It’s been a cool and damp spring in the Sandhills in 2009, cooler temperatures and moisture intensify the emerald colors found everywhere this time of year - interspersed with the flecks of gold and purple flowers and the grey and steely sky. Megan Hanna and her uncle David took a trip down to the river and then back to the calving shed on Sunday, you can see the results of the trip below:

Click here to view Megan’s photos.

Springtime in Missouri brings lots of rain, misty days and flowers in bloom. I took a little day trip down to Columbia, MO but this time I wanted to explore the countryside so I passed up the interstate highway and here’s what I saw. Click here or on the picture below to see more!

Fields of flowers near Waverly, MO.

Registration is now open for the 2009 Sandhills Marathon! For those who are interested and are not yet on the mailing list for updates here is the information you’ll need to register:

Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 13, 2009: The 3rd Annual Sandhills Marathon. Please find a registration brochure attached.

We hope you’ll be able to join us for the full or the half marathon this year. And, of course, race volunteers are more than welcome!

Remember, the race will be limited to 55 participants (30 from Nebraska and 25 from out of state) and registrants who enter on or before May 15th will receive a $10 discount, so don’t delay! If you are interested in running the full or half marathon download the form linked below then mail it along with your registration fee to the address included on the form.

http://www.passranch.com/docs/SandhillsRegistrationBrochure2009.pdf

Good luck to all who participate in the 3rd annual Sandhills Marathon! Remember, volunteers and spectators are more than welcome to join us on Saturday, June 13th in Brownlee, Nebraska!

Sonny and Susie contributed a few more pictures of their own from Route 66 this year. Click here or on the picture below (just like always) to see more!

The Mission Church in Old Town Albuquerque.

Dave travelled to Phoenix again this year, but this time taking a road trip along Route 66. Click here or on the picture below (just like always) to see more!

The National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma.

From time to time, a foot or so of snow will fall on the ranch. Earlier this month that’s exactly what happened. I’ve put up a few pictures of the place under a blanket of snow. See them all by clicking on the image or right here!

Just a quick note for readers interested in the annual Sandhills Marathon, the date has been set for the 2009 event. June 13th. Stay tuned as we learn more about the details!

***Update***
Please remember, for everyone interested in participating in this year’s event, please send your request to Scott Schwartz at the following address: schwartz262@yahoo.com

Scott will then be able to provide you with further instructions. Thank you all for your interest, and we hope to see you in the 2009 marathon!

Well here they are! The pictures from my epic journey to the west. I traveled through 9 states, three time zones, and 4100 miles! I had a blast, no doubt about it and would embark on the same trip in a heartbeat, I had so much fun! I have split the trip into 7 seperate sections - one for each day and I will include links for each day below. Just click on the map image for the day you wish to view, or click on the link for the day listed above each map.

I hope you enjoy my pictures and send any comments along to dave@passranch.com thank you for taking the time to view my pictures!

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Just got back from an epic two day road trip. (Two and a half day, technically…I had to pull over and rest just 200 miles from the end).

1700 miles, 5 states - including one that I can now cross off my “states to visit” list, leaving only 6 more US states to go, wildly varying terrain, and an endless supply of fun! Click on the map below to view the interactive map.

The trip began as a test run for what will be my biggest adventure so far, a road trip to the pacific northwest and Canadian rockies. I wanted to test my ability to camp in the car in order to save on hotel rooms, and my endurance for driving long distances at a time. So far it has been a success so my plans to embark on the big trip next month remain. The only concern I have right now is how the extended periods of time sitting in the car driving and the large quantities of fast food I tend to eat while on road trips will affect me. But it’s only going to be a couple weeks, so I’ll probably survive!

After driving up to Duluth, I finally reached the Minnesota arrowhead region late Saturday night and pulled over to make my camp. On Sunday, I drove through vast pine forests, mountain ranges, lakes areas, farmland as flat as a table to the horizon in every direction, and I even crossed the continental divide between waters that drain to the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. (I crossed this continental divide in South Dakota, BTW) I went to North Dakota for the first time ever, visited Fargo, Grand Forks, International Falls, and Ely - also for the first time for each. Ely reminds me of North Conway, NH in just about every way except for the lack of mountains in Ely. I had a great breakfast at a place called “The Chocolate Moose“. If ever you find yourself in Ely Minnesota, I recommend this place highly. Hopefully some day I’ll be able to return myself!

I did take a few pictures, mostly uninteresting and they don’t do the trip justice, but you can see them all by clicking here or on the picture above. I will do my best next time to take more time and take more pictures!

Boats, bands, camping, and Thai food! It’s all right here at Cooper’s Landing, just a few miles south of Columbia, MO. Check out all the photos from my trip there - click on the link here or on the image below for them all!