Category National Parks and State Parks

Florida in February – Miami, Part Three

February 6 – 20 With just the trip out to the Everglades planned for that last day we had a little time to kill in the morning and just before leaving town, stopped in at Cream Parlor for coffee and a snack.  It’s a cute place, decorated in a kitschy fashion and offering a varied […]

West Coast Spring 2018 – Cedaredge, Colorado

August 8 – 10 As anticipated, it would be a long day’s drive, a combination of two-lane state highways and as we had experienced throughout the trip, interstates filled with constructions zones.  In many areas of the country, repaving can only be done in decent weather and this meant mile after mile of one lane […]

West Coast Spring 2018 – Grand Tetons, Part Two

August 6 -7 We continued on to Jenny Lake, stopping at an overlook that afforded many shots of the lake with the range in the background.  At these crowded spots, it sometimes takes many moments to get a clear picture without any other tourists in the frame.  It’s the price one pays for traveling during […]

West Coast Spring 2018 – Grand Tetons, Part One

August 6 -7 After dawdling at breakfast at the Grant Village Dining Room, we gassed up at the station there, grabbed one more Huckleberry and Chocolate candy and then began the drive down to Grand Teton National Park, which would take us about an hour.  Our original plan for this portion of the trip was […]

West Coast Spring 2018 – Yellowstone, Part Three

August 1 – 5 We left the Mud Volcano area and drove to the very crowded parking lot at lookout spot for the Lower Falls.  We walked out to take in the view, where you can see the bulk of the 20-mile length of the canyon fed by the falls. At more than 1,000 feet […]

West Coast Spring 2018 – Yellowstone, Part Two

August 1 – 5 We decided on duplicating a hike that Irene had done during an earlier visit, starting out of the Lodge we passed by folks waiting for Old Faithful and headed up the Observation Point trail for a brisk ½ mile ascent to the summit and its commanding views of the valley below […]

West Coast Spring 2018 – Yellowstone, Part One

August 1 – 5 Joanna and I decided to give the Super 8 breakfast a chance and although not world class, there were some edible pastries, yoghurt, and cereal (my only shot at eating Fruit Loops) that made it worth the stop.  In these situations, its best to avoid whatever those things they call eggs […]

West Coast Spring 2018 – Spokane/Missoula

July 30 – 31 Recalling the delays we’d encountered on the way into Vancouver at the tunnel and at customs, and with an eight hour drive in front of us, we left the apartment around 7am.  Although it was a Monday, traffic was light as we were going against the morning commute and we made […]

West Coast Spring 2018 – San Juan Island, Part Three

July 17 – 20 Leaving English Camp, we continued south onto West Side Road, stopping briefly at one of a number of Alpaca Farms, the animals having been recently shaved to harvest their wool and keep them cool in the summer heat. Not long after that we arrived at Lime Kiln Point State Park, a […]

West Coast Spring 2018 – San Juan Island, Part Two

July 17 – 20 As planned, we took off the next morning on our bikes to attempt a ride around the island.  Turning left out of the resort onto Roche Harbor Road we continued north to the tip of the island, skirting its airport and making a brief stop at Roche Harbor there before turning […]