We spent the second half of March traveling Spain with Marv & Laurie Baker and Sue & Dean Hereford.  The entire visit dramatically exceeded our expectations.  The landscapes are arid and beautiful, the cities immaculate, the food unusual and delicious, and the people warm and friendly.  To top it off, the wine was just outstanding. The country has a lot of history dating back thousands of years.  Like so much…

Our 2022-2023 road trip has probably been the best of our 6 years on the road.  We more or less circled the continental US, saw eleven National Parks, seven wine regions, basked for a month in the Arizona sun, and met up with the Herefords and the Bakers.  There were a couple of minor setbacks, but we’ve been incredibly fortunate to be able to do this. BOREDOM ALERT – There…

Lassen Volcanic National Park was established in 1916 yet seems to be relatively unfamiliar to many and not at the same level of destination as some of the other popular parks.  I was unsure of what to expect but like all of the national parks we have visited, it has something truly unique to offer its visitors.  It is home to 4 different types of volcanos; plug dome, shield, cinder…

For the longest time, it has been a personal desire to visit Eureka and the Redwoods in northern California.  They are not particularly easy places to get to, but this trip was our chance.  We left our rig in Redding and got a room mid-way between Eureka and Redwood NP. It turns out that Eureka really is cool.  Although a bit touristy, it has a funky tilt that you kind…

I had only seen photos of Crater Lake and was skeptical that any body of water could be that blue but my first siting of the lake dispelled any such notion.  Needless to say, it was a stunning, breathtaking, bluer than blue color that was unforgettable.  Our good weather goddess continued to follow us, with warm temperatures, clear, sunny skies, and no wind.  The lake was a nearly perfect mirror…

We simply loved Willamette.  The area is fairly rural, has rolling hills, and is dominated by agriculture.  They grow fruit, vegetables, nut trees, shrubs, and grapes.  It’s just a great area to sit back, stare at the landscape, and sip some of the world’s best Pinot Noir.  The locals said that the weather has been relatively hot and dry for the last few years and 2022 was no exception.  We…

Wow, wow, wow!  I am not sure what I expected from Mt. Rainier NP but was a bit surprised by the overwhelming beauty of this wonderful park.  It was the 4th national park, established in 1899.  Our ancestors knew what they were doing to protect this fabulous, unique resource.  It has everything; rivers, streams, waterfalls, alpine meadows, old growth forests, wonderful hiking, great roads and of course the mountain itself. …

Our inaugural visit to the Walla Walla wine region in Western Washington was in late September and we hit it just as the grape harvest was happening.  We reunited with Sue and Dean Hereford and had the usual great time. The town of Walla Walla is small, charming, and not very commercialized. It’s still relatively young as a wine region, but it’s growing fast.  It has a great climate for…

  We started our journey to the Olympic Peninsula by taking our motorhome onto a ferry, which was a first for us.  It was the shortest route, saving us hours of frustrating traffic getting around Seattle and it was fun and remarkably easy to boot.  Bill stayed with the RV and had a birds-eye view of the trip across the water. I am not sure what exactly I was expecting…

North Cascades is less developed and has more wilderness than most of the National Parks we have been to.  It had comparatively few people in it for September.  The area was, and continues to be, a lumber area. Large trucks carrying tree trunks regularly drive up and down Route 20, the main east-west road through the park.  We were joined in the Cascades by Sue and Dean Hereford for a…