A dozen years ago, we drove through Death Valley National Park on our way to somewhere else. We were pulling our little Bigfoot trailer (our previous rig), and when we finally made it across the park, Eric said, “I am never doing that again.” The unrelenting steep grades, sharp curves, and the rollercoaster two-lane road […]
Every year, in late fall after a visit to our hometown, we begin again our journey across the country. It is a long way from Oregon to Florida, and honestly, it can feel a bit daunting when we consider the long road ahead. Inertia is a real thing—it truly is easier to stay put than […]
We’ve gathered wild blackberries on Lopez Island and huckleberries in Oregon; harvested wild mint and watercress from pristine creeks in the Pacific Northwest; lured Dungeness crab into traps in Oregon and blue crabs to traps off my folks’ dock in Florida; and pried oysters, mussels, and clams from the shores of the Pacific Northwest coast. […]
We just arrived in North Florida for two months of semi-tropical adventures interspersed with family time. Our adventures include a big chunk of time with my elderly parents. Wish us luck, I’m suspecting we’re going to need it. My recollections of our last winter with my folks are still fresh in my memory, and I’m […]
I‘m finding it extraordinarily difficult to write this post. We won’t be returning to Lopez Island next summer, and it’s causing us grief in more than one way. On a spiritual and emotional level, we’re going to sorely miss the beauty of the island, the satisfying work of teaching the interpretive programs, and our delightful […]
Last year was the first time we took the northern route across the country. Although we had our doubts about traveling through the Midwest and the Plains, it’s a trip we would happily repeat. I’ve already written quite a bit about our experiences, but as I wrap up our spring and early summer travels, I […]
We’re in the mountains of West Texas, where it’s currently 22 degrees and the landscape is decorated with hoar frost. It is REALLY cold, but it looks very festive. I know that January 1st only has as much meaning as we ascribe to it. Nonetheless, there’s something about the dawning of another year that always […]
Yellowstone National Park is one of the most beautiful places we’ve found in our travels. And it’s certainly one of the most thrilling. Where else can you stroll on boardwalks over colorful hot pools and geysers and encounter traffic jams caused by bison and bears? Our last visit to Yellowstone was in the fall of […]
One of the things I love most about our full time travels is discovering places we would otherwise never visit. We plan our journeys starting with a rough outline of things we want to see, and then connect the dots with mystery stops along our routes. More often than not, those unknown places turn out […]
In the northeast corner of Wyoming’s rolling prairies a pillar of ancient lava rises more than 800 feet above an ocean of Ponderosa pines. Throughout the centuries, the mysterious monolith has captured the imaginations of the tribes of the Great Plains, president Teddy Roosevelt, and filmmaker Steven Spielberg, among many others. In early June, we […]
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If you enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, birding, art, music, quirky towns, good food, and good friends—you'll enjoy traveling with us. Join us as we explore the backroads of North America—we love company and comments!