Most mornings, Eric sits outside and drinks his coffee while observing the birds in our campsite at Spencer Spit State Park. Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Spotted Towhees, and Pacific Wrens are daily visitors to our site, along with frequent appearances by various woodpeckers, including the big beautiful Pileated. Overhead, ravens cavort in the tree canopy. We walk […]
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The pumpkins are ripening in the fields at Horse Drawn farm, and rose hips are plump on the beach roses on Spencer Spit. There’s a distinct shift in the angle of the sun, casting everything in a golden glow come late afternoon. It’s a lovely, and yet bittersweet time of year. The dawning of September […]
The Florida Keys are a tropical paradise—turquoise waters, endless blue skies, palm trees swaying gently in the breeze, abundant fresh seafood, and a laid-back island lifestyle. The motto of the Keys is “Come As You Are,” and they mean it. We planned our visit for mid-November, when it’s still warm enough for swimming but the […]
Three mornings a week, we teach programs at the Nature Center at Spencer Spit State Park. The Nature Center is conveniently located right next door to our campsite; as a result, we have kids screeching to a halt on their bikes throughout the day to investigate. A sign out front advertises our programs: Plants and […]
We’ve been to Cedar Key many times in our travels. It’s one of our favorite low-key Florida towns, with a “come as you are” vibe that we find immensely appealing. Low-key and relaxing was just what we needed after our marathon five weeks of downsizing in Gainesville. As I’ve said before, simplifying is not a […]
I am delighted to report that our five-week stay Gainesville turned out to be all that we had hoped for, and more. From enjoying the historic neighborhoods, cultural offerings, springs, and wildlife of North Central Florida to reveling in the incredible array of delicious food offerings, we had a blast. Best of all, we even […]
As of last Sunday, we’re on the road again. We’re heading north to Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, which is pretty much all-new territory for us. As always, it required supreme effort to break free of the gravitational pull of home. It doesn’t matter how much planning we do, or how far ahead we start the […]
Thank you, dear friends, for your supportive comments and emails. Apparently, there are a lot of us dealing with similar issues related to aging parents. I must admit, I feel better with companions in this leaky boat. And although I don’t wish this adventure upon anyone, I’m happy if our experience can benefit others. So…back […]
There was a time when we dreaded the 800-mile slog across Texas, especially the desolate 550-mile stretch between El Paso and someplace we considered worth visiting—say, Austin or San Antonio. But that was before we unearthed the gems of West Texas. There is beauty and peace in these wide-open spaces, quirky towns scattered about, and interesting […]
Leaving Fort Stevens and the delightful town of Astoria, we bid farewell to the Oregon Coast and drove a short 25 miles to Cape Disappointment. Located at the tip of the Long Beach Peninsula in the extreme southwestern corner of Washington, we arrived to gray skies, wind, rain, and a state park with zero internet connection. […]
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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!