If you missed the first two installments, it might be worthwhile to go back and read them to catch the drift of this little series: Part One Part Two. We hadn’t planned a visit to the Valley of Fire. Fact is, I’d never heard of it until a friend recommended…
This post may seem like a mere travelogue. Sorry about that, but it’s going somewhere (no pun intended), though it will take a couple of posts to get there. Hope you’ll go along for the journey. Our first visit to the American southwest—about seven years ago—left us unimpressed overall. We…
At long last, Spring has sprung, not only on the calendar, but in our western Illinois weather as well. What better way to celebrate the vernal equinox than get outside on a bright sunny day with temps in the mid-50s? Since Saturday afternoon was free and the rest of the…
The Strawbridge family stumbled into my life on YouTube a couple weeks ago. I was watching a video on someone’s hike—can’t even remember who or where they were hiking. If you ever watch YouTube stuff, you know that at the end of each video, suggestions appear for your next viewing….
This past Christmas, my daughter and grandson gave me a wonderful book suitable for the coffee table (do people still have those?). Unforgettable Journeys: Slow Down and See the World features over 200 journeys from all over the world. The book is divided into five sections based on mode of…
Well, it finally came this year. The deep freeze, that is. Up until a week or so ago, here in the Midwest, we were thinking we might dodge the artic bullet this season. Oh, it’s been a bit wintry, but December was a breeze. Never even started up the snowblower…
Late last July, my wife and I spent a few days in Breckenridge, Colorado, just before our 40th Anniversary. To be sure, so much about the trip was wonderful. Beautiful scenery. Great weather. Time alone together. But there was too much reminding us of the COVID pandemic. For starters, having…
“I can’t breathe!” We’ve heard it countless times in the past few months, and probably have become a bit weary of hearing it. Of course, the genesis of that lament comes from the back seat of a police car in Minneapolis. But that’s a discussion for another day. Maybe. Well,…
I made the same mistake—twice—and didn’t even know I was doing it. In June 2017, I went on my first solo multi-day backpacking trip to the Kettle Moraine State Forest Southern Unit in Wisconsin. I had planned on a five-night trip, covering about 55 miles or so on the Ice…
Out in the woods along some lightly used trail, dangers lurk to snare the unsuspecting. Even novice hikers are aware of some of these. A brush with poison ivy leaves one itching for relief. An upturned tree root hidden under fallen leaves can trip up the unsuspecting and wrench an…
