Category Archives: Travel

Christmas 2023

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Merry Christmas! Jan and I send holiday greetings to one and all. We are looking forward to enjoying the holidays here with friends and family. This has been a good year for us as we move beyond the Covid world and the heavy-handed health issues that are now a thing of the past. Although, Larry has managed a couple embarrassing side-steps recently, drawing attention and mandatory timeouts. It seems like staying out of harms-way has become a full-time job. Ending this year in good shape and looking forward to what comes next. Already planning next year with a balance of travel and other fun actives.

Still loving the South Carolina upstate area. So many recreational opportunities. We enjoy checking out the little southern towns as well as quality time in the bigger cities. The first half of this year was spent taking care of the ever-demanding yard and to do list, balanced with just the right number of fun outings to make us feel a bit guilty. With our interest in gardening, wood working, photography, genealogy, tapestry, hiking and traveling in our RV there is never enough time. Retirement is one of the best jobs ever and as we near 80 we like to think we are just getting started.

At the end of July, we hit the road in the RV heading to Michigan for six weeks. It had been five years since we had been back. Along the way we caught up with friends and family. It was good to reconnect and catch up one on one. The trip started exploring the Lake Michigan side of the state, ending up in Petoskey. Over Labor Day weekend the Snyder siblings gathered at Forest Lake near Alger for their annual reunion. Early this month the New York contingent of our family flew in for holiday fun, interesting food and good times. As usual there was more food than we could eat. The planned outings were hampered by rain and unseasonable cold weather. The rebound was a nice micro-brewery to fill the gap with more face time. It was good to have everyone here. There are now plans to meet somewhere in New York next summer

Larry and Jan on the Treat Trail Sleeping Bear NP

If you want to catch a glimpse into our life for the past year, take in the photos that follow.

Both of us enjoy the garden. There was a good return even after fending off the rabbits and deer. When we travel the gardening keys are turned over to Angie. She also takes on the care and feeding of our house full of plants.

Our garden in all its glory. Love the herbs, a key ingredients in our famous Plant-Based dishes.

View from above. This shot sometime in June.

These lilies came from Michigan. Jan sister-in-law, Ginger saved them for us. There are well traveled from Michigan to Missouri ending up in South Carolina where they now thrive again.

One of Jan’s favorite flowers.

Our horse friends next door are interesting company. We keep close tabs on them from our deck, a favorite hangout for us year-round.

Our close friends next door. They do love to eat…

The planters have become an integral part of our deck’s summer landscaping. In the winter the geraniums are replaced with pansies.

Here are two photos taken from our great room.

Rainbow captured from the inside.

Fun photo from the inside out.

There is always something happening at the Biltmore. Our annual membership gives the opportunity to go whenever the mood strikes. The spring flowers are striking, during the summer great place to ride your bike and the holiday decorations are outstanding this time of the year. If you are ever in Asheville, check it out.

Biltmore in the spring.

This is called the Azalea path in all its glory…

Really liked this natural view of the forest. The Biltmore Estate at its best.

This lake was on the Biltmore master plan and has withstood the test of time. The sun makes this a fun photograph on this day.

Here are fall photos taken in the Caesar’s Head State Park. There are so many good mountain views plus challenging hikes that call us back. If you are in the area, check it out.

Caesar’s Head in the fall.

Caesar’s Head view. South Carolina fall view.

This fall we checked in with the white squirrel in Brevard, North Carolina. We like to see him a couple times of the year. Brevard is one of our favorite places to hang-out.

Famous Brevard white squirrel who loves to pose for photographs.

Jan had to check out the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair, our first time. Jan is into the yarn scene with her love of tapestry. It is on our list for next year.

Southeastern Animal Fiber Show – pulls in a lot of vendors with outstanding wares.

Fiber Show temptations

Two Fiber Show friends…

This guy was engaging.

Here we are once again ready to get out of “Dodge”. The RV is packed, the GPS set and there is a reservation for every night for the next 45 days. The old RV is hanging in there as it hits its 13th birthday. It is now back in the hands of the Airstream folks who are giving it a renewed lease on life for next years adventures. Really miss seeing it in the its parking place in our yard.

Ready to hit the road. This will be our home away for several weeks.

The summer trip started in the Smoky Mountains at the National Park Elkmont campground. We found Mrs. Owl waiting for us telling us to stay clear of her young ones. Lots of good hikes with Gatlinburg just fifteen minutes away. A yearly stop…

Mrs. Owl

We could hear this creek from our Smoky Mountain National Park campsite.

Love the characters we find in Gatlinburg.

Downtown Gatlinburg…

This was a first time at the Holland, Michigan State Park. Nice campground although a bit like a parking lot. Had a great time checking out the city with a side trip to Grand Rapids for a quick lunch and beer at the Founders Brewery.

Found these lovers in downtown Holland.

…more Holland!

Love the Holland beach. These folks were just hanging out.

Holland light house…

One of the favored Holland photos…

Ileana and Larry enjoying the path along Lake Macatawa in Holland.

There was a three day stop in Breckenridge area, the area where Jan and I grew up. Found a campground on the Pine River which was just two miles from the Neitzke farm. This area was considered the “other side” of the tracks when we grew up so reluctantly made reservation. In the end it was a good choice with a new respect for the area and the Pine River. We used the campground as a basecamp. The objective was to check out some small township cemeteries to fill in holes in our never-ending genealogy project including the Snyder and Neitzke branches.

This was our campsite on the Pine River in Midland County, Michigan

Pine River. Our RV trips always include electronics with ebooks for Jan and audiobooks for Larry.

Next stop was the Sleeping Bear National Park. This was our old stomping grounds. Had a fun time checking out the trails and views in the park.

Great campsite at the Platt River Campground at Sleeping Bear. The only issue was no electricity and no generators allowed. Really had to rough it…

This is a favorite trail to Lake Michigan called the Treat Farm Trail.

This is the trail to the Treat Farm in the Sleeping Bear NP. Great walk back from Lake Michigan through the open fields to the old homestead. I think the purple flower is a type of Phlox.

Love this photogenic view at Sleeping Bear. Surprised at the amount of erosion since our last visit. Great reward at the end of a two mile hike.

Jan enjoying the Lake Michigan view. Great view with lots of wind to mess up her hair.

Larry enjoying the same view, note his hair is not blowing as much…

The iconic sand dune climb is not as high as I remember it.

Attended the Buckley Old Engine Show. It had been a while since we had attended. This is a great show, brings back fond memories. Lots of old red and green equipment lovingly cared for. The problem was we can remember when much of it was new.

The Old Engine Show at Buckley was a fun side excursion. Jan remembers threshing time on the Neitzke farm back in the early 50s. The amount of vintage equipment and the real time demonstrations was impressive.

This JP model of John Deere was used on our farm through the 60s. It was my Grandpa Snyder’s first mechanical tractor back in the 20s.

This International Harvester reminded me of my Grandpa Woodards last tractor purchased in 1948 after World War II. I fondly remember that he would wipe it down at the end of day.

Our next stop was the Petoskey State Park. Trips to Harbor Springs, Cross Village, the county fair and downtown kept us busy for two weeks. Looking forward to going back soon.

A stop in Harbor Springs is always warranted. The homes are outstanding plus checking out all the boats is totally impressive.

