Two Year Report on the Road to 500

Two years after deciding to keep track of the World Heritage Sites, here I am trying to catch up… I should have done regular updates but never got to it. The previous blogpost has been at the top of this site, promising new posts but looking abandoned. How am I supposed to fix this? I should never let this happen again… How to summarize the extraordinary places we’ve seen or the things we learned? 

Stranded on Lord Howe Island, a remote and barely accessible world heritage site in May 2023

Big Bend National Park

Feb. 19, 2019  Tuesday

The ranger at the Visitor Center suggests that, for one day in Big Bend National Park,  we should drive to Canyon Santa Elena and visit all the view points or trails that stem from the road. Though we entered the park last night, and slept at the Chisos Mountain Lodge, we received our map and visitor guide, The Paisano, this morning, after buying our National Park Pass. To get to the Canyon we have to climb out of the Chisos Basin and then take the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive (named after the first superintendent,  who, knowing the area so well, laid down the route to connect the most spectacular geological features of the west side of the park). 

Our trip is highlighted in blue.

Texas, From Right To Left

Monday, Feb. 18, 2019

At the crack of the dawn, or better say when the dawns were thinking if they should crack, we were in the car driving. I know what I’m talking about, even if you don’t believe me, because there were clouds of flocks of starlings, perched on the wires that were holding the traffic lights, all facing the same way,  not knowing what to do, the light would change and they would start flying, and then re-perch, not enough light far away from the traffic.

Galveston

Another vacation! Hurray! This one starts in Houston and ends in San Diego. Mihai flew from Philadelphia earlier in the day and I flew from Romania, through Munchen, arriving at 4 pm.