Tag Archives: Travel

Spring Break

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It was March—the month that so many educational institutions set students free for a week, causing crowds at every warm vacation spot in the country. But we had made plans and were itching to drive south anyway. One of the goals for this trip was to make it all the way to the Florida Keys. We’d driven to Florida a few times before and talked about going there “someday,” but schedules and the long drive deterred us from getting that far south. This time we decided to make reservations well in advance; we were committed.

As usual, we took plenty of side trips, some planned and some chosen on the fly. Our first stop, which is often our last stop at the end of a road trip, was Fiden’s Brewing in Albany. We then crossed into Pennsylvania and stopped at the Bushkill Trailhead of McDade Trail for an afternoon walk. We met a local man there who shared stories of his roadtripping days in the seventies.

The next day, as we drove from Pennsylvania through a corner of West Virginia and into Virginia, we visited Shenandoah Caverns in Quicksburg, Virginia. There were several caverns along the way to choose from, but it was late in the afternoon, so we stopped at the first one we came to. We had a private tour. Stunning cave formations!

We arrived at our campsite in Broadway, Virginia, around suppertime. A little time to relax and observe the wildlife. I spotted one woodpecker that didn’t look familiar, either a juvenile Downy or Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, maybe.

The next day, we found one of several trails at New River State Park in North Carolina for walk.

Later that afternoon, we arrived at our friends’ place in Charlotte, North Carolina. We planned to stay with them for one night (and to deliver some sought after New England and New York brewery favorites to them) on our way to Atlanta, Georgia. We’d eventually catch up with them again at the end of the week for some shared camping in Georgia and Florida.

It rained off and on that night and was still raining when we left them in the morning. But the sun was out by the time we entered Georgia. On the recommendation of our friends, we parked outside of Atlanta and used public transportation. The MARTA system was surprisingly easy to figure out and to use. It did add a bit to our travel time, though.

First stop in Atlanta was the Center for Puppetry Arts. I’d first learned about it from a Facebook post in a writing group I belong to. The Center has a permanent collection of Jim Henson creations. I was intrigued. The exhibit was so informative. Henson’s imagination was mind-blowing! I found myself smiling through the whole exhibit. Muppets, Sesame Street characters, The Dark Crystal, and more.

After that, we walked through Olympic Park and sat outside for lunch. Next stop: Georgia Aquarium. We’d heard so many good things about the aquarium and there were some great exhibits, but it was a bit pricey and overcrowded, so some of its appeal was diminished for us. It felt like being at a Disney theme park during school vacation.

On Saturday, we met up with our friends from Charlotte at a campground in Blythe Island Regional Park, in Brunswick, Georgia. We camped for a night there and then moved on, with our friends, to Wekiwa Springs State Park in Apopka, Florida, for two more nights. Both campgrounds were great places to walk and discover wildlife. Even ticks, unfortunately.

The following Tuesday, we left Apopka and drove to Naples, Florida, to drop in on my Dad for a night. We went out to Mr. Big Fish for an early dinner, took advantage of the free laundry facilities and hot showers.

We left Dad’s the next morning, heading for our southernmost destination. But, of course, we had to stop at Everglades National Park on the way. A Swallow-tailed Kite flew right past us as we drove. That was the second time I’d ever seen one and both times were from out the van window. No pictures. 😦

We decided to bike Shark Valley Trail at the National Park. It felt safer to me than walking next to the alligators. Mark actually rode out farther than I did and had his own intimate moment with an alligator (see pictures below) before riding back to meet me. We saw a Purple Gallinule for the first time. And so many Great Blue Herons and alligators that I didn’t stop to photograph them all. The ride out was easy. Piece o’ cake, I thought. And then we turned around. The headwind was formidable. I could barely go a mile at a time without a rest.

We pulled into our campsite in Summerland Key just before seven in the evening. The place was crowded and hopping. Karaoke in the pub, kids on electric scooters, and hot food in the camp store. The beach, a strip of sand behind some bushes was deserted, probably due to the chilly breeze blowing through.

The National Key Deer Refuge was not too far up the road, so we visited the Upper Sugarloaf Trail in the morning. Key deer are an endangered smaller version of the white-tailed deer we see up north. One crossed our path as we drove to the trailhead. Then we walked (ran/biked) almost the whole, mostly deserted, paved path without another deer sighting. Until we were almost back to our parking spot. A lone deer stepped out to the edge of the woods along the path and started munching on leaves. We watched it for a good five to ten minutes before it crossed the pavement and disappeared into the brush on the other side. The only other wildlife sighting was a single Palm Warbler. At least I think that’s what it was.

On Friday, we took a day-trip to Key West. We’d planned a walking tour in the morning and a glass-bottom boat tour for the afternoon. Parking in Key West is an adventure in itself when you’re driving an oversized vehicle. Luckily, a local woman directed us from an illegal spot to a private lot around the corner where we were given a nice shady spot to back into.

We hadn’t read much about Key West and had no idea that the place was overrun with feral chickens. What a hoot! They wandered the streets and sidewalks, randomly crowing. We encountered quite a few, along with one hawk, during our walking tour of all the historic sights.

