Travelogue

Tongariro Holiday ParkAfter leaving Orakei Korako, we drove about an hour and a half south, along the east shore of Lake Taupo to the Tongariro Holiday Park where we would be staying for the next two nights.

Tongariro lies at the southern terminus of the Taupo Volcanic Zone and is home to three active volcanoes: Mount Ruapehu, Mount Ngauruhoe, and Mount Tongariro.

One of the major impetuses for us to visit the North Island was to hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, considered the best one-day hike in New Zealand, and for many, one of the best in the world. It's a 12.6-mile long, with 2,800 feet elevation gain, point-to-point trek across a Martian-like landscape of active volcanic craters, bright emerald lakes, and ancient lava flows.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing ForecastBecause the hike starts and ends at different locations, we needed to book a shuttle to drop us off at Mangatmost Carpark where the hike begins. From there we would hike to Ketetahi Carpark, where a shuttle would take us the short distance back to our campground.

We had originally booked the shuttle for tomorrow, but after seeing the forecast, we pushed it back a day. Back home, when planning for the day to do this hike, I had no idea how much the weather would be a safety issue. I had been following the rain forecast, but rain is not the issue; it's the winds - often 50+ mph gusts hat make it unsafe - or at the least, very unpleasant - to climb up and over the narrow ridge over the Red Crater.

Frequent white outs and visibility less than 10 meters are also frequently a safety issue, making it easy to lose the trail. Besides the safety considerations, I didn’t want to do all the work that this hike required without being able to see anything.

When we checked into our campground, the proprietor told us that conditions had been so windy on the Alpine Crossing that the shuttle had been canceled the last 3 days and very likely would be canceled tomorrow as well.

I admit, I was beginning to get cold feet, but we would have to just wait and see.

Since it was only 4:30 when we arrived at the Holiday Park, and it didn't get dark until 8:30, we figured we might as well go for a hike in nearby Tongariro National Park, so we headed over to the visitor center to see what the options were.

Silica Rapids Hike

Punaruku FallsWe didn’t have enough time for a super long hike this late in the afternoon, so we chose the Silica Rapids Walk, which is a 4.3-mile, 1,000-foot elevation gain hike, which goes through several very distinct ecosystems.

The first section of the trail brought us through a very peaceful, lush beech forest alongside the Whakapapanui Stream.

In about a mile we arrived at Punaruku Falls where the Tawhainui Stream tumbles over the edge of an ancient lava flow.

Golden RapidsAbout a mile further along we came to a portion of the stream with a stunning orange-gold section of shelves and boulders, stained by the iron-oxide (rust) from upstream swamps.

It is so bright that it looks unnatural, as if someone had painted the rocks. It was easy to see how it got its name Golden Rapids.

The rocks aren't just colored; they are often coated in a slightly fuzzy or velvety layer of mineral deposits, making the stream bed look soft rather than jagged.

At about 2 miles from the start, we came to a junction in the boardwalk near the top of the valley and turned right on a short spur to a viewpoint at the center of the Silica Rapids, where alabaster-colored water flows over a series of beautiful creamy-white terraces.

Silica RapidsTheir stunning white appearance is the result of a chemical reaction that takes place in the rapids themselves.

The process starts upstream, deep beneath Mount Ruapehu where rain water and snowmelt percolate through the porous superheated volcanic rock, causing them to absorb high concentrations of aluminum and silica from the surrounding rocks.

As this superheated, mineral-rich water flows downstream and hits the rapids, it splashes over the rocks and becomes heavily aerated, causing it to release carbon dioxide, which then causes the dissolved minerals to turn back into a solid.

Silica RapidsThese solid minerals settle on the rocks, building up layer after layer. Over time, they create a smooth, white "painted" crust that looks like porcelain over the flat terraces.

It was absolutely lovely, made even more so by one small tilted tree, stranded amidst the rushing water, still alive but looking like it was fighting for its life.

That tiny tree struggling against the rapids has become Herb’s favorite photo of the trip. Titled “Gold Rush,” It is now framed and hanging in our living room.

Across the lava fieldsThis hike really was exceeding expectations. We had only hiked two miles and we had already seen a lovely waterful, and two sets of rapids formed by the same process, but with very different appearance because of the minerals in the water that flowed over them - iron-oxide over the Golden Rapids and silicates over the Silica Rapids.

After the Silica Rapids, the trail took a sharp left away from the stream into a dramatic shift in scenery, as we left the beech forest and rapids behind and entered a vast, open alpine meadow, covered by tall, golden-bronze grasses called Red Tussock, that swayed in the wind.

We were now in the heart of the Taupō Volcanic Zone with three major volcanoes visible along the route.

Jagged Mount RuapehuAlthough we didn’t realize it, from the start of our hike, we were already on the lower slopes of Mount Ruapehu, the largest and highest volcano in New Zealand. We got our first peek of its jagged peaks when we crossed the long bridge over the Whakapapanui Stream.

It was the ancient lava flows from eruptions of Ruapehu that created the cliffs at Punaruku Falls and the terraces of the Silica Rapids.

Instead of one single summit, Ruapehu has a broad summit plateau with several distinct peaks that form a broken, jagged rim around its central crater. It’s the only place in the North Island with permanent glaciers.

Through the Red TussockIt is the thousands of years of these glaciers grounding away at the volcanic rock that have made the summits much more jagged and torn looking than the younger smoother volcanoes, such as Mount Ngāuruhoe, which came into view next.

As we continued on the path through the lava fields, with the Red Tussock swaying in what was a pretty strong wind, we came to our first view of Mount Ngāuruhoe, a classic near-perfect, smooth cone volcano so different from its jagged neighbor. To make it even more dramatic, a large dark cloud was sitting atop its summit, like a large sombrero.

Approaching Mt. NgāuruhoeThe contrast between the golden tussock and the dark Mt. Ngāuruhoe was stunning.

Ngāuruhoe is probably one of the most recognizable volcanoes in the world, as it played the role of Mount Doom in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It was the place where the One Ring was forged and ultimately destroyed.

Just behind and to the left of Ngāuruhoe, we could see parts of the Mount Tongariro range, a massive complex of 12 volcanic cones and craters.

Herb meets Mt. NgāuruhoeIf the weather cooperated tomorrow, we would be crossing over this range on our Tongariro Alpine Crossing hike, but just based on the wind we were experiencing now made the likelihood of that less and less.

From there we descended fairly steeply down to Bruce Road and then back to our car at the visitor center. The hike, which was 4.75 miles with 1,017-foot elevation gain, had so many highlights along the way that it was hard to pick a favorite.

Back at the campground, we checked the weather forecast for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and made the decision that it just wasn’t going to happen for us. Winds were just two strong to make it a fun and even safe hike, especially for me. So, I canceled our shuttle reservation.

Taranaki Falls and Tama Lakes Hike

Lava field above Taranaki FallsWhen we woke up the next morning, I checked the official weather forecast for the Red Crater (the highest point and crux of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing), and had to admit to being somewhat pleased to find that the hike was not recommended for today because of strong winds. Otherwise, I would have felt bad that we had missed out on a chance to do this hike.

Now, I could be satisfied with the awesome alternative hike that we had planned for the day. It was even similar in mileage and elevation gain to the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, but with much easier terrain and less severe winds because of its lower elevation.

It was still going to be very windy, but not the “knock-me-off-the-summit of Red Crater” kind of windy.

Lower Tama LakeStill, at over 12.3 miles with an elevation gain of over 3,000 feet it was going to be a challenging hike.

Instead of doing Tama Lakes as an out-and-back, we decided to use the Taranaki Falls loop to create a lollipop route. So, we were pretty much doing a hike within a hike.

We decided to take the recommended counter-clockwise direction, also known as the Upper Track, which almost immediately exposed us to big open views of the two volcanoes we had seen on our Silica Rapids hike yesterday - jagged Mount Ruapehu on our right and cone-shaped Mount Ngāuruhoe straight ahead, which unfortunately was quite obscured by clouds today.

Closeup of Willy-WilliesAfter about 2 miles we crossed a wooden bridge at the top of Taranaki Falls, where we could hear, but not see, the thundering of the waterfalls below us.

The most impressive part of being at the top of the Falls was realizing that we were standing on a bridge above the terminal edge of a massive lava flow that erupted thousands of years ago from Mount Ruapehu, which was upstream from us.

We watched as the stream somewhat peacefully, meandered through the shallow rock bed before picking up speed as it slid over a smooth rock lip and disappeared into and became thundering Taranaki Falls.

Steep climb up to the Upper Tama LakeRather than climb down the 135 wooden steps to the base of the falls now, we decided to save that for the way back, when we would complete the other half of the lollipop of the Taranaki Falls hike.

After leaving the Wairere Stream Bridge, we headed inland toward the “saddle” between Mount Ruapehu (to our right) and Mount Ngāuruhoe (to our left). Because this is a saddle, it acts like a giant wind tunnel, so we were beginning to feel some pretty strong winds, but nothing I am sure compared to the Red Crater along the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

Upper Tama LakeWe continued our steady, gradual climb towards Lower Tama Lake, nestled in a deep circular bowl, with Mount Ruapehu as a backdrop.

The bowl it sits in is actually a large explosion crater (called a maar) formed roughly 10,000 years ago by violent steam explosions when rising magma met groundwater.

What struck me the most about Tama Lake was its striking two-tone color - a milky greenish blue near the edges and a deep, dark indigo blue in the center. The reason for these differences is volcanic water chemistry.

Very windy lunch spotBecause this lake is in an active volcanic zone, it is constantly being fed by fine particles of volcanic ash and rock dust washing down from Mount Ruapehu. These particles are known as “rock flour" and since they are so small and light, they don’t sink, but rather they stay suspended in the water. When sunlight hits the rock flour near the shore, they reflect the green and blue parts of the light spectrum, creating the milky green-blue color we see.

Meanwhile, the center of the lake is incredibly deep, so there is no bottom for the sunlight to bounce off. At this depth, the longer wavelengths of light (reds and yellows) are completely absorbed. Only the shortest, darkest blue wavelengths have enough energy to reflect back to the surface, where it appears as a dark indigo or navy blue.

Heading down the steep screeThere wasn’t a gradual change between the two colors, but rather a distinct line where the crater floor vertically drops off abruptly and steeply from the shallow rim.

Once again, I wish I knew more about geology and chemistry to understand these phenomena. However, this did remind me of the explanation for the brilliant turquoise blue lakes on the South Island that are fed by “glacial flour” from melting glacial water. So the North Island has “rock flour” particles and the South Island has “glacial flour” particles.

The colors made this lake very photogenic, so we spent a lot of time photographing it from every angle. Herb especially tried to catch what we were calling dust devils swirling by the water’s edge.

Back to Lower Toma LakeThey are quite common here because the lake sits on the saddle between Mt. Ruapehu and Mt. Ngāuruhoe, and this gap acts like a funnel for wind, creating vortexes of volcanic ash and rock flour, lifted from the hot barren ground along the shore.

New Zealanders call them “willy-willies,” which I think is a much better name.

Herb was taking far too much time photographing the “willy-willies,” so I started up the steep ascent to the Upper Tama Lake by myself. This was by far the most challenging part of the hike. There was no longer any sort of path to follow. Rather the ridgeline is composed of loose volcanic scree, which I hate. However, hiking up it is much better than the slipping and sliding down it which I had to look forward to.

Almost downThere is no real trail and you pretty much go up any way you want, as long as it is up, but there are orange poles to follow that do guide you the best way.

About a quarter of the way up, I turned to see if Herb was behind me, but he was still down by the Lower Lake photographing the ‘willy-willies.” Herb has a tendency to lose track of all time and me when he finds a subject he likes.

The ridge to Upper Lake Tama was very exposed, with no protection from the strong westerly winds, so I kind of had to struggle a bit to stay upright. And, with each step I took, it got colder and colder.

Can't get enough of this beautiful alkeAfter about 40 minutes of steep climbing, I reached a wide, flat rocky clearing at the summit of the ridge. I looked behind again, and finally Herb was making his way up the scree ridgeline. The wind was really blowing me around at this point.

