Sunset Bay State Park, Oregon… The Dragon In the Forest

May 15, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 10 Comments

Peggy spotted this marvelous fenced in tree root dragon across a cove at Shore Acres Park near Coos Bay, Oregon. Naturally we had to go check it out. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

I love trees– everything about them: their size, shape, smell, color, fruit, cones, nuts, needles, leaves, limbs, and bark. I have as many pictures of them as Peggy has of the grandkids, and that’s saying a lot. I even love dead trees, the ones that have passed on to the Great Forest in the sky. Along with other woody things, they may be the only members of the organic world that are as beautiful in death as they are in life.

Twisted tree limb photo of Curtis Mekemson

What better way to frame a photo than a twisted tree limb. Peggy took this photo of me at Sunset Bay State Park on the Oregon Coast.

Unless you are down among the mangroves of more tropical climates, however, roots tend to hide out. They do their work underground. The exception, of course, is when a tree falls over. I had never realized how truly wild and wonderful roots might be until our trip to Sunset State Park on the coast near Coos Bay Oregon. And I wasn’t alone. Peggy spotted the dragon before I did.

Following are some of the fun wood sculptures we discovered.

Dragon tree roots at Shore Acres State Park on the Oregon Coast.

A closer look at the dragon-tree roots.

Dragon Tree at Shore Acres State Park, Oregon

The Dragon Lady Peggy provides a perspective on the size of the roots.

I call this the dark side of the dragon.

Massive tree roots at Shore Acres State Park on Oregon coast.

I couldn’t see any animals in these roots but I liked the way they shot off in all directions and seemed to end in the green pine needles..

Tree roots at Sunset Beach State Park in Oregon

Peggy liked the horns on this fellow at Sunset Bay State Park. I thought he was rather twisted and dubbed him Bum Steer.

Peggy Mekemson and tree roots on Oregon Coast.

My model provides a human perspective on the size of Bum Steer. Maybe his brother was Paul Bunyan’s blue ox Babe. PS… if I have my anatomy right, this guy has a really weird tail.

The grain of the wood on the Bum Steer caught my attention for the beautiful way it flows.

The grain of the wood on Bum Steer caught my attention for the beautiful way it flows.

No animals here… just a striking set of roots on the beach at Sunset Bay State Park. I liked the backdrop of sand, grass and trees. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

These are the same roots seen above but from a different perspective. Note the tree trunk heading off to the right.

These are the same finger-like roots seen above but from a different perspective. Note the tree trunk heading off to the left. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Peggy Mekemson and tree roots on Oregon Beach

A final shot: Peggy and her Oregonian roots.

NEXT BLOG: We find whales, a beaver wanders into camp, and I climb a cliff… against Peggy’s better judgement.

Sunset Bay, Oregon… A World of Whales, Waves and Wacky Roots… Plus Flowers

May 13, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 15 Comments

Rododendron at Shore Acres State Park, Oregon

Rhododendrons and azaleas add splashes of color to the Oregon Coast in Spring. These beauties are found at Shore Acres State Park near Coos Bay, Oregon.

Peggy and I just returned from a five-day trip to the coast. One of our goals as new residents here in Oregon is to explore the state. We’ve gotten off to a slow start. Little things like trips to Europe, Mexico, Burning Man, Las Vegas and Hawaii, not to mention settling into our new home, have gotten in the way. (Grin)

We bit the bullet on Wednesday, packed up Quivera, and hit the road. Quivera, BTW, is the 22-foot van we wandered in for three years. The name derives from a lost Indian city that never stays in the same place. I think it is somewhere out in Kansas now with Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. (We named our first van Xanadu. Peg and I like exotic.)

Our 22-foot van, Quivera, waits patiently for us at Cape Arago, just south of Sunset Bay, Oregon.

Our destination for this trip was Sunset Bay State Park near Coos Bay, Oregon. Our objective was to see whales, the massive Grays that make their way north along the Pacific Coast each spring. We weren’t disappointed. Likewise, as always, we enjoyed the scenic beauty of the Northwest’s famous rugged coastline. I’ll blog about both on Friday. (Next week I will return to Florence and Barcelona.)