…more Harbor Springs.

The trip from Petoskey on M119 to Cross Village is a must when we are in the area. Discovered the Legs Inn back in the 60s when we were camping at the Wildness State Park nearby. Note the namesake stove legs on the roof. Polish based food is always fun and interesting.

Legs Inn tree root-based interior is unique to the point of being awesome. This shot is above the bar. Lots of other interesting wood sculptures to take in.

The Legs Inn grounds and outside dinning overlooking Lake Michigan is just plain cool!

As luck would have it the Emmet County Fair was in in Petoskey during our visit. We had not been to a fair in over 20 years, so it was a walk back in time…

Many of the rides were new to us. Fun to look at but way too old to take any of them on. Well, maybe the merry go round would be ok.

Found that the 4H clubs are still alive and well. Fun exhibits and displays.

Walking out the pier in Petoskey is fun and there is always an opportunity for a photo or two.

What is a trip to Northwest Michigan without a stop in Mackinaw to take a picture of the bridge?

Next stop was the Snyder reunion on Forest Lake. It is always fun to catch with everyone. It seems like we can just pick up where we last left off. The only issue was we are starting to look like our grandparents…how did that happen?

Yes, we are all smiling. The Snyder siblings are still having fun. Not often you can get them in the same place at the same time!

Aunt Bonnie’s garden(s) are impressive, always a photo opt or two. This young lady drew my attention.

Our Snyder host has an impressive fire pit. Master fire builders at work.

Great place to catch up and maybe even solve the world’s problems.

A good campfire will keep you warm on a cold evening.

Uncle Duane enjoying the banter.

When in Michigan we always have to catch up with niece Betty and Husband Tom.

Catching up with niece Betty and husband Tom a highlight of the trip.

Every year our sons and granddaughter make their way to South Carolina from New York. It is one of the highlights of our year. There are always good times with plenty of laughs.

The group shot of the Snyder annual holiday South Carolina get together. Another great time together with good food and lots of laughs.

Presents under the tree, a sign we are getting in the spirit of the season. Finding a “real” Christmas tree takes a lot of work in this part of the world. This tree does not have any needles as you can see.

One thing the majority of this group can agree on is life is good if you can find a great micro-brewery.

Fun stop with some outstanding brews and good food.

Hanging out…

These two are tuned in to the camera.

It was so good to have granddaughter Fiona and David with us this year!

Really enjoyed seeing Mark and Kevin at this wonderful time of the year!

Just enjoying the action.

The one thing we do well is the food. Getting ready for breakfast on a cold and rainy morning.

I think the photographer lost control. All I can say is this was not the first time! At least it is not a boring group shot.

Love taking sunset or sunrise photographs. Here are some from this year’s collection.

Sunset photo are a favorite of mine. Taken from the deck in the spring.

This was taken in Holland while enjoying the end of the day on the Lake Michigan beach.

Sunset on Lake Michigan.

Sunset over Lake Michigan at the Sleeping Bear NP.

Have an enjoyable holiday. Jan and I miss everyone at this time of the year.
Happy New Year and God Bless!

Larry and Jan

Summer Travel 2021 Number 7 – Black Rock Mountain State Park Georgia

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Black Rock Mountain State Park Georgia

This is a return visit to the Black Rock Mountain State Park. After moving to the Carolinas this was one of our first southern adventures. It drew our attention as this part of Georgia is known for its recreational opportunities and mountain vistas. Although the campground is older with smaller RV sites, we found one available that would fit. The Park is just 50 miles from our home making it an easy trip, although the winding mountain highway does take some extra time.

Great RV spot. It was hard to find one that fit our rig.

Checked out several of the hiking trails. The various mountain trails gave us a chance to climb a bit, take in some good views, and bring home some memories on the camera. There is a small lake with an easy hiking trail. This will be a good place to catch some fall color. As usual we dodged the afternoon rain drops.

Took advantage of the several hiking trails.

Outstanding view from the trail…

On the trail in the afternoon means dealing with a mountain thunder storm.

Even along the sidewalk you can find nature

Great day to be out with a camera and hiking poles.

Great trail to stop and enjoy the view.

The foreground, background and clouds makes this nice photo.

One of the campground trails takes you around the lake.

From the lake trail…you should see what is on the other side of the dam

It is short mountain drive across the state line to Highlands, NC. I did a blog post years ago after a visit. Highlands has a vibrant downtown. After checking things out we found a great place to eat. Last time we checked out the surrounding waterfalls. There are four of them within easy reach. We had heard good things about a Micro-brewery in Clayton. Had to check it out on the way back to the campground.

Highlands, North Carolina has a fun downtown…

Lots of city sponsored flower displays

Great old buildings in Highlands…check them out for yourself!

Found a new favorite microbrewery on this trip in Clayton.

Have you heard of the Foxfire Center? We remember their books from the sixties and seventies. A local school back in the sixties started an effort to document and preserve the mountain heritage. This led to a magazine and books. The royalties provided funding to start the center. We found the center interesting, educational, and entertaining being from the north.

There are now 22 buildings. There is also an impressive paper archive plus the audio, and video recordings. The center provides heritage skill classes that look interesting. The blacksmithing and carving classes caught my interest. Jan was drawn to music, making brooms and weaving. Looks like we will be back soon.

The Foxfire Center dedicated to preserving the mountain heritage

The displays in the buildings are well done.

A team of artists keep the mountain arts alive with classes and in person demos.

Creative and colorful displays…

Mountain toys!

Impressive…

Mountain folks are proud and self-sufficient

This display was curated as a typical kitchen during world War II

The buildings are well maintained. The downloadable app added to the walking tour. The mountain lifestyle comes clearly into view by the end.

Most of the buildings are original to the area and were moved to the center

Fun stilts available to the brave and coordinated.

This building is a replicate built by the alumni and students of the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School

Working blacksmith shop is a favorite stop for many

The grist mill was moved here…great old building

The Bell Grist Mill lives on…

The second floor of the grist mill…interesting pieces and parts

The Beck Barn

When hiking at Firefox wear your hiking boots

This was a nice adventure. Really enjoyed the time spent here. This area has a lot going for it. Now back home to “real” life for a week.

God Bless,

Larry and Jan

Summer Travel 2021 Trip 5 – Cloudland Canyon State Park Georgia

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Cloudland Canyon State Park near Chattanooga Tennessee

For the 5th trip this summer, we head to Cloudland Canyon State Park in Northeast Georgia. This Park offers a wide variety of hiking opportunities and is within easy striking of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The reviews for this park and this part of the state gets high marks.

The start of our stay was quite rainy. In between the rain drops we found terrific views. Wide range of trails easy, moderate to challenging. The views along the rim trails are outstanding. There is an impressive falls on the canyon floor. Getting down was easy. Took a lot more effort to get back up.

Our arrival was rainy with plenty of low flying clouds

On a clear day you can see forever…

Impressive canyon trails. Prominent fencing with unique stone posts.

Easy hike to this scenic view just outside the campground.

The clouds added interest to this view

These stairs have withstood the test of time.

Lots of stairs to work your way down to the floor of the canyon

This bridge leads to the other side of the rim where the trail continues.

