Alberta. We exited Waterton Lakes, Banff and Jasper National Parks after four days, but we will be back; these are simply stunning parks that we have at this point only lightly touched. As we left the parks, we were not suddenly faced with unrestrained commercialism; in fact quite the opposite. We spent hours yesterday driving… Read More Road to Dawson Creek – May 2017
Alberta. We left Banff earlier today and traveled on the Icefields Parkway, through Banff National Park and then directly into Jasper National Park. I know this gets redundant, but this place is fantabulous! And, we are no longer virgins! Bear virgins, that is. We saw our first sighting of bears, and we have yet to… Read More Icefields Parkway – May 2017
Alberta. Banff, if you have never been here, is just crazy with views! I say Banff, but really mean the Banff National Park in Alberta (Canada), which area includes Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, Banff, Canadian Rocky Mountains galore, and much more. The views almost seem to get silly, because around every turn is a simply… Read More Banff National Park – May 2017
Alberta. We exited the US at the Waterton crossing – in Glacier National Park, and across into the Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada – Alberta, to be more precise. After dutifully instructing my bride not to answer any questions at the border crossing, we were (surprisingly) admitted into Canada. What were they thinking!?! We… Read More O Canada – May 2017
This will be a short post. We are sitting in a campground in Glacier National Park in northwest Montana and about to transit across into Canada later today on our trip to Alaska. As available we will try to post chapters of our journey. But for now, let’s not forget how unbelievably beautiful Glacier National… Read More Glacier National Park – May 2017
Ever watch one of those National Geographic wildlife films? The images that come to my mind are the mountain lion racing down a poor isolated elk, and a buffalo stampeding on some hapless mountain lion. Mountain lions need a better agent.. Not to go off on a technical rant, but buffalos are found only in… Read More Theodore Roosevelt NP – May 2017
We have checked the Guadalupe Mountains National Park box. Typically when we visit a national park we say to ourselves that we will absolutely have to come back to visit stuff we weren’t able to see. There is much (let’s call that most) of the park we did not see. But for whatever reason I… Read More Guadalupe Mountains NP – Mar 2017
We knew when good friends of ours gave us a US map that identified the national parks in this country that we were in trouble. Not bad enough, you could identify your personal weaknesses by seeing all the “un-visited” parks we had yet to darken. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, in Carlsbad, NM was on that… Read More Carlsbad Caverns – Mar 2017
This is our second time to see White Sands National Monument in Alamogordo, NM, although it is the first time we were actually able to see it (the first time it was so windy we blew it off – no pun). White Sands sits in the basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, and abuts the White… Read More White Sands – Mar 2017
Just days shy of 10 years ago, my bride and I flew to Maui (Hawaii) for ProClub (a sales rewards trip) with Progress Software. To be honest, I had never been to Hawaii and I was not really that interested, but decided to go nonetheless (this is an all-expense paid first class trip for two,… Read More Time Warp/Maui – 2007
Like Karen said to me, “beauty as far as the eyes can see.” That pretty much captures Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. If you don’t know where that is, you can be excused; it is located in the Sonoran Desert in southwest AZ on the border of Mexico. Over 95% of this 500+ square mile… Read More Organ Pipe – Feb 2017
The National Park Service was created this month in 1916, one hundred years ago, “to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”, and… Read More National Park Service 100th Anniversary – Aug 2016
When you are retired every day is Saturday, and this is no exception. I am sitting in our camper up in the White Mountains enjoying a thunderous and continuous rain over a cup of coffee, staring at my new found friend. Unlike our tenting neighbors, we are dry. And unlike our trip to Vermont, where… Read More New Hampshire – Aug 2016
The risk (really now, is there a risk?!?) to posting again about a place you have been before is remaining engaging, relevant and fresh. Of course that presumes you were ever engaging, relevant or fresh. I’d be thrilled with one out of three. We revisited the Mojave National Preserve for five days and enjoyed it… Read More Mojave Preserve – Jan 2016
We spent this past week in Death Valley National Park and I was reminded of how beautiful a place it is. It is ironic that such a hot, dry and inhospitable place with so little rain (on average less than 2 inches per year) is so significantly shaped by rain! Arriving in Death Valley from… Read More Death Valley – Jan. 2016
While our trip to Standing Indian, a campground in the Nantahala National Forest in NC was from last year, it may be timely for any of you in the Atlanta area looking for a nice camping destination and a temperature reprieve. Standing Indian is a very basic campground (no electric, no water… nada), located in… Read More Standing Indian – April 2014
A German Sheppard with opposable thumbs could probably take great pictures of the Grand Canyon, but here are a few of ours captured earlier today. The Grand Canyon, particularly if you have not visited, is nothing less than spectacular – takes your breath away. You could see the rapids on the Colorado River, but being… Read More Grand Canyon (AZ) – Feb 2015
Here are a few pictures from our days at Joshua Tree National Park. I know this is repetitive, but 360 degrees of beautiful and interesting. PS: Last picture is a Joshua Tree; cover photo is a Cholla plant.
