The rain was such a gift because it scrubbed the wildfire smoke out of the sky for a day and a half, just long enough to give Mom and Dad the Rockies experience I so wanted them to have! Lake Louise the first evening, in the rain. You can barely make out Victoria...
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The day I drove up to Calgary was crystal clear. And the next day, smoke from wildfires in British Columbia completely descended. The day after that, my sister Deb and nephew Will flew in. I felt incredibly lucky that we got as much visibility as we did, and that Deb...
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As one of the signs at Diablo Lake explains: “As glaciers in the surrounding high country slowly wear down the mountains, the grinding of rock against rock produces a fine silt that meltwater streams carry into the lake below. This “rock flour”...
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The Paradise view point is further west, closer to I-5, and at the main visitors center. Sunrise is a 90 minute drive into the park, but so worth it. The elevation gain and proximity to the peak of Mount Rainier is a game-changer. It is truly awe-inspiring to have the...
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Olympic National Park has four distinct primary parts, with towns in between. Hurricane Ridge and Hoh Rainforest are each a bit of a drive inland from the main loop road around the peninsula. DO NOT SKIP ANYTHING. The natural diversity of this park is jaw-dropping....
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June 25, Crater Lake – “I have thought many times in the last several weeks that I am happy my journey began in the Spring. There’s the symbolism, of course, with starting my life over. And there’s the practicality of warmth and sustained...
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