Takes a bit of work to get to this falls but worth it!

Always looking for that “interesting” friend along the trail. I think this fellow looks like an Eagle?

Guardian for anyone entering the campground

Then there was the side trip to Chattanooga. The city has done a great job with the Riverfront. The Riverwalk is extensive and well done. Checking it out was both fun and rewarding. The City Aquarium is outstanding then there is the Hunter Museum of America. The art along the trail kept us entertained. There is a pedestrian bridge making it easy to check out both side of the river. So many good places to have lunch, it was hard to decide.

Downtown Chattooga has a lot to offer

This is the other side of the impressive aquarium

The Hunter Museum of American Art is very impressive. This couple is celebrating the pile of money they are sitting on. The creator leaves it open as to where it came from?

There are eye catching and imaginative sculptures along this very pleasurable Tennessee River Trail.

This guy is keeping track of downtown Chattanooga.

A wheel chair friendly way to access the riverfront trail.

The Walnut Street pedestrian bridge is an asset to downtown Chattanooga. We crossed this bridge twice. The first time for fun and the second to get to the restaurant of choice on the other side.

The Walnut Bridge view that caught my eye.

This park has lots to offer. Fun stop for sure.

On our way to Florida in 1971, we stopped at Lookout Mountain. We repeated the Lookout Mountain Parkway drive, looking forward to its commanding views. One of our stops was Point Military Park where we had visited in 1971. Unexpectedly, it brought back a flood of memories. Life for us is certainly different for us now as we edge our way through our seventies. The military park is a historic treasure along with the impressive overlook of the city and river.

The Lookout Parkway has so many eye catching views.

Lookout Mountain Parkway a must do drive. Along the way we took in the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park at Point Park.

The park is well kept plus more importantly tells a rich historic story at a key point in time.

Jan and I were here in 1971 on our way to Florida…wow, was that 50 years ago!

The park has a commanding view of Chattanooga and the Tennessee River

Jan caught me taking one last look before we had to leave.

Jan and I really enjoyed the time here. There is a lot to do at the Cloudland Canyon State Park and in Chattanooga. The plan is to return soon. Now our thoughts turn to our next trip to Red Top Mountain in north Georgia.

God bless,

Larry and Jan

Summer Travel 2021 Number 4 – Mount Pisgah North Carolina

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Here we are kicking off trip four. As summer approaches, we head to the mountains for cooler weather and less humidity. Travelling in North Carolina we have repeatedly heard you have to check out the Pisgah Mountain area. Here we are with a long list of recommendations of hikes and sites to experience in only four days. The selected campground was on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Great location for our stay. As expected, the mountain weather tends to be wet.

Here are some fun views. These are easy to find along the Parkway.

Great view along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Impressive long view.

The clouds add interest to this Blue Ridge Parkway scene.

Blue Ridge Parkway views are great when the sun shines creating interesting shadows.

Being June there were lots of flowers. The displays were spectacular. Here are some shots I picked to share. We toured the area in the car and on foot. Lots of photo opportunities. If you have not been here, it is worth the trip.

The Rhododendron’s come into full bloom in June.

June flowers are impressive, nice close up photo.

Interesting!

In June the Mountain Laurel is still in bloom.

In the Pisgah Mountains plenty to see…

Easy access to this impressive waterfalls.

I thought this looked like an alligator. Jan thought it was a stretch. What do you think?

A surprise find was the Cradle of Forestry in America, a historic forestry school. The school came about from an arrangement between George Vanderbilt, the Biltmore Estate and Carl Schenck. Schenck was engaged to manage the reforesting of the estate that had been logged. Today the school is credited as the start of professional forestry management in America. Recommend this as a worthwhile and educational stop.

Impressed with the Cradle of Forestry. It is credited as the birthplace for forestry management.

The school was created by George and Edith Vanderbilt to support the development of the 87,000 acres of the Biltmore Estate.

The buildings are original or re-creation of the originals. The site was created by a very supportive alumni support group. This building served as a store for a period of time.

There were so many interesting buildings. Loved the look and feel of this residence.

The interiors were well stage for the period.

Many of the buildings had a German look and feel.

This was the office.

The detail on his house was fun.

The food was prepared and served by the wives of the support staff. This could be a look at an early cafeteria?

You can think of this as an early laundromat. This is the spot where students did their laundry.

The trails here are easy.

Trails here have plenty of interest. I am easily taken when there is rail fence and have a camera in hand.

Rail played a big role here back in the day…

Well preserved steam logging crane.

Rail Logging cars was an easy photo opt. Messed up the shot of the locomotive.

The saw mill was a mechanical wonder. Lots of lumber was made here.

For our last day we decided to change things up. The day was spent checking out Asheville. It started by taking advantage of the history-based walking tour. The tour was educational, found a great vegan restaurant and ended up with refreshments at a fun micro-brewery. It was good to get out the hiking boots for the day!

Asheville has several microbreweries. Here is the choice for this stop. Good stop!

The Basilica of St Lawrence was the final stop on our Asheville walking tour. Impressive! You need to see the inside.

Loved the Pisgah Mountains. The plan is to come back soon.

God Bless,

Larry and Jan

Summer Travel 2021 Number 3 – Table Rock State Park

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Our summer adventures continue with a trip close to home to Table Rock State Park. The objective to do serious hiking climbing the trail to the top of Table Rock. This is our second stay at this park. This will be the second time that an ailing back put a damper on the main goal. Not all was lost as there are plenty of outstanding trails here and the surrounding area that are more moderate. Plus, this is a beautiful state park with plenty of photo opts.

Table Rock State Park – Close to home with plenty of things to do

The infamous Table Rock Mountain, a challenge for hikers

Early May is a great time to visit this park in the South Carolina mountains

The set up got interesting right away. A visit from Mr. Bear got our attention for sure.

We just got set up when we had this visitor.

This guy came over for lunch so we thought it best to leave… However, I still got off one last shot.

This Park has a major trail head for local and regional trails. Took advantage by doing a nice hike around the lake as well as along the mountain streams. Lots of spring flowers this time of the year.

The goal for this visit, climb the mountain and take advantage of the many trails.

Caught this colorful scene on a walk around the lake.

Stopped to enjoy the view

The question is how tall is this mountain anyway.

The park was originally a CCC project. The lodge has that CCC look and feel. Still in use today.

Very different constructed dam, looks like another CCC project.

Interesting small cascade on a backcountry hike.

Caught this photo on a nice hike along the creek.

Could not resist this shot…

Caught this cool picture through the trees along the river…

Spring in the mountains, lots to see.

The Mountain-Laurel an awesome spring display.

Simple spring flower.

Lots of yellow flowers here…

This shot withstood the cut from many photos.

I have always liked Moonflowers.

Took a trip up the Mountain to North Carolina. Curious stop at Bald Mountain. Ended up at Brevard. This is a favorite town of ours. If we had it to do over again this may have been home.

Bald Rock Heritage Preserve near Caesars Head State Park. Graffiti at its “best”.

Bald Mountain view.

Solomon’s Seal a very interesting plant…

Took time out to visit Brevard, North Carolina to catch up with the white squirrel.

Jan and Mr. White Squirrel.