For today and Wednesday, I want to write about two surprises. The first is some drop-dead gorgeous flowers. The second is tree roots. Be prepared to enter a fantasy world on the latter. Heck, be prepared to enter a fantasy world with both.

We can thank a lumber baron for the blossoms. Louis Simpson built a mansion on the bluffs south of Sunset Bay. Then he built a flower garden. He lost his fortune during the Great Depression and Oregon had the foresight to acquire both. Eventually, the mansion had to be torn down, but the flower garden still stands as part of Shore Acres State Park. Some 5000 annuals/perennials bloom between May and September.

We arrived at the height of rhododendron-azalea season. (The Internet informs me that all azaleas are rhododendrons but not all rhododendrons are azaleas.) Enjoy!

A small section of the flowers at Shore Acres State Park Botanical Garden on the Oregon Coast. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Shore Acres Botanical Garden, Coos Bay, Oregon

Rhododendron at Shore Acres State Park.

The rhododendrons and azaleas were in full bloom at Shore Acres State Park on the Oregon Coast.

These Azaleas/Rhododendrons displayed one of many colors and shapes on display at Shore Acres State Park.

These azaleas displayed one of many colors and shapes on display at Shore Acres State Park.

Rhododendrons at Shore Acres State Park in Oregon.

Azaleas at Shore Acres State Park in Oregon.

Peggy caught the riotous colors of the rhododendrons in this photo. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)

Rhododendron at Shore Acres State Park in Oregon

I loved the delicate colors and blushing pink of these rhododendrons.

Rhododendrons in mass at Shore Acres State Park.

A bouquet of red. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Violet rhododendrons at Shore Acres State Park in Oregon.

Blue Rhododendrons at Shore Acres State Park, Oregon

A touch of blue.

Almost white… (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Flowers were also in abundance outside of the Shore Acres’ gardens. I found this bright yellow monkey flower at Sunset Bay State Park.

Rhododendrons at Sunset Bay State park in Oregon

And these pink beauties with their sprightly green leaves were living in our campsite.

NEXT BLOG: Some absolutely wild tree roots on the Oregon coast. Meet the Dragon!

The Duomo and Santa Croce: Two Great Churches of Florence

May 10, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 6 Comments

Looking up at the magnificent dome on Florence’s Duomo Cathedral.

There are three reasons for visiting Florence’s Cathedral, commonly known as the Duomo. First is the Church itself, second is the magnificent bell tower, which stands next to the church, and third is the octagonal-shaped Baptistery, which stands in front.

The dome of Duomo was one of the great works of the Renaissance. (The church had been waiting since the Middle Ages for its top.) Filippo Brunelleschi, who built the dome, first studied the ancient Pantheon in Rome. Like so much of the Renaissance, the dome represented a return to, or a rebirth of, the great Greek and Roman cultures that had thrived 1000 years earlier before the Dark Ages had arrived along with the Barbarian hordes.

This photo by Peggy captured the Baptistery on the left, the Duomo with its Dome in the center and the bell tower on the right. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

A front view of Florence’s Duomo Church

Looking up at the Duomo dome from inside the church.

The 270-foot tall Campanile or Giotto’s Tower, which is located next to the Duomo, was actually completed 100 years before Brunelleschi put his finishing touches on the church. Many consider the bell tower to be among the most beautiful in Europe.

Giotto’s Bell Tower in Florence, Italy

The top of Giotto’s Bell Tower. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

A front view of Giotto’s Bell Tower with the Duomo to the left.

The Baptistery features Ghiberti’s bronze doors. Michelangelo believed these gates were so beautiful they could have served as “the Gates of Paradise.”

Ghiberti’s Bronze Doors on the Baptistery in Florence. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Ghiberti's Baptistery doors in Florence Italy

A closer look at the Baptistery Doors.

Close up of Baptistery doors Florence Italy

This view of the Baptistery door gives a sense of why Michelangelo spoke so highly of Ghiberti’s work.

