To celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary, Joanna and I spent several days taking in the sights of Paris. That week in April of 1995 was a rainy one, but we didn’t let that keep us from soaking up (pun intended!) all that The City of Light had to offer. In her journal, Joanna described my anniversary gift to her (pictured…
The Warrior Games
The Department of Defense Warrior Games were established in 2010. The Games’ stated purpose is to “enhance the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded, ill and injured service members and expose them to adaptive sports. The Games encourage them to stay physically active when they return to their local communities, and inspire and promote opportunities for growth and achievement.” Britain’s Prince…
“Wanna Take a Road Trip?”
In the 1990’s, our son and his young family decided to relocate from northern California to North Carolina. Our daughter-in-law and very young granddaughter flew east. Rob & I drove the 2,700 miles in a U-Haul truck, pulling their car behind. We’ve always looked back (kinda) fondly on that adventure as “our road trip”. Fast forward 25 years: Rob called and…
Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks
Founded in 1967, Teton Science Schools is a non-profit educational organization whose goal is to educate folks from around the globe about nature and, in particular, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This ecosystem includes both Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. In September 2018, I traveled to the TSS main campus in Jackson Hole, WY to spend a week exploring and hiking both of…
Pacific Surfliner to San Diego
From an Amtrak brochure… The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner route meanders along the majestic California coastline from San Luis Obispo through prime destinations such as Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Juan Capistrano and San Diego. Along with business and vacation travelers, cyclists and surfers are welcome on board with bikes and boards. Lose yourself and the stress of Southern California traffic while…
Fire & Water
The Thomas fire, the largest in California’s modern recorded history, began on December 4, 2017. Before it was finally contained on January 12, 2018, it burned more than 280,000 acres; claimed just over 1,000 structures and resulted in two deaths – one civilian and one of the more than 2,800 firefighters who battled the blaze. The areas heavily impacted were in…
Reagan Presidential Library and Museum
I was born and raised in Quincy, Massachusetts. First settled in 1625, my hometown is known as the “City of Presidents” as both Presidents John and John Quincy Adams were born there as well as John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress. The Adamses have no libraries you can visit. As a matter of fact, neither do any of those men memorialized…
Ocean/Desert: Two State Parks
Only 125 miles separates Crystal Cove State Park and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in southern California. But, on a visit with friends in April 2018, I found the two parks to be worlds apart. OCEAN: Crystal Cove Crystal Cove State Park is located along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. It consists of over 3 miles of beach…
Channel Islands National Park
You’ve probably heard of the Channel Islands in the English Channel off the Normandy coast of France – a chain of eight inhabited islands including the major islands of Jersey and Guernsey. Perhaps not so familiar, are the Channel Islands off the coast of southern California. Also a chain of eight islands, five of which (San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Anacapa, Santa…
A Day At Mt. Rainier National Park
When in Washington state last year there wasn’t time to visit Mt. Rainier National Park. However, after finishing up a visit to Montana in September 2017, a quick flight from Kalispell to Seattle had me in Rainier’s backyard! Mt. Rainier is approximately 50 miles (as the crow flies) from Seattle. Standing at 14,410 feet, this snow-capped mountain provides a spectacular…