When Herb finally joined me, we sought shelter from the wind behind a large rock where we had a great view of ink blue, horseshoe-shaped Upper Tama Lake. Like Lower Tama Lake, this too is an explosion crater. Actually it's two overlapping explosion craters, which is what gives it its unique horseshoe shape.

Just a few more Willy-Willy shotsBecause there are two craters side-by-side, the bottom of the lake is much more uneven and drops off instantly from the shore, explaining why there is no second greenish-blue color near its edges. Instead the water becomes deep and a dramatic ink blue directly from its banks.

We decided to eat our lunch while huddling behind the rock we had claimed. The view wasn’t bad. Unfortunately Mt. Ngāuruhoe, which was right across from us, was pretty obscured by the clouds.

Back to Taranaki FallsAfter lunch, we gave up our picnic shelter to others and took some photos from the top. The 360 degree view was pretty phenomenal: Mount Ngāuruhoe looming over the Upper Tama Lake in one direction and in the opposite direction, two-toned Lower Tama Lake with jagged, glacier-covered Mount Ruapehu as a backdrop.

Standing between those two massive volcanoes made us feel kind of small.

The hike back down to Lower Tama Lake was significantly faster but more challenging as we slipped and slid a bit on the steep slope of pea-sized volcanic stones (scree). The views were great though.

Lovely Taranaki FallsI just had to get Herb past the willy-willies by the lower lake without another lengthy photo shoot. Okay, just a few more shots.

From there, we hiked back across the saddle between Mount Ruapehu and Mount Ngāuruhoe, eventually coming back to the bridge above Taranaki Falls. From here we would take the other half of the Taranaki Falls Loop (the Lower Track), which would bring us past lovely Taranaki Falls.

To get to the base of the falls, we descended a steep staircase of about 135 steps to a viewing platform, where we watched water cascading 66 feet down over the 15,000 year old lava flow that we had stood on earlier today, into a boulder-ringed pool.

The way back along the lower track felt like a completely different world. Unlike the exposed Upper Track, the Lower Track followed the Wairere Stream through a shady, lush mountain beech forest. We eventually emerged from the forest back to the Whakapapa Village.

What a fantastic hike it had been. In fact, both of our hikes in Tongariro had been really great. Tomorrow we would leave volcanoes behind and head to the Coromandel Peninsula to enjoy the beautiful beaches of the North Island.

Travelogue

Orakei KorakoDuring the months leading up to this trip, Herb and I had watched dozens of YouTube videos of various destinations on the North Island to fine-tune our 11-day itinerary down to a select few must-dos.

As far as geothermal wonders, there are so many areas of geysers, steam vents, and bubbling pots on the North Island that it would take us weeks (or maybe months) to see them all.

The one that kept rising to the top of our list was Orakei Korako for several reasons: it was fairly remote and therefore less frequently visited, you are allowed to wander around on your own rather than be part of a guided tour, and most importantly, it is a photographer’s paradise with its creamy white, yellow, and orange colorful silica terraces.

Orakei KorakoIn fact, the name Ōrākei Kōrako means place of adornment or decoration, referring to its striking mineral terraces. Lonely Planet describes it as "arguably the best geothermal area left in New Zealand."

Like the Wairakei Terraces and the Craters of the Moon on our previous stop, Ōrakei Kōrako is located right in the heart of the Taupō Volcanic Zone (TVZ) between Rotorua and Taupo.

We originally were going to come here first after leaving Rotorua, but since it was one of the places we wanted to see most and the forecast was for rain, we decided to push it off for another day, even if it meant backtracking a little back towards Rotorua. It was only a 30 minute drive back from Taupo, and well worth the wait for clearer skies to explore this amazing area.

Orakei KorakoThe silica terraces are best photographed in soft morning light, allowing for a better capture of the vivid colors without them being washed out by midday sun. So, we got an early start and arrived at 8:00 am, in time to be the first and only ones on the little on-demand, 3-minute ferry that took us from the visitor center across Lake Ohakuri to the “Hidden Valley.”

From there, we followed the self-guided 1.5-mile loop through a "Hidden Valley" filled with some of the most active geothermal features in New Zealand. The walk is designed as a circular route, ensuring that we wouldn’t miss any of the distinct volcanic terraces or the famous cave.

The colors of Orakei KorakoThe path was easy to navigate and very well maintained with a mix of wooden boardwalks and about 885 steps to climb up to get to the various levels.

The little ferry dropped us off at a dock right next to the Emerald Terrace, a massive, colorful silica staircase that spills directly into the river. It’s quite an incredible sight. It is believed to be the largest active silica terrace in New Zealand.

From the name “Emerald” we would have expected to see a lot of green, but rather it is primarily burnt orange, mixed with creamy whites, browns, and yellows. Bright oranges thrive in hotter water, so where there is orange, you know the flow over them is very hot.

Orakei KorakoFrom there, we continued on to the colorful Rainbow Terrace, considered the most colorful feature in the park, where various colors run in long vertical streaks down its side.

While they might look like minteral stains, these colorful streaks are living microbial mats that act as a biological thermometer—the color you see tells you exactly how hot the water is in that specific spot.

Different algae and bacteria thrive in different water temperatures. The vivid oranges and yellow microbial mats are created by thermophilic (heat-loving) bacteria and algae.

Ruatapu CaveThe emerald green color comes from blue-green algae, whose green chlorophyll pigments thrive in more temperate temperature zones.

The deep browns and blacks thrive in cooler zones.

And finally, the brilliant whites lack microbial life of any sort, because its water is too hot for the colorful algae to survive.

Orakei KoratoWe continued on and up, moving from the vibrant oranges, yellows, and greens of the Rainbow Terrace to the Golden Fleece, a spectacular 40-meter-long brilliantly white terrace.

While the Emerald and Rainbow Terraces are relatively flat, the Golden Fleece is a vertical wall, glowing with creamy whites and golds as hot water flows over its edge.

The major difference between the Lower Terraces (Emerald and Rainbow) and the Golden Fleece is its colors.

Orakei KoratoWhile the Rainbow and Emerald terraces are defined by their intense greens and oranges, the Golden Fleece is famous for its dazzling whiteness. It looks like a fluffy white cloud, which explains why the Māori named it Te Kapua, which means "The Cloud.”

So rather than a type of bacteria or algae, the white is silica sinter, which lacks the colorful microbial life found on the lower terraces, because its water is too hot for the colorful algae to survive.

Orakei KoratoWe wondered why it wasn’t called the White Fleece, but I guess that is because we weren’t here during “Golden Hour” when the low-angled orange and yellow light causes it to glow like solid glow. I only wish we could have seen that, but you can’t be everywhere at sunset.

Above the Golden Fleece was the Artist’s Palette, a vast 10,000 square meter flat silica terrace with patches of vivid turquoise blue (clear pools), bright orange and gold (thermophilic bacteria) and deep green and black (algae that thrive in cooler temperatures).

Orakei KoratoIt gets its name from its wide expanse of vibrant colors, reminiscent of an artist's canvas.

It is the highest point along the loop walk and the most open part of the park, with panoramic views of the geothermal landscape of Orakei Korako with its vibrant, colorful silica terraces, steam vents, boiling hot pools, and active geysers below.

Towards the end of the loop, the track leads to a viewing platform for Ruatapu Cave, New Zealand's only geothermal cave, and one of only two known in the world. It's a very rare natural phenomenon in that unlike typical limestone caves formed by rainwater, Ruatapu was formed through a combination of explosive volcanic force and slow chemical erosion.

Orakei KorakoIts formation began thousands of years ago as a hydrothermal eruption vent, when high-pressure steam trapped underground exploded toward the surface, blasting a vertical shaft through the soft volcanic rock. Over time, rising geothermal gases (like hydrogen sulfide) mixed with water to create sulfuric acid. This acid slowly ate away at the volcanic walls, widening the vent into the large, 35-meter-deep cavern seen today.

Orakei KorakoAt the bottom of the cave, there is a pool of steam-heated groundwater. Because the water is highly acidic, it remains crystal clear and still, creating the perfect reflection that gives the cave its nickname “Pool of Mirrors.” It is believed that Māori women used the crystal-clear, still water of the pool as a mirror to prepare themselves before special ceremonies.

From the viewing platform, we looked down and could make out the water, but I couldn’t see any reflection. Maybe it was the time of day.

Having seen the major features along the way, we went back to a section we particularly liked for its surreal colors and textures. Photographing abstract patterns has become Herb’s favorite subject for photos, and I am starting to play around with it myself, moving away from expansive landscapes and focusing more on microscopic details where the subject is harder to identify.

Orakei KorakoIt's so interesting to think that these amazing colors are living organisms (microbial mats). The vibrant oranges and yellow are pigments of heat-loving bacteria, while the deep greens and blacks are those that thrive in cooler temperatures.

We probably spent a good hour or so kneeling on the boardwalk to get down close to our microbial little friends. Herb loved it and he got some really interesting shots. I didn’t do too badly either.

Herb’s 2nd 70th birthday (today was his California one) was off to a good start. Now we would continue south to Tongariro National Park, where we hoped to hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

Travelogue

Scenery along the wayYesterday was pretty much just a preparation for the rest of our trip day, with the van pickup and a major food shopping extravaganza, so we were anxious to see some cool stuff and have some fun.

We would devote the first four days of our trip to the Taupo Volcanic Zone before moving on to the subtropical coastlines on the Coromandel Peninsula on the Pacific Ocean and the untamed beauty of the coastline west of Auckland on the Tasman Sea - a nice mix of Surf and (Hot) Turf.

The Taupo Volcanic Zone is a 350 km long, 50 km wide belt of volcanic activity, renowned for its frequency of eruptions and geothermal intensity, that runs from the cone volcanoes of the Central Plateau through Taupo and Rotorua and up to the Bay of Plenty.

It’s essentially a giant "rift" or crack in the Earth's crust where two tectonic plates are pulling apart, allowing magma to rise remarkably close to the surface.

Wairakei Thermal ValleyWhen we drove from Rotorua to Taupo today, we were on SH5, also known as the Thermal Explorer Highway. This 80 km stretch runs directly through the most active geothermal fields.

As we were driving along, we often saw steam rising from the pine forests and paddocks on either side of the road.

The Wairakei Thermal Valley, where we would spend our time today, is located in the central segment of the Taupo Volcanic Zone, about 10 km north of the Taupo town center. It is the most productive area for geothermal energy in the world.

We felt a bit bad about not having time to explore some of the geothermal wonders in Rotorua. There are so many areas of geysers, steam vents, and bubbling pots on the North Island, but we would have had to stay weeks to see them all. Instead, we just picked a few - mostly the less commercial and remote ones that we could explore on our own, rather than with a guide.

Wairakei Terraces & Thermal Health Spa

Wairakei Thermal PoolsOur first geothermal stop was the Wairakei Terraces & Thermal Health Spa, set in a lush geothermal valley in the Taupo volcanic zone.

For the local Māori iwi (tribe), Ngāti Tūwharetoa, the Wairakei area has long been a place of healing and spiritual significance. The hot thermal waters were traditionally used for their therapeutic properties, a practice that continues today. The ownership and operation of the Wairakei Terraces are deeply rooted in this cultural context. The site is managed by a local family who are committed to the principles of kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and manaakitanga (hospitality), ensuring that the cultural integrity of the area is preserved and shared with visitors.

The hotter poolsThe main attraction is the series of outdoor thermal pools, fed by geothermal water drawn from 1.5 km underground, containing high concentrations of silica, magnesium, potassium, and sodium, which leaves your skin feeling silky. It reminded me of our experience in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland.

There are four distinct pools with temperatures typically ranging between 30°C and 40°C (86°F and 104°F), allowing you to choose the level of heat that is most comfortable.

The pools are positioned directly below stunning man-made silica terraces that recreate the look of the lost Pink and White Terraces of Tarawera, which were once considered the "eighth wonder of the world," before being destroyed by the 1886 Mount Tarawera eruption.

Herb enjoying the thermal poolsThe building of these man-made terraces is done by drawing superheated water from 1.5 km underground and channeling it over a series of tiered structures. As the water cools, the dissolved silica crystallizes and settles, slowly forming the hard, white crust that creates the terrace shape. The silica-rich, turquoise-blue water cascading over them is striking.

