for several hundreds of years after.

We were the only people at the fort at the time and we explored it all the way to the flag on top. It had a lot of interesting corners and some beautiful bougainvillea climbing the walls. We took the boat back and had dinner at an outdoor restaurant from which we could see the crusader fortress on the mountain above. We had stuffed tomatoes, Greek salad, lamb and potatoes, and some ice cream with some very sweet cake. We also each had a carafe of wine to ourselves. Mine was a very tasty rosé.

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel the long way through town. Not sure if our tour director led us that way so we could see more of the town, or so we would sober up a bit before we reached the hotel.

Next time – Mycenae, home of Agamemnon.

February 23, 2020

Delphi, Apollo & the Oracle

The origins of Delphi are found in the mists of myth. Several myths are involved. One says that Zeus released a couple of eagles, one from the east and one from the west to see where they would meet. Pythos (later Delphi) was the spot. So it was declared the “belly button” or center of the world. The belly button stone can still be seen.

Another myth was that Apollo, while still a toddler, slayed a python (serpent or dragon) that served Gaia, the Earth Mother. He then took Pythos over, renamed it Delphi, and had a temple created there that he considered to be his main home. Whenever he wasn’t there (usually for a period of time in the winter), his pal Dionysius hung out in his place.

Ancient Delphi’s location is on one of the slopes of Mount Parnassus. The location is quite amazing and its rediscovery was equally amazing. When the Ottomans took over in the 1400s, Delphi had already been abandoned for roughly a thousand years, after having been shut down by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I in 381 during the persecution of the pagans. It was during the time of the Ottomans in the late 15^th or 16^th century, however, that Delphi was built over and became the village of Kastri.

In the 1700s, interest in Delphi began once folks realized that it had been a real place, not just a mythical location. But, in the early 1800s, when it became apparent that Kastri was built over the remains of Delphi and that the village would need to be removed to allow for any excavation, the villages decided they weren’t going anywhere. But, after a massive earthquake in the late 1800s, the villagers were offered new homes in another (but similar) area on Mount Parnassus, not far away. So the village was relocated and excavations began. Our tour group spent the night in a small hotel in the village, and then headed over to explore Delphi the following morning.

We entered through the Agora, which was the main gathering place. It didn’t take long before we found ourselves staring right at the belly button stone. It was an outie. Nearby were some bases where some of the statues had stood. The footprints of those statues could still be seen. Delphi had eventually taken over from Olympia as the main site of various athletic events that ultimately became the Olympics, so numerous athletic statues had originally lined the route up the mountain.

The remains of several treasuries came next as we wound our way up towards the Temple of Apollo. These were built by various city-states to hold their offerings to the gods – mainly Apollo. The Athenian Treasury had been mostly restored by the time of our visit in 2014.

A few steps from this treasury was the Sybil Rock. This was where the oracle who existed prior to Apollo’s temple sat and gave her prophecies. Delphi had been a center for oracles and prophecies from the days of Gaia and the Python. The Sybil oracle would go into a trance to give her prophecies much as the later oracle.

Once Apollo took over, a special room in the temple held the oracle, who sat on a tripod and breathed fumes coming up through a crack in the rock floor beneath her. These fumes were said to be emitted from the decaying body of the python slain by Apollo. The temple remains were from the sixth one built on the site and was completed in 320 BC. It was destroyed by zealous Christians in 390 AD. But the original foundation wall remained.

The Temple of Apollo was roped off and there were security people around so that tourists could not go up onto the remains of the temple floor. There was a fair amount of it missing, so I’m sure it would be dangerous to anyone who wasn’t really careful about what they were doing. But, boy did I want to go up there and check it out.

Our guide and I worked out the location where the oracle would have been from a spot above the theatre where we had a pretty decent view of the temple. My video camera could zoom in pretty close, but my photo camera not so much. That part of the floor was still there and had a very distinctive crack in it. The theatre dated to the 4^th century BC.

Further up Mount Parnassus, near the top, was the stadium where the various athletic games took place. The Pythian Games and the later Panhellenic Games were held every four years. The track and field sports took place in the stadium. It was quite a hike. Fortunately the trail zigged and zagged its way up gradually. So, with my cane and an occasional stop to catch my breath, I could make it.

