October 31st, 2009
What is your next special occassion? April 2009 was my wife’s and my 20th wedding anniversary. We dreamed of Greece but decided that staying in country was going to be easier on our finances and was a better fit for the time we had available. But where to go? We settled on the Yosemite Valley. Why? We had both been there before. Both with our children and as children ourselves. The reason was that we had always visited at the height of the summer season. This meant crowds but above all else, a dry Yosemite Falls. Here was a chance to be there with the plumbing leaking in all its glory and enjoy each other’s company without the weight of parents or kids.
And so Yosemite it was. Things didn’t start out perfectly however as we were summarily dropped from our original flight (first class level miles points down the drain) and then found that the sporty little car we rented had no trunk. Not a small trunk, no trunk. We arrived in compromised fashion but savored the spring air and bright sun as we rolled into the valley. We settled nicely into the Ahwahnee hotel and were lucky enough to have a high floor room with an expansive, half dome facing balcony. Things started looking up.
We woke the next morning to gray skies. It proceeded to rain for the next three days. Before you go and weep for us, here is a run down of how we extracted chips from such a lousy hand. We hiked to the top of Yosemite Falls and while the views were obscured from the mist, we got to enjoy a water world that is not always there. Rainwater joined with the big spring runoff giving us surprise tributaries that crossed the hiking trail and extra cascades popping seemingly out of nowhere which gave us something different. What we didn’t have was a dry place to sit or dry feet. So, we were tired. But we did it anyway and are glad we did. Further, the Ahwahnee bar was waiting for us with an El Capatini.
The bar scene was a thrill. We sat for hours trying different concoctions while watching the visitors come and go. We took most of our meals in the main dining room. And took baths in the nice tub the recently refurbished room offered. Not too shabby, really. On our departure day the sun shined once again. We took plenty of morning photos and then off we went.
In a way, the trip was a metaphor for our marraige. Not quite what either of us expected but definitely what we needed. And, we returned to our lives without a complaint (until I wrote the first paragraph. of course). Yosemite is simply a great place to make and share memories no matter what the circumstances.
Posted in General, Lodging, Yosemite | No Comments »
May 12th, 2009
The downside to visiting our wonderful national parks is that, practically speaking, air travel is required for many of the parks no matter where you live. Everyone knows that flying ain’t what she used to be and has become the dreaded unavoidable for many of us.
One thing that can make flying time worthwhile is the chance at acquiring much needed sleep. Of course, unless you are in First Class, sleeping in a cramped seat that does not seem to recline as far as it used to is an exercise in frustration. Well, necessity is indeed the mother of invention and so to remedy this situation experimentation began for establishing techniques for getting the rejuvenating sleep we need.
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August 30th, 2008
Visitors to the wonderful Olympic Peninsula are lucky indeed as there are great lodge destinations that serve as base stations for explores into the rainforest and picturesque coastal hikes. Less visited than its northern sibling at Lake Crescent, Lake Quinault Lodge is the perfect respite from days spent on foot. The front of the property is modest and unassuming but after passing through a classic National Park style great room replete with fireplace and easy chairs one steps out the back doors onto a wide patio looking out over an American dream style manicured lawn. The green is dotted with Adirondack chairs for taking in views of the expansive lake.
Row boats and canoes bob in wait of trips out for a degree of separation and a different perspective.
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Posted in Lodging, Olympic | 1 Comment »
May 16th, 2008
The article linked in here is about law changes to allow construction of coal-fired power plants in close quarters to our National Parks. The natural first reaction should be anger but let’s focus on the reality of the situation…Collectively, as Americans, our lifestyle simply consumes a huge amount of energy that must be satisfied somehow. Our economy in its present form can not grow without abundant power. Hopefully, we can successfully transition our economy to cleaner energy production before we are all wearing haze penetrating glasses (my idea - don’t steal it.).
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24658362/
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April 24th, 2008
Check out this MSNBC article regarding future plans in our parks. Mostly good I believe.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24295273/
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March 22nd, 2008
Hopefully, this itinerary will be good. I will post after the trip in August and let you know my thoughts. The goal was to enjoy a balance of national parks, mountains, water, city and countryside. If anyone has input I’d be glad to hear it.
From the East coast:
Day 1 –
Destination: Seattle, WA.
Activity: Fly
Dinner: In airport prior to flight. (Should help rest of meals taste that much better) Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in General, Mount Ranier, Recommended itineraries, Olympic, Mount St. Helens, North Cascades | 2 Comments »
November 5th, 2007
Hello many fans and followers…
Rate National Parks staff is planning a visit to the great US Northwest for next season and is looking for advice. The major sites such as Mt. Ranier and Olympic NP are obvious choices but if anyone can provide advice on places, eats, or activities that might not be readily obvious it would be helpful. I have personally been to the area but not for some time now and I’m sure a lot has changed.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
RNP
Posted in National Parks, General | No Comments »
July 8th, 2007
While my adoring fans wait for my thoughts of a recent trip to Florida’s Everglades NP, please check out this news story. Does anyone detect any reason for optimism?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070708/ap_on_re_us/florida_drought
Posted in General, Everglades | No Comments »
April 10th, 2007
My family and I are planning a trip to Florida this summer and Everglades National Park is one place on the agenda. I’ve heard so much in the news about the suffering that this park has endured. I’ve also heard things that describe the park as nearly destroyed. A combination of chronic drought and overbuilding nearby have taken their toll. I am very interested to see first hand what the Everglades still are and what might have been lost.
Any suggestions from our readers? What should I expect? Any particular points of interest?
I most certainly will follow up in a few months with my review. Swamp lovers beware.
Posted in Everglades | 2 Comments »
December 26th, 2006
As told by AJ Gellman from her 1996 adventure.
There are many choices of how to see the Grand Canyon. Walking along the rim, helicopter fly over, muleback riding, or hiking to the bottom but in order to see it from the bottom up - my choice was rafting.
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Posted in National Parks, Activities, Grand Canyon | 1 Comment »