Jones Gap State Park is a sister to Table Rock. This is a very popular park. On the week ends you to have reservations to get in. The main trail is to Rainbow Falls. After our visit this hike and falls are now in our top 10 favorite. The hike is over seven miles in and out with a 1,200 Ft climb. This is a hike we will repeat for sure. The Park headquarters was a CCC project.

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Another CCC project, Jones Gap State Park

Jones Gap hike to Rainbow falls, the beginning.

The Rainbow Falls Trail crossed the creek several times.

This trail has a little of everything…here are the structured stairs.

This trail was harder the higher we went.

Just had to capture his scene. Setting and lighting good.

More trail and creek photos…

Rainbow falls, worth the climb. The rock scramble here was an unexpected treat.

If you are up to a nice hike, this falls is worth the effort.

This ended up being a great trip. Getting ready for the next one to the North Carolina Pisgah Mountains.

God bless,

Larry and Jan

Summer Travel 2021 Number 2 – Poinsett State Park

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For our second summer adventure, the target is the South Carolina low country. This area comes with a rich history. The term low country refers the region below the fall line or Sandhills, an ancient seacoast. It has subtropical climate, is agriculturally based dating back to the slave era which has created a colorful past and unique culture. Especially Aiken, targeted by many retirees looking for that perfect spot to escape the northern winters.

The Poinsett State Park conveniently located was our selection for a place to park the RV for the four day stay. The Park reviews were not all that great. However, we found it worked for us. Talking with others at the park heard that it is a favorite place to stay. The Park has interesting hiking and mountain bike trails plus it is well off the beaten path.

Checking Out Southern South Carolina at the Poinsett State Park.

The park had many easy trails. Good for those morning walks exploring lakes, old mill sites, back country trails, and catching some interesting characters along the way.

Captured this scene on an early morning walk around the park’s lake.

The site of the old grist mill site behind the lake’s dam. Interesting setting that has withstood the test of time.

The Spanish Moss is part of deep south.

This guy was keeping watch over the park’s lake.

Caught these guys along the trail. Thought they had an interesting hair cut.

The Congaree National Park was close by. We had visited the park several years back when the water levels were at an all time high. This time it was a very different experience with more normal summer water levels. There were no blocked trails. The Park is an old growth bottomland hardwood forest. It boasts some of the tallest trees growing in a floodplain in the world. Hiking the many boardwalks, exploring the lush forest is always great fun. Plenty of colorful and interesting photo opts. Always fascinated by the loblolly a fast-growing long-life pine prevalent in the park. The mosquito’s count was down much easier than the previous visit. It is one of the least visited national parks. However, we had to vacate the park by five as the synchronized firefly event was on.

Checking out the only national park in South Carolina. This park is a preserve of bottomland hardwood forest in a floodplain.

This park has great hiking trails many with elevated boardwalks.

There is an amazing forest canopy here.

Time out along the Congaree River…

The canopy filtering the sun for this photo of Cypress trees.

These cypress trees can be over 500 years old.

Found this setting worth a stop.

Love these cypress knees. They are thought to aerate the roots and anchor the trees.

Shot of the forest floor all with a bit of filtered sunlight to add interest.

Not many flowers here…

The cut trees all seem to have this same marking. I am sure it tells an interesting story.

The loblolly pines are tall, the champion is over 167-foot. Very impressive!

We have met a lot of people from the north who have retired to Aiken area. Had to check it for ourselves. This is impressive horse country. The downtown has a lot of offer. We spent a full day poking around. We will have to come back as there was not enough time to do the area justice. One thing for sure it is much hotter in this part of South Carolina than our home in the Upstate.

Visiting Aiken and horse country has been on travel list for a long time. This is our first trip to south South Carolina.

The museum and visitor center is in a great setting.

Very colorful exhibit.

Liked downtown Aiken. We will be back, maybe this fall. Here is where all the night action happens…

This community is all about horses. Checked out the exhibition grounds.

The landscape here is well manicured grass set off by white fences.

In “real” horse country the roads are not paved.

Being at Poinsett we were in striking distance for the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden in Columbia. It was a beautiful day so was a good day for an outing at the zoo. Determine visiting the zoo would be very back friendly. It is a medium size zoo. It is well done and held our interest for several hours. After the zoo we crossed the bridge over the Saluda River to the Botanical gardens. This is a small well-done garden. The day ended with a great lunch in Columbia and a bit of shopping.

Getting ready for a full day at the zoo in Columbia. We had visited here several years ago.

Being a collector of anything giraffe, this sculpture demanded attention.

The real thing. This guy was posing for a picture.

The seals were performing…caught this underwater shot.

Glad this one was behind the fence. He seemed to be enjoying the sun.

Wonder what they are talking about…

These guys were on the move. Impressive tortoise heading out for lunch.

This big guy carries a lot of weight.

This lady was strutting her stuff and seem to have an attitude.

What is a zoo visit without a framed photo of a zebra.

This guy seeking out the shade to escape the afternoon sun.

The hole this dude dug was impressive. In the afternoon saw several zoo workers with shovels undoing all his work.

This colorful toucan stood out against the green background.

Note the ruffled feathers. These folks were not happy with each other. A very noise group.

On the other side of the river is the botanical garden.

The Saluda River…looks like a great place to paddle board or kayak.

Nice walk from the zoo as the shuttles are not running due to Covid.

The garden here are small and very well done.

Sets the stage for possible beach scene.

Took this shot on the way out…

Front and center, the South Carolina state tree the Palmetto.

Drawn to this history of many of the small towns in South Carolina. On the way south there were several towns to check out. Although, historic several on the list are struggling. Abbeville was on our list which we caught on the way back north. The downtown was vibrant and full of activity. Enjoyable stop did a little antiquing and lots of window shopping. Found attention-grabbing Civil-War history to check out.

On the way home stopped in the historic town of Abbeville.

Abbeville downtown was worth checking out. Found a treasure or two to take home.

Picturesque photo opt making the walk after lunch worthwhile.

Traveling local this summer is a change of pace for sure. Next trip is Table Rock State Park. Stay tuned!

God Bless,

Larry and Jan

Summer Travels – 2021

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Here we are again, finally ready to hit the road after a year off. It did take some time to pull things together as things seemed to be a bit “rusty”. The competition for RV repair was fierce, finding ourselves on our own to fix cranky mechanicals refusing to start after a long winter. Our response to the Covid world is traveling closer to home while (we hope) life gets back to be more predictable. On the books there are 12 reservations with the Smoky Mountain National Park being number 1 in April and number 12 in October. Looking forward to exploring North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.

Here we are ready for adventure after the Covid experience.

If you like spring flowers and cool temperatures the end of April is a great time to visit the Smokies. Our home away from home for this stay was the Elkmont Campground near Gatlinburg.

The expectation was to hit the mountain trails taking advantage of the cooler temps. Plans were frustrated by Larry’s ailing back. However, the fine views are everywhere, easy to find. Samples follows:

Great spring day to check out this NP!

Beautiful spring day

Long view…

Nice vantage from a convenient pull out.

Lots of folks taking in this view along with enjoying a nice picnic.

Spring flowers were in full bloom, making getting out in the wild a grand experience.

The Dogwoods were in full bloom.