The museum, back down on more level ground, not far from the entrance to Delphi itself, contained lots of statues, pieces of friezes and other artifacts found on site. I loved seeing some Corinthian helmets much like the replica I have on a bookcase in my living room at home.

Then there was The Charioteer (478 BC). I had seen photos of this statue in books my entire life. It is considered to be one of the greatest ancient Greek statues ever created. There I was taking my own photos of it. It survived because it was buried during an earthquake. Nobody knew it was there until it was found during excavations. It was life-sized and made out of bronze.

After lunch, we visited a tholos (a round temple), which is about a half mile from the main part of Delphi. Although there were other ruins there, the Temple of Athena Pronoia (built 380 to 370 BC) was the main site to see. It was gorgeous as was its setting.

The following morning, we drove along the Gulf of Corinth to get from western mainland Greece to the part of Greece called the Peloponnese over a bridge called the Nakpaktos. Just the other side of the bridge was Patras. Our destination was Olympia.

February 17, 2020

En Route to Meteora

After leaving Athens, we encountered Marathon 26 miles away. In 490 BC the heavily outnumbered Athenians beat the Persians at the Battle of Marathon just 10 years after the Persians wiped out 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians at Thermopylae. A runner was sent from Marathon to Athens to bring the news of victory. Legend is that he collapsed and died after delivering his message. If that was the case, it makes me wonder why anybody would decide to commemorate those 26 miles on a regular basis. During both the 1896 and 2004 Olympics, Marathon was the starting point for the men’s race and also for the women’s race in 2004. The photo I have included is the plain of Marathon where the battle took place. The burial mound there contains those who fell during an earlier battle there against the Persians.

We also passed Theva (sometimes called Thebes), which was where the story of Oedipus took place. Oedipus is the guy who blinded himself once he discovered that he had fulfilled a prophecy saying he would kill his father and marry his mother. Complicated little tale there. Nothing of the ancient times was still there, so not really anything of interest to photograph.

After lunch, we passed Thermopylae, where the Spartans faced the Persians. It is said that roughly 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians stood their ground at a narrow pass against 100,000 to 150,000 Persians. A very interesting film called 300 was made in 2007 starring Gerard Butler as the Spartan King Leonidas. More about that later when we actually made a stop at Thermopylae. Back in 480 BC, the terrain was totally different. The coastline was considered to be basically where the highway is now.

We also passed Mount Olympus and could see it clearly. This was the tallest mountain in Greece and considered to be the home of the ancient Greek gods and goddesses.

We continued on to Meteora to spend the night at a town called Kalambaka. I could see a convent (St Stephan) up on a rock formation from the balcony of my room. Had dinner with Kevin, Bronte, Barbara, Roberta and Chris.

The convents and monasteries were all built high up on rock formations back mainly in the 1500s in the part of Greece called Thessaly, which is near the border with Macedonia. Our first visit was to Convent Rousanou/St Barbara, built in 1560. We weren’t allowed to take photos inside and were only allowed in the church, which was completely covered with frescoes. Women had to wear skirts, so we were given material to tie around our waists as most of us weren’t wearing skirts. It had some lovely gardens.

At Monastery Varlaam across the way, we were allowed inside of the church, wine storage, museum and former hospital. We also had a great view of the convent from there. And yes, we walked all the way up and down the rock formations to get to them. Greece was my mountain tour. Everything was up or down a mountain – usually a very steep mountain. All together there are four monasteries and two convents still in existence out of the original twenty four.

The Holy Trinity Monastery is the most difficult to get to and was featured in the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only. Its setting was amazing. We went back down into the town to visit a place where icons were made before having lunch.

After lunch we returned to Thermopylae so we could take some photos of the area and of the monuments dedicated to King Leonidas and the Spartans who sacrificed their lives there. The Spartans knew they were outnumbered and didn’t stand a chance of winning, but believed they could rally the rest of Greece to join the fight against the Persians if they could just hold them off for a while with courage and dignity. They did. They held them off for three days until they were betrayed and the Persians were shown a back trail by which they could surround and slaughter their enemy.

We were let off of the tour coach on the right side of the highway. This is where the modern monuments to the Spartans and the Thespians are located. This was also where the sea was back in 480 BC. On the left side of the road was where the battle itself took place.

