Brian

More particularly the town of Mandello del Lario on the shores of Lake Como. The home of Moto Guzzi.

Entered by the West entrance at 6am on my motorcycle. A beautiful time of day with the sun just rising above the mountains and mist hanging in the air. And a motorcycle with its unobstructed views was a great way to take in all that beauty. Saw scores of dear in the several meadows beside the road and a couple of coyotes trotting along the road. Then I came to the Upper Geyser Basin where the mist gave way to steam plumes rising from either side of the road. A fascinating landscape unlike anything I’ve seen before. Took a break at Fountain Paint Pots for a closer look and to let my hands thaw (wearing fingerless gloves on a motorcycle at 6am in Yellowstone is not recommended). The small geysers and bubbling mud pits were in some ways more interesting than the big geysers I’s see later. With feeling returned in my hands, I rode on to Old Faithful which was so good as to blow a half hour after I arrived. I would have liked to have explored the area more fully, but had a full day’s ride ahead and so the call of the road superseded that of the wild. Drove around the north shore of Yellowstone Lake on my way to the East entrance. A fun ride with magnificant views until I hit the road construction going over Sylvan pass. An hour and more of waiting and slow speed riding over gravel tested my patience but at last I reached the east entrance and was on my way out of the park (and into the equally beautiful mountain byways of Wyoming).

Been in Buenos Aires a little over 24 hours with a little under 24 hours to go. 2 days isn´t enough. I´ve been walking the area around my hotel-the Microcentro, Plaza de Mayo, Plaza del Congreso, and Florida street-with Puerto Madero still to go. Won´t make it to San Telmo or Palermo Viejo this trip, but that gives me compelling reasons to return.

Drove through New York on my way across the country (from San Francisco to Newport RI and back). Definitely a place I plan to return to and explore a little more fully.

Been hiking in the Sierra Nevada both inside and outside the park borders since I was 9 years old. The valley is great with its views up at the mountains and its many waterfalls but I believe the greater beauty is in the high country.

Stayed outside the East entrance for two nights and did some day hiking. Would have liked to drive through the park on Going-to-the-Sun Road but it was closed as it was still early in the season. Definitely on my list of places to return and next time I’ll look into a multi-day backpacking trip.