Last weekend we needed an Event. Something beyond the everyday routine that would get us out of the house and doing something together. In other words, it was time to find a new trail to hike that was nearby. While…
‘Round the Rim of Crater Lake
I often write about trails that can be hiked in various parks. However, this week I’d like to take you on a driving tour of Crater Lake—you don’t have to even get out of your vehicle! You’ll enjoy it more…
Straddle the Headwaters of the Mississippi!
What’s your mental image of the Mississippi River? If it’s a huge river filled with paddle boats playing Jazz music, it’s probably similar to most American’s thoughts on the Mighty Mississippi. However, at the headwaters, the “mighty” river is anything…
Highlands of Colorado: The Causeway
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like the Flattops Wilderness in northern Colorado. Ever. This pristine wilderness has some of the most grand views I’ve seen, and the top-of-the-world feeling is simply out of this world. I can…
Reynolds Mountain: Too Pretty for Words
One of the things I’ve realized about Glacier National Park is that they don’t tell you about all of the trails that are out there. You look at the literature they give you, and there’s a lot of hiking, mostly…
Mississippi Watchtower
While visiting the Headwaters of the Mississippi River, a park ranger told us about another of the park’s features: a 100-foot observation tower, located in the middle of Itasca State Park. Having an hour or two to spare, we decided…
Good Views and a Fire Lookout, Too at Numa Lookout
Glacier National Park has always been synonymous in my mind with rain. From my experience, “Partly Cloudy” means “Pouring Rain All Day”. However, on our last trip to the park, Glacier redeemed itself: although it did rain two of the…
Into the Heart of the Cascades: Twisp Pass
On a recent trip to Washington State, we were longing for a glimpse of some real, honest-to-goodness North Cascade scenery. Unfortunately, the Cascades, including North Cascade National Park, were still snowed in, due to heavy snowfall and cool summer temperatures. …
Grand View in Grand Teton
Grand Teton is a beautiful park. The mountains are some of the prettiest in the state (maybe the country), and lovely lakes reflect the peaks in their quiet waters. However, it’s not much of a day-hiker’s paradise—in fact, there are…
Garden of Music: The Toronto Music Garden
Last summer, I attended a conference in Toronto, Canada. We had the afternoon off, so several of us decided to check out the waterfront near the CN Tower. Instead of just seeing boats and walking along Lake Ontario, we discovered…