There is a monument at the top of Kolonos Hill (the burial mound of the Spartans). This dates from the 1950s, replacing a much earlier monument. There has been some sort of monument there since the time of the battle. To climb up there, knowing that the remains of the Spartans were beneath my feet was quite something.

Back across the road, I read the English translations of all of the monuments and took several photos of the statue of Leonidas. My favorite is the one taken from behind where he is facing the mountains and where the pass would have been.

Next time – one of my favorite places in the world, Delphi.

February 9, 2020

Athens

In early May of 2014, I took a 16 day trip to Greece – the first eight days would be on the mainland and the last eight would be on a cruise of the Aegean. The tour would start and end in Athens.

Athens is one of the world’s oldest cities with evidence of human habitation dating back as far as somewhere between the 11^th and 7^th centuries BC and recorded history spanning 3,400 years. Named for the goddess Athena, classical Athens was a very powerful city-state. Eventually it became the leading city of all Greece.

Once I arrived in Athens, I was picked up by a driver at the airport. When we got to central Athens, the traffic was insane and the driver continually crossed himself as he drove. On the one hand, it was humorous, but on the other it was necessary. To keep from having multiple mini heart attacks, I kept my eyes on the driver and off of what the other drivers were doing. I also said several prayers.

Due to various delays in flights on the way, I didn’t get to the hotel (which was near the Acropolis) until a quarter to 6pm with the tour group meet and greet at 6pm. I basically just got into the room and opened my cases for the contents to breathe before I headed back downstairs.

Met Kathleen, Leslie and John during the gathering and Ivy and Heather after. All six of us walked to a nearby grocers to get some bottled water and snacks for dinner so we could spend our time getting ready for the following day and then get a good sleep. We wanted to be fully awake for our day in Athens.

We began our tour at a former palace (built in 1843) which became the Hellenic Parliament in 1934. In the square in from of the parliament is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The tomb is guarded by the elite Presidential Guard. I love their uniforms, so I managed to shoot a quick photo out of the window of the tour coach.

The Academy of Arts & Sciences looks like an ancient Greek temple. We also took a look at Athens University and the National Library. Then we swung by the Acropolis. We found that the site was not yet open for business, so we visited nearby Mars Hill instead.

Mars Hill is the Roman name for the Hill of Ares; Ares being the Greek god of war and Mars the Roman version. This was the location of Ares’ trial by the other gods for the murder of one of Poseidon’s sons. It was also where Paul preached about the “unknown God”. It still has its ancient, original stairs in addition to a more modern staircase at another part of the hill. It also has some great views of the city.

Also viewed from Mars Hill (known in Greek as Areopagus) is the ancient agora (marketplace) of Classic Athens. The agora is a very large area with bits and pieces of various buildings and memorials, including a mint, an Odeon (theatre) and several temples.

Before returning to the Acropolis, we visited the Panathenaic Stadium, which was originally built in roughly 330 BC for the Panathenaic Games, which took place every four years. It is the only stadium in the world built entirely in marble. It was largely abandoned after the rise of Christianity in the 4^th century AD and finally excavated in 1869. For the first modern Olympics in 1896, it was used for the opening and closing ceremonies and for four of the nine events. It continues to be used as a stadium and as the place in Greece where the Olympic torch is handed over to the hosting nation of the Olympic Games for that year.

When we could finally visit the Acropolis, we gathered at the part of the base from which we could see the Temple of Athena Nike (427 – 424 BC) looming over us from above. Instead of the main entrance, we went up a narrow road with steps here and there that rose up towards the Temple of Athena Nike. Nike means victorious.

I really liked coming up an ancient road and steps from the side of the Acropolis instead of the main entrance. It was a different experience and allowed us to see the Odeon of Herodes Atticus (161 BC) on our way up as we passed right next to it. We came off of the road just below the Temple of Athena Nike and so were able to enter through the Propylaia (the monumental gate, 437 – 432 BC). This gate controlled (and still controls) entrance to the Acropolis.

Evidence has been found of the existence of Mycenaean structures on the Acropolis in the late Bronze Age. Between then and when the current structures were built, numerous temples and other buildings were constructed.

