Since our servants were off duty this day, I took several weeks’ worth of laundry to the laundromat in Manchester, VT. While there, I struck up a conversation with some obvious hikers (I won’t say how I knew they were hikers – no actually, they had already showered). Yes, they were hiking the Appalachian Trail… Read More Zero Day on the AT – July 2016
We are camped in Big Sur on the California coastline, but getting here is half the fun! You won’t find a more beautiful road than California Route 1, particularly from Morro Bay to Carmel. If you haven’t driven it, you need to add it to your list. Pictures don’t do it justice. The coastline and… Read More Big Sur – Mar 2016
Tucson undoubtedly means many things to many people, but to us I’d have to say it means rodeo – Fiesta de los Vaqueros (Celebration of the Cowboys), one of the Top 25 rodeos in North America. For the second year we traded in our backpacks and hiking boots for dungarees and cowboy hats and headed… Read More Tucson – Feb 2016
The thing about camping? When the weather gets too hot, or too cold, or too whatever, you move. As nice as the weather was at McDowell, it was getting on the warm side so we decided to head back to Sedona, part Duh. If doing something once is great, then doing it twice is greatuh.… Read More Sedona part Duh – Feb 2016
Success! We finally captured photos of wildlife with our new “Stealth Cam”. Catching photos of wildlife has eluded us until now. With this new camera in our arsenal we expect to catch more candid photos, but at least this is a start. I did discuss these photos with the park ranger. His counsel was, at… Read More McDowell Reg’l Park – Feb 2016
Better than Thor. WHAT? What say you, heathen, for such high treason? Hang the man from the tallest cactus! We have been camped at Anza-Borrego Desert SP in southern California and Karen has outdone herself getting us the nicest site in the world. We are situated on a very private spot (don’t take umbrage –… Read More Anza-Borrego Desert – Feb 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
On a walk in the woods, I captured some of the muted colors and textures of late fall. These photos are taken from the banks of the Chattahoochee River a wee bit north and west of Atlanta. Hardly the vibrant fall foliage of New England or the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, nonetheless these subtle colors… Read More The Other Colors of Fall – Dec 2015
R If you don’t like gorgeous desert sceneries, biking/hiking on endless miles of dirt trails, beautiful desert flowers, and reasonably private campsites, you may not love the McDowell Mountain Regional Park campground. But it seems like everyone else in the world loves this place – hard to get a campsite, so reserve in advance. North of the… Read More McDowell Mountain RP (AZ) – Feb 2015
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
Close to our campground (Crawford Notch SP), we traveled a very short distance to hike up to Arethusa Falls, and make it into a loop trail by taking the Frankenstein Trail back – all in all about a 4 mile hike that takes you under a train trestle. Really great views of the falls –… Read More Arethusa Falls (NH) – Aug 2014
We day hiked Mount Osceola in the White Mountains, one of the 48 4,000 footers (4,340 feet); just beautiful. While the climb is popular and described as one of the easier climbs (validated by 20 Girl Scouts climbing down as we were going up), this is not what I would have described as an easy… Read More Mount Osceola (NH) – August 2014
We decided to hike some trails near Waterville Valley in the White Mountains, and found some great hiking/cross country ski trails. We hiked for about 3 miles but I am pretty sure Rosie just about doubled our distance. Gorgeous day, cool temps (low 70’s), lunch by the river…