Although the facility also offers massages and a self-guided Terrace Walk, we chose to spend our time in the thermal pools. The price for an entire day of soaking ws $27 NZ per person.

They were deeper than I expected, and often had to walk on tippy toes to keep my head above water. Fortunately I had my cell phone in a waterproof bag because I did get a bit surprised by a drop off in depth and it did get submerged.

Me Too!!We walked from pool to pool, trying to find the one whose temperature was just right. They were all pretty good, but I preferred the warmest two.

Along our pool strolling, we talked to several people from around the world with whom we shared our travel experiences. We always find somewhere new to go when doing this - in this case, the nearby Craters of the Moon hike, which we would do.

Just as we got out of the pools, as the predicted rain began to come down hard.

We didn’t care though as we felt totally relaxed from our soaking. The heat triggered the release of endorphins and dopamine (your body’s natural feel-good chemicals) and gave us what they call a sense of "comatose bliss" or profound calm. I hoped it would last us for the next 10 days. We might have to find recharging stations along the way.

Also, our skin felt silky smooth from the high silica and magnesium content in the pools, and we had a sense of tingling from the increased circulation which brought blood to the surface of our skin.

Craters of the Moon

Craters of the MoonThe Craters of the Moon hike was a great recommendation - right up our alley, with lots of interesting geothermal features and no crowds.

Like the Wairakei Terraces we had just been too, this one also has been the result of human-induced geological changes. Unlike most natural wonders that take millions of years to form, the majority of the features we saw today appeared quite recently.

While there has been natural geothermal activity here for centuries—once centered around the massive Karapiti Blowhole—the dramatic shift to the "moon-like" landscape seen today occurred in the 1950s when the Wairakei Geothermal Power Station was built.

Craters of the MoonBefore the construction of the Power Station, the Karapiti Blowhole, also historically known as the "Devil's Trumpet," was once one of New Zealand's most famous geothermal wonders. Its steam plume was so tall that Māori used it as a landmark when navigating their waka across Lake Taupo. Other than the Blowhole itself, thermal activity near Karapiti was restricted to small areas of warm soils and mud pools.

In the early 20th century, guides would famously throw kerosene-soaked sacks into the vent. The superheated steam would then blast the sparks high into the air, creating a "fireworks" effect.

Craters of the MoonBut when the Power Station went live in the 1950s and began extracting massive amounts of hot water for electricity, the underground water pressure dropped significantly. As the water levels lowered, the remaining water began to boil more vigorously, creating pockets of high-pressure steam that rose toward the surface.

The buildup of pressurized steam beneath the earth's crust eventually forced its way out through hydrothermal eruptions. These eruptions ejected mud, steam, and pumice into the air, leaving behind the deep, colorful craters seen today.

Craters of the MoonFrom 1965-2002 there were more than 20 steam eruptions, occurring roughly every two years, creating the mysterious landscape that led to the name “Craters of the Moon.”

In 1987, the intense thermal activity caused the ground around the Karapiti Blowhole to collapse and become inactive. While the original blowhole is gone, the most active steam vents and fumaroles migrated to nearby hillsides.

Craters of the MoonVisitor access became possible in the 1980’s when the Department of Conservation built boardwalks and facilities to allow safe access to view the hot thermal features.

So today, we spent a few hours wandering through this incredible “lunar” landscape. It was so interesting that we barely noticed we were being rained on.

Along the way, we saw a variety of geothermal features:

Eruption craters formed by the violent release of steam pressure (hydrothermal eruptions), some of them reaching up to 20 meters deep.

Craters of the MoonTheir bright red and orange walls, the result of condensed steam and acidic gases chemically altering the iron-rich pumice soil, were striking.

Fumaroles (Steam Vents) that hissed and roared at us as pressurized gases escaped through small cracks in the ground

Mudpools formed when acidic gases react with the surface rocks to turn them into clay, which, when mixed with water, form bubbling and burping grey mudpools.

Today, the landscape remains dynamic. Because steam is constantly shifting and new vents emerge, the boardwalks in the park must be moved regularly to protect visitors from the heated ground.

Huka Falls

The Bridge over Huka FallsJust a few miles from Craters of the Moon, we stopped to see a bit of non-geothermal beauty - Huka Falls, one of New Zealand’s most visited natural wonders. Besides it being very dramatic and beautiful, it is extremely accessible.

From the main visitor car park, it was just a short walk to the Huka Falls Bridge, from which we gazed directly down into the churning, vibrant blue water of the Waikato River as it funneled through the narrow 15-meter gorge beneath us, creating a thunderous 11-meter drop. We could hear the thundering of the falls before we even got there.

Looking down from the bridgeWhile most visitors get no further than the views from the bridge, we continued on for about a quarter of a mile to various viewpoints, where I felt the views were even better, as we watched the powerful force of the falls come towards us.

The electric blue color of the water is amazing, so much so that New Zealanders have named it “Huka Blue.” Because the color is so iconic, "Huka Blue" is often used as a descriptive name for paint colors or clothing shades in New Zealand that mimic the turquoise of the river.

Huka FallsWe had seen similar stunning electric blue water in the lakes on the South Island, but that was caused by glacial particles in the water, while the blue of Huka falls is mostly caused by air bubbles.

When we got home, I delved deeper into the cause of the “Huka Blue” effect and learned the following.

The “Huka Blue” effect is created by three main factors.

Its source is Lake Taupo, which is fed by snowmelt filtered through volcanic rock. It is very low in organic matter, like algae and tannin, which would normally turn the water green or brown.

A softer long exposureDeep clear water absorbs red and yellow light wavelengths, which reflect back the blue end of the spectrum.

And lastly, as the water is forced through the narrow gorge, it becomes highly oxygenated, creating millions of tiny air bubbles that act like microscopic mirrors, reflecting and scattering the blue light even more intensely. It is this that creates the “milky” glowing turquoise look.

But blue isn’t the only color in the falls, as the thundering water is layered with frothy, white-capped water that looks like a thick foam at the base of the falls.

Perhaps that is why the Te Reo Māori named the falls huka, which means "foam" or "snow."

Taupo

Lamb Shank at the Crafty Trout BreweryDuring our travels on the South Island earlier this year, we came to like the consistency and facilities of the Top 10 Holiday Park campgrounds, so we found one in Taupo to plant ourselves for the night.

Also, this one was within walking distance to the Crafty Trout Brewery, where I wanted to take Herb for his birthday dinner.

This was the big 70, which is why we were in New Zealand in the first place. Actually, this year Herb would have two 70th birthdays, because New Zealand is almost one full day ahead of California. Not sure if that makes him 140 tomorrow or not, but in any case he was going to milk birthday boy treatment for 2 days.

It looked like it might rain, so we put on our rain jackets and headed off on the 2 km walk into town to the Crafty Trout Brewery, with a contingency plan of calling an Uber if necessary.

The place was great with a very cozy atmosphere which was kind of a blend of an Austrian “Bier Kafe” and a Kiwi fishing and hunting lodge.

The Crafty Trout is well-known for its distinctive "Alpine Style" beers, which are brewed using pristine volcanic water from Lake Taupō, and creative names that pay homage to the region's trout fishing culture.

The brewery was pretty empty, as it was only 4:00 in the afternoon, so the owner/chef gave us plenty of attention as we perused the menu. He told us that he was just working on a recipe for pork belly which he planned to add to the menu soon, but if we wanted to try it, he would be happy to make it for us.

We love pork belly, and this generous plate of pork belly, mixed vegetables, and fries was awesome. So glad he suggested it.
By the time we finished it was pouring, so we got an Uber back to our campground.

I would have to say that Herb had a pretty damn good birthday, and just think, he was having another one tomorrow.

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Travelogue

Van pickup dayThis was it. The big day where we'd pick up our camper van and begin our 11-day road trip around the North Island of New Zealand.

This was not our first time traveling abroad via camper van. We had traveled around the Alps (Germany, Austria, Northern Italy, and Switzerland), Spain, Iceland’s Ring Road, and the South Island of New Zealand.

However, most of those trips had been in a 6-meter van. This time the only van we could get was a 7.4-meter one that slept 4 people - much more space than we needed. That extra 5-feet was definitely going to make parking and driving a lot more stressful on the narrow, steep, windy roads of New Zealand. Plus, we had to get used to driving on the left side of the road.

Interior of our vanIt was pretty spacious though and had a king-size bed and a separate toilet and shower. Still we would have gladly taken a smaller one.

One might think a camper is an inexpensive way to travel, but it’s really not. Our van cost $3,661 dollars for 11 days, which is $332 per day. Then there is the campground fees, which probably averaged about $30 per day. You can get a pretty nice Airbnb in New Zealand for that price.

Still, we like that mode of travel. We don’t have to pack and unpack every time we move to a new location, and we always have a refrigerator full of cold beer and wine. Also, the campgrounds in New Zealand are usually in very scenic locations.

Scenery along the wayThe first destination of every campervan trip is a grocery store to stock up for a few days. Sometimes grocery stores in different countries are a bit challenging, but the Woolworth’s near the rental place felt pretty much like a U.S. grocery store.

After spending about $500 NZ on groceries, we set out towards our first planned stop in Rotorua, about 3 hours away (140 miles).

Rotorua is often called the "Sulphur City" due to its geothermal activity, but it’s equally famous for being the heart of Māori culture and a major hub for adventure.

However, it was already late in the day and we had other plans for less commercialized activities on our itinerary, so we just spent the night at the Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park before moving on towards Taupo..

Travelogue

Land of the KiwiWe spent our first night on the North Island at the Holiday Inn Auckland Airport hotel, where we figured we could get some well-needed sleep before picking up our campervan the following morning.

Despite not sleeping that well on the plane, we tried to limit ourselves to just a short nap, so that we could better adjust to the new time zone. New Zealand is actually not that hard to adjust to because it is only 3 hours earlier than California. However, the confusing part is that it is one day later, so I was constantly panicking that my itinerary was off by a day.

After sitting for 13+ hours on the plane, we felt that a walk would do us good, but since the hotel was located in the fairly industrial suburb of Mangere, we didn’t think there would be any good options. However, we soon found out that Mangere sits on an ancient volcanic field and offers some of Auckland’s best nature walks:

Horses where coats in NZMāngere Mountain (Te Pane o Mataoho): One of Auckland’s largest and best-preserved volcanic cones. It offers panoramic views of the Manukau Harbour and features ancient Māori earthworks like storage pits and fortified pā sites.

Ambury Regional Park: A working farm on the coast where you can see sheep and cows right next to the harbour.

Kiwi Esplanade: a scenic coastal stretch along the shores of Manukau Harbor, offering a mix of volcanic geology and rich birdlife

Today we decided to set off towards the Kiwi Esplanade, but we made some interesting diversions along the way.

Magere Lagoon PathWe were hungry, so our first stop was the Mountain Road Takeaway. In New Zealand, a "takeaway" refers to what Americans call "takeout"—prepared food you buy to eat elsewhere. We had nowhere to “take it away” to, so they let us take two chairs outside their door, where we proceeded to eat our meat pies, spilling a bit of them while trying to balance them on our laps. That’s when we learned how hard it was to clean up meat pie from a sidewalk with a napkin.

Somewhat satisfied with our ¾ of a meat pie, we continued a short distance before diverging from our planned route along the road when we saw horses in a field, all of which were wearing rugs over their backs.

This was curious I thought, so I did a bit of research as to why. New Zealand has very unpredictable weather, which can start off sunny and warm in the morning and end in a freezing rainstorm. Since most horses in NZ live outside in large grass paddocks rather than being kept in stables, when it rains, their natural coat, which is not waterproof, can get waterlogged. Hence the rugs to keep them warm and dry.

Magere Lagoon Path,We continued past the horses and onto the Magere Lagoon Path, much nicer than just walking along the road.

The path followed the rim of a volcanic explosion crater formed about 70,000 years ago. About 7,000 years ago, rising sea levels breached the crater rim, turning it from a dry hole into a tidal lagoon connected to the Manukau Harbour.