The walking tour ended at the southernmost point of the U.S (and also the southern end of Route 1). A large monument in the shape of a buoy marks the spot (or maybe the fictional spot) and is a tourist attraction for photo opportunities.

Our tour guide left us with a suggestion for lunch, so we walked about a mile to Salute` On the Beach for a seaside meal. During the walking tour, we’d received word that our glass-bottom boat tour was cancelled due to high winds. Disappointing. But that left our afternoon free for wandering around town and searching for our parked van.

After three nights at our Summerland Key campground, we left, with plans to make a few stops on our way back to mainland Florida. The Turtle Hospital in Marathon was interesting, but there was a lot of talking before we got to see any turtles. I think I was more impatient than the kids that were visiting. But we’d booked another glass-bottom boat tour in Key Largo, so we were in a time crunch. We saw a few turtles and then left early.

The line to get into John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo was long and moving slowly. We were anxious that we’d miss our boat. But we made it in with time to spare. Saw some birds on the way out to the reef and some fun sea life through the glass bottom. I only felt mildly nauseous staring at the ocean floor through the windows.

We arrived at our campground in Hollywood, Florida, around suppertime. It was one of the worst campgrounds we’ve stayed in. It felt like we were in a small neighborhood. The sites were small. The first site they gave us was next to an oversized rig whose awning stuck out into our site. We’d have hit it if we backed in. The second site was smaller and closer to the tiny bathrooms. And we had a perfect view of the trash dumpsters out our front window. The only redeeming sight in Hollywood was the impressive Hard Rock Cafe Hotel built in the shape of a guitar.

Needless to say, we left early the next morning. Less than an hour later, we stopped at Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Boynton Beach. It was a welcomed change from the Keys and Hollywood. We spent a few hours enjoying nature and the beautiful weather. We saw more Gallinules, a Barred Owl, a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks, a Limpkin, and the bonus: a Prairie Warbler. Little did I know until later, that Mark had spotted a Sandhill Crane, too!

We left around noon and headed for Civil Society Brewing Company in Jupiter, Florida, for lunch. We’d never been there before, but it came highly recommended by our friends in Charlotte.

Back on the road, we made an obligatory stop at Buc-ee’s, before arriving in St. Augustine for the night.

The next day was one of the warmer days on our trip and the beginning of our last week on the road. We visited Savannah National Wildlife Refuge in Hardeeville, South Carolina, and took their five-mile wildlife drive before parking at a second trail for a walk. We saw, among other creatures, a Snowy Egret, an American Coot, a Common Gallinule, and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet who was hiding its crown, making it hard to identify at first.

On Tuesday, I caught a Pileated Woodpecker at work before we left our Yemassee, South Carolina, campsite. Then, we re-visited one of our favorite spots, Santee National Wildlife Refuge. Like other wildlife refuges, it’s a big place. We visited the Bluff Unit in Summerton, South Carolina. The walk through the woods was nice, but the birds were all hiding that day. And something was burning in the distance, blowing smoke in our direction for a while. But we were rewarded that evening at our next campsite in Enfield, North Carolina, with a few avian visitors.

Wednesday was our “let’s get around DC and Baltimore without getting stuck in too much traffic” day. We did enjoy seeing all the cherry blossoms along the highway, though. And after passing Baltimore, we found the Jerusalem Mill Trail in Kingsville, Maryland, part of Gunpowder Falls State Park. It turned out to be a historic piece of town with a covered bridge, an old mill, and a small museum. The walk through the covered bridge and then into the woods was relaxing. Only one bird crossed my path, though: a Brown Creeper.

We got on the road early Thursday morning and aimed for Hudson Valley, New York. The valley is home to a number of great places to visit including a few of Mark’s favorite breweries. We decided on a couple, and since Plan Bee Brewing is only open on Saturdays and Sundays, we settled on Hudson Valley Brewery in Beacon, New York, and Fox Farm Brewery in Salem, Connecticut. The plan was to then drive to my cousin Betty Ann’s house and park in her driveway overnight. But at the end of a long trip, when home is not that far away, plans change. We stayed for supper and a good visit and then drove less than two hours more to get home that night. It always feels good to come home, no matter how much we’re enjoying our adventures. And it didn’t hurt that all the snow had melted while we were gone!

How We Got Home: The Condensed (sort of) Version

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We did eventually get home again, in case anyone was wondering after reading California, Here We Come. But after traveling as far west as we could, we veered north/northeast through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and into Canada first.

In Oregon, we checked out Kirby Flat Trailhead which was anything but flat. We found it after yet another white-knuckle drive along windy roads with sheer drop-off edges. I had to close my eyes and just breathe for most of it. The trail offered beautiful scenery and pinecones larger than my shoe, but not a very easy hike or run.

A couple of hours later, we were passing through Eugene, Oregon, and went in search of Pre’s Trail, so named for the legendary track star Steve Prefontaine. A much better place for a run. Then, after battling too many hours of heavy traffic on I5, we met up with my cousin Kelly just south of Portland for a bite to eat. It was so good to see her!

The next morning, we found a stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail for a walk/run. I managed to capture a faraway image of a Red Crossbill and a decent photo of a California Scrub Jay. Then, lunch at Thunder Island Brewing where we had a great view of the Bridge of the Gods which crosses over the Columbia River from Oregon into Washington.