From 460 to 430 BC, the Parthenon was constructed as a temple dedicated to Athena. It replaced an earlier temple that had been destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC. At the end of the 6^th century AD, it was converted to a Christian church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. During the Ottoman conquest in the 1460s, it was converted to a mosque. Its destruction came in 1687, when ammunition kept inside was ignited by Venetian bombardment during the Siege of the Acropolis. In the early 1800s, the Earl of Elgin carried much of the surviving sculptures away to Britain, supposedly with the permission of the ruling Ottomans. Restoration began in 1975.

Across the way was the Erectheion, built in 421 – 406 BC and dedicated to Athena and Poseidon. Mythology indicates that the structure enclosed both the mark in the rock made by Poseidon’s trident and the olive tree planted by Athena during the contest between them as to who would be the namesake of the city. A salt water well and tombs of some of the ancient kings were also on this site and enclosed within the building.

On the south side of the building is the Porch of the Caryatids. These are columns in the shape of women. Five of the six originals are in the Acropolis Museum while the sixth was taken by Lord Elgin to decorate his home. It was said that the remaining five, when they were still in place at the Erectheion, would wail at night because they missed their sister. Reproductions of all six Caryatids stand in place of the originals.

Over at the side where our hotel was located, we looked over the side to see our hotel, the Acropolis Museum, and the Theatre of Dionysius (6^th century BC) as well as some other ruins.

Next time — Marathon, Thebes, Mount Olympus, Meteora, and Thermopylae.

February 2, 2020

From Jackson Hole, WY to Salt Lake City, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park , back to Las Vegas

On the way from Jackson Hole, Wyoming to Salt Lake City, we took our morning break in Afton, Wyoming. Afton is a very small town known for having the largest arch made from elk antlers in existence.

In Idaho, we made a stop in Montpelier. In 1896, Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch robbed the bank in Montpelier. I took a photo of the plaque commemorating the heist. The gang took the money supposedly to spring one of their members from jail. Most of them managed to abscond with the money, but one of the gang was captured and held in prison until 1912. Nearby was Bear Lake. We drove through Logan Canyon to Logan, Utah to have lunch.

When we arrived in Salt Lake City, we took a tour of the Capitol and Temple Square. We could go inside of the Tabernacle, but not the Temple. Non-Mormons are not allowed inside. We could take a look at a model of the Temple, however. We had dinner at the Roof Restaurant that was in a hotel near the Temple Square and had a great view of both the Temple and the Tabernacle.

On our way to Bryce Canyon the next morning, we took a morning break at Scipio, Utah, which had a petting zoo. I made some new friends with several bunnies and baby goats. There were some Ostriches on hand which I was quite content to look at through the fencing. I had once had an experience with an Ostrich back in Texas when I was growing up who was just a tad too friendly.

Then I joined an interesting trio – an Ankole-Watusi (a type of cattle), an Alpaca, and a Peacock. The Ankole-Watusi seemed like he was much more interested in a nap than in people. The Peacock strutted around making noises but did not spread his tail feathers. The Alpaca was just plain adorable. The face was so cute, what with long bangs sweeping across his large, long-lashed eyes.

We made a stop at Red Rock Canyon and took photos of the Salt and Pepper Shakers. We continued on to Ruby’s Inn at the entrance of Bryce Canyon to have lunch. We were also staying at Ruby’s Inn for the night. We hiked into Bryce Canyon to see Bryce Point, Inspiration Point and Sunset Point. A couple of us also went part of the way down the Navajo Trail. We knew that we would have to come back up that same trail at some point and that it was steep, so we only ventured as far as we figured we could return from without giving ourselves heart attacks. Bryce Canyon was really beautiful.

The next day, we went to Zion National Park. The tour coach could only go as far as Zion Lodge. From there, we took a tram to what was called the Temple of Sinawava. I chose to hike the Riverside Trail, which was about a mile long. The temperature was about 102° F. Fortunately the Riverside Trail was relatively level and even had some good shade in places. I had a couple water bottles with me (one for going in and one for coming out) and managed to finish them both by the time I returned to the tram pickup point. Back at the lodge, I had some ice cream and downed about three more bottles of water back on the coach.

We stopped off at a Subway Sandwich shop to pick up lunch to eat along the way while crossing the Mojave Desert. The temperature there was about 112° F. We did take a pit stop along the way and it was like trying to breathe in an oven. It was even hotter than Egypt had been in September/October of 2008.