In the 1950s, the lagoon was closed off from the sea and used as a huge oxidation pond for Auckland’s wastewater. From 1998 to 2005, Project Manukau conducted the largest marine restoration project in NZ history, removing the sewage sludge, reconnecting the lagoon to the tide, and planting over 300,000 native trees and shrubs. Now, the water is clean, the smell is gone, and the lagoon is a thriving saltwater wetland.

Ambury Regional ParkToday it is an internationally significant habitat for shorebirds and one of the best places in Auckland to see Bar-Tailed Godwits, Wrybills, and Royal Spoonbills.

From the Māngere Lagoon Path, we continued on to the Watercare Coastal Walkway, which brought us to Ambury Regional Park, a unique working dairy and sheep farm situated on the shores of the Manukau Harbour.

Post Office Public HouseFrom there we continued on to the Kiwi Esplanade, which brought us along the northern edge of the Manukau Harbour.

We had already walked close to 6 miles, and didn’t feel like walking back along the streets to the hotel, so we called an Uber to take us back - well worth the 6 bucks.

It has been a lovely hike, full of surprises and much more natural beauty than we had expected to find in an industrial suburb.

That evening, rather than partaking in the hotel buffet, which didn’t exactly get rave reviews on Trip Advisor, we walked to a popular local restaurant called the Post Office Public House where we had delicious salmon burgers and wine.

Then to bed for a good night’s rest before picking up the campervan.

Travelogue

Beautiful sunset the evening of The BurnWhen we had stopped by to say Good Bye to “The Man” last night, I had asked the security guards what time “The Burn” would start the following night, I got a rather vague answer. Like everything at Burning Man, events are not on a strict schedule, but sort of just happen when they happen.

One guard did tell me though, that when “The Man’s” arms go up, you’re too late. Wow! I never even noticed that his arms were down by his side, nor that they were going to move up above his head.

Secured great viewing spotBefore heading out on the playa, we stopped at Treble Makers, for one last time, for some wine and cheese. From there, we could get a good view of the playa and what was going on.

It was a bit dustier out there tonight, which can be annoying, but does have the benefit of a more dramatic sunset.

Although sunset was at 7:30, it began to dip behind the mountains at 7:00, so we hopped on our bikes, hoping to find a good place to view “The Burn.”

What a brave buckarooThere are over 70,000 people at this year’s Burning Man, and I am pretty sure 99% of them are going to be doing the same thing we were, but surprisingly the playa wasn’t too crazy yet.

We headed directly towards the front of “The Man,” and amazingly got great seats (which means on the hard playa), about 15 feet from the perimeter line, with just one group of people in front of us.

When we parked our bikes, we made sure to take note of exactly where we put them, because when this thing ended it was going to be a zoo. It’s not like we could just look for the two bikes with the LED lights on the wheels, because every single bike looked the same in the dark.

Enthusiastic participantsWe also locked them together, not because we worried about someone intentionally stealing them, but more because it would be very easy to grab the wrong bike in the chaos at the end.

We started chatting with a very friendly guy in the group in front of us, who was obviously a more experienced “Burner” than us. At one point, he kind of whispered to us that he didn’t want to name drop, but Jen Lewin, the designer of the 2024 Man Pavilion was part of their group. So, we obviously must have chosen good seats, if she was sitting just 10 feet away from us.

El Pulpo MagnificoThough we had gotten settled into our positions by 7:30, nothing really got started until 8:30, when it was completely dark. Still there was plenty of stimulus to keep us occupied while we waited - including people in costumes walking on stilts and hundreds of mutant vehicles equipped with colossal sound systems parked along the perimeter, creating a 360-degree wall of music.

Fortunately for us, El Pulpo Magnifico, the iconic 28-foot-tall, colossal, fire-breathing octopus that we had been hoping to see all week, was parked right behind us. It was putting on quite a show - blasting fire from its tentacles, moving his 8 legs up and down, chomping with mouth open and shut, and moving his googly eyes back and forth.

The Procession of the Ceremonial FlameMeanwhile, the Black Rock Rangers and Burn Perimeter Support volunteers had formed a solid human ring, facing away from the Man and toward the crowd. Their job was to hold this safety line for the entire duration of the event, to prevent anyone from rushing the fire.

Event organizers have reported that people have tried to run into the fires in the past, viewing it as a spiritual act of rebirth. One man actually died in 2017 when he broke through two levels of security and actually reached the flames.

His Arm Are Up!!Okay, so everyone near the front rows, like us, remain calm, and sit back and enjoy the show from afar.

Being “Virgins” (first time “Burners,”) we had no idea what to expect.

Around 8:30, the crowd grew quieter and there was anticipation in the air. The elaborate ceremony was about to begin.

First came the Pre-Show: “The Procession of the Ceremonial Flame”.

El Pulpo Magnifico is very excitedWell actually, there was one very important step in the Burning Man ceremony ritual that took place in Center Camp last Monday evening. The process involves using a magnifying glass to focus sunlight onto kindling in a large cauldron, called El Diabla, symbolizing the start of the event.

For the following week, the fire in the cauldron at Center Camp is tended by the Fire Conclave, a group of fire performers.

Fire DancersOn Saturday evening, this “first flame” is transferred into a lantern known as the "Luminiferous".

A procession of people carries the Luminiferous from Center Camp to the Great Circle, where the Man stands. The procession is accompanied by the Lamplighters, torchbearers on stilts, who ceremonially light lanterns along the pathways of Black Rock City.

The Lamplighters transfer the flame from the Caudron to each fire group in the Fire Conclave, who stand solemnly by, ready to receive the flame.

The Angel LookAt this point, “The Man’s” arms are raised towards the sky, a traditional signal for the fire conclave performance to begin, which happens right before the main burn.

Some have interpreted the gesture of the Man raising its hands as a final act of surrender before his destruction. For others, it's a cue for the crowd to prepare for the wild spectacle that is about to begin.

For the next hour, they perform a spectacular, choreographed, show of fire spinning, breathing, and dancing as a "gift... in service to the Man." It takes place in the "Great Circle" inside the perimeter, between the Rangers and the Man.

Pyro showThis is not a quiet, solemn performance, but rather a spectacle of "controlled chaos," with hundreds of performers spinning every fire tool imaginable, all at once. There is no single, unified soundtrack; performers move to their own troupe's drummers and the roar of the crowd, The only light comes from the neon on the Man and the thousands of spinning flames.

What an exciting and energy-filled show it was. It was even better than the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

Pyro showWhen the Fire Concave finished and safely retreated from inside the perimeter, a hush of anticipation fell over the crowd, as the Pyro show was about to begin.

The pyro show starts with what is called the “Angel Look,” a series of dazzling fireworks and white sparkle fountains that surround “The Man” with light before he burns.

About halfway through the pyro show, the fire is lit in the Man’s chest and legs the interior of which was packed with wood soaked in flammable fuel to ensure a hot and quick burn.

Pyro showThis ensures that the structure begins to burn from the inside, a necessary step before the entire effigy is engulfed in flames.

Then the full show begins, with a deafening show of explosions, rockets, and massive fireballs erupting from the Man himself, and continues until the Man is fully engulfed in flames as the fireworks reach their peak.

All I can say is Wow!!!

But it was not done yet. As the crowd oohed and aahed and cheered, the massive structure, which had been the center of Burning Man life all week, crashed to the ground.

Just before the collapseEveryone kind of sat silently watching the flames continue to consume the beautiful pavilion that had formed his base.

Gradually, the crowds began to disperse and take on the difficult task of finding their bikes among the literally thousands that were out on the playa. Thanks to some careful checking and rechecking beforehand, it didn’t take us too long, allowing us to get a head start on the chaos that would ensue, as tens of thousands of bikes would soon be zigging and zagging across the playa.

It has been quite a finale to our first Burning Man. I guess we weren’t virgins anymore.

Drive home safely everyoneWe had decided (or I had negotiated) that we would not stay another night to see the Temple Burn, but rather leave very early in the morning to avoid the long line of tens of thousands of cars trying to leave at the same time.

I’m glad Herb had convinced me to come, because it really was quite the experience, but with all the prep involved and how conditions could have been much worse than the beautiful weather we had, we both agreed that once in a lifetime was enough.

There are so many places in the world we haven't seen yet that we have this rule that if we have experienced a place at its absolute best, to not go back and try to repeat an already perfect experience, but to create another perfect experience somewhere new..

Travelogue

How Herb Got Me to Yes...

The ManWhen Herb announced that he had once again purchased 2 Burning Man tickets, my first response, of course, was: “Not interested. Sell mine and I’ll use my 900 bucks to go somewhere I want to go.”

His response: “I’ll hold onto it. You’ll change your mind.”

For the next several weeks, he played hours of YouTube videos of past Burning Men (or is it Burning Mans).

Are you going to go to Burning Man Amu?I have to admit, that while trying to look disinterested, I did think that the massive art installations from artists around the world out on the playa were rather intriguing.

Then, of course, he played a video of a young guy who took his parents (around our age) to Burning Man and how much fun they had together - trying to play the “Andrew and Tommy will think you are so cool if you go card.”

He went even lower and said that our 15-month-old granddaughter would be disappointed if Grandma Amu didn’t go. He went so far as to make me re-read the poem I had hanging in my office:

One day I will be an old woman
with long silver hair, eyes full of light
and life, and lots of laugh wrinkles.

My children’s children will lay out
with me under the stars by a campfire
on a seashore.

We will listen to the waves make music
as I tell them my stories of wild
adventures, of lived dreams, conquered
fears, and a full life lived.

And I will inspire journeys of their own.
This is the dream of all my dreams.

So I moved from the definite “No” column to “I’ll think about it.”

Over the next few weeks, very non-Herb-like Amazon packages began arriving on our doorstep, mostly stuff to make our old mountain bikes playa-ready :

Our grandson helping with the bikes
• fairy lights to decorate the inside of the RV
• LED lights for our wheels so we could be seen by other bikes when riding out on the playa at night
• Headlamps so we could see where we were going
• baskets like the one the wicked witch of the west had on her bike
• big cushiony seats so our butts would survive the bumpy rides on the playa

Hmm..Now I was getting interested and shifting a little closer to yes

Then some less fun items arrived to deal with the harsh desert conditions:

• Fully-sealed ski goggles to protect our faces during a dust storm
• A well-fitting N95 mask, respirator, or a thick neck gaiter to protect our lungs in a dust storm
• A good moisturizer or salve because the alkaline dust will dry out your skin
• A spray bottle filled with vinegar to neutralize the alkaline playa dust and prevent a painful condition known as "playa foot." PLAYA FOOT???

My feeble "Burner" attemptOK, “Playa Foot” shifted me back a bit towards “No Way.”

Herb was starting to lose me here, but then he thought he had me when I ordered an LED-lit cape, which flashed fluorescent colors.

Although he was impressed with my initiative, he made me return it. Not just because it made me look very not me, but because it had sequins on it - a real “no no” at BM because the sequins can fall off violating the BM motto of “MOOP," which stands for "Matter Out Of Place".

MOOP refers to anything brought to the event that is not a natural part of the Black Rock Desert landscape and must be packed out and removed by participants. The list actually included things like sequins and feathers.

However, opening Amazon boxes as if it was Christmas, moved me to a very firm “Maybe I’ll go.”

The final negotiation was Herb agreeing to my request to stay for only 5 nights (including the Burning of the Man) rather than the full 10.

I was now a wishy-washy “Yes.”

Prepping the RV

Dust storm upon arrival at the gateThere are two ways to camp at Burning Man: in a tent or in an RV of sorts. There was no way in hell I would spend 5 days in a tent in the harsh conditions of the Black Rock Desert, but fortunately, we have a very comfy, but very old, 1999 Lazy Daze motorhome.

At this point in life, I deserve a comfy bed, a private bathroom, and not being pelted with alkaline desert dust. I am so spoiled.

That being said, while we would be protected from the harsh desert conditions, our poor old motorhome wouldn’t.

Our campsite on Kilgore and the playaThe fine, alkaline playa dust is incredibly invasive, so Herb had a lot of work to do to seal every possible entry point, a process that would take more days than the 5 days we would actually be spending at Burning Man.