The Basilica of Santa Croce, a 14^th Century Franciscan church, also had some great doors but is better known for the people buried inside including Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Rossini and Galileo. As we stood in front of the church admiring its doors, a man sent bubbles floating into the sky.

A huge soap-bubble went floating up by the beautiful wooden doors of Santa Croce.

The Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence.

NEXT BLOG: While you are reading this blog, Peggy and I are on the scenic Oregon Coast looking for whales. I will feature the trip on my next blog.

Renaissance Florence (Firenze)… Born Again Culture

May 8, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 10 Comments

This nice kitty with his finger like paws greeted us on the Piazza del Signoria... along with several other sculptures.

This nice kitty with his finger like paws greeted us on the Piazza della Signoria… along with several other sculptures. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

I made the point in my last blog–I am returning to Florence. The two-hour trip to Florence from the Port of Livorno where our ship was docked, and the two-hour trip back, seriously sucked up what little time we had to enjoy the legendary Renaissance city.

Our first act upon arrival was to plot out our plan of attack, which we did over café lattes and scrumptious Italian pastries. Why suffer? I really, really hate to eliminate treasures, however. Florence is where the birth of the Renaissance took place and is chock full of art.

While our day in Florence was short, it wasn’t so short we couldn’t enjoy a Cafe Latte.

The Uffizi Gallery alone, with its world-class art including masterpieces by Sandro Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci, would take up half out time. Beyond that we plotted out a walk that would take us to the Duomo Basilica and then back to Santo Croce Basilica, where we were to catch our bus. Sadly, I crossed off the Accademia Gallery, which includes Michelangelo’s original David.

But not to worry… there was a magnificent copy of David in front of the Uffizi Gallery in Piazza della Signoria. It was in this square, BTW, that the infamous priest Savonarola (1452-98) held his ‘Bonfire of Vanities’ and encouraged the good citizens of Florence to bring their art treasures and books to be burned. Somewhat ironically, Savonarola, who was quite vain in his own way, was also burned in the square.

Copy of Michelangelo's David standing in front of the Uffizzi Art Gallery.

Michelangelo’s David has always been Peggy’s favorite sculpture. How’s a guy supposed to compete? This copy stands in front of the Uffizi Gallery on Piazza della Signoria where the original David stood.

I enjoyed these charging horses pulling Neptune’s chariot on Piazza della Signoria in Florence. The horses were carved by the Sculpture Ammannati.

This sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini shows Perseus holding up the head of Medusa, which he had just lopped off. Hopefully her eyes are closed. Otherwise you would be turned to stone. I am thinking the stuff flowing out of the neck is a little weird.

The most dynamic sculpture on the Piazza del Signoria is the Rape of the Sabine Women by the sculpture Giambologna. The story goes that Romulous needed more women for his new city of Rome, so he went to the nearby town of Sabine and kidnapped them.

The most dynamic sculpture on the Piazza della Signoria is the Rape of the Sabine Women by the sculpture Giambologna. The story goes that Romulus needed more women for his new city of Rome, so he went to the nearby town of Sabine and kidnapped them. See the close up below.

A close up of Giambologna’s sculpture, which he carved from a single block of marble.

They didn’t allow photos to be taken in the Uffizi Gallery, but when we came out, a short walk took us to Florence’s most famous bridge, the Ponte Vecchio.

A view of the Ponte (bridge) Vecchio crossing the Arno River in Florence.

A close up of the Pont Vecchio in Florence. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

For my final picture today, I selected this view looking down the Arno River from the Pont Vecchio.

For my final picture today, I selected this view looking down the Arno River from Pont Vecchio.

NEXT BLOG: We will visit two of Florence’s great churches: the Duomo and Santa Croce. Prepare to be dazzled.

There’s This Pig in Florence…

May 6, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 15 Comments

Kathi Saage and I rub the nose of Il Porcillino in hopes of returning to Florence.

Kathi Saage and I rub the nose of Il Porcellino in hopes of returning to Florence.

So, here’s a serious question: With all of the beautiful art in Florence, why in the world would I kick off my Florence series with a pig?