When we got back to Treasure Island in Vegas, we had a farewell dinner before getting repacked to fly home the next day and into bed. Repacking for the plane home was an adventure due to all of the Native American items I had purchased along the way. But I managed and it all arrived safely with me back in Minneapolis. It helped that I had packed some bubble wrap which I then used on the Kachinas (two of them) and the bowl of the peace pipe. The Lakota breast plate and the horsehair and bead dancer’s bustle I got in Jackson, packed pretty well since they were relatively flat. Also had several pieces of jewelry purchased in Monument Valley, the Black Hills, and Jackson which I placed in plastic sandwich bags I brought with me and tucked in among my clothes.

Next time – a 2014 trip to Greece and the Greek Islands, where we spent 8 days on the mainland of Greece and 8 days on a cruise in the Aegean.

January 26, 2020

From the Big Horn Mountains, to Shell Falls, Cody, Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole, Wyoming

The Big Horn Mountains in northern Wyoming and southern Montana have a long Native American history. They have been home to the Shoshone, Crow, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Lakota. The Medicine Wheel in the northernmost area of the mountains is considered to be quite sacred.

It was in the Big Horn Mountains where I finally saw my first moose. It was from a distance and was a young, male moose without a rack. But it was still exciting to finally see one after years of traveling to areas where they are prevalent only to have them be elusive when it came to a sighting. I got a couple of blurry photos.

Shell Falls is located in the Big Horn Mountains and is a wonderful grouping of waterfalls cutting through the rocks of Shell Canyon. The canyon and waterfalls get their name from the large number of fossils of hard-shelled creatures that exist in the area. The rumbling of the water surging over the falls can be felt in your feet.

Cody, Wyoming was named for Buffalo Bill Cody, who was one of its founders. A large museum, called the Buffalo Bill Cody Center of the West, is really a conglomeration of several museums – the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Plains Indians Museum, the Whitney Western Art Museum, the Draper Natural History Museum and the Cody Firearms Museum. I managed to explore all five museums, starting with the Plains Indian Museum, in the time we had there.

We traveled through the Shoshone National Forest on our way from Cody to Yellowstone. It was quite wild and beautiful – a great entry to Yellowstone. We came into Yellowstone National Park itself through the East Entrance. Immediately we began to see bison, elk, and a mama grizzly with cubs. The bison in Yellowstone are much larger than those at Custer National Park. This is because Custer National Park manages its bison herd (including culling) while Yellowstone just lets nature take its course.

Soon we began to see the indications that Yellowstone, although classified as a dormant volcano, is active enough, starting with a mud volcano. We encountered the Dragons Mouth, which moaned and groaned and smelled like sulphur. When Yellowstone decides to blow, it will take everything within a 300 mile radius with it. As of 2013, it was still content, after thousands of years to just keep bubbling, gurgling, and shooting water from geysers. Possibly, since there are so many ways of “letting off steam”, it could remain content not to erupt for thousands more years.

After skirting Yellowstone Lake, we headed north towards Mammoth Hot Springs, where we spent the night in some cute little cabins. My cabin had one room and a bathroom. I had no bars for my mobile phone inside, but had three bars out on the front porch. So I made some calls and sent some texts while gazing across some other cabins at the Mammoth Hot Springs themselves. After dinner in the main building of the hotel, I headed back to the cabin to turn in for the night.

The next day, we explored the Hot Springs themselves. Although outside of the caldera, the hot springs bubble away and have created a large field of travertine. In the years since my 2013 visit, some earthquake activity has shifted some of the hot springs so that parts of the travertine are now dry.

We spent the entire day in Yellowstone, visiting such features as Tower Falls, Washburn Hot Springs Overlook, the Brink of the Upper Falls, Artist Point for the Lower Falls, Gibbon Falls, Firehole Falls, Fountain Paint Pot, the Great Fountain Geyser at Lower Geyser Basin, and Old Faithful. In order to get a good viewing seat for Old Faithful, we needed to get there well enough in advance to not have enormous crowds as of yet. When it finally did its thing, I kept going long enough for me to be able to take some video as well as photos.

We spent the night at the Old Faithful Inn, which was built in 1905. Old Faithful could be seen from the Inn. We had dinner in the dining room of the Inn. My room was on the opposite side of the Inn from Old Faithful, but had several smaller geysers just outside.