To seal the exterior, Herb used painters and gaffer tape to seal all window, compartment, and door seals. A home air filter cut to size was used to filter the incoming air from our rear Fantastic Fan. The air conditioner had some additional filtration added to help clean the air it would be pulling in.

Despite all that, as demonstrated by the mini-dust storm we encountered during the entry line, the pesky alkaline dust could still find its way in through the cabin air conditioner. We kept it on High which theoretically meant it was in recirculation mode and shouldn’t have pulled in any dust from the outside.

Our Burning Man homeThe fear of having to enter or exit the RV during a dust storm required additional measures for the interior of the RV. All carpeting, and seat cushions were covered with old sheets and heavy duty paper so that we could just throw them out at the end and hopefully once again enjoy our pristine upholstery.

The RV was beginning to look a bit less cozy and more like a construction site.

To soften the decor a bit, Herb added 30’ of fairy lights that were strung around the top of the interior cabinets. He did this once before with Christmas lights while we stayed at a KOA before our move to California and it really helped me get into the holiday spirit. Now it would help me get into a better frame of mind to address the challenges of the potentially very dusty and hot playa.

Travelogue

Arrival and Entry

The line to get into BMWe keep our motorhome at our son’s house in Bishop, California, so Herb had gone over to Bishop a few days ahead of me to do the necessary dust-proofing prep work.

The official opening for Burning Man this year was Sunday, August 24 at 12:01 a.m., but our plan was to go a few days later. Herb and I were still negotiating whether we should go on Tuesday (his idea) or Wednesday (mine).

As Herb was finishing up the RV prep work, we began hearing horrible reports from Burning Man about a massive dust storm on opening day (Sunday the 24th) with wind gusts exceeding 50 mph on the playa, causing whiteout conditions and the closing of the gates. The storm destroyed several camps and art installations and injured some attendees.

Dust storm upon arrival at the gateAfter reopening, the Gate was shut down again later that evening due to heavy rain and thunderstorms, which turned the playa surface into thick, impassable mud, making driving impossible and stranding many participants in the entry line.

It was sounding more and more like this was going to be a repeat of what happened in 2023.

“I’m not going,” I said, “and I think you shouldn’t either.”

Herb ignored me and continued with this prep work.

The next morning after sleeping in vehiclesConditions at Burning Man seemed to calm down Sunday night and the gates reopened Monday morning after the playa had dried out enough to drive on.

The forecast for the week ahead looked a little iffy on Tuesday, but then great for the next 5 days after that. That was much better than a forecast that went from good to bad where we would have the possibility of getting stuck there for days like what happened in 2023.

So, on Tuesday morning I joined Herb in the RV (I’m not sure if either he or I knew until that moment whether I would), and we set off on the 5 hour drive to Black Rock City, where Burning Man lives.

We're In!Gerlach, Nevada is the gateway town to the event and the last place you can get gas and supplies. We were good on both. From there we continued on NV 447 N through Gerlach and followed the signs to turn onto County Road 34 which led us to the official Gate Road, where we entered the line to enter Black Rock City.

Wow! The line didn’t look too bad. Often it can take over 6 hours to get in. The line was inching along slowly until it began to rain, with the possibility of lightning forcing the gates to close once again, and they probably wouldn’t reopen until morning. Darn, we were so close - only about 100 yards to go to get in.

Our campsite on Kilgore and the playaOkay, this was not ideal, but we couldn’t really complain as we sat in the back of our cozy motorhome sipping a glass of wine, while those in cars had a very long night ahead of them.

To pass the time we tuned into Burning Man Information Radio (BMIR), broadcasting on 94.5 FM on the playa. The station provided a mix of music, news, weather, event information, and public service announcements for participants.

I learned a lot about Burning Man that night.

Welcome Home!For example, I learned that a “Sparkle Pony” is a derogatory term for a person that shows up at Burning Man with expensive, fashionable costumes, but lacks basic necessities like food, water, and shelter. With our fully stocked fridge and no sparkly outfits to speak of I was definitely not a “Sparkle Pony.” We started joking that people over 65 that fit the description were “Sparkle Nags.” Okay, perhaps we were having too much wine.

The most interesting conversation, however, was the news that the famous Burning Man orgy dome had been destroyed in the Sunday storm. We laughed some more as to whether we should just go home then. Definitely too much wine.

Welcome to the neighborhood!Then the talk turned to people finding their “spirit animal” at Burning Man to encourage self-discovery. You do not choose your spirit animal; rather, you invite it to reveal itself to you through self-reflection and openness. I laughed that I am so uptight that my spirit animal would refuse to come out and reveal itself.

Once we were sure that the line would not start moving until morning, we had a quick dinner and went to bed. So, really for us it was no hardship at all being stuck in line. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said about the hundreds of people stranded in their cars.

Hi Neighbor!The next morning it wasn’t raining, and everyone kind of milled around at the gate trying to get some idea if and when we would be able to enter. The word was probably about 11 a.m.

True to their word, the line did start moving around then, but we had one more hurdle - getting our actual tickets at the Box Office just inside the gate. We parked our car, but being the novices (or more correctly Burning Man virgins) we were, we didn’t sprint like everyone else to the Box Office, so we wound up being pretty far back in the line.

A friendly neighborFinally, it was our turn to be processed. Here’s what happens:

An enthusiastic Greeter hugged us and said “Welcome Home!” Then she handed us the official event guide and the City Map. We shouldn’t have, but we lied about not being “Virgins” (first time “Burners”) so we didn’t get to ring the bell, lie down and make a dust angel, and shout “I’m a virgin no more!” I would have paid $100 to see Herb do this, but we were anxious to just get a good campsite.

We were not officially in Black Rock City. I explained the city layout in the previous stop (So, What is Burning Man) about how the streets are laid out. Herb had gotten some advice on Reddit about how to find a good and quieter campsite at Burning Man.

Our Burning Man homeWe decided to drive along the outermost street (Kilgore) because that way we would be adjacent to an open playa as opposed to being surrounded by RVs and tents on all sides. Maybe this revealed that we were probably not going to be the rowdiest and most social of “Burners” but hey, at least I was here.

We found a great spot on Kilgore between 3:15 and 3:30 named for their corresponding position on the clock face of the street that radiate out from “The Man”(see City Layout description).

Sunset from our campsiteOnce settled in, you are not allowed to move your vehicle until you leave, so our means of transportation were our feet and our tricked out old mountain bikes.

No need to though. It was a beautiful spot, with the action and chaos of Black Rock City on one side and big open spaces on the other. This was not the playa where all the art installations were, but rather the area where many tent campers set up a home. Also, it's where the temporary airport is, so we got to watch a steady stream of wealthier participants being delivered to their Burning Man experience.

The sunsets from our site were incredible!

Our daily routine

Heading out for a day on the playaBurning Man 2025 had gotten off to a very rough start with a massive dust storm and wind gusts exceeding 50 mph that destroyed many of the camps and art installations, followed by heavy rains which turned the playa into thick impassable mud, forcing the gates to close again.

However, by Wednesday, when we were finally let through the gate, it looked like clear sailing for the next 5 days, with lots of sunshine, temperatures in the upper 80s rather than the 110s that I dreaded, and no big winds.

Black Rock City is pretty big - 6 square miles and a circumference of about 9.5 miles - so the recommended way for getting around is by bike.

Typical day at Burning ManSince the playa can be a very harsh place in terms of the alkaline dust, we didn’t want to bring our good mountain bikes, so we got our old ones out of the attic and Herb accessorized them to make them suitable for the playa.

That meant big cushiony seats so our butts would survive the bumpy terrain and baskets on the front (like the wicked witch of the west) to hold what we needed for the day.

Most importantly, since we planned to do a lot of our riding at night, we had to make sure we could see where we were going and that other people could see us.

Heading back out at nightAfter all, there are 70,000 people in BRC and many of them would also be cruising in random directions along the playa in the dark.

So, Herb installed headlamps on the front of our bikes so we could see where we were going, and LED lights that changed colors on our wheels so others could see us coming.

Those riders that don’t have suitable lighting are labeled as “Dark Wads.”

So far I had learned that I didn’t want to be a “Sparkle Nag,” get “Playa Foot,” or be accused of being a “Dark Wad” out on the playa. So far, so good, but it was only Day 1.

For the next 4 days, we pretty much got into a groove:

NIght on the Playa
• morning walk or ride around BRC
• back to the RV for lunch and a nap
• back out for an afternoon exploration on our bikes
• back to the RV for dinner
• glass of wine in our camp chairs on the playa-side of our campsite
• stop at our favorite “camp” for red wine and cheese (all free of course)
• then out on the playa again on our bikes after dark
• Back to the RV to sleep and get recharged for another day

I wouldn’t say we actually immersed ourselves completely into the Burning Man culture, but rather dipped our toes into what we were most interested in and comfortable with, which was basically riding our mountain bikes to see as many of the Artworks as we could. And visit some of the camps.

Camps and Art we enjoyed in the City

PlayAlchemist Grand PyramidOne of the most ambitious camps was PlayAlchemist whose gift to the community was the 71’ tall PlayAlchemist Grand Pyramid. Inspired by the Great Pyramid of Giza, it isdesigned to be a gathering space and sanctuary during the day and a dance venue at night.

It was created by a Vancouver-based team led by Krystal Commons, and has a steel frame clad with polycarbonate panels.

Once inside the pyramid, you are initiated to embark on an internal journey of personal transformation through alchemy, where the “lead” of your undeveloped consciousness is transformed into the “gold” of deeper knowledge, spiritual awakening, and an enlightened soul.

Wow! It was going to be hard to choose between enlightenment and the free wine and cheese at nearby Treble Makers.

Silk acrobatics at Treble MakerAs I mentioned earlier a “Camp” consists of an organized group of participants that create a specific interactive experience, art installation, or service to share with the rest of Black Rock City. These “gifts,” which include things like food and drink, music and entertainment, and art and absurdity, are given freely to any citizen of Black Rock City who wanders by.

Our absolute favorite camp was “Treble Makers,” a San Francisco-based theme camp offering red wine, cheese, and music.

After dark, the camp transitioned from a more relaxed atmosphere to a "spicier" experience, hosting top-notch House and Techno DJs for dancing and aerial silks for anyone to perform on.

Flamingo Phallus Ring TossHerb pretended to enjoy the views of the sun setting over the mountains while a scantily clad young lady was doing some fancy dancing and upside down splits on the silks, blocking his view of the sunset.

Once we discovered this camp, we stopped there every night after dinner for some wine and cheese before riding our bikes out on the playa. For some reason, Herb always had to wait for sunset.

My favorite camp was a bit more wholesome. Its theme was flamingos, and they had several games we could play. One was a ring toss game where you had to throw a hula hoop onto the giant pink phallus of a flamingo. I was amazingly good at it and got ringers on my first two tosses. I was so proud.

Ride 'em Chicken BoyHerb also got to ride a giant rocking chicken

Every night when we rode back from exploring the playa, we navigated towards a beautiful, brightly lit, temple-like structure, with two interconnected towers, which would bring us back to the Esplanade between 3:30 and 4:00 (streets, not time), making it easy for us to find our way back to the motorhome.

We didn’t know what it was at the time, and we were usually too tired at this point in the day to find out.

Phantasmagoria campWell, it turns out that it was Phantasmagria Camp, another one of Burning Man’s incredibly ambitious and generous “camps.”

It was absolutely stunning. I wish we had taken the time to experience one of their fancy cocktails in their lounge - free, of course, as is everything else at Burning Man.

While most of the large art installations are located out on the open playa, within the city there was one very large, poignant sculpture of a bright blue bowing face with eyes closed, hands palms together, with fingers pointing upwards in a welcoming gesture.

NamaskaramThe name of the sculpture is “Namaskaram,” and it was created by Srikanth Guttikonda.

Namaskaram is a greeting of respect that means "I bow to you".

It is a Sanskrit-derived greeting used in Indian, Nepali, and other Southeast Asian cultures, often accompanied by pressing the palms together at the heart in a gesture known as anjali mudra.

