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…

Glacier is located in northwest Montana, borders Canada, and is not easy to get to.  However, it is one of the most beautiful places we have ever been to.  The park was named after the glaciers that capped the Rocky Mountains that surrounded the park.  Since that time, over 100 years ago, most of the glaciers have melted and only small patches can still be seen.  What is seen is…

Mount Rushmore is an iconic monument that is inspirational even if you’ve seen pictures dozens of times.  The setting, size, and thoughtful facial expressions still take you by surprise.  You can’t help but feel a sense of pride and patriotism when you look at it.  You also have to appreciate the skill, perseverance, and ingenuity it took to carve it. Conversely, it looks unfinished.  The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, built a…

The Badlands are in South Dakoda and consist of vast prairie lands and unusual rock formations carved by millions of years of erosion.  The park is large – about the same size as Rocky Mountain National Park, but only a fraction of it is accessible. It was home to the Sioux Indians for hundreds of years before being for forced out and replaced by Homesteaders.  Most of the Homesteaders left…

We toured Sicily and the “heal of the boot” for 3 weeks starting in mid-February 2022 with Marv and Laurie Baker.  The depth of history was remarkable and somewhat unexpected.  In addition to your everyday 2000 year-old Roman stuff, there are amazing Greek and Byzantine buildings, cultures, and history going as far back as the 10th century BC.  To generalize, Southern Italy is more rustic than Northern Italy, including the…