The following day, we visited Isa Lake, which sits on the Continental Divide and drains in two different directions. It is one of the very few lakes in the world that does this.

The West Thumb Geyser Basin is on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. One of my favorite features of this geyser basis is the Abyss Pool. It is a gorgeous turquoise color and appears to be completely bottomless.

On our way out of the park down to the South Entrance, we passed Lewis Lake, Lewis Falls and the Lewis River in Lewis Canyon. Lewis & Clark skirted Yellowstone as they felt it was too rugged. Lewis still managed to get all of those places named after him. But what about Clark? Didn’t he deserve at least a waterfall?

We entered Grand Teton National Park from the John D Rockefeller, Jr Memorial Parkway. Rockefeller had purchased most of the land from Jackson Hole to Yellowstone to create Grand Teton National Park. Several glacial lakes exist at the base of the mountains. We had lunch at Jackson Lake Lodge.

In the Jackson Hole area, we encountered another young, male moose a little closer up. I managed a couple of decent shots of him as he stopped to watch us go by.

The town of Jackson is located in the Jackson Hole Valley. There is a National Elk Refuge nearby. The town still has some of the original buildings from the late 19^th century. The town had a lot of art galleries, antique shops, and gift shops – some with Native American-made pieces.

We spent the night in Jackson at the Rustic Inn, which had several buildings with front porches, high ceilings in the room, and pretty amazing amenities. There was a grocers a short walk away and a fridge in the room. The shower was the fanciest I had ever seen in real life, with multiple shower heads overhead and coming from the sides. It was fun to figure out, but I nearly drowned myself at one point.

Next time – from Jackson Hole to Afton, WY, Montpelier, ID, Salt Lake City, UT, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park, and back to Las Vegas, NV.

January 20, 2020

Deadwood & The Devil’s Tower

For those who have seen the television series “Deadwood” the Wild West was never wilder. The thing is, that TV series was based on a real town, real people (though some characters in the series were fictional – such as Alma), and real events (including the deadly small pox epidemic).

Wild Bill Hickok really was murdered at the No. 10 Saloon by Jack McCall. Calamity Jane lived in Deadwood and was buried next to Wild Bill (whom she adored) when she died.

Seth Bullock and Sol Star owned a hardware store. When it burned down, they built a hotel on the site, which still stands today. Bullock was also the Sheriff of Deadwood (once Deadwood became a legal part of the US) and was friends with Theodore Roosevelt.

Charlie Utter was a real person as was Al Swearengen. Swearengen owned the Gem Theatre, which was the most prominent of Deadwood’s numerous brothels. In the part of the town referred to as “the Badlands” were most of the brothels , which were also called “cat houses”. They got the name due to their owners purchasing cats to keep customers from shooting at the rats and mice.

There was a large Chinatown in Deadwood and there is a sizeable section in Mount Moriah Cemetery where they once were buried. Many of the bodies have since been taken back to China and re-interred there, so not too many of the Chinese residents’ remains remain.

The first thing we did when we arrived in Deadwood was to park in front of the Midnight Star Saloon where we met up with the Original Deadwood Sightseeing Tour. I highly recommend this tour! It was probably the funniest tour I have ever been on. We all laughed so hard throughout and had a wonderful time. The tour did include a brief stop at Mount Moriah Cemetery. It was so brief, however, that I was glad I had been there a couple times before when I had more time to explore.

We had lunch at Diamond Lil’s Restaurant at the Midnight Star Saloon, all of which is owned by Kevin Costner. The restaurant was decorated with a large amount of memorabilia from Costner’s movies. It was fun to take a look at all that while waiting for our food.

We had some free time after lunch, so I wandered down Main Street to the former Badlands and Chinatown areas to see what might still be there. After walking around a bit down there, I sauntered back up Main Street on the other side of the street.

Mom and I had been to Deadwood back in 1987, when the town was rundown, but what was still standing was totally historic. After “Dances with Wolves” much of the town was bought up and turned into gaming houses and bars. So when my entire family returned in 2005, I was not happy to see the historic bits seemingly disappearing in favor of the gambling. But, by 2013, the TV series “Deadwood” was popular and people were interested in the history again.