The greeting can also be understood spiritually as "the divinity within me bows to the divinity within you," an expression of respect, hospitality, and peace.

Its location in the Central Camp Plaza, at 6:00 and Atwood, serves as a gateway between the playa and the city.

Day 1 of Enjoying the Art on the Playa"

Black Rock City layoutAt Burning Man the barren landscape of the playa serves as the canvas upon which massive artworks rise, some of them so high that they act as navigational aids to get around this vast space.

This is especially true of “The Man,” who stands out on the playa at the absolute center of the “clock”. He is the central landmark from which the entire city radiates.

From The Man, a series of radial streets extend outwards, named for their corresponding time on a clock face, from 2:00 to 10:00. These radial streets make navigation across the vast cityscape relatively straightforward. You can pretty much locate any artwork by using its position relative to "The Man."

The Center of Burning ManThe sheer size of the art against the vastness of the desert is a breathtaking sight, designed to evoke a sense of awe and wonder.

So every morning and every evening, we would head out on our mountain bikes to see as much as we could see. In the following 3 days we rode over 45 bumpy miles, eliminating my fear of getting no exercise at Burning Man.

Let me share some of our favorites.

I guess it would be appropriate to start with the iconic “The Man,”the only artwork that has consistently appeared at every Burning Man since it started in 1986, where he began as an 8-foot tall wooden effigy.

His height has changed many times over the event's history. It reached its greatest height of 105 feet in 2014 and again in 2017. However, the height varies each year based on the event's theme.

"The Man"The Man for the 2025 event, themed "Tomorrow Today," was a 38-foot-tall effigy that stood at the center of a massive, interactive pavilion called “The World Fair of Unity.”

The entire structure, including the Man and its base, reached a total height of 70 feet.

Unlike the classic, rustic Man of some previous years, the 2025 effigy was designed to match the event's theme. It was a more slender, Art Deco-inspired figure with long, clean lines and an oval-shaped head, giving it a stylized, "retro-future" appearance.

Through the arches in the pavilionThe pavilion, which was designed by artist Mark “Kidnetick” River, is itself an incredibly beautiful piece of art with its dual spiraling ramps and soaring arches through which you can look up and see The Man, proudly standing on his pedestal for all to see. I couldn’t believe that we would watch this all burn down on Saturday.

Inside the Man Pavilion was an interactive art installation called “Carillon” by Steve Brummond. It consisted of three levels of Victorian arched niches which housed giant, oversized bells created from recycled materials.

Striking the bells in the pavilion beneath The ManThere were wooden sticks (called strikers) lying on the ground, inviting visitors to pick them up and strike the bells to make music. I patiently waited for my turn, as a cute little 4-year old boy banged away at the bells.

When it was my turn, I struck away with enthusiasm. The acoustics were awesome, but my playing, not so much so. Still, it was very fun.

What to see next? There are two ways to enjoy the art on the playa. The first is to just wander and see what you see. The other is to try to navigate using the Burning Man map, which gives the location of each art installation by saying what o’clock it is relative to the man, and how many feet away from “The Man” it is.

"The Man in his PJsWe tried that method at first, but it was too stressful, so we switched to just wandering aimlessly.

Not too far from “The Man,” we came across what was to become one of my favorite pieces: a large woolly mammoth called “Reborn.”

I couldn’t help myself and peeked at the map and saw that its location was 5.55/860’ meaning it was located at 5:55 o’clock, 860’ feet from “The Man.” Yep, that looked about right.

The sculpture , which was 12 feet tall, 22 feet long, and weighs 8,000 pounds, was created by Montana-based artist Clinton Lesh.

In the Embrace of the Woolly MammothIt is made of stainless steel with an iridescent purple, brown, blue and gold heat treated patina, making it shine in the desert sun, and is covered with over 5,000 hand-welded metal "hairs".

Its hand-blown glass eyeballs are filled with LED lights that shine through the metal hairs. It was incredible.

Burning Man encourages people to interact with the artworks so, being the true “Burner” I am, I nestled in its embrace by squeezing myself between its tusks and gazed up into his LED lit eyes. It was love at first sight.

"Reborn" after darkWe continued on, vowing to come back and revisit “Reborn” at night, when the 20 LED panels inside its body, shine out through the sculpture's "wavy hairs," creating a brilliant, glowing effect, changing from red to green to blue. Its hand-blown glass eyeballs were also illuminated, making the prehistoric creature appear to come alive in the dark.

Mutant Vehiclel treeAfter "Reborn," we headed towards the 2nd most iconic art installation on the Playa - The Temple of the Deep, giving right a way to a large white tree that was crossing our paths. Yeah, that's normal.

Like “The Man,” the Temple is something that has been a fixture on the Playa since 2000. When it first appeared in 2000, as the “Temple of the Mind,” it was never meant to be something created each year. However, when one of the building crew was killed in a motorcycle accident, the structure became a memorial.

It was so emotionally powerful that it became a tradition to build a temple each year to serve as a spiritual center where attendees could come to grieve and remember loved ones who had passed on.

The Temple of the DeepEvery year a different artist is chosen to design that year’s Temple. This year’s Temple, called the Temple of the Deep, was designed by Miguel Arraiz, a Spanish architect.

Unlike the light, airy and uplifting temples of past Burning Mans, this one was dark and intentionally heavy, designed to look like a colossal fractured black rock rising from the desert floor. Its design was heavily inspired by the volcanic rocks of the Black Rock Desert itself.

It was one of the most polarizing temples in Burning Man history, and people tended to either love it or hate it. I’m afraid that my first reaction when seeing what looked like a large charcoal briquette where I expect the Taj Mahal, put me in the latter category, but I eventually came around when I better understood the following metaphor behind the design.

Interior of the Temple of the DeepThe design was inspired by the Japanese art of kintsugi, where broken pottery is mended with gold, thereby highlighting the cracks as a beautiful part of the object's history.

The fractured black rock symbolized the broken pottery, or in this case a broken heart shattered by loss. The light which glowed through the cracks represents the human capacity for healing and resilience, particularly in the face of grief and loss.

Memorial to a dear friendIn contrast to the rough dark exterior, the interior was a luminous and uplifting cavernous space.

A central opening in the roof, described as a "vortex," allowed a beam of moonlight to shine through.

Arraiz designed the alcoves and chapels and walls in the interior to be a place for people to leave offerings to those that they were grieving for. These offerings included photographs, handwritten letters, or meaningful personal items.

On to the next art installationThere were Sharpies left alongside the edges of the wall to use to write tributes to loved ones you are still grieving for. I hadn’t planned to, but I found myself writing a tribute to my fun-loving, adventurous friend and next door neighbor who drowned when on vacation in India this year. She always teased me for my reservedness, so I wanted to thank her for always trying to push me to expand my horizons and live outside my comfort zone. I wanted her to know that I took her advice to heart and finally made it to Burning Man. It was a very cathartic experience.

The MothThe following two artworks, with their glittery silver finish, very much fit with this year's “Tomorrow Today” theme, which focuses on innovation and creating the future. They definitely were quite futuristic.

The first one is called “Moth,” but often referred to as the “Steel Moth Lantern Bearer.” It was created by a Russian artist named Vitaly K.

The sculpture tries to capture the tension between Western trinity and Eastern duality.

In his three arms he holds a sword (representing will), a book (representing understanding and knowledge), and a lantern (representing exploration). Each of these are components of human striving and are expressions of the self shaping reality through action, thought, and intuition.

Making friends?His two legs represent the Eastern emphasis on duality - yin and yang, light and shadow, life and death.

I wanted to pose with the Moth, but it took a while, as this is a popular place for social influencers to pose in their own shiny futuristic costumes. Finally, when it was my turn, I boldly stepped up to the Moth in my non-shiny ware, allmost a bit too boldly, as his sword was actually quite sharp. I gazed up into his compound, beady moth eyes, just like I had engaged with the Woolly Mammoth. After all, art at Burning Man is supposed to be participatory.

Controversial Elon InstallationI couldn’t find the name of the next futuristic artwork, where two tall brightly silver humanoids reach their hands towards each other in a gesture of acceptance and unity, very much befitting of Burning Man.

An unsanctioned, bold and unapologetic large metal metal sign reading “F**K YOU ELON” sprung up unexpectedly on the Black Rock Desert. Rangers tried to remove it, but it was too heavy.

The irony, besides the fact that Elon is a frequent attendee at Burning Man, is that most people were uploading photos of the sculpture using “Starlink,” which is a company owned by Elon Musk.

Entry to the Sphinx GatesWe had already ridden close to 10 miles on our bikes, this morning, so we headed back to the motorhome for lunch and a nap, before heading out again later this afternoon for more exploration.

We planned to stop at Treble Makers (see above description of his camp) for a glass of red wine before our night ride out on the playa, but when we saw a large group of people forming and moving in the same direction out onto the playa, we decided to follow, to see what was going on.

Raucous Crowd seeking wisdomI had heard that there are concerts at Burning Man, but since it’s Burning Man, they are not scheduled, but rather just pop up spontaneously.

I thought this might be one, so instead of having our glass of wine, we hopped on our bikes and followed the crowd, eventually arriving at the Sphinx Gates, where two 34-foot tall sphinx sculptures stood facing each other.

There were crowds of people gathering by the gates and climbing up onto mutant vehicles. It was pretty raucous, and we had no idea what was going on inside.

Then we saw the signs at the entry to the gates, which read Know Thyself?" and “Connect to your Wisdom” and other such inspirational phrases.

Where's Waldo?There were crowds of people trying to walk through the gates, I guess in search of wisdom and their inner selves, which the project aimed to deliver to those that entered using lights, lasers, and sound to create an immersive and transformative experience.

It was then that Herb and I had the enlightened thought that we could achieve the same transformative experience at Treble Makers, so we hopped back on our bikes and headed back to Treble Makers for an inspirational glass of California red wine.

I’m not sure if I’m cut out to be a “Burner.”

Treble MakersSo back we went to Treble Makers for some enlightening lights, lasers, and sound, topped off with some delicious California red wine and Feta cheese from Spain. It's still amazing to me that these camps provide "gifts" to the community totally free. What a world!!

I had to tear Herb away from watching another sunset at Treble Makers. Those darn girls on the silks kept getting in the way of his view.

We were very excited about our first night ride out onto the playa, when it is transformed into a surreal, dreamlike landscape, as lit-up mutant vehicles cruise across the playa and many artworks designed for night-time viewing are lit up with LEDs, lasers, and fire.

Ready to hit the playaIt's kind of like Las Vegas on steroids. It’s totally unrecognizable from the place we had been biking around all day.

It was also utter chaos, as there are no strict roads to follow, but just randomness, as bikes and mutant vehicles randomly cruise in every direction. Thank God Herb had decorated our tires with colorful LED lights so we could be seen.

I’m glad I only had one glass of wine!

We headed towards a large, multi-sensory cube of light, sound, and haptics (stimulating the sense of touch). It is called Apotheneum, or more affectionately, “The Cube.”

Desert or Vegas?It was composed of two nested chambers made of back-to-back LED nets holding a whopping total of 26,560 light nodes.

The outer chamber was a 40 x 40 x 40 foot cube. Inside it was a 30-foot cylindrical chamber that opened to the sky.

Inside the inner cylindrical chamber there was a 24-foot haptic bed, featuring 96 triangular tiles with embedded servo motors that emitted vibrations in sync with the light and sound, creating an immersive, multi-sensory experience for those lying on it.

ApotheneumOften, in fact almost always, when I am writing up a trip, I discover information that I wish I had known when we were there, so I could have experienced them first hand, like that sensory bed!!

By now, we had learned to expect the unexpected at Burning Man, so we were unphased when a 65-foot yacht named Christina cruised past us. This was one of Burning Man’s “art cars” or “mutant vehicles.”

A “mutant vehicle” is defined as a vehicle that is "radically and permanently mutated" to the point where it no longer resembles a standard street vehicle, or is dramatically out of its normal context.

ChristinaIn order to be allowed to drive out on the playa, it must be licensed by Burning Man’s “Department of Mutant Vehicles (DMV). That’s right! Burning Man has its own DMV.