I’ll be brief. I was told if I rubbed the nose of the pig, or the snout of the boar if you prefer, I would come back to Florence. Considering I had six hours to explore everything Florence had to offer, I looked on my nose polishing effort as a guarantee of a return trip.

Peggy, also wanting to return to Florence, eagerly rubs Little Pig’s nose.

A close up of Porcellino’s well-rubbed nose.

Il Porcellino, or Little Pig, as he is known, was sculpted way back in 1612 and was based on an original marble pig of Greek origin dating back to who knows when. The present pig is a copy of the copy. You can tell by his shiny nose that lots of people share my desire to come back to Florence. Apparently rubbing his snout for a return trip dates back to the 1700s.

Little Pig is housed in an attractive marketplace that was built by Cosimo de’ Medici between 1547-1551. Bad merchants, who had the misfortune of going bankrupt, were spanked here before being sent off to prison. I couldn’t find a description on what the spanking entailed.

The overflowing Mercato Nuovo or the Straw Market where bad merchants were once spanked.

One more fact: There are copies of Little Pig found throughout the world, including one at the University of Arkansas representing the school’s mascot, a Razorback hog. I wonder if the students realize the origin of their statue?

I finished off my trip to Florence by admiring a real pig being roasted at the Christmas Fair being held in Piazza Santa Croce. He smelled yummy. Unfortunately, we were under strict orders from our tour guide to be on time for the trip back to our ship… or be left behind, so I didn’t get to try a sample.

The roasting pig at Florence’s Christmas Fair on Piazza Santa Croce.

NEXT BLOG: We will check out Michelangelo’s David, Peggy’s all time favorite sculpture.

Rome Walk-About: When Pickpockets Strike… Mediterranean Ports

May 3, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 10 Comments

One of the joys of walk-about is you come on treasures you might not see otherwise. This delightful elephant carved by Bernini is located near the Pantheon. It serves as the base for an obelisk.

If you’ve been following this blog, you know we like to walk extensively when visiting a new city. It’s a good way to become acquainted with the region and its people. Plus it’s great exercise. While Rome is huge, the historic section is confined to a relatively small section. It was large enough, however, that we used mass transit for longer distances.

There were two challenges. The first was figuring out the where and when of catching a train in a language we didn’t speak. The second was that the subway is a great place for pickpockets, especially during rush hour. Rick Steves, in his book on Mediterranean Ports, was constantly admonishing us to be on theft alert.

Peggy, who is more paranoid than I, is always urging me to transfer my wallet to my front pocket when we are in a crowd. Sometimes I even comply. Once, she didn’t even have to ask. We were in Amsterdam and the city had put up huge banners across the streets warning people about thieves.

Neither did I require urging in Rome. Folks in Southern Europe were suffering from serious Euro Deficit Dysfunction. Times were tough. We both wore money belts.

The stories are legion about various scams. Travelers love to share tales. One of my favorites is a woman will ask you to hold her baby while her compatriots grab your wallet. No way was I going to hold a stranger’s baby. Heck, I’ll hardly hold the baby of a woman I know. Babies are known to burp and pee on you. Can you imagine the insult added to injury if a baby was burping and peeing on you while someone was stealing your wallet?

While the stories are fun, the problems are real. A man staying at our hotel lost 2000 euros. A woman on the ship told us she was waiting at the airport when a nicely dressed couple told her something was sprayed all over the back of her jacket. The woman took it off. Sure enough, the jacket was covered with green goop. While her husband took the jacket to the restroom to wash, the couple kept her company. They left when her husband returned. Only later did she realize that her purse left with them.

We were at the Termini, a major transfer point, when our turn came. It was at the peak of rush hour and the train was crammed full. John, Peggy’s brother, and his wife Frances had climbed on first. Four little kids, maybe eight years old, jumped on in front of us. Peggy and I were squeezing in when John shouted. He had felt someone reaching in his back pocket. Meanwhile, the four little kids were trying to jump off the train. Peggy, being the ex-elementary school principal she is, thought the kids were confused and tried to shove them back on. The little pickpockets, of course, thought she was trying to collar them. They managed to escape just as the doors were closing. Fortunately, John was also wearing a money belt. He kept his euros and we had a story to tell.