The real Deadwood was settled illegally on land belonging to the Lakota people, just a couple years after General George Armstrong Custer and his men discovered gold along French Creek near the current town of Custer. Charlie Utter and his brother, Steve, brought a wagon train full of supplies, prostitutes and gamblers to what was then known as Deadwood Gulch in 1876. Pretty soon Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Seth Bullock (and his wife, Martha, and their daughter), Sol Star, General George Crook, and others were in the town. Al Swearengen, who controlled the opium trade, opened the Gem Variety Theatre and the illegal, lawless town was off and running.

On my way down Main Street, I stopped to take a photo at the later version of Saloon No. 10 (Wild Bill was murdered at its original location). Back in 1987, there was a recreation of the original bar downstairs where they had it set up to look like the saloon would have looked when Wild Bill Hickok was murdered. Now-a-days they actually do a re-enactment with actors. Although the newer Saloon No. 10 was not where Wild Bill was killed, it is still over 100 years old, having been built in its current location after the original burned down in 1879.

On the corner of that block was the Bullock Hotel. It wasn’t open because it was being renovated on the inside. The hotel that was located “kitty corner” across the street was once featured in a couple of the ghost hunting TV series. The Bullock is supposed to be quite haunted as well, but more benevolently, by Seth Bullock himself. He is still looking after his guests.

A couple buildings down from this hotel was the building constructed over the location of the original Saloon No. 10. On August 1st of 1876 Jack McCall lost all his money while playing in a poker game that included Wild Bill. Wild Bill gave him back some of his money, so he wouldn’t be completely devastated. On the following day, while Wild Bill was playing in another game, but with his back to the door (instead of his usual position with his back to a wall), a drunken McCall entered the bar and shot Hickok.

This is the part of town that was known as the Badlands. Nothing remains, however, of the buildings where Swearengen’s operations were located or of Chinatown. This was also the part of town that was devastated by fires more than once when the buildings were all wooden.

Back up Main Street from the location of where Wild Bill Hickok lost his life, just in front of an establishment called Goldberg’s is the location where Hickok’s murderer, Jack McCall, was captured. He ended up being tried for murder twice. This was because his first trial wasn’t legal since the town of Deadwood wasn’t legal. He was actually acquitted in the first trail and then moved to US territory, where he bragged about killing Hickok. In Yankton, in the Dakota Territory he was tried again, convicted and hanged.

When we left Deadwood, we headed directly for the Devil’s Tower. Anyone who saw the film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” would be familiar with the Devil’s Tower, which is considered part of the Black Hills although it is in Wyoming.

The Lakota legend behind its unique form was that a group of Lakota girls were playing when they encountered some bears. They ran to a rock and prayed to the Great Spirit to save them. The rock began to rise up to get the girls out of the reach of the bears. As the rock rose, the bears clawed at it, causing the deep groves in the sides. Scientists have several theories of its formation, but no single theory has yet won out. I think I’ll go with the Lakota legend.

There were people scaling the Tower while we were there. I went on a hike around the tower. The path wasn’t especially steep and got closer and closer to the tower itself, until it started moving away again to head back on down. From every angle, the Devil’s Tower looked different and amazing. I was thrilled to be able to see it from as close as I could get to it. The tower and its land are considered sacred by several Native American tribes, so visitors need to stay on the path and not touch any of the tributes left there by the Native Americans.

From there, we drove to Sheridan, Wyoming to spend the night.

Next time –Big Horn Mountains, Shell Falls, Buffalo Bill Cody Museum, Shoshone National Forest, Yellowstone National Park, and Grand Teton National Park.

January 5, 2020

The Black Hills

I know I have said this before, but I love the Black Hills. My mom, who grew up there, always loved it too. So this was not my first time there. It was just my first time as part of a tour group.

We checked into the State Game Lodge. I had stayed in a cabin there before, but not in the Game Lodge itself. Once I got my things into my room, I went exploring. The older rooms that were empty were open for guests to see. They were very nice.

I was feeling a little disappointed. A friend of mine in Minneapolis was supposed to join me in the Black Hills for a couple of days. But his contract was extended at the least minute on his job and so he didn’t. I had been looking forward to sharing some of the special parts of the Hills with him. But it just wasn’t going to happen at that time.

