James:

Yes, it should be fun. I'm embarking on this Alaska trip with a whole different mindset than the last one, so I am not likely to come away with any lingering disappointment. The last time, all I could think about was being surrounded by an abundance of Eagles and Grizzly Bears -- both of which are extremely rare here in the Southern Arizona desert. Unfortunately, our last trip was late in the season and Fall came early that year, so wildlife sightings were few and far between. I was so focused on the lack of wildlife, that I failed to fully appreciate the wonderful display of Fall Colors on the tundra. This trip, I plan to just relax and lay out on deck sipping hot chocolate and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

I was already thinking it would be nice to make a quick run up to Cedar Breaks to check out the Fall Colors, so visiting our friends in Vegas will let us kill two birds with one stone. We really love the natural wonders in Northern Arizona and all over Utah and consider ourselves lucky that they are so close . . . by our standards, anyway. I have to kick myself, though, because in my younger days I'd whiz right by the turn off for places like Zion, Bryce & Canyonlands on our way to what I thought were more interesting and exotic locales -- not that I don't still love Yellowstone and the Tetons.

You are correct about it costing a small fortune to rent an RV. Twenty some years ago (or was it more like thirty?) we rented a huge Class A motor home for a month and put several thousand mile on it and the whole tab came to around $1,600.- Last year, we were fortunate enough to stumble upon and buy a very low mileage 21.5 ft Chinook on a Ford E-350 Chassis. We probably overpaid for it, but we like it and enjoy using it.

We both spent the last twenty years of our working lives tied to jobs that made it really hard to travel and enjoy ourselves, so we've been doing our best to make up for lost time in our retirement. I just wish I had taken better care of myself so I could be more physically active now.

Looking forward to seeing more of your shots from Acadia. That is one spot that is still high on my priority list of places to visit. At six thousand miles R/T, though, that will be a major undertaking.

In the meantime, if I manage to get any decent shots, I'll be sure to post some here. My problem is that I am reluctant to post anything because my stuff always seems to pale in comparison to the work the rest of you folks produce.