Besides our experience with the pickpockets, we had managed to visit Trajan’s Column, the Trevi Fountains and the Pantheon on our day’s walk-about.

This monument to Italy’s first King, Victor Immanuel, is huge, measuring 200 feet high by 500 feet wide. The statue of King Emmanuel, in the middle, is the largest equestrian statue in the world.

The emperor Trajan apparently had lots to say about his victorious Dacian campaign circa 103 AD. He told it on this column.

The emperor Trajan apparently had lots to say about his victorious Dacian campaign circa 103 AD. He told it on the bas-relief making its way up the 140-foot column. See below for detail. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

This photo shows how much detail is included on Trajan’s Column. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Remember the song, “Three Coins In A Fountain”? Maybe not. Anyway, it was about Trevi Fountain, one of the must-sees on most tours of Rome.

I found this horse with its yellow ears waiting patiently outside the Pantheon. I took the photo for my cousin Alice who lives in Ohio and is a great horsewoman. I figured the ear-covers might be appreciated by horses living through cold Ohio winters.

The Pantheon, built to honor all of Rome’s gods, there were a lot, is one of the world’s most famous structures. Its dome served as a model for domes ranging from St. Peter’s Basilica to the US Capitol building.

This is a view of the Pantheon's interior.

The interior of the Pantheon is quite striking.

It was common practice for the Catholic Church to take over sites that had been used to worship Roman gods. The Pantheon was many.

It was common practice for the Catholic Church to take over sites that had been used to worship Roman gods. The Pantheon was one of many.

Another perspective of the Pantheon from outside.

Peggy caught this wonderful knocker on our Walk-About… (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

As she did this dragon lamp near the Pantheon.

I will conclude with these colorful buildings... again part of our fun walk-about.

I will conclude with these colorful buildings and narrow street… again part of our fun walk-about.

NEXT BLOG: On to Florence.

The Forum… Where Rome Ruled the (known) World

May 1, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 6 Comments

While much of the Forum today is in rubble, the temple of Antonius and Faustina still stands proudly.

While much of the Roman Forum is in rubble, the temple of Antonius and Faustina still stands proudly… fortunately. The striations around the columns were caused by someone trying to cut them down.

At the height of the Roman Empire, around 100 AD, Rome ruled from England to the Persian Gulf. The Mediterranean Sea was considered a Roman pond. The Forum, located next to the Colosseum, was the site of Rome’s government. Julius Caesar was killed here on the Ides of March, after which Mark Anthony gave his famous speech: “Friends, Romans and Countrymen, lend me your ears.” We included the Forum as part of a very long walk-about through historic Rome that included stopping by Trevi Fountain, visiting the Pantheon, fighting off pickpockets, and a heck of a lot more. I’m still tired. The following photos are from the Forum.

Excavating the Roman Forum is still very much a work in progress, as this photo shows.

I found the simple elegance of this single column outlined against a cloudy sky to be quite beautiful.

Ruins of Caligula's Palace in the Roman Forum

These columns were once part of Caligula’s Palace. Caligula, who enjoyed torturing people, built his horse a house and planned to appoint him as a Consul. It was around that time that Romans decided to assassinate the infamous emperor.

The building on the lower left, I believe, covers the site where Julius Caesar was assassinated. Above it, to the right, was the Temple of the Vestal Virgins. Their job was to stay chaste for 30 years and attend the eternal flame. Being bad got you buried alive.

The building on the lower left covers the site where the body of Julius Caesar was burned. Above it, to the right, was the Temple of Vesta, attended by the Vestal Virgins. Their job was to stay chaste for 30 years and attend the eternal flame. Being bad got you buried alive. Flings were few and far between. Palatine Hill, where the wealthy lived and cavorted, is in the background. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

The Arch of Titus commemorated the Roman victory over Judaea in 70 AD. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

While Peggy was capturing photos of important historical sites, I was busy with the local cat.

