Did I save the best for last?  No, since I really didn’t have an agenda only a vague plan to go south then west and stay where it’s warm, the sky is blue and I can wear sandals and shorts every day.  It just works out better when I don’t have a lot of detailed expectations.  Just be there and let it happen.  My last stop certainly was unique and unexpected though, complete with Devil’s Claws, hummingbirds and hippies that dropped out in the ‘60s.  I was only a spectator there and at La Kiva, feasted on native food, and was entertained by the locals who performed.  No not really a performance, that’s the way they were and I didn’t disturb them, not knowing if I’d be appreciated or not, so I restrained from intruding.  No sticking my camera in somebody’s face or using a flash.  I was satisfied to observe and I will be at each place again.  
    That chilly January morning when I pointed my station wagon loaded down with camping gear, kayak and bicycle south on Rt. 13, then onto US 95, is a foggy memory now, blurred by so many episodes of my Adventure XI.  My Don’t Miss List for future migrations is overflowing with way too many fun, memorable, and/or picturesque places to go in any single adventure in the future.  For the rest of year I’ll be filling this page with descriptions, explanations, and photos depicting my wanderings.
    I left O.C. January 2, spent January kayaking & basking in the sun in the Florida Keys, February in southwest Florida camped at Big Cypress National Preserve in the Everglades, Padre Island (Spring Break) & Big Bend N.P., in southern Texas was where I was in March for more camping & kayaking, and for April I was southwest of Tucson, Az., to camp in the land of hummingbirds and other exotic creatures.  I used to do these travels to have something to do in the winter while the wicked hawk of the north stole the sun and warmth from Ocean City, but now the tables have turned and summer for me here is just a waiting period ‘til when I can start another Adventure.
    I don’t mean to diminish Ocean City or the DelMarva Shore.  It is a wonderful place and the best resort on the east coast for sure.  Where else can I catch blue crabs anytime I want, gather as many mussels as I can eat, enjoy the beach, bars & restaurants and all of OC’s wonderful people in the summer, but be away from the touristy hustle & bustle to a secluded beach, bay or wooded area in twenty minutes?  I’m very fortunate to be part of the goings on of Ocean City and enjoy photographing families on the beach in the evenings.  If you are interested in having you and yours photographed give me a call and we can discuss doing a session at your favorite spot.  To set up an appointment contact me at:  PhotosAsYouWantThem.biz, ocfotoguy@aol.com or 410-289-7339.
    I’ve found my way back to OC via a sojourn to Fat Mama’s for tamales in Natchez, Miss.  Now, I’m trying to readjust and acclimate to the demands, requirements, and requests of the real world, that I’ve been avoiding and enjoying doing it so much.  I almost perfected the art of doing nothing.  Soon I’ll have a handle on OC’s 1⁄2$ Menus & Entrees and Bar Specials.  If you want the list, let me know.
    In the 116 days that I was gone I drove 12,240 miles, camped 57 nights and arrived in Ocean City just after the record high temperatures and the tease of summer.  Now, weather-wise, we’re mired in east coast drizzly grey, well dosed with wind.  That’s not all bad, though; it’s a great time to get the flowers, tomatoes and garden planted and the sun will be shining for SpringFest.
    I really don’t know which place, sighting, or day of my trip was best.  Eating a rattlesnake, seeing a panther, kayaking in St. Elena Canyon in Rio Grande River on the Texas/Mexico Boarder, finding a King Conch shell, or seeing a nesting hummingbird, but no bears or dragons this time; but I did see an Everglades Lobster.  Then there’s all those photos (Wow!) and being in La Kiva and Arivaca both right at the top of the list.  
    I heard on the Food Channel that Terlingua, Tex., is where Texas BBQ originated and the six other times that I’ve visited Big Bend N.P., which is situated nearby, I’ve looked for a restaurant that served BBQ, but no luck.  La Kiva is it.  It’s the hangout of the Rio Grande raft/canoe guides, with $1 16oz. HH draft ACBs, and that serves pounds of superbly barbequed chicken, pork ribs and brisket with the best sauce.  Yeah, all on the same plate for less than $10.  The quantity overflowed to a huge lunch the next day!  The restaurant is housed in a cave, the bar is overflowing with locals, and you can camp in the back of the parking lot - almost heaven!
    Then I found Arivaca, Ariz., south of Tucson and north of Nogales.  Many have never left there after drifting in. The village has one bar, a chuck wagon for a restaurant sitting beside the post office, and a hardware store that blares hard rock music from a single speaker starting early in the morning.  There’s a terrific nature trail that’s part of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge with lots of rare birds and other critters at each end of the town within walking distance of the bar.  Wow, another slice of heaven.  The Bar, La Gitana Cantina, held a fundraiser BBQ to purchase new X-Ray equipment for the local veterinarian on Saturday.  Eight dollars for all you could heap on a plate.  What a great way to bring my Adventure to a close and head back to OC.  See ya at SpringFest!  Oh, that new ornament on my hat? That’s a Devil’s Claw. More photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/o.c.fotoguy.
    Good Luck to John LaMere, who has returned to NYC to be a dad.  There will be a hole in my summer.  OC music will never be the same.  John, you will be missed.  He’ll be playing one more (hopefully not the last) time at Fager’s Island on May 11.