Well, ya know, Dan, I have heard the obituary of the plains many times in my lifetime. My grandfather heard it during the Great Depression/Dust Bowl. My great-grandfather heard it when the blizzards of the 1880s wiped out thousands of cattle. Stephen Long decided it's fate when he called the Great Plains "The Great American Desert." And ya know what? We are still here and viable. And we will be for a long time. That is unless planning types figure out a way people can transport themselves from points east without need of fuel, food and water. So you say it is 2050. Well, I won't be around, but I'm willing to bet some of these communities and their ag neighbors are. Gee! I recall hearing when I was a kid that we all were gonna have jet packs to get to work and I'm still waiting for that prediction to come to pass. Predictions. That's all they are. And I've heard enough predictions and projections from planners to recognize they are very skillfully worded guesses of what will happen. That's all. I dare say, we are far more aware of the Front Range's needs and wants, than they are of the "realities" out here. Ever heard of Ports to Plains? Well, those trucks going from Mexico to Canada are going to need the necessary ammenities to keep cargo moving. And while some little towns are drying up, others will still be around to serve the ground transportation by trucks and tourists heading for the beauty of the mountains. Can't do that without water, now can we??? Bruce, I am not going to defend the waste of water from agriculture. The production of corn on marginally productive land irrigated only because corn prices are artificially high thanks to the ethanol mess is maddening. But understandable to those trying to make a living from the land. Prices are high, they are gonna try to capitalize on it. They are trying to grow corn out here in dryland country. This year it is going fine because of the rain, but that isn't going to happen very often. We are water rights holders and senior ones at that. We have fended off municipalities for years at great expense. So should we just let the ever-burgeoning suburbs stick a straw into our little corner of the prairie so people can have a nice expanse of lawn and a bunch of plants that don't belong out here? Nope, not from us, it isn't going to happen. We conserve our water table. We don't abuse it. We share when times are tough for neighbors, but we have no inclination to let that water table get depleted so someone can use a six-headed shower fixture or let their sprinklers run until water goes down the gutters of the streets. Does that happen here? Sure, we have a few people like that too, but it doesn't happen often because the cost deters many from trying it. At my home, which in town, I planted native cool-season grass for a lawn and I have watered only a couple times in the summers since I planted it. I use drip for my vegetables. I use soaker hoses for the flower beds. My water bill is rarely over the base price. Do I begrudge people a beautiful yard? No way on this earth, but I do think a lot of people could be a lot wiser with the way they water what they have planted in their yard and how they use water in and around their home. Yeah, it would be a lot easier to get the hose out and spray off the mud from the sidewalk or the grass clippings, but that just isn't prudent given the water situation we all need to face. And how many times do you see an automated sprinkler system running when rain is falling? Don't tell me about the waste from agriculture causing prohibitive water costs. So if it is "no tragedy" to you that people out here lose their way of life, I must point out that we find little sympathy for the bellyaching about high water bills from the city dwellers. We all have to pay the price in one way or another. But then, if all that matters in life is making some money off the water rights so they can move to the city and be assimilated, that's what they deserve. The Plains Indians did just fine out here. Long was just the first of many who wrote this part of the country off. Many endured horrendous conditions to cross these prairies for the west. The Poppers wrote us off in the late 1980s with the infamous proposal of "Buffalo Commons" and we are still here. Some of you may not understand what the draw is, and that is okay. Those of us who know, don't have to explain it, we just thank God for every day we have out here - away from all the "conveniences" you have in your lives.

Same vacation, doing some planning -- we will be in lots of national parks and want to bring picnic lunches in with us, rather than eating in the cafeterias and lunchrooms. So I'm trying to think of ideas of things we could purchase in local grocery stores that would make an awesome roadside lunch. Sandwiches, of course -- grocery stores here sell "subway" type sandwiches and those on bread, all kinds. (Is this common in more rural areas?) Chips (hubby) Fruit Crackers, cheese, deli meats to make our own "lunchables" Baby carrots Pre-made salads like chicken or Caesar salad Hard-boiled eggs (our grocery stores here have them, is this universal?) Does anyone have ideas that I'm overlooking? Most national parks that we're visiting don't have fire pits or grates in the picnic areas, I've noticed, so things like hamburgers or hot dogs would not be something we could easily cook while picnicking. I am still open to suggestions for restaurants -- we are trying to vary our food stops between restaurants, cooking in the motel rooms, dinner with family, and picnic lunches. Breakfasts will probably be a combination of motel continental breakfast, stopping at a roadside restaurant, or similar. (Thanks for the link to Dobbins House! That looks like a likely place!) Donna

I live in Lovettsville, VA, which is in Loudoun County. We are considered "Northern Virginia" and are just outside of Washington, DC. I grew up in Fairfax County, which is even closer to DC than where I live now. I feel lucky to have grown up near DC and try not to take it for granted. It's still pretty amazing driving over the bridge and seeing a view of all the memorials from the car.

I didn't see miniature world, but it was on the list of things to see. Fort Rodd Hill was fun, but we got there late and didn't get to see the whole thing. That's also where the light house is. I found Victoria very artsy, and perfect for anyone who loves to take pictures of old buildings.... like.... ME! I'll be posting more pictures on Flickr as I process them. The petting zoo is still at Beacon Hill Park, but I didn't go in there. I was meeting friends there. It's where I took the peacock picture, through the fence. LOL If anyone does go there, do get the fish and chips in Fishermans Wharf. Walk over the bridge, and it's the first stand to the left. YUM! I had fish and chips three times last week, and the meal at the wharf was THE best I've ever had.