Solo and Unsupported Run across America blog rerun. Posted every weekday at 8am. Buy the now complete book and full story at www.abrahamlouis.com/runningwater
I woke at 6:30 to fill water bottles and mix my GU brew. After dropping the kids off at school with Chilto, we headed to where I had stopped running the day before. I started to put Ruby together when we both came to the horrible realization that Ruby’s wheels were left in there other car. Chilto was very nice about my mental lapse and drove us back to the house. By the time I was out and running it was 10am and I no longer had an early start to the day.
A locked gate blocked my entrance as I approached the Lake Perris State Recreation. I was hesitant to duck the gate and proceed but was left with little options. A sign on the ticket window read the list of fees for the park ($35 camping, $20 boating…) If the DNR stopped me, I would just kindly state, “their was no fee listed for run campers.” The park proved to be beautiful. With the whole road to myself, Ruby and I were off to a good start.
Eventually I wound my way out of the park, through Moreno Valley and over the Live Oak Canyon pass. The views were incredible with the San Bernardino Mountains as a backdrop. We were on a downhill course as Ruby and I rolled into Yucapia. Yucapia was in the shadow of a huge mountain with a dense population.
Doug picked me up shortly after I called and took me back to the house for some homemade turkey soup! We discussed my plans of passing over the San Bernardino mountains and both agreed it would be wise to stay clear of the 9,000 foot elevation and recent snow fall. My new route will take me south to Beaumont, east to White Water then I’ll stay on hwy 62 through Twenty-nine Palms.
For the amount of mileage I put in the past 3 days, (86 mi) I feel pretty good. I have some minor swelling in my feet, sunburn on the back of my ankles, a sore back and my wrists are starting to develop blisters from the tension of Ruby. I’m ready to hit the hay but will try to get a few pictures posted.
Here are a few photographs that will get you craving the open ocean and only add to the highly romanticized life at sea. Enjoy my picks of the top 20 most beautiful ships, sailboats, and photography.
Thats not a rock thats a whale!
Here's the one you can probably afford, just needs a little work. The open ocean is as freeing and liberating to a rich man at it is to a poor man. No amount of money will ever be able to buy the open sea.
Below are 25 amazing place that bourder on fantasy and unbelievable. It’s hard to believe that places like this actually do exist. Most of the places I picked are from foreign lands. However I would like to note that here in america we have some pretty stunning stuff that you should get to first, (Yosemite, Redwoods, Zion, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Yellow Stone, Adirondack’s, Monument Vally, Great Lake, Alaska!) The list goes on and on. I have been to all of those places so the far off lands currently personally intrigue me more. God has truly created an amazing place for us to explore. Below is only a short list. Comment below if you have been to any of these places or would recomend something. Enjoy!
Mount Roraima - The Largest Flat Top Mountain in the World
The Phi Phi Islands, Thailand - The Phi Phi Islands are located in Thailand, between the large island of Phuket and the western Andaman Sea coast of the mainland. Classic beaches, stunning rock formations, and vivid turquoise waters teeming with colourful marine life – it’s paradise perfected.
Santorini, Greece - Santorini is perhaps the most fascinating and most talked about island of Greece in the Aegean. Only the name of the island is enough to unfold in mind pleasurable connotations, volcanic landscape, gray and red beaches, dazzling white houses, terraces with panoramic sea views , stunning sunsets, wild fun. All this, together with remnants of lost civilizations discovered in the volcanic ash justify the epithets with which visitors identify Santorini and fairly is called, magical, indescribable, astonishing.
- Machu Picchu stands 2,430 m above sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. It was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height; its giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. The natural setting, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, encompasses the upper Amazon basin with its rich diversity of flora and fauna. The Incas started building the “estate” around AD 1400, but abandoned it as an official site for the Inca rulers a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Although known locally, it was unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham.
Iceland - Fire and Ice offers a stunning portrait of this island of extremes, where some of Europe’s biggest glaciers cozy up to some of the continent’s hottest volcanic springs. Every Season has its own unique charm and there are always opportunities to experience new things, discover beauty and be mesmerized by the freshness and colors of nature.
Petra, Jordan - Petra, the world wonder, is without a doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.
The Naica Mine of the Mexican state of Chihuahua is a working mine that is best known for its extraordinary selenite crystals. The Cave of Crystals (Cueva de los Cristales) is a cave approximately 1,000 feet (300 m) below the surface in the limestone host rock of the mine. The chamber contains giant selenite crystals, some of the largest natural crystals ever found.T he selenite crystals were formed by hydrothermal fluids emanating from the magma chambers below.
Plitvice, Croatia - The stunning Plitvice Lakes National Park lies in the Lika region of Croatia. The park is surrounded by the mountains Plješevica, Mala Kapela, and Medveđak, which are part of the Dinaric Alps. The 16 blue-green Plitvice Lakes, which are separated by natural dams of travertine, are situated on the Plitvice plateau. The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colors, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colors change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.
Bagan, Myanmar - Bagan is notable for its expanse of sacred geography, the number and size of their individual ancient monuments. The ruins of Bagan cover an area of 16 square miles. The majority of its buildings were built in the 11th to 13th centuries, during the time Bagan was the capital of the Myanmar dynasty. Bagan is also the first place to have transformed into a religious and cultural centre, by Shin Arahan who brought Theravada Buddhism to this land. Bagan is full of ancient architectural designs, mural paintings, precious frescoes and stone inscriptions to see for yourself, and also it is the centre for the manufacturing of lacquerware products in Myanmar. Hence it is marked as a cultural heritage of the Myanmar People, and also a landmark full of ancient pagodas and monuments which can be rarely encountered today. Bagan is one of the major historical landmarks of Asia and represents the outstanding achievement of Theravada Buddhism. Most of the site were damaged by the 1975 earthquake and cooperation with UNESCO projects help some experimental conservation work, restoration of mural paintings and maintaining some of the rare monuments.