A Native American breastplate was one of the items that I had hoped to find at a price I could afford. The gift shop in the Game Lodge had a Lakota breastplate at a reasonable price. It was authentically made of bone, beads, and leather. The last thing I wanted was a plastic version. I was assured that it was bone and it felt like bone, so I was pretty sure it was bone. When I got home, my dog confirmed that it was indeed bone. He was mighty interested in it. He always showed interest in anything with actual animal bone, horn, fur or feathers.

We all had dinner together in a special room in the dining room. My choice that evening was bison ribs. After dinner, we went for walk, turning back when it began to get dark.

The next morning we paid a visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial. The statue (which dwarfs Mount Rushmore) has been under construction since 1948. An Oglala Lakota Chief commissioned the carving and the funds were (and continue to be) raised privately. It is still not without controversy. But I won’t get into that here. We had plenty of time to see a film about it, tour the original house of the family that has been in charge of constructing it, and explore the museum.

On our way from the Game Lodge to the statue, we passed by the reconstruction of the stockade that had been built shortly after General Armstrong Custer and his troops discovered gold at French Creek in 1874. Although the US government had signed a treaty with the Lakota back in 1868 promising that the Black Hills would forever belong to the Lakota, this all went out the window the minute gold was discovered.

After Crazy Horse, we drove to Mount Rushmore. We had quite a bit of time there too, so I hiked the entire Presidential Trail and explored the studio. The model of what the carving was planned to look like was very different from the finished work. For one thing, it wasn’t just going to be the heads of the presidents, but their bodies from the waist up, as well.

This model was constructed after the position of Thomas Jefferson was changed. Originally Jefferson was supposed to be carved on Washington’s right. But the stone was not of good enough quality and the face also just didn’t look right, so Jefferson’s face was dynamited and placed on Washington’s left instead. This meant that the entire plan needed to be changed regarding the placement of the four presidents. Mom and her family were present for Jefferson’s unveiling in 1936.

We had lunch at Mount Rushmore and then returned to the State Game Lodge for some free time before joining the Buffalo Safari in the evening. Three large male bison were hanging out between the Game Lodge and its cabins. I stayed on the bridge over the creek and took my photos from there. Several others got a little bit too close for safety. People always think they can outrun the bison, but they can’t. Those suckers can really move. Fortunately, the bison weren’t at all concerned and didn’t charge anybody.

Once they left (heading up into the mountains behind the Game Lodge), I took a walk down to the General Store in the opposite direction. When I returned to the Game Lodge, some of the others had decided to take a hike up the trail behind the hotel. I figured that the bison were long gone, so I joined them.

Along a level portion of the trail, we heard a noise to the front and below where we were. We all stopped still and then saw a single, gigantic bison come up the side of the mountain and cross the path a ways ahead of where we stood. We all stayed still. It didn’t seem to notice us and he continued on his way. We turned around and went back to the Game Lodge.

The game keepers at Custer State Park have always said that the bison respect what is larger than them. So they use large vehicles that are open air, can seat about eight to ten adults and have all-wheel drive. They keep in touch with each other so they can follow the wildlife and they spend most of the time off road. This was my second time on a Buffalo Safari. Both times we rode in among the herd, which I absolutely loved.

We also encountered White Tail Deer, Pronghorn Antelope, and Prairie Dogs. We saw some Elk from a distance, but I was on the wrong side of the vehicle to get a decent photo. The deer also kept their distance. But the antelope and bison weren’t concerned by us much and had no problem with being relatively close. The Prairie Dogs were putting on a show, popping up and down from their holes and dashing around. Each time they did anything, they looked in our direction to make sure we were watching.

We briefly stopped at the grave of a baby who had died on the 6^th of June in 1902. The date we were there was the 5^th of June, 2013.

Once the safari was done, we met up with the rest of our group and some other people who had taken a similar tour from Bluebell Lodge. The spot was not far from Bluebell. The cookout included steaks or burgers, baked beans, corn on the cob, cornbread, coleslaw, and a dessert. We were entertained by some silly comedy and bluegrass music.

By the time the cookout was done and we were traveling back to the Game Lodge, it was quite nippy. Fortunately we were furnished with warm, wool blankets. Our route back included crossing Mount Coolidge. It was too dark to see much, however, which was probably a good think since my last encounter with Mount Coolidge was rather scary.

Next time – Deadwood and the Devil’s Tower.