Santa Barbara Anniversary
We had a pretty chill long weekend in Santa Barbara to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. Long walks on the beach, great food - we even reread our wedding vows to each other!
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Sequoia National Park highlights include the Mac Daddy of all trees, General Sherman (the largest tree in the world!), Moro Rock climbing, driving through the Tunnel Log and abundant wildlife. The combo of high elevation, [...]
Walking the Oregon Coast
The Oregon coast is delightful in the summer - light breezes and plenty of sunshine. We walked for miles every day on the beach.
Hiking in Yellowstone Nat’l Park
Mike had a backpacking trip with Wildland Trekking through the Belcher River Valley in southwest Yellowstone over five days, and fifty-two miles! The hikes included incredible thermal pools and waterfalls, and was much less crowded [...]
Tea with Mom in Tacoma
Mom appreciated the trip away from her independent living community, which has been on virtual lockdown during the COVID pandemic.
Cooling off in Santa Monica, CA
Santa Monica is a quick flight from Vegas, and a great way to escape the heat. Mike and nephew Chet had a great time boogie boarding/surfing, and I loved walking the beaches for miles. [...]
Idaho Falls
We pulled over in a field of jumpy grasshoppers to snap photos of a crop duster with quite the aerial skills. In a few seconds, the pilot dropped spray from maybe 5 ft., then climbed [...]
Bear Country, USA
This is a drive-through park in Rapid City, South Dakota. If you can catch it at the right time of day, it's a delight!
Epic Flight in SD and WY
While flying from Rapid City, SD to Idaho Falls, ID, we decided to put in the GPS coordinates to fly over Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Devil's Tower. It's hard to spot these with the [...]
CornFest in Moline, IL
Our family has the insider info on sweet corn, since many of them live in the middle of it. We get calls saying, "it's tasseling!", so we know when to show up. Sweet corn is [...]
Drinking in the California Scenery
Driving along 17 Mile Drive in Carmel, CA with jaw dropping views. My favorite stop (besides Pebble Beach!) is Bird Rock. Back in 1930, it was covered with 4 to 5 feet of pelican and [...]
Rafting in OR
Maupin, OR (population 438) is the gateway to the Deschutes River. Great trip today with #riverdrifters - with rapids named Meat Grinder, Cheese Grater and Diaper Wiper, we can see why they make you sign [...]