Welcome to my blog. I document my adventures in travel, style, and food. Hope you have a nice stay!
Another gondola ride with hiking to a summit, going around a set of five lakes, and a quick stop at another Fairmont hotel. Just another day in Jasper.
Between Banff and Jasper National Park we traveled along the Icefields Parkway, seeing lakes, waterfalls, and glaciers. Later, we saw several animals wandering along the side of the road.
Our second full day in Banff, and we went to Johnston Canyon, Lake Johnson, and in between, took a boat ride on an artificial lake.
The weather started getting cloudier, but we lucked out on our gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain. We then went back to Cave and Basin for a rematch with the mosquitoes, after which we walked around the Banff Springs Hotel area. That was enough for the day.
The reason we decided to make a road trip that brought us into Canada was because the National Parks were giving away free passes, which we started to use. Since the short drive from Calgary got us into Banff much before our room was ready, we went on a short hike which introduced us to Canadian mosquitoes.
Time to drive north to Canada, but not before driving through Glacier on the Going to the Sun road. Once we got to Calgary, it took longer than we expected to figure things out, but once we did, we ended up hopping all around our particular part of the University of Calgary campus.
No earthquakes, no one from New Orleans. We did make it to the Many Glacier area on the east side of Glacier National Park to hike.
Our first full day at Glacier National Park started with a jolt, a bit of déjà vu, and an impulsive change of plans. It got very hot, but we not only survived, but really enjoyed our long hike.
Time to hit the first national park on our trip, Glacier. Since it wasn't that far from Missoula, we went all the way to the park and did a quick trail before going back to our motel.
We had a quiet 4th of July in Missoula. We spent a bit of time with Ken and Karen, which is always fun. We also got to see the base of operations for smokejumpers.
We continued along the Idaho panhandle, having lunch at Lolo pass. Then on to Missoula for dinner with a group of my Montana family.
The Winkle Family reunion came to an end, so we went to the Idaho panhandle and back into Pacific Time.
Another full day of the Winkle Family Reunion. This time with lunch in the park, a stroll through campus, and a short hike along a segment of the Oregon Trail.
A full day with the Winkles started with a hike, continued with a big group lunch and a walking tour of downtown, and ended with a pizza night.
Our first time driving through Eastern Oregon and Southern Idaho was rewarded with great views. We also got to see lots of Winkles, wandered a bit around downtown Boise, and even acquired boots for Melody.
Our time in Yakima came to an end, as it was time to start making our way towards Boise. First, however, we toured the Hanford B Reaactor, then spent the night in Pendleton.
This was a hiking day, or at least attempt to hike day. The temperature cooperated while we were out and about, and we got back to the house and relaxed when it got hotter.
Vacation time again. This time we’re doing a road trip, anchored around a family reunion and swinging through a few National Parks. This will be the longest road trip we’ve taken. First stop, Yakima.
Families experience losses all the time, but the impact of losing a family’s matriarch is different.
Sometimes people pass away suddenly, sometimes you know in advance that their remaining time is short. We've had several years to prepare for losing Mrs. Evans, which doesn't make her passing any easier.