Temple of Constantine in the Roman Forum

What remains of the massive temple of Constantine, the Emperor who made Christianity the official religion of Rome. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

This impressive six-story arch commemorated the victory of the African born emperor Septimius Severus in far off Mesopotamia.

I like this photo of arches that Peggy took. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

Do you think the Latin says park bench? I was tempted.

For my last photo, I chose this magnificent boar. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

NEXT BLOG: We go on a walk-about through Rome and have a run in with pickpockets.

It’s National Park Week 2013… April 20-28

April 26, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 16 Comments

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

It’s National Park Week. One of my blogging friends reminded me. Somehow I lost track of time and became so wrapped up in the minutia of life that the week had arrived before I realized it was happening. Shame on me.

The United States and many other nations around the world have done a magnificent job of setting aside national parks. We owe it to ourselves to go out and explore these treasures. And, we owe it to our great, great, great, great-grandchildren to protect these sites of rare natural beauty for future generations.

It won’t be easy. There will always be people who believe financial gain outweighs any other consideration. Why save thousand-year-old redwood trees when they can be turned into highly profitable redwood decks?

This 1500 year old redwood is located in Redwoods National Park on the northern coast of California.

Several years ago, Peggy and I set a goal to visit all of America’s National Parks. With the exception of Kobuk Valley and Lake Clark in Alaska, we’ve succeeded. It has been an incredible journey. Our travels have taken us from Denali National Park in Alaska to the Dry Tortugas National Park off the Florida Keys.

In addition to driving through and hiking in these parks, I have also backpacked in 13, biked through five, and kayaked or rafted in three. Once I even organized a winter ski trek into Denali National Park where we slept out in minus 30-degree weather and listened to wolves howl. That was a learning experience…

Since I couldn’t escape to a national park this week, I did the next best thing; I went through photos of parks Peggy and I have taken. All I could think of was wow– what incredible beauty!

Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.

An active volcano in Hawaii Volcanos National Park on the Island of Hawaii.

Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming. A sign warned us to look out for an active grizzly bear.

Arches National Park, Utah

Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park, California. I once woke up near here with a bear standing on top of me.

Fall colors of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

Sand dunes in Death Valley National Park.

The green of Olympic National Park in Washington.

Lesser known national parks such as Great Basin in Nevada also hold great charm and beauty. This photo features the van Peggy and I travelled in for four years as we wandered around North America.

Spectacular scenery is only part of the national park story. Wildlife, birds, insects, reptiles, flowers and history add to the experience.

Peggy and I found this beauty swimming through the water at Everglades National Park in Florida.

And this striking Black Buzzard was another Everglades resident.

We found this Luna Moth on the Natchez National Parkway.

We found this Luna Moth on the Natchez Trace National Parkway.

Brown Pelicans are a common visitor at Pt. Reyes National Seashore.

Brown Pelicans are common visitors at Pt. Reyes National Seashore.

Peggy and I are great fans of Native America rock art, much of which is protected in National Parks and at National Monuments. This man with his big hands and fat little dogs has always been one of my favorites.

Peggy and I are great fans of Native America rock art, much of which is protected in national parks and at national monuments. We have several thousand photos from different sites. This one from Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado/Utah has always been a favorite because of the big hands and fat little dogs.

It never hurts to complete a blog with a pretty flower. We found this Foxglove growing in Olympic National Park.

It never hurts to complete a blog with a pretty flower, even if it goes on and on. (grin) We found this Foxglove growing in Olympic National Park.

NEXT BLOG: I hope you have enjoyed my two diversions over the past week because of Earth Day and National Park Week. On Monday I will return to Europe and Rome’s historic Colosseum.

St. Peter’s Basilica… Indulge Yourself

April 24, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 6 Comments

Seeing Michelangelo's Pieta on its own is worth visiting St. Peter's Basilica.

One of the world’s best-loved works of art, Michelangelo’s Pieta, is located in St. Peter’s Basilica.

St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome is one of the world’s great churches. It is simply breathtaking. Walk inside and you are ready to join the Faith… whether you are faithful or not. The church was built during the Renaissance utilizing the greatest artists of Italy when Italy had the greatest artists in the world.

