Snippets from our adventure, as we ran the San Juan river in Utah, a trip to celebrate our friend Mary Whited’s birthday. One of the more unique moments: a special visit by a very friendly wild turkey during one of our lunch breaks on the beach below Honaker! And I can’t resist including this clip of the birthday girl running Government Rapid! A post shared by Kristel Hayes (@kristelhayes) on Nov 13, 2016 at 4:16pm PST
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A unusually stormy start did nothing to dampen the spirits of the folks who came out to experience The Race of Gentlemen for it’s first and last time at Pismo Beach. This video shows some of the challenges faced before the races opened, but rain be damned, it was still a great day on the sand! I was there to work with clients (and friends) at the American Hot Rod Foundation, and can honestly say that it was one of the most challenging days of work most of us had ever faced, with a long wet slog bringing our booth displays & merch down to the beach for setup, a long wet day under the tent, and a last minute notice to tear down that same day. Still, not one of us could wipe the shit-eating grins off our faces as we caught up with old friends, and met new ones. The sun finally made an appearance on day 2. No racing happened on the beach, but everyone congregated at Pismo Campground for an ad-lib “open house”. A highlight of our day at the campground was presenting Diana Branch with the TROG spirit award. AHRF Executive Director David Steele had hand-crafted a special trophy for her, and was quite tickled by his own creation: A post shared by American Hot Rod Foundation (@americanhotrodfoundation) on Oct 16, 2016 at 4:32pm PDT And it was so sweet to witness the award presentation… This weekend at the Race of Gentlemen one amazing family more than earned our American Hot Rod Foundation “Spirit Award”. Congrats to Diana Branch and her family on showing us what this great past time is all about! • #TROG #TROGWest #AmericanHotRodFoundation #TheRaceOfGentlemen @studebakergal @theraceofgentlemen @flatheadroadster A post shared by American Hot Rod Foundation (@americanhotrodfoundation) on Oct 16, 2016 at 2:15pm PDT
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On par with our usual tradition of planning a little adventure before the Outdoor Retailer show, we hit the road to see a few of the many places in Utah we still had yet to explore. This trip, we found dinosaur tracks and ancient petroglyphs at Parowan Gap, and had a fun day trip through Cedar Breaks National Monument. We had heard that Cedar Breaks was like a “mini Bryce Canyon”, and as soon as we hit Chessemen Ridge Overlook, the resemblance was obvious. After taking in that spectacular view, we headed up the road for a quick hike along Alpine Pond trail, where I spent (probably way too much) time watching the bees keep busy on the various flowers along the trail. Our hike was shortened by the sound of thunder in the distance, and were grateful to be cozy & safe in our car when a massive hail storm blew over us!
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After our big day on Orkney Island, we decided to get out to set foot on the most northerly point in Mainland Britain, the peninsula of Dunnet Head (another nesting ground for Puffins, but we weren’t lucky enough to see any this particular day). En route, we also happened on some beautiful dunes on Dunnet Bay that we couldn’t resist exploring as well. The landscapes in this northern part of Scotland are strikingly different than those anywhere else. More vast, more open, and more rugged, yet still extremely fragile, in what’s technically a part of the subarctic region. Finishing up our last full day in the highlands we headed back to Thurso. I was struck by how light the skies still were as late as 11pm, and sat in my B&B window snapping photos of a man playing ball on the beach. In the low-ish light I was able to capture the man (standing a bit more still) but not the dog (in a constant sprint). This was our last stop of our Scotland adventure this time, but a part of Scotland I know I will come back to someday for a much longer stay. See the rest of my highlights from this whirlwind adventure in the Highlands of Scotland: Part 1 of 6: Edinburgh Part 2 of 6: Oban Part 3 of 6: Isle of Staffa (& Puffins!) Part 4 of 6: Isle of Iona Part 5 of 6: Orkney Island Part 6 of 6: Dunnet Head
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Orkney Island was another big day on our tour of the Scottish Highlands. With just a day to explore as much of Orkney Island as possible, we decided the Maxi Day Tour with John O’Groats Ferry would be the way to go. We met our ferry at the striking John O’Groats village at “Land’s End” bright & early, ready for a long, full dayEy Upon arrival Orkney, our coach picked us up and drove us across the Churchill Barriers, arriving for a quick stop in Kirkwall. While in Kirkwall, we were incredibly lucky to catch an installation of the Weeping Window of Poppies at St. Magnus Cathedral…a breathtaking exhibit by Paul Cummins, featuring thousands of ceramic red poppies “weeping” out a window at the top of the cathedral, and cascading down the walls and onto the lawn. Each poppy is meant to honor the death of a member of the British and colonial armed forces during WW1. We also had time to wander through the Earl’s Palace, and explore a few of the quaint shop-lined streets. From Kromwall, our coach brought us on to Stromness for lunch, and more wandering. Next stop: Skara Brae, a Neolithic village preserved under sand dunes until it was discovered just 100 years ago (other similar sites have been uncovered in other locations on the island since then as well). And…as if to end the day with literal, stone, exclamation points, we moved on next to the Standing Stones of Stennes & Ring of Broadgar, two “stone henges” that sit on proud display in the middle of what are now modern day farm fields. Exhausted & happy from a long day of learning & exploring, we had a quick stop at the Italian Chapel (built by Italian POW’s so they would have a place to worship), then hopped on the last ferry from Burwick, back to John O’ Groats. See the rest of my highlights from this whirlwind adventure in the Highlands of Scotland: Part 1 of 6: Edinburgh Part 2 of 6: Oban Part 3 of 6: Isle of Staffa (& Puffins!) Part 4 of 6: Isle of Iona Part 5 of 6: Orkney Island Part 6 of 6: Dunnet Head
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