Along the river trail

There were plenty of Yellow Trilliums in full bloom

There were so many different varieties, showing their spring colors

Lots of white trilliums…

White Trilliums

Fun close up shot…

Close up on a muted background

Had to keep stopping to take another shot. Got way behind my hiking partner as a result.

Lighting made the color pop…

This shot near our RV site taken on a morning walk.

This guy was checking out all the folks walking by…

Along the trail with the Little River in the background

Jan found an impressive Dogwood along the Cades Cove Loop road

The Little River Trail (however, nothing little about this river) is a favorite hike. The flat trail appealed as a more back friendly experience, after giving up on climbing the proverbial mountain. Even though the campground was full, we found the trails uncrowded.

A nice shot of the Little River from the bridge in the campground, note Jakes Creek on the right.

Enjoying the river trail…

The Little River, had to work to get this shot!

Little River

The historical experience of the Cades Cove tour has a lot going for it. The park has done a fine job curating this 1900ish farm community. Especially documenting the conflicts/divisions during the period of the War between the states. The end for the community came as the result of farming viability, its remote location plus the National Park take over.

Cades Cove Church…note the his and hers doors.

All the churches had cemeteries…this one was a little rough giving it a bit of character.

The John Oliver house. John was a very early settler.

Eljiah Oliver house. The son of John. Note the multi-generational house on the right and the larger main house has a travelers room off the front porch. Right of the cabin door note the view hole for those who had to attend the fire so the brochure indicated.

Spring house used to store food as well provide running water to the house.

The watermill serving historic Cades Cove. Reflective image for the imagination of days gone by…..

Loved the cantilever barns of the Cove. Functional designed for the area and the southern climate.

Picturesque cabin built by a Civil War survivor.

Framed building served as a store and a personal residence in its day.

Elkmont area was originally settled as a logging community. The supporting village was Daisy town. After logging ceased it transitioned to a tourist community. The old hotel is gone and the club building is now a conference space. Ultimately, the National Park took over and the town buying out all the owners. It is now being restored and open to the public. It looks like restoration is almost complete. Great place for anyone with a camera interested in the past of this historic town.

Daisy Town cottage…the oldest building. It has withstood the test of time.

Very well build cottage which is an exception to many of the other dwellings.

Gatlinburg is definitely a tourist town. To our surprise the streets were packed with folks doing the same thing as us. Here are some pictures capturing the sights of the town. Our day ended with a nice walk along the river and finding the Smoky Mountain Micro Brewery for a late lunch.

Wow, this place has an interesting facade and was drawing in the crowd.

Eye catching…

…of course the music was appropriate for the setting!

Gatlinburg river scene

Great to be back on the road. The Smoky Mountain Park certainly has a lot going for it. The site we booked six months ago fit the old Airstream nicely. Sites here are only available by online booking, no walk ins.

Got to test both the generator and the solar on our stay.

Once back home, we had to check in with the neighbors next door. I think they were also checking us out. This will be an interesting summer with the current travel plans. Our schedule will give the house sitter a workout for sure. Stay tuned for the next update where we will be checking out horse country.

Two new young neighbors…

God Bless,

Larry and Jan

Summer Travels 2019 – National Park Tour – Part Four

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This trip has wound down. We have been back in South Carolina since the middle of September. Once we got back home, we hit the ground running with a very large to do list. Here it is mid-November and just now coming up for air. This is leg four of the summer National Park tour and is the fourth blog post. The final National Park was in Ohio. It was a great trip, meeting and exceeding our expectations. The last leg is mostly about seeing family and winding down from the previous more intensive schedule. However, as I pulled this together, we did cover a lot of territory in the last 30 days of the 80-day trip.

This leg starts with us leaving Minnesota, heading to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The plan was to stop at the Duluth Trading Company flagship store as we buy from them online. That did not work as there was construction and the parking was not RV friendly. Well, maybe next time. Just one quick stop in Duluth to take pictures from on high as we made our way east.

Hilltop view of Duluth, Minnesota. Next stop, Michigan!

Our first Michigan stop was Wakefield. The Sunday Lake road side park is a nice place for lunch. This has been a stop for decades. When we come from the west, once we got here it seemed like we were almost home. Plus, this town has the best Pasties in the UP.

First stop in Michigan, Sunday Lake in Wakefield…great place for a picnic.

The best pasties in the UP are found at Randall’s Bakery in Wakefield!

In 1970 Jan and I did our first camping trip to the Porcupine Mountains State Park with my parent’s tent camper. The weather for that trip was perfect and we had a really great time. We had such a good time that we stopped in Bellaire to look at RVs and bought our first camper an Apache pop up. Little did we know at that time that Rving would become a life-style compulsion for us. Our current RV is number 7 and not sure it will be the last one.

Here we stayed at the State of Michigan Presque Isle campground. A remote rustic campground 15 miles out of Wakefield.

Our first camping trip was to the Porcupine Mountains over 50 years ago! It is still a draw for us.

Lake of the Clouds, worth a trip up the mountain.

One of Jan’s very favorite spots is the Presque Isle River in the Porcupines State Park!

Presque Isle River as it empties into Lake Superior…

Idyllic branch of the Presque Isle River. Took this picture from the trail of a very rewarding hike along the river.

…more Presque Isle Pictures. This photo taken in the rain…where the main concern was keeping the camera dry.

A regular side trip when we are in this part of the world is the Black River. Place for great hikes, waterfalls and enjoying Lake Superior. The water was actually high for this time of the year which made the waterfalls more dramatic.

Jan’s favorite spot Presque Isle, mine is the Black River. Lake Superior in the background.

Hiking trail along the Black River has six plus falls. We find it a great adventure just checking them out. This is the Great Conglomerate.

Sandstone Falls…

The Black River trail is eight miles…lots and lots of view. Kept the camera busy snapping way too many shots.

There is always another falls along the Black River trail.

Another Sandstone falls views.

Heading east, the next stop was Munising. It had been some time since we had been to the Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore so it was good to be back to explore and do some hiking. Munising is a fun UP town where we poked around a bit. We stayed at a great National Forest campground on Lake Superior – Bay Furnace a wonderful setting.

The Michigan UP tour continues. Next stop Pictured Rocks National Seashore at Munising, Michigan.

Iconic Pictured Rocks view.

Bridal Falls…another nice hike at Pictured Rocks.

Our RV site on Lake Superior at the Bay Furnace National Forest Campground. Historic site remembering the pig Iron blast furnace days of 1870 to 1877.

Blast furnace shot…very interesting technology for the point in time.

Had to check out the Munising micro-brews. Got to meet several locals at this stop…nice hometown look and feel.

East Channel brews are ok!

Our next scheduled stop was the Lake Michigan campground at St. Ignace. This is a great park and right on Lake Michigan. US 2 is the main road across the UP. Lots of experience with this road over the years with many favored stops. Leaving the UP you have to cross the Mackinac Bridge. I am sure I have posted pictures in the past but here is one more…

Had to stop in Manistique, Michigan to walk the Lake Michigan board walk. The “Big Boy” welcomed us along the trail and brought back the days we would stop to sample their Strawberry Pie! Looks like it has withstood the test of time as a menu option.

The Seven Mile Beach along US 2 is always a welcomed stop. Had to take off the shoes and get our feet wet!

