Recent Travels - Dover Stone Church
The dover stone church, is an incredible natural formation in upstate New York, about an hour from the north jersey border. Ive seen photos of it passed around online and on social media and was always intrigued with the place, after all who wouldn't be interested in seeing a water fall inside a cave? So we packed up some snacks, and camera gear and pilled in the car and headed up north. The drive was a little over an hour on back winding roads and highways that swirled between towering mountains, it was pleasant and the time passed quickly. Upon arriving the entrance to the trail didn't allow parking so we found an empty school and left the car there and proceeded to the trail head. The first part of the trail leads through an open field lined with young trees on either side and was rather pleasing sight in the early morning fog on the slightly overcast day. Upon crossing the field we navigated through a forested trail that bent and turned and eventually came to a small foot bridge to cross a delicate stream. After this part we followed the stream about a half mile before reaching the entrance. A large cliff face looked back at us, the cliff face had a narrow crack that grew wider as it reached the stream, this was were we hopped stones and climbed into the opening. Once inside although dimly lit it was the most beautiful of sights. The waterfall crashing down the back wall as the ceiling of the cave stretched high above our heads, a low lying fog creeped along the gentle current. I had a flare in my pack as i usually do when adventuring, part of it is because they do come in handy but mostly i have it because i not so secretly want to be Indiana Jones. I was glad i did because i soon as it was lit the cave shined brilliantly and came to life more then i could have imagined, the above photo is of fellow traveler Catie holding the flare and taking in the surroundings. enjoy.
- Keep Traveling friends
The Imperial Sand Dunes - " We need to experience this barefoot "
After refueling and heading out of the glorious Salvation Mountain we started north toward Phoenix where friendly faces, a hot shower, and a night of sleep in a home that didn't have four wheels awaited us, oh and civilization let us not forget that. The roads started off incredibly flat and straight for as far as our eyes would let us see. We continued like this for hours with another car passing once every thirty or so miles, gradually the landscape started gently raising and collapsing. The soft hills coated in low small vegetation and little else, in the distance one could see mountains majestically painting the horizon as the sun started to lower itself in the royal blue sky. Driving onward we suddenly found ourselves being wrapped in a terrain we had yet to encounter while on the road, pale dunes of sand higher then the van on either side of the road, the winds blurring where road war ended and dune began. Amazed at what we were seeing we found the nearest pull off and in one moment ripped our socks and shoes off and began our sprint into the marian landscape. The sand beneath our feet felt like silk and all at once we flashed back to children dancing in the yard with no care or worry of the troubles in our respective lives. We summited the biggest dune we could see and gazed out toward the setting sun, the landscape went for miles with no sign of anything else. The difference between the shadowy sides of the dune and those painted with the sun was that of fall and spring. As we stood and watched the sun set the dunes became richer in color and the sky began to show us what a sunset should always be, brilliant purples, pinks, blues, all seamlessly mixing and mingling together. I will never forget that moment and the feeling of complete freedom that overwhelmed me. This is what life was all about and this the feeling i will forever chase. endlessly.