San Diego, the USS Midway

My best bud Ken and his son Doug, on the way to the USS Midway. Ken has trashed his knees and we rented a scooter for the trip so he could get around. Doug lives in San Diego and is retired Navy.

The Navy has taken the aircraft carrier USS Midway and turned it into a museum. They did a wonderful job, both exhibits on the Navy, the history of the carrier and the service it had during it's long history starting in WWII. This is the flight deck, basically the runway.

The bridge and conning tower. Many jets and helicopters are on display on the flight deck, showing the history of the aircraft that have operated off the carrier.

Ken enjoying the aircraft on display. He and I are both ex-Air Force and our love of aircraft generates a lot of friendly discussion. He played with the big planes, I played with the fighter jets.

The last aircraft I worked on was the F4E (the Phantom) in the Air Force. The Navy had their own version. I will always have a soft spot for it. Long retired, the only ones still flying are in the National Guard, in South Korea. I suddenly feel old.

Ken and Doug at the bow overlook. Ken's scooter couldn't quite make the climb back up the incline and Doug had to push.

And of course, the restored WWII fighters. From the Mustang, the Corsairs, the P51, they were all on display. Beautiful works of art, some with fancy paint jobs. There were several simulators in the hanger bay for people to try with 360 degree action. As close to flying as you can get. Kids were lined up for all of them. I would have loved to try one. The Midway is well worth a day or more to see all the exhibits and history.

San Diego, April 2009

I took a week and traveled to San Diego a couple weeks ago. Alaska is in the middle of breakup, a volcanic eruption and that equals mud, mud, mud. Time to go somewhere else, smell the flowers, sit by a pool and relax.


Downtown San Diego is so different from Anchorage. Beautiful, warm, clean and full of glass towers. Do you know I didn't see a single dirty car the whole time I was there?

Wide sidewalks, beautiful landscapes and places to enjoy the green grass. I could enjoy this area for a very long time. If only it wasn't to expensive to live there.

The scenery around the waterfront, from the deck of the USS Midway. The beginning of April and everything is green and blooming.

Amazing statue. A tribute to the Navy sailors returning to port after sea duty.

Last day on the caravan

Our last day out we had to pick up the pace. A storm front was blowing in. The beautiful blue sky went to clouds in a matter of hours. The forecast was for high winds and rain.

As we lost the sun we turned our camels toward a river crossing. The depth of the water changed based on the rain falling upstream. So did the speed of the current. Our guides gave us the option: find a camp site; hunker down and wait out the approaching storm or push on, cross the river, and make for our final destination. We elected to press on. With a storm coming, the temperatures were starting to drop. Camping didn't hold a lot of comfort for the night.

The river crossing. The posts and guide ropes gave us a straight level place to cross, with the water about knee to waist deep. If the current was fast, the ropes gave us something to hold onto. We took off our shoes so we could feel the gravel and sand as we crossed and keep our shoes dry.


We had to walk across the river while our guides walked the camels; we couldn't ride in case the camel slipped. Anything we didn't want to get wet, we carried. Like our backpacks. Of course that also meant that if we slipped, any packs we were carrying, would be wet.

Camels love the water. They tend to ignore anything they're carrying and roll in the water.

So we had to watch them closely and if one started to kneel in the water to roll, the rest would follow. We had to make sure nobody got the bright idea to take a bath.

Our last sunset. True to the forecast, a storm moved in that night and the rain/wind pounded the ranch where we ended our trip. We would have had a cold wet night if we'd elected to camp out. A warm bed and shower never felt so good.

Camel Caravan along the beach

When a camel has to traverse uneven ground, like the side of a hill or a gully, our sure footed guide, Joe, led the way. He was the 12 year old son of our camel drivers. Very knowledgeable, very talented young man, who knew the local plants, birds and all the trails along the dunes. He ran in front of our camels the whole trip, pointing out things of interest.

One of our camels. They were very gentle and friendly. For all the bad reputation, camels are wonderful smart animals. I actually fell off my mount when I was trying to get off on the third day. The rest of the trip I had a camel guardian keeping an eye on me. He actually kissed me on the cheek when I successfully got back into the saddle.

Riding off into the sunset.

Joe, waiting on us to move out to the next stop.
The sand dunes we rode across.

Camel Caravan

I shared a tent and 'swag' with 2 other ladies. A swag is a rolled up sleeping bag and quilt combination, with a foam mattress. The swag is protected by a canvas cover that can be waterproofed in case you're sleeping without a tent. Put 3 people into a small tent and body heat warmed it up nicely. The wonderful thing about camping so far into the wilderness is the night sky. I spent hours gazing into the Southern Sky, using a red flashlight and star charts to identify the southern stars not visible from Alaska. My tent mates did not appreciate my love of star gazing in the wee hours. They found that I was a warm furnace at night and was necessary for them to sleep in comfort. After a night's sleep under the Southern sky it's off on the next days' adventure.

Breakfast done, camels saddled, chuck wagon packed and we're on our way. Like horse back riding, it's necessary to take breaks to ease legs and backs from riding. Camels have a different motion from horses and in my opinion much more comfortable for long distances.


Lunch in the dunes. The camels carried saddle bags with water, blankets to sit on, lunch supplies for everyone, a small gas stove and a 'billy' for heating water. A 'billy' is a camp coffee pot, suspended on a tripod. When you dismount from a camel, it kneels, first the front legs, then the rear. Once you dismount, a strap is placed around one folded front leg to keep the camel from getting up. Camels can actually 'crawl' for short distances with their leg restrained.

We learned quickly to carry treats in our pockets for our mounts. And they learned just as quickly who carried them. A curious camel can knock you over looking for things in your pocket.

Our lunch stops in the dunes were only one ridge from the ocean. Miles and miles of sand and scrub brush.

The ocean we rode along. White sand beaches, no people, and the occasional tire track. The currents were straight from Antarctica. Too cold to swim in. Just like Alaska waters.

Camel camping and caravan

This is an aerial of the coast line we traveled via camel for 4 nights.

Getting the camels ready to go. 2 people per camel. Kid in front, adult in back. When there wasn't a kid onboard, the front saddle got filled with backpacks, and other gear. We had several kids on this trip and when they got bored with riding a camel they rode in the jeep with the chuck wagon.

Our first night out. Pitching camp with our chuck wagon. While a group of us rode via camel, a jeep with chuck wagon attached went in front of us to pitch camp. That way when we arrived all we had to do was pitch our tents.

First night out, sunset. Murray River/Lake is almost dry during the summer months, then the monsoon rains fill it. It becomes crusted with salt for an inch deep or so. We dismounted from the camels when we crossed the lake because it's slick and it's easier for the camels to keep their footing.
Riding along the edge of the lake/river. The camels like to nibble on the trees as we rode.

Australia 2006- more parks

I have no idea of the species of duck or goose. But they were protective of each other. I thought they were protecting a nest, but this is late summer, early fall.

Monarto Park has camels you can ride. I love camels. My first trip to Oz in 2001 introduced me to these wonderful creatures. I got to ride one on the beach.

Meerkats. This is a sentry. Meerkats are really neat. They always have one on watch while the rest of the tribe hunt and forage.


Russian steppe ponies. These ponies can trace their ancestry all the way back to ancient times, in the Siberian highlands. These small herds protected in parks around the world are all that is left of the species. Glenelg on the beach at Adelaide. A great place to start exploring Adelaide.