Category travel
Willamette Valley Lavender Festival
The Willamette Valley Lavender Festival was a treat for the senses with fields of purples and a range of fragrances. The two-day event (the second weekend in July each year) included more than a dozen lavender farms near Portland that were open to the public. At Mountainside Lavender Farm, the fields of lavender stretched for […]
National Park hiking tips
A recent trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was a wonderful time of hiking and enjoying nature. I first started hiking in the Smokies with my parents and had my first camping experiences and backpacking trip with my Girl Scout troop. My time on the trails and in the Sugarlands Visitor Center on […]
Hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park always is special for me. The wonderful views. The challenging hikes. The chance viewing of wildlife, from ravens to black bears. I experienced all of that during a recent hiking trip to the Smokies. I also enjoyed seeing so many people appreciating their time in the Smokies. […]
Castellers build human towers
Building castells (human castles) is a Catalonian tradition dating back to the 1700s, with more than 100 people working together to build human towers that can reach six levels or even higher. I watched the castellers build their amazing castells during the Festes Sant Josep Orio in Barcelona.
Gegants perform in Barcelona festival
The gegants (giants) are part of Barcelona’s culture and history – and are such fun to see. I was unaware of these Catalan icons until my first visit to Barcelona. After seeing photos of the gegants, I visited La Casa del Entremesos (The Giants Museum) to see them in person. The gegants are constructed with […]
#OptOutside on Nov. 23 (and other days, too)
Explore the outdoors as part of #OptOutside, a national movement started by REI in 2015. Rather than open its stores on Black Friday (Nov. 23), REI gives its employees a paid vacation day and encourages them — and the rest of us — to get outdoors.
My photography on display at Satchel’s Pizza
What a treat to have some of my photography on display at Satchel’s Pizza, along with two friends’ pen, ink and watercolor art. Deciding which photographs to display provided me the opportunity to revisit photographs I’ve taken of many great trips. I included two photographs from a hike on the Bright Angel Trail at the […]
Red tide at Sanibel Island
On a typical morning at Sanibel Island, the beach would be filled with shell collectors, walkers and joggers. All would be enjoying the beauty of the sandy beach, the waves and the sea breeze. But this week, Sanibel Island is a victim of red tide, which has made the beach experience very different. Red tide, […]
Birdwatching at Sweetwater Wetlands Park
By 7:30 a.m., we were on the trail at the Sweetwater Wetlands Park, and the birds were there to greet us. We started by checking a location along the boardwalk where we’d seen purple gallinule a few weeks ago. We heard the purple gallinules and caught a few glimpses of them as they slipped through […]
Joy of hiking to Mt. Le Conte
Time for one of the special treats of the year – hiking to Mt. Le Conte in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. After finding a parking space in the Alum Cave trailhead parking lot (which can be a challenge, as Alum Cave is a popular trail), we double-knot our hiking boots, adjust our hiking […]