Later, on the road to Spokane, Washington, we came uncomfortably close to some wildfire hot spots.

In the morning, we walked/ran the Centennial Trail, a smooth, paved path which runs along the Spokane River. Lots of birds well-hidden in the trees and bushes, but I did manage to catch sight of a California Quail, a few Cedar Waxwings, and a gorgeous butterfly. From there we drove north-northeast, through Good Grief, Idaho, and into Canada.

The scenery, once we entered Canada, opened wide to snow-topped mountains and stunning blue-green waters. We drove through Radium Hot Springs in British Columbia, getting a surprise sighting of a group of elks on the sidewalk as we came around a bend. No time to grab the camera!

We drove to Banff in Alberta, choosing to view Lake Louise from the lift at the Lake Louise Mountain Resort. Along the way, we saw bridges over the highway apparently built for wildlife to safely cross over the road. Ingenious!

After the gondola ride, we checked out the town of Banff, stopping at Banff Legacy Trail for a short walk/run. Another great view, but you’ve got to watch out for the holes in the ground. You never know who might pop up!

The town of Banff was disappointing. Very touristy and part of Banff National Park, so they were advertising a pass purchase just to walk down the streets. We didn’t stay long. That night we checked into the Sandman Hotel in Calgary for the only hotel stay of the trip. We were upgraded to a suite which was unfortunately wasted on us van travelers.

For the next ten days, we traveled southeast and then fairly straight east toward home. Here are some of the highlights…

Frog Creek Wetlands in Claresholm, Alberta, Canada, where my Merlin app heard a lot more birds than I actually saw. The wide, flat trails looped around several ponds. I did spot a male and female Yellow-headed Blackbird, several Black Terns, a Clay-colored Sparrow, a Blue-winged Teal, an American Coot, several Killdeer, a female Red-winged Blackbird, and a Ruddy Duck with a blue bill.

In Billings, Montana, the Yellowstone River runs behind the KOA. There, we saw a few White Pelicans and a Yellow Warbler in the morning before driving off to Zimmerman Park overlooking the city of Billings. The trails there offered space for walking, running, and biking. And, of course, birding. I caught up with a Western Meadowlark, a Violet-green Swallow, a Lark Sparrow, and a Spotted Towhee.

We spent the next couple of days driving through South Dakota in one-hundred-plus degree weather. We stopped in Rapid City, South Dakota, for some shopping, and after checking out the presidential statues downtown we had lunch at Firehouse Brewing. Later, we stopped at Wall Drug to see what all the fuss (miles & miles of billboards) was about. Probably a fun stop for families with young kids, but the heat made everything a bit less tolerable. At one of our campsites we were even visited by a baby bird — a robin I think — that looked like it wasn’t enjoying the heat either!

We also stopped in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Mark went for a run in the heat while I strolled down to the falls.

In Minnesota, we stopped along the Douglas State Trail, where Mark found a running buddy and I found a Hairy Woodpecker. Then we stopped at Forager Brewery for lunch.

The sweltering heat continued from Wisconsin into Illinois where we attempted a walk/run along the Great Western Trail in the village of Villa Park. The only consolation was More Brewing, right next-door to the trail. Coincidence? I think not.

In Indiana, we stayed a night with Mark’s friend Chuck before driving through Ohio and into Pennsylvania to visit Mark’s cousin Bob in Erie. We actually met up with him in Presque Isle State Park. What a beautiful spot on a peninsula that stretches out into Lake Erie! Mark and Bob went for a long bike ride, while I spent hours checking out the birds. I found a Spotted Sandpiper with a couple of downy chicks running around, a very busy Yellow Warbler, and a nesting Robin. And I met a local woman who showed me where the Bank Swallows nest. What an unexpected bonus!

That night we made it to our campsite in Westfield, New York, in time for a short walk to see the sunset over Lake Erie.

Six weeks is a long time to be on the road, so in the morning we decided to make a bee-line for home. We still made a couple of stops along the way, though. We spent a soggy couple of hours at Erie Canal Park in Camillus, New York, and then dinner at Fidens Brewing in Albany. Always a good way to celebrate the end of a road trip.

Now that we’re home again, everyone keeps asking what we’ve got planned next. Considering it’s taken several months to finish reporting on this last trip, we might just have to keep you all guessing… for now. 🙂

California, Here We Come!

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We left Lake Tahoe and crossed into California on a Friday. If you want to read about our prior adventures, check out From Utah to Tahoe.

Saturday morning we got up super early in search of a hidden and highly recommended gem of a trail in Little Lakes Valley. Rock Creek Road in Bishop, California, led us up a steadily narrowing passage to the trailhead at Mosquito Flat. It was one of many white-knuckle drives we’d take over the course of our time on the road. We had no idea what we’d do if we met a vehicle trying to come back down while we were driving up. Luckily, we didn’t have to find out.

The drive was well-worth it. We claimed a corner parking spot and prepared to hike. Although we didn’t hike the full eight miles to see all of the lakes, what we did see was beautiful! And I even spied a Clark’s Nutcracker for the first time, high atop a tree .

