NOLA

A great weekend of weather and a rather unique town. It has been a number of years since my last visit to the Crescent City but her charm and beauty are perpetually on display.

Work yesterday was the reason for the trip, but new views of the city appear before me as I look at the city through a photographer's eye. Add three cloudless days of blue sky and different times of the day to get out and get subjects, I could not be happier.

A full gallery will follow later, but if I'm able to manage a post with an image off my iPad, I hope you enjoy these few.

Forget that, cannot upload pictures. Gallery to follow later.

One thing that struck me while running with the GPS watch: being told you are twenty feet below sea level explains why the devastation and fear of hurricanes can cause this place to flinch. Hard. Espcially since to the pedestrian and untrained visitors eye, things have not improved as far as the sustaining infrastructure is concerned.

Daddy's in Vegas and misses everybody!

I am in Las Vegas staying at the Red Rock Casino & Spa which is, for all intents and purposes, right outside the entrance to Red Rock Canyon National Park. It's only about six miles or so from the entrance by bike.

After meetings this morning, I took off to go rent a bike. I figured, what the heck, Google Maps told me that McGhies was only 3.7 miles away, so after a nice lift and swim this morning, a light run would do me some good. Google Maps was wrong. Turns out it was six miles and I was pretty shagged by the time I got there. Just started training again within the last couple of weeks, and the lift and swim were great, but I budgeted energy for 3.7 and it was far more than that. On the plus side, I think I was hauling backside up and down the terrain. It was ALL uphill going back, though. Lots of uphill here, though. Hello, base of a mountain range and all.

The elephant in the room is that I didn't take into account the local elevation. It's about 3700 feet I've been told. The "Scenic 13-mile loop" climbs 1000 feet as well. Suffice it to say, I planned poorly. I made about four miles (and it was a beastly four miles) and decided that rather than have the rangers retrieve me, I'd take myself back down.

Kelly did this ride a number of years ago for Team in Training and as if I already didn't have enough things to love my wife and sit in utter amazement about here, the ability to knock out 100 miles around here tells me that she was just a machine. I look forward to the day when we can do this ride as a family.

I took a little 20-second video at the first rest stop. It gives you an idea of the majesty of the place. It's awe-inspiring, make no mistake about it.

And what travelogue would be complete without a picture of the person on the journey? Hi, everybody! Daddy misses you mommy and Makenna! I'll be home soon.