Since Christina is placed on a cement truck chassis and now sails across the desert rather than Lake Tahoe, she falls in the latter category of being dramatically out of her normal context.

Christina has been a staple at Burning Man for decades and even won “Art Car of the Year” in 2010.

Mutant dragon passing throughIt was created by Flipper Manchester, who was originally hired to demolish the yacht but decided to convert it into an art car for Burning Man instead.

With the help of donated labor and roughly $20,000 of his own funds, Manchester put the boat on the chassis of a cement mixer, painted turquoise waves around the hull of the boat, outfitted it with a sound system and lights, and tore out all the bedrooms down below and made a huge ultra lounge where famous DJs from around the world play.

Huggzilla with dancerContinuing on, we gravitated towards a brightly-colored cat, cycling through pink to green to blue.

Her name was Huggzilla, and instead of fur, she was covered with Plexiglas panels that were illuminated for light shows on the playa at night.

She was another gathering place for social influences who posed and danced in front of her.

Nested HeartThere was so much to see that it was a bit overwhelming. Talk about stimulus overload. It’s impossible to describe them all, but here are just a few more art installations that we liked. And to think that this was only our first night!

Next up was Nested Heart, two cormorants, lit up from inside, with wings gently touching, as if they are drying their wings on the playa.

Totem RockThis gesture is meant to symbolize a reflective pause after a triumph and an opening of the heart to give thanks - perhaps for the successful catching of fish?

Inside the bird there was a nest that visitors could enter and reflect on their own personal challenges and triumphs.

Entering the nest triggered an audio loop of music to start playing, enhancing the contemplative experience.

Of course, I didn’t know any of this until afterwards, so we never got a chance to enter the nest and reflect on our challenges and triumphs, but I bet Herb’s challenge would have been trying to get me to agree to come here, and his triumph was that I did.

"The Man"The next artwork we came across was a huge head, just sitting on the playa, its face cycling through a series of reds, blues, greens, orange, and yellow. I am not totally sure, but I think this piece is named Totem Rock, and if so its purpose is to serve as a channel between humans and spirits and ancestors. If not, he's just an interesting face, but I doubt that, because everything at Burning Man has a deeper, spiritual meaning than just aesthetics.

There was still a lot more to see, but we were pretty tired from a very long productive day. We had ridden 18 bumpy miles on our old mountain bikes today. Plus, we had 2 more full days to explore. So we headed back towards the esplanade where we would weave our way through the streets of Black Rock City to find our motorhome.

But first, a good night to "The Man," who was pretty much visible at night from anywhere on the playa. I wonder if he knew that he had only 2 more days to live, but I guess after almost 40 years, he was getting used to it.

Day 2 of Enjoying the Art on the Playa"

To the outer edges of the playa we goWhen we woke up on Thursday, I said to Herb, “I’m not sure what we are going to do today, because I think we’ve pretty much seen everything.”

“I highly doubt that," he said, pointing the the Burning Man map with over 326 art installations listed.

“Maybe a lot of them were destroyed in the severe wind and dust storms before we arrived. Remember the Orgy Dome was obliterated.”

So we decided to do a deeper dive, or more accurately a wider dive, by biking around the entire perimeter of the part of the playa that is defined as Burning Man.

Waves into SkyBlack Rock City has a 9.2-mile-long Trash Fence, the purpose of which is to catch MOOP (Matter Out Of Place), like trash and debris from blowing off the playa and into the surrounding desert. It also acts as the boundary of Black Rock City, so we would use it as our guide during our perimeter tour.

I absolutely loved the first piece we came to, which was called Waves into Sky. So, I guess we hadn’t seen everything.

Tea Anyone?The sculpture consisted of a central pole, with a series of red, white, and blue light and airy fabric wings emanating from it, held in place by a wire above.

Beneath it sat a piano, which welcomed visitors to participate by making their own waves of sound.

The fun part about riding out on the playa is that you never know what to expect, so we weren’t surprised when we came upon a scene right out of the late 1800s - an old cabin with a porch out front from which a woman with a parasol was serving tea.

Apocalyptic Deep Sea PortalContinuing on, we rode towards a large open wooden cube with crocheted, handmade sea creatures and apocalyptic emblems hanging from its frame. Its name was Apocalyptic Deep Sea Portal.

The sea creatures are intended to make people reflect on the importance of the ocean and our interdependence with its creatures.

The artwork acts as a conceptual gateway for participants to travel between a non-apocalyptic world and an apocalyptic one, with the sea creatures serving a guides between the two realms.

Beast ModeWe preferred to stay in the non-apocalyptic one, so we took a chance and headed out to the “Trash Fence” to trace the perimeter of Black Rock City.

Ok, maybe we still were in apocalyptic mode because the first sculpture we came upon was all black and had a scary monster in the middle covered in spikes and entwined with serpents and tentacles. It was appropriately called Beast Mode.

However, there was also hope, because it was surrounded by lamp posts adorned with crystals and lights that emitted a warm glow, creating a contrast with the dark beast.

As many of Burning Man’s art installations are, this one was interactive in that as you walked through it talked about the need to replace hate in this world with love.

Life TripsSo like the last sculpture, this one two symbolized a dichotomy, this time the balance between lightness and dark, fear and wonder, and love and hate.

It was pretty quiet bicycling out near the perimeter, and we hardly saw another soul, until we came upon another cyclist, or at least a sculpture of one.

The piece was called Life Trips and like the past two works, it too was about life struggles and balance, cleverly illustrated by a cyclist struggling to keep his balance as he is about to do an unsuccessful “endo” over the front of his bike.

Herb doing fancy stuffFor the artist, this theme was personal and his “Life Trips” was a perfect metaphor for stumbling over inner demons and past traumas along our path through life, and the struggle to find balance and happiness.

Then it was back to the motorhome for lunch and a nap. We had already biked 10 miles this morning, so we deserved a little siesta.

Getting a little helpIt was pretty much our routine every day to get out in the morning when it was cool, hang out in the air-conditioned motorhome during the heat of the day, when the lighting wasn’t good for photography anyway, and then head out again in the evening when the playa came alive.

This was to be our most participatory night of all. Up until now, we pretty much didn’t realize what we were missing at some of the art installations until we got home and I started doing research to write this trip up.

But we couldn’t miss the hidden meaning of the netted pyramid with the gymnastic hoop hanging down from its vertex, just crying out for us to give it a go.

I can do fancy stuff tooJust to set the scene, everyone else gathered around was at least half our age or less, so when we stepped up, there were lots of oohs and ahs from the young'ns, who probably thought they were about to watch a train wreck.

However, despite our approaching 70, both Herb and I are quite athletic and strong. We rock climb in a gym, work out in a fitness center, run, mountain bike, hike, and swim.

So, Herb had no trouble pulling himself up and getting to a sitting position inside the hoop, before venturing into fancy stuff.

I, however, being shorter, had a bit more of a struggle pulling myself up into the hoop, so the woman whose installation it was, gave me a little ooch.

Waves in the SkyOkay, maybe a big ooch. But from there, I did fancy stuff of my own. Boy that was fun!

I was glad that I had my biking shorts on under my dress

We just love biking around playa at night, so with no real destination in mind, we just randomly went towards the lights - like moths.

Waves in the Sky, which we had already seen this morning, lured us in, as it was even more beautiful at night, set against an amazing sunset.

Golden Gate bridge photo bombs the Sphinx GatesThere were a lot more people out now than during the day.

From there, in the distance we saw the 34-foot high Sphinx Gates, so we headed that way.

Wow! What a difference from yesterday where there were literally hundreds of people trying to get through the gates for a lights, laser, and sound event aimed at helping those you passed through find wisdom and their inner selves.

Sphinx Gates at nightNow, there was no one and no sign of anything having happened here, except for the two sphinxes staring into each other's eyes. It was like we dreamt it.

To make the scene even more dreamlike, we watched as the Golden Gate Bridge drove by in the distance. That was quite a juxtaposition.

I guess the Sphinxes didn’t want to be outdone by the Golden Gate Bridge, so a little later they put on their own show in vibrant reds and blues. They showed him!!

There was one last task we had to do before heading back to the motorhome and that was to say our final farewells to “The Man,” because tomorrow he would burn.

Bye Bye Burning ManWe weren’t the only ones with this idea, so we parked our bikes amongst the hundreds of others and solemnly walked up the beautiful wooden spiraling ramp to the soaring arches upon which he stood.

Before long, the security guards asked everyone to leave, so they could begin securing the perimeter for tomorrow night’s big pyrotechnic display.

Securing the perimeter for the Man Burn is one of the largest and most critical safety operations of the entire Burning Man event. It is a highly coordinated effort involving hundreds of trained volunteers.

The Burn is supposed to be quite a spectacular event, starting with an hour-long choreogrpahed show of fire-dance troupes from around the world, followed by a massive fireworks display that erupts from The Man himself, with explosions, rockets and massive fireballs that roll across the sky, eventually engulfing The Man in flames, and concluding with his collapse and crashing to the ground.

I admit to feeling sad about this beautiful structure being turned to ashes, but "ephemeralness" is a core principle of Burning Man, as the city is built and then completely dismantled to leave no trace that it ever existed behind. So the Burning is a central part of this tradition.

Day 3 of Enjoying the Art on the Playa"

Humanoid?We had seen so much art over the last two days, that I couldn’t picture that there could possibly be that much more, but there was. In fact, I think it would take weeks to see everything.

Well, sure enough, we did see a lot of new cool stuff.

I'm not sure of the name of the first one, but it was some kind of huge humanoid reaching out her hand to something beyond our field of vision or perhaps something only she could see?

She was so large that I could comfortably nestle in her armpit.

One Tin SoldierA bit further on we came to an area full of worn, weathered children’s toys - a monumental stack of alphabet blocks inviting one to climb and play on, an old metal pair of jacks laying scattered about, a giant 12-foot yo-yo buried in the dust, and One Tin Soldier, that sits upon a 24-foot wooden horse, whose reins held a swing, welcoming visitors, such as me, to come and play on, so I did!

The project is an homage to childhood wonder and nostalgia, encouraging participants to feel like small children again by shrinking them next to the colossal toys.

Moonlight LibraryWe all need to rediscover our inner child. I have no problem with that. I have more of a problem finding my inner adult.

I love books, and I even brought 3 of them thinking I would have some downtime to read. Well, guess what? There is no downtime at Burning Man.

So as a consolation, I was very excited to learn that Burning Man has a library, called the Moonlight Library, that encourages people to explore the question, “What does it mean to be human?”

Back of the Moonlight LibraryThis towering two-story installation was designed to look like a Gothic romantic ruin of an ancient library. Rather than a complete building, all that remained was a corner of what was once a much larger, multi-story structure that had otherwise deteriorated.

Placing these books in a ruined library, suggests that even as physical structures crumble, human narratives and shared experiences endure.

On the back of the library there were faux marble tablets containing quotes about the importance of stories in our lives.

Bookshelves of the Moonlight LibraryOne particular quote that resonated with me was: “What you speak becomes a seed. In another heart, it takes root. Stories are flaxen words, woven across time, connecting us to souls we've never met..

The walls of the library were lined with massive bookshelves filled with thousands of real “weathered” books.

Of course, like most installations at Burning Man, this one was interactive.

Up to the 2nd FloorParticipants could take physical books from shelves, place them on a kiosk to listen to them. Some of the books on the shelves had sensors, so when someone touched the spine, it softly played an audio recording of an anonymous personal story.

There was even a hidden "Entity Room" for personal reflection.

These stories were collected by artists at previous Burning Man events, essentially creating a library of human experiences - joy, sorrow, fear, and hope.

And down againIt served as an archive of collective memory, encouraging participants to author their own stories and reflect on their life narratives from the perspective of their final chapter, giving them time to rewrite their narratives before it was too late.

The contemplative mood was enhanced by a lone court musician, dressed in shiny gold from head to foot, standing in front of the bookshelves, playing melodious tunes on a saxophone.

There were additional bookshelves on the second floor, reached by two precarious staircases on either side of the building, neither of which had hand rails.

