L.A.

I'm sitting in a hotel in LA right now, having flown out here this morning from Atlanta.  As we flew over TX,  NM, AZ, and CA, I got to thinking about the many. many places I've seen from the air in my 35 years of flying that we have traveled to or wanted to travel to in the motorhome.  A few came to mind today.  It was overcast most of the way until we were about at the western border of Texas, but I was able to see Palo Duro Canyon south of Amarillo, an interesting place we visited 2 years ago.  Moving into NM, we could see Albuquerque, Santa Fe to the north, right where we were just a few weeks ago.  We could see Nancy and CT's house and the surrounding area.  As we went further west into Arizona, the Mogollon Rim came into view and I realized Jan and I haven't yet driven along it.  We tried in the spring of 2005, but the road was still closed due to mud from the spring thaw.  I could see up to Flagstaff, where we visited several Anasazi ruins, and where we ran from snow one April vacation down to Phoenix.  Sedona was gleaming in the sun and red rocks, and I could see Oak Creek Canyon.  I could see over to Jerome, the interesting little mining town perched on the side of a mountain full of artists.  A good view of Prescott, and then Lake Havasu.  On the arrival into Los Angeles, an amazing view of Big Bear Lake.  It was one of the places I had seen numerous times over the years that I knew we needed to go to if we could get enough time to go so far west.  One year I managed to put all my vacation from two consecutive years together and we made it to California.  We were traveling with good friends, Ray and April who were in their motorhome and came down to Big Bear Lake from Death Valley from the north up and over on a narrow, tight, winding road down along side of the bright blue lake into the most beautiful setting.  It was April, and they were still skiing on the mountain south of the lake.  We stayed at a condo type campground right on the shore of the lake!  A condo park is one where people own their own sites and rent them out when they aren't there.  It was all landscaped, with terraces, and outdoor kitchens, and did I mention, right on the lake.  It was fabulous, and the most we had ever paid for a camp site!  Worth every penny.
Another time after flying many times over a pristine spot in northern Colorado, I managed to mark a map right where this beautiful river ran up through a green meadow, way up into the back country.  We did go and visit the Yampa, CO area, and went up the Stillwater river drainage way back up in the country, even saw a black bear!
It is quite an opportunity to be able to see these sensational places both from the air and right down close and personal with the motorhome.  I imagine it's not something most people are able to do.  I'm very thankful to have had the experience.