Some random thoughts on the cruise: Celebrity is pricey, but definitely a first class operation. I enjoyed the size of the ship. There are many small (16-32) passenger ships, but they roll quite a bit and the larger 92 passenger Expedition was smoother. I also found the larger size gave a good mix of people to […]

Quito was a fun city to see, though at 9000+ feet I did have some altitude effect. Slight headache, and short of wind. They export roses here, so 2 dozen run about $1.50. The hotel had amazing arrangements of 10-12 dozen perfect roses! We saw the churches, plazas, and the Equatorial Memorial. Note the equator […]

So now I begin to think it was the 9000 foot elevation that had me puffing and lightheaded on the high plateaus of Utah, who would have thunk it? Taking it real easy in the hotel room in downtown Quito, getting acclimated. I had a great time in the Bay area. Met up with old […]

From Carlsbad we drove on to Tucson, saw the smoke from a couple of good sized fires, but no flames. The desert is pretty in its own weird way, lots of cactus. Spent the night and drove on to San Diego. I hooked up with an old college buddy, Jesse Haugh. Had some good laughs […]

What a day! Absolutely, positively, slap me in the face, saddle me up a big white goose – tie me on and turn it loose, stupefyingly incredible place. Now I remember why this was the pivotal place to come to, the one anchor I would not miss on this trip. I believe the most impressive […]

On up to Arches National Park was an easy drive, we went directly to Delicate Arch. After a brief stop at the far viewing point we went to the trailhead. They advertise it as a strenuous hike and mean it. Three miles with an elevation change of 480 feet. That is 48 stories of stairs and […]

I have missed a few days, but trust me they were busy and wonderful. The drive down to Reno was good, some back roads and light traffic. Memorial day we drove the long flat road to Salt Lake City, got in and walked around Temple Square and had dinner. The next morning I checked at the […]

Tomorrow Bill and I are headed out of Medford, Oregon and down through Reno toward the four corners. Oregon-Reno-Salt Lake City-Saint George is about 1250 miles. Hoping the memorial day traffic isn’t too bad. I enjoyed the drive back to Olympia, except for being disappointed that the Pacific Northwest Bigfoot Society Museum was no longer […]

Another wonderful day, but then again aren’t they all. I checked email in the lobby and had breakfast before setting out on the trail. First I went on the recommended 1.6 mile Falls loop trail. It was so special not having to share the morning with hordes of tourists. In retrospect it was a blessing […]

Awoke finally to the grey overcast and misting of the Northwest that I remember. I had the breakfast special here at the hotel, and it was great, a crab omelet. Out the window I noticed a Pine tree like the two hundred year old one we saw at Miyajima Island in Japan, at 3-4 feet […]

What a nice ferry ride, fast and smooth with clear skies and great views. The Cascades and Olympics were snow capped and beautiful. John and I had a nice visit and dinner with nephew Peter, Caroline and daughter Valerie. The next morning we did the Seattle tourist thing and it was fun. We took the Monorail […]

Well it is certainly a good thing that God looks out for fools. I misunderstood David to say “wait at least 15 minutes before buying bus tickets while on the ferry” He actually was warning me that they only sell the tickets at the beginning of the 1 1/2 hour ride. So when we went to […]