Ad AstraNeither looked particularly safe, but I chose to clamber up the two to 3-foot blocks on the left sides as opposed to the ridiculously narrow ones on the right, hoping to not have my “final chapter” arrive before I had a chance to rewrite my story.

We never knew what to expect next, but after leaving the Library, we came upon what looked like a modern-day Stonehenge.

Ad AstraIt was called Ad Astra, and it consisted of six monumental sculptures arranged in a circle, with a diameter of 13 meters.

The sculptures were crafted from a combination of artificial stone and polished stainless steel, which blended ancient-looking surfaces with more shiny, futuristic reflective finishes, symbolizing the union of past, present, and future.

Although beautiful by day, with the desert and us reflected in the polished steel, it is supposed to be even more impressive in the dark, when a warm, pulsating light emanates from inside the sculptures, accompanied by a deep, space-like soundscape.

Vessel of LoveToo bad it is so far out on the playa, almost a mile further than “The Man,” so we probably wouldn’t venture this far out again in the dark.

While the last two installations emphasized the profound connections between the past and the future, Vessel of Love was pure fun, closer in theme to the “One Tin Soldier,” which pushed us to embrace our “inner child.”

This vibrant red, 21-foot high, 46-feet long double slide built in the shape of an infinity heart invited participants to climb up its ladders and slide down either of the two intersecting slides, with childlike abandon.

Afterlife ReincarnateBut at Burning Man, even things that appeared as pure fun always seemed to have a deeper meaning as well. This piece was intended as a celebration of connection, joy, and infinite love.”

Yesterday when riding around the perimeter of the playa, we had seen orange barrier tape blocking an area off in the distance. Thinking it was an installation that had been destroyed by the wind and dust storms at the beginning of Burning Man, we ignored it and rode in a different direction.

Afterlife ReincarnateThen the next day, we got a little closer and saw that we had been mistaken, and instead of a destroyed installation, it appeared like we had arrived in Thailand.

The installation, which was called Afterlife Reincarnate, was an amazing 150x150-foot multi-sensory piece, arranged in a Tibetan-inspired mandala, a design used in Buddhist and Hindu traditions as a spiritual tool for meditation.

With its mystical fire-breathing dragons, fluttering prayer flags, and multiple shrines and gates, it was designed to virtually “teleport” participants to the ancient temples, pagodas, and stupas of Asia.

MermanAt night, it must have been even more stunning, as it lit with fluorescent lights, LEDs, and blacklights to create a vibrant, otherworldly beacon on the playa.

Continuing on, we came upon a huge wooden man swimming across the desert. His name was Merman,” and he was created by a Ukrainian team led by Andrii Krapyvchenko.

The 12-meter long sculpture was constructed from 288 wooden blocks and depicts the head, back, and arm of a giant man appearing to swim through the ground. It is meant to be a symbol of endurance and overcoming obstacles, very appropriate for a piece from Ukraine.

Merman was originally supposed to appear at Burning Man in 2021, but was delayed due to Covid and the war.

Rose WondersWe left the Merman behind and rode towards what we thought was a large King Kong holding a small woman in the palm of his hand.

But when we got closer, we saw that instead it was a massive, gentle-looking troll, and the people in his outstretched hand had gotten there voluntarily climbing a hidden staircase. In fact, they waited on line for the privilege.

This piece is called Rose Wonders and it was created by the renowned Danish artist Thomas Dambo, who has made it his worldwide mission to transform recycled materials and trash into something magical - specifically trolls. Rose Wonders is the 158th troll to join his global collection.

Rose WondersMost of Dambo’s trolls have a poem associated with their themes, which in the case of Rose Wonders was the desire to evoke a sense of connection with nature, reflection, and wonder. I don’t think he could have possibly made a more appropriate choice than G.E. Stooke’s poem “I Wonder if it Wonders, which ends with the following stanza:

I wonder if it understands, the world is a connection,
And everything we do comes back again as a reflection
I wonder if it speaks, I wonder what it wants to say
And wonder if it understands tomorrow is today

Coming full circle to the Burning Man 2025 theme of “Tomorrow Today”

Sorry to see it all end, but tonight was the climax - “The Burning of the Man.” Time to get back to the motorhome and get ready for the big event.

Travelogue

A bit of Burning Man history

1986 Baker Beach - 8-foot ManBurning Man was born on June 22, 1986 (so he’s a Millenial) as a small, spontaneous bonfire ritual on Baker Beach in San Francisco, where a group of about 20 people gathered to watch the first burning of “The Man,” which at that time was an 8-foot-tall wooden effigy to celebrate the summer solstice,

The event became an annual tradition, each year attracting more and more people. By 1990, the crowd had grown to 800 and the “Man” had grown into a 40-foot structure.

By 1990, the event had grown too large for the beach with as many as 800 people attending. Citing fire hazards, the Golden Gate Park Police wouldn’t let them burn “The Man,” so the organizers picked him up and took him to the Black Rock Desert, a vast, flat, and harsh ancient lakebed in Nevada.

1990 Black Rock Desert 0 40-foot ManThen on Labor Day weekend to an audience of only 90 people, they successfully burned “The Man,” and its new, permanent home was established.

To this day, each year he is burned on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend.

In the 1990s the event grew from a small desert gathering into a temporary city, built each year from scratch by its participants.

For one week, it rises from the flat, arid lakebed of the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, becoming one of the largest "cities" in the state, with over 70,000 temporary residents, only to be completely dismantled and removed at the end, as if it were never there.

2000 Black Rock Desert - the First TempleIn 2000, the “Temple of the Mind” was built as an art project. However, when one of the building crew was killed in a motorcycle accident, the structure became a memorial.

It was so emotionally powerful that it became a tradition to build a temple each year to serve as a spiritual center where attendees could come to grieve and remember loved ones who had passed on.

Every year, the temple is burned on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. It is a quiet, somber ceremony, in contrast to the celebratory burn of "the Man" the night before.

In 2004, Larry Harvey, one of the co-founders of burning man wrote the 10 Principles that participants were expected to follow:

Illustrating the 10 Principle of Burning Man
• Radical Inclusion: Anyone is welcome
• Gifting: You give gifts without any expectation of return
• Decommodification: There is no commerce, advertising, or corporate sponsorship
• Radical Self-reliance: You must bring all of your own survival supplies (water, food, shelter) for the week
• Radical Self-expression: You are encouraged to be your unique self
• Communal Effort: People work together to build the city, art, and camps
• Civic Responsibility: Participants are responsible for public welfare and following laws
• Leaving No Trace: This is a critical rule. The community is committed to leaving the desert exactly as it was found. Everything you bring, including trash, must be packed out with you
• Participation: Everyone is expected to contribute to the experience
• Immediacy: The event is focused on being present in the moment and experiencing the world around you

Burning Man 2025 Theme

MothEach year, Burning Man has a unique theme, which is meant to inspire and guide the artistic, cultural, and personal expression at the event.

Themes are announced in advance and influence the art installations, camps, and participation of attendees throughout the week.

For example, the 2024 theme was "Curiouser & Curiouser," inspired by Alice in Wonderland, and the 2025 theme is "Tomorrow Today," which focuses on innovation and creating the future.

This theme invites participants to imagine the future in new ways, and to make it real through our collective actions, drawing inspiration from past world fairs that celebrated progress, culture, and art.

This futuristic theme also allowed attractive young ladies to dress in shiny silver metallic costumes.

Burning Man City Layout

Black Rock City layoutThe city is laid out as a massive C-shaped arc, resembling a giant clock face.

The vast, open area inside the C-shape is known as the "playa," filled with massive sculptures, art installations, and "mutant vehicles" (art cars). This is why I came to Burning Man.

The Man stands out on the playa at the absolute center of the “clock”. This is the central landmark from which the entire city radiates.

Far out on the playa beyond The Man, directly at the 12:00 position is the Temple, which serves as the city's spiritual and contemplative heart, a place for remembrance and letting go.

From The Man, a series of radial streets extend outwards, named for their corresponding time on a clock face, from 2:00 to 10:00. These radial streets make navigation across the vast cityscape relatively straightforward.

Intersecting these radial avenues are a series of concentric, curved streets. The innermost of these is the Esplanade, the city's bustling main promenade that faces the open playa and its stunning art installations.

My backyard on Kilgore StreetMoving outwards from the Esplanade, the subsequent streets are named in alphabetical order. For the 2025 gathering, the city's concentric streets pay homage to visionary writers whose works have explored the complex intersections of humanity, technology, and the future. So the first street after the Esplanade is Atwood (A) for Margaret Atwood, author of the Handmaid’s Tale and the furthest street is Kilgore (K) for Kilgore Trout, a recurring character in Kurt Vonnegut’s science fiction stories.

We stayed on Kilgore Street, because it was at the very edge of the arc, where it was much quieter because instead of being in the thick of things, we were right on the edge of another playa.

This logical system made navigating throughout the city easy, even for the spatially challenged, such as me.

The Concept of Camps

Camp Bajie's Lair White TigerThere are two categories of “Burners” at Burning Man: those that are part of an official “camp” or those who go on their own (which is what we were).

A camp is an organized group of participants that creates a specific interactive experience, art installation, or service to share with the rest of Black Rock City. These “gifts” are given freely to any citizen of Black Rock City who wanders by.

Purrfect Punch Camp's HuggzillaSome examples of camp “gifts” are food and drink, sound and entertainment, services such as bike repair, workshops such as yoga classes and meditation sessions, and art and absurdity.S

Camps are the heart and soul of Burning Man. They are the living, breathing neighborhoods that transform the empty desert into the vibrant metropolis of Black Rock City.

People that are not part of an official camp, such as us, are citizens of Black Rock City. We fell into this group. We even got a passport.
Participants like us camped in “open camping” areas, typically located on the outer streets.

Camp sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so we drove around a bit before selecting ours on Kilgore Street, which was as far out as you can go.

Art on the Playa

The art on the playa at Burning Man is unlike art in any other gallery, museum, or even sculpture park in the world.

There are four major categories of artworks:

Rose Wonders
• Honoraria Installations: These are the large-scale, often theme-related projects that have received funding grants from the Burning Man Project to help bring them to life. They form the core of the planned "art gallery" on the open playa
• Spontaneous Art: These are the smaller, unregistered art pieces pop up, created by participants who simply want to contribute to the creative landscape
• Mutant Vehicles (Art Cars): These are radically modified vehicles, transformed into everything from fire-breathing dragons and giant fish to pirate ships and glowing jellyfish. I think they are the most fun in that they create an ever-changing dynamic environment
• The Man and The Temple: These are the two central, iconic pieces that are created new each year, often reflecting the annual theme.

The ManThe Man's design is handled by a hand-selected crew of builders and managers within the Burning Man organization. While the iconic figure of the Man remains constant, the structure it stands upon—the Man Base or Pavilion—is designed to reflect the festival's annual theme.

In contrast, the Temple is designed by different artists each year, chosen through a grant program. This year’s Temple, called the Temple of the Deep, was designed by Miguel Arraiz, a Spanish architect. The fractured, black rock-like structure he created is meant to symbolize grief, loss, and healing.

The Temple of the DeepThe vast, barren landscape of the Black Rock Desert serves as the canvas for massive artworks, sometimes several stories high. The sheer size of the art against the vastness of the desert is a breathtaking sight, designed to evoke a sense of awe and wonder.

Many of them are so large that they art landmarks across the playa, serving as navigational aids and gathering points.

Participatory ArtIn line with the Burning Man principle of Participation, the art at Burning Man is not meant to be passively observed from afar, but rather to be touched, climbed on, crawled through, and experienced.

The participant's interaction is often what completes the piece, turning it from a static object into a dynamic experience.

Night on the PlayaAt night, the playa transforms into a surreal, dreamlike landscape as lit up mutant vehicles cruise across the playa and many artworks designed for night-time viewing are lit up with LEDs, lasers, and fire. This was my favorite time of day to be on the playa.

Another characteristic of the art is its ephemeralness. They are installed in the days leading up to the event and must be completely removed without a trace afterward. Some of the art is moved to private collections, museums, or public spaces. Others, like the iconic “Man” and the “Temple” are burned.

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