Finding Seven Mile Beach was hindered due to the high water levels of Lake Michigan.

Our last night in the UP at the Lake Michigan National Forest Campground very near the Mackinac Bridge. Great sunset view over Lake Michigan!

The Mackinac Bridge looking north to the Upper Peninsula. Can never resist taking advantage of another Kodak moment.

A favorite town is Petoskey. When we lived in Michigan, we would come north to stay a few days at the city park. The three days there went quickly. The plan is to come back next year and stay for a month. The area has a lot of offer in the way of great biking, hiking, restaurants, plus there is Harbor Springs – Petoskey and Cross Village to explore. This stop we met up with Nephew Steve and Ellen in Bellaire. It was so good to see them plus we got to experience the Short’s Brewery experience. I cannot believe this but I did not take any pictures!

A fun stop for us has always been Petoskey, Michigan. The bike/hiking trail is awesome. Took and early morning hike on the Little Traverse Wheelway trail to the East Park.

Little Traverse Bay…from the Little Traverse Wheelway!

Petoskey hosts the Bear River. Here you can catch a Salmon in the fall, a whitewater run down the river or just enjoy the hiking trails.

Sunrise from the Petoskey Marina.

We had not been back to Michigan for over two years and felt we wanted to go back. We stayed at the Platte River Campground in the Sleeping Bear National Seashore park. This is the park that we would escape to during the National Cherry Festival when we lived in Traverse City. We were able to explore the park with some favorite hikes plus got to check out some cool vistas. I also wanted to check in at the Interlochen Center for the Arts where I spent most of working life…over 40 years. It was great to be back in Traverse and Interlochen. However, we came away feeling good about our decision to move south. We did not experience a strong pull for us to return any time soon.

The Petoskey Harbor very well done.

What is trip to the westside of Michigan without a stop at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore?

We camped out at the Platte River Campground at Sleeping Bear. Nice hike down the railroad grade from the campground to Lake Michigan.

Of course we had to walk the trail to Lake Michigan. The reward is a great view at the end.

A little known Sleeping Bear trail, the Treat Farm Trail. Loved the hike to this spot even if was through the poison ivy. I managed to escape the itch, Jan not so much!

Treat farm from the top of the sand dune…I think I have shared this view in the past.

Glen Lake view from the Stocking Drive at Sleeping Bear. This is still a great shot even if the day was on the cloudy side.

The D.H. Day farm in the background. Lake Michigan in the background makes this picture perfect.

They say you cannot go home but… Had to stop at the Interlochen Center for the Arts…where I spent my working career and where our sons grew up on the campus. It is a very special place and continues to grow and thrive.

The Interlochen Centers for the Arts central campus. Brings back a lot of memories!

The timing for this trip was good as it worked out to meet up brothers, sister and family near Bay City. We had a great time and so good to catch up with everyone. A few pictures in this blog but there is a post covering the entire long Labor Day weekend event. https://larry-jan-tvc.net/2019/10/06/snyder-gathering-2019/

The cool part of our trip was the gathering of the “Snyder’s at Forest Lake. Check out this link for the full story: https://larry-jan-tvc.net/wp-admin/post.php?post=4277&action=edit

Fun times!

When we get together, there is always plenty of food.

Next overnight family stop was to see Niece Betty and Tom near Lansing. It was so good to catch up with them one on one.

Next family stop to see Betty and Tom…

Aaron, Tom and Larry enjoying themselves.

Larry and Tom playing in the woods.

On our way from Michigan we stopped in Fort Wayne to catch up with Uncle Larry for lunch. It was so good that the timing worked for all of us. The final National Park for this tour was Cuyahoga Valley. We only had one day here. There was more to do than we thought so it is on the list for a return trip. The setting is on a canal and overlooks the Cuyahoga River. Even though the park is close to Cleveland it felt remote. Good place to ride bikes and hike.

The final National Park on this tour was the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We have passed by this park over the years and never knew it was there.

Cuyahoga Valley overlook. There is a big river down there somewhere in the trees.

Brandywine Falls one of the parks features along with hiking and biking trails. The parks main draw is the historic canal between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio.

Nimisila Reservoir a view from our RV site in the Akron city campground.

As we headed east, we took a short side trip to Gettysburg to catch the National Military Park. This was our first time. Really enjoyed it. Ran out of time so plan to return to catch all the things we missed this time.

Gettysburg National Military Park has been on the to do list for a long time.

Here we caught up with Abraham Lincoln.

The park setting was a surprise which is interwoven into the farms of Gettysburg.

The original cannons have been restored.

The park is experienced with a curated drive. The local farms make for a colorful backdrop.

Here you learn the history of the battles and the generals who played a part.

A memorial stop was the cemetery…for a lot of reasons!

Restful scene…

So far no pictures of me cooking on this trip…here is one at Gettysburg grilling the veggies for Fatias.

As we headed east and south this gave us the opportunity to stop to see son Paul and his wife Marty. As usual they provided us with several interesting and educational outings plus some great food. It was so good to catch up with them.

We came back to the Brandywine Campground for our visit with Paul and Martyl

Paul always serves great food!

Paul and Marty resting up after our tour of the Hagley Museum and Grounds.

Hagley Museum…Industrial site of the original 1802 black powder works of the DuPont Company in Delaware. Very educational and enjoyable!

The DuPont home…interesting history including surviving several site explosions.

DuPont recreated gardens at Hagley.

Touring the powder yards and the many fascinating buildings.

Powder storage building, now a tourist stop.

More site buildings, think this one housed a management family.

Water the main power source…now a pretty picture.

The Brandywine River…super cool and the center of what happened here back in the day.

Extremely interesting stop at Architectural Resale shop with Paul and Marty…truly outstanding.

Found several special pieces I would not mind taking home!

I liked this but Jan did not think it would work in our Southern Living house! It was sold anyway…

Delaware is a welcome stop for us. The Henlopen State Park at Lewes is in a good location from which to explore. Actually, we stayed longer than planned as the campground at Nags Head, where we had reservations on the outer banks, was still closed after the recent hurricane. The Dogfish Head Brewery is a very favored stop plus Rehoboth Beach is a fun tourist type stop.

Henlopen State Park the historic site of Fort Miles. The fort a World War II installation. The watch tower a tool to help keep the coast safe during troubled times.

Fort Miles has lots to see and check out…

Vista from the watch tower…

Atlantic sunrise at Lewes, Delaware.

Rehoboth Beach a very popular spot. Love being back on the ocean.

Rehoboth Beach…fun to explore.

Rehoboth Beach known for shopping and its board walk.

Rehoboth Beach boardwalk heading north…

This is the iconic boardwalk landmark.

The Carolina Beach state park was our final two nights out. This was our first stay at this park. Great beaches plus the weather was outstanding. Yes, we will return when looking for “that” real beach experience.

Last stop before getting back home is the Carolina Beach State Park. Beautiful day and perfect end for our 79 day adventure.

Carolina Beach walk…love the sand, the small dunes and the clouds in the background.

Unfortunately, the last day on the road…however this will be a good memory.

It is good to be back home. Next summer travel plans are already in the works. The thought is to do several shorter trips plus spend the month of August in Petoskey with Bikes and Kayaks. The hope is to travel east to visit sons in New York and Pennsylvania, the time to be determined. A return trip to Alaska is still in the future for us, just not 2020.