Death Valley is simply one of the most amazing places on earth – indescribably beautiful, and yet brutally harsh. Temperatures for us have been down into the high 30’s and low 40’s at night, and up to the 50’s during the day. We camped at Furnace Creek, took several hikes, and I played golf at… Read More Death Valley (CA) – Jan 2015
Between the carriage trails for hiking/biking, the beauty of Mount Desert Island and the stunning Maine coastline for paddling, pristine lakes… well… this is where to be. I paddled out of Seal Cove several times during our stay (there is a quiet public boat ramp there), and it was just beautiful. The carriage trails were… Read More Acadia NP (ME) – Sept 2014
Tuckerman’s Ravine is epic. Whether you hike up there for spring skiing, on your way to the summit of Mount Washington, or whatever else may be your goal, it is clearly a stunning area. Some in our group made it to Ho Jo’s, some to the summit (6,288 feet elevation), me to the base of… Read More Tuckerman’s Ravine – August 2014
In my youth I was disappointed with people who took the easy route and drove up Mount Washington, after I had climbed up 4 miles and 4,000+/- feet elevation gain. Today, I am a little more forgiving. Mount Washington is one of the most remarkable places on earth, whether it is visited via foot, bike,… Read More This Car Climbed Mt Washington (NH) – Aug 2014
We enjoyed a beautiful day on gorgeous Russell Pond, deep in the White Mountains. We saw a loon and an eagle while tooling around the pond in our kayaks after a nice hike at Lincoln Woods. Temperatures have been running in the 60’s.
What a great day in the Virginia Blue Ridge area! We drove down the Blue Ridge Parkway (stunning), visited the Mabry Mill (which is gorgeous and really interesting), and then headed down to Galax where the 79th Old Fiddlers Convention is being held this week. We then headed to the Blue Ridge Music Center where… Read More Blue Ridge Parkway (VA) – Aug 2014
We had the honor of visiting the Flight 93 National Memorial, not much more to say. Haunting. We will never forget.
Note: Sorry, this is not a new post, just fixing a broken link to an old post from back in 2014. Still, pretty cool to look back! Up for a long weekend at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, camped at the Elkmont campground with a site right on the river. While physically located near Gatlinburg,… Read More Smoky Mountains NP (TN) – June 2014
What can you possibly say about the Grand Canyon that either hasn’t already been said or simply doesn’t need to be said? We arrived at the North Rim campground 6 hours before the government shutdown, so the next morning the rangers came around and told us we needed to vacate within 48 hours. Fortunate for… Read More Grand Canyon North (AZ) – Oct 2013
Probably one of the least well-known national parks in the country, Great Basin NP is actually in Nevada, but not far from the Utah line. But it is not close to ANYTHING! Camping is basic boondocking, but it is gorgeous. Due to truck issues, our trip here was curtailed, but hope to be back again!
Capitol Reef NP (Capitol Reef National Park) really unique in that while the national park is stunningly gorgeous with intricate rock formations, at its center is a lush valley replete with rushing streams and a canopy of trees and fruit trees from when the Mormons developed orchards of apples and other fruit. We happened to… Read More Capitol Reef NP (UT) – Sept 2013
For anyone who has traveled to the western national parks, you already know that most of them are comprised of breathtaking views, and Canyonlands National Park is no exception. Canyonlands National Park We traveled off road on some of the 4 wheel trails. They are more than a little intimidating; I would have preferred to… Read More Canyonlands NP (UT) – Sept 2013