Salar De Yuyni, Bolivia - Salar de Uyuni (or Salar de Tunupa) is the world’s largest salt flat at 10,582 square kilometers (4,086 sq mi). It is located in the Potosí and Oruro departments in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes, and is elevated 3,656 meters (11,995 ft) above the mean sea level. The Salar was formed as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes. It is covered by a few meters of salt crust, which has an extraordinary flatness with the average altitude variations within one meter over the entire area of the Salar.
Angkor Wat, Cambodia - Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built by King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu, dedicated to the god Vishnu, then Buddhist. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country’s prime attraction for visitors.
Iguazu Falls, Argentina & Brazil - Taller than Niagara Falls, twice as wide with 275 cascades spread in a horsehoe shape over nearly two miles of the Iguazu River, Iguazú Falls are the result of a volcanic eruption which left yet another large crack in the earth. During the rainy season of November – March, the rate of flow of water going over the falls may reach 450,000 cubic feet (12,750 cubic m) per second.
Meteora, Greece - Meteora is an area in Thessaly (Central Greece) and Kalampaka is the city underthe rock towers of Meteora. The thing that makes Meteora so special isthe monasteries on the top of the rock towers. The monasteries,the amound of peaks to climb and the paths for hikingbrings in Meteora the whole year many tourists.
The Azores are nine different islands of adventure, nine delightful surprises. You can see dolphins and whales frolicking in the sea or volcanic landscapes covered in green. Then there are the stunning, lilac-coloured hydrangeas that provide hedges for the meadows; the blue and green lakes; the craters of extinct volcanoes and the steam rising from the land. The volcanic activity here means that you can even have your meal cooked under the ground!Inland you can go mountain climbing and walking through the countryside. Or you can stick to the coast and go diving and swimming.
Positano is one of the highlights to visit when you come to Italy. With all its chic hotels, apartments and fancy restaurants it’s managed to maintain its traditional character. The stunning coastline from Capo di Sorrento to Positano is an adventure on itself. Not many people know that Positano is originally not a fishermans village, but a mountain village. During the 14th and 15th century the little villages along the Amalfi Coast acted as an independent country. To protect themselves they built their houses and churches high on and inside the mountain rocks.Between the 16th century and the beginning of the 19th century the Italian people, forgot this beautiful village and in place, the intellectuals and artists rediscovered the magic of Positano. Now Positano is one of Italy’s most exclusive resorts, attracting celebrities, artists, musicians and writers for many decades.
Angel Falls, Venezuela - Angel Falls is a waterfall in Venezuela. It is the world’s highest waterfall, with a height of 979 m (3,212 ft) and a plunge of 807 m (2,648 ft). Angel Falls is one of Venezuela’s top tourist attractions, though a trip to the falls is a complicated affair. The falls are located in an isolated jungle, and a flight from Puerto Ordaz or Ciudad Bolívar is required to reach Canaima camp, the starting point for river trips to the base of the falls. River trips generally take place from June to December, when the rivers are deep enough for the wooden curiaras used by the Pemon guides. During the dry season (December to March) there is less water seen than in the other months
Hundreds of waters and thousands of peaks are in the Tianzi Mountains. What an uncanny work of art by Nature. The highest peak of the mountains is 1262.5 meters above sea level. Around it is rolling ridges and peaks and high picturesque rocks. On the top of the mountains, one can have a bird ‘ s eye view of numberless inter winding hills and deep valleys of the Wulingyuan area as well as downpouring waterfalls and lofty old pines in drifting mists and clouds. There are different sights when seasons and weather change, Sometimes it is fine with blue sky, which gives one a sense of strength and vastness. Sometimes it is full or clouds and mists, which gives one a sense of mystery of if in fairyland.
Hamilton Pool, Texas - Hamilton Pool Preserve is a historic swimming hole which was designated a preserve by the Travis County Commissioner’s Court in 1990. Located 3/4 mile upstream from its confluence with the Pedernales River, Hamilton Creek spills out over limestone outcroppings to create a 50 foot waterfall as it plunges into the head of a steep box canyon. The waterfall never completely dries up, but in dry times it does slow to a trickle. However, the pool’s water level stays pretty constant, even during periods of drought.
Bali Lake Bratan - Bedugul is the name used to cover a large area of the central highlands of Bali around the villages of Bedugul itself, Candikuning, Pancasari, Pacung and Wanagiri (amongst others). This is an area of great natural beauty. The focus point of the area centres on the three crater lakes of Bratan (Beratan), Buyan and Tamblingan, and the nearby botanical gardens. The whole area is at an altitude of 700 metres or more, with the tallest mountain peaks above 2,000 metres, and it can be distinctly chilly here.
China Danxia, or Danxia landform of China, is the general name of the unique type of landscapes, Danxia landform, formed from red sandstone and characterised by steep cliffs, which are caused by endogenous forces (including uplift) and exogenous forces (including weathering and erosion). In August 2010, China Danxia was inscribed onto the World Heritage List."