Right now, we are in the middle of house projects which are all consuming. After the first of the year the projects initiative will continue for three to four months. Lots of things to do in our 30-year-old home. However, if we listen carefully, we can almost hear the road calling us back…

God Bless,

Larry and Jan

Summer Travels 2019 – National Park Tour – Part Three

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Greetings from Larry and Jan. We are back in South Carolina after an enjoyable summer adventure. Finding time on the trip for the blog post is a challenge so this post is not as timely as I would like. Finding the balance between getting out on the trail and sitting behind the computer screen is a push, pull effort, well at least for me. This is the third post for our National Park Tour – 2019 covering the last four NPs. FYI, there will be two more posts. The fourth post will be the time spent with the Snyder Clan in Michigan then finishing the blog posts with our time in Michigan back to South Carolina.

This phase of the summer ended up being a wind down as we worked our way towards the mid-west. These parks were not as dramatic as those earlier in the south and west, although we found them interesting in their own rite.

After leaving the Nevada and Utah desert we headed to Hot Springs, South Dakota to the Wind Cave National Park. The main attraction is the cave. The bad news was the cave was closed due to a broken elevator and would not reopen for several weeks. However, we were able to regroup and find plenty to do. The park is not just about the cave. The setting is great plus lots of diverse wildlife. If you are looking for prairie dogs and bison this is a good stop for you. The park is close to the Custer State Park and Mt Rushmore which were nice side trips.

Wind Cave National Park – Sadly the elevator was broken

Getting to Wind Cave was half the fun. Fun stop along the way in South Dakota. Love the West!

Hot Springs, South Dakota the home of Wind Cave National Park

Had plenty of time to tour the countryside plus found interesting hikes.

The Wind Cave Park Service proud of the pure Bison gene pool. Yes, they can be found everywhere.

This stop confirmed there is still a large number of Prairie Dogs in South Dakota.

Although no big mountains to climb at Wind Cave, found some nice hiking trails to explore.

Nice stop along the trail. This country has a charm all of its own.

Looking north to the Badlands…

…also found some nice drives. Fun country!

Took a nice drive through the South Dakota Custer State Park ending up in the Badlands.

Passed by Mt Rushmore without stopping…

Rained the last day, produced a fun rainbow!

Our next move was north to North Dakota, the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The heart of this park is the Little Missouri River and the Badlands setting. This park also has a lot of bison. Nice trails along the river plus the Badlands are just fun to experience.

Onward to North Dakota, the Theodore Roosevelt National Park

…more bison at Theodore Roosevelt.

This area is the Little Missouri River Badlands. This it in the south unit.

South Unit Bad Lands.

Nice South Unit Drive, not many places to hike.

The North Unit is a 80 mile drive from the South. Cool day trip to the Nouth Unit. Just over a 80 miles one-way.

The North is just a little different.

The North Unit still has that “Bad Lands” look.

Found this guy on a short hike. Thought he had an interesting expression.

On the way back, just outside of Medora found many fields of sunflowers. Of course it took several shots to get just that “right one”.

Moving from the Badlands, the next stop was International Falls, Minnesota and Voyageurs National Park. This park is all about the water and the historic waterway made famous by the French-Canadian Voyageurs. The park’s history is grounded in the era of fur trading in the 1700s between the Ojibwe Indians, the traders and filling the demand of the European markets. The Voyageurs were the transporters of their day. Lots of lore that made this an interesting and educational stop. Today this area supports a large sports fishing effort plus there is a strong environmental focus on the ecosystem. At this point we wished we had brought the kayaks. It was fun to poke around International Falls which reminded us of cities we had visited north of the border.

Moving north to Voyageurs National Park at International Falls, Minnesota.

No hiking here but lots of water. Over 200,000 acres to explore by boat.

Rainy Lake…got very wet on our tour plus had to duck a bit of lighting!

Fishing camp of the past. No more commercial fishing here.

Had fun checking out International Falls. Even got to meet Smokey the Bear.

…more rain! The upside another rainbow.

Our future travel plans include spending time along the Mississippi River. On the way back south, we stopped at Sandy Lake, a Corps of Engineers park at the head waters of the Mississippi. Stay tuned as we take on that adventure in the next year or two. Again, we wished we had the kayaks and a fishing rod.

Just had to check out Sandy Lake. Head water for the Mississippi.

Interesting area…lots of wildlife and plenty of fishermen.

The final national park was Cuyahoga Valley. Our RV site was near Akron. Over the years had been by this park many times and did not know it existed. The park is centered around the canal between Cleveland and Akron opened in 1827. The park has over 125 miles of trails for hiking and biking. The park includes the Cuyahoga and Crooked Rivers. Here we hit the trails but wished we had our bikes to take full advantage of the canal tow path. Lots of history to check out. The plan is to go back and make this a destination stop.

Last National Park on this tour – Cuyahoga Valley National Park…between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio.

Stayed at a RV park in Akron, the Nimisila Reservoir Metro Park.

Early morning shot at Nimisila with ducks in the background and a slight feel of fall in the air…

Cuyahoga Hiking Trail follows the canal and the river.

Brandywine Falls an awesome view along the trail.

Ended our time here along the Cuyahoga Gorge Rim Trail.

The rest of the trip was more about visiting with friends and family. Made a stop at Traverse City to see if we could go back home again. The next posting coming very shortly.

God bless,

Larry and Jan

Summer Travels 2019 – National Park Tour – Part Two

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The 2019 summer tour of the national parks continues. Leg two of the trip is now past history. This section tended to be off the grid resulting in a mismatch of internet access and time available. In trying to figure out what to call this leg the lowest common denominator seemed to be the desert, most of it in the high desert. The stops along the road were the national parks of the Grand Sand Dunes, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Grand Canyon-north rim, and the Great Basin. Utah state parks also called us to Dead Horse and the Escalante Petrified Forest which included time at the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This leg was just short of three weeks.

Once we got past the generator side trip, things have gone fairly well. Well, except for the encounter of a rock with the under carriage of the RV. That is a story for another time. The weather has been really good except hitting the Grand Canyon at the monsoon season. Although the daily routine quite often does require working around the midday heat.

The first stop was the Grand Sand Dune. The area is unique in that it maintains itself with wind and water. It was created by nature from grains and pebbles from nearby mountains. It has kept its overall presence for hundreds of years. Lots to do here climbing/hiking the dunes and climbing nearby mountains plus just playing in the water which is relaxing. Normally the water in the creek would be gone by this time but this year there has been plenty of rain.

Great Sand Dues National Park and Preserve South Dakota

Great Sand Dune and the Medano Creek

Medano Creek the ripples are actually a type of wave action. Great place for family with children.

Great Sand Dunes is self contained. It continually rebuilds itself. Very cool!

Very early morning hike at the top of the first ridge. Still a couple of miles left to get to the peak.

Early morning hike and was able to catch the sunrise. The Medano Creek at the base of the mountains.

The next stop was the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Really did not know what to expect here. The gorge cut by the Gunnison is dramatic. It is so deep and steep it is hard to see the bottom. The striated painted wall cliffs are impressive. There are rim hikes as it is not very practical to hike down. Great place to visit and take pictures, not a lot of hiking for us.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Very different experience with great views.