I should probably mention that there’s absolutely no cell service in Little Lakes Valley. We’d planned to join a Zoom call with our adult children that morning after we’d driven the two hours to claim a coveted parking space. But when we arrived to find no cell service, we didn’t want to leave without hiking. So, our kids spent several hours wondering if we’d gone over a cliff somewhere. Whoops. We learned to keep them better informed after that.

We camped at Oh Ridge in June Lake, California, that night. And we had a few interesting encounters there. A Stellar’s Jay visited us while we ate supper. Then our campsite neighbors generously shared eggs from their own chickens because they had many and would find even more when they got back home. (Mark returned the generosity by sharing a Tree House Brewing beer we had in our cooler.) And then a deer crossed our path as we drove out to June Lake Brewing after supper.

We made a very early start again the next morning in order to get into Yosemite National Park before the crowds. It was a good plan, but there was so much to stop and see when we first entered the park that by the time we got to the Visitor’s Center, hours later, the place was mobbed. We were lucky to get a parking space. It was a hot day which made the crowds even less tolerable, but we made the best of it. Mark went for a run and I tried to find a quiet path to search for birds. Mark found Mirror Lake and I found a few waterfalls. I also spotted a male and a female Western Tanager, for the first time, in a roadside stand of trees.

The raven in that last photo flew uncomfortably low over my head before landing on the railing next to me. It then posed for multiple photographers!

On our way out of Yosemite, we almost drove right past El Capitan. A crowd had gathered in the field across the street from it and many people had trained binoculars and large cameras at the huge rock formation. We pulled over to find out what was going on. Turned out there were two sets of climbers scaling the vertical rock face! My stomach flipped just watching them. Insane!

For those who’ve been following the saga of the bench seat that we had uninstalled from the van floor and were trying to get rid of, you’ll be interested to know that we began to text back and forth with an interested party from southern California as we headed west from Yosemite. We weren’t traveling to southern California, but apparently he had family in Santa Cruz. A couple of days later, we actually met up with the man’s father in a Walmart parking lot in San Jose. He left with the seat and we left with cash in our pocket and a lighter load. That was a good day! 🙂

We stopped in El Cerrito, California, just north of San Francisco, overnight to visit a high school classmate of Mark’s. Keith welcomed us and cooked us a great supper that night. In the morning, the two of them biked the hills of El Cerrito together and then we hit the road again, heading north.

First stop, Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa. Apparently, Charles Schultz lived and worked in the area for decades before his death. Fun fact! But no, we didn’t check out his museum. Maybe next time. Later that evening, at our campground, a California Towhee and an Oregon Junco visited our site. Both firsts for me. But I only got a photo of the Towhee.

Next on our list was Mendocino Headlands State Park—highly recommended by my friend Michelle. We passed miles and miles of vineyards as we drove north. Beautiful scenery! And when we neared the coast and began driving up Route One, we drove through passages of redwoods. It felt like we’d entered another world.

As we pulled into the dirt parking lot at Mendocino Headlands, before we’d even parked, we were flagged down by a man approaching our van. Mark rolled down his window. Rocco, as he introduced himself, was from Germany and had been on the road for a while. He was flying home soon and wanted to know if we wanted any of his ‘stuff’. We checked out his stash and gained a camping chair, a handy plastic bin, a large plastic bowl, paper towels, unopened pasta and sauce, among other things. Score!

Then we parked and enjoyed the Headlands. Gorgeous! I texted Michelle on the spot to thank her for sending us there.

Numerous black and white birds covered the flat tops of a couple of large rock outcroppings at one end of the headlands. They were far away, so I had to zoom in to identify them. The large all-black ones I knew were some kind of Cormorant. Turns out that some of them sported bright blue bills, which meant they were Brandt’s Cormorants. Their bills turn blue during mating season. The smaller black and white birds reminded me of penguins. I learned they were Common Murres. Both of these were new to me.

So many birds!! And at the campground that night, I found two more birds species I’d never seen before. An Ash-throated Flycatcher and an Allen’s Hummingbird. There was a bush full of cheeping hummingbirds, but of course, I couldn’t get a clear shot of one until it landed in a nearby tree.

On our last day in California, we aimed northward, driving up the windy, cliff-hugging Pacific Coast Highway. We wanted to see more redwoods. First, we set the GPS for Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Later we aimed for Redwood National and State Parks. I have to say, we enjoyed Humboldt Redwoods State Park over the other, although we did find a beach at the latter parks’ visitor center.

I also found a few photo-worthy birds that day. The first was a puzzler, but I finally identified it as a Varied Thrush. The Pacific Wrens were so tiny and well-hidden in the dark woods that it was hard to get a decent picture. I also saw an Oregon Junco, a White-crowned Sparrow, and a Barn Swallow.

We left Redwood State and National Parks (and California) behind that afternoon and crossed into Oregon. More about the end of our northwestern adventure and the trip back home still to come. Stay tuned… 🙂

From Utah to Tahoe

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We arrived in Salt Lake City on a Monday. Both rain and sunshine accompanied us on the drive from Moab to Salt Lake. If you want to read about our adventures in Moab, check out Moving On to Moab.