Visiting, you might say, is an indulgence of the highest order. In fact the church was built on indulgence… or, more correctly, indulgences: lots of them. Let’s say you committed a very, very BIG sin. No problem, if you were very, very wealthy. The church was willing to sell you forgiveness, an indulgence if you will. It was a guarantee you’d make it through the Pearly Gates.

The practice was so widespread, and so profitable, and so corrupt in fact, that it led a relatively unknown monk by the name of Martin Luther to tack up a list of 95 demands on the doors of a German church and kick off the Protestant Reformation.

But that is all far behind us in the very distant past. I, for one, am glad that the Pope found a way to pay for his splendid monument. And, I suspect, given a few minutes alone with Michelangelo’s Pieta, the most protesting of Protestants would agree.

Bernini's bronze canopy in St. Peter's Basilica

Bernini’s ornate seven story high bronze canopy oversees the simple altar where the Pope holds Communion.

Looking up past Bernini’s Canopy at Michelangelo’s dome, which towers 448 feet from the floor.

This photo of the nave of St. Peter’s Basilica gives an idea of just how big the church is. 60,000 people standing shoulder to shoulder could stand inside.

If St. Peter’s isn’t enough to pull you into the Vatican, its magnificent museum with over four miles of art should. The tour ends with the Sistine Chapel where Michelangelo spent four years on his back filling 5900 square feet with art, and where a gaggle of Cardinals recently elected the new Pope Francis. I know, I know, gaggle goes with geese.

Our tour of St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museum was far too short. Even cutting out half of the museum, I felt like an Olympic sprinter. Give yourself a couple of days to explore these outstanding treasures.

The collection of the Vatican Museum ranges from ancient Egypt to modern times. This is a statue of the Egyptian God Anubis.

The collection of the Vatican Museum ranges from ancient Egypt to modern times. This is a statue, I believe, of the Egyptian God Anubis who had the body of a man and the head of a jackal.

I was quite taken with this lion in the Vatican museum. Note the eyes. Mmmm, what a great tasting horse.

Finally, I can never resist man’s best friend.

Finally, I wanted to emphasize how incredibly ornate portions of the Vatican are. This was the ceiling of the map room in the Vatican Museum. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson)

NEXT BLOGS: In Rome we will be traveling to a site I guarantee you will recognize, the Colosseum. Since it is National Park Week, I also plan to do a blog featuring several of America’s beautiful national parks that Peggy and I have visited.

Earth Day 2013

April 22, 2013January 24, 2015 / Curt Mekemson / 13 Comments

The Sierra Nevada Mountains of California have always reminded me how precious our wilderness areas are. To celebrate my 60th birthday, I backpacked 360 miles from Lake Tahoe to the top of Mt. Whitney, the hunch-backed mountain behind me. At 14,500 feet, it is the highest mountain in the contiguous United States.

In the wilderness is the preservation of the world – Henry David Thoreau

Forty three years ago I was recruiting for Peace Corps Volunteers at the University of California at Davis when Earth Day I took place. It was a beautiful spring day so I took a break and walked around campus visiting various booths featuring everything from recycling to wilderness protection. It changed my life.

Within a month, I was Executive Director of the Ecology Information Center in Sacramento, one of the nation’s first environmental centers, working seven days a week for a hundred dollars per month. While I would go on to spend a significant portion of my life fighting public health battles and wandering the world, I never travelled far from my environmental roots.

For 30 years I had the privilege of leading weeklong wilderness backpack trips through the High Sierra Nevada Mountains, following the same paths that the great naturalist John Muir hiked. Today, in honor of Earth Day 2013, I would like to share photographs from a 360-mile backpack trip I took from Lake Tahoe to Mt. Whitney to celebrate my sixtieth birthday.

These are the views that inspired Muir to begin his crusade to save the natural areas of America and the world. We owe him a deep vote of thanks for his efforts. More importantly, we owe it to ourselves, and future generations, to continue his efforts. As John Muir said so eloquently, “The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.”

The beauty of the Sierra Nevada Mountains is found in its distant vistas…