Coming into the park set the stage for leaving the desert and climbing the mountains.

Jan stopping to enjoy the view as we climbed higher.

The canyons are deep, steep and narrow. Hard to find an angle to get a good photo. The Gunninson is way down there…

Canyon view…best in person.

Gunnison River up close. The drive down into the canyon was steep. Very good test of the exhaust brakes on the truck.

Last time we were in Utah we fell in love with Moab and the Dead Horse Point State Park. It looks like a smaller Grand Canyon which it makes easier to hike and get good photo shots. It is a favorite place for photographers to get outstanding sunrise and sunset pictures. At the bottom is the Colorado River which you will see again, once we get to the Grand Canyon. The park gets its name from The Legend of Dead Horse Point. There is an area in the canyon called the neck where the cowboys of old would herd wild horses to pick the best. The story goes once they left the remaining herd behind in the corral where they perished within a few feet of the river. They also mine Potash here which is pumped into pools, dried and they used for fertilizer. Yes, we plan to come here again.

Dead Horse – Utah State Park near Moab…repeat visit…this is surely a favored stop.

Colorado River is impressive…

The potash ponds stand out in the canyon. Not sure it adds to the view. However, the color makes for a great picture.

West rim view. The detail is amazing.

Jan hiking on the east rim.

Lots of interesting formations. Yes, I took a lot of photos and was hard to pick just one.

Looking from the rim trail you can see we are in the desert.

This guy joined me while I was waiting for the sun to come up. Lots of Ravens around to make life interesting. They will pick up anything glittery.

Dead Horse is a great spot for sunrises. This is day one.

Sunrise day two.

Sunrise day three.

Sunset from the campground. It rained almost every evening and this day was no exception.

Last time we visited Utah there was not enough time to catch the Grand Staircase-Escalante area. This is diverse and colorful area as you will see from the photos. The landscape puts on a show all by itself. The layers and the colors never stop. There are many slot canyons which are fun to explore and experience. We did a lot of hiking and driving. At the end we wished we had one more day!

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Known for the colorful layers in the mountains and cliffs. Another great adventure in Utah.

Grand Staircase mountains…

Long view from the top.

The Grand Staircase is known for its slot canyons and red rock. Nature here at its best.

Great hikes, just fun to be on the trails. Note the different rock on each side of the canyon.

This drive from Escalante to Canyonland is highly recommended. Loved the views being between the canyons.

The Calf Creek trail has impressive views. There were a large number of folks also enjoying this hike.

The layered rocks, the different colors makes for an interesting experience.

Calf Creek Falls the reward at the end of the trail. This is listed as the highest falls in Utah.

Cool shot with trees in the foreground. The Utah red rock is dominate however.

In this shot the sky is a nice backdrop for the different color rocks. The Grand Staircase at its best!

A destination side trip is Devil’s Garden. However getting there was 30 plus miles on a very rustic road which was an adventure in its own rite.

This is a small representation of Devil’s Garden. It was a truly unexpected experience. Reminded us of Bryce Canyon just down the road a 100 miles.

Great shot. Had a fun time there even with the temps pushing 100.

We sited the RV at the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. This park actually had a lot of Petrified Wood more than we have seen at previous stops over the years. Unpredictably, we spent some time exploring the park and trails. There was an easy /lower trail which was curated and very fascinating. The higher section was more aggressive, more interesting and not well marked. Yes, I got lost on one of those early morning hikes. Mainly because, I was more interested in what was along the trail instead of focusing on where I was going. However, I did find my way back, eventually.

The base camp for the stop in Escalante was the Petrified Forest State Park. An unexpected experience. Actually there was a lot of Petrified wood everywhere.

The park had a small lake and a very large dam. Walking the dam you could see where the main road use to go. For some reason this scene caught my eye telling a story of days gone-by.

The petrified wood here is very colorful. This piece along the trail and standing the test of time.

The petrified trail in the state park was brutal. Was an early morning walk getting into a little more than I bargained for. Note the large pieces of petrified wood along the trail.

The Grand Canyon-North Rim was out of the way for this trip. After doing the South Rim a few years back it just seemed like we should do it. The word on the street was it is not as busy. The footprint seemed smaller. In the four days that we were there we did all the trails we wanted and saw many great sights/views. The weather did get in our way but never stopped us for a full day. Good experience and yes, we could go back if the opportunity ever presented itself.

The north rim of the Grand Canyon has been calling us. It is hard to get to so this time it was a destination.

The lodge at the park. Great place to hang out. Being there in the monsoon season gave us plenty of time to check it out. Here is a shot from the last day when finally there was sunshine.

The trail to Bright Angel Point. Great day for a hike. Earlier in our trip we did this walk with rain coats.

This point is called angels window.

Colorado River at the bottom of the canyon. Can you find where it goes?

It is a long hike to the bottom. At least a two day hike down and back.

Grand Canyon

More Grand Canyon views. Note all the haze from local fires and smog from the West.

Grand Canyon, still hard to see the Colorado River.

View from one of the rim trails. We did several during our stay. Great experience!

Set the timer on the camera for this shot. You can surely tell this was over posed!

The final stop for this leg was the Great Basin National Park in Baker, Nevada. You have to want to go there as you need get through the desert if you come from the south. The high elevation worked ok but glad we had got to practice breathing thin air before we got here. It was very hot during our time here. The park also has the Lehman Caves which are unique in their own rite. The hikes were challenging and rewarding. The remoteness for this park was a bit scary. The pictures tell the story of our stay which was fun, interesting and educational.

Next stop was the Great Basin National Park in Nevada.

Lots of desert to get to this park. Drove all day and ended up in Baker which has a population of 68.

Finally the desert gives way to the mountains.

Great mountain setting, very high, a self-contained basin in a somewhat narrow area in Nevada and California. Any rain that falls here stays here. It is a sagebrush desert with very interesting shallow salt lakes, marshes, and mud flats.

A surprise was Lehman Caves. Actually most of the visitors came for this experience.

Lehman Cave – very different, has lots of history and was a much different experience than Carlsbad earlier in the trip.

More cave pics…

A large area dedicated to the Bristlecone Pine trees. The oldest living trees dating back over 2,000 to 3,000 years or more. This tree just refuses to die adapting to adversity successfully.

Bristlecone Pine Grove

Another fun hike here to 13,000 feet to the Wheeler Glacier. It is getting smaller over time. Still a nice experience to get away from the 100 degree temps at the bottom of the mountain.

Jan on the glacier, getting ready to head back down.

Teresa Lake has great color plus a fun stop heading back down the mountain.

Stella Lake a second stop on the trail. There are fish here but none in Teresa Lake. Still above 12,000 feet.

This creek was below the lakes. It was a tranquil natural park like setting. Note the Wild Primroses along the creek. Nice way to end the hike.

This completes this section for the trip. Next time there will be more national parks, four to be exact. The last post will be our time with family and friends as we get back to Michigan and the Midwest. This trip has gone so fast. It is hard to grasp that the trip is already 50% over. Really enjoying seeing the country and meeting new people. Home is still a long way off and is not calling us back.

God Bless,

Larry and Jan