The first stop in Salt Lake City was City Creek Canyon and Nature Preserve for a morning walk/run and a little birding. We found the trail and parked right next to the capitol building. Actually, we parked first and then found the trail. A new bird sighting for me there: a Blue Lazuli chirping away, high in a tree.

Did you notice the statue of Massasoit at the capitol? Apparently the one that stands in Plymouth, Massachusetts, is the original, but a copy was made to stand in Salt Lake in recognition of the Utah artist who sculpted it.

We stayed at a campground in Salt Lake City that night and headed for Great Salt Lake State Park the next day. We visited the southern shore of the lake, so I can’t speak to any other part of it. But it smelled a lot like a beach at low tide! It was there I learned that some blackbirds come with yellow heads! Who knew?! There were a lot of swallows flying around, too, but totally eluding my camera.

In one of the photos above, you can see a large island out in the lake. This is Antelope Island which is apparently inhabited by a variety of wildlife—including bison! I found that fascinating. Anyway, back on the salt-dusted shore there was a good-sized salt pile in one spot. I would’ve taken a picture of it, but didn’t feel like waiting for the woman who was using it as her own personal photo-shoot venue to finish up.

As we left the lake on the way to our next camping destination, we passed vast white fields. It looked like snow, but was actually more salt. The Bonneville Salt Flats. The whole area was once covered by a much larger lake—Lake Bonneville. But the Great Salt Lake is all that’s left of it, The salt flats also happen to be the site of world land-speed record runs. Interesting, but no, we decided against trying to set any records with our van. 🙂

The following day, we broke up the long drive by stopping at Rosewood Nature Study Area in Reno, Nevada. The heat was mostly bearable and we enjoyed the area very much. Mark went for a run and I set out on the nature trail. I saw a pair of marmots and several different birds.

Although the pictures are a bit fuzzy, the bird with the long pink neck is an American Avocet and the black and white one with the long pink legs is a Black-necked Stilt. There are also two different large white birds pictured. The one with black legs is probably a Great Egret and the one with the bill that seems heavier than its entire head is, of course, an American White Pelican. We’ve also seen a half dozen different types of swallows on our trip. They’re impossible for me to photograph in flight, but every once in a while one will land. The one pictured above appears to be a Barn Swallow. There may have been a few Cliff Swallows flying around, too.

We stayed at a KOA campground near Reno that night. As we sat in our Yeti chairs under the awning, enjoying the breeze and the occasional raindrop, we didn’t realize what was about to happen. Thunder rumbled. Lightning split the sky. And the rain came down! Mark got soaked trying to get the awning safely stowed. Meanwhile rain swept into the van through the dropped screen at the sliding door. Frantically grabbing a stack of towels and rags, we started mopping the river of water spreading across the van floor. Thunder and lightning crashed and the campground’s power went out. What a mess! But, as they say, there’s always a rainbow after the storm. Even a double one sometimes.

Our goal the following day was to catch a glimpse of Lake Tahoe while we were in Nevada. After searching for the closest access point while also looking for someplace to walk/run, we found the Lam Watah Historic Trail in Rabe Meadows. This lovely path led us right to the shore of beautiful blue Lake Tahoe. And again, I found more birds! Can you match the bird names to the photos? I saw a Barn Swallow, a Wilson’s Snipe, a Stellar’s Jay, a Red-breasted Sapsucker, a Western Wood-pewee, a Violet-green Swallow, a Red-shafted Northern Flicker, a Goldfinch, plus a few others.

What a beautiful day we had walking along the trail in Stateline, Nevada. The next day, we crossed the border into California. Yay!

More adventures to come!

P.S. For those of you who’ve been following our trip, you know we’d been lugging around the bench seat that Titan Vans removed for us in Colorado. Well, I decided to post it on Craig’s List while we were in Salt Lake City. And we got a hit. Someone in Southern California was interested. More on that later…

Moving On to Moab

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We left Colorado on a Friday. You can read about our adventures there in Hello, Colorado!

After driving to a peak elevation of eleven thousand feet on our way from Denver to Silt, Colorado, we camped there for our last night in the Centennial State. The Colorado River ran behind the campground and I found some wildlife along the riverside path. I think the Belted Kingfisher was a first for me.

We entered Utah the following day, arriving at our campsite in Moab just after lunch.

It was early enough in the day that we decided to spend the afternoon at Arches National Park. Unfortunately, we weren’t paying close attention to the fact that, on top of the high elevation, it was also almost one hundred degrees outside. So, while we enjoyed most of the visit to Arches, the hike up to Delicate Arch did me in. Evidently, I wasn’t as hydrated as I thought I was. Yikes!

Mark finished the trek to Delicate Arch without me, but found that his phone battery was dead when he got there. So, no photos. Oh, well. Here are some of the other sights we did manage to see and photograph. It was hard to choose among all the photos of huge red rock formations, but hopefully these give you a sense of the immensity of the landscape.

The heat continued the next day. We were still feeling the effects of our afternoon at Arches, so after a run/birdwatching stroll at Lions Park and Bike Path Trail we spent a leisurely day walking through downtown Moab. The Black-headed Grosbeak I saw on the trail was a first for me. And lunch at Trailhead Public House and Eatery was delicious.

On our third day in Moab, we stopped at Lions Park again for a walk/run. I saw the Black-headed Grosbeak again and, for the first time, a Western Kingbird.

After that, we ventured past Arches National Park to Canyonlands National Park. The sights there were breathtaking! Maybe even better than Arches?

On the way back from Canyonlands, we stopped at Dead Horse Point State Park which had been recommended to us by more than one person. Apparently it’s a well-known movie location site. (Thelma & Lousie, Mission Impossible,…) We were told we should stay for a memorable sunset, but the clouds had moved in and we were ready move on. Our last stop for the day was Moab Brewery where Mark (mostly) enjoyed a beer and a couple of appetizers.

We visited Lions Park Trailhead one last time the next morning for a walk/run and pulled out of Moab by lunchtime. On to Salt Lake City!

Hello, Colorado!

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Welcome back to our cross-country adventure! If you missed the first leg of the journey, you can read about it in Thought I’d Skip Gardening This Spring.

With our sights set on Colorado, we left Iowa and trekked across Nebraska. We stayed at a couple of Nebraska campgrounds along the way, gaining another hour as we entered Mountain Time. The plan was to stay with my father’s brother Donald for a few days, just outside of Denver, while our van was being serviced in Boulder. My Dad was finishing up a visit with them and was flying out the day we arrived. Before taking him to the airport mid-afternoon, they went golfing and out to lunch. We didn’t want to arrive to an empty house, so we stopped at Barr Lake State Park in Brighton, Colorado, for an early afternoon walk/run.

We spent close to four hours at Barr Lake. So many birds, so little time! Identifying them can be a challenge, but I did see a Western Kingbird and a Bullock’s Oriole for the first time. Actually, several of them.

We arrived at Donald and Valois’s in Centennial, Colorado, just before supper and spent a good deal of time and effort unloading all the essentials from our van in preparation for its service appointment. My cousin Diane and her husband, Pat, came by toting a bounty of leftovers from the weekend family feast for my father’s visit. We were well fed!

In the morning, we drove to Boulder to drop off the van at Titan Vans. Besides some maintenance services, we also asked them to remove a bench seat they’d installed in the original build. We hardly ever used it and wanted the precious storage space. (Anyone want a barely used seat?) We picked up a traffic-cone-orange Kia Kona at Enterprise Rental and stuffed it with more essentials from the van. Moving out of our van when we’re traveling is like packing for the trip all over again. It was hard to know what to leave behind.

Anyway, in our down-sized vehicle, we headed for the Bobolink Trailhead in Boulder for a run/walk.

The most notable part of our visit to the Bobolink Trailhead was when Mark found an obstacle in his path while on his run. A cow! Sorry, no photos.

After a stop at Whole Foods to pick up some lunch, we drove back toward Denver, stopping at Denver Botanic Gardens to meet up with cousins Donna and Barbara. The Gardens were Donna’s idea and what a perfect, sunny afternoon we had! When a brief shower did pass by, we ducked into the Tropical Conservatory full of exotic plants and a treehouse.

Here’s a small sampling of the multitude of gorgeous flowers we saw…

Well, maybe a few more…

After the Botanic Gardens, the four of us had dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. At dinner, Donna told us about a couple of young Great Horned Owls that lived in a tree along a walking path near her house. So, of course, we had to follow her home. First, we got a tour of her own home gardens, which were beautiful! Then, we took a walk in search of owls… And we found them! (Along with our first sighting of a Spotted Towhee.)

The following day was a quiet one. We planned to take a bike ride along a nearby trail, but my bike brakes weren’t cooperating. So, Mark biked while I took a nice walk around the neighborhood. The afternoon was spent preparing to get back on the road the next morning. Later, we met up with Mary and Ruth, friends who’d moved to Colorado from Massachusetts several years ago, for dinner in Denver. It was good to see them.

In the morning, cousin Michael and his wife, Lori, stopped by for coffee and a brief visit. And before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye. Donald and Valois had been the best hosts. We really enjoyed all their stories and the family history discussions. I’m sure they were ready for some alone time after all their company.

In Boulder, we picked up our van with it’s newly configured space, unpacked our rental car, and then drove back to Centennial to pick up our bikes and anything else that didn’t fit in the Kona. We said our final goodbyes and headed west to Utah.

Until next time, Colorado!

PEI and Nova Scotia

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It’s been several months since we traveled to Canada for our fortieth wedding anniversary, but it’s better late than never to finish up the story of our trip…

In my last post, A Taste of Canada, we had just crossed the Confederation Bridge onto Prince Edward Island. What we hadn’t realized was that it was Old Home Week, a local ‘family fun’ celebration that originated over a hundred years ago.

On our first morning there, we had planned to visit nearby Charlottetown. It looked to be a charming city with a boardwalk and plenty to keep us busy. But as we drove toward the city, we could tell something was up. People were parking along the streets and walking toward the downtown area. Up ahead we could see road closures. Apparently a parade was about to start. We pulled over to re-group and quickly turned around and headed to the north shore of the island instead, away from the crowds.

We found a bike trail in Morrell and spent the morning biking from there to St. Peter’s — about a seven mile trip. We stopped for lunch and then biked back. Such beautiful, peaceful scenery! And a surprise bird encounter along the way. (I should also mention a few other surprise encounters: several other Massachusetts residents spending time on the bike trail that day.)

After our bike ride, we traveled west, following the northern coast, to check out Brackley Beach in Prince Edward Island National Park. Apparently, a rain shower had just passed through, even though we encountered nothing but sunny skies on our way. The rain made the dark sand even darker, almost muddy. Very different from the Cape Cod beaches we’re used to.

We rounded out the day with a stop at P.E.I. Brewing.

The next morning was my birthday. And as a special treat we’d booked a ride on the ferry from P.E.I. to Nova Scotia. This would cut off several hours of driving. We’d never taken the van on a ferry before. I’m not a huge fan of boats, so I had mixed feelings about the whole idea. At least we got to drive through Charlottetown on our way. While we waited to get in the ferry line (we were so early that the ferry before ours hadn’t left yet), we checked out a nearby lighthouse.

The ferry trip lasted about seventy five minutes, but felt much shorter. Before we knew it, we were disembarking in Nova Scotia. We scoped out our reserved campsite before heading to quaint downtown Pictou for an early dinner.

Our campsite backed up to an inlet and offered a beautiful view. The photos aren’t great, but they’re evidence of the Short-billed Dowitcher, the Lesser Yellowleg, and the Great Blue Heron right in our backyard.

The view behind our van was nice, but the campground itself felt more like someone’s hilly backyard and the bathroom facility was extremely ‘rustic’. We decided not to stay a second night.

After realizing we didn’t have enough time to enjoy a coastal drive around Cape Breton, we thought a night in a hotel in Halifax might be a nice change of pace, along with another ferry trip back to New Brunswick. To make a long story a lot shorter, that didn’t work out. We made a ‘non-refundable’ reservation at the Marriott Harbourfront, only to discover that our van couldn’t fit in their parking garage and the parking lot they sent us to, blocks away, was closed. It took a little pleading at the front desk to cancel the reservation. And there was no room for us on the ferry, either. Oh, well.

But before we arrived in Halifax, we stopped in Antigonish for a walk and a bike ride. And a quick peek at St. Francis Xavier University.

We also stopped at Good Robot Brewing in Halifax, right across the street from Halifax Common, a large green space with recreational fields, facilities, and walking paths in between and around them.

We ate lunch and took a long walk around the Common. After leaving Halifax with no place to say for the night, we found a KOA close by. With room for us. Whew!

The next morning we aimed the van toward New Brunswick. After a stop in Amherst, Nova Scotia, for a hike around Amherst Point Bird Sanctuary, we took a detour to check out a monarch sculpture in Dieppe, New Brunswick (thanks, Tricia S.), before landing back at Rockwood Park in St. John, which we’d left a mere four days earlier.

It was drizzling and foggy the next morning as we headed west for one last stop before crossing the border into the U.S. St. Andrews did not disappoint. We first visited Kingsbrae Gardens.

After the gardens, we drove downtown to have lunch in the seaside town.

We left Canada mid-afternoon that day with a bucket-load of memories and a camera card full of beautiful images to help us remember. We spent the night once again parked in our son’s Maine driveway before heading home the next day. And of course, we made a couple of stops on the way: Mast Landing Audubon Sanctuary in Freeport for a walk/run, Mast Landing Brewery, and lunch at Bissell Brothers in Portland.

A Taste of Canada

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We spent two weeks on the road recently, traveling north through Maine and into Canada. You can catch up on the first few days of our trip in Northbound! and Forty Years…and Counting.

After hiking Cadillac Mountain, the rest of our stay at Blackwoods in Acadia was a little more tame. We found a trail just down the road at Sieur de Monts for an easy walk, went back to sit on the rocks at the ocean again, and did some birding along the way.

The day we left Acadia and headed for the Canadian border, we first stopped at Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge in Baring, Maine. We checked out a few trails, including their Woodcock Trail, but, unfortunately, didn’t spot any woodcocks that day.

We left Moosehorn and before we knew it we were at the border and heading for St. John, New Brunswick. The campground was nestled in beautiful Rockwood Park in St. John. We had to drive through the city of St. John to get to the park. And city driving in a large vehicle is not fun. We didn’t feel especially motivated to go back into the city after that.

We spent the rest of our time in St. John at Rockwood Park. There were walking trails, birds, a pond, and even a restaurant. And the food there was some of the best we had on our whole trip. I’m not one to take pictures of my meals, but oh, those lobster potato skins!!

Along one of the paths around the pond, we spotted a series of monuments that had been erected celebrating the provinces of Canada.

Our plan was to spend two nights each in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. Neither of us had been to these provinces, so we wanted at least a taste of each.

After two nights in Rockwood Park, we drove from the campground toward Prince Edward Island, making our way through Fundy National Park.

We stopped at Hopewell Rocks in the Bay of Fundy, an attraction recommended to us by more than one person. The tide was receding, so we were able to go down onto the beach to see these huge rocks up close. Apparently, when the tide comes in, the water rises as much as fifty feet! So, our timing was perfect.

From Hopewell Rocks we drove to P.E.I. over the eight-mile long Confederation Bridge. Later that afternoon, we arrived at our Campground in Harrington, P.E.I., just north of Charlottetown, which we intended to explore the next day.

But when we pulled into Pine Hills RV Park, we discovered we’d arrived in the middle of ‘Old Home Week’. It felt a little like landing in someone else’s neighborhood back yard where everyone knew each other and were ready to party. Oops!

We adapted and revised our plans the next day. But more on those new plans later… 😉

Northbound!

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Forty Augusts ago, we travelled north to Canada as a newly married couple, visiting Quebec and Toronto and coming back home by way of Niagara Falls. To celebrate the last forty years, we’ve headed north again.

But this time we’ve veered northeast through Maine instead, on our way to New Brunswick and beyond.

First stop, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. . .

It was a beautiful day and the trolls were calling. If you’ve never been there, you may not know about the five (troll) art installations by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. We only saw three of the five, but they were impressive.

Before we found any of the trolls, though, we visited the butterfly house. It’s almost magical standing in the midst of countless butterflies flying overhead, all around, and even at your feet.

So many of the flowers were at their peak of color. Everywhere we turned, the landscape made me smile.

In addition to the troll sculptures, we found some stone creations and other interesting artwork.

We even found evidence of fairies at the end of the Back Woods Trail near the river.

It was a beautiful, relaxing afternoon. I highly recommend you put a stroll through the gardens on your to-do list this summer. And try to find those two trolls that eluded us.

After our visit, we headed to our son’s house in Winterport, just south of Bangor. We spent a rainy night parked in his driveway and the following rainy day visiting downtown Bar Harbor. It’s off to Acadia National park after that. A story for another day.

Homeward Bound

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We left home in mid-March, and you can read about the first part of our trip by clicking here and here. As we approached the last full week of March, we turned our van around and headed north.

Before we left Florida, we found ourselves in St. Augustine again. The first time through we climbed the lighthouse steps and visited the rookery at the Alligator Farm. This time we drove to the historic downtown.

First stop, Castillo de San Marcos. We took the free version of the tour. In other words, we walked around the grounds outside.

Next stop, the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche. What beautiful grounds, church, and chapel. And what a great image of Mary as a nursing mother!

In the afternoon, we drove over the distinctly beautiful Dames Point Bridge in Jacksonville, before entering Georgia.

In Georgia, we found an interesting community park in Richmond Hill for a walk/run. At J. F. Gregory Park we discovered sprawling grassy fields, a large pavilion hosting an artisan fair with live music, and miles of biking and walking trails. My camera battery ran out of juice, so I wasn’t able to take pictures of any of the birds I saw along the way, but that gave me a chance to just walk and enjoy.

We stopped in Savannah around suppertime, ate at a small, very average burger place, walked around a little and then left. The next day was basically a driving day from the campground in Yamassee, South Carolina, to the another in Lumberton, North Carolina. We broke up the drive with stops at Buc-cee’s and South of the Border in South Carolina. And I actually ran into a friend from home in the middle of the restroom line at Buc-cee’s! I think if we’d planned to purposely meet there we’d never have found each other in the crowded chaos of that popular rest stop. So weird!

At the Lumberton KOA, there was a nice 1.3-mile nature trail beside the campground that made for a peaceful walk after supper. And a great place for a walk/run in the morning.

By this time, we were thinking more about home than about having any other adventures. But a quick Google search of interesting stops along I95 listed a whirligig park in Wilson, North Carolina, that sounded intriguing. So we drove to Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park for a peek. Unfortunately, the nearby whirligig museum and store was closed for the day. But, fortunately, we discovered a great little brewery across the way.

From North Carolina, we headed to The Veil Brewing Company in Richmond, Virginia, one of Mark’s favorite breweries. We found that they’d moved to a new location and offered food from their Noko Ribi kitchen. I left Mark to enjoy the food and drink while I made my own dinner in the van, parked down the street and around the corner.

We stayed in Richmond that night and left early the next morning in search of a place to walk/run. It was the morning after the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore and we didn’t know what kind of traffic we might hit driving past the area. Our RV GPS took us on an unexpected route through DC. We ended up in bumper to bumper traffic without a lot of gas. It was a bit hairy, but we got through it and made it to a gas station.

We drove all the way to our next scheduled campground in Clarksboro, New Jersey — the same one we’d stayed at at the beginning of our trip — arriving in early afternoon. There, we walked/ran along the street in front of the KOA.

Since it was still early, there was time to do laundry and make plans to visit a local brewery for dinner. Unfortunately, the parking lot at Death of the Fox Brewing Company was packed. No room for an over-sized van. We found out the next morning that we’d tried to visit on their open mic night. Oh, well. Luckily, they’re not only a brewery, but a coffee roastery, too. So, we stopped there in the morning on our way out of town for a cup of tea, an espresso, a couple of cans of beer, and some merch.

On this (our last) day, we drove about four hours to Albany, New York, to another of Mark’s favorite breweries, Fidens. After an enjoyable dinner, (best sweet potato fries ever!), a couple of beers, and the purchase of some cans to bring home, it was my turn to drive the final few hours home.

With another adventure under our belts, we were home in time for a quiet Easter weekend. Plenty